cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cutaneous Gas Exchange in Vertebrates: Design, Patterns, Control and Implications

Summary 1. The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between skin and environment is commonplace in the vertebrates. In many lower vertebrates, the skin is the major or even sole avenue for respiration. 2. As implied by the physical laws governing diffusion of gases, the skin diffusion coefficient, surface area, gas diffusion distance and transcutaneous gas partial pressures may independently or jointly affect cutaneous respiration. In vertebrates, each of these variables has undergone modification that may be related to dependence upon cutaneous gas exchange. 3. Both theoretical models and experimental data suggest that cutaneous gas exchange is limited by the rate of diffusion. However, changes in convection of the respiratory medium and of blood may partially compensate for diffusion limitation, and potentially function in the regulation of cutaneous gas exchange. 4. Typically, the skin is one of several gas exchangers, although many salamanders and some species in other vertebrate groups breathe solely through the skin. The cutaneous contribution to overall gas exchange is often most important in small animals, at cool temperatures, at low levels of activity and in normoxic and normocapnic conditions. Branchial and pulmonary respiration increasingly predominate in other circumstances. 5. Often, the skin figures more prominently in CO2, excretion than in O2, uptake. 6. Cutaneous gas exchange emerges in vertebrates as a process perhaps less effective and more constrained than branchial or pulmonary exchange but also less energetically costly. Its utility is indicated by its wide and successful exploitation in vertebrates occupying a diverse array of habitats.
Reflections for August

Putting her book down, she checked her hair in the mirror and headed downstairs. She knew she could at least look forward to a good meal and a decent bottle of wine. On their way, her host for the evening toured her through the college campus. While she enjoyed the fragrant flowering of a warm spring evening and wondered to herself whether the city was always this beautiful, he repeated the travelogue his realtor had related to him. He escorted her into the restaurant, meeting the faculty in his department already gathered at a table. Being Tuesday, it was not excessively crowded or noisy, so conversation flowed effortlessly, turning to her area of expertise, stroke, and the coordination of large clinical trials. Suggestions on how to get patients to and through the emergency room in time informed the conversation for awhile, but then talk subsided. Already an hour past her usual suppertime, Dr. Noonan was focused on getting her entree and dared not start on the wine while hungry. The others, well within their dietary comfort zones, indulged, while composing conversation openers in their heads. She sensed a buildup and turned to her younger host: “So, John, tell me about your new department.” John, waiting for a chance to speak and fueled by his first glass of the Malbec, did not hesitate. “Well, it is unbelievable just what good fortune I have had. The University recruited me with an outstanding package and with the full blessing of the Dean, I put together a great team.” She smiled politely, having herself been courted, unsuccessfully, by much larger packages. “Well,” he crowed, “my first recruit has already started an autonomic testing laboratory. Endocrinology is now sending everyone with diabetic neuropathy for studies and we should be able to add another technician next …
Toxicity of Herbicides to Newly Emerged Honey Bees

We fed herbicides to newly emerged worker Apis mellifera L. in 60% sucrose syrup at concentrations of 0, 10, 100, and 1000 parts per million by weight. The following herbicides were relatively nontoxic to honey bees at all concentrations: 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T, silvex, 2,4-DB, dicamba, 2,3,6-TBA, chloramben, picloram, Ethrel®, 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid, EPTC, and dalapon. The following were extremely toxic at 100 and 1000 ppmw concentrations: paraquat, MAA, MSMA, DSMA, hexaflurate, and cacodylic acid. Two compounds, bromoxynil and endothall, were very toxic only at 1000 parts per million by weight (ppmw) concentration. Paraquat, MAA, and cacodylic acid were moderately toxic at 10 ppmw. No significant differences were noted in the toxicity of purified and commercially formulated herbicides.
Lipid markers for atherosclerosis.

Abstract Atherogenesis results from the simultaneous occurrence of 2 important processes: platelet-endothelial interaction, with Its consequences mediated by the platelet-derived growth factor, and lipid accumulation. Lipid accumulation results from the balance or imbalance of cellular uptake of lipoproteins versus the removal of cholesterol esters. Uptake results from activity of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, modified fled LDL receptor and remnant receptors of macrophages. Cholesterol-ester removal Is regulated by apolipoproteln A-I. Low levels of apolipoprotein A-I are found In most patients with clinically significant coronary artery disease, suggesting that defects In cellular cholesterol ester removal may play an important role in atherogenesis.
Temporal variation in the woody understory of an old‐growth Fagus‐Acer forest and implications for overstory recruitment

Abstract. Changes in woody vegetation were examined over eight years, using a 1.05-ha permanent plot in which the location of every shrub and tree > 1m height was mapped. There was little change in the overstory vegetation, as expected for an old-growth forest. Much greater change occurred in the understory, primarily related to a 40 % increase in density. Differences occurred among species in the under-story, as Acer saccharum and Prunus serotina increased and Fraxinus americana and Fagus grandifolia decreased. Canopy gap dynamics are implicated in differences among species in the establishment and growth of individuals in the understory and their recruitment into the overstory. It is concluded that because understory is temporally variable, overstory recruitment from the understory may take different courses at different times in the same forest.
Regulation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and glycogen synthase by cyclic AMP in the bovine cornea

Bovine corneas were treated in vitro with various drug regimens and cyclic AMP, protein kinase and glycogen synthase activities were determined in each tissue extract. Isoproterenol (alone) did not increase corneal cyclic AMP under any condition tested. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (IBMX), produced a maximal 2·7-fold increase over control cyclic AMP values. Combinations of isoproterenol (or other β -adrenergic agonists) and IBMX stimulated cyclic AMP up to 25-fold over control. These increases were blocked completely by propranolol. Prostaglandin E 2 (with IBMX) was the only other drug tested which caused a significant increase (6·7-fold over control) in corneal cyclic AMP. Protein kinase activity was stimulated proportionally by cyclic AMP increases up to 8-fold over control. At this point the protein kinase activity ratio was essentially 1·0, indicating complete activation of the enzyme. Glycogen synthase activity decreased sharply in response to increases in corneal cyclic AMP and protein kinase activity. Maximal enzyme inhibition required only fourfold increases in cyclic AMP and approximately half-maximal stimulation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. These data indicate the conditions necessary to stimulate cyclic AMP in the cornea and the physiological relevance of cyclic AMP increases in terms of its effects on other corneal enzymes.
Effect of mechanical perturbation on the release of PGE2 by macrophages in vitro

Macrophages play numerous roles in both physiologic and pathologic processes. Along with fibroblasts, they comprise the synovial tissue that forms the lining of musculoskeletal joint capsules and bursae, and they often envelop implants. During the process of phagocytosing prosthesis-related particles, macrophages in peri-implant tissue release inflammatory mediators. Little is known, however, about the response of these cells to mechanical perturbation, which often is a component of the physical environment of the cell. Mouse peritoneal macrophages were grown on a flexible membrane in vitro and a dynamic 1-Hz spatially uniform sinusoidal strain pattern imparted to the elastomeric substrate. The effect of mechanical strain on prostaglandin (PG) E(2) release was evaluated using cells that were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as well as by those that were not. The results are compared with the levels of PGE(2) stimulated by metallic particles. Strain magnitudes of 4 and 8% applied for 1 h resulted in almost a twofold increase in the release of PGE(2) from LPS-stimulated cells (p < 0.05) and nonstimulated macrophages (p < 0.07), compared with nonperturbated controls. No release was elicited by a challenge of metal particles. These findings demonstrate for the first time an effect of mechanical force on the release of an inflammatory mediator by macrophages. This response may help to explain the macrophage-mediated processes underlying the osteolysis associated with loose prostheses in bone and suggests a mechanism for the inflammation of synovial tissues by excessive mechanical strain.
Iron and copper absorption in young and elderly men

Abstract Six healthy young men were confined to a metabolic unit to study iron and copper absorption from constant diets containing 10 mg of iron and 3 mg of copper daily. Iron status of all the men was normal. The men were confined to a metabolic unit for 78 days. Absorption was determined twice during the study using iron and copper enriched with the stable isotopes 54 Fe and 65 Cu. Stable isotopes were analyzed by magnetic sector, thermal ionization mass spectrometry. Iron and copper balances were determined for two 21 day periods and blood parameters of iron and copper status were measured at the beginning and end of the study. Data of the young men were combined with data of elderly men studied earlier. Blood indicators reflected adequate iron status in all subjects at the end of the study and serum copper was in the normal range for all subjects. The following indicators of iron status differed significantly among subjects: hemoglobin, hematocrit, TIBC, ferritin, and serum transferrin. Urinary and serum copper also differed significantly among subjects. Neither iron nor copper absorption differed between age groups or study periods. Iron absorption differed significantly among individuals, but copper absorption did not.
Seeking an ethical and legal way of procuring transplantable organs from the dying without further attempts to redefine human death

Because complex organs taken from unequivocally dead people are not suitable for transplantation, human death has been redefined so that it can be certified at some earlier stage in the dying process and thereby make viable organs available without legal problems. Redefinitions based on concepts of "brain death" have underpinned transplant practice for many years although those concepts have never found universal philosophical acceptance. Neither is there consensus about the clinical tests which have been held sufficient to diagnose the irreversible cessation of all brain function – or as much of it as is deemed relevant – while the body remains alive. For these reasons, the certification of death for transplant purposes on "brain death" grounds is increasingly questioned and there has been pressure to return to its diagnosis on the basis of cardiac arrest and the consequent cessation of blood circulation throughout the body. While superficially a welcome return to the traditional and universally accepted understanding of human death, examination of the protocols using such criteria for the diagnosis of death prior to organ removal reveals a materially different scenario in which the circulatory arrest is not certainly final and purely nominal periods of arrest are required before surgery begins. Recognizing the probably unresolvable conflict between allowing enough time to pass after truly final circulatory arrest for a safe diagnosis of death and its minimization for the sake of the wanted organs, Verheijde and colleagues follow others in calling for the abandonment of the "dead donor rule" and the enactment of legislation to permit the removal of organs from the dying, without pretence that they are dead before that surgery. While it may be doubted whether such a "paradigm change" in the ethics of organ procurement would be accepted by society, their call for its consideration as a fully and fairly informed basis for organ donation is to be applauded.
Expression and activity of low Km, cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase in cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Abstract The expression and activity of low K m , cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE3) 4 were examined in rabbit and canine cardiac and skeletal muscle. In cardiac muscle, a cDNA probe whose sequence encompasses the catalytic domain of human myocardial PDE3 (PDE3A) hybridized predominantly with a 7.2–7.4 kb mRNA. No hybridization was observed in preparations from slow or fast twitch skeletal muscle. Likewise, PDE3 activity was present in cytosolic and microsomal fractions of cardiac muscle but was absent from cytosolic and microsomal fractions of slow twitch and fast twitch skeletal muscle. These results, which demonstrate the absence of PDE3 from slow and fast twitch mammalian skeletal muscle, further delineate the differences in β-adrenergic receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways in cardiac and skeletal muscle.
Application of strong vertical magnetic fields to growth of II–VI pseudo-binary alloys: HgMnTe

Abstract HgMnTe crystals are grown by the vertical Bridgman method in the presence of an applied vertical magnetic field of 30 kG. Reduction of convective intensity in the melt through application of the magnetic field is found to decrease radial macro-segregation and eliminate small-scale compositional undulations in the grown material; the axial compositional profile is found not to be influenced by the magnetic field. These observations are shown to be consistent with a previously proposed model for the residual convection present during growth of this and other similar materials.
Graph Analysis with High-Performance Computing

Large, complex graphs arise in many settings including the Internet, social networks, and communication networks. To study such data sets, the authors explored the use of high-performance computing (HPC) for graph algorithms. They found that the challenges in these applications are quite different from those arising in traditional HPC applications and that massively multithreaded machines are well suited for graph problems.
Long-Term Functional Outcomes Following Nonradiated Vesicovaginal Repair

Purpose: We investigated the long-term impact on bladder and sexual symptoms in women with prior vesicovaginal fistula repair, particularly those previously treated before referral.Materials and Methods: After receiving institutional review board approval we reviewed the charts of women who underwent nonradiated vesicovaginal fistula repair for demographics, surgical approach (vaginal or abdominal) and functional outcomes with a minimum 6-month followup. Patients lost to followup were reached by a structured phone interview and/or mailed validated lower urinary tract questionnaires, including the UDI-6 (Urogenital Distress Inventory-6), IIQ-7 (Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7) and FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index). Three surgical groups were compared, including naive—no prior repair, recurrent—1 prior repair and other—more than 2 repairs with the hypothesis of worse outcomes with more repairs.Results: From 1996 to 2011 vesicovaginal fistula repair was performed in 66 patients, including in 42 as prim...
Pulse-train excitation of sodium for use as a synthetic beacon

The responses of two-level atoms and of sodium atoms to trains of repetitively pulsed resonance radiation are computed. It is found that the optimum backscatter from mesospheric sodium for a given irradiance is attained when the pulse trains are phase modulated and when the lengths of individual pulses are in the 500–700-ps range, corresponding to a transform-limited bandwidth somewhat smaller than the Doppler-broadened hyperfine-structure pattern of the D2 line.
Operation and Performance of the University of Wisconsin - Physical Sciences Laboratory Electron Storage Ring

A 240 MeV electron storage ring has been in operation at the Physical Sciences Laboratory of the University of Wisconsin for one year. The storage ring injector is a 50 MeV FFAG electron synchrotron. The bunched beam from the synchrotron is injected into the storage ring in a single turn. Radio-frequency capture is accomplished by using the signal from the bunched beam as the master oscillator during capture. Using this method, high capture efficiency is achieved. A useful consequence of the method of radio-frequency capture is the damping of the coherent synchrotron oscillation instability. The beam may be accelerated, or decelerated, to any energy within the capability of the ring - 10 MeV to 240 MeV. The vacuum system operates at a pressure in the mid 10-10 range allowing lifetimes of many hours for low intensity beams. During the first year of operation several interesting effects have been observed. Among these were photo etching of metal from the vacuum chamber by synchrotron radiation and enhanced beam loss due to scattering from ions trapped in the electron beam. The beam also exhibits a transverse coherent instability that violates the Courant-Sessler criteria for stability.
The effect of data character on empirical concept learning

The effect of data character on empirical concept learning has typically been studied using data from real domains. This presents problems because such data is often limited and uncontrollable. The authors present a more complex approach. They examine typical problems in an effort to characterize concepts more completely. They than utilize the characterization to generate data artificially. From this controlled data, they measure learning performance (speed and accuracy) as a precise function of several data characteristics. The authors' experiments lead to some novel conclusions: a useful starting point to clarify data character is the definition of the term concept, which is effectively a function over instance space; characterizing a concept as a function allows the mimicking of natural data and the control of the generation of artificial data for extensive experimentation; data characteristics are numerous and easy to overlook; and, compared with significant design factors of learning algorithms, certain data characteristics are highly significant. >
The Influence of Third Party Power and Suggestions on Negotiation: The Surface Value of a Compromise1

A simulated organizational dispute tested the influence of third party power and settlement suggestions on negotiation. Six different types of third party suggestions were tested: Integrative (highest possible value to both parties), compromise (the prominent solution equally favorable to both parties), unintegrative (lowest possible value to both parties), favorable (more value to subject than to opponent), unfavorable (more value to opponent than to subject), and no offers. Additional subjects bargained with no third party. The results suggest that the potential of a third party to impose a settlement influenced disputant perceptions of power and desire for third party involvement, but had only weak effects on communication processes and little effect on offer proposals. While integrative suggestions led to greater acceptability of the third party, compromise suggestions positively influenced the appearance of fairness and the use of rationality and exchange messages. Receipt of an unfavorable suggestion resulted in less favorable ratings of third party acceptability, greater perceptions of bias, and the use of more assertive messages and fewer upward appeals aimed at the third party than did receipt of a favorable suggestion. Implications for managerial dispute resolution behavior and subsequent perceptions of satisfaction and justice are discussed.
PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF AN ARCTIC WATERSHED: AN UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS

We describe a scaling protocol that combines two hierarchically linked mod- els with field surveys, spatially distributed weather data, and remotely sensed images to generate daily predictions of gross primary production (GPP) for a 9200-km 2 arctic wa- tershed. A detailed process-based model of vegetation-atmosphere interactions, which has been tested in a variety of arctic ecosystems against independent hourly gas exchange data, forms the base of the hierarchy. This detailed model was used to construct a second and simpler, ''big-leaf'' model, which was calibrated for arctic conditions and which required many fewer parameters and input data. For landscape forcing data, we derived spatiotem- poral data on weather conditions (maximum and minimum temperature, and irradiance) from weather stations throughout the watershed. Spatiotemporal descriptions of the biotic constraints on production, chiefly leaf area index (LAI) and total foliar nitrogen ( Nf), were derived from field surveys, a land cover database, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data acquired from satellites. The scaling hierarchy avoided propagation of error via a compensation process, though the procedures involved still introduced uncer- tainty into daily GPP predictions averaging 16% of the growing season daily mean. The construction of the spatiotemporal temperature and irradiance fields introduced uncertainty of 1-2% at spatial and temporal resolutions of 1 km 2 and one day, respectively. The greatest uncertainty was introduced by assignment of LAI across the region, because of the highly heterogeneous landscape and the high sensitivity of production to changes in LAI at the low levels found in the Arctic. Uncertainty in vegetation properties introduced an uncertainty of 615% in basin GPP predictions, a value commensurate with basin net ecosystem pro- duction (NEP). In conclusion, improved characterization of vegetation via remote sensing is required before any bottom-up approach to carbon budgeting can reduce uncertainty to a reasonable level.
GDP Dissociation Inhibitor Serves as a Cytosolic Acceptor for Newly Synthesized and Prenylated Rab5

In vitro synthesis and post-translational prenylation of Rab5 is accomplished using reticulocyte lysate supplemented with prenyl precursors (Sanford, J. C., Pan, Y., and Wessling-Resnick, M. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 23773-23776). When Rab5 is translated in the presence of biotin-lysine-tRNA, it incorporates biotin-lysine into its peptide backbone and is efficiently prenylated; since this modification is dependent on guanine nucleotide binding, biotin-Rab5's functional integrity must be maintained. Prenylated biotin-Rab5 associates with a 45-kDa reticulocyte GDP dissociation inhibitor (GDI), sedimenting as a approximately 70-kDa particle on 5-20% sucrose density gradients. The GDI-Rab5 complex can be captured using streptavidin-linked agarose beads. Only Rab5 peptides that are substrates for prenylation are found to cosediment with the lysate GDI on sucrose gradients. Post-translational association of Rab5 and GDI is a novel finding, since previous reports suggested Rab5 remains associated with Rab escort protein (REP) after prenylation (Alexandrov, K., Horiuchi, H., Steele-Mortimer, O., Seabra, M. C., and Zerial, M. (1994) EMBO J. 13, 5262-5273). Since post-translational prenylation is catalytically mediated by REP, our study suggests that a complex between Rab5 and this factor is transient in nature. Thus, newly synthesized and prenylated Rab5 is most likely escorted to its target membrane by a GDI acceptor molecule. Biotin-Rab5 provides a novel tool for future efforts to capture and characterize additional accessory factors required for Rab protein function in vesicle transport.
Deterring voluntary trace disclosure in re-encryption mix networks

An all too real threat to the privacy offered by a mix network is that individual mix administrators may volunteer partial tracing information to a coercer. While this threat can never be eliminated - coerced mix servers could simply be forced to reveal all their secret data - we can deter administrators from succumbing to coercive attacks by raising the stakes. We introduce the notion of a trace-deterring mix permutation to guarantee privacy, and show how it ensures that a collateral key (used for an arbitrary purpose) be automatically revealed given any end-to-end trace from input to output elements. However, no keying material is revealed to a party who simply knows what input element corresponds to what output element. Our techniques are sufficiently efficient to be deployed in large-scale elections, thereby providing a sort of publicly verifiable privacy guarantee. Their impact on the size of the anonymity set-while quantifiable - are not of practical concern.
Calretinin in the cat retina: colocalizations with other calcium-binding proteins, GABA and glycine.

Immunocytochemical techniques were used to determine the distribution of the calcium-binding protein calretinin in the cat retina. Comparisons were made with parvalbumin and calbindin as well as with the inhibitory neurotransmitters GABA and glycine. Calretinin immunoreactivity was seen in horizontal cells and multiple subpopulations of amacrine and ganglion cells. Cone outer segments were also stained. Calbindin immunoreactivity was present in cone photoreceptors, horizontal cells, at least two subtypes of cone bipolar cell, numerous amacrine cells, and cells residing in the ganglion cell layer. Heavy staining for parvalbumin was found in both A- and B-type horizontal cells, distinct subpopulations of amacrine and ganglion cells, and a small population of cone photoreceptor cells. To confirm the identity of cone photoreceptors, comparisons were made with retinas stained for opsins specific for red/green or blue cones (Szel et al., 1986). The localization of parvalbumin corresponded with that of blue-type cones only whereas calretinin and calbindin staining showed the same distribution as both red/green and blue cones. Double-label immunofluorescence studies revealed colocalization of all three of the calcium-binding proteins in a number of neurons including horizontal cells and AII amacrine cells. To assess a possible transmitter-specific relationship for calretinin, double-label studies were carried out with GABA and glycine. However, the staining patterns for each of these inhibitory amino acids differed substantially from that of calretinin. The possibility remains that calretinin and other calcium-binding proteins may play a role in neurotransmission through interactions with receptors or second-messenger agents.
Tabarī's Exegesis of the Qur'ānic Term al-Kitīb

Pour al-Tabarī, les termes de Coran et d'al-kitāb semblent etre synonymes. Pourtant, l'univers coranique presente par al-Tabarī est constitue de kitābs sans forme. Le Coran temoigne d'une crainte pour le monde de l'ecrit. En cherchant a commenter le Coran, al-Tabarī echoue dans sa tentative qui est de dissiper la confusion creee par le livre. En effet, le Coran utilise un seul mot pour des entites variees. Il semble donc que le terme de kitāb reste un signifiant instable. Savoir pourquoi implique de resoudre le probleme des controverses qui animent le debut de la periode islamique
Endosome function and dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases

Endocytosis is universally important in cell function. In the brain, the roles of endosomes are relatively more complex due to the unique polar morphology of neurons and specialized needs for inter-cellular communication. New evidence shows that endosome function is altered in a surprising range of neurodegenerative disorders, including in several inherited neurologic disorders where the causative mutations occur in genes that regulate endosome function. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), endosome abnormalities are among the earliest neuropathologic features to develop and have now been closely linked to genetic risk factors for AD, including APP triplication in Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome, DS) and ApoE4 genotype in sporadic AD. Recent findings on endosome regulation and developmental and late-onset neurodegenerative disease disorders are beginning to reveal how endocytic pathway impairment may lead to neuronal dysfunction and cell death in these disorders and may also promote amyloidogenesis in AD.
Urban female patients' perceptions of the family medicine clinic as a site for abortion care

Abstract Background Induced abortion is common in the US, yet there is a lack of providers. We surveyed female patients asking why they would or would not (a) accept early abortion offered by their family physician (FP) in their family medicine clinic (FMC) and (b) prefer to access abortion services in the FMC. Study Design An anonymous survey with open- and closed-ended questions was conducted at three FMCs. Results were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Results Four hundred forty-nine women completed the survey. Respondents supported offering medication (68.8%) and suction (43.1%) abortion in the FMC. Sixty-seven percent of the respondents who identified themselves as possibly having a future abortion ( n =231) would prefer to have the abortion in their FMC. Comfort with either their provider or the FMC was the most frequently cited reason for preferring the FMC. Concern about preserving comfort at the FMC was mentioned by others as a reason for not choosing the FMC. “Expertise” was the most commonly cited reason by those who preferred a specialized abortion clinic. Anonymity or privacy was mentioned by different respondents as a benefit of care at both sites. Conclusion In order to address patient preferences and concerns, early abortion services should be offered in the FMC as well as in specialty clinics.
Controlling Vibrio vulnificus and spoilage bacteria in fresh shucked oysters using natural antimicrobials.

UNLABELLED This study evaluated the efficacy of grape seed extract (GE), citric acid (CA) and lactic acid (LA) on the inactivation of Vibrio vulnificus and inherent microflora in fresh shucked oysters. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of GE, CA or LA against V. vulnificus was determined. Furthermore, the shucked oysters were artificially inoculated with V. vulnificus. The inoculated shucked oysters (25 g) were then dipped in 250 ml GE, CA or LA solutions for 10 min. The population of V. vulnificus in shucked oysters was determined. The effects of the treatments with GE, CA or LA solutions on the inherent microbiota in fresh shucked oysters during storage at 5°C for 20 days were also studied. The MICs of GE, CA or LA against V. vulnificus were 10.0, 5.0 or 1.0 mg ml(-1), respectively. The concentrations of 500, 300 or 150 mg ml(-1) GE, CA or LA solutions were needed to reduce the population of V. vulnificus to below the detection level (1.0 log g(-1)). Treatment with 500, 300, 150 mg ml(-1) GE, CA or LA significantly reduced the initial inherent microbiota in fresh shucked oysters, and inherent levels were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than the control sample throughout refrigerated storage for 20 days. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Oysters filter large volume of seawater during their feeding activities that concentrate bacteria such as Vibrio vulnificus in their body. The presence of V. vulnificus in oysters has a serious impact on public health and international trade. There is increasing concern over the use of chemical preservatives. Furthermore, the food industry is looking for new natural preservation methods. This study indicated that lactic acid and citric acid wash solutions could offer an inexpensive, natural and strong approach to control V. vulnificus and spoilage bacteria in fresh shucked for the oyster industry.
Atrogin1/MAFbx: What Atrophy, Hypertrophy, and Cardiac Failure Have in Common

See related article, pages 161–171 Proteins in cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, as in other cells, are continually being synthesized and degraded back to their constituent amino acids. Protein turnover in cardiac myocytes utilizes the same proteolytic systems as other eukaryotic cells: the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, which catalyzes the rapid degradation of misfolded and regulatory proteins, and the lysosomal-autophagic system, which degrades organelles and aggregated proteins. These systems are of major importance in determining cardiac size and functional capacity. The overall rates of proteolysis in a cell and the degradation of individual components are precisely regulated. For example, cardiac hypertrophy occurs when overall rates of protein synthesis exceed overall rates of protein degradation; conversely cells decrease in mass when degradation rates exceed synthesis, as occurs in skeletal muscle with disuse, fasting, and many systemic diseases, including cardiac failure. In addition, the levels of individual proteins, whether they are enzymes, transcription factors, or components of the sarcomere, are determined in large part by their rates of ubiquitin-mediated degradation. In this issue of Circulation Research , Usui et al1 demonstrate how a single ubiquitination enzyme can have major effects on cardiac growth and function. In this pathway, proteins are targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome by covalent attachment of a chain of ubiquitin molecules. This multistep pathway first involves the activation of the small protein ubiquitin by an enzyme, E1, which then transfers the highly reactive ubiquitin to one of the cell's many ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, E2s. A ubiquitin protein ligase, E3, then binds the protein substrate and the ubiquitin-E2 and catalyzes the formation of a chain of ubiquitins on the protein. Different E2-E3 pairs function in the degradation of different proteins, and the specificity of the E3s for specific groups of proteins provides exquisite selectivity to this degradation process. The content …
When the Romance is Over: Follower Perspectives of Aversive Leadership

While leadership is indisputably one of the most pervasive topics in our society, the vast majority of existing research has focused on leadership as a positive force. Taking a follower-centric approach to the study of leadership, we integrate research on the Romance of Leadership and the dark side of leadership by examining followers’ perceptions of aversive leadership in the context of public high schools. Although Meindl, Ehrlich, and Dukerich (1985) demonstrated that the Romance of Leadership also includes the overattribution of negative outcomes to leaders, subsequent research has failed to explore the implications of this potentially darker side of romanticizing leaders. Specifically, we exam ine perceptions of principals’ aversive leadership and traditional affective, behavioral, and performance outcomes of followers in a sample of 342 dyads. Followers assessed their principals’ leadership behaviors and self-rated their levels of job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and resistance, while principals assessed their followers’ citizenship behaviors, complaining behaviors, and job performance. Results show that perceptions of aversive leadership
Selective Inhibition of JAK1 and JAK2 Is Efficacious in Rodent Models of Arthritis: Preclinical Characterization of INCB028050

Inhibiting signal transduction induced by inflammatory cytokines offers a new approach for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Kinase inhibitors have shown promising oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drug potential with efficacy similar to anti-TNF biologics. Direct and indirect inhibition of the JAKs, with small molecule inhibitors like CP-690,550 and INCB018424 or neutralizing Abs, such as the anti-IL6 receptor Ab tocilizumab, have demonstrated rapid and sustained improvement in clinical measures of disease, consistent with their respective preclinical experiments. Therefore, it is of interest to identify optimized JAK inhibitors with unique profiles to maximize therapeutic opportunities. INCB028050 is a selective orally bioavailable JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor with nanomolar potency against JAK1 (5.9 nM) and JAK2 (5.7 nM). INCB028050 inhibits intracellular signaling of multiple proinflammatory cytokines including IL-6 and IL-23 at concentrations <50 nM. Significant efficacy, as assessed by improvements in clinical, histologic and radiographic signs of disease, was achieved in the rat adjuvant arthritis model with doses of INCB028050 providing partial and/or periodic inhibition of JAK1/JAK2 and no inhibition of JAK3. Diminution of inflammatory Th1 and Th17 associated cytokine mRNA levels was observed in the draining lymph nodes of treated rats. INCB028050 was also effective in multiple murine models of arthritis, with no evidence of suppression of humoral immunity or adverse hematologic effects. These data suggest that fractional inhibition of JAK1 and JAK2 is sufficient for significant activity in autoimmune disease models. Clinical evaluation of INCB028050 in RA is ongoing.
Management Style as Strategic Interaction: The Case of Governor Ronald Reagan:

Theories and typologies of management style typically focus on the form and amount of involvement a superior allows her or his subordinates in decision making. The author suggests that existing the...
NULLHOC : a MAC protocol for adaptive antenna array based wireless ad hoc networks in multipath environments

A medium access control (MAC) protocol for ad hoc networks of nodes with antenna arrays is presented. The antenna array is used for transmit and receive beamforming with the purpose of increasing spatial reuse by directing nulls at active transmitters and receivers in the neighborhood. In contrast to previous work with directional antennas, our approach is applicable to flat fading multipath channels, such as in indoor or in other rich scattering environments. The MAC protocol is designed to support the control information exchange needed to direct nulls toward other users involved in existing communication sessions. Knowledge of the channel coefficients between a transmitter or receiver and its neighbors is used to design transmit or receive beamformer weights that implement the requisite nulling. Simulations are used to demonstrate the improvements in throughput and transmit powers that are obtained in this approach relative to the conventional IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol.
Rural Development: The Case Of Canadian, Texas

Canadian is a small town in the northeast Texas Panhandle that is extremely vital and thriving.Although it enjoys large benefits from its oil and gas industry and has some unique qualities in its history that have aided in its success, it is almost a textbook example of rural development success.This case will compare the practices of Canadian to the standards of the literature in rural development and discuss it within the context of that literature.
PP06.7 – 2634: Musculoskeletal Deformities in a cross-sectional study of 204 consecutive paediatric patients with cerebral palsy (CP)

Objective The purpose of this study was to document the types and relative frequency of secondary musculoskeletal deformities in children with CP. Methods A cross-sectional study of 204 consecutive CP patients was performed in our hospital, during an 8-month period. Patients were examined by paediatric neurologists and orthopaedic surgeons and their medical records reviewed and updated. Results In total, 35/204 (17%) patients were GMFCS level I, 54/204 (26%) II, 31/204 (15%) III, 58/204 (28%) IV and 26/204 (12.7%) V. A subpopulation of 109/204 (53%) patients were identified with a documented diagnosis of secondary musculoskeletal problems. These problems included foot deformities, hip instability and neuromuscular scoliosis. Fixed foot deformities were documented in 50/204 (24.5%) patients: in 5/26 (19%) patients GMFCS V and in 21/58 (36%) patients GMFCS IV at an average age of 12 years (minimum 8 yrs), and in 24/120 (20%) patients in GMFCS groups I-III. The most common deformities were pes planovalgus (52%) and equinovarus (22%). Hip subluxation (Migration Percentage, MP ≥40%) or dislocation (MP 100%) was documented in 40/204 (19.6%) patients. In total, hip instability was diagnosed in 12/26 (46%), patients GMFCS V, at an average age of 5.5 years (minimum 3.5 yrs) and in 21/58 (36%) patients GMFCS IV, at an average age of 7.2 years (minimum 2.5 yrs). Hip instability was documented in 4/31 (13%) patients GMFCS III and in 3/54 (5.5%) patients GMFCS II. Neuromuscular scoliosis was documented in 6/204 (3%) patients at an average age of 14.5 years (minimum 10 yrs). Conclusions Musculoskeletal problems are common in children with CP. Hip instability can be detected and should be treated at an earlier age than foot or spine deformities. Treating physicians should have a high index of suspicion, in order to achieve early diagnosis, initiate treatment and prevent major problems in adolescence and adult life.
The Origin of Quorum Systems

A quorum system is a collection of subsets of nodes, called quorums, with the property that each pair of quorums have a non-empty intersection. Quorum systems are the key mathematical abstraction for ensuring consistency in fault-tolerant and highly available distributed computing. This paper is a brief overview of the evolution of quorum systems, with emphasis on their role in two fundamental applications: distributed storage and replication.
NCQA behavioral health measurement efforts.

OBJECTIVE To review the role of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in ensuring the quality of care in the managed care setting and identify novel strategies to improve performance rates for Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures, particularly in the area of depression. SUMMARY NCQA, by regulating HEDIS measures, sets the standards by which managed care organizations evaluate their performance in providing care for their enrollees. The medication management measure for depression evaluates practitioner contacts and acute and continuation phase treatments for persons treated with an antidepressant. Despite increased detection and management of patients with depression, there is still room for improvement in HEDIS performance rates for this chronic disease. CONCLUSION NCQA hopes to improve collaboration among managed care organizations and managed behavioral health organizations In addition, NCQA regularly reevaluates the HEDIS measures using input from panels of experts. Incentive p r o grams for providers who deliver quality care may also help to improve HEDIS performance rates for depression. Research is under way to evaluate the feasibility and re t u rn on investment for pay-for-performance programs in depression.
Spin Wave Propagation and Brillouin Light Scattering on Antiferromagnetically Coupled Bilayers

The ground state spin configuration of antiferromagnetically coupled ferromagnetic thin films is determined by competition between anisotropics, interlayer exchange and the applied magnetic field. It is shown that many details of a ground state spin configuration can be obtained by studying the behavior of the spin wave frequencies as functions of propagation direction and applied field strength. A sensitive dependence on the relative film thicknesses is found for small applied field strengths.
Hybrid Reynolds-Averaged/Large Eddy Simulation of the Flow in a Model SCRamjet Cavity Flameholder

Steady-state and scale-resolving simulations have been performed for flow in and around a model scramjet combustor flameholder. Experimental data available for this configuration include velocity statistics obtained from particle image velocimetry. Several turbulence models were used for the steady-state Reynolds-averaged simulations which included both linear and non-linear eddy viscosity models. The scale-resolving simulations used a hybrid Reynolds-averaged/large eddy simulation strategy that is designed to be a large eddy simulation everywhere except in the inner portion (log layer and below) of the boundary layer. Hence, this formulation can be regarded as a wall-modeled large eddy simulation. This e ort was undertaken to not only assess the performance of the hybrid Reynolds-averaged / large eddy simulation modeling approach in a flowfield of interest to the scramjet research community, but to also begin to understand how this capability can best be used to augment standard Reynolds-averaged simulations. The numerical errors were quantified for the steady-state simulations, and at least qualitatively assessed for the scale-resolving simulations prior to making any claims of predictive accuracy relative to the measurements. The steady-state Reynolds-averaged results displayed a high degree of variability when comparing the flameholder fuel distributions obtained from each turbulence model. This prompted the consideration of applying the higher-fidelity scale-resolving simulations as a surrogate "truth" model to calibrate the Reynolds-averaged closures in a non-reacting setting prior to their use for the combusting simulations. In general, the Reynolds-averaged velocity profile predictions at the lowest fueling level matched the particle imaging measurements almost as well as was observed for the non-reacting condition. However, the velocity field predictions proved to be more sensitive to the flameholder fueling rate than was indicated in the measurements.
Living with Contextualism

L'A. s'interroge sur la possibilite et la valeur d'une politique contextualiste, en montrant l'importance du contexte pour former un jugement qui s'applique aux differents particularismes culturels et sociaux
Erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in normal and hypertensive gravid women and their newborn infants

Red blood cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) levels were studied in 227 normal gravid women in all stages of pregnancy, active labor, and early post partum. An increase to peak levels was observed at 19 to 22 weeks followed by a gradual fall toward normal. During labor and early post partum, 2,3-DPG again rose significantly above levels observed at term. Serial 2,3-DPG values through the third trimester, labor, and postpartum period in 11 hypertensive mothers and 20 normal gravid control subjects and their newborn infants were studied. Maternal 2,3-DPG levels were significantly higher in the hypertensive mothers when compared to control mothers at similar gestational stages. However, no difference in 2,3-DPG levels was observed when newborn infants of hypertensive mothers were compared with those of normal control subjects.
Can experience reduce collisions between birds and vehicles

Bird collisions with vehicles cause serious safety, financial and conservation concerns worldwide, but the causes of such collisions are poorly described. We investigated how experience with vehicles influenced avian avoidance responses. We trained three groups of vehicle-naive rock pigeons Columba livia with 32 near-miss vehicle approaches over 4 weeks at 60 and 120 km h−1, and also included individuals that heard but did not see the approaches (control group). We subsequently measured flight initiation distance (FID) and whether individuals ‘collided’ with a virtual vehicle directly approaching at 120 or 240 km h−1 using video playback. We found that inexperienced individuals (i.e. the control group) had longer FIDs than experienced birds, although only one of 90 individuals across groups successfully avoided virtual collision. Vehicle approach speed during video playback and the interaction of approach speed and training group did not influence FID. Our results suggest that a habituation-like effect based on repeated observations of passing vehicles could contribute to ineffective vehicle avoidance responses by birds when collisions are imminent. Novel strategies should be developed to enhance avoidance responses to high-speed vehicles to minimize bird mortality.