cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SNP-E: A New Method For Multiple Sequence Alignments Analysis And Accurate Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Evaluation

Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion-deletion mutations are important for discovering the connection between the genetic mutations and complex diseases. The objective of this study was to develop a sensitive and accurate computational method for SNP detection among Multiple Sequence Alignments (MSAs) to be run on Microsoft Office SuiteTM and WindowsTM. The SNP-Evaluator, was designed to simulate the process of human eye visual change-identification. Analysis of three 82-Kbp genomic loci derived from Sanger sequencing and the corresponding SNPs from 31 genomes from IlluminaTM sequencing of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) demonstrated that the SNP-E was an effective method for medium-scale genomic research.
Environmental amenities and agricultural land values: a hedonic model using geographic information systems data

Abstract Remote agricultural lands, which include wildlife habitat, angling opportunities and scenic vistas, command higher prices per hectare in Wyoming than those whose landscape is dominated by agricultural production. Geographic information systems (GIS) data are used to measure recreational and scenic amenities associated with rural land. A hedonic price model is specified with GIS measures. It is used to estimate the impact of amenity and agricultural production land characteristics on price per acre for a sample of Wyoming agricultural parcels. Results indicate that the specification performed well across several functional forms. The sampled land prices are explained by the level of both environmental amenities as well as production attributes. Statistically significant amenity variables included scenic view, elk habitat, sport fishery productivity and distance to town. This analysis permits a better estimation of environmental amenity values from hedonic techniques. Improved estimation of amenity values is vital for policies aimed at open space preservation, using agricultural conservation easements and land use conflict resolution.
Proteolytic activation of tissue plasminogen activator by plasma and tissue enzymes

Tissue kallikrein and factor Xa were found to activate tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) at a rate comparable with that of plasmin. During the activation reaction, the single-chain molecule was converted into a two-chain form. A slight t-PA activating activity was also found in plasma kallikrein. Other activated coagulation factors, factor XIIa, factor XIa, factor IXa, factor VIIa, thrombin and activated protein C had no effect on t-PA activation. t-PA was also activated by a tissue kallikrein-like enzyme that was isolated from the culture medium of melanoma cells. These results indicate that tissue kallikrein and factor Xa may participate in the extrinsic pathway of human fibrinolysis.
Salmonella promotes virulence by repressing cellulose production

Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on Earth. In bacteria, cellulose confers protection against environmental insults and is a constituent of biofilms typically formed on abiotic surfaces. We report that, surprisingly, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium makes cellulose when inside macrophages. We determine that preventing cellulose synthesis increases virulence, whereas stimulation of cellulose synthesis inside macrophages decreases virulence. An attenuated mutant lacking the mgtC gene exhibited increased cellulose levels due to increased expression of the cellulose synthase gene bcsA and of cyclic diguanylate, the allosteric activator of the BcsA protein. Inactivation of bcsA restored wild-type virulence to the Salmonella mgtC mutant, but not to other attenuated mutants displaying a wild-type phenotype regarding cellulose. Our findings indicate that a virulence determinant can promote pathogenicity by repressing a pathogen's antivirulence trait. Moreover, they suggest that controlling antivirulence traits increases long-term pathogen fitness by mediating a trade-off between acute virulence and transmission.
Association of the status of interstitial cells of Cajal and electrogastrogram parameters, gastric emptying and symptoms in patients with gastroparesis

Abstract Our goal was to investigate associations between the status of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and electrogastrogram (EGG) parameters, gastric emptying and symptoms in a large cohort of patients with gastroparesis. Forty-one patients with refractory gastroparesis who were referred for gastric electrical stimulation (GES) underwent full thickness gastric (antrum) biopsy during the surgery to place the GES device. The biopsy samples were stained with c-kit and scored for the presence of ICC based on criteria obtained from 10 controls. All patients underwent EGG recordings, a 4-h standardized scintigraphic gastric emptying study and symptom assessment prior to the surgery. Based on antral biopsy, 15 patients (36%) had almost no ICC (ICC− group) and 26 patients had adequate cell numbers (ICC+ group). EGG recordings in the ICC− group displayed significantly less normal slow waves than in the ICC+ group both in the fasting and fed states. Tachygastria in the ICC− group was significantly more than in the ICC+ group both in the fasting (32 ± 8%vs 11 ± 2%) and fed states (27 ± 9%vs 12 ± 2%). There was no statistical difference in gastric emptying, symptom severity of gastroparesis, aetiology, age and gender between the two groups. Severely depleted ICC occurs in up to 36% of gastroparetic patients and significantly correlates with an abnormal EGG. Severely depleted ICC does not correlate with the severity of gastroparesis as assessed by gastric emptying or symptom status but did result in a poorer symptomatic response to GES. These data suggest that the EGG may have a role for predicting ICC status during clinical evaluation of gastroparetic patients.
A River Otter With Anemia

A 7.1 -kg adult female river otter (Lutra canadensis) was presented to the University of Florida, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for evaluation of depression, inappetence, and pale mucous membranes of 2 to 3 days duration. Two months prior to presentation, the otter had been successfully treated for septic mastitis. The otter was used as a surrogate mother for orphaned otters and was housed outdoors at the Hawke Rehabilitation Center in Elkton, Florida. The rehabilitator was concerned that an electrical storm which occurred a few days prior to presentation may have injured the otter since three raptors housed at the center had been electrocuted during the storm. A physical examination was performed after immobilization with intramuscular diazepam (0.17 mg/kg) and ketamine hydrochloride (1 6 mg/kg) and anesthetic maintenance with isoflurane (1 5%). Clinically the otter was in good body condition with a temperature of 100.2"F. Abnormalities noted on the physical examination were pale mucous membranes, a small, dark spot on the tongue, and mild diarrhea. At this time, samples were submitted for a complete blood count, serum biochemical profile, fecal flotation, and a Dirofilaria immitis ELISA test. While immobilized, therapy consisting of subcutaneous lactated Ringer's solution (30 ml/kg) and dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) and intramuscular iron dextran (10 mg/kg), enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg), and flunixin meglumine (1 mg/kg) was initiated. Previously reported values for complete blood counts and biochemical profiles in the river otter were used for reference ranges.' Complete blood count results included Hct 12% (34 to 59%), Hgb 3.96 g/dl FIG. 1 Peripheral blood smear. Two round, basophilic structures are seen associated with the red blood cell at the 11 o'clock position near the center of the field. Red blood cells located in the center and at the 4 o'clock position are also associated with single round structures. (Wright-Giemsa, 500X).
Spectral distributions and the breaking of isospin and supermultiplet symmetries in nuclei

Abstract Knowledge of the Racah algebra for the higher unitary groups is exploited to give a general formula for the partial widths for the direct product subgroup U ( N k )× U (k) of the full unitary group U(N) of a given shell model vector space. This formula makes it possible to separate the second moments of dynamical operators into the internal and external parts which are needed for detailed applications of the spectral distribution technique. Specific applications are made for k = 2 (isospin) and k = 4 (Wigner supermultiplet symmetry). Explicit expressions are given for the isospin breaking contributions to the spectral widths which make it possible to estimate the intensities of isospin impurities in an average state of a given isospin. The goodness of Wigner supermultiplet symmetry is examined for the 2s-ld shell with a detailed example, the A = 25 nuclei, for which partial widths have been calculated for various modifications of the Kuo-Brown interaction to give a simple measure of the amount of mixing to be expected between states of different space symmetry.
Tricyclic antidepressants and imidazolines as inhibitors of the alpha-adrenergic receptor mediated stimulation of phosphatidylinositol turnover in rat pineal gland.

Abstract In intact rat pineal glands in vitro , norepinephrine stimulates the incorporation of 32 P into phosphatidylinositol through post-synaptic alpha-adrenergic receptors. This response is inhibited by tricyclic antidepressants and imidazolines. Both amitriptyline and oxymetazoline displace the dose-response curve for norepinephrine to the right in a parallel manner indicative of a competitive mode of inhibition by these two classes of drugs.
Structure of Arp2/3 complex in its activated state and in actin filament branch junctions

The seven-subunit Arp2/3 complex choreographs the formation of branched actin networks at the leading edge of migrating cells. When activated by Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASp), the Arp2/3 complex initiates actin filament branches from the sides of existing filaments. Electron cryomicroscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction of Acanthamoeba castellanii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Arp2/3 complexes bound to the WASp carboxy-terminal domain reveal asymmetric, oblate ellipsoids. Image analysis of actin branches indicates that the complex binds the side of the mother filament, and Arp2 and Arp3 (for actin-related protein) are the first two subunits of the daughter filament. Comparison to the actin-free, WASp-activated complexes suggests that branch initiation involves large-scale structural rearrangements within Arp2/3.
Effect of high-oleic trait and paste storage variables on sensory attribute stability of roasted peanuts

There has been much interest in the effect of the high-oleic acid trait of peanuts on various quality factors since discovery of high levels of oleic acid in a peanut mutant genotype. The trait provides greater oxidative stability for the high-oleic oil and seed. Several research groups have investigated high-oleic peanut oil and roasted peanut flavor characteristics, which were similar within high-oleic lines compared to Florunner. It was observed that some high-oleic lines derived from the Sunrunner cultivar have consistently higher predicted breeding values for roasted peanut attribute than Sunrunner itself. This study investigated if this apparent effect of the trait was an artifact arising from the handling procedures during processing and storage or from flavor fade. High-oleic lines used were derived by backcrossing the trait into existing cultivars, and the comparison of sensory attribute intensity was with the recurrent parent used in backcrossing. Previous comparisons have been between lines dif...
SOMATIC MUTATION RATES IN DOUBLE AND TRIPLE HETEROZYGOTES OF IMPATIENS BALSAMINA FOLLOWING CHRONIC GAMMA IRRADIATION

Abstract A somatic mutation rate has been determined for petals of Impatiens balsamina heterozygous for flower color. The mutations are thought to result from marker loss of the dominant allele. The mutation rate for the L allele per r of daily exposure determined at 200 r/day was 1 in 0·76 × 10 6 cells. The dosage-response curve appears to be non-linear at the higher dose rates.
Ultrastructure of corpora allata of known activity during the vitellogenic cycle in the cockroach Diploptera punctata.

Ultrastructure was correlated with rates of juvenile hormone synthesis in corpora allata from females of the viviparous cockroach Diploptera punctata at seven daily intervals during the first vitellogenic cycle. Synthetic activity of the glands was determined by in vitro radiochemical assay before the glands were fixed for electron microscopic analysis. The cycle in rates of juvenile hormone synthesis progressed from about 20 pmol h-1 per gland pair (oocytes 0.60 mm long) to a maximum mean rate of 140 pmol h-1 per pair (oocytes 1.40–1.47 mm long) and declined to about 20 pmol h-1 per pair at ovulation (oocytes about 1.65 mm long). Conspicuous ultrastructural changes occurred with changing synthetic rates. In glands with increasing rates of synthesis, mitochondria showed less electron-dense matrix, greater diameter and more irregular shape. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum changed from easily seen to obscure tubules, networks, and vesicles. Rough endoplasmic reticulum appeared in longer, more curved segments. Newly formed autophagic vacuoles appeared in all glands of highest activity rates. In glands with decreasing rates of synthesis, the mitochondrial matrix became denser, width smaller, and shapes less irregular. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum again appeared tubular and distinct. Golgi complexes were more conspicuous. Rough endoplasmic reticulum in whorls and large numbers of autophagic vacuoles continued to be present.
INHIBITION OF RANCIDITY AND IMPROVEMENT OF COOKING YIELD CAN ALLOW FOR PRECOOKING OF PATTIES AS A MEANS OF CONTROLLING PATHOGENS

Precooking of patties can help eliminate the risk for spreading pathogenic microorganisms such as E. coli 0157:H7. However, precooking is not widely used because of the fast development of warmed-over flavor (WOF), mostly due to lipid oxidation. Ground beef and ground pork patties were prepared with a dehydrated potato extract (NP-3), cooked and stored. Cooking yield and development of rancidity over the storage period were measured. The functionality of NP-3 was compared to pure starch and phosphates. NP-3 was found to have significant antioxidant and water binding properties. These properties could allow the foodservice industry to produce and market a safer precooked patty that would not develop WOF with storage over a longer period of time.
The dig task: a simple scent discrimination reveals deficits following frontal brain damage.

Cognitive impairment is the most frequent cause of disability in humans following brain damage, yet the behavioral tasks used to assess cognition in rodent models of brain injury is lacking. Borrowing from the operant literature our laboratory utilized a basic scent discrimination paradigm 1-4 in order to assess deficits in frontally-injured rats. Previously we have briefly described the Dig task and demonstrated that rats with frontal brain damage show severe deficits across multiple tests within the task 5 . Here we present a more detailed protocol for this task. Rats are placed into a chamber and allowed to discriminate between two scented sands, one of which contains a reinforcer. The trial ends after the rat either correctly discriminates (defined as digging in the correct scented sand), incorrectly discriminates, or 30 sec elapses. Rats that correctly discriminate are allowed to recover and consume the reinforcer. Rats that discriminate incorrectly are immediately removed from the chamber. This can continue through a variety of reversals and novel scents. The primary analysis is the accuracy for each scent pairing (cumulative proportion correct for each scent). The general findings from the Dig task suggest that it is a simple experimental preparation that can assess deficits in rats with bilateral frontal cortical damage compared to rats with unilateral parietal damage. The Dig task can also be easily incorporated into an existing cognitive test battery. The use of more tasks such as this one can lead to more accurate testing of frontal function following injury, which may lead to therapeutic options for treatment. All animal use was conducted in accordance with protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Retrieval variability: The inefficient use of retrieval cues by young children ☆

Abstract The hypothesis of this study is that the inefficient use of retrieval cues by young children is due to retrieval variability: the variable encoding of semantic information in cue stimuli at input and retrieval and the inability to reinterpret cue information to ensure cue-trace compatibility. The critical manipulations involved the use of semantic orienting questions at both input and retrieval. Second and fourth graders and college adults were given moderately associated word pairs (Knife-Axe). Encoding was constrained or free between groups at both input and retrieval. The retrieval questions biased the Same interpretation of the cue as at input (weapon), a uniquely Different interpretation (utensil), or an inappropriate Negative interpretation. Both cued recall and recognition of the target items was tested. The results showed systematic developmental increases both in the distinctiveness of the semantic encoding of stimulus information, and in the ability to reinterpret cue information to ensure cue-trace compatibility. The second graders encoded more variably than the older subjects, and were less able to shift from an incompatible encoding of cue information.
A prospective study of aromatase inhibitor therapy, vitamin D, C-reactive protein and musculoskeletal symptoms

This study compared type, severity and location of musculoskeletal symptoms and associations with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations between women initiating aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy and an unexposed comparison group. A 6-month prospective cohort study was conducted, enrolling 100 breast cancer patients prior to initiating AI treatment and an unexposed comparison group of 200 postmenopausal women. Multivariate associations were assessed with generalized linear models. At baseline, 55% of breast cancer patients and 63% of the comparison group reported any musculoskeletal symptoms. Among the unexposed group, prevalence and severity of symptoms remained constant with no statistically significant change over 6 months. Among breast cancer patients, but not unexposed women, the pain severity score significantly increased over the 6 month period for joint (Ptrend < 0.001), muscle (Ptrend = 0.004), and bone pain (Ptrend = 0.01). Women treated with AIs were more likely to report pain in wrists/palms (63% at 6 months) compared to unexposed women (31% at 6 months) (P < 0.001). 25(OH)D concentrations increased over the study period among breast cancer patients (Ptrend = 0.004). An increase in pain severity and prevalence was observed among breast cancer patients despite an increase in 25 (OH)D concentration. CRP concentrations were not associated with symptoms. Musculoskeletal symptoms are common among postmenopausal women. Breast cancer patients initiating AI treatment were at increased risk for developing new onset and more severe joint, muscle and bone pain compared to unexposed women, with a distinct distribution. AI-associated symptoms were not associated with 25(OH)D or CRP concentrations.
Spin relaxation of “upstream” electrons in quantum wires: Failure of the drift diffusion model

The classical drift diffusion (DD) model of spin transport treats spin relaxation via an empirical parameter known as the ``spin diffusion length.'' According to this model, the ensemble averaged spin of electrons drifting and diffusing in a solid decays exponentially with distance due to spin dephasing interactions. The characteristic length scale associated with this decay is the spin diffusion length. The DD model also predicts that this length is different for ``upstream'' electrons traveling in a decelerating electric field than for ``downstream'' electrons traveling in an accelerating field. However, this picture ignores energy quantization in confined systems (e.g., quantum wires) and therefore fails to capture the nontrivial influence of subband structure on spin relaxation. Here we highlight this influence by simulating upstream spin transport in a multisubband quantum wire, in the presence of D'yakonov-Perel' spin relaxation, using a semiclassical model that accounts for the subband structure rigorously. We find that upstream spin transport has a complex dynamics that defies the simplistic definition of a ``spin diffusion length.'' In fact, spin does not decay exponentially or even monotonically with distance, and the drift diffusion picture fails to explain the qualitative behavior, let alone predict quantitative features accurately. Unrelated to spin transport, we also find that upstream electrons undergo a ``population inversion'' as a consequence of the energy dependence of the density of states in a quasi-one-dimensional structure.
Vagus nerve stimulation in children less than 5 years old.

Introduction Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been used in both adults and older children with varying success.
Sacred archipelagos: geographies of secularization

The burgeoning subfield of the geography of religion has largely advanced under the assumption that secularization is marginal to understanding contemporary religion. This assumption, evinced in te...
A longitudinal process analysis of mother-child emotional relationships in a rural Appalachian European American community.

This prospective longitudinal study examines emotional relationships in 58 Appalachian mother–child dyads observed at home at 5 and 20 months. Between infancy and toddlerhood, 3 of 4 dimensions of dyadic emotional relationships were stable, and three remained continuous in their mean level. Increasing maternal age was associated with greater maternal sensitivity and structuring and with more responsive and involving children. Marital status and father presence in the home as well as maternal openness, parenting knowledge, investment, and satisfaction accounted for effects of maternal age on dyadic emotional relationships. This longitudinal process analysis provides unique insights into temporal dynamics of mother–child emotional relationships and their determinants in an underserved and underresearched US community. Implications for community-specific interventions are discussed.
A Control Theoretical Approach to the Polynomial Spectral-Factorization Problem

It is shown how, by analogy to analogue control theory, the problem of spectral factorization can be solved using negative feedback. The method is particularly simple to implement and can easily be used in real-time applications. It is shown how the method can blindly identify or track the moving-average (MA) model of a signal generating process using only second-order statistics.
Inkjet printing of carbon supported platinum 3-D catalyst layers for use in fuel cells

We present a method of using inkjet printing (IJP) to deposit catalyst materials onto gas diffusion layers (GDLs) that are made into membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC). Existing ink deposition methods such as spray painting or screen printing are not well suited for ultra low (<0.5 mg Pt cm -2 ) loadings. The IJP method can be used to deposit smaller volumes of water based catalyst ink solutions with picoliter precision provided the solution properties are compatible with the cartridge design. By optimizing the dispersion of the ink solution we have shown that this technique can be successfully used with catalysts supported on different carbon black (i.e. XC-72R, Monarch 700, Black Pearls 2000, etc.). Our ink jet printed MEAs with catalyst loadings of 0.020 mg Pt cm -2 have shown Pt utilizations in excess of 16,000 mW mg -1 Pt which is higher than our traditional screen printed MEAs (800 mW mg -1 Pt). As a further demonstration of UP versatility, we present results of a graded distribution of Pt/C catalyst structure using standard Johnson Matthey (JM) catalyst. Compared to a continuous catalyst layer of JM Pt/C (20% Pt), the graded catalyst structure showed enhanced performance.
Performance of iterative methods in ANSYS on cray parallel/vector supercomputers

Abstract This paper describes recent work using iterative methods for the solution of linear systems in the ANSYS program. The ANSYS program, a general purpose finite element code widely used in structural analysis applications, has now added an iterative solver option. The development of robust iterative solvers and their use in commercial programs is discussed. Discussion of the applicability of iterative solvers as a general purpose solver will include the topics of robustness; as well as memory requirements and CPU performance. A new iterative solver for general purpose finite element codes which functions as a “black-box” solver using element-specific information and the underlying problem physics to construct an effective and inexpensive preconditioner is described. Some results are given from realistic examples comparing the performance of the iterative solver implemented in ANSYS with the traditional parallel/vector frontal solver used in ANSYS and a robust shifted incomplete Choleski iterative solver.
Septic complications of pancreatitis.

Over an 11-year period 693 patients with acute pancreatitis and 317 with chronic pancreatitis were seen at the Harbor General Hospital. Review of these cases revealed 9 patients with primary pancreatic lesser sac abscess and 11 with secondary abscess. The appropriate management for pancreatic abscess, whether primary or secondary, is early recognition and drainage; multiple drainage procedures may be necessary. Broad spectrum antibiotics appear to be helpful and should be used until cultures indicate more appropriate antibiotic therapy. Successful management involves prolonged hospitalization, but contrary to previous reports the success rate is surprisingly high. Eight out of 9 patients with primary abscess and 8 out of 11 patients with secondary abscess survived.
The instinctual nation-state: non-Darwinian theories, state science and ultra-nationalism in Oka Asajirō's Evolution and Human Life.

In his anthology of socio-political essays, Evolution and Human Life, Oka Asajirō (1868–1944), early twentieth century Japan’s foremost advocate of evolutionism, developed a biological vision of the nation-state as super-organism that reflected the concerns and aims of German-inspired Meiji statism and anticipated aspects of radical ultra-nationalism. Drawing on non-Darwinian doctrines, Oka attempted to realize such a fused or organic state by enhancing social instincts that would bind the minzoku (ethnic nation) and state into a single living entity. Though mobilization during the Russo-Japanese War seemed to evince this super-organism, the increasingly contentious and complex society that emerged in the war’s aftermath caused Oka to turn first to Lamarckism and eventually to orthogenesis in the hopes of preserving the instincts needed for a viable nation-state. It is especially in the state interventionist measures that Oka finally came to endorse in order to forestall orthogenetically-driven degeneration that the technocratic proclivities of his statist orientation become most apparent. The article concludes by suggesting that Oka’s emphasis on degeneration, autarkic expansion, and, most especially, totalitarian submersion of individuals into the statist collectivity indicates a complex relationship between his evolutionism and fascist ideology, what recent scholarship has dubbed radical Shinto ultra-nationalism.
Meconium Increases Type 1 Angiotensin II Receptor Expression and Alveolar Cell Death

The pulmonary renin-angiotensin system (RAS) contributes to inflammation and epithelial apoptosis in meconium aspiration. It is unclear if both angiotensin II receptors (ATR) contribute, where they are expressed and if meconium modifies subtype expression. We examined ATR subtypes in 2 wk rabbit pup lungs before and after meconium exposure and with and without captopril pretreatment or type 1 receptor (AT1R) inhibition with losartan, determining expression and cellular localization with immunoblots, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Responses of cultured rat alveolar type II pneumocytes were also examined. Type 2 ATR were undetected in newborn lung before and after meconium instillation. AT1R were expressed in pulmonary vascular and bronchial smooth muscle and alveolar and bronchial epithelium. Meconium increased total lung AT1R protein approximately 3-fold (p = 0.006), mRNA 29% (p = 0.006) and immunostaining in bronchial and alveolar epithelium and smooth muscle, which were unaffected by captopril and losartan. Meconium also increased AT1R expression >3-fold in cultured type II pneumocytes and caused concentration-dependent cell death inhibited by losartan. Meconium increases AT1R expression in newborn rabbit lung and cultured type II pneumocytes and induces AT1R-mediated cell death. The pulmonary RAS contributes to the pathogenesis of meconium aspiration through increased receptor expression.
Sea Water: Saturation with Apatites and Carbonates

Pacific Ocean water, on the average, appears to be slightly supersaturated at all temperatures with hydroxyapatite and carbonate fluorapatite. Water above 14°C is saturated with calcite, whereas water above 20°C is saturated with aragonite.
Basis for spinal manipulative therapy: a physical therapist perspective.

Physical therapists internationally provide spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) to patients with musculoskeletal pain complaints. SMT has been a part of physical therapist practice since the profession’s beginning. Early physical therapist clinical decision making for SMT was influenced by the approaches of osteopathic and orthopedic physicians at the time. Currently a segmental clinical decision making approach and a responder clinical decision making approach are two of the more common models through which physical therapist clinical use of SMT is directed. The focus of segmental clinical decision making is upon identifying a dysfunctional vertebral segment with the application of SMT to restore mobility and/or alleviate pain. The responder clinical decision making approach attempts to categorize individuals based on a pattern of signs and symptoms suggesting a likely positive response to SMT. The present manuscript provides an overview of common physical therapist clinical decision making approaches to SMT and presents areas requiring further study in order to optimize patient response.
The cellularity of adipose tissue from pigs of different weights

Fat cell diameters were measured at 2-mm intervals throughout the depth of cores of subcutaneous shoulder and mid-back fat from ten Large White pigs. Five of the pigs were examined at 39 kg live weight and five at 70 kg live weight. In the shoulder fat of both groups there was a gradual change in fat cell size from the skin to the musculature. Cells were relatively small beneath the skin and adjacent to the underlying muscle and increased in size towards the junction of the inner and outer fat layers. The major difference between the two groups of pigs was that the cells closest to the skin and in the bulk of the inner layer were larger in the heavier animals whereas the cells at the junction of the two layers and closest to the muscle were similar in size. Such a uniform picture was not observed in the mid-back region where cells from the inner layer were larger than those from the outer layer. Cell size was Normally distributed at each site throughout the tissue. When the cell measurements for all the sites in each layer were combined there was no consistency in the type of distributions obtained although there was a tendency for them to be bimodal. In both layers of the shoulder fat there was a significant increase in the number of cells present in the 70 kg pigs compared with the 39 kg pigs and the new cells contributed considerably to the growth of the tissue between these weights. The observed cell size distributions and the cell size gradients within the tissue suggest that in the inner shoulder layer the new cells arise adjacent to the muscle. In the mid-back there was no significant difference in the number of fat cells present in the two groups of pigs and the growth of the mid-back fat was due to an increase in the size of fat cells already present.
Amyopathic dermatomyositis resembling stasis dermatitis

This case describes an unusual presentation of dermatomyositis in a patient with ovarian carcinoma. The eruption appeared as a venous stasislike dermatitis. The temporal sequence of onset after chemotherapy administration suggested a possible drug-induced process. However, in the context of underlying ovarian carcinoma, a paraneoplastic process offered an alternative explanation for the dermatomyositis.
Carbon Nanotubes: Molecular Electronic Devices and Interconnects

The carbon nanotubes and carbon nanobtube junctions have recently emerged as excellent candidates for use as the building blocks in the formation of nanoscale electronic devices. Single wall carbon nanotubes, as molecular wires, could be used as nanoscale interconnects, where as complex junctions of nanotubes of different chirality can be used as rectifying and transiting devices. It has been shown that pentagon-heptagon defect is responsible for the creation of simple hetero-junctions. Complex junctions, such as 3-termianl T-junctions and Y-junctions require entirely different arrangement of defects. These 3-terminal junctions form prototypes of nanoscale tunnel devices made entirely of carbon. Furthermore, either n-type or p-type doping of the semiconducting portion of these complex junctions should yield Schottky barrier type devices. We also investigate simple wires and junctions of boron and nitrogen (III-V elements) and compare with those of carbon. The structural and electronic properties on nanotubes and nanotube junctions (carbon as well as BN) are studied using a generalized tight-binding molecular dynamics (GTBMD) scheme.
A new paleothermometer for forest paleosols and its implications for Cenozoic climate

Climate is a primary control on the chemical composition of paleosols, making them a potentially extensive archive applicable to problems ranging from paleoclimate reconstruction to paleoaltimetry. However, the development of an effective, widely applicable paleosol temperature proxy has remained elusive. This is attributable to the fact that various soil orders behave differently due to their respective physical and chemical properties. Therefore, by focusing on an individual order or a subset of the 12 soil orders whose members exhibit similar process behavior, a better-constrained paleothermometer can be constructed. Soil chemistry data were compiled for 158 modern soils in order to derive a new paleosol paleothermometry relationship between mean annual temperature and a paleosol weathering index (PWI) that is based on the relative loss of major cations (Na, Mg, K, Ca) from soil B horizons. The new paleothermometer can be applied to clay-rich paleosols that originally formed under forest vegetation, including Inceptisols, Alfisols, and Ultisols, and halves the uncertainty relative to previous approaches. A case study using Cenozoic paleosols from Oregon (United States) shows that paleotemperatures produced with this new proxy compare favorably with paleobotanical temperature estimates. Global climatic events are also evident in the Oregon paleosol record, including a 2.8 °C drop across the Eocene-Oligocene transition comparable to marine records, and a Neogene peak temperature during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum.
Alcohol use by undergraduate students on their 21st birthday: Predictors of actual consumption, anticipated consumption, and normative beliefs

Recent research has identified celebration of a 21st birthday as an environmental event during which many college students engage in risky levels of alcohol consumption. The current study examined the relationship between personality and different aspects of alcohol use during 21st birthday celebrations: actual amount consumed for those who had turned 21, anticipated amount consumed for those under the age of 21, and normative beliefs regarding the amount other students consume on their 21st birthdays. Sensation seeking and impulsivity both displayed significant bivariate relationships with all three aspects of 21st birthday drinking. Personality traits did not contribute unique variance to actual 21st birthday drinking after the effects of typical alcohol consumption were accounted for in the models. Impulsivity contributed unique variance to models accounting for anticipated drinking and normative beliefs. Additional research is necessary to better understand the role personality variables play on alcohol consumption during 21st birthday celebrations. Language: en
Applications of NLTE population kinetics

Abstract The emission from atoms and ions, i.e., the plasma spectroscopy, provides one of the most unambiguous and powerful methods for the understanding of basic phenomena in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. We present in a set of examples of the application of NLTE population kinetic data, which is fundamental for predicting plasma spectroscopic observables. We provide examples of previous experimental analyses or experimental designs where problems were identified, but where the solutions to those problems have not yet been identified. In these cases it is found that interest wanes more quickly than the time required to resolve the problems. Further, we use cases in which the applications are purely of diagnostic interest; i.e., we show examples where the results of population kinetics codes can be used to generate qualitative or quantitative answers that can be compared with data. In this review the interest is to discuss the complexity of the models required, the methods employed to estimate the accuracy of the resultant diagnostic, and the range of applicability of the method. Finally, we also touch on applications where the state-of-the-art in NLTE population kinetics modeling is currently unable to address the problems and where developments are needed.
Molecular analysis of the Noggin (NOG) gene in holoprosencephaly patients

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is the most common structural anomaly of the human forebrain. Various genetic and teratogenic causes have been implicated in its pathogenesis. A recent report in mice described Noggin (NOG) as a candidate gene involved in the etiogenesis of microform HPE. Here, we present for the first time genetic analysis of a large HPE cohort for sequence variations in NOG. On the basis of our study, we conclude that mutations in the coding region of NOG are rare, and play at most an uncommon role in human HPE.
Krüppel-Like Factor 9 Promotes Hepatic Cytochrome P450 2D6 Expression during Pregnancy in CYP2D6-Humanized Mice

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6), a major drug-metabolizing enzyme, is responsible for metabolism of approximately 25% of marketed drugs. Clinical evidence indicates that metabolism of CYP2D6 substrates is increased during pregnancy, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To identify transcription factors potentially responsible for CYP2D6 induction during pregnancy, a panel of genes differentially expressed in the livers of pregnant versus nonpregnant CYP2D6-humanized (tg-CYP2D6) mice was compiled via microarray experiments followed by real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) verification. As a result, seven transcription factors—activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5), early growth response 1 (EGR1), forkhead box protein A3 (FOXA3), JUNB, Kruppel-like factor 9 (KLF9), KLF10, and REV-ERBα—were found to be up-regulated in liver during pregnancy. Results from transient transfection and promoter reporter gene assays indicate that KLF9 itself is a weak transactivator of CYP2D6 promoter but significantly enhances CYP2D6 promoter transactivation by hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (HNF4α), a known transcriptional activator of CYP2D6 expression. The results from deletion and mutation analysis of CYP2D6 promoter activity identified a KLF9 putative binding motif at -22/-14 region to be critical in the potentiation of HNF4α-induced transactivation of CYP2D6. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed a direct binding of KLF9 to the putative KLF binding motif. Results from chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed increased recruitment of KLF9 to CYP2D6 promoter in the livers of tg-CYP2D6 mice during pregnancy. Taken together, our data suggest that increased KLF9 expression is in part responsible for CYP2D6 induction during pregnancy via the potentiation of HNF4α transactivation of CYP2D6.
Intensity of Smiling in Facebook Photos Predicts Future Life Satisfaction

Does the extent to which people are smiling in their Facebook photos predict future life satisfaction? In two longitudinal studies, the authors showed that smile intensity coded from a single Facebook profile photograph from male and female participants’ first semester at college was a robust predictor of self-reported life satisfaction 3.5 years later—as they were about to graduate from college. Controlling for first-semester life satisfaction, the authors also determined that smile intensity was a unique predictor of changes in life satisfaction over time. In addition, the authors demonstrated that the results were not due to extraversion or to sex differences in smile intensity. Finally, the authors showed that participants who exhibited a more intense smile in their Facebook photo had better social relationships during their first semester at college and that the association between smile intensity and life satisfaction 3.5 years later was partially mediated by first-semester social relationships sati...
Complexity science and participation in decision making among Taiwanese nurses.

Aim The perspective of interconnection in complexity science is used to examine the concept of participation in decision making among Taiwanese nurses in the context of Chinese communication culture. Background Participation in decision making among nurses has been widely discussed and tested in the Western healthcare systems. Many studies have shown that participation in decision making relates to nurses’ autonomy, job satisfaction and quality of care. However, participation in decision making has not been fully discussed in Taiwan’s nursing community. In a different cultural environment, participation in decision making may have different effects. Evaluation The concept of participation in decision making is analysed in three facets of Chinese communication culture: (1) hierarchical social relationship; (2) harmony maintenance; and (3) insider effects. Key issues Taiwanese nurses might establish different levels of participation and need to use different strategies to enhance participation in decision making for desired outcomes. Conclusion While applying participation in decision making in a different context, it is very important to consider the social and cultural differences. Implications for nursing management Two implications are made. First, nursing leaders/managers who are working with a multicultural team should be aware of the cultural difference in the pattern of interaction in the process of participation in decision making. Second, leaders/managers should be creative and try to apply different strategies to encourage staff’s participation in decision making.
p120-Catenin Mediates Inflammatory Responses in the Skin

Although p120-catenin regulates adherens junction (AJ) stability in cultured cells, genetic studies in lower eukaryotes have not revealed a role for this protein in vivo. Using conditional targeting in mice, we show that p120 null neonatal epidermis exhibits reduced intercellular AJ components but no overt disruption in barrier function or intercellular adhesion. As the mice age, however, they display epidermal hyperplasia and chronic inflammation, typified by hair degeneration and loss of body fat. Using skin engraftments and anti-inflammatory drugs, we show that these features are not attributable to reductions in junctional cadherins and catenins, but rather NFkB activation. Both in vivo and in vitro, p120 null epidermal cells activate nuclear NFkB, triggering a cascade of proinflammatory NFkB targets. Although the underlying mechanism is likely complex, we show that p120 affects NFkB activation and immune homeostasis in part through regulation of Rho GTPases. These findings provide important new insights into p120 function.
Preparing Future Faculty Introduction

The theme of the year’s AAKPE conference was “Preparing Future Faculty.” The AAKPE executive committee recommended this theme because of its timeliness. There are currently many doctoral students who wish to obtain a faculty position in a Research I University. They usually prepare themselves for these positions by emphasizing research, but then find that there are very few faculty positions available in the area in which they have prepared themselves. Most of the faculty positions are not in Research I universities, and these jobs have less emphasis on research and most of them place a greater priority on other aspects of faculty work. Lacking a broader preparation, doctoral students often end up biding their time in a temporary position (e.g., post-doctoral researcher, faculty associate, or teaching at the high school or junior college levels) until something becomes available at a Research I University. This situation is not unique to our field and is becoming the norm in many of the natural and behavioral sciences. Of course, there are some doctoral students who are not interested in performing faculty roles and responsibilities. They may be content with preparing themselves solely for careers in research outside of a university setting. However, for those who want a faculty position, an important part of their doctoral training would be to prepare themselves in ways that would enhance their chances of obtaining a faculty position. These ways of preparing doctoral students for future faculty roles make up the primary theme of the papers herein that were presented at this year’s AAKPE conference. The keynote address for the conference, and the first paper in this special issue, is by Jerry Thomas. In this paper, Thomas presents a broad overview of issues that have been addressed in regard to the national dialog on preparing future university faculty. The six topics presented in Thomas’ paper are the following: (a) faculty roles and how they vary; (b) the kind of faculty universities are seeking; (c) the role of the doctoral program in preparing faculty; (d) the role of the university in selecting and mentoring the “right” faculty; and (e) institutional rewards for faculty that can be used to shape programs. The second paper by Karen DePauw presents the traditional views of preparing doctoral students (e.g., PhD is a research certification preparing students for academics) and more contemporary views QUEST, 2003, 55, 1-3 © 2003 National Association for Physical Education in Higher Education
Temperature regulation: A theoretical consideration incorporating Sherringtonian principles of central neurology

Abstract Because of the coincidence of the basic relations between temperature sensors and thermoregulatory effectors, as deduced from disturbance-response analyses and from central synaptic interference studies, and those upon which the more general integrative functions of the CNS depend,it is suggested that the existence and employment of specialized neurons, other than the temperature sensors, for the effection of temperature regulation is an unnecessary hypothesis.
Pre- and postsynaptic modulations of hypoglossal motoneurons by α-adrenoceptor activation in wild-type and Mecp2(-/Y) mice.

Hypoglossal motoneurons (HNs) control tongue movement and play a role in maintenance of upper airway patency. Defects in these neurons may contribute to the development of sleep apnea and other cra...