cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations Between Adolescent Depression and Self-Harm Behaviors and Screen Media Use in a Nationally Representative Time-Diary Study

Screen media use is associated with mental health problems among adolescents. However, few studies have examined screen media use using contemporaneous time diaries (rather than retrospective reports), compared associations across specific screen media activities or by gender, or examined associations with self-harm behaviors. Participants were 13- to 15-year-old adolescents completing time diaries (n = 4,252) for one weekday and one weekend day in the 2015 administration of the Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative birth cohort study of UK adolescents. Participants also completed a measure of depressive symptoms and reported whether they had engaged in self-harm in the last year. Girls who spent 2 + hrs/day, compared to < 2 h/day, on digital media were more likely to self-harm (for social media use, adjusted relative risk [ARR] for self-harm = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.17, 1.82; for internet use, ARR = 1.80 [1.20, 2.70]). Girls spending more time on digital media were also more likely to be depressed (for social media, ARR = 1.29 [1.03, 1.63]; for internet use, ARR = 1.75 [1.19, 2.59]). Associations with gaming, texting/e-mailing, and TV/video watching among girls were mostly not significant. Associations for boys were mostly not significant. Girls who use digital media (especially social media and the internet) more hrs/day are more likely to have clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms and prior history of self-harm, though gaming, texting/e-mailing, and TV/video watching showed few associations. Screen media use was mostly not significantly associated with self-harm or depression among boys.
Population and Public Health

So far in this book we’ve been looking at technologies and issues almost exclusively through the lens of the traditional one-patient-at-a-time approach to care delivery. It is likely that this will always be the primary focus of physicians in practice. However, a different approach is needed for patients who have multiple chronic diseases and for understanding the source and possible approaches to preventing disease across entire populations. Success in managing chronic disease requires engagement on a far more continuous basis than is possible under the traditional care model.
Kant and the purity of the ugly

Kant opens the “Analytic of the Beautiful” in the “Critique of the Aesthetic Power of Judgment” with the statement that “In order to decide whether or not something is beautiful, we do not relate the representation by means of understanding to the object for cognition, but rather relate it by means of the imagination (perhaps combined with the understanding) to the subject and its feeling of pleasure or displeasure” ( CPJ , §1, 5:203). Kant then argues that only a pleasure in objects that is independent from their merely sensory agreeableness or their prudential or moral goodness is the ground for an affirmative judgment of their beauty, so it seems plausible to suppose that he also means to assert that there is a distinctive displeasure, free of any displeasure in an object's sensory disagreeableness or prudential or moral badness, on which a negative but still purely aesthetic judgment that such an object is ugly rather than beautiful must be based. It might therefore seem that Kant's aesthetic theory must include an account of a purely aesthetic experience and judgment of ugliness as well as beauty.
Vagal and hormonal gut–brain communication: from satiation to satisfaction

Studying communication between the gut and the brain is as relevant and exciting as it has been since Pavlov's discoveries a century ago. Although the efferent limb of this communication has witnessed significant advances, it is the afferent, or sensory, limb that has recently made for exciting news. It is now clear that signals from the gut are crucial for the control of appetite and the regulation of energy balance, glucose homeostasis, and more. Ghrelin, discovered just a few years ago, is the first gut hormone that increases appetite, and it may be involved in eating disorders. The stable analogue of glucagon-like peptide-1 has rapidly advanced to one of the most promising treatment options for type-2 diabetes. Changes in the signalling patterns of these and other gut hormones best explain the remarkable capacity of gastric bypass surgery to lower food intake and excess body weight. Given the enormous societal implications of the obesity epidemic, these are no small feats. Together with the older gut hormone cholecystokinin and abundant vagal mechanosensors, the gut continuously sends information to the brain regarding the quality and quantity of ingested nutrients, not only important for satiation and meal termination, but also for the appetitive phase of ingestive behaviour and the patterning of meals within given environmental constraints. By acting not only on brainstem and hypothalamus, this stream of sensory information from the gut to the brain is in a position to generate a feeling of satisfaction and happiness as observed after a satiating meal and exploited in vagal afferent stimulation for depression.
Effect of raloxifene on the response to conjugated estrogen vaginal cream or nonhormonal moisturizers in postmenopausal vaginal atrophy

Abstract Objective To study the effect of raloxifene on the response to conjugated estrogen cream or nonhormonal moisturizer in postmenopausal women with preexisting signs of vaginal atrophy. Methods Postmenopausal women with preexisting and untreated vaginal atrophy were enrolled in this parallel, placebo-controlled, randomized study. A total of 187 women were randomized to four treatment groups: daily oral raloxifene (60 mg per day) or a placebo in a double-blind manner plus one application of conjugated estrogen cream (0.5 g) or one applicator full of nonhormonal moisturizer, open label. The conjugated estrogen cream or nonhormonal moisturizer was applied daily for the first 2 weeks, and then twice weekly thereafter for 3 months. Efficacy of treatment regimens on signs and symptoms of vaginal atrophy was evaluated by monitoring objective and subjective parameters. Results Signs and symptoms of vaginal atrophy improved in all four treatment groups. Raloxifene did not diminish the magnitude of improvement when administered with either vaginal preparation. Conjugated estrogen cream produced a statistically greater improvement in signs ( P Conclusion Postmenopausal women with evidence of preexisting vaginal atrophy may use either low-dose conjugated estrogen cream or nonhormonal moisturizer to treat the atrophy concurrently with raloxifene (60 mg per day).
SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF PRURITUS IN SEVERE CHOLESTASIS SYNDROMES WITH RIFAMPIN

Pruritus is, without a doubt, the most frequent and uncomfortable symptom of severe cholestasis. Its etiology and physiopathology are still unclear but are believed linked to bile salts. Therapy has traditionally consisted of administration of phenobarbitot, antihistamines, binding resins, plasmapheresis and emollients without reduction in symptoms. We report results of therapy with rifampin (an agent that reduces bile acid uptake) in a series of pediatric patients with severe cholestasis syndromes who had failed to respond to classic treatments (cholestyramine and phenobarbitol). Twenty one children, 11 mates in a group representative of all pediatric ages, (0-1 yr=5, 1-3 yrs=5, 3-6 yrs=5, and 6-17 yrs=6), with severe cholestasis and pruritus secondary to Biliary Atresia (11), Familial Cholestasis (3), Biliary Hypoplasia (2), Neonatal Hepatitis (2), Cystic Fibrosis (1), Hemangioendothelioma post-extensive resection (1) and Cholestasis of unknown etiology (1), were given a course of 5 mg/Kg/ day of Rifampin, orally. A net improvement, with disappearance of pruritus within 7 days of treatment, was observed in 50% of the patients. The rest of the patients improved, with decreased itch-severity scales (subjective parameters by parent or child), to the point of total control in all cases except one, within a range of 1-28 weeks of therapy. No change or deterioration of liver chemistries or synthetic function, blood counts, or choliglycine levels were observed during a period from 4 weeks to 2 years of therapy. No complications were recorded and the medication was well tolerated. Rifampin is a safe and effective drug to treat severe pruritus in cholestatic infants and children.
What Is Deviant About Deviant Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements in Schizophrenia

Smooth pursuit eye movements of schizophrenic, hospitalized nonpsychotic, and normal control subjects (18 per group) were measured in low and high target information conditions. A computer method for measuring saccade frequency and velocity was used. The results indicated that the frequency of saccades was significantly greater in both tracking conditions for schizophrenic than for hospitalized nonpsychotic or normal subjects. Consistent with our earlier finding, the reduction in saccade frequency with high information was greatest for schizophrenic subjects. The results also yielded a unique finding: the velocity of saccades within smooth pursuit records was significantly greater for schizophrenic than for hospitalized nonpsychotic or normal subjects. Greater saccade velocity was not a result of increased saccade size; there was no significant difference in the size of saccades for normal and schizophrenic subjects. Yet, the duration of saccades was significantly less for schizophrenics than for other subjects. Target information affected the frequency, duration and size, yet not the velocity of saccades emitted by all subjects. In contrast to earlier interpretations of deviant smooth pursuit eye movements in schizophrenia, the results may provide the first evidence of differences in the functioning of the saccadic eye movement systems of schizophrenic and normal subjects.
Quantitative x-ray differential-interference-contrast microscopy with independently adjustable bias and shear

We present a quantitative x-ray phase imaging method that can be readily implemented on existing x-ray microscopy facilities. This technique utilizes Fresnel zone plates both as imaging optical elements for magnification and as second-order grating structures for phase-shifting interferometry. By making high-resolution quantitative x-ray phase information widely available, we expect this work to have significant impact on nanoscale biological and material studies.
Effects of protein availability on resting or induced activities of enzymes in the tyrosine oxidase system.

Abstract 1. 1. Depletion of available exogenous protein results in decreases in the activities of liver tyrosine oxidation and liver p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate oxidation without a concomitant decrease in the oxidation of homogentisic acid. 2. 2. The depression in overall oxidation rates of tyrosine or p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate is due to reductions in the activities of tyrosine-α-ketoglutarate transaminase and p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate oxidase. The latter enzyme appears to be nearly twice as sensitive to protein restriction. 3. 3. Induction of tyrosine-α-ketoglutarate transaminase either by injection of tyrosine or hydrocortisone acetate is sensitive to restricted protein. Tyrosine induction is more sensitive to protein supply than is hydrocortisone induction. 4. 4. All of the above changes are reversible by restoring the original supply of exogenous protein.
Integration sites of foreign genes in the chromosome of coliphage P1: A finer resolution

Abstract Several foreign genetic elements have been united with the chromosome of coliphage P1 in the cat-gene 2 chromosomal region. Chromosomes of the resultant specialized transducing derivatives Pldlac, Pldcatsulstr, Plcat, and PlargF have been compared with that of coliphage Pl by cleavage analysis, using the Eco·Rl restriction endonuclease. There is an Eco·Rl susceptible site separating the loci of integration of argF and cat from those of lac and catsulstr. It is confirmed that the Pldlac chromosome is much too large to be encapsidated genetically intact in Pl virions.
Synthesis of Testosterone and 5α-Androstanediols during Nutritionally Stimulated Gonadal Growth inLytechinus variegatusLamarck (Echinodermata:Echinoidea)

Although sex steroids and steroid converting enzymes have been found in echinoids, the relationship between steroids and reproduction has not been demonstrated. On days 0, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 48 of feeding, the gonads of previously starvedLytechinus variegatuswere excised and incubated with [3H]androstenedione for 0.5 h to determine if changes in steroidogenic capacity are correlated with gonadal growth. Total rates of androstenedione conversion in the testes and ovaries increased significantly during feeding. In addition, the types and relative quantities of metabolites synthesized varied, suggesting that androstenedione metabolism is influenced by nutritional status. Both testes and ovaries synthesized testosterone, 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol, and 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol (5α-adiols), 5α-androstanedione, epiandrosterone, and androsterone on all days of feeding. In the testes, the relative quantities of testosterone and 5α-adiols increased greatly on day 4 of feeding. In contrast, in the ovaries testosterone synthesis was not detectable on day 4, although the relative quantities of 5α-adiols increased threefold. The sex-specific changes in the synthesis of these metabolites reflect a shift in the metabolic pathway indicated by changes in the relative enzyme activity indices for 5α-reductase (5α-R) (necessary for the synthesis of 5α-reduced androgens) and 3α/β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3α/β-HSDs, necessary for the synthesis of 3α- or 3β-hydroxylated androgens). In both testes and ovaries the relative activities of 5α-R and 3α/β-HSD increased on day 4 of feeding. The physiological significance of changes in androstenedione metabolism may be associated with the initiation of biosynthetic processes associated with gametogenesis.
Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis deoxyribonucleic acid in monkey models (Macaca nemestrina) of salpingitis by in situ hybridization: implications for pathogenesis.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether Chlamydia trachomatis persists in tubal tissues from monkey pocket models of chlamydial salpingitis and tubal infertility and to relate its presence to disease progression and histopathologic mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN: In situ hybridization was used to detect Chlamydia deoxyribonucleic acid in a monkey pocket model of salpingitis and in the direct tubal inoculation monkey model of tubal infertility. Results were correlated with culture and immunocytochemistry results and histopathologic characteristics. RESULTS: Chlamydia deoxyribonucleic acid was detected in the mucosa, submucosa, and deep tissues in the pocket model. In addition, it was present in peritubal adhesions from the direct inoculation model. Deoxyribonucleic acid was found at sites of inflammation and when culture and immunocytochemistry studies were negative. CONCLUSION: The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis deoxyribonucleic acid at sites of inflammation and tissue damage in monkey models of chlamydial salpingitis and tubal infertility suggests that Chlamydia persists and may be directly involved in the stimulation of the immune-mediated tissue destruction associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infections.
Neurologic events in neonates treated surgically for congenital heart disease

The incidence of acute neurologic events prior to discharge in neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD) was determined and peri-operative characteristics predictive of a neurologic event were identified. A retrospective chart review over 1 year was conducted of infants <1 month of age with a diagnosis of CHD. Outcomes were measured by the occurrence of an acute neurologic event defined as electroencephalogram (EEG)-proven seizure activity, significant hypertonia or hypotonia, or choreoathetosis prior to hospital discharge. Stepwise logistic regression identified variables most likely to be associated with an acute neurologic event. Surgical intervention occurred in 95 infants who were admitted with a diagnosis of CHD. The survival rate was 92%. Of the survivors, 16 (17%) had an acute neurologic event, with 19% of events occurring preoperatively. Factors associated with neurologic events included an elevated nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) count, an abnormal preoperative brain imaging study, and a 5-min Apgar score <7 (P<0.05). Neonates with CHD have a significant risk of neurologic events. Preoperative brain imaging, the 5-min Apgar score, and initial serum NRBC counts may identify infants at highest risk for central nervous system injury.
Early Hominids--Diversity or Distortion?

Recent years have seen the discovery of numerous new hominid species, and the hominid evolutionary tree is now commonly drawn as a complex bush. In his Perspective, White raises a cautionary note, arguing that some fossils may be so distorted that assignment to a new species is premature. Furthermore, natural variation among species must be taken into consideration. The author concludes that it is too early to say whether many more hominid lineages are waiting to be found and recognized in Africa, or whether just a few hominid species expanded their ranges and invaded new habitats.
GRIP: scalable 3D global routing using integer programming

We propose GRIP, a scalable global routing technique via Integer Programming (IP). GRIP optimizes wirelength and via cost without going through a layer assignment phase. GRIP selects the route for each net from a set of candidate routes that are generated based on an estimate of congestion generated by a linear programming pricing phase. To achieve scalability, the original IP is decomposed into smaller ones corresponding to balanced rectangular subregions on the chip. We introduce the concept of a floating terminal for a net, which allows flexibility to route long nets going through multiple subregions. We also use the IP to plan the routing of long nets, detouring them from congested subregions. For ISPD 2007 benchmarks, we obtain 3.9% and 11.3% average improvement in wirelength and via cost for the 2D and 3D versions respectively, compared to the best results reported in the open literature.
Étude expérimentale du Nombre de Dépassements d'un Seuil par une Fonction aléatoire et Application à la Détection des Signaux

After some theoretical recalls, we perform an experimental study of some statistical properties of random variables, i.e., the number of times a level is crossed in a positive direction by a random stationary gaussian function (later, with the addition of a sinusoidal signal). The performance of a signal detection system by means of counting the number of times a level is crossed by the input function is then derived.
185 HIGH-THROUGHPUT PROTEOMIC ASSESSMENT OF FROZEN–THAWED BOAR SPERMATOZOA

Cryopreservation is a tool of choice for seedstock constitution of genetically superior males. Its successful application in swine AI industries is limited because of the poor freezability of boar semen. Indeed, a subset of boars exists that can be successfully frozen–thawed for AI, whereas another group appears highly cryosusceptible, and therefore unusable for long-term semen storage. The reasons for such differences are unknown, and the full characterisation of the protein composition of boar spermatozoa will help determine potential cryosensitive proteins. Here, we performed high-throughput proteomic analyses of boar spermatozoa and compared the proteome profiles of ‘good’ and ‘poor’ freezer boars. Eight commercially proven fertile boars were selected based on conception rates after AI using fresh semen. Semen from 3 independent ejaculations was collected from 4 good and 4 poor freezer boars and frozen in 5-mL straws for the study. Frozen–thawed semen was diluted in the thawing solution and centrifuged through a discontinuous Percoll gradient (90/45) to remove seminal plasma, freezing extender, somatic cells, and dead sperm cells. Purified motile spermatozoa were washed 3 times with cold PBS and pooled in pellets of 3 × 108 spermatozoa per boar. Protein samples were digested with trypsin and prepared for LC-MS/MS analysis. Peptides yielding probability scores lower than 0.05 were subjected to protein identification, and the significance of differentially expressed protein was fixed at P < 0.05. More than 3000 proteins were identified in each group of spermatozoa. Proportions of 63 and 61% total proteins were exclusively detected in good and poor freezer boars, respectively. Many of the identified proteins were related to different cellular compartments and important molecular mechanisms related to sperm function, such as cell death regulation, macromolecule metabolism, and energy-related pathways. Approximately 5% of total proteins, representing 163 to 182 individual proteins, were detected at higher levels in both semen groups. Half of these highly abundant proteins were differentially expressed between good and poor freezer boars. Only 8 appeared partially annotated and 11 were predicted. The remaining list of fully annotated proteins included candidates such as transferrin, albumin, and fascin3, which were significantly (P < 0.05) abundant in good freezer boars, and outer dense fibre (ODF) 2, protamine (PRM) 2, and calmodulin (CALM) 1, which were significantly (P < 0.05) abundant in poor freezer boars. Overall, the results indicate that boar spermatozoa contain large amount of proteins whose susceptibility to cryopreservation and implications for sperm function are still to be characterised. Our findings are particularly important for 1) the search for potential biomarkers of semen freezability, and 2) improvement of semen freezing-thawing extenders for boars and other species with similar issues. Funded by USDA-ARS Special Initiative No. 58-6402-3-0120 and Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station.
Migration of mast cells in the developing rat brain.

Abstract Mast cells are known to derive from the bone marrow and enter the tissues as immature cells which differentiate under local microenvironmental factors. However, it has not been known how and when these cells enter the brain; moreover, the localization of mast cells in the developing rat brain differs from that of the adult animal. Our anatomical and morphological observations showed that during late embryonic stages and the first 11 days after birth, rat brain mast cells were exclusively concentrated within the pia mater surrounding the diencephalon, the choroid fissure and within the choroid plexus. Histochemically, these cells contained only a few toluidine blue metachromatic granules, suggesting a ‘mucosal’ phenotype and the absence of heparin. Later, during a transitional phase from postnatal day 11 to 13, these cells migrated along blood vessels of the fimbria, the hippocampus and the penetrating vessels of the thalamus into the dorsolateral and posterolateral thalamic nuclei. These cells contained more metachromatic granules, and from day 13 on, they assumed their adult perivascular localization within the thalamus with numerous metachromatic granules similar to those described for mature thalamic and serosal mast cells.
Pulsed EPR Studies of Nonexchangeable Protons near the Mo(V) Center of Sulfite Oxidase: Direct Detection of the α-Proton of the Coordinated Cysteinyl Residue and Structural Implications for the Active Site

Pulsed electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectra of nonexchangeable protons in the vicinity of the Mo(V) center of the high pH (hpH) and low pH (lpH) forms of native chicken liver sulfite o...
Economics and the architecture of popular music

Abstract A simple supply and demand framework is developed to study the time-series pattern of music. Changes in the internal structure of successful songs, it will be argued, are tied to market forces. An extensive data set has been developed to enable the investigation of a large number of issues in this spirit. The analysis proceeds by first asking a basic question: Has the structure of music changed in these 50 years? We discover major regime changes in the mid 1950s and again in the mid 1960s that generally conform to intuition. The analysis then turns to specify a system of demand and supply equations to explain the patterns in popular music over the sample period.
Percutaneous radiologic, surgical endoscopic, and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy/gastrojejunostomy: comparative study and cost analysis.

Purpose: To compare the results and costs of three different means of achieving direct percutaneous gastroenteric access.
Attitudes About the Value of Steelhead and Salmon Angling

Abstract Factor analysis of attitudes held by steelhead (Salmo gairdneri) and salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) anglers revealed at least five factors that determine the value of angling. While steelhead and salmon anglers differed, they generally negatively evaluated three factors dealing with the economic benefits from angling. These were personal economic well-being, professionalism, and general economic well-being. Two positively evaluated factors related to pleasure and identity. Angler pleasure and identity, however, were not associated strongly with the quantity caught. High catch-and-effort steelhead and salmon anglers did not differ significantly from low-catch anglers having comparable levels of effort on either pleasure or identity measures.
DNA Replication Catalyzed by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Proteins Reveals Trombone Loops at the Fork

Using purified replication factors encoded by herpes simplex virus type 1 and a 70-base minicircle template, we obtained robust DNA synthesis with leading strand products of >20,000 nucleotides and lagging strand fragments from 600 to 9,000 nucleotides as seen by alkaline gel electrophoresis. ICP8 was crucial for the synthesis on both strands. Visualization of the deproteinized products using electron microscopy revealed long, linear dsDNAs, and in 87%, one end, presumably the end with the 70-base circle, was single-stranded. The remaining 13% had multiple single-stranded segments separated by dsDNA segments 500 to 1,000 nucleotides in length located at one end. These features are diagnostic of the trombone mechanism of replication. Indeed, when the products were examined with the replication proteins bound, a dsDNA loop was frequently associated with the replication complex located at one end of the replicated DNA. Furthermore, the frequency of loops correlated with the fraction of DNA undergoing Okazaki fragment synthesis.
Neonatal lupus erythematosus.

The infant of a mother with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developed an extensive cutaneous eruption at 5 weeks of age. Biopsy findings were consistent with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE). Splenomegaly, anemia, neutropenia, and depressed total hemolytic complement levels were additional findings. The course was benign, and all manifestations disappeared by 4 months of age. Fifty-two previously reported infants with cutaneous lesions, congenital atrioventricular heart block, or hematologic manifestations of neonatal LE are reviewed.
OMPHALOCEPHALY IN CHICK EMBRYOS AS A RESULT OF DELAY IN FROMATION OF THE ANTERIOR INTESTINAL PORTAL

This paper describes omphalocephaly in chick embryos surviving a mechanical insult in ovo. Under direct visualization, a portion of the right side of the endoderm/mesoderm layer of primitive-streak to early head-fold stage embryos was incised with a needle advanced through the yolk into the sub-blastodermal space. The 7-10 incisions were less than .05 mm in diameter. Among the 623 blastoderms re-incubated at 37°C, six omphalocephalic embryos survived to a total of 5-6 days incubation. In these embryos, most of the foregut endoderm had failed to converge at the anterior intestinal portal. As a result, the foregut was shortened and the liver and lung diverticulae failed to develop or were abnormal because the endodermal anlagen had not converged nor met the corresponding organ-specific mesenchyme. The brain assumed its normal curvature, so that the prosencephalon and flanking paraxial mesoderm had herniated ventrally, covered with endodermal rather than ectodermal epithelium. The heart was abnormally positioned cephalic to the head; chambers, curvature and circulation were normal. Embryos sacrificed less than 24 hours after the procedure had developmental delay in formation of the gut in relation to the head fold. Although no counterpart of this syndrome has been described in humans, the study of omphalocephaly in chick embryos is helpful in highlighting the importance of normal sequence in differentiation of embryonic germ layers.
Zippering and intermeshing: Novel phase diagrams for interfaces and films.

New surface and layering phase diagrams are proposed based on generalized sine-Gordon models with and without a substrate potential. In particular, we find that the preroughening transition can be driven first order, explaining “zipper” features in heat capacity data for argon and krypton on graphite substrates. For different parameters, we predict the existence of a novel variant of den Nijs' disordered flat phase with spontaneously broken particle-hole symmetry and continuously varying surface height with an accompanying intermeshing layering phase diagram. The restricted solid-on-solid model displays zippering for sufficiently large second neighbor coupling.
Regional variation in aortic AT1b receptor mRNA abundance is associated with contractility but unrelated to atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysms.

Background Angiotensin II (AngII), the main bioactive peptide of the renin angiotensin system, exerts most of its biological actions through stimulation of AngII type 1 (AT1) receptors. This receptor is expressed as 2 structurally similar subtypes in rodents, termed AT1a and AT1b. Although AT1a receptors have been studied comprehensively, roles of AT1b receptors in the aorta have not been defined.
Measurement of particulate matter from diesel engine exhaust using a tapered element oscillating microbalance

Acquisition of real-time particulate matter (PM) data is proposed by the use of a Rupprecht and Patashnick Company, Inc Series 110 diesel particulate monitor tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) mass measuring device. The objectives of using a TEOM diesel particulate analyser were to validate its collection capability and evaluate its real-time transient characteristics. Conventional PM measured using dilute diesel exhaust filtration was used as the base line for evaluating the TEOM collection capability. Real-time mass rate data were separated into positive and negative values, then integrated over the duration of the test. The integrated positive mass was divided by the integrated negative mass to create a ratio that is indicative of real PM collected versus moisture released from the filter. Tests were performed on heavy-duty diesel engines on a stationary dynamometer using the US Heavy Duty Federal Test Procedure speed and load cycle. TEOM sample tube temperatures at 35 degrees C yielded the best TEOM-conventional PM filtration mass ratio. However, as sample path temperatures decreased, a decrease in the positive-negative mass ratio occurred. A compromise between conventional filter agreement and real-time data was made in selecting the temperature set point of 40 degrees C as the most desirable sampling temperature. The sample flow rate was varied from one to four litres per minute. A comparison of the TEOM with a conventional filter decreased as the TEOM flow increased. The 1 l/min set point provided the best TEOM-conventional filtration ratio. The positive-negative mass ratio increased as flow decreased. The flow-rate of 3 l/min was chosen to be a compromise between the TEOM-conventional filtration mass ratio and real-time results. The best TEOM-conventional filtration ratio measured was 0.97. The best set of test results was a three-test averaged TEOM-conventional filtration ratio of 0.92 with a coefficient of variance of 0.15 per cent. (A)
Cardiometabolic Disease in Human Immunodeficiency Virus‐Infected Children

Cardiometabolic problems in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have recently begun to emerge as distinct clinical problems that require monitoring and often intervention. The cardiometabolic issues that face HIV-infected children include high rates of unfavorable lipid profiles, insulin resistance, cardiovascular inflammation, and vascular stiffness as well as the phenotypic features of truncal adiposity and facial/extremity wasting. Children differ from adults in that many have been exposed to both HIV and antiretroviral therapies even before birth. The future risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes is poorly defined yet warrants close tracking because a number of risk factors are present in early childhood. Preventive care and interventions that include surveillance of nutrition and body composition, dietary counseling, exercise programs, and drug therapy should be considered standard care for all HIV-infected children.
Endodontic Treatment Outcomes in a Large Patient Population in the USA: An Epidemiological Study

Outcome assessment of endodontic treatment is critical for appropriate case selection and treatment planning. However, reports on outcomes of nonsurgical endodontic treatment vary considerably. Epidemiological studies done in a large patient population and over a long follow-up period can provide the clinician with useful tools for clinical decision-making and assessment of tooth prognosis. In this study, outcomes of initial endodontic treatment done in 1,462,936 teeth of 1,126,288 patients from 50 states across the USA was assessed over a period of 8 yr. Treatment was done by private general practitioners and endodontists participating in the Delta Dental Insurance plan that insures approximately 14 million individuals in the USA. Overall, 97% of teeth were retained in the oral cavity 8 yr after initial nonsurgical endodontic treatment. The combined incidence of untoward events such as retreatments, apical surgeries, and extractions was 3% and occurred mostly within 3 yr from completion of treatment. Analysis of the extracted teeth revealed that 85% had no full coronal coverage. A significant difference was found between covered and noncovered teeth for all tooth groups tested (p < 0.001). In conclusion, it appears that initial nonsurgical endodontic treatment is a predictable procedure with high incidence of tooth retention after 8 yr.
Effects of intra-amniotic meconium exposure on the fetal rat: development of a pathogenic model.

Objective: To develop an in vivo animal model for the study of the effects of intrauterine meconium exposure on the fetus. Methods: Timed pregnant Long-Evans rats
Genetic polymorphism of G6PD in a Bulgarian population.

Considerable genetic heterogeneity in G6PD was found in the Bulgarian population-14 G6PD variants isolated from 117 hemizygous carriers of G6PD deficiency. Of these, G6PD Mediterranean type was a polymorphic variant and G6PD Corinth occured with high frequency. Two new variants were identified-G6PD Rudosem and G6PD Nedelino. In a selected group of 78 subjects with clinical manifestations, four variants were established: G6PD Mediterranian, G6PD Corinth, G6PD Seattle and G6PD Ohut II.
The curriculum change process: Participants, strategies, and tactics

This investigation focuses on the participants, strategies, and tactics involved in the curriculum change process in higher education. Using the exploratory case study approach in three accredited graduate schools of business, the study identifies and describes the roles of two groups of participants: internals, (faculty, administration, students), and externals (trustees, alumni, community leaders, unions). Two basic strategies, the empirical rational and the power coercive, are found to be important approaches to curriculum change. A typology of factors is used to describe the specific methods used to implement (or resist) curriculum change. It was expected that the participants, strategies, and tactics involved in the curriculum change process in graduate schools of business would be unique. The findings suggest that strategies and tactics employed in higher education are quite similar to those employed in other organizations with respect to the process of change.
Multiparent configuration interaction calculations of low-lying states of O22+

Abstract Multiparent configuration interaction calculations of potential curves are reported for several low-lying electronic states of O 2 2+ . The electronic energies, bond lengths, and frequencies of harmonic vibrations are given. The results do not support the recent assignment of oxygen luminescence to the O 2 2+ , B 3 Π g →A 3 Σ u + transition.
Methane Emissions and Growth of Spartina patens in Response to Soil Redox Intensity

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the influence of soil redox intensity (Eh) on the growth, root porosity (POR), radial O₂ loss, and CH₄ production, oxidation, and emission in Spartina patens (Aiton) Muhlenb. (salt meadow cordgrass). Plants were grown for 50 d in a Mississippi alluvial soil (silty-clay loam, Typic Fluvaquent) under controlled Eh values of 200, −200, and −300 mV. Plant growth decreased with increase in Eh intensity. Root dry weights decreased by 37% and shoot dry weights by 25% between the soil redox intensity treatments of 200 and −300 mV. Root air space formation was enhanced by a decrease in Eh up to about 30 d when further development appeared to cease and levelled off in all the redox treatments. Methane production was generally enhanced by the intensity of reduction. Plant-mediated emissions were commensurate with production levels but were influenced by plant related factors, especially POR. No differences (P < 0.05) existed between emissions in light and in the dark, which suggests a lack of stomatal influence on CH₄ emissions from S. patens. Plant-mediated CH₄ oxidation was higher at −200 mV than at −300 mV by a factor of 16%. Results of this study demonstrate how soil redox intensity initiates physiological changes in S. patens, which in turn modulates the gas transport in the plant. Although the experimental conditions do not represent the natural environment, the results provide a theoretical understanding of the influence of soil redox intensity on the growth, CH₄ production, and gas exchange in S. patens.
EXCESS FREE ENERGY APPROACH TO THE ESTIMATION OF SOLUBILITY IN MIXED SOLVENT SYSTEMS III: ETHANOL PROPYLENE GLYCOL WATER MIXTURES

The reduced three-suffix solubility equation derived from the Wohl excess free energy expression is used to describe the solubility of phenobarbital in propylene glycol-water, ethanol-propylene glycol, and ethanol-water-propylene glycol mixtures and the solubility of hydrocortisone in propylene glycol-water mixtures. Solvent-solvent interaction constants were obtained by fitting total vapor pressure versus composition data, obtained at 25 +/- 0.1 degrees C, to the Wohl excess free energy model for the solvents. The equation describes solubility in these systems satisfactorily except for phenobarbital in ethanol-propylene glycol, where the solubility is fairly high and assumptions involved in the derivation of the equation do not hold.
Effect of roentgen irradiation upon protein absorption in the mouse.

SummaryThe rate of protein absorption by normal mice has been measured using radioiodinated human serum albumin as a trace protein. No change in this rate could be shown after whole body X-irradiation of the mice although a change in tone and motility of the gastrointestinal tract was noted. So absorption of unhydrolyzed protein could be demonstrated.
Cortical somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in cases of Alzheimer's disease and senile Dementia of the Alzheimer type

Abstract The activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the concentration of somatostatin-like immunoreactive material (SLI) have been measured in 8 brain regions from 12 normal individuals and 12 cases of presenile and senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. ChAT activity was significantly lower in all 8 brain regions of demented patients and the SLI concentration was significantly reduced in 7 of the 8. There were correlations between the extent of the reductions of ChAT activity and SLI concentration in four brain regions, and a greater reduction of parietal cortex SLI in younger patients than in the more elderly.
Latino Immigrants at the Polls: Foreign-born Voter Turnout in the 2002 Election

Research on voting and elections has generally found that Latino foreign-born citizens turnout to vote at lower rates than native-born Latinos as well as non-Latinos. Primarily as the result of lower levels of education, income, and English language skills, immigrant voters have demonstrated low levels of political participation. In addition, naturalized Latinos are rarely, if ever, the target of voter mobilization drives, further decreasing their likelihood to turnout. However, with extensive mobilization drives targeting naturalized voters in California in 2002, and low levels of political interest among the general electorate, higher rates of turnout among the foreign-born are anticipated. Probit models predicting turnout are explored here and the results reveal that in California in 2002, for the first time, Latino immigrant voters were significantly more likely to vote than were the native-born Latinos.
Simulating Decreased Visual Acuity With a Contact Lens System

We use a soft contact lens with a central depression into which a hard contact lens can be fitted to simulate conditions that cause decreased visual acuity. This ‘piggyback' system can simulate central scotoma, various peripheral field defects, and opacities of the media.
Thin film voltammetry of metabolic enzymes in rat liver microsomes

Abstract We report herein thin film voltammetry and kinetics of electron transfer for redox proteins in rat liver microsomes for the first time. Films were made layer-by-layer from liver microsomes and polycations on pyrolytic graphite electrodes. Cyclic voltammograms were chemically reversible with a midpoint potential of −0.48 V vs SCE at 0.1 V s−1 in pH 7.0 phosphate buffer. Reduction peak potentials shifted negative at higher scan rates, and oxidation–reduction peak current ratios were ∼1 consistent with non-ideal quasireversible thin film voltammetry. Analysis of oxidation–reduction peak separations gave an average apparent surface electron transfer rate constant of 30 s−1. Absence of significant electrocatalytic reduction of O2 or H2O2 and lack of shift in midpoint potential when CO is added that indicates lack of an iron heme cofactor suggest that peaks can be attributed to oxidoreductases present in the microsomes rather than cytochrome P450 enzymes.
The in vitro synthesis and processing of the branched-chain amino acid binding proteins

The synthesis of the leucine-specific and LIV-binding proteins was examined in vitro in a coupled transcription/translation system using the hybrid plasmids pOX7 and pOX13 as templates. Plasmid pOX7 contains the livK gene coding for the leucine-specific binding protein and pOX13 contains the livJ gene coding for the LIV-binding protein. Both binding proteins were synthesized in vitro as precursor forms with molecular weights approximately 2,500 greater than their respective mature forms. Conversion of the precursor forms to their mature forms occurred during post-translational incubation following synthesis in the presence of membrane. The precursor of the LIV-binding protein was processed more rapidly than the leucine-specific binding protein precursor. Processing activity could be removed from the in vitro synthesis system by centrifugation, suggesting that the processing activity was membrane associated. Restoration of post-translational processing activity was achieved by adding inside-out membrane vesicles to membrane-depleted reaction mixtures.
Structural Basis for Autoactivation of Human Mst2 Kinase and Its Regulation by RASSF5

The tumor-suppressive Hippo pathway controls tissue homeostasis through balancing cell proliferation and apoptosis. Activation of the kinases Mst1 and Mst2 (Mst1/2) is a key upstream event in this pathway and remains poorly understood. Mst1/2 and their critical regulators RASSFs contain Salvador/RASSF1A/Hippo (SARAH) domains that can homo- and heterodimerize. Here, we report the crystal structures of human Mst2 alone and bound to RASSF5. Mst2 undergoes activation through transautophosphorylation at its activation loop, which requires SARAH-mediated homodimerization. RASSF5 disrupts Mst2 homodimer and blocks Mst2 autoactivation. Binding of RASSF5 to already activated Mst2, however, does not inhibit its kinase activity. Thus, RASSF5 can act as an inhibitor or a potential positive regulator of Mst2, depending on whether it binds to Mst2 before or after activation-loop phosphorylation. We propose that these temporally sensitive functions of RASSFs enable the Hippo pathway to respond to and integrate diverse cellular signals.
Controls of vasopressin secretion and thirst: similarities and dissimilarities in signals.

Abstract Rats have two prominent responses to dehydration: secretion of the antidiuretic hormone, vasopressin (VP), and thirst. Many signals directly affect both responses. These include two excitatory signals associated with increased plasma osmolality (pOsm) and two inhibitory signals associated with decreased pOsm (one each from cerebral and visceral osmoreceptors). In addition, both VP secretion and thirst during hypovolemia are stimulated by at least two signals, one neural (from cardiac baroreceptors) and one humoral (i.e., angiotensin II). In contrast to these evident similarities, there are definite dissimilarities in the signals for VP secretion and thirst. For example, acute hypervolemia inhibits VP secretion but not thirst, whereas acute hypertension inhibits thirst but not VP secretion. Thirst and VP secretion in rats each are stimulated by acute arterial hypotension, albeit not by the same signals; water intake is mediated by activation of the renin–angiotensin system but not by a neural signal from arterial baroreceptors, whereas the reverse may be true for the stimulation of VP secretion. These dissimilarities indicate that VP secretion and thirst in rats are neither invariably linked nor controlled by the same mechanisms.
A Study of R&D, Collaboration, and Location Preferences of Health and Agricultural Biotech Firms

The biotechnology industry is now a top priority of state and regional economic development organizations. Existing geographic research focuses on what motivates the development of regional clusters of biotechnology firms in the area of human therapeutics and diagnostics. However, the biotechnology industry is segmented into broad subsectors, such as health and agricultural biotech, and each sector has different types of firms. The purpose of this paper is to characterize firm-specific differences that exist between health and agricultural biotechnology firms. Specifically, we use a survey instrument to understand how firms in each sector perceive and use different forms of collaboration and location factors in their operations. Although firms in each sector may pursue similar goals and support for innovation, they do not necessarily do so in the same fashion. By treating agricultural and health biotechnology sectors separately, we offer new evidence to reevaluate theories explaining regional biotechnolog...