cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LUNAR NEUTRON STRATIGRAPHY.

Study of the isotopic composition of gadolinium and samarium in four soil and seven drill stem samples returned by the Apollo 15 mission. The results show the possibility to date sedimentary processes on the lunar surface for time scales of around 100 million years because of the particular dependence of neutron capture reactions on depth. The neutron flux has a distinct peak as a function of depth. This peak appears to lie below the level of shallow cratering for time scales of less than one billion years and consequently forms a readily identified marker layer of both depth and time.
Corneal Sensitivity and Burning Sensation: Comparing Topical Ketorolac and Diclofenac

Objectives: To compare the effect of topical 0.5% ketorolac tromethamine and 0.1% diclofenac sodium on human corneal sensitivity and to assess the intensity of burning sensation at specific intervals after drop instillation. Design and Setting: Double-masked parallel clinical study. Patients: Eleven women and 4 men (8 white, 4 Hispanic, 3 Asian), 22 to 60 years of age (mean[±SD], 34±10 years). Interventions: Repeated instillation of either ketorolac and placebo or diclofenac and placebo at 5-minute intervals. Main Outcome Measures: Assessment of corneal sensitivity before instillation, immediately after instillation, and after termination of drop application; and subjective evaluation of burning sensation by asking participants to rate burning on a scale ranging from 0 (none) to 3 (severe) after each drop application. Results: Both diclofenac ( P P P P =.01) and diclofenac ( P P =.12). Conclusions: The decrease in corneal sensitivity in normal human corneas is more pronounced and longer lasting with diclofenac than with ketorolac. Both drugs are well tolerated topically and may be useful for pain reduction after refractive corneal surgery.
Goliath strikes again

For nearly three months, oil from the British Petroleum spill has been plaguing the Gulf of Mexico. This is yet another environmental catastrophe. The images the world receives from the media speak for themselves. The editors of International Journal of Critical Accounting, once again, express their concerns about these issues of environmental accountability. The damage created by big corporations (Goliaths) never ends. We discuss the BP and other big spills in Africa and Asia, and invite researchers to submit their work on climate change to IJCA.
The temperature dependence of the interaction of oxygen with Pd(111); A study by photoemission and auger spectroscopy

Abstract The temperature dependence of the different binding states of oxygen on Pd(111) has been studied using photoemission spectroscopy and Auger spectroscopy. By examining the oxygen 2s binding energies, three distinct states are observed, which are identified as surface chemisorbed oxygen, oxygen incorporated into the first Pd layer, and subsurface oxygen. Changes in the relative oxygen Auger peak heights for 1000 K exposure temperature are explained if the oxygen is assumed to become more negatively charged as it penetrates the Pd surface. A model for the interaction of oxygen with the Pd(111) surface is proposed.
ACTION OF 5-BROMO-3-SEC-BUTYL-6-METHYLURACIL AS REGARDS REPLACEMENT OF THYMINE IN MOUSE DNA.

McGahen and Hoffmann1 were unable to demonstrate thymine replacement by 5-bromo-3-sec-butyl-methyluracil (I) in a thymineless Escherichia coli while 5-bromouracil (II) replaced 21 per cent of the thymine under the same test conditions. It was concluded that 5-bromo-3-sec-butyl-6-methyluracil is not, therefore, a biological analogue of thymine. The results of an investigation with juvenile mice are presented here.
Heterogeneity in β-Adrenergic Receptor Kinase Expression in the Lung Accounts for Cell-specific Desensitization of the β2-Adrenergic Receptor

The principal mechanism of homologous desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor (beta2AR) is phosphorylation of the receptor by the betaAR kinase (betaARK) or other closely related G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs). However, within a single organ such as the lung where many cell types express the receptor, the presence or extent of beta2AR desensitization in different cells has been noted to be highly variable. We hypothesized that such variability in desensitization is due to significant cell-type differences in betaARK expression and/or function. To approach this, in situ hybridization was carried out in the lung and indeed revealed heterogeneity in betaARK gene expression. Quantitative studies using ribonuclease protection assays with cell lines revealed that the level of betaARK mRNA in airway smooth muscle cells was approximately 20% of that in bronchial epithelial cells and approximately 11% of that in mast cells (6.65 +/- 0.96 versus 32.6 +/- 4.0 and 60.7 +/- 1.5 relative units, respectively, p < 0. 001). betaARK2 gene expression was not detected in any of these cells. At the protein level, betaARK expression in airway smooth muscle cells was nearly undetectable, being approximately 10-fold less than that expressed on mast cells. The activities of the GRKs in cell extracts were assessed in vitro by quantitating their ability to phosphorylate rhodopsin in the presence of light. Consistent with the gene and protein expression results, a marked discrepancy in activities was observed between extracts derived from mast cells (90.7 +/- 0.5 relative units) as compared to airway smooth muscle cells (9.28 +/- 0.6 relative units, p < 0.001). In contrast, the activities of protein kinase A (the other kinase that phosphorylates beta2AR) in these extracts were not different. We predicted, then, that airway smooth muscle beta2AR would undergo minimal short-term (5 min) agonist-promoted desensitization as compared to the beta2AR expressed on mast cells. Mast cell cAMP reached maximal levels after 90 s and did not further increase over time, indicative of receptor desensitization in this cell. In contrast, cAMP levels of airway smooth muscle cells did not plateau, increasing at a rate of 103 +/- 9% per min, consistent with little desensitization over the study period. We conclude that there is significant cell-type variation in expression of betaARK and that such variation is directly related to the extent of short-term agonist-promoted desensitization of the beta2AR.
Response regulation in bacterial chemotaxis

The signal transduction system that mediates bacterial chemotaxis allows cells to modulate their swimming behavior in response to fluctuations in chemical stimuli. Receptors at the cell surface receive information from the surroundings. Signals are then passed from the receptors to cytoplasmic chemotaxis components: CheA, CheW, CheZ, CheR, and CheB. These proteins function to regulate the level of phosphorylation of a response regulator designated CheY that interacts with the flagellar motor switch complex to control swimming behavior. The structure of CheY has been determined. Magnesium ion is essential for activity. The active site contains highly conserved Asp residues that are required for divalent metal ion binding and CheY phosphorylation. Another residue at the active site, Lys109, is important in the phosphorylation-induced conformational change that facilitates communication with the switch complex and another chemotaxis component, CheZ. CheZ facilitates the dephosphorylation of phospho-CheY. Defects in CheY and CheZ can be suppressed by mutations in the flagellar switch complex. CheZ is thought to modulate the switch bias by varying the level of phospho-CheY.
The effect of relative humidity on the survival of three serotypes of Klebsiella.

Summary. Any factor which enhances the survival of human pathogens in the hospital environment can result in increased exposure of the patient to such pathogens and perhaps contribute to an increase in patient infections. Klebsiella serotypes 3, 9 and 69 were exposed on glass to relative humidities (R.H.) of 11, 33, 53 and 85%. Death rates for all serotypes, at a constant 25°, could be correlated with the amount of moisture in the air. Prolonged survival was demonstrated at 11 and 33% R.H. with an increased death rate at 53 and 85%. The implications of this phenomenon are discussed.
Navigating differences: transatlantic negotiations over Galileo

The European global navigation satellite system, Galileo, entered its development phase in 2002 and is scheduled to become operational in 2012. Since its inception, Galileo has been yet another contentious issue in transatlantic negotiations. American concerns spanned economic and security-related issues, but, despite considerable tensions, a comprehensive agreement was entered into in 2004. This paper analyses the roots of the transatlantic dispute, as well as the negotiations that led to its resolution. It points out the vital and wide-ranging lessons that may be gleaned from this case. The European Commission has become a notable actor in the security realm via dual-use items such as Galileo. Technological progress has, in itself, become a bargaining instrument whereas time-honoured negotiation tactics have failed. Galileo sheds light on the ongoing recalibration of the transatlantic partnership in which autonomy has become a powerful motivation for European policy-makers. Constructive engagement, trig...
A Case Study of an Unusually Intense Atmospheric Gravity Wave

Abstract A remarkable long-lived, large-amplitude gravity wave in the Carolinas and Virginia on 27 February 1984 is investigated by means of a subsynoptic-scale case study. The wave was characterized by a minor-wave of elevation followed by a sharp wave of depression with a period of 2–3 h, a horizontal wavelength of 100–150 km and surface pressure perturbation amplitudes of 3–14 mb. The wave propagated toward the east-southeast at 1 5 m s−1, accelerating to more than 20 m s−1 after it crossed the Atlantic coast. Wave passage was accompanied by gusty surface easterly winds reaching 30 m s−1 and an abrupt termination of precipitation with the rapid surface pressure fall. The synoptic criteria identified by Uccellini and Koch as common to many cases of large amplitude gravity waves were present in this case. Gravity waves were first detected across western Tennessee and northern Mississippi in a wake depression region to the rear of an advancing squall line. An amplifying wave emerged out of the wave packet...
Isolation of T-Lymphotropic Retrovirus Related to HTLV-III/LAV from Wild-Caught African Green Monkeys

Present evidence suggests that the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) emerged in Central Africa as a new disease in recent decades. This disease has recently approached epidemic proportions in many parts of the world. The etiologic agent of AIDS is believed to be the virus HTLV-III/LAV, which has been proposed as having originated from a recent simian-human transmission in Africa. This report describes the isolation of a designated STLV-IIIAGM retrovirus closely related to HTLV-III/LAV from seven healthy wild-caught African Green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) that showed the presence of antibodies designated STLV-IIIAGM. In vitro growth characteristics, ultrastructural morphology, and major proteins of 160,000 kilodaltons (kD), 120 kD, 55 kD, and 24 kD are similar to and cross-reactive with the analogous antigens of HTLV-III/LAV. The use of these serologic markers in the detection of STLV-IIIAGM-infected monkeys may be important in assuring the continued safety of a variety of biologic reagents that are derived from these primate species. The existence of a retrovirus closely related to HTLV-III/LAV that naturally infects an African nonhuman primate in the apparent absence of disease may provide a unique model for the study of human AIDS and the development of an effective vaccine.
Benefits of Software GPS Receivers for Enhanced Signal Processing

In this paper the architecture of a software GPS receiver is described and an analysis is included of the performance of a software GPS receiver when tracking the GPS signals in challenging environments. Results are included which demonstrate the advantage of the software GPS receiver in tracking the GPS signals in low signal-to-noise or jamming scenarios. Various current and previous applications of the software GPS receiver are also described.
Computational analysis of surface‐tension‐driven coating‐defect flow

Bondline readout (BLRO) is a coating defect frequently exhibited on adhesively-bonded, polymeric automotive body panels painted with high-glamor/flow clearcoats. BLRO or telegraphing results from Marangoni-type, surface-tension-driven flows. An efficient numerical code was developed to predict temperature- and concentration-induced BLRO flows to use it as an effective tool for screening and developing potential clearcoat systems. Two numerical codes were developed: a 1-D code based on the lubrication approximation; a 2-D code based on the SIMPLER (Semiimplicit method for pressure-linked equations revised) algorithm. The 1-D code produced BLRO profiles in agreement with those predicted from the 2-D code and those measured from BLRO flow experiments, thus confirming a proposed BLRO mechanism. Moreover, the 1-D code was vastly more time-efficient than the 2-D code due to a severe time-step stability limitation found with the latter.
The Relation between Protein Synthesis and Lipide Accumulation in L Strain Cells and Ehrlich Ascites Cells

It has long been known that fat accumulates in old injured cells both in tissue culture and in many mammalian disease states. The use of L cells grown in suspension tissue culture permitted the opportunity to study conditions in which lipide accumulation could be retarded or accelerated. These cultures exhibit a three-phase growth curve which is similar to that previously found with bacteria and consists of a lag period, logarithmic growth period, and stationary period. Daily aliquots were removed from cultures going through these phases and protein and cholesterol content correlated with cell division. It was found that L cells gradually accumulated lipide in the cell concurrent with retardation of cell division and protein synthesis. Conversely old lipide-laden cells, placed in fresh media and encouraged to active division with net protein synthesis progressed from a high to a low lipide/cell ratio over a period of 2 to 4 days. An amino acid analogue p-fluorophenylalanine and a mitotic inhibitor, colchicine, also markedly increased the lipide/cell ratio. Similar results were found in in vitro experiments with Ehrlich ascites cells.
Optimising radiographic bitewing examination to adult and juvenile patients through the use of anthropomorphic phantoms

Four anthropomorphic phantoms (an adult male, an adult female, a 10-y-old child and a 5-y-old child) were exposed to bitewing radiographs at film and digital settings using both rectangular and round collimation. Optically stimulated dosemeters were used. For children, average organ doses were <40 µGy and the organs with the highest doses were the salivary glands, parotid, oral mucosa, skin and extrathoracic airway. For adults, average organ doses were <200 µGy. Highest adult doses were to the salivary glands, oral mucosa and skin. Effective doses ranged from 1.5 to 1.8 µSv for children and from 2.6 to 3.6 µSv for adults when optimised technique factors were employed, including digital receptors, rectangular collimation, size-appropriate exposure times and proper clinical judgment. Optimised doses were a fraction of the natural daily background exposure. Therefore, predictions of hypothetical cancer incidence or detriment in patient populations exposed to such low doses are highly speculative and should be discouraged.
Hydrogen diffusion in the thermosphere by Monte Carlo method

The diffusion-limited flow of hydrogen in the thermosphere is obtalned by a Monte Carlo calculation. The resulting density distribution has a steeper gradient thand current theories predict, even taking omission of gravity into account. The departure is ascribed to increasing nonvalidity of the Chapman- Enskog diffusion coefficient as density changes over a meand free path become significant. (auth)
Construct-Irrelevant Variance in High-Stakes Testing.

There are many threats to validity in high-stakes achievement testing. One major threat is construct-irrelevant variance (CIV). This article defines CIV in the context of the contemporary, unitary view of validity and presents logical arguments, hypotheses, and documentation for a variety of CIV sources that commonly threaten interpretations of test scores. A more thorough study of CIV is recommended.
Wave energy conversion by controlled floating and submerged cylindrical buoys

This paper investigates the wave energy conversion performance of floating and submerged heaving vertical-cylinder buoys. Two types of reactive control strategies are evaluated for their effect on energy absorption in irregular waves described by uni-modal spectra. Approximate near-optimal reactive control based on up-wave surface elevation measurement and peak-frequency tuning are compared for performance improvements over constant-damping load. The paper describes time-domain calculations under unconstrained oscillation in long-crested irregular waves for two sets of buoy dimensions. Supporting analysis and frequency-domain calculations suggest that near-optimal control performs considerably better than peak-frequency tuning for the submerged buoys and somewhat better for the floating buoys. The relative contributions of the Froude–Krylov and diffraction force components, and wave radiation properties for the two configurations are found to be important in this context.
Intracavity Brillouin scattering from passive Q-spoiling cells

Stimulated Brillouin scattering from the methanol solvent used in conjunction with cryptocyanine bleachable dye in a ruby laser cavity has been observed at low megawatt output powers. The frequency shifts of the Brillouin scattered radiation produced within the laser cavity are slightly less than frequency shifts produced in an external methanol cell. The Brillouin radiation was eliminated even at output power levels in excess of 250 MW when a 3-mm length cell was used in place of the 25.4-mm commercial cell.
On the stability of lumps and wave collapse in water waves

In the classical water-wave problem, fully localized nonlinear waves of permanent form, commonly referred to as lumps, are possible only if both gravity and surface tension are present. While much attention has been paid to shallow-water lumps, which are generalizations of Korteweg–de Vries solitary waves, the present study is concerned with a distinct class of gravity–capillary lumps recently found on water of finite or infinite depth. In the near linear limit, these lumps resemble locally confined wave packets with envelope and wave crests moving at the same speed, and they can be approximated in terms of a particular steady solution (ground state) of an elliptic equation system of the Benney–Roskes–Davey–Stewartson (BRDS) type, which governs the coupled evolution of the envelope along with the induced mean flow. According to the BRDS equations, however, initial conditions above a certain threshold develop a singularity in finite time, known as wave collapse, due to nonlinear focusing; the ground state, in fact, being exactly at the threshold for collapse suggests that the newly discovered lumps are unstable. In an effort to understand the role of this singularity in the dynamics of lumps, here we consider the fifth-order Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation, a model for weakly nonlinear gravity–capillary waves on water of finite depth when the Bond number is close to one-third, which also admits lumps of the wave packet type. It is found that an exchange of stability occurs at a certain finite wave steepness, lumps being unstable below but stable above this critical value. As a result, a small-amplitude lump, which is linearly unstable and according to the BRDS equations would be prone to wave collapse, depending on the perturbation, either decays into dispersive waves or evolves into an oscillatory state near a finite-amplitude stable lump.
Methods for voluntary weight loss and control: Update 1996☆

Abstract The prevalence of obesity increased nearly eight percent over the last decade. In response to the obesity epidemic in the United States, The National Institutes of Health Technology Assessment Conference Panel published “Methods for voluntary weight loss and control” in 1993. Unfortunately, in 1996, the evidence suggests that the prevalence of obesity is still steadily increasing. Current trends predict that most Americans will struggle with weight problems and obesity in the future. There have been no major advances in the treatment of obesity. Interventions produce short-term losses followed by weight regain, and no current treatments appear capable of producing permanent weight loss. Newer treatment approaches assume that obesity is a chronic disorder that requires a continuous care model of treatment. Social and environmental influences on eating and physical activity, along with perceptions of inability to self-control, continually mitigate against maintenance of prudent weight management behaviors. Since the etiology of obesity is multifactorial and can be viewed as an interaction between biology and environmental factors, environmental changes and biological interventions aimed at correcting genetic and metabolic irregularities will be central to any efforts to stem the tide of obesity.
Institute of Medicine (IOM) Workshop

This article presents some personal thoughts regarding the summary of an IOM workshop on patient-centered cancer treatment planning.
The Evolution of Trilobite Body Patterning

The good fossil record of trilobite exoskeletal anatomy and ontogeny, coupled with information on their nonbiomineralized tissues, permits analysis of how the trilobite body was organized and developed, and the various evolutionary modifications of such patterning within the group. In several respects trilobite development and form appears comparable with that which may have characterized the ancestor of most or all euarthropods, giving studies of trilobite body organization special relevance in the light of recent advances in the understanding of arthropod evolution and development. The Cambrian diversification of trilobites displayed modifications in the patterning of the trunk region comparable with those seen among the closest relatives of Trilobita. In contrast, the Ordovician diversification of trilobites, although contributing greatly to the overall diversity within the clade, did so within a narrower range of trunk conditions. Trilobite evolution is consistent with an increased premium on effective enrollment and protective strategies, and with an evolutionary trade-off between the flexibility to vary the number of trunk segments and the ability to regionalize portions of the trunk.
Data integration in multi-sensor based robotic workstations

A relaxation labeling algorithm is developed for image processing and object identification. The major advantage of this algorithm over the existing one is that the mathematic operation is simplified. The simplification eases the analysis of the convergence properties. Both the theoretical and application aspects of the proposed algorithm are investigated. The local convergence properties of a labeling process with n labels and m labels are established. The investigation of the interaction among the nodes in a multinode labeling process reveals some insight into the mathematical issues involved in the relaxation operations. >
Regulation of Excision Genes of the Bacteroides Conjugative Transposon CTnDOT

The first step in the transfer of the Bacteroides conjugative transposon CTnDOT is excision of the integrated element from the chromosome to form a circular transfer intermediate. Excision occurs only after the bacteria are exposed to tetracycline. Previously, four excision genes were identified. One was the integrase gene intDOT, which appeared to be expressed constitutively. Three other genes essential for excision (orf2c, orf2d, and exc) were found located in a cluster 13 kbp downstream of intDOT. By using uidA fusions and real-time reverse transcriptase PCR, we demonstrate here that the excision genes orf2c, orf2d, and exc are part of an operon that also contains open reading frame orf3, previously shown not to be essential for excision. We also show that operon expression is regulated at the transcriptional level in response to tetracycline. The transcript start site for the operon has been localized. Three CTnDOT regulatory genes are thought to be involved in tetracycline regulation of excision, rteA, rteB, and rteC. By placing rteC under the control of a heterologous promoter, we found that RteC alone was sufficient for induction of the orf2c operon. If, however, the rteC gene was under the control of its own promoter, it was not able to induce orf2c operon expression unless rteA and rteB were present. Thus, RteA and RteB participate in excision by stimulating transcription of rteC. Using electrophoretic mobility shift analysis, we found that a purified His(6)-tagged form of RteC bound DNA upstream of the -33 region of the promoter. Changing the sequence in the region between bp -50 and -70 reduced the expression of the orf2c operon in vivo. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that RteC acts as a DNA-binding protein that binds upstream of the orf2c promoter and is responsible for tetracycline-regulated transcriptional regulation of the orf2c operon.
Interleukin-11 and IL-17 and the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-11 and IL-17 are cytokines that modulate the inflammatory process and have not been assessed within normal or inflamed gingival tissues. Our purpose was to compare concentrations of human IL-11 and IL-17 within healthy and diseased human gingiva to determine their possible role in the initiation or progression of periodontal diseases. Methods: Biopsies from healthy (non-hemorrhagic gingiva adjacent to a ≤3 mm gingival sulcus) and diseased gingiva (hemorrhagic gingiva adjacent to a ≥3 mm periodontal pocket) were studied. IL-11, IL-17, RANTES, and IL-6 concentrations were assessed within solubilized gingival biopsies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were compared by factorial analysis of variance and a post-hoc Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) test. Regression analysis and partial correlation analysis (adjusted for sample weight) were also used to determine correlations between the variables. Results: Interleukin-11 concentrations were highest within gingiva...
Electrodeposition of Ni and Te-doped Cobalt Triantimonide in Citrate Solutions

Skutterudite compounds form a new class of potential candidates for thermoelectric applications. Cobalt triantimonide (CoSb3) shows good thermoelectric properties at medium and high temperatures. Doping this system with substitution elements, for either Co or Sb or both, may result in an increase of the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). This work focused on the electrochemical doping and characterization of films and nanowires of Co-Sb system in citrate solutions using gold-coated PCTE templates. The electrodeposition was performed on gold surface that was pre-treated electrochemically to ensure reproducible results. The electrochemical treatment acted as an annealing process for the surface, which resulted in an increase in Au(111) as demonstrated by XRD. Detailed electrochemical studies including deposition-stripping experiments was performed in order to develop a better understanding of the co-deposition kinetics and a better control over the composition of doped Co-Sb system. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS) helped study the morphology and the composition of the doped and undoped Co-Sb system. Co-deposition of Co-Sb showed that the amount of Co is higher in nanowires than in film or mushroom caps due to the slow Sb deposition rate dictated by slow Sb(III) complex diffusion. Doped nanowires have been also obtained. Both Ni and Te electrochemical doping of the Co-Sb system affected the composition of the deposit but there was no effect on nanowire morphology.
I-STOP/PMP: A tool for monitoring prescription drug abuse in patients with chronic pain syndromes:

Background:Patients with chronic pain syndromes often require analgesics and muscle relaxants for symptom management. Unfortunately, many of these agents have abuse potential, and specific concerns...
Relationships between integrated oral-nasal differential pressure and velopharyngeal closure

Oral-nasal differential pressures are derived measures that incorporate both active (e.g., articulatory) and passive (e.g., nasal structure) components. This study was designed to examine integrated oral-nasal differential pressures in speakers with different levels of velopharyngeal closure. Integrated oral-nasal differential pressure data were obtained from 20 noncleft adults with normal speech and 166 speakers with repaired palatal clefts. Velopharyngeal competency for the cleft subjects, as determined by aerodynamic assessment, ranged from adequate to grossly incompetent. Results of the data analysis indicate that integrated pressures are not maintained at a consistent level across all groups. This lack of consistency across all degrees of velopharyngeal opening may reflect the flexibility, as well as structural limitations, of a speech pressure regulating system.
Growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing hormone in early abstinent alcoholic patients

The alpha-2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine is able to stimulate GHRH secretion directly or via beta-endorphin and, therefore, induces a GH release in normal subjects. This effect has been shown to be blunted in alcoholism during early abstinence, due to central alterations of adrenergic mechanisms. To evaluate pituitary responsiveness to direct stimulation with GHRH, we have studied the GH and PRL response to GHRH in 10 alcoholics during early abstinence. Our data indicate that the pituitary response to GHRH is intact in abstinent alcoholics, except in obese patients, who displayed a blunted GH response. GHRH did not increase PRL. The dissociation between clonidine and GHRH in GH stimulation could reveal a different neuroendocrine mechanism, in comparison with other psychiatric disorders (anorexia nervosa), in which such a dissociation is accompanied by a PRL response to GHRH.
Reelin mutations in mouse and man: from reeler mouse to schizophrenia, mood disorders, autism and lissencephaly.

Reelin mutations in mouse and man: from reeler mouse to schizophrenia, mood disorders, autism and lissencephaly
Tumor of the Salivary Glands

Salivary gland tumors are predominantly epithelial. Mesenchymal tumors most often involve glands by extension rather than arising within the gland. The latter are also found predominantly in children and adolescents. The most commonly encountered tumors in surgical pathology will be highlighted in this chapter. This chapter also summarizes the new findings on salivary gland pathology under the following categories: immunohistochemistry, molecular genetics, newly recognized tumor types, known tumor entities with new findings, and the progression of salivary gland tumors.
Microbiome, a new dimension in cancer research

Recent reports on microbiome leading to or in association with cancer have surfaced in the medical science field. The results may impact clinical management as new concepts may provide a glimpse of a new world for cancer diagnosis, therapy and prevention. There will be profound implications for the discipline of medicine and oncology and for how laboratory diagnosticians relate to medicine as a whole. This editorial will provide a succinct, but challenging, analysis from a major article on the subject of cancer and microbiome, and how we anticipate the field of medical oncology will change during the next 5 to 10 years. In the Science publication of April 2015, Garrett highlights several mechanisms through which microbes and microbiota contribute to the development of cancer, whether by enhancing or diminishing a host’s risk. The mechanisms fall into three categories: (I) modifying the balance of host cell proliferation and death; (II) piloting the function of the immune system; and (III) affecting the breakdown of host-generated factors, ingested food staples, and pharmaceuticals.
Adrenocorticosteroid receptor blockade and excitotoxic challenge regulate adrenocorticosteroid receptor mRNA levels in hippocampus.

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) are glucocorticoid-activated transcription factors essential for maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Differential activation of these adrenocorticosteroid receptors (ACR) is thought to influence neuronal viability, particularly under challenging cellular conditions. The present study is designed to determine the effects of receptor blockade and excitotoxic insult on MR and GR mRNA expression and neuronal viability in hippocampus. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were pretreated for 48 hr with vehicle, MR antagonist spironolactone (SPIRO) (50 mg/kg, twice daily, s.c.), or GR antagonist RU486 (25 mg/kg, twice daily, s.c.) and subsequently injected with saline or the glutamate analog kainic acid (KA) (12 mg/kg i.p.). Twenty-four hr post-insult, MR and GR mRNA levels were assessed by in situ hybridization analysis, and hippocampal neurons were counted to assess KA-induced cell loss. MR blockade with SPIRO increased basal MR mRNA levels in hippocampal subregions CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) and increased basal GR mRNA levels in CA3. GR blockade with RU486 increased basal GR mRNA levels in CA3. The excitotoxin KA decreased MR mRNA levels in CA1 and CA3, decreased GR mRNA levels in DG, and negated all antagonist-induced increases of ACR mRNAs. Cell counts quantifying KA damage indicated increased CA3 vulnerability to KA insult after treatment with MR antagonist spironolactone but demonstrated no significant cell loss in any other group or region. These results demonstrate dynamic regulation of hippocampal MR and GR mRNAs after ACR antagonist treatment and kainate toxicity, underscoring the potential importance of MR and GR availability to neuronal viability after insult. J. Neurosci. Res. 64:277–283, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Rehabilitación Urbana en España (1989-2010). Barreras actuales y sugerencias para su eliminación

At the beginning of this century, the cities of our country face a challenge that, in quantitative terms, goes beyond the action referred to the rehabilitation of historic centres and XIX century extensions. This challenge is the rehabilitation of a specific fabric of our cities: neighbourhoods built in the period of 1940-1980, which are undergoing processes of serious urban degradation and can be identified as vulnerable urban areas. This article discusses the strategies taken from the various government levels in urban rehabilitation, and the experiences initiated, with the aim of detecting what are the main barriers of all kind (legal, social, economic, cultural) that prevent the systematic practice of these initiatives, which today still have an experimental and minority character, and to forward proposals for action to achieve comprehensive and systematic urban rehabilitation in these neighbourhoods.
THE WEALTH EFFECTS OF TRACKING STOCK RESTRUCTURINGS

We provide a comprehensive examination of the post-issue wealth effects of 29 completed tracking stock restructurings. We document that for the parent stock and for the combined firm, tracking stock restructurings lead to insignificant longterm excess returns. However, we find that shareholders of tracking stocks realize significant post-issue wealth losses. Unlike spin-offs and carve-outs, announcements of tracking stock restructurings are preceded by negative one-year excess returns, and unlike the positive post-issue long-term excess returns to spin-off stocks and the insignificant long-term excess returns to carve-out stocks, tracking stocks experience negative long-term excess returns.
Where are the most informative neurons

A simple stimulus evokes responses from a large population of neurons in many cortical areas. However, although many neurons are active, not all contribute equally to perception or motor planning. Studies of motion discrimination show that an animal's perceptual decisions are well correlated with responses from a relatively small fraction of MT neurons. There are similar findings in other systems. Such a subset of neurons is labeled "most informative", and arguably is the basis of a perceptual decision [1,2]. In this study, we use a simple model of two (or two pools of) competing neurons to find the location of the "most informative" neurons in the context of error-minimization for a broad range of discrimination tasks. Although the peak and the maximum slope of a tuning curve are typically emphasized in sensory coding theories, the quantitative interaction described here requires one to consider the entire tuning curve. We start the analysis with a fine discrimination task, but the theory is general enough for a continuum of discrimination tasks, from fine to coarse. The results point out that (1) nearly any place on a tuning curve (between the peak and 1.4 tuning widths from the peak) can be an optimal position for a particular discrimination problem; (2) multiplicative noise does not alter the location of the most informative neuron, while additive noise slightly alters the location; (3) the maximum slope of a neuron's tuning curve is generally suboptimal for a fine discrimination task. In fact, the optimal stimulus location for fine discrimination is farther into the tail of a tuning curve under most conditions; (4) even as the optimal stimulus position on a tuning curve is shifting with the task, the most informative neuron remains unchanged over a broad range of discrimination. Finally, we show practically how use the theory to bring order to what appears as discouragingly noisy data (see Figure ​Figure11). Figure 1 Reinterpreting experimental observations. (A) A single neuron's performance (expressed as discriminability, di′) to a discrimination task (± 3° motion discrimination) is typically expressed as a function of a neuron's tuned position ...
Mixing modeling for stochastic simulations of turbulent premixed flames

The use of probability density function (PDF) methods for turbulent combustion simulations is very attractive because arbitrary finite-rate chemistry can be exactly taken into account. However, many real flames involve a variety of mixing regimes (non-premixed, partially-premixed and premixed turbulent combustion), and the development of PDF methods for partiallypremixed and premixed turbulent combustion turned out to be a very challenging task. A promising way to extend the range of applicability of PDF methods to the fast flamelet chemistry of turbulent premixed flames is described here. Simulation results of three turbulent premixed flames demonstrate the suitability of this approach. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Improvement in Sensorineural Hearing Loss During Pregnancy

Objective:Hearing loss is known to occur in some pregnant women, but improvement in sensorineural thresholds has not been audiometrically characterized. Here, we describe a patient with a history of Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraine who experienced temporary recovery of her hearing during pregnancy.Methods:Audiograms were obtained from a 31-year-old female over the course of 2 successive pregnancies.Results:Audiograms revealed a substantial improvement in hearing by the third trimester during each pregnancy, with a rapid return to baseline thresholds after delivery.Conclusion:This case is unique in documenting improvements in hearing thresholds during pregnancy and substantiates the effects of hormonal changes on hearing thresholds in humans. It raises the intriguing possibility of hormonal therapy as a treatment for sensorineural hearing loss in specific clinical situations.
Schur complement factorizations and parallel O(log N) algorithms for computation of operational space mass matrix and its inverse

In this paper new factorization techniques for computation of the operational space mass matrix (/spl Lambda/) and its inverse (/spl Lambda//sup -1/) are developed. Starting with a new factorization of the inverse of mass matrix (M/sup -1/) in the form of Schur complement as M/sup -1/=C-B/sup T/A/sup -1/B, where A and B are block tridiagonal matrices and C is a tridiagonal matrix, similar factorizations for /spl Lambda/ and /spl Lambda//sup -1/ are derived. Specifically, the Schur complement factorizations of /spl Lambda//sup -1/ and /spl Lambda/ are derived as /spl Lambda//sup -1/=D-E/sup T/A/sup -1/E and /spl Lambda/=G-R/sup T/S/sup -1/R, where E and R are sparse matrices and D and G are 6/spl times/6 matrices. The Schur complement factorization provides a unified framework for computation of M/sup -1/, /spl Lambda//sup -1/, and /spl Lambda/. The main advantage of these new factorizations is that they are highly efficient for parallel computation. With O(N) processors, the computation of /spl Lambda//sup -1/ and /spl Lambda/ as well as their operator applications can be performed in O(log N) steps. >
Effects of glucagon, histamine, and perhexiline on the ischemic canine mesenteric circulation

Abstract This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of three pharmacologically dissimilar vasodilating agents (histamine, perhexiline, and glucagon) in reversing the hemodynamic and metabolic changes after digoxin-induced vasoconstriction of the canine mesenteric circulation. Total blood flow to the gut was measured with a flowmeter, and the microsphere technique was applied to measure intraintestinal blood flow distribution and to calculate fractional blood flows to the muscular and the mucosal-submucosal compartments of the gut. In the conscious and in the anesthetized animals before surgery, over 90% of total mesenteric blood flow was distributed to the mucosal-submucosal compartment. Surgical manipulation caused a redistribution of blood flow such that only 78% was distributed to the mucosal-submucosal compartment. Intravenous administration of digoxin decreased total blood flow to the intestine by 26%, oxygen consumption 9% and increased mesenteric vascular resistance by 42%. All three vasodilatory agents infused intraarterially restored total blood flow and oxygen consumption to predigoxin values. Glucagon, the most potent vasodilator, and perhexiline increased blood flow to all layers within the intestinal wall, while histamine caused selective vasodilation in the muscle compartment of the gut.
SLA 3-D Printed Arrays of Miniaturized, Internally Fed, Polymer Electrospray Emitters

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and characterization of arrays of miniaturized, internally fed, polymer electrospray emitters fabricated with stereolithography. The freeform additive manufacturing process used to make the devices has associated two orders of magnitude reduction in the fabrication cost per device and fabrication time (from thousands of dollars to tens of dollars, and from months to hours, respectively) and a two orders of magnitude reduction in the cost of the manufacturing infrastructure (from millions of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars) compared with a silicon MEMS multiplexed electrospray source. The 3-D printed devices include features not easily attainable with other microfabrication methods, e.g., tapered channels and threaded holes. Through the optimization of the fabrication process 10-mm tall, isolated, straight, solid columns with diameter as small as $300~\mu \text{m}$ , and 12-mm long, straight tubes with inner diameter as small as 400 $\mu \text{m}$ and wall thickness as small as $150~\mu \text{m}$ were demonstrated. Arrays with as many as 236 internally fed electrospray emitters (236 emitters in 1 cm $^{2})$ were made, i.e., a twofold increase in emitter density and a sixfold increase in array size compared with the best reported values from multiplexed, internally fed, electrospray sources made of polymer. The characterization of devices with a different array size suggests a uniform emitter operation. [2015-0129]
A comparison of circulatory responsiveness following the sudden withdrawal from atenolol and propranolol.

The sudden withdrawal of propranolol and atenolol was studied in five normal volunteers. Exercise testing was performed during the withdrawal period and physiological responsiveness compared to control responses. A significantly heightened reactivity of the blood pressure with early exercise was found after discontinuation of both drugs. A significant acceleration of the heart rale response with early exercise was seen only following propranolol withdrawal. When the combined effect (heart rate x systolic blood pressure) was analyzed, a significant increase in the double product achieved with low levels of exercise was observed following the sudden withdrawal of only propranolol administration.
International Law and Self-Determination: The Case of Eritrea

Writing about the Eritrean conflict in the Horn of Africa is a difficult task, because it involves the issue of dismembership of a state. From the Greek Empire to the Roman, from the feudal era to the colonial times, and now in the post-colonial era, dismembership of the state has been a highly controversial and emotional issue. From the colonial era to decolonization, Africans did not have to face this problem. In fact, not only did they applaud the dismembership of the colonial empire, they worked hard to insure the disintegration of the colonies. In their optimism for the future of Africa, they developed a rhetoric that went beyond cooperation among future independent states to continental political unity. “Africa must unite” said the vibrant and dynamic leader of Ghana, Nkrumah.
Occupational Accidents Due to Stepladders in Japan: Analysis of Industry and Injured Characteristics☆

Abstract In this study, occupational accident cases in Japan were analyzed to better characterize accidents due to the use of stepladders. The analysis investigated 34,195 occupational accidents that resulted in at least a four-day absence from work in 2006 (25.5% of total occupational accidents), based on casualty reports from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The instances were classified by industry type, accident type, number of absent days, victim's age, gender, employment period, injury/disease type, and injured body part. The results of the analysis revealed that there were 992 accidents (six were fatal) due to stepladders in 2006, representing 2.9% of all accidents that year. The total number of estimated accidents that year was 3,896 (24 were fatal). The results also indicated that individuals who fell from stepladders most frequently suffered from fractures (68.6%) or contusions (16.2%) and that 64.9% of all victims took more than a month's leave of absence. The most common injured parts were the lower limbs (34.7%) and the upper limbs (21.4%). For 18.4% victims, the length of employment with the company they were working for at the time of the accident was one year or less. Most of the accidents occurred while standing on the stepladder (70.4%), whereas 19.4% and 7.9% of the accidents occurred during descending and ascending, respectively. Moreover, out of all the stepladder accidents in 2006, 45.4% occurred in the construction industry, 15.5% in the manufacturing industry, and 12.3% in the commercial industry. The occurrence rate of stepladder accidents in different industries were 7.9% in construction, 4.4% in cleaning, and 3.8% in agriculture and forestry, which were higher than the mean rate (2.9%). This result demonstrates that further research is needed to investigate the working methods with stepladders and their risk evaluation.