cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practicing pediatric pathology without a microscope.

This article highlights changes in the field of pediatric pathology that have resulted from technical advances in prenatal diagnostics, immunohistochemistry, cytogenetics, and molecular genetics. The relatively new and growing need for specialized training in fetal pathology is used as an example. Comprehensive evaluation of human fetuses has become a requisite skill for many diagnostic pathologists, in part because contemporary prenatal diagnostic techniques have shifted the demographics of many congenital conditions from spontaneous term delivery to mid-gestation termination of pregnancy. The information provided by the pathologist has a tremendous impact for families and clinicians as they consider recurrence risks in future pregnancies. As most specimens from therapeutic terminations have gross dysmorphology, which may or may not constitute a recognizable pattern of human malformation, their analysis requires additional skills and methods that were traditionally the domain other specialists (e.g., medical geneticists). The pathologist must learn to identify syndromes, to be aware of their underlying etiology and pathogenesis, and to utilize advanced cytogenetic methods (e.g., fluorescence in situ hybridization), flow cytometry, or specific mutational analysis when appropriate. At a minimum, important anatomic details must be well documented and appropriate tissue samples should be obtained and stored to facilitate more specific diagnostic testing in the future.
Neo-Modernization? IR and the Inner Life of Modernization Theory

Since the putative end of the Cold War, modernization is increasingly reimagined as a global process— as an expanding liberal zone of peace, a global civil society, or as emerging forms of global governance. Thus, new forms of modernization theory, what we call neo-modernization, have emerged as important theories of International Relations (IR). Such a convergence of events and theory permit us to examine the logical overlap between IR and modernization theory. IR fails to herald a unique contribution to social theory because it persistently avoids and denies the historical problem from which it surfaces, namely, the problem of what to do about cultural difference. Modernization theory provides an essential contribution to IR's avoidance of this central problem. While modernization theory implicitly relies on IR's freezing of difference into geopolitical containers, it also projects a natural and universal developmental sequence through which all cultures must pass. In this way modernization theory antic...
SU‐FF‐T‐409: The Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research: New Tools for Multi‐Modality Imaging, Treatment Plan Comparisons, and Plan Evaluations

Purpose: CERR (a Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research) is an open‐source Matlab‐based set of tools for conducting radiotherapy research which has been available for several years. In order to make CERR as useful as possible to radiotherapyresearchers, we have added multi‐modality imaging support as we as new dosimetric and radiobiological plan review tools. Method: The existing DICOM Import tool box in CERR was upgraded with capability to import PET, MR and SPECT DICOM images. While MR and PET are single frame image sets, CERR seamlessly imports multiframe SPECT DICOM. Automated and interactive registration tools were developed. A new metric selection GUI provides user ability to select a variety of metrics and save a ‘plan evaluation set' for later use. When adding an individual metric, the user can select applicable parameters as well as information about criteria, including passing and marginal values, and priority. The metrics can then be compared on a graphical display or a report can be generated which lists passed/marginal/failed for all criteria and displays a score for each dose distribution. Several new dose comparison tools have been added, including: (1) side‐by‐side dose comparison views, (2) dose subtraction views for up to three dose distributions compared to a reference distribution, and (3) a 3‐D slicer view which paints differences on coordinate system or transparent anatomic structuresurfaces.Results: CERR continues to undergo continuous development to provide a wide range of tools for image‐guided research. The latest release can be downloaded from www.radium.wustl.edu/cerr. CERR can be used freely only for research work. Conclusions: New CERR tools can facilitate research in adaptive and 4‐D treatment planning. This research was partially supported by NIH grant CA85181 and a grant from TomoTherapy, Inc.
A Scaffolding Framework to Support the Construction of Evidence-Based Arguments among Middle School Students

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach in which students in small groups engage in an authentic, ill-structured problem, and must (1) define, generate and pursue learning issues to understand the problem, (2) develop a possible solution, (3) provide evidence to support their solution, and (4) present their solution and the evidence that supports it (Barrows, How to design a problem-based curriculum for the preclinical years. Springer Publishing, New York, 1985). However, research has shown that novice problem-solvers and learners without deep content knowledge have difficulty developing strong evidence-based arguments (Krajcik et al., J Learn Sci 7:313–350, 1998a; Reiser, J Lear Sci 13(3):273–304, 2004). In this paper, we discuss the components of (e.g., claims and evidence) and processes of making (e.g., define problem and make claim) evidence-based arguments. Furthermore, we review various scaffolding models designed to help students perform various tasks associated with creating evidence-based arguments (e.g., link claims to evidence) and present guidelines for the development of computer-based scaffolds to help middle school students build evidence-based arguments.
Transverse imaging and simulation of dsDNA electrophoresis in microfabricated glass channels

We have observed the non-uniform distribution of DNA molecules during PAGE in a microfabricated system. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to visualize fluorescently labeled DNA during electrophoretic migration. The distribution of double-stranded DNA larger than 100 bp is observed to transition from a center-biased motion on the transverse plane 1 cm downstream from injection to an edge-biased motion 2 cm downstream. Although this distribution increased with increasing dsDNA size in a cross-linked gel, no similar distribution was found with the same dsDNA molecules in a linear polyacrylamide solution (6%). Simulations of DNA distribution in gels suggest that DNA distribution non-uniformities may be caused by biased electrophoretic migration resulting from motion in an inhomogeneous gel system.
A laboratory study of buoyant plumes in laminar and turbulent crossflows

Abstract The results of laboratory experiments of buoyant plumes in crossflows are presented. Specific comparisons are made of plume evolution for laminar and weakly turbulent crossflows for otherwise identical flow parameters to establish that plume dilution rates differ significantly even for weakly turbulent crossflows. Decaying, grid-generated turbulence constituted the flow field of the weakly turbulent crossflow. Measurements comprised analyses of flow visualization, hot-film anemometry and conductivity probe data. Plume thicknesses and widths are found to be greater for turbulent crossflows, although they both grow as χ 2/3 for laminar and turbulent crossflows. The effect of turbulence in the crossflow is to increase entrainment and dilution with the consequence of lower plume trajectories. It is found, relative to the values of dilution for buoyant plumes in a laminar crossflow, that dilutions of plumes in a weakly turbulent crossflow (with kinetic energy dissipation rates two orders of magnitude smaller than internal plume dissipation rates) were greater by 33%. Trajectories can be predicted by an integral model with a modified β, the entrainment coefficient, which relates the ratio of dissipation rates within and outside the plume.
Determination of dynamic bending stiffness of an orthotropic cross-ply composite

Abstract The bending stiffnesses of a cross-ply composite plate are obtained through a series of dynamic tests on narrow beam like specimens made from the plate. A comparison is made between the experimental data and those predicted using lamination theory with static lamina properties.
Personality disorders evident by early adulthood and risk for anxiety disorders during middle adulthood.

Abstract Data from the Children in the Community Study, a prospective longitudinal investigation, were used to investigate the association of personality disorder (PD) traits, evident by early adulthood, with risk for development of anxiety disorders by middle adulthood. Individuals without a history of anxiety disorders who met diagnostic criteria for ≥1 PD by early adulthood were at markedly elevated risk for agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder by middle adulthood. Antisocial, avoidant, borderline, dependent, depressive, histrionic, obsessive-compulsive, passive-aggressive, and schizotypal PD traits, evident by early adulthood, were associated with elevated risk for ≥1 anxiety disorder during middle adulthood. These associations remained significant after a history of anxiety disorder and co-occurring Axis I psychiatric disorder was controlled statistically. Findings of this study suggest that some types of PD traits that become evident by early adulthood may contribute to increased risk for the development of anxiety disorders by middle adulthood.
Taste responses of the chorda tympani nerve in the mouse.

Abstract Electrophysiological taste responses were obtained from the chorda tympani nerve of the mouse by using a technique whereby a 50 μm nichrome wire electrode was placed against the nerve where it passes through the middle ear.
EFFECT OF THERMAL CAPACITY ON THERMOELASTIC INSTABILITY DURING THE SOLIDIFICATION OF PURE METALS

If unidirectional solidification of pure metals at constant cooling rate is perturbed by a small spatially sinusoidal heat flux at the casting / mold interface, corresponding responses with sinusoidal perturbation are obtained for the evolution of the casting / melt interface, for the temperature and stress fields in the solidified casting and for the contact pressure at the mold surface. The results show that the perturbation in contact pressure tends asymptotically to a maximum value at larger values of time. The magnitude of the contact pressure perturbation is decreased by the inclusion of thermal capacity, and this effect is enhanced at higher mean cooling rates. This indicates that materials with higher specific heat (or lower thermal diffusivities) might be less susceptible to thermoelastic instabilities associated with the contact pressure and its dependent thermal contact resistance at the casting / mold interface.
Interactions between mutants with defects in two Ca2(+)-dependent K+ currents of Paramecium tetraurelia.

Paramecium tetraurelia possesses two Ca2+-dependent K+ currents, activated upon depolarizationIK(Ca,d), or upon hyperpolarizationIK(Ca,h). The two currents are mediated by pharmacologically distinct ion channel populations. Three mutations ofP. tetraurelia affect these current.s Pantophobiac A mutations (pntA) cause calmodulin sequence defects, resulting in the loss of both Ca2+-dependent K+ currents. A second mutation, TEA-insensitive A (teaA), greatly enhancesIK(Ca,d) but has no affect onIK(Ca,h). A third mutation,restless (rst), also increasesIK(Ca,d) slightly, but its principle effect is in causing an early activation ofIK(Ca,h). Interactions between the products of these three genes were investigated by constructing three double mutants. BothteaA andrst restoreIK(Ca,d) andIK(Ca,h) in pantophobiac A1, but the phenotypes ofteaA andrst are not corrected by a second mutation. These observations may indicate a role for the gene products ofteaA andrst in regulating the activity ofIK(Ca,d) andIK(Ca,h), respectively.
Non-union of pediatric fibula fractures: Easy to overlook, painful to ignore

Fracture non-union in the pediatric population may span the age range from childhood to adolescence. Fracture non-union in children and adolescents is often due to an underlying cause such as affliction with neurofibromatosis or osteogenesis imperfecta. Although less commonly seen, non-union may occur in the otherwise healthy pediatric population. We report three cases of fracture non-union of the distal end of the fibula in the pediatric age group. All three were characterized by persistent local pain and tenderness following injury with radiographic evidence of fracture non-union. All three had undergone conservative treatment with extended periods of immobilization. Following surgery, all three had marked improvement of their local symptomatology. One patient's course was complicated by reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome. In two patients, resection of the un-united fragment at the distal fibula resulted in marked relief from pain without any increase in ankle instability. We postulate that the fracture non-union resulted in a fibrotic reaction that was so extensive that ankle stability was maintained even after removal of the fracture fragment.
Enhanced lipid peroxidation in lung lavage of rats after inhalation of asbestos

Exposure of phagocytic cells to asbestos in vitro results in an augmented production of reactive oxygen metabolites and increased peroxidation of lipids. The aim of this investigation was to assess the extent of lipid peroxidation both in cells and fluid obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and in lungs of rats exposed to crocidolite asbestos or titanium dioxide (TiO2), a nonfibrous particulate control. In comparison to sham and TiO2-exposed rats, the BAL fluid and cells of crocidolite-exposed animals contained significantly elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a breakdown product of lipid peroxidation detected using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). In contrast, no significant differences in MDA were detected in lavaged lung tissue from these animals. Inhalation of crocidolite caused an early inflammatory response characterized by elevated numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes, as well as enhanced total protein in BAL. Pulmonary fibrosis and increased lung hydroxyproline also were observed after 20 days of exposure. Exposure to TiO2 did not cause inflammation, pulmonary fibrosis, or elevated amounts of hydroxyproline in the lung. Our results show that exposure to the fibrogenic and inflammatory mineral, crocidolite, results in an enhanced lipid peroxidation in BAL cells and fluid not observed after inhalation of the particulate TiO2. These novel observations suggest that MDA in BAL may be useful as a biomarker of exposure to inhaled asbestos or other oxidants.
Pectus excavatum in children with laryngomalacia

Abstract Background Laryngomalacia is the most common congenital laryngeal anomaly and is associated with several disorders including gastric reflux, sleep apnea, hypotonia and failure to thrive. Pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common chest wall deformity affecting 1–300/1000 individuals. Though many authors presume a relationship between PE and laryngomalacia, there is no published data to establish this association. Goal To test the hypothesis that patients referred to our pediatric otolaryngology clinic for evaluation of laryngomalacia exhibit higher rates of PE than the general population. Methods Retrospective review of prospectively enrolled children who presented with laryngomalacia (January 2008–June 2012) to a tertiary care, hospital based, pediatric otolaryngology practice. Each chart was examined for a concurrent diagnosis of pectus deformity. Results Of the 137 laryngomalacia patients, 9 (6.6%) had documented PE. This represents a significantly increased rate of PE when compared to children without laryngomalacia ( p = 0.001). Four of the 9 children with PE underwent supraglottoplasty for laryngomalacia, a significantly greater proportion than the 9/128 of the children with isolated laryngomalacia who underwent supraglottoplasty ( p = 0.004). Conclusions This study suggests an association between laryngomalacia and PE. Pediatric otolaryngologists should be cognizant of this relationship, though further studies are needed to elucidate the nature of this association.
Ub in charge: Regulating E2 enzyme nuclear import

The activation and targeted localization of ubiquitin E2 conjugating enzymes could provide a point for regulating ubiquitin-dependent cell functions. Supporting this view, the ubiquitin charging and activation of a class of E2 enzymes has been directly linked to their nuclear import.
Fourier transform infrared studies of the reaction of Cl atoms with PAN, PPN, CH3OOH, HCOOH, CH3COCH3 and CH3COC2H5 at 295±2 K

The relative rate technique has been used to measure rate constants for the reaction of chlorine atoms with peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN), peroxypropionylnitrate (PPN), methylhydroperoxide, formic acid, acetone and butanone. Decay rates of these organic species were measured relative to one or more of the following reference compounds; ethene, ethane, chloroethane, chloromethane, and methane. Using rate constants of 9.29×10−11, 5.7×10−11, 8.04×10−12, 4.9×10−13, and 1.0×10−13 cm3 molecule−1 sec−1 for the reaction of Cl atoms with ethene, ethane, chloroethane, chloromethane, and methane respectively, the following rate constants were derived, in units of cm3 molecule−1 s−1: PAN, <7×10−15; PPN, (1.14±0.12)×10−12; HCOOH, (2.00±0.25)×10−13; CH3OOH, (5.70±0.23)×10−11; CH3COCH3, (2.37±0.12)×10−12; and CH3COC2H5, (4.13±0.57)×10−11. Quoted errors represent 2σ and do not include possible systematic errors due to errors in the reference rate constants. Experiments were performed at 295±2 K and 700 torr total pressure of nitrogen or synthetic air. The results are discussed with respect to the previous literature data and to the modelling of nonmethane hydrocarbon oxidation in the atmosphere.
A comparison of acute coronary syndrome care at academic and nonacademic hospitals.

Abstract Purpose Although adherence to guidelines recommendations is assumed to be more difficult for nonacademic community hospitals, patterns of adherence have not been evaluated by hospital type. We sought to identify hospital characteristics associated with high levels of adherence in order to gain insight into successful processes of care. Methods From January 2001 through March 2004, we analyzed data from 86,042 patients in the CRUSADE Initiative with high-risk non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE ACS) defined by positive cardiac markers or ischemic ST-segment changes. Academic sites were defined by Council of Teaching Hospital affiliation in the American Hospital Association database. Adherence was determined for each hospital based on guidelines recommendations for the use of 4 acute ( Results A total of 60,285 patients were admitted to nonacademic hospitals (n=355), and 25,757 were admitted to academic hospitals (n=125). Academic hospitals were larger (median 500 vs 268 beds, P P P Conclusion Adherence to American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for NSTE ACS care at academic hospitals is slightly higher than at nonacademic hospitals; however there is significant room for improvement within both systems. The larger performance variation in care among nonacademic hospitals highlights the need for continued emphasis on consistent care processes.
On the Mechanism for Nitrate Formation via the Peroxy Radical + NO Reaction

We present a master equation study of organic nitrate formation from the peroxy radical (RO2) + NO reaction. The mechanism is constrained by both quantum chemical calculations of the potential energy surface and existing yield data. This mechanism displays heretofore unrecognized features of the system, including distinct conformers of a critical peroxynitrite (ROONO) intermediate that do not interconvert and a dual falloff behavior driven by collisional stabilization in multiple wells. These features have significant implications for atmospheric chemistry; in particular, only a fraction of the ROONO intermediates may easily isomerize to nitrates, resulting in a limit to total nitrate production. Existing mechanisms, extrapolated to low temperature and high pressure, produce nitrate almost exclusively. As a consequence, hydrocarbon oxidation sequences based on these mechanisms do not propagate radical chemistry, which is inconsistent with available experimental data. To reproduce observed nitrate yields, ...
The Land Question: Are There Answers?1

“The land question” as posed by Henry George a century ago was answered with a call for land reform, a change in the ownership and control of land. In present-day, market-oriented America the land question is answered with widely available land information for market and policy decisions. Information generated by the Agricultural Economics and Land Ownership Survey (AELOS) of the Census of Agriculture is a footing for analyzing land ownership, land transfers, property taxes, and other issues of land policy. In this paper the issues of ownership distribution and the distributive effects of taxation are defined with AELOS data. The AELOS shows that the distribution of land ownership is concentrated and shows that large landowners pay real property tax rates at less than half the rate of small landowners. Changes in land ownership, transfer, and taxation argue for repeating the AELOS in 1998. A case is presented for replacing the Census of Agriculture with a Census of Land in 2003.
Mutual exclusion on a hypercube

Abstract We present a decentralized, symmetric mutual exclusion algorithm that is tailored to the hypercube architecture. Our algorithm has better time complexity than a suitable hypercube adaptation of Maekawa′s O(√N) Mutual Exclusion algorithm. We show that, in the presence of contention, our algorithm has a shorter Blocking Delay than Maekawa′s algorithm. In the absence of contention, our algorithm achieves optimal Round-trip Delay under both the n-port and the one-port communication models.
A dynamically coupled allosteric network underlies binding cooperativity in Src kinase

Protein tyrosine kinases are attractive drug targets because many human diseases are associated with the deregulation of kinase activity. However, how the catalytic kinase domain integrates different signals and switches from an active to an inactive conformation remains incompletely understood. Here we identify an allosteric network of dynamically coupled amino acids in Src kinase that connects regulatory sites to the ATP- and substrate-binding sites. Surprisingly, reactants (ATP and peptide substrates) bind with negative cooperativity to Src kinase while products (ADP and phosphopeptide) bind with positive cooperativity. We confirm the molecular details of the signal relay through the allosteric network by biochemical studies. Experiments on two additional protein tyrosine kinases indicate that the allosteric network may be largely conserved among these enzymes. Our work provides new insights into the regulation of protein tyrosine kinases and establishes a potential conduit by which resistance mutations to ATP-competitive kinase inhibitors can affect their activity.
Risk factors for Parkinson's disease may differ in men and women: an exploratory study

Although several environmental and genetic risk or protective factors have been associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), their interactions overall and in men and women separately remain unknown. We used the medical records-linkage system of the Rochester Epidemiology Project to identify 196 subjects who developed PD in Olmsted County, MN, from 1976 through 1995. Each incident case was matched by age (±1 year) and sex to a general population control. We considered the following 12 risk or protective factors: personal history of head trauma, pesticide use, immunologic diseases, anemia, hysterectomy (in women only), cigarette smoking, coffee consumption, and education; and family history of parkinsonism, essential tremor, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. We used recursive partitioning analyses to explore interactions overall and in men and women separately and used logistic regression analyses to test for interactions. In the overall group, we observed the independent effects of anemia, lack of coffee consumption (never vs. ever), and head trauma; however, the findings were different in men and women. In men, we observed the independent effects of lack of coffee consumption (never vs. ever), head trauma, and pesticide use, and a suggestive synergistic interaction between immunologic diseases and family history of dementia. By contrast, in women, anemia was the most important factor and we observed a suggestive synergistic interaction between anemia and higher education. Risk factors for PD and their interactions may differ in men and women.
Novel joint deformation models and their application to delamination fracture analysis

Abstract Split beam type of fracture specimens is commonly used in the delamination evaluation of laminated composites. The compliance and energy release rate (ERR) of the specimens are examined in this study in the new light of the crack tip deformation. Three joint deformation models (i.e., the rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible joint models) describing the different degrees of crack tip deformation are obtained based on three corresponding bi-layer beam theories (i.e., the conventional composite beam, shear deformable bi-layer beam, and interface deformable bi-layer beam). Due to different considerations of the interface displacement compatibility in each bi-layer beam theory, these joint models, among which the semi-rigid and flexible joint ones are new, show three distinct levels of accuracy in predicting the crack tip deformation. By using these two novel joint models, the new terms, which are “missing” in the rigid joint model, are recovered for the compliances and ERRs of six common delamination specimens. As a validation, an asymmetric DCB specimen is examined by three joint models, as well as the numerical finite element analysis, and three distinct accuracy levels of the solutions are revealed again in comparison with finite element analysis. It is shown that the rigid joint model is the most approximate due to neglecting the crack tip deformation, the semi-rigid model provides better solutions due to partially inclusion of the joint deformation, and the flexible joint model is the most accurate because of the fully consideration of the crack tip deformation. The distinction on accuracy also indicates the significant effect of joint (crack tip) deformation on delamination specimen analysis. The novel semi-rigid and flexible joint deformation models presented in this study provide explicit closed-form solutions of fracture parameters which can be easily adopted in practice.
Effects of Perioperative Acetyl Salicylic Acid on Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Craniotomy for Brain Tumor.

Objective To evaluate the safety of continuing acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) in patients undergoing brain tumor resection. Many patients are on antiplatelet agents that are withheld before elective neurosurgical procedures to reduce bleeding risk. Cessation of ASA in patients with cardiovascular disease is associated with a known increased risk of thrombotic events, especially in patients with coronary stents. Methods The medical records of patients who underwent surgical resection of a brain tumor at the University of Florida from 2010 to 2014 were evaluated. The patients were separated into groups based on preoperative ASA use and whether or not it was stopped before surgery. Patients were evaluated for thrombotic complications, postoperative hemorrhage, estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay, and discharge disposition. Results Of the 452 patients analyzed, 368 patients were not on chronic ASA therapy, 55 patients had their ASA discontinued before surgery, and 28 patients were continued on ASA perioperatively. The patients on preoperative ASA were comparable on all collected demographic variables. There were no statistical differences detected between the groups for outcomes including bleeding complications, need for reoperation, or thrombotic complications. Conclusions In this analysis, perioperative low dose ASA use was not associated with increased risk of perioperative complications.
Interatomic Coulombic interactions as the driving force for oriented attachment

Growth of nano- and mesocrystals in both laboratory and natural environments can proceed via the oriented attachment (OA) pathway. However, the driving force for OA is controversial; surface energy reduction, van der Waals interaction, and/or dipole–dipole interactions have been proposed. Here, we analyzed the interaction energy of two approaching nanoparticles by comparing the magnitudes of Coulombic interactions from molecular energetic calculations, van der Waals interactions from the Hamaker formulation, and surface charge repulsion from the DLVO theory. The analyses were conducted for three materials: SiO2, ZnS and ZnO. Results show that in vacuum, or when two nanoparticles are in close proximity in an electrolyte solution, the strong intrinsic interatomic Coulombic interactions between two nanoparticles provide the primary physical driving force for OA. However, when two particles are far apart in a solution, the interatomic Coulombic interactions are screened and van der Waals interactions become the physical driving force (that superimposes onto the random force from the Brownian motion). In both vacuum and a solution, the energy change that occurs following an OA event (i.e., the thermodynamic driving force) comes largely from the interatomic Coulombic interactions arising from both the surface atoms (accounting for the surface energy reduction) and the atoms in interior of the nanoparticles. This energy change is crystallographic orientation-dependent. The findings of this study indicate the range of conditions under which interatomic Coulombic interactions provide the primary driving force for crystal growth by OA and highlight the effects of aqueous solution and ionic strength on the energetics of the process.
Myth maps and migration in Venezuela.

Interviews in five out-migration zones of Venezuela reveal that young potential migrants perceive economic opportunities and quality of life eater than they actually are in the Andes and east coast and less than they are in the Llanos. The myth maps constructed on the basis of such misperceptions may be attributed to images purveyed in major Venezuelan newspapers. It is shown statistically that relative to objective urban characteristics perceptions of those characteristics provide significant additional explanation of urban in-migration rates. (excerpt)
Stress-related behavior and central norepinephrine concentrations in the REM sleep-deprived rat.

Abstract Rapid eye movement sleep deprivation (REMd) is a potent stressor in the rat. Behavioral abnormalities are among the earliest overt symptoms of REMd, the mechanisms for which remain largely unknown. The phenomena of hyperphagia and weight loss that are associated with REMd may contribute to its later morbidity; however, little is known about the onset of these phenomena or the neurotransmitter mechanisms that are involved. The aim of this study was to determine whether the earliest effects of REMd on consumatory behavior in the rat and its performance in the swimming cylinder of Porsolt are related to changes in norepinephrine (NE) concentrations in the cerebral cortex and selected areas of the hypothalamus. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups ( n = 6): the REMd group resided in a water tank on 6.5-cm diameter pedestals for 96 h; the tank control (TC) group resided in the water tank on 15-cm pedestals for 96 h; the cage controls (CC) remained in their home cages for the duration of the study. In the first series of experiments, body weights and caloric intake were recorded daily, along with the performance of all animals in the swimming cylinder of Porsolt. In the second series of experiments, body weights and caloric intake were recorded, but the Porsolt test was not employed and the brains were dissected after 96 h for NE analysis by HPLC. It was observed that the REMd group had lower immobility times ( p
Comparison of Oral and Inhalation Exposures to Toluene

Male Fisher-344 rats were exposed to [14C]toluene by either liquid gavage or vapor inhalation and blood toluene levels were measured by radiospectroscopy. Oral doses of 110, 336, 741, and 911 mg toluene/kg body weight were administered to 82 rats by gavage and blood toluene levels were followed for 6 h. For the inhalation group (120 rats), 3-h exposures to 99, 549, and 1,145 ppm were given and blood toluene levels were measured during this 3-h uptake phase and during a 4-h elimination period. The data for these two exposure methods were fitted to parametric kinetic models, and the resulting curves were then integrated. The blood toluene versus time profiles for oral and inhalation exposures were then compared and the equation: In(oral dosage, mg/kg) = -1.44 + 0.95 In(3-h inhalation exposure concentration, ppm) was derived (where In represents the natural logarithm). This equation describes the relation between toluene inhalation and oral exposure methods used in this study. This investigation demonstrates...
Local potential and polarization screening on ferroelectric surfaces

Electrostatic force microscopy and scanning surface potential microscopy are applied to study force gradient and surface potential on ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}(100)$ surface. Surface potential evolution during a ferroelectric/paraelectric phase transition and the potential distribution near moving domain walls allow the relationship between potential polarity and polarization orientation. Results indicate that polarization bound charge is completely screened on this surface and domain potential is reverse to that expected from domain polarity. Surface potential is attributed to the formation of double layer due to the complete screening of polarization charge. The absolute value of the measured potential difference between domains of opposite polarity suggests that surface adsorbates play a governing role in potential formation mechanism, though intrinsic screening by free carriers is not completely excluded.
Family-Centered Pediatric Nursing Care: State of the Science

The purposes of this article were to summarize the development of family-centered pediatric care, review the current state of nursing research in this area, and recommend directions for future study. A literature review of 30 nursing research studies between 1995 and 2006 was conducted. Results revealed that evidence of consistent provision of family-centered pediatric care is lacking. Many areas of research remain undeveloped, but there is a solid foundation for moving forward in conducting research focused on assisting nurses in implementing this basic philosophy of practice in all settings and situations in which children receive health care.
The ventral striatopallidothalamic projection: II. The ventral pallidothalamic link.

The projection of ventral pallidal neurons to the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MD) was examined in rats by combined retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) after injections in the MD and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) immunocytochemistry at light and electron microscopic levels, with and without prior exposure of the brains to colchicine. HRP was transported Lo the soma of medium-sized and large ventral pallidum neurons, which along with their long, large dendrites were contacted by many glutamate decarboxylase immunoreactive synaptic boutons. The retrograde tracer positive neurons bore a remarkable resemblance to the projecting cells of the globus pallidus and entopeduncular nucleus. When colchine exposure was included in the tissue preparation, some but not all tracer positive cells also exhibited cytoplasmic GAD immunoreactivity.
Beta-amyloid auto-antibodies are reduced in Alzheimer's disease

Abstract Accumulation and cytotoxicity of amyloid beta (Aβ) are understood as the major cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is evidence that naturally occurring antibodies against amyloid beta (Aβ) protein play a role in Aβ-clearance, and such a mechanism appears to be impaired in AD. In the present study, the anti-Aβ antibodies in the serum from individuals with and without late onset AD were measured using ELISA and dot-blot methods. Aβ auto-antibodies in serum were mainly targeted to Aβ1–15 epitope and its titer was significantly lower in AD patients than elderly non-AD controls (NC). The dot-blot analysis further demonstrated that auto-antibodies against fibrillar Aβ42, Aβ1–15 and Aβ16–30 epitopes were all in a lower level in AD than in NC. The isotypes of the auto-antibodies were mainly non-inflammatory IgG2 type. We also analyzed the relationship of auto-Aβ antibody levels with the genotypes of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and ANKK1/DRD2 gene.
Histopathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy

The retinal changes in diabetes mellitus are described. The common denominator to most of the changes appears to be hypoxia. A theory of the histopathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy based on hypoxia is derived. Any present day theory necessarily is limited by the present state of the knowledge and must be subject to instant change as new information becomes available.
Synthesis of C-14 labelled methyl sterculate

Methyl sterculate, a cyclopropenoid fatty acid, has been synthesized with carbon-14 as the methylene carbon in the cyclopropene ring.
MOTHER NATURE AS TREATMENT FOR ADHD: OVERSTATING THE BENEFITS OF GREEN

In the September issue of the Journal, Kuo and Faber Taylor1 suggest that activities in green (i.e., natural) surroundings are “widely effective” in reducing symptoms associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, because this Internet-based study is rife with methodological limitations, it does not offer convincing scientific evidence of this treatment’s effectiveness. For example, participants were designated as having ADHD not on the basis of research criteria but on the basis of parental reports of a professional diagnosis. Given long-appreciated inconsistencies in how care-givers in the community evaluate children for ADHD,2,3 the sample must have been highly heterogeneous in symptom presentation and impairment level. Because the study did not include any healthy controls or controls with psychiatric illnesses, it is entirely unclear whether the “green effects” addressed ADHD-type impairments any more than they would have enhanced attention across other groups. It is also cause for concern that the survey asked parents to rate primarily inattentive behaviors associated with ADHD, neglecting equally prevalent (and generally more impairing) impulsive/hyperactive symptoms. Even if the treatment effects were legitimate, they would be narrow in scope. Furthermore, the authors’ claim that natural surroundings reduce ADHD symptoms is based solely on global, retrospective impressions, not on direct observations of how children behaved following activities held constant except for the setting. The article does not specify the exact nature of each activity, why parental recollections should be considered accurate, or whether any effects lasted longer than an hour after the green dose. Kuo and Faber Taylor draw their conclusions on the basis of statistical significance, not actual clinical impact. For instance, the largest mean “aftereffects” difference between green outdoor activities and indoor activities was 4.34 (apparently on a 40-point scale), suggesting a fairly modest effect for environmental setting. Finally, the authors frequently cite unpublished data as corroborating their conclusions. Such data hold little sway because they have not been peer reviewed. While the pursuit of effective nonmedical interventions for ADHD is certainly noble, we worry when unproven ideas are presented as if they were well-established treatments. That the authors imply that exposure to green surroundings may be the only alternative to medication for some children also bothers us. This conclusion ignores an extensive literature on psychosocial treatments that includes parent training programs and classroom management techniques.4 As it stands, these other programs currently enjoy far more scientific rigor than programs involving a walk in the park.
An Empirical Validation of Subjective Workload Ratings

A correlational design was used to regress NASA TLX subjective workload ratings onto several potential independent variables (i.e., the number of concurrent tasks, task combination, task resource demands, and flight experience) to determine task characteristics that influence pilot subjective workload ratings. A part task simulator was used to present up to six concurrent tasks, in different combinations, to 27 cadets at the USAF Academy. The results indicated the number of concurrent tasks had the largest impact on subjective workload ratings. In terms of multiple resource theory, spatial, verbal, and visual demands (in that order) contributed the most variance. The implication for theoreticians and designers is that the number of concurrent tasks, mental resource demands, and time constraints seem to be key contributors to subjective workload ratings.
Open vs. closed systems for accountability

The relationship between accountability and identity in online life presents many interesting questions. Here, we first systematically survey the various (directed) relationships among principals, system identities (nyms) used by principals, and actions carried out by principals using those nyms. We also map these relationships to corresponding accountability-related properties from the literature.Because punishment is fundamental to accountability, we then focus on the relationship between punishment and the strength of the connection between principals and nyms. To study this particular relationship, we formulate a utility-theoretic framework that distinguishes between principals and the identities they may use to commit violations. In doing so, we argue that the analogue applicable to our setting of the well known concept of quasilinear utility is insufficiently rich to capture important properties such as reputation. We propose more general utilities with linear transfer that do seem suitable for this model.In our use of this framework, we define notions of "open" and "closed" systems. This distinction captures the degree to which system participants are required to be bound to their system identities as a condition of participating in the system. This allows us to study the relationship between the strength of identity binding and the accountability properties of a system.
Bioinformatics Strategies for Identifying Regions of Epigenetic Deregulation Associated with Aberrant Transcript Splicing and RNA-editing

Epigenetic modifications are associated with the regulation of co/post-transcriptional processing and differential transcript isoforms are known to be important during cancer progression. It remains unclear how disruptions of chromatin-based modifications contribute to tumorigenesis and how this knowledge can be leveraged to develop more potent treatment strategies that target specific isoforms or other products of the co/post-transcriptional regulation pathway. Rapid developments in all areas of next-generation sequencing (DNA, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, Methyl-CpG, etc.) have provided new opportunities to develop novel integration and data-mining approaches, and also allows for exciting hypothesis driven bioinformatics and computational studies. Here, we present a program that we developed and summarize the results of applying our methods to analyze datasets from patient matched tumor or normal (T/N) paired samples, as well as cell lines that were either sensitive or resistant (S/R) to treatment with an anti-cancer drug, 5-Azacytidine (http://sourceforge.net/projects/chiprnaseqpro/). We discuss additional options for user-defined approaches and general guidelines for simultaneously analyzing and annotating epigenetic and RNA-seq datasets in order to identify and rank significant regions of epigenetic deregulation associated with aberrant splicing and RNA-editing.
Teaching Mass Casualty Triage Skills Using Iterative Multimanikin Simulations

Objective. Effective mass casualty triage requires rapid andaccurate decision making. First responders need to be trained, but opportunities to practice triage andreceive individualized feedback during traditional mass casualty (MC) exercises are uncommon. It was hypothesized that novice learners would improve in speed, accuracy, andself-efficacy after deliberate practice triaging multiple simulated casualties in a MC exercise using high-fidelity manikins. Methods. Learners initially developed baseline knowledge of MC triage by listening to four short podcasts andpassing a written examination. They then experienced three sequential MC scenarios (A, B, andC) consisting of five manikin simulations each, coupled with individual feedback after each scenario. Students served as their own controls. A triage score (TS) andintervention score (IS) were recorded. For the TS, one point was awarded for each correctly identified main problem, required intervention, andtriage category. For the IS, one point was awarded...
IMMUNOFLUORESCENT LOCALIZATION OF BASEMENT MEMBRANE IN LESIONS OF DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a blistering disease with a characteristic histology that includes papillary edema, neutrophilic papillary microabscesses, and development of subepidermal blisters. In spite of this pathologic sequence occurring entirely beneath the basement membrane zone, prior studies have indicated that the basement membrane, as defined by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) or silver stains, lies at the floor of fully formed blisters or is destroyed by the disease process. To more accurately assess its location in primary lesions of DH, the basement membrane was stained using immunofluorescent techniques. Lesional skin from 5 patients with DH was used as substrate for indirect immunofluorescence with sera from patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) and fluoresceinated antihuman IgG. The BP-stained basement membrane was attached to the roofs of early blisters, where it would be expected from the pathologic sequence of blister formation. PAS stains of the same or serial sections show the basement membrane to be in the roof or at the floor of the blisters. PAS stains of sections from formalin-fixed lesional skin, on the other hand, show the basement membrane to routinely lie at the blister floor, when not destroyed. The BP-stained epidermal basement membrane has greater anatomic and functional significance than either the PAS- or silver-stained basement membrane for two reasons: (1) it corresponds to a specific morphologic structure, the lamina lucida, a part of the epidermis, and remains attached to the rest of the epidermis unless destroyed; and (2) it is antigenic, capable of binding with BP antibodies.