cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PIAGETIAN CONSERVATION AND RESPONSE TO COGNITIVE THERAPY IN ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDERED CHILDREN

Cognitive therapy is often used in treating attention-deficit-disordered (ADD) children because of its purported ability to address this population's attentional deficits and behavioral difficulties and to create durable therapeutic effects. Nonetheless, research findings on these treatments have been inconsistent. This study sought to explain these inconsistencies by examining the influence of cognitive development on children's ability to benefit from such treatment. The ability to conserve number and substance was shown to influence treatment outcome, as measured by laboratory tasks of cognitive style and impulsivity. No effects were found on standardized academic achievement measures or on behavioral ratings by teachers or parents. Further study of individual development will be important in understanding the outcomes of cognitive therapy.
Pattern recognition in the ultrasonic imaging of reverberant multilayered structures

Often the existence of reverberations in the ultrasonic pulse-echo imaging of multilayered structure prevents the direct characterization of each layer. The reverberating pattern is governed by the integrity of the layers, and deterioration of these layers can generate complex and unpredictable patterns. Analytical models for the classification of reverberant patterns using both normal and unique angle scanning schemes are presented. The theoretical model has been utilized in the experimental studies of a particular multilayered reverberant environment that exists in the detection of corrosion and/or volatile changes in stem generator tubing used in nuclear power plants. Various reverberant patterns can be recognized that are in close agreement with theoretical predictions. >
Growth and Survival of Hybrid Sunfish Larvae in the Laboratory under Different Feeding and Temperature Regimes

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different feeding protocols and temperatures on growth and survival of hybrid fry of female green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus × male bluegill L. macrochirus. At swim-up (5–6 d posthatch), we divided larvae into three different treatments: feedings of brine shrimp Artemia franciscana for 0, 3, or 7 d followed by a 3-d weaning period to a commercial diet. We monitored fish growth and survival through 28 d posthatch. Significant differences in growth were not evident at 28 d posthatch, but survival in the 7-d treatment (mean, 37%; SE, 2.6%) was significantly higher than that in the other treatments. In a second experiment comparing three different temperatures (19, 21, and 24°C) and two feeding regimes (live brine shrimp for 3 and 7 d before weaning to commercial feed), temperature regimes did not significantly affect growth. At 28 d posthatch, larvae fed brine shrimp for 7 d were significantly longer than those fed for 3 d. At 21°C and 24°C,...
Determination of deep levels in Cu‐doped GaP using transient‐current spectroscopy

A method of determining deep levels in semiconductor junctions by observation of the temperature dependence of transient‐current decay is described and applied to Cu‐doped GaP. It is shown that the important deep‐level parameters including trap energy, capture cross section, concentration, and recombination rate can be obtained. For Cu‐doped GaP, several trapping levels were observed with energies of 0.50, 0.60, and 0.82 eV. Capture cross sections of these levels were of the order of 1×10−16 cm2.
Attenuating tumor necrosis factor α does not ameliorate other cytokine and peroxidase products during sepsis

Abstract Background: Recent trials utilizing single anticytokine agents have shown no consistent survival benefit in improving the outcome of sepsis. Since an entire cascade of mediators contributes to the underlying pathophysiology, it is not surprising that monotherapy has proven unsuccessful. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of attenuating tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α early in sepsis. Methods: Three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. All animals were infused with live Escherichia coli , with group I and group II rats additionally receiving a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor. Serum levels of TNFα, interleukin (IL)-6, malondialdehyde (MDA), and lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) were compared. Results: TNFα showed a significant decrease, yet IL-6, MDA, and LOOH (markers of sepsis) levels remained abnormally elevated. Conclusion: Despite significantly attenuating TNFα, the septic response continued. This supports the concept that in sepsis, monotherapy directed at attenuating a single cytokine cannot overcome the tissue-damaging effects of an entire cascade of mediators.
The effects of l-deprenyl treatment, alone and combined with GM1 ganglioside, on striatal dopamine content and substantia nigra pars compacta neurons

Abstract The present study examined the effects of GM1 ganglioside and the monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor l -deprenyl, alone and in combination, on striatal dopamine (DA) and DOPAC levels, and the density of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of C57bl/6J mice following MPTP administration (20 mg/kg, s.c., twice daily for 5 days). GM1 treatment (30 mg/kg, i.p., daily for 3 weeks, beginning 24 h after the last MPTP injection) partially restored striatal DA levels and rescued SNc neurons. A high dose of l -deprenyl, inhibiting MAO-B activity, (10 mg/kg, i.p. every other day for 3 weeks beginning 3 days after the last MPTP injection) increased striatal DA content, but did not rescue TH-positive SNc neurons. A low dose of l -deprenyl (0.01 mg/kg, i.p. every other day for 3 weeks beginning 3 days after the last MPTP injection) had no effect on either striatal neurochemistry or the rescue of SNc TH-positive neurons. Co-administration of GM1 and high dose l -deprenyl caused a synergistic increase in striatal DA levels, above that obtained with either GM1 or high dose l -deprenyl alone. Co-administration of GM1 and low dose l -deprenyl was not only not synergistic, but caused GM1s effects to be antagonized. The results do not confirm previous findings that low dose l -deprenyl administration in vivo after MPTP can rescue SNc neurons. Given GM1's potential as an adjunct to present anti-parkinsonian medications which include l -deprenyl, it will be important to further investigate the interactions between these two potential therapies.
The relative spatial distributions of neutrons and protons in the surface of 48Ca

Abstract The elastic scattering of 31 and 28.9 MeV alpha particles from 40Ca and 48Ca has been measured with high relative angular accuracy. The result is that the edge of the matter distribution (beyond the half density radius) in 48Ca extends ≈ 0.15 fm beyond that of 40Ca and is parallel in both nuclei. Combining this result with that of electron scattering, we conclude, in agreement with theoretical calculations, that the neutrons have a larger spatial extent than the protons in the surface region of 48Ca.
Coupled Microbial and Transport Processes in Soils

This paper reviews methods for modeling coupled microbial and transport processes in variably saturated porous media. Of special interest in this work are interactions between active microbial growth and other transport processes such as gas diffusion and interphase exchange of O2 and other constituents that partition between the aqueous and gas phases. The role of gas–liquid interfaces on microbial transport is also discussed, and various possible kinetic and equilibrium formulations for bacterial cell attachment and detachment are reviewed. The primary objective of this paper is to highlight areas in which additional research may be needed—both experimental and numerical—to elucidate mechanisms associated with the complex interactions that take place between microbial processes and flow and transport processes in soils. In addition to their general ecological significance, these interactions have global-scale implications for C cycling in the environment and the related issue of climate change.
Wave propagation in a uniformly rotating fluid

An unsteady flow generated by a harmonically oscillating pressure distribution of frequency ω acting on the paraboloidal free surface of an inviscid, incompressible fluid rotating with uniform angular velocity Ω has been investigated. It is shown that case (i), ω>2 Ω, corresponds to the usual surface waves, and case (ii), ω<2 Ω, in contrast to the surface waves, corresponds to the inertial waves which are originated entirely due to rotation and have no counterpart in a non-rotating fluid motion. An explicit solution of the problem related to the above cases are obtained by the joint Laplace and Hankel transforms treatment in conjunction with asymptotic methods. The significant effects of the Coriolis force and the curvature of the free surface on the wave motions have been investigated. A comparison is made between the solutions of the problems with the horizontal and the paraboloidal free surface curvature. The analysis is concluded by exihibiting the characteristic features of the wave motions.
Acute physical activity and sports injuries in children.

An increase in the physical activity of individuals has many health benefits, but a drawback of an increase in physical activity is the risk of related injuries. To reduce the short- and long-term ...
Lost In Translation: To Our Chinese Patient, Alzheimer’s Meant ‘Crazy And Catatonic’

When cultural perceptions get in the way, a Chinese geriatrician and his colleagues find a way to care for a patient newly diagnosed with dementia.
Efficacy and tolerability of local estrogen therapy for urogenital atrophy.

AbstractObjective:This study aimed to identify vaginal discomfort in the form of dryness, itching, burning, and dyspareunia, which remains an inadequately addressed clinical problem for many postmenopausal women, and to describe the age or menopause-related dysfunction of the female urethral tract,
Ubiquinone and cytochrome b in isolated rat heart

The relationship between changes in steady state redox states of the mitochondrial respiratory carriers, cytochrome b (cyt. b ) and ubiquinone (Q), was investigated in the isolated, perfused rat heart. O 2 consumption, rate of coronary flow and peak developed pressure in the aorta were recorded for the spontaneously beating heart (100.min −1 ) retrogradely perfused with glucose-supplemented Krebs solution at 24°C. Cyt. b redox changes were continuously monitored from the heart surface at 430 nm-410 nm using a dual wavelength spectrophotometer modifed for reflectance measurements. Following freeze clamping of the heart in liquid N 2 , Q redox status was chemically determined. Inhibitors of cyt. b and Q oxidation or reduction were utilized to demonstrate that spectral interference from other heme proteins does not preclude monitoring of changes in cyt. b redox status in the intact rat heart. Increases in contractile rate to 150.min −1 and 200.min −1 induced by electrical stimulation resulted in reduction of both cyt. b and Q; the higher rate being associate with a greater degree of reduction. This reduction of the carriers was associated with increased oxygen consumption and decreased peak developed pressure. As Ca 2+ concentration in the perfusion medium was increased in the range from 0 to 2.5 mM, both cyt. b and Q showed smaller changes, but the overall trend was towards oxidation. The oxidation of the carriers was associated with increased oxygen consumption and increased peak developed pressure. A linear relationship between steady state log (Q/QH 2 ) and log (cyt. b 3+ / b 2+ ) was observed in both groups of hearts despite the fact that no metabolic inhibitor was employed to allow for equilibration of the redox states of the two respiratory carriers. These results suggest the redox states of Q and of cyt. b in the intact heart shift during such transitions so as to remain in close equilibrium. Furthermore, the reduction of cyt. b and Q associated with increased contractile frequency in the intact heart is compatible with the near equilibrium hypothesis of respiratory control. On the other hand, the responses of the carriers to changes in external Ca 2+ concentration appear to be more complex.
Comparison of surgical outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis B versus hepatitis C: a western experience.

Background: We reviewed our experience in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and chronic hepatitis to determine if differences exist in preoperative status and postoperative survival between those with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections.
Cleft closure and undersizing annuloplasty improve mitral repair in atrioventricular canal defects

Objective Reoperation rates to correct left atrioventricular valve regurgitation after primary repair of atrioventricular canal defects remain relatively high. The causes of valvular regurgitation are likely multifactorial, and simple cleft closure is often insufficient to prevent recurrence. Methods To elucidate the mechanisms leading to regurgitation, we conducted hemodynamic studies using isolated native mitral valves. Anatomy of these valves was altered to mimic atrioventricular canal type valves and studied under pediatric hemodynamic conditions. The impact of subvalvular geometry, cleft closure, annular dilatation, and annular undersizing on regurgitation were investigated. Results Papillary muscle position did not have a significant effect on regurgitation. Cleft closure had a significant impact on valvular competence, with reduction in regurgitation volume with increased cleft closure. Regurgitation volume decreased from 12.5 ± 2.4 mL/beat for an open cleft to 4.9 ± 1.9 mL/beat for a partially closed cleft and to 1.4 ± 1.6 mL/beat when the cleft was completely closed. Annular dilatation had a significant impact on regurgitation even after cleft closure. A 40% increase in annular size increased regurgitation by 59% for a partially closed cleft and by 84% for a fully closed cleft. Reducing the annular size by 20% from the physiologic level decreased the regurgitation volume by 12% for a fully open cleft and by 58% for the partially closed cleft case. Conclusions Annular dilatation after primary repair has a potentially significant role in the recurrence of atrioventricular valve regurgitation. Reducing the annular size and restricting dilatation as an adjunct to cleft closure is a promising surgical approach in such valve anatomies.
Nonlinear Optical Properties of Molecularly Bridged Gold Nanoparticle Arrays

Methods for assembling metal nanoparticles into symmetrically and spatially well-defined architectures are important because new properties often emerge from the particle aggregate that are distinctly different from the corresponding isolated nanoparticles. For example, collective nanoparticle behaviors are responsible for large surface-enhanced Raman signals1 and first hyperpolarizabilities2 and the familiar red-blue color change currently being exploited in a number of colorimetric assays.3 The success of many emerging nanoscale electronics technologies (e.g., singleelectron devices, quantum cellular automata4) also will depend largely on the ability to organize nanoparticles and optimize capacitive or dipole coupling in the resulting assembly. Collective nanocluster behaviors have traditionally been assessed using extended 2or 3-dimensional nanocluster arrays prepared by (i) salt-induced aggregation,2 (ii) Langmuir techniques,5 (iii) surface assembly,1 or (iv) crystallization.6 Vance and co-workers, for example, utilized hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) to interrogate aqueous suspensions of 13 nm diameter gold particles.2 First hyperpolarizabilities (â) were found to surpass the best available molecular chromophores. Moreover, â increased more than 10-fold upon the addition of salt, likely due to the formation of non-centrosymmetric particle aggregates.7 However, the fact that salt-induced aggregation does not lead to a preferred symmetry precluded a detailed account of structure-optical function relationships. Methods for assembling gold and silver nanoparticle aggregates of well-defined symmetry and interparticle spacing have been developed previously.8 These protocols employ thiol-functionalized phenylacetylene (PA) “templates” 1-5 whose symmetries
The French Presidential Election of 2007: Was Sarkozy the Condorcet Winner?

Nicolas Sarkozy was elected in the runoff election held against Segolene Royal on 6 May 2007. Over 100 public preelection polls were conducted between 18 October 2006 and 21 April 2007. These polls strongly suggest that Sarkozy would not have won a series of head-to-head contests against all 11 of his opponents; that is to say, he would not have met the criterion for fairness in elections advanced by the Marquis de Condorcet in the 18th century. These polls suggest that Francois Bayrou met this criterion and that he would have defeated Sarkozy had he advanced to the second round of the elections.
Analysis of distributed erbium-doped fiber amplifiers with fiber background loss

An accurate model for erbium-doped fiber amplifiers with fiber background loss applicable to the unsaturated gain regime is presented. Exact analytical solutions are derived for the output pump power, gain, and amplified spontaneous noise as a function of input pump power in the cases of unidirectional or bidirectional pumping. An exact relation is also derived between the pump threshold and the pump required for fiber transparency. Such expressions are particularly useful to model distributed fiber amplifiers and to determine the optimal fiber parameters corresponding to a given pumping scheme. As an example, the analytical solutions are used to study the pump power requirement for distributed fiber amplifiers unidirectionally pumped at 1.48 mu m, and to determine an optimum Er/sup 3+/ absorption coefficient. >
Hereditary angioedema therapies in the United States: movement toward an international treatment consensus.

Abstract Background Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare, potentially life-threatening autosomal dominant disease characterized by recurrent angioedema attacks that affect the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and airway, including the larynx. Pharmacologic developments in HAE treatment have culminated in the recent introduction of 4 new HAE-specific therapies in the United States. Objectives In light of these new therapeutic options, this commentary outlines historical US HAE therapy choices, discusses the potential effect of the 4 recently approved HAE treatments, and considers strategies for optimizing their use in line with international treatment recommendations. Discussion Treatment options for HAE in the United States have been limited to attenuated androgens and antifibrinolytic agents for long-term prophylaxis and FFP and supportive therapy for the management of acute attacks. The 4 new therapies that have recently become available (ie, 2 plasma-derived C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) concentrates, the kallikrein inhibitor ecallantide, and the bradykinin β 2 -antagonist icatibant) have provided an opportunity to change routine HAE treatment. In 2009, despite the availability of 2 of the new treatments (ie, the plasma-derived C1-INH concentrates), a large survey of US physicians suggested that wide variability still existed in the treatment of patients with HAE. Since this survey was undertaken, clinical experience with all 4 new treatments has increased significantly, and because 3 of these agents (ie, 2 plasma-derived C1-INH concentrates and icatibant) can be self-administered by trained patients, physicians can now provide individualized care that is proven effective and more aligned with international guidance.
Integration of a low frequency, tunable MEMS piezoelectric energy harvester and a thick film micro capacitor as a power supply system for wireless sensor nodes

This work presents an integration approach towards manufacturing a MEMS piezoelectric vibration energy harvester and an electrochemical capacitor on the same substrate. Vibration energy harvesters have been fabricated to resonate at low frequencies, matching ambient vibrations found abundantly in buildings. For cost-effective resonance tuning, a direct write dispenser printer can be used to print additional mass at the tips of the beams, and is also used to deposit a capacitor in the open space surrounding the beam. The implementation of a power supply on a single platform is of great value especially for autonomous wireless sensors with long lifetime and small device volume requirements.
Shape Context: A New Descriptor for Shape Matching and Object Recognition

We develop an approach to object recognition based on matching shapes and using a resulting measure of similarity in a nearest neighbor classifier. The key algorithmic problem here is that of finding pointwise correspondences between an image shape and a stored prototype shape. We introduce a new shape descriptor, the shape context, which makes this possible, using a simple and robust algorithm. The shape context at a point captures the distribution over relative positions of other shape points and thus summarizes global shape in a rich, local descriptor. We demonstrate that shape contexts greatly simplify recovery of correspondences between points of two given shapes. Once shapes are aligned, shape contexts are used to define a robust score for measuring shape similarity. We have used this score in a nearest-neighbor classifier for recognition of hand written digits as well as 3D objects, using exactly the same distance function. On the benchmark MNIST dataset of handwritten digits, this yields an error rate of 0.63%, outperforming other published techniques.
Acoustic pingers eliminate beaked whale bycatch in a gill net fishery

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Department of Commerce at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Ithas been accepted for inclusion in Publications, Agencies and Staff of the U.S. Department of Commerce by an authorized administrator ofDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
The National Ignition Facility: Status and Plans for the Experimental Program

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), currently under construction at the University of California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is a stadium-sized facility containing a 192-beam, 1.8-M...
TCR Ligation on CD8+ T Cells Creates Double-Negative Cells In Vivo

The lack of CD95 in mice is associated with an accumulation of TCRαβ + CD4 − CD8 − (double-negative (DN)) cells in the lymph nodes (LNs) and other organs. To test the hypothesis that these DN cells arise from TCRαβ + CD8 + cells after activation via the TCR, we have crossed an MHC class I-restricted TCR transgene (tg) onto the lpr genotype to generate two TCR-transgenic experimental groups, TCRtg + lpr/ + (CD95-intact) and TCRtg + lpr/lpr (CD95-deficient). Specific peptide administration resulted in peripheral deletion of TCRαβ cells from the LNs of CD95-intact and CD95-deficient mice. On day 3 after peptide administration in the CD95-deficient but not the CD95-intact mice, there was a ninefold increase in the percentage of DN cells in the LN; this increase returned to control levels by day 10. Peripheral deletion was associated with an accumulation of TCRαβ + CD8 high cells in the livers of mice of both genotypes by day 3, which returned to control levels by day 10 without an increase in the percentage or total number of DN cells. Our data show that the in vivo stimulation of TCRαβ + CD8 + cells in the absence of CD95 results in an initial accumulation and an eventual loss of DN cells. This identifies a role for CD95 after TCRαβ stimulation in the efficient removal of TCRαβ + CD8 + cells after the down-regulation of CD8. CD95 is not essential for this process, because other mechanisms can compensate, but such mechanisms are less efficient in the LN.
Succinate dehydrogenase deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) – A review ☆

Loss of function of the succinate dehydrogenase complex characterizes a rare group of human tumors including some gastrointestinal stromal tumors, paragangliomas, renal carcinomas, and pituitary adenomas, and these can all be characterized as SDH-deficient tumors. Approximately 7.5% of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors are SDH-deficient and not driven by KIT/PDGFRA mutations, as are most other GISTs. The occurrence of SDH-deficient GISTs is restricted to stomach, and they typically occur in children and young adults representing a spectrum of clinical behavior from indolent to progressive. Slow progression is a common feature even after metastatic spread has taken place, and many patients live years with metastases. SDH-deficient GISTs have characteristic morphologic features including multinodular gastric wall involvement, often multiple separate tumors, common lymphovascular invasion, and occasional lymph node metastases. Diagnostic is the loss of succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB) from the tumor cells and this can be practically assessed by immunohistochemistry. SDHA is lost in cases associated with SDHA mutations. Approximately half of the patients have SDH subunit gene mutations, often germline and most commonly A (30%), and B, C or D (together 20%), with both alleles inactivated in the tumor cells according to the classic tumor suppressor gene model. Half of the cases are not associated with SDH-mutations and epigenetic silencing of the SDH complex is the possible pathogenesis. Extensive genomic methylation has been observed in these tumors, which is in contrast with other GISTs. SDH-loss causes succinate accumulation and activation of pseudohypoxia signaling via overexpression of HIF-proteins. Activation of insulin-like growth factor 1-signaling is also typical of these tumors. SDH-deficient GISTs are a unique group of GISTs with an energy metabolism defect as the key oncogenic mechanism. This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: Rare Cancers.
Utopia, scenario and plan: A pragmatic integration:

The concepts utopia, scenario, and plan offer important ways to envision the future of place. Utopia describes the perfect, complete place. Scenario compares good alternative stories. Plans offer useful provisional intentions. All three help us imagine how future consequences of select actions might influence current expectations and hopes. I argue that pragmatism can integrate all three along a continuum from holistic inclusive to selective incremental. Utopia dramatizes emotional attachments to the daily details of a purposeful way of life for some future imagined place. Scenario describes the confluence of narrative and explanation, story and cause as coherent testable accounts of relevant consequences for plausible futures. Plan describes how we compose and compare alternatives to inform practical intentions for choices and decisions for immediate problems we currently face. Framing the three concepts pragmatically avoids the contrast between utopian rupture and narrative continuity by treating both a...
The Press and the Financial Crisis: A Review of the Literature

In recent years, a growing amount of scholarly interest has focused on the nature of the business/financial press and how it covers key economic events. Some of the literature examines the failings of the business press and its focus on narrow, short-term events instead of analytical writing that educates the public about macroeconomics, including long-term trends. Other studies have looked at how these tendencies affected press coverage before and during the 2008 financial crisis. As would be expected, the crisis caused an increase in writing about the business/financial press. Initially, the scholarship examined whether the media should have seen the crisis coming and questioned why journalists hadn't done a better job covering it. Other scholars, however, looked at the nature of the coverage itself vis-a-vis a larger discussion of how economic issues are framed. Much of the debate mirrored points made in previous analyses on the shortcomings of the business and financial press. They argue that more – or more accurate – information necessarily changes outcomes and tend to make normative judgements about the quality of journalism coverage studied.
Synaptic Connections in Developing and Adult Rat Taste Buds

Synaptic connections in rat taste buds closely resemble synapses found in the CNS. Taste bud synapses are characterized by parallel, apposed, thickened membranes that are separated by a cleft ranging from 16 to 30 nm. The putative synaptic vesicles are of two types: small, clear vesicles (40–70 nm) and large, dense-cored vesicles (90–120 nm). The small, clear vesicles predominate at most synapses. Most taste bud synapses fall into two structural types: small, macular synapses and ‘finger-like’ synapses (Kinnamon et al., 1985). The finger-like synapses are characterized by a rod-like postsynaptic process that protrudes into an invagination of the presynaptic taste cell. Virtually all adult synapses are afferent, from the gustatory receptor cell onto a process of a cranial nerve. It has been proposed, however, that subsurface cisternae of smooth endoplasmic reticulum located at the close appositions between taste cells and nerve processes may participate in efferent modulation of the taste cell (Ide and Munger, 1980; Clapp et al., 2004). Synapses in developing taste buds are more varied, including afferent, efferent, and neuroneuronal synapses. Most synapses in the CNS utilize a variety of proteins to translocate synaptic vesicles to the active zone of the presynaptic membrane, dock the vesicle, cause fusion of the vesicle membrane with the presynaptic membrane, and bring about exocytosis of the vesicle contents into the synaptic cleft. We are currently studying four synaptic proteins: SNAP-25, synaptobrevin, syntaxin and synaptotagmin. SNAP-25 and syntaxin are presynaptic membrane proteins, while synaptobrevin and synaptotagmin are synaptic vesicle proteins. SNAP-25, syntaxin and synaptobrevin (VAMP) are the three SNARE proteins (SNAP receptors) that form the core complex involved in synaptic vesicle docking and fusion (Sollner et al., 1993; Jahn and Sudhof, 1994). We have found that SNAP-25-like immuoreactivity (-LIR) is present in a small subset of taste cells (Yang et al., 2000). Approximately 92% of the taste cells we observed with synapses displayed SNAP-25-LIR. Syntaxin, another presynaptic membrane protein, is also expressed in taste cells with synapses (Yang et al., 2004a), as is synaptotagmin (unpublished observations). Using colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy we have found that synaptobrevin-LIR is closely associated with vesicles at synapses from taste cells onto nerve processes. Based on their ultrastructural features we believe that most, if not all, of the taste cells with synapses in rat circumvallate taste buds are type III cells.
Tacit Collusion in Oligopoly

We examine the economics literature on tacit collusion in oligopoly markets and take steps toward clarifying the relation between economists’ analysis of tacit collusion and those in the legal literature. We provide an example to motivate the idea that collusive profits can be achieved via tacit coordination in an environment where there is a unique, salient way for colluders to maximize and distribute their joint profits. We also survey the obstacles to obtaining above-competitive profits in less straightforward environments without having recourse to explicit communication.
Rational Lives: Norms and Values in Politics and Society. By Dennis Chong. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. 292p. $45.00 cloth, $18.00 paper.

Dennis Chong proposes an account of how to forge a merger between rational choice and sociological explanations of the role of norms, values, and symbols in politics. The core idea is that norms and values (not just self-interest) are indeed essential for understanding political choice (as a sociologist would expect), but that norms and values have to develop. Those in place today change over time. And rational choice enters in guiding that evolution.
Treatment strategies for infants with malignant sacrococcygeal teratoma

Twelve children with malignant sacrococcygeal teratoma containing embryonal carcinoma, were treated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia between 1971 and 1980. Their ages at diagnosis ranged from 2 days to 23 mo; 8 of the 12 (67%) were girls. Five of the 12 patients presented with localized tumors which were grossly completely excised. Four received no further therapy, and all 4 recurred with histologically documented embryonal carcinoma. Despite subsequent treatment with radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy (vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide, collectively called VAC, in all 4 plus adriamycin in 3, only 1 has survived free of disease, 8 yr from diagnosis. The other 3 died of tumor (2) or pneumonia after pulmonary RT (1). The fifth patient in this group received VAC with adriamycin (total dose, 350 mg/sq m) and died of autopsy-proven cardiotoxicity without tumor. The remaining 7 patients presented with either unresectable local tumor (3) or distant metastases (4). One of these 7 died 6 days after biopsy with massive liver metastases. The other 6 children were treated after operation with VAC (5) or vincristine and actinomycin D (1) chemotherapy, and 5 also received RT to the pelvis. One has survived free of disease at 6 yr after treatment with VAC and adriamycin and pelvic RT, but the other 5 died of tumor (2) or of pneumonia after pulmonary RT (3). Surgery alone is inadequate for successful management of children with malignant sacrococcygeal teratoma. Chemotherapy with VAC, with or without adriamycin, can be effective when combined with radiation, but fatal pulmonary toxicity can result from such combined therapy. The optimal therapeutic program for children with malignant sacrococcygeal teratoma is still evolving.
Social Construction of the Past: Representations as Power

Social Construction of the Past: Representations as Power. George C. Bond and Angela Gilliam. New York: Routledge, 1997.232 pp.
Analysing the new Taliban Code of Conduct (Layeha): an assessment of changing perspectives and strategies of the Afghan Taliban

Periodically, Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership formally issues Layeha or ‘codes of conduct’ for their fighters and supporters. Layeha offer important insights into the Afghan Taliban’s objectives, strategies and the psyche/perspective of Taliban leadership. This article presents an analysis of the Taliban’s code of conduct and examines what Layeha tell us about Taliban objectives, strategy and organization. Such information would seem particularly important as the United States as well as its coalition allies assess their Afghan operational strategy as well as exit strategy from Afghanistan. This analysis of the Layeha suggests that the Taliban remain most concerned with: chain of command principles preventing the fragmentation of the various Taliban networks; obtaining and maintaining public support by winning ‘hearts and minds’ of local residents; ensuring enough fighters remain engaged in combat; and galvanizing the perception that the Taliban represent a capable, desirable and fair alternative to the current Afghan political establishment.
An approach for imprecise transmission of TIFF image files through congested real-time ATM networks

The paper presents an approach to pre-process and post-process TIFF image files in real-time applications for maintaining an acceptable image quality when these files are transmitted in a congested ATM network. Compared to existing techniques, the approach introduces a very low transmission and computational overhead, allows a higher cell-loss rate, and produces a less image degradation. In this approach, the preprocessor rearranges the content of image files, and then packs these fixed image files into ATM cells for transmission. The post-processor unpacks the cells, restores the original content orders, and if part of the data has been discarded, performs data recovery to reconstruct imprecise image files as close to their original versions as possible. By marking an appropriate number of cells, a user can specify an acceptable lower bound on the quality of the image that is delivered at the destination. This mates it possible to control and know which part of the image data can be discarded. The experimental results show that by using the proposed approach, the quality of the received/recovered images decreases more slowly than the proportional increase in network congestion.
Acromegaly and toxic goiter. Cure of the hyperthyroidism and acromegaly by proton-beam partial hypophysectomy.

ABSTRACT A 53-yr-old female with co-existent toxic goiter and acromegaly had serum TSH levels of 8.1 and 6.4 μU/ml with serum FT4 of 4.9 and 3.9 ng/100 ml. Fasting hGH was 25 ng/ml and suppressed only to 17 ng/ml with oral glucose. Pituitary proton beam therapy cured the acromegaly (fasting hGH 9 ng/ml and 2 ng/ml one hr post-glucose). The hyperthyroidism resolved without other therapy (FT4 1.9–2.4 ng/100 ml) and TSH was reduced to 3.0–4.6 μU/ml. Excessive TSH secretion appeared to cause the hyperthyroidism.
Direct in situ measurement of nitric oxide in mesenteric resistance arteries : increased decomposition by superoxide in hypertension

The endothelium plays a critical role in maintaining vascular tone by releasing vasoconstrictor and vasodilator substances. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide is a vasodilator that can be rapidly inactivated by superoxide (reaction rate constant, K = 3.6 x 10(9) L/mol per second). The measurement of nitric oxide concentration in biological systems is a challenging analytic problem because nitric oxide is also rapidly inactivated by Fe(II), Fe(III), and O2, all of which are found in great abundance in biological systems. To date, no currently used instrumental technique has been suitable for direct in situ measurement of NO in isolated resistance arteries. We designed the present study to perform for the first time direct in situ measurements of NO in rat mesenteric resistance arteries and to delineate the effects of hypertension on the release of NO and/or its interaction with superoxide. We describe here an adaptation of the recently published design of a porphyrinic sensor for direct in vitro measurement of NO in a single cell. The most significant advantage of this modified porphyrinic microsensor is that its small size makes it ideal for NO measurement in resistance arteries with an internal diameter of 200 microns or less. Small segments of the third-order branch of the mesenteric artery were isolated from normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats and placed in an organ chamber filled with Hanks' balanced salt solution buffer (2 mL, 37 degrees C). The tip of the porphyrinic microsensor was inserted into the lumen of an isolated vascular ring, and NO release was monitored in situ after maximal stimulation of NO synthase with the receptor-independent agonist calcium ionophore A23187 (10 mumol/L). Maximal surface concentration of NO measured after A23187 administration was significantly smaller in 15-week-old hypertensive rats (0.28 +/- 0.03 mumol/L, n = 10) than in age-matched normotensive rats (0.38 +/- 0.03 mumol/L, n = 10, P < .03). However, in the presence of the superoxide scavenger superoxide dismutase (100 U/mL), the peak NO level from the hypertensive rats was 0.37 +/- 0.04 mumol/L (n = 10), which was comparable to that observed for the normotensive rats in the absence and presence of superoxide dismutase. In summary, our results demonstrate that in rat mesenteric resistance arteries hypertension is associated with increased NO decomposition by superoxide, whereas NO release remains unaffected. This may be important in the pathogenesis of hypertension and its cardiovascular complications.
Pervasive Adaptive Evolution in Primate Seminal Proteins

Seminal fluid proteins show striking effects on reproduction, involving manipulation of female behavior and physiology, mechanisms of sperm competition, and pathogen defense. Strong adaptive pressures are expected for such manifestations of sexual selection and host defense, but the extent of positive selection in seminal fluid proteins from divergent taxa is unknown. We identified adaptive evolution in primate seminal proteins using genomic resources in a tissue-specific study. We found extensive signatures of positive selection when comparing 161 human seminal fluid proteins and 2,858 prostate-expressed genes to those in chimpanzee. Seven of eight outstanding genes yielded statistically significant evidence of positive selection when analyzed in divergent primates. Functional clues were gained through divergent analysis, including several cases of species-specific loss of function in copulatory plug genes, and statistically significant spatial clustering of positively selected sites near the active site of kallikrein 2. This study reveals previously unidentified positive selection in seven primate seminal proteins, and when considered with findings in Drosophila, indicates that extensive positive selection is found in seminal fluid across divergent taxonomic groups.
Meeting report: NHLBI symposium on phenotyping: mouse cardiovascular function and development.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute “Symposium on Phenotyping: Mouse Cardiovascular Function and Development” was held on October 10–11, 2002, at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. In laying out the program for the meeting, we sought to bring together
Hemodynamic and permeability changes in posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome measured by dynamic susceptibility perfusion-weighted MR imaging.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The physiological mechanism that gives rise to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is currently unknown. We sought to better understand the mechanism of the edema formation in PRES and specifically hypothesized that this edema is caused by increased vascular permeability. METHODS: Eight consecutive patients with PRES who had been studied by using perfusion MR imaging were retrospectively identified. Perfusion images were obtained using a gradient-echo echo planar sequence with contrast enhancement. Measures of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT) and vascular permeability (K2) were calculated in the affected posterior brain areas and normalized to values obtained in unaffected anterior brain. These values were compared with those found in healthy subjects. RESULTS: Regions of interest within the posterior affected brain indicated a significant increase in ADC values in all but one patient, a significant decrease in CBV and CBF values in all patients with PRES (average 30% of control), variable changes in MTT, and no measurable change in K2. CONCLUSION: The decrease in both CBV and CBF in PRES supports the theory of autoregulatory vasoconstriction; changes in K2 were not detected.
Identification of Curing Agents in Rubber Products. Ultraviolet Absorptiometric Analysis of Selective Solvent Extracts

Abstract A method has been devised for identification of organic compounds that accelerate the vulcanization of rubber products. Identification of these active trace materials aids product improvement and quality control. Identification is made through ultraviolet spectrophotometric absorbance curves over the 220 to 380 mµ region on the aqueous alkali or acid extracts, or on liquid-liquid ethyl ether extracts of the aqueous solutions. Thiazole, thiuram, thiocarbamate, amine, and guanidine classes of commercial accelerators are regularly identified in 2 grams of uncured or cured rubber products, with less than 4 hours' elapsed time. Interference of common softeners and antioxidants is usually negligible. The method is more rapid than chromatographic procedures and more sensitive and specific than spot-test methods. Quantitative results may be obtained if calibration work is undertaken.
When School-Shooting Media Fuels a Retributive Public An Examination of Psychological Mediators

Despite evidence suggesting proactive responses to youth crime are advantageous, juvenile justice relies heavily on punitive practices. This discrepancy is in part affected by public preferences for retribution, which are skewed by sensationalized media portrayals of youth crime. This experiment (N = 174) explores how youth crime media exposure translates into retributive attitudes by testing the hypothesis that media portrayals of school shootings increase retributive attitudes indirectly through either dehumanization or mortality salience. Statistical analyses suggest that dehumanization mediates the relationship between school-shooting media portrayals and retributive attitudes toward crime-involved youths. To promote support of less retributive juvenile justice policies, advocates may benefit by focusing emphasis on humanizing elements of young offenders.
Anuran occupancy and breeding site use of aquatic systems in a managed pine landscape

Abstract Although the southeastern United States has >12 million ha of intensively managed pine forest, we have a poor understanding of how aquatic systems embedded in managed landscapes contribute to biodiversity. Further, the influence of local- and landscape-scale environmental factors on occupancy of aquatic habitat types by wetland-breeding species in managed forests is unclear. Thus, we investigated anuran occupancy across three ephemeral aquatic system types (altered sites, unaltered sites, and roadside ditches) embedded in an intensively managed pine landscape in eastern North Carolina, USA. These aquatic systems varied in management, disturbance intensity, and landscape context. Altered sites are actively managed as part of the surrounding plantation, unaltered sites are avoided by silvicultural activities (set aside), and ditches receive maintenance as part of routine forest management. We examined occupancy of anuran species at 53 aquatic sites surrounded by early-, mid-, or late-rotation aged stands. During January–July 2013–2014, we conducted repeated call surveys for anurans at aquatic sites and detected 14 species. We used single-species, multi-season occupancy models to examine associations between species occupancy and site- and landscape-scale habitat characteristics for 9 commonly encountered anurans as a function of aquatic system type and stand age class while accounting for imperfect detection. Detection probabilities by species ranged from 0.27 to 0.53 and increased seasonally through the year for most anurans. Species occupancy ranged in 2013 from 0.28 to 0.81 and in 2014 from 0.33 to 0.82. Species occupancy varied by aquatic system type, but the stand age surrounding an aquatic site had little effect on occupancy for most anurans we modeled. Our results indicate that local-scale factors commonly had a larger influence than landscape context on anuran occupancy. We detected evidence of breeding across all aquatic systems and stand age classes, suggesting at least a subset of species are calling and reproductively active. Our study highlights how novel landscape structure and reconfigured ephemeral aquatic systems embedded in intensively managed forests can support anuran occupancy across a range of disturbance intensities.