cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Globalization, Aging, and the Power of the Image

The process of neoliberal globalization proceeds, despite resistance, through the efforts of key institutions that support the dominant economic interests. Particularly important is the creation of a global environment for maximum profit-taking by the large multinational corporations that now monopolize the global economy. To this end, conventional instruments of power continue to be used, albeit somewhat differently than in the past. These conventional means are economic, political, military, and ideological power. These strategies are carried out, for example, through so-called free trade agreements, support for multinational regimes, covert interventions, and policies formulated at various think tanks. The goal is to create the illusion that there are no alternatives to neoliberalism (Harvey 2005; Klein 2007; Roy 2012).
Appraising reappraisal: Exploring its role in the context of behavioral exposure for contamination fears.

Objectives A large body of work suggests that cognitive reappraisal is an effective strategy for modifying emotional intensity. In addition, its habitual use has been linked to adaptive psychological functioning, operationalized as low levels of symptoms of psychopathology. However, little is known about the impact of cognitive reappraisal on behavioral aspects of mental disorders. For example, the experience of fear is often accompanied by the behavioral urge to avoid the feared stimuli. Although there is evidence to suggest that cognitive reappraisal reduces fear in the moment, there is less information about the impact on behavioral correlates. Method To that end, we recruited 90 participants who experienced substantial contamination concerns (i.e., obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms) and asked them to participate in exposure tasks that consisted of gradually coming into contact with contaminated objects (i.e., approach behavior). We randomly assigned participants to one of three conditions: (1) reappraise the emotion-eliciting stimulus, (2) reappraise their emotional response, or (3) no specific emotion regulation instructions. Results Reappraising the stimulus, but not reappraising the emotional response, led to significantly greater behavioral approach (p = .02) than the no-instruction condition during exposure. There were no significant differences in subjective state anxiety between any of the conditions. Conclusion These findings suggest that certain types of reappraisal may lead to greater approach behavior during exposure even in the absence of subjective emotional changes. More broadly, they underscore the importance of examining the role of emotion regulation strategies (including different types of reappraisal) on the behavioral aspects of mental disorders.
Speculation and corn prices.

It is commonly asserted that speculative trading activities are largely behind the high and volatile food commodity price behaviour since 2006. In this article, we revisit this hypothesis by invest...
Reliable Control for Stochastic Systems with Low Sensitivity

In this chapter, the problem of controlling stochastic linear systems with quadratic criterion which includes sensitivity variables is investigated. It is proved that the optimal full state-feedback control law with risk aversion can be realized by the cascade of mathematical statistics of performance uncertainty and a linear feedback. A set of nonlinear matrix equations are obtained, which constitutes the necessary and sufficient conditions that must be satisfied for an optimal solution.
Automatic Lane Identification Using the Roadside LiDAR Sensors

How to collect the real-time information of unconnected vehicles has been a challenge for connected vehicle technologies. The LiDAR sensors deployed along the roadside and at intersections provide a solution to fill the data gap during the transition from the traditional traffic to the full connected traffic. The roadside LiDAR sensors can record the movement of all road users with a relative long detection range. The lane detection serves as a fundamental but important step for LiDAR data processing. The location (which lane is occupied) of vehicles can be used for lane changing detection, vehicle departure warning and wrong-way alerts. But currently, there is not an effective method to identify the boundary of lanes using roadside LiDAR sensors. This paper presents a systematic procedure for lane detection based on the trajectories of vehicles collected on the road with the roadside LiDAR sensor. The whole procedure includes two major parts: background filtering and road boundary identification. This robust procedure can release engineers from the manual lane identification task and can avoid any error caused by manual work. Two case studies confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method. Compared to previous lane detection methods, this procedure is not affected by the existence of pedestrians. This method can also detect the boundaries of lanes from the roads having curves with the limited time cost.
Understanding Advanced Second-Language Reading

What distinguishes this book is its broad, yet thorough, view of theory, process, and research on adult second-language reading. Offering extensive discussions of upper-register second-language texts (both expository and narrative) that adult second-language readers encounter daily across the globe, it also presents an assessment schema for second-language text comprehension as well as for the assessment of teaching. Understanding Advanced Second-Language Reading: includes languages other than English in the discussion of second language reading is firmly anchored in a theory of second language reading ─ the concept of compensatory processing emphasizes the multi-dimensionality and dynamic nature of L2 reading development focuses on comprehension of upper-register literary texts balances theory and instructional practices. Filling the need for a coherent, theoretically consistent, and research-based portrait of how literate adolescents and adults comprehend, and learn to comprehend, at greater levels of sophistication and whether that ability can be enhanced by instruction, this is a must-have resource for reading and second-language researchers, students, and teachers.
Managing Risk and Growth of Nonprofit Revenue

Managers of nonprofit organizations are challenged to manage revenue growth and risk (i.e., volatility) in order to sustain current and future financial operations. Although the negative repercussions of revenue risk are generally perceived as undesirable, not all risk is bad. If higher levels of revenue risk are compensated with a greater amount of revenue growth, then organizations may rationally pursue volatile revenues that produce growth. This article examines the extent to which a reliance on major revenue sources by nonprofit organizations affects the magnitude of total revenue volatility as well as the pace of total revenue growth. A monitoring application is introduced that can be used to compare the effectiveness of revenue management among similar nonprofit organizations. It can also be used to guide nonprofit managers striving to achieve sustainable financial growth for their organizations.
Psychological effects of war: A role play

The practice of psychiatry, perhaps more than any other specialty, is largely affected by culture. The medical student psychiatry curriculum often fails to incorporate this reality. In the Middle East currently, because of the endemic violence and warfare, the topic of the Psychological Effects of War should be an integral part of the psychiatry curriculum. Unfortunately, this topic is often neglected or poorly addressed in most psychiatric textbooks or curricula. A group of three students at WCM-Q in Doha took matter in their own hands to fill this gap. They used role play to illustrate three different conditions that are associated with the psychological effects of war in three different scenarios: anxiety, depression and PTSD. They made a video of the scenes with other fellow students participating in the discussion. This innovative approach is a good example of peer-to-peer education to cover an important topic that is frequently missing in standard curricula.
Myeloma Bone Disease

Skeletal complications are a major problem for patients affected by cancers which metastasize to or grow primarily within bone [1]. As advancements in chemotherapeutic regimens have led to progressive lifespan extension in patients with malignancies, efforts to limit both cancer-associated and treatment-associated skeletal complications have become increasingly important for the provision of optimal patient care.
The Pasts of Roman Anatolia: Interpreters, Traces, Horizons

In this volume, Felipe Rojas examines how the inhabitants of Roman Anatolia interacted with the physical traces of earlier civilizations in their midst. Combining material and textual evidence, he shows that interest in and knowledge about pre-classical remains was deep and widespread. Indeed, ancient interaction with the remnants of even more ancient pasts was a vital part of life for many and diverse people in Roman Anatolia. Such interaction ranged from the purported translation of Bronze and Iron Age inscriptions to the physical manipulation of monuments and objects, including prehistoric earthen mounds and archaic statues. Occasionally, it even involved the production of fake antiquities. Offering new insights into both the archaeology and history of the Roman Mediterranean, Rojas's book is also an innovative contribution to the archaeology and anthropology of memory.
Integrative Governance: Generating Sustainable Responses to Global Crises

Scholars have been proclaiming the imminent demise of the nation-state for decades. It seems like at every turn, new accounts of states are made irrelevant by the forces of globalism, international...
A high-throughput LC-MS/MS method for the measurement of the bile acid/salt content in microbiome-derived sample sets

ABSTRACT Due to the physicochemical properties of bile acids/salts (i.e., hydrophobic and ionizable), the application of reverse-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based methods are ideally suited for the measurement of these compounds in a host of microbiologically-relevant matrices. Here, we provide a detailed bioanalytical protocol that contains several modifications of a method previously described by Wegner et al. [1] . Briefly, this modified method exhibits the following advantages for the measurement of cholic acid (CA), taurocholic acid (TCA), and deoxycholic acid (DCA) in microbiome-relevant sample matrices: i) fecal sample processing has been streamlined by the elimination of lyophilization and manual homogenization steps; ii) the Sciex 6500 QTRAP hybrid triple-quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometer has sufficient sensitivity to perform the measurement of bile acids/salts in negative ion mode – ammonium adducts of bile acids/salts are not required for detection; and, iii) assay throughput has been boosted by more than 5-fold by shortening the chromatographic duty cycle of a single sample injection from 45 min to 8.4 min. Recently, the method was used to perform 508 sequential injections (72 calibration standards, 52 blank-internal standard sample, and 368 MiniBioReactor Array (MBRA)-derived samples) from four separate batches over a 4-day time period.
CURRENT TOPICS FOR TEACHING SKELETAL MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY

Contractions of skeletal muscles provide the stability and power for all body movements. Consequently, any impairment in skeletal muscle function results in some degree of instability or immobility. Factors that influence skeletal muscle structure and function are therefore of great interest both scientifically and clinically. Injury, disease, and old age are among the factors that commonly contribute to impairment in skeletal muscle function. The goal of this article is to update current concepts of skeletal muscle physiology. Particular emphasis is placed on mechanisms of injury, repair, and adaptation in skeletal muscle as well as mechanisms underlying the declining skeletal muscle structure and function associated with aging. For additional materials please refer to the “Skeletal Muscle Physiology” presentation located on the American Physiological Society Archive of Teaching Resources Web site ( ).
It's a rash: Antibiotic allergies in the modern era of antibiotic stewardship.

Abstract Objectives To determine whether current guidelines emphasizing antibiotic stewardship in pediatrics have been associated with reduced prevalence of antibiotic allergies in children severely affected by otitis media undergoing bilateral myringotomy with tympanostomy tube insertion (BMT) or by recurrent sinusitis or adenotonsillitis undergoing adenoidectomy with or without tonsillectomy. Methods Case series of consecutive patients undergoing BMT or adenoidectomy with/without tonsillectomy for recurrent acute otitis media, recurrent sinusitis, or recurrent tonsillitis during November 2008 or November 2017 at a tertiary care children's hospital. Children with primarily obstructive indications for surgery, with prior tube placement or adenoidectomy, or with surgery by an outside provider were excluded. Demographics, type of surgery, and allergies or allergic symptoms were collected from the electronic medical record. Factors associated with antibiotic allergies were compared using logistic regression, Wilcoxon rank-sum, or Chi-squared test. Results Seventy-five children who underwent surgery during 2008 and 75 children who underwent surgery in 2017 were included. Overall, median age at surgery was 3.24 years (range 0.56–17.49 years). Seventy-nine (52.7%) patients were female and 95 (63.3%) had private insurance. BMT was the most common surgery (82 children, 54.7%) followed by tonsillectomy with adenoidectomy (46 children, 30.7%), and adenoidectomy without tonsillectomy (39 children, 26.0%). Symptoms of allergic rhinitis were reported by 53 (35.3%) patients, and 11 (7.3%) and 5 (3.3%) had positive environmental and food allergy testing, respectively. Surprisingly, there was not a significant difference between the prevalence of antibiotic allergies in patients undergoing surgery during 2017 (17 patients, 22.7%) compared with 2008 (14 patients, 18.7%) (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.578–2.82, p = 0.546). However, antibiotic allergies were less common in females (OR: 0.413, 95% CI: 0.182–0.937, p = 0.034) and more common in patients with a family history of antibiotic allergies (OR: 36.9, 95% CI: 5.12-∞, p Conclusion Pediatric otolaryngology surgical patients continue to exhibit a similar and high prevalence of antibiotic allergies in 2017 compared with 2008. Future studies are needed to determine whether this is because of overdiagnosis of antibiotic allergies or a failure of antibiotic guideline adherence to reduce antibiotic allergy prevalence.
Implantation of Martian atmospheric ions within the regolith of Phobos

When a planet has an orbiting moon, atoms and molecules that escape the planetary atmosphere as ions and are accelerated into space may be implanted and preserved inside the moon’s surface. Here, we determine the long-term averaged anisotropy of ions escaping the atmosphere of Mars and impacting its moon Phobos from more than four years of in situ ion observations. These measurements are used to quantify an estimate of the average flux of ions that has been impacting each location on Phobos over geologic timescales. We find that the flux of bombarding Martian ions is highly asymmetric on the moon’s surface, as the nearside of Phobos sees a flux higher by a factor of 15 to 100 than its farside. We show that a first consequence of this is that Martian atmospheric oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and argon atoms are implanted and may be preserved inside the uppermost hundreds of nanometres of Phobos’s nearside regolith grains, which may be brought back to Earth by future sample return missions. The second effect is that alteration of the regolith properties is asymmetric on Phobos’s surface, as Martian ions accelerate weathering of the nearside by a factor of ~2. Martian atmospheric atoms are implanted in and alter regolith grains on the nearside surface of Phobos, according to an analysis of observations of ion escape from Mars’s atmosphere.
Epidemiology of Foodborne Disease Outbreaks Caused by Nontyphoidal Salmonella in Zhejiang Province, China, 2010–2019

Nontyphoidal Salmonella infection is a common cause of bacterial foodborne illness in Zhejiang Province, China. This study aimed to summarize the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of the outbreak of nontyphoidal Salmonella infection in Zhejiang Province. Data collected over a 10-year period (2010-2019) from the China National Foodborne Diseases Surveillance Network (NFDSN) were analyzed. A total of 78 outbreaks due to nontyphoidal Salmonella, causing 1450 illnesses and 353 hospitalizations with no deaths, were reported. The outbreak rate from May to October was about four times as high as that in other months. In addition, 33.3% (25/78) outbreaks occurred in household settings, and 41.8% (606/1450) cases were exposed at bakery product-processing factories (or shops). Moreover, food vehicles were identified in 75.6% (59/78) of Salmonella outbreaks. Of these, 30.5% (35/59) were caused by cooked meat products, followed by cold-processed cakes and sandwiches usually containing meat and/or eggs (28.81%, 17/59). Salmonella Enteritidis (56.9%, 33/78) and Salmonella Typhimurium (17.2%, 10/78) were the dominant strains. Outbreaks were most frequently attributed to cross-contamination (88.1%) and improper storage temperature (61.0%). Outbreaks caused by Salmonella are important targets for public health intervention efforts, and improving the safety and quality of cooked meat products, cold-processed cakes, and sandwiches should be a priority.
Screening for Chlamydial and Gonococcal Infections: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Importance The 2014 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation statement supported the effectiveness of screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in asymptomatic, sexually active women 24 years or younger and in older women at increased risk for infection, although evidence for screening in men was insufficient. Objective To update the 2014 USPSTF review on screening for chlamydial and gonococcal infection in adults and adolescents, including those who are pregnant. Data Sources Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Ovid MEDLINE (January 1, 2014, through May 28, 2020) with surveillance through May 21, 2021. Study Selection Randomized clinical trials and observational studies of screening effectiveness, accuracy of risk stratification and alternative screening methods, accuracy of tests, and screening harms. Data Extraction and Synthesis One investigator abstracted data; a second checked accuracy. Two investigators independently assessed study quality. Main Outcomes and Measures Complications of infection; infection transmission or acquisition; diagnostic accuracy of anatomical site–specific testing and collection methods; screening harms. Results Twenty-seven studies were included (N = 179 515). Chlamydia screening compared with no screening was significantly associated with reduced risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in 2 of 4 trials and with reduced hospital-diagnosed PID (0.24% vs 0.38%); relative risk, 0.6 [95% CI, 0.4-1.0]), but not clinic-diagnosed PID or epididymitis, in the largest trial. In studies of risk prediction instruments in asymptomatic women, age younger than 22 years demonstrated comparable accuracy to extensive criteria. Sensitivity of chlamydial testing was similar at endocervical (89%-100%) and self- and clinician-collected vaginal (90%-100%) sites for women and at meatal (100%), urethral (99%), and rectal (92%) sites for men but lower at pharyngeal sites (69.2%) for men who have sex with men. Sensitivity of gonococcal testing was 89% or greater for all anatomical samples. False-positive and false-negative testing rates were low across anatomical sites and collection methods. Conclusions and Relevance Screening for chlamydial infection was significantly associated with a lower risk of PID in young women. Risk prediction criteria demonstrated limited accuracy beyond age. Testing for asymptomatic chlamydial and gonococcal infections was highly accurate at most anatomical sites, including urine and self-collected specimens. Effectiveness of screening in men and during pregnancy, optimal screening intervals, and adverse effects of screening require further evaluation.
Dynamics of Heart Rate Control in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Recent studies indicate that cardiovascular regulation is impaired and sympathetic activity is abnormally elevated in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during both wakefulness and sleep1,2. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been found to be substantially reduced in OSA3. Spectral analysis shows an increase in the proportion of low-frequency (0.04 to 0.15 Hz) content relative to high-frequency (0.15 to 0.4 Hz) content of heart rate oscillations in awake OSA subjects, suggesting increased sympathetic modulation along with decreased vagal cardiac activity. Although statistical and spectral analyses of HRV offer a simple and non-intrusive means of assessing cardiovascular autonomic function in these subjects, the measures derived can be confounded significantly by intra-and inter-subject differences in ventilation level and breathing pattern4,5. To circumvent this limitation, we have introduced a minimal modeling approach that allows a clear delineation of the respiratory-related influences on HRV from the effects that are intrinsically circulatory in nature.
The incidence of Lactobacillus bifidus in vaginal secretions of pregnant and nonpregnant women

Abstract 1.1. Vaginal cultures for Lactobacillus bifidus were obtained from 25 normal nonpregnant women, from 23 women in the second trimester of pregnancy, from 64 in the third trimester, and from 14 at term or overdue. 2.2. The incidence of L. bifidus in the nonpregnant and in the second trimester of pregnancy is about the same, with a mean of 23 per cent. The figures show a slight increase in the third trimester which is not significant. At term or beyond, however, there is a sudden highly significant increase in the incidence of L. bifidus. The cause of this phenomenon was not determined. 3.3. Only 3 of the vaginal strains of L. bifidus tested were agglutinated by any of the antisera previously prepared.
Compton and synchrotron processes in spherically-symmetric non-thermal sources

A framework is developed for the accurate calculation of Compton and synchrotron processes in a special class of spherically-symmetric sources. The models considered take a distribution in magnetic field values and high-energy electron density that varies smoothly from central values to values at the outer boundary of the source. Further, the assumption is made that the magnetic field has local disorder (isotropy) and the high-energy electron distribution has local isotropy. Then, in terms of parameters of the source, the synchrotron brightness distribution, total synchrotron flux, Compton-synchrotron flux, and synchrotron self-absorption turnover are all computed accurately. Results are given with a view toward application to the analysis of compact non-thermal sources.
OS TREZE ANOS DO CÓDIGO DE DEFESA DO CONSUMIDOR

O presente artigo traz a lume alguns aspectos do Codigo de Defesa do Consumidor e analisa-o sob a egide dos reclamos da sociedade contemporânea, avaliando, ainda, a incidencia das politicas economicas governamentais nesse periodo e sua assimilacao pelo consumerismo patrio.
Sequential patterns of medical stress: maternal agitation and child distress

Fifty-seven 4-10-year-old pediatric medical clinic patients and their mothers were observed while awaiting a diagnostic examination. The Dyadic Prestressor Interaction Scale (DPIS) was used to assess mother and child behaviors. Child distress during the examination was measured by the Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress (OSBD). Lag sequential analysis indicated that when mothers who self-reported high state anxiety (STAI) exhibited agitation, child distress (DPIS) increased (p < .05). The reverse sequence, an increase in maternal agitation following child distress (DPIS), occurred among low anxious mothers (p < .005). Additionally, irrespective of state anxiety, mothers who became agitated following DPIS child distress, had children who during the exam showed high OSBD distress (p < .01). Results indicate the importance of mother-child interactions as a factor in children's medical stress.
Enuresis [Article in Croatian]

According to modern concept enuresis is multifactorial disorder with strong genetic predisposition, caused by nocturnal polyuria, nocturnal bladder dysfunction and disturbed arousal from sleep. In children who beside enuresis have also diurnal incontinence possible causes of enuresis can be uroinfection and urinary tract anomalies. The article summarizes the present state of knowledge about enuresis. Physiology of voiding and continence, definitions and causes of enuresis and management of children with enuresis are discussed.
Promoting Azerbaijan's agricultural productivity (1997-2010)

The objective of this study is to evaluate the World Bank Group's (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development [IBRD], International Development Association [IDA], and International Finance Corporation [IFC]) effectiveness in promoting growth in agricultural productivity in Azerbaijan, and to derive lessons that may be relevant for the World Bank Group's future engagement in Azerbaijani agriculture. The study covers the World Bank's entire agricultural lending and analytical portfolio, and the full period of the Bank's involvement with Azerbaijan's rural sector, commencing in 1997 when the first agricultural project was launched, to 2010. The report begins (section one) with an overview of agriculture's role in Azerbaijan's economy, the strategic need for increased agricultural growth and the technical, economic and policy constraints impeding growth. Section two reviews the Bank's lending program and analytical work, and considers the appropriate balance between lending and analytical activities. Section three assesses the Bank's impact on agricultural productivity, and section four considers how environmental management, social welfare and agricultural growth can be mutually complementary. Section five and six reviews cross-cutting aspects of the Bank's work in Azerbaijan's agriculture sector, including the Bank's effectiveness as an innovator and as a partner with the government in agricultural reform. And section seven assesses the impact of the Bank's own institutional structure and practices on its operational effectiveness promoting agricultural productivity. Concluding the report, Section 8 highlights the main areas where the Bank could have had greater impact on the country's agricultural productivity, and the lessons thereby emerging for the Bank's agricultural role in Azerbaijan in future years.
Identification and characterization of T-cell antigen receptor-related genes in phylogenetically diverse vertebrate species

Characterization of the structure, multiplicity, organization, and cell lineage-specific expression of T-cell receptor (TCR) genes of nonmammalian vertebrate species is central to the understanding of the evolutionary origins of rearranging genes of the vertebrate immune system. We recently described a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy that relies on short sequence similarities shared by nearly all vertebrate TCR and immunoglobulin (Ig) variable (V) regions and have used this approach to isolate a TCR beta (TCRB) homolog from a cartilaginous fish. Using these short PCR products as probes in spleen cDNA and genomic libraries, we were able to isolate a variety of unique TCR and TCR-like genes. Here we report the identification and characterization of a chicken TCR gamma (TCRG) homolog, apparent Xenopus and pufferfish TCR alpha (TCRA) homologs, and two horned shark TCR delta (TCRD)-like genes. In addition, we have identified what could be a novel representative of the Ig gene super-family in the pufferfish. This method of using short, minimally degenerate PCR primers should speed progress in the phylogenetic investigations of the TCR and related genes and lend important insights into both the origins and functions of these unique gene systems.
Radiation hardening in vanadium

Abstract The effects of neutron irradiation on the tensile properties of 99.9 wt % pure vanadium are investigated in the fluence range 8 × 10 17 to 4 × 10 19 n / cm −2 ( E >1 MeV ). Vanadium is shown to display typical radiation and anneal hardening like other bodycentered cubic (bcc) transition metals. However, unlike that seen in Fe, Mo, and W, radiation hardening in V is not accompanied by embrittlement and does not show a tendency to saturation in this fluence range. The radiation hardening effects begin to anneal out at 400 °C. A nearly complete recovery of the stress-strain curve occurs at 800 °C. Possible mechanisms leading to hardening and recovery are discussed.
Use of the alpha-2 agonists xylazine and detomidine in the perianaesthetic period in the horse

Alpha-2 agonists have been widely used in equine anaesthesia since the clinical advent of xylazine in the 1970s (Clarke and Hall 1969; Kerr et al. 1972). Alpha-2 agonists produce sedation, muscle relaxation and analgesia by stimulation of α2 receptors centrally in the brain and spinal cord and peripherally (Hellyer et al. 2003). Two α2 agonists, xylazine and detomidine, are currently approved for use in the horse in the USA, while 2 additional drugs, romifidine and medetomidine, are approved for use in horses in other countries. Although differing in potency, α2 agonists share a common pharmacology. The degree of sedation, muscle relaxation and analgesia for a given drug is dose-dependent (England and Clarke 1996). Arterial blood pressure is initially increased due to drug-induced increases in peripheral vascular resistance (Wagner et al. 1991). The increases may be sustained (10–60 mins) when more potent α2 agonists like detomidine are used. Heart rate decreases, sinus arrhythmia and first and second degree atrioventricular blockade are common initial reflex mediated responses. Decreases in heart rate produce significant decreases in cardiac output, often to levels 50% of predrug values (Yamashita et al. 2000). Respiratory rate is usually decreased but this is offset by increases in tidal volume so that significant hypercarbia does not usually occur. Relaxation of the muscles of the upper airway occurs and can predispose the horse to respiratory stridor (Lavoie et al. 1992). Additional effects include sweating, ataxia, decreased salivation, decreased gastric secretions and gastrointestinal motility and increased urine volume. Swallowing is depressed; the passage of nasogastric tubes may therefore be more difficult and horses should be monitored for potential oesophageal obstruction. Other incidental effects of α2 agonist administration include increases in intrauterine pressure, hyperglycaemia and hypoinsulinaemia (von Reitzenstein et al. 2002). Alpha-2 agonists as analgesics
Peroxidase activity in the sponge,Iotrochota birotulata

The spongeIotrochota birotulata contains a peroxidase which was partially characterized. This is the first report of a peroxidase in Porifera, originally thought to be devoid of such enzymatic activity.
The lack of association between four point mutations in the promoter region of the toll-like 4 receptor gene and myocardial infarction

The toll-like receptor 4 gene product (TLR4) has been implicated in the pathogen recognition response mechanism because it plays a central role in the transcriptional activation of the host defense system. Activation of TLR4 initiates an intracellular signaling cascade, via the adapter protein MyD88 (myeloid differentiation factor 88), which leads to the activation of NF-kappaB transcriptional factor, and ultimately to the induction of a pro-inflammatory response. This inflammatory response has been increasingly associated with atherosclerosis. Recent analyses on two polymorphisms of TLR4, which affect the extracellular domain of the receptor, have been shown to give rise to an attenuated innate immune defense which may contribute to disease susceptibility. We have investigated the significance of four new substitutions found by re-sequencing in the 5'-proximal promoter region of the TLR4 gene in a case-control study of acute myocardial infarction. Our results found no statistically significant association between these genetic variants and MI.
Place of pattern in proteomic biomarker discovery.

The role of pattern in biomarker discovery and clinical diagnosis is examined in its historical context. The use of MS-derived pattern is treated as a logical extension of prior applications of non-MS-derived pattern. Criticisms pertaining to specific technology platforms and analytic methodologies are considered separately from the larger issues of pattern utility and deployment in biomarker discovery. We present a hybrid strategy that marries the desirable attributes of high-information content MS pattern with the capability to obtain identity, and explore the key steps in establishing a data analysis pipeline for pattern-based biomarker discovery. Keywords: biomarker discovery • proteomics • diagnostic • mass spectrometry • serum/plasma • pattern • machine learning • pattern recognition • feature selection • classification
Confronting Nonregimes: Science and International Coral Reef Policy

Scientific communities and policy makers alike portray the worldwide degradation of coral reefs as a global issue that requires a policy response. Yet, an international legal regime on coral reefs ...
New triple microbore cannula system for push-pull perfusion of brain nuclei of the rat

Abstract A new miniaturized triple-barreled cannula system has been developed for the push-pull perfusion of a circumscribed area of brain tissue and/or simultaneous microinjection of a drug or other chemical substance at the same site. A three-lumen, microbore glass capillary tube is drawn to a length of 10–15 mm with a tip diameter of 150–190 μM and connected by lengths of PE tubing to a multichannel peristaltic pump. An artificial CSF is then perfused through either one or two tubes at a rate of 5.0–10.0 μl/min at a selected site. Thus, a pharmacological receptor agonist and/or antagonist, for example, can be delivered simultaneously to the tissue quantitatively to achieve steady-state levels over time. Alternatively, a single volume of a given drug can be micro-injected at the perfusion site during the course of a push-pull perfusion, simply by replacing one push channel with an injection tube. In both cases, aliquots of CSF perfusate from the pull channel(s) are collected on ice for assay by HPLC or other procedures. Because of the diminutive size of the triple-bore cannula system, it is now possible to perfuse an individual nucleus in the hypothalamus or lower brainstem not only with minimal cytopathological damage but also with a punctate dispersion of the perfusion medium. The large number of possible in vivo manipulations which can be undertaken using this cannula system is illustrated experimentally by recovery studies of [ 14 C]glutamate and 45 Ca from the nucleus tractus solitarius and hypothalamus of the rat.
LEDs Are Diodes

In this activity 50-socket strands of incandescent holiday lights are cut to produce 2-socket strands and 6-socket strands. One of the incandescent bulbs can be replaced with a light-emitting diode (LED). Typical LED circuits contain a resistor to limit current flow; in these circuits that function is performed by the remaining incandescent bulb(s). The diode nature of LEDs is demonstrated, as well as the energy associated with different wavelengths of light. The activity illustrates the structure and properties of matter, the interactions of energy and matter, the relationship of energy and color, and the contributions of chemistry to high-tech materials.
Climate change: Lands' End to the Arctic

Henry Pollack relishes a climate-science narrative with an intrepid and passionate businessman at its heart.
Prevalence of Avian-Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain O1 Genomic Islands among Extraintestinal and Commensal E. coli Isolates

Escherichia coli strains that cause disease outside the intestine are known as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) and include pathogens of humans and animals. Previously, the genome of avian-pathogenic E. coli (APEC) O1:K1:H7 strain O1, from ST95, was sequenced and compared to those of several other E. coli strains, identifying 43 genomic islands. Here, the genomic islands of APEC O1 were compared to those of other sequenced E. coli strains, and the distribution of 81 genes belonging to 12 APEC O1 genomic islands among 828 human and avian ExPEC and commensal E. coli isolates was determined. Multiple islands were highly prevalent among isolates belonging to the O1 and O18 serogroups within phylogenetic group B2, which are implicated in human neonatal meningitis. Because of the extensive genomic similarities between APEC O1 and other human ExPEC strains belonging to the ST95 phylogenetic lineage, its ability to cause disease in a rat model of sepsis and meningitis was assessed. Unlike other ST95 lineage strains, APEC O1 was unable to cause bacteremia or meningitis in the neonatal rat model and was significantly less virulent than uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) CFT073 in a mouse sepsis model, despite carrying multiple neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC) virulence factors and belonging to the ST95 phylogenetic lineage. These results suggest that host adaptation or genome modifications have occurred either in APEC O1 or in highly virulent ExPEC isolates, resulting in differences in pathogenicity. Overall, the genomic islands examined provide targets for further discrimination of the different ExPEC subpathotypes, serogroups, phylogenetic types, and sequence types.
Target-oriented Time-lapse Waveform Inversion using Virtual Survey

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory (Founding Members Consortium)
“Lesbian Chic” Imagery in Advertising: Interpretations and Insights of Female Same-Sex Eroticism

Abstract Interpretations of three ads containing “lesbian chic” images were evaluated in this formative investigation. Overall, findings from focus groups revealed that males interpreted the homoerotic relationships as primarily sexual compared with females who provided more complex interpretations, including friendship, behavior to attract male attention, and sexual relationship. In addition, the imagery in each ad evoked different interpretations, which suggests that responses to “lesbian chic” images are not as straightforward as the term implies. These findings, their implications, and directions for future research are discussed.
CDAO-Store: A New Vision in Data Integration

The Comparative Data Analysis Ontology (CDAO) 1 is an ontology developed, as part of the EvoInfo2 and EvoIO3 groups supported by NESCent4, to provide semantics to the descriptions of data and transformations commonly found in the domain of phylogenetic inference. The core concepts of the ontology enables the description of phylogenetic trees and associated character data matrices.
High Affinity NAD+-dependent 11β-hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase in the Human Heart

Abstract Receptor-ligand binding is an essential component of mineralocorticoid (MC) activity in target tissues. Detection of type 1 mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) in cardiac tissue is therefore suggestive that, like kidney, the heart is MC responsive. The presence of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) within MC responsive tissue is essential to prevent saturation of MR by glucocorticoids. Using both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC), we have found that a high-affinity species of 11β-HSD predominates within human heart. Although two 11β-HSD isoforms were detected in human cardiac tissues, the activity of high-affinity (type 2) 11β-HSD was found to be at least twice that of low affinity (type 1) 11β-HSD. Human cardiac type 2 11β-HSD possesses characteristics identical to the high-affinity enzyme of distal renal tubules; 11β-dehydrogenation of corticosterone or cortisol to their 11-keto metabolites is NAD+-dependent and, with corticosterone as substrate, the enzyme has a nanomolar Km(15.1 n m as determined by Lineweaver–Burke analysis). Furthermore, its activity is unidirectional; corticosterone and cortisol are 11β-dehydrogenated to inactive 11-keto metabolites, whereas 11-oxoreductase activity (conversion of 11-dehydrocorticosterone and cortisone to corticosterone and cortisol, respectively) is absent. RT/PCR analysis, using primers complementary to the human renal type 2 11β-HSD sequence, demonstrated that the high-affinity species of 11β-HSD expressed in human heart is indeed the same enzyme as that produced in the kidney. These findings strongly suggest that, as is the case in the distal portion of the nephron, type 2 11β-HSD plays an important role in the human heart to promote glucocorticoid metabolism and to confer MC specificity upon MR.
Correspondence of electroencephalography and near-infrared spectroscopy sensitivities to the cerebral cortex using a high-density layout

This study investigates the correspondence of the cortical sensitivity of electroencephalography (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). EEG forward model sensitivity to the cerebral cortex was calculated for 329 EEG electrodes following the 10-5 EEG positioning system using a segmented structural magnetic resonance imaging scan of a human subject. NIRS forward model sensitivity was calculated for the same subject using 156 NIRS source-detector pairs selected from 32 source and 32 detector optodes positioned on the scalp using a subset of the 10-5 EEG positioning system. Sensitivity correlations between colocalized NIRS source-detector pair groups and EEG channels yielded R=0.46±0.08. Groups of NIRS source-detector pairs with maximum correlations to EEG electrode sensitivities are tabulated. The mean correlation between the point spread functions for EEG and NIRS regions of interest (ROI) was R=0.43±0.07. Spherical ROIs with radii of 26 mm yielded the maximum correlation between EEG and NIRS averaged across all cortical mesh nodes. These sensitivity correlations between EEG and NIRS should be taken into account when designing multimodal studies of neurovascular coupling and when using NIRS as a statistical prior for EEG source localization.
Emotional considerations in spasmodic dysphonia: Psychometric quantification

Abstract Whereas recent research has focused upon neuromotor aspects of spasmodic dysphonia, the disorder has historically been regarded as having a psychogenic basis. Relatively little empirical evidence, however, has been offered either to support or refute that claim. The present study examines emotional characteristics of 18 female spasmodic dysphonic subjects in comparison to matched normal controls across psychometric measures of depression, anxiety, and somatic complaints. Statistically significant differences were noted between groups for all measures and over half of the dysphonic subjects exhibited clinically significant levels of depression and anxiety relative to published test norms. Correlational analysis revealed the presence of an “affective factor” among the dysphonics that was not evident among the controls. These findings raise serious concerns for neuromotor interpretations given in various areas of recent spasmodic dysphonia research. Theoretical, clinical and methodological implications are discussed.
Idiosyncratic exceptions to the probability-matching decision-rule in visual discrimination

Human “Yes-No” signal-detection performance was tested under a modified perceptual-defense procedure. A majority of Ss tended to match the relative frequency with which they gave affirmative responses to the relative frequency at which signals were presented. These Ss thereby replicated the “probability-matching” behavior found in previous signal-detection and discrimination studies. However, in marked contrast to those previous results, another large set of Ss showed a tendency toward preponderant use of one of the two responses (typically, of “No”) rather than toward probability-matching. The evidence failed to suggest that the latter effect was related to a lesser ability to make the requisite sensory discrimination or to response inhibition induced by taboo stimuli.
Polychromatic radiation field model for a honeycomb monolith photocatalytic reactor

Abstract In this paper we extend our radiation field model previously developed to predict the monochromatic light intensity profile inside a photocatalytic square-channeled monolith reactor to predict the integral average polychromatic light intensity profile. In this extended polychromatic formulation, the mathematical representation of the model accounts for a source that emits a distribution of wavelengths and for wavelength-dependent optical properties (reflectivity) of the active photocatalytic thin film coated on the inner walls of the monolith channels. In the sense that these wavelength dependent properties of a given photocatalytic reactor system can be independently measured, the polychromatic radiation field model contains no adjustable parameters. Model predictions for the integral average light intensity transported through square monolith channels of varying length are in excellent quantitative agreement with experimental measurements employing Degussa P25 titania-coated monolith channels and near ultraviolet lamps emitting light primarily in the 300–400 nm range. The model reveals that axial light intensity gradients are severe, with the light intensity in the portion of the monolith channel beyond about 3–4 aspect ratios in length falling to below 1% of the incident light intensity. At a given axial distance down the monolith channel, the effective light flux that reaches the catalytic wall is approximately a factor of two lower than the total light flux through the channel cross section near the channel entrance, and an order of magnitude lower than the total cross section light flux near the channel exit.
Genome scanning for linkage: an overview.

Several different methods for linkage analysis are shown to arise from a single likelihood function L for the observed allele-sharing data at multiple markers in a chromosomal region. These include classical parametric lod-score methods, nonparametric or {open_quotes}model-free{close_quotes} affected-pedigree-member (APM) methods, and the Gaussian process method. Setting the methods in the context of the likelihood function L clarifies their underlying assumptions. A test statistic derived from L, the efficient score statistic, is introduced. It is asymptotically equivalent to the lod score, but it can be easier to compute when the penetrances and frequencies of alleles of the trait gene are not known. APM test statistics and the Gaussian lod score are shown to be special cases of efficient score statistics. This unified framework facilitates exploration of a range of models for the effects of a putative trait-predisposing gene, and it facilitates sensitivity analyses to examine the consequences of model misspecification. 25 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.