cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A conundrum in molecular toxicology: molecular and biological changes during neoplastic transformation of human cells

The process of multistage carcinogenesis lends itself to the concept that the effects of carcinogens are mediated through dose-related, multi-hit, linear changes. Multiple in vitro model systems have been developed that are designed to examine the cellular changes associated with the progression of cells through the different stages in the process; however, these systems may have inherent limitations due to the cell lines used for these studies, the manner of assessing the effects of the carcinogens, and the subsequent growth and differentiation of the exposed cells. Each of these variables results in increasing levels of uncertainty relative to the correlation of the events with the actual process of human tumor development. Therefore, the prediction of the ultimate effect of any carcinogen is difficult. Moreover, relationships between individual biological endpoints resulting from carcinogen treatment appear at best to be approximations. The presence of an activated carcinogen inside the cell can give rise to multiple outcomes, only some of which may be critical events. For example, site-specific modification of the 12th and 13th codons of H-ras is different than that in the adjacent 14th and 15th codons. It is interesting to speculate what effect these differences might have on a biological outcome, e.g., transformation to anchorage-independent growth. The use of different model systems to examine the effects of activated carcinogens also creates additional problems. Comparisons of in vitro transformed cells with similar cells isolated from human tumors indicate that the culture environment appears to influence the expression of a particular phenotype, in that human tumor cells in culture express many of the same parameters as those found in cells transformed with carcinogens in vitro. If the process of transformation is linear, then less aggressive phenotypes should progress to a more aggressive transformed stage. However, in carcinogen-transformed human cells, the populations exhibit phenotypic diversity in that many of the transformed cells differentiate and fail to continue to divide in culture. Historically, we have assumed only a limited role for epigenetic modulation of molecular changes that occur during progression; however, our data suggest quite strongly that nonmalignant tumor populations can be converted to a more malignant phenotype without additional mutations taking place and, conversely, malignant populations can be downregulated to a nontumorigenic phenotype. Tumor cell plasticity is not only a fundamental characteristic of diverse types of human tumors, but also appears as an integral characteristic of carcinogen-transformed cells in vitro.
The use of ribonuclease U2 in RNA sequence determination

The catalog of oligomers produced by ribonuclease T1 digestion ofEscherichi coli 16S ribosomal RNA has been determined by a new method that involves the use of ribonuclease U2 fromUstilago sphaerogena. The sequences for the larger T1 oligomers (8 or more bases) determined in this way differ in more than 50 % of the cases from those reported previously (determined by other methods).
Age at death estimates for the protohistoric Arikara using molar attrition rates: A new quantification method

Dental attrition is positively related to ageing and has often been used to determine age at death of animals and prehistoric/historic humans. A newly designed molar-attrition-scoring standard was applied to a protohistoric skeletal sample, the Arikara (N = 143) from the North American Plains. Several criteria are used in producing a molar tooth crown wear (MTCW) score. These include: (i) the size of enamel wear facets, (ii) the amount of dentine and secondary dentine exposure, (iii) the height of the tooth, (iv) the enamel rim thickness, and (v) the amount of pulp-cavity exposure in the advanced stages. Age-at-death estimates were generated from ordinary least-squares (OLS) analysis, with estimated age regressed independently on the total molar attrition score (TMAS), mean molar-1 tooth crown wear (ȲM1TCW), mean molar-2 tooth crown wear (ȲM2TCW), and mean molar-3 tooth crown wear (ȲM3TCW). In all analyses (with the exception of the third molar), the coefficient of determination (r2) revealed a strong relationship between molar attrition and age. Multiple-regression analysis revealed a significant sex difference in molar-attrition rates. Besides intercept and slope differences, the female scatter showed greater molar attrition variation than the male scatter. There was no statistical difference between mean upper molar attrition score (UMAS) and lower molar attrition score (LMAS). There was no significant difference in molar attrition rates by side, and side by molar tooth.
Preliminary design guidelines for pedagogical agent interface image

Pedagogical agent image is a key feature for animated interface agents. Experimental research indicates that agent interface images should be carefully designed, considering both the relevant outcomes (learning or motivational) together with student characteristics. This paper summarizes empirically-derived design guidelines for pedagogical agent image.
Using a soil topographic index to distribute denitrification fluxes across a northeastern headwater catchment

Summary Riparian zones are considered potential hotspots of denitrification because they allow for the confluence of necessary electron acceptors (nitrate) and donors (carbon) via hydrologic flowpaths in low oxygen (reducing) conditions. While riparian areas have received considerable research attention, other soils prone to saturation have similar physicochemical characteristics but are less frequently studied. We quantified in situ denitrification rates in the shallow saturated zone, a dynamic portion of the landscape, across a range of hydroperiodicities, i.e., frequencies and durations of saturated conditions, as characterized by a topographic index in a small mixed land-use headwater catchment in central New York State. We found a strong positive relationship between topographic index and denitrification, indicating that the highest rates of denitrification occur in the relatively small portion of the landscape prone to saturation. We used the resulting relationship to distribute denitrification rates across the catchment and estimate denitrification fluxes from the shallow saturated zone. While the highest rates of denitrification were observed in wetter portions of the landscape, including riparian zones, we found that the shallow saturated zone beneath drier upland soils contributed to a larger portion of whole-catchment denitrification due to a larger areal extent. A topographic index-denitrification model is a promising and simple tool that allows for scaling of in situ denitrification rates across the landscape and provides insight into the spatial organization of denitrification at the catchment scale.
Dependent random variables and hypothesis testing-a Monte Carlo perspective

This research paper simulated hypothesis testing of the differences of means, when the conventional assumption of independence within one of the samples had been violated. The study ran separate Monte Carlo simulations in which both samples came from uniform and normal populations. Dependence was introduced by multiplying the randomly generated scores within one sample by a predetermined factor. Then the simulation collected data on 10,000 paired samples with factors ranging from 1.0 (independence) to 2.0 (the highest level of dependence). A separate study calculated the mean autocorrelation associated with different conditions of dependence and linked this autocorrelation to the adjusted level of Type I error (@a level). The results demonstrated a systematic increase in Type I error as the level of autocorrelation increased. The @a level that our study found for certain levels of dependence (with n = 30) far exceeded the asymptotic level of adjusted @a, suggesting that we further explore the effects of autocorrelation on conventional hypothesis testing.
Guidelines for Warnings Design: Do They Matter?

A study was carried out using four measures of effectiveness to compare product warnings that are consistent with the American National Standards Institute Product Safety Signs and Labels standard ...
The Gerontologist: Counselor and Coach

Effective communication is the core of every helping relationship. Trained and experienced gerontology counselors bring skillful listening, the gift of reframing, the ability to suspend judgment, experience with confidentiality and ethics, and the ability to seek solutions and think of possibilities to the evolving field of life coach. Therefore, whether the older client is seeking psychological counseling or a personal evolution and ways to live their life more fully, the gerontologist is the most suitable professional to address their concerns. If practitioners are to meet the rapidly increasing needs of Baby Boomers, academic programs need to train them to fill the role of both counselor and coach. Clients will make the determination of who is the best fit for their current concern.
Rheology of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites

Abstract Layered silicate based polymer nanocomposites have gained significant technological interest because of the recent commercialization of nylon 6 and polypropylene based materials. Aside from the natural interests in understanding and improving the processing of these hybrids, viscoelastic measurements have also proven to be a sensitive tool to probe the mesoscale structure and the strength of polymer–nanoparticle interactions.
Soft error benchmarking of L2 caches with PARMA

The amount of charge stored in an SRAM cell shrinks rapidly with each technology generation thus increasingly exposing caches to soft errors. Benchmarking the FIT rate of caches due to soft errors is critical to evaluate the relative merits of a plethora of protection schemes that are being proposed to protect against soft errors. The benchmarking of cache reliability introduces a unique challenge as compared to internal processor storage structures, such as the load/store queue. In the case of internal processor structures the time a data bit resides in the structure is so short that it is generally safe to assume that no more than one soft error strike can occur. Thus the reliability of such structures is overwhelmingly dominated by single bit errors. By contrast, a memory block may reside for millions of cycles in a last level cache. In this case it is important to consider the impact of the spatial and temporal distribution of multiple errors within the lifetime of a cache block in the presence of error protection.This paper introduces a unified reliability benchmarking framework called PARMA (Precise Analytical Reliability Model for Architecture). PARMA is a rigorous analytical framework that accurately accounts for the distribution of multiple errors to measure the failure rate under any protection scheme. In a single simulation run PARMA provides a precise FIT rate (expected number of failures in one billion hours) measurement for storage structures where the effect of multiple errors cannot be neglected. We have implemented the PARMA framework on top of a cycle-accurate out-of-order processor simulator (sim-outorder) to benchmark L2 cache failure rates for a set of CPU 2000 benchmarks. The effectiveness of three protection schemes are compared in terms of L2 cache FIT rate: parity, word-level Single Error Correcting Double Error Detecting (SECDED) code and block-level SECDED.Exploiting the accuracy of PARMA, we demonstrate that current techniques to evaluate cache FIT rates in the presence of SECDED, such as accelerated fault injection simulations and first-principle derivations based on Architectural Vulnerability Factor (AVF), can overestimate FIT rates by vast amounts. Based on the insights gained during this research we also introduce a new approximate analytical model that can quickly and more accurately estimate cache FIT rate in the presence of SECDED.
The effect of a ready signal on the relationship between habit and drive variables in human eyelid conditioning

Performance curves for high- and low-drive groups in human eyelid conditioning were shown to diverge across training trials if no ready signal was employed. Use of a ready signal acted to mask this diverging trend in other groups that differed in drive level.
Phenolic constituents of California buckeye fruit

Abstract The fresh fruit of California buckeye, Aesculus californica was separated into husk, seed coat and endosperm. The chemical analyses exhibited differences in each part. Arbutin was isolated only from the endosperm, (-)-epicatechin from the seed coat and saponins from the husk. Hydroquinone was found to be an artifact of arbutin origin.
ThO$sub 2$-DISPERSION-STRENGTHENED NICKEL AND NICKEL-MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS PRODUCED BY SELECTIVE REDUCTION

A series of Ni-ThO2 and Ni-12% Mo-ThO2 alloys, containing from 3 to 9 vol.-% thoria, were prepared by selective hydrogen reduction of mixed submicron oxides. Room-temperature strength properties considerably higher than usual, with good ductility, were obtained. At 982°C, creep-rupture properties were excellent, with significant improvements in strength and stability due to solid-solution strengthening of nickel by 12 wt.-% molybdenum. An investigation was made of the benefits derived from additional cold work after hot extrusion, with and without intermediate annealing treatments. An analysis of the probable strain distribution in oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloys is presented.
The correlation of bone robusticity with the perforation of the coronoid-olecranon septum in the humerus of man

Hrdlicka ('32) theorized that the tendency towards perforation of the coronoid-olecranon septum of the humerus was phylogenetic in origin, but its appearance also seemed to be negatively correlated with bone size. By determining the correlation between the occurrence of the perforation and certain standard anthropometric measurements, the present study provides a statistical tool to test Hrdlicka's hypothesis more rigorously. The minimum middle diameter of the humerus is shown to be significantly related to the occurrence of septal perforation, in samples of archeological skeletal material. Using the minimum middle diameter of the humerus as a quantitative assessment of robusticity, more robust samples were found to have smaller mean percentages of perforation.
Accumulation versus instant loyalty programs: The influence of controlling policies on customers' commitments

Abstract Loyalty reward programs play an important strategic role attracting and retaining customers. Surprisingly, reward redemptions receive minimal research attention. Despite widespread reward program offerings, evidence suggests customers increasingly abandon them due to controlling (restrictive) redemption policies, such as blackout dates. The present study considers controlling redemption policies' effect on consumer commitment levels for accumulation-based and instant loyalty programs across social and economic award types. A 2 (low/high controlling) × 2 (accumulation/instant program) × (social/economic rewards) design tests hypotheses informed by cognitive evaluation and rational choice theories. Results show firms employing accumulation programs with highly controlling policies should highlight their social rewards (e.g., a hotel with blackout dates on redeeming rewards would want to highlight their special lounges or dining areas); whereas, low controlling policies work best when offering financial rewards (e.g., free upgrades or percentages off). In instant programs, the type of reward generally does not influence consumers' commitment levels.
HIV Infection and Physician Responsibilities: A Commentary on the ACOG Ethics Committee Opinion #130

T he ACOG Ethics Committee is to be commended for continuing to offer guidance for the admittedly and necessarily “evolving ethic” regarding obstetrician/gynecologist responsibilities in cases complicated by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This most recent revision replaced the 1990 Committee Opinion on the subject.’ When clinical realities warrant terms such as “plague” and “epidemic,” the stakes are obviously high and the emotions run deep.* We have written this commentary with the practicing obstetrician/gynecologist in mind. The need for a revised statement apparently stemmed from the need for ethical reflection to keep pace with the epidemiological and clinical information being gathered about HIV infection. The revised statement reflects both format and content changes. The organization of the statement into sections makes for a much more coherent statement. Data about patient-to-professional risk of transmission are referenced as confirmation of the committee’s earlier argument that, with universal precautions, the risk is very slight (with hepatitis as a point of contrast now included).3 The revised statement recognizes that HIV infection has spread into all socioeconomic levels.
Aspects of the mammalian cardiac sarcotubular system revealed by freeze fracture electron microscopy

Abstract Freeze fracture methods were used to examine the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of dog cardiac muscle. The free SR consists of three regions: narrow tubules of the free SR, fenestrated membranes of the M rete, and flat cisternal SR. Cisternal SR is a new ultrastructural feature of cardiac SR. The cisternal regions appear scattered throughout the cell and frequently are found near mitochondria. There is little difference between the narrow tubules of free SR and the junctional SR which is connected to the T tubules. Sometimes the tubular junctional SR broadens and wraps around a T tubule. The SR is also connected to the sarcolemma at the intercalated disc and sometimes is found near gap junctions. Evidence of SR-mitochondria connections is presented.
Inhibition of PI3K and MEK: it is all about combinations and biomarkers.

A small molecule inhibitor of MAP/ERK kinase (MEK) was effective against human breast cancer cells with a basal-like gene expression signature. Antitumor activity was limited by both feedback upregulation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT upon inhibition of MEK as well as loss of the phosphatase PTEN. Therefore, MEK inhibitors should preferably be investigated in combination with PI3K inhibitors in basal-like breast cancers.(Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(14) July 2009).
Wideband Extrapolation of Spatial Responses of Resonant Structures Using Early-Time and Low-Frequency Data

An efficient procedure is presented to extrapolate a wideband electromagnetic response defined over an arbitrary spatial region using early-time and low-frequency data. The previous procedures presented in the literature are efficient for single-point extrapolation and can readily be applied to spatial regions but are terribly inefficient when a response is desired at many spatial locations. In this work, an optimized algorithm is presented to quickly extrapolate over a large number of spatial locations. The time and frequency behavior of the response is fitted by polynomials and pole terms, and the spatial variation is represented with spatially dependent polynomial coefficients and pole residues. A single set of poles, common to all spatial locations of interest, is shown to sufficiently describe the resonant behavior of response over the entire spatial region. A multisignal formulation of the matrix pencil method is applied to determine poles from early time data. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the procedure. Additionally, an automated approach to distinguish physical poles, which correspond to structural resonances, from nonphysical fitting poles is presented. The spatially dependent residues of physical pole terms, referred to here as modal residues, are shown to provide important insight into the resonant behavior of a structure.
Gesture Recognition Using 3D Appearance and Motion Features

We present a novel 3D gesture recognition scheme that combines the 3D appearance of the hand and the motion dynamics of the gesture to classify manipulative and controlling gestures. Our method does not directly track the hand. Instead, we take an object-centered approach that efficiently computes the 3D appearance using a region-based coarse stereo matching algorithm in a volume around the hand. The motion cue is captured via differentiating the appearance feature. An unsupervised learning scheme is carried out to capture the cluster structure of these feature-volumes. Then, the image sequence of a gesture is converted to a series of symbols that indicate the cluster identities of each image pair. Two schemes (forward HMMs and neural networks) are used to model the dynamics of the gestures. We implemented a real-time system and performed numerous gesture recognition experiments to analyze the performance with different combinations of the appearance and motion features. The system achieves recognition accuracy of over 96% using both the proposed appearance and the motion cues.
Evaluating changes in radiation treatment volumes from post-operative to same-day planning MRI in High-grade gliomas

Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) with temozolomide (TMZ) is standard of care for high grade gliomas (HGG) patients. RT is commonly started 3 to 5 weeks after surgery. The deformation of the tumor bed and brain from surgery to RT is poorly studied. This study examined the magnitude of volume change in the postoperative tumor bed and the potential impact of RT planning. This study includes 24 patients with HGG who underwent craniotomy and adjuvant RT with TMZ at our institution. All patients had immediate postoperative MRI and repeat MRI during the day of RT simulation. Gross tumor volumes (GTV), clinical target volumes (CTV) of initial 46 Gy (CTV1) and boost to 60 Gy (CTV2) were contoured on both sets of MRIs according to RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) guidelines. For patients who recurred after RT, the recurrence pattern was evaluated. An average of 17 days elapsed between immediate and delayed MRIs. GTV1 (FLAIR abnormality and tumor bed) decreased significantly on the delayed MRI as compared to immediate post-operative MRI (mean = 30.96cc, p = 0.0005), while GTV2 (contrast-enhanced T1 abnormality and tumor bed) underwent a non-significant increase (mean = 6.82cc, p = 0.07). Such changes lead to significant decrease of CTV1 (mean decrease is 113.9cc, p<0.01), and significant increase of CTV2 (mean increase is 32.5cc, p=0.05). At a median follow-up of 13 months, 16 patients (67%) progressed, recurred, or died, with a progression-free survival time of 13.7 months. Twelve patients failed within all CTVs based on immediate and delayed MRIs, while one patient recurred outside of CTV2 based on immediate post-operative MRI, but within the CTV2 defined on delayed MRI. The postoperative tumor bed of HGGs undergoes substantial volumetric changes after surgery. Treatment planning based on delayed MRI significantly reduces the volume of treated brain tissue without local control detriment. The marked reduction of volume treated to 46 Gy based on delayed MRI scan, could result in increased sparing of organs at risk. There may be a small risk of inadequate radiation field design if radiation planning is based on immediate post-operative MRI.
Evaluation of High Solids Alkaline Pretreatment of Rice Straw

Fresh-harvested, air-dried rice straw was pretreated at a water content of 5 g H2O/g straw using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and compared to pretreatment at 10 g H2O/g straw by hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2). Full factorial experiments including parallel wash-only treatments were completed with both sources of alkali. The experiments were designed to measure the effects of alkaline loading and pretreatment time on delignification and sugar yield upon enzymatic hydrolysis. Reaction temperature was held constant at 95°C for lime pretreatment and 55°C for NaOH pretreatment. The range of delignification was 13.1% to 27.0% for lime pretreatments and was 8.6% to 23.1% for NaOH pretreatments. Both alkaline loading and reaction time had significant positive effects (p < 0.001) on delignification under the design conditions, but only alkaline loading had a significant positive effect on enzymatic hydrolysis. Treatment at higher temperature also improved delignification; delignification with water alone ranged from 9.9% to 14.5% for pretreatment at 95°C, but there was little effect observed at 55°C. Post-pretreatment washing of biomass was not necessary for subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. Maximum glucose yields were 176.3 mg/g dried biomass (48.5% conversion efficiency of total glucose) in lime-pretreated and unwashed biomass and were 142.3 mg/g dried biomass (39.2% conversion efficiency of total glucose) in NaOH-pretreated and unwashed biomass.
Hope and Persuasion by Physicians During Informed Consent

Purpose To describe hopeful and persuasive messages communicated by physicians during informed consent for phase I trials and examine whether such communication is associated with physician and parent ratings of the likelihood of benefit, physician and parent ratings of the strength of the physician’s recommendation to enroll, parent ratings of control, and parent ratings of perceived pressure. Patients and Methods Participants were children with cancer (n 85) who were offered a phase I trial along with their parents and physicians. Informed consent conferences (ICCs) were audiotaped and coded for physician communication of hope and persuasion. Parents completed an interview (n 60), and physicians completed a case-specific questionnaire. Results The most frequent hopeful statements related to expectations of positive outcomes and provision of options. Physicians failed to mention no treatment and/or palliative care as options in 68% of ICCs and that the disease was incurable in 85% of ICCs. When physicians mentioned no treatment and/or palliative care as options, both physicians and parents rated the physician’s strength of recommendation to enroll in the trial lower. Conclusion Hopes and goals other than cure or longer life were infrequently mentioned, and a minority of physicians communicated that the disease was incurable and that no treatment and/or palliative care were options. These findings are of concern, given the low likelihood of medical benefit from phase I trials. Physicians have an important role to play in helping families develop alternative goals when no curative options remain. J Clin Oncol 32:3229-3235. © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Vitamin E attenuates acute lung injury in sheep with burn and smoke inhalation injury.

Abstract Introduction: A decrease in α-tocopherol (vitamin E) plasma levels in burn patients is typically associated with increased mortality. We hypothesized that vitamin E supplementation (α-tocopherol) would attenuate acute lung injury induced by burn and smoke inhalation injury. Materials and Methods: Under deep anesthesia, sheep (33 ± 5 kg) were subjected to a flame burn (40% total body surface area, third degree) and inhalation injury (48 breaths of cotton smoke, < 40°C). Half of the injured group received α-tocopherol (1000 IU vitamin E) orally, 24 h prior to injury. The sham group was neither injured nor given vitamin E. All three groups (n = 5 per group) were resuscitated with Ringer's lactate solution (4 ml/kg/%burn/24 h), and placed on a ventilator (PEEP = 5 cmH2O; tidal volume = 15 ml/kg) for 48 h. Results: Plasma α-tocopherol per lipids doubled in the vitamin E treated sheep. Vitamin E treatment prior to injury largely prevented the increase in pulmonary permeability index and moderated the i...
Menthol inhibits the perception of warmth.

The effect of l-menthol on the ability to perceive gradual increases in skin temperature was measured in two experiments. Experiment 1 established that suprathreshold sensations of warmth generated on the vermilion border of the lip could be significantly attenuated by exposure to menthol in concentrations of 0.2 and 2.0% (in mineral oil). Experiment 2 demonstrated that exposure to the 2.0% menthol solution caused the threshold for warmth to rise significantly whereas the threshold for heat pain was unchanged. Although masking of sensations of warmth by menthol-induced sensations of cold is discussed as a possible explanation for the results, a direct effect of the menthol molecule on warm receptors (i.e., inhibition or desensitization) is considered a more likely explanation.
Cost implications of alternative sources of (n-3) fatty acid consumption in the United States.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 provides authoritative advice on what Americans should eat to stay healthy. These guidelines provide a quantitative recommendation to consume 250 mg/d of (n-3) fatty acids (also known as omega-3 fatty acids). To achieve this goal, Americans would need to more than triple the amount of EPA and DHA currently consumed. This paper assessed the cost implications of increased levels of EPA and DHA from marine and nonmarine food sources using data from the 2007–2008 NHANES, USDA nutrient data base, and the USDA Center for the Nutrition Policy and Promotion food price data. Stearidonic acid (SDA)-enhanced soybean oil is a lower cost alternative to commonly consumed marine food as a source of EPA. In addition, given that SDA-enhanced soybean oil is intended to be used as an ingredient in a variety of products, this may enable consumers to increase consumption of EPA through commonly consumed foods. J. Nutr. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.152736.
Immunoblot Analysis of the Immunoglobulin G Response to Ehrlichia Canis in Dogs: An International Survey:

Historically, considerable variation has been reported in the type and severity of clinical and hematologic abnormalities associated with canine ehrlichiosis. Because of difficulties associated with the isolation of intracellular monocytic Ehrlichia species in tissue culture systems, few E. canis isolates are available for comparative microbiologic studies. To address the issue of potential E. canis antigenic diversity in different regions of the world, dog sera reactive by indirect fluorescent antibody testing to E. canis (Florida) antigen were obtained from France, Israel, Italy, the United States, the Virgin Islands, and Zimbabwe. Ehrlichia canis proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and at least 5 sera from each region were stained by western immunoblotting. Antibody immunodominance was scored based upon staining intensity. There was relative homogeneity in the immunogenic protein reactions to E. canis antigens. Of the 58 E. canis reactive sera, 54 samples resulted in immunoblot patterns indicative of chronic ehrlichiosis. Four reactive sera (reciprocal titers of 160-2,560) did not recognize any genus-specific antigens resulting in protein bands between 22 and 29 kD, indicating serologic cross-reactivity with other microorganisms. Relatively homogenous immunoblot patterns, consistent with the reported immunoblot response of dogs with experimental chronic ehrlichiosis, were observed with sera from Arizona, France, Israel, North Carolina, Texas, and the Virgin Islands. In contrast, unique major proteins were observed in dog sera from Italy and Zimbabwe. Our results indicate that although relatively homogeneous, antigenic diversity may exist among E. canis organisms in different regions of the world.
Distal Convoluted Tubule

The distal convoluted tubule is the nephron segment that lies immediately downstream of the macula densa. Although short in length, the distal convoluted tubule plays a critical role in sodium, potassium, and divalent cation homeostasis. Recent genetic and physiologic studies have greatly expanded our understanding of how the distal convoluted tubule regulates these processes at the molecular level. This article provides an update on the distal convoluted tubule, highlighting concepts and pathophysiology relevant to clinical practice.
Desktop teleoperation via the World Wide Web

We built a system that allows a robot manipulator to be teleoperated via the WWW. Although the field of teleoperation dates back over 50 years, the WWW provides a low-cost and widely-available interface that can make teleoperated resources accessible to anyone with a desktop or laptop computer and modem. The "Mercury Project" consists of an industrial robot arm fitted with a CCD camera and a pneumatic system. We placed a sandbox filled with buried artifacts in the robot workspace. Using the ISMAP feature of HTTP, users can remotely move the camera to view desired locations or direct a short burst of compressed air into the sand to view the newly cleared region. To our knowledge, the Mercury Project is the first system to permit WWW users to remotely view and alter the real world. This paper focuses on interface design, robot hardware, and system architecture.
The Impact of Personal Metaphors and Memorable Interpersonal Communication on Body Satisfaction

Memorable messages about body size can have profound negative psychological and emotional effects on body image and personal health. We found that both men and women recalled more negative than positive memorable messages about their body appearance and size. Participants who reported receiving negative memorable messages also revealed stronger current body dissatisfaction and poorer self-image than participants who reported positive memorable messages. Participants who received negative body comments also described their own body using negative metaphors. Negative memorable messages often occurred in front of third parties who expressed approval for the message, sometimes in the form of laughter. We discuss the mental health consequences of negative messages about body size and the implications for public health campaigns.
Exploring the Influence of Gender on Managerial Work in a Transitional, Eastern European Nation

Prior studies of women in management have been conducted primarily from a Western, industrialized, and Anglo-American perspective. Therefore, their findings may not apply to other sociopolitical domains, such as those in transition to market-based economies. This study surveyed Hungarian managers at two different organizational ranks and employed in three different sectors of the economy. Contrary to the "gender-centered" hypothesis, managers' gender did not influence their work-related beliefs, values, or attitudes. However, as suggested by the "situational" hypothesis, the variables of rank and sector had a strong effect on outcomes.
Behavioral Sleep Medicine Interventions for Restless Legs Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) are sleep disorders that are commonly seen in clinical practice. The standard treatment recommendations for these disorders are pharmacologic; most recently both conditions are most typically managed with pramipexole or ropinerole, which are FDA approved for the treatment of RLS. A mix of behavioral suggestions is included in treatment algorithms for providers as well as in patient education materials. While these suggestions have considerable merit, they are typically not delivered as an intervention, but instead provided as a series of helpful tips. There is emerging evidence for providing such suggestions as a more active and comprehensive intervention as part of a cognitive-behavioral package as well as for exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia to be delivered as active treatments for RLS and/or PLMD.
Collective task responsibility allocation : Revisiting the group-serving bias

This article explores differences in individual- and group-level allocation of responsibility for task performance following positive and negative performance feedback. In two studies, 330 particip...
Potential Use of Uniola paniculata Rhizome Fragments for Dune Restoration

Uniola paniculata (sea oats) rhizomes uprooted by hurricanes and deposited as wrack could be salvaged and replanted in dune restoration. To test this unexplored technique, percent tiller emergence was observed for 4 years from U. paniculata rhizomes replanted after submersion in seawater; air exposure of 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 days; freshwater rinse; and reburial in pots (watered) or on the beach (with or without supplemental water). In addition, U. paniculata rhizomes uprooted by Hurricane Georges were experimentally planted, and effects of soil salinity and moisture on emergence were tested in the greenhouse. Tiller emergence declined with increasing length of air exposure and decreasing size of rhizome. Tiller survival was enhanced by rainfall, rinsing with salt or fresh water during exposure and immediately after planting or supplemental beach watering. Although emergence was not reduced by soil salinity of 1,800 � S/cm, emergence was reduced by soil salinity of 5,800 � S/cm. Across the 4 years of the study tiller emergence from treated rhizomes varied considerably. U. paniculata rhizomes lost bud viability after 3‐5 days of beach exposure, unless fresh water from rainfall, wet burlap storage, or watering was applied within 3 days. Bud viability was extended through 11 days when supplied with water. Thus, reburial within 3‐11 days after a storm is a viable restoration technique.
Biological and Chemical Diversity of Biogenic Volatile Organic Emissions into the Atmosphere

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) emitted by terrestrial ecosystems into the atmosphere play an important role in determining atmospheric constituents including the oxidants and aerosols that control air quality and climate. Accurate quantitative estimates of BVOC emissions are needed to understand the processes controlling the earth system and to develop effective air quality and climate management strategies. The large uncertainties associated with BVOC emission estimates must be reduced, but this is challenging due to the large number of compounds and biological sources. The information on the immense biological and chemical diversity of BVOC is reviewed with a focus on observations that have been incorporated into the MEGAN2.1 BVOC emission model. Strategies for improving current BVOC emission modeling approaches by better representations of this diversity are presented. The current gaps in the available data for parameterizing emission models and the priorities for future measurements are discussed.
Precedents, Progress, and Prospects in Political Event Data

The past decade has seen a renaissance in the development of political event data sets. This has been due to at least three sets of factors. First, there have been technological changes that have r...
Anti-jamming for embedded wireless networks

Resilience to electromagnetic jamming and its avoidance are difficult problems. It is often both hard to distinguish malicious jamming from congestion in the broadcast regime and a challenge to conceal the activity patterns of the legitimate communication protocol from the jammer. In the context of energy-constrained wireless sensor networks, nodes are scheduled to maximize the common sleep duration and coordinate communication to extend their battery life. This results in well-defined communication patterns with possibly predictable intervals of activity that are easily detected and jammed by a statistical jammer. We present an anti-jamming protocol for sensor networks which eliminates spatio-temporal patterns of communication while maintaining coordinated and contention-free communication across the network. Our protocol, WisperNet, is time-synchronized and uses coordinated temporal randomization for slot schedules and slot durations at the link layer and adapts routes to avoid jammers in the network layer. Through analysis, simulation and experimentation we demonstrate that WisperNet reduces the efficiency of any statistical jammer to that of a random jammer, which has the lowest censorship-to-link utilization ratio. WisperNet has been implemented on the FireFly sensor network platform.
Evaluation of thin-film chamber-type stimulation microelectrodes

Microelectrodes presently used for chronic intracortical stimulation have difficulty in maintaining sufficient current and charge densities to functionally stimulate without irreparable damage to the electrode or tissue. With recent advances in solid-state technology, a chamber-type microelectrode has been fabricated to overcome these problems. The design is based on an improved geometrical configuration and differential current density theory. Comparative in vitro stimulation experiments and computer modeling were utilized to evaluate and optimize the design. The realization of an improved microelectrode for stimulation has been demonstrated. >
Munin: Distributed Shared Memory Using Multi-Protocol Release Consistency

Munin's efficient distributed shared memory is based on a multi-protocol implementation of release consistency. Initial experience with a prototype implementation is very encouraging: the performance cost of Munin, compared to the underlying message passing system, appears to be on the order of 10 percent. This cost seems acceptable in light of the significant reduction of the complexity of programming in Munin, compared to programming in the underlying message passing system.
Virulence conversion of Legionella pneumophila: a one-way phenomenon.

Abstract Previous investigations have shown that Legionella pneumophila converts from virulence to avirulence after passage on supplemented Mueller-Hinton (SMH) agar and may convert back to virulence after passage in guinea pigs. However, there is no additional information concerning the apparent interconversion of virulent and avirulent derivatives of L. pneumophila cultures. We investigated the stability of a parental virulent culture and its avirulent derivatives and the growth and viability of these cultures on charcoal-yeast extract (CYE) and SMH agars. Avirulent derivatives of a highly virulent L. pneumophila culture were obtained by passage of the virulent parent culture on SMH agar. The only time a virulent L. pneumophila culture was recoverable from an avirulent culture was when the avirulent culture was derived from a saline suspension of a virulent culture which had been passaged only five times on SMH agar. When an avirulent culture was derived from a virulent culture passaged 25 times on SMH agar or from an isolated colony which grew on a SMH agar plate, we were unable to recover a virulent culture after successive passage through guinea pigs. These results suggest that the conversion process which occurs between virulent and avirulent forms of L. pneumophila is a one-way phenomenon from virulence to avirulence and that stable avirulent derivatives can be isolated. Furthermore, our findings suggest that SMH agar acts as a selective medium for the growth of avirulent L. pneumophila, and growth on SMH agar may be a phenotypic marker for avirulence. Virulent cells, although unable to grow on SMH agar, may remain viable for several passages on SMH agar and propagate when inoculated into guinea pigs.
Enkephalin-encoding herpes simplex virus-1 decreases inflammation and hotplate sensitivity in a chronic pancreatitis model.

A chronic pancreatitis model was developed in young male Lewis rats fed a high-fat and alcohol liquid diet beginning at three weeks. The model was used to assess time course and efficacy of a replication defective herpes simplex virus type 1 vector construct delivering human cDNA encoding preproenkephalin (HSV-ENK). Most surprising was the relative lack of inflammation and tissue disruption after HSV-ENK treatment compared to the histopathology consistent with pancreatitis (inflammatory cell infiltration, edema, acinar cell hypertrophy, fibrosis) present as a result of the high-fat and alcohol diet in controls. The HSV-ENK vector delivered to the pancreatic surface at week 3 reversed pancreatitis-associated hotplate hypersensitive responses for 4–6 weeks, while control virus encoding β-galactosidase cDNA (HSV-β-gal) had no effect. Increased Fos expression seen bilaterally in pain processing regions in control animals with pancreatitis was absent in HSV-ENK-treated animals. Increased met-enkephalin staining was evident in pancreas and lower thoracic spinal cord laminae I–II in the HSV-ENK-treated rats. Thus, clear evidence is provided that site specific HSV-mediated transgene delivery of human cDNA encoding preproenkephalin ameliorates pancreatic inflammation and significantly reduces hypersensitive hotplate responses for an extended time consistent with HSV mediated overexpression, without tolerance or evidence of other opiate related side effects.
Cattle Grazing Effects on Macroinvertebrates in an Oregon Mountain Stream

Cattle grazing effects on aquatic macroinvertebrates were assessed in a 4-year experiment of a mountain stream in northeastern Oregon. From 1996 through 1999, 10 cow–calf pairs were introduced into 6 experimental units along the stream for 42 days between July and September, and effects on aquatic macroinvertebrates were compared with 3 units in which no grazing occurred. Streambank and geomorphological variables were also measured to provide context for interpretation of effects on aquatic macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrate response to grazing was subtle, indicated by significantly lower abundance in grazed units. We measured more profound effects on streambanks: grazing caused an average decrease of 18% in bank length of the highest stability/cover class and caused an average increase of 8% in the lowest condition class over the course of each summer. By June of each following year, banks had recovered to their previous June condition, but grazing each summer caused a progressively larger decline in bank condition by September. Streambank effects were accompanied by an increase in cobble embeddedness over time in grazed units and were correlated with grazing-associated stream widening. Treatment effects were overwhelmed, however, by a profound decline in the abundance of most macroinvertebrates over the study period, with a drop in September 1999 to 14% of the initial September abundance of 1997. While the drop was more precipitous in grazed units, declines were common to all study units, suggesting that something more widespread affected the system during this time. Logging on lands just upstream of the study area in 1998 and 1999, in which trucks drove through the study stream without the benefit of a culvert, sent sediment plumes into the study area each of those 2 years and could have caused the precipitous decline in aquatic macroinvertebrates.
The Spiritually-Guided Enterprise: Setting A Course Of Study

This paper begins an exploration of the intersection between Christianity and business with a focus on the spiritually-guided enterprise. It examines the impact of Christian leadership on business and seeks to explore whether Christians run their businesses differently. The purpose is to pose reflective questions that will indicate potential research studies and that will lead to a greater understanding and knowledge of this intersection.
New Boundaries of Urban Governance: An Analysis of Philadelphia's University City Improvement District

Formerly a "first suburb" of Philadelphia, University City is a neighborhood situated west of downtown Philadelphia. It is today one of the most diverse areas of the metropolitan area in terms of race, ethnicity, culture, and socioeconomic status. University City is home to two major research universities, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and Drexel University (Drexel), which provide an immense economic base for the neighborhood in the scientific, medical, and technological sectors. The neighborhood features distinct historic housing, tree-lined streets, and a variety of restaurants and cafes. Additionally, the neighborhood provides many options for local shopping, museums, and theaters. Just as metropolitan Philadel-phia's economy and socioeconomic structure grew more diverse, so did University City's.