cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Repeated-Defeat Sessions as a Colony Intruder on Subsequent Hypoalgesia and Freezing in the Rat

Abstract One session of being defeated by an aggressive alpha conspecific is known to result in a combination of opioid and nonopioid hypoalgesia and freezing when male rats are subsequently tested in the presence of alpha-colony odors (AO). In Experiment 1, giving rats four defeat sessions resulted in hypoalgesia when AO were present or absent, but freezing occurred only when AO were present. In Experiment 2, administering naltrexone completely blocked hypoalgesia during tests with and without AO, indicating that these reactions were opioid mediated. Administering dexamethasone injections before defeat sessions, in Experiment 3, only prevented hypoalgesia during tests without AO, implying that this reaction relied on a hormonal system. The administration of naltrexone or dexamethasone in these experiments did not prevent the rats from freezing during tests with AO. These findings, in reaction to repeated sessions of attack by a dominant conspecific, are discussed in terms of the theory of learned helplessness.
Mechanisms of formation of stereoisomers of 2,3-butanediol during microbial fermentation of sugars.

Mechanisms of Formation of Stereoisomers of 2,3-Butanediol During Microbial Fermentation of Sugars
BIG1 Is a Binding Partner of Myosin IXb and Regulates Its Rho-GTPase Activating Protein Activity

Myosin IXb, a member of the myosin superfamily, is a molecular motor that possesses a GTPase activating protein (GAP) for Rho. Through the yeast two-hybrid screening using the tail domain of myosin IXb as bait we found BIG1, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf1), as a potential binding partner for myosin IXb. The interaction between myosin IXb and BIG1 was demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation of endogenous myosin IXb and BIG1 with anti-BIG1 antibodies in normal rat kidney cells. Using the isolated proteins, it was demonstrated that myosin IXb and BIG1 directly bind to each other. Various truncation mutants of the myosin IXb tail domain were produced, and it was revealed that the binding region of myosin IXb to BIG1 is the zinc finger/GAP domain. Interestingly, the GAP activity of myosin IXb was significantly inhibited by the addition of BIG1 with IC50 of 0.06 μm. The RhoA binding to myosin IXb was inhibited by the addition of BIG1 with the concentration similar to the inhibition of the GAP activity. Likewise, RhoA inhibited the BIG1 binding of myosin IXb. These results suggest that BIG1 and RhoA compete with each other for the binding to myosin IXb, thus resulting in the inhibition of the GAP activity by BIG1. The present study identified BIG1, the Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factor, as a new binding partner for myosin IXb, which inhibited the GAP activity of myosin IXb. The findings raise a concept that the myosin transports the signaling molecule as a cargo that functions as a regulator for the myosin molecule.
Patients with coronary artery disease not amenable to traditional revascularization: prevalence and 3-year mortality.

Objectives: To determine the contemporary prevalence of and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) not amenable to revascularization. Background: A growing number of patients have severe CAD with ongoing angina despite optimal medical therapy which is not amenable to traditional revascularization. Limited data exist on contemporary prevalence and outcome for these patients. Methods: Clinical and angiographic data were reviewed for 493 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography and revascularization if indicated. Patients were categorized into six groups: (1) normal coronary arteries, (2) CAD 70% with complete revascularization by percutaneous intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting, (4) CAD >70% with partial revascularization, (5) CAD >70% treated medically, and (6) CAD >70% on optimal medical therapy with no revascularization option. All-cause mortality at 3 years was determined. Results: Prevalence for groups 1–6 was 14.8, 19.5, 36.9, 12.8, 9.3, and 6.7%, respectively. Three-year mortality increased with angiographic severity of CAD: 2.7, 6.3, 8.2, 12.7, 17.4, and 15.2%, respectively. Patients with incomplete revascularization (groups 4–6, n = 142) had higher mortality than completely revascularized patients (groups 1–3, n = 351): 14.8 vs. 6.6% (P = 0.004). Conclusions: In a contemporary series of patients undergoing coronary angiography, 28.8% (142/493) of patients had significant CAD and did not undergo complete revascularization, including 12.8% partially revascularized, 9.3% managed medically, and 6.7% with “no-option.” These patients had higher mortality at 3 years (14.8 vs. 6.6%, P = 0.004) when compared with completely revascularized patients. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Estimation of the minimum pump speed to prevent regurgitation in the continuous flow left ventricular assist device: left ventricular drainage versus left atrial drainage.

: Due to the fact that centrifugal and axial pumps do not require valves, there is a possibility of back flow when the pump speed is low. To estimate the minimum required pump speed to prevent this regurgitation, an in vitro simulation test was conducted. A pulsatile pump simulated the natural heart while a centrifugal pump simulated the continuous flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The LVAD flow was attained from the left atrial (LA) drainage or left ventricular (LV) drainage. The minimum or regurgitate flow was observed in the systolic phase with LA drainage and in the diastolic phase with LV drainage. LV drainage always provided higher flow than LA drainage at the same pump speed. These differences are due to the various total pressure heads of the LVAD. To prevent the regurgitation, the LVAD should maintain a certain pump speed which can create positive flow against the aortic systolic pressure with LA drainage and against the aortic diastolic pressure with LV drainage. These required pump speeds can be identified by the LVAD flow-pressure curve.
Nonlinear neural prediction in 1D DPCM for efficient image data coding

Neural net architectures, with a hidden layer or functional links have been utilized to generate predictions for 1D differential pulse-code modulation (DPCM) applied to still image coding. In this approach, the predictor is designed by supervised training based on a typical sequence of pixel values, i.e. the values of the coefficients of the predictor are determined by training on examples. Nonlinear and linear correlations are exploited. Computer simulation experiments have been carried out to evaluate the resulting performance. At a transmission rate of 1 bit/pixel, for the images LENA and BABOON, the 1D neural network DPCM provides a 4.17 and 3.74 db improvement in peak SNR, respectively, over the standard linear DPCM system. >
Virtual power: gendering the nurse–technology relationship

To date, studies of the relationship between technology and its consumers have used the constructs of traditional paradigms of production and consumption as the foundation for analysis. These studies have served to reinforce traditional concepts of gender and hierarchy in the nursing-technology dichotomy. To propose a new and more relevant framework for analysing the technology-nursing relationship, the analysis of gender within the methodology of the social history of technology will be used. Healthcare will be viewed as a technologic network, and within that network multiple knowledge domains reside and interact. These domains, in turn, are socially constructed and historically contingent. This paper operationalizes this argument by examining the domain of the early nurse practitioner movement of the 1960s as part of a gendered technologic system. The findings of this study illuminate the agency of nurses in the shaping of traditionally male knowledge domains and as a crucial factor for understanding the evolution of not only the particularities of the nurse-technology relationship, but also the generalities of the gendered ways of knowing within the healthcare-technology relationship. Perhaps most importantly, different sets of questions can be formulated to analyse the history of the nurse practitioner movement from a technologic perspective that will provide new standpoints for the nursing-technology dichotomy in the millennium.
Quantitation of polychlorinated biphenyls in fish for human cancer risk assessment: A comparative case study

A range of analytical options is available for the quantification of environmental polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The PCBs can be quantified as Aroclor® mixtures, as individual PCB congeners, or as PCB homologues. The methodological choice is driven by many considerations, including cost, but it is important to note that the risk assessment methods recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) have specific and varying requirements for these analytical endpoints. The toxic equivalency approach is recommended for settings where the original Aroclor mixtures have been heavily degraded or weathered. Because this method only addresses the dioxin-like fraction of the PCB mass, the remaining PCB congeners need to be quantified and assessed separately, in a manner that is consistent with current U.S. EPA guidance. In this present analysis, we examined various methods for estimating a total nondioxin-like PCB mass in fish tissue samples from a New Jersey waterway using congener and homologue data: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimate of the PCB total based on 18 congeners — Σdioxin-like congeners, an estimate of the PCB total from 38 analyzed congeners — Σdioxin-like congeners, and the total of nine homologue groups — Σdioxin-like congeners. These three approaches yielded similar estimates of the total nondioxin-like PCBs for a variety offish species, whereas the totals quantified as Aroclor 1248, 1254, or 1260 were typically more than fivefold lower. Based on these results, the selection of the PCB analytical endpoints obtained from field investigations offish and shellfish should be guided by the appropriate risk assessment methodology and by the analytical limitations.
Free-Breathing 3D Steady-State Free Precession Coronary Magnetic Resonance Angiography: Comparison of Diaphragm and Cardiac Fat Navigators

Purpose To compare the performance of the conventional diaphragm navigator (DNAV) and the recently developed cardiac fat navigator (FatNAV) in suppressing respiration-induced cardiac motion in free-breathing 3D balanced steady-state free precession coronary MRA (SSFP CMRA). Materials and Methods In 16 healthy volunteers the right coronary artery (RCA) was imaged at 1.5T using a navigator-gated 3D SSFP CMRA sequence. DNAV and FatNAV gating were performed in random order. Image quality difference was scored by three experienced readers blinded to the gating technique. Blood signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), blood-to-myocardium contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and navigator efficiency were calculated. Results Diagnostically interpretable CMRA was obtained successfully in all 16 subjects with FatNAV gating (0% failure rate) and only 14 subjects with DNAV gating (12% failure rate). Compared to DNAV gating, FatNAV gating provided similar SNR and CNR, better image quality (P < 0.01), and 28% improvement in navigator efficiency (P = 0.002). Conclusion FatNAV gating provides more effective motion suppression and better image quality than DNAV gating for free-breathing 3D SSFP CMRA of the RCA in healthy subjects. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28:509–514. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Integrating Dental Screening and Fluoride Varnish Application into a Pediatric Residency Outpatient Program: Clinical and Financial Implications

Delivery of preventive oral health services (POHS) has been embraced by many pediatric andfamily medical practices in North Carolina (NC). The outcome of implementing a state-wide Medicaid-supported oral health prevention initiative, "Into the Mouth of Babes Varnish and Screening Program (IMB), in an academic medical residency setting is described Retrospective chart audit of encounterforms and collection of administrative records related to POHS provided by pediatric medical residents for Medicaid recipients less than 3 years of age at the University of North Carolina pediatric continuity care clinic over 31 months were examined A total of 1,081 visits and 655 patients were documented during the study period accountingfor 36.6% of all children aged 6-36 months seen in the clinic during the period of this study. Thirty-eight percentof the patients received one or more IMB follow-up visits. Twenty-nine (4.4%) children were reported to have one or more carious teeth and 94 children (14.1%) were referred to a dentist. The IMB program provides an oral screening, parent oral health counseling and application of fluoride varnish to the teeth at the medical appointment by non-dental personnel. Following a cost/revenue analysis it was concluded that a preventive oral health initiative in an academic setting provides an additional access to oral health preventative services for underserved children and contributes to the financial viability of the clinic.
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis is critical for anxiety-related behavior evoked by CO2 and acidosis.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation lowers brain pH and induces anxiety, fear, and panic responses in humans. In mice, CO2 produces freezing and avoidance behavior that has been suggested to depend on the amygdala. However, a recent study in humans with bilateral amygdala lesions revealed that CO2 can trigger fear and panic even in the absence of amygdalae, suggesting the importance of extra-amygdalar brain structures. Because the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) contributes to fear- and anxiety-related behaviors and expresses acid-sensing ion channel-1A (ASIC1A), we hypothesized that the BNST plays an important role in CO2-evoked fear-related behaviors in mice. We found that BNST lesions decreased both CO2-evoked freezing and CO2-conditioned place avoidance. In addition, we found that CO2 inhalation caused BNST acidosis and that acidosis was sufficient to depolarize BNST neurons and induce freezing behavior; both responses depended on ASIC1A. Finally, disrupting Asic1a specifically in the BNST reduced CO2-evoked freezing, whereas virus-vector-mediated expression of ASIC1A in the BNST of Asic1a−/− and Asic1a+/+ mice increased CO2-evoked freezing. Together, these findings identify the BNST as an extra-amygdalar fear circuit structure important in CO2-evoked fear-related behavior.
Seeing Through Incapacities

In his latest collection of brain-gone-wrong stories, Sacks also recounts his experiences dealing with his own ocular melanoma.
Working toward recovery: the interplay of past treatment and economic status in long-term outcomes for drug-involved offenders.

Research on the relationship between employment and substance use tends to focus on employment lowering use. It is also potentially the case, however, that lowered substance use among addicts may lead to better employment and thus to greater long-term abstinence. In this article, we utilize complementary elements of three mainstream criminological approaches to suggest how therapeutic community-based treatment of drug user(s) during the transition from prison to community may lower clients' levels of substance use and thus increase their likelihood of better economic outcomes. We then use structural equations modeling to demonstrate how this process might play out. The data for this study were collected from 1992 through 1998 from the Delaware Department of Corrections. The study's limitations are noted. This study was IRB-approved and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Characterization of major histocompatibility complex-associated peptides from a small volume of whole blood.

Abstract Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) presents intracellular-derived peptides on the majority of cells within the human body. Intracellular proteins are degraded into peptides of 8–11 amino acids, allowing them to fit into the groove of an empty MHC class I molecule. Detection of MHC-associated peptides can be challenging with the major difficulty being the ability to obtain peptides in adequate concentration. Published protocols require a large sample size that is unrealistic for a clinically available sample. Based on calculations, it should be possible to characterize MHC-associated peptides from cells obtained from 30 ml of whole blood. A citric acid wash of whole platelets was implemented to release the peptides with sample cleanup by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromotography on a peptide trap. Peptides were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Four peptides were identified from an individual’s platelets. The binding motifs of the peptides were consistent with the published MHC binding motif of the individual. Since red blood cells do not express MHC, they were used as a negative control. Using citric acid wash of whole cells and a peptide trap, the more abundant MHC-associated peptides can be identified. This report demonstrates the identification of peptides from a sample volume compatible with reasonable clinical availability.
Understanding Genetic Testing for Alzheimer Disease: Medical and Epidemiological Background

To assess the potential benefits and risks of genetic testing for Alzheimer disease (AD), patients and families, health care providers, and policymakers must understand the medical and epidemiologic aspects of the disease. This paper provides a brief overview of the symptoms, progression, and etiology of AD, as well as of the prevalence and incidence of the disease. The established and the controversial risk factors thought to be associated with the development of AD are described. Current methods for diagnosing and treating AD are also reviewed.
A General Model for the Optimization of Sample Processing Conditions by Solid‐Phase Extraction Applied to the Isolation of Estrogens from Urine

A general model is presented for the prediction of experimental conditions for the isolation of organic compounds from aqueous solution by solid-phase extraction. The solvation parameter model is used to predict the variation of retention as a function of solvent composition from characteristic solute descriptors and combined with a frontal analysis model to adjust the predicted breakthrough volumes to account for the influence of the small number of theoretical plates characteristic of sorbent cartridges. System maps are used to determine breakthrough volumes for sample processing, the composition and volume of wash solvents for matrix simplification, and the composition and volume of eluting solvents. System maps are provided for an octadecylsiloxane-bonded silica sorbent with methanol and acetonitrile as cosolvents with water. These maps are used to calculate the experimental conditions for the isolation of estrogens from urine and the model validated by experimental verification of the model predictions. The proposed approach provides a simple theoretical framework for computer-aided method development in solid-phase extraction.
Competition and climate affects US hardwood-forest tree mortality

Individual-tree measurements have been collected periodically on sites established in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to investigate the effects of thinning on the growth and yield of valuable hardwood species. These plots were installed between 1959 and 1985. The long-term characteristics of this data set of 47,853 trees allowed us to investigate potential climatic effects on the mortality of individual trees. Stand and tree measures of competition, monthly and annual temperatures, and precipitation were statistically assessed against mortality through proportional hazards survival analysis for 21 species groups. Competitive factors entered the models more consistently than climatic factors. However, some of the climate factors were of higher importance than some of the competitive factors. The models produced were then run using future climate predictions from conservative and extreme general circulation model scenarios to estimate possible future hazard rates of mortality. These rates varied greatly based on species group and future climate scenario because of the highly variable climate. The high variability of future climate projections make it difficult to estimate changes in future risks of tree mortality because of climate change. However, the study reiterates that managing for more resilient forests by reducing competitive stress will help mitigate the effects of climatic stress as well as many other stresses such as those caused by insects and pathogens.
Retropenal abcess secondary to a ruptured retrocecal appendix diagnosed by ulttrasound B scan and 67 Ga radionulide scan

Standard roentgenographic criteria for anterior-posterior (AP) displacement of the kidney may not reveal small, uniformly distributed, perirenal masses. Ultrasound, on the other hand, is an axial display and thus is quite sensitive to such changes. A case of ruptured retrocecal appendix is presented in which the intravenous pyelogram was negative. In the sonogram, however, a slight separation was seen between the renal parenchyma and the posterior abdominal muscle wall. This led to furthe rinvestigation and the diagnosis of an unsuspected retrorenal abscess.
The effects of radio-frequency ablation on blood pressure control in patients with atrial fibrillation and hypertension

The effects of radio-frequency ablation (RFA) on blood pressure (BP) regulation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and hypertension remain unknown. We hypothesized that patients with successful ablation had a lower BP and/or lesser utilization of antihypertensive drug therapy during follow-up when compared to patients with failed ablation. This was a retrospective evaluation of patients with AF and hypertension treated with ablation at the University of Utah between July 2006 and June 2010. BP and use of antihypertensive medications were assessed at baseline and 1 year follow-up. A total of 167 patients were identified. Eight patients were excluded due to the need for AAD therapy beyond the blanking period thus leaving 80 patients in the success group and 79 patients in the failure group. The mean BP and HR at baseline were not significant between the groups. In the success group, the mean systolic BP decreased from a baseline value of 129 ± 17 to 125 ± 14 mmHg at 1 year (p = 0.075). In contrast, in the failure group, the mean systolic BP increased from a baseline value of 124 ± 16 to 127 ± 14 mmHg at 1 year (p = 0.176). Between-group comparison revealed a p value of 0.026. Minimal changes in diastolic BP were noted in both groups. No significant changes in antihypertensive therapy were noted. We have shown that successful catheter ablation in patients with AF and hypertension is associated with a decrease in systolic BP when compared to an increase in patients with failed ablation. Our findings suggest that restoring sinus rhythm could have an antihypertensive effect in patients with AF and hypertension.
Interactive Segmentation Relabeling for Classification of Whole-Slide Histopathology Imagery

Collecting ground-truth or gold standard annotations from expert pathologists for developing histopathology analytic algorithms and computer-aided diagnosis for cancer grading is an expensive and time consuming process. Efficient visualization and annotation tools are needed to enable groundtruthing large whole-slide imagery. KOLAM is our scalable, cross-platform framework for interactive visualization of 2D, 2D+t and 3D imagery of high spatial, temporal and spectral resolution. In the current work KOLAM has been extended to support rapid interactive labelling and correction of automatic image classifier-based region labels of the tissue microenvironment by pathologists. Besides annotating regions-of-interest (ROIs), KOLAM enables extraction of the corresponding large polygonal image subregions for input into automatic segmentation algorithms, single-click region label reassignment and maintaining hierarchical image subregions. Experience indicates that clinicians prefer simple-to-use interfaces that support rapid labelling of large image regions with minimal effort. The incorporation of easy-to-use tissue annotation features in KOLAM makes it an attractive candidate for integration within a multi-stage histopathology image analysis pipeline supporting assisted segmentation and labelling to improve whole-slide imagery (WSI) analytics.
Predicting childhood effortful control from interactions between early parenting quality and children's dopamine transporter gene haplotypes.

Children’s observed effortful control (EC) at 30, 42, and 54 months (n ¼ 145) was predicted from the interaction between mothers’ observed parenting with their 30-month-olds and three variants of the solute carrier family C6, member 3 (SLC6A3) dopamine transporter gene (single nucleotide polymorphisms inintron8andintron13,anda40basepairvariablenumbertandemrepeat [VNTR]inthe3 0 -untranslatedregion[UTR]),aswellashaplotypesofthesevariants. Significant moderating effects were found. Children without the intron8-A/intron13-G, intron8-A/3 0 -UTR VNTR-10, or intron13-G/3 0 -UTR VNTR-10 haplotypes (i.e.,haplotypesassociatedwiththereducedSLC6A3geneexpressionandthuslower dopaminefunctioning)appearedtodemonstratealteredlevels of EC as a function of maternal parenting quality, whereas children with these haplotypes demonstrated a similar EC level regardless of the parenting quality. Children with these haplotypes demonstrated a trade-off, such that they showed higher EC, relative to their counterparts without these haplotypes, when exposed to less supportive maternal parenting. The findings revealed a diathesis–stress pattern and suggested that different SLC6A3 haplotypes, but not single variants, might represent different levels of young children’s sensitivity/responsivity to early parenting.
Behavioral Differences Between Late Preweanling and Adult Female Sprague-Dawley Rat Exploration of Animate and Inanimate Stimuli and Food

The late preweanling rat has potential as a preclinical model for disorders initially manifested in early childhood that are characterized by dysfunctional interactions with specific stimuli (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism). No reports, however, of specific-stimulus exploration in the late preweanling rat are found in the literature. We examined the behavioral responses of normal late preweanling (PND 18-19) and adult rats when presented with exemplars of categorically-varied stimuli, including inanimate objects systematically varied in size and interactive properties, biological stimuli, and food. Preweanlings were faster to initiate specific stimulus exploration and were more interactive with most specific stimuli than adults; the magnitude of these preweanling-adult quantitative differences ranged from fairly small to very large depending upon the stimulus. In contrast, preweanlings were adult-like in their interaction with food and prey. Preweanling response to some stimuli, for example to live pups, was qualitatively different from that of adults; the preweanling behavioral repertoire was characterized by pup-seeking while the adult response was characterized by pup-avoidance. The specific stimulus interactions of preweanlings were less impacted than those of adults by the time of day of testing and placement of a stimulus in an anxiety-provoking location. The impact of novelty was stimulus dependent. The differences in interactions of preweanlings versus adults with specific stimuli suggests that CNS systems underlying these behavior patterns are at different stages of immaturity at PND 18 such that there may be an array of developmental trajectories for various categories of specific stimuli. These data provide a basis for the use of the preweanling as a preclinical model for understanding and medicating human disorders during development that are characterized by dysfunctional interactions with specific stimuli.
Perceptions of Wildfire and Landscape Change in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Despite a broad literature addressing the human dimensions of wildfire, current approaches often compartmentalize results according to disciplinary boundaries. Further, relatively few studies have focused on the public’s evolving perceptions of wildfire as communities change over time. This paper responds to these gaps by exploring perceptions of landscape dynamics and wildfire between 2003 and 2007 using a typological framework of intersecting ecological, social, and cultural processes. Designed as a restudy, and using key informant interviews, this research allowed us to observe risk perception as they are related to community challenges and opportunities in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Risk perceptions were examined as an integral part of community and landscape change. Wildfire was a concern among informants in 2003 and remained a concern in 2007, although informants were less likely to discuss it as a major threat compared to the original study. Informants in the western part of the peninsula tended to express more concern about wildfire than their eastern counterparts largely due to their experiences with recent fires. Other important factors residents considered included changing forest fuels, the expanding wildland urban interface, and contrasting values of new residents. Underscoring the localized nature of risk perceptions, informants had difficulty describing the probability of a wildfire event in a geographical context broader than the community scale. This paper demonstrates how a holistic approach can help wildfire and natural resource professionals, community members, and other stakeholders understand the social and physical complexities influencing collective actions or inactions to address the threat of wildfire.
Tolerance to abiotic stresses in potato plants: a molecular approach

Continuing study of the potato plant's response to stressful conditions has led to the identification of a large number of plant genes whose expression, is regulated by external stimuli. Stress-induced genes can be broadly divided into functional or regulatory genes. To the first category belong genes encoding proteins or enzymes of plant metabolic pathway, of molecules involved in repairing cellular damages and/or indispensable for restoring a new cellular homeostasis compatible with the external conditions. The other class includes genes primarily involved in the perception and/or intracellular transduction of the stress signal, such as kinases, phosphatases or transcription, factors. The research objectives in the field of plant stress tolerance has recently evolved from a mere cloning and description of stress-induced genes to the design of the best strategy of producing transgenic plants tolerant to environmental constraints. It is well known that stress tolerance is a complex trait, requiring the coordinated regulation of a network of genes that act synergistically and additively. At best, manipulation of one single down-stream gene may contribute only partially to the tolerance of the transgenic plants. Recent studies have shown that it is feasible to regulate the level of expression of many down-stream stress-induced genes in a coordinated fashion by regulating the expression of genes encoding transcription factors able to bind DNA motifs in the promoter of stress-induced genes. However, the constitutive high level of expression of transcription factors often causes detrimental phenotypic effects. This drawback could be bypassed by putting genes for transcription factors under the control of inducible promoters. In this way, endogenous tolerance genes are activated only when the stress event occurs, minimizing the negative pleiotropic effect. Novel technology (reverse genetics, DNA microarrays, mRNA differential display, T-DNA tagging, complementation and over-expression of plant cDNA in yeast as model for cellular stress tolerance), improvement of genetic transformation techniques (multiple gene transfer, gene targeting by homologous recombination) as well as a better efficiency of foreign gene expression (discovery of plant promoters with cell-specific, tissue-specific, developmental stage-specific, and/or inducible patterns of expression) will give a tremendous impulse to produce stress tolerant commercial cultivars of the main crops through genetic engineering.
Inhibition of 15‐lipoxygenase leads to delayed organelle degradation in the reticulocyte

Mammalian cells are characterized by an endomembrane system. Nevertheless, some cells lose these membranes during their terminal differentiation, e.g. red blood cells and lens fiber cells of the eye. 15-Lipoxygenase is believed to be critical for this membrane degradation. Here we use cultivated rabbit reticulocytes in the presence or absence of a lipoxygenase inhibitor to provide further evidence for the importance of 15-lipoxygenase for the in vivo degradation of mitochondria. We find that inhibitor treatment retarded mitochondrial degradation, as shown by persistence of marker proteins and by direct visualization of mitochondria by electron microscopy.
Urea Cycle Enzyme Activities of Liver of the African Lion

IN the course of a continuous survey1,2 on the occurrence and levels of activity of ornithine–urea cycle3 enzymes, an unexpected opportunity was afforded for quantitative measurement of these activities in the instance of the African lion, Felis leo. At the Vilas Park Zoo in Madison (Wisconsin) the director, Mr. Dan Watson, decided that an infirm male lion about twelve years old had to be destroyed. The lion exhibited progressive difficulty in its ability to leap to a platform some 2 m high in the cage; this created a feeding problem and difficulty in moving the animal to an outside exercise yard.
Some Moral and Technical Consequences of Automation—A Refutation

The machine is not a threat to mankind, as some people think. The machine does not possess a will, and its so-called "conclusions" are only the logical consequences of its input, as revealed by the mechanistic functioning of an inanimate assemblage of mechanical and electrical parts.
Strategies for Improving Career Services for Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Results of a Focus Group Study of Key Stakeholders

Improved career services in postsecondary education are needed if students with disabilities are to experience greater success in acquiring and maintaining employment following college graduation. ...
Evaluation of the Phadebact coagglutination test for the rapid serotyping ofHaemophilus influenza

Conventional tests for the indentification ofHaemophilus species require 24–48 h for completion. In this study, we evaluated the Phadebact coagglutination method for the serotyping ofHaemophilus that yields results within 2 min. Of the 150 strains tested, 148 wereH. influenzae and 2 wereH. parainfluenzae. Of the 83H. influenzae isolates from cerebrospinal fluid and blood 80 were correctly typed as b by the Phadebact test. Of the 51 sputum isolates, 48 (94%) were nontypable. Eleven (69%) of the remaining sixteen isolates from secondary and unknown sources were type b, four (25%) were nontypable, and one (6%) was in the acdef group. Thirty gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria other thanHaemophilus were also tested with no false-positive reactions. The Phadebact test is rapid and easy to perform and interpret.
A Harnack inequality for Dirichlet eigenvalues

We prove a Harnack inequality for Dirichlet eigenfunctions of abelian homogeneous graphs and their convex subgraphs. We derive lower bounds for Dirichlet eigenvalues using the Harnack inequality. We also consider a randomization problem in connection with combinatorial games using Dirichlet eigenvalues. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 34: 247–257, 2000
Dithionite penetration through phospholipid bilayers as a measure of defects in lipid molecular packing

Abstract The permeability of dithionite through bilayers was utilized to probe the structural defects in the bilayers of these lipids through their respective gel-fluid and bilayer-hexagonal phase transitions. The water soluble dithionite ion penetrates intact bilayers very slowly. The rate of irreversible quenching of the fluorescence of NBD-PE labelled liposomes may thus be used as an indicator of the permeability of this ion through bilayers. The quenching rate has a fast and a slow component, the fast one corresponds to the quenching of fluorophores immediately accessible to the quencher, i.e. those on the outer surface of liposomes. The slower component represents the averaged rate of penetration of the quencher through the bilayer, to quench those fluorophores at the inner shells of the multilamellar vesicles. Both rates may be approximated by a single exponential function. The slow exponent is simply related to the permeability. The permeability of DMPC as a function of temperature shows a peak at the gel-fluid phase transition at 24°C, but returns to about the pre-transition value at temperatures above the phase transition. The permeability of egg PE shows a hump at 45°C before the hexagonal phase transition at 65°C is reached and becomes infinite at the hexagonal phase transition as all fluorophores are immediately accessible to the quencher. We believe that the permeability measured by this method relates more to the molecular packing defects which maximizes at the gel-fluid phase transition temperature and at temperatures just below the bilayer-hexagonal phase transition, rather than the general packing order which simply changes with structural phases.
An indirect thyroxine stimulation of microsomal fatty acid desaturation in vitro

Abstract The concentration of reduced cytochrome b 5 has been monitored in microsomal preparations during stearoyl-CoA desaturation in the presence and absence of thyroxine. During 30-min incubations, 20 μm thyroxine caused an apparent 210% stimulation of NADPH-mediated desaturation. In control reactions, the concentration of reduced cytochrome b 5 increased and the concentration of oxygen decreased during the first 6 to 8 min of incubation. At the end of this time, oxygen concentration was at a level of less than 2% of air-saturated levels, cytochrome b 5 was fully reduced, and the desaturation reaction had stopped. In thyroxine-containing reactions, the oxygen concentration and the rate of desaturase activity were maintained at high levels throughout the incubation. The reduced cytochrome b 5 concentration achieved a maximum, partially reduced level early in the reaction which was maintained during the incubation. In reactions which contained small amounts of NADPH (in which reoxidation of cytochrome b 5 can be observed), thyroxine slowed the rate of such reoxidation. Therefore, the apparent thyroxine stimulation of in vitro microsomal fatty acid desaturation may be caused by the inhibition of nondesaturase oxygen-utilizing reactions. Oxygen depletion is prevented, thereby allowing the oxygen-dependent desaturation reaction to proceed.
Active pixel sensors for mass spectrometry

Abstract Active pixel sensors (APS) are micro-fabricated CMOS amplifier arrays that are rapidly replacing CCD devices in many electronic imaging applications. Unlike the pixels of a CCD device, the sensing elements of the APS will respond to locally situated electrostatic charge, owing to the amplifier present in each pixel. We have built two small test arrays with microscopic aluminum electrodes integrated onto standard APS readout circuitry for the purpose of detecting low-energy gas-phase ions in mass spectrometers and other analytical instruments. The devices exhibit a near-linear dynamic range greater than four orders of magnitude, and a noise level of less than 100 electrons at room temperature. Data are presented for the response of the APS detectors to small ions in a miniature magnetic sector mass spectrometer and in an atmospheric pressure jet of helium. Data for individual highly-charged electrospray droplets are presented as well. Anticipated improvements suggest that in the near future APS ion detectors will posses noise levels approaching 10 electrons and will have a useful dynamic range over six orders of magnitude.
A note on the asymptotic behavior of conditional extremes

Abstract Suppose ( X 1 , Z 1 ),…,( X n , Z n ) are i.i.d. as ( X , Z ). Let M nk be the maximum of all Z i 's for which X t is among the k -nearest neighbors of x 0 . It is shown that M nk has the same asymptotic distribution as the maximum of k i.i.d. copies of the random variable Z given X = x 0 . Hence the asymptotic results related to the extremes of i.i.d. observations are applicable to this situation as well.
Radiation treatment of FIGO stage IVA carcinoma of the cervix

Abstract Forty-eight patients with FIGO stage IVA cervix cancer were treated with radiation therapy at the Hunter Radiation Therapy Center, Yale-New Haven Hospital from 1966 to 1985. Nine of the 48 patients are alive without recurrence (NED) and the 5-year actuarial survival rate is 18% (± 6%, standard error). There was a substantial difference in outcome based on treatment technique. Thirty-five patients were treated with external beam (EB) plus intracavitary (IC) and 8 of these patients (23%) are NED. None of the 12 patients treated with EB alone are alive. One patient treated with preoperative EB plus exenteration is NED. The severe complication rate was 22% and most complications were vesicovaginal fistulas due to successful treatment for bladder involvement. There was a significant difference in survival for patients with minimal parametrial disease (stage IVA 1 ) versus patients with significant parametrial disease (stage IVA 2 ) which was defined as fixation to one or both pelvic sidewalls or hydronephrosis on IVP. The 5-year survival for stage IVA 1 disease was 46% (± 14%) versus only 5% (± 4%) for stage IVA 2 disease. Our results indicate that superior survival for stage IVA cervix cancer patients is associated with two factors: minimal parametrial disease and radiation treatment which combines EB plus IC.
Some aspects of the circulatory physiology of the spiny lobster Panulirus interruptus

The blood circulatory system and the circulatory dynamics of the spiny lobster Panulirus interruptus (Randall) have been examined in detail. A mean absolute blood pressure of 36.5 cm-H2O and a mean pulse pressure of 27 cm-H2O, show this species to have the highest pressure-driven circulation yet measured in decapod crustaceans. Mean blood velocities have been directly measured in intact animals for the first time. These velocities range from over 10 cm/sec in the large arteries to less than 1.0 cm/sec in the sinuses. Total blood volume is variable but averages near 30% of the wet weight, while heart volume averages 0.3% of the wet weight. The blood velocity and volume data are used to compute circulatory parameters such as cardiac output, stroke volume and turnover time. Comparisons with other animals suggest that the so-called “open-system” characteristic of crustaceans may be much more effective than previously supposed.
Large Intrathoracic Meningocele Associated With Neurofibromatosis Type 1

A 43-year-old man with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), who presented for a routine physical examination, was found to have unilateral diminished breath sounds. He had kyphoscoliosis, for which he had undergone thoracic spinal fusion and instrumentation 32 years previously. Chest radiography revealed an extrathoracic “soft tissue mass” (9.5 × 8.5 cm). Computed tomography identified an extrapleural lesion (9 × 8 × 7 cm) suspicious for a spinal neurofibroma with cord invasion, as well as bony erosion of thoracic vertebrae and neural foramina. Concern of malignancy prompted surgical consultations. A computed tomographic myelogram revealed a meningocele at T7-T8 (measuring 7.5 cm maximally), communicating with cerebrospinal fluid and multiple smaller meningoceles at adjacent levels. Neurofibromatosis type 1 is an autosomal dominant disorder associated with a tumor suppressor gene defect on chromosome 17q. Its incidence is 1 in 3500 persons. Although NF1 has variable expression, it is usually recognized by cutaneous stigmas such as cafe-au-lait macules and intertriginous freckling and by development of neurofibromas. Plexiform neurofibromas are a distinct type of neurogenic tumor with malignant potential. About 10% of patients with NF1 develop malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors with very poor prognosis. Bone dysplasia, scoliosis, and meningeal defects (spanning from dural ectasia to meningoceles) are common in patients with NF1. Intrathoracic meningoceles are rare but, when present, are usually seen in the constellation of NF1. The etiology of meningoceles is thought to be herniation of spinal meninges with cerebrospinal fluid extrusion through enlarged intervertebral foramina. Treatment ranges from observation to excision. Given the absence of symptoms in our patient, expectant management was recommended.
Thermal and crystallization behavior of zirconia precursor used in the solution precursor plasma spray process

Yttria stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) solution precursor has been successfully used in the deposition of high durability thermal barrier coatings. In this paper, the thermal and crystallization behaviors of 7YSZ precursor were investigated by TG-DTA, FTIR and XRD. The results show that the precursor decomposition and crystallization temperatures greatly depend on heating rate e. g. 74°C for the crystallization temperature when tripping the heating rate. With a 10 °C/min heating rate, the weight loss due to precursor pyrolysis occurs predominantly at temperatures below 500 °C. A small weight loss due to the oxidation of residual carbon is detected from 800 °C to 950 °C. The complete crystallization of the tetragonal phase was determined to be around 500 °C by DTA and XRD analyses with a 10 °C/min heating rate. The crystallization kinetics and the activation energy of amorphous 7YSZ precursor were investigated by variable heating rate DTA. The calculated activation energy is 66.2 kJ/mol. The Avrami parameter value was determined to be 2.68, which indicates that crystallization nucleation and growth is diffusion-controlled. The crystalline phase of 7YSZ coatings deposited by the Solution Precursor Plasma Spray process was identified by XRD and Raman spectrum. The average YSZ grain size in the SPPS coating was determined to be 61 nm.
Talking Sustainability: Identification and Division in an Iowa Community

This study investigates how sustainability and its inherent values figure into farmers' discourse, i.e., how farmers and members of farming communities talk about sustainability. We conducted qualitative interviews of various individuals in a single Iowa community to determine whether the visions guiding their land management choices resembled at all the ideals of a sustainable agriculture. Using Kenneth Burke's concepts of identification and division, we rhetorically analyzed the interview transcripts. We found animosity towards much green terminology but widespread commitment to environmental preservation, especially when aligned with economic interests. We highlight rhetorical strategies for promoting sustainable practices.
A novel method for controlling the pepsin digestion of antibodies

We have discovered that 0.5-0.8 M ammonium sulfate has a beneficial effect on the peptic digestion of several antibodies. Initially, the project was begun to address the troublesome precipitation observed when pepsin was used to digest monoclonal antibody CYT-368 (C46), an IgG2a that binds carcinoembryonic antigen. High concentrations of various salts effectively blocked this precipitation, and also accelerated the rate of digestion. Of these, ammonium sulfate had the greatest effect. Therefore, it was tested on the peptic digestion of ten other murine IgG antibodies as well as rabbit, sheep and goat immunoglobulins. Besides preventing precipitation, ammonium sulfate usefully modulated the digestion rate, accelerating the digestion of some antibodies and reducing it for others. Finally, ammonium sulfate altered the specificity of pepsin during the digestion of antibody CYT-099 (B72.3) preventing the enzyme from cleaving in the F(ab')2 region, and thereby preserving the activity of the fragment. With ammonium sulfate we were able for the first time to use pepsin to obtain active F(ab')2 in good yield from this widely used antibody.