cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation and characterization of a sulfate-reducing bacterium that anaerobically degrades alkanes

An alkane-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacterial strain, AK-01, was isolated from an estuarine sediment with a history of chronic petroleum contamination. The bacterium is a short, nonmotile, non-spore-forming, gram-negative rod. It is mesophilic and grows optimally at pH 6.9 to 7.0 and at an NaCl concentration of 1%. Formate, fatty acids (C4 to C16) and hydrogen were readily utilized as electron donors. Sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate were used as electron acceptors, but sulfur, nitrite, and nitrate were not. Phenotypic characterization and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicate that AK-01 is most closely related to the genera Desulfosarcina, Desulfonema, and Desulfococcus in the delta subdivision of the class Proteobacteria. It is phenotypically and phylogenetically different from strains Hxd3 and TD3, two previously reported isolates of alkane-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacteria. The alkanes tested to support growth of AK-01 had chain lengths of C13 to C18. 1-Alkenes (C15 and C16) and 1-alkanols (C15 and C16) also supported growth. The doubling time for growth on hexadecane was 3 days, about four times longer than that for growth on hexadecanoate. Mineralization of hexadecane was indicated by the recovery of 14CO2 from cultures grown on [1-14C]hexadecane. Degradation of hexadecane was dependent on sulfate reduction. The stoichiometric ratio (as moles of sulfate reduced per mole of hexadecane degraded) was 10.6, which is very close to the theoretical ratio of 12.25, assuming a complete oxidation to CO2. Anaerobic alkane degradation by sulfate reducers may be a more widespread phenomenon than was previously thought.
Validating Quality Attribute Requirements

This paper is concerned with the correct specification and validation of quality attribute requirements (QARs) that crosscut through a diverse set of complex system functions. These requirements act as modifiers of system level functional requirements and thus have substantial influence on the eventual architectural selection. Because system designers traditionally address these requirements one quality attribute at a time, the process frequently results in QARs that contain subtle conflicting behaviors. This paper presents an approach to QAR-induced behavior validation and conflict detection via execution-based model checking early in the software development process. It explores the concept of conflicts between requirements with temporal and sequencing behaviors and presents an automated approach for discovering such conflicts. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of the US Government. The US Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Government purposes notwithstanding any copyright annotations thereon.)
Currency Crashes in Industrial Countries: What Determines Good and Bad Outcomes?

Sharp exchange rate depreciations, or currency crashes, are associated with poor economic outcomes in industrial countries only when they are caused by inflationary macroeconomic policies. Moreover, the poor outcomes are attributable to inflationary policies in general and not the currency crashes in particular. On the other hand, crashes caused by rising unemployment or external deficits have always been followed by solid economic growth, rising asset prices and stable or falling inflation rates.
RAMBO: A Reconfigurable Atomic Memory Service for Dynamic Networks

This paper presents an algorithm that emulates atomic read/write shared objects in a dynamic network setting. To ensure availability and faulttolerance, the objects are replicated. To ensure atomicity, reads and writes are performed using quorum configurations, each of which consists of a set of members plus sets of read-quorums and write-quorums. The algorithm is reconfigurable: the quorum configurations may change during computation, and such changes do not cause violations of atomicity. Any quorum configuration may be installed at any time. The algorithm tolerates processor stopping failure and message loss. The algorithm performs three major tasks, all concurrently: reading and writing objects, introducing new configurations, and "garbage-collecting" obsolete configurations. The algorithm guarantees atomicity for arbitrary patterns of asynchrony and failure. The algorithm satisfies a variety of conditional performance properties, based on timing and failure assumptions. In the "normal case", the latency of read and write operations is at most 8d, where d is the maximum message delay.
The role of PET scanning in the evaluation of lung carcinoma.

The purpose of the review is to: (a) provide information concerning the physiology of lung cancer imaging with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET); (b) clarify the role of FDG‐PET in the diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules; (c) summarise the accuracy of PET scanning in the staging of lung cancer both in regard to mediastinal nodal staging and the staging of distant metastases.
Central insulin and macronutrient intake in the rat

When rats are maintained on a standard laboratory diet, the infusion of low doses of insulin into the cerebroventricular system causes a reduction of food intake and body weight. It was recently reported that, if rats are maintained on a high-fat diet (56% calories as fat), they are insensitive to this action of insulin. To investigate further the effect of dietary composition on responsiveness to central insulin, we carried out two experiments. In experiment 1, rats were maintained on one of four equicaloric diets (providing 7, 22, 39, or 54% of calories as fat) before and during a 6-day third-ventricular infusion (i3vt) of insulin (10 mU/day) or saline. Rats consuming 7 or 22% of calories as fat had a significant reduction of both food intake (-17.2 +/- 2.9 and -14.6 +/- 3.3 g, respectively) and body weight (-50 +/- 5 and -41 +/- 5 g, respectively) from baseline over the insulin-infusion infusion period. Rats consuming 39 or 54% calories as fat did not reliably alter food intake (-4.0 +/- 3.9 and -1.9 +/- 3.7 g, respectively) or body weight (-10 +/- 6 and -6 +/- 4 g, respectively) in response to i3vt of insulin. In experiment 2, rats were offered a choice of three macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) in separate jars in their home cages. After they had adapted to the diets, they were infused i3vt with insulin or saline. Insulin caused a significant reduction of body weight relative to saline-infused controls (body wt: -23.1 +/- 4 g) and a reduction in food intake that was selective for dietary fat. These data suggest that the effects of central insulin administration are highly dependent on the macronutrient content of the diet as well as the ability of rats to select their own diets.
Spatial cuing in a stereoscopic display: Evidence for a “depth-blind” attentional spotlight

This experiment explored whether attentional selection observed in a spatial cuing task is based on a representation that includes depth information or not. Targets were presented inside placeholders appearing at the samex,y location on a stereoscopic display, but on different depth planes, or at differentx,y locations on the same depth plane. A peripheral precue produced significant cuing effects in the latter but not in the former condition. In a control experiment, significant cuing effects were found for targets appearing at differentx,y coordinates within the fovea, confirming that the lack of cuing effects in the depth condition was not due to foveal presentation. Together, the results suggest that spatial selection in spatial cuing tasks operates on a representation that does not include depth information.
Development of a Universal Alkoxyamine for “Living” Free Radical Polymerizations

Examination of novel alkoxyamines has demonstrated the pivotal role that the nitroxide plays in mediating the “living” or controlled polymerization of a wide range of vinyl monomers. Surveying a variety of different alkoxyamine structures led to α-hydrido derivatives based on a 2,2,5-trimethyl-4-phenyl-3-azahexane-3-oxy, 1, skeleton which were able to control the polymerization of styrene, acrylate, acrylamide, and acrylonitrile based monomers. For each monomer set, the molecular weight could be controlled from 1000 to 200 000 amu with polydispersities typically 1.05−1.15. Block and random copolymers based on combinations of the above monomers could also be prepared with similar control. In comparison with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinoxy (TEMPO), these new systems represent a dramatic increase in the range of monomers that can be polymerized under controlled conditions and overcome many of the limitations associated with nitroxide-mediated “living” free radical procedures. Monomer selection and functional...
Acute Patellar Tendon Rupture: A New Surgical Technique

The most common method used in the treatment of acute patellar tendon ruptures is primary end-to-end repair. The use of the Acufex ACL guide (Acufex Microsurgical, Mansfield, MA) provides efficient and accurate placement of transosseous drill holes in the patella and minimizes the risk, tourniquet time, and surgical time of acute patellar tendon repairs.
Engines of Biodiversity

Plants in Changing Environments. Linking Physiological, Population, and Community Ecology. F. A. BAZZAZ. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1996. x, 320 pp., illus. $75 or £55, ISBN 0-521-39190-3; paper, $29.95 or £19.95, ISBN 0-521-39843-6.
Are automated anesthesia records better

Abstract Study Objective: To determine whether data recorded by an information management system is significantly different from that recorded manually. Design: A comparison was made between 13 handwritten and 13 computer-generated anesthesia records by calculating the frequency with which recorded variables were outside predetermined acceptable ranges. Five physiologic variables (systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (P ET CO 2 ), and oxygen saturation by pulse oximeter (SpO 2 ) were compared during the initial 112 hours of operation. Setting: Surgical suite at a university-affiliated hospital. Patients: Thirteen adult patients scheduled for operations that required general anesthesia for longer than 112 hours. Intervention: In addition to the traditional handwritten anesthesia records, an information management system (ARKIVE Patient Management System, DIATEK, San Diego, CA) was used to collect data from each case. Measurements and Main Results: No significant differences were found between the methods in the frequency of elevated SBP, elevated DBP, and tachycardia. However, the manual records showed low SBP, DBP, and HR with a significantly lower frequency (2%, 11 %, I%, respectively) than the automated records (6%, 26%, 5%, respectively; p ET CO 2 readings were higher than the upper limit (40 mmHg) with a higher frequency (18%) than the manual records (3%; p 2 was noted to be 90% or less on two occasions, but significant desaturation was noted only once on the manual charts. Conclusions: Observer bias, missed readings, and errors of memory, which affect manual anesthetic records, may cause significant inaccuracy and may be avoided by using automated records generated by information management systems.
STING and the innate immune response to nucleic acids in the cytosol

Cytosolic detection of pathogen-derived nucleic acids is critical for the initiation of innate immune defense against diverse bacterial, viral and eukaryotic pathogens. Conversely, inappropriate responses to cytosolic nucleic acids can produce severe autoimmune pathology. The host protein STING has been identified as a central signaling molecule in the innate immune response to cytosolic nucleic acids. STING seems to be especially critical for responses to cytosolic DNA and the unique bacterial nucleic acids called 'cyclic dinucleotides'. Here we discuss advances in the understanding of STING and highlight the many unresolved issues in the field.
Telomere length in different histologic types of ovarian carcinoma with emphasis on clear cell carcinoma

Telomere length in different histologic types of ovarian carcinoma with emphasis on clear cell carcinoma
Insulin-like activity of chromium-binding fractions from brewer's yeast.

51CrCl3 was added to the incubation medium of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for up to 48 hr. After repeated freezing and thawing, lysing in 9 M urea with 1% NP-40 detergent, and dialysis against water, the lower molecular weight (Mr < 3500) dialysate was retained on a SE53 cationic exchange column, eluted with 0.25 M NH4OH and fractionated on a Bio-gel P-2 column. The insulinlike biological activity of the fractions was measured by the 14C-glucose oxidation in isolated rat adipocytes. The biological activity that was found in two of nine fractions did not correspond to their chromium content. Moreover, identical findings were obtained when chromium was added not to the live yeast but to the yeast extract, which showed that its binding was a chemical process not requiring cellular activity. No fraction demonstrated insulin-potentiating activity on rat adipocytes.
Myasthenia gravis: An embryologic and phylogenetic perspective.

Summary Myasthenia gravis is a rare disease with unique clinical features. These include (1) progressive fatigue on exertion, most evident clinically in the muscles of the head and neck (2) a definite relationship of the disease to the thyroid, parathyroid and thymus glands. A hypothesis is advanced with correlates these facts on the basis of a common embryologic origin of these glands and the branchial arch muscles. A corollary is that the muscles of the head and neck differ from the somatic musculature in some as-yet-unidentified manner, for example, pharmacologically. A plea is made for comparative studies between the two.
PHASE-BEHAVIOR AND CONDUCTIVITY OF LI2SIS3 COMPOSITION

Abstract The Li2SiS3 composition was investigated as possible lithium-conducting solid electrolytes. Depending on cooling conditions from the melt, three different phases (equilibrium, metastable crystalline and glass) were formed. The new, metastable crystalline phase had lattice parameters of a=11.436 A , b=6.605 A , and c=6.487 A . The lithium conductivities of the equilibrium, metastable crystalline and glassy phases at room temperature were 2×10−6, 4×10−5 and 1×10 −4 (Ω cm ) −1 , respectively. The finding of the metastable crystalline Li2SiS3 and the deduction of its chain structure provided a better idea of the local chain structure of the glassy Li2SiS3.
Production and Characterization of Hybridoma Antibody to Native Human Type II Collagen

Using a sensitive RIA for collagenous proteins, we have applied a series of consecutive selection steps to construct a hybridoma that produces antibody against native human Type II collagen. The selection steps consisted of: 1) hybrid cell line selection; 2) co-selection of IgG class immunoglobulin reactive to the immunizing antigen; 3) selection for anticollagen antibody by complete inhibition of antibody binding to Type II collagen-coated plates by prior specific collagenase digestion; 4) selection for anti-helical antibody by complete inhibition of antibody binding to heat-denatured Type II collagen-coated plates; 5) clonal selection; 6) selection for absence of crossreactivity to 5-7 additional native collagen types; and finally 7) selection for antibody yielding indirect immunofluorescent staining of human cartilage matrix, but not adjacent bone or perichondrium. Cross-reactivity assays against other native human collagen types revealed little cross-reactivity. In addition, we have demonstrated that native Type II collagen inhibits antibody binding to Type II collagen-coated plates; that Type II collagen can be recovered from antigen-antibody complexes; that a sensitive radioimmunoassay for Type II collagen can be developed; and that the antibody is useful for indirect immunofluorescent studies of human cartilage matrix.
A mutation in the β-myosin rod associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has an unexpected molecular phenotype

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common, autosomal dominant disorder primarily characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in youth. HCM is caused by mutations in several sarcomeric proteins, with mutations in MYH7, encoding β-MyHC, being the most common. While many mutations in the globular head region of the protein have been reported and studied, analysis of HCM-causing mutations in the β-MyHC rod domain has not yet been reported. To address this question, we performed an array of biochemical and biophysical assays to determine how the HCM-causing E1356K mutation affects the structure, stability, and function of the β-MyHC rod. Surprisingly, the E1356K mutation appears to thermodynamically destabilize the protein, rather than alter the charge profile know to be essential for muscle filament assembly. This thermodynamic instability appears to be responsible for the decreased ability of the protein to form filaments and may be responsible for the HCM phenotype seen in patients.
Conditioned inhibition of analgesia

Stimuli that predict the occurrence of aversive events come to elicit conditioned analgesia. Experiments 1A and 1B examined the possibility that conditioning can inhibit analgesia when stimuli are paired in a backward fashion with a shock US (Pavlovian CS- s). Analgesia conditioned in response to shock context exposure was reversed during the CS- (light) presentation after four sessions. The ability of the CS- to function as a conditioned inhibitor of analgesia was then evaluated in both summation (Experiment 1A) and retardation-of-acquisition testing (Experiments 1A and 1B). The results support the conclusion that a stimulus presented after shock in a backward fashion comes to be a conditioned inhibitor of analgesia. Experiments 2A and 2B examined the assumption that the results obtained with our pain sensitivity measure (tailflicking in response to radiant heat) reflect changes in responsiveness to painful input, rather than a general motor inhibition or general insensitivity to sensory input. In Experiment 2A, tailflick responding to painful and nonpainful input was compared in animals receiving either morphine or saline. In Experiment 2B, tailflick responding to painful and nonpainful input to the tail was compared in both the shock and a neutral context. In both experiments, only the painful input yielded changes in responsivity. The results support the conclusion that the alterations in pain sensitivity produced by the CS- for shock represents a conditioned inhibition specific to pain.
Cyclic and Acyclic Defensins Inhibit Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Replication by Different Mechanisms

Defensins are antimicrobial peptides expressed by plants and animals. In mammals there are three subfamilies of defensins, distinguished by structural features: α, β and θ. Alpha and β-defensins are linear peptides with broad anti-microbial activity that are expressed by many mammals including humans. In contrast, θ-defensins are cyclic anti-microbial peptides made by several non-human primates but not humans. All three defensin types have anti-HIV-1 activity, but their mechanisms of action differ. We studied the anti-HIV-1 activity of one defensin from each group, HNP-1 (α), HBD-2 (β) and RTD-1 (θ). We examined how each defensin affected HIV-1 infection and demonstrated that the cyclic defensin RTD-1 inhibited HIV-1 entry, while acyclic HNP-1 and HBD-2 inhibited HIV-1 replication even when added 12 hours post-infection and blocked viral replication after HIV-1 cDNA formation. We further found that all three defensins downmodulated CXCR4. Moreover, RTD-1 inactivated X4 HIV-1, while HNP-1 and HBD-2 inactivated both X4 and R5 HIV-1. The data presented here show that acyclic and cyclic defensins block HIV-1 replication by shared and diverse mechanisms. Moreover, we found that HNP-1 and RTD-1 directly inhibited firefly luciferase enzymatic activity, which may affect the interpretation of previously published data.
The non-chain radicaloid c-alkylation of nitronate anions: further evidence for the mechanism

Abstract The effects of the variation of solvent, pyridinium leaving group, N -substituent, and nitronate nucleophile have been studied in the C -alkylation of nitronate anions. These variations and studies of the effects of inhibitors, attempted entrainment reactions, and ESR work are all in accord with our previously suggested mechanism.
New theoretical methodology for elucidating the solution structure of peptides from NMR data. II. free energy of dominant microstates of Leu‐enkephalin and population‐weighted average nuclear Overhauser effects intensities

A small linear peptide in solution may populate several stable states (called here microstates) in thermodynamic equilibrium; elucidating its dynamic three dimensional structure by multi- dimensional nmr is complex since the experimentally measured nuclear Overhauser effect intensities (NOEs) represent averages over the individual contributions. We propose a new methodology based on statistical mechanical considerations for analyzing nmr data of such peptides. In a previous paper (called paper I, H. Meirovitch et al. (1995) Journal of Physical Chemistry, 99, 4847-4854] we have developed theoretical methods for determining the contribution to the partition function Z of the most stable microstates, i.e. those that pertain to a given energy range above the global energy minimum (GEM). This relatively small set of dominant microstates provides the main contribution to medium- and long-range NOE intensities. In this work the individual populations and NOEs of the dominant microstates are determined, and then weighted averages are calculated and compared with experiment. Our methodology is applied to the pentapeptide Leu-enkephalin H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu-OH, described by the potential energy function ECEPP. Twenty one significantly different energy minimized structures are first identified within the range of 2 kcal/mol above the GEM by an extensive conformational search; this range has been found in paper I to contribute 0.6 of Z. These structures then become "seeds" for Monte Carlo (MC) simulations designed to keep the molecule relatively close to its seed. Indeed, the MC samples (called MC microstates) illustrate what we define as intermediate chain flexibility; some dihedral angles remain in the vicinity of their seed value, while others visit the full range of [-180 degrees, 180 degrees]. The free energies of the MC microstates (which lead to the populations) are calculated by the local states method, which (unlike other techniques) can handle any chain flexibility. The NOE of MC microstate i is calculated as the average i(2), and an effective interatomic distance ri(eff) is defined as ri(eff) = i(-1/3), where r is the distance between two protons. Under "initial rate approximation," and neglecting angular modulations, the overall I is the average over ri(eff-6), weighted by the populations of the MC microstates. This treatment is justified under the assumption that the rates at which conformations interconvert within, and among, microstates are faster and slower, respectively, than the rotational reorientation of the molecule. I(-6) leads to the virtual theoretical distances, compared to the corresponding virtual experimental distances, which were obtained previously from a cryoprotective solution of Leu-enkephalin at 280 K. A reasonable fit is found between theory and experiment. Future research directions are outlined.
Cross Correlation of Omnidirectional, Broadband Signals Scattered by a Random Pressure-Release Surface

Expressions for the cross correlation of omnidirectional, broadband continuous-wave (CW) acoustic signals scattered by a pressure-release random surface are derived for both vertically and horizontally spaced hydrophones using the Kirchhoff approximation for the boundary values and the Fresnel phase approximation. The resulting expressions for the spatial coherence are simple in form and require no approximations in the description of the random surface. As the surface becomes perfectly smooth, the expressions reduce to the image solution, thus ensuring the proper limiting behavior. Two narrowband models for vertical coherence were compared to experimental data collected during a sea test at the frequencies of 14, 16, 18, and 20 kHz with a maximum hydrophone spacing of 1.4 m. One model used the measured sound-speed profile (SSP) to estimate input parameters, and the other model assumed isospeed conditions. The agreement between the experimental data and the model based on the measured SSP is very good, and the agreement with the isospeed model is almost as good.
Effects of Robot Motion on Human-Robot Collaboration

Most motion in robotics is purelyfifnctional, planned to achieve the goal and avoid collisions. Such motion is great in isolation, but collaboration affords a human who is watching the motion and making inferences about it, trying to coordinate with the robot to achieve the task. This paper analyzes the benefit of planning motion that explicitly enables the collaborator's inferences on the success of physical collaboration, as measured by both objective and subjective metrics. Results suggest that legible motion, planned to clearly express the robot's intent, leads to more fluent collaborations than predictable motion, planned to match the collaborator's expectations. Furthermore, purely functional motion can harm coordination, which negatively affects both task efficiency, as well as the participants' perception of the collaboration. Categories and Subject Descriptors I.2.9 [Artificial Intelligence]: Robotics
Effect of superatmospheric pressures on nucleate boiling of organic liquids

Superatmospheric pressures greatly reduce the temperature differences in nucleate boiling of or ganic liquids. Since nucleate boiling is characterized by bubble formation at the heating surface, it seems logical to investigate the pressure difference that causes bubble formation. It has been found that for organic liquids the difference in vapor pressure corresponding to the temperature difference behaves in a regular manner with pressure but does not vary greatly. This regular behavior permits prediction of temperature differences at higher pressures with a knowledge of only vapor-pressure and boiling data at one pressure. New boiling data have been obtained in the investigation.
Evaluating the Reading Needs of Inner-City Kindergarten Pupils

AbstractThis study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of the Distar and the Eclectic reading and arithmetic programs with 258 kindergarten children. Sixty-four children and 191 children were randomly selected for the Distar and Eclectic programs, respectively. After one year, the findings showed the children in the Eclectic program obtained significantly (p <.05)higher achievement scores than the Distar children.
Nutraceuticals for prostate cancer chemoprevention: from molecular mechanisms to clinical application

Introduction: Nutraceutical is a food, or part of a food, used for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases. A number of nutraceuticals serve as candidates for development of prostate cancer chemopreventive agents because of promising epidemiological, preclinical and pilot clinical findings. Their mechanisms of action may involve an ability to target multiple molecular pathways in carcinogenesis without eliciting toxic side effects. Areas covered: This review provides an overview of several nutraceuticals, including green tea polyphenol, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, lycopene, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol and sulforaphane, for the clinical relevance to chemoprevention of prostate cancer. Their mechanisms of action on regulating key processes of carcinogenesis are also discussed. For each of these agents, a brief summary of completed or currently ongoing clinical trials related to the chemopreventive efficacy on prostate cancer is given. Expert opinion: Even though a few clinical trials have been...
Critical thinking ability of new graduate and experienced nurses

Aim This paper is a report of a study to identify critical thinking learning needs of new and experienced nurses.
Effects of the dioxin-like PCB 126 on larval summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus).

Abstract Little is known about the sensitivity of teleost post-embryonic developmental stages (larval and metamorphic) to dioxin-like compounds. Larval and metamorphosing summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) were exposed to the dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl congener PCB 126, to compare their sensitivity to other fish species early life stages, and to document effects on metamorphic development, including degree of eye migration and gastric maturation. Median lethal doses (LD 50 s) ranged between 30 and 220 ng/g wet mass, indicating that pre- and early-metamorphic stages of summer flounder are equally sensitive to the embryos of some of the most vulnerable fish species tested. Consistent with the presence of a functional aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway, dose-dependent induction of cytochrome P-4501A (CYP1A) at four days post-exposure was observed in liver, stomach, intestine, and kidney of metamorphosing larvae. Stage-dependent differences in the epithelial distribution of CYP1A immunoreactivity were observed in the developing stomach of fish exposed to relatively high PCB 126 doses. A single sublethal dose (15 ng/g) delayed metamorphic progress (determined by the degree of eye migration), and resulted in abnormally high levels of cell proliferation and abnormal gastric gland morphology in late metamorphic stages. These results suggest that the post-embryonic larval and metamorphic stages of summer flounder, and potentially other fish species with complex life histories, are vulnerable to the effects of dioxin-like compounds, including lethality, developmental delay, and malformations.
A field study of entrepreneurial decision-making and moral imagination

Abstract How entrepreneurs make decisions under extreme uncertainty and ambiguity is central to explaining entrepreneurial success. However, because of their pioneering nature, these decisions also have significant ethical implications. While there has been an increasing focus on the unique approaches entrepreneurs take to decision-making, less attention has been paid to the inherent ethical dimension of making decisions under high uncertainty. This study applies the concept of moral imagination to the challenges of making entrepreneurial decisions under Knightian uncertainty. It examines the extent to which entrepreneurs use moral imagination to integrate the ethical dimensions of pioneering situations into their decision-making.
Applying the new TNM classification system for primary cutaneous lymphomas other than mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome in primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma.

Background Primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma is recognized as a unique subset of low-grade cutaneous B-cell lymphoma with indolent course in the current World Health Organization-European Organization on Research and Treatment of Cancer classification system. However, few large series on this entity have been reported, including the new TNM ( t umor, (lymph) n ode, m etastasis) classification for non–mycosis fungoides cutaneous lymphomas. Objective We aimed to characterize the clinical features including new TNM classification for non–mycosis fungoides cutaneous lymphomas, as well as outcomes and responses to therapy in 30 patients with primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma. Results Primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma typically presents with deep-seated nodular or papular lesions on the upper extremities or trunk (25/30). Disease course is indolent and none of 30 patients died of disease. Sustainable complete remissions were obtained only in patients with T1a (n = 3) and T2a (n = 1) disease. Most patients have persistent stable disease independent of treatment. Two patients developed systemic disease and 5 developed large cell transformation. Limitations The average follow-up time was 63 months (range, 3-204 months). Longer follow-up time is needed to determine whether patients with untreated persistent stable disease are at greater risk relative to patients treated aggressively early in the disease course. Conclusions Primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma is a distinct subtype of marginal zone lymphoma with an indolent disease course. Patients with T1a or T2a disease (ie, single lesions or a localized cluster of lesions) may achieve sustained complete remission, whereas patients with multiple nonlocalized lesions are unlikely to maintain complete remission independent of treatment modality. Systemic involvement is typically preceded by large cell transformation and may be an indication for more systemic therapy. Death from disease is rare.
Patient knowledge compared with national guidelines for diabetes care.

Data collected on a randomly selected group of 428 patients with insulin-dependent and noninsulin-dependent diabetes from 61 physician practices in eight Michigan communities were compared with national standards for diabetes patient knowledge. Comparisons were performed using a standardized Diabetes Knowledge Test (DKT) and selected items from the Diabetes Education Profile (DEP). Patient performance on these instruments was compared with corresponding items in the Ambulatory Care Facilities section of the Guide lines for Diabetes Care published by the American Diabetes Associ ation and the American Associ ation of Diabetes Educators. In general, insulin-dependent persons scored higher than noninsulin-dependent persons. Those taking insulin (whether insulin-dependent or not) scored higher than noninsulin-dependent persons whose regimen did not include insulin. The findings emphasize the need to subdivide any analysis of clinical diabetes or diabetes education into groups based on insulin use or nonuse.
Juvenile Hormone biosynthesis and utilization of farnesoic acid during the final larval stadium of the ring‐legged earwig

. The regulation of Juvenile Hormone (JH) HI biosynthesis and release by the corpora allata (CA) was studied in final instar male and female larvae of the earwig, Euborellia annulipes, using a radiochemical assay in vitro. In males, maximal biosyntiiesis of JH IH occurred on day 1, then declined to virtually undetectable levels for the following 12 days of the stadium, and finally increased on days 14–16. In females, peaks of biosynthesis were detected on days 0–1 and on day 12. A further investigation of the 12-day-old larvae demonstrated mat in nonmoulting males and females, JH UJ biosynthesis was undetectable. However, for males and females undergoing ecdysis, the biosynthesis of JH III was detected and quantified. The addition of 60 μM farnesoic acid to the incubation medium significantly increased the production of JH III by CA taken from females from day 8 until the end of the stadium. Glands from 12-day old females that had initiated ecdysis were stimulated by farnesoic acid. By contrast, we could detect no stimulation of production of JH III by farnesoic acid in CA taken from males, even very late in the stadium. CA from newly emerged adult males and females were more active than those of larvae, and were greatly stimulated by farnesoic acid. CA from females immediately after emergence were stimulated significantly more by farnesoic acid man were glands from newly emerged males. These results suggest fundamental differences in the synmetic activity of CA for males and females in this insect.
Mechanisms of cadmium- and barium-induced adrenal catecholamine release.

Abstract Different patterns of catecholamine release are produced by perfusion of isolated bovine adrenals with Cd 2+ , Ba 2+ , and Zn 2+ (5 m m ). The action of Zn 2+ is weak but prolonged. The effect of Cd 2+ is slow in onset and prolonged in duration compared to that of Ba 2+ . Neither Cd 2+ nor Ba 2+ increased release of the cytoplasmic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase. These ions, therefore, do not disrupt adrenomedullary cells to cause catecholamine release. Neither Ba 2+ nor Zn 2+ affected 45 Ca distribution in subcellular fractions of adrenal medulla. Cadmium ion, however, decreased mitochondrial and increased microsomal and supernatant 45 Ca 2+ contents. Mitochondria accumulated relatively large quantities of both cadmium and barium, but chromaffin granules contained twice as much cadmium as barium. Zinc contents were relatively low in all subcellular fractions. It is concluded that Cd 2+ probably releases adrenal amines by mobilizing mitochondrial Ca and possibly by a direct effect on chromaffin granules. Barium ion does not affect the distribution of adrenomedullary cell Ca, but it probably mimics the action of Ca 2+ in evoking catecholamine release. The weak effect of Zn 2+ may be related to limited penetration of cells of adrenal medulla.
SU-FF-J-77: Image Quality Assessment for An Investigational Megavoltage Cone-Beam CT Device

Purpose: Megavoltage Cone‐Beam CT (MVCBCT) is an essential image guided radiation therapy(IGRT) device to acquire patient's daily treatmentCT for accurate localization of treatment targets. The objective of this research was to assess its image qualities. Method and Materials: The image quality of MVCBCT was assessed by four indicators: noise, contrast, spatial resolution, and CT intensity stability. A CT electron density phantom and a Siemens calibration phantom were used. The images were acquired under various MU settings. The Siemens Syngo image processing software was used to sample and analysis the data. Results: The noise factor was used and found that the more MU to acquire the images produced less noise. 6 MU is the cut‐off value for noise factor of less than 5%. For contrast of the outer ring of the CT phantom, the electron density range of 0.976 were visible on all MUs. For the inner ring, we only see 1.052 on MU 1.043 for MU > 15. For the CT intensity stability, if the CT number differences has to be criteria of 0.25. Conclusion: The images from MVCBCT device were assessed for quality indicators; we conclude that the MU of 6 or above would have satisfactory results. For the future application of dose calculation on the MVCBCT images, the CT intensity stability is important, and we found that for 6 MU and above would have stable CT numbers.
Perceived susceptibility to breast cancer moderates the effect of gain- and loss-framed messages on use of screening mammography.

Objective This study examined the role of three distinct beliefs about risk (risks associated with screening, construal of the function of screening as health-affirming or illness-detecting, and perceived susceptibility to breast cancer) in moderating women's responses to framed messages that promote mammography.
Effect of serotonin on renal excretion of sodium; possible relation to Rauwolfia action.

SummaryThe administration of 1-2 mg of serotonin creatinine sulfate may be associated with significant sodium retention. Electrolyte changes following rauwolfia administration may be related to this activity of serotonin.
Vascular degenerative changes in the uterine arteries of senescent female golden hamsters.

Abstract The uterine arteries structure was studied in 10 young and eight senescent pregnant female golden hamsters. The uterine arteries from young females showed than the internal elastica is very prominent and completely crenated in its circumference while in senescent females the internal elastica can be seen to become of greater circumference (i.e. less crenated). Also the uterine arteries from senescent females showed extensive distortion of the internal elastica and endothelial proliferation, almost to the point of occlusion of the lumen.
Distribution of callosal fibers around the hand representations in monkey somatic sensory cortex

Single or multiunit recording of responses to natural peripheral stimuli was used to map the representations of the upper limb and adjacent body parts in the postcentral gyrus of monkeys in which callosally projecting cells and/or axons had been prepared for labeling by previous section of the corpus callosum or contralateral injection of horseradish peroxidase. Subsequent demonstration of electrode tracks in relation to labeled cells and axons showed that no neurons with receptive fields distal to the elbow lay in callosally connected zones, irrespective of the cytoarchitectonic field or body representation in which they lay.
A Bayesian analysis of autoregressive time series panel data

We describe a Bayesian hierarchical model to analyze autoregressive time series panel data. We develop two algorithms using Markov-chain Monte Carlo methods, a restricted algorithm that enforces stationarity or nonstationarity conditions on the series and an unrestricted algorithm that does not. Two examples show that restricting stationary series to be stationary provides no new information, but restricting nonstationary series to be stationary leads to substantial differences from the unrestricted case. These examples and a simulation study also show that, compared with inference based on individual series, there are gains in precision for estimation and forecasting when similar series are pooled.
Development of an affinity silica monolith containing human serum albumin for chiral separations.

An affinity monolith based on silica and containing immobilized human serum albumin (HSA) was developed and evaluated in terms of its binding, efficiency and selectivity in chiral separations. The results were compared with data obtained for the same protein when used as a chiral stationary phase with HPLC-grade silica particles or a monolith based on a copolymer of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA). The surface coverage of HSA in the silica monolith was similar to values obtained with silica particles and a GMA/EDMA monolith. However, the higher surface area of the silica monolith gave a material that contained 1.3- to 2.2-times more immobilized HSA per unit volume when compared to silica particles or a GMA/EDMA monolith. The retention, efficiency and resolving power of the HSA silica monolith were evaluated using two chiral analytes: D/L-tryptophan and R/S-warfarin. The separation of R- and S-ibuprofen was also considered. The HSA silica monolith gave higher retention and higher or comparable resolution and efficiency when compared with HSA columns that contained silica particles or a GMA/EDMA monolith. The silica monolith also gave lower back pressures and separation impedances than these other materials. It was concluded that silica monoliths can be valuable alternatives to silica particles or GMA/EDMA monoliths when used with immobilized HSA as a chiral stationary phase.
A New Control System for Left Ventricular Assist Devices Based on Patient-specific Physiological Demand

A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a mechanical pump that helps patients with a heart failure (HF) condition. This pump works in parallel to the ailing heart and provides a continuous flow ...
Effect of aminoguanidine and cyclosporine on lung allograft rejection

Background. Aminoguanidine, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, has been shown to reduce the inflammatory allogeneic response. Here we used it in combination with cyclosporine to evaluate its effect on a clinically relevant immunosuppressive protocol. Methods. Orthotopic left lung transplantation was performed in 120 rats, of which 24 were syngeneic Lewis to Lewis controls, and allogeneic transplantations were performed across major histoincompatibility barriers (ACI to Lewis). We studied synchronous histologic changes accompanying cytokines and nitric oxide synthase messenger RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in the grafted lungs. Nitrate/nitrite, oxidized degradation products of nitric oxide, were measured in the whole blood, as were concentrations of cyclosporine. Lung tissue was immunohistochemically stained for nitric oxide synthase protein. Rats receiving allografts were either untreated (24) or received low-dose cyclosporine (232 ± 105 ng/mL blood by high-performance liquid chromatography), high-dose cyclosporine (2,046 ± 664 ng/mL), aminoguanidine alone (800 mg · kg −1 · day −1 intraperitoneally), or aminoguanidine plus low-dose cyclosporine. Results. The results suggest that aminoguanidine combined with low doses of cyclosporine can reduce the allogeneic response across major histoincompatibilities in rodent lung transplantation. Its biologic effect may not exclusively depend on the inhibition of nitric oxide synthase and may, by other means, reduce proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusions. Aminoguanidine may be an effective adjuvant to conventional immunosuppression.
Intervention rates for placental removal following induction abortion with misoprostol

Abstract Background Second-trimester terminations can be performed via surgical or medical methods. It is essential to have the ability to safely and effectively perform induction terminations to offer a full range of services. Many studies of induction abortions report routine operative removal of the placenta after a set time period resulting in high rates of operative procedures. Study Design A retrospective chart review was performed for 233 women who underwent second-trimester induction abortions between November 2003 and November 2006. All women received intraamniotic injection of digoxin for feticide 1 day prior to induction. All inductions were performed using a schedule of 400 mcg of misoprostol initially followed by 200 mcg every 6 h for a maximum of 48 h. There were three methods of administering misoprostol: (1) vaginal administration for all doses, (2) vaginal and buccal used in combination and (3) buccal for all doses. Spontaneous expulsion of the placenta was expected. Operative intervention was performed for excessive bleeding or to expedite hospital discharge after a minimum of 4 h. No manual removal of placenta was done. Results The rate of operative intervention for retained placentas was 6% (14/233). Most (11/14) of the patients who underwent operative extraction for retained placentas did so to expedite discharge from the hospital. Overall, expectant management to allow spontaneous expulsion of the placenta for at least 4 h was not associated with serious morbidity. Conclusions Our regimen of digoxin and misoprostol with a policy of expectant management of placental passage is associated with a very low rate of instrumented removal of the placenta. In the absence of bleeding, patients may be afforded intervals to at least 4 h for spontaneous expulsion of the placenta after fetal expulsion.