cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal cocaine use and mother–toddler aggression

This study examined the direct and indirect associations between maternal cocaine use during pregnancy and mother-toddler aggression in an interactive context at 2 years of child age. We hypothesized that in addition to direct effects of cocaine exposure on maternal and child aggression, the association between maternal cocaine use and mother-toddler aggression may be indirect via higher maternal psychiatric symptoms, negative affect, or poor infant autonomic regulation at 13 months. Participants consisted of 220 (119 cocaine exposed, 101 non-cocaine exposed) mother-toddler dyads participating in an ongoing longitudinal study of prenatal cocaine exposure. Results indicated that mothers who used cocaine during pregnancy displayed higher levels of aggression toward their toddlers compared to mothers in the control group. Results from model testing indicated significant indirect associations between maternal cocaine use and maternal aggression via higher maternal negative affect as well as lower infant autonomic regulation at 13 months. Although there were no direct associations between cocaine exposure and toddler aggression, there was a significant indirect effect via lower infant autonomic regulation at 13 months. Results highlight the importance of including maternal aggression in predictive models of prenatal cocaine exposure examining child aggression. Results also emphasize the important role of infant regulation as a mechanism partially explaining associations between cocaine exposure and mother-toddler aggression.
Cross-training in hemispatial neglect: auditory sustained attention training ameliorates visual attention deficits.

Abstract Prominent deficits in spatial attention evident in patients with hemispatial neglect are often accompanied by equally prominent deficits in non-spatial attention (e.g., poor sustained and selective attention, pronounced vigilance decrement). A number of studies now show that deficits in non-spatial attention influence spatial attention. Treatment strategies focused on improving vigilance or sustained attention may effectively remediate neglect. For example, a recent study employing Tonic and Phasic Alertness Training (TAPAT), a task that requires monitoring a constant stream of hundreds of novel scenes, demonstrated group-level (n = 12) improvements after training compared to a test–retest control group or active treatment control condition on measures of visual search, midpoint estimation and working memory ( DeGutis and Van Vleet, 2010 ). To determine whether the modality of treatment or stimulus novelty are key factors to improving hemispatial neglect, we designed a similar continuous performance training task in which eight patients with chronic and moderate to severe neglect were challenged to rapidly and continuously discriminate a limited set of centrally presented auditory tones once a day for 9 days (36-min/day). All patients demonstrated significant improvement in several, untrained measures of spatial and non-spatial visual attention, and as a group failed to demonstrate a lateralized attention deficit 24-h post-training compared to a control group of chronic neglect patients who simply waited during the training period. The results indicate that TAPAT-related improvements in hemispatial neglect are likely due to improvements in the intrinsic regulation of supramodal, non-spatial attentional resources.
Changes in surfactant protein A mRNA levels in a rat model of insulin-treated diabetic pregnancy.

Maternal diabetes during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Previous studies using rat models for the diabetic pregnancy have documented decreased amounts of surfactant protein mRNA in the lungs of fetuses. In this study, we measured fetal lung surfactant-associated protein A (SP-A) mRNA from diabetic rats treated with insulin by daily injection or osmotic pump. Lungs were taken from fetuses on gestational d 20, and RNA was isolated and subjected to Northern blotting and densitometry to quantify SP-A mRNA. Fetal lung SP-A mRNA from untreated diabetic pregnancies was 34 ± 2.9% of control. Insulin treatment increased levels to 55 ± 4.2% of control values. Fetal lung SP-A mRNA levels were affected by the timing, length, and effectiveness of insulin treatment. Although levels from all treatment groups were still less than control values, insulin treatment during the last 5 or 10 d of pregnancy resulted in a substantial increase in SP-A mRNA levels over those of from untreated diabetic pregnancies. However, fetuses from the group with insulin treatment for the entire pregnancy showed decreases in fetal SP-A mRNA levels. Although the mechanism(s) responsible for the effects of diabetes and its treatment on fetal SP-A expression remain unclear, it appears unlikely that hyperglycemia is the principal cause.
The Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Country Attractiveness

This study assesses the impacts of the recent global financial crisis on the relative attractiveness of 125 countries between 2007 2011. Using a strategic model of international expansion that quantifies incorporates countries’ market potential (population size, gross domestic product [GDP] growth, per capita GDP), market risks (economic, political, legal, regulatory), distance (cultural, geographic), it confirms that some countries have become significantly less attractive (Ireland, Greece, Japan, etc.), while others have become much more attractive (Taiwan, Korea, etc.) as expansion markets for international companies. This study underscores the need for a strategic approach to international expansion decisions. The model can be used by business executives as a risk management tool in international expansion decision making. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Developmental and symptom specificity of hopelessness, cognitive errors, and attributional bias among clinic-referred youth

The present study examined the unique and interactive relationships between age and indices of psychopathology (i.e., anxiety, aggression, and depression), with three types of maladaptive cognitions: hopelessness, negative cognitive errors, and attributional bias. Some negative cognitions were not unique to depression and were associated with broader psychopathology. Developmental considerations also influenced some negative cognitions or qualified the association between negative cognitions and depression.
Growth characteristics and protein profiles of prototype and wild-type rat coronavirus isolates grown in a cloned subline of mouse fibroblasts (L2p.176 cells)

Rat coronaviruses (RCVs) infect laboratory rats and confound biomedical research results. In vitro systems developed so far have limited the growth in knowledge about RCVs by not permitting generation of plaque-cloned virus stocks, reliable isolation of RCVs from rat tissues, or growth of high titered stocks of all isolates. Due to the fact that less than 20% of L2(Percy) cells were becoming infected, sublines were produced and selected for maximal growth of RCVs. Screening of 238 cell sublines yielded L2p.176 cells which were highly susceptible to all RCVs tested; however, susceptibility declined after 30 passages in vitro. Low-passaged L2p.176 cells were used to isolate virus from natural outbreaks and to propagate individual RCV plaques into high titered stocks. Proteins from six RCV isolates were immunoblotted using polyclonal rat and mouse antibodies to sialodacryoadenitis virus and polyclonal monospecific rabbit and goat antibodies against the peplomer (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). Proteins of two prototype, one Japanese and three wild type RCVs were examined and found to be similar to those of MHV, although the exact sizes and ratios of protein forms were unique for most RCV isolates. This study reports the development of a continuous cell line which reliably supports RCVs opening an opportunity for further in vivo studies of the biology of these agents. As a first step in the characterization of RCVs, we have shown that RCV proteins are very similar to those of MHV.
Determination of aflatoxins in food products by chromatography

Several chromatographic methods for the determination of aflatoxins in agricultural and food products are reviewed. During the past two decades, identification and determination of aflatoxins were done by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) because it was easy, fast and inexpensive. However, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using fluorescence detection is now the method of choice for determining aflatoxins and is also growing in popularity for their identification. The reasons for selecting HPLC over TLC can be summarized as the ability to analyze for a wide variety of compounds, including compounds that are easily degraded by heat, light or air, the ease of adaptation to confirmatory procedures, the potential for automation and the dramatic improvement in instrumentation, including the development of increasingly sensitive fluorescence and electrochemical detectors and short, high-resolution, reversed-phase columns.
The inhibition of liver ornithine decarboxylase expression in neonatal rats by maternal separation or CNS β-endorphin is independent of the pituitary

Abstract Previously we have shown, in rat pups, that either short-term maternal separation (MS) or central (but not peripheral) administration of β-endorphin (BE) markedly decrease basal levels of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity throughout the body and suppresses liver ODC reponsiveness to injected growth hormone (GH). In this study, hypophysectomized (hypox) pups were used to determine whether the pituitary mediates these effects. Hypophysectomy clearly did not prevent the inhibitory actions of MS or intracisternal (i.c.) BE on liver ODC gene expression. The inability of GH to stimulate ODC activity in hypox animals exposed to MS or given BE i.c. is not due to nutritional deprivation, as glucose supplementation did not reverse the response. The results from these studies demonstrate that the pituitary is not the conduit by which either MS or centrally-administered BE regulates liver ODC activity. Also, they support the hypothesis that BE or an analogous opioid neuropeptide is a prime organizer within the CNS of the adaptive physiological response of neonatal rats to short-term MS. As we have previously shown that autonomic neuronal pathways are not involved in the effects of MS on peripheral tissues, the data obtained suggest that increased activity of this CNS opioid system during MS triggers the release of “neurochemicals” into the bloodstream capable of suppressing growth in the mammalian neonate.
Molecular simulation of complete phase diagrams for binary mixtures

Vapor-liquid, vapor-solid and liquid-solid coexistence lines are calculated for binary mixtures of Lennard-Jones spheres using Monte Carlo simulation and the Gibbs-Duhem integration technique. Complete phase diagrams showing equilibrium between vapor, liquid and solid phases are constructed for binary Lennard-Jones mixtures with diameter ratios ranging from σ 11 /σ 22 =0.85-1.0 and attractive well-depth ratios ranging from e 11 /e 22 =0.625-1.6, at a reduced pressure P * ≡Pσ 11 3 /e 11 =0.002. The Lorentz-Berthelot combining rules are used to calculate the cross-species interaction parameters σ 12 and e 12 . The variation in the shape of the complete phase diagrams change as a function of the diameter ratio σ 11 /σ 12 and well-depth ratio e 11 /e 22 is systematically explored. The phase diagrams resemble those found experimentally for argon-methane, iodine-sulfur, water-sodium chloride, water-silver nitrate, water-potassium nitrate, and p-dichlorobenzene-p-dibromobenzene.
Test bias and ability level testing

Abstract The average grade equivalent reading comprehension scores of students in 50 black schools were compared to those of students in 50 white schools under two forms of test administration. Traditional grade level testing resulted in smaller group differences between blacks' and whites' scores than the apparently more valid ability level testing technique. It was concluded that the use of grade level testing with the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills is biased in favor of low scoring subgroups.
Transformation induced toughening and flaw tolerance in pure nanocrystalline aluminum

Abstract Pure bulk metals do not exhibit solid–solid phase transformation since they deform and fail far below the required stress levels for phase transformation, which exceeds hundreds of GPa. We propose that for certain grain size, thickness and notch geometry, classical deformation modes can be suppressed to induce phase transformation in pure metal films at stresses few orders of magnitude lower than the theoretical values. For the first time, we present in situ transmission electron diffraction evidence of face-centered cubic (FCC) to hexagonal ω phase transformation in 99.99% pure nanocrystalline aluminum at room temperature and only 2.5 GPa of tensile stress. For 60 nm average grain size, the aluminum films did not show any appreciable diffusion-based processes such as grain growth, rotation and sliding. At the same time, the 200 nm thick specimens are thin enough for the dislocations to escape through the surface. With no active dislocation sources, in situ microscopy did not show any dislocation-based deformation either. Facilitated by the absence of dislocation and diffusion based processes, the uniaxial nature of specimen loading results in phase transformation at stresses two orders of magnitude lower than that predicted for aluminum. We also propose that phase transformation can result in a flaw tolerance in the material.
Electroless Nickel Plating Process Optimization for Aluminum Terminals

An Electroless Ni plating process for aluminum was evaluated and optimized, leading to smooth and uniform nickel growth approaching 28.2 μm/hr. The effects of temperature, and process time were investigated. Nickel bumping die for solder adhesion was performed and the quality of the adhesion between the nickel and aluminum layers was evaluated.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Glycosylation engineering enhances stem cell homing

Comment on Xia et al, page [3091][1] In this issue, Xia and colleagues report a novel approach toward enhancing the homing and engraftment of human umbilical cord blood–derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (CB-HSPCs), using targeted “glycosylation engineering” of their cell
Evaluation of the Training the Trainers Programme What Did Trainers Know? – What Did They Learn?

Abstract From 1995 to 2003 over 700 educators from the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe participated in a programme that trained them to provide services similar to those offered by centres for economic education affiliated with universities and colleges in the United States. This paper summarises pretest and post-test data to evaluate the educators’ knowledge of fundamental microeconomics and macroeconomics. These results are compared to data for over 2,700 US college students who participated in the norming of the same test items used to evaluate the training programme.
The design of bug fixes

When software engineers fix bugs, they may have several options as to how to fix those bugs. Which fix they choose has many implications, both for practitioners and researchers: What is the risk of introducing other bugs during the fix? Is the bug fix in the same code that caused the bug? Is the change fixing the cause or just covering a symptom? In this paper, we investigate alternative fixes to bugs and present an empirical study of how engineers make design choices about how to fix bugs. Based on qualitative interviews with 40 engineers working on a variety of products, data from 6 bug triage meetings, and a survey filled out by 326 engineers, we found a number of factors, many of them non-technical, that influence how bugs are fixed, such as how close to release the software is. We also discuss several implications for research and practice, including ways to make bug prediction and localization more accurate.
Inner-Sphere Electron-Transfer Reorganization Energies of Zinc Porphyrins

Inner-sphere electron-transfer reorganization energies of Zn(protoporphyrin IX) and Zn(octaethylporphyrin) are determined from band-shape analyses of the first ionization obtained by gas-phase valence photoelectron spectroscopy. The experimentally determined total inner-sphere reorganization energies for self-exchange (120−140 meV) indicate that structural changes upon oxidation are largely confined to the porphyrin ring, and substituents on the ring or solvent and other environmental factors make smaller contributions. Computational estimates by different models vary over a wide range and are sensitive to numerical precision factors for these low reorganization energies. Of current computational models that are widely available and practical for molecules of this size, functionals that contain a mixture of Hartree−Fock exchange and DFT exchange-correlation appear to be the most applicable.
Genetic structure is correlated with phenotypic divergence rather than geographic isolation in the highly polymorphic strawberry poison-dart frog

Phenotypic and genetic divergence can be influenced by a variety of factors, including sexual and natural selection, genetic drift and geographic isolation. Investigating the roles of these factors in natural systems can provide insight into the relative influences of allopatric and ecological modes of biological diversification in nature. The strawberry poison frog, Dendrobates pumilio, presents an excellent opportunity for this kind of research, displaying a diverse array of colour morphs and inhabiting a heterogeneous landscape that includes oceanic islands, fragmented rainforest patches and wide expanses of suitable habitat. In this study, we use 15 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci to estimate population structure and gene flow among populations from across the range of D. pumilio and a causal modelling framework to statistically test 12 hypotheses regarding the geographic and phenotypic variables that explain genetic differentiation within this system. Our results demonstrate that the genetic distance between populations is most strongly associated with differences in dorsal coloration. Previous experimental studies have shown that phenotypic differences can result in sexual and natural selection against non-native phenotypes, and our results now show that these forces lead to genetic isolation between different colour morphs in the wild, presenting a potential case of incipient speciation through selection.
A universal curve for meson-nucleon elastic scattering☆

Abstract We plot all available high energy meson-nucleon differential elastic cross-section data against a simple kinematic variable and show that forward and backward region data fall on a universal curve. Some consequences are discussed, including predictions at NAL energies.
Evaluation of la expression in rat ocular tissues following inoculation with interferon-gamma

It is becoming increasingly clear that IFN-gamma is a potent immunoregulatory protein which influences MHC class II (Ia) antigen expression and cellular functions of B cells, T cells, NK cells and macrophages. During the past 5 yr our laboratory has provided evidence that IFN-gamma modulates class II antigens on retinal cells (retinal pigment epithelial cells, endothelial cells) and is localized within the eye during human inflammatory conditions. In this study we evaluate the direct effect of IFN-gamma on ocular tissue. Lewis rats were inoculated intravitreally or under the retina with either recombinant IFN-gamma (20,000 U) or saline. At 2 hr, 1, 2 and 6 days postinoculation, the eyes were removed and frozen sections were evaluated by immunocytochemical staining with monoclonal anti-Ia antibodies and an irrelevant monoclonal anti-T cell antibody. Saline treated tissue and tissue removed 2 hr after IFN-gamma inoculation showed no significant staining for Ia antigens. However, eyes evaluated 24 hr after IFN-gamma inoculation revealed Ia expression on a variety of ocular cells localized in the conjunctiva and anterior segment, such as conjunctival epithelium, keratocytes, iris epithelium, ciliary epithelium and choroidal cells. In the retina, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were Ia positive only when IFN-gamma was injected directly under the retina. In conjunction with Ia expression, two striking changes were noted. An iritis was seen and infiltrating cells were detected in the inner retinal layers. Both of these phenomena have been observed in certain inflammatory eye diseases. These studies clearly substantiate the concept that IFN-gamma can regulate class II antigens in the eye and thus may perpetuate immune reactivity in this site.
Composite germ cell tumor and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma arising in the sella turcica*

We report the case of a composite malignant neoplasm consisting of germ cell tumor and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurring in the sella turcica of a young girl who presented with hypopituitarism. Routine hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of a resected suprasellar tumor demonstrated a neoplasm composed of 2 distinct morphologies. A panel of immunohistochemical markers was used to confirm the morphologic impression of germinoma (cytokeratin AE1/AE3-CAM 5.2, cytokeratin 7, neuron-specific enolase, and focally placental alkaline phosphatase positive) and mature B-cell lymphoma (CD20 positive; pancytokeratin, placental alkaline phosphatase, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase negative). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of such a composite tumor in the central nervous system.
Family therapy and chronic depression.

Individuals with chronic depression report significant problems in multiple areas of their family functioning, suggesting the importance of combining family therapy with psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of their depression. We describe a model of family functioning (the McMaster model) and therapy (the Problem-Centered Systems Therapy of the Family) and its application in the treatment of a young woman with chronic depression. The key elements of the family treatment are a comprehensive assessment of the family, a systematic progression through defined treatment stages, an open, collaborative stance with the family, and a focus on the family's responsibility for change. Family therapy can aid the amelioration of depressive symptoms and improve the ability of family members to deal more effectively with the depression as well as a wider range of problems.
Formation of extra centrosomal structures is dependent on β-catenin

β-Catenin has important roles in cell–cell adhesion and in the regulation of gene transcription. Mutations that stabilize β-catenin are common in cancer, but it remains unclear how these mutations contribute to cancer progression. β-Catenin is also a centrosomal component involved in centrosome separation. Centrosomes nucleate interphase microtubules and the bipolar mitotic spindle in normal cells, but their organization and function in human cancers are abnormal. Here, we show that expression of stabilized mutant β-catenin, which mimics mutations found in cancer, results in extra non-microtubule nucleating structures that contain a subset of centrosome proteins including γ-tubulin and centrin, but not polo-like kinase 4 (Plk4), SAS-6 or pericentrin. A transcriptionally inactive form of β-catenin also gives rise to abnormal structures of centrosome proteins. HCT116 human colon cancer cell lines, from which the mutant β-catenin allele has been deleted, have reduced numbers of cells with abnormal centrosome structures and S-phase-arrested, amplified centrosomes. RNAi-mediated depletion of β-catenin from centrosomes inhibits S-phase-arrested amplification of centrosomes. These results indicate that β-catenin is required for centrosome amplification, and mutations in β-catenin might contribute to the formation of abnormal centrosomes observed in cancers.
Deficit spending, money, and inflation: Some international empirical evidence☆

Abstract An attempt is made, in this study, to examine the monetarist propositions regarding the effects of budget deficits on money growth and inflation for ten industrialized countries. To this end, a two-equation econometric model consisting of the money supply growth and inflation equations has been specified and estimated. Based on the results, it is concluded that, in general, the government budget deficit is not a determinant of money supply growth or of inflation (directly or indirectly). The U.S. is an exception with some statistical evidence of direct and indirect effects of the budget deficit on inflation.
Extracellular superoxide dismutase localization and activity within the human placenta

Maintenance of low vascular tone within the placenta is mediated by nitric oxide (NO). The half-life of NO is very short, as superoxide anion (O2-) rapidly inactivates NO to form peroxynitrite. Superoxide dismutases compete with NO for O2-. By scavenging O2-, superoxide dismutase promotes the vasodilatory action of NO. Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is present in high concentrations within the extracellular matrix of systemic arteries and has been proposed to mediate vascular smooth muscle tone by increasing NO bioavailability. The localization and activity of EC-SOD within the human placenta has not been determined. Placental EC-SOD may be involved in placental vascular tone, and abnormal activity may lead to pre-eclampsia secondary to increased O2--mediated inactivation of NO. To investigate this possibility, the activity and localization of human placental EC-SOD was determined in normal women, and then compared to pre-eclamptic women. Placental EC-SOD localized within the villous extracellular matrix around arterioles, and there were no differences in distribution between normal and pre-eclamptic women. There were no differences in placental EC-SOD activity between normal and pre-eclamptic subjects in either center (33.7+/-4.1 versus 33.1+/-2.5, P=0.6), or peripheral (34.3+/-5.6 versus 34.0+/-3.5, P=0.9) samples. EC-SOD localization around villous vessels suggests that EC-SOD serves potentially to protect the fetal vasculature from O2-, in both normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies. Placental EC-SOD distribution and activity is not different between pre-eclamptic and normal women, suggesting that EC-SOD is not involved in the vascular changes seen in pre-eclampsia.
A slow earthquake

Anomalous earthquakes such as creep events, tsunami earthquakes and silent earthquakes have been reported in the recent literature. In this paper we discuss an anomalous “slow earthquake” that occurred on June 6, 1960 in southern Chile. Although the surface-wave magnitude of this event is only 6.9, it excited anomalously large long-period multiple surface waves with a seismic moment of 5.6 · 10^(27) dyn cm. The Benioff long-period seismogram of this earthquake recorded at Pasadena shows an extremely long, about 1.5–2 h coda of Rayleigh waves, with a period of 10–25 s. The coda length for other events with a comparable magnitude which occurred in the same region is about 10 min. This observation suggests that the long coda length is due to a long source rupture process which lasted at least 1 h. Although at least 15 distinct events can be identified in the coda, no short-period body waves were recorded corresponding to these, except for the first one. These results suggest that a relatively small (Ms ≅ 6.9) earthquake triggered a series of slow events; the duration of the whole sequence being longer than 1 h. This event probably occurred on a transform fault on the extension of the Chile Rise and provides important information regarding the nature of the transform fault.
Rights, Relationality, and Membership: Rethinking the Making and Meaning of Citizenship

The republication after 40 years of T. H. Marshall's Citizenship and Social Class signifies a revived interest in sociolegal historical approaches to citizenship rights. For decades students have been guided by Marshall's classic treatise. But can Marshall's argument for the causal power of the “transition from feudalism to capitalism” continue to provide an adequate grounding for sociolegal approaches to citizenship and rights formation? Building on Marshall's path-breaking expansion of the concept of citizenship, I use institutional analysis and causal narrativity to present an alternative explanation. I argue that modem citizenship rights me a contingent outcome of the convergence of England's medieval legal revolutions with its regionally varied local legal and political cultures, not of the emergence of capitalist markets.
Physical properties of the DNA of bacteriophage SP50.

The following properties of the DNA of B. subtilis phage SP50 were established: Molecular weight (in Daltons) 102×106 (sedimentation velocity) 97×106 (viscosity) 97×106 (contour lengths of electron micrographs) Base Composition (in % GC) 41.7 (chemical analysis) 44 (melting point) 44 (buoyant density) No unusual bases were observed. The complementary strands of the DNA can be separated. The phage DNA has genuine single strand breaks. The number and distribution of such breaks appears to be determined by the host on which phages were grown.
Episodic Boundaries in Conversational Narratives

This study attempts to integrate linguistic and discourse analysis to investigate the way narrators demarcate episodic boundaries in conversational settings and hypothesize about the kind of cognitive processes that might be involved in such an activity. In contrast to previous research in this area which predominately relies on experimentally designed text, this study draws on naturalistic data and relies on the notion that narrators in conversational setting interactionally create narrative by recruiting discourse skills that are most readily available to them. The study reveals that narrators in conversational settings employ reference (i.e. use of noun phrases and anaphors) and macropropositions following a general pattern. Generally, episode boundaries are marked both by macropropositions and full noun phrases. Noun phrases are often used to indicate the beginning of an episode, whereas pronominals are often used within episode boundaries suggesting the continuation of the current episode. The co-occ...
Using the η' to understand the weak decay of charmed hadrons

Abstract The η′ transforms predominantly as a singlet under flavour SU (3). We examine the effects of the quark mass matrix on the decays of charmed baryons to two-body final states containing an η′. We find that such decays allow us to isolate the SU (3) violating amplitudes arising at first order in the quark mass matrix and therefore provide a good way of diagnosing the structure of the SU (3) violation found in the decay of charmed hadrons.
The marriage of cancer vaccines and antiangiogenesis

Comment on Zhou et al, page [2026][1] An innovative approach to the use of cancer vaccines targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (FLK-1), suppresses tumor-associated angiogenesis, and results in antitumor activity. In a highly innovative approach to the suppression of tumor
Triptolide enriches for CD133+ “stem-like” tumor initiating cells in pancreatic cancer

s / Pancreatology 13 (2013) S2–S98 S14 Results: Pancreatic damage in the initial phase was comparable in both animal strains. In contrast to the early phase, C5-/mice displayed reduced pancreatic fibrosis in both models. Histology showed decreased collagen I and a smooth muscle actin (aSMA) staining. Also the amount of Ki67 positive cells was decreased in C5-deleted animals. In pancreatic tissue of wild type animalswith chronic pancreatitis C5a receptor and aSMApositive PSCs were observed by fluorescence staining. Isolated PSCs could be activated with C5a showing increased aSMA expression and decreased proliferation. Conclusion: C5 is an important regulator for the development of pancreatic fibrosis during chronic pancreatitis, but does not contribute to the severity of the disease during the acute phase. C5a has direct effects on fibrosis by activating PSCs.
Ligand-induced movement of lymphocyte membrane macromolecules. V. Capping, cell movement, and microtubular function in normal and lectin-treated lymphocytes

Capping of surface Ig by anti-Ig antibodies involves a membrane perturbation requiring an energy-dependent step. Lymphocytes treated with anti-Ig are stimulated to move. Previously, we had shown that movement was not essential for capping, although it influenced the localization of the cap. We have investigated the role of cell movement and of microtubular proteins in this phenomenon. Treatment of B lymphocytes with colchicine does not affect capping of Ig nor does it affect the increase in translational movement produced by anti-Ig antibodies. Treatment of lymphocytes with cytochalasin B stops translational movement and may affect capping to some degree under appropriate circumstances. Lymphocytes treated with both drugs are impaired in capping. We surmise that there may be two cytoplasmic events regulating directly or indirectly capping: one associated with the process of translational movement, the other associated with the activity of microtubules. Lymphocytes treated with concanavalin A do not cap Ig. Colchicine reverses this inhibition. Certain experimental procedures antagonize the colchicine effect, the most striking of which is the use of cytochalasin B. Colchicine appears to increase movement of the Con A-treated lymphocyte, and this increased movement appears responsible for the accumulation of complexes to the posterior part of the cell. Con A inhibits patching of Ig by anti-Ig, and this is not reversed by colchicine.
Black Hole Accretion in Low States: Electron Heating

Plasmas in an accretion flow are heated by magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence generated through the magneto- rotational instability (MRI). The viscous stress driving the accretion is intimately connected to the microscopic processes of turbulence dissipation. We show that, in a few well-observed black hole accretion systems, there is compelling observational evidence of efficient electron heating by turbulence or collective plasma effects in low accretion states, when Coulomb collisions are not efficient enough to establish a thermal equilibrium between electrons and ions at small radii. We consider a Keplerian two-temperature accretion flow with a constant mass accretion rate in the pseudo- Newtonian gravitational potential and take into account the bremsstrahlung, synchrotron, and inverse Comptonization cooling processes. The balance of gravitational energy dissipation and turbulence energy cascade requires that the viscous stress be proportional to the product of the turbulence kinetic energy density and the total turbulence energy density, which may contradict the result of some shearing box simulations that the viscous stress is proportional to the magnetic field energy density. The critical mass accretion rate, below which the two-temperature solution may exist, is determined by the cooling processes and the collisional energy exchanges between electrons and ions and has very weak dependence on the collision-less heating of electrons by turbulence, which becomes more important at lower accretion rates. If the collision-less heating is dominated by the transit-time damping processes, small scale waves propagating obliquely with respect to the large scale magnetic field are prohibited, which may affect the saturate state of the MRI driven turbulence significantly. The plasma also needs to be strongly magnetized with the magnetic field and proton energy densities comparable so that electrons can share more of the dissipated gravitational energy. The heating of relativistic electrons is efficient since the heating rate is proportional to the mean momentum of the particles, and the electron heating may also be enhanced by their resonant scattering with small scale nearly parallel propagating waves.
The phospholipids of rabbit type II alveolar epithelial cells: Comparison with lung lavage, lung tissue, alveolar macrophages, and a human alveolar tumor cell line

The phospholipid composition of type II alveolar epithelial cells from the rabbit was compared with that of alveolar macrophages, lung lavage and lung tissue. In addition, the phospholipid composition of a human alveolar tumor cell line, which is morphologically similar to type II cells, was examined. Phosphatidylcholine accounted for 48% of the total phospholipid in the type II cells, 41% in the tumor cells, and 30% in the macrophages. Phosphatidylcholine was 51% disaturated in the type II cells, 54% in lung lavage, 39% in whole lung, 29% in lavaged lung and macrophages, and 16% in the tumor cells. Palmitic acid was the major fatty acid in phosphatidylcholine from all samples with the exception of the tumor cells in which almost half of the fatty acids were accounted for by oleic acid. The phospholipids of the type II cells were more similar to those of lung lavage, and thus surfactant, than to lung tissue and macrophages. This is consistent with their supposed role in surfactant production. The tumor cells, although morphologically similar to type II cells, were quite different with respect to phospholipid composition.
False-positive human immunodeficiency virus seroconversion is not common following rabies vaccination.

The risk of rabies infection in humans is primarily controlled by widespread vaccination of domestic dogs and cats and, more recently, by vaccination of wildlife reservoirs ([1][1]). In contrast, vaccination of humans against rabies is uncommon and is limited to individuals with a significant risk
An introduction to digital cameras.

Abstract Background and Objectives: People in all walks of life are using digital cameras instead of the traditional film cameras. Reasons include simplicity of use, ease of development, ability to incorporate the pictures into documents, potential to edit the pictures easily, and capability to send them by e-mail. This article will briefly discuss digital cameras, how they work, what they can do, and what you should look for in one. Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a series of articles demonstrating and describing information technology. The articles include nontechnical information and are geared toward the computer novice with interest in regional anesthesia and pain medicine. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2001;26:164-168.
Variation Of Mercury Concentration in Fish Taken from Lake Boeuf, Southeastern Louisiana

The concentration of mercury was measured in a variety of fish and sediment cores taken from Lake Boeuf located in southeastern Louisiana. Lake Boeuf is an important recreational and game fishing lake from which the following sunfish are caught and consumed: bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and black crappie (Poxomis nigromaculatus). These species of fish were collected and mercury levels were determined using the EPA cold vapor analysis method 7471. Mercury concentrations exceeding the FDA action level of 1.0 μg/g in fish were found in 4 of 15 bluegill sunfish and 2 of 15 black crappie. Bluegill sunfish contained the highest concentrations of mercury, ranging in value from <0.02 to 0.92 μg/g and an average of 0.22±0.31 μg/g. Redear sunfish had the lowest concentration, averaging only 0.03±0.03 μg/g. Sediment cores revealed a history of mercury inputs to the lake with concentrations as high as 0.25 μg/g at depths of about 15 cm.
The abrasive wear of sintered titanium matrix-ceramic particle reinforced composites

Particulate (TiC, TiB2 or Si3N4) reinforced Ti composites were produced by vacuum sintering (at 1400°C for 2 h). Ti+TiC composites could be sintered to high fractional densities (>93%), even at high TiC loadings (e.g., 40 volume percent (vol%)). No reactions were observed to occur between the Ti and TiC. By contrast, the Ti and TiB2 and Ti and Si3N4 reacted to form composites consisting of Ti, TiB and TiB2 and α-Ti(N), Ti5Si3, Ti3Si, and Ti2N, respectively. As a consequence, Ti was consumed and/or the reaction products intrinsically generated porosity during sintering. These composites were more difficult to consolidate via solid state sintering, particularly at higher volume fractions. Despite the porosity, the composites were more wear resistant (pin-on-drum abrasive wear against 100 μm garnet particles) than unreinforced Ti, with the exception of the Ti+2.5 vol% TiB2 and Ti+≤10 vol% TiC composites. The ranking of microhardness and abrasion wear resistance of the composites was as follows: (hardest, most wear resistant) Ti+Si3N4 (i.e., α-Ti(N), +Ti5Si3, Ti3Si, and Ti2N)≫Ti+TiB2≫Ti+TiC (softest, least wear resistant). The microhardness coupled with the apparent strength of the chemical interface that developed between the constituent composite phases was responsible for the observed wear behavior.
Modulation of the W748S mutation in DNA polymerase γ by the E1143G polymorphismin mitochondrial disorders

DNA polymerase gamma (pol γ) is required for replication and repair of mitochondrial DNA. Over 80 mutations in POLG, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of pol γ, have been linked with disease. The W748S mutation in POLG is the most common mutation in ataxia-neuropathy spectrum disorders and is generally found in cis with the common E1143G polymorphism. It has been unclear whether E1143G participates in the disease process. We investigated the biochemical consequences of pol γ proteins containing W748S or E1143G, or both. W748S pol γ exhibited low DNA polymerase activity, low processivity and a severe DNA-binding defect. However, interactions between the catalytic and accessory subunits were normal. Despite the benefits derived from binding with the accessory subunit, catalytic activities did not reach wild-type (WT) levels. Also, nucleotide selectivity decreased 2.1-fold compared with WT. Surprisingly, pol γ containing only E1143G was 1.4-fold more active than WT, and this increased polymerase activity could be due to higher thermal stability for E1143G pol γ. The E1143G substitution partially rescued the deleterious effects of the W748S mutation, as DNA binding, catalytic activity and fidelity values were intermediate for W748S-E1143G. However, W748S-E1143G had a notably lower change in enthalpy for protein folding than W748S alone. We suggest that when E1143G is in cis with other pathogenic mutations, it can modulate the effects of these mutations. For W748S-E1143G pol γ, the benefits bestowed by E1143G include increased DNA binding and polymerase activity; however, E1143G was somewhat detrimental to protein stability.
DYNAMIC PRICE ADJUSTMENTS BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND PUREBRED CATTLE MARKETS

duction auction sales. Purebred bulls are also normally sold by the head rather than on a Vector autoregression was utilized to in- per-pound basis as with commercial cattle vestigate dynamic relationships existing be- it tse a i th , ad cause tween prices of purebred bulls and prices of of the variation in cattle quality, no uniform slaughter steers, utility cows, feeder calves, price is established for pure-bred cattle as for and cow-calf pairs. Results suggest purebred feeder or slaughter cattle in the commercial bull prices respond most quickly to an in- markets (Wendland). crease in utility cow prices (proxy for slaughter bull prices). Feeder calf prices ex- Many "rules of thumb" have been develhibited the most pronounced positive effect on oped by cattleman for determining the value the price of herd sires, with a lagged response of service-age bulls, such as "the value of five which took over two years to build. calves" the bull will sire (Merrill, p. 370). In theory, it is presumed that the derived demand
Wavelength Selective Infrared Absorption in a Dusty Plasma

We consider theoretically the possible wavelength selective absorption of mid or far infrared radiation in a plasma containing micrometer-sized dust grains having surface phonon resonances in these wavelength regimes. Issues related to grain heating and charging are also discussed.
Brief Measures of the Animal Attitude Scale

There is increasing interest among social and behavioral scientists in brief measures of attitudes and personality traits. Based on factor analysis and using an existing data set (n = 400 adults), we constructed a 5- and a 10-item version of the widely used animal attitude Scale (AAS). Both versions were highly correlated with the original 20-item AAS (rs > 0.95, p < 0.001), and both versions demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. The AAS-5 and the AAS-10 have excellent psychometric properties and offer alternatives for researchers who need convenient and short measures of attitudes related to animal welfare.
Biodiversity as an environmental service in Brazil's Amazonian forests: risks, value and conservation

The environmental service provided by the great biodiversity of Amazonian forests is one of several factors leading to the conclusion that much greater efforts are warranted to reduce the destruction of these forests. Risks to biodiversity in Amazonian forests include deforestation, logging, fires, fragmentation, depletion of fauna, invasion by exotic species, and climate change. Financial values assigned to biodiversity depend strongly on the purposes of valuation. Utilitarian benefits include the values of presently-marketed and presently-unexploited forest products, and the monetary value of environmental benefits. Non-monetary values of Amazonian forests are also essential components of decision-making on conservation. Measures of ‘willingness to pay’ and ‘willingness to accept’ can be useful as indicators of potential financial flows, but should not be confused with the true values of the forests to society. Valuation for the purpose of setting penalties for destruction of biodiversity is an important legal question in Brazil and must take into consideration additional factors.Conservation of biodiversity in Brazil includes creation of various types of protected areas. The status of these areas varies greatly, with practice frequently deviating from official requirements. Creating reserves that include human occupants has a variety of pros and cons. Although the effect of humans is not always benign, much larger areas can be brought under protection regimes if human occupants are included. Additional considerations apply to buffer zones around protected areas. The choice and design of reserves depends on the financial costs and biodiversity benefits of different strategies. In Brazil, rapid creation of lightly-protected ‘paper parks’ has been a means of keeping ahead of the advance of barriers to establishment of new conservation units, but emphasis must eventually shift to better protection of existing reserves. Indigenous peoples have the best record of maintaining forest, but negotiation with these peoples is essential in order to ensure maintenance of the large areas of forest they inhabit. The benefits of environmental services provided by the forest must accrue to those who maintain these forests. Development of mechanisms to capture the value of these services will be a key factor affecting the long-term prospects of Amazonian forests. However, many effective measures to discourage deforestation could be taken immediately through government action, including levying and collecting taxes that discourage land speculation, changing land tenure establishment procedures so as not to reward deforestation, revoking remaining incentives, restricting road building and improvement, strengthening requirements for environmental impact statements (RIMAs) for proposed development projects, and creating employment alternatives.