cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study of epidemiologic factors in carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

The prevalence of cervical carcinoma in married and Gentile women has been found to occur. Factors possibly influencing the incidence include marriage before the age of 25 contraceptives lack of circumcision in the husband and poverty. Studies have indicated 2 possible reasons for excessive exposure: either poverty forces this association or some endogenous difference in hormone levels induces a greater a desire for early marriage and childbearing. A study was designed to determine the association of exogenous and endogenous factors with the disease and involved 429 controls over a 4-year period. Dietary deficiency estrogen excretion levels menstrual patterns hygienic practices contraceptives circumcision of marital and other partners and frequency and duration of coitus were examined; these it ems showed insignificant differences between the cases and their matched controls. Some evidence shows factors related to socioeconomic conditions and domestic and marital instability are more prominent in women who have carcinoma of the cervix than in comparable groups without the disease. The study has failed to disclose any new specific causative factors for cervical carcinoma. It does however reemphasize the importance of the socioeconomic complex of relative poverty where events such as rapid sexual development resulting in marriage intercourse and pregnancy occur significantly earlier in women destined to develop cervical carcinoma than in women without the disease.
Intestinal IL-25 signal and ILC2 regulates the susceptibility to IgE-mediated experimental food allergy (MUC8P.813)

Food allergy is an IgE-mediated disorder manifested by uncontrolled type-2 immune response in the gastrointestinal tract. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms that drive the propensity to develop food-induced intestinal hypersensitivity. IL-25 is a distinct member of IL-17 inflammatory cytokine family, functioning at evoking type-2 inflammatory response. We aimed at investigating the involvements of IL-25 and its responding cells in the development of IgE-mediated experimental food allergy. We observed that IL-25 expression was rapidly elevated in the epithelium of inflamed duodenum before the onset of anaphylactic reaction to ingested allergens. Mice overexpressing intestinal IL-25 or deficient of IL-17RB displayed exacerbated or attenuated symptomatic features of IgE-mediated experimental food allergy, respectively. Subsequent analysis revealed that Lin-IL-17RB+ type-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) that reside in the laminar propria of small intestine prior to the development of IgE-mediated experimental food allergy are the primary producers of Th2 cytokine, IL-5 and IL-13, in response to IL-25 stimulation. Furthermore, irradiated mice reconstituted with bone marrow cells that are deficient of RoRα or IL-17RB became resistant to developing IgE-mediated experimental food allergy. Our results suggest that intestinal ILC2 residents are poised to respond to induced IL-25 and function in promoting the development of IgE-mediated experimental food allergy.
Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Injury in Chronic Multisymptom Conditions: From Gulf War Illness to Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Overlapping chronic multisymptom illnesses (CMI) include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, and Gulf War illness (GWI), and subsets of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). GWI entails a more circumscribed set of experiences that may provide insights of relevance to overlapping conditions.Objectives: To consolidate evidence regarding a role for oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction (OSMD), as primary mediators in CMI, using GWI as a departure point.Methods: Exposure relations, character, timecourse and multiplicity of symptoms, and objective correlates of GWI are compared to expectation for OSMD. Objective correlates of OSMD in GWI and overlapping conditions are examined.Discussion: OSMD is an expected consequence of known GWI exposures; is compatible with symptom characteristics observed; and accords with objective markers and health conditions linked to GWI, extending to autoimmune disease and infection. Emergent triangulating evidence directly supports OSMD in multisymptom “overlap” CMI conditions, with similarities to, and diagnosed at elevated rates in, GWI, suggesting a common role in each.Conclusions: GWI is compatible with a paradigm by which uncompensated exposure to oxidative/nitrative stressors accompanies and triggers mitochondrial dysfunction, cell energy compromise, and multiple downstream effects such as vulnerability to autoantibodies. This promotes a profile of protean symptoms with variable latency emphasizing but not confined to energy-demanding post-mitotic tissues, according with (and accounting for) known properties of multisystem overlap conditions. This advances understanding of GWI; health conditions attending GWI at elevated rates; and overlap conditions like CFS and ASD, providing prospects for vulnerability assessment, mitigation of progression, treatment, and future prevention – with implications germane to additive and excessive environmental oxidative stressor exposures in the civilian setting.
Contribution of the P2Y12 receptor‐mediated pathway to platelet hyperreactivity in hypercholesterolemia

Summary. Background: In hypercholesterolemia, platelets demonstrate increased reactivity and promote the development of cardiovascular disease. Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the contribution of the ADP receptor P2Y12-mediated pathway to platelet hyperreactivity due to hypercholesterolemia. Methods: Low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice and C57Bl/6 wild-type mice were fed on normal chow and high-fat (Western or Paigen) diets for 8 weeks to generate differently elevated cholesterol levels. P2Y12 receptor-induced functional responses via Gi signaling were studied ex vivo when washed murine platelets were activated by 2MeSADP and PAR4 agonist AYPGKF in the presence and absence of indomethacin. Platelet aggregation and secretion, αIIbβ3 receptor activation and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and Akt were analyzed. Results: Plasma cholesterol levels ranged from 69 ± 10 to 1011 ± 185 mg dL−1 depending on diet in mice with different genotypes. Agonist-dependent aggregation, dense and α-granule secretion and JON/A binding were gradually and significantly (P < 0.05) augmented at low agonist concentration in correlation with the increasing plasma cholesterol levels, even if elevated thromboxane generation was blocked. These functional responses were induced via increased levels of Gi-mediated ERK and Akt phosphorylation in hypercholesterolemic mice vs. normocholesterolemic animals. In addition, blocking of the P2Y12 receptor by AR-C69931MX (Cangrelor) resulted in strongly reduced platelet aggregation in mice with elevated cholesterol levels compared with normocholesterolemic controls. Conclusions: These data revealed that the P2Y12 receptor pathway was substantially involved in platelet hyperreactivity associated with mild and severe hypercholesterolemia.
Paradigm Shifts in Video Technologies: Introduction to T-CSVT Future Special Issues

Recently, we have witnessed many exciting technology and methodology advances that will deeply impact the way we do research and development. These advances imply many important new research directions in the next 5–10 years, and potentially introduce paradigm shifts in video technologies—visual signal processing, communication, and computing. We have observed new trends ranging from breakthroughs in information theory and machine learning, big data, crowd sourcing, cloud computing, low-cost yet powerful computing end points, Internet of things (IoT), mobile and wireless computing, augmented reality, green computing, to integrated system research. Let us elaborate on each of these trends.
Social anxiety as an early warning system: A refinement and extension of the self-presentation theory of social anxiety.

Publisher Summary Although several explanations of social anxiety exist, most of them emphasize one of three sets of antecedents: biological mechanisms involving temperamental, genetic, psychophysiological, and evolutionary factors; cognitive patterns in how people think about themselves and their social worlds; and interpersonal processes that occur in the context of social interaction. The approach of this chapter is decidedly social psychological in that it traces social anxiety to concerns that arise in the context of real, anticipated, and imagined interpersonal interactions. The chapter describes a refinement and extension of the self-presentational theory of social anxiety, a perspective that explains people's nervousness in social encounters in terms of their concerns about other people's perceptions of them. Although the self-presentation theory has fared well under the spotlight of empirical research, theoretical developments shed additional light on the self-presentational nature of social anxiety and provide a bridge by which one's understanding of social anxiety may be linked to other phenomena involving interpersonal motives, social emotions, and the self. These theoretical refinements do not contradict or refute self-presentation theory but rather take it to a deeper level, demonstrating precisely why it is that people worry so much about what other people think of them.
Late-stage coarsening of an unstable structured liquid film.

Thin films of poly(styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymers above the bulk order-disorder transition temperature, within a certain thickness range, are structurally unstable on SiO(x)/Si substrates. They dewet autophobically, forming droplets on a self-assembled brush. We investigated the late-stage evolution, coarsening, of the droplets on the brush. The average droplet cross-sectional area increased with time, proportional, variant t(gamma). This was accompanied by a decrease in the number of droplets per unit area with time, N(t) proportional, variant t(-gamma). We analyzed the droplet size distribution, F(S/ ) vs S/ , and found that the shape of the curve was virtually identical at different stages throughout the process. This suggests that a structural self-similarity is associated with the process. A comparison of F(S/ ) vs S/ data with distributions based on Ostwald ripening and coalescence cluster coarsening (dynamic and static) mechanisms strongly indicates that the dominant coarsening mechanism involved motion of droplets across the brush and subsequent coalescence, i.e., dynamic coalescence coarsening, not Ostwald ripening.
Ubiquitous CP violation in a top inspired left-right model

We explore CP violation in a Left-Right Model that reproduces the quark mass and CKM rotation angle hierarchies in a relatively natural way by fixing the bidoublet Higgs VEVs to be in the ratio m_b:m_t. Our model is quite general and allows for CP to be broken by both the Higgs VEVs and the Yukawa couplings. Despite this generality, CP violation may be parameterized in terms of two basic phases. A very interesting feature of the model is that the mixing angles in the right-handed sector are found to be equal to their left-handed counterparts to a very good approximation. Furthermore, the right-handed analogue of the usual CKM phase delta_L is found to satisfy the relation delta_R \approx delta_L. The parameter space of the model is explored by using an adaptive Monte Carlo algorithm and the allowed regions in parameter space are determined by enforcing experimental constraints from the K and B systems. This method of solution allows us to evaluate the left- and right-handed CKM matrices numerically for various combinations of the two fundamental CP-odd phases in the model. We find that all experimental constraints may be satisfied with right-handed W and Flavour Changing Neutral Higgs masses as low as about 2 TeV and 7 TeV, respectively.
On the rotating wave approximation

Abstract The traditional implementation of the rotating wave approximation (RWA) is shown to be invalid except in the strict weak coupling limit. It can therefore not yield valid low temperature dynamics. We reformulate the RWA so as to overcome these difficulties.
Osteoporotic bone loss in two prehistoric Indian populations.

To examine the demineralizing effects of the ageing process on the human skeleton, a photon absorptiometric method was employed which measured bone mineral mass. Rates and amounts of demineralization were compared in two prehistoric Indian populations: Indian Knoll (dated between 2500 and 2000 B.C.) of the Archaic Period and Pete Klunk (dated between 50 B.C. and 250 A.D.) of the Middle Woodland or Woodland or Hopewell Period. The former was exclusively a hunting and gathering group while the latter supplemented its hunting and gathering with part-time agriculture. Archaeological and osteometric data suggest that Hopewell had a more nutritionally adequate and reliable diet than Indian Knoll. By regression slope analysis it was shown that, as in modern populations, trabecular and female rates of loss are greater, respectively, than cortical or male rates. Hopewell males and females lost bone at a faster rate than Indian Knoll males and females. When amounts of demineralization in these two groups were compared to that of a contemporary group, the Indian Knoll and contemporary populations were found to lose the same amount while Hopewell lost the greatest amount. It is suggested from these comparisons that dietary sufficency does not contribute significantly to skeletal maintenance during ageing.
An Early Look At Ten State HIFA Medicaid Waivers

In an examination of ten Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability (HIFA) demonstrations, a major Medicaid initiative of the Bush administration, we found that states have adopted varied program designs, reflecting their particular goals and circumstances. Nationally, we estimate that 300,000 people were covered under HIFA demonstrations as of December 2005. Although this is a sizable number, coverage has fallen far short of the 820,000 expected.
Some Research Toward The Development Of A Hologram Laser Beam Corrector-Collimator For Use In A Satellite Data Link

Some initial research results are reported toward developing holographic optical elements for use as beam corrector-collimators for diode laser arrays in an inter-satellite data link. Holograms have been made in 649F emulsions with 633 nm radiation from a He-Ne laser under conditions which simulate a hologram made in an IR-sensitive emulsion with a diode laser. Such holograms have been copied into dichromated gelatin emulsions with 488 nm radiation from an Ar + laser. The copies have shown up to 94% efficiency when reconstructed as optical elements at 633 nm. Some difficulties in obtaining efficient holograms that do not introduce significant wave-front aberrations are discussed and possible solutions described.
Drug and alcohol trajectories among adults with schizophrenia: Data from the CATIE study

Objective The primary aim is to describe drug and alcohol trajectories in adults with schizophrenia.
Field investigation of techniques for remote laser sensing of oceanographic parameters

A laser fluorosensor, previously studied in the laboratory, was deployed at a pier in lower Chesapeake Bay for field testing. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser doubled to 532 nm in conjunction with a gated optical multichannel analyzer (OMA) allow spectra with high signal-to-noise ratios to be recorded in full daylight at a distance of 20 m. As a test of the system a study was conducted of the spatial and temporal variations of the phytopigments phycoerythrin and chlorophyll. The phycoerythrin feature was resolved into two components, one attributable to cyanophytes and the other to cryptophytes. A comparison was also made with spectra obtained by the NASA airborne oceanographic lidar (AOL).
Donor major histocompatibility complex class I expression determines the outcome of prenatal transplantation.

Abstract Purpose The failure of in utero transplantation in immune-competent recipients suggests the existence of a fetal immune barrier. The importance of donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression in the induction of prenatal tolerance remains undefined. We hypothesized that donor cell MHC class I expression facilitates engraftment in prenatal allogeneic recipients rather than promoting immune rejection. Methods B6.Ly5.2 (class I + ) or B6.TAP −/− (class I − ) murine fetal liver cells were transplanted into age-matched allogeneic fetal recipients. Survival to weaning and subsequent growth was assessed. Engraftment rates and peripheral blood chimerism levels were measured serially. Results The presence or absence of class I expression did not affect survival or growth of recipients and no graft-vs-host disease developed. Allogeneic recipients of B6.Ly5.2 cells exhibited significantly higher levels of donor hematopoietic chimerism when compared to recipients of B6.TAP −/− cells (27% + 10% vs 11% + 8%; P = .004) that deteriorated further over time. Conclusions Donor class I MHC antigen expression is essential for stable long-term engraftment and maintenance of donor-specific tolerance. Further studies are needed to better characterize the role of the fetal innate immune system in prenatal allotransplantation.
Gas sorption and transport in a copolyester and its blend with polycarbonate

Sorption and transport measurements for various gases were made with a copolyester formed from 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol and a mixture of terephthalic and isophthalic acids. Similar observations for the miscible blends of this copolyester with polycarbonate were made using carbon dioxide. All of these results are described well by dual sorption-dual mobility models which have been used effectively for other gas-glassy polymer systems. The sorption and transport parameters deduced experimentally from these systems have been correlated and interpreted in terms of applicable theories. For the blends, the Henry's-law sorption parameter has been used to deduce a reasonable value of the interaction parameter for the polycarbonate-copolyester blend system from the Flory-Huggins theory of mixtures. The Langmuir capacity term from the dual-sorption model is accurately related to the unrelaxed volume of the glass. Negative deviations of permeability and diffusion coefficients from simple additivity relations were observed and qualitatively interpreted to result from the decrease in volume on mixing for the blends.
Integrating BC & GC Models In Computing Stereo Disparity As Markov Random Field

Belief propagation and graph cuts have emerged as powerful tools for computing efficient approximate so- lution to stereo disparity field modelled as the Markov random field (MRF). These algorithms have provided the best performance based on results on a standard data set (1). However, employment of the brightness constancy (BC) assumption severely limits the range of their applications. Previously, augmenting the BC with gradient constancy (GC) assumption has shown to produce a more robust optical flow algorithm (2), (3). In this paper, these constraints are integrated within the MRF framework to devise an en- hanced global method that broadens the application domains for stereo computation. Results of experiments with both semi-synthetic data and more challenging ocean images are presented to illustrate that the proposed method generally outperforms earlier dense optical flow and stereo algorithms.
The interpretation of solution electrolyte vibrational bands in potential-difference infrared spectroscopy

Abstract The influence of ionic migration to and from the surrounding solution reservoir upon potential-difference infrared (PDIR) spectra is examined for some cases involving anionic adsorption in order to elucidate its consequences upon the net potential-induced compositional changes in the thin-layer solution. Representative PDIR spectra for the adsorption of azide anions on gold are compared in the absence and presence of excess alkali perchlorate supporting electrolyte. In the latter, the loss of solution azide in the spectral thin layer upon stepping to a more positive potential, resulting from increased azide adsorption, is accompanied by extensive migration of perchlorate into the thin layer. The form of the spectra induced by potential-dependent azide specific adsorption differs in these two circumstances since in the former the ionic migration between the thin-layer cavity and the solution reservoir necessary for charge compensation is provided by the azide electrolyte itself, whereas in the latter case migration of the supporting electrolyte yields a fixed quantity of azide in the thin layer. The intensities and sign of the PDIR bands arising from solution-phase azide and perchlorate enable the extent of the potential-dependent anionic redistribution in the thin-layer cavity to be quantified. In the absence of added perchlorate, the magnitude of the solution azide band is diminished substantially, inferring that replenishment of the thin-layer solution concentration occurs predominantly via N − 3 migration from the surrounding solution reservoir. Similar results were also obtained for cyanate adsorption on gold. The influence of cation as well as anion migration on this thin-layer charge redistribution was examined by employing an infrared-active cation, NH + 4 , as well as from the addition of H 3 O + . While the results indicate that cation migration can contribute substantially to this charge redistribution, anion migration typically appears to predominate when specific anion adsorption is encountered. Some general consequences of such ion migration effects to the interpretation of PDIR spectra are noted.
Separation of double-label liquid scintillation samples by half-life☆

Abstract A method is presented for separation of double- or triple-labeled liquid scintillation samples based on the partial decay of one of the nuclides. Validity of the procedure has been demonstrated with the following combinations of nuclides commonly encountered in laboratory situations; 131 I- 14 C, 32 P- 14 C, and 203 Hg- 14 C, Separation of all nuclide pairs agrees favorably with predieted values except when the activity ratios exceed 10 3 . The determinations are independent of quenching and nuclide spectra and greatly augment the number of β-β and β-γ combinations resolved by liquid scintillation spectrometry. The utility of this method for separation of triple-labeled samples is discussed.
Residual helical and turn structure in the denatured state of staphylococcal nuclease: analysis of peptide fragments

Background Previous NMR studies of the denatured state of staphylococcal nuclease identified three significantly populated native-like secondary structures: the second α -helix, α 2 (residues 98–106), estimated to be present 30% of the time, and two highly populated β -turns, a type I turn (residues 83–86) and a type I′ turn (residues 94–97). In the absence of detectable β -structure or long-range interactions in this low-density denatured state, these three secondary structures appeared to be stabilized exclusively by local interactions. Results To quantitate the intrinsic stability of these secondary structures, three synthetic peptides corresponding in sequence to these chain segments, plus 2–4 flanking residues, have been analyzed by NMR and CD spectroscopy. Neither of the turn peptides showed significant evidence of residual structure. The data for the α 2 peptide suggest that this α -helix remains approximately 30% helical when separated from the rest of the protein. However, the type I′ turn and the Schellman motif, at the amino and carboxyl termini, respectively, observed in both the native and the denatured state, do not form in this peptide. Instead, the helix appears to propagate to the ends of the peptide, overriding both of these helix-stop signals. Conclusion The presence of a native-like secondary structure in a denatured protein does not necessarily imply that it has a high intrinsic stability. β -turns in particular can be stabilized by long-range interactions in the absence of stable β -strands. In addition, so-called helix-stop signals, such as the Schellman motif, may not contribute actively to helix stability. As for turns, these local interactions at the ends of helices may be passive structures that form in response to longer-range interactions.
Impact of acute rejection and early allograft function on renal allograft survival.

Both acute rejection and the function of a renal allograft early after transplantation correlate with long-term graft survival. In this study we assessed the relationship between these two factors in 843 adult recipients of first cadaveric renal grafts, transplanted at a single institution and followed for a minimum of 3.5 years. Patients were divided into four groups according to (1) history of acute rejection (AR) during the first 6 months after transplantation, and (2) concentration of serum creatinine at 6 months after transplantation (SCr(6mo) or = 2 mg/dl). Death censored allograft survival was not significantly different among patients without AR and with low SCr(6mo) (group 1, n=376), patients without AR but with an elevated SCr(6mo) (group 2, n=117), and patients with AR but low SCr(6mo) (group 3, n=185). In contrast, graft survival was significantly worse in patients with AR and an elevated SCr(6mo) (group 4, n=165) compared with patients in the other three groups (Cox, P<0.0001). The elevated SCr(6mo) in group 4 patients was not necessarily the consequence of AR, as 32% of patients in group 4 had a SCr at 10 days after transplantation (SCr(10d)), before they had AR, that was equal to or higher than the SCr(6mo). Based on this observation we investigated the implications of the SCr(10d) concentration for graft prognosis. The SCr(10d) correlated weakly with graft survival (Cox, P=0.05). However, an elevated SCr(10d) correlated with other potential risk factors for graft survival including: Older donors (P<0.0001), male recipients (P<0.0001), and heavier recipients (P<0.0001, all by multivariate regression); and posttransplant factors such as, increasing numbers of AR (P<0.0001), higher posttransplant blood pressure (P<0.0001), and lower doses of cyclosporine (P<0.0001, all by multivariate regression). In conclusion, graft dysfunction predicts poor graft survival only when associated with AR. Similarly, AR predicts a poor renal allograft survival only when associated with graft dysfunction. The SCr(10d) is an indicator of risk factors from both the donor and recipient, and an elevated SCr(10d) predicts a higher risk of acquiring additional risk factors early after transplantation.
Immunochemical evidence that nitrogenase is restricted to the heterocysts in Anabaena cylindrica

The question of whether the vegetative cells of Anabaena cylindrica synthesize nitrogenase under anaerobic conditions was studied by immunoferritin labelling of the Fe-Mo protein (Component I). Differentiating cultures, incubated under an argon atmosphere, were treated with DCMU 12 h following initiation of induction. DCMU inhibited photosynthetic O2 production, thus insuring strict anaerobic conditions, but had no effect on nitrogenase induction. Fe-Mo protein levels, as determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis, increased 5-fold within 24h of DCMU treatment. Immunoferritin labelling of aldehyde fixed, ultrathin cryosections of anaerobically induced filaments showed that the Fe-Mo protein was restricted to the heterocyst. Ferritin labelling was shown to be specific by the following criteria: (a) substituting preimmune goat serum for the anti-Fe-Mo protein IgG prevented ferritin labelling; (b) ferritin-conjugated, non-homologous rabbit anti-goat IgG did not bind; (c) incubation of anti-Fe-Mo protein IgG treated sections with rabbit anti-goat IgG prior to the treatment with the ferritin label also prevented labelling. The results provide direct immunochemical evidence that nitrogenase is restricted to the heterocysts even under strictly anaerobic conditions.
Failure to report ethical approval in child health research: review of published papers.

More than 500 journals have adopted the uniform requirements of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, which stipulate that authors should “indicate whether the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation.”1 One major purpose of institutional review is to ensure that informed consent is obtained when possible. We investigated how often research publications about child health report ethics committee approval or informed consent. We reviewed all research reports related to child health (involving patients <18 years, pregnant women, or clinicians providing care to children) published in 1999 in five American journals ( JAMA , New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics , Journal of Pediatrics , Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine ). Each report was reviewed independently by two research assistants for any statement about informed consent or ethics committee approval; if either statement was present, the report was categorised as having ethical approval. An article that referred to another publication for more details was not reviewed. …
Evaluation of peripheral nerve regeneration via in vivo serial transcutaneous imaging using transgenic Thy1-YFP mice

This study uses the saphenous nerve crush model in Thy1-YFP mice and serial transcutaneous imaging to evaluate the rate of nerve regeneration under various FK-506 (tacrolimus) dosing regimens and in the presence of transgenic overexpression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Thy1-YFP transgenic mice received saphenous nerve crush and were monitored for axonal regeneration via transcutaneous imaging for 7 days. Group A received no FK-506. Groups B and C received FK-506 at 2 or 0.5 mg/kg/day, starting three days before injury (preload). Groups D and E received FK-506 at 2 or 0.5 mg/kg/day, starting on the day of injury. Group F consisted of double transgenic mice with central overexpression of GDNF by CNS astrocytes (GFAP-GDNF/Thy1-YFP). Length and rate of axonal regeneration were measured and calculated over time. Regardless of concentration, FK-506 preload (Groups B and C) improved length and rate of axonal outgrowth compared with controls (Group A) and no preload (Groups D and E). Surprisingly, central overexpression of GDNF (GFAP-GDNF) delayed and stunted axonal outgrowth. Saphenous nerve crush in Thy1-YFP mice represents a viable model for timely evaluation of therapeutic strategies affecting the rate of nerve regeneration. FK-506 administered three days prior to injury accelerates axonal regeneration beyond injury conditioned regeneration alone and may serve as a reliable positive control for the model. GDNF overexpression in the CNS impedes early axonal outgrowth.
A diffusion model for host-parasite interaction

A variety of host-parasite models are found in the literature. They usually consist of a small number of ordinary differential equations, which describe the dynamics of the total number of hosts and the total number of parasites.The authors introduced earlier a new approach to such models using a partial differential equation which uses the parasite density as a continuous structure variable. So far the new model contained only convective terms with respect to this variable, and the qualitative properties of solutions were not in agreement with observed parasite distributions.In the present work, the authors introduce diffusive terms to the previous model, Results of simulations for a specific host-parasite system appearing in fish farms are presented. These show a much better qualitative fit with real data than results from simulations with any other models.
Perception, inference, and the veridicality of natural constraints

Pylyshyn’s target article argues that perception is not inferential, but this is true only under a narrow construal of inference. A more general construal is possible, and has been used to provide formal theories of many visual capacities. This approach also makes clear that the evolution of natural constraints need not converge to the “veridical” state of the
Synthesis and Structures of Heterocyclic Azidogallanes [(CH3)ClGaN3]4 and [(CH3)BrGaN3]3 en Route to [(CH3)HGaN3]x: An Inorganic Precursor to GaN

The synthesis of [(CH3)ClGaN3]4 (1) with a heterocyclic cyclooctane-like structure and [(CH3)BrGaN3]3 (2) with a trimeric structure has been demonstrated. X-ray structural determinations reveal that 1 and 2 consist of Ga4N4 eight-membered rings and Ga3N3 six-membered rings, respectively, in which the Ga atoms are bridged by the α nitrogens of the azide groups. [(CH3)ClGaN3]4 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P421c with a = 11.017(4) A, c = 8.699(7) A, and Z = 8. [(CH3)BrGaN3]3 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with a = 8.1080(10) A, b = 9.9390(13) A, c = 10.4439(13) A, α = 86.069(3)°, β = 86.771(3)°, γ = 80.829(2)°, and Z = 6. The reaction of 1 and 2 with LiGaH4 yields [(CH3)HGaN3]x, which is a new low-temperature source of GaN.
In search of a surrogate: engineering human beta cell lines for therapy

Replacement of insulin-producing cells is a promising therapy for the restoration of the beta cell mass that is destroyed in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the use of large amounts of islets per transplant, coupled with the scarcity of donor tissue, diminishes its feasibility. Here we briefly discuss current progress in developing ideal functional beta cells as well as the rationale for developing renewable sources of insulin-producing cells that can be transplanted.
Impact of Training System and Pruning Severity on Yield, Fruit Composition, and Vegetative Growth of ‘Niagara’ Grapevines in Michigan

‘Niagara’ (Vitis labruscana Bailey) vines were evaluated for 4 years, from 2000 to 2003 in a commercial vineyard in Scottdale, MI. Vines were trained as Hudson River Umbrella (HRU), umbrella Kniffen (UK), and Hybrid (HYB) and pruned for 4 years at four pruning levels (20, 40, 80, or 120 nodes/vine) and minimally pruned or hedge pruned mechanically. Node levels above 80 nodes decreased several yield components, such as cluster and berry weight. Reduction in yield and sugar components was obtained with pruning levels above 80 nodes per vine and related to a decrease in cluster and berry weight as well as a decrease in bud fruitfulness (productivity index). As number of nodes retained increased, vine size, cluster weight, berry weight, percent soluble solids, and pH decreased, while yield, cluster number, and leaf area at veraison increased. Yield components, vine size, and productivity were optimum at 20 and 40 nodes retained, but these node levels produce unacceptable low yields for economically viable jui...
The decibel and Mr. Dow

The decibel scale is the logarithmic scale ubiquitously employed in plotting the magnitude of frequency responses. Unfortunately, students and practioners often do not know the multiplicative factors that correspond to particular decibel values, making estimates of magnitudes nonintuitive. This paper derives “by hand“ rational approximations to the factors of the integer decibel values between 1 and 20 that are within 1.5% of the actual values. The approximations have denominators of 2, 4, 5, 8 or 10. The approximations are easy to remember and easy to re-derive without the availability of a calculator. Rational decibel approximations of the integer factors between 1 and 10 are also derived. These approximations are handy not only for estimating magnitudes, but also for back-of-the-envelope computations. An example of determining average compound growth rate of the Dow Jones industrial average from inception to 2006 without a calculator is provided for giving students practice using these approximations.
Heats of formation for ClFn (n=1–3)

Abstract Accurate heats of formation have been computed for ClF n ( n =1–3). The accuracy of the results is strongly dependent on the basis set quality and it is crucial to add at least one tight d function to Cl. The atomization energies are corrected for scalar relativistic, core-valence, spin–orbit, thermal effects, and zero-point energy. Our heats of formations are in very good agreement with the experimental values reported by Gurvich therefore suggesting that the JANAF values are slightly underestimated.
A Comprehensive Community-Based Approach to Serving Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Recent reports about the mental health status of children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders, the limited availability of related services, and a lack of collaborative practices indicate a need to consider how services are provided to these individuals and their families. In this paper, the needs of this population and the costs of providing services are presented. Then the issues that are essential to developing a comprehensive, community-based approach to serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders are discussed.
Looping RAFOS floats in the California Current System

Abstract Looping motions of RAFOS floats deployed off the Central California coast between 1992 and 2010 are described. Most floats were deployed in the California Undercurrent. Floats at 300 m were observed to loop 26% of the time, with anticyclonic rotation observed about twice as often as cyclonic rotation. Characteristics of anticyclonic rotation at 300 m included median swirl speeds of 14 cm/s for diameters of 59 km and 14-day periods. Long-lived (>70 days and at least 8 consecutive loops) anticyclonic loopers are identified as California Undercurrent eddies (or “cuddies”). One cuddy was observed to move southwestward 1650 km over a period of 520 days before observations ended. Kinematically, cuddies are similar to Mediterranean Water eddies (meddies) in the Iberian Basin, except that meddies are somewhat stronger, larger and deeper. Over the slope, most cuddies were formed between either Pt. Sur and Pt. Reyes or Cape Mendocino and Cape Blanco. The region north of Cape Mendocino is estimated to generate six cuddies each year. These eddies form from waters on the inshore side of the California Undercurrent as they move past Cape Mendocino. Topographic drag is the most likely formation mechanism. Two of eight deep floats were observed to loop, one anticyclonically (1545 m) for 279 days and the other cyclonically (1167 m) for 192 days. Looping for these floats ended near Taney Seamounts.
Synthesis of erythro-ω-aminosphingosine and preparation of an affinity column for sphingosine kinase purification

Abstract The de novo synthesis of a C-17 erythro - ω -aminosphingosine homologue using L-serine is described together with its conjugation to Affi-Gel 10.
Quantitative inter-strain comparison of the distribution of choline acetyltransferase activity in the rat cochlear nucleus

The distribution of choline acetyltransferase activity in the cochlear nucleus of Sprague-Dawley albino rats was quantitatively compared to those in two strains of pigmented rats, Long Evans hooded and Brown Norway, using microdissection and radiometric assay techniques. Although activities tended to be, on the whole, higher in the albino rats, the differences were fairly minor. The relative distributions of choline acetyltransferase activity were generally similar among the 3 rat strains, not only among regions, but also within regions. Stain for acetylcholinesterase activity in the cochlear nucleus also had a similar appearance among the 3 rat strains. These chemical results are consistent with previous anatomical and physiological studies suggesting that auditory differences between albino and pigmented animals may not be as great in the cochlear nucleus as in the superior olivary complex.
Pertussis toxin inhibits stimulated motility independently of the adenylate cyclase pathway in human melanoma cells.

Abstract The human melanoma cell line, A2058, has previously been shown to respond to an autocrine motility factor (AMF). We have studied biochemical pathways that may be involved in the generation of such a motile reponse. Pertussis toxin (PT) caused a profound, rapid decrease in stimulated motility that was both dose and time-dependent. Preincubation of cells for 2 hr with as little as 1ng/ml of PT significantly inhibited motility. A concentration of PT (0.5 μg/ml) that completely eliminated migration after a 30 min. preincubation had a markedly reduced effect when added 1 hr after the start of the assay. In contrast, agents which selectively modulate or have a role in the adenylate cyclase pathway, e.g., cholera toxin, forskolin, the cAMP analogue 8-bromoadenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate and the cyclase inhibitor 2′,5′-dideoxyadenosine, all had negligible effect upon motility. These data are consistent with the presence of a receptor coupled to a PT sensitive G protein initiating motility independently of the adenylate cyclase system.
‘White’ gaze, ‘red’ people — Shadow visions: the disidentification of ‘Indians’ in cultural tourism

Is tourism another round of Western colonialism? This paper considers tourism's role in introducing travellers to the supposed ‘Red Indians’ of North America, who in Foucaultian terms, are increasingly coming under the powerful objectifying gaze of the tourist system — essentially, a ‘White’ gaze. Travel practitioners and tourists tend to absorb sedimented historical explanations of indigenous culture, and the storylines conveyed about Native North Americans are prone to stale stereotypes and partial realities. The paper attempts to go beyond the ethnocentrisms and certitudes of the structural Western visions of indigenous North Americans by disidentifying them — that is by encouraging acceptance within the tourism industry of the validity and logic of Native North Americans' own alternative visions of the world instead. Accordingly, it draws out ten precepts about the First American world-order which are designed to help the inchoate tourism practitioner correctively comprehend the non-linear, indigenous...
PROCESS-ORIENTED BASIS REPRESENTATIONS FOR MLTLTIVARIATE PROCESS DIAGNOSTICS

(1996). PROCESS-ORIENTED BASIS REPRESENTATIONS FOR MLTLTIVARIATE PROCESS DIAGNOSTICS. Quality Engineering: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 107-118.
Analysis of the autoimmune regulator gene in patients with autoimmune non-APECED polyendocrinopathies

The pathogenesis of autoimmunity was derived from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. AIRE gene variants and, in particular, heterozygous loss-of-function mutations were also discovered in organ-specific autoimmune disorders, possibly contributing to their etiopathogenesis. It was suggested that even predisposition to develop certain autoimmune conditions may be derived from AIRE gene polymorphisms including S278R and intronic IVS9+6 G>A. In this study we unravel the hypothesis on whether AIRE gene variants may predispose individuals to associated autoimmune conditions in 41 Italian patients affected by non-APECED autoimmune polyendocrinopathies. We could not detect any heterozygous mutations of the AIRE gene. Although a trend of association was observed, heterozygous polymorphisms S278R and IVS9+6 G>A were detected in patients without statistically significant prevalence than in controls. Their putative contribution to autoimmune polyendocrinopathies and their predictive value in clinical strategies of disease development could be unravelled by analysing a larger sample of diseased patients and healthy individuals.
Individual Differences in Semantic Encoding Processes

A Type I incidental learning paradigm was used to examine the manner in which learning disabled children and non-learning-disabled children responded to systematic variations in the semantic elements of words. Accuracy of performance on word categorization tasks did not differentiate the two subject populations. However, the LD subjects categorized words less rapidly and recalled fewer words on a subsequent free recall task than the non-LD subjects. The results suggested that semantic encoding and retrieval processes occur with less automaticity in learning and reading disabled children. Less rapid and inefficient use of the semantic content of words appears to be a contributing factor in the reduced performance of LD children on verbal learning tasks.
Optical enrichment of dansyl‐rac‐amino acids by formation of crystalline inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins

Optical enrichment from racemic dansyl-leucine, dansyl-norleucine, and dansyl-phenylalanine with both beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins in water is reported. Initial crystallization yielded the dansyl-L-Leucine isomer complexed in excess with beta-cyclodextrin with an optical purity of 62-78% depending on experimental conditions. The optical purities obtained for L-norleucine and L-phenylalanine were 71 and 64%, respectively. The optical purity can be increased with continued recrystallization. The dansyl-D-leucine isomer was obtained in the mother liquor with an optical purity of 54-93% depending on experimental conditions. The optical purities obtained for D-norleucine and D-phenylalanine were 72 and 58%. The optical purity of the isomer depended on the molar ratio of host:guest and the pH value of the solution. Optimum enrichment of both enantiomers was achieved with host:guest ratios of 2:1 and 3:1. Although maximum crystalline yield of the dansyl-leucine/CD inclusion complex was obtained at a pH of 3.5, optical purity of both enantiomers was less than that obtained at other pHs. The influence of the molar ratio of host:guest and the pH value of the solution are discussed. This method is suitable for large-scale enantiomeric separations.
Temperature-dependent transport and 1 / f noise mechanisms in single-walled carbon nanotube films

The temperature dependence of $1/f$ noise and resistivity in single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) films are studied. We find that as the temperature decreases, resistivity monotonically increases whereas $1/f$ noise amplitude first decreases, then increases, reaching a minimum at around 40 K. At temperatures considerably smaller than 40 K, the temperature dependence of both resistivity and $1/f$ noise amplitude can be explained by three-dimensional Mott variable-range hopping, which is due to localization effects that result in an insulating behavior in CNT films. At higher temperatures, on the other hand, the dependence of resistivity on temperature can be explained by fluctuation-induced tunneling. In this high-temperature regime, we analyze the temperature dependence of the noise amplitude to extract the density of fluctuators as a function of their energy. Our results show a characteristic peak between 0.3 and 0.6 eV that is responsible for the majority of $1/f$ noise. We also find that, due to its correlation with the number of carriers, the noise amplitude is very sensitive to CNT film device dimensions, especially near the percolation threshold where the resistivity increases. These results not only provide fundamental physical insights about transport and $1/f$ noise mechanisms in CNT films at different temperatures but also help assess the suitability of these films for device applications.
Succinate dehydrogenase deficiency associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and ventricular noncompaction

We report a case of a 6-week-old male who was admitted to the hospital for respiratory distress. An echocardiogram revealed a poorly functioning left ventricle with an ejection fraction of 18% and dilated cardiomyopathy with noncompaction of the left ventricle. A muscle biopsy was performed to identify the cause of his cardiomyopathy, which revealed succinate dehydrogenase deficiency. The patient was medically managed for dilated cardiomyopathy and eventually died due to congestive heart failure.
Introduction: It's About Time

The article introduces an article in the Exemplary Contributions section of this issue that is written by Allen Bluedorn and Rhetta Standifer. They focus on the social and normative aspects of time...