cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selenoprotein mRNA Is Expressed in Blood at Levels Comparable to Major Tissues in Rats

Liver glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1) mRNA is highly regulated by Se status relative to other parameters, but is of limited use for determining Se requirements in humans. To examine the efficacy of using blood for Se status assessment using molecular biology markers, we used a ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) to study mRNA levels in whole blood relative to 16 other rat tissues. Significant amounts of total RNA (>50 microg) were obtained from 1 mL of whole blood. Total RNA from 28-d postweaning Se-adequate (0.2 microg Se/g diet) male rats was analyzed for GPX1, GPX4, GPX3, thioredoxin reductase-1 (TRR1), and selenoprotein-P (SelP). RPA detected significant mRNA expression for at least 1 selenoprotein in all tissues except pancreas. GPX1 mRNA expression using this mix of RPA probes yielded the highest signal for GPX1 relative to the other selenoprotein signals in all tissues except testis; GPX1 expression was 4th highest in blood and similar to the major organs (liver, 1st; heart, 5th; kidney, 6th). Kidney was highest for GPX3, and testes was highest for GPX4, TRR1, and SelP. This study is the first to report the gene expression pattern for a number of selenoproteins and across a comprehensive set of tissues. The mRNA levels for all selenoproteins in blood were comparable to levels in the major organs, and decreases in blood and liver GPX1 mRNA levels in Se deficiency were similar, supporting potential use of whole blood for assessing Se status using molecular biology markers.
Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History.

Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History. Susan Meiselas (with chapter commentaries by Martin van Bruinesseri). New York: Random House, 1997. 409 pp. Additional information available at www.akakurdistan.com.
The Un‐Thought of Preparedness: Concealments of Disaster Preparedness in Tokyo's Everyday

SUMMARY Written three months before the Tohoku earthquake of 2011, this article looks at disaster preparedness work in Japan. These parings develop what I call the “un-thought of preparedness” which amounts to a general shift in the premise of preparedness in Japan from uncertainty (what if it strikes?) to poise (even if it strikes!). In the postscript, I provide a short ethnographic exploration of the work of mourning in the months following the 2011 earthquake–tsunami disaster.
Observation of Wigner cusps in the 64 Ni(p, γ) 65 Cu reaction

Abstract Gammay-ray yield measurements are reported for the 64Ni(p, γ)65Cu reactions over an energy range which includes several low-lying (p, n) thresholds. A strong decrease in the (p, γ) yield at the opening of the neutron channels is interpreted as a superposition of several Wigner cusps. Statistical model calculations successfully reproduce the observations.
Hepatitis C virus diversity and evolution in the full open-reading frame during antiviral therapy.

Background Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) fails in approximately half of genotype 1 patients. Treatment failure occurs either by nonresponse (minimal declines in viral titer) or relapse (robust initial responses followed by rebounds of viral titers during or after therapy). HCV is highly variable genetically. To determine if viral genetic differences contribute to the difference between response and relapse, we examined the inter-patient genetic diversity and mutation pattern in the full open reading frame HCV genotype 1a consensus sequences. Methodology/Principal Findings Pre- and post-therapy sequences were analyzed for 10 nonresponders and 10 relapsers from the Virahep-C clinical study. Pre-therapy interpatient diversity among the relapsers was higher than in the nonresponders in the viral NS2 and NS3 genes, and post-therapy diversity was higher in the relapsers for most of HCV's ten genes. Pre-therapy diversity among the relapsers was intermediate between that of the non-responders and responders to therapy. The average mutation rate was just 0.9% at the amino acid level and similar numbers of mutations occurred in the nonresponder and relapser sequences, but the mutations in NS2 of relapsers were less conservative than in nonresponders. Finally, the number and distribution of regions under positive selection was similar between the two groups, although the nonresponders had more foci of positive selection in E2. Conclusions/Significance The HCV sequences were unexpectedly stable during failed antiviral therapy, both nonresponder and relapser sequences were under selective pressure during therapy, and variation in NS2 may have contributed to the difference in response between the nonresponder and relapser groups. These data support a role for viral genetic variability in determining the outcome of anti-HCV therapy, with those sequences that are more distant from an optimal sequence being less able to resist the pressures of interferon-based therapy. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00038974
The pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome: Lessons from ovarian stimulation studies

In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) the ovary produces markedly increased amounts of both androgens and estrogens in response to gonadotropin stimulation. Distinctive responses of 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione to ovarian stimulation testing suggest that ovarian hyperandrogenism is a result of dysregulation of theca cell androgen production which is intrinsic to the ovary. The occurrence of hyperestrogenism together with hyperandrogenism in PCOS suggests that whatever the abnormality of local regulatory factors of steroidogenesis, it affects granulosa as well as theca cells. Dysregulation is often associated with an increase in the number of follicles which evade atresia and reach the 2-8 mm stage of development. Autocrine/paracrine factors, especially those which are FSH-dependent, likely play an important role in the pathogenesis of the ovarian abnormality. Both LH and insulin hypersecretion probably play a secondary role in PCOS by amplifying the preexisting ovarian dysregulation. Because FSH secretion is under tight long-loop negative-feedback control and LH is not, hyperandrogenism is the primary clinical manifestation of dysregulation of steroid production in PCOS. However, anovulation in PCOS is most likely a result of excessive estrogen and inhibin production by multiple, small follicles which inhibit FSH secretory dynamics sufficiently to prevent selection of a dominant follicle.
Labor supply functions of working male and female pharmacists: In search of the backward bend

Background Previous research has shown that U.S. pharmacists experience negative elasticities along a backward-bending labor supply function. The presence of a backward bend in the labor supply curve may cause a decrease in the amount of work at a time of labor shortage. Therefore, the determinants of pharmacists' labor supply functions should be explored to assess the impact of this backward bend. Objectives To determine whether female and male pharmacist work inputs are influenced by the same factors and estimate where the backward bend occurs, if at all, in their labor supply functions. Methods Data were collected using a survey questionnaire mailed to registered pharmacists in South Florida. Labor supply functions were formulated and tested separately for 558 men and 498 women. The wage rate, other household income, human capital stock, job-related preferences, and opinion variables were hypothesized to explain labor supply differentials. Human capital stock variables included professional experience, holding a specialty board certification, and number of children; job-related preference variables included urban-rural location of work site and main role as a practitioner; and opinion variables included stress, autonomy, fairness in the workplace, flexibility, and job security. Results Men and women responded differently to identical stimuli, and their supply functions were influenced in different ways by the explanatory variables. Both genders exhibited positive labor supply elasticities greater than those reported in other studies. Both genders' backward bend in their labor supply functions occurred several standard deviations to the right of the mean. Conclusion The backward bend in the labor supply functions of male and female pharmacists is not likely to affect in the near future the labor market's ability to regulate shortages of practitioners via increases in the wage rate. A more thorough understanding of pharmacists' labor supply functions must address gender issues and differences in response to identical stimuli.
Heterogeneity of microtubule organizing center components as revealed by monoclonal antibodies to mammalian centrosomes and to nucleus-associated bodies from dictyostelium

The molecular composition of two morphologically distinct microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs) was compared by probing with monoclonal antibodies raised against (i) nucleus-associated bodies (NABs) isolated in a complex with nuclei from the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum and (ii) mammalian mitotic spindles isolated from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The staining patterns observed by immunofluorescence microscopy in whole CHO cells and Dictyostelium amoebae showed that the distribution of thirteen MTOC antigens is heterogeneous. Not all antibodies recognized the MTOC in both interphase and mitosis. Most of the anti-MTOC antibodies cross-reacted with other cellular organelles such as nuclei, Golgi apparatus-like aggregates and cytoskeletal elements. Two antibodies, CHO3 and AX3, recognized phosphorylated epitopes present in both mammalian centrosomes and Dictyostelium NABs. On immunoblots, most of the antibodies showed multiple bands, often of high molecular weight, indicating that the antigenic determinants are shared among different molecules. One antibody inhibited the regrowth of microtubules onto centrosomes in vitro after addition of exogenous tubulin to detergent-lysed CHO cells on coverslips; this antibody binds to an antigen(s) that might be essential for the microtubule-nucleating activity of centrosomes. These observations demonstrate that molecular components in different MTOCs exhibit a variety of distinct subcellular localizations and functional properties, and that some antigenic molecules have been conserved among morphologically distinct MTOCs.
Asymmetric Shielding in Interfacial Fracture Under In-Plane Shear

The toughness of a glass/'epoxy interface was measured over a wide range of mode mixes. A toughening effect was associated with increasing positive and negative in-plane shear components. Optical interference measurements of normal crack opening displacements near the crack front and complementary finite element analyses were used to examine near-front behavior during crack initiation. Estimates of the tough­ening based on plastic dissipation, bulk viscoelastic dissipation, and interface asperity shielding did not fully account for the measured values. The results suggest that the inelastic behavior of the epoxy, frictional, and, perhaps, three-dimensional effects should be considered. 1 Introduction Interfacial crack growth occurs in a number of applications of technological importance. Because of the fact that the frac­ture path is constrained irrespective of the orientation of the globally applied loads and also because of the mismatch of material properties across the interface, crack growth is in­herently mixed mode. Critical and subcritical crack growth must then be governed by some combination of mode I, II, and III fracture parameters. The simplest approach, using one parameter, seeks to determine an effective parameter that can account for all mode mixes in a unifying manner. This is particularly useful for subcritical crack growth where corre­lations of crack growth rates fall on one curve for all mode mixes when the proper parameter is found. An alternative is to consider a two-parameter approach where one parameter represents the mode mix or direction and the other a magni­tude. For critical crack growth, the magnitude will generally be a function of mode mix. The form the function is usually determined experimentally but may, as mechanisms are better understood, even be predicted. The most common approach for examining interfacial crack initiation has been to consider the interfacial fracture tough­ness, G
Health assessment in the Framingham offspring study: A research proposal

Abstract This paper proposes that a broader health assessment be made in the Framingham Offspring/Spouse Study than is undertaken in the Framingham Study. The Offspring Study is composed of the children (and their spouses) of the members of the original Framingham Study cohort. The Offspring population has a broader age range and an average agc that is approximately 30 years younger than the original parent cohort. Therefore, mortality and morbidity measures, which were used as indices of health status for the parent cohort and which focus on the negative “sickness” component of health, are less appropriate for use in this relatively healthy population. Thus, we propose a broader conceptual framework of health that emphasizes the positive “wellness” side of the health continuum. The essential components of the comprehensive health index we describe include global health perceptions, measures of physical, mental, and social functioning across valued social roles, the ability to withstand stress as mediated by the coping process and social resources, and the assessment of genetic, behavioral, and physiological risk factors. One purpose of the proposal is to stimulate discussion in the hope of achieving general agreement regarding a shared conceptual frame of reference that would guide the development and testing of a reliable and valid health status instrument.
Non-smoking and concurrent immunosuppressive use are predictors of response to infliximab in patients with Crohn's disease

Non-smoking and concurrent immunosuppressive use are predictors of response to infliximab in patients with Crohn's disease
Microprocessor: based multiprocessor ring structured network

A good deal of interest has been generated by the use of multiprocessor distributed architecture networks for resource sharing, for load equalization, and for interprocessor message communications. Such networks generally employ node processing elements that fall into several distinct categories: general-purpose homogeneous processors, general-purpose nonhomogeneous processors, array computers, and pipe-line computers. Topology spans a multitude of configurations from generalized graph structures, to tree and star networks, to multiple-bus and time-shared bus systems.
Sorption studies of cations on "bubble produced organic aggregates" in sea water

Abstract Filtered sea water, containing added trace amounts of 65 Zn, 54 Mn, 85 Sr and 45 Ca was bubbled with water-washed air and then refiltered; the total uptake of tracer on the filter and aggregate material was then determined. The retention of these elements by the aggregate material was found to be very low, relative to the total amount in the sea water. No significant increase in uptake in bubbled over non-bubbled samples was found for the cations 65 Zn, 85 Sr and 45 Ca, with only a slight increase in the case of 54 Mn. The sorption of strontium to “bubble produced aggregates” in the laboratory appears inadequate to account for the production of a reported strontium-chlorinity ratio maximum in a water column.
Molecular Basis for Up-Regulation by Inflammatory Cytokines of Shiga Toxin 1 Cytotoxicity and Globotriaosylceramide Expression

Mortality in postdiarrheal hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is associated with brain injury. Normally, brain cells are resistant to Shiga toxin (Stx), the putative pathogenic toxin in HUS. However, exposure of human brain endothelial cells (HBECs) to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and/or interleukin (IL)–1 markedly up-regulates Stx receptor (globotriaosylceramide; Gb3) expression and cytotoxicity. To investigate how Gb3 is augmented, ceramide glucosyltransferase (CGT), lactosylceramide synthase (GalT2), Gb3 synthase (GalT6), and a-galactosidase were studied in HBECs exposed to TNF and IL-1. TNF, both alone and in combination with IL-1, increased Stx-1 toxicity, Gb3 content, and Stx-1 binding. TNF in combination with IL-1 increased CGT, GalT2, and GalT6 but did not change a-galactosidase activities or mRNA levels. Cytokine treatment did not change CGT, GalT2, or GalT6 mRNA half-lives. Thus, inflammatory cytokine up-regulation of the sensitivity of HBECs to Stx-1 is the result of up-regulation, most likely via transcription, of the activities of 3 enzymes involved in Gb3 synthesis. Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is the leading cause of acute renal failure in children; the disorder derives its name from the classic presentation: acute renal injury, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia [1, 2]. HUS mainly causes kidney damage; most patients recover completely, but a small percentage have residual renal insufficiency or hypertension [3]. Approximately 5% of patients with HUS die during the acute phase or shortly thereafter [4]. Importantly, these deaths are usually not the result of renal disease but of extrarenal involvement. Several other organ systems may be affected in HUS, including the lungs, heart, central nervous system (CNS), pancreas, liver, muscle, skin, parotid gland, and retinas [1, 2, 5]. Of these, it is now evident that, when death occurs in HUS, it is most commonly caused by damage to the brain [6]. HUS is associated with enteric infection by Shiga toxin (Stx)‐producing organisms, predominantly Escherichia coli O157:H7 [1, 2]. Several isoforms of Stx, including Stx-1, Stx2, and Stx-2v, for the most part bind the same receptor and have similar biologic actions [2]. No clear association between Stx isoform and CNS manifestations in patients with HUS due to E. coli O157:H7 infection has been established. Stx binds to cell-surface glycosphingolipids, terminating in galactose-a1,4
Impact of empiric weight-based vancomycin dosing on nephrotoxicity and mortality in geriatric patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia

What is known and objective Few studies have evaluated the effect of vancomycin dosing on the health outcomes in geriatric patients. Data are needed to determine if higher vancomycin dosing strategies are more effective in geriatric patients and/or lead to excessive rates of adverse events.
Maternal relationship instability influences on children's emotional and behavioral functioning in low-income families.

The present study investigated associations between maternal relationship instability patterns and children’s behavioral and emotional functioning in middle childhood in a representative sample of low-income urban families (N = 891). Data from the Three-City Study tracked maternal partnerships through the child’s life, assessing total marital and cohabiting relationship transitions and delineating transitions by developmental timing, and by directionality (i.e., entrances into versus exits from partnerships). Analyses linking instability to child behaviors at age 8 found that a greater total number of maternal relationship transitions predicted higher anxious, somatic, and conduct problems, with recent transitions (in the prior 2 years) driving these results. Consideration of partnership formations versus dissolutions indicated that recent entrances into new partnerships, and entrances into cohabitations, were most consistently associated with problematic functioning across numerous aspects of children’s emotional and behavioral functioning. Policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Parallelization of expert systems with recursive applications

Abstract During the last decade, the number of local area networks (LANs) has increased [1]. LANs provide a path for computers to communicate with each other by sending messages, and by sharing the same databases, programs, expensive memories, and I/O equipment. Parallel programs could also be run on LANs [2]. Expert systems are a subtopic within the artificial intelligence area. A database which is associated with the expert system normally interfaces with it after a question is answered by the end user to find out if any recommendation(s) can be made. A search of the entire list of rules (knowledge base or properly organized database) is then made. A parallel processing application of an expert system with associated database on a LAN was discussed in [3]. It was shown that if the database is seqmented and searched in smaller, but parallel sections, a significant speed-up (computation time on a serial computer/computation time on a parallel computer) can be achieved. In the hierarchically organized knowledge base, intermediate goals may be generated which will lead to the final recommendation. The recursion develops when an intermediate result in one parallel node is needed to make the final recommendation on another parallel node. The knowledge engineer will organize the knowledge base hierarchically, based on the particular rules, goals, and factors. Recursive techniques may be necessary when the knowledge base does not partition easily. In this paper, an algorithm will be developed for expert systems to be run on LANs when resursive applications are needed. The proposed speed-up will be developed using sessions in LANs.
Estrogen Effects on High-Affinity Choline Uptake in Primary Cultures of Rat Basal Forebrain

Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) degenerate in aging and Alzheimer’s disease. It has been proposed that estrogen can affect the survival and function of BFCNs. This study characterized primary rat BFCN cultures and investigated the effect of estrogen on high-affinity choline uptake (HACU). BFCNs were identified by immunoreactivity to the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) and represented up to 5% of total cells. HACU was measured in living BFCN cultures and differentiated from low-affinity choline uptake by hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) inhibition. A HC-3 concentration curve showed that 0.3 μM HC-3, but not higher concentrations that inhibit LACU, could distinguish the two transport activities. 17-β-Estradiol treatment increased HACU in some culture preparations that contained non-neuronal cells. Elimination of dividing cells using antimitotic treatments resulted in a lack of estrogen effects on HACU. These results suggest that estrogen may have indirect effects on BFCNs that are mediated through non-neuronal cells.
Properties and Structures of Flours and Starches from Whole, Broken, and Yellowed Rice Kernels in a Model Study

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to compare the structure and properties of flours and starches from whole, broken, and yellowed rice kernels that were broken or discolored in the laboratory. Physicochemical properties including pasting, gelling, thermal properties, and X-ray diffraction patterns were determined. Structure was elucidated using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). The yellowed rice kernels contained a slightly higher protein content and produced a significantly lower starch yield than did the whole or broken rice kernels. Flour from the yellowed rice kernels had a significantly higher pasting temperature, higher Brabender viscosities, increased damaged starch content, reduced amylose content, and increased gelatinization temperature and enthalpy compared with flours from the whole or the broken rice kernels. However, all starches showed similar pasting, gelling, ther...
Scale and the isotopic record of C4 plants in pedogenic carbonate: from the biome to the rhizosphere.

The 13C/12C ratio in pedogenic carbonate (i.e., CaCO3 formed in soil) is a significant tool for investigating C4 biomes of the past. However, the paleoecological meaning of d13C values in pedogenic carbonate can change with the scale at which one considers the data. We describe studies of modern soils, fossil soils, and vegetation change in the Chihuahuan Desert of North America and elsewhere that reveal four scales important for paleoecologic interpretations. (1) At the broadest scale, the biome scale (hundreds to millions of km2), an isotopic record interpreted as C3 vegetation replacing C4 grasslands may indicate invading C3 woody shrubs instead of expanding C3 forests (a common interpretation). (2) At the landscape scale (several tens of m2 to hundreds of km2), the accuracy of scaling up paleoclimatic interpretations to a regional level is affected by the landform containing the isotopic record. (3) At the soil-profile scale (cm2 to m2), soil profiles with multiple generations of carbonate mixed together have a lower-resolution paleoecologic record than soil profiles repeatedly buried. (4) At the rhizosphere scale (lm2 to cm2), carbonate formed on roots lack the 14 17 enrichment observed at broader scales, revealing different fractionation processes at different scales. A multi-scale approach inmore » dealing with d13C in pedogenic carbonate will increase the accuracy of paleoecologic interpretations and understanding of soil geomorphic climatic interactions that affect boundaries between C4 and C3 vegetation.« less
Properties of multilayer films of Y/sub 1/Ba/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ and composites of Y/sub 1/Ba/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x//LaAlO/sub 3/

Multilayer films of Y/sub 1/Ba/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ with composites of Y/sub 1/Ba/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ and LaAlO/sub 3/ have been grown on
Implications of microRNAs in colorectal cancer development, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding small RNAs with critical regulatory functions as post-transcriptional regulators. Due to the fundamental importance and broad impact of miRNAs on multiple genes and pathways, dysregulated miRNAs have been associated with human diseases, including cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most deadly diseases, and miRNAs offer a new frontier for target discovery and novel biomarkers for both diagnosis and prognosis. In this review, we summarize the recent advancement of miRNA research in CRC, in particular, the roles of miRNAs in colorectal cancer stem cells, EMT, chemoresistance, therapeutics, diagnosis and prognosis.
Design of an array based on an antipodal balanced Vivaldi antenna

Due to the many breakthroughs in the field of based pulse radars and ultra wide bandwidth (UWB) systems, researches of every component of those systems have been performed in recent years. As well as, in order to match the great bandwidth that pulse-based radar needs to optimally work, UWB antennas were developed for this purpose. In this paper an array based on an antipodal balanced Vivaldi antenna is studied by simulating firstly a unique Vivaldi antenna element and analyzing its return loss, gain, etc. Then a five element antenna array was built in the HFSS simulator. The gain, as it was expected, has been increased to be closed to 16 dBi and maintaining the good S11 performance of one single Vivaldi antenna.
Bronchoconstriction in the Presence of Pulmonary Embolism

In a group of seven patients with pulmonary embolism, evidence of bronchoconstriction was found. Heparin appeared to relieve partially the observed airway obstruction. A possible common mechanism for the initiation of intravascular coagulation and the production of bronchoconstriction was considered. When other causes can be eliminated, the detection of bronchoconstriction may serve as a useful index for the early recognition of pulmonary emboli.
Quasi-steady response of free-to-pivot flat plates in hover

Abstract Using force measurements and flow visualization in a water tunnel, we consider motions of rigid flat plates with square edges free to pivot about the leading edge between incidence angles of ±45°. The plate's leading edge undergoes a prescribed periodic rectilinear translation. During most of the translation semi-stroke, the plate rests against its incidence limiter to produce a positive angle of attack; this reverses on the opposite semi-stroke, producing a motion akin to normal-hover with delayed rotation. Three aspect ratios are considered: a nominally 2D, or wall-to-wall plate spanning the tunnel test section, and plates of aspect ratios 3.4 and 5.5. Reynolds number effects in the range of 10 000–31 000 were not found to be significant. Aerodynamic force coefficient history was found to be aspect-ratio invariant, despite difference in flowfield evolution in the wake, and the force coefficients magnitude decreased for decreasing motion amplitudes. Flow visualization gives qualitative evidence for leading-edge and trailing-edge vortices, but no evidence was found of leading edge vortex stability or for contribution of vortices to aerodynamic loads, for sinusoidal or nonsinusoidal imposed motions of the plate. No evidence is found that the vortex system in the wake interacts with the plate during or after semi-stroke reversal. The main operative parameter governing aerodynamic force history is the ratio of semi-stroke amplitude to plate chord. Especially for the larger semi-stroke to chord ratios, aerodynamic response during the translational phase of motion is nearly quasi-steady, with decay in both thrust and force opposing the motion, in proceeding along each semi-stroke. The rotational phase of each semi-stroke is dominated by a loads spike as the plate approaches its incidence limiter. This spike largely disappears when the free-to-pivot plate is replaced with one with a prescribed rotational history. These findings offer favorable implications for analysis of flapping-wings using quasi-steady blade element models.
Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and the hippocampus: Effects on CA1 field potentials in rats☆

Abstract The effects of Δ9-tetiahydrocannabinol (THC) on ortho- and antidromically elicited CA1 field potentials were observed in locally anesthetized rats and in rats anesthetized with urethane. THC augmented amplitudes of population EPSP's as well as orthodromic and antidromic population spikes from pyramidal cells in locally anesthetized animals. Latencies to peak amplitude of these responses were increased. Conditioning-test shock experiments revealed that THC also depressed recurrent inhibition probably mediated by basket cells. In animals under urethane anesthesia THC enhanced test responses, but failed to augment population responses to the conditioning stimulus. It was concluded that THC enhanced postsynaptic excitatory processes but attenuated recurrent inhibition. Urethane anesthesia completely blocked the postsynaptic excitatory effect of THC but had little apparent influence on THC's disinhibitory action.
The effect of temperature on magnetic saturation of some amorphous alloys

Abstract The magnetization vs temperature relation for the amorphous alloys Fe 100- x B x , Fe 84 B 16- x C x , Fe 80 B 20- x Si x , Fe 80 B 20- x Ge x and Fe 40 Ni 40 B 20- x P x are reported. Plots of the resulting spin wave stiffness constant D versus the Curie temperature T c give roughly linear relationships extrapolating to zero D at finite T c values. These results are discussed on the basis of the itinerant electron model. Neutron scattering values of D are also exhibited for comparison with those obtained here.
Rituximab and three dexamethasone cycles provide responses similar to splenectomy in women and those with immune thrombocytopenia of less than two years duration

Adults with newly diagnosed or persistent immunothrombocytopenia frequently relapse upon tapering steroids; adults and children with chronic disease have an even lower likelihood of lasting response. In adults with newly-diagnosed immunothrombocytopenia, two studies showed that dexamethasone 40 mg/day × four days and 4 rituximab infusions were superior to dexamethasone alone. Studies have also shown three cycles of dexamethasone are better than one and patients with persistent/chronic immunothrombocytopenia respond less well to either dexamethasone or rituximab. Therefore, 375 mg/m2 × 4 rituximab was combined with three 4-day cycles of 28 mg/m2 (max. 40 mg) dexamethasone at 2-week intervals and explored in 67 ITP patients. Best long-term response was assessed as complete (platelet count ≥100×109/L) or partial (50–99×109/L). Only 5 patients had not been previously treated. Fifty achieved complete (n=43, 64%) or partial (n=7, 10%) responses. Thirty-five of 50 responders maintained treatment-free platelet counts over 50×109/L at a median 17 months (range 4–67) projecting 44% event-free survival. Duration of immunothrombocytopenia less than 24 months, achieving complete responses, and being female were associated with better long-term response (P<0.01). Adverse events were generally mild-moderate, but 3 patients developed serum sickness and 2 colitis; there were no sequelae. Dexamethasone could be difficult to tolerate. Fourteen patients became hypogammaglobulinemic and half had increased frequency of minor infections; 9 of 12 evaluable patients recovered their IgG levels. Rituximab combined with three cycles of dexamethasone provides apparently better results to reported findings with rituximab alone, dexamethasone alone, or the combination with one cycle of dexamethasone. The results suggest medical cure may be achievable in immunothrombocytopenia, especially in women and in patients within two years of diagnosis. (clinicaltrials.gov identifier:02050581)
Efficient feasibility testing for dial-a-ride problems

Dial-a-ride systems involve dispatching a vehicle to satisfy demands from a set of customers who call a vehicle-operating agency requesting that an item be picked up from a specific location and delivered to a specific destination. Dial-a-ride problems differ from other routing and scheduling problems, in that they typically involve service-related constraints. It is common to have maximum wait time constraints and maximum ride time constraints. In the presence of maximum wait time and maximum ride time restrictions, it is not clear how to efficiently determine, given a sequence of pickups and deliveries, whether a feasible schedule exists. We demonstrate that this, in fact, can be done in linear time.
Prevalence and impact of gastroesophageal reflux in adolescents with asthma: A population-based study

We determined the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and the associations between GERD symptoms and asthma morbidity in a population of adolescents with asthma. Two thousand, three hundred and ninety-seven students attending six middle schools in Seattle completed the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Children (ISAAC) written and video survey that included additional questions pertaining to GERD symptoms and asthma morbidity. Based on their responses, children were categorized as having undiagnosed current asthma, physician-diagnosed current asthma, or no asthma symptoms. The prevalence of GERD symptoms occurring at least weekly or daily was determined for each group. The asthma morbidity outcomes were emergency department visits, physician visits, missed school days, and use of inhaled medications for respiratory symptoms within the past year. Associations between GERD symptoms and asthma morbidity outcomes were determined using logistic regression. The prevalence of GERD symptoms was significantly higher among students with current asthma (19.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 14.9–24.2) than students with no asthma symptoms (2.5%; 95% CI, 1.8–3.4). In children with current asthma (n = 296), symptoms of GERD that occurred at least weekly were strongly associated with emergency department visits (odds ratio (OR), 5.0; 95% CI, 2.6–9.6), physician visits (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3–4.6), missed school (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.7), and inhaled medication use (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3–4.7). The associations between GERD symptoms and emergency department visits, physician visits, and inhaled medication use were stronger among children with asthma who reported daily GERD symptoms (n = 14) than among children reporting weekly GERD symptoms (n = 57). The prevalence of GERD symptoms was greater in adolescents with current asthma than in those without asthma. In addition, the presence of at least weekly GERD symptoms was strongly associated with greater asthma morbidity and the use of asthma medications. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2006; 41:475–481. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Income growth among nonresident fathers: evidence from Wisconsin

This study examines the changes over time in the personal incomes of nonresident fathers—whether divorced or nonmarital—in Wisconsin. Using data from the Wisconsin Court Record data base and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, the authors examine the incomes of these fathers over the first seven years following a divorce or the initiation of a paternity suit. They also study separately the income patterns of initially poor nonresident fathers and fathers whose nonresident children receive welfare. The most important finding is that the incomes of nonmarital fathers, which typically are low in the beginning, increase dramatically over the years after paternity establishment—often to a level comparable with the incomes of divorced fathers. On the basis of their findings, the authors conclude that failing to establish child support obligations for nonresident fathers simply because their incomes are initially low does not appear justified. nt]mis|The authors thank the Russell Sage Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services for financial support. They also wish to thank participants in the APPAM panel on noncustodial fathers, as well as colleagues at IRP, especially Pat Brown, for helpful comments and suggestions. A preliminary draft of this paper was presented at APPAM, Bethesda, Maryland, in October 1991.
Paths to entrepreneurial business ownership: a US perspective

This paper examines the modes of entrepreneurship in the USA by examining the determinants of an individual’s decision to establish a new entrepreneurial business and how this is different from acquiring an existing entrepreneurial business or engaging in an entrepreneurial franchise. We develop a logistic regression model to examine the various determinants of starting a new entrepreneurial business from scratch. Our analysis indicates that age, work experience, hours worked per week, education and race have statistically significant impact on the likelihood of starting a new business from scratch as compared to other modes of entry.
Welfare Comparisons of U.S. Dairy Policies with and without Mandatory Supply Control

The existence of costly dairy surpluses has led some policy makers to argue in favor of mandatory supply controls as an alternative to existing dairy policy. A dynamic econometric model is used to simulate the changes in equilibrium prices, quantities, producer and consumer welfare, and government costs that would occur if mandatory controls were adopted. The results show that while such a change in policy would eliminate the costs associated with current price supports, the benefits accruing to producers would be achieved at the expense of consumers and processors.
United, Regardless, and a Bit Regretful: Confederate History Month, the Slavery Apology, and the Failure of Commemoration

Three governors of Virginia issued a succession of proclamations declaring April to be the month in which Virginians should celebrate their Confederate forebears; a few years afterwards Virginia became the first state to “apologize” for slavery. While the messages in these official expressions seem radically different, this article examines the similar messages that appeared in the proclamations and the apology. Addressed to specific audiences, official commemorative proclamations create boundaries and function to include and exclude groups from the larger collectivity. “Whiteness” has long been presented as guiltless in Confederate narrative; thus whites are free to ignore their racial identity and claim ownership of the regional, local or historic identities upon which commemorative projects are based. The introduction of the realities of slavery into such narratives thus disrupts many whites’ sense of history and identity, causing resistance to revision of the historical narrative.
A surgeon looks at cervical lymph nodes.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most commonly encountered malignant neoplasm of the upper aerodigestive tract. The most important factor that influences therapeutic outcome is the development of metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes. Traditionally, assessment and staging have been based on clinical evaluation. Studies of clinicopathologic correlation have demonstrated that both the sensitivity and the specificity of the clinical examination findings are unsatisfactorily low in that false-negative rates may be 15%-25% while false-positive rates may be similarly high. The clinician is caught in the position of having to overtreat many patients to avoid undertreating a few. The rapid advances in imaging technology introduced in the past decade have greatly affected our ability to identify cervical metastatic disease. With improved technology and increased experience, patients can be better characterized individually according to the status of the cervical lymph nodes so that therapeutic intervention can be a...
Ignition and devolatilization of pulverized bituminous coal particles during oxygen/carbon dioxide coal combustion

Abstract Oxygen/carbon dioxide recycle coal combustion is actively being investigated because of its potential to facilitate CO 2 sequestration and to achieve emission reductions. In the work reported here, the effect of enhanced oxygen levels and CO 2 bath gas is independently analyzed for their influence on single-particle pulverized coal ignition of a U.S. eastern bituminous coal. The experiments show that the presence of CO 2 and a lower O 2 concentration increase the ignition delay time but have no measurable effect on the time required to complete volatile combustion, once initiated. For the ignition process observed in the experiments, the CO 2 results are explained by its higher molar specific heat and the O 2 results are explained by the effect of O 2 concentration on the local mixture reactivity. Particle ignition and devolatilization properties in a mixture of 30% O 2 in CO 2 are very similar to those in air.
Roundoff noise in state-space digital filtering: A general analysis

A new noise expression is formulated for the class of fixed-point digital filters described by the state equations, and two methods of its computation are discussed. The effects of possible structure transformation and state-amplitude scalings are then incorporated in this expression, and the results have been analyzed. In particular, it is shown that the output noise and state amplitudes are inversely proportional, and that an elementary transformation is well suited for a step-by-step generation of a low-noise filter.
Did “Brontosaurus”; ever swim out to sea?: Evidence from brontosaur and other dinosaur footprints

Reevaluation of published information and discussion reveals serious shortcomings in the swimming‐sauropod interpretation proposed by Roland Bird in 1944. The most plausible alternative interpretation is that the tracks are underprint expressions of brontosaur trackways made during terrestrial progression. This circumstance indicates that thin beds of sediment ‘buoy up’ or support animals above underlayers just as effectively as several meters of water. Evidence supporting the underprint interpretation includes footprint depth and completeness, differential manus‐pes size (heteropody) in sauropods, trackway configurations, and the relationship between tracks and sedimentary structures, none of which has been considered in sufficient detail in previous studies. The underprint interpretation also lends support to the theory that brontosaurs were terrestrial and not aquatic in their adaptations, and shows how important it is to interpret footprint evidence with caution.
Electrical properties of (Ni1?x )Li x )O (x=0.1 and 0.2) under various relative humidities

Rocksalt-type (Ni1−xLix)O (x=0.1 and 0.2) was synthesized at 1350° C in air and its electrical resistivity (R) was measured under various relative humidities (H). R increases with increasing H in the range 0⩽H⩽79%, reaches a maximum value, then decreases in the range 79%<H⩽100%. The increase in R is explained by an electron boundary layer model. On the other hand, the decrease in R is explained by ionic conductivity.
Synthesis and ESCA surface studies of octadecyl chain‐extended polyurethanes

Poly(ether urethane)s as biomaterials display certain favorable mechanical and biocompatibility properties. Earlier studies suggest that improved blood compatibility might be attained by introducing hydrocarbon groups at the surface. We synthesized and characterized a series of polyurethanes in which a N-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-N′-octadecyl urea chain extender (ODCE) was incorporated into the poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PTMO)/4,4′-methylenebis(phenylene isocyanate) (MDI) system. Molecular weights of the polymers varied between 40,000 and 250,000. An electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) study of the ODCE polyurethane surface revealed a substantially enhanced hydrocarbon concentration compared to a control PTMO/MDI/ethylene diamine (ED) polyurethane surface. Also, bulk composition analyses and ESCA data of the ODCE polymers indicated that the percentage of carbon was higher in the surface region than in the bulk. Thus, the ODCE polymer showed a marked increase in hard-segment concentration in the surface region compared to the bulk region and to the ED polymer.
Bladder augmentation using an autologous neo-bladder construct.

A 17-year-old boy developed a small-capacity neurogenic bladder following excision of a conus medullaris dermoid cyst (Figure 1a). This resulted in elevated bladder storage pressures and the development of hydronephrosis that was refractory to medical therapy. Surgical bladder augmentation was recommended. The patient entered a clinical trial evaluating the feasibility of augmenting the bladder using tissue regenerated from autologous cells. A full thickness bladder biopsy was obtained and autologous urothelial and smooth muscle cells were isolated from it. The population of these cells was then expanded in vitro. Six weeks later, the cultured cells were seeded onto a biodegradable scaffold to form the neobladder construct. The neobladder construct was surgically implanted onto his native bladder to augment bladder capacity and wrapped with omentum to provide neovascular support to the construct (Figure 1b). Regenerative medicine therapies such as this have the potential to create new, functional human tissues and organs using the patient’s autologous cells.
Negative refraction imaging by three-dimensional metamaterial at microwave frequencies

We experimentally demonstrate negative refraction imaging at microwave frequencies by a three-dimensional (3D) metamaterial with simple cubic unit structure, which is fabricated based on the electronic textile technology.A four-layer metamaterial sample was tested in a series of experiments. The experimental result of the characteristic plasma frequency of the metamaterial was in good agreement with the theoretical result. The fabrication approach for 3D metamaterial may find many novel applications at microwave frequencies. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2253–2256, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25459