cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Self-Other Discrepancy in Social Shyness

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes the self–other discrepancy in social shyness. Shyness is a form of social anxiety that has been characterized as anxious preoccupation with the self in the presence of others. Some researchers argue that a necessary precondition for experiencing the state emotion of shyness is public self-consciousness—that is, awareness of the self as a social object. Although the importance of self-processes in the experience of shyness has been generally recognized, the role of the self has not been fully explicated in this regard. This chapter reviews previous researches on shyness as well as some recent data with particular emphasis on the discrepancy between self and other perception of social behavior. An overview of the concept of shyness is presented and its emergence in the psychological literature as a descriptive and theoretical construct is discussed. The research is analyzed which focuses on shyness including the rate of its occurrence, internal, and behavioral correlates. The data linking dispositional shyness to limited and problematic social networks is also reviewed in the chapter.
Direct functional interaction between HLA-DM and human immunoglobulin. (APP3P.102)

B cells internalize extracellular antigen into endosomes using the immunoglobulin (Ig) component of the B cell receptor. In endosomes, antigen-derived peptides are loaded onto MHC class II proteins (MHC-II). How these pathways intersect remains unclear. We previously found that HLA-DM (DM), a catalyst for MHC-II peptide loading, co-precipitates with Ig in lysates from human B cell lines. We also detected DM/Ig complexes in intact cells by proximity ligation assay. Here, we report that DM/Ig complexes co-localize with endosomal markers in intact cells and that a larger fraction of Ig precipitates with DM after BCR crosslinking. In vitro, in the endosomal pH range, soluble HLA-DM (sDM) directly binds the Ig Fab domain, interacting with greater kinetic stability when Ig is immobilized onto a surface. Interestingly, sDM increases levels of free antigen released from immune complexes. Together, our results reveal a novel, direct HLA-DM/Ig interaction that may contribute to Ig-mediated antigen presentation by MHC-II.
History of the Optical Microscope in Cell Biology and Medicine

Advances in our understanding of cell biology are intimately connected with new optical microscopes and specimen preparation techniques. From the seventeenth century onward these technical advances impacted on the fields of cell biology and medicine, and sometimes these advances occurred reciprocally. Keywords: cell biology; phase contrast; fluorescence; confocal; nonlinear microscope
The strong mayor‐deputy mayor plan in the United States

With the establishment of the Greater London Authority involving a directly elected mayor with executive powers, Joseph Zimmerman looks at the United States’ experience with mayors in local government.
Caffeine clearance in cirrhosis: The value of simplified determinations of liver metabolic capacity

Less complex methods of measuring hepatic metabolic capacity are needed. A simplified caffeine clearance test was evaluated in 23 patients with stable alcoholic liver disease. First, saliva caffeine concentrations were measured over a 24-h caffeine-free interval. Clearance was calculated from the rate of elimination of caffeine and an assumed volume of distribution and compared with the results of a formal clearance test using sequential plasma and saliva samples following a 300 mg oral dose. The simplified method was then assessed in 11 hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. Saliva caffeine concentrations remained measurable over the interval of study in 82% of patients. Caffeine clearance as determined by the simplified method did not differ from plasma caffeine clearance after an oral dose. Application of this method was achieved in 11 of 12 patients hospitalized for complications of severe liver disease, and revealed markedly diminished clearance. Thus, caffeine clearance can be accurately estimated in patients with severe liver disease using two or more samples of either saliva or plasma. This simplified determination of caffeine elimination rate provides a more practical assessment of hepatic metabolic capacity than a formal clearance test.
Electrical Effects of Steroids in Neurons

Neuroendocrinologists have recognized for over three decades that gonadal steroids participate in CNS (hypothalamic) control of pituitary hormone secretion via a feedback mechanism (Sawyer et al., 1949). It is known that removal of the gonads results in enhanced synthesis and release of the gonadotropins. However, restoration of circulating levels of gonadal steroid(s) through systemic administration of the steroid(s) inhibits this augmentation. Therefore, this phenomenon has been designated “negative feedback” of gonadal steroids (see McCann, 1974, for review). The mechanism of steroid feedback has been thought to involve DNA-dependent RNA transcription for the hypothalamus as well as the pituitary gland (McEwen and Luine, 1978). The nuclear mediation of new protein synthesis has been a well-documented mode of action of steroids in peripheral target tissues such as estrogen’s actions in the uterus (Jensen et al., 1969). Indirect evidence for this mode of action in the CNS came from the early autoradiographic localization of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in hypothalamic neurons (Pfaff, 1968; Stumpf, 1968; Sar and Stumpf, 1973; Pfaff and Keiner, 1973; Stumpf and Sar, 1976) and glucocorticoids in hippocampal neurons (McEwen et al., 1972a; Stumpf and Sar, 1976).
Magnetic response of Y 0.47 Pr 0.53 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ : Superconductivity, glassiness, and paramagnetism

The magnetic response of the strongly underdoped ${\mathrm{Y}}_{0.47}{\mathrm{Pr}}_{0.53}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ was investigated. We found the presence of superconducting and magnetic orders deep into the paramagnetic state, up to $200\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, which manifest as diamagneticlike response and hysteresis, respectively. We propose that the main source of irreversibility in this $T$ range is the softening and melting of the glassy state into a viscous liquid of entities that behave like superparamagnetic particles with antiferromagnetic cores.
Computer and Laboratory Modeling of the Vertical Diffusion of Nonbuoyant Particles in the Mixed Layer

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the evidence favoring the validity of computer and laboratory modeling of the mixed-layer turbulence and determines from such modeling the rate of vertical diffusion of pollutants after they leave the surface layer until they are thoroughly mixed. Computer modeling of turbulence in the mixed layer has proved to be a feasible method for the examination of eddies of scales greater than about 0.1 z i and less than about 5 z i . Nonbuoyant particles have been released near the base of the simulated mixed layer and photographed to determine their rate of vertical diffusion and the vertical-velocity variance as a function of height within the mixed layer. Turbulence and diffusion in the mixed layer can be measured by means of a laboratory model of the entire mixed layer in which no mean wind is present. This kind of model has previously been used, and the chapter reviews the three-dimensional numerical model in which the particles were released. For similarity in vertical diffusion to exist, it is essential that the vertical velocity variance, when properly scaled, be nearly the same in the models as in the atmospheric boundary layer relative to the scaled depth.
Determination of exposure levels of honey bees foraging on flowers of mature citrus trees previously treated with imidacloprid.

BACKGROUND Field and tunnel cage studies were undertaken to determine the extent to which honey bees foraging on citrus blossoms were exposed to imidacloprid and its metabolites when citrus trees were treated with soil applications of the insecticide. Residues were measured by LC/MS/MS in nectar and pollen samples from trees treated up to 232 days prior to bloom. RESULTS Imidacloprid, imidacloprid olefin and 5-hydroxy imidacloprid were detected in nectar and pollen sampled from the flowers of citrus trees treated with imidacloprid up to 232 days prior to bloom. In tunnel studies, where foraging was restricted exclusively to citrus, imidacloprid residues in nectar extracted from flowers and from bee crops were similar (<10 ng mL−1) and below the established no-observed-effects limit; however, the residue levels were about threefold higher in nectar sampled from comb. Concentrations of imidacloprid in nectar were higher in trees treated with higher application rates. CONCLUSIONS Imidacloprid and its metabolites were detected in the nectar and pollen of citrus trees treated up to 232 days prior to the onset of bloom. However, based on published bioassay data, the imidacloprid concentrations in the floral nectar did not surpass levels that would compromise foraging activity under normal use conditions for imidacloprid. Further research is needed to assess the impact of elevated levels of imidacloprid within stored nectar in the comb. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Structural Organization Associated with Pseudopod Extension and Contraction During Cell Locomotion in Difflugia

In Difflugia corona , a free-living amoeboid cell, locomotion is hampered by a heavy shell or test made of sand grains and other debris. Locomotion involves pseudopod extension, attachment to the substratum, and forcible pseudopod retraction which pulls the shelled cell body forward. When observed through a polarizing microscope, the extending pseudopodia appear isotropic or very weakly birefringent. Upon attachment to the substratum a positively birefringent fibrillar array develops rapidly at the attachment point and extends from this region bade to the cell body within the test. These birefringent fibrils extend through and parallel to the long axis of the pseudopod. As the pseudopod retracts, the birefringent fibrillar array disappears, and hyaline blebs, suggestive of syneresis, appear on the pseudopodial surface. The birefringent fibrils correspond in position and approximate diameter (1 µ) to retractile fibrils visible with the Nomarski differential interference microscope. Individual organisms were fixed for electron microscopy at a time when the pseudopodia were firmly attached to the substratum. Electron-microscopic examination of thin sections of pseudopodia revealed many 1-µ bundles of intimately associated, aligned, 55-75 A microfilaments. The orientation and size of the bundles indicate that they probably correspond to the birefringent, refractile fibrils observed in living cells. Microfilaments have also been observed both as randomly oriented and dispersed cytoplasmic components, and as aligned filaments in the ectoplasm adjacent to the plasmalemma. During pseudopod extension with sporadic streaming, birefringent ‘flashes’ have been observed at the front of the pseudopod. These flashes are believed to represent a photo-elastic phenomenon.
Pitch discrimination and pitch matching abilities with vocal and nonvocal stimuli.

Summary Various stimulus types have been investigated in pitch discrimination and pitch matching tasks. However, previous studies have not explored the use of recorded samples of an individual's own voice in performing these two tasks. The purpose of this study was to investigate pitch discrimination and pitch matching abilities using three stimuli conditions (participant's own voice, a neutral female voice, and nonvocal complex tones) to determine if pitch discrimination and/or pitch matching abilities are influenced by the type of stimuli presented. Results of the pitch discrimination tasks yielded no significant difference in discrimination ability for the three stimuli. For the pitch matching tasks, a significant difference was found for the participants' voice versus neutral female voice and the participants' voice versus tonal stimuli. There was no significant difference in pitch matching ability between the neutral female voice and the tonal stimuli. There was no significant correlation between pitch discrimination and pitch matching abilities for any of the three stimuli types. These results suggest that it is easier to match the pitch of one's own voice than to match the pitch of a neutral female voice and nonvocal complex tones, although no difference was found for pitch discrimination abilities. One possible implication of this study is that differences in matching the pitch of one's own voice compared to matching other stimuli types may help to differentiate the source of singing inaccuracy (motor vs discrimination skills).
Effects of age and aerobic capacity on arterial stiffness in healthy adults.

BACKGROUNDIt has been well established that arterial stiffness, manifest as an increase in arterial pulse wave velocity or late systolic amplification of the carotid artery pressure pulse, increase...
Studies of the pathophysiology of gastroschisis in fetal sheep

Abstract An experimental model of gastroschisis has been developed in fetal lambs which grossly and microscopically resembles this anomaly in human infants. Histologic studies of the exposed eviscerated intestine demonstrate interstitial edema without cellular infiltration which appear to result from contact with amniotic fluid. The specific damage to the myenteric ganglion cells and a progressive disappearance of ATPase in the muscle of exposed bowel strongly suggest an alteration in neural conduction and a decrease in contractile potential. Preliminary enzyme studies show concomitant abnormalities in intracellular enzymes within the mucosa of the exposed bowel.
Development of hypertension in animals with reduced total peripheral resistance.

The object of the present study was to determine whether deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension can be produced in rats in the presence of low total peripheral resistance (TPR) induced by long-term administration of minoxidil, a vasodilator. The rats were divided into four groups: sham-control, DOCA-salt, minoxidil, and DOCA-salt with minoxidil. The rats in both DOCA groups had DOCA pellets implanted subcutaneously and were given saline to drink. The rats in both minoxidil groups were given minoxidil (3 mg/day) in the drinking water throughout the experiment. Final measurements, including mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac index, and renal blood flow were made after 4-6 weeks. Flow measurements were made using radioactive microspheres. Cardiac index (ml.min-1.100 g-1) in sham-control rats averaged 18 +/- 2 and was higher in the other groups: 23 +/- 4 (DOCA-salt), 25 +/- 2 (minoxidil), and 30 +/- 2 (DOCA-salt plus minoxidil). Mean arterial pressure (mm Hg) was increased in both DOCA-salt rats (160 +/- 8) and DOCA-salt plus minoxidil rats (153 +/- 5) as compared with sham-control (116 +/- 2) and minoxidil (113 +/- 3) rats. There was no significant difference in TPR between the sham-control and DOCA-salt rats, but TPR in minoxidil and DOCA-salt plus minoxidil rats was 30% and 28% lower than that in untreated sham-control and DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, respectively. In contrast, renal vascular resistance was significantly increased in both DOCA-salt groups as compared with non-DOCA-salt groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effect of intraamniotic dexamethasone administration on intestinal absorption in a rabbit gastroschisis model.

Infants with gastroschisis experience delayed intestinal motility and absorption for several weeks after birth. This intestinal dysfunction is believed to occur primarily in the third trimester and to be largely caused by the prolonged exposure of the intestine to amniotic fluid. Previous studies have shown that prenatal steroid administration will enhance mucosal disaccharidase activity and nutrient uptake. The present study evaluates the effects of dexamethasone on intestinal function in a rabbit fetal gastroschisis model. Thirty-four fetuses from 10 New Zealand white rabbits were divided into three groups: (1) gastroschisis group (GSC, n = 10), gastroschisis was created on gestational day (GD) 24 (term = 31 to 33 days); (2) dexamethasone group (GSD, n = 10), after the creation of gastroschisis, a small osmotic pump was placed into the rabbit doe for dexamethasone infusion into the fetal amniotic cavity for 7 days (0.2 microgram/g/d); (3) normal group (NF, n = 10), unoperated littermates from the GSC group. There were no maternal deaths, and fetal survival rate was 85%. The fetal small intestinal disaccharidase enzyme, lactase (UE/g protein), was markedly decreased in GSC fetuses. It was increased 70% in the GSD group but lower than in normal fetuses (GSC = 10.0 +/- 1.6; GSD = 17.3 +/- 1.6 [GSD versus GSC, P < .05]; NF = 48.0 +/- 6.7). Maltase activity in the GSD group was significantly increased (GSC = 7.2 +/- 1.1; GSD = 13.9 +/- 1.8 [GSD versus GSC, P < .05]; NF = 12.2 +/- 1.3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Healing Refractory Venous Ulcers: New Treatments Offer Hope

Non-healing wounds are associated with an inflammatory and proteolytic wound environment, and recent therapeutic strategies have been focused on reversing these changes. Connexins, as members of gap junctions, are important in intercellular signaling and wound repair. Connexin 43 (Cx43) downregulation is associated with normal wound healing, and it has been found to be upregulated in non-healing venous leg ulcers (VLUs). Ghatnekar et al. (2014) report findings of a small phase II trial performed in Indian patients with chronic VLUs, reporting that ACT1, a mimetic peptide of Cx43, accelerates healing in the treatment group. Despite standard care with compression therapy and adjuvant therapy for refractory wounds, at present in clinical practice a significant number of patients remain unhealed. The potential for ACT1 exists to help heal refractory VLUs, but it faces additional regulatory hurdles.
Dielectrophoresis Force Calculation for Application in Digital Microfluidics

This paper presents numerically obtained results for the net force on a fluid slug transported by dielectrophoresis (DEP) and compares it with previously obtained data for the electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) effect. The net DEP force is shown to be strongly peaked when a droplet interface is located near the edge of a charged capacitor, and reduces to the well-known lumped parameter result in the appropriate limits. The effect of electrode spacing is seen to have an inversely proportional effect upon the force experienced by the droplet, and the effect of increasing droplet curvature is observed to increase the net force on the droplet.
Child Care Effects on the Development of Toddlers with Special Needs.

Abstract Among children with significant developmental delays or with biomedical risk factors for developing delays, those who were in nonmaternal child care ( n =80) did not differ from children staying at home with their mothers ( n =73) on mental, motor, or adaptive functioning; behavior problems; or attachment security at 30 months of age. An ecological model then was used to predict outcomes for children who had been observed in child care. After accounting for selection effects, child characteristics at 12 months of age, and quality of home caregiving, none of the child-care variables (age of entry, hours, quality) predicted mental or motor development or attachment security among children in nonmaternal care. Older age of entry into child care predicted greater behavioral organization during testing. Higher observed quality of caregiving in child care predicted better adaptive behavior. Additionally, quality of home caregiving predicted mental development, behavioral organization, and secure attachment to mother.
An agent-based simulation system for concert venue crowd evacuation modeling in the presence of a fire disaster

A key activity in emergency management is planning and preparation for disaster. If the right safety measures are implemented beforehand, harmful effects can be significantly mitigated. However, evaluation and selection of effective measures is difficult due to the numerous scenarios that exist in most emergency environments coupled with the high associated cost of testing such scenarios. An agent-based system employs a computational model of autonomous interacting agents in an environment with the purpose of assessing the emergent behavior of the group. This paper presents a prototype of a computer simulation and decision support system that uses agent-based modeling to simulate crowd evacuation in the presence of a fire disaster and provides for testing of multiple disaster scenarios at virtually no cost. The prototype is unique in the current literature as it is specifically designed to simulate a concert venue setting such as a stadium or auditorium and is highly configurable allowing for user definition of concert venues with any arrangement of seats, pathways, stages, exits, and people as well as the definition of multiple fires with fire and smoke dynamics included.
Carotid Artery Stenting (CAS) Associated With Increased Mortality Compared With Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) in the NSQIP Database, 2011

2.7%), followed by the facial (VII, n 1⁄4 128, 1.9%), the vagus (X, n 1⁄4 49, 0.7%) and the glossopharyngeal (IX, n 1⁄4 33, 0.5%) (Table). Patients with perioperative stroke (0.9%, n 1⁄4 64) had significant higher risk for CNP (n 1⁄4 15; CNP risk, 23.4%; P < .001). Length of hospital stay was longer in patients with a CNP compared to those without (2 days vs 1.5 day; P < .001). The vast majority of lesions were transient; only 47 patients (0.7%) had a persistent CNP. Predictors for CNP were urgent (OR, 1.5; CI, 1.1-2.0; P 1⁄4 .04) and emergent operations (OR, 2.6; CI, 1.2-5.5; P 1⁄4 .02), re-exploration during primary procedure (OR, 2.0; CI, 1.3-3.0; P 1⁄4 .009) and return to the operating room (OR, 2.4; CI, 1.4-3.8; P 1⁄4 .004), but not redo-CEA (OR, 1.0; CI, 0.5-2.1; P 1⁄4 .9) or prior radiation (OR, 0.9; CI, 0.3-2.5; P 1⁄4 .8). Conclusions: While the rate of persistent CNP was low, surgeons should take particular care to protect specific nerves in conditions of urgency, re-exploration, and return to OR.
Integrating design into the sophomore and junior level mechanics courses

Engineering schools across the country are developing ways of integrating design into their curriculum, and a question that often arises is how to best integrate design into the sophomore and junior level courses. Freshman design projects or mechanical dissection courses are designed to give the students hands-on experience in conceptual design and construction, with little if any of the mathematical modeling normally used in engineering design. The capstone senior design project is a true engineering design experience, where students draw from their background to conceptualize, analyze, model, refine, and optimize a product to meet design, manufacturing, and life cycle cost requirements. The sophomore and junior level courses should assist students in making the transition from the “seat-of-the-pants” freshman design approach to the engineering design approach required for the capstone experience and engineering practice. This paper summarizes a three year effort at integrating design into the Mechanics of Materials course, but the principal conclusions drawn would apply to most sophomore and junior engineering science courses.
STUDIES ON BACTERIAL NUTRITION IV. EFFECT OF PLANT TISSUE UPON GROWTH OF PNEUMOCOCCUS AND STREPTOCOCCUS.

In previous papers it has been shown that unheated plant tissue, in the form of potato, contains the two factors necessary for the growth of organisms of the hemoglobinophilic group. Further studies (5) confirmed these findings and showed that yellow and white turnip, carrot, beet, parsnip, and sweet potato can replace blood in the cultivation of Bacillus influenzae. In the present paper it has been shown that vegetable tissues also greatly facilitate and stimulate the growth of other organisms entirely unrelated to Bacillus influenzae. Three varieties of Gram-positive cocci have been used in the present study, pneumococcus, Streptococcus hamolyticus, and Streptococcus viridans. With pneumococcus it has been previously shown that prompt and luxuriant growth will occur in broth containing unheated potato even though the seeding be so small that no growth whatever will occur with the same seeding in plain broth (5). In the present study it has been shown that even in dextrose broth this minimal inoculation is followed by a prolonged period of lag, whereas in potato broth this same inoculum serves to initiate immediate and rapid growth. When pneumococci are grown in potato broth not only is the period of lag abolished, but the stationary period of growth is extended and cell death is delayed. Moreover, in plant tissue medium the zone of hydrogen ion concentration within which growth of pneumococcus can be initiated is considerably extended beyond the acid and alkaline limits of the optimal range in ordinary bouillon. It has been found also that the presence of unheated plant tissue in the media likewise stimulates growth of hemolytic and non-hemolytic streptococci. In this investigation no attempt has been made to determine the exact nature of the substances in plant tissue upon which these properties depend. That they are not of the nature of readily fermentable carbohydrates, however, is made evident by the fact that no increased production of acid occurs in the pneumococcus culture when potato is present.
INHBA overexpression promotes cell proliferation and may be epigenetically regulated in esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Introduction The expression, mechanisms of regulation, and functional impact of activin ( INHBA ) in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) have not been fully defined. Methods INHBA expression was examined in 46 esophageal samples (nine Barrett's metaplasia (BM); seven BM/low-grade dysplasia; eight low-grade dysplasia; seven high-grade dysplasia; 15 EAC) using oligonucleotide microarrays and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in 90 tissue samples (79 EAC; 8 dysplastic; 3 BM) using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The proliferation of EAC cell lines FLO and OE-33 was examined after treatment with exogenous activin. The proliferation of OE-33 was also examined after treatment with the activin inhibitor follistatin and INHBA -targeting siRNA. OE-33 and FLO cells were treated with 5-aza-2′deoxycytidine (5-AZA) and trichostatin A to investigate the role of epigenetic regulation in INHBA expression. Results Primary EACs expressed 5.7-times more INHBA mRNA than BM samples on oligonucleotide microarray. Transcript overexpression in EAC relative to BM was confirmed on real-time RT-PCR. IHC suggested higher INHBA protein expression in EAC (69.6%) than in the dysplastic (37.5%) and BM samples (33.3%). FLO and OE-33 treated with activin demonstrated increased proliferation, and OE-33 cells treated with follistatin and INHBA -targeting siRNA demonstrated reduced proliferation, relative to untreated controls. Treatment of FLO cells with trichostatin A and 5-AZA up-regulated INHBA mRNA and protein production by real time RT-PCR and IHC. Conclusions INHBA is overexpressed in EAC relative to dysplastic and BM tissue. INHBA overexpression may promote cell proliferation and may be affected by promoter demethylation and histone acetylation in EAC cell lines.
Stereochemical Requirements for Receptor Recognition of the μ-Opioid Peptide Endomorphin-1

A series of diastereoisomers of endomorphin-1 (EM1, Tyr(1)-Pro(2)-Trp(3)-Phe(4)-NH(2)) have been synthesized and their potency measured using the guinea pig ileum assay. [D-Phe(4)]EM1 possessed 1/10 the potency of EM1, while potencies of [D-Tyr(1)]EM1 and [D-Trp(3)]EM1 were 50- and 100-fold lower, respectively. Drastic loss of activity occurred in the [D-Pro(2)]EM1 peptide. The structural determinants for the inactivity and reduced potency of the diastereoisomers were investigated using NMR spectroscopy and conformational analysis. Simulations of trans-[D-Pro(2)]EM1 using NOE-derived distance constraints afforded well-defined structures in which Tyr and Trp side chains stack against the proline ring. The inactivity of [D-Pro(2)]EM1 was explained by structural comparison with EM1 (, FEBS Lett. 439:13-20). The two peptides showed an opposite orientation of the Trp(3) residue with respect to Tyr(1), thus suggesting a role of Pro(2) as a stereochemical spacer in orienting Trp(3) and Phe(4) toward regions suitable for mu-receptor interaction. The agonist activity of [D-Tyr(1)]EM1 and [D-Trp(3)]EM1 was attributed to their ability to adopt low-energy conformations that mimic those of EM1. The requirements for mu-receptor activation were examined further by comparing EM1 with the mu-peptide [D-Ala(2), MePhe(4), Gly-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO). Conformations of DAMGO with a Tyr(1)-MePhe(4) phenyl ring separation of approximately 12 A were found to mimic Tyr(1)-Phe(4) of EM1, thus suggesting overlapping binding modes between these two peptides.
Only minor differences in implant performance exist between various implant types.

Article Title and Biographical Information Interventions for replacing missing teeth: different types of dental implants. Esposito M, Coulthard P, Thomsen P, Worthington HV. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005;(1):CD003815. Level of Evidence 1a Purpose To examine the clinical performance of various root-formed osseointegrated dental implants. Source of Funding The Swedish Medical Research Council and The Hjalmar Svennson Foundation (Sweden) Type of Study Design Systematic review
Modeling the Size of Wars: From Billiard Balls to Sandpiles

Richardson's finding that the severity of interstate wars is power law distributed belongs to the most striking empirical regularities in world politics. This is a regularity in search of a theory. Drawing on the principles of self-organized criticality, I propose an agent-based model of war and state formation that exhibits power-law regularities. The computational findings suggest that the scale-free behavior depends on a process of technological change that leads to contextually dependent, stochastic decisions to wage war.Early drafts of this paper were prepared for presentation at the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago, Ohio State University, Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University. I am grateful to the participants in those meetings and to Robert Axelrod, Claudio Cioffi-Revilla, Fredrik Liljeros, and the editor and the anonymous reviewers of this journal for excellent comments. Laszlo Gulyas helped me reimplement the model in Java and Repast. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the generous support of the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies. Nevertheless, I bear the full responsibility for any inaccuracies and omissions.
Metalloprotease-Disintegrin ADAM12 Expression Is Regulated by Notch Signaling via MicroRNA-29

Metalloprotease-disintegrin ADAM12 is overexpressed and frequently mutated in breast cancer. We report here that ADAM12 expression in cultured mammalian cells is up-regulated by Notch signals. Expression of a constitutively active form of Notch1 in murine fibroblasts, myoblasts, or mammary epithelial cells or activation of the endogenous Notch signaling by co-culture with ligand-expressing cells increases ADAM12 protein and mRNA levels. Up-regulation of ADAM12 expression by Notch requires new transcription, is activated in a CSL-dependent manner, and is abolished upon inhibition of IκB kinase. Expression of a constitutively active Notch1 in NIH3T3 cells increases the stability of Adam12 mRNA. We further show that the microRNA-29 family, which has a predicted conserved site in the 3′-untranslated region of mouse Adam12, plays a critical role in mediating the stimulatory effect of Notch on ADAM12 expression. In human cells, Notch up-regulates the expression of the long form, but not the short form, of ADAM12 containing a divergent 3′-untranslated mRNA region. These studies uncover a novel paradigm in Notch signaling and establish Adam12 as a Notch-related gene.
Functional Frequency-Domain Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Detects Fast Neuronal Signal in the Motor Cortex

Millisecond changes in the optical properties of the human brain during stimulation were detected in five volunteers using noninvasive frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy. During a motor stimulation task we found highly significant signals, which were directly related to neuronal activity and exhibited much more localized patterns than the slow hemodynamic signals that are also detected by the near-infrared method. We considerably reduced the noise in the instrumental system and improved data analysis algorithms. With the achieved signal-to-noise ratio, single subject measurements were feasible without the requirement of particularly strong stimuli and within a reasonable period of measurement of 5 min at a mean signal-to-noise ratio of 3.6. The advantage of this noninvasive technique with respect to electrical recording is that it is able to detect neuronal activity with the relatively high spatial resolution of 8 mm.
Public institutions: their war against the development of black youth.

Policy-makers ignore the fact that they are very much a part of the forces restricting most black people to slums; they seem equally oblivious to the extent to which they have a vested interest in the maintenance of slum conditions. Their attitudes account for their failures. Evidence is drawn from an analysis of responses of institutions and administrators to the problem of lead poisoning of a young child in Rochester, N.Y.
Employing exchange reactions involving hypervalent iodine compounds for the direct synthesis of azide-containing linear and branched polymers

A method for the preparation of azide-containing linear and branched polymers was developed that takes advantage of the efficient exchange of the acetoxy “ligands” in (diacetoxyiodo)benzene PhI(O2CCH3)2 (Ph = phenyl) with azides, for instance in the presence of sodium azide. The in situ generated azide-containing hypervalent iodine(III) compounds PhI(N3)(O2CCH3) and PhI(N3)2 decomposed rapidly, even at temperatures close to ambient, to the monovalent iodine compound (iodobenzene) and azide (and – in the former case – also acetoxy and/or methyl) radicals. The reactive azide radicals initiated the polymerization of methyl methacrylate at 40–100 °C, yielding polymers with an azide functionality at the α-terminus. Fast termination by coupling of the propagating radicals with azide radicals and possibly azide transfer from PhI(N3)x(O2CCH3)2−x (x = 1, 2) were responsible for the formation of low-molecular-weight linear polymers with an azide group at the ω-end. When the polymerizations were carried out in the presence of divinyl compounds (crosslinkers), highly branched polymers were produced prior to gelation. The network formation was delayed in these systems until moderate to high monomer conversions were reached due to the aforementioned termination and/or transfer, which limited the size of the interconnected chains and therefore the average number of incorporated pendant vinyl groups per chain. The use of the PhI(O2CCH3)2–NaN3 initiating system proved to be an efficient one-pot route to mono- and diazide-capped linear or multi-azidated branched polymers that could be easily functionalized, e.g., under azide–alkyne “click” coupling conditions with alkynes, such as propargyl 4-(1-pyrenyl)butyrate.
A construction of semisimple tensor categories

Abstract Let A be an Abelian category such that every object has only finitely many subobjects. From A we construct a semisimple tensor category T . We show that T interpolates the categories Rep ( Aut ( p ) , K ) where p runs through certain projective pro-objects of A . This extends a construction of Deligne for symmetric groups. To cite this article: F. Knop, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 343 (2006).
Ten years of Merger Guidelines: A retrospective, critique, and prediction

The period since the 1982 Merger Guidelines is surveyed and assessed, including the 1992 Merger Guidelines. The 1982 Guidelines were an improvement in economic underpinnings and in merger policy, but the Guidelines' focus on short run market power is not a sensible basis for merger policy. The 1992 Guidelines continue this focus on short run market power, attempt to provide some clarifications of current enforcement policy, but add some questionable economics to the stew. The merger policy laid out in the 1992 Guidelines will not survive, since it does not suitably come to grips with the fundamental bases of the social costs and benefits of mergers and ignores ‘competitiveness’ issues.
Poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(vinyl acetate) miscible blends: 1. Thermal analysis and spectroscopic (FTi.r.) characterization

Abstract Properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(vinyl acetate) miscible blends have been extensively studied using differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infra-red techniques. The thermal analysis revealed that crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2) can be impeded to a large degree by fast cooling from the melt of polyblends containing less than 55 wt% PVF2. However, after long-term annealing below Tm, or when the blend composition was allowed to cool slowly from the melt, the ratio between amorphous and crystalline PVF2 blend fractions was almost the same as in the pure polymer. For the components used in this study, this ratio is close to unity. The glass transition (Tg) of this blend is proportionally inverse to the amorphous PVF2 fraction. The Tg value seems to be progressively influenced by the increase in the degree of crystallinity in the blend, resulting in higher values than those predicted from that extrapolated for the wholly amorphous blend. The latter infers a Tg of less than −30°C for pure PVF2. Infrared spectroscopic studies revealed distinct shifts in the symmetrical C-C stretching and skeletal CF-CH-CF bending vibrational bands. Comparison with the reported data for PVF2/PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)) reveals striking similarities, which suggest that the mode of interaction of the ester carbonyl group with the fluorine-carbon-fluorine moiety is equivalent in both blend systems.
Gastrointestinal decontamination in the emergency department

Pediatric poisoning is a problem commonly encountered in the emergency department. After stabilization of airway, breathing, and circulation, one of the goals of treatment is decontamination in order to limit poison absorption and the resulting systemic toxicity. Decontamination modalities include gastric emptying (ipecac and gastric lavage), inhibiting absorption (activated charcoal), and catharsis (sorbital, magnesium citrate, and whole bowel irrigation). Each modality is discussed. Choice of modality by the practitioner must be individualized to each patient's situation.
Four-dimensional phase contrast MRI with accelerated dual velocity encoding.

Purpose: To validate a novel approach for accelerated four-dimensional phase contrast MR imaging (4D PC-MRI) with an extended range of velocity sensitivity. Materials and Methods: 4D PC-MRI data were acquired with a radially undersampled trajectory (PC-VIPR). A dual Venc (dVenc) processing algorithm was implemented to investigate the potential for scan time savings while providing an improved velocity-to-noise ratio. Flow and velocity measurements were compared with a flow pump, conventional 2D PC MR, and single Venc 4D PC-MRI in the chest of 10 volunteers. Results: Phantom measurements showed excellent agreement between accelerated dVenc 4D PC-MRI and the pump flow rate (R2 ≥ 0.97) with a three-fold increase in measured velocity-to-noise ratio (VNR) and a 5% increase in scan time. In volunteers, reasonable agreement was found when combining 100% of data acquired with Venc = 80 cm/s and 25% of the high Venc data, providing the VNR of a 80 cm/s acquisition with a wider velocity range of 160 cm/s at the expense of a 25% longer scan. Conclusion: Accelerated dual Venc 4D PC-MRI was demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. This acquisition scheme is well suited for vascular territories with wide ranges of flow velocities such as congenital heart disease, the hepatic vasculature, and others. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:1462–1471. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Heat Hyperalgesia and Mechanical Hypersensitivity Induced by Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in a Mouse Model of Neurofibromatosis

This study examined whether mice with a deficiency of neurofibromin, a Ras GTPase activating protein, exhibit a nociceptive phenotype and probed a possible contribution by calcitonin gene-related peptide. In the absence of inflammation, Nf1+/− mice (B6.129S6 Nf1 /J) and wild type littermates responded comparably to heat or mechanical stimuli, except for a subtle enhanced mechanical sensitivity in female Nf1+/− mice. Nociceptive phenotype was also examined after inflammation induced by capsaicin and formalin, which release endogenous calcitonin gene-related peptide. Intraplantar injection of capsaicin evoked comparable heat hyperalgesia and mechanical hypersensitivity in Nf1+/− and wild type mice of both genders. Formalin injection caused a similar duration of licking in male Nf1+/− and wild type mice. Female Nf1+/− mice licked less than wild type mice, but displayed other nociceptive behaviors. In contrast, intraplantar injection of CGRP caused greater heat hyperalgesia in Nf1+/− mice of both genders compared to wild type mice. Male Nf1+/− mice also exhibited greater mechanical hypersensitivity; however, female Nf1+/− mice exhibited less mechanical hypersensitivity than their wild type littermates. Transcripts for calcitonin gene-related peptide were similar in the dorsal root ganglia of both genotypes and genders. Transcripts for receptor activity-modifying protein-1, which is rate-limiting for the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor, in the spinal cord were comparable for both genotypes and genders. The increased responsiveness to intraplantar calcitonin gene-related peptide suggests that the peripheral actions of calcitonin gene-related peptide are enhanced as a result of the neurofibromin deficit. The analgesic efficacy of calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists may therefore merit investigation in neurofibromatosis patients.
Biochemical studies on the Chinese hamster (22 chromosomes) and the Syrian hamster (44 chromosomes).

Abstract The DNA content, transaminase, succinoxidase, cytochrome oxidase, and free amino acid patterns of tissues of the Chinese hamster (2N = 22) and the Syrian hamster (2N = 44) were compared. The DNA concentration per cell of liver and spleen and the DNA concentration per gram wet weight of liver, kidney, and lung were of the same order of magnitude for the two species. Transaminase activity per gamma DNA was also about the same but succinoxidase and cytochrome oxidase activity per gamma DNA of the Chinese hamster was about twice that of the Syrian hamster. The free amino acid pattern of the Chinese hamster tissue resembled that of the analogous Syrian hamster tissue more than it resembled other tissues of the Chinese hamster. Some free amino acids were present at approximately the same concentration per gamma DNA in the corresponding tissues of the two hamster species. However, in other cases, an amino acid was present at two times the concentration in the Chinese hamster as in the Syrian hamster tissue. The reverse of this was also observed.
Concurrent cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and radiotherapy for invasive bladder cancer.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the tolerance and efficacy of a modified concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) protocol for patients with invasive bladder cancer “unfit” for radical cystectomy. Methods and materials Twenty-three muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients who were unfit for or unwilling to receive radical cystectomy were enrolled in this study. All patients had transitional cell carcinoma of bladder, and distribution of stage was 14 (61%), 1 (4%), and 8 (35%) for T3a, T3b, and T4, respectively. This study included a relatively old-age population, with the median age being 75 and 70% of patients over 70 years old. Patients were treated with maximal transurethral resection of the bladder tumor followed by curative CCRT. The chemotherapy (C/T) regimen was comprised of cisplatin, 50 mg/m 2 intravenously (i.v.) on Day 1; 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), 500 mg/m 2 /day by continuous i.v. infusion on Days 1–3; and leucovorin, 50 mg/day by continuous i.v. infusion on Days 1–3. Chemotherapy course was repeated at 21-day intervals. The radiation dose was 44–45 Gy to whole pelvis and 60–61.2 Gy to bladder, with a daily fraction of 1.8–2 Gy. The completeness of the CCRT protocol was defined as patients receiving at least 55 Gy of radiotherapy to the whole bladder and at least three courses C/T. Results Seventy-four percent of patients (17/23) completed the CCRT protocol. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) Grade 3 acute toxicities were observed in 4 patients, which included leucopenia, vomiting, genitourinary (GU) tract infection, and diarrhea. No treatment-related deaths occurred during the CCRT period. RTOG Grade 3 or more late complications were observed in 3 patients; one of them died of radiation cystitis superimposed with GU infection. Of the 18 patients whose response to CCRT was evaluated, a complete tumor response was documented in 16 patients (89%). With a median follow-up of 3 years, the 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients was 69% and 65% respectively. Meanwhile, the 3-year overall and DFS rates for patients who completed CCRT vs. those who did not complete CCRT were 82% vs. 33% and 75% vs. 33%, respectively ( p = 0.18 for OS and p = 0.04 for DFS). Conclusions Concurrent cisplatin, 5-FU, leucovorin, and radiotherapy for treatment of invasive bladder cancer is a feasible and promising treatment even for relatively old patients. Our results are comparable to those in recent studies by using combined modality treatment or neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radical cystectomy. Consequently, this novel protocol warrants a prospective clinical trial and may be a safe, effective alternative to radical cystectomy.
The ontogeny of premolar dental wear in Cercocebus albigena (cercopithecidae)

The orientation of striated wear facets on primate teeth serves as a useful guide for reconstructing jaw movements during mastication. Most wear facets on the molars are formed during one of the two well-documented movements, Phase I or Phase II, of the power stroke. Another jaw movement direction, “orthal retraction” (OR) has been proposed to account for a third set of facets occasionally present on the pointed tips of premolars and molars. Evidence advanced here indicates that OR facets on pointed anterior premolars (P3) of cercopithecoids are actually Phase I facets that have become reoriented as a result of a rotation of this tooth during its eruption. “Orthal retraction” probably does not exist as a discrete masticatory phase.