cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization of Screening Laboratory Testing in Chronic Urticaria/Angioedema

S U N D A Y 426 The Urticaria Serial Assessment a Tool for Measuring Clinical Control of Urticaria Mark Stevens, MD, Jonathan A. Olsen, DO, Againdra K. Bewtra, MD, Russell Hopp, DO, FAAAAI, Jeffrey R. Stokes, MD, FAAAAI; Creighton University College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE. RATIONALE: Prior to a recent publication, no validated, English language tools existed for assessment of control of chronic urticaria in the clinical setting. We aimed to create one to assist in our management. METHODS: Our Urticaria Serial Assessment (USA) is an 8 item tool designed to measure control of Chronic Urticaria. Each item is scored 1-5 on a Likert type scalewith score ranges between 8 and 40. It was developed and tested as part of scheduled patient visits by study subjects in a single clinic at a tertiary care center training in the United States. Content validity was assessed by physician review of questions prior to use. Construct validity was assessed through correlation of USA results with averaged blinded physician assessment (r50.86, p<0.05). Criterion validity was assessed through correlation of USA results with Urticaria Activity Score (UAS) and Dermatology Quality of Life Instrument (DLQI) as well as tiered clinical intervention assessment based on clinical treatment decisions made at the time to the visit. RESULTS: Thus far 29 surveys have been collected from 17 subjects. There was significant correlation between blinded physician assessment and USA outcome spearman r 5 0.82 p50.00001. Additionally the USA was significantly correlated with 7 day UAS scores r50.85, p50.02, same day DQLI score r50.83, p50.0005, and clinical intervention r50.83, p<0.05 with a score of 24 or greater showing 100% sensitivity and specificity for stepping up medical therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Based upon these preliminary results the USA appears to be a valid tool for use in clinical care of Chronic Urticaria.
Isolation of the proviral coding strand of avian myeloblastosis virus from leukemic chicken myeloblast by affinity chromatography.

Abstract The coding strand of the integrated proviral DNA of avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) was isolated from the DNA of leukemic chicken myeloblast. The three-step isolation procedure employed a combination of affinity chromatography with Sepharose-linked RNA, nucleic acid hybridization, and hydroxypatite chromatography techniques. At each step of purification the product was analyzed for the enrichment of AMV coding strand by hybridization with AMV RNA. The final product was the coding strand of the AMV DNA (90% pure). These results show that such a procedure can be used for the isolation and analysis of a specific structural gens of eukaryotic cells.
Hobbes's Conception of Natural Law

Soulevant la question du lien entre legalite et moralite, et examinant la distinction entre droit naturel et droit positif etablie par les theoriciens du droit, l'A. rejette l'interpretation asbolutiste de Hobbes et montre que celui-ci adopte une theorie du droit naturel qui definit les contraintes morales, a la fois formelles et substantielles, de l'autorite legitime du souverain. Considere comme le pere du positivisme juridique, Hobbes opere un renversement du naturalisme juridique de Locke en developpant une conception contractualiste de l'absolutisme souverain, qui subordonne les pouvoirs executif et legislatif a un devoir de droit
Corelli: Efficient single crystal diffraction with elastic discrimination

Single crystal diffuse scattering provides one of the most powerful probes of short-range correlations on the 1–100 nm scale, which often are responsible for the extreme field response of many emerging phenomena of great interest. Accurate modeling of such complex disorder from diffuse scattering data however puts stringent experimental demands, requiring measurements over large volumes of reciprocal space with sufficient momentum and energy resolution. Here, we discuss the potential of the cross-correlation technique for efficient measurement of single crystal diffuse scattering with energy discrimination, as will be implemented in a novel instrument, Corelli. Utilizing full experiment simulations, we show that this technique readily leads up to a fifty-fold gain in efficiency, as compared to traditional methods, for measuring single crystal diffuse scattering over volumes of reciprocal space with elastic discrimination.
Plant and Soil Responses to Biosolids–Phosphorus in Two Florida Soils with High Phosphorus Content

Abstract Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of biosolids amendments on phosphorus (P) availability in two Florida pasture soils with medium to very high native P content. Three granular, anaerobically digested, heat-treated, exceptional quality biosolids (from Baltimore, MD, Tampa, FL, and Largo, FL), and a commercial fertilizer, concentrated super phosphate (CSP) were applied to A horizons of the two soils: the Millhopper sand [very high native P and oxalate extractable iron + aluminum (Fe + Al)] and the Candler sand (medium to high native P and oxalate extractable Fe + Al). After a four-month cropping season, bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) yields did not vary with P-sources and application rates primarily because of the natively high soil-P. The effect of added P on P uptake by bahiagrass was minimal in the Millhopper soil, but significant in the Candler soil. The excessive native P and high P retention capacity of Millhopper soil masked the effect of P addition by the amend...
Alternative processing technique for MDX4-4210.

4210 (Dow Corning Corp, Midland, Mich.) to create a smooth, nonporous tissue surface that can easily be kept clean by the patient. Udagama1 has recommended lining the prosthesis with a sheet of urethane. Although this technique is acceptable, it requires a considerable percentage of the final mixture to be Medical Adhesive Silicone Type A (Dow Corning Corp). The technique presented uses MDX4-4210 exclusively, providing a nonporous tissue surface without the polyurethane lining.
Mannitol and glucose: effects on gastric acid secretion and endogenous gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP).

Serum gastric inhibitory polypeptide was measured in dogs prepared with Heidenhain pouches and Mann-Bollman fistulae following the intraduodenal (ID) infusion of isotonic saline, 20% glucose, or 20% mannitol. Following ID 20% glucose, serum GIP concentrations rose significantly (P<0.05) between 30 and 120 min and there was a significant inhibition (P<0.05) of acid secretion in the Heidenhain pouches between 15 and 75 min. A good correlation (r=0.925) was found between the rise in serum GIP and the inhibition of acid secretion. Although neither ID isotonic saline nor 20% mannitol stimulated GIP release, the latter produced a significant (P<0.05) inhibition of acid secretion between 60 and 105 min. We conclude: (1) the inhibitory effect of acid secretion following ID glucose is mediated in part by the release of endogenous GIP; (2) glucose and mannitol probably inhibit gastric acid secretion by different mechanisms.
4-Methyleneglutamine synthetase: A new amide synthetase present in germinating peanuts

Abstract Enzymatic activity which catalyzes the synthesis of 4-methyleneglutamine from 4-methyleneglutamic acid + ammonia was detected in and partially purified from cotyledons of peanut seeds germinated 5 to 7 days. This activity was separated from glutamine and asparagine synthetases by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The enzyme is distinct from these other amide synthetases in its substrate specificity, lack of amide/hydroxylamine exchange, and use of ammonium ion as amide donor together with formation of AMP from ATP. The activity is quite labile in solution, but is retained as a precipitate in ammonium sulfate or when frozen in 12.5% glycerol at −77°C. This activity might be responsible for catalyzing the rapid synthesis of 4-methyleneglutamine which occurs in germinating peanuts.
Reply: Microcysts in the inner nuclear layer from optic atrophy are caused by retrograde trans-synaptic degeneration combined with vitreous traction on the retinal surface

ARTICLE Sir, We appreciate the thoughtful commentary from Drs Lujan and Horton (2013) based on their patient with Kjer’s dominant optic atrophy with retinal inner nuclear layer microcysts. Their case highlights an emerging understanding that inner nuclear microcysts are not specific to multiple sclerosis. We—and others—have now identified them in neuromyelitis optica (Gelfand et al. , 2013; Sotirchos et al. , 2013) and they have been reported to occur in neurofibromatosis 1-associated optic nerve glioma (Abegg et al. , 2012), dominant optic atrophy and Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (Barboni et al. , 2013). Anecdotally, we have also heard of individual cases in patients with nerve atrophy following papilledema and traumatic optic neuropathy. However—other than for neuromyelitis optica—the frequency with which the microcysts occur in non-multiple sclerosis optic neuropathy remains unclear, and we are not aware of any cases of retinal inner nuclear layer microcysts that have been described in the most common optic neuropathy, glaucoma. Lujan and Horton (2013) assert that these inner nuclear layer microcystic changes are related to trans-synaptic cell loss based on pathological reports that highlight inner nuclear layer cell loss in multiple sclerosis (Gills and Wadsworth, 1967; Green et al. , 2010) and after other forms of optic nerve injury (Van …
Cyclic Stress-Strain-Time Response of a 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb Pressure Vessel Steel at High Temperature

Data are presented that describe the behavior of a 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb steel under conditions of constant and cyclic loading at temperatures from 25 to 600°C. The general features of hardening under monotonic and cyclic strains are presented. Creep data for temperatures in the range 500 to 650°C and times to 10 000 h are correlated by a creep law that is used in conjunction with hardening data to construct isochronous stress versus strain curves applicable to monotonic and cyclic loading. Simple rules for hardening and recovery are postulated and used to estimate the time dependent behavior after mechanically and thermally induced reversal strains. Data from relaxation, partially restrained creep, and two-bar creep ratchetting experiments are presented, and the estimated response is compared with the test data. It is shown that simple concepts of strain hardening and reversed strain softening are adequate for estimating the material behavior under most of the loading conditions that were examined.
Non-estrogenic metabolites of diethylstilbestrol produced by prostaglandin synthase mediated metabolism

Abstract Incubation of trans -diethylstilbestrol (E-DES) with prostaglandin synthase (PGS) in vitro leads to the formation of the metabolites cis , cis -dienestrol (Z, Z-DIES) and cis -diethylstilbestrol (Z-DES) which have considerably decreased estrogenic activity compared to their parent compound. Incubations of (14C)-E-DES with PGS in the presence of arachidonic acid (AA) predominantly catalyze formation of the oxidative metabolite Z, Z-DIES, accompanied by the formation of protein bound radioactivity. Inhibition of peroxidative metabolism through addition of indomethacin or absence of AA favors isomerization of E-DES to Z-DES without concomitant formation of protein bound radioactivity. Isomerization is inhibited by phenidone (1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone). Since PGS activity is present in uterine tissue, these pathways may play a role in the metabolism of DES in its target tissue.
Construction and use of atomicL-S eigenfunctions

Explicit formulas are given for matrix elements of operators commuting with @?^2 and @?^2 using complete or partial sets of L-S eigenfunctions as a basis. A computer program is described for obtaining such eigenfunctions by direct diagonalization of @?^2 + (1/20)@?^2, and examples are given.
Effect of Bromocriptine Treatment on the Aldosterone Response to Angiotensin II and Adrenocorticotropin in Idiopathic Hyperaldosteronism

Bromocriptine can prevent an increase in plasma aldosterone during the infusion of angiotensin II in normal subjects and during upright posture in some patients with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism. To determine if bromocriptine prevents the increase in plasma aldosterone concentration during angiotensin II infusion in idiopathic hyperaldosteronism, we infused angiotensin II in five patients with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism, before and after treatment with bromocriptine (2.5 mg, three times daily for 5 days), and measured the resulting plasma aldosterone and angiotensin II concentrations. We also determined the adrenal response to ACTH infusion before and after bromocriptine treatment in four of these patients. Bromocriptine treatment did not significantly change the plasma concentrations of aldosterone before or during the infusions of angiotensin II and ACTH. It did significantly decrease mean blood pressure and increase the plasma corticosteroid concentrations in the preinfusion periods, but it did not...
Cysticerci of Taenia mustelae in the Fox Squirrel

The liver of a fox squirrel (Sciurus niger rufiventer) contained many clear, spherical cysts approximately 1 mm in diameter throughout the parenchyma. On dissection, most of these exhibited a dense, white area with four muscular suckers at a single point on the bladder. Based on the size of the organisms, the characteristically tiny hooks on the scolex and the location of the cysts in this host, the parasites were identified as cysticerci of Taenia mustelae. This is the first report in this host. The parasites were surrounded by an intense inflammatory response consisting primarily of lymphocytes mixed with some eosinophils, and early deposition of fibrous connective tissue.
HIGHER EDUCATION AND OLDER PEOPLE: SOME THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS, PART I

Abstract In recent years higher education has been facing a severe crisis as a result of declining enrollment. More attention is being paid to older people, who constitute a major untapped source of potential students. The transition, however, of older people into the role of students of higher education will not be easy. Traditional characteristics of higher education are not conducive to participation by older people and society has fixed conceptualizations of older people as learners. An argument is made that institutions of higher education are beginning to be more responsive to older people, and gerontological theory might prove useful in guiding action.
Internal 6-methyladenine residues increase the in vitro translation efficiency of dihydrofolate reductase messenger RNA

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is found internally in a number of mRNA molecules from higher eucaryotic cells. In these investigations, it was found that the presence of m6A residues increase the in vitro translation efficiency of capped T7 transcripts of mouse dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) mRNA. Using an in vitro rabbit reticulocyte translation system, the formation of internal m6A residues in the DHFR transcripts resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in translated DHFR compared to transcripts void of internal m6A residues. Translation in a wheat germ system, however, resulted in no increase in translation efficiency upon m6A formation, suggesting that the mechanism may be species-specific.
Role of chilling in the acquisition of cold tolerance and the capacitation to express stress proteins in diapausing pharate larvae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar

Cold hardiness in eggs (pharate first instar larvae) of the gypsy moth is not a component of the diapause program, but is acquired only after the pharate larvae have been chilled. The supercooling points of unchilled (25°C) and chilled (5°C) eggs are nearly the same (ca. −27°C), and chilling does not further elevate concentrations of glycerol, the major cryoprotectant, yet chilling at 5°C greatly increases the pharate larva's tolerance of −20°C. One conspicuous difference between the chilled and unchilled pharate larvae is their ability to express stress proteins. The most abundantly expressed stress protein, 75,000 Mr, was expressed more highly in chilled pharate larvae than in unchilled pharate larvae, both at high temperatures (> 40°C) and in response to low temperature (−15°C). This correlation suggests a link between stress protein synthesis and the acquisition of cold tolerance. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Corporations as persons: Objections to goodpaster's ‘principle of moral projection’

Goodpaster's ‘principle of moral projection’ is intended to support a program of corporate moral improvement based on an analogy between persons and corporations. In this paper I try to show that the analogy breaks down at a crucial point — namely at the search for amotive for moral improvement. Further, the analogy may foster a tendency to suppose that corporations, like persons, have intrinsic value. I conclude that the analogy does more harm than good for the following reasons: (a) it distracts from the crucial question, which is, how can we motivate people to shape the institutions in which they work into morally better ones? and (b) it may reinforce a morally dangerous tendency to serve corporations for their own sakes.
Diastolic ventricular septal motion in atrial septal defect: analysis of M-mode echocardiograms in 31 patients.

Abstract Previous echocardiographic studies suggest that diastolic motion of the ventricular septum reflects relative filling of the right and left ventricles. We studied 31 patients with atrial septal defect by M-mode echocardiography. Early diastolic posterior ventricular septal motion (DPSM) occurred in all patients. Measurement of DPSM correlated with pulmonary to systemic flow ratios (Qp:Qs) (r = 0.64, p 5 mm had a Qp:Qs > 2.5:1, whereas only 8 of 16 patients with DPSM 5 mm in patients with atrial septal defect is a specific but not sensitive echocardiographic sign of a large left-to-right shunt. Our findings substantiate the hypothesis that diastolic motion of the ventricular septum reflects relative filling of the ventricles.
Arridence and novility: Explicitness as a function of social inequality

Abstract Explicitness, or the degree to which a text or utterance retains its original meaning across space and time, differs by the amount of capital possessed by the speaker/writer (Bernstein, 1962, 1971; Hawkins, 1969; Hemphill, 1989; Lawton, 1963). Differences in explicitness are hypothesized to be a factor that contributes to academic achievement gaps between higher and lower income students, and thus demand investigation (Bernstein, 1971; Scarcella, 2003; Schleppegrell, 2004; Snow & Uccelli, 2009). Code theory, created by Basil Bernstein, posits that differences in explicitness are caused by different ‘codes’ that arise from different relationships to our material base. Code theory has been criticized for its lack of attention to agency (Harker & May, 1993), its middle class bias (Jones, 2013), and the paucity of empirical evidence for the social factors hypothesized to create the contrasting codes (Hemphill, 1989). In this article, I present an alternative explanation for this phenomenon that addresses each of these concerns. I argue that under Grice's (1989) maxim of quantity, the linguistic choices associated with explicitness depend on assumptions about the knowledge of one's interlocutor: assuming more knowledge on the part of one's interlocutor (what I call an ‘novle’ habitus) reduces the need for explicitness, while assuming less knowledge on the part of one's interlocutor (what I call an ‘arrident’ habitus) creates a greater need for explicitness. I further argue that habituation to different patterns of assumption about interlocutor knowledge is a function of the degree to which an individual has been socialized to enact obedience. In connection with previous sociological research that links positioning within a stratified social system to differences in attitudes toward obedience, this argument suggests that differences in explicitness are a symptom and component of unequal distribution of capital. This explanation has implications for both closing capital-related achievement gaps and illuminating potentially negative, yet rarely discussed, effects of bias toward practices of dominance in our educational system.
Interaction of energetic alpha particles with intense lower hybrid waves.

Lower hybrid waves are a demonstrated, continuous means of driving toroidal current in a tokamak. When these waves propagate in a tokamak fusion reactor, in which there are energetic {alpha}- particles, there are conditions under which the {alpha}-particles do not appreciably damp, and may even amplify, the wave, thereby enhancing the current-drive effect. Waves traveling in one poloidal direction, in addition to being directed in one toroidal direction, are shown to be the most efficient drivers of current in the presence of the energetic {alpha}-particles.
Assessment of 3-D joint contact load predictions during postural/stretching exercises in aged females.

Our goal was to estimate knee and hip joint contact forces during a variety of unconstrained “stretching” exercises that are often recommended for people with arthritis. The population of interest was aged females with and without significant osteoarthritis (OA). Three-dimensional (3-D) kinematic, force platform, and selected electromyographic (EMG) data were measured. A relatively standard and reasonably efficient technique was used for all subjects and tasks: inverse dynamics to estimate joint reaction forces and net moments, followed by heuristic reductionist techniques for predicting muscle load-sharing. Muscle force predictions were compatible with measured EMG activity for some tasks but less so for others, especially those with significant axial and medio-lateral movement components or high co-contraction. Such results suggest several improvements, which come at computational cost: 3-D joint models which better document muscle and passive tissue loading-sharing in abduction and axial torsion, and dynamic or novel static optimization approaches that can inherently predict muscle co-contraction. Nonetheless, the predicted joint contact loadings provide estimates that are essentially lower bounds on the likely joint contact loads. Based on our results we suggest that the side-kick and back-kick tasks be modified because the loading levels on the support leg are potentially excessive for the aged arthritic population.
Lipid composition of aortic intima plus inner media and other tissue fractions from fetal and adult rhesus monkeys

Abstract Lipids of the intima and inner media of aortas from adult rhesus monkeys and from a series of fetuses of about 75, 125, or 150 days of gestational age were characterized as to major lipid classes, types of phospholipids, and fatty acid spectra of the lipid classes and subclasses. Plasma lipids and the types of phospholipids of erythrocytes, total liver, and of hepatocytic organelles were also studied. The free and ester cholesterol concentrations of adult aorta were higher than comparable fractions in the fetuses. Triglyceride and total phospholipid concentrations of fetal and adult aorta were not different. The sphingomyelin concentration of adult aorta was three times that of the fetal aorta. The phosphatidyl serine was also higher and phosphatidyl choline lower in the adult aortas. The distributions of different phospholipids were highly specific to the other tissues or subcellular organelles in question, but these patterns were much less affected by age of the donor animal than were the phospholipids of aorta. The hepatocytic organelles had low concentrations of sphingomyelin and phosphatidyl serine while these phospholipids were prominent in the erythrocytes. Fatty acid distributions were specific as to lipid classes and subclasses of aorta, although there were also differences between comparable fractions from the fetal and adult series.
Exclusion principle and the Landauer-Büttiker formalism

The Landauer-B\"uttiker formalism has been very successful in describing electronic transport in mesoscopic systems. However, unanswered questions remain regarding the role of the exclusion principle, especially if we allow inelastic processes to occur within the device. In this paper we try to answer these questions by starting from the Keldysh formalism and obtaining explicit expressions for the transmission, in terms of microscopic parameters, in the linear-response regime. The transmission is shown to obey reciprocity. The only assumption in this derivation is that the phase-breaking scatterers are assumed to remain in equilibrium and are treated within the self-consistent Born approximation.
Buffet test in the National Transonic Facility

A buffet test of a commercial transport model was accomplished in the National Transonic Facility at the NASA Langley Research Center. This aeroelastic test was unprecedented for this wind tunnel and posed a high risk to the facility. This paper presents the test results from a structural dynamics and aeroelastic response point of view and describes the activities required for the safety analysis and risk assessment. The test was conducted in the same manner as a flutter test and employed onboard dynamic instrumentation, real time dynamic data monitoring, automatic, and manual tunnel interlock systems for protecting the model. The procedures and test techniques employed for this test are expected to serve as the basis for future aeroelastic testing in the National Transonic Facility. This test program was a cooperative effort between the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company and the NASA Langley Research Center.
Evaluating Self-Perceived Benefits of Credentials in the Building Design and Construction Community: CPC, LEED-AP, and DBIA

Previous research in the building design and construction community has examined the benefits of gaining individual certifications but no research has been found that evaluates multiple certifications in the same industry. The purpose of this research was to determine if statistically significant differences existed between the self-perceived value of the Certified Professional Constructor (CPC) certification, the Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design Accredited Professional (LEED-AP) accreditation, and the Design Build Institute of America's Design-Builder designation (DBIA). Researchers evaluated the results of three previously completed surveys. The researchers were able to analyze 203 out of 527 (39%) responses from CPCs, 9,060 out of 46,332 (22%) responses from LEED-APs, and 155 of 631 (24.5%) responses from DBIAs. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to determine whether statistically significant differences existed between the three groups mean scores on eight impact questions. R...
Analysis of Transient Energy Impaction under Reactive Power Switching

In this paper, the energy transient response during circuit breaker operation for shunt reactor is simulated. To recreate the energy transient phenomenon which occurs during reactive power switching, modeling for Electro Magnetic Transients Program (EMTP) are well established and analyzed. Following this, methods for improving transient recovery voltage (TRV) during switching of reactive power supply including using an opening resistor and Mental Oxide Varistor(MOV) are simulated to verify their effectiveness and providing useable suggestion.
Cinnamate hydroxylation and the enzymes leading from phenylpyruvate to p-coumarate synthesis in grapefruit tissues

Abstract Cinnamic acid was converted to p -coumaric acid in grapefruit tissue slices. The rate of the conversion appeared to be much faster in young fruit than in mature fruit. It was shown also that tyrosine is synthesized mainly from p -hydroxyphenylpyruvate by tyrosine : 2 ketoglutarate aminotransferase. The absence of phenylalanine hydroxylase and tyrosine ammonia-lyase suggested strongly that tyrosine is not an effective precursor for the biosynthesis of flavonoids in grapefruit.
Viral Counts Count in HIV Infection

A single measurement of the amount of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a patient9s blood can predict the subsequent risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or death, even before the patient shows signs of the disease—so reports a paper (Mellors et al ., p.1167) in this issue. In his Perspective, Ho discusses why this is the case and why measurement of viral loads will become extremely useful clinically.
Application of a modified central composite design to optimize the capillary electrochromatographic separation of related S-oxidation compounds

Abstract Capillary electrochromatography was employed to separate the antibacterial 3-[4-(methylsulfinyl) phenyl]-5S-acetamidomethyl-2-oxazolidinone from its related S-oxidation products. The separation was optimized by a systematic search for the optimal separation conditions employing a modified central composite design. The variables examined in the optimization were in terms of applied potential, volume fraction of acetonitrile and buffer (Tris hydrochloride) concentration. A response surface mapping for selected variables at an applied potential of 25 kV was also performed.
Intention and Voting Turnout.

Past voting turnout studies almost always have been static analyses. Usually they have described the relationship between participation rates and the demographic attributes, attitudes, and social experiences of members of the electorate. Since each such study ordinarily is based on a single cross-sectional survey or on statistics referring to the Election Day period alone, both turnout and its determinants are derived at the same point of time, only simultaneous correlations are possible, and the analyst cannot show how turnout is affected by temporally prior conditions. The development of multi-wave panel interviews in modern social research permits the study of attitude change, decision-making, and action over time. By re-interviewing the same respondents at intervals, political sociologists already have discovered much about how voters decide their candidate choices during the course of an election campaign. A panel design permits such process analysis not only of candidate preference but also of turnout and non-voting. Elsewhere I have reported certain basic patterns by which voters' pre-election attitudes, social influences, and role prescriptions determine their turnout rates on Election Day.' In this paper I shall describe certain conditions under which pre-election intention to vote is subsequently executed at various turnout rates. This paper is one of the publications of the Regional Panels Project. The data were gathered in 1950 by cooperating regional survey organizations, under the sponsorship of the American Association of Public Opinion Research. Before the midterm election in that year, respondents were interviewed in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, and Washington. Most of them were reinterviewed after Election Day. The results subsequently were analyzed and now are being published by the Bureau of Applied Social Research, Columbia University.2 Since it is a two-wave panel study, this project can yield information on the dynamics of translating intention into turnout, which no single-wave survey can. The Regional Panels Project has additional advantages arising from the use of a common questionnaire with four independent samples. If we claim discovery of a
White matter degeneration in schizophrenia: a comparative diffusion tensor analysis

Schizophrenia is a serious and disabling mental disorder. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies performed on schizophrenia have demonstrated white matter degeneration either due to loss of myelination or deterioration of fiber tracts although the areas where the changes occur are variable across studies. Most of the population based studies analyze the changes in schizophrenia using scalar indices computed from the diffusion tensor such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and relative anisotropy (RA). The scalar measures may not capture the complete information from the diffusion tensor. In this paper we have applied the RADTI method on a group of 9 controls and 9 patients with schizophrenia. The RADTI method converts the tensors to log-Euclidean space where a linear regression model is applied and hypothesis testing is performed between the control and patient groups. Results show that there is a significant difference in the anisotropy between patients and controls especially in the parts of forceps minor, superior corona radiata, anterior limb of internal capsule and genu of corpus callosum. To check if the tensor analysis gives a better idea of the changes in anisotropy, we compared the results with voxelwise FA analysis as well as voxelwise geodesic anisotropy (GA) analysis.
Secretion of a hyperosmotic excreta by the blowfly larva, Sarcophaga bullata

Abstract 1. 1. Sarcophaga bullata larva is capable of forming an excreta hyperosmotic with respect to its haemolymph. 2. 2. In vitro measurements have shown that the volume of the isolated hindgut increases as a hyperosmotic fluid is formed. 3. 3. The relative water permeability of the hindgut is very low, particularly when compared with the midgut. 4. 4. Formation of a hyperosmotic excreta in the blowfly larva occurs by the secretion of solute into the hindgut lumen.
Intelligent behavior in machines emerging from a collection of interactive control structures

Control strategies that decompose the competence of an agent into independent, task-achieving control structures are emerging as viable alternatives to the notion that a robot is an explicit symbol processing device with input and output extensions in the form of sensors and actuators. This approach draws inspiration from ethology and the cognitive sciences, where the competence of biological creatures is seen to be a result of the successful combination of several distinct behavior patterns that enable them to interact effectively with their environments. The distinction between classical approaches that view intelligent behavior as the outcome of symbolic manipulations and an alternate approach that asserts that it is the careful integration of distributed, goal-competent control structures that lead to intelligent behavior is analyzed in detail. It is found that this dichotomy can be said to arise from the paradigm that is chosen to represent the knowledge at the disposal of the agent. Structurally encoded knowledge requiring an active interpreter for the knowledge to be exhibited in action leads to the symbol processing paradigm for intelligent behavior, whereas the interactive model for knowledge representation assumes that the knowledge at the disposal of an active agent resides within goal-competent, interactive control structures. A formalism is developed for representing the goal-directed nature of these interactive control structures with clear control-module boundaries. An implementation is then presented to demonstrate some of the basic features of this methodology.
Copper deficiency alters protein kinase C mediation of thrombin-induced dense granule secretion from rat platelets

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine if copper deficiency enhances the rate of thrombin-induced dense granule secretion by modifying the major signal transduction pathways of rat platelets. Platelets were obtained from male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats fed diets containing either deficient (
Large neutral amino acids: dietary effects on brain neurochemistry and function

The ingestion of large neutral amino acids (LNAA), notably tryptophan, tyrosine and the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), modifies tryptophan and tyrosine uptake into brain and their conversion to serotonin and catecholamines, respectively. The particular effect reflects the competitive nature of the transporter for LNAA at the blood-brain barrier. For example, raising blood tryptophan or tyrosine levels raises their uptake into brain, while raising blood BCAA levels lowers tryptophan and tyrosine uptake; serotonin and catecholamine synthesis in brain parallel the tryptophan and tyrosine changes. By changing blood LNAA levels, the ingestion of particular proteins causes surprisingly large variations in brain tryptophan uptake and serotonin synthesis, with minimal effects on tyrosine uptake and catecholamine synthesis. Such variations elicit predictable effects on mood, cognition and hormone secretion (prolactin, cortisol). The ingestion of mixtures of LNAA, particularly BCAA, lowers brain tryptophan uptake and serotonin synthesis. Though argued to improve physical performance by reducing serotonin function, such effects are generally considered modest at best. However, BCAA ingestion also lowers tyrosine uptake, and dopamine synthesis in brain. Increasing dopamine function in brain improves performance, suggesting that BCAA may fail to increase performance because dopamine is reduced. Conceivably, BCAA administered with tyrosine could prevent the decline in dopamine, while still eliciting a drop in serotonin. Such an LNAA mixture might thus prove an effective enhancer of physical performance. The thoughtful development and application of dietary proteins and LNAA mixtures may thus produce treatments with predictable and useful functional effects.
Selective inhibition of transformed cells in culture by anti-thymidine antibodies.

ANTIBODIES specific for each of the five common bases of DNA and RNA and various dinucleoside phosphates have been induced in rabbits following immunization with nucleoside-protein conjugates1–3. These antibodies react with denatured or single stranded DNA to fix complement, to precipitate the DNA and to inhibit its in vitro priming activity4, although they have no reaction with native DNA.
The involvement of Ca2+ and integrins in directional responses of zebrafish keratocytes to electric fields

Many cells respond directionally to small DC electrical fields (EFs) by an unknown mechanism, but changes in intracellular Ca2+ are widely assumed to be involved. We have used zebrafish (Danio rerio) keratocytes in an effort to understand the nature of the EF-cell interaction. We find that the adult zebrafish integument drives substantial currents outward through wounds produced by scale removal, establishing that keratocytes near the wound will experience endogenous EFs. Isolated keratocytes in culture turn toward the cathode in fields as small as 7 mV mm(-1), and the response is independent of cell size. Epidermal sheets are similarly sensitive. The frequency of intracellular Ca2+ spikes and basal Ca2+ levels were increased by EFs, but the spikes were not a necessary aspect of migration or EF response. Two-photon imaging failed to detect a pattern of gradients of Ca2+ across the lamellipodia during normal or EF-induced turning but did detect a sharp, stable Ca2+ gradient at the junction of the lamellipodium and the cell body. We conclude that gradients of Ca2+ within the lamellipodium are not required for the EF response. Immunostaining revealed an anode to cathode gradient of integrin P I during EF-induced turning, and interference with integrin function attenuated the EF response. Neither electrophoretic redistribution of membrane proteins nor asymmetric perturbations of the membrane potential appear to be involved in the EF response, and we propose a new model in which hydrodynamic forces generated by electro-osmotic water flow mediate EF-cell interactions via effects on focal adhesions.
Patterns of failure and overall survival in patients with completely resected T3 N0 M0 non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract Background: Previous studies of patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer and chest wall invasion have shown conflicting results with respect to prognosis. Whether high-risk subsets of the T3 N0 M0 population exist with respect to patterns of failure and overall survival has been difficult to ascertain, owing to small numbers of patients in most series. Methods and Materials: A retrospective review was performed to determine patterns of failure and overall survival for patients with completely resected T3 N0 M0 non-small cell lung cancer. From 1979 to 1993, 92 evaluable patients underwent complete resection for T3 N0 M0 non-small cell lung cancer. The following potential prognostic factors were recorded from the history: tumor size, location, grade, histology, patient age, use of adjuvant radiation therapy (18 of 92 patients), and type of surgical procedure (chest wall or extrapleural resection). Results: The actuarial 2- and 4-year overall survival rates for the entire cohort were 48% and 35%, respectively. The actuarial local control at 4 years was 94%. Neither the type of surgical procedure performed nor the addition of thoracic radiation therapy impacted local control or overall survival. Conclusion: Patients with completely resected T3 N0 M0 non-small cell lung cancer have similar local control and overall survival irrespective of primary location, type of surgery performed, or use of adjuvant radiation therapy. Additionally, the tumor recurrence rate and overall survival found in this study support the placement of this group of patients in Stage IIB of the 1997 AJCC lung staging classification.
Structural basis of membrane targeting by the Phox homology domain of cytokine-independent survival kinase (CISK-PX)

The cytokine-independent survival kinase (CISK) in the serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase family plays an important role in mediating cell growth and survival. N-terminal to its catalytic kinase domain, CISK contains a phox homology (PX) domain, a phosphoinositide-binding motif that directs the membrane localization of CISK and regulates CISK activity. We have determined the crystal structures of the mouse CISK-PX domain to unravel the structural basis of membrane targeting of CISK. In addition to the specific interactions conferred by the phosphoinositide-binding pocket, the structure suggests that a hydrophobic loop region and a hydrophilic β-turn contribute to the interactions with the membrane. Furthermore, biochemical studies reveal that CISK-PX dimerizes in the presence of the linker between the PX domain and kinase domain, suggesting a multivalent mechanism in membrane localization of CISK.
A general representation of electromagnetic fields radiated by circular patch antennas

Microstrip patch antennas have been widely used due to their many desirable features-low in profile, light in weight, conformable in structure, and easy to fabricate. In the analysis of microstrip patch antennas, a cavity model was advanced by Lo et al. [1]-[2]. Employing the equivalent magnetic current derived from the cavity model, the far-zone fields were found for circular patch antennas through a direct integration procedure [3]. However, this procedure encountered great difficulties in the near region due to the complex form of the vector potential.
Primer on Medical Genomics Part I: History of Genetics and Sequencing of the Human Genome

In comparison with most other disciplines of science, the field of genetics is still in its youth. The majority of scientific work in genetics has been done in the past 150 years. The successful preliminary sequencing of the human genome was announced in 2001. Nonetheless, interest in heredity and in other concepts within the field of genetics has existed since the beginning of humanity. This article provides an account of the history of genetics, spanning from humankind’s initial attempts to understand and influence heredity, to the early scientific work in the field of genetics,
Apolipoprotein B gene mutations affecting cholesterol levels

In the past 5 years, many different mutations in the apolipoprotein (apo) B gene have been described that affect plasma cholesterol levels. More than 20 different mutations in the apoB gene have been shown to cause familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia, a condition characterized by abnormally low plasma concentrations of apoB and LDL cholesterol. Almost all of the mutations are nonsense or frameshift mutations that interfere with the translation of a full-length apoB100 molecule. Many, but not all, of these apoB gene mutations result in the synthesis of a truncated species of apoB that can be detected within the plasma lipoproteins. Familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia heterozygotes are almost always asymptomatic and have LDL cholesterol levels about one-quarter to one-third of those of unaffected family members. Several homozygotes and compound heterozygotes for familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia have been described. In these individuals, the LDL cholesterol levels are extremely low, usually less than 5 or 10 mg dl-1, and the clinical phenotype is variable, ranging from completely asymptomatic to severe problems related to intestinal fat malabsorption. One missense mutation in the apoB gene (an Arg----Gln substitution at apoB amino acid 3500) is associated with very poor binding of apoB100 to the cellular LDL receptor. This syndrome has been designated familial defective apolipoprotein B (FDB). The amino-acid substitution at residue 3500 delays the clearance of LDL from the plasma and results in hypercholesterolaemia. In some Western populations, the frequency of FDB heterozygotes appears to be as high as 1 in 500 individuals.
Soil moisture depletion under simulated drought in the Amazon: impacts on deep root uptake.

Summary •Deep root water uptake in tropical Amazonian forests has been a major discovery during the last 15 yr. However, the effects of extended droughts, which may increase with climate change, on deep soil moisture utilization remain uncertain. •The current study utilized a 1999–2005 record of volumetric water content (VWC) under a throughfall exclusion experiment to calibrate a one-dimensional model of the hydrologic system to estimate VWC, and to quantify the rate of root uptake through 11.5 m of soil. •Simulations with root uptake compensation had a relative root mean square error (RRMSE) of 11% at 0–40 cm and < 5% at 350–1150 cm. The simulated contribution of deep root uptake under the control was c. 20% of water demand from 250 to 550 cm and c. 10% from 550 to 1150 cm. Furthermore, in years 2 (2001) and 3 (2002) of throughfall exclusion, deep root uptake increased as soil moisture was available but then declined to near zero in deep layers in 2003 and 2004. •Deep root uptake was limited despite high VWC (i.e. > 0.30 cm3 cm−3). This limitation may partly be attributable to high residual water contents (θr) in these high-clay (70–90%) soils or due to high soil-to-root resistance. The ability of deep roots and soils to contribute increasing amounts of water with extended drought will be limited.
Spatial and Temporal Variations in Nutrients and Water-Quality Parameters in the Mississippi River-Influenced Breton Sound Estuary

ABSTRACT Lundberg, C.J.; Lane, R.R., and Day, J.W., Jr., 2014. Spatial and temporal variations in nutrients and water-quality parameters in the Mississippi River-influenced Breton Sound estuary. The purpose of this study is to investigate the long-term temporal and spatial nutrient patterns in the Breton Sound estuary, an estuarine wetland complex in coastal Louisiana that is highly influenced by the Caernarvon river diversion. A water-quality data set spanning 8 years of monthly sampling was analyzed. Analysis of salinity mixing diagrams indicates the estuary to be a source of ammonium and chlorophyll a, and a sink for nitrate, total nitrogen, and total suspended sediments. The estuary served as either a source or sink for phosphate, total phosphorus, and silicate depending on season. The NOx loading rate ranged from 1.1 g N m−2 y−1 during fall to 4.9 g N m−2 y−1 during spring, with an overall mean of 3.5 g N m−2 y−1. Nitrate removal efficiency varied seasonally, with highest efficiency during the fall (...