cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changing environmental strategies over time: an empirical study of the steel industry in the United States.

Abstract This study investigates how environmental strategies change over time. We submit evidence from the US steel industry that firms have modified their strategies over time. We offer that US industry passed through three stages — cost minimization, cost-effective compliance, and beneficial environmental controls. We compare typologies of environmental strategies and choose that of C. Oliver as the most appropriate. We investigate how environmental strategies in the steel industry changed over time a 4-year period. We offer that a further understanding of Oliver’s strategies may increase understanding of the relationship between business and government on environmental issues. One over-arching problem in our field is the need to adequately operationalize how firms change strategies and pass through different stages. We hope that our study will help future researchers and practitioners better articulate the concepts of environmental strategies over time. Our study focused on the steel industry in the United States. We chose the US steel industry as one of the major environmental actors in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency ranks the iron and steel industry as the largest industrial source of toxic environmental contamination. We encourage researchers to evaluate and test our methodology and findings in other contexts—both in other nations and different industries.
Molecular mechanism of circadian rhythmicity of seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy

The circadian pattern of seizures in people with epilepsy (PWE) was first described two millennia ago. However, these phenomena have not received enough scientific attention, possibly due to the lack of promising hypotheses to address the interaction between seizure generation and a physiological clock. To propose testable hypotheses at the molecular level, interactions between circadian rhythm, especially transcription factors governing clock genes expression, and the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway, the major signaling pathway in epilepsy, will be reviewed. Then, two closely related hypotheses will be proposed: (1) Rhythmic activity of hyperactivated mTOR signaling molecules results in rhythmic increases in neuronal excitability. These rhythmic increases in excitability periodically exceed the seizure threshold, displaying the behavioral seizures. (2) Oscillation of neuronal excitability in SCN modulates the rhythmic excitability in the hippocampus through subiculum via long-range projections. Findings from published results, their implications, and proposals for new experiments will be discussed. These attempts may ignite further discussion on what we still need to learn about the rhythmicity of spontaneous seizures.
Uncertain geometry: a new approach to modeling for recognition

Over the last several years, a new representation for geometry has been developed, based on a 3-d probability distribution of surface position and appearance. This representation can be constructed from multiple images, using both still and video data. The probability for 3-d surface position is estimated in an on-line algorithm using Bayesian inference. The probability of a point belonging to a surface is updated as to its success in accounting for the intensity of the current image at the projected image location of the point. A Gaussian mixture is used to model image appearance. This update process can be proved to converge under relatively general conditions that are consistent with aerial imagery. There are no explicit surfaces extracted, but only discrete surface probabilities. This paper describes the application of this representation to object recognition, based on Bayesian compositional hierarchies.
Cone beam computed tomography in paediatric dentistry: overview of recent literature.

Background The use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in paediatric dentistry has been mentioned in numerous publications and case reports. The indications for the use of CBCT in paediatric dentistry, however, have not yet been properly addressed. On the other hand, the three basic principles of radiation protection (justification, limitation and optimisation) should suffice. Review A review of the current literature was used to assess the indications and contra-indications for the use of CBCT in paediatric dentistry. Paramount is the fact that CBCT generates a higher effective dose to the tissues than traditional dental radiographic exposures do. The effective radiation dose should not be underestimated, especially not in children, who are much more susceptible to stochastic biological effects. The thyroid gland in particular should be kept out of the primary beam as much as possible. Conclusion As with any other radiographical technique, routine use of CBCT is not acceptable clinical practice. CBCT certainly has a place in paediatric dentistry, but its use must be justified on a patient case individual basis.
Social networks, social support and coping with serious illness: The family connection.

Selected social support and family research is reviewed to highlight potential problems in social support exchange as patients and families collectively cope with illness and disability. Results indicate that family support is a primary source of patient support and that the impact of illness on families is substantial, underscoring their need for support. Results also indicate that there are numerous opportunities for problematic supportive exchange within families. The case is made that future studies of social support are needed to answer a series of questions about social support process within families coping with serious illness.
Trapping of Positive Muons at Vacancies in Quenched Aluminum

Evidence is presented for the trapping of positive muons at monovacancies and divacancies in quenched aluminum. The annealing of vacancies as sensed by the muon-spin-rotation effect is compared to positron annihilation measurements on identically prepared samples, showing that whereas positrons are trapped primarily at small vacancy clusters, muons are trapped mainly at monovacancies and diavancancies. Furthermore, the data indicate that it may be possible to study monovacancies and divacancies separately with the muon-spin-rotation technique.
Stereodynamics of tribenzylamine

Abstract 1 H DNMR studies in conjunction with EFF calculations for tribenzylamine indicate a preference for that conformer having C 3 symmetry and the presence of minor rotamers having one phenyl group anti to the lone pair.
Cytohistologic correlation rates between conventional Papanicolaou smears and ThinPrep cervical cytology: a comparison.

BACKGROUND The ThinPrep® Papanicolaou (Pap) test, a liquid-based alternative to the long-used conventional Pap smear, received Food and Drug Administration approval in 1996. The current study is a comparison of the accuracy, as assessed by cytohistologic correlation, of conventional versus ThinPrep® Pap smears in a hospital setting. METHODS A retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent Pap smears (conventional and ThinPrep) and pertinent surgical pathology tissue processed in our department over a 1-year period was undertaken. Tissue diagnoses were grouped into broad general categories to correlate with the Bethesda system. The statistical significance of differences between the two types of Pap test results compared with tissue diagnoses was assessed using a chi-square test with 1 degree of freedom and an α value of 0.05. RESULTS Of the 65,421 Pap smears interpreted during the study period, histologic correlation was possible in 1544 patients. Of those diagnosed as negative (644 conventional and 245 ThinPrep Smears), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) (116 conventional and 114 ThinPrep smears), and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL) (142 conventional and 131 ThinPrep smears), there was no statistically significant difference found between the correlation rates of conventional and ThinPrep Pap smear results. However, review of all cases of invasive cervical carcinoma identified during this time period showed the ThinPrep to be less consistent in predicting the presence of invasive carcinoma compared with the conventional Pap smear. CONCLUSIONS Based on cytohistologic correlation evidence, the ThinPrep Pap test may not be more effective in detecting cervical disease, particularly invasive carcinoma, when compared with the conventional Pap smear. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2003;99:135–40. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Alfalfa growth and absorption of cadmium and zinc from soils amended with sewage sludge

Abstract Safe application of sewage sludge to soil used for food chain crops requires careful management of the heavy metals that pose a potential health hazard. Soils in pots were amended with various chemicals and sewage sludge. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was grown in the amended soils to measure yield and shoot concentrations of Cd and Zn. The four soils were a strongly calcareous Millville silt loam (Typic Haploxeroll), a slightly calcareous Kidman loam (Typic Haplustoll), a slightly acidic Sinks silt loam (Cumulic Cryoboroll), and an acidic Franklin Basin silt loam (Pachic Paleboroll). Soils were amended with 20 Mg ha−1 dry weight of sewage sludge; some soil samples also received additions of CaCl2, CaO, CaCO3, or HCl. Pots were set on benches outside after alfalfa germinated. Adding 20 Mg ha−1 sludge provided 4.6 kg ha−1 Cd, which exceeds the proposed US EPA criteria maximum of 0.5 kg Cd ha−1 per year. Alfalfa was grown on all soils and was harvested three times. The Cd concentrations in dry alfalfa tops ranged from 0.21 mg kg−1 for controls to 0.64 mg kg−1 for sludge-amended soils. Neither Cd nor Zn reached phytotoxic concentrations in the alfalfa. In most treatments Cd levels in alfalfa equalled or exceeded the 0.5 Cd kg−1 that is permissible in animal feed. During the rapid growing period between the first and second cuttings, Cd and Zn concentrations in alfalfa were as much as 50% lower than concentrations during periods of slower growth. The total Cd and Zn recovered in alfalfa grown on the two slightly acidic soils was about 35–50% higher than from the non-acid soils. Adding lime to the acid soils significantly reduced Cd and Zn concentrations in tissues.
Accumulation of methylmercury in the earthworm, Eisenia foetida, and its effect on regeneration.

Earthworms provide an appropriate model for evaluating the environmental hazards of metals in soil, and they are also excellent organisms for studying the process of regeneration. Two studies have found that concentrations of mercury in earthworms were higher than those in the soil where they lived. This study investigates the accumulation of methylmercury in the earthworm, Eisenia foetida (Savigny), and its effect on regeneration after excision of the caudal end.
Cross‐species identification of a plasma microRNA signature for detection, therapeutic monitoring, and prognosis in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the primary bone tumor in children and young adults. Currently, there are no reliable, noninvasive biologic markers to detect the presence or progression of disease, assess therapy response, or provide upfront prognostic insights. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved, stable, small noncoding RNA molecules that are key posttranscriptional regulators and are ideal candidates for circulating biomarker development due to their stability in plasma, ease of isolation, and the unique expressions associated with specific disease states. Using a qPCR-based platform that analyzes more than 750 miRNAs, we analyzed control and diseased-associated plasma from a genetically engineered mouse model of OS to identify a profile of four plasma miRNAs. Subsequent analysis of 40 human patient samples corroborated these results. We also identified disease-specific endogenous reference plasma miRNAs for mouse and human studies. Specifically, we observed plasma miR-205-5p was decreased 2.68-fold in mice with OS compared to control mice, whereas, miR-214, and miR-335-5p were increased 2.37- and 2.69-fold, respectively. In human samples, the same profile was seen with miR-205-5p decreased 1.75-fold in patients with OS, whereas miR-574-3p, miR-214, and miR-335-5p were increased 3.16-, 8.31- and 2.52-fold, respectively, compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, low plasma levels of miR-214 in metastatic patients at time of diagnosis conveyed a significantly better overall survival. This is the first study to identify plasma miRNAs that could be used to prospectively identify disease, potentially monitor therapeutic efficacy and have prognostic implications for OS patients.
Neuromagnetic Abnormality of Motor Cortical Activation and Phases of Headache Attacks in Childhood Migraine

The cerebral cortex serves a primary role in the pathogenesis of migraine. This aberrant brain activation in migraine can be noninvasively detected with magnetoencephalography (MEG). The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in motor cortical activation between attacks (ictal) and pain free intervals (interictal) in children and adolescents with migraine using both low- and high-frequency neuromagnetic signals. Thirty subjects with an acute migraine and 30 subjects with a history of migraine, while pain free, were compared to age- and gender-matched controls using MEG. Motor cortical activation was elicited by a standardized, validated finger-tapping task. Low-frequency brain activation (1∼50 Hz) was analyzed with waveform measurements and high-frequency oscillations (65–150 Hz) were analyzed with wavelet-based beamforming. MEG waveforms showed that the ictal latency of low-frequency brain activation was significantly delayed as compared with controls, while the interictal latency of brain activation was similar to that of controls. The ictal amplitude of low-frequency brain activation was significantly increased as compared with controls, while the interictal amplitude of brain activation was similar to that of controls. The ictal source power of high-frequency oscillations was significantly stronger than that of the controls, while the interictal source power of high-frequency oscillations was significantly weaker than that of controls. The results suggest that aberrant low-frequency brain activation in migraine during a headache attack returned to normal interictally. However, high-frequency oscillations changed from ictal hyper-activation to interictal hypo-activation. Noninvasive assessment of cortical abnormality in migraine with MEG opens a new window for developing novel therapeutic strategies for childhood migraine by maintaining a balanced cortical excitability.
Cooperative synthesis of control and display augmentation for a STOL aircraft in the approach and landing task

Application of the Cooperative methodology to synthesize control/display augmentation systems for the piloted longitudinal landing task with a modern, statically-unstable, fighter aircraft is considered. Starting with a control augmentation law which yields augmented vehicle dynamics that meet Level I handling qualities specifications, the effect of time-delay in the Head-up-display is studied using model-based criterion. This evaluation showed that even with 'good' conventional dynamics, a realistic value of display time-delay will cause significant deterioration in pilot workload and piloted-system performance. Application of the Cooperative methodology to control augmentation alone resulted in augmented vehicle dynamics which provide direct control of the flight path from the pilot stick. Analytical evaluation of these dynamics indicates that such dynamics might lead to improved pilot ratings over conventional dynamics, especially in the presence of time-delays in the system. Also, application of the methodology to simultaneous synthesis of control augmentation and flight director laws revealed that it might be advantageous to consider the control/display trade-off in the early design stages.
A variable growth rate modification of von Bertalanffy's equation for aquaculture

In aquaculture experiments of only a few months' duration, fish can approach their asymptotic size and growth rates may change greatly. One objective of aquaculture is to obtain a maximum economic return, and a growth model is needed to relate rate of growth to food consumption and other costs to find the optimum duration of growth cycles. Von Bertalanffy's equation is an asymptotic growth model which can be used for this purpose. A variable growth rate model was developed to describe fish growth oscillations observed in aquaculture experiments. This growth model provides improved estimates of von Bertalanffy's equation in aquaculture and can be used for an efficient evaluation of fish production during production cycles.
A process-oriented model of cognitive sex differences

Abstract Previous researchers have concluded that males perform better, on average, than females on visual-spatial tasks and quantitative tasks, while females show superior performance on verbal tasks. However, this tri-partite abilities rubric cannot account for the many cognitive tasks that do not conform to this pattern and the wide variety of tasks that are subsumed under each category heading. Males perform more accurately and quickly on some verbal tasks (e.g., verbal analogies), females perform more accurately and quickly on some quantitative tasks (e.g., arithmetic), and many visual-spatial tasks show no sex differences. In order to explain these anomalies, Halpern (1992), suggested that a more useful model for understanding cognitive sex differences would be organized according to the underlying cognitive processes. A process-oriented model based on what people do when they perform a cognitive task was investigated. We concluded that categorizing sex differences according to the underlying cognitive processes and utilizing recent advances in cognitive theory and measurement, allows us to explain anomalies in the research literature and provides a more meaningful approach to investigating individual differences in cognition.
Relative Value of Water for Hydropower and Municipal Supply in Southeastern Reservoirs

Population growth in the Southeast has driven withdrawals for municipal water beyond the limits of local supplies. With few options left for development of virgin sources, a number of urban areas are looking toward demand management and additional supplies by reallocating storage in reservoirs that were built primarily or in part for hydropower. Hydropower has become a lesser part of the mix of energy sources, and the question arises as to value of water for that purpose relative to its value for municipal use. Three cases are used to examine the issue. Effects of withdrawal for municipal water supply on output of electric energy are estimated. Benefits of foregone energy are evaluated using the least cost alternative for replacement, and benefits for municipal water are estimated using costs for development of new sources. Benefits for use as municipal water are found to be considerably higher than benefits for hydroelectric energy at existing prices, even higher than the least cost alternative for replacement. Given the spatial distribution of the cases, that finding would appear to hold in general across the region.
Ratcheting Up vir Gene Expression in Agrobacterium tumefaciens: Coiled Coils in Histidine Kinase Signal Transduction

The transmembrane histidine kinase VirA is responsible for the recognition of information from several plant-derived xenognostic signals that control gene transfer between Agrobacterium tumefaciens and its eukaryotic host. As with other histidine autokinases, VirA appears to exist as a homodimer within the inner membrane of the bacterium. In this study, we identify the putative homodimeric coiled-coil-like motifs Helix TM2 (amino acids (aa) 259-288) and Helix C (aa 293-327) within the previously assigned signal input domain. The functional importance of these coiled-coil interactions in signal-mediated VirA activation is investigated by the construction of fusion proteins with the leucine zipper domain of the transcription factor GCN4. Replacement of the membrane-spanning and periplasmic domains of VirA with the GCN4 leucine zipper gave functional proteins with increased signal-induced vir gene expression. When the GCN4 fusion was used to conformationally bias the interface of the Helix C coiled coil, constitutively active chimeras were created. The activity of these constructs was dependent on the interface of the Helix C coiled coil, and a ratchet model is proposed in which VirA activation is achieved by signal-induced switching of the interfaces of the homodimer. Since VirA functions as a transducer and integrates various host cues indirectly, these data highlight its role as an "antenna" for the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid, able to monitor the host proteome so as to select for successful xenognostic signaling strategies.
Suitability of white-tailed deer as hosts for cattle fever ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus L.) were evaluated as an alternate host for the cattle fever tick, Boophilus annulatus (Say). The total of adult female ticks recovered and associated reproductive parameters were compared between deer and bovine hosts. Significantly fewer ticks were recovered from deer than from cattle; this was attributed to the grooming behavior of the deer. The mean weight of ticks taken from deer (243.5 mg) was significantly less than that of ticks recovered from cattle (344.5 mg) with about 15% of the ticks from deer prematurely detached. Egg mass weight from the ticks recovered from deer (129.4 mg) was significantly less than that of ticks from cattle (172.1 mg). A significant difference was observed between the percentage hatch of the eggs of ticks from deer (63.1%) and ticks from cattle (76.7%). The index of reproduction was about 20 times greater for the ticks from the cattle than for the ticks from the deer. When the larval progeny of the ticks recovered from deer were reared on cattle, significantly fewer adult females were recovered than when larvae of ticks recovered from cattle were reared on cattle. This indicates a possible reduction in viability. All other parameters were comparable between the two groups. Thus, deer are biologically suitable hosts for B. annulatus, but significantly fewer ticks complete engorgement and those that complete engorgement have reduced fecundity.
Electromyographic activity of the long digital extensor muscle in the exercising Thoroughbred horse.

Summary Surface electrodes were used to record electromyographic (EMG) activity of the long digital extensor muscle on the right hindlimb of 8 Thoroughbred horses for 8 s at the walk and 8 s at the trot before (unfatigued) and after (fatigued) an exercise test. The exercise test was performed on a motorised treadmill set on a 10% grade. Each test started at a speed of 6 m/s which was increased by 1 m/s each minute until the horse fatigued as indicated by its inability to keep pace with the treadmill with minimal encouragement. Observations were made on the horses prior to conditioning (untrained state) and after 8 weeks of regular exercise (trained state). The mean root-mean-square (rms) values of EMG bursts collected in each experimental trial were determined for each horse and group means were derived from the mean of independent subjects. Statistical comparisons for differences in rmsEMG were related to gait, fatigue and training. Mean rmsEMG at the trot was consistently higher than at the walk (P 0.05). However, fatigued muscles experienced higher EMG activity in the trained state at the walk (P<0.05). A similar tendency was observed at the trot. Results of this study suggest that surface EMG measurement may be useful for evaluating fatigue in exercising horses.
ß-Adrenergic Receptor Activation Increases Acetylcholine Receptor Number in Cultured Skeletal Muscle Myotubes

Treatment of embryonic chick muscle myotubes with the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol increased the number of surface membrane nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Receptor degradation was unaffected by isoproterenol, suggesting that receptor synthesis was increased. The effect of isoproterenol appears to be mediated by the beta-adrenergic receptor adenylate cyclase system for the following reasons: (a) The response to isoproterenol was dose-dependent and stereospecific. (b) The response to catecholamines followed the order isoproterenol greater than epinephrine greater than norepinephrine. (c) Alprenolol, a beta-adrenergic antagonist, but not phentolamine, an alpha-antagonist, abolished the effect. (d) The maximal effects of isoproterenol and cholera toxin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, were not additive. These results suggest that under certain physiological states catecholamines may play an important role in the regulation of cholinergic receptors.
Isolation and Biochemical Characterization of Hypophosphite/ 2-Oxoglutarate Dioxygenase: A NOVEL PHOSPHORUS-OXIDIZING ENZYME FROM PSEUDOMONAS STUTZERI WM88

The htxA gene is required for the oxidation of hypophosphite in Pseudomonas stutzeri WM88 (Metcalf, W. W., and Wolfe, R. S. (1998) J. Bacteriol. 180, 5547-5558). Amino acid sequence comparisons suggest that hypophosphite:2-oxoglutarate dioxygenase (HtxA) is a novel member of the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase enzyme family. To provide experimental support for this hypothesis, HtxA was overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified to apparent homogeneity. Recombinant HtxA is identical to the native enzyme based on amino terminus sequencing and mass spectral analysis, and it catalyzes the oxidation of hypophosphite to phosphite in a process strictly dependent on 2-oxoglutarate, ferrous ions, and oxygen. Succinate and phosphite are stoichiometrically produced, indicating a strict coupling of the reaction. Size exclusion analysis suggests that HtxA is active as a homodimer, and maximal activity is observed at pH 7.0 and at 27 degrees C. The apparent K(m) values for hypophosphite and 2-oxoglutarate were 0.58 +/- 0.04 mm and 10.6 +/- 1.4 microm, respectively. V(max) and k(cat) values were determined to be 10.9 +/- 0.30 micromol min(-1) mg(-1) and 355 min(-1), respectively. 2-Oxoadipate and pyruvate substitute poorly for 2-oxoglutarate as a cosubstrate. The highest specific activity is observed with hypophosphite as substrate, but HtxA is also able to oxidize formate and arsenite at significant rates. The substrate analog inhibitors, formate and nitrate, significantly reduce HtxA activity.
Robotic Flexible Ureteroscopy for Renal Calculi: Initial Clinical Experience

Purpose: We report what is to our knowledge the initial clinical experience with remote robotic ureterorenoscopy and laser lithotripsy for renal calculi using a novel flexible robotic system.Materials and Methods: After institutional review board approval and informed consent 18 patients with renal calculi underwent flexible robotic ureteroscopy. Study inclusion criteria were 5 to 15 mm renal calculi. Patients with ureteral calculi or obstruction, uncontrolled infection, renal insufficiency or solitary kidney were excluded from analysis. The flexible robotic catheter system was manually introduced into the renal collecting system over a guidewire under fluoroscopic control. All intrarenal maneuvers, including stone relocation and fragmentation into 1 to 2 mm particles, were done exclusively from the remote robotic console.Results: All procedures were technically successful without conversion to manual ureteroscopy. Mean stone size was 11.9 mm, mean robot docking time was 7.3 minutes, mean stone localizati...
Electronically variable time delay in a LiNbO 3 SAW delay line

The time delay of surface acoustic waves (SAW's) in 128° rotated Y-cut, X-propagating LiNbO 3 is found to vary linearly with a biasing electric field. Fractional changes in time delay greater than 9 × 10-4have been obtained in a delay line fabricated using this material.
Stieltjes imaging of electron impact-excitation profiles

Abstract A theoretical technique employing variational calculations in Hilbert space and theorems from the theory of moments is described for the ab initio construction of both discrete and continuum portions of the Bethe surfaces of atoms and molecules. Accurate approximations to the appropriate complete sets of atomic and molecular eigen-functions are not required. An illustrative application in the case of atomic hydrogen, for which the correct Bethe surface is available, indicates that the method is rapidly convergent.
Measurements of restricted diffusion using an oscillating gradient spin-echo sequence.

An oscillating gradient spin-echo (OGSE) pulse sequence was used to measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (D(app)) of water in the short diffusion time regime in the presence of restrictions. The diffusion coefficients of water in a simple water sample and a water and oil mixture were measured to be the same for different periods of the gradient oscillation, as expected when there are no restriction effects. The D(app) of water in the spaces between closely packed beads was also measured as a function of the gradient oscillation periods in the range 11 to 80 ms. The D(app) of water in restricted systems varies with the period of the gradient oscillation and the dispersion depends on the scale of the restriction. For a sample of packed beads of diameter 9.1 +/- 0.7 microm, the pore surface-to-volume ratio was estimated experimentally by this method to be 1.3 +/- 0.1 microm(-1), corresponding to a mean pore diameter of 6.4 +/- 0.7 microm. A Monte Carlo computer simulation of the NMR OGSE signal from the spins diffusing in a system of compartments was also implemented and the D(app) demonstrated similar behavior with gradient oscillation periods.
Effects of salinity gradients on the tolerance and bioenergetics of juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) from waters of different environmental salinities

Juvenile Callinectes sapidus Rathbun were collected from brackish and hypersaline coastal environments in August 1986 and July 1987, respectively. The brackish collection site was a salt-marsh near Grand Isle, Louisiana (USA), and the hypersaline site was in the barrier island system on the north end of the Laguna Madre near Corpus Christi, Texas (USA). On the dates of collection, salinities fluctuated daily between 20 and 30‰ S and between 30 and 45‰ S at the brackish and hypersaline collection sites, respectively. The high-salinity 21 d LC50 (50% mortality) was 56.0 for brackish-water individuals and 66.5‰ S for hypersaline individuals. The brackish-water individuals survived 0‰ S. The lowsalinity 21 d LC50 was 0.5‰ S for the hypersaline individuals. Respiration and excretion comprised a small portion of the energy budget and did not vary with salinity for individuals from brackish water. However, both respiration and excretion increased with decreasing salinity in individuals from the hypersaline environment. Respiration accounted for more energy than excretion. As energetic expenditure (due to respiration and excretion) was relatively small, scope for growth usually paralleled energy absorption. Scope for growth responses to salinity differed significantly between crabs from the two environments. Peaks in scope for growth for both the brackish-water and hypersaline individuals corresponded to salinities normally encountered by these crabs in their natural habitats. Individuals from the brackish-water population had maximal energy absorption and scope for growth at 10 and 25‰ S. Individuals from the hypersaline population displayed maximal energy absorption at 35‰ S and maximal scope for growth at 35 and 50‰ S.
History of the Ebook: The Changing Face of Books

The history of the ebook and e-readers began before World War II with Vannevar Bush, who conceived the memex as a way for individuals to store and read increasing amounts of available information. Project Gutenberg started digitizing texts in 1971. In this article the authors trace the history of ebooks and e-readers from these early beginnings to the current explosion of ebook use. While libraries started to experiment with ebooks relatively late, they have jumped upon the ebook bandwagon within the last few years. Problems have arisen with proprietary formats, licensing rather than ownership, and the mechanics of ebook circulation.
Safety of dobutamine stress real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the safety of dobutamine stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) obtained by real-time contrast echocardiography (RTCE) and intravenous ultrasound contrast in a large cohort of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Background Despite the increasing number of studies showing the potential clinical utility of myocardial contrast perfusion imaging with commercially available contrast agents, the safety of this technique in a clinical setting has not been demonstrated. Methods Over a four-year period, 1,486 patients underwent dobutamine stress RTCE with low mechanical index pulse sequence schemes after intravenous injections of commercially available contrast agents (35% Definity, Bristol Myers Squibb Medical Imaging Inc., North Billerica, Massachusetts; 65% Optison, GE-Amersham, Princeton, New Jersey). The hemodynamic and adverse effects of RTCE were compared with 1,012 patients who underwent conventional dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) without contrast. The feasibility of image analysis was defined as the ability to analyze MPI in at least two of the three standard segments in each left ventricular wall. Results No myocardial infarction or death occurred during dobutamine stress. There was no difference in the incidence of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, sustained ventricular tachycardia, or supraventricular tachycardia during dobutamine infusion between RTCE and DSE. Myocardial perfusion imaging was considered feasible for analysis in 94% of the walls at baseline and 95% at peak stress. The anterior, lateral, and posterior walls were the most common regions in which MPI was not feasible. Myocardial perfusion imaging with RTCE had a higher accuracy for detecting patients with angiographically significant CAD than the analysis of wall motion (84% vs. 66%, respectively; p Conclusions Dobutamine stress RTCE appears to be a safe and feasible technique for evaluating patients with known or suspected CAD.
Analysis of Retrieved Surgical Implant Devices: Alternative Bearing Surfaces

Analyses of orthopaedic devices and prostheses from surgical revisions (failures) have provided considerable and valuable information related to the causes of some unintended clinical outcomes. Thousands of explanted samples have been categorized and hundreds studied over past decades. Forensic approaches for determining cause-effect relationships specific to the prosthesis aspects of clinical performance could lead to recommendations of improvements of existing or design of new systems to further enhance clinical longevities. In the following we provide a summary of methodologies and example results from a series of recent retrieval studies aimed at the analysis of alternative bearing surfaces in orthopaedic implants.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Crystalline silicates in comets : How did they form?

Two processes have been proposed to explain observations of crystalline silicate minerals in comets and in protostellar sources, both of which rely on the thermal annealing of amorphous grains. First, high temperatures generated by nebular shock processes can rapidly produce crystalline magnesium silicate grains and will simultaneously produce a population of crystalline iron silicates whose average grain size is ∼10–15% that of the magnesium silicate minerals. Second, exposure of amorphous silicate grains to hot nebular environments can produce crystalline magnesium silicates that might then be transported outward to regions of comet formation. At the higher temperatures required for annealing amorphous iron silicates to crystallinity the evaporative lifetime of the grains is much shorter than a single orbital period where such temperatures are found in the nebula. Thermal annealing is therefore unable to produce crystalline iron silicate grains for inclusion into comets unless such grains are very quickly transported away from the hot inner nebula. It follows that observation of pure crystalline magnesium silicate minerals in comets or protostars is a direct measure of the importance of simple thermal annealing of grains in the innermost regions of protostellar nebulae followed by dust and gas transport to the outer nebula. The presence of crystalline iron silicates would signal the action of transient processes such as shock heating that can produce crystalline iron, magnesium and mixed iron–magnesium silicate minerals. These different scenarios result in very different predictions for the organic content of protostellar systems.
The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life. Elijah Anderson. New York, NY: Norton, 2011. xvii and 318 pp., photos, notes, bibliography, index. $17.95 paper (ISBN 978-0-393-34051-8).

Elijah Anderson is an urban ethnographer. His is hands-on, first-person research. I first met his work a good twenty years ago in Streetwise (Anderson 1990), in which he depicted the largely unlova...
Neoplastic meningitis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract.

BACKGROUND Neoplastic meningitis (NM) occurs in 5–10% of patients with malignant disease. Little is known about the outcomes of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies who develop NM. For this report, the authors characterized the clinical course and attempted to identify prognostic factors in patients with NM due to primary malignancies of the GI tract. METHODS In this retrospective study, 21 patients with GI primary tumors and NM were identified: Their medical records and imaging studies were reviewed. RESULTS The patient population was composed of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (n = 8 patients), esophageal adenocarcinoma (n = 7 patients), colon and/or rectal adenocarcinoma (n = 5 patients), and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n = 1 patient). The median overall survival after the initial diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was 55 weeks (range, 8–884 wks), and the median survival after the diagnosis of NM was 7 weeks (range, 0–64 wks). Four patients died during palliative radiotherapy. No factors identified had an impact on outcome, including symptoms, physical findings at diagnosis, imaging characteristics, or cerebrospinal fluid findings. Univariate analysis showed a trend toward better outcomes for patients who received any kind of treatment directed toward the NM. CONCLUSIONS Patients with NM from GI tract adenocarcinomas universally had poor outcomes. Until NM can be diagnosed earlier and/or until more effective therapies are identified, comfort care alone may be a reasonable alternative for some of these unfortunate patients. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Theology and Science within a Lakatosian Program

The writings of Ian Barbour and Arthur Peacocke can be construed as initial contributions to a Lakatosian research pre gram on the relation between theology and science, the core theory of which is the thesis that theology belongs at the top of a nonreducible hierarchy of sciences. The positive heuristic of this program involves showing that theology and the sciences have enough in common epistemologically to be so related and arguing for nonreducibility. The author in this essay rationally reconstructs some of her philosophi cal work as a contribution to these tasks.
Traffic Noise and Inequality in the Twin Cities, Minnesota

ABSTRACT It is widely known that prolonged exposure to high levels of traffic noise has several health effects. While scholarship in environmental justice has explored the environmental equity hypothesis in a wide range of areas, whether the spatial distribution of traffic noise is equitable among different racial and socioeconomic groups has rarely been explored, especially in the United States. This article addresses this lacuna by examining this relationship in the Twin Cities Metro Region, Minnesota. Traffic data from the Minnesota Department of Transportation were used to model the propagation of traffic noise over the study area and aircraft noise contour lines were added to account for aircraft noise. Inequities associated with exposure to chronic traffic noise were investigated using selected demographic and socioeconomic variables from the U.S. Census 2000. Statistical analysis was based on a regression model that addressed spatial autocorrelation. Results indicate that there is an association be...
Determination of descriptors for semivolatile organosilicon compounds by gas chromatography and non-aqueous liquid-liquid partition.

Abstract The measurement of retention factors by gas chromatography on up to 15 stationary phases at several temperatures in the range 60–240 °C for each stationary phase and liquid–liquid partition coefficients in three biphasic organic solvent systems ( n -hexane–acetonitrile, n -heptane– N , N -dimethylformamide, and n -heptane–2,2,2-trifluoroethanol) were used to calculate solute descriptors for 28 semivolatile linear and cyclic organosilicon compounds for use in the solvation parameter model. Regression analysis for oligomeric compounds allowed the descriptor values for the dimethylsiloxane, diethylsiloxane, methylvinylsiloxane, and methylhydrosiloxane monomer groups to be estimated. These monomer groups contribute significantly to the hydrogen-bond basicity ( B descriptor) and cavity formation and dispersion interactions ( L and V descriptors) of oligomeric organosilicon compounds, are non-hydrogen-bond acidic ( A descriptor = 0), are slightly less dipolar/polarizable than an n -alkane ( S descriptors are negative and close to zero), and bind electron lone pairs more tightly than an n -alkane ( E descriptor is small and negative). The semivolatile organosilicon compounds with polar functional groups in their side chain demonstrate a much wider range of selective intermolecular interactions than alkylsiloxanes and have solvation properties closer to those of polar organic compounds.
Disruption of IGF-1R signaling increases TRAIL-induced apoptosis: A new potential therapy for the treatment of melanoma

Resistance of cancer cells to apoptosis is dependent on a balance of multiple genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, which up-regulate efficacy of the surviving growth factor-receptor signaling pathways and suppress death-receptor signaling pathways. The Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Receptor (IGF-1R) signaling pathway is highly active in metastatic melanoma cells by mediating downstream activation of PI3K-AKT and MAPK pathways and controlling general cell survival and proliferation. In the present study, we used human melanoma lines with established genotypes that represented different phases of cancer development: radial-growth-phase WM35, vertical-growth-phase WM793, metastatic LU1205 and WM9 [1]. All these lines have normal NRAS. WM35, WM793, LU1205 and WM9 cells have mutated BRAF (V600E). WM35 and WM9 cells express normal PTEN, while in WM793 cells PTEN expression is down-regulated; finally, in LU1205 cells PTEN is inactivated by mutation. Cyclolignan picropodophyllin (PPP), a specific inhibitor of IGF-1R kinase activity, strongly down-regulated the basal levels of AKT activity in WM9 and in WM793 cells, modestly does so in LU1205, but has no effect on AKT activity in the early stage WM35 cells that are deficient in IGF-1R. In addition, PPP partially down-regulated the basal levels of active ERK1/2 in all lines used, highlighting the role of an alternative, non-BRAF pathway in MAPK activation. The final result of PPP treatment was an induction of apoptosis in WM793, WM9 and LU1205 melanoma cells. On the other hand, dose-dependent inhibition of IGF-1R kinase activity by PPP at a relatively narrow dose range (near 500 nM) has different effects on melanoma cells versus normal cells, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells and G2/M arrest of fibroblasts. To further enhance the pro-apoptotic effects of PPP on melanoma cells, we used a combined treatment of TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) and PPP. This combination substantially increased death by apoptosis for WM793 and WM9 cells, but did so only modestly for LU1205 cells with very high basal activity of AKT. The ultimate goal of this direction of research is the discovery of a new treatment method for highly resistant human metastatic melanomas. Our findings provide the rationale for further preclinical evaluation of this novel treatment.
Disease recurrence following liver transplantation.

As a result of the many surgical and medical advances within the practice of liver transplantation, most recipients can anticipate long-term survival. Perhaps the greatest threat to the long-term success of liver transplantation is recurrence of the original liver disease which can occur for most of the primary causes of liver failure. Although the initial concern about recurrent disease mainly related to viral hepatitis (especially hepatitis B), recurrence of nonviral liver disease has been shown to lead to graft failure in a proportion of recipients. The rates and severity of disease recurrence are highly variable and are probably related to the complex interplay of host factors, iatrogenic influences (e.g., immunosuppression, antiviral treatment), and possibly genetic variability of the allograft (perhaps through effects on the nature and magnitude of the inflammatory response within the graft). This article summarizes current knowledge of recurrent liver disease following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), including the natural history and mechanisms of disease, potential consequences for liver retransplantation, and allocation of donor organs.
AFM Indentation Reveals Actomyosin-Based Stiffening of Metastatic Cancer Cells during Invasion into Collagen I Matrices

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a widely used technique to directly probe the mechanical response of mammalian cells to external forces to determine their elasticity. To date, the majority of AFM-based studies are limited to cells that are adhered to flat substrates, however these measurements lose information regarding cell mechanobiology in a physiologically relevant 3D microenvironment. We have performed combined AFM indentation and confocal fluorescence measurements on MDA-MB-231 metastatic breast cancer cells which have either partially or fully invaded into polymerized bovine collagen I matrices. In order to interpret the raw data from the experiments to determine the cells’ elastic modulus, we have developed numerous analytical and simulation techniques. A sphero-conical tip geometry to represent an AFM probe with a spherical cap transitioning to a cone is derived and applied to analyze deep indentations into the cell-collagen layer. For partially invaded cells, a generalized bonded two-layered elastic half-space model is numerically solved to assist with decoupling the mechanical response of the collagen matrix from the cell. For fully embedded cells, finite element analysis is used to simulate an AFM indentation to extract their elastic moduli. Using these techniques, we demonstrate that the elastic modulus of MDA-MB-231 cells significantly increases by ∼80% as they invade into collagen compared to cells on glass and cells on top of collagen. Inhibiting ROCK decreases the rigidity of cells on a surface as well as the magnitude of stiffening during invasion into collagen. These results corroborate recent actomyosin-based rounded cell motility models in 3D and demonstrate the ability of AFM to study cell mechanics in tissue-like environments.