cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hippocampal volume mediates the relationship between measures of pre-treatment cocaine use and within-treatment cocaine abstinence

Abstract Background Data suggest that the amygdala and hippocampus contribute to cocaine seeking and use, particularly following exposure to cocaine-related cues and contexts. Furthermore, indices of pre-treatment cocaine-use severity have been shown to correlate with treatment outcome in cocaine-dependent patients. Methods The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between amygdalar and hippocampal volumes and cocaine use before and during treatment. High-resolution magnetic-resonance brain images were obtained from 23 cocaine-dependent patients prior to treatment and 54 healthy comparison individuals. Automated segmentation of the amygdala and hippocampus images was performed in FreeSurfer. Cocaine-dependent patients subsequently received behavioral therapy alone or combined with contingency management as part of a treatment trial, and cocaine-use indices (self-report, urine toxicology) were collected. Results Comparison participants and cocaine-dependent patients did not show significant difference in amygdalar and hippocampal volumes at pre-treatment. Within the patient group, greater hippocampal volumes were correlated with more days of cocaine use before treatment and with poorer treatment outcome as indexed by shorter durations of continuous abstinence from cocaine and lower percentages of cocaine-negative urine samples during treatment. Mediation analysis indicated that pre-treatment hippocampal volumes mediated the relationships between pre-treatment cocaine use and treatment outcomes. Conclusions The finding of a significant correlation between hippocampal volume and pre-treatment cocaine-use severity and treatment response suggests that hippocampal volume should be considered when developing individualized treatments for cocaine dependence.
Catalase−Peroxidase Active Site Restructuring by a Distant and “Inactive” Domain†

Catalase−peroxidases are composed of two peroxidase-like domains. The N-terminal domain contains the heme-dependent, bifunctional active site. The C-terminal domain does not bind heme, has no catal...
Microarray profiling of isolated abdominal subcutaneous adipocytes from obese vs non-obese Pima Indians: increased expression of inflammation-related genes

Aims/hypothesis Obesity increases the risk of developing major diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Adipose tissue, particularly adipocytes, may play a major role in the development of obesity and its comorbidities. The aim of this study was to characterise, in adipocytes from obese people, the most differentially expressed genes that might be relevant to the development of obesity.
Dissociative experiences in a college age population: A factor analytic study of two dissociation scales

Abstract Although the concept of dissociation is again finding a place in the scientific literature, there exist relatively few studies examining the process in a normal population. In order to gain initial information and to clarify the components of the dissociative process, 264 young adults completed computer scored versions of the Dissociation Experiences Scales (RDES) [Bernstein & Putnam (1986), The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Vol. 174, pp. 727–735 and the Questionnaire of Experiences of Dissociation (RQED) [Riley (1988), The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Vol. 176 , pp.449–450]. This study reports the first description of initial information concerning descriptive statistics and the factor analytic structure of the RDES and RQED within a normal population. College age individuals report a variety of dissociative processes as measured by these instruments. Although the two instruments used were somewhat different in original conceptualization, both the RDES and RQED were significantly correlated ( r =0.82, P In Situ Amnesia; (5) Different Selves; (6) Denial and (7) Critical Events. The RQED suggested six factors which were (1) Depersonalization; (2) Process Amnesia; (3) Fantasy/Daydream; (4) Dissociated Body Behaviors; (5) Trance and (6) Imaginary Companions. These data are discussed in terms of types of dissociative processes, their implications for normal populations and suggestions for future research.
Advocacy and OCLC

ABSTRACT Promoting the evolution of library use, of libraries themselves, and of librarianship is one of OCLC's chartered objectives. The author discusses nonprofit business models and new approaches for advancing their missions through advocacy. OCLC's recent advocacy programs are described.
Investigation of the Reactivity of Epoxide Monomers in Photoinitiated Cationic Polymerization

An investigation of the photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerizations of various epoxy monomers was conducted using real-time infrared spectroscopy and optical pyrometry. Several types of behavior were observed and interpreted on the basis of the relative stabilities of the secondary and tertiary oxonium ion intermediates that are generated during the ring-opening polymerization of these monomers. Based on the mechanistic interpretations proposed, attempts were made to accelerate the photopolymerizations of epoxy monomers that undergo overall slow reaction as a result of the presence of an induction period. Three general methods were effective for the acceleration of the photopolymerizations of these and other epoxy monomers: (1) carrying out the photopolymerizations at higher temperatures, (2) copolymerization with more reactive monomers, and (3) the use of free radical photoinitiators.
Editorial: A Discussion of Bait and Switch

One of the major responsibilities of the Editor and the Area Editor is to decide on the appropriateness of a submitted paper. As stated in prior editorials Staelin 1996, 1997, four major criteria are used in making this determination: 1 Will the paper be of interest to our readers? 2 Is it readable? 3 Is it not wrong? 4 Does it make a contribution to the field? Assuming the determination is positive, it is the job of the Editor, with the help of the review team, to specify a course of action that he believes will lead to a publishable paper. What then leads the review team to encourage the publishing of three papers that directly comment on each other's work and, in the process, alter the existing practice of this journal?
Long-Term Average Vertical Motions Observed by VHF Wind Profilers: The Effect of Slight Antenna-Pointing Inaccuracies

Abstract This paper shows that a very slight tilt of the vertically directed antenna beam of a VHF wind profiler can produce a measurable change in the observed long-term averaged “vertical” velocity profiles. The results are based primarily on data obtained using the NOAA/CU profiler at Piurn, Peru, where phase measurements of individual antenna elements made in 1992 showed that the calculated angle of the 3°-wide vertical beam was skewed only by about 0.06° from true vertical. This small error was corrected in February 1993 by carefully rephasing some of the array feedpoints. Mean vertical velocity profiles obtained prior to the correction were adjusted to account for the slight contamination by the horizontal wind. These corrected vertical profiles compare favorably with vertical profiles obtained after rephasing the antenna, as well as with mean vertical wind profiles from other profiler sites in our tropical Pacific profiler network. The results show that in order to be confident in long-term average...
Affective disorders and ABO blood groups: new data and a reanalysis of the literature using the logistic transformation of proportions

Abstract No statistically significant associations were found between ABO blood group distributions and RDC subtype diagnoses in 79 subjects with unipolar (single episode and recurrent) and bipolar major depressive disorder using data from our sample. We discuss methodological issues related to the control samples and choice of statistical methods in the reported studies which have looked for associations between ABO blood types and patients diagnosed as having an affective disorder. After presenting our rationale for employing the logarithm of the cross product ratio (lambda) in place of the more traditionally utilized chi-squared, we used lambda to reanalyze the original data from nine studies in the literature. The individual studies are equivocal on the basic issue of an association between type O blood and bipolar I illness, either compared to controls or to recurrent unipolar patients. The combined (weighted average) measure of association indicates a small but definite association, but statistical analysis of the dispersion of the individual estimates around this combined estimate reveals that the studies have a higher degree of heterogeneity in results than expected by chance. The consequences of this finding are discussed, and possible explanations are offered.
Optical design for consumer products

Optical engineers often limit their focus on meeting the provided targets on performance and geometry and assume that the specifications are largely non-negotiable. Such approach ignores the value proposition behind the product and the challenges associated with overall product design, manufacturing, business development and legal issues. As a result, the design effort can be expensive, time consuming and can result in product failure. We discuss a product based systems engineering approach that leads to an application specific optical design that is more effective and efficient to implement.
Mycobacterial surface moieties are released from infected macrophages by a constitutive exocytic event

Bacterial cell wall constituents are released from mycobacterial phagosomes and actively traffic within infected macrophages. Colocalization of fluorescently tagged bacterial moieties with endocytic tracers revealed the dynamic movement of released mycobacterial constituents into the endocytic network with accumulation in tubular lysosomal-like compartments. The released bacterial constituents not only penetrated the infected host cell but were also present in an extracellular microvesicular fraction. To identify the intracellular source of these exocytic compartments, released vesicular material was isolated from culture supernatants by differential ultracentrifugation and characterized by Western blot and electron microscopy analyses. The presence of lysosomal membrane proteins and lysosomal proteases suggested that labeled mycobacterial cell wall constituents access a constitutive lysosomal exocytic pathway. An abundance of multilamellar extracellular compartments morphologically reminiscent of MHC class II-enriched compartments (MIIC) implicated a MHC class II transport pathway in the extracellular release of bacterial constituents. Increases in intracellular free calcium have previously been shown to trigger lysosomal exocytosis by inducing fusion of lysosomes with the plasma membrane. To test if an increase in calcium would stimulate exocytosis with release of mycobacterial constituents, infected macrophages were exposed to the calcium ionophore A23187. The ionophore triggered the release of a microvesicular fraction containing labeled bacterial moieties, implicating calcium-regulated lysosomal exocytosis as a trafficking pathway by which mycobacterial products are released from infected macrophages.
Functionalization of the macropolyhedral borate anion cluster [B22H22]2−: isolation and characterization of the OH and OEt derivatives

Abstract Preparation and characterization of the first derivatives of the fused macropolyhedral anion [B22H22]2− are reported. The species [B22H21OH]2− (1) and [B22H21OEt]2− (2) are obtained from workup of the products of the reaction between HgBr2 and [NBzlEt3]2[B22H22]; a cluster involving the conjoining of a closo-B12 icosahedron with a nido-B10 cluster. Washing the products with ethanol followed by thin-layer chromatography allows the isolation of 1 and 2, reproducibly, in yields of 27 and 20%, respectively. The species were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction studies. The crystal structure determinations of the two species identify novel features. Apparently the influence of the O atoms in the ions [B22H21OH]2− and [B22H21OEt]2− results in the lengthening of what was a gunwale BB connection adjacent to the junction of the two cages such that the distances are 2.180 and 2.230 A, respectively. These latter are longer than the corresponding distance in the parent species [B22H22]2−, which is 2.09 A; quite long for a normal BB distance. Thus it is assumed that these B atoms, in 1 and 2, one of which bears the substituent, are not bonded to each other.
Trade-offs in implementing causal message logging protocols

Casual message logging protocols [3] have several attractive properties: they introduce no blocking, send no additional messages over those sent by the application, and can never cause orphans to be created by crashes. Causal message logging, however, does require additional data to be piggybacked on application messages. The amount of such piggybacked data can become large. In this paper, we present five different implementations of casual message logging. All of the corresponding protocols are parameterized by ~, the maximum number of processes that can fail concurrently. We also explore how the application’s communication structure can be exploited to limit the amount of piggybacked data.
Modeling of a flat plate membrane-distillation system for liquid desiccant regeneration in air-conditioning applications

Abstract A thermally driven flat plate air gap membrane distillation liquid desiccant regenerator for lithium chloride in dehumidification applications is modeled. Operating conditions and device geometry are optimized, and it is found that membrane materials have little influence on regenerator performance. It is shown that radiation heat transfer across the air gap cannot be neglected. The regenerator removes 11.4 g min−1 cm−3 of moisture with a COP of 0.372 for an inlet solution concentration of 0.38, solution flow rate of 50 ml min−1, and heated solution temperature of 135 °C. This design has negligible desiccant carry-over losses and operates without a blower.
Climatic Effects Due to Halogenated Compounds in the Earth’s Atmosphere

Using a one-dimensional radiative-convective model, we perform a sensitivity study of the effect of ozone depletion in the stratosphere on the surface temperature. There could be a cooling of the surface temperature by ~0.2 K due to chlorofluoromethane-induced ozone depletion at steady state (assuming 1973 release rates). This cooling reduces significantly the greenhouse effect due to the presence of chlorofluoromethanes. Carbon tetrafluoride has a strong ν_3 band at 7.8 μm, and the atmospheric greenhouse effect is shown to be 0.07 and 0.12 K (ppbv)^(−1) with and without taking into account overlap with CH_4 and N_2O bands. At concentration higher than 1 ppbv, absorption by the ν_3 band starts to saturate and the greenhouse effect becomes less efficient.
Substoichiometric masking-II Determination of traces of cobalt in nickel salts and metallic nickel.

Cobalt is determined in the presence of large amounts of nickel by masking the latter substoichiometrically by addition of xxx 98% of the theoretically required amount of EDTA. The "free nickel" :cobalt ratio is thereby decreased below the critical value and the cobalt is extracted as the green cobalt(III)-PAN complex into chloroform. Small amounts of nickel-PAN formed are destroyed by a subsequent EDTA-hydrochloric acid treatment. The absorbance of the treated extract is measured at 635 mmu. Copper, zinc, cadmium and iron do not interfere in ratios (to cobalt) of 500:1, 100:1, 100:1 and 10:1, respectively.
Program directors' perceptions of undergraduate athletic training student retention.

Context: The average retention rate for students enrolled in undergraduate athletic training programs (ATPs) nationwide has been reported to be 81%, and slightly more than half of program directors (PDs) have indicated that retention of athletic training students (ATSs) is a problem. However, why PDs do or do not believe ATS retention is problematic is unknown. Objective: To determine why PDs do or do not believe ATS retention is problematic. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Undergraduate ATPs. Patients or Other Participants: We obtained responses from 177 of the 343 PDs (51.6%). Using data saturation as a guide, we randomly selected 16 PDs from the survey responses to participate in follow-up telephone interviews; 8 believed retention was a problem and 8 did not. Data Collection and Analysis: During audio-recorded telephone interviews, we asked PDs why they thought retention was or was not a problem for athletic training education. Following verbatim transcription, we used grounded theory to analyze t...
Politics of nuclear power in the United States.

In this article the issues surrounding nuclear power generation in the United States are critically examined and some of the misunderstandings are clarified.
Hydrogen triplet laser as a high average-power laser

In 1967, Herzberg predicted the existence of the hydrogen triplet series lasers and noted that the far infrared laser ((Delta) V equals 0) transitions should produce very strong laser action. A laser in the hydrogen triplet spectrum was discovered and reported by Barr and McKnight in 1982. Dabrowski and Herzberg confirmed the spectroscopic assignments of the laser lines, and restated that there should be a strong laser on the triplet transitions. The experimental work was strictly oriented to discovering the existence of these lasers. Thus the deductions we make concerning power capability are limited by the type of data available. The experiments show that: (1) the laser is on the triplet series lines as stated above, (2) the three lines start emission within a fraction of a microsecond of one another and terminate at approximately the same time, and (3) the lines seem to be self terminating.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Peptide-guided gene delivery

Although currently less efficient than their viral counter-parts, nonviral vectors are under intense investigation as a safer alternative for gene therapy. For successful delivery, the nonviral vector must be able to overcome many barriers to protect DNA and specifically deliver it for efficient gene expression in target cells. The use of peptides as gene delivery vectors is advantageous over other nonviral agents in that they are able to achieve all of these goals. This review will focus on the application of peptides to mediate nonviral gene delivery. By examining the literature over the past 20 years, it becomes clear that no other class of biomolecules are simultaneously capable of DNA condensation, blocking metabolism, endosomal escape, nuclear localization, and receptor targeting. Based on virtually limitless diversity of peptide sequence and function information from nature, it is increasingly clear that peptide-guided gene delivery is still in its infancy.
The effects of how and why thinking on perceptions of future negative events

Two alternative ways of thinking about future negative events are examined—thinking about how a negative event might come about versus thinking about the underlying reasons why it might happen. Subjects expected to participate in a get-acquainted conversation with a stranger. They were asked to describe the worst possible outcome for the upcoming conversation and explain either how that might happen or why it might happen. In free-form responses, “how” thinking subjects were more likely to present unstable causes for a bad outcome and to take responsibility for the outcome than were “why” thinking subjects. These findings are explained in terms of the advantages accruing from perceived control. The effects of how thinking were most pronounced among defensively pessimistic subjects, who typically focus on the possibility of negative outcomes as a way of preparing themselves for stressful situations. The relevance of how and why thinking to clinical techniques like problem solving or cognitive restructuring is discussed.
Effects of caloric restriction on age-related oxidative modifications of macromolecules and lymphocyte proliferation in rats

Abstract Decreased immune function associated with aging has been demonstrated in both humans and animals. We hypothesize that reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated damage to biological macromolecules may contribute to compromised immune response during aging. In this study, we compared the levels of lipid peroxidation and oxidatively modified proteins in plasma and splenocytes, and the mitogen-induced T lymphocyte proliferation in ad lib-fed (AL) and caloric restricted (CR) Fischer 344 × BNF1 male rats at the ages of 5, 18, and 31 months. The results show that AL rats exhibit an age-related decrease in proliferative response of splenic lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A). This functional decline in T-lymphocytes during aging is inversely correlated to the levels of both lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl in the plasma and splenic lymphocytes. Caloric restriction, however, can partially reverse the age-dependent decrease in T lymphocyte proliferation and significantly reduce lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl contents in plasma and splenocytes. The above observations support the hypothesis that the age-associated declines in immune function are related to the oxidative modification of biological macromolecules, which in turn may lead to enzyme inactivation, membrane disruption, and cell senescence. One of the mechanisms by which caloric restriction reverses declined immune function in aged rats is hypothesized to be through reduction in ROS production and thereby protection of cellular macromolecules against oxidative damage.
Tardive Dyskinesia Risks and Metoclopramide Use Before and After U.S. Market Withdrawal of Cisapride

ABSTRACT Objective To assess risk factors for tardive dyskinesia (TD) in spontaneousreports of metoclopramide and TD and evaluate metoclopramide prescribing patterns before and after withdrawal of cisapride from the market in the United States. Design Retrospective and observational analyses. Setting International metoclopramide adverse event reports and domesticdrug-use data for the continental United States. Patients Users of metoclopramide for 30 days or more who experiencedadverse events reported as TD. Interventions Analyses of the Food and Drug Administration AdverseEvent Reporting System (AERS) and IMS HEALTH data. Main Outcome Measures Pharmacoepidemiological patterns in AERS reports and utilization data from IMS HEALTH. Results The case series comprised 87 reports of primarily older (mean ± SD, 60 ± 22 years) women (67% of all cases). While average metoclopramidedaily dose (33 ± 14 mg) was within recommended product labeling limits,duration of use was considerably longer (753 ± 951 days). Overall, 37% of thereports included concomitant drugs believed to be TD risk factors. Similarly,18% of the reports noted comorbid diseases that are considered risk factors fordevelopment of TD. Metoclopramide utilization decreased following cisapridemarketing in 1993 and increased following cisapride withdrawal in 2000. Themajority (62%) of metoclopramide prescriptions were intended for women.Intended use overall increased with age and was highest in the seventh andeighth decades, with nearly one quarter of all utilization being in persons olderthan 70 years. Conclusion Well-described TD risk factors were common in metoclopramide-associated TD reports. Given the cisapride market withdrawal andassociated increased metoclopramide utilization, the incidence of TD mayincrease accordingly. TD risk factors relative to the intended benefit and durationof use should be considered in metoclopramide prescribing.
Xenografts, cloning and the immune system.

Cloned, cultured bovine adrenocortical cells are shown to engraft and form functional adrenocortical tissue in immunodeficient mice (pages 978–983).
The Population Dynamics of Freshwater Armored Dinoflagellates in a Small Lake in Mississippi

ABSTRACT We investigated the temporal and spatial changes in population density of five dinoflagellates in Boondoggle Lake, a shallow, nutrient-poor lake in northern Mississippi. Dinoflagellate density and physicochemical conditions were assessed at three depths over a period of 16 months. We identified five Peridinium species (P. deflandrei, P. volzii, P. wisconsinense, P. limbatum and P. inconspicuum) and one Peridiniopsis species (P. polonicium). With the exception of P. inconspicuurn, none of these species has previously been reported in Mississippi. P. defandrei dominated the summer bloom (90% of the total dinoflagellate population) and reached a maximum population density of 2.75 X 105 cells/L. P. wisconsinense and P. polonicium also had maximum densities in the summer. The increase of these species coincided with the onset of temperature and oxygen stratification, and their decrease coincided with lake mixing. P. volzii and P. limbatum reached maximum abundances in the spring and were less abundant...
Durable Consumer Goods and American Economic Growth

I. Expansion of the traditional concept of durable consumer goods, 415. — II. Socio-economic features, 418. — III. Illustrations of significant consequences, 420. —IV. Conclusion, 423.
The GPS Toolbox

elcome to the first issue of The GPS Toolbox. This is a new column in GPS Solutions dedicated to highlighting algorithms utilized by GPS engineers and scientists. Contributing authors will be asked to explain how the algorithm they submit can be used for a GPS-related application and to enumerate its advantages and disadvantages. Readers are encouraged to try out the algorithms presented here and to submit alternative ones when applicable. In other words, we hope to instigate a dialog among engineers and scientists about alternative solutions to many different GPS problems. Whenever possible, related source code will be posted (http:// www.ngs.noaa.gov/gps-toolbox). Readers are encouraged to translate this code to various computer languages to suit their needs. Such translated code can then be posted on the Web site for the benefit of other readers. Guidelines for submitting source code will be available on the Web site. To submit an algorithm for publication in this column, follow the Information for Contributors listed on the back cover of GPS Solutions. If you have an interesting algorithm you would like to share with
Application of the Monte Carlo method to problems in visibility using a local estimate: an investigation

A local estimate is developed to apply the Monte Carlo radiative transfer model to problems in visibility. The local estimate allows one to calculate radiances which arrive along specific lines of slight at the observer’s position while retaining the adaptability of the Monte Carlo algorithm to problems involving complex geometries. Verification of the estimate is presented for changes in optical depth, solar geometry, and surface albedo. The model is applied to realistic scenes comprised of a mountain vista in a Rayleigh atmosphere viewed through an intervening aerosol plume. The model demonstrates the inaccuracy of the Koschmieder estimate for the calculation of the apparent spectral contrast in certain observer–scene geometries. Initial results indicate that the major role of surface reflection may be to illuminate scene features which are otherwise shielded from incident radiation. Examination of the apparent spectral contrast as a function of the order of scatter reveals that single- and double-order models are not sufficient in all cases. Also, varying degrees of aerosol absorption were found to have little effect on the calculated apparent spectral contrast.
Apoptosis regulates notochord development in Xenopus

The notochord is the defining characteristic of the chordate embryo and plays critical roles as a signaling center and as the primitive skeleton. In this study we show that early notochord development in Xenopus embryos is regulated by apoptosis. We find apoptotic cells in the notochord beginning at the neural groove stage and increasing in number as the embryo develops. These dying cells are distributed in an anterior to posterior pattern that is correlated with notochord extension through vacuolization. In axial mesoderm explants, inhibition of this apoptosis causes the length of the notochord to approximately double compared to controls. In embryos, however, inhibition of apoptosis decreases the length of the notochord and it is severely kinked. This kinking also spreads from the anterior with developmental stage such that, by the tadpole stage, the notochord lacks any recognizable structure, although notochord markers are expressed in a normal temporal pattern. Extension of the somites and neural plate mirrors that of the notochord in these embryos, and the somites are severely disorganized. These data indicate that apoptosis is required for normal notochord development during the formation of the anterior-posterior axis, and its role in this process is discussed.
High Noon in Lincoln: Violence on the Western Frontier

Here is the most detailed and most engagingly narrated history to date of the legendary two-year facedown and shootout in Lincoln. Until now, New Mexico's late nineteenth-century Lincoln County War has served primarily as the backdrop for a succession of mythical renderings of Billy the Kid in American popular culture.
Strategic control of growth in a system of cities

Abstract This paper provides an analysis of the supply-restriction model of growth controls. Growth controls in such a model harm consumers while enriching landowners, and they will only be adopted if landowners have political power. In the model, this power is manifested in the city government's use of a social welfare that takes both landlord and consumer welfare into account. Since cities cannot be small if the supply restriction inherent in growth controls is to have an impact, strategic interactions must be considered in the analysis of city choices. A general model is presented, and an extended example based on Leontief preferences is then considered. Comparative-static analysis of Nash equilibria in the Leontief case shows that perturbations of preferences or other characteristics of a single city can have important spillover effects that alter the choices of all cities in the region.
News & Notes: Double-Stranded RNA in Isolates of Discula destructiva from the Pacific Northwestern United States and British Columbia, Canada

Twenty-nine isolates of Discula destructiva Redlin from the Pacific northwestern United States and British Columbia, Canada were extracted for the presence of double-stranded RNA by use of phenol-chloroform and CF-11 chromatography. Seven/29 were positive. Agarose-gel banding profiles of the western isolates were different from those found previously in 80/80 isolates from the eastern U.S. These results suggest that isolates of D. destructiva responsible for dogwood anthracnose in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia may have an origin different from that of the eastern isolates.
A Mechanism of AZT Resistance: An Increase in Nucleotide-Dependent Primer Unblocking by Mutant HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase

Abstract Mutations in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) give rise to 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) resistance by a mechanism that has not been previously reproduced in vitro. We show that mutant RT has increased ability to remove AZTMP from blocked primers through a nucleotide-dependent reaction, producing dinucleoside polyphosphate and extendible primer. In the presence of physiological concentrations of ATP, mutant RT extended 12% to 15% of primers past multiple AZTMP termination sites versus less than 0.5% for wild type. Although mutant RT also unblocked ddAMP-terminated primers more efficiently than wild-type RT, the removal of ddAMP was effectively inhibited by the next complementary dNTP (IC 50 ≈ 12 μM). In contrast, the removal of AZTMP was not inhibited by dNTPs except at nonphysiological concentrations (IC 50 > 200 μM).
An experimental investigation of Iosipescu specimen for composite materials

A detailed experimental evaluation of the Iosipescu specimen tested in the modified Wyoming fixture is presented. Moire interferometry is employed to determine the deformation of unidirectional and cross-ply graphite-epoxy specimens. The results of the moire experiments are compared to those from the traditional strain-gage method. It is shown that the strain-gage readings from one surface of a specimen together with corresponding data from moire interferometry on the opposite face documented an extreme sensitivity of some fiber orientations to twisting. A localized hybrid analysis is introduced to perform efficient reduction of moire data, producing whole-field strain distributions in the specimen test sections.
Dosimetric characterization and output verification for conical brachytherapy surface applicators. Part I. Electronic brachytherapy source.

Purpose: Historically, treatment of malignant surface lesions has been achieved with linear accelerator based electron beams or superficial x-ray beams. Recent developments in the field of brachytherapy now allow for the treatment of surface lesions with specialized conical applicators placed directly on the lesion. Applicators are available for use with high dose rate (HDR)192Ir sources, as well as electronic brachytherapy sources. Part I of this paper will discuss the applicators used with electronic brachytherapy sources; Part II will discuss those used with HDR 192Ir sources. Although the use of these applicators has gained in popularity, the dosimetric characteristics including depth dose and surface dose distributions have not been independently verified. Additionally, there is no recognized method of output verification for quality assurance procedures with applicators like these. Existing dosimetry protocols available from the AAPM bookend the cross-over characteristics of a traditional brachytherapy source (as described by Task Group 43) being implemented as a low-energy superficial x-ray beam (as described by Task Group 61) as observed with the surface applicators of interest. Methods: This work aims to create a cohesive method of output verification that can be used to determine the dose at the treatment surface as part of a quality assurance/commissioning process for surface applicators used with HDR electronic brachytherapy sources (Part I) and192Ir sources (Part II). Air-kerma rate measurements for the electronic brachytherapy sources were completed with an Attix Free-Air Chamber, as well as several models of small-volume ionization chambers to obtain an air-kerma rate at the treatment surface for each applicator. Correction factors were calculated using MCNP5 and EGSnrc Monte Carlo codes in order to determine an applicator-specific absorbed dose to water at the treatment surface from the measured air-kerma rate. Additionally, relative dose measurements of the surface dose distributions and characteristic depth dose curves were completed in-phantom. Results: Theoretical dose distributions and depth dose curves were generated for each applicator and agreed well with the measured values. A method of output verification was created that allows users to determine the applicator-specific dose to water at the treatment surface based on a measured air-kerma rate. Conclusions: The novel output verification methods described in this work will reduce uncertainties in dose delivery for treatments with these kinds of surface applicators, ultimately improving patient care.
Nebulized lidocaine blunts airway hyper-responsiveness in experimental feline asthma

Nebulized lidocaine may be a corticosteroid-sparing drug in human asthmatics, reducing airway resistance and peripheral blood eosinophilia. We hypothesized that inhaled lidocaine would be safe in h...
Sexual and olfactory preferences of naive and experienced male hamsters

Abstract The olfactory preferences and behavioural responses of sexually naive and sexually experienced male hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) towards anaesthetized conspecifics were investigated. Olfactory preference tests, in which the odours of a pair of anaesthetized stimulus animals were presented in a two-choice olfactometer, revealed that both sexually inexperienced and experienced males preferred female (oestrous and dioestrous) to male conspecific odours, but did not discriminate between the odours of receptive and non-receptive females. Similar results were obtained when a pair of unfamiliar anaesthetized conspecifics were presented in a neutral arena (supine test) to sexually naive and experienced male hamsters. Experienced males directed significantly more mounts to anaesthetized females than did sexually inexperienced males.
Solution structure of NPr, a bacterial signal-transducing protein that controls the phosphorylation state of the potassium transporter-regulating protein IIA Ntr.

A nitrogen-related signal transduction pathway, consisting of the three phosphotransfer proteins EINtr, NPr, and IIANtr, was discovered recently to regulate the uptake of K+ in Escherichia coli. In particular, dephosphorylated IIANtr inhibits the activity of the K+ transporter TrkA. Since the phosphorylation state of IIANtr is partially determined by its reversible phosphorylation by NPr, we have determined the three-dimensional structure of NPr by solution NMR spectroscopy. In total, we obtained 973 NOE-derived distance restraints, 112 chemical shift-derived backbone angle restraints, and 35 hydrogen-bond restraints derived from temperature coefficients (wave). We propose that temperature wave is useful for identifying exposed beta-strands and assists in establishing protein folds based on chemical shifts. The deduced structure of NPr contains three α-helices and four β-strands with the three helices all packed on the same face of the β-sheet. The active site residue His16 of NPr for phosphoryl transfer was found to be neutral and in the Ne2-H tautomeric state. There appears to be increased motion in the active site region of NPr compared to HPr, a homologous protein involved in the uptake and regulation of carbohydrate utilization.
NF-κB inducing kinase activates NF-κB transcriptional activity independently of IκB kinase γ through a p38 MAPK-dependent RelA phosphorylation pathway

Molecular and biochemical analysis indicates that nuclear transcription factor kappaB (NF-kappaB)-inducing kinase (NIK) mediates IKK activation and NF-kappaB transcriptional activity. However, gene deletion studies suggest that NIK triggers gene expression without affecting IkappaBalpha degradation and NF-kappaB DNA binding activity. In order to investigate the role of NIK in NF-kappaB transcriptional activity, we used mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) derived from wild-type (wt) and IkappaB kinase gamma (IKKgamma) gene deficient (IKKgamma(-/-)) mice. We report that although TNF-induced NF-kappaB transcriptional activity is abolished in IKKgamma(-/-) cells, adenoviral gene delivery of NIK (Ad5NIK) still enhanced transcriptional activity and IL-6 mRNA accumulation. Moreover, NIK targets the transactivation function of NF-kappaB through stimulation of the transactivation domain (TAD) of RelA (S536) in IKKgamma(-/-) cells. Interestingly, Ad5NIK, but not TNF, induces RelA S536 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in IKKgamma(-/-) cells. Functional analysis demonstrated that Ad5NIK-induced NF-kappaB transcriptional activity, IL-6 mRNA expression and RelA phosphorylation are inhibited by the p38 inhibitor SB203580, suggesting a role for this MAPK in NIK signaling to NF-kappaB. These data demonstrate for the first time the presence of an IKKgamma-independent NIK/p38 MAPK-dependent signaling pathway that activates NF-kappaB and induces pro-inflammatory gene expression through RelA phosphorylation.
Measuring the energy-release rate of a spreading fire

The intensity of a combustion wave moving through a porous, homogeneous fuel array is an important, but poorly defined, concept of fire behavior. Rothermel [1] suggests the term “reaction intensity” for the energy-release rate, which is related to the rate of fuel consumption per unit basal area within the combustion zone. A concept of reaction intensity was developed, and the technique used to obtain the intensity distribution within the combustion zone is described. This knowledge is necessary for the characterization of fire intensity in terms that are useful for the prediction of the behavior of a spreading fire. The variable under investigation is the rate of change of mass per unit area (load) of a portion of the array through which the fire spreads. Two methods are employed; choice depends on whether the combustion zone depth is of the same order of magnitude or much greater than the largest dimension of the elemental particle size. Both methods were applied to laboratory excelsior fuel arrays. Results support earlier observations of Rothermel [1] , who reported the existence of an optimum bulk density that gives rise to a maximum reaction intensity. Results from identical fuel arrays also indicate that the reaction-intensity distribution peak broadens and shifts away from the front of the combustion wave as windspeed increases. A similar effect occurs in the absence of wind as fuel compactness increases.
Childhood sexual abuse, body image, and disordered eating: A structural modeling analysis

Based on previous literature, we proposed and tested a model of the relationships between child sexual abuse (CSA), body image, dieting, and bulimic behavior. The model specified that body image functioned as a mediator between CSA and eating disturbance. Multiple measures of each of the constructs of interest were collected from a sample of 222 college age women, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Both the measurement model and the proposed structural model demonstrated an adequate fit. As with previous research, results support a model in which body image strongly affects dieting behavior, which in turn directly affects bulimic behavior. The results did not appear to support the proposed mediational model involving the hypothesized indirect effect of CSA on eating pathology. There was, however, a small direct relationship between CSA and bulimic behavior and a moderate relationship between CSA and posttraumatic symptomatology.
The spaces between membrane bilayers within PNS myelin as characterized by X-ray diffraction.

Summary X-ray diffraction data from a wide range of animals characterize the two spaces in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the central nervous system (CNS) myelins. The ‘extracellular space’ is nearly constant from species to species while the ‘cytoplasmic space’ is more variable. A profile of swollen rat sciatic myelin shows material projecting from the bilayer into the extracellular space. Interdigitating P0 molecules therefore are proposed to separate neighboring myelin bilayers across the extracellular space in PNS.
Intramolecular binding contributes to the activation of CDPK, a protein kinase with a calmodulin-like domain.

The activity of calmodulin-like domain protein kinase (CDPK) is regulated by the direct binding of Ca2+. Unmodified soybean CDPKα and a chimeric enzyme in which the calmodulin-like domain (CLD) was...
Affective analgesia following the administration of morphine into the amygdala of rats

The amygdala processes stimuli that threaten the individual and organizes the execution of affective behaviors that permit the individual to cope with the threat. The prototypical threat to an individual is exposure to a noxious stimulus. The present study evaluated the contribution of the amygdala in modulating the affective response of rats to noxious stimulation. Vocalization afterdischarges (VADs) are a validated model of the affective response of rats to noxious tailshock. The antinociceptive action of morphine microinjected into the amygdala on VAD thresholds was compared to its effect on the thresholds of other tailshock-elicited responses (vocalizations during shock, VDS and spinal motor reflexes, SMRs). Whereas VADs are organized within the forebrain, VDSs and SMRs are organized at medullary and spinal levels of the neuraxis, respectively. The bilateral administration of morphine into the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLC) produced dose-dependent increases in VAD and VDS thresholds, although increases in VAD thresholds were significantly greater than increases in VDS thresholds. Administration of morphine into BLC was ineffective in elevating SMR thresholds. Morphine-induced increases in vocalization thresholds were reversed in a dose-dependent manner by microinjection of the opiate receptor antagonist methylnaloxonium into BLC. Microinjection of morphine in the vicinity to the BLC did not alter vocalization thresholds. The present results provide further evidence for the preferential involvement of the amygdala in modulation of the affective component of the pain experience.
Physical and Instrumental Considerations in the Use of Lithium Phthalocyanine for Measurements of the Concentration of the Oxygen

The use of crystals of lithium phthalocyanine (LiPc) to measure the concentration of oxygen in vivo and in vitro by electron paramagnetic resonance leads to experimental constraints due to the very narrow EPR lines that may occur (as narrow as 11-13 mG in the absence of O2), distortions induced by the automatic frequency control system, anisotropy in the spectra (orientation-dependent linewidth is 11-17 mG in the absence of O2), microwave power saturation, and the effect of physiological motion. These constraints can be overcome if recognized. This article highlights the experimental and theoretical basis of these properties of the EPR signal of LiPc and suggests some technical solutions. It is most important to recognize that paramagnetic species such as LiPc present problems that are not commonly encountered in EPR spectroscopy.
Acquisition of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and its relationship with word production varies for individual children with autism1

What is the effect of Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training on independent word production with children with autism? 1 Abstracted from: Ganz, J. B., Simpson, R. L., & Corbin-Newsom...
Role of Aromatic Residues in Stabilizing the Secondary and Tertiary Structure of Avian Pancreatic Polypeptide

Avian Pancreatic Polypeptide is a 36 residue protein that exhibits a tertiary fold. Results of previous experimental and computational studies indicate that the structure of aPP is stabilized more by non-bonded interactions than by the hydrophobic effect. Aromatic residues are known to participate in a variety of long range non-bonded interactions, with both backbone atoms and the atoms of other side-chains, which could be responsible, in part, for the stability of both the local secondary structure and the tertiary fold. The effect of these aromatic interactions on the stability of aPP was calculated using BHandHLYP/cc-pVTZ. Aromatic residues were shown to participate in multiple hydrogen bonded and weakly polar interactions in the secondary structure. The energies of the weakly polar interactions are comparable with those of hydrogen bonds. Aromatic residues were also shown to participate in multiple weakly polar interactions across the tertiary fold, again with energies similar to those of hydrogen bonds.