cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IMMUNOCHEMICAL COMPARISONS OF SEED PROTEINS FROM POPULATIONS OF PINUS RADIATA (PINACEAE)

Antisera were prepared to seed proteins from five populations of Pinus radiata and to seed proteins from six other pine species. Differences between the P. radiata populations detected with these antisera were compared to differences in sizes of cones from the same populations. The strong correlation between antigenic differences and cone size differences provides evidence that in P. radiata, both seed proteins and cone size indicate quantitative genetic relationships among the populations. The data suggest that the three California mainland populations of P. radiata are more closely related to one another than to the insular populations, and that the insular populations are more closely related to each other than to the California populations, to P. attenuata, or to P. muricata. PINUS RADIATA D. Don consists of a complex of populations scattered in coastal and insular habitats along western North America. There are three discrete populations on the California coast, near Aino Nuevo Point, Monterey, and Cambria. The California populations were probably formed by the dispersal of an ancestral population from mainland Mexico, followed by the isolation of favorable habitats that occurred after the late Pleistocene when regions with drier climates expanded (Axelrod, 1980). There are two other populations, with uncertain taxonomic positions, on Guadalupe and Cedros Islands off Baja California. These
Reduced height in swedish men with asthma at the age of conscription for military service.

Objective: To investigate the influence of asthma on growth in Swedish children during a period when inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have been first-line therapy for persistent asthma. Study design: We analyzed the height of conscripts with and without asthma in the year they turned 18 years old, using Swedish military conscription records from 1983, 1986, 1993, and 1996, and assessed exposure to ICS using prescription records over the same period. Result: The mean height for conscripts without asthma was 179.3 cm (SD = 6.6 cm, n = 164,503) and for conscripts with asthma 178.6 cm (SD = 6.6 cm, n = 8,531, P <.001). The severity of asthma had a negative correlation with height in all study populations (P <.001 in each year tested). Since 1985, increasing numbers of children with asthma have been treated with ICS in Sweden. Sales of ICS for males from birth to age 19 years increased from 68,000 daily doses in 1983 to more than 3,000,000 in 1995-1996. During this period, there was no statistically significant change in the height difference between conscripts with and without asthma. Conclusion: The introduction of inhaled steroids in Sweden, where budesonide is the predominant medication, has not changed the mean difference in heights between Swedish conscripts with and without asthma. (J Pediatr 2000;137:25-9)
Planning for avian wildlife in urbanizing areas in American desert/mountain valley environments

Abstract Residents in western American states are expressing a growing interest in wildlife-oriented recreation in the urbanized environment. Unfortunately, present development practices which convert rural land to urban use, often under the guidance of landscape architects and planners, have caused the displacement of many wildlife species. Vegetation management in urban areas has produced equally detrimental effects on urban wildlife. The net result has been a decline in overall urban wildlife species diversity. Landscape architects, planners, urban foresters and others involved in land conversion and vegetation management have a tremendous opportunity to improve the quality of urban wildlife habitat and to benefit the growing number of urban wildlife enthusiasts. However, to do so the planning and design pofessions must appreciate the value of urban wildlife, become aware of wildlife welfare needs and incorporate wildlife as a significant factor in the design process. General wildlife welfare needs are discussed and recommendations regarding ways to integrate wildlife as a factor in traditional planning and management decision making processes are presented. Specific recommendations for wildlife habitat preservation, enhancement and rehabilitation are provided.
Microstructure-sensitive modeling: Application to fretting contacts

Abstract The size of the deformation and damage fields produced by fretting are of the same scale as the microstructure. Therefore, a microstructure-sensitive modeling approach is needed to study the influence of the microstructure on the fretting behavior. This study is aimed at evaluating the dependence of normal force and tangential force amplitude on the drivers for fatigue crack formation. Previously, fretting maps were developed for Ti–6Al–4V using a two-dimensional crystal plasticity model to identify the conditions leading to elastic shakedown, surface plasticity, and subsurface plasticity in the partial slip fretting regime. In this study, more realistic three-dimensional crystal plasticity constitutive relations are used to describe the deformation behaviors of the primary α and α/β lamellar phases of Ti–6Al–4V at room temperature. In addition, fully three-dimensional finite element simulations are conducted. The new simulations substantiate the results of the previous 2D modeling in that the distribution of plastic strain is highly heterogeneous and ratcheting is the dominant component of the regions within the field where most of the plastic strain accumulates. The relative dependence of the fretting loading parameters on fatigue crack formation is determined using a ratcheting-based critical plane fatigue parameter.
Juvenile and adult olfactory ensheathing cells bundle and myelinate dorsal root ganglion axons in culture

Abstract Olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC), which normally associate closely with but do not myelinate axons in situ, myelinate axons in the adult mammalian spinal cord. They are of clinical interest as candidate cells for autologous transplantation but the ability of OEC to myelinate axons in vitro has been controversial. To clarify this issue, we isolated OEC from olfactory bulbs (OB) of juvenile and adult rats expressing GFP and analyzed their ability to myelinate axons. Using a well-defined assay for myelination of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) axons in culture, we found that OEC from juvenile pups associated with and then myelinated DRG axons. OEC assembled into bundles with the axons by 1 week and required more than a week before myelination on axons was detected. In contrast, rat Schwann cells did not bundle axons and they formed P0+ and MBP+ myelin segments after as little as 1 week. Most of the OEC in culture exhibited staining for calponin, a marker that was not found on Schwann cells in culture, whereas in both OEC and Schwann cell populations nearly all cells were positive for p75NTR and GFAP. These results confirm previous reports showing only subtle immunological differences between Schwann cells and OEC. Besides differences in the rate of myelination, we detected two additional functional differences in the interactions of OEC and Schwann cells with DRG axons. First, the diameter of OEC generated myelin was greater than for Schwann cell myelin on DRG axons. Second, OEC but not Schwann cells myelinated DRG axons in the absence of vitamin C. OEC isolated from adult OB were also found to bundle and myelinate DRG axons but the latter occurred only after incubation times of at least 3 weeks. The results indicate that adult OEC require longer incubation times than juvenile OEC to myelinate axons and suggest that patterns of myelination by OEC and Schwann cells are distinguishable at least on axons in vitro. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Understanding olfactory ensheathing glia and their prospect for nervous system repair.
Acid Fermentation in Water-Organic Solvent Two-Liquid Phase Systems

In search of an optimal system for extractive fermentation of an organic acid, fermentations of lactic, citric, and acetic acids were studied in a broth saturated with an organic solvent and in a broth-organic solvent two-liquid phase system. Among the 13 solvents tested, only long-chain hydrocarbons, perfluorodecalin, and methyl oleate were found to be nontoxic to the cells of L. delbrueckii in two-liquid phase systems. However, a distinction was made between toxicity due to dissolved solvent molecules and that due to a separate solvent phase. Thus, cells of L. delbrueckii, which were not inhibited in n-dodecanol-saturated broth, but inhibited in a two-phase system, were successfully protected by immobilization in carrageenan beads. The same solvent however, partially inhibited the growth of A. niger and A. aceti when present at saturated levels in the broth. The effect of tridodecylamine on lactic acid fermentation in a two-liquid phase system was investigated in view of enhancing the acid extraction. Since extraction of an acid is favored by low pH, an extractive fermentation of an acid is practical for microorganisms that can grow at pH < pKa, such as A. aceti and A. niger. The amine was found to be toxic to L. delbrueckii above a concentration of 222 mM, and at a level of 50%v, it was deleterious to all cell microorganisms tested, either free or gel entrapped.
Decoding Ca2+ Signals in Plants

Different input signals create their own characteristic Ca2+ fingerprints. These fingerprints are distinguished by frequency, amplitude, duration, and number of Ca2+ oscillations. Ca(2+)-binding proteins and protein kinases decode these complex Ca2+ fingerprints through conformational coupling and covalent modifications of proteins. This decoding of signals can lead to a physiological response with or without changes in gene expression. In plants, Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinases and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases are involved in decoding Ca2+ signals into phosphorylation signals. This review summarizes the elements of conformational coupling and molecular mechanisms of regulation of the two groups of protein kinases by Ca2+ and Ca2+/calmodulin in plants.
Ventroposterior Medial Pallidotomy in Patients with Advanced Parkinson's Disease

In a preliminary study, the effects of ventroposterior medial pallidotomy were evaluated in five patients with advanced Parkinson's disease in whom medical therapy had failed. The mean age was 67.0 +/- 5.6 years, and the mean Hoehn and Yahr stage when "off" was 3.9 +/- 1.3. Three patients received unilateral pallidotomies; two of these received another pallidotomy after 8 weeks. Two other patients received staged bilateral pallidotomies. No significant differences in overall function could be seen before and after the first surgical procedure. All three patients with peak-dose dyskinesias or dystonia had marked contralateral reduction in these symptoms. Ventroposterior medial pallidotomy can ameliorate peak-dose dyskinesias in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Overall function improvement is not remarkable.
Processing Narrative Time Shifts

This study examined how the chronological distance between 2 consecutively narrated story events affects the on-line comprehension and mental representation of these events. College students read short narrative passages from a computer screen and responded to recognition probes. The results of 4 experiments consistently demonstrated that readers used temporal information to construct situation models while comprehending narratives. First, sentence reading times increased when there was a narrative time shift (e.g., as denoted by an hour later) as opposed to when there was no narrative time shift (e.g., as denoted by a moment later). Second, information from the previously narrated event was less accessible when it was followed by a time shift than when it was not. Third, 2 events that were separated by a narrative time shift were less strongly connected in long-term memory than 2 events that were not separated by a narrative time shift. The results suggest that readers use a strong iconicity assumption during story comprehension.
Comportamiento de la productividad en empresas del cluster plásticos establecidas en Bogotá D.C. dedicadas a la manufactura de envases, empaques y embalajes entre años 2003 a 2009

This article indicates the productivity status in the plastic cluster sector in the city of Bogota, under the terms set by the production function of Cobb-Douglas in order to establish the related points between a specific industrial product and the possible variations presented regarding the use of capital, the labor force, and the appropriation of technology. This document has four parts: the first one contextualizes –as an introduction– the environment where competitiveness operates, by tying that concept to the real sense to be attributed to productivity. This way, we highlight its importance to the companies when looking to generate more benefits. The second and third parts describe the theoretical framework and the methodology used to base the research, respectively, emphasizing on the construction of the Tornqvist-Theil index and the analysis of the production function. Lastly, we established the conclusions after analyzing two quantitative models previously outlined.
Rat brain acetylcholinesterase activity: developmental profile and maturational sensitivity to carbamate and organophosphorus inhibitors.

A growing body of evidence indicates that young animals exhibit an increased susceptibility to the lethal effects of cholinesterase (ChE)-inhibiting insecticides. Our laboratory is engaged in defining factors which may explain this age-related sensitivity. This report includes results from experiments designed to compare the developmental profiles, kinetic parameters and intrinsic (i.e. in vitro) sensitivity of developing male rat brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity to carbamate and organophosphorus anticholinesterases. Total ChE activity in whole brain for each age was composed of about 90% AChE and 10% butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity for the six ages examined. Brain AChE activity showed an age-related increase in Vmax until postnatal day 17 with no change in Km (average of all six ages ∼72 μM). Optimal substrate (acetylthiocholine) concentration for each age was 1 mM, and there was substantial (≈10%) substrate inhibition at 2.5 mM. IC50s (the concentration of compound that inhibits 50% of the AChE activity in 30 min at 26°C) defined concomitantly for postnatal day 4 and adult brain AChE using either aldicarb, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos-oxon or malaoxon were virtually identical at both ages with average IC50 values being: aldicarb=2.4 μM, carbaryl=1.7 μM, chlorpyrifos-oxon=4.9 nM and malaoxon=140 nM. In summary, AChE in young and adult brain differs mostly in specific activity while the Kms, substrate profiles, and in vitro sensitivity to selected anticholinesterase insecticides are not different. Therefore, these data support and extend the hypothesis that the greater sensitivity of the young animals to anticholinesterase pesticides is not due to the greater sensitivity of the target molecule AChE to these inhibitors.
Process-oriented inpatient groups: alive and well?

Abstract This paper explores the trend away from offering process-oriented groups on inpatient units, given decreasing lengths of stay, increasing acuity levels, and current biases toward psychoeducational groups and cognitive-behavioral treatments. A model for doing process-oriented groups that provides a structure while allowing a theme to emerge and maximal interaction to take place is presented. A case is made for the benefits of process-oriented inpatient groups as compared to, and complementary with, psychoeducational, cognitive, and behavioral approaches. Clinical vignettes illustrate typical themes and dynamics emerging in process-oriented inpatient groups.
Impact of Geriatric Assessment and Self-Management Support on Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Chronic Illnesses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of interdisciplinary geriatric home-based assessment and self-management support services to community-dwelling older adults. Design: A quasi-experimental, pre-post test design tested two types of service delivery models. The first protocol included geriatric assessment services, with a brief self-management care plan intervention. The second protocol added a telephone support intervention. Results: All participants showed significant progress in improved self–efficacy, self-rated health, functional status and physical mobility (specifically lower extremity muscle strength), mental health (specifically reduced depression) and in reduced fall hazards in their physical home environment. The telephone support intervention protocol did not provide additional value to the first protocol. Implications: This study demonstrates the value of non-medical intervention strategies for community dwelling older adults with chronic illnesses.
Communicating with patients about antipsychotic drugs.

T HE QUALITY of communication between doctor and patient on the issue of medication has become the focus of increasing attention in recent years. A number of factors have given impetus to this, including efforts to restore a greater degree of humanity to the practice of medicine, and, from the other side of the relationship, a rising influence of the consumer movement in our society. In the field of clinical drug research, pharmacologists are increasingly recognizing the need to study the so-called “nondrug factors” in pharmacotherapy.’ In the treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotic medications, communication appears to be of special importance. Despite the fact that clinicians in a wide variety of private-practice, institutional, and academic settings rank the administration of antipsychotic drugs as the most useful treatment available for schizophrenic illness.2 this enthusiasm is not reflected in studies of patient compliance. Studies of inpatients have produced up to a 20% noncompliance figure,” and studies of outpatients show that between 40% and 50% of schizophrenic patients do not take prescribed medications.4*5 In a review of medication compliance problems (which are not limited to schizophrenic patients), Blackwell has cited several high-risk factors, including chronicity of illness, symptom suppressive as opposed to curative action of the medication, delayed relapse with cessation of medications, ambivalent feelings about dependency issues, multiple medications, and social isolation.” Many of these factors are particularly applicable to schizophrenic patients receiving antipsychotic medications. Their relevance is confirmed by the marked dis: crepancy between intention and performance noted in one study of compliance in schizophrenic outpatients.’ These serious compliance problems may represent effects of the schizophrenia itself, the reaction to inevitable aversive drug effects, or reactions to problems within the doctor-patient relationship. The general thrust of much consumer-oriented literature has been that doctors should communicate fully with their patients concerning any proposed treatment, especially being sure that patients at-e aware of the benefits to be derived from the medication, and the side effects and risks involved, so that they can provide a meaningful informed consent and interact with the physician in a participatory model.
Feeding Time and Oviposition of Dermacentor variabilis (Acarina: Ixodidae) as Affected by Delayed Mating

Ixodid ticks commonly mate during attachment and feeding. In many species, females which have commenced feeding will not engorge to repletion until mating occurs. Gregson (1947) demonstrated that Dermacentor andersoni Stiles required a minimum feeding period before either sex would mate. However, the hypothesis that deleterious effects on the engorging females might result from delayed mating apparently has not been tested heretofore. In the natural environment, many female ticks probably are unable to mate for several days after attachment, since males may not always be present in equal numbers on the same host at the same time. If such delays in mating adversely affected the completion of feeding and oviposition, the ability of this species to multiply within its natural environment would be considerably reduced.
Multi-anode wire straw tube tracker

Abstract We report on a test of a straw tube detector design having several anode (sense) wires inside a straw tube. The anode wires form a circle inside the tube and are read out independently. This design could solve several shortcomings of the traditional single wire straw tube design such as double hit capability and stereo configuration.
Cancer in children with primary immunodeficiency diseases.

EVIDENCE GATHERED in recent years indicates that persons with defects of the immune system are at greater than usual risk for the development of cancer. 1,2 To facilitate collection and analysis of data related to this problem, an Immunodeficiency-Cancer Registry was established in 1971 at the recommendation of the World Health Organization Committee on Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases. 3 Data collected by the Registry to date indicate that malignancy has developed in 147 patients of varying ages who had primary immunodeficiency syndromes. 4 The present report concerns our data relating to children under the age of 15 years with primary immunodeficiency diseases who are known to have died from cancer. It is of interest that malignancies which developed in these children are predominantly lymphoreticular in nature and are different in behavior and histology from those arising in nonimmunodeficient children.
Aminoglycoside ototoxicity: prevention in sight?

Despite the development of new antibiotics, the aminoglycosides are still indispensable in the treatment of life-threatening diseases. Worldwide they are the most commonly used antibiotics, and their use is expected to increase in the wake of the rising incidence of tuberculosis. The most prominent side effects of aminoglycoside treatment—cochlear, vestibular, and renal impairment—are a limiting factor in the utility of these drugs. A novel mechanism of gentamicin ototoxicity is based on observations of iron chelation and free radical formation. Predictions from this mechanism have led to successful therapeutic prevention of ototoxicity by use of iron chelators and radical scavengers in guinea pigs. The drugs used for this interventive treatment affect neither serum levels of gentamicin nor its antibacterial efficacy. Because these drugs are in clinical use, the suggested protective treatment should lend itself to clinical trials. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;118:674-7.)
Associated malformations in delayed presentation of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Abstract Background/Purpose Delayed presentation of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) has been considered rare, and clinical manifestations differ from the more common newborn entity. Associated malformations in late-appearing CDH have been reported in a few patients. The authors reviewed their clinical experience to catalogue the frequency and clinical importance of associated malformations in patients with late-presenting CDH. Methods The records of patients greater than 1 month of age with Bochdalek type CDH treated in the authors’ clinic, from 1991 to 2001, were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty patients (age range, 1 month to 10 years) were included in the study. Results Associated malformations were documented in 16 of the patients (80%) and included malrotation in 12 patients, umbilical hernia in 2, pulmonary hypoplasia in 4, pulmonary sequestration in 1, gastroesophageal duplication cyst coexisting with polysplenia in 1, atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect in 1, hydronephrosis in 1, wandering spleen in 1, talipes equinovarus in 1, and type I diabetes mellitus in 1. Conclusions The results of this study show a significant incidence and a wide spectrum of associated malformations. These findings suggest that patients with late CDH should be evaluated carefully for additional anomalies that may help to establish correct diagnosis and treatment.
The Role of Retroperitoneal Lymphadenectomy in Clinical Stage B Testis Cancer: The Indiana University Experience (1965 to 1989)

ABSTRACTBetween 1965 and 1989, 1,180 patients underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for nonseminomatous germ cell testis cancer (638 underwent primary dissection). Of these patients, 174 were considered to have clinical stage B disease preoperatively (suspected retroperitoneal node metastases by clinical staging). Surgery revealed that 41 patients (23%) actually had pathological stage A disease (no cancerous nodes). This nonspecificity in clinical staging remains consistent despite advance in clinical staging methods during this 25-year period.Of the pathological stage B cancer patients 65% were cured by retroperitoneal lymph node dissection alone. These long-term data indicate that primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for low stage metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell testis cancer (pathological stage B) not only had diagnostic but also therapeutic impact. Furthermore, this cure rate with long-term followup is equivalent to that of current series of primary chemotherapy alone for stage...
Nicotine-induced antinociception in mice: Role of G-proteins and adenylate cyclase

Abstract The effects of pertussis toxin, forskolin, and cAMP analogues on the antinociceptive action of nicotine were examined to investigate the possible involvement of adenylate cyclase and G-proteins in nicotine's antinociceptive effect. Intrathecal injection of pertussis toxin (0.25 and 0.50 μg) in mice inhibited nicotine-induced antinociception in the tail-flick test. The effect of the toxin was dose and time dependent. Forskolin, a potent adenylate cyclase activator, and 8-(-4-chlorophenylthio) adenosine-3′:5′ monophosphate, cyclic (8-CPT-cAMP), a cAMP analogue, inhibited the antinociceptive effects of nicotine in a dose-dependent manner. EGTA reversal of 8-CPT-cAMP's inhibitory effects suggests that calcium may to be involved. These data implicate the possible involvement of a G-protein and a second messenger system (activation of a cAMP-dependent protein kinase and increase in cyclic AMP levels) in nicotine-induced analgesia in mice.
Mediastinal lymphadenopathy caused by Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex in a child with normal immunity: Successful treatment with anti-mycobacterial drugs and laser bronchoscopy

We report on the case of a 9-month-old Caucasian girl referred to our institution with a history of fever of unknown origin and wheezing, unresponsive to bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory therapy. Subsequent investigation led to a diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy caused by Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI). The infected lymph tissue infiltrated and obstructed the right bronchus and significantly compressed the left bronchus to the point of near closure. Given the high degree of morbidity and potential mortality from thoracic surgery in this patient, we treated her with a combination of anti-mycobacterial drugs (rifabutin, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, clofazimine, amikacin, ethambutol) and glucocorticoids to relieve airway compression. The endobronchial granulation tissue was resected by laser bronchoscopy. This combined approach led to eventual normalization of radiologic and endoscopic findings, and the anti-mycobacterial chemotherapy was discontinued 12 months after the first bronchoalveolar lavage culture was negative for MAI. The patient remains asymptomatic 1 year after completion of this course of therapy. We suggest that mediastinal lymphadenopathy with bronchial infiltration and extrinsic airway compression caused by MAI in otherwise healthy children can be successfully treated with aggressive chemotherapy, glucocorticoids, and laser bronchoscopy.
Navigating through abstract decision spaces: evaluating the role of state generalization in a dynamic decision-making task.

Research on dynamic decision-making tasks, in which the payoffs associated with each choice vary with participants’ recent choice history, shows that humans have difficulty making long-term optimal choices in the presence of attractive immediate rewards. However, a number of recent studies have shown that simple cues providing information about the underlying state of the task environment may facilitate optimal responding. In this study, we examined the mechanism by which this state knowledge influences choice behavior. We examined the possibility that participants use state information in conjunction with changing payoffs to extrapolate payoffs in future states. We found support for this hypothesis in an experiment in which generalizations based on this state information worked to the benefit or detriment of task performance, depending on the task’s payoff structure.
Evaluation of Animal Production under Different Systems of Grazing

Summary Four systems of grazing management of dairy cows were compared for 2 yr. on a uniform mixture of alfalfa, ladino clover, and smooth bromegrass. Cows on the 3-paddock rotational system maintained milk production as well as or better than cows on the 6-paddock, strip, and zero grazing methods of management. Milk production per acre also was as high for the 3-paddock system as for the other methods of management. Larger quantities of excess forage were harvested from the zero grazing system than from the other systems, but it is questionable if the additional forage would offset the decrease in milk production and the increase in harvesting costs. Recommendations regarding the advantages and disadvantages of zero and strip grazing are being deferred until more data are available. However, the study does clearly demonstrate the advantages and necessity of heavy stocking rates if milk production per acre is to be used as a criterion for most efficient pasture management. A valid comparison between grazing systems of production per acre can not be made unless the grazing pressure for all treatments is sufficiently heavy to utilize fully the available forage.
Monoclonal antibodies to rat liver microsomal cytochrome b5.

Abstract Hybridomas obtained by the fusion of spleen cells from rat cytochrome b 5 -immunized mice with mouse myeloma cells produced five groups of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) with three mouse immunoglobulin subtypes: IgG1, IgG2b and IgM. All of the MAbs bound strongly to rat cytochrome b 5 as measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Four clones of MAbs were also strongly immunoreactive with cytochrome b 5 when tested by Western blotting, but only one of the MAbs (1-39-2) weakly immunoprecipitated cytochrome b 5 in an Ouchterlony double-immunodiffusion test. Two of the MAbs partially inhibited cytochrome b 5 -mediated NADH cytochrome c reduction catalyzed by liver microsomes (24–36%). Expression of immunodetectable cytochrome b 5 was highest in the liver, next highest in the kidney, and quite low in the other tissues examined with MAb 1-17-1 by Western blotting. This MAb recognized homologous cytochrome b 5 of human liver microsomes and in homogenates of TK − cells infected with recombinant vaccinia virus encoding human cytochrome b 5 . These MAbs to cytochrome b 5 will be useful for the identification, quantification, and purification of cytochrome b 5 from animal and human tissues, and for understanding its role in cytochrome P450 catalyzed drug metabolism and carcinogen activation with respect to tissue, organ and individual differences.
Osmotic compressibility of partially deuterated polymer solutions

Abstract Elastic neutron scattering by partially deuterated polymer solutions has played an essential role in elucidating the large scale conformations in good solvents. The long wavelength limit of the structure factor yields the osmotic compressibility of the deuterated monomers (assuming that the data have been analysed in terms of the large deuteron coherent scattering). In this paper, we present a rather general theory of this deuterated monomer osmotic compressibility as a function of percentage deuteration for general interactions among monomers. This method yields known results for neutral excluded volume systems and some new predictions for polyelectrolytes.
Early, incapacitating instability of posterior cruciate ligament-retaining total knee arthroplasty.

Abstract Numerous studies indicate that total knee arthroplasty (TKA) achieves excellent long-term success whether the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is saved or excised. In 13 patients, 16 PCL-retaining TKAs were identified with incapacitating instability secondary to early PCL deficiency. Patients with clinical PCL insufficiency present with a triad of subjective complaints: persistent swelling/effusions, anterior knee pain, and giving-way or instability episodes with activities of daily living. Of 13 patients, 12 had at least three postoperative visits with identical subjective complaints before PCL deficiency was diagnosed. On examination all patients exhibited effusion, posterior sag, positive quadriceps active test, and a visible anterior translation of the tibia on the femur while extending the leg from a seated, 90° flexed position. This sign has not been previously described to our knowledge but was present in all of our study patients. No patients had radiographic evidence of loosening or osteolysis. Joint aspiration was negative for infection in all patients. No patient had lateral patellofemoral maltracking. By radiographic measurement, the PCL-deficient knees had an average joint line elevation of 10.3 mm, compared with well-functioning TKAs which had an average joint line elevation of 5.0 mm. There was no correlation of PCL deficiency with excessive proximal tibial resection. Nonsurgical intervention provided no improvement in pain or instability. Six patients had improvement of pain, effusion, and stability after revision to a cruciate-substituting implant. We believe that this complication occurs more frequently than is currently being identified and should be considered in problem TKAs with normal radiographs.
Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and rapamycin synergize to effectively suppress human T cell responses via upregulation of FoxP3+ Tregs

Abstract Background The major obstacle faced by patients with type 1 diabetes who undergo islet transplantation is a gradual decline in insulin independence. This decline may reflect alloimmune rejection, autoimmune recurrence and toxicity of drugs such as rapamycin to islet β cells. Thus, there is a pressing need to refine immunosuppressive protocols in order to reduce toxicity to islet grafts and yet prevent rejection. Recent studies demonstrated that TGF-β1 is a critical cytokine for the regulation of immune responses. In naive T cells, TGF-β1 induces FoxP3 + regulatory T cells and thus could promote transplant tolerance. In this study, in vitro experiments were performed to determine whether TGF-β1 could synergize with low-dose rapamycin and inhibit T cell activation and production of inflammatory cytokines, as well as enhance FoxP3 expression for potential application in islet transplantation. Methods Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with either anti-CD3/CD28 or anti-CD3 during TGF-β1 and rapamycin treatment. Results TGF-β1 inhibited T cell proliferation induced with anti-CD3 stimulation, but not with anti-CD3/CD28 stimulation. The combination of these reagents produced a synergistic inhibition of T cell proliferation induced with both anti-CD3/CD28 and anti-CD3 stimulations. Moreover, TGF-β1 and rapamycin significantly suppressed cytokine production and induced regulatory T cells by upregulating FoxP3 expression. Conclusions These results suggest that the combination of TGF-β1 and low-dose rapamycin can potently inhibit T cell responses in vivo and would be beneficial in supporting islet graft survival by limiting toxicity and preventing immune rejection.
Insect pests and associated root pathogens of sainfoin in western USA

Abstract Sainfoin, Onobrychis viciifolia , Scop., is a perennial forage legume that was introduced into North America as an alternative to alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. Sainfoin does not cause bloating in livestock, is comparatively drought-resistant, and is not attacked by several economically important alfalfa insect pests. Plant survival in long-term sainfoin fields is reduced by root pathogens that invade through scars caused by root-feeding insects. Sitona scissifrons Say (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) weevils feed in sainfoin foliage and their larvae attack roots. Weevil populations were suppressed by application of carbofuran for two years in a newly established field. During the third year, there were fewer feeding scars and a lower incidence of tap-root disease in treated plots, indicating larval activity was associated with incidence of disease. In a seven-year trial near Bozeman, MT, alfalfa weevils. Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and pea aphids, Acrythosiphon pisum (Harris) (Homoptera: Aphididae) attacked alfalfa but not sainfoin. Both crops were attacked by S. scissifrons , however, as well as by a complex group of plant bugs, including Lygus elisus VanDuzee, L. hesperus Knight, and Adelphocoris lineolatus (Geoze) (Hemiptera: Miridae). A seed-infesting insect, Bruchophagous spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was found in only sainfoin.
Super-Injunction, What’s Your Function?

In the United Kingdom, a super-injunction is an interim action that prevents those against whom it is issued and any third parties who have notice of the injunction – including members of the media – from communicating about the subject in question. The media are not allowed to even reference the fact that there is an injunction in place. Often, the proceedings are anonymised, meaning the identities of the applicant and respondent are unknown, with initials replacing names. Super-injunctions and anonymised orders create tension between freedom of the press and privacy and deviate from fundamental principles of open justice. This article examines the role of super-injunctions in English media law, the tension between individual privacy and the need for an open justice system, and the implications of social media sites such as Twitter in the super-injunction process.
Rates of seasonal creep of silty clay soil

Summary Profiles of displacement caused by seasonal creep of an expansive silty clay soil were measured at several times of the year with a tiltmeter and flexible pipes installed in two areas near Stanford University in central California. The displacement profiles typically are convex upward and net creep displacement at the ground surface of an undisturbed slope with a gradient of 12 to 14 per cent is about 0.4 in/yr (1 cm/yr) for a layer of soil of five feet (1.5 m) thickness The soil apparently expands and creeps on wetting of the soil and while the soil is at a high moisture content, but the creep rate diminishes with time, as predicted by laboratory tests by Mitchell and Singh. On drying, a point on the surface of a slope contracts roughly along a normal to the slope but directions of horizontal displacements during drying appear to be random and to depend on the location of the point with respect to local shrinkage cracks.
Occupational injury and stress

A literature search was conducted to identify studies that measured the relationship between stress and occupational injury. Studies that provided a quantitative measure of stress and occupational injury and a quantitative assessment of the relationship between these two factors were selected for this review. Twenty studies were identified, and all had P values of less than .05 or odds ratios ranging from .3 to 4.6. Twelve of 17 measures had odds ratios greater than 1.0. Several factors limit the generalizability of these results, however, and these include methodological differences in the assessment of stress and injury, study design, and limited representation of occupations.
Electrical conductivity of ferritin proteins by conductive AFM.

Electrical conductivity measurements were performed on single apoferritin and holoferritin molecules by conductive atomic force microscopy. Conductivity of self-assembled monolayer films of ferritin molecules on gold surfaces was also measured. Holoferritin was 5-25 times more conductive than apoferritin, indicating that for holoferritin most electron-transfer goes through the ferrihydrite core. With 1 V applied, the average electrical currents through single holoferritin and apoferritin molecules were 2.6 PA and 0.19 PA, respectively.
Filovirus emergence and vaccine development: A perspective for health care practitioners in travel medicine

Recent case reports of viral hemorrhagic fever in Europe and the United States have raised concerns about the possibility for increased importation of filoviruses to non-endemic areas. This emerging threat is concerning because of the increase in global air travel and the rise of tourism in central and eastern Africa and the greater dispersion of military troops to areas of infectious disease outbreaks. Marburg viruses (MARV) and Ebola viruses (EBOV) have been associated with outbreaks of severe hemorrhagic fever involving high mortality (25-90% case fatality rates). First recognized in 1967 and 1976 respectively, subtypes of MARV and EBOV are the only known viruses of the Filoviridae family, and are among the world's most virulent pathogens. This article focuses on information relevant for health care practitioners in travel medicine to include, the epidemiology and clinical features of filovirus infection and efforts toward development of a filovirus vaccine.
Assessing dexterity function: a comparison of two alternatives for the NIH Toolbox.

Abstract Study Design Clinical measurement. Introduction Manual dexterity is an important aspect of motor function across the age span. Purpose of the Study To identify a single measure of manual dexterity for inclusion in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function. Methods A total of 340 subjects participated in our study. Two alternatives, Rolyan® 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT) and Grooved Pegboard test, were compared by assessing their score range across age groups (3–85 yr) and their test–retest reliability, concurrent, and known groups validity. Results The 9-HPT was a simple, efficient, and low-cost measure of manual dexterity appropriate for administration across the age range. Test–retest reliability coefficients were 0.95 and 0.92 for right and left hands, respectively. The 9-HPT correlated with Bruininks-Oseretsky Test (BOT) of Motor Proficiency, dexterity subscale, at −0.87 to −0.89 and with Purdue Pegboard at −0.74 to −0.75. The Grooved Pegboard had good test–retest reliability (0.91 and 0.85 for right and left hands, respectively). The Grooved Pegboard correlated with BOT at −0.50 to −0.63 and with Purdue Pegboard at −0.73 to −0.78. However, the Grooved Pegboard required longer administration time and was challenging for the youngest children and oldest adults. Conclusions Based on its feasibility and measurement properties, the 9-HPT was recommended for inclusion in the motor battery of the NIH Toolbox. Level of Evidence NA.
How collaborative forecasting can reduce forecast accuracy

Abstract In this paper, we provide an analytical perspective on the link between supply chain collaboration and forecast accuracy, showing that collaborative forecasting can lead to less accurate demand forecasts over a wide range of cost and demand parameters. The result is explained by the decision maker’s relative preference for investing in forecasting vs. order quantities to manage demand uncertainty.
Suicide in Middle Level Schools: Implications for Principals.

Prevention of teenage suicide and dealing with that tragedy when it occurs is an increasing concern for middle level principals. This article focuses on specific implications of the youth suicide problem for middle level school principals with considerations for other principals as well.
Integrated solutions for testing wireless communication systems

Wireless communications standards have been evolving rapidly to increase system performance, which poses significant challenges on developing complex test and verification algorithms and schemes early on in a product's life cycle. An integrated test solution answers these challenges through a scalable and reconfigurable integrated test system that is coordinated via integrated core software. This solution not only improves a product's time to market, but is also more efficient from production and economic points of view.
Social Computing and Weighting to Identify Member Roles in Online Communities

As more and more people join online communities, the ability to better understand members' roles becomes critical to preserving and improving the health of those communities. We propose a novel approach to identifying key members and their roles by discovering implicit knowledge from online communities. Viewing an online community as a social network connected by poster-poster relationships, the approach takes advantage of the strengths of social network analysis and weighting schemes from information retrieval in identifying key members. Experimental studies were carried out to empirically evaluate the proposed approach with real-world data collected from a Usenet bulletin board over a one year period. The results showed that the proposed approach can not only identify prominent members whose behaviors are community supportive but also filter chatters whose behaviors are superficial to the online community. The findings have broad implications for online communities by allowing moderators to better support their members and by enabling members to better understand the conversation space.
Thermal enhancement of plastic IC packages

Plastic package thermal enhancement techniques that improve the heat dissipating capabilities of the packages are available to IC package design engineers. Evaluations of these techniques have been performed using test structure measurements and thermal FEA modeling. The techniques studied include the use of additional metal traces on the PCB to spread the heat away from the package, the use of heat slugs and heat spreaders inside the package to enhance heat transfer to the package leads and package body, and the use of high thermal conductivity mold compounds to improve thermal performance. Package types ranged from 8 pin SOIC's to 208 PQFP's with a broad range of chip sizes. Details of the measurement and modeling techniques are given with comparison of the models to the experimental results in many instances. >