cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolic and functional impairment of CD8+ T cells from the lungs of influenza-infected obese mice

Obesity is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality in response to influenza infection. However, the underlying mechanisms by which obesity impairs immunity are unclear. Herein, we investigated the effects of diet-induced obesity on pulmonary CD8+ T cell metabolism, cytokine production, and transcriptome as a potential mechanism of impairment during influenza virus infection in mice. Male C57BL/6J lean and obese mice were infected with sub-lethal mouse-adapted A/PR/8/34 influenza virus, generating a pulmonary anti-viral and inflammatory response. Extracellular metabolic flux analyses revealed pulmonary CD8+ T cells from obese mice, compared with lean controls, had suppressed oxidative and glycolytic metabolism at day 10 post-infection. Flow cytometry showed the impairment in pulmonary CD8+ T cell metabolism with obesity was independent of changes in glucose or fatty acid uptake, but concomitant with decreased CD8+ GrB+ IFNγ+ populations. Notably, the percent of pulmonary effector CD8+ GrB+ IFNγ+ T cells at day 10 post-infection correlated positively with total CD8+ basal extracellular acidification rate and basal oxygen consumption rate. Finally, next-generation RNA sequencing revealed complex and unique transcriptional regulation of sorted effector pulmonary CD8+ CD44+ T cells from obese mice compared to lean mice following influenza infection. Collectively, the data suggest diet-induced obesity increases influenza virus pathogenesis, in part, through CD8+ T cell-mediated metabolic reprogramming and impaired effector CD8+ T cell function.
Potential to Mitigate Disparities in Access to Kidney Transplant in the Hispanic/Latino Population With a Specialized Clinic: Single Center Study Representing Single State Data.

ABSTRACT Background We sought to evaluate potential disparities in kidney transplant rates in a single state in the United States. We studied the potential to mitigate disparities with a specialized clinic using it as a model presentation. Methods Based on data from the United States Renal Data System and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, we estimated the yearly end-stage renal disease and waitlist addition, stratified by race/ethnicity from 2000 to 2018. Institution rates were analyzed similarly, and the implementation of a focused Latino clinic was evaluated. Results The number of patients added to the national transplant waitlist has increased by 40% in non-Latino whites and by 160% in Latinos from 2000 to 2017. Comparing the period from 2000 to 2004 to 2015 to 2018 in North Carolina, the waitlist increased for Latino patients by 482% and non-Latino whites by 23%. One year after a designated Latino transplant clinic at our institution, there was a 125% increase in the number of Latino referrals for kidney transplant evaluation, a 142% increase in the number of waitlisted Latino patients, and an increase in kidney transplants of 145%. Conclusion With the increasing number of patients in the Latino community who are diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, there is a direct benefit for a culturally competent program that addresses access to transplants.
Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction: From Chemical Paleogenetics to Maximum Likelihood Algorithms and Beyond

As both a computational and an experimental endeavor, ancestral sequence reconstruction remains a timely and important technique. Modern approaches to conduct ancestral sequence reconstruction for proteins are built upon a conceptual framework from journal founder Emile Zuckerkandl. On top of this, work on maximum likelihood phylogenetics published in Journal of Molecular Evolution in 1996 was one of the first approaches for generating maximum likelihood ancestral sequences of proteins. From its computational history, future model development needs as well as potential applications in areas as diverse as computational systems biology, molecular community ecology, infectious disease therapeutics and other biomedical applications, and biotechnology are discussed. From its past in this journal, there is a bright future for ancestral sequence reconstruction in the field of evolutionary biology.
Recognizing Novice Learner's Modeling Behaviors.

Modeling is an important aspect of scientific problem-solving. However, modeling is a difficult cognitive process for novice learners in part due to the high dimensionality of the parameter search space. This work investigates 50 college students’ parameter search behaviors in the context of ecological modeling. The study revealed important differences in behaviors of successful and unsuccessful students in navigating the parameter space. These differences suggest opportunities for future development of adaptive cognitive scaffolds to support different classes of learners.
Currency Emergence in Absence of State Influence: The Case of Diablo II

This paper presents a case study of the emergence of currency from a barter economy, a process discussed theoretically by Menger (1892). In particular, we use this case study to attempt to adjudicate between chartalist and emergent theories of currency formation. Using the records of an online message board dedicated to facilitating trades within the game, we document the emergence of currency and its stability over time, and note that the environment lacks the sort of agent required to cause a currency to emerge in the chartalist theory.
Tactical EMS: an emerging opportunity in graduate medical education.

Objectives: Modification of traditional emergency medical services (EMS) principles and procedures for use in the tactical law enforcement setting is emerging as a subspecialty of emergency medicine. Few opportunities exist to train physicians in the principles of tactical medicine, and no studies demonstrate the effectiveness of physician-level training in tactical EMS. Methods: A standardized eight-hour CONTOMS (Counter Terrorism Operations Medical Support) Physician Awareness course was presented to a group of emergency physicians. The physicians completed an anonymous survey before and after the course, and again four months later. A five-point Likert scale (0-4) was utilized to measure knowledge and comfort levels among six areas specific to tactical EMS. Changes were measured from precourse scores. Results: Of 39 eligible physicans, 38 completed surveys before and 35 completed surveys after the course, while 16 returned four-month follow-up surveys. Mean scores rose in all areas specific to tactical...
On the Implementation of Manipulator Control

The design and implementation of a controller for a six-degree-off-freedom robot manipulator is presented. Two IBM Personal Computers were used to implement the preliminary scheme reported here where execution of programmed motion can be carried out in either point-to-point or straight line mode.
MEASUREMENT OF LEVEL OF BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS IN NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

The goal of this project was to develop a laboratory experience suitable for college students using nutritional supplements. An active ingredient in protein based nutritional supplements are the br...
Large-scale functional analysis using peptide or protein arrays

The array format for analyzing peptide and protein function offers an attractive experimental alternative to traditional library screens. Powerful new approaches have recently been described, ranging from synthetic peptide arrays to whole proteins expressed in living cells. Comprehensive sets of purified peptides and proteins permit high-throughput screening for discrete biochemical properties, whereas formats involving living cells facilitate large-scale genetic screening for novel biological activities. In the past year, three major genome-scale studies using yeast as a model organism have investigated different aspects of protein function, including biochemical activities, gene disruption phenotypes, and protein-protein interactions. Such studies show that protein arrays can be used to examine in parallel the functions of thousands of proteins previously known only by their DNA sequence.
An anesthesiologist in Liberia: my experience with Doctors Without Borders.

In September 2005, I departed for an 8-week mission in Libe-ria with Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), a multinational medical humanitarian organization (Figure ​(Figure11). Liberia has suffered through nearly 20 years of civil wars and has little infrastructural or health care resources. Here I describe MSF and Liberia, the mission site, the practice of anesthesia, and the patients we treated. Figure 1 The author with Renita on the day of her discharge. Renita was a 9-year-old patient who came in with typhoid and intestinal rupture. She spent 4 months in the hospital and had numerous surgical procedures before she recovered enough to return home.
Power management for FPGAs: power-driven design partitioning

In order to enable efficient integration of FPGAs into cost effective and reliable high-performance systems as well potentially into low power mobile systems, their power efficiency needs to be improved. This paper proposes a power management scheme for FPGAs centered on the power-driven partitioning technique. Power-driven partitioner create clusters within the a design such that within individual clusters, power consumption can be improved via voltage scaling. The aim is to identify subgraphs/partitions in a design, such that the total power consumption is minimised while resource constraints associated with the partitioning problem are satisfied.
PM effectiveness as a high leverage output improvement methodology

Intel Corporation has typically increased factory output by either adding more bottleneck equipment and/or improving equipment utilization. Utilization improvements were achieved by improving availability while maintaining the same or lower gap between availability and utilization. Typical availability improvement projects would require hardware changes (e.g. faster robots, faster pumps) or process changes, both of which have some level of technology risks. Lower risks from procedural changes make it an attractive alternate path for improvements. The seed idea for this program came from another Intel Fab experience which showed that right after a scheduled PM, the unscheduled downtimes would, immediately following a PM, almost double the baseline preceding the PM. This pointed to an opportunity to understand the PM content and its relationships to the equipment reliability since the experience indicated that, during every PM some "damage" was being done to the equipment which subsequently caused the post-PM failures. Since most of the improvements came from "procedural" improvements, this methodology has the added benefits of being "low risk". The "Indy 500" Team was formed in response to the low reliability of a tool that was factory output constraints. The Team consisted of all technicians from all shifts to improve teamwork, communication and training.
Facultative parthenogenesis in a critically endangered wild vertebrate

Facultative parthenogenesis - the ability of sexually reproducing species to sometimes produce offspring asexually - is known from a wide range of ordinarily sexually reproducing vertebrates in captivity, including some birds, reptiles and sharks [1-3]. Despite this, free-living parthenogens have never been observed in any of these taxa in the wild, although two free-living snakes were recently discovered each gestating a single parthenogen - one copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and one cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) [1]. Vertebrate parthenogens are characterized as being of the homogametic sex (e.g., females in sharks, males in birds) and by having elevated homozygosity compared to their mother [1-3], which may reduce their viability [4]. Although it is unknown if either of the parthenogenetic snakes would have been carried to term or survived in the wild, facultative parthenogenesis might have adaptive significance [1]. If this is true, it is reasonable to hypothesize that parthenogenesis would be found most often at low population density, when females risk reproductive failure because finding mates is difficult [5]. Here, we document the first examples of viable parthenogens living in a normally sexually reproducing wild vertebrate, the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata). We also provide a simple approach to screen any microsatellite DNA database for parthenogens, which will enable hypothesis-driven research on the significance of vertebrate parthenogenesis in the wild.
Critical thinking in organizations

Purpose – This paper aims to review the history of critical thinking as a seminal and foundational skill for small groups. The paper shows that much of the team research focuses on the elementary functions of decision‐making processes, task fulfilment, and project management. Virtual teaming research adds some of the complexities introduced by working in and between cultures, across time zones and related difficulties in coordination and meaning‐making activities for the virtual team.Design/methodology/approach – The paper seeks to review the definitions of critical thinking, and review the literature relative to small group activities and the impacts and requirements of critical thinking for effective team functioning. The notion of reflective journaling is introduced as a way in which to introduce improved critical thinking into the organization at the level of the individual for performance organizational performance.Findings – The paper finds that critical thinking within teams will improve organizati...
Maximizing the Efficiency of the U.S. Liver Allocation System Through Region Design

Cadaveric liver transplantation is the only viable therapy for end-stage liver disease patients without a living donor. However, this type of transplantation is hindered in the United States by donor scarcity and rapid viability decay. Given these difficulties, the current U.S. liver allocation policy balances allocation likelihood and geographic proximity by allocating cadaveric livers hierarchically. We consider the problem of maximizing the efficiency of intraregional transplants through the redesign of liver allocation regions. We formulate the problem as a set partitioning problem that clusters organ procurement organizations into regions. We develop an estimate of viability-adjusted intraregional transplants to capture the trade-off between large and small regions. We utilize branch and price because the set partitioning formulation includes too many potential regions to handle explicitly. We formulate the pricing problem as a mixed-integer program and design a geographic-decomposition heuristic to generate promising columns quickly. Because the optimal solution depends on the design of geographic decomposition, we develop an iterative procedure that integrates branch and price with local search to alleviate this dependency. Finally, we present computational studies that show the benefit of region redesign and the efficacy of our solution approach. Our carefully calibrated test instances can be solved within a reasonable amount of time, and the resulting region designs yield a noticeable improvement over the current configuration.
Linguistic Human Rights of Asian Migrant Workers in South Korea

There are more than 400,000 legal or illegal immigrant workers in South Korea who are suffering from insecurity of their linguistic human rights (LHRs). The immigrant workers are trying to re-establish their identity through voicing their LHRs. However, Korean society seems not ready to recognise LHRs of immigrant workers. This article examines this issue with the perspective of ‘ecology of language’ [E. Haugen, ‘The Ecology of Language’, in A. Dil (ed.), The Ecology of Language: Essays by Einar Haugen (Stanford: Stanford University Press 1972)], which advocates the rights of minority groups and their LHRs as well as criticises the paradigm of ‘linguistic imperialism’. It also suggests for Korean society that securing LHRs can be a starting point for protecting human rights and preparing appropriate foreign language policy in the era of globalisation.
On the inconsistency of certain axioms on solution concepts for non-cooperative games

Abstract The mutual compatibility of four recently discussed axioms on solution concepts for extensive form games is explored. Two subsets of the axioms are shown to be inconsistent. Our results underline the importance of the information lost in moving from the extensive form to the normal (or agent-normal) form of a game.
Involvement with children and low-income fathers' psychological well-being

Low income men are at risk for depressive symptoms and reduced father involvement. Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 2,703), we examined reciprocal associations between father involvement and depressive symptoms, and the moderating effect of relationship quality, for resident and nonresident fathers. Higher father involvement was associated with lower depressive symptoms two years later across the full sample of fathers. However, nonresidence functioned as a risk; higher nonresident father involvement with toddlers was associated with greater depressive symptoms two years later. Greater resident father involvement with toddlers was associated with fewer depressive symptoms two years later in low quality couple relationships. Across the full sample, the association between depressive symptoms and lower involvement was weak.
Diarrhoea associated with ceftriaxone and its implications in paediatric patients.

The authors prospectively studied 50 pediatric patients (3 months-12 years) who received 50 mg/kg ceftriaxone intravenously over 20 minutes every 12 hours for 3-14 days. Diarrhea as defined by 4 bowel movements/day for 2 consecutive days occurred in 34% (17 of 50 patients). An additional 2 patients with diarrhea were excluded due tot he presence of enteroviruses. Diarrhea occurred after 2-14 (8.7 +or- 3.2) doses and persisted for 2-8 (3.1 +or- 1.7) days. The mean number of bowel movements was 1.2/day before diarrhea and 5.5/days during the period of diarrhea (p <0.001); the mean number of bowel movements was 1.2/day in 33 patients who did not develop diarrhea. The average time spent for diaper care was 3.8 minutes/day/patient before diarrhea compared with 14.8 minutes/day/patient during days of diarrhea (p <0.001). 2 patients were evaluated for Clostridium difficile and findings were negative. 15 of 17 with diarrhea and 8 of 33 without diarrhea required care for diaper rash. Ceftriaxone therapy was not discontinued in any patient. These data should be considered in patients who receive ceftriaxone therapy. (authors)
Heritability of lumbar trabecular bone mechanical properties in baboons

Genetic effects on mechanical properties have been demonstrated in rodents, but not confirmed in primates. Our aim was to quantify the proportion of variation in vertebral trabecular bone mechanical properties that is due to the effects of genes. L3 vertebrae were collected from 110 females and 46 male baboons (6-32 years old) from a single extended pedigree. Cranio-caudally oriented trabecular bone cores were scanned with microCT then tested in monotonic compression to determine apparent ultimate stress, modulus, and toughness. Age and sex effects and heritability (h(2)) were assessed using maximum likelihood-based variance components methods. Additive effects of genes on residual trait variance were significant for ultimate stress (h(2)=0.58), toughness (h(2)=0.64), and BV/TV (h(2)=0.55). When BV/TV was accounted for, the residual variance in ultimate stress accounted for by the additive effects of genes was no longer significant. Toughness, however, showed evidence of a non-BV/TV-related genetic effect. Overall, maximum stress and modulus show strong genetic effects that are nearly entirely due to bone volume. Toughness shows strong genetic effects related to bone volume and shows additional genetic effects (accounting for 10% of the total trait variance) that are independent of bone volume. These results support continued use of bone volume as a focal trait to identify genes related to skeletal fragility, but also show that other focal traits related to toughness and variation in the organic component of bone matrix will enhance our ability to find additional genes that are particularly relevant to fatigue-related fractures.
Behavioral responses of western corn rootworm larvae to volatile semiochemicals from corn seedlings

Corn seedling volatiles collected cryogenically are highly attractive to western corn rootworm larvae,Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), in a laboratory bioassay. Carbon dioxide is known as an attractant for western corn rootworm larvae, and the amount of carbon dioxide in the cryogenic collections was measured with an infrared gas analyzer. In a choice test between a source containing carbon dioxide alone and a source containing corn seedling volatiles with an equal amount of carbon dioxide (verified by infrared gas analysis), western corn rootworm larvae chose the corn volatile source significantly more often than the side with carbon dioxide alone. This indicates that carbon dioxide is only one of the volatiles from corn seedlings that is behaviorally important and that other compounds of behavioral importance are present as well.
Publishing in Library Journals

Summaries are given of papers of the Library and Information Literature Membership Initiative Group (LIL'MIG) at the 1982 American Library Association Conference in Philadelphia. Matters dealt with include: reasons for publishing, the mechanics of getting published, editing and refereeing and author-publisher protocol.
Toward an Integrative Analysis of the Tumor Microenvironment in Ovarian Epithelial Carcinoma

Ovarian epithelial carcinomas are heterogeneous malignancies exhibiting great diversity in histological phenotypes as well as genetic and epigenetic aberrations. A general early event in tumorigenesis is regional dissemination into the peritoneal cavity. Initial spread to the peritoneum is made possible by cooperative signaling between a wide array of molecules constituting the tissue microenvironment in the coelomic epithelium. Changes in the activity of key microenvironmental components not constitutively expressed in normal tissue, including several disclosed adhesion molecules, growth factors, proteases, and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), coordinate the transition. Remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and subsequent cell surface interactions enable transformation by promoting chromosomal instability (CIN) and stimulating several common signal transduction cascades to prepare the tissue for harboring and facilitating growth, angiogenesis and metastasis of the developing tumor.
How real is 'real enough'?: designing artifacts and procedures for embodied simulations of science practices

In this paper we describe AquaRoom, a classroom-based spatial simulation of subterranean water flow. Beginning with the conceit that their classroom is a small town, students are asked to determine the topography and directional flow of a series of aquifers running beneath the town. Over the course of six sessions, students work in groups to enact a "dye tracing" method, using a variety of metaphorical procedures and "low fidelity" electronic and physical artifacts to simulate drilling, injection of dye tracers, and extraction and analysis of water samples, combining their data to construct an aggregate map.Outcomes of a pilot study based on observation and post-intervention surveys and interviews provide support for the adequacy of the activity design and artifacts in supporting the collaborative investigation, and in situating students within the virtual domain of hydrology. Students found the low-fidelity artifacts useful in supporting the activity, even in cases where they (correctly) discounted their functional need.
Experts practice what they preach: A descriptive study of best and normative practices in end-of-life discussions.

Background Advance directives (ADs) are widely regarded as the best available mechanism to ensure that patients' wishes about medical treatment at the end of life are respected. However, observational studies suggest that these discussions often fail to meet their stated goals. Objectives To explore best practices by describing what physicians who are considered expert in the area of end of-life bioethics or medical communication do when discussing ADs with their patients and to explore the ways in which best practices of the expert group might differ in content or style from normative practice derived from primary care physicians' discussions of ADs with their patients collected as part of an earlier study. Design Nonexperimental, descriptive study of audiotaped discussions. Setting Outpatient primary care practices in the United States. Participants Eighteen internists who have published articles in the areas of bioethics or communication and 48 of their patients. Fifty-six academic internists and 56 of their established patients in 5 practice sites in 2 locations—Durham, NC, and Pittsburgh, Pa. Eligible patients were at least 65 years old or suffered from serious medical illness and had not previously discussed ADs with their physician. Expert clinicians had discretion regarding patient selection, while the internists chose patients according to a predetermined protocol. Measurements Coders applied the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) to audiotapes of the medical visits to describe communication dynamics. In addition, the audiotapes were scored on 21 items reflecting physician performance in specific skills related to AD discussions. Results Experts spent close to twice as much time (14.7 vs 8.1 minutes, P P P P P P P P Conclusions Best practices as reflected in the performance of expert physicians reflect differences in measures of communication style and in specific AD-related proficiencies. Physician training in ADs must be broad enough to include both of these domains.
Novel silane compounds as electrolyte solvents for Li-ion batteries

Abstract Novel silane compounds such as {2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy} trimethylsilane (1), bis{2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}dimethylsilane (2), {3-[2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy]-propyl}trimethylsilane (3) and {[2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy]-methyl} trimethylsilane (4) have been synthesized and used as non-aqueous electrolyte solvents in lithium-ion batteries. These silane molecules can easily dissolve most lithium salts including lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB), LiPF6, LiBF4, and lithium trifluoromethylsulfonimide. The LiBOB salt was found to be very appropriate for these silane molecules because, unlike LiPF6, LiBOB can provide a good passivation film on a graphite anode. Cyclic voltammetry analyses show that silane-based electrolytes with a 0.8 M LiBOB salt concentration are stable to 4.4 V; they also exhibit very high lithium-ion conductivities up to 1.29 × 10−3 S/cm at room temperature. Full cell performance tests with LiNi0.08Co0.15Al0.05O2 as the positive electrode and MCMB graphite as the negative electrode have shown excellent cyclability both at room temperature and at 40 °C. Cells with these new silane electrolytes exhibit long calendar life; they show no impedance rise after aging at 80% state of charge and 55 °C for one year. The results suggest that silane-based electrolytes have great potential for use in lithium-ion batteries.
Bone conduction as a means of acoustic input control: the effects of middle ear muscle contractions.

Abstract Contractions of the middle ear muscles were elicited by electrical stimulation of the facial and trigeminal nerves in anesthetized cats. The effects of these contractions on cochlear microphonic responses to air-and bone-conduction stimuli were examined. Contractions producing attenuation of air-conduction responses similar to that observe under physiological conditions also produced marked changes in bone-conduction responses. It is concluded that bone conduction does not provide a means of acoustic input control which effectively eliminates middle ear muscle effects.
Silicon nanophotonic mid-IR optical modulator

We demonstrate the first mid-IR silicon nanophotonic modulator, with a bitrate of 3Gbps. Our results show that similar design methodologies can be applied to silicon mid-IR active devices as for telecom devices.
Multinational production, exports and aggregate productivity

Abstract This paper presents and estimates a dynamic model of multinational production (MP) and exports with heterogeneous firms. The model highlights the interaction between firms' location and export decisions and their effect on aggregate productivity. The model is structurally estimated using firm-level Indonesian manufacturing data. The results are broadly consistent with the pattern of productivity, exports and MP across firms. Counterfactual experiments suggest that there are substantial productivity gains due to international trade and MP. The implied changes in steady state real wages, however, are relatively small. The experiments emphasize that the nature of firm-level trade and MP interactions are crucial to determining the aggregate effects of trade and foreign direct investment policy.
4-Chloro­aceto­phenone [1-(4-methoxyphenyl)­ethyl­idene]­hydra­zone

The crystal structure of the title mixed azine, C17H17ClN2O, contains four independent mol­ecules, A–D, and mol­ecule B is disordered. All four mol­ecules have an N—N gauche conformation, with C—N—N—C torsion angles of 136.5 (4), 137.0 (4), −134.7 (4) and −134.7 (4)°, respectively. The phenyl rings are also somewhat twisted with respect to the plane defined by Cipso and the imine bond. On average, the combined effect of these twists results in an angle of 64.7° between the best planes of the two phenyl rings. Arene–arene double T-contacts are the dominant intermolecular inter­action. The methoxy-substituted phenyl ring of one azine mol­ecule interacts to form a T-contact with the methoxy-substituted phenyl ring of an adjacent mol­ecule and, similarly, two chloro-substituted phenyl rings of neighboring mol­ecules interact to form another T-contact. The only exception is for mol­ecule B, for which the disorder leads to the formation of T-­contacts between methoxy- and chloro-substituted phenyl rings. The prevailing structural motif of T-contact formation between like-substituted arene rings results in a highly dipole-parallel-aligned crystal structure.
Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History – By John Patrick Diggins

This work is a creative attempt to rescue Reagan from both liberal critics and conservative ideologues that does not quite work. John Patrick Diggins regards Reagan as “one of the most inspiring po...
Independence of effects of septal ablations on water intake and response inhibition

Bilateral lesions in the septal area of rats were found to independently increase water intake and operant responding for water on a DRL reinforcement schedule. These findings indicate that separate mechanisms for regulating appetitive consumatory behavior and response inhibition are present in the septal area.
Chargeback and maturity of IS use

Abstract A survey of IS executives was conducted to assess their use of chargeback systems and the maturity of IS management and use. The majority of respondents reported the use of some form of chargeback system that recovered the costs of providing IS services. Findings indicate a positive relationship between sophisticated chargeback systems and most measures of maturity of IS management and use. However, a significant negative relationship was found between level of chargeback and measures of strategic use of IS.
Recognition of patient referral desires in an academic managed care plan frequency, determinants, and outcomes.

The role of many primary care physicians (PCPs) has altered in recent years in concert with market-driven changes in health care. For example, in many managed care systems, PCPs act as gatekeepers responsible for authorizing access to specialty, emergency, and hospital care.1 Authorization of access to specialty care has important implications for health care utilization, expenditures, and PCP function. On one hand, specialty referrals are often associated with significant economic implications and do not always improve outcome.1–6 On the other hand, patients have a relatively high degree of desire for specialist referral,7–12 and PCP failure to recognize these desires have been associated with lack of clinical improvement and dissatisfaction with care.11,13–16 Despite the obvious importance of the managed care referral process, there is remarkably little information on patient–PCP interaction in this process.13,14,17,18 One survey revealed that many PCPs feel patients view managed care PCPs as adversaries (66%), that managed care regulation of specialist referrals negatively impacts patient care (57%), and that managed care impairs physician–patient communication (37%).18 The present study was therefore undertaken with several goals in mind. We primarily wanted to determine the frequency with which PCPs recognize patient referral desires and to see if we could identify factors associated with increased PCP recognition of these desires in an academic managed care setting. We also wanted to delineate circumstances in which patients are more likely to initiate a referral discussion with their PCP. Finally, we wanted to assess current patient attitudes toward the referral process and the influence of the referral process on overall satisfaction with care in the studied plan.
Optimized growth of lattice-matched ZnCdSe epilayers on InP substrates

Ternaries and quaternaries of ZnCd(Mg)Se can be grown lattice-matched to InP substrates with band gaps spanning most of the visible range, having potential applications as visible light emitters. The quality of these materials is very sensitive to the surface preparation of InP substrates and the initiation of growth. In this paper, we report the details of the growth initiation of ZnCdSe epilayers on InP substrates. The composition of ternary alloy, and thus the lattice-mismatch to InP, was controlled by adjusting the Zn and Cd fluxes. A fast substrate deoxidation, followed by initial low-temperature growth results in two-dimensional growth and substantial improvements of ZnCdSe epilayers. These results along with observations on the use of InGaAs and InP buffer layers indicate that control of the interface chemistry is essential to obtain high-quality materials.
Electrically conductive polymer nanocomposites of polymethylmethacrylate and carbon nanofibers prepared by chaotic mixing

Electrically conductive composites of poly(methyl methacrylate) and carbon nanofibers (CNF) were prepared in a low-shear chaotic mixer. These materials showed a percolation threshold of approximately 2 wt.% CNF compared to 6 wt.% for materials prepared in an internal mixer under comparable conditions of mean shear rate. It was found in materials prepared by chaotic mixing that nanofibers were pulled out of the bundles and oriented along the flow directions to produce electrically conductive networks. Electrical conductivity showed great sensitivity to mixing time around percolation threshold and remained almost unchanged with prolonged chaotic mixing above the percolation threshold. Thermal, thermo-mechanical and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated.
Gastric secretory response of the anesthetized dog after direct chemical stimulation of the supraoptic region

Abstract The effect of pilocarpine hydrochloride and methacholine chloride on the basal gastric secretory response was examined in six chloralose-urethane-anesthetized dogs with gastric fistulas and stereotaxically positioned hypothalamic cannulae. Salivary output was also measured in all dogs. Both compounds produced significant increases in gastric secretory volume, titratble acid, and chloride and pepsin output when they were instilled into the region of the supraoptic nucleus of five of the animals. Concomitant increases in salivation were observed in four and lacrimation in two dogs. Neither compound produced gastric secretory changes after bilateral vagotomy but continued to elicit ptyalism and lacrimation. The results suggest that cells located in the supraoptic region send projection fibers directly or indirectly to the dorsal motor nuclei of the vagi. It is also possible that the gastric responses were mediated via the nuclei of the solitary tract. Such an indirect pathway could account for the salivatory and lacrimal responses. The relatively prompt onset of activity suggests that the gastric responses were probably entirely neural in nature and not mediated via a hormonal mechanism. The results also suggest that acetylcholine is involved in the neurotransmission process in the region of the supraoptic nucleus and that cells located there may play a role in regulating gastric secretion and salivation.
The influences of age, retinal topography, and gender on retinal degeneration in the Fischer 344 rat

Abstract The Fischer 344 (F344) rat is presently the animal of choice for age-related research. The existence of an age-related retinal degeneration was reported previously in the males of this strain, but a gender comparison has not been performed. In this study, histological and morphometric measurements of the retina related to age, retinal topography, and gender were made on 3- to 24-month-old animals. The thicknesses of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and the photoreceptor layer (PRL) were measured from sagittal sections at six loci. Retinas of both sexes showed steady decline with age in the thicknesses of the ONL and PRL at all locations. An important finding was the presence, after 12 months of age, of a drastically accelerated rate of peripheral retinal degeneration seen only in male subjects. Females showed a less dramatic rate of peripheral degeneration which did not begin until after 18 months of age. In addition, two other forms of retinal degeneration were found—cystoid degeneration was found earlier and more frequently in the male, while a paving-stone type of degeneration was found in both sexes. These two types of lesions were preferentially, but not exclusively found in the peripheral retina. In conclusion, the F344 rat offers a convenient model to study a pattern of retinal degeneration affected by the combination of gender, regional, and age-related factors.
Media formulation influences chemical effects on neuronal growth and morphology.

Screening for developmental neurotoxicity using in vitro, cell-based systems has been proposed as an efficient alternative to performing in vivo studies. One tool currently used for developmental neurotoxicity screening is automated high-content imaging of neuronal morphology. While high-content imaging (HCI) has been demonstrated to be useful in detection of potential developmental neurotoxicants, comparison of results between laboratories or assays can be complicated due to methodological differences. In order to determine whether high-content imaging-based developmental neurotoxicity assays can be affected by differences in media formulation, a systematic comparison of serum-supplemented (Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s media (DMEM) + 10% serum) and serum-free (Neurobasal A + B27) culture media on neuronal morphology was performed using primary rat cortical neurons. Concentration–response assays for neuritogenesis, axon and dendrite outgrowth, and synaptogenesis were performed in each media type using chemicals with previously demonstrated effects. Marked qualitative and quantitative differences in the characteristics of neurons cultured in the two media types were observed, with increased neuronal growth and less basal cell death in Neurobasal A + B27. Media formulation also affected assay sensitivity and selectivity. Increases in assay sensitivity were observed in Neurobasal A + B27 media as compared to serum-supplemented DMEM. In some instances, a greater difference between effective concentrations for cell death and neurodevelopmental-specific endpoints was also observed in Neurobasal A + B27 media as compared to serum-supplemented DMEM. These data show that media formulation must be considered when comparing data for similar endpoints between studies. Neuronal culture maintained in Neurobasal A + B27 media had several features advantageous for HCI applications including less basal cell death, less cell clustering and neurite fasciculation, and a tendency towards increased sensitivity and selectivity in chemical concentration–response studies.
Hyperbilirubinemia during quinupristin-dalfopristin therapy in liver transplant recipients: correlation with available liver biopsy results.

Study Objective. To review the liver histopathology in transplant recipients who developed hyperbilirubinemia during therapy with quinupristin-dalfopristin, a new streptogramin antibiotic, and to ascertain whether objective histologic evidence of adverse drug effect could be correlated to serum bilirubin levels. Design. Retrospective analysis. Setting. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Patients. From a database of 34 liver recipients who received quinupristin-dalfopristin for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infection who were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter, open-label, emergency-use protocol, the data for a subset of 25 patients who underwent one or more liver biopsies during therapy were reviewed for this study. Interventions. Quinupristin-dalfopristin was administered intravenously at 7.5 mg/kg every 8 hours. Available serum bilirubin levels from before, during, and 1 week after therapy were tabulated. Liver biopsy results obtained within 1 week before and during therapy were retrospectively reviewed. Histopathologic results were characterized and correlated to bilirubin level. Measurements and Main Results. Cholestatic changes were already present in 15 of 17 patients who underwent biopsy before therapy. During therapy, the most common findings from 40 biopsies (25 patients) were cholestasis (33 biopsies), acute rejection (10), and periportal inflammation (8). There was no evidence of drug-specific histopathologic injury. Conclusion. Hyperbilirubinemia in these patients was likely multifactorial and most frequently due to sepsis and prior graft injury.
Chloroplast activities of dark-imbibed and photoinduced spores of the fern Onoclea sensibilis

Chloroplast activities of dark-imbibed (non-germinating) and photoinduced (germinating) spores of the sensitive fern,Onoclea sensibilis were compared to gain insight into the germination process. There were no changes in the number of chloroplasts or in the chlorophyll contents of the spore during dark-imbibition and during the early phase of germination. Levels of increase in the Chloroplast DNA content of dark-imbibed and photoinduced spores were nearly the same and were associated with autoradiographic incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the cytoplasm. However, incorporation of the label into the nucleus occurred only during photoinduction of spores. Analysis of Chloroplast and nuclear DNA contents by dot-blot hybridization with labeled gene-specific probes has confirmed that chloroplast DNA content of the spore increases during dark-imbibition and photoinduction, while increase in nuclear DNA occurs only in photoinduced spores. Chloroplasts isolated from dark-imbibed and photoinduced spores incorporated [3H]TTP into an acid-insoluble fraction identified as DNA. The results show that physiological activities of chloroplasts of dark-imbibed and photoinduced spores ofO. sensibilis are similar and support an exclusive role for nuclear DNA synthesis in spore germination.
MlCROSTRUCTURE OF ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN IN COMBINATION HAM

Combination hams were prepared by injecting excised porcine muscles with a brine containing solubilized isolated soy protein. The microstructure of the muscle in the combination ham was compared to that of a water added ham to determine the location of the isolated soy protein. The effect of massaging on the location of the isolated soy protein was also studied. The results showed that the isolated soy protein occupied primarily perimysial spaces and the massaging acts to incorporate these proteins into the endomysial spaces and mix them with extracted myofibrillar proteins. The isolated soy protein appeared to enhance myofibrillar protein extraction by binding water, thus increasing the effective concentration of salt and phosphate. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the gel formed by the isolated soy protein possessed a denser structure than the gel formed by a crude myosin preparation. The gel formed by a mixture of myosin and isolated soy protein possessed a structure more comparable to the structure of the crude myosin gel.
Effects of X- and gamma radiation on anthocyanin content in leaves of Rumex and other plant genera

Abstract The concentration of anthocyanin pigments in the leaves of seedlings of Rumex crispus L., R. hydrolapathum Huds. and R. sanguineus L. was found to increase following exposure to X-rays or 60Co γ-rays. The time-course of formation of and the increase in extractable anthocyanins were dependent upon the species, the exposure and the age of the leaves at the time of irradiation. Maximum increased content approached 20-fold that of untreated plants. Large increases in anthocyanin content after irradiation were generally indicative of lethal or near lethal exposures. Chromatographic studies of the anthocyanin offered no evidence of a radiation-induced change in the structural integrity of the pigment molecules. A visual increase in red pigmentation occurred in the leaves of 16 species from other genera irradiated chronically and 21 species irradiated acutely. It thus appears that enhanced pigment (presumably anthocyanin) formation is a common response of higher plants to ionizing radiation. The exposure required to produce significant increases varied widely with the species.