cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation never ends: Sustaining a mentorship model in early childhood teacher education

Abstract This paper documents the development of a mentorship project for both inservice and preservice early childhood teachers. This mentorship model was conceived by university faculty who were concerned that developmentally appropriate practice was fast becoming a casualty of the present accountability reform in education, and distressed by the disconnect between the university and the prek‐grade three classroom. The first two years of the model are described with particular emphasis placed on the second year efforts to increase the interaction of preservice and inservice teachers. Central to these efforts has been the two‐way communication resulting from video mentorship, and this paper documents the reactions of the stakeholders to this initiative. The paper closes by discussing the challenges that lie ahead as the mentorship model continues to evolve.
Still another unsucessful search for 5H

Abstract We have carried out a search for 5 H using the reaction 7 Li( π , pn) 5 H. No evidence for the reported 5 H activity was found, although we easily observed the activities 8 Li and 9 Li from a natural boron target and 12 B from a carbon target.
Peritoneal clearance of bacteria in the tumor-bearing mouse.

Abstract Mice bearing the Lewis lung tumor exhibited delayed peritoneal clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at all stages of tumor growth. Intraperitoneal leukocytosis was decreased only in animals with 21-day-old tumors. Peritoneal clearance of Staphylcoccus aureus was altered only in animals with 21-day-old tumors.
College Student Identities and Behaviors

Abstract The investigation of college students provides an opportunity to apply empirically an identity perspective and to expand current research of the relationship between identity and behaviors. Identity refers to cognitive and affective meanings attributed to the self as an object in a role or social situation. Using the Burke-Tully (1977) procedure for the measurement of identity and modifying Clark and Trow's (1966) discussion of college student subculture, seven identity dimensions were created and related to the three performance variables of educational expectations, participation in social activities, and academic performance. Results show that each of the identity dimensions are related to at least one performance variable and that the direction of the relationships supports the explanation that identity may help individuals select behaviors and plans consistent with self meanings.
Ruptured intramural intestinal hematoma in an adolescent patient with severe hemophilia A

We report on a 17-year-old patient with severe hemophilia A without inhibitors who developed abdominal bleeding after an episode of severe cough. Abdominal ultrasound showed intramural intestinal hematoma as well as large amount of peritoneal fluid appearing as blood and right hematocele. Abdominal CT revealed markedly thickened intestinal wall in sigmoidal region. Patient was managed with replacement therapy as well as peritoneal drainage with favorable outcome. This is the first report on a hematoperitoneum in a hemophiliac due to ruptured intramural sigmoidal hematoma.
Protein distribution affects muscle mass based on differences in postprandial muscle protein synthesis and plasma leucine in rats

Methods Male Sprague Dawley rats (275g) were fed isocaloric/isonitrogenous meals containing whey protein, with protein either distributed evenly at 16% of total energy over 3 meals (ED-Whey) or unevenly distributed over 3 meals (UD-Whey) with the first 2 meals containing only 8% of energy from whey protein and only the dinner meal containing sufficient protein to optimize muscle protein synthesis (MPS) (27.5% of total energy from whey protein) for 11 weeks. Measurements were taken to assess postprandial rates of MPS, plasma amino acids, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, and the animals’ body composition was assessed by Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Hind limb muscle weights were taken to asses differences in muscle mass.
Strength of Religious Faith: A Comparison of Intercollegiate Athletes and Non-Athletes

This pilot study explored the strength of religious faith in a sample of intercollegiate athletes and non-athletes. Participants were 226 undergraduate students (57 athletes) at the University of Florida who were enrolled in undergraduate courses. Strength of religious beliefs were assessed with the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith—Short Form. Findings indicate that athletes reported higher levels of religious faith than non-athletes. Implications of these findings on future research and applied sport practice are discussed.
A Framework for Assessing Impairment from Asthma

A framework for asthma impairment must consider four issues: (1) an adequate definition of disease, (2) clear indices of disease severity, (3) ability to attribute impairment to the exposure, and (4) a predictable prognosis. Only when we have reasonable clinical consensus on these four points can we move forward with realistic proposals to address impairment from asthma. Even with reasonable practical ideas about these issues, many questions about asthma impairment remain unclear: how should impairment be assessed when should it be assessed, and what constitutes impairment? Further research and discussion will be necessary to resolve these questions.
ANALYSIS OF THE N-TERMINAL REGION OF THE MURINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS NUCLEOCAPSID PROTEIN

Lentiviruses such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and alpharetroviruses such as Rous Sarcoma virus encode an element that spans the precursor Gag (PrGag) protein capsid (CA) C-terminus, a spacer peptide (SP), and the N-terminus of nucleocapsid (NC). Perturbation of this element causes the assembly of aberrant, non-infectious virus particles. To determine whether this element is conserved in gammaretroviruses such as the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV), we examined the effects of insertion mutations in the N-terminal portion of the MLV NC coding region. Interestingly, we found that insertions of as many as twenty residues after the twelfth residue of MLV NC yielded proteins that directed the efficient assembly of virus particles. Virus morphologies and crosslink profiles appeared normal, and assembled viruses retained significant levels of infectivity in single cycle infection assays. Two variants were examined in the context of replicating virus constructs, and the mutations were found to be maintained during multiple rounds of infection in a cell culture system. These results suggest that the alpharetrovirus and lentivirus assembly elements either are not needed for gammaretroviruses, or are replaced by an alternative assembly element. Our results also indicate that the N-terminal region of MLV NC is amenable to genetic manipulation.
Gauge invariance, the vertex function, and the magnitude of the renormalization constants of quantum electrodynamics

Using the Gupta-Bleuler formalism for quantum electrodynamics, we have proven that the regularized second-order vertex function, in the limit of high momentum-transferP2, on the mass shell, is given by γΜC logP2 rather than γΜ. This proves that the assumption ofG. KAllen that the renormalized vertex function tends to Z1γΜ in the above limit, is not valid to second order in the Feynman gauge. Since the KAllen formalism is the proper renormalization of the Feynman gauge, this indicates that KAllen’s assumption is not valid in the KAllen gauge. The failure of this assumption would invalidate KAllen’s proof that a completely finite theory of quantum electrodynamics cannot be formulated in a consistent way. Our examination of the asymptotic behavior of the vertex function was motivated by the research ofB. Zumino andK. Johnson, who objected to the lack of gauge invariance in KAllen’s proof. Zumino, in particular, has pointed out that the assumption of KAllen concerning the high momentum-transfer behavior of the renormalized vertex function was not gauge-invariant, and that the assumption was therefore not likely to be true in the KAllen gauge. The gauge transformations that produce changes in the propagators, and therefore produce changes in the magnitude of the renormalization constants, were first given byLandau andKhalatnikov. Their derivation of the transformation formulas for the propagators from an operator gauge-transformation, was considered dubious byZumino, who derived the same formulas using his functional formulation for quantum electrodynamics. We have formulated a valid operator gauge-transformation that reproduces the Landau transformations for the propagators. Our operator gauge-transformation introduces a set of noninteracting scalar fields in a Hubert space which has an indefinite metric. In theories which do not have a Ward identity, the high-momentum limit of the renormalized vertex function has sometimes been taken as the definition of Z1. We have shown that this is not correct for the vector meson, but that it may be valid for the pseudoscalar meson, when these mesons interact with a spinor field.
Differential glycosylation of the ectodomain of the primary envelope glycoprotein of two strains of lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus that differ in neuropathogenicity.

Abstract ORF 5 encoding the primary envelope glycoprotein, VP-3P, of a highly neuropathogenic isolate of lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV-v) has been sequenced. It exhibits 92% nucleotide identify with the ORF 5 of an LDV isolate that lacks neuropathogenicity, LDV-P, and the amino acid identifies of the predicted VP-3Ps of the two strains is 90%. Most striking, however, is the absence in the ectodomain of VP-3P of LDV-P. The ectodomain of VP-3P has been implicated to play an important role in host receptor interaction. VP-3P of another neuropathogenic LDV strain, LDV-C, lacks the same two N-glycosylation sites (Godeny et al., 1993). In vitro transcription/translation of the ORFs 5 of LDV-P and LDV-v indicated that all three N-glycosylation sites in the ectodomain of LDV-P VP-3P became glycosylated when synthesized in the presence of microsomal membranes, whereas the glycosylation of the ORF 5 proteins of LDV-v and LDV-C was consistent with glycosylation at a single site. No other biological differences between the neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic strains have been detected. They replicate with equal efficiency in mice and in primary macrophage cultures.
Oxide Barriers on GaAs by Neutralized Ion Beam Sputtering

Tantalum and silicon oxides have been sputter deposited onto gallium arsenide using a 500‐eV beam of neutralized argon atoms. MIS devices show very low leakage and capacitances that can be varied from full accumulation to depletion with the application of modest voltages. Other measurements (breakdown field, dielectric constant, adherence, Auger profile, and photoluminescence) also suggest that these structures hold potential usefulness for insulated‐gate GaAs circuitry.
Use of Landsat Thematic Mapper thermal infrared data to map relative temperature zones within the University of Idaho experimental forest

RESUMEDes zones de temperature relative delimitees a l'aide d'une seule image infrarouge thermique du capteur Thematic Mapper de Landsat au-dessus d'un ecosysteme forestier ont demontre leur robustesse dans le temps. Les coefficients de correlation lineaire etablis entre les donnees infrarouge thermique du capteur Thematic Mapper de Landsat, acquises le 8 juillet 1990, et la temperature moyenne maximale journaliere de l'air ambiant de l'ecosysteme forestier, enregistree pour seize dates selectionnees systematiquement en juin et juillet 1994, se sont averes significatifs a un pourcent pres pour les seize dates testees et variaient de 0,81 a 0,94.
Age-dependent Variations in Potassium Sensitivity of A-Currents in Rat Hippocampal Neurons

Hippocampal pyramidal neurons were either cultured from prenatal rats or acutely isolated from the brain of newborn and juvenile rats. The influence of lowering the concentration of the extracellular potassium concentration ([K+]o) on isolated fast transient outward K+ currents (I(A)) was studied in these neurons using the patch clamp technique in the whole cell configuration. With respect to the response of I(A) to lowering [K+]o, three types of cells were observed. The first subpopulation of neurons was characterized by a complete suppression of I(A) over the whole voltage range under potassium-free solutions (type A neurons). A second proportion of cells showed an increase of I(A) at test pulses below -0 mV and a decrease of I(A) at voltages above -0 mV (type B neurons). In a third group of neurons, amplitudes of I(A) increased at all potentials tested during omission of potassium ions from the extracellular superfusate (type C neurons). Whereas type A and type B neurons were preferentially found in freshly plated cultures and newborn rats, the majority of type C cells was detected in long-term cultures and in animals of older ages. Thus, hippocampal A-currents lose their sensitivity to extracellular potassium ions during early ontogenesis.
The Catalytic Subunit of Protein Phosphatase 1 Gamma Regulates Thrombin-Induced Murine Platelet αIIbβ3 Function

BACKGROUND Hemostasis and thrombosis are regulated by agonist-induced activation of platelet integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3). Integrin activation, in turn is mediated by cellular signaling via protein kinases and protein phosphatases. Although the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1c) interacts with alpha(IIb)beta(3), the role of PP1c in platelet reactivity is unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using gamma isoform of PP1c deficient mice (PP1cgamma(-/-)), we show that the platelets have moderately decreased soluble fibrinogen binding and aggregation to low concentrations of thrombin or protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4)-activating peptide but not to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen or collagen-related peptide (CRP). Thrombin-stimulated PP1cgamma(-/-) platelets showed decreased alpha(IIb)beta(3) activation despite comparable levels of alpha(IIb)beta(3), PAR3, PAR4 expression and normal granule secretion. Functions regulated by outside-in integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3) signaling like adhesion to immobilized fibrinogen and clot retraction were not altered in PP1cgamma(-/-) platelets. Thrombus formation induced by a light/dye injury in the cremaster muscle venules was significantly delayed in PP1cgamma(-/-) mice. Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK3)beta-serine 9 that promotes platelet function, was reduced in thrombin-stimulated PP1cgamma(-/-) platelets by an AKT independent mechanism. Inhibition of GSK3beta partially abolished the difference in fibrinogen binding between thrombin-stimulated wild type and PP1cgamma(-/-) platelets. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These studies illustrate a role for PP1cgamma in maintaining GSK3beta-serine9 phosphorylation downstream of thrombin signaling and promoting thrombus formation via fibrinogen binding and platelet aggregation.
Effect of Micronutrient Fortification on Nutritional and Other Properties of Nixtamal Tortillas

ABSTRACT Nixtamalization is the process of steeping dried corn in hot water with calcium hydroxide (lime) with subsequent removal of all or most of the pericarp through washing. The resulting product is called nixtamal. Approximately 60% of corn tortillas in Mexico are produced from nixtamal, with the remainder prepared from nixtamalized corn flour. Nixtamal was fortified with micronutrient premix containing iron, zinc, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin. Premix composition followed a proposed Mexican regulation for corn flour fortification, adjusted for moisture. Effects of premix on masa adhesiveness, hardness, and pH, as well as tortilla sensory properties, stretchability, rollability, and color were measured. Micronutrient levels were tested in the dry corn, nixtamal, masa, and tortillas. There were no significant differences in masa texture or pH, tortilla rollability, or consumer acceptance of tortillas when comparing unfortified control and fortified treatments. Added thiamin was almost en...
Wing design and scaling of flying fish with regard to flight performance

Fin and body dimensions of six genera of flying fish (Exocoetidae) were examined to study variation in morphological parameters in relation to aerodynamics performance. The fins are modified as wings for gliding flight. Fin area and fin span increase with increasing body mass, whereas the percentage of wing area contributed by the pectoral fins and the percentage of the caudal fin area contributed by the hypocaudal lobe remain constant. The aerodynamic design of flying fish approximates the monoplane-biplane classification proposed by Breder (1930). Scaling relationships for wing loading and aspect ratio indicate that wing morphology in the Exocoetidae is more similar to birds and bats than to other gliders. The flight performance of flying fish is a high-speed glide with a relatively flat trajectory. The wing, as indicated by the aspect ratio, is designed for high lift with low drag characteristics.
Alcohol history and smoking cessation in nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion sustained release and varenicline trials: a review

Aims: We conducted a review of published reports of smoking cessation pharmacotherapy trials in order to address the following: (i) the generalizability of findings to smokers with a history of alcohol problems; (ii) the extent to which alcohol use affects smoking cessation overall and the efficacy of pharmacotherapy specifically and (iii) the effect of smoking cessation on alcohol use. Methods: We located published reports of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion sustained release (SR) and varenicline clinical trials using an approach based on prior Cochrane reviews. The reports were searched for alcohol-related inclusion/exclusion criteria and for findings related to alcohol. Results: The present review included 212 published reports from 149 trials. Alcohol-related exclusion criteria appeared frequently (41.6% of trials)—45/125 NRT trials (36%), 15/22 bupropion SR trials (68.2%) and 3/3 varenicline trials—and most commonly involved exclusion of participants with either current or recent alcohol problems. Most studies failed to provide any baseline alcohol-related characteristics. Eleven trials reported on the relationship between alcohol history and likelihood of smoking cessation. In the majority of these studies, smokers with a past history of alcohol problems were not at a disadvantage, although contrary findings exist. Only two studies examined the potential influence of smoking cessation on alcohol use. Conclusions: Smokers with alcohol problems, partilarly those with current or recent problems, are underrepresented in studies of approved pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation. Future trials should assess alcohol use at baseline and during treatment and examine reciprocal influences between alcohol consumption and smoking cessation.
Fatigue in HIV-Infected People: A Three-Year Observational Study

Abstract Context HIV-related fatigue remains the most frequent complaint of seropositive patients. Objectives To describe the natural course of fatigue in HIV infection, in a sample ( n =128) followed for a three-year period. Methods A longitudinal prospective design was used to determine what factors influenced changes in fatigue intensity and fatigue-related impairment of functioning in a community-dwelling sample of HIV-infected individuals. Participants were followed every six months for a three-year period. At each study visit, we collected data on a large number of physiological and psychosocial markers that have been shown to be related to fatigue in HIV-infected people. At three month intervals between study visits, we collected data on fatigue via mailed questionnaires. Results Fatigue in HIV infection is largely a result of stressful life events, and is closely tied to the anxiety and depression that accompany such events. Fatigue did not remit spontaneously over the course of the study, indicating the need for interventions to ameliorate this debilitating symptom. Conclusion Intervening to help people who are suffering from HIV-related fatigue to deal with stressful life events may help to ameliorate this debilitating symptom.
Mechanistic modeling of atomic layer deposition of alumina process with detailed surface chemical kinetics

Abstract A mathematical model of atomic layer deposition of alumina is developed using a TMA + H2O ALD operation as a physical base. The model coherently bridges the process dynamics of ALD reactor with the detailed surface chemical kinetics, where the time-dependent variations of surface species are modeled during each precursor pulse. The model is validated by the experimental data. Upon the validation, continuous ALD cycling operation is simulated under different operating conditions. Results show that temperature rising can reduce the surface reaction time in two half cycles, and meanwhile intensify the desorption rate of precursors and backward surface reactions. Suitably increasing the system pressure can improve the completion of surface reactions and film formation in the cycling. The sensitivity analysis shows that surface species variations of |–OH, |–Al(CH3)2 and |–Al(CH3)2 have different degree of sensitivities to the surface reaction steps, and reveals the rate-limiting steps in two precursor treatment cycles.
The Effect of Phosphate on the Force Generating Capacity of a Mini-Ensemble of Myosin Measured in a Laser Trap Assay

The accumulation of inorganic phosphate (Pi) is believed to cause much of the loss in the force-generating capacity of muscle during fatigue, but the molecular basis of this effect remains poorly understood. To gain insight into this process we determined the effect of a fatiguing level of Pi (30mM) on the force-generating capacity of a mini-ensemble of skeletal myosin (∼8molecules) interacting with a single actin filament using a three bead laser trap assay, at 100uM ATP. In the absence of Pi the average force generated displayed a bimodal Gaussian distribution with a low force peak centered at 0.30 ± 0.02 pN and second higher peak centered at 1.22 ± 0.08 pN. In the presence of Pi a low force peak centered at 0.28 ± 0.02 pN remained but the high force peak was completely absent. The duration of the low force binding events were statistically similar in both the presence (30 ± 4ms) and absence of Pi (28 ± 3ms) as were the average displacements of these events at 14 ± 1nm and 16 ± 1nm respectively, consistent with a mix of single and double molecule binding events. The high force events generated on average 64 ± 4nm displacements lasting 75 ± 8ms, suggesting these resulted from multiple binding events before detachment from the actin filament. The overall frequency of binding events was similar in the presence (3.0/s) and absence of Pi (2.7s). Taken together these data suggest that Pi reduces the force-generating capacity of a myosin by eliminating the ability to make the successive and simultaneous actin attachments required to generate higher forces.
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin tissue distribution, excretion, and effects on clinical chemical parameters in guinea pigs.

The tissue distribution of 14C-labeled 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in adult male guines pigs was studied up to 15 days following its ip injection (2.0 μg/kg). On Day 1, the highest levels of radioactivity (% of original dose/g tissue) were located in the adipose tissue, adrenals, liver, spleen, intestine, and skin. All other tissues examined contained less than 0.3%/g tissue. By Day 15, the level of radioactivity in the liver increased to nearly three times its initial value. An increase in radioactivity was also noted in the adrenals, kidneys, and lungs. These increases appeared to be due to the mobilization of fat stores and the subsequent redistribution of radioactivity contained in these stores to other organs. Following a single intraperitoneal dose of 0.5 μg [3H]TCDD/kg the excretion of 3H in the urine and feces appeared to be linear up to 23 days. Assuming the excretion of radioactivity would continue in a linear manner, the time for excretion of half the administered dose by way of the urine and feces was calculated to be 30.2 ± 5.8 days. The effect of TCDD (1.0 μg/kg) upon various clinical chemical parameters was determined periodically up to 14 days and compared to pairfed controls. Statistically significant increases in plasma albumin, total protein, iron, urea nitrogen, cholesterol, and triglycerides were observed in TCDD-treated pigs.
Resistance to Radiation

The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can survive extremely large doses of radiation without mutagenesis. Daly and Minton suggest how this organism repairs its radiation-damaged DNA so efficiently and why such a system may have evolved.
Raman and infrared spectra of solid perproto and perdeutero dimethyl oxalate

Abstract The Raman and unpolarized infrared intramolecular vibrational spectra of crystalline dimethyl oxalate (DMO)- h 6 and - d 6 are reported and assigned. A normal coordinate analysis, with the exception of the internal methyl motions, was performed and used in making the assignments. The experimental and calculational results indicate that the in-plane u -modes of DMO correlate quite well with corresponding motions of methyl formate, whereas the in-plane g -modes of DMO do not. The intermolecular Raman-active lattice modes of DMO are also reported and assigned, based on their Raman polarizations in single crystals at 77 K.
Resonant laser excitation in a two-level model: a nonlinear Schrödinger equation?

A nonlinear Schrodinger equation for the dynamics of a resonantly driven two-level model including both T(1) and T(2) processes is presented. This equation is novel in that it can account both for the rate of population flow into an energy level and for the destruction of phase information, i.e., it can account for the system's evolution into a mixed quantum state.
Ca2+ and Mg2+ selectively induce aggregates of PHF-tau but not normal human tau.

The molecular mechanism of pathological aggregation of microtubule-associated protein tau during neurodegeneration is unclear. In the present study, the in vitro effect of various metal ions on the aggregation of tau was examined using paired helical filament tau (PHF-tau) obtained from corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains as well as normal human tau proteins isolated from fetal and adult brains and a recombinant system. Among the metal ions tested, Ca2+ and Mg2+ effectively induced formation of approximately 340 kD aggregates of PHF-tau but not normal tau proteins as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Al3+ and Fe2+ precipitated both PHF-tau and normal tau protein as SDS-insoluble pellets. The other metal ions examined (Cu2+, Zn2+, and Li+) were inactive and caused neither aggregation nor precipitation of any tau protein. Intermixing experiments using PHF-tau and various normal tau preparations showed that the 340-kD aggregates induced by Ca2+ contained PHF-tau but not normal tau regardless whether unmodified (recombinant) or highly phosphorylated (fetal brain) tau proteins were used. The present results suggest that post-translational modifications other than the fetal-type phosphorylation are required for Ca2+- and Mg2+-dependent aggregation of PHF-tau and that the regional elevation of these ions may trigger pathological deposition of PHF-tau in certain neurodegenerative disorders. J. Neurosci. Res. 55:36–43, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ferrite-damped higher-order mode study in the Brookhaven energy-recovery linac cavity

A superconducting energy-recovery linac (ERL) is under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to serve as a test bed for an application to upgrades of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The damping of higher-order modes in the superconducting five-cell cavity is of paramount importance and represents the topic of this paper. Achieving the damping by the exclusive use of two ferrite absorbers and the adoption of a space-saving step instead of the conventional taper are part of the exploratory study. Absorber properties which are portable to simulation programs for the ERL cavity have been obtained by measuring the absorber as a ferrite-loaded pill-box cavity. Measured and simulated results for the lowest dipole modes in the prototype copper cavity with one absorber are discussed. First room-temperature measurements of the fully assembled niobium cavity string are presented which confirm the effective damping of higher-order modes by the ferrite absorbers, and which give credibility to the simulated $R$ over $Q$'s in the ERL.
Introduction: Military neurosurgery, past and present

For a physician has the worth of many other warriors, both for the excision of arrows and for the administration of soothing drugs. Homer, Iliad XI.514-515 Ever since armed conflict has been used as a means to settle disputes among men, there have been those who have been tasked to mend the wounds that ravage a soldier's body from the weapons of war. The Iliad portrays the pivotal 10th year of the legendary Trojan War, during which a schism in the Greek leadership prolongs the extended siege of the city of Troy. In the midst of this martial epic come the lines quoted above, quietly attesting to the value of the military physician, even under the crude conditions of the Greek Dark Age. They are uttered by Idomeneus, one of the foremost Greeks, when he is enjoining one of his comrades, Nestor, to rescue the injured Greek physician Machaon and take him back from the line to treat his wounds. He is afraid that Machaon will be captured by the Trojans, a loss far greater than that of any other single warrior. Duty to country has helped shape the careers of many neurosurgeons, including iconic US figures such as Harvey Cushing and Donald Matson. This issue of Neurosurgical Focus celebrates the rich history of military neurosurgery from the wars of yesterday to the conflicts of today. We have been humbled by the tremendous response to this topic. The 25 articles within this issue will provide the reader with both a broad and an in-depth look at the many facets of military neurosurgery. We have attempted to group articles based on their predominant topic. We also encourage our audience to read other recently published articles. The first 8 articles relate to the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The lead article, written by Randy Bell and colleagues from the National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, discusses what is arguably one of the most important contributions by military neurosurgeons from these 2 conflicts: the rapid and aggressive use of decompressive craniectomies. This is followed by articles on decompressive craniectomy techniques by Ragel and colleagues and cranioplasty outcomes by Stephens and colleagues. After reading these articles, the reader will come away with an appreciation of the often complex nature of wartime penetrating and closed-head injuries and the remarkable recovery that many injured soldiers make with time.
Effects of habitat and hunting framework on American black bear harvest structure in Wisconsin

Abstract Sex and age composition of harvested individuals often is used to estimate population parameters and inform management decisions. However, factors other than sex and age structure of the harvested population may affect composition of the harvest and complicate the interpretation of harvest data. For example, class-specific behavior could predispose certain age and sex classes to harvest. Those classes also may respond differentially to environmental variables such as natural food abundance. In addition, hunter methods such as baiting or hunting with dogs are known to alter the composition of harvests of American black bears (Ursus americanus) and influence hunter success. Bear hunting methods and general habitat characteristics vary geographically in Wisconsin, USA. From 1999 through 2004, bear hunting was regulated so that first season hunting opportunities alternated annually between hunters aided by dogs and hunters without dogs in portions of 21 northern counties. Bear hunting with dogs was p...
Magnetostratigraphic dating of an Upper Miocene shallow-marine and continental sedimentary succession in northeastern Morocco

Abstract A high-resolution magnetostratigraphy has been developed for an Upper Miocene shallow-marine carbonate complex, equivalent basinal marls, diatomites, and lime mudstones, and an overlying succession of marine to continental carbonate and siliciclastic sedimentary rocks in the Melilla Basin, northeastern Morocco. Units of the carbonate complex, from bottom to top, contain a bryozoan/red algal ramp, bioclastic platform, fringing-reef complex and a unit referred to as the Terminal Carbonate Complex (TCC) [1]. Lithologies from these units contain at least three components of magnetic remanence: (1) a low unblocking temperature component that is likely carried by a viscous remanent magnetization, (2) a low-coercivity, intermediate unblocking temperature component that is probably carried by magnetite or magnetite and maghemite, and (3) a high unblocking temperature component that is probably carried by hematite. Lithologies are typically dominated by the low-coercivity component and single-domain to pseudo-single-domain grain behavior. Rock-magnetic studies suggest biogenic magnetite may contribute to the magnetic remanence of the low-coercivity component. The Melilla Basin magnetostratigraphy, independently corroborated with new 40 Ar 39 Ar dating of volcanic ashes and foraminifer biostratigraphy, has been correlated to the recently developed geomagnetic polarity time scale of Shackleton et al. [2]. This correlation suggests deposition of the bioclastic platform began approximately at the Tortonian/Messinian boundary, which is defined as the base of chron 3Ar [3], and continued into chron 3An.2n. The fringing-reefs span an interval that begins in chron 3An.2n until just above the base of chron 3r (lower Gilbert). The overlying TCC and mixed carbonate and siliciclastic succession correlate to within chron 3r. The new magnetostratigraphy is not without minor ambiguities, possibly due to either remagnetization within the TCC or the presence of a short-duration normal subchron in the lower portion of chron 3r. Results of this study have important implications for correlating between Late Miocene shallow-marine carbonate sections and basinal sections within the Mediterranean Basin, for improving the understanding of the history of the Messinian Salinity Crisis, and for deciphering the roles of eustacy, tectonics, and regional processes in the development of shallow-marine carbonate sequences in the Mediterranean region.
Cloning, sequence analysis and chromosome localization of a Drosophila muscarinic acetylcholine receptor

Abstract Two cDNA clones (3.7 kb and 4.8 kb) encoding a Drosophila muscarinic acetylcholine receptor were isolated from a Drosophila head cDNA library and characterized by automated DNA sequence analysis. The Drosophila muscarinic receptor contains 788 amino acids with a calculated Mr of 84 807 and displays greater than 60% homology with mammalian muscarinic receptors. The muscarinic receptor maps to the tip of the right arm of the second chromosome of the Drosophila genome.
Quantum entanglement assisted key distribution

Quantum correlations or entanglement is a basic ingredient for many applications of quantum information theory.One important application using quantum entanglement exploits the correlation nature of entangled photon states is quantum key distribution, which is proven unbreakable in principle and provides the highest possible security that is impossible in classical information theory. However, generating entangled photon pairs is not a simple task -- only approximately one out of a million pump photons decay into a signal and idler photon pair. This low rate of entangled photon pairs is further reduced by the overhead required in order for the rectification of the inevitable errors due to channel imperfections or caused by potential eavesdroppers. As a consequence, quantum key distribution suffers from a low bit rate, which is in the order of hundreds to thousands bits per second or below. On the other hand, the classical public key distribution does not impose a tight limit on the transmission rate. However, it is subject to the risks of eavesdroppers sitting in the middle of the insecure channel. In this paper, we propose a hybrid key distribution method which uses public key distribution method to generate a raw key, and then uses entanglement assisted communication to modify the raw key by inserting a number of quantum bits in the raw key. Building upon the foundation of the unconditional security of quantum key distribution, we use the privacy amplification to make the affection of inserted bits expand to a whole key. Our quantum entanglement assisted key distribution scheme greatly improves the efficiency of key distribution while without compromising the level of security achievable by quantum cryptography.
MicroRNAs in opioid addiction: Elucidating evolution

Three reviews in the Frontiers Research Topic “Non-Coding RNA and Addiction” (Zheng et al 2012; He and Wang 2012; Rodriguez 2012 in press), grouped under the chapter “MicroRNAs and Morphine,” focus on the contribution of microRNAs to opioid abuse. Although animal models have been fundamental to our understanding of addiction pathways, the assumption that microRNAs implicated in opioid tolerance – and their binding sites in mRNAs – are conserved in mammalian evolution was not examined by the authors. Inspired by recent reports which highlight a surprising lack of evolutionary conservation in noncoding-RNA genes, in this perspective we use public genome, annotation, and transcriptome datasets to verify microRNA host gene, mature microRNA, and microRNA binding site conservation at key loci functional in opioid addiction. We reveal a complex evolutionary landscape in which certain directional regulatory edges of the microRNA-mRNA hub-and-spoke network lack pan-mammalian conservation.
Diurnal blood pressure variation in kidney-pancreas transplant recipients.

Abstract Blood pressure normally follows a characteristic pattern throughout the 24 h cycle with daytime pressures higher than nighttime pressures. Patients lacking a nocturnal decrease in pressure have a higher incidence of end organ damage. This investigation was designed to characterize the diurnal pattern of blood pressure and to evaluate blood pressure load in patients who have received a combined kidney-pancreas (KP) transplant. Ten patients (mean 10 months posttransplant) underwent 48 h of noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring using a commercially available device (SpaceLabs 90202 or 90207). Blood pressure was measured every 15 min from 6 am to 9 pm and every 30 min from 9 pm to 6 am . Ambulatory monitoring revealed a markedly increased nocturnal blood pressure (up to 25% greater than daytime pressures). These patients were found to have a higher nocturnal blood pressure load than during the day. No relationship was demonstrated between diurnal blood pressure variation and immunosuppression regimen, elapsed time after transplantation, or antihypertensive treatment. These results indicate that close attention must be given to the nocturnal blood pressure of KP recipients and suggest that standard antihypertensive medication regimens do not adequately treat the nocturnal hypertension in these patients. This may predispose these patients to further cardiovascular or cerebrovascular complications.
Abrupt rainfall transitions over the Greater Horn of Africa: Observations and regional model simulations

[1] We examine the yearly occurrence of a monsoon jump of approximately 20° latitude during the boreal spring and summer rainy seasons over the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). This jump is in contrast with a simple model of a smoothly varying ITCZ over the region. The rainfall jump is observed annually during April and May in three precipitation data sets and in regional climate model simulations using the PSU/NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5). The MM5 simulations show the rainfall jump to be roughly coincident with abrupt circulation changes that occur as the Somali jet develops during April, May, and June. In particular, the cross-equatorial (meridional) branch of the Somali jet forms along the East African coast in April, bringing moisture (and rainfall) northward to the southern slopes of the Ethiopian plateau. This meridional branch forms well before the northern zonal branch of the jet, which diverts moisture eastward from southern Ethiopia and feeds the Indian monsoon. These results establish a framework for understanding the precipitation cycle over the GHA, and provide a foundation for improving subseasonal forecasts over drought-prone regions of eastern Africa.
Prenylcysteine lyase deficiency in mice results in the accumulation of farnesylcysteine and geranylgeranylcysteine in brain and liver.

Abstract In in vitro experiments, prenylcysteine lyase (Pcly) cleaves the thioether bond of prenylcysteines to yield free cysteine and the aldehyde of the isoprenoid lipid. However, the importance of this enzyme has not yet been fully defined at the biochemical or physiologic level. In this study, we show that Pcly is expressed at high levels in mouse liver, kidney, heart, and brain. To test whether Pclydeficiency would cause prenylcysteines to accumulate in tissues and result in pathologic consequences, we producedPcly-deficient cell lines and Pcly-deficient mice (Pcly–/–). Pcly activity levels were markedly reduced in Pcly–/– cells and tissues.Pcly–/– fibroblasts were more sensitive than wild-type fibroblasts to growth inhibition when prenylcysteines were added to the cell culture medium. To determine if the reduced Pcly enzyme activity levels led to an accumulation of prenylcysteines within cells, mass spectrometry was used to measure farnesylcysteine and geranylgeranylcysteine levels in the tissues of Pcly–/– mice and wild-type controls. These studies revealed a striking accumulation of both farnesylcysteine and geranylgeranylcysteine in the brain and liver of Pcly–/– mice. This accumulation did not appear to be accompanied by significant pathologic consequences.Pcly–/– mice were healthy and fertile, and surveys of more than 30 tissues did not uncover any abnormalities. We conclude that prenylcysteine lyase does play a physiologic role in cleaving prenylcysteines in mammals, but the absence of this activity does not lead to major pathologic consequences.
Regulation of alcohol dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster by dietary alcohol and carbohydrate

Abstract When fed to Drosphila melanogaster Canton-S wild-type larvae cultured axenically on Sang's modified medium C with 0.5% (w/v) sucrose, 2.5% (v/v) ethanol induced an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity at least 2.5-fold higher than the activity in larvae fed an unsupplemented 0.5% sucrose diet. Ethanol induced only a 2-fold change in ADH cross reacting material (CRM), suggesting that there was also a post-translational modification of ADH. The addition of dietary sucrose to the diet (at 5%, w/v) exerted similar, but lesser effects on ADH activity and CRM. Increasing dietary sucrose to 5% in the presence of 2.5% ethanol decreased ADH activity and CRM to levels below those attained in the 0.5% sucrose-2.5% ethanol diet. Upon examination, dietary ethanol was found to decrease the relative concentration of ADH-1 and increase the concentrations of ADH-3 and ADH-5 in larvae; sucrose had a similar but lesser effect on the isozyme pattern. Because dietary ethanol increased both the total NAD content and the NADH NAD + ratio, the diet-induced changes in isozyme pattern were proposed to be linked to the relative amounts of NADH, NAD+ and ADH enzyme in larval tissues. Larval ADH activity is modulated by both dietary alcohol and carbohydrate.
Application of solid state 13C nmr to the study of polymorphs, clathrates and complexes

Abstract 13C NMR spectra, obtained for a number of clathrates, hydrogen-bonded complexes and polymorphic forms of hydro-quinone, proved to be uniquely related to the crystal structures. β-quinols can easily be distinguished from α- and γ-quinols, and hydtoqumone in stoichiometric complexes. Structurally induced chemical shifts indicate fingerprinting capabilities for 13C NMR.
The crisis of Russian democracy: the dual state, factionalism and the Medvedev succession

Richard Sakwa Cambridge, United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2011, ISBN13 9780521768429 (hbk), ISBN13 9780521145220 (pbk), 418 pp In The crisis of Russian democracy, Richard Sakwa reconcile...
Do PPARs play a role in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure

Energy metabolic pathways are intimately linked to cardiac physiology and are perturbed in disease states. Mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation, the primary pathway for ATP production in the healthy heart, is regulated in large part through transcriptional mechanisms by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Although controversy surrounds the relative cardiac expression and activity levels of the three PPAR isoforms, α, β/δ and γ, pharmaceutical modulation of PPARs, and by extension, cardiac metabolism and lipid handling, can represent a potential strategy to combat metabolic aspects of heart disease.
Lack of correlation between coronary artery calcium and myocardial perfusion imaging

Background Coronary artery calcium (CAC) provides evidence of coronary atherosclerosis and has significant prognostic power. Although prior studies have documented a relationship between CAC and hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis, the results have not been conclusive. Methods and Results We evaluated 126 consecutive patients who underwent electron beam computed tomography CAC scoring by use of the Agatston method and stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) within 3 months of each other. The analysis revealed no correlation between absolute CAC score and age- and gender-adjusted CAC scores with MPI. Overall, 18% of patients had abnormal MPI results irrespective of their CAC. Conclusion CAC scoring and stress MPI should be thus considered complementary approaches rather than exclusionary in the evaluation of the patient at risk for coronary artery disease.
Evidence for complex, collective dynamics and emergent, distributed computation in plants

It has been suggested that some biological processes are equivalent to computation, but quantitative evidence for that view is weak. Plants must solve the problem of adjusting stomatal apertures to allow sufficient CO2 uptake for photosynthesis while preventing excessive water loss. Under some conditions, stomatal apertures become synchronized into patches that exhibit richly complicated dynamics, similar to behaviors found in cellular automata that perform computational tasks. Using sequences of chlorophyll fluorescence images from leaves of Xanthium strumarium L. (cocklebur), we quantified spatial and temporal correlations in stomatal dynamics. Our values are statistically indistinguishable from those of the same correlations found in the dynamics of automata that compute. These results are consistent with the proposition that a plant solves its optimal gas exchange problem through an emergent, distributed computation performed by its leaves.