cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thymoma-associated multiorgan autoimmunity treated with multimodal therapy including extracorporeal photopheresis.

Patients with malignant thymomas are susceptible to the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)–like disease known as thymoma-associated multiorgan autoimmunity (TAMA). The proposed mechanism of this paraneoplastic phenomenon is a breakdown in the immune regulatory function of the thymus and subsequent activation of T cells. Here, we report a novel case of a patient with TAMA who, following surgical resection and radiation therapy, successfully underwent treatment with a combination of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), cyclosporine, and prednisone.
Partial versus total adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma: a population-based comparison of outcomes

Purpose The literature assessing outcomes of partial adrenalectomy (PA) among patients with pheochromocytoma patients is largely limited to isolated, single-institution series. We aimed to perform a population-level comparison of outcomes between patients undergoing PA versus those undergoing total adrenalectomy (TA). Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1975-2016) was queried to identify adults with pheochromocytoma who underwent either PA or TA. Survival was assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, Fine and Gray competing-risks regression, propensity score matching, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and cumulative incidence plots. Results 286 patients (PA: 101, TA: 185) were included in this study. As compared to those undergoing TA, patients undergoing PA had fewer tumors ≥ 8 cm in size (28.7% versus 42.7%, p = 0.048) and were more likely to have localized disease (61.4% versus 44.3%, p = 0.01). In multivariable analysis, patients undergoing PA demonstrated similar all-cause mortality (HR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.44-1.14, p = 0.16) and cancer-specific mortality (HR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.35-1.17, p = 0.15) compared to those who underwent TA. Following 1:1 propensity score matching, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no difference in overall survival between PA and TA groups (p = 0.26) nor was there a difference in the cumulative incidence of cancer-specific mortality (p = 0.29). Conclusions In this first population-level comparison of outcomes among patients with pheochromocytoma undergoing PA and those undergoing TA, we found no long-term differences in any survival metric between groups. PA circumvents the need for lifelong corticoid replacement therapy and remains a promising option for patients with bilateral or recurrent pheochromocytoma.
The Forensic Nurse's Evolving Role in Addressing Elder Maltreatment in the United States.

ABSTRACT U.S. forensic nurses' specialization in elder maltreatment has evolved over the last 30 years. Significant progress in research has led to the ability to define and respond to elder abuse. This article describes the foundation for a specialization in nursing that led to inter vention in abuse and neglect, historical milestones as steps to elder justice, and the evolution of forensic nurse practice with senior victims of abuse.
Coming into Contact: Explorations in Ecocritical Theory and Practice

A snapshot of ecocriticism in action, "Coming into Contact" collects sixteen previously unpublished essays that explore some of the most promising new directions in the study of literature and the environment. They look to previously unexamined or underexamined aspects of literature's relationship to the environment, including swamps, internment camps, Asian American environments, the urbanized Northeast, and lynching sites. The authors relate environmental discourse to practice, including the teaching of green design in composition classes, the restoration of damaged landscapes, the persuasive strategies of environmental activists, the practice of urban architecture, and the impact of human technologies on nature. The essays also put ecocriticism into greater contact with the natural sciences, including elements of evolutionary biology, biological taxonomy, and geology. Engaging both ecocritical theory and practice, these authors more closely align ecocriticism with the physical environment, with the wide range of texts and cultural practices that concern it, and with the growing scholarly conversation that surrounds this concern.
Genaue Messung der Antigen-Antikörperreaktion

Die Ara der modernen Immunchemie begann 1929 mit der Einfuhrung der exakten Methoden quantitativer analytischer Chemie zur Messung von Antikorpern und Antigenen durch Michael Heidelberger und seine Schule. Vorher war es nicht moglich gewesen, ein umfassendes Bild der Antigen-Antikorperreaktion zu erhalten, oder ihren Mechanismus zu verstehen.
Intratumoral lymphatic vessel density as a predictor of progression-free and overall survival in locally advanced laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer

Background Lymphatic vessel density (LVD) has been shown to be an important predictor of survival in head and neck cancers. We report the predictive value of LVD for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer. Methods Fifty-five untreated patients with T3/T4 laryngeal and T4 hypopharyngeal cancer underwent laryngectomy between 1999 and 2010. Surgical specimens were immunostained with D2-40, a specific lymphatic marker. LVDs were determined in tumor vessel “hot spots.” Recursive partitioning analysis identified LVD thresholds for both peritumoral (LVDpt) and intratumoral (LVDit) vessels for association with PFS and OS. Results Patients with mean LVDit of <11 vessels/mm2 had 2-year PFS and OS rates of 58% and 65%, respectively, compared to 13% and 13% for those with LVDit ≥11 vessels/mm2 (p = .06 and .04, respectively). Conclusion Intratumoral lymphatic vessel density is predictive of PFS and OS in locally advanced laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2015
Estratégias rivais de validação: ferramentas para avaliar medidas de democracia

The challenge of finding appropriate tools for measurement validation is an abiding concern in political science. This article considers four traditions of validation, using examples from cross-national research on democracy: the levels-of-measurement approach, structural-equation modeling with latent variables, the pragmatic tradition, and the case-based method. Methodologists have sharply disputed the merits of alternative traditions. We encourage scholars – and certainly analysts of democracy – to pay more attention to these disputes and to consider strengths and weaknesses in the validation tools they adopt. An online appendix summarizes the evaluation of six democracy data sets from the perspective of alternative approaches to validation. The overall goal is to open a new discussion of alternative validation strategies.
Effects of natural gas contaminants on corrosion in compressed natural gas storage cylinders

L'etude de la susceptibilite a la corrosion sous contrainte ou non des bouteilles de gaz est realisee sur cinq aciers et un alliage d'aluminium, en presence de trois types de gaz provenant des champs de New York, d'un echantillon de gaz provenant d'un gazoduc et de methane tres pur. L'etude est realisee pour des gaz de grande purete et des gaz contenant du sulfure d'hydrogene
A Proposed International Long-term Project to Systematically Map the World's Ocean Floors from Beach to Trench: GOMaP (Global Ocean Mapping Program)

The concept of a long-term (20-30 year) systematic, international effort to map the entire world seafloor from beach to trench (GOMaP = Global Ocean Mapping Program) has been developing at a series of informal and formal meetings over the last 2 years. The goal of GOMaP is to systematically map the ocean floors with at least 100 per cent coverage sidescan and swath bathymetry, and to perform whatever other data collection could be carried out simultaneously (e.g., subbot­ tom profiling, magnetics, gravity, physical oceanography and meteorology). Minimum standards for data accuracy, pixel navigation, and resolution have been recommended. Spatial resolutions for GOMaP sidescan sonar imagery should be 100 m or better in the deep sea. This is comparable to what has been achieved by the Shuttle Imaging Radar over the terrestrial earth, the MAGELLAN radar mapping of Venus, the MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR and other probes on Mars, and the GALILEO mis­ sion to the moons of Jupiter. Although spatial resolution for swath bathymetry is slightly less than for sidescan, the resolution of both systems improves sharply with decreasing water depths, particularly for the 10 per cent of the world ocean less than 500 m deep. The decrease of swath width with water depth implies that over 600 ship years are required to map waters 25-500 m deep, compared to just approximately 200 ship years for the deep ocean (500 m and greater). Better pixel navigation accuracy suggests hull-mounted systems (9-16 kHz for deep water, and 30 kHz or higher for shelf waters) may be superior to towed systems, although improvements in towed system navigation instrumentation and techniques may mitigate this difference in the future. Seafloor mapping with air-deployed hyperspectral and laser bathymetric scanning may be required to replace or supplement shipborne mapping in clear waters less than 50 m deep.
Machine Ethics: What Matters to a Machine?

I argue that there is a gap between so-called “ethical reasoners” and “ethical-decision makers” that can’t be bridged by simply giving an ethical reasoner decision-making abilities. Ethical reasoning qua reasoning is distinguished from other sorts of reasoning mainly by being incredibly difficult, because it involves such thorny problems as analogical reasoning, and resolving conflicts among imprecise precepts. The ability to do ethical-decision making, however, requires knowing what an ethical conflict is, to wit, a clash between self-interest and what ethics prescribes. I construct a fanciful scenario in which a program could find itself in what seems like such a conflict, but argue that in any such situation the program’s “predicament” would not count as a real ethical conflict. Ethical decisions are those for which we feel tempted to cheat. The problem is not that computational agents could not have clashing desires, between obeying ethical principles and achieving “selfish” goals. I lay out plausible conditions under which we would be justified in saying that an agent was in exactly this position. The problem is that only a system with an architecture like the one evolution has burdened us with could suffer, and have to battle, temptation. Without temptation the domain of ethical reasoning is no different from any other possible application domain except that it is extremely difficult and unpromising.
The Prickly Skin of White Supremacy: Race in the “Real America”

The stakes of being a raced body are high, in certain places at certain times they are tangible, even deadly. Responses to race and racism in the U.S. often rely on structures and frameworks for interpretation, converting events and experiences into local examples. But the reality on the ground demands a closer look. This study expands on structural interpretations by detailing experiences and events, both past and present, which include the local landscape as a key player within White supremacy. I argue that racism does not simply happen in a general way, but that racism lingers in a landscape, and contributes to the visibility of certain raced bodies and the invisibility of others, while making itself appear in a moment, felt in and on the skin. It is from the skin and in the landscape that White supremacy can be understood anew, and that possibility can be re-imagined.
Laboratory and field investigations of spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) resistance to the selective acaricide propargite.

Evaluations of spider mite, Tetranychus spp., susceptibility to propargite, initiated in response to grower concerns about potential resistance in the field, revealed 0- to 42-fold resistance in Tetranychus urticae Koch in a whole-plant residual bioassay. Surveys of spider mites collected from throughout the San Joaquin Valley in June and August 1984 indicated that propargite-resistant phenotypes exist throughout the San Joaquin Valley; 22 of 32 sites sampled in August contained individuals that survived 1,000 ppm in residual bioassays. However, resistant phenotypes were much less common in June than August; only 3 of 23 sites sampled in June had survivors of 1,000 ppm. The shift in susceptibility of populations during the season was shown to result from intraspecific increases in frequency of resistant phenotypes or interspecific shifts in spider mite species abundance, or both. Although resistant phenotypes of T. urticae and Tetranychus pacificus McGregor were discovered, no propargite-resistant Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov and Nikolski were found. Widely differing susceptibilities to propargite exist both within and between T. urticae and T. pacificus populations. A dicofol-resistant laboratory culture of T. urticae originating from the San Joaquin Valley and maintained under pressure for 2 yr possessed a 26-fold resistance to propargite. Although resistance to propargite was discovered in the laboratory, we did not observe diminished performance of propargite in field trials at a location possessing spider mites with up to 45% survivorship of the discriminating concentration of 1,000 ppm propargite.
Migration alliances and coalitions among adult male south American squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

1. Male South American squirrel monkeys form groups whose composition remains stable over migrations between troops. These groups are called 'migration alliances'. 2. Members of migration alliances support one another against other males through coalitions in genital display bouts both during immigration and throughout the year. Male alliances do not function to overcome female dominance. 3. Seasonal reproduction in squirrel monkeys may influence male alliances by a) intensification of within-group competition during the mating season, and b) production of temporally and spatially fluctuating mating opportunities between groups.
Effects of Western Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colony, Cell Type, and Larval Sex on Host Acquisition by Female Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae)

Female mites of the genus Varroa reproduce on the immature stages of Apis cerana F. and A. mellifera L. Mites are found more often in drone brood than worker brood, and while evolutionary explanations for this bias are well supported, the proximate mechanisms are not known. In one experiment, we verified that the proportion of hosts with one or more mites (MPV, mite prevalence value) was significantly greater for drones (0.763 ± 0.043) (lsmean ± SE) than for workers (0.253 ± 0.043) in populations of mites and bees in the United States. Similar results were found for the average number of mites per host. In a second experiment, using a cross-fostering technique in which worker and drone larvae were reared in both worker and drone cells, we found that cell type, larval sex, colony and all interactions affected the level of mites on a host. Mite prevalence values were greatest in drone larvae reared in drone cells (0.907 ± 0.025), followed by drone larvae reared in worker cells (0.751 ± 0.025), worker larvae reared in worker cells (0.499 ± 0.025), and worker larvae reared in drone cells (0.383 ± 0.025). Similar results were found for the average number of mites per host. Our data show that mite levels are affected by environmental factors (cell type), by factors intrinsic to the host (sex), and by interactions between these factors. In addition, colony-to-colony variation is important to the expression of intrinsic and environmental factors.
Enhanced sintering rate of zirconia (3Y-TZP) by application of a small AC electric field

A small initial electric field E 0 = 13.9 V cm −1 enhanced the sintering rate of zirconia (3Y-TZP) powder, with a 60 Hz AC field having a greater effect than a DC field. The enhancement with both fields was in accord with the retardation of grain growth observed directly by scanning electron microscopy and with that which occurred during grain growth and plastic deformation. Some factors which could contribute to the observed behavior are given.
Correlation of a simple direct measurement of muscle pO2 to a clinical ischemia index and histology in a rat model of chronic severe hindlimb ischemia

Purpose: The lack of suitable experimental models of chronic severe limb ischemia and deficiencies in the available methods that allow for direct intermittent measurement of regional limb perfusion are obstacles to the evaluation of recently developed molecular strategies to reverse severe limb ischemia. Our aim was to develop a model of clinically relevant severe limb ischemia and correlate a simple direct measurement of muscle pO2 to a clinical ischemia index, muscle mass, and capillary density. Methods: Severe hindlimb ischemia was induced in 44 adult rats with ligation of the left common iliac artery, the femoral artery, and their branches. The effect of ischemia on muscle pO2 was measured in the left gastrocnemius with room air and with 100% oxygen at 3, 10, 24, and 40 days after ischemia was induced. Clinical ischemia index, muscle mass, cellular proliferation, and capillary density also were assessed. Results: The clinical ischemia index of the left limb was most severe at day 10, with evidence of pressure sores, a pale and dusky limb, and abnormal gait. With the rats breathing room air, muscle pO2 was significantly lower in the left limbs than in the right limbs at days 3, 10, 24, and 40. After an oxygen challenge (100% O2), muscle pO2 was significantly lower at 3, 10, and 40 days. At 3 days, the fraction of muscle mass per total body weight of the left tibialis anterior (TA) was significantly greater than the right TA as a result of edema and inflammation. By days 10, 24, and 40, the left gastrocnemius and TA masses were significantly less than the right as a result of muscle atrophy. Histopathology showed severe necrosis in the left gastrocnemius and TA on day 3. Inflammation was greatest by day 10. Necrotic muscle regenerated but remained atrophic at 40 days. The TA was slower to recover than the gastrocnemius. Capillary densities and capillary-to-muscle fiber ratios were greater in the ischemic limb than in the normal limb at day 24. Cellular proliferation as determined with bromodeoxyuridine labeling reagent staining was maximal in the ischemic limb at day 3. Conclusion: We have developed a rat model of chronic severe hindlimb ischemia with persistent ischemia as shown with a simple direct measurement of muscle pO2 for up to 40 days. This model of severe hindlimb ischemia may be applicable for future studies of molecular strategies to treat severe limb ischemia in humans. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36:172-9.)
The First Six Years: Culture’s Adventures in Psychology:

The first six years of Culture & Psychologyhave been productive in the creation of an international forum of scholarly interchanges where the notion of ‘culture’ occurs in a number of different way...
Basal and drug-induced antioxidant enzyme activities correlate with age-dependent doxorubicin oxidative toxicity.

Abstract Doxorubicin continues to be one of the most widely used anticancer agents in the clinic despite its dose-limiting side-effects. Many of doxorubicin’s dose-limiting toxicities occur due to its generation of toxic oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress. Some clinical observations have suggested that doxorubicin may have greater toxicity in older patients. The studies presented here compare basal and doxorubicin-induced antioxidant enzyme activities in brain, heart, kidney and liver tissues of Fisher 344 rats of different ages to determine whether differences in these enzymes can account for the age-dependent differences observed in doxorubicin-induced toxicity. Three groups of animals were tested, young animals (2-months-old), adult animals (10-months-old) and old animals (18-months-old). The results of these studies show that in general young and adult animals have similar levels of antioxidant enzyme activity while the older animals have less. Only in the young animals is antioxidant enzyme activity significantly increased following doxorubicin treatment suggesting that enzyme induction occurs only in the young group of animals. Lipid peroxidation is shown to have the greatest increase in the old animals following doxorubicin treatment while the young animals have the smallest increase. The results from these studies suggest that there is an increase in doxorubicin-induced oxidative damage with age and that these differences may be due to basal and drug-induced differences in tissue antioxidant enzyme activities.
Memory and postsynaptic cholinergic receptors in aging mice.

Abstract Significant retention deficits were observed on passive avoidance tasks (step-down and step-through) in 15-, 20-, and 25-month-old male C57BL/6 mice compared with 4- and 8-month-old mice. In contrast, cholinergic muscarinic receptor binding ([3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate) in cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum in these same animals revealed no difference in this 4- to 25-month age range. In a separate comparison of 4- and 29-month-old female mice, [3H]QNB binding was significantly decreased in the older group in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. Environmental enrichment, compared with an impoverished environment, significantly improved retention in mice on 24-hr step-down performance but affected QNB binding only minimally (6–7% decrease of QNB binding in cerebral cortex and hippocampus). Benzodiazepine ([3H]flunitrazepam) receptor binding was significantly (12–15%) decreased in 29-month-old mice compared with 4-month-old mice in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and brain stem.
Unsupervised Learning of Two Bible Books: Proverbs and Psalms

The book of Proverbs teaches the wisdom of life that was relevant in the days of King Solomon, the principal author of this book and a son of King David, but more importantly it is still applicable and needed in the life of today. The book of Psalms is the longest book and perhaps the most widely read book of the Bible, which contains 150 songs and prayers with King David as its main composer. The proverbs imparts that the success in life depends on personal choices and actions that relate to other people, while the psalms are used in worship that relates to God. In this report, we apply unsupervised learning to the study of these two books because of their shared association with wisdom. The chapters in each of the two books are grouped by content. Similar chapters and verses between these two books, written by a father and a son, are also identified, allowing one book to illuminate the other. Our computational findings match those by Biblical scholars at large, but have made a few new discoveries that could not be accomplished by traditional methods.
Epigenetics, Stress, and Their Potential Impact on Brain Network Function: A Focus on the Schizophrenia Diatheses

The recent sociodevelopmental cognitive model of schizophrenia/psychosis is a highly influential and compelling compendium of research findings. Here, we present logical extensions to this model incorporating ideas drawn from epigenetic mediation of psychiatric disease, and the plausible effects of epigenetics on the emergence of brain network function and dysfunction in adolescence. We discuss how gene–environment interactions, effected by epigenetic mechanisms, might in particular mediate the stress response (itself heavily implicated in the emergence of schizophrenia). Next, we discuss the plausible relevance of this framework for adolescent genetic risk populations, a risk group characterized by vexing and difficult-to-explain heterogeneity. We then discuss how exploring relationships between epigenetics and brain network dysfunction (a strongly validated finding in risk populations) can enhance understanding of the relationship between stress, epigenetics, and functional neurobiology, and the relevance of this relationship for the eventual emergence of schizophrenia/psychosis. We suggest that these considerations can expand the impact of models such as the sociodevelopmental cognitive model, increasing their explanatory reach. Ultimately, integration of these lines of research may enhance efforts of early identification, intervention, and treatment in adolescents at-risk for schizophrenia.
A Critical Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Increasingly there is a recognized need for the development of high quality, evidenced-based clinical guidelines to assist clinicians and patients in critically important treatment related decision making. We review the different approaches used by leading urological organizations to develop guidelines for the management of clinically localized prostate cancer and their specific recommendations for case management.Materials and Methods: Guidelines for the management of localized prostate cancer developed by leading professional organizations were identified through the National Guidelines Clearinghouse™, PubMed®, cited references and personal communication with prostate cancer experts. A structured data abstraction was applied to assess how the guideline was developed, what type of professionals and stakeholders were involved in the development process, how the primary evidence was identified and graded, and what specific final recommendations were reported.Results: Clinical practice guidelines o...
Complementary Pricing and Land Use Policies: Does It Lead to Higher Transit Use?

Problem, research strategy, and findings: A shift toward more sustainable transportation requires both adequate pricing of externalities from driving and supportive land use policies. However, proponents of each approach often under-estimate the complementarity and potential synergy between them. This study investigates the interaction effects between gasoline prices and land use (policy) variables using a panel dataset of transit ridership in 67 urbanized areas between 2002 and 2010. We found that while doubling the average gasoline price would increase transit ridership by 8.4% in an urbanized area with mean density and no regional containment policy, in areas with slightly higher density and a regional containment policy, the impact of higher gasoline prices would rise to 21%. In communities that had adopted a package of smart growth land use options, the impact of higher gasoline prices on transit use is even greater.Takeaway for practice: Pricing schemes will be more effective where alternatives to a...
Exploring Human Freeze Responses to a Threat Stressor

Despite the fundamental nature of tonic immobility in anxiety responses, surprisingly little empirical research has focused on the "freeze" response in humans. The present report evaluated the frequency and predictors of a freeze response in the context of a biological challenge. A nonclinical sample (N=404) underwent a 20-s inhalation of 20% CO(2)/balance O(2). Perceptions of immobility in the context of the challenge were reported in 13% of the sample, compared with 20% reporting a significant desire to flee. Subjective anxiety and panic during the challenge were associated with the freeze response, as were a number of anxiety symptom dimensions.
Right coronary artery and interatrial septal aneurysms with fistulous connection to the right atrium

Coronary artery aneurysmal disease is a rare pathology occasionally associated with coronary artery to venous fistulous connection. We report a case of right coronary artery aneurysm with fistulous connection to the right atrium associated with an aneurysm of the interatrial septum.
CASE SELECTION AND TECHNIQUE FOR SURGICAL REPAIR OF AURAL ATRESIA

The potential for severe distortion of the normal anatomy makes the repair of aural atresia technically difficult and risky. However, there is a good success rate and low rate of complications in selected patients. The ideal candidate for surgical repair has an isolated atresia with a well-developed atresia plate, a well-developed middle ear, ossicles, facial nerve, and mastoid, and no other severe head and neck malformations. More severe malformations may still be repairable in selected cases. Surgery is genrally delayed until approximately age 5 years to allow full development of the tympanic ring. In general, the atresia is suitable for surgical repair when the expected results can average 25 dB or less hearing level, a patent external canal, and adequate closure of the air-bone gap. The Jahrsdoerfer grading scale may be used to determine the prognosis for good hearing results. Severe microtia/anotia, hemifacial microsomia, and retrodisplacement of the mandible often correspond to low scores on the Jahrsdoerfer scale. In cases where severe malformations carry a poor prognosis for surgical repair, boneanchored hearing-assistive devices are an alternative to surgery.
Ferromagnetic Metals in High Magnetic Fields

High‐field susceptibility results are presented for Mossbauer measurements on iron at low temperatures in fields up to 135 kOe and magnetization measurements on iron and nickel single crystals in fields up to 148 kOe with vibrating sample magnetometers. The Mossbauer measurements give the hyperfine field Hn= Hint− (H0−HDM)+ΔH, where Hint is the hyperfine field at zero applied field, H0 is the applied field, HDM is the demagnetizing field, and ΔH is a term which would reflect a change in the magnetization at high field, i.e., ΔH/Hn=ΔM/M. The Mossbauer results at 4.2°K are equivalent to χ=2±7×10−5 emu/cc. The magnetization experiments give χ≤4×10−5 for iron and χ≤1.1×10−5 for nickel at 4.2°K. We discuss the various contributions to the total susceptibility χ, give estimates of χd based on theoretical band calculations, and discuss various uncertainties in both the theoretical calculations and in values of the molecular field parameter which make detailed comparisons difficult. Finally, we compare with predi...
Recent insights into the role and molecular mechanisms of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene in autoimmunity

Since many years immunologists have being tried to answer the tantalizing enigma of immunological tolerance. Complex mechanisms in both thymus (central tolerance) and peripheral lymphoid organs (peripheral tolerance) underly lymphocyte tolerance and its maintenance. The genesis of autoimmunity involves environmental and genetic mechanisms, both contributing to the disruption and deregulation of central and peripheral tolerance, allowing autoreactive pathogenetic T and B-cell clones arising. Among genetic factors the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene is one of the best candidates to understand the complex scenario of autoimmunity. Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome type 1 is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the AIRE gene. Therefore, the disorder has certainly been a powerful model to address the question concerning how a tolerant state is achieved or maintained and to explore how it has gone lost in the context of autoimmunity. AIRE has been proposed to function as a 'non classical' transcription factor, strongly implicated in the regulation of organ-specific antigen expression in thymic epithelial cells and in the imposition of T cell tolerance, thus regulating the negative selection of autoreactive T cell clones. A plethora of proposal have been suggested for AIRE's potential mechanism of action, thus regulating the negative selection of autoreactive T cells. In this review recent discoveries are presented into the role and molecular mechanisms of the AIRE protein in APECED and other autoimmune diseases.
Using celebrity endorsers effectively: lessons from associative learning

The use of celebrity endorsers in advertising is wide‐spread – as much as 20 percent of all advertising use some type of celebrity endorser. Marketers invest significant dollars in securing the promotional support of well‐known individuals. Associative learning principles are presented as a useful framework for understanding how celebrity endorsers can be used more effectively. Principles such as repetition, overshadowing, blocking, belongingness, CS pre‐exposure, association set size, and extinction are introduced and linked to specific managerial suggestions for improving the use of celebrity endorsers.
IMMUNO-MAGNETIC BEAD MASS TRANSPORT AND CAPTURE EFFICIENCY AT LOW TARGET CELL DENSITIES IN PHOSPHATE-BUFFERED SALINE1

In this manuscript we present a modified kinetic model for pathogen capture efficiency (E) variation with mixing time (Tmix) which is applicable for most combinations of immuno-magnetic bead (IMB)-target organism concentrations (e.g., [IMB] ˜ 8 × 106 IMB mL-1; Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, [SE] ˜ 102-108 CFU mL-1). We found that as the ratio of [IMB] to [SE] was decreased from more than 105 to ca. 10-1, the average number of cells captured per IMB SE complex increased from ca. 1 to 4 ± 1. Concurrently, using a modified kinetic model for fitting E variation with Tmix, the maximum possible level of capture (§) was observed to decline from ˜ 100% (§˜ 1; [IMB] > > [SE]) to 23% (§˜ 0.23; [IMB]:[SE] ˜ 0.1). Using a purely kinetic approach we also found that an empirical mass transport term (yobs= (3.1 ± 1.2) × 10-9 mL IMB-1 min 1; averaged across all [SE] tested: [IMB]:[SE] ˜ 200000, 200, 3, and 0.1) did not differ much from yobs reported in earlier work (3.35 ± 0.2 × 10-9 mL min-1 IMB-1) at extremely low [SE] (e.g., ± 100 CFU mL-1). Upon inserting the classically-derived equation for γ into the kinetic model and solving for the effective IMB radius (rIMB), we found that the rIMB was 2.3 ± 0.16 μ (§ S; averaged across all [IMB]:[SE]) which was only 0.5–0.9 μ greater than the rIMB reported by the manufacturer (1.4 ± 0.2 μ). These results support previous work which showed a similar small rIMB deviation possibly due to the hydro-dynamic behavior of the IMBs in relatively dilute buffer suspensions ([IMB ˜ 8 × 106 IMB mL-1) and argues that IMB-based cell capture is almost exclusively a function of mass transport.
A Calometric study of steric effects in the reactions of phosphorus ligands with Ni(COD)2

Abstract A calometric study of the reactions of various phosphorous ligands (and t-BuNC) with di-1,5-cycloocatadienenickel shows that both the extent of reaction and mean Ni-P bond strengths tend to decrease with increasing ligand size. The steric strain energies in various NiL4 complexes and ΔG for their formation from nickel metal are estimated.
Spectral Analysis of an AVIRIS Image of San Pedro Channel

Optical case-2 waters near an ocean outfall were examined, using a combination fo AVIRIS imagery and ship-based surface and profile bio-optical measurements. Bio-optical mooring data were useful in determining the hydrodynamics of the area.
Is the Hippocampus Involved in Temporal Discrimination and the Memory of Short Intervals

Rats with lesions to the hippocampus proper and the subiculum were tested for timing behavior and temporal memory. Using the peak procedure, they were trained to discriminate a 40 s interval and a retention gap tested the memory for time. Results were interpreted within the theoretical framework of the internal clock and with respect to current theories on hippocampal function. Timing behavior was unaffected by either lesion and no shifts in the temporal discrimination functions were observed. The lesions also failed to show a deficit in the memory for temporal events. For all groups, the retention gap increased the mean peak time by the time of the gap. This indicated that all rats used the stop rule which required the use of working memory. Thus, it was concluded that the hippocampus is neither necessary for accurate timing behavior nor for the memory of temporal events.
Experimental limitations in impedance spectroscopy: Part IV. Electrode contact effects

Abstract A `spreading resistance' contact between electrode and specimen can increase or even dominate the apparent bulk resistance of an electroceramic specimen. For true point contacts, a single arc will appear in impedance spectra, whose diameter is essentially the spreading resistance due to the contact and whose time constant is identical to that of the bulk, but with a correspondingly smaller capacitance. When a planar electrode with multiple point contacts is involved, a separate electrode arc occurs whose diameter is due to spreading resistance, but whose capacitance tends to be dominated by the `air gap' capacitance between the electrode and the rough surface of the ceramic. In this study impedance spectroscopy was employed to study the effects of temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and mechanical loading on the contact impedance of gold electrodes on nanophase cerium dioxide. Results were confirmed by pixel-based computer simulations.
Effect of benzodiazepines on plasma levels of homovanillic acid in anxious patients and control subjects

The effects of four logarithmically increasing doses of intravenous diazepam or placebo on plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) were determined in benzodiazepine-naive patients with panic disorder (PD) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and in healthy controls. Plasma HVA was measured at baseline and 3 min after the first and fourth doses of diazepam/placebo. Mean baseline plasma HVA levels were significantly lower in PD patients compared with GAD patients and controls. Although plasma HVA levels decreased significantly with time in all groups, there was no diazepam effect. This study suggests that low dopaminergic activity may occur in a subset of anxious patients (PD), and that diazepam does not significantly affect dopaminergic activity as measured by plasma HVA in humans.
Modeling Liquid Water Effects in the Gas Diffusion and Catalyst Layers of the Cathode of a PEM Fuel Cell

This paper describes a two-phase, one-dimensional steady-state, isothermal model of a fuel cell region consisting of the catalyst and gas diffusion layers bonded to a proton exchange membrane (PEM). A thin film-agglomerate approach is used to model the catalyst layer. The effect of water flooding in the gas diffusion layer and catalyst layer of the cathode on the overall cell performance was investigated. The simulation results confirmed that the water-flooding situation in the catalyst layer is more severe than that in the backing layer since water is first produced in the catalyst layer. The catalyst layer should be considered as an individual domain. The effect of operating parameters that affect the water generation and removal process, such as the inlet relative humidity of the cathode and anode streams and operating temperature was studied. The results show good agreement with the experimental observations.
Effects of phospholipase A2 on the binding and ion permeability control properties of the acetylcholine receptor.

Abstract An acidic phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) isolated from Naja naja siamensis venom blocks acetylcholine receptor function in excitable post synaptic membrane vesicles from Torpedo californica electroplax. Specifically, the phospholipase acts catalytically to prevent the large increase in sodium efflux induced by carbamylcholine. The efflux inhibition can be correlated with specific hydrolysis of phospholipids in the membrane. During the time course of inhibition, the binding affinity of the receptor for carbamylcholine increases 10-fold, a phenomenon associated with receptor desensitization. Prolonged treatment of the membranes with phospholipase A2 causes nonspecific lysis of the vesicles. Incorporation of unsaturated fatty acids or lysophosphatidylcholine into Torpedo membranes also blocks carbamylcholine-induced sodium efflux. The fatty acids have no effect on the binding affinity of the receptor, and lysophosphatidylcholine causes a small decrease in receptor affinity for carbamylcholine. Lysophosphatidylethanolamine and most saturated fatty acids have no direct effect on sodium efflux, but the lysophosphatides cause vesicle lysis. All of the inhibitory effects of the phospholipase and the fatty acids can be reversed and/or prevented by treatment of the vesicles with bovine serum albumin.
Acute hepatoxicity of vinyl chloride and ethylene: modification by trichloropropene oxide, diethylmaleate, and cysteine.

Abstract We have reported that vinyl chloride (VC) and ethylene are acutely hepatotoxic in rats pretreated with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). The present study used several chemical treatments to investigate the mechanisms of acute VC and ethylene toxicity in PCB-pretreated rats. Trichloropropene oxide (TCPO) depletes hepatic glutathione (GSH) and inhibits hepatic epoxide hydrase (EH). Diethylmaleate (DEM) also depletes hepatic GSH. Cysteine is a rate-limiting precursor in hepatic GSH synthesis. Effects of these various treatments on VC and ethylene toxicity were compared with their influence on hepatic GSH concentrations. Exposures to VC and ethylene were by inhalation at 1000 to 50,000 ppm. TCPO significantly increased VC toxicity in fasted but not in fed rats. Ethylene toxicity was not affected by TCPO. These actions of TCPO were not attributable to changes in hepatic GSH. DEM significantly lowered GSH during exposure, but did not increase the hepatotoxicity of either VC or ethylene. This suggests either that hepatic GSH concentrations are not an important determinant of the acute response to VC and ethylene or that DEM has important effects in addition to hepatic GSH depletion. Cysteine protected significantly, though incompletely, against acute VC hepatotoxicity. There was no effect of cysteine on the toxicity of ethylene. These data indicate that in PCB-treated rats, hepatic GSH and EH influence the acute hepatotoxicity of VC, but not that of ethylene.
Soil exchangeable cations and aluminum measured by ammonium chloride, potassium chloride, and ammonium acetate

Abstract Cation exchange capacity (CEC) and Al saturation are often determined by extraction of the bases with 1 M NH4OAc, pH 7, and the Al with 1 M KCl. This method was compared to 1 M NH4Cl to extract both bases and Al. The latter method has the advantages of measuring CEC at the soil pH and one‐step extraction. Data sets included three field samplings from 4 locations (7 soil types) and samples from a greenhouse experiment with 8 soils (total N=248). Differences between individual pairs of data were evaluated using T‐tests. Most soils were acid and CEC was predominated by Al and Ca. The two methods compared favorably for Al with slightly more Al being extracted by NH4Cl than by KCl. Significantly less Ca was extracted by NH4Cl than NH4OAc. Coefficients of determination were high (> 0.98) for Ca, but the regression slope was less than one (0.85). The methods compared well for extractable Mg, K, and Na, but those were minor constituents of the CEC. CEC and Al saturation differences followed those of Ca. ...
A Random-Effects Model for Cycle Viability in Fertility Studies

Abstract Models for fertility that take into account the timing of intercourse relative to ovulation are needed to estimate the influence of both endogenous and exogenous factors on human fertility. The classical model assumes that some menstrual cycles are “viable” and some are not, where “viability” is determined by whether hormonal, uterine, and gamete-related factors are favorable to gestation. Within each viable cycle, the various days with intercourse are assumed to act independently; within each nonviable cycle, the days with intercourse can have no effect. Cycle viability for individual cycles is latent in that it is not ascertainable when conception does not occur. The classical model neglects the statistical dependency of outcomes among menstrual cycles within individual couples. Current marginal approaches cannot determine the degree to which heterogeneity in fecundability is biologically based versus the degree to which it is secondary to variation in intercourse behavior from couple to couple...
Estradiol increases the frequency of multiple synapse boutons in the hippocampal CA1 region of the adult female rat

The effect of estradiol to increase the density of dendritic spines and axospinous synapses on hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in the adult female rat has been well-documented. However, presynaptic involvement in this process of synapse elimination and formation in the adult is unknown. To address this issue, we have reconstructed 410 complete presynaptic boutons through coded serial electron micrographs of CA1 stratum radiatum to determine the: (1) frequency of multiple (MSB) vs. single (SSB) synapse boutons; (2) number of synaptic contacts per MSB; (3) bouton volume and surface area; and (4) types of spines in synaptic contact with MSBs and SSBs in ovariectomized, estradiol-treated animals (OVX + E) versus ovariectomized oil-treated controls (OVX + O). Quantitative analysis of this tissue revealed that, in OVX + E animals, 45.0% of presynaptic boutons form multiple synaptic contacts with dendritic spines compared to 27.3% in controls (P < 0.01); the average number of synapses per dendritic spines compared to 27.3% in controls (P < 0.01); the average number of synapses per MSB was 2.7 in OVX + E animals compared to 2.3 in controls (P < 0.05). This represents a 25.5% increase in the number of synapses formed by a given number of presynaptic boutons in estradiol-treated animals (P < 0.01) which largely accounts for the previously observed estradiol-induced increase in axospinous synapse density. There was no treatment effect on bouton size; however, because MSBs are larger than SSBs, the increased frequency of MSBs in estradiol-treated tissue results in a trend toward an estradiol-induced increase in average bouton size. Additionally, MSBS were found to be more irregular in shape, i.e., significantly less spherical, than SSBs. Our results indicate that estradiol-induced dendritic spines form synapses primarily with preexisting boutons in stratum radiatum and that these boutons enlarge and change shape as they accommodate new synapses. Such findings suggest a relatively active role for dendrites in the process of adult synapse formation.
Thermochemistry of Sulfur Atom Transfer. Enthalpies of Reaction of Phosphines with Sulfur, Selenium, and Tellurium, and of Desulfurization of Triphenylarsenic Sulfide, Triphenylantimony Sulfide, and Benzyl Trisulfide

The enthalpies of reaction of neat PBu3 with solid sulfur (−27.1 ± 0.5 kcal/mol), selenium (−20.0 ± 0.6 kcal/mol), and tellurium (−4.9 ± 0.6 kcal/mol) have been measured by solution calorimetry. The enthalpies of reaction of a series of phosphines with sulfur in toluene solution have been measured as follows (values in kcal/mol): PCy3 = −30.9 ± 1.9, PBu3 = −28.9 ± 0.3, PMe3 = −27.1 ± 0.4, PMe2Ph = −26.0 ± 0.5, PMePh2 = −23.8 ± 0.3, PPh3 = −21.5 ± 0.3. These values correlate with literature data for enthalpies of protonation and indicate that P to S σ donation is probably the dominant factor in determining the R3PS bond strength, estimates for which range from 88 to 98 kcal/mol. The enthalpies of S atom transfer to PPh3 by SAsPPh3 and SSbPh3 in toluene solution are −17.7 ± 1.2 and − 21.5 ± 1.0 kcal/mol, respectively. The enthalpy of removal of the central S atom from BzSSSBz by PCy3, yielding BzSSBz and SPCy3, is − 29.0 ± 1.8 kcal/mol. These data are used to establish a range of enthalpies of S atom trans...