cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short Note: Increase in feeding by the tick, Ixodes uriae, on Adélie penguins during a prolonged summer

Ixodes uriae White is the only tick species found in Antarctica, and in our research area at Palmer Station it feeds predominantly on Adelie penguins. At the beginning of the summer the ticks leave their off-host aggregation sites, feed on penguins, then subsequently return to their off-host habitats, where they remain until the next summer (Benoit et al. 2007). These ticks have been implicated as a competent vector for Borrelia spirochetes (Olsen et al. 1993) and tick-borne viruses (Nuttall 1984), and are thought to impact development, cause anaemia, alter the thermoregulation, and even lead to the death of penguins (Gauthier-Clerc et al. 1998, Mangin et al. 2003). In this report, we note a striking increase in the number of fed ticks found near Adelie penguin rookeries in 2007 compared to 2006, suggesting that the longer and warmer summer of 2007 may have permitted more ticks to find their hosts. High levels of parasitism could be detrimental to the already declining Adelie penguin populations near Palmer Station (Fraser & Patterson 1997).
Dynamic system simplification: A time domain criterion

Abstract This paper explores the conditions under which second and third order dynamic systems can be reduced to systems of lower order. The performance criterion chosen is the 2% settling time in response to a step input to the system. Graphical results are presented which depict the conditions for the valid reduction of (1) second order systems to first order dominant, (2) third order systems to first order dominant, and (3) third order systems to second order dominant.
EFFECTS OF ERGOMETRINE (ERGONOVINE) ON THE ISOLATED ATHEROSCLEROTIC HEART OF THE CHOLESTEROL-FED RABBIT

Ergometrine usually depresses the S-T segment as in coronary insufficiency, when injected intravenously in rabbits with experimental coronary atherosclerosis and in patients with effort angina, but not in normal animals and man. To explain this difference, we carried out Langendorff perfusion studies in 32 normal and 29 atherosclerotic isolated rabbit hearts. Preliminary tests with ergometrine were done to ensure that advanced coronary atherosclerosis had developed in the rabbits fed a cholesterol diet; pathological examination of the heart after perfusion confirmed the result of the final test with ergometrine. Before drugs were perfused, the basal rate of coronary flow was greater, the heart rate was slower and the contractile amplitude was smaller in the atherosclerotic than in the normal hearts; nitroglycerin markedly increased flow in both normal and atherosclerotic groups. Ergometrine consistently caused a reduction in contractile amplitude with negligible changes in heart rate in both normal and atherosclerotic hearts. On coronary flow, however, the effects of ergometrine differed significantly in these groups; in doses of between 0.2 and 0.4 mg., the average decrease in flow was 8% in normal and 22% in atherosclerotic hearts. The effect was more variable in normal hearts and an increase in flow sometimes occurred. The difference in the response of normal and atherosclerotic hearts was particularly striking when ergometrine was given during recovery from a reduction of coronary flow which had been induced by vasopressin. Ergometrine then uniformly increased flow in the normal, but usually had the opposite effect in the atherosclerotic heart. In normal and atherosclerotic hearts, cardiac effects of vasopressin were similar. Tachyphylaxis to vasopressin, but not to ergometrine, was observed.
Influence of Mating on Oviposition by Screw-Worm Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

When both virgin and mated female screwworm flies, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), were allowed to oviposit, 66% of the former and 88% of the latter group laid eggs. The egg production of the two groups was equal, but mated females oviposited more than twice as quickly as virgin females.
Student Perceptions of Academic Language Study

This article reports on a study done to determine how nonnative English speakers studying in U.S. colleges and universities perceive their language learning experiences and how they use English in academic settings. Open-ended interviews, using a structured set of topics, were conducted with 80 students. Areas investigated included the value of the U.S. language training program, how the program addressed specific skill areas, how outof-class experience contributed to language learning, what teacher qualities were valued, and how English was used in the academic setting. In general, students supported the design of most intensive ESL training, but they raised questions about some skill-area emphasis. A strong desire for more interactive instruction was expressed as well as an appreciation for personality, 'rather than technical, qualities of teachers. Students indicated the importance in academic work of the receptive skills of reading and listening over the productive skills of speaking and writing. Curriculum design in ESL programs for academic preparation has, in general, failed to use the experience of students themselves as a basis for planning and decision making. This article reports on a study that attempted to discover what students believed contributed most to their language learning. The subjects had studied in intensive ESL programs in the United States and were engaged in academic study at the time of the investigation. Student attitude toward teachers and teacher behavior was also studied. Last, the study attempted to determine how these students were using English in their academic work.
Religious involvement and U.S. adult mortality

We use recently released, nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey—Multiple Cause of Death linked file to model the association of religious attendance and sociodemographic, health, and behavioral correlates with overall and cause-specific mortality. Religious attendance is associated with U.S. adult mortality in a graded fashion: People who never attend exhibit 1.87 times the risk of death in the follow-up period compared with people who attend more than once a week. This translates into a seven-year difference in life expectancy at age 20 between those who never attend and those who attend more than once a week. Health selectivity is responsible for a portion of the religious attendance effect: People who do not attend church or religious services are also more likely to be unhealthy and, conse-quently, to die. However, religious attendance also works through increased social ties and behavioral factors to decrease the risks of death. And although the magnitude of the association between religious attendance and mortality varies by cause of death, the direction of the association is consistent across causes.
The effects of low-, medium-, and high-fat diets on 2-deoxy-D-glucose- and mercaptoacetate-induced feeding

The present study examined the feeding responses stimulated by low suprathreshold and optimal doses of 2-DG and MA in three groups of rats maintained and tested on low (4.3%), medium (13.5%), or high (66.4%) fat diets. Results show that diet alters the response to 2-DG and MA. Rats on the low-fat diet significantly increased food intake after both the low and high doses of 2-DG. Rats on the medium- and high-fat diets significantly increased food intake only after the high dose of 2-DG. After administration of the low and high doses of MA, rats on the high-fat diet ate significantly more. However, rats on the low- and medium-fat diets significantly increased food intake only after the high dose of MA. These results suggest that diet-induced dependence of rats on fat or carbohydrate metabolism alters the sensitivity of systems controlling food intake in response to deficits in the availability of these specific metabolic fuels.
Chromosome Numbers and Behavior in Some Species of Dioscorea

Chromosomes were counted at meiosis and mitosis in 4 sapogenin-bearing species of Dioscorea and 9 other species. Chromosome numbers of 7 New-World species are reported herein for the first time. In these, 2n numbers were 36 except in two lines of D. floribunda which contained 54-chromosomes and showed irregular meiosis. All New-World species counted had chromosome numbers which are multiples of 9, whereas all Old-World species had numbers which are multiples of 10. The significance of the findings is discussed with reference to origin and distribution of the genus, processes of speciation, and possible barriers to breeding.
Foot Operation of Controls

The literature pertaining to foot operation of controls is reviewed and a new experiment reported. Published experimental results clarify only some isolated aspects of leg and foot motions. Even the relatively often investigated speed of operating pedals and forces that can be applied to them, were studied under such different experimental conditions that no general statements are possible concerning what pedal can be operated most quickly or forcibly. Opinions about the advantages and dis advantages of hand versus foot operation seem not generally based on experimental findings. In an experiment, 20 seated young adult male subjects moved their right foot as rapidly as possible over distances of 15 cm to circular targets. The direction of these discrote movements had no appreciable effect on the accuracy of motion. Forward motions of the vertical or almost vertical lower leg were slightly faster than backward or lateral motions of the elevated lower leg. All motions could be performed in about 0-1 seconds.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of proton irradiated zirconium carbide

Zirconium carbide is a candidate ceramic being considered for metal-carbide-base composite-type fuels, as well as for an alternative coating material for TRISO particle fuels. Ensuring adequate mechanical properties and dimensional stability in response to radiation is a key part in developing a practical ZrC-base fuel. The existing available radiation response data for ZrC is limited and insufficient. In the present study, ZrC was irradiated with a 2.6 MeV proton beam at 800 °C to doses of 0.7 and 1.5 dpa. Following radiation, the radiation induced damage microstructure is comprised of a high density of nanometer-sized Frank loops, but no irradiation induced amorphization, voids, or precipitates were observed. A slight lattice expansion was found in the irradiated ZrC, in good agreement with the reported results from neutron irradiation. The changes in microhardness and fracture toughness properties induced in the irradiated samples were measured using indentation techniques. The hardness and the fracture toughness both increase with increasing radiation dose.
Dendritic-cell-associated C-type lectin 2 (DCAL-2) alters dendritic-cell maturation and cytokine production

Dendritic-cell (DC)-associated C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) take up antigens to present to T cells and regulate DC functions. DCAL-2 is a CLR with a cytosolic immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM), which is restricted to immature DCs (iDCs), monocytes, and CD1a+ DCs. Cross-linking DCAL-2 on iDCs induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation and MAPK activation as well as receptor internalization. To test if DCAL-2 is involved in DC maturation and cytokine expression, we stimulated iDCs with anti-DCAL-2 mAb with or without LPS, zymosan, or CD40L. While anti-DCAL-2 did not induce iDCs to mature, it did up-regulate CCR7 expression and IL-6 and IL-10 production. DCAL-2 signals augmented DC maturation induced by LPS or zymosan, increasing both CCR7 and DC-LAMP expression. Of interest, DCAL-2 ligation had the opposite effects on TLR versus CD40L signaling: anti-DCAL-2 suppressed TLR-induced IL-12 expression, but significantly enhanced CD40L-induced IL-12 production. DCAL-2 ligation also suppressed the ability of TLR-matured DCs to induce IFN-γ-secreting Th1 cells but augmented the capacity of CD40L-matured DCs to polarize naive T cells into Th1 cells. Thus, DCAL-2 may program DCs differently depending on whether DCs are signaled via TLRs or by T cells. DCAL-2 may be a potential immunotherapeutic target for modulating autoimmune diseases or for developing vaccines.
THE EFFECTS OF PLANT DENSITY AND SNAIL GRAZING ON FEMALE AND MALE SPINACH PLANTS

Summary Male and female plants of the dioecious herb, Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Viking were grown in pots of five, 10 and 20 plants. Pots at each density were also exposed to grazing by the landsnail, Helix aspersa Muller (Helicidae; Gastropoda). Leaf longevity and rates of production for each of 13 leaf cohorts were determined for grazed and ungrazed female and male plants at each density. Dates of initiation of seed set and anthesis were recorded. At harvest, plant height, total dry weight and dry weights of leaves and stem, and of fruits and male reproductive organs were recorded. There were significant differences between females and males in time to anthesis, number of leaves per plant, leaf birth rate and reproductive effort. Females flowered and senesced later than males. Density had a significant effect on total number of leaves, leaf birth rate and leaf longevity. The only significant effect of snail grazing was a reduction in leaf longevity, particularly at the highest density. This corroborates recent suggestions that grazing has more effect on plants already exposed to relatively high levels of other pressures.
Targeting p38 MAPK inhibits multiple myeloma cell growth in the bone marrow milieu

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is a member of the MAPK family which is activated by cytokines and growth factors, but its role in pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM) is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that the specific p38 MAPK inhibitor VX-745 inhibits interleukin 6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), without affecting their viability. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced IL-6 secretion in BMSCs is also inhibited by VX-745. Importantly, VX-745 inhibits both MM cell proliferation and IL-6 secretion in BMSCs triggered by adherence of MM cells to BMSCs, suggesting that it can inhibit paracrine MM cell growth in the BM milieu and overcome cell adhesion-related drug resistance. These studies therefore identify p38 MAPK as a novel therapeutic target to overcome drug resistance and improve patient outcome in MM.
Teratogenic effects of nitrofen on cellular and functional maturation of the rat lung.

Abstract The herbicide nitrofen was administered to pregnant Sprague-Dawley and Fischer-344 rats on Days 10–13 of gestation (po, 20 or 40 mg/kg daily) and the effects of maturation of the perinatal lung were evaluated. Nitrofen interfered with the ontogenetic acquisition of lung cells as DNA, RNA, and protein content were subnormal. The hypoplastic lungs in the newborns were associated with structural deficits, resulting in a profound reduction of surface area available for gas exchange and depressed lung compliance. Other factors which influence pulmonary function and systemic delivery of oxygen were also considered. Adrenal catecholamines, which play an important role in surfactant production and fluid resorption in the lung during the transition to air-breathing, were markedly reduced. In addition, red blood cell concentration was significantly diminished. Taken together, these results suggest that the neonatal mortality observed in the nitrofen-treated rats is likely associated with respiratory distress caused by a number of cellular and functional aberrations. These include (a) hypoplasia and structural defects in the lung leading to deficient pulmonary function, (b) deficits in adrenal catecholamines potentially impeding the transition of the lung to air-breathing, and (c) impaired systemic delivery of oxygen due to reduced hemoglobin concentration.
Seasonal Predictability and Spatial Coherence of Rainfall Characteristics in the Tropical Setting of Senegal

Abstract This study examines space–time characteristics of seasonal rainfall predictability in a tropical region by analyzing observed data and model simulations over Senegal. Predictability is analyzed in terms of the spatial coherence of observed interannual variability at the station scale, and within-ensemble coherence of general circulation model (GCM) simulations with observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) prescribed. Seasonal mean rainfall anomalies are decomposed in terms of daily rainfall frequency and daily mean intensity. The observed spatial coherence is computed from a 13-station network of daily rainfall during the July–September season 1961–98 in terms of (i) interannual variability of a standardized anomaly index (i.e., the average of the normalized anomalies of each station), (ii) the external variance (i.e., the fraction of common variance among stations), and (iii) the number of spatiotemporal degrees of freedom. Spatial coherence of interannual anomalies across stations is found to b...
Total synthesis and absolute configuration of the bisanthraquinone antibiotic BE-43472B.

The gross structure of a streptomycete derived bisanthraquinone designated as BE-43472B was first claimed in a Japanese patent in 1996 as an antitumor agent.[1] Ten years later, Rowley and co-workers reported the isolation of a bisanthraquinone antibiotic to which they assigned the relative configuration of structure (−)-1 (Figure 1) from streptomyces strain #N1-78-1, isolated from cultured cells of an unidentified unicellular green alga (URI strain #N36-11-10), which, in turn, was isolated from the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata, collected from La Parguera, Puerto Rico.[2a] Although the structure (−)-1 was depicted in that[2a] and a subsequent publication,[2b] these studies left the absolute stereo-chemistry of this natural product unassigned. It was speculated[2a] on the basis of spectroscopic data comparisons that this antibiotic was most likely the same as the one previously discovered by the Japanese group.[1] In addition to antitumor properties, this bisanthraquinone antibiotic exhibited potent inhibitory activity against clinically derived isolates of methicillin-susceptible, methicillin-resistant, and tetracyclin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, MRSA, and TRSA, respectively), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE).[2] Most impressively, this compound also demonstrated, in a time-kill study, significant bactericidal activity (>99.9 % kill) against MSSA, MRSA, and VRE.[2b] Given the urgency for new antibiotics to combat drug-resistant bacteria,[3] the novelty of the molecular structure of (−)-1 and the uncertainty about its absolute stereo-chemistry, this molecule became an attractive target for synthesis in our group.[4] In this communication, we report the first total synthesis of both enantiomers of this novel antibiotic and the assignment of its absolute configuration as that depicted by structure (+)-1 (Figure 1).
Wage subsidies as an anti-discrimination policy

Using the statistical theory of discrimination, we argue that initial wage offers may be lower for minority workers, but that wage differences for a given level of productivity should diminish with the worker's job tenure. If a wage subsidization policy is designed so that initial wage offers are equal for majority and minority workers and is maintained for a time period sufficient to demonstrate true productivity, then wage differences for a given level of productivity should disappear. We also provide an empirical test of the effectiveness of such a policy by using a sample of participants in a government job program that enforced equal wage schedules for White and Black workers. Our results show that measured discrimination declined among program participants, supporting the hypothesis that wage subsidies would be an effective anti-discrimination policy.
Origin of Late Cenozoic Basins in Southern California: ABSTRACT

Several sedimentary basins in southern California, within and south of the Transverse Ranges, display a history suggestive of a rhombochasmic origin. Beginning in the early Miocene, segments of the continental margin at the soft and splintered border between the Pacific and Americas plates were apparently fragmented so that basins originated as irregular pull-aparts. Basin walls were formed by both transform faults and by crustal stretching and dip-slip faulting. Deep basin floors grew as a complex of volcanic rocks and sediments. As basins enlarged, high-standing blocks are pictured as separating laterally from terranes that were originally adjacent. Older rocks exposed around margins therefore cannot be extrapolated to depth within the basins. Support for such a speculative model comes from accumulating understanding of the Salton trough. This narrow graben is being pulled apart obliquely, with faults of the San Andreas system serving as transforms. With widening, the walls sag and stretch, and margins are inundated by sedimentation that occurs simultaneously with deformation and volcanism in the basin floor. The Los Angeles basin apparently started to form as a rhombic hole in the middle Miocene, with basin-floor volcanism accompanied and followed by voluminous sedimentation. The Miocene "Topanga basin" in the western Santa Monica Mountains contains vast thicknesses of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that were laid down adjacent to high ground, from which sediments and huge detachment slabs were carried into a spreading hol . Other basins that perhaps reveal stages in the history of crustal stretching, culminating in pull-aparts and rhombochasms, are parts of Ventura basin, Ridge basin, and several offshore depressions, including the Santa Barbara Channel. End_of_Article - Last_Page 774------------
Clinical significance of cerebrospinal fluid tests for neurosyphilis

From 1978 to 1987, 1,665 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (CSF-FTA-ABS) tests were performed as the screening procedure for neurosyphilis. The CSF samples from 48 patients were reactive, and the medical history and results of the CSF-Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test (CSF-VDRL) for syphilis for 38 of these patients were reviewed. Likely active neurosyphilis was diagnosed if the patient had a reactive CSF-FTA-ABS test, recent onset of neurological signs consistent with neurosyphilis, abnormal CSF, and no other recognized cause for the neurological illness. Fifteen patients were so classified. Four had a reactive CSF-VDRL test. The specificity of the CSF-VDRL in diagnosing likely active neurosyphilis was 100%, but the sensitivity was only 27%. The insensitivity of the CSF-VDRL test limits its usefulness as a screening test for neurosyphilis. The CSF-FTA-ABS test appears more sensitive for screening but is less specific than the CSF-VDRL test in distinguishing currently active neurosyphilis from past syphilis. These findings imply that clinical judgment is still essential in establishing the diagnosis of active neurosyphilis.
Fixation-aligned pupillary response averaging

We propose a new way of analyzing pupil measurements made in conjunction with eye tracking: fixation-aligned pupillary response averaging, in which short windows of continuous pupil measurements are selected based on patterns in eye tracking data, temporally aligned, and averaged together. Such short pupil data epochs can be selected based on fixations on a particular spot or a scan path. The windows of pupil data thus selected are aligned by temporal translation and linear warping to place corresponding parts of the gaze patterns at corresponding times and then averaged together. This approach enables the measurement of quick changes in cognitive load during visual tasks, in which task components occur at unpredictable times but are identifiable via gaze data. We illustrate the method through example analyses of visual search and map reading. We conclude with a discussion of the scope and limitations of this new method.
Ester Hydrolysis by a Catalytic Cyclodextrin Dimer Enzyme Mimic with a Metallobipyridyl Linking Group

A β-cyclodextrin dimer with a linking bipyridyl group is synthesized as a catalyst precursor, a holoenzyme mimic. It binds both ends of potential substrates into the two different cyclodextrin cavities, holding the substrate ester carbonyl group directly above a metal ion bound to the bipyridyl unit. The result is very effective ester hydrolysis with good turnover catalysis. For example, a Cu(II) complex accelerates the rate of hydrolysis of several nitrophenyl esters by a factor of 104−105, with at least 50 turnovers and no sign of product inhibition. In the best case, with an added nucleophile that also binds to the metal ion, a rate acceleration of 1.45 × 107 over the background reaction rate was observed. Hydrolysis by a catalyst with only one cyclodextrin binding group is significantly slower than in the bidentate binding cases. As expected, the binding of a transition state analogue to these catalysts is stronger with the metal ion present than without. This and kinetic evidence point to a mechanism...
Value-Added New Materials from Byproduct of Corn Based Ethanol Industries: Blends of Plasticized Corn Gluten Meal and Poly(ε-caprolactone)

This study attempts to explore the value-added applications of corn gluten meal (CGM), the inexpensive byproduct from corn based ethanol industries. The byproducts, CGM, was plasticized using glycerol/ethanol mixture, denatured by the addition of guanidine hydrochloride (GHCl), and then blended with poly(e-caprolactone), PCL, a synthetic commercial biodegradable polymer. Extrusion followed by injection molding was adopted to fabricate the newly blended green materials. The processing conditions affected the performance of the blends. The GHCl modified corn gluten meal was characterized by IR spectroscopy. The developed materials were characterized through their thermomechanical, tensile, and Izod impact strength measurements. The effects of processing conditions on properties of blends were investigated. One of the promising outcomes of this research was that the GHCl modified corn gluten meal based bioplastic, on blending with PCL had a substantially higher percent elongation. Scanning electron microscop...
Pulmonary disposition of inhaled NO2-nitrogen in isolated rat lungs.

Abstract Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) is a relatively insoluble, reactive gas that, on inhalation, generates a diverse array of pulmonary toxic effects. Its uptake and transformation in isolated lungs have been shown to be proportional to inspired dose and associated with significant accumulations of the nitrite ion. However, not all absorbed NO 2 is directly detectable as soluble nitrite. To further characterize its uptake and chemical disposition, we determined the chemical fate of 15 NO 2 -nitrogen in isolated perfused (red cell-free) rat lungs that were exposed to 20 ppm 15 NO 2 for 60 min. Total excess 15 N (relative to unexposed controls) was determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry and total nitrogen analysis. Excess 15 N was detected in whole lungs and in soluble and insoluble fractions but not in the total lipid pool. Perfusate excess 15 N and nitrite correlated and accounted for all absorbed NO 2 not detectable in tissue fractions. Exogenously instilled [ 15 N]nitrite distributed within lung tissue, bound to insoluble elements, and diffused to the vascular space similar to NO 2 -nitrogen. Instilled [ 15 N]nitrate did not distribute or bind like NO 2 -nitrogen or nitrite. Dialysis (1000 molecular weight cutoff) of cytosol, membranes, and perfusate removed excess 15 N and nitrite derived from NO 2 , nitrite, or nitrate sources. We conclude that in isolated lungs, inhaled NO 2 (1) undergoes rapid uptake and transformation in sites accessible to the pulmonary circulation; (2) does not form stable addition products with lipids; and (3) forms small-molecular-weight soluble reaction product(s) that behave similarly to nitrite, most likely indicating predominant univalent reduction of NO 2 via initial hydrogen abstraction and subsequent HNO 2 dissociation.
Knowledge, use, and education regarding folic acid supplementation: continuation study of women in Colorado who had a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect.

Background This study was conducted to: (1) determine whether women who have had a neural tube defect (NTD) affected pregnancy know about recommendations for NTD recurrence prevention; (2) educate them about the recommendations; and (3) ensure that they have access to folic acid prior to another pregnancy. Methods Colorado women who had an NTD affected pregnancy in 1999 or later were interviewed about their knowledge and use of folic acid, provided with verbal information about folic acid and NTD prevention, and offered written information and a voucher for free folic acid. Results Thirty-two of 68 women who had an NTD affected pregnancy were interviewed. Of these, 22 (69%) were aware of the 0.4 mg. folic acid recommendation for women of child bearing age who have not had an NTD affected pregnancy (MMWR, '91). Only 15 (47%) of the women knew about the U.S. Public Health Service recommendation (MMWR, '92) to consume 4.0 mg of folic acid prior to another pregnancy for NTD recurrence prevention. Twenty-five (78%) of the women reported taking a multivitamin or folic acid daily. Conclusions Nine years after national folic acid recommendations, a majority of interviewed women (53%) with NTD affected pregnancies did not know about the recommendation to consume 4.0 mg of folic acid for NTD recurrence prevention. This sample of women are receptive to information about folic acid. Health care providers and public health officials should ensure that education about folic acid is provided in an effective and timely manner to women with NTD-affected pregnancies. Teratology 66:S29–S31, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The high affinity peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligand DAA1106 binds to activated and infected brain macrophages in areas of synaptic degeneration: implications for PET imaging of neuroinflammation in lentiviral encephalitis.

HIV encephalitis (HIVE) is characterized by neurodegeneration mediated by toxins derived from infected and activated brain macrophages. Since the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) is abundant on brain macrophages, we hypothesized that [3H]DAA1106, a new PBR ligand, can label infected and activated brain macrophages in HIVE. Using cell culture and postmortem brain tissues from HIVE and a macaque model of HIVE, we show that [3H]DAA1106 binds with high affinity to activated and infected macrophages in regions of synaptic damage. Further, binding affinity reflected by lower KD (dissociation constant) values and the Bmax (total number of binding sites) to KD ratios reflective of ligand-binding potential was significantly higher with [3H]DAA1106 compared to the extensively characterized PBR ligand [3H](R)-PK11195. These data suggest that DAA1106 binds with high affinity to activated and infected brain macrophages and possesses binding characteristics beneficial for in vivo use in the detection and clinical monitoring of HIVE using positron emission tomography.
Developing and validating a human laboratory model to screen medications for smoking cessation.

Introduction To facilitate translational work in medications development for smoking cessation, we have developed a human laboratory analogue of smoking lapse behavior. Our paradigm models 2 critical features of smoking lapse: the ability to resist the first cigarette and subsequent ad libitum smoking. In this paper we present the results of 2 studies designed to develop and validate the effect of nicotine deprivation on smoking lapse behavior. Methods Study 1 (n = 30) was designed to develop the model parameters by examining varying levels of nicotine deprivation (1, 6, and 18 hr; within-subject) and identifying optimum levels of monetary reinforcement to provide while modeling the ability to resist smoking. Study 2 was designed to validate the model by screening smoking cessation medications with known clinical efficacy. Subjects (n = 62) were randomized to either varenicline 2 mg/day, bupropion 300 mg/day, or placebo, and we then modeled their ability to resist smoking and subsequent ad libitum smoking. Results In Study 1, increasing levels of nicotine deprivation and decreasing levels of monetary reinforcement decreased the ability to resist smoking. In Study 2, the lapse model was found to be sensitive to medication effects among smokers who demonstrated a pattern of heavy, uninterrupted, and automated smoking (i.e., smoked within 5 min of waking). Ratings of craving, mood, withdrawal, and subjective cigarette effects are presented as secondary outcomes with results mirroring clinical findings. Conclusions Our smoking lapse model demonstrates promise as a translational tool to screen novel smoking cessation medications. Next steps in this line of research will focus on evaluating predictive validity.
A Comparative Assessment of Public Administration Journal Publications

Recent critiques of public administration research have admonished scholars for the lack of rigor in their quantitative research. This study extends the ongoing debate by comparing research published in six public administration journals with that conducted in three related academic fields and three administratively focused practitioner-oriented fields. In general, it is found that public administration research is less oriented toward theory testing and is less quantitatively rigorous than that conducted in the academic fields. Although less conclusive, the findings of the comparison of practitioner-oriented fields suggest that although public administration research may not be atypical of that conducted in such fields, it cannot be counted among the more quantitatively rigorous of those fields.
Variation of the strong and electromagnetic coupling constants over cosmological times.

THERE has been a long history of speculation on the possibility that the fundamental constants of physics may vary slowly over long periods of time1,2. This speculation was most recently brought forward as a possible explanation of the cosmological redshift2. Numerous authors pointed out that there are many reasons for ruling out any large scale variations of the fine structure constant (electrical charge) with time3. In this article, we show that on the basis of the liquid drop model of the nucleus and the observed half lives and abundances of the transuranium elements, approximate limits can be put on the rate of change of the ratio g2/e2, where e is the electric charge of the electron and g is the strong coupling constant. If we assume that the strong interactions do not vary as a function of time, then we find limits of the time rate change of e of about the same stringency as those in refs. 3, 4 and 5. If, however, we assume the conclusions3–5 that e does not change as a function of time, then we can show that the quantity must be less than ∼2×10−11 yr−1.
Materials informatics: An emerging technology for materials development

The development of new materials has generally been a trial-and-error process, which is often long and costly. Computational materials science has progressed to the point that it is being embraced by materials engineering as a key part of the materials development process. Often referred to as integrated computational materials engineering, this new approach links computation with experiment and data to enhance and accelerate materials development. An important component of this integrated approach is materials informatics, in which advanced mining and analysis techniques are applied to experimental and model-based data as one step of an information-based process for understanding and exploring materials behavior. Here, we will discuss how, as bioinformatics does in biology, materials informatics offers a new approach to materials research and development. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company
Life and Literature: Continuities and Discontinuities

This essay calls attention, first, to some of the significant discontinuities between life and literature, living and telling. Perhaps foremost among them is the fact that while living takes place now, in the present moment, telling must await the passage of time. This element of delay, it is argued, underscores the potential importance of narrative: in the context of moral life especially, it can serve a kind of rescue function, allowing for a measure of insight often unavailable in the flux of the moment. These discontinuities between life and literature notwithstanding, it is maintained herein that there also exist deep continuities between life and literature, and that literature can illuminate life precisely because it articulates and binds those features of experience that reach for narrative. By spelling out these continuities, we open the way toward deepening our understanding of the narrative fabric of life itself.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATION TO VARYING ENVIRONMENTS: A MATHEMATICAL MODEL.

We develop a mathematical model to explore the evolution of habitat selection and physiological adaptation in a heterogeneous environment. The model assumes the following conditions: 1) a panmictic population of infinite size; 2) prereproductive individuals mobile enough to move between patches; 3) alleles at one locus code for absence or presence of adaptation to detrimental patches; 4) alleles at a second locus code for absence or presence of behavior(s) that cause avoidance of the detrimental patches; 5) additive effects of alleles controlling physiology and behavior; 6) frequency-independent fitness. Results of the model indicate that nontrivial, polymorphic equilibria do not exist. The pattern of genotypic fitnesses and the initial allelic frequencies can influence whether the population adapts by physiological or behavioral mechanisms, or by both. Linkage between the two loci can alter the outcome of evolution, given specified genotypic fitness values and initial allelic frequencies.
Uptake of systemic insecticides after application to the stems of the cotton plant.

When 32P-labeled phosphamidon in lanolin or 14C-labeled monocrotophos in gel were applied to 5 cm of cotton stem, uptake and translocation were greater than when the treated area was 2.5 cm or less in width. Also, uptake was much less when the treatments were applied to older stems with bark than when they were applied to young waxy stems without bark and was greater when a 2nd treatment was applied to the same area. Less uptake of monocrotophos occurred when the insecticide was applied in a gel than when it was applied in lanolin. Phosphamidon was found in all plant parts, but greater amounts were found in mature leaves.
On Scaling Models Applied to Data from Several Groups.

Statistical methods are presented to facilitate a more complete analysis of results obtained when a scaling model is applied to data from two or more groups. These methods can be used to (a) compare the corresponding estimated latent distributions obtained using the scaling model applied to the different groups, (b) compare the corresponding estimated item reliabilities (or item response error rates) for the different groups, and (c) test whether the scaling model applied to the several groups can be replaced by a more parsimonious scaling model that includes various homogeneity constraints (i.e., constraints that describe which parameters in the model are the same for the several groups). Various kinds of scaling models are considered here in the multiple-group context.
Pollution Reduction Preferences of U.S. Environmental Managers: Applying Ajzen'S Theory of Planned Behavior

We modified Ajzen's theory of planned behavior to analyze the behavioral preferences of environmental managers. We used structural equation analysis to link the source reduction preferences of 295 ...
Persistence of sterols other than cholesterol in chicken tissues.

RECENT work by Davison and his collaborators1–3 has shown that cholesterol may be incorporated in the nervous tissues of myelinating chickens and rabbits and that this cholesterol will persist in these tissues for considerable lengths of time. Our interests in the metabolism of cholesterol and other sterols prompted us to compare the distributions in chicken tissues of injected sitosterol and lanosterol with that of cholesterol. Emulsions of cholesterol-7-3H (purchased from New England Nuclear Co., Boston, Mass.), sitosterol3-H (randomly labelled, gift of Dr. Leon Swell), and lanosterol-3H (randomly labelled, gift of Dr. George J. Alexander) in saline were prepared by the method used for preparation of cholesterol-14C emulsions for experiments involving mitochondrial oxidation of this sterol4. Newly hatched White Leghorn chicks were used and the appropriate sterol emulsion (0.50 ml.) was injected directly into the yolk sac. After four days, radioactivity could be detected in the brain tissue of chickens from each group. After 9 weeks the one surviving chicken in each group was killed by exsanguination. The blood was collected in centrifuge tubes and the erythrocytes separated. All the brain, cord, liver, spleen and aorta was excised, weighed and dissolved in strong potassium hydroxide. The non-saponifiable fraction was assayed for tritium radioactivity in a liquid scintillation counter. Small pieces of sciatic nerve were taken from each chicken and all showed slight but consistently detectable radioactivity. Other findings are shown in Table 1.
Where is the lumbar pain coming from

This presentation proposes that the majority of persistent lumbar pain comes from chemical abnormalities within the disc. On this basis, a review of clinical experience and basic studies suggests that active mechanical therapy is the most rational approach to treat the disc. Avoidance of the habituation to pain and inactivity is supported. Rest treatment becomes a societal question rather than a medical question. Ultimately assessment of disc chemistry with appropriate instrumentation will allow the instillation of therapeutic agents within the disc itself. Extended rest, and passive physical therapy no longer have a rational place in the treatment of persistent back pain.
A Dialogical Approach to Conceptualizing Resident Participation in Community Organizing

This article considers “concept formation in the wild” among community organizers aiming to initiate change through processes involving resident participation and dialogue with community members. While this approach is thought to be more effective than “top down” processes, there is little clear understanding of how conceptualizations of resident participation translate into authentic dialogue or substantive change. Our dialogical approach examines how a planning committee worked through differing interpretations of resident participation, as a concept and a way of being, and suggests that genuine dialogicality can point toward experimental forms of relating and increase possibilities for conceptualizing and organizing social futures.
Thermodynamic investigation of the redox properties for ceria-hafnia, ceria-terbia, and ceria-praseodymia solid solutions.

Ceria−hafnia, ceria−terbia, and ceria−praseodymia solid solutions were prepared by the citric-acid (Pechini) method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) for structure and coulometric titration for redox thermodynamics. Following calcination at 973 K, XRD showed that both Ce0.5Hf0.5O2 and Ce0.8Hf0.2O2 exist as single-phase solid solutions and that the lattice parameters of the cubic fluorite structures shifted linearly with Hf content. Following calcination at 1323 K, Ce0.8Hf0.2O2 remained single phase but Ce0.5Hf0.5O2 separated into two phases with compositions of Ce0.81Hf0.19O2 and Ce0.15Hf0.85O2. At 973 K, oxidation isotherms for Ce0.8Hf0.2O2 and Ce0.5Hf0.5O2 were almost identical to oxidation isotherms for Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 and Ce0.5Zr0.5O2. Mixed oxides of ceria with terbia and praseodymia also formed single-phase fluorite structures, but each of the solid solutions was phase stable to calcination at 1323 K. The oxidation isotherms for the solid ceria−terbia and ceria−praseodymia solutions were ...
VUV photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of flash pyrolysis of silane and disilane

Abstract Flash pyrolysis of silane, SiH4, and disilane, Si2H6, diluted in He or Ar (1%), was carried out at temperatures ranging from ∼700 to ∼1500 K. After a short reaction time of ∼20 μs, the initial products were isolated in a supersonic molecular beam and detected by single vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) photon ( λ=118 or 121 nm ) ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). Initial decomposition and reaction products, both free radical intermediates and stable species, were directly observed, which included SiH2 and Si2H4.
Outcome of isolated bicuspid aortic valve in childhood.

Objective To evaluate the outcomes associated with isolated bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) during childhood and adolescence. Study design Analysis of a large single institutional cohort of children (n = 981) with isolated BAV was undertaken to determine the prevalence of significant ascending aortic dilation and risk of cardiac events. Subjects with known genetic disorders, critical aortic stenosis (intervention required in infancy), or additional lesions such as coarctation of the aorta were excluded. Aortic dimensions were derived from echocardiography, and values were plotted as Z scores. Clinical outcomes included death, aortic dissection, balloon aortic valvuloplasty, or cardiac surgery. Results The median age of the subjects at diagnosis was 8.3 years. At the time of the last pediatric follow-up, 7% of the subjects had moderate aortic regurgitation or greater, and the median Z score for the ascending aorta was +2.31. There were 9427 patient years of follow-up. Primary cardiac events occurred in 38 subjects, yielding an event rate of 0.004 per patient year. Eleven subjects (1.1%) underwent aortic valve surgery. Thirty subjects (3.0%) underwent balloon dilatation of the aortic valve. There was a single case of endocarditis. There were no cardiac-related deaths and no cases of aortic dissection. Conclusions The incidence of primary cardiac events in children with BAV is relatively low, approximately 3-fold lower than in young adults, and is generally related to aortic stenosis amenable to balloon dilatation. Although mild ascending aortic dilation is common in children, the clinical course is relatively benign. In this series, aortic dissection did not occur. Whether elective surgery for the dilated aorta has a role in children remains unknown.
The active center of plasmin.

Abstract Plots of the variation of p K m and log V max with pH for plasmin, determined in the absence and presence of either Ni ++ or Ca ++ , indicate that the active center of this enzyme is functionally identical to trypsin and that both of these enzymes differ significantly from thrombin. As with trypsin, some five groups are implicated in the active center or are affected by ES complex formation and subsequent decomposition; however, the probability exists that one or more of these groups in plasmin differ chemically from their functionally identical analogues in trypsin. Data are presented on the storage stability of plasmin and trypsin which also serve to emphasize their individuality.