cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ronsard's Guitar: A Sixteenth-Century Heir to the Horatian Lyre

The string instruments lauded in Pierre de Ronsard’s odes to the lyre, lute, and guitar serve to exemplify the range of his poetic powers and scope of his professional aspirations. In “A sa lire”, the subject poses as a restorer of ancient instruments, asserting his precedence as an inventor of French odes after classical models and revealing his ambition to conquer the court with a renovated national poetry. In “A son luc,” he invests the contemporary string with the epic-making potential of the Pindaric lyre, the rby announcing his intention to compose a French national epic. In “A sa guiterre”, he associates the instrument with the Horatian lyre. The guitar thus represents the amotory voice that surfaces occasionally in the odes collection, intruding on the nobler endeavors to which the young poet sought to draw attention. The ode to the guitar heralds the canzoniere that would be Ronsard’s next major project and anticipates that his love poetry, rather than the odes or the projected epic, would prove a source of lasting fame.
Asymmetric magnetic reconnection in the presence of a guide field

[1] The properties of asymmetric magnetic reconnection in the presence of a guide magnetic field are investigated using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The reconnection process is initiated by applying a spatially localized and temporally steady convection electric field at the high-density/low-magnetic-field (magnetosheath) side of the current layer. The in-plane Hall currents are dominated by the electron flows along the separatrices from the high-density to low-density side of the layer, and they strongly enhance the out-of-plane magnetic field in one hemisphere and decrease it in the other. On the enhanced magnetic field side are situated a bipolar pair of parallel electric fields and an electron velocity shear flow layer, both of which extend several ion inertia lengths (di) away from the X line. The shear flow layer is unstable to the generation of small-scale (≪di) electron vortices which propagate away from the X line and produce a reduction of the order of 30% in the magnitude of the By field. An example of such a large-amplitude, short-duration depression in By is identified in a magnetopause crossing by the THEMIS spacecraft. The Ohm's law (E + Ue × B/c)y = 0 is violated in this parallel field/velocity shear region, and the deviation arises predominantly from the divergence of the electron pressure tensor. Criteria based on the demagnetization of the electrons (large values of the electron agyrotropy and the Lorentz ratio) are found to characterize neither the immediate electron scale region around the X line nor the larger electron shear flow region.
On the deformation of aluminum lattice block structures: from struts to structures

Abstract This paper presents the results of combined experimental studies and computational analysis of deformation in a lattice block structure with a pyramidal core structure and triangulated planar truss faces. Following a brief characterization of the chemical composition and microstructure of individual struts, the deformation behavior of the individual struts is elucidated under tensile and compressive loading. The statistical distributions that characterize the variabilities in strut strength are also identified by the analyses of data from multiple tension tests. The compressive deformation behavior of the pyramidal lattice block structures is then studied via in situ observation with a digital camera. The observed deformation behavior and the measured stress–strain behavior in the lattice block structure are shown to be consistent with predictions from a finite element model.
Detection and quantification of the free-living stage of the parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium sp. in laboratory and environmental samples

Abstract Species of Hematodinium are highly pathogenic parasitic dinoflagellates and can cause substantial mortalities in many decapod crustaceans. Periodic outbreaks of Hematodinium disease have significantly impacted stocks of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. Using a primer set targeting the internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS1) of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene complex of Hematodinium , we confirmed the presence of the parasite's DNA in water and suspended sediment samples collected from Virginia estuaries of the Delmarva Peninsula by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on DNA extracted from these environmental samples. Amplicon sequences were highly conserved and 99–100% similar to the ITS1 sequence of the endemic Hematodinium sp. reported from blue crabs in the region. A sensitive real-time PCR assay was developed and validated for the detection and quantification of the parasite DNA. The assay has a limit of detection of less than one parasite cell in 100 ml of environmental water or one gram of sediment; it will provide a valuable tool for our ongoing studies on the transmission dynamics of this parasite. The real-time PCR assay was further tested on a free-living stage of Hematodinium . Sporulation resulting in the release of millions of Hematodinium dinospores from heavily diseased crabs was observed in the laboratory. Some dinospores survived up to 7 days in aquaria outside of the crab host. We speculate that the Hematodinium sp. dinospores have a short free-living stage in the water column and that transmission to new hosts must occur relatively quickly in estuarine habitats.
Functional Organization of Chlorophyll a and Carotenoids in the Alga, Nannochloropsis salina

Chlorophyll-protein complexes were isolated from a yellow-green alga, Nannochloropsis salina after mild detergent treatment and gel electrophoresis. Three different complexes were obtained which correspond to the three major kinds of chlorophyll-proteins isolated from spinach chloroplasts by the same procedure and previously identified as reaction center complexes for photosystems I and II and a light-harvesting complex. The analogy between the algal complexes and those from spinach was drawn from their absorption and fluorescence spectra and relative pigment content. The identities and amounts of the major carotenoids associated with each isolated complex were determined by HPLC. Although the reaction center complexes accounted for only 14% of the total chlorophyll, they were highly enriched in beta-carotene, whereas the light-harvesting complex contained a high proportion of xanthophylls (mainly violaxanthin and vaucheriaxanthin-ester). Fluorescence excitation spectra of the algal membranes showed that one or both of the major xanthophylls may act as antenna pigment for photosynthesis.
Skill-based versus effort-based task difficulty: A task-analysis approach to the role of specific emotions in motivating difficult actions

Abstract We make a distinction between primarily effort-based and skilled-based tasks and examine the correspondence between emotion and task. We reverse attribution theory results wherein failure to expend effort engenders regret and accomplishing tasks with skill engenders pride, and propose these emotions as antecedents to effort-based and skill-based behaviors. Specifically, pride (regret) produces higher self-efficacy, behavioral intentions and sign-ups when the task (CPR training) is portrayed as skill-intensive (effort-intensive) compared to effort-intensive (skill-intensive) or easy. Our research highlights the value of integrating an attributional analysis of tasks into an appraisal theory of emotions and suggests mechanisms that might underlie this relationship.
Implementation of a digital archive center for a radiology department

A distributed digital archive system configured with dual archive devices (two archive servers, two database servers and two 680-Gbyte optical libraries) that provides fault-tolerant image archival has been implemented for the Radiology Department at UCLA. Digital images from various radiologic imaging devices are transmitted via Ethernet and FDDI networks to archive servers, where images are archived to optical disks and distributed to remote display stations or the print station via 1-Gbit/sec high-speed UltraNet network. The dual configuration of the system provides non-interrupt archive operations in the event of failure of any of the archive components. Once a failed device is detected, the system automatically re-configures itself so that all images are routed to the second equivalent device and archived. The global Ethernet network serves as a backup for the FDDI and UltraNet networks. In the even of FDDI or UltraNet failure, all images can be transmitted across the Ethernet. The system archives 1.5 to 2.0 Gbytes of data per day and provides inter-sectional image referencing throughout the department.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Marek’s disease virus phosphorylated polypeptide pp38 alters transcription rates of mitochondrial electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation genes

Two splice variants of the Marek’s disease virus phosphorylated polypeptide (pp)38 were previously identified in the quail cell line QTP32 expressing pp38 under the control of an inducible promoter. We developed QT35-derived cell lines expressing these splice variants or full length pp38 with the splice acceptor sites mutated to further elucidate the role of pp38. Only induction of full length pp38 resulted in an increase in mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase activity compared to non-induced cells. Transcript copy numbers of cytochrome C oxidase subunit I and ATP synthase were reduced in induced cells. The ATP content of isolated mitochondria from induced cells was greatly reduced compared to those of non-induced cells. Mitochondrial and pp38 staining suggests that there is no direct interaction between pp38 and the mitochondria. Mitochondrial transcripts were also reduced in DF-1 cells expressing full length pp38 and in MDV-infected chick kidney cells indicating that this effect occurs independent of other viral genes and after in vitro infection with MDV.
Syntheses and characterizations of three vinyl copolymers containing pendant calix[4]arenes

Three new copolymers containing pendant calix[4]arene units have been synthesized via radical initiated reactions involving a vinylic calix[4]arene monomer with methylacrylate, acrylonitrile, and styrene. The calix[4]arene monomer was locked into tie cone conformation by appending four ethoxyethyl groups to its lower rim. The upper rim of the calix[4]arene monomer, which was the site of polymerization, was monofunctionalized with a modified acrylate ester moiety. A seven atom spacer group was incorporated between the bulky calixarene core and the acrylate moiety in order to minimize steric interactions which proved to impede the polymerization. The copolymers were designed to take advantage of the well-established binding interactions of calixarenes with neutral molecules and ions. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop materials that are suitable for incorporation into chemical sensor devices such as ion-specific electrodes, semipermeable membranes and quartz microbalances.
Teachers Focus on Motivation for Reading: "It's All about Knowing the Relationship".

This qualitative study focused on teacher's beliefs about students' motivation for reading and how teachers act on those beliefs in classrooms. After conducting five focus groups of teachers, researchers analyzed and interpreted transcripts to identify major themes. While instructional processes mediated the building of relationships between teacher and student, relationship building emerged as a major motivational theme. A model of teacher-student interpersonal relationships reflecting the role of bonding between teacher and students is presented. Work on student identity emerged as an important outcome for teachers. Researchers recommend revision of a widely utilized engagement model of reading development and explore the implications of teacher-student bonds for future research.
Polymer micelles from tadpole-shaped amphiphilic block-graft copolymers prepared by “Grafting-through” ATRP

A series of tadpole-shaped block-graft amphiphilic copolymers, i.e., block copolymers consisting of a cylindrical hydrophilic brush block and a coiled hydrophobic block were synthesized using “grafting-through” atom transfer radical polymerization. A tadpole-shaped block-graft copolymer from polystyrene bromide and a methacryloyl-terminated poly(tert-butyl acrylate) was prepared first. Then, hydrolysis of the poly(tert-butyl acrylate) side chains to polyacrylic acid side chains provided tadpole-shaped block-graft amphiphilic copolymers, which formed pH responsive micelles in water, the latter being confirmed by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy.
Impaired delay and trace eyeblink conditioning performance in major depressive disorder

Abstract Background Preliminary evidence obtained in our lab has revealed that depressive symptoms impair associative learning, as measured by acquisition of eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC) tasks. The current study assesses EBCC acquisition in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods The 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D 17 ) and the 30-item Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology, Self-Report (IDS-SR 30 ) were used to quantify severity of depressive symptoms. Participants received 60 trials each in delay 500, trace 500, and trace 1000 conditioning paradigms. A 150-ms, 5–7 psi air puff served as the unconditioned stimulus (US), and an 80-dB, 1-kHz tone as the conditioned stimulus (CS). Mean percent conditioned responses (CRs) served as the primary measure of task acquisition. Results The MDD group generated significantly fewer CRs on delay 500 and trace 500 tasks, and approached significance on the trace 1000 task compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, presentation of successive trials did not increase CR production in the depressed group, in contrast to progressive increases observed in the control group. Limitations The presentation of multiple EBCC tasks precludes some detailed analyses of task-specific performance. Future studies may also benefit from including sufficient numbers of subjects to assess differential characteristics of depression (e.g., length of episode, depressive subtype) and treatment effects. Conclusions These data suggest that MDD impairs acquisition of EBCC, providing behavioral support for cerebellar and hippocampal dysfunction in depression. Delineating the neural substrates involved in MDD may aid in future treatment approaches for this pervasive disorder.
Hormone Secretion by Euthyroid and Hypothyroid Rat Ovaries during the Early Stages of hCG-Induced Ovarian Cyst Development

This study was undertaken to examine ovarian steroid production during the early stages of hCG-induced ovarian cyst formation in the hypothyroid rat. Rats were placed into two groups with one group made hypothyroid by adding thiouracil to their diet. After 10 days, each group was divided into two subgroups with one subgroup receiving daily injections of hCG for 2 days and the other subgroup receiving saline. On the morning of Day 13, ovaries were removed and incubated for 2 hr. No significant difference in progesterone secretion was observed. However, ovaries from hypothyroid, hCG-treated rats secreted significantly more testosterone and estradiol than ovaries from vehicle-treated, hypothyroid rats and euthyroid, hCG-treated rats. In a second experiment, ovaries from euthyroid and hypothyroid rats treated with hCG were incubated in medium supplemented with 100 nM androstenedione and 0 or 100 ng FSH/ml. FSH failed to affect progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol secretions by ovaries from euthyroid, hCG-treated rats. In contrast, FSH significantly enhanced testosterone and estradiol secretion by ovaries from hypothyroid, hCG-treated rats. These results support the hypothesis that increased levels of testosterone and estradiol secretion have a central role in the induction of polycystic ovaries by hCG in the hypothyroid rat.
Isolation of a nuclear fraction from guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes after controlled hypotonic homogenization.

Abstract Polymorphonuclear leukocytes were disrupted by a combined osmotic-mechanical technique. Analysis of the whole homogenate for various markers for organelles and their sedimentability or latency, indicated preservation of structure of intracellular organelles. Low speed centrifugation of the homogenate yielded a nuclear fraction that was of a rather high degree of purity.
Effects of Measured versus Proposed Horizontal Distance on the NIOSH Action Limit and Maximum Permissible Limit for Manual Materials Handling

The objective of this research was to compare action limits and maximum permissible limits based on measured horizontal distances with those based on the rule of thumb proposed in the NIOSH Guide. Thirteen male subjects were required to lift three different boxes (25, 38 and 51 cm wide), at four different frequencies (0.2, 3, 6 and 9 lifts min−1), and at two heights (floor level to bench height (0.8 m) and bench height to 1.5 m). Each lift was performed for one hour and horizontal distances for all thirteen subjects were measured at the origin of lift. Action limits and maximum permissible limits were computed for all lifting tasks using the measured and the proposed horizontal distances. The actual measured horizontal distances were much greater than those based on half the box width plus 15 cm. The action and the maximum permissible limits based on measured horizontal distances were significantly lower than those based on H = W/2 + 15 cm. For the floor to 0.8 m lifts, the AL and MPL based on measured ho...
Sodium arsenite downregulates transcriptional activity of AP-1 and CRE binding proteins in IL-1β-treated Caco-2 cells by increasing the expression of the transcriptional repressor CREMα

In recent studies, sodium arsenite (SA) inhibited IL-6 production in cultured intestinal epithelial cells, at least in part by downregulating the activity of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). The influence of SA on the activity of other transcription factors regulating the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene in enterocytes is not known. We tested the effect of SA on the activity of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), activating protein-1 (AP-1), and CRE binding proteins in IL-1beta-treated Caco-2 cells. DNA binding activity was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and transcriptional activity by transfecting cells with luciferase reporter plasmids containing promoter constructs with binding sites for the individual transcription factors. DNA binding activity for all three transcription factors was increased after treatment with SA or IL-1beta. In contrast, SA inhibited transcriptional activity of AP-1 and CRE binding proteins but not C/EBP. Additional experiments provided evidence that the inhibition of AP-1 and CRE mediated transcriptional activity was associated with, and probably caused by, increased expression of the transcriptional repressor cyclic AMP response element modulator (CREM)alpha. The present results are consistent with the concept that SA inhibits IL-6 production in stimulated enterocytes by downregulating the transcriptional activity of several, but not all, IL-6-related transcription factors. Because of the multiple important biological functions of IL-6 in the enterocyte and gut mucosa, methods to regulate enterocyte IL-6 production have significant clinical implications.
Volume-Based Rock Property Predictions And Quantifying Uncertainty

Seismic estimates of rock properties are often used to provide subsurface information between well control, but how reliable are these estimates? Many factors can cast suspicion on the accuracy of our seismic estimates. Acquisition and geologic artifacts, phase and amplitude distortions, non-uniqueness of the seismic response, noise, and poor calibration are just a few of the problems that can effect the quality of the rock property prediction. In this study we investigate and try to quantify two aspects of seismic rock property prediction uncertainty: seismic data quality and prediction confidence.
High-frequency first-sound measurements near T λ in pressurized liquid helium

We present Brillouin scattering measurements of the attenuation and the velocity dispersion for high-frequency first sound ($\ensuremath{\sim}1$ GHz) near ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ in liquid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ at three pressures. These results allow us to make a detailed test of the theory of Ferrell and Bhattacharjee. We find very good agreement with the predictions of this new theoretical approach, although some discrepancy is observed for the high-pressure attenuation above ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$.
Cryopreservation: freezing and vitrification.

Recent developments in cryopreservation of organs and tissues are reported by Jocelyn Kaiser in “New prospects for putting organs on ice” (Bodybuilding: The Bionic Human, 8 Feb., p. [1015][1]). The article focuses almost entirely on vitrification (ice-free cryopreservation) and contends that
The 24-hour-ganglionectomy effect in rabbits. The influence of partial iridectomy and of acetazolamide.

The influence of chronic or acute lowering of intraocular pressure on the 24-hr-ganglionectomy effect in rabbits was studied, using the manometric pressure-decay curve technique. The experiments were designed to test whether the 24-hr-ganglionectomy effect (lowering of intraocular pressure and increase in outflow facility 24 hr after superior cervical ganglionectomy) could be abolished or diminished by the use of partial iridectomy and cyclectomy to produce a chronic lowering of intraocular pressure and, by implication, aqueous humour formation rate; and intravenous acetazolamide to produce an acute lowering of intraocular pressure and aqueous humour formation rate. Both these procedures diminished the 24-hr-ganglionectomy effect on outflow facility.
Applied physics: Nanowire electronics comes of age

Three-dimensional nanowire-like electronic devices are gaining ground over conventional planar technology. They may be the means to improve the performance of the electronic circuitry of the future.
The trapped temporal horn: A trap in neuroradiological diagnosis

Although the advent of computerized cranial tomography (CT) has decreased the number of pneumoencephalograms performed for the diagnosis of hydrocephalus and lesions of the posterior fossa, brain stem, and ventricles, there are some patients in whom pneumoencephalography should still be done because it adds valuable information to that obtained with CT. When the temporal horn becomes obstructed, the choroid plexus and ependymal surface "upstream" from the obstructing mass continue to produce cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The temporal horn can thus enlarge enough to appear as a mass on CT because of its reduced x-ray attenuation coefficient. Pneumoencephalography is effective in this situation because air will flow past a mass that obstructs CSF and because the ventricular system dilates during pneumoencephalography. When pneumoencephalography is used in a patient with a trapped temporal horn, the partially trapped horn may enlarge approximately 24 hours later. With that precaution in mind, the neurosurgeon should find pneumoencephalography to be a useful adjunct to CT in delineating the cause of a trapped temporal horn. In the three patients reported here CT had indicated a unilateral trapped temporal horn; pneumoencephalography confirmed that finding and demonstrated both the location and the nature of the lesion. One patient had a Grade II astrocytoma fungating into the atrium of the right lateral ventricle, one had a mass extending into the right ventricle from the medial and superior ventricular wall with nodular encroachment on the ventricle, and one had a meningioma in the atrium of the right lateral ventricle.
Fate and toxicity of orally administered polyethylene polyphosphonates.

Abstract The possible toxic effects of organic polymeric polyphosphonates, which are of potential use in the prophylaxis of dental caries and calculus, have been investigated. Uptake of these polymers from the gut, studied with the use of 32 P-labelled materials, is extremely low-less than 2·5 × 10 −5 % of the ingested dose. Subacute toxicity tests on rats fed a level of polyethylene polyphosphonate in the diet providing an intake of about 50 mg/kg/day, and acute toxicity tests in mice and rats given a single oral dose of up to 10 g/kg did not provide evidence of any significant detrimental effects. The low toxicity observed is explained by the extremely low absorption of these compounds into the body.
Generation of continuous-wave 243-nm radiation by sum-frequency mixing

Abstract We have generated tunable cw radiation near 243 nm with a linewidth of less than 4 MHz by sum-frequency mixing the 351 nm radiation from an argon-ion laser with the 789 nm radiation from a ring dye laser in a crystal of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate held at moderate temperature. An external ring cavity, resonant with the dye laser, gives a power enhancement of about 12 in the sum-frequency generated radiation. Thermal lensing due to laser heating of the nonlinear crystal, distorded the 351 nm mode structure. This effect could limit the efficiency of the sum frequency mixing process.
Satellite cells and muscle regeneration in diseased human skeletal muscles

Abstract By virtue of the lanthanum nitrate staining technique applied to biopsied muscle we are able to demonstrate interaction between satellite cells and parent myofibers, as well as development of premyocytes from activated satellite cells. The process of regeneration in diseased muscle appears to differ from that described in experimental myogenesis. Transformation of activated satellite cells to two types of premyocytes in the process of muscle regeneration seems to rely primarily on the state of innervation and recovery rate of the parent cell after injury. Activated satellite cells are characterized morphologically by proliferation of caveolae, first on the parent fiber side, and early T-tubule and myofilament formation and central displacement. In diseased human muscle the satellite cells appear to play significant roles in muscle regeneration both as a source of reinforcement for failing metabolism in the parent cell and as potential replacements for the necrotic segment of the parent cell. This study also demonstrates that the satellite cells are capable of developing into independent myocytes which may fuse with or replace the parent cell, dependent upon the type and extent of the injury sustained. Abnormal fusion among premyocytes or with their parent fiber, resulting in formation of split- or ring-fibers, becomes conceivable when both innervation and recovery from the injury of the parent cell are delayed. Thus, myotube formation, characteristic of usual myogenesis, seldom takes place in the regenerative process instituted by satellite cells in diseased human skeletal muscles.
Videoendoscopic endotracheal intubation in the rat: a comprehensive rodent model of laparoscopic surgery.

Background Peritoneal absorption of CO2 during abdominal insufflation in laparoscopy may disrupt the acid-base equilibrium and alter the physiological response to stress. Current nonventilated rodent models of laparoscopy do not manage the CO2 load of pneumoperitoneum, but ventilated surgical rodent models are invasive (tracheotomy) and may independently induce the inflammatory response. Materials and methods A comprehensive rodent model of laparoscopy was developed. Rats were randomized to receive anesthesia alone, anesthesia plus CO2 pneumoperitoneum, or anesthesia plus CO2 pneumoperitoneum with videoendoscopic intubation and mechanical ventilation. Arterial blood-gas analysis was performed at baseline and after 30 min of intervention. Results Baseline pH, pCO2, and HCO3− arterial blood gas parameters were normal for all rats. After 30 min, pCO2 and pH changed slightly but remained normal among rats receiving anesthesia alone (pCO2 = 46.5 ± 1.9; pH = 7.365 ± 0.009) whereas animals receiving anesthesia plus CO2 pneumoperitoneum that were dependent on spontaneous respiration for ventilation developed significant hypercarbic acidosis (pCO2 = 53.2 ± 1.9, P Conclusions CO2 pneumoperitoneum induces significant hypercarbic acidosis in nonventilated rats. Noninvasive endotracheal intubation is feasible in the rat with videoendoscopic assistance. Our noninvasive rodent model of laparoscopic surgery controls for anesthesia- and capnoperitoneum-related acid-base changes and provides an environment in which the biological response to pneumoperitoneum can be studied precisely.
Comparison of quality-of-life instruments in childhood intermittent exotropia.

Purpose To compare 2 health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) instruments: the condition-specific Intermittent Exotropia Questionnaire (IXTQ) and the generic Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) in children with intermittent exotropia. Methods Fifty-one children with intermittent exotropia (median, 7 years; range, 5−16 years) were recruited from outpatient clinics with one of their parents. All children completed age-appropriate Child IXTQ (12 items) and Child PedsQL (23 items). Parents completed parallel Proxy IXTQ and Proxy PedsQL (parent assessment of child's HRQOL). Possible scores ranged from 0 to 100 (worst to best HRQOL). Normal thresholds were defined using the 5th percentile in a control group of 47 normal nonstrabismic children. Proportions scoring below normal on each questionnaire were compared. Median scores in intermittent exotropia and control groups also were compared. Results More scores were subnormal using Proxy IXTQ than Proxy PedsQL (55% vs 18%, p = 0.0004). When Child questionnaires were used, we found that similar proportions scored below normal (IXTQ 8% vs PedsQL 14%, p = 0.3). Median scores were lower for intermittent exotropia children compared with control patients for Child IXTQ (83 vs 92; p = 0.04), Proxy IXTQ (81 vs 98; p p = 0.04) but not for Child PedsQL ( p = 0.3). Conclusions The Proxy IXTQ detects reduced HRQOL related to intermittent exotropia more often than the Proxy PedsQL. There were few subnormal scores on Child IXTQ and Child PedsQL. Children with intermittent exotropia scored, on average, lower than control patients on the IXTQ, but most individual scores fell within the normal range. The IXTQ may prove useful for clinical assessment of intermittent exotropia.
Not Just Keeping the Lights On: Using Push-Pull Stakeholder Engagement for Mutual Gain at a Utility

Organizations face diverse demands from numerous external stakeholders. This research develops a deeper understanding of how managers in organizations engage and co-create with community stakeholders through a case study of a utility planning and executing a large infrastructure project. I introduce the concept of push-pull stakeholder engagement, which I define as a form of stakeholder engagement in which the organization pulls in elements of the environment to shape organizational characteristics, while pushing the organization out into its environment to authentically engage community stakeholders. I show that, through push-pull stakeholder engagement, the utility’s managers were able to attend to the multiple interests of community stakeholders by leveraging both internal, organizational and external, community features.
Self-gratification yields not-so-naive T cells.

Naive T cells differentiate into memory subsets upon exposure to their cognate foreign antigen. However, before such encounters, some naive T cells are 'imprinted' through their interactions with self targets.
High Level ab Initio and Density Functional Study of the CH + NO Reaction Product Branching

The thorough complete basis set, Gaussian ab initio, hybrid, and gradient-corrected density functional methods of computational studies were performed on the CH + NO reaction with the target being to determine the stable adduct intermediates, their enthalpies of formation, and the enthalpies for various branching pathways. This reaction has enormous importance in both combustion and atmospheric chemistry, and it is very important to have its accurate energy profile. The computed values are compared with the experimental values, and in almost all cases, the currently used energies should be corrected. Considering the accuracy of these high level ab initio methods, it is believed that the listed values in this paper are the most accurate up to date. The complete basis set computed values are the most accurate and are, for the enthalpy of formation at 0 K for HNCO and NCO, 39.2 and 28.3 kcal/mol, respectively. The H−N and N−C bond dissociation energies for HNCO are 109.6 and 87.4 kcal/mol. The suggested CBSQ...
The Ecology and Natural History of Foliar Bacteria with a Focus on Tropical Forests and Agroecosystems

Leaves of higher plants comprise perhaps the largest bacterial substrate on earth, yet we know very little about the bacteria that occupy these spaces. In this review, we first examine the ecology and behavior of bacteria that reside on leaf surfaces. Next, we discuss the ecological implications of foliar bacteria that reside in interior portions of leaf tissues. Later, we consider the studies on foliar bacteria in tropical habitats to date. Finally, we examine evidence regarding the potential roles of foliar bacteria in structuring tropical plant communities. Bacteria colonize the phyllosphere via animal vectors or passively from soil, wind, or rain, though there are too few data to determine the relative contributions of these sources to the phyllosphere. Additionally, the degree to which parent plants transmit bacteria to offspring via seed remains unknown. We predict that high temperature, high humidity, low UV radiation, and leaf architecture in the tropical understory enable tropical leaves to support more abundant and diverse bacterial communities compared to temperate leaves. While the extent of competitive interactions among bacteria remains poorly resolved, evidence from agricultural crop species and Arabidopsis thaliana suggests that these interactions cause niche partitioning based on carbon use. The degree to which phyllobacteria and endophytes of tropical plants are pathogenic versus mutualistic or neutral remains unexplored. We hypothesize, however, that the detrimental impact of bacterial pathogens ultimately increases as the abundance of single host tree species increases, which can promote and maintain plant diversity in tropical forests.
Movable head armature in higher teleostean fishes

A general pattern of movable head armature, composed of serrations on the borders of the lacrimal and preopercle and of a spine on the opercle, evolved among early acanthopterygians and is retained among many basal percoid families. In the more specialized higher teleostean groups this pattern is modified in various ways. Scorpaeniform fishes develop a suborbital stay with which the lacrimal is rigidly united. Elsewhere lacrimal serrations are generally absent, but in some bottom-resting forms preopercular or opercular armature becomes highly specialized. An association between head armature, fin spines, and changes in locomotion in the development of the acanthopterygian state of teleostean evolution is suggested.
Misoprostol but not antacid prevents endotoxin-induced gastric mucosal injury: role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Many of the complications of septic shock are believed to be a consequence of elevated circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is an important mediator of tissue injury. Prostaglandins (PGs) of the E series have recently been reported to inhibit TNF productionin vitro. We investigated thein vivo effect of misoprostol, a PGE1 analog, on endotoxin-induced gastric mucosal injury and TNF production. For the gastric mucosal injury studies, groups of animals were pretreated with intragastric misoprostol (100 and 200 μg/kg) or with antacid (2 ml/animal of Maalox Plus) 30 min prior to a challenge with intravenousE. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 5.0 mg/kg. Stomachs were examined 3 hr after LPS. Systemic endotoxin alone induced microscopic edema, vascular congestion, and polymorphonuclear (PMN) infiltration of the gastric mucosa. Pretreatment with misoprostol, but not with antacid, significantly and dose-dependently reduced the gastric mucosal injury. For the TNF studies, groups of rats were given either misoprostol (100 or 200 μg/kg, intragastric), or saline 1 hr prior to LPS challenge. Serum samples were obtained 1.5 hr after LPS challenge. Misoprostol dose-dependently and significantly (P<0.01) inhibited TNF activity. We conclude that misoprostol is a potent inhibitor of TNF systemic production and inhibits the gastric mucosal injury induced by endotoxemia. These studies suggest a potentially important therapeutic role for misoprostol in inflammatory diseases in which TNF exerts a contributory role.
A new approach for three-dimensional reconstruction of arterial ultrasonography

Abstract This report describes a computerized approach that allows the creation of realistic three-dimensional arterial images from two-dimensional contiguous slices derived from a conventional ultrasound scan. Furthermore, the study assesses the method's feasibility and accuracy by performing in vitro cadaver artery three-dimensional reconstructions. Images are digitized into a computer, with a resolution of 512 × 480 pixels, and a dynamic range of 8 bits/pixel (256 gray scale). After edge enhancement with convolution filters through the original binary data, the intraluminal and outer edges are traced and converted to a polygon vector within a defined three-dimensional space. Serial cuts, 2 mm apart, are then "stacked" into a three-dimensional model, with interpolation of polyhedra between slices. Sixteen normal and arteriosclerotic distal aortic and common iliac arteries were obtained from fresh cadavers. Three-dimensional reconstruction models were compared with gross examination of the original artery. Anatomically accurate reconstructions were obtained, all with detailed surface information. Data analyzed included diameter, area, residual lumen, and percent stenosis. Pearson's coefficients determined for the pairs of data indicated excellent correlation (≥0.90) between separate measurements. With use of the described technology it is feasible to perform arterial three-dimensional reconstructions on a personal computer, with detailed and accurate surface information. The three-dimensional reconstruction method used can reliably and consistently reproduce the anatomic specimens. (J Vasc Surg 1992;15:800–5.)
The Effects of Dubbing White Leghorn Males

Abstract THE practice of dubbing White Leghorn males, or removing their combs and wattles, has become routine with many poultrymen in regions where there is danger of injury to the combs and wattles by freezing. The prevention of such injury with its resultant infertility (Payne and Ingram, 1927), as well as the discomfort presumably associated with large combs and wattles exposed to temperatures almost, but not quite, low enough to freeze those appendages, seems to be ample justification for dubbing. However, there are also some experimental data and the opinions of numerous poultrymen which indicate that under certain conditions dubbing is not only protection against injury by frost but may also influence directly the body weight, the size of testes, and the general vigor and aggressiveness of breeding males. If such effects are desirable ones and can be shown to be consistent, they might justify more general use of dubbing, especially . . .
Husserl and Scheler: Two Views on Intersubjectivity

(1978). Husserl and Scheler: Two Views on Intersubjectivity. Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 143-149.
A Comparison of the Binding Sites of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Converting Enzyme: Implications for Selectivity

MMPs and TACE (ADAM-17) assume independent, parallel, or opposite pathological roles in cancer, arthritis, and several other diseases. For therapeutic purposes, selective inhibition of individual MMPs and TACE is required in most cases due to distinct roles in diseases and the need to preserve activities in normal states. Toward this goal, we compared force-field interaction energies of five ubiquitous inhibitor atoms with flexible binding sites of 24 known human MMPs and TACE. The results indicate that MMPs 1-3, 10, 11, 13, 16, and 17 have at least one subsite very similar to TACE. S3 subsite is the best target for development of specific TACE inhibitors. Specific binding to TACE compared to most MMPs is promoted by placing a negatively charged ligand part at the bottom of S2 subsite, at the entrance of S1' subsite, or the part of S3' subsite that is close to catalytic zinc. Numerous other clues, consistent with available experimental data, are provided for design of selective inhibitors.
Genetic mapping and manipulation: chapter 9--Synthetic and enhancer mutations.

Copyright: © 2006 David Fay. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: davidfay@uwyo.edu Genetic mapping and manipulation: Chapter 9-Synthetic and enhancer mutations* David Fay, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3944 USA
Emulsifying effects of several ionic surfactants on a nonaqueous immiscible system

Representative members of seven classes of nonionic surfactants and combinations of these agents were tested by hand methods of trituration for their ability to induce emulsification of glycerin and olive oil. No relation between HLB values and emulsifying capacity, method of mixing, or emulsion type was apparent. On the other hand, the chemical nature of the surfactant appeared to have an effect on the method of mixing and emulsion type. Only stearate ester surfactants induced emulsification when the surfactant was first added to olive oil. In addition, only stearate ester surfactants induced glycerin-in-oil emulsification.
Functional coupling between glycolysis and excitation—contraction coupling underlies alternans in cat heart cells

Electromechanical alternans was characterized in single cat atrial and ventricular myocytes by simultaneous measurements of action potentials, membrane current, cell shortening and changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). Using laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy, alternans of electrically evoked [Ca2+]i transients revealed marked differences between atrial and ventricular myocytes. In ventricular myocytes, electrically evoked [Ca2+]i transients during alternans were spatially homogeneous. In atrial cells Ca2+ release started at subsarcolemmal peripheral regions and subsequently spread toward the centre of the myocyte. In contrast to ventricular myocytes, in atrial cells propagation of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) during the small-amplitude [Ca2+]i transient was incomplete, leading to failures of excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in central regions of the cell. The mechanism underlying alternans was explored by evaluating the trigger signal for SR Ca2+ release (voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ current, ICa,L) and SR Ca2+ load during alternans. Voltage-clamp experiments revealed that peak ICa,L was not affected during alternans when measured simultaneously with changes of cell shortening. The SR Ca2+ content, evaluated by application of caffeine pulses, was identical following the small-amplitude and the large-amplitude [Ca2+]i transient. These results suggest that the primary mechanism responsible for cardiac alternans does not reside in the trigger signal for Ca2+ release and SR Ca2+ load. beta-Adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol (isoprenaline) reversed electromechanical alternans, suggesting that under conditions of positive cardiac inotropy and enhanced efficiency of EC coupling alternans is less likely to occur. The occurrence of electromechanical alternans could be elicited by impairment of glycolysis. Inhibition of glycolytic flux by application of pyruvate, iodoacetate or beta-hydroxybutyrate induced electromechanical and [Ca2+]i transient alternans in both atrial and ventricular myocytes. The data support the conclusion that in cardiac myocytes alternans is the result of periodic alterations in the gain of EC coupling, i. e. the efficacy of a given trigger signal to release Ca2+ from the SR. It is suggested that the efficiency of EC coupling is locally controlled in the microenvironment of the SR Ca2+ release sites by mechanisms utilizing ATP, produced by glycolytic enzymes closely associated with the release channel.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization among women admitted for preterm delivery

Objective Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection is associated with morbidity in the neonatal intensive care unit. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between preterm maternal methicillin-resistant S aureus colonization and subsequent colonization and infection in premature neonates. Study Design We conducted a prospective cohort study of 422 women admitted for preterm delivery. Methicillin-resistant S aureus cultures were collected from mothers and their neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. We determined the proportion of women and neonates colonized with methicillin-resistant S aureus and examined possible factors associated with colonization and infection. Results Fifteen of 422 (3.6%) women were found to be colonized with methicillin-resistant S aureus . Thirteen of 212 (6.1%) neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit were methicillin-resistant S aureus colonized and 3 of 13 (23.1%) developed a methicillin-resistant S aureus infection. We identified 1 methicillin-resistant S aureus colonized maternal-neonatal pair. The infant became methicillin-resistant S aureus positive 30 days after admission and did not develop a methicillin-resistant S aureus infection. Conclusion These findings suggest that maternal methicillin-resistant S aureus colonization is not a significant risk factor for vertical transmission of neonatal methicillin-resistant S aureus colonization.
Differential Regulation of the PanA and PanB Proteasome-Activating Nucleotidase and 20S Proteasomal Proteins of the Haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii

The halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii produces three different proteins (α1, α2, and β) that assemble into at least two 20S proteasome isoforms. This work reports the cloning and sequencing of two H. volcanii proteasome-activating nucleotidase (PAN) genes (panA and panB). The deduced PAN proteins were 60% identical with Walker A and B motifs and a second region of homology typical of AAA ATPases. The most significant region of divergence was the N terminus predicted to adopt a coiled-coil conformation involved in substrate recognition. Of the five proteasomal proteins, the α1, β, and PanA proteins were the most abundant. Differential regulation of all five genes was observed, with a four- to eightfold increase in mRNA levels as cells entered stationary phase. In parallel with this mRNA increase, the protein levels of PanB and α2 increased severalfold during the transition from exponential growth to stationary phase, suggesting that these protein levels are regulated at least in part by mechanisms that control transcript levels. In contrast, the β and PanA protein levels remained relatively constant, while the α1 protein levels exhibited only a modest increase. This lack of correlation between the mRNA and protein levels for α1, β, and PanA suggests posttranscriptional mechanisms are involved in regulating the levels of these major proteasomal proteins. Together these results support a model in which the cell regulates the ratio of the different 20S proteasome and PAN proteins to modulate the structure and ultimately the function of this central energy-dependent proteolytic system.
Genes tell lymphatics to sprout or not.

Lymphatic and vascular vessel formation develop in response to specific cues. With the identification of key factors responsible for these interactions, new therapies for the treatment of lymphatic disorders might be on the horizon.