cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does the bladder matter enough to have its own journal

Yes, it surely does. Urinary bladder conditions such as urinary incontinence, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), bacterial cystitis, and bladder cancer are common, inflicting significant morbidity and mortality, resulting in high costs to healthcare systems and societies across the globe. Given these facts, a biomedical research journal dedicated to basic, translational and clinical research which result in a better understanding of how the bladder (and lower urinary tract) functions and dysfunctions is needed. The scientific disciplines applicable to bladder research are diverse. Bladder (ISSN 2327-2120) would welcome manuscripts of original investigations in disciplines such as (in alphabetic order and representing some, but not all, possibilities): aging biology, bacteriology, biomechanics, cancer biology, cell biology, clinical trials, developmental biology, epidemiology, epigenetics, genetics, geriatrics, infectious disease, immunology, neuroscience, smooth muscle biology, stem cell biology, urodynamics, urothelial biology, and vascular biology. The “life cycle” of the bladder involves embryologic development, achievement of social continence (toilet training), ability to resist infections and cancer, and continued maintenance of efficient storage and emptying of urine. During this “life cycle”, clinical bladder conditions of sensory and detrusor smooth muscle dysfunction, ineffective storage/emptying, bladder outlet obstruction, anatomic prolapse, and/or urothelial carcinoma may occur. These “life cycle” events demonstrate the complexities of the bladder. A journal dedicated to understanding these complexities is an idea whose time has come. This new biomedical research journal provides a bladder focused forum for researchers worldwide to publish their latest findings which would otherwise be scattered among other broader scope journals. Bladder is dedicated to providing high quality, fair peer-review with a fast turnaround time. With open access publishing, authors maintain their own copyright and can share their published work freely, including their illustrations, pictures and figures. Bladder’s Editorial Board is composed of internationally renowned bladder investigators who will help this journal achieve its goals. We, as co-Editors-in-Chief, with a history of basic, translational and clinical research experiences, bring breadth and depth to editorial management of Bladder. Ultimately, our goal is to make Bladder a high impact journal that will be the “go to” journal for bladder research. Yes, the bladder deserves a journal of its own.
Measuring the Semantic Similarity of Texts

This paper presents a knowledge-based method for measuring the semantic-similarity of texts. While there is a large body of previous work focused on finding the semantic similarity of concepts and words, the application of these word-oriented methods to text similarity has not been yet explored. In this paper, we introduce a method that combines word-to-word similarity metrics into a text-to-text metric, and we show that this method outperforms the traditional text similarity metrics based on lexical matching.
Changing attitudes of women towards family-related tasks in young adulthood

This study adds to the research on sex-role attitudes by examining the importance women of varying age groups place upon marriage and family-related tasks of young adulthood. Two hundred seventy women, divided into three age groups and three income levels, were asked to evaluate the importance of five family-related developmental tasks, as defined by Robert Havighurst. Results from this cross-sectional study support the conclusion that younger women who are facing decisions about marriage, family, and home consider these tasks significantly less important than do older women. Women between 35 and 59 assigned an intermediate value to these tasks, which, again, differed significantly with the response of the older group in four of the five cases. Interaction effects between age and income levels are examined for two tasks.
Teaching transformation under centralized curriculum and teacher learning community: Two Chinese chemistry teachers' experiences in developing inquiry-based instruction☆

Abstract The establishment of centralized curriculum standards and school-based teacher learning communities are presumably necessary to reform science teaching towards inquiry-based instruction in many countries. Drawing on interview, document, and unit plan data from two high school chemistry teachers in China, this study examines these assumptions. Findings indicated that both teachers developed different kinds of science teaching practices despite working under the centralized science curriculum and school-based teacher learning communities. Different teaching experiences of the two teachers and their school cultures of teaching interacted with the centralized curriculum and teacher teaching community to consequently shape their teaching practices in different ways.
Historical aspects of the neonatal neurological examination: Why child neurologists are not ‘little’ adult neurologists

Abstract The origins of the neonatal neurological examination are described with their common basis attributable to evolutionary theory, the classical neurosciences, clinical neurology, and developmental psychology. It is shown that not only have the techniques of the bedside examination changed over the past half century but the purpose of the examination has also evolved; initially the examination was used to assess maturation of the developing infant, now it is used to determine whether cerebral pathology may be present and whether examination abnormalities are helpful in outcome assessment. The development of several of the current neonatal neurological examinations are reviewed and their clinical and scientific basis examined.
Fathering: The Relationship Between Fathers’ Residence, Fathers’ Sociodemographic Characteristics, and Father Involvement

Literature and research examining father involvement has focused primarily on outcomes associated with the well-being and development of children. The contextual factors associated with fathers, and how these factors shape fathers' involvement with their young children, have received limited attention in this literature. Addressing this limitation, this study focuses on the relationship between fathers' residential status, age, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, financial status and father involvement. Results of the regression models indicate that fathers who reside with their children and fathers who are older are more involved with their children. Given these findings, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers have an opportunity to create and enhance policies and programs that may assist and support fathers in their development as parents and their involvement with their children.
Phenomenological bridge between high- and low-energy behavior in QCD

Abstract So far, permanent confinement of quarks is a purely phenomenological principle, not yet derived from quantum chromodynamics (QCD). A phenomenological model is exhibited that has confinement as well as the usual asymptotically-free short-distance behavior of QCD, and a crude approximation is made to the so-called energy-momentum sum rule of deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering, yielding about 0.65 as the quark energy fraction at |k 2 | ⋍ 3−4 GeV 2 .
Private authority and disaster relief: The cases of post-tsunami Aceh and Nias

Abstract This article explores the rise of private authority in globalized disaster relief scenarios by looking at the case of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Aceh and its neighboring region, Nias, after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The author places the growing strength and presence of NGOs within the larger context of weak, cash-strapped local governments under decentralization schemes promoted by neoliberal economic policies and argues that under such conditions, private actors such as NGOs are gaining a legitimacy of authority once reserved exclusively for the state. In Aceh after the tsunami, five hundred NGOs began operating relief and recovery efforts on the island with little consultation with local Acehnese government agencies and community organizations. The article concludes by arguing that the example of Aceh, in which public and private parallel systems of relief and recovery have been operating raises long-term issues of accountability for all parties involved.
Implications of the gene balance hypothesis for dosage compensation

Dosage compensation refers to the equal expression between the sexes despite the fact that the dosage of the X chromosome is different in males and females. In Drosophila there is a twofold upregulation of the single male X. In triple X metafemales, there is also dosage compensation, which occurs by a two-thirds downregulation. There is a concomitant reduction in expression of many autosomal genes in metafemales. The male specific lethal (MSL) complex is present on the male X chromosome. Evidence is discussed showing that the MSL complex sequesters a histone acetyltransferase to the X chromosome to mute an otherwise increased expression by diminishing the histone acetylation on the autosomes. Several lines of evidence indicate that a constraining activity occurs from the MSL complex to prevent overcompensation on the X that might otherwise occur from the high level of acetylation present. Together, the evidence suggests that dosage compensation is a modification of a regulatory inverse dosage effect that is a reflection of intrinsic gene regulatory mechanisms and that the MSL complex has evolved in reaction in order to equalize the expression on both the X and autosomes of males and females.
Discrete discriminant models: a performance simulation with reference to expert systems' applications

Monte Carlo simulation experiments are used to assess performance of seven models for discrete discriminant analysis. Discriminant rules are obtained for binary observation vectors from training samples drawn from two-group populations. Performance is evaluated primarily in terms of the error rate observed in the training and test samples for populations characterized by small and unequal training sample sizes, log-likelihood reversals, various correlation structures, and missing values. Some models are superior for certain population structures, and an attempt is made to identify data set characteristics that favor a particular model. Applications of the models are discussed, including their use as components in expert systems, and an expert system for consulting on discriminant analysis problems is reviewed.
EXPERIMENTAL DATA FOR A REVISION OF THE GENUS LATHYRUS

THIS investigation of the genus Lathyrus L. (Family, Leguminosae; subfamily, Papilionatae) is an attempt to provide adequate biological data for an eventual revision of the genus. The data presented herein are concerned with chromosome number and, to a limited extent, chromosome morphology, morphology of the plant, epidermal cell-patterns of the leaf, interspecific crossing, and geographic distribution. Lath yrus is an interesting genus for cyto-taxonomic study. It has a widespread distribution in north temperate regions and in South America. Some of its specific lines are clear cut and definite, while others are very vaguely defined. It has relatively large chromosomes, which, although in general similar to each other, do show some differential morphology. The outstanding cytological characteristic is the uniformity of chromosome number, forty-one species studied having n = 7 and one n = 14. Thus specific differentiation in the genus must have resulted almost entirely from structural changes in the chromosomes, changes in chromosome size, and genic changes. Winge (1919), studying L. latifolius L. and L. odoratus L., reported the first chromosome numbers for the genus Lathyrus. Since that time chromosome number determinations have been reported by: Latter (1925, 1926, 1932), Punnett (1927), and Maeda (1928) on L. odoratus L.; Kawakami (1930) on L. odoratw3 L. and L. japonicus Willd. (L. maritimus Bigel.); Corti (1930, 1931a, 1931b) on L. grandiflorus Sibth. et Sm., L. Aphaca L., L. articulatus L. var. clymenurn, and L. niger (L.) Bernh.; Melderis and Viksne (1931) on a group of nine species; Fisk (1931) on L. tuberosus L.; Simonet (1932) on a group of 23 species; Roy (1933, 1936) on L. sativus; and Faberge (1935) on an aberrant tetraploid plant of L. odoratus L. Senn (1935-1936) reported eleven previously undetermined species. Senn (in press) listed the chromosome number reports for Lathyrus includinz determinations on 127 cultures of 35 species. The origin of each of these cultures was cited, and the relation of Lathyrus to the other genera of the tribe Vicieae discussed. The study of the genus Lathyrus was begun in 1931 at McMaster University, where plants were grown in the greenhouse and experimental plots and in the garden at Caledonia, Ontario. In 1934 the cultures were moved to The Blandy Experimental Farm, where they have since been maintained and expanded. The writer is grateful for helpful criticism and advice to Prof. Lulu 0. Gaiser of McMaster University, under whose direction this study was initiated, and to Prof. Orland E. White of The Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia, under whom it was continued.
Sources of carrier F-19 in F-18 fluoride

Fluorine-18 is used for many PET radiopharmaceuticals. Theoretically 18F should be carrier free and a good candidate for nanochemistry. However, 18F has 10 to 1000 times more stable fluorine atoms than radioactive atoms. In order to understand the source of carrier fluoride and other ions associated with 18F radiosynthesis, anion concentrations of different components of 18F target systems as well as solvents and chemicals used in radiosynthesis were measured. Results: The enriched water used for production of 18F had low levels of anions. In general, the sources of anions, particularly of fluoride, were the chemical reagents used for synthesis and trace contaminants in tubing, valves and fittings. A major component of contamination was nitrate from irradiation of dissolved nitrogen gas in the target water.
Molecular Determinants of the Interaction between Haemophilus influenzae and Human Cells

Haemophilus influenzae is a human-specific pathogen that must colonize the human upper respiratory tract to avoid extinction. On occasion, organisms penetrate the epithelial barrier and cause bacteremic disease or spread within the respiratory tract to produce localized disease. Attachment to host epithelium is fundamental to the process of colonization and to the pathogenesis of disease. Accordingly, H. influenzae has evolved to express a number of factors that promote interaction with human epithelial cells. Our current understanding of H. influenzae type b and nontypable H. influenzae adhesins is reviewed in this report. In addition, models are proposed for the interrelationship of these molecules.
Antisense knockdown of calcium-dependent K+ channels in developing cerebellar Purkinje neurons.

Normal developmental upregulation of KCa channel activity in cultured rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons was selectively inhibited by antisense oligonucleotide sequence (3 μM) targeted against the rslo transcript. The knockdown was specific; delayed rectifier and apamin-sensitive K+ channel abundances in Purkinje neurons were not affected by rslo antisense. Sense oligonucleotides (3 μM), used as a control, had no effect on channel abundance. Quantitative morphometric analyses of anti-calbindin-labeled Purkinje neurons showed no differences between neurons in control, sense and antisense treatment groups, and confirmed that the presence of the added oligonucleotide in the sense and antisense treatment conditions had no discernable toxic effects on neuronal health, for which neurite outgrowth is a sensitive indicator. These results confirm the identification of the developmentally regulated KCa channel as the product of the gene rslo in cerebellar Purkinje neurons.
Managing Distance Education for Success

By 2006, the distance education industry is predicted to be well beyond $33.6 billion (Merit Education, 2003). As with most markets, one of the keys to taking advantage of this growing market is customer satisfaction. Therefore, the greater the student satisfaction in a distance pro-gram, the more likely that program will be successful. This article identifies five key components of satisfaction for distance education programs. First, a viable list of potential indicators for student satisfaction is developed from the previous research that compares traditional education environments to distance education environments. A questionnaire was developed using these variables and administered to 341 distance students. The results revealed five constructs for student satisfaction in a distance education program (Martz & Reddy, 2005). Using these factors as guidance, this paper extends those findings to provide some operational and administrative implications.
Motion near total collapse in the planar isosceles three-body problem

We describe in detail the qualitative behavior of solutions of the planar isosceles problem which come close to triple collision. Using a method of McGehee, one may describe a neighborhood of triple collision for any mass ratios. For sufficiently small mass ratios, we exhibit infinitely many distinct periodic and collision/ejection solutions of this problem.
Effect of Ibuprofen on Masking Endodontic Diagnosis

Abstract Introduction An accurate diagnosis is of upmost importance before initiating endodontic treatment; yet, there are occasions when the practitioner cannot reproduce the patient's chief complaint because the patient has become asymptomatic. Ibuprofen taken beforehand may “mask” or eliminate the patient's symptoms. In fact, 64%–83% of patients with dental pain take analgesics before seeing a dentist. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible “masking” effect of ibuprofen on endodontic diagnostic tests. Methods Forty-two patients with endodontic pain underwent testing (cold, percussion, palpation, and bite force measurement) and then received either placebo or 800 mg ibuprofen. Both patients and operators were blinded to the medication received. One hour later, diagnostic testing was repeated and compared with pretreatment testing. Results Ibuprofen affected testing values for vital teeth by masking palpation 40%, percussion 25%, and cold 25% on affected teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis and symptomatic apical periodontitis. There was no observed masking effect in the placebo group on palpation, percussion, or cold values. When nonvital teeth were included, the masking effect of ibuprofen was decreased. However, little masking occurred with the bite force measurement differences. Conclusions Analgesics taken before the dental appointment can affect endodontic diagnostic testing results. Bite force measurements can assist in identifying the offending tooth in cases in which analgesics “mask” the endodontic diagnosis
Assessing punitiveness among college students: A comparison of criminal justice majors with other majors∗

This paper examines attitudes toward punishment among a purposive sample of college students in the Northeast. The hypothesis that attitudes toward criminal sanctioning held by criminal justice majors are more punitive than those held by other majors was supported. Evidence of the effect of education as a tempering agent was found among grade levels. A multiple regression analysis revealed significant predictors of increased punitiveness among the entire sample. Possible reasons for differences in punitiveness among majors are offered and the practical and pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed.
Supervisory Training Programmes in Major US Corporations

The structure of the American corporation is currently changing from one with many middle managers providing the link between upper management and first‐line supervisors to one with few middle managers. A study of the content of supervisory training programmes in light of the changing role and expectations from first‐line management in Fortune 500 companies identifies whether or not corporate training programmes reinforce the technical skills used in performing the traditional supervisory reponsibilities or go beyond these functions, developing interpersonal/interactive and conceptual skills as well. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey of the highest ranking corporate training officers of the Fortune 500 companies, with 155 responses. The most common training topic is performance evaluation (92 per cent), followed by the principles of effective delegation (90 per cent), developing listening skills (83 per cent), improving leadership effectiveness (80 per cent), and how to encourage and obtain subordinate participation in decision making (74 per cent). Almost 70 per cent of companies identified the following as most representative: how to make the work environment conducive to self‐motivation, how to improve quality of the product, how to ensure that established goals are perceived as realistic and relevant by the employees, how to assign specific duties to employees and assisting employees to understand their role in relation to overall company objectives. Most organisations are using their basic supervisory programmes to build employee commitment to the company, to modify employee behaviour and to obtain greater employee involvement. These all indicate company support of collaborative management style. However, in‐depth analysis of the specific contents of the training progammes reveals at least two‐thirds of the companies attempt to reach their goals by providing training in more specific technical skills rather than interpersonal and conceptual skills.
Re-evaluation of the relative potency of synthetic and natural α-tocopherol: experimental and clinical observations

Nutritionists generally consider all-rac-alpha-tocopherol and RRR-alpha-tocopherol equivalent in vitamin E activity but disagree whether equivalency requires a dosage ratio of 1.36:1 or 2:1. In contrast, we hypothesize that all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopherols are not equivalent in any dosage ratio. Previous observations that all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopherols are distributed and eliminated via saturable and stereospecific pathways imply that their relative bioavailability varies with the saturation of these pathways and therefore varies with dosage. Indeed, previous studies observed that the relative bioavailability of all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopherols varies between tissues as well as with dose, time after dosing, and duration of dosing. This non-constant relative bioavailability predicts non-constant relative activity (i.e., non-parallel dose-concentration curves predict non-parallel dose-effect curves). Non-constant relative bioavailability suggests that a fixed dosage ratio of all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopherols cannot produce a fixed ratio of effects on all processes in all tissues at all times after all dosages. However, previous studies suggest that all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopherols have equivalent effects (parallel dose-effect curves) in vitamin E-deficient animals and non-vitamin E-deficient humans. We re-evaluate the data from these animal studies and find non-parallel dose-effect and concentration-effect curves. We discuss pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic reasons why previous studies in non-vitamin E-deficient humans did not find non-parallel dose-effect curves for all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopherols. We note that saturable elimination predicts that all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopherols might inhibit and/or induce elimination of other compounds (including 30-40% of prescription drugs) eliminated via the same saturable pathways, and stereospecific elimination predicts that all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopherol have non-parallel dose-effect curves for these interactions.
West Nile Virus Infection of Drosophila melanogaster Induces a Protective RNAi Response

To determine if West Nile virus (WNV) infection of insect cells induces a protective RNAi response, Drosophila melanogaster S2 and Aedes albopictus C6/36 cells were infected with WNV, and the production of WNV-homologous small RNAs was assayed as an indicator of RNAi induction. A distinct population of approximately 25 nt WNV-homologous small RNAs was detected in infected S2 cells but not C6/36 cells. RNAi knockdown of Argonaute 2 in S2 cells resulted in slightly increased susceptibility to WNV infection, suggesting that some WNV-homologous small RNAs produced in infected S2 cells are functional small interfering RNAs. WNV was shown to infect adult D. melanogaster, and adult flies containing mutations in each of four different RNAi genes (Argonaute 2, spindle-E, piwi, and Dicer-2) were significantly more susceptible to WNV infection than wildtype flies. These results combined with the analysis of WNV infection of S2 and C6/36 cells support the conclusion that WNV infection of D. melanogaster, but perhaps not Ae. albopictus, induces a protective RNAi response.
Peeling Mode Capacitive Pressure Sensor for Sub-KPA Pressure Measurements

Capacitive pressure sensors measure changes in pressure typically by the deflection of a flexible conducting membrane towards a fixed electrode. The deflection in the membrane produces a quadratic change in capacitance, which often yields higher sensitivity to changes in pressure compared to piezo-resistive pressure sensors, which measures the resistance changes proportional to the applied pressure. However, residual stresses in the membrane can provide a substantial resistance to deformation compared to the driving force created by the applied pressure, which decreases the sensitivity at low pressures and produces a nonlinear signal. If the membrane is made compliant enough to increase sensivitiy, pull-in of the membrane can occur, reducing the effective pressure range of the capacitive manometer type pressure sensor. Hence, these type of sensors are typically not used to measure very low pressure differences over several hundred Pascals. To overcome this limitation, a capacitive pressure sensor was developed that operates in a peeling mode while under applied electrostatic actuation, which counters the residual stresses. The changes in capacitance can be detected if the pressure is just enough to overcome the interfacial electrostatic pressure. This type of pressure sensor can potentially be used for very low differential pressure differences, well below 100 Pa, over ~ 1 kPa range.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The Church as societas perfecta in the schemata of Vatican I

Over the course of a century, the self-understanding of the Roman Catholic Church has undergone a dramatic change, as seen, for example, in the contrasting ecclesiologies of the last two ecumenical councils. The following juxtaposition of representative texts from Vatican I and Vatican II reveals this radical shift.
Mental health services utilization and driving violations.

AbstractObjective. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between the past utilization of four mental health services (i.e. ever been seen by a psychiatrist, ever been in a psychiatric hospital, ever been in counseling, ever been on psychotropic medication) and different types of driving citations during one's lifetime. Methods. Using a consecutive, cross-sectional, primary care sample, we surveyed participants about their past use of four mental health services and lifetime incidence of 29 different types of driving citations (charges, not convictions). Results. The total number of different types of moving violations was statistically significantly related to a history of psychiatric hospitalization. The total number of different types of non-moving violations was statistically significantly related to all mental health services variables. Conclusions. In this study, general non-specific queries about the past utilization of mental health services were correlated wi...
Plug & execute framework for network traffic generation

Evaluating IDS algorithms and systems is often an ad-hoc process and makes it hard to compare evaluation results and performance of IDS systems. There is a need for divers and realistic test traffic and for developing metrics to be able to judge whether some generated traffic is a representative sample of observed traffic. In this paper, the authors propose a framework for a network traffic generator which creates diverse traffic through a variety of traffic sources and describe a working implementation of it. The lessons learned from this experience can serve as the basis to create a detailed specification for an open-source implementation of the framework.
Variation in Fitness among Geographically Isolated Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Populations

Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is a major pest of potatoes in North America, Europe, and parts of Asia. It adapts quickly to adverse environments, thereby limiting the longevity of control strategies. Better understanding of variability among geographically isolated populations of this insect might create an opportunity to customize control techniques for local conditions. We investigated insecticide resistance, heat tolerance, and growth potential in six beetle populations collected from different locations in the United States. Significant differences were detected in insecticide resistance, egg mass size, and egg hatchability among the tested populations. Large egg mass size appeared to be offset by lower egg hatchability. We also observed a female-biased sex ratio at least in one of the strains. Population growth rates were different among the strains, but this parameter was not correlated to insecticide resistance. This suggests that using allopatric populations in comparative studies of insecticide resistance might result in confusing effects of geographic isolation with the effects of selection toward resistance.
Mechanisms and function of intercellular calcium signaling

Intercellular Ca2+ waves initiated by mechanical or chemical stimuli propagate between cells via gap junctions. The ability of a wide diversity of cells to display intercellular Ca2+ waves suggests that these Ca2+ waves may represent a general mechanism by which cells communicate. Although Ca2+ may permeate gap junctions, the intercellular movement of Ca2+ is not essential for the propagation of Ca2+ waves. The messenger that moves from one cell to the next through gap junctions appears to be IP3 and a regenerative mechanism for IP3 may be required to effect multicellular communication. Extracellularly mediated Ca2+ signaling also exists and this could be employed to supplement or replace gap junctional communication. The function of intercellular Ca2+ waves may be the coordination of cooperative cellular responses to local stimuli.
SERUM PROTEIN BINDING OF SALICYLATE DURING PREGNANCY

Drug-protein interaction is of major importance in modulating drug distribution and action in the intact organism. Drug binding to serum proteins in the gravid female is of special interest because of physiological changes during pregnancy which may influence drug activity in the primary host and in the developing fetus. A detailed investigation of salicylate binding to serum albumin during pregnancy was undertaken since aspirin is universally ingested by the pregnant woman and has been implicated as having adverse effects upon the fetus. Serum was obtained from 51 patients taken at their routine examinations during pregnancy and categorized into trimesters. Equilibrium dialysis was performed at 4°C utilizing varying concentrations of sodium salicylate C14 with 1 ml of serum. The apparent association constant (k′) of the albumin-salicylate interaction was determined from the construction of Scatchard plots from the data. The mean k′ values for 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters are 3.2, 2.8 and 2.6 × 105M−1 respectively with one mole of salicylate bound at the primary site. These results indicate that there is a decrease in the binding affinity of salicylate for serum albumin as pregnancy progresses. The increased concentrations of free unbound salicylate present during pregnancy would be readily available to diffuse across the placenta and effect the fetus as well as act upon host receptors. The change in binding affinity may result from competitive or allosteric binding by endogenous compounds.
Measurement of Thin Filament Lengths by Distributed Deconvolution Analysis of Fluorescence Images

The lengths of the actin (thin) filaments in sarcomeres directly influence the physiological properties of striated muscle. Although electron microscopy techniques provide the highest precision and accuracy for measuring thin filament lengths, significant obstacles limit their widespread use. Here, we describe distributed deconvolution, a fluorescence-based method that determines the location of specific thin filament components such as tropomodulin (Tmod) or probes such as phallacidin (a phalloidin derivative). Using Tmod and phallacidin fluorescence, we were able to determine the thin filament lengths of isolated chicken pectoralis major myofibrils with an accuracy and precision comparable to electron microscopy. Additionally, phallacidin fluorescence intensity at the Z line provided information about the width of Z lines. Furthermore, we detected significant variations in thin filaments lengths among individual myofibrils from chicken posterior latissimus dorsai and embryonic chick cardiac myocytes, suggesting that a ruler molecule (e.g., nebulin) does not strictly determine thin filament lengths in these muscles. This versatile method is applicable to myofibrils in living cells that exhibit significant variation in sarcomere lengths, and only requires a fluorescence microscope and a CCD camera.
Bidirectional modulation of visual plasticity by cholinergic receptor subtypes in the frog optic tectum

Cholinergic input to the optic tectum is necessary for visual map maintenance. To understand why, we examined the effects of activation of the different cholinergic receptor subtypes in tectal brain slices and determined whether the retinotectal map was affected by manipulations of their activity in vivo. Both α-bungarotoxin sensitive and insensitive nicotinic receptor agonists increased spontaneous postsynaptic currents (sPSCs) in a subpopulation of patch-clamped tectal cells; application of subtype selective receptor antagonists reduced nicotine-induced increases in sPSCs. Activation of α-bungarotoxin insensitive nicotinic receptors also induced substantial inward current in some cells. Muscarinic receptor mediated outward current responses were blocked by the M2-like muscarinic receptor antagonists himbacine or AF-DX 384 and mimicked by application of the M2-like agonist oxotremorine. A less frequently observed muscarinic response involving a change in sPSC frequency appeared to be mediated by M1-like muscarinic receptors. In separate experiments, pharmacological manipulation of cholinergic receptor subtype activation led to changes in the activity-dependent visual map created in the tectum by retinal ganglion cell terminals. Chronic exposure of the tectum to either α-bungarotoxin insensitive, α-bungarotoxin sensitive or M1-like receptor antagonists resulted in map disruption. However, treatment with the M2-like receptor antagonist, AF-DX 384, compressed the map. We conclude that nicotinic or M1-like muscarinic receptors control input to tectal cells while α-bungarotoxin insensitive nicotinic receptors and M2-like muscarinic receptors change tectal cell responses to that input. Blockade of the different cholinergic receptor subtypes can have opposing effects on map topography that are consistent with expected effects on tectal cell activity levels.
Hypoxia-induced phenotypic switch of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts through a matrix metalloproteinase 2/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-mediated pathway: implications for venous neointimal hyperplasia in hemodialysis access.

Purpose Hemodialysis grafts fail because of venous neointimal hyperplasia formation caused by adventitial fibroblasts that have become myofibroblasts (ie, α–smooth muscle actin [SMA]–positive cells) and migrate to the neointima. There is increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)–1α in venous neointimal hyperplasia formation in experimental animal models and clinical samples. It was hypothesized that, under hypoxic stimulus (ie, HIF-1α), fibroblasts will convert to myofibroblasts through a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)–2–mediated pathway. Materials and Methods Murine AKR-2B fibroblasts were made hypoxic or normoxic for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Protein expression for HIF-1α, α-SMA, MMP-2, MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)–1, and TIMP-2 was performed to determine the kinetic changes of these proteins. Immunostaining for α-SMA, collagen, and fibronectin was performed. Results At all time points, there was significantly increased expression of HIF-1α in the hypoxic fibroblasts compared with normoxic fibroblasts ( P P P P Conclusions Under hypoxic conditions, fibroblasts will convert to myofibroblasts through an MMP-2–mediated pathway, which may provide insight into the mechanism of venous neointimal hyperplasia.
Histogenesis of the lymphomyeloid complex in the larval leopard frog, Rana pipiens.

A histological study was undertaken of the differentiation of the lymphomyeloid complex of larvae of the common leopard frog, Rana pipiens, reared at 18–21 °C. Immature lymphocytes are first recognised in the thymus and pronephros at stage I of Taylor and Kollros ('46). By the end of stage II, small lymphocytes are regularly found among the predominant larger lymphoid cells in the thymus, in which corticomedullary differentiation has begun. At this time, a few small lymphocytes are also apparent in the ventral cavity bodies, lymph gland, pronephros, mesonephros and intestine, but rarely occur in the spleen. During stages III and IV extensive development of these components of the lymphomyeloid complex occurs. The organs now contain large numbers of mature lymphocytes and have attained states of differentiation that remain essentially similar in subsequent larval stages. By stage V, small epithelium-associated lymphoid accumulations are abundant throughout the length of the gastrointestinal tract. The anlagen of the procoracoid body and bone marrow appear just prior to metamorphosis. The kidneys are the main sites of blood formation in the larva. Masses of granulocytes are also usually found in the abundant ventral cavity bodies. A consideration of the roles of each of the organs provides insight into the ontogeny of the immune system of the Anura in general.
What does it mean to be ‘amyloid-positive’?

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Independent information from cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-β and florbetapir imaging in Alzheimer’s disease’ by Mattsson et al. (10.1093/brain/awu367). Studies of fluid and imaging biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease have contributed greatly to our understanding of disease pathobiology, and in so doing have fuelled a paradigm shift in the conceptualization of Alzheimer’s disease as a chronic condition characterized by a long (∼10–20 year) preclinical phase during which hallmark pathologies develop, before the appearance of cognitive symptoms (dementia) clinically defined as Alzheimer’s disease. Revisions in diagnostic criteria to incorporate biomarker results have recently been proposed (Dubois et al. , 2010; Albert et al. , 2011; McKhann et al. , 2011; Sperling et al. , 2011) in order to increase confidence in identifying Alzheimer’s disease as the underlying aetiology of a clinical impairment and to permit a diagnosis across the disease continuum, eventually perhaps in the asymptomatic period. Biomarkers are currently being used in clinical trials for participant enrolment, evaluation of target engagement and as outcome measures (Hampel et al. , 2011). Thus, validation of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers is of critical importance. In this issue of Brain , Mattsson and colleagues (2015) evaluate and compare two amyloid-related biomarkers—CSF levels of amyloid-β42 (the primary component of amyloid plaques) versus amyloid imaging via PET with florbetapir (AMYViD™), a radiolabelled tracer approved by the US Federal Drug Administration in 2012 for the detection of brain amyloid—in their ability to predict clinical diagnosis and other measures and features of Alzheimer’s disease (Mattsson et al. , 2015). Importantly, while the study confirms the previously reported diagnostic and prognostic utility of these two markers, the data expand upon previous results by exploring the discordance of these two measures in a large research cohort that spans the range of Alzheimer’s disease stages, …
Transient Space-Charge-Limited Currents in Photoconductor-Dielectric Structures: A Comment

The calculation presented in an earlier paper is refined to include closed-form solutions for integrals of the exponential integral that were treated numerically in the original work. This allows us to demonstrate the equivalence of our results to those of Many and Rakavy for the limiting case of direct electrode contact to the photoconductor (no dielectric present).
The Origin of Life in a Cosmic Context

The significance of examinations of the planets and their satellites, asteroids, comets and the interplanetary medium for the origin of life is assessed. It appears that the deprovincialization of biology must await the search for extraterrestrial life.
Interactions of phytochrome and exogenous gibberellic acid on germination of Lamium amplexicaule L. seeds

In henbit (Lamium amplexicaule L.) seeds, micromolar levels of gibberellic acid (GA3) introduced at the onset of imbibition markedly stimulated germination. Sensitivity to GA3 stimulation is rapidly lost if the seeds are pretreated in darkness at 15° for 1 day or more on a water substrate. Loss in responsiveness to GA3 is hastened by pretreatment in far-red or by dark pretreatment at higher (25°) temperatures and is reduced by pretreatments at 5°. A portion of the lost responsiveness to GA3 at 15° or higher is attributable to onset of a secondary dormancy, but the results of far-red treatment at 5°, where secondary dormancy is not a factor, clearly indicate that some phytochrome in the far-red absorbing form increased the effectiveness of gibberellic acid action.
A note on comparing response times in the M/GI/1/FB and M/GI/1/PS queues

We compare the overall mean response time (a.k.a. sojourn time) of the processor sharing (PS) and feedback (FB) queues under an M/GI/1 system. We show that FB outperforms PS under service distributions having decreasing failure rates; whereas PS outperforms FB under service distributions having increasing failure rates.
Dietary Energy, Sex, Strain, and Storage as Influencing Composition and/or Palatability of Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys

Abstract REPORTS from this station by Carlson et al. (1956 (1957) showed that, for growing turkeys over 12 weeks of age, diets varying in energy content had little or no effect upon palatability of roasted halves. Carcasses from groups of turkeys fed high energy diets were somewhat fatter than those fed low energy diets. However, growth on the lower energy diets was exceeded by that on the higher energy diets only from 20 weeks of age to market size. The turkeys on the lower energy feeds compensated for the lower energy content by an increased feed intake and thus maintained a fairly rapid rate of growth. There were no differences in palatability scores of roasted halves for flavor, tenderness, or juiciness before or after six months storage at 0°F. Fat peroxide levels also showed no differences. Hens showed lower scores for juiciness than toms and hens also showed a decline in …
Synthesis, Properties, and Reactivity of Diketiminate-Supported Cobalt Fluoride Complexes

Reaction of the three-coordinate cobalt(II) methyl complex LtBuCoCH3 (LtBu = bulky β-diketiminate ligand) with (CH3)3SnF gives an interesting trimetallic complex, [LtBuCo(μ-F)2]2Sn(CH3)2 (1). Magne...
An Analytical Approach to Environmental Radiation Measurements

Environmental radiation measurements have been made and the results reported for the past 15 years. These measurements have included both the neutron and gamma contribution to the environment due to Laboratory operations. In order to determine these values an understanding of the natural environmental radiation must be known. The techniques for measuring environmental gamma radiation have been improved upon during this time and the latest instrumentation and interpretation methods commonly used at this laboratory are reported. Not only is the natural radiation dose rate important but the isotopes responsible need to be identified for a complete understanding of the observed radiation. The techniques for this determination are described.
Optimal monetary rules under persistent shocks

Abstract The tug-o-war for supremacy between inflation targeting and monetary targeting is a classic, yet timely topic, in monetary economics. In this paper, we revisit this issue within the context of a pure-exchange, overlapping generations model in which spatial separation and random relocation create an endogenous demand for money. We study AR(1) shocks to both real output and the real interest rate. Irrespective of the nature of the shocks, the optimal inflation target is always positive. Under monetary targeting, shocks to output necessitate negative money growth rates; for shocks to real interest rates, money growth rates may be either positive or negative depending on the elasticity of consumption substitution. Also, for output shocks, monetary targeting welfare-dominates inflation targeting but the gap between the two vanishes as the shock process approaches a random walk. In sharp contrast, for shocks to the real interest rate, we prove that monetary targeting and inflation targeting are welfare-equivalent only in the limit as the shocks become i.i.d. The upshot is that persistence of the underlying fundamental uncertainty matters: depending on the nature of the shock, policy responses need to be either more or less aggressive as persistence increases.
Duality relating spaces of algebraic cocycles and cycles

Abstract In this paper a fundamental duality is established between algebraic cycles and algebraic cocycles on a smooth projective variety. The proof makes use of a new Chow moving lemma for families. If X is a smooth projective variety of dimension n, our duality map induces isomorphisms LsHk(X) → Ln − sH2n − k(X) for 2s ⩽ k which carry over via natural transformations to the Poincare duality isomorphism Hk(X; Z) → H2n − k(X; Z). More generally, for smooth projective varieties X and Y the natural graphing homomorphism sending algebraic cocycles on X with values in Y to algebraic cycles on the product X × Y is a weak homotopy equivalence. The main results have a wide variety of applications. Among these are the determination of the homotopy type of certain algebraic mapping complexes and a computation of the group of algebraic s-cocycles modulo algebraic equivalence on a smooth projective variety.