cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigating Possible Effects of Ethnicity and Age on Gambling as an Escape.

Previous research has shown that there are a number of risk factors for disordered and problem gambling, including an individual’s ethnicity and age. Endorsing gambling as an escape has also been shown to contribute to and maintain disordered gambling. The present study examined potential interactions between ethnicity and age as they relate to disordered gambling, as well as if ethnicity and age would be predictors of endorsing gambling as an escape. Three hundred fifteen adults from the United States completed measures relating to gambling. Participants were grouped into ethnic categories of Caucasian and non-Caucasian, and age groups of 18–25, 26–35, 36–55, and 56 years old and above. Non-Caucasians reported more gambling problems than Caucasians. A significant interaction was found between ethnicity and age for 36–55 year olds. Overall, participants were more likely to gamble for positive than negative reinforcement. However, only gambling as an escape was a significant predictor of disordered gambling. Implications and limitations are discussed with the thought that these results are informative to practitioners treating disordered gambling.
Smooth Function Estimation

Nonparametric estimation for lifetime or continuous data has its roots in the fifteenth century. However, until the 1950s, all nonparametric estimators obtained for the probability density function and the cumulative distribution function were discrete. Typically, these estimates were hard to update and required more computation than necessary. This was not a serious problem if the functions being estimated were themselves discrete, but most lifetime or measurement data are continuous and so “smoother” estimators were needed.
Using the talpid2 as novel model for determining the cellular and molecular etiology of Oral-facial-digital syndrome.

Objective Oral-facial-digital syndrome (OFD) is a ciliopathy characterized by craniofacial abnormalities including cleft lip/palate, glossal defects, and absent/dysmorphic or supernumerary teeth. In addition, these patients have several other abnormalities typical of a ciliopathy including polysyndactyly, hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis (molar tooth sign), cardiac defects and polycystic kidneys. Recently a subset of OFD cases have been linked to mutations in the centriolar protein, calcium C2dependent domain containing 3 (C2CD3). Interestingly, our previous work identified a mutation in C2CD3 as the causal genetic lesion for the avian talpid mutant. Based on this common genetic etiology, we re-examined the talpid mutant for OFD-like phenotypes. We found that almost all phenotypes are conserved between talpid embryos and OFD patients. In light of this finding we utilized the talpid to examine the cellular basis for the craniofacial phenotypes present in OFD.
Patient activation among Medicare beneficiaries: Segmentation to promote informed health care decision making

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to identify audience segments of Medicare beneficiaries, for the development of targeted and tailored communication activities to promote informed health care decision making.Design/methodology/approach – Secondary analysis was conducted on data from the 2001 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. The 9,520 Medicare beneficiaries who had complete data on key variables constituted the analytic sample.Findings – Cluster analysis identified four audience segments that varied separately with regard to health care decision‐making skills and motivation. Those in the active segment are skilled and motivated. Those in the passive segment are unskilled and unmotivated. Those in the high effort segment are motivated, but unskilled. And those in the complacent segment are skilled, but unmotivated. Additional analyses showed that the segments also varied on several additional variables of interest, such as knowledge, income, education, health behavior, health status, and prefer...
Measuring Business Real Property Performance

A cross-case comparison of eleven firms was undertaken to learn how real estate property performance is measured and monitored for managerial feedback to make real estate decisions that will cause ...
Views of the Final Frontier

Cosmos From Romanticism to the Avant-Garde. Jean Clair, chief curator, and Pierre Theberge, director. At the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 17 June to17 October 1999; Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona, 24 November 1999 to 27 February 2000; Palazzo Grassi, Venice, 25 March to 23 July 2000. Cosmos From Romanticism to the Avant-Garde. Jean Clair, Ed. Published for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts by Prestel, New York, 1999. 396 pp. $75, £45. ISBN 2-89192-231-X. The paintings, photographs, sculptures, and displays gathered in the exhibit Cosmos fuse astronomy, art, politics, and humanistic thought. Those unable to arrange a trip to Italy (where it opens this week) will still find much of interest in the accompanying catalog.
Abnormal cervical cytology in the teen-ager: A continuing problem

Abnormal cervical cytology is being discovered in an alarming number of sexually active teen-agers. Over an 18 month period, cytology consistent with mild dysplasia or worse was noted in 188 of 2,655 teen-agers screened. This represents a rate of 70.8 per thousand. Colposcopically directed biopsies in 65 patients revealed 15 cases of severe dysplasia-carcinoma in situ. Cryosurgery was the principle method of treatment and, combined with colposcopy, is a safe and effective means of managing these patients.
Extrahepatic creatine synthesis in the rat: Role of the pancreas and kidney☆

Abstract Totally hepatectomized and hepatectomized-nephrectomized rats were injected intravenously with either guanidoacetic acid-2-14C or 14C-guanido- l -arginine monohydrochloride and were sacrificed after 6 minutes. The pancreas, kidneys, and blood were examined for the presence of labeled guanidoacetic acid and labeled creatine. The results with hepatectomized rats indicated that both the pancreas and the kidneys synthesized significant amounts of guanidoacetic acid in vivo when labeled arginine was injected intravenously; however, appreciable creatine synthesis could be detected only in the pancreas under these conditions. In contrast, creatine synthesis could be demonstrated in the kidneys but not in the pancreas when guanidoacetic acid-2-14C was injected into hepatectomized rats, which suggests that guanidoacetate does not penetrate the cells of the pancreas. In keeping with the indicated importance of the pancreas in creatine synthesis as revealed by the in vivo experiments with arginine-14C was the in vitro finding that this organ has about the same guanidoacetate methyltransferase activity as liver, which was five times that found in kidney.
Mapping land development through periods of economic bubble and bust in Massachusetts using Landsat time series data

This study examines the change from undeveloped to developed land-use during the real estate bubble (2000–2006) and subsequent bust (2006–2013) in Massachusetts, USA, using a time series of Landsat-5, 7, and 8 data. Loss in undeveloped land-use was measured using standardized change detection of Landsat green vegetation and albedo fractions. Between periods of bubble and bust, a significant difference occurred in the total area of undeveloped land-use loss (bubble, 35.9 km2; bust, 29.18 km2), as well as mean loss-patch area (p < 0.001), from 4848 m2 to 4079 m2 (16% decrease). The area of undeveloped land-use loss was 81% greater in forest than agricultural land-use during the bubble and only 51% greater, post-bubble. Undeveloped urban forest loss constituted 25% of all losses during the bubble, while during the bust it was 42%. These findings indicate that total area of undeveloped land-use loss changed due to the economic recession and that those losses reorient from forest and agricultural areas toward ...
Hyperproduction and Purification of Nicotinamide Deamidase, a Microconstitutive Enzyme of Escherichia coli

Nicotinamide deamidase is synthesized constitutively in very small amounts by Escherichia coli. Mutants characterized by up to 50-fold higher deamidase activity have been isolated by mutagenesis and selection on minimal plates containing nicotinamide as the sole nitrogen source. These mutants still synthesize the enzyme constitutively. The enzyme was purified 200-fold. The final specific activity from one mutant is 10,000 times greater than the specific activity in the wild type. The molecular weight of the enzyme is about 30,000. Kinetic constants and heat stabilities of purified enzymes from two mutant strains and the wild type are identical. Gel electrophoresis has further suggested that the mutations result in over production of unaltered nicotinamide deamidase. Various hyperconstitutive mutations and the deamidase structural gene are cotransduced at high frequency, and thus lie close together.
Petrologic and textural diversity among the PCA 02 howardite group, one of the largest pieces of the Vestan surface

Abstract— Nine howardites and two diogenites were recovered from the Pecora Escarpment Icefield (PCA) in 2002. Cosmogenic radionuclide abundances indicate that the samples are paired and that they constituted an approximately 1 m (diameter) meteoroid prior to atmospheric entry. At about 1 m in diameter, the PCA 02 HED group represents one of the largest single pre-atmospheric pieces of the Vestan surface yet described. Mineral and textural variations were measured in six of the PCA 02 howardites to investigate meter-scale diversity of the Vestan surface. Mineral compositions span the range of known eucrite and diogenite compositions. Additional non-diogenitic groups of Mg- and Fe-rich olivine are observed, and are interpreted to have been formed by exogenic contamination and impact melting, respectively. These howardites contain olivine-rich impact melts that likely formed from dunite- and harzburgite-rich target rocks. Containing the first recognized olivine-rich HED impact melts, these samples provide meteoritic evidence that olivine-rich lithologies have been exposed on the surface of Vesta. Finally, we present a new method for mapping distributions of lithologies in howardites using 8 elemental X-ray maps. Proportions of diogenite and eucrite vary considerably among the PCA 02 howardites, suggesting they originated from a heterogeneous portion of the Vestan surface. While whole sample modes are dominated by diogenite, the finer grain size fractions are consistently more eucritic. This discrepancy has implications for near-infrared spectral observations of portions of Vesta’s surface that are similar to the PCA 02 howardites, as the finer grained eucritic material will disproportionately dominate the spectra.
Homologous recombination-based gene therapy for the primary immunodeficiencies

The devastating nature of primary immunodeficiencies, the ability to cure primary immunodeficiencies by bone marrow transplantation, the ability of a small number of gene-corrected cells to reconstitute the immune system, and the overall suboptimal results of bone marrow transplantation for most patients with primary immunodeficiencies make the development of gene therapy for this class of diseases important. While there has been clear clinical benefit for a number of patients from viral-based gene therapy strategies, there have also been a significant number of serious adverse events, including the development of leukemia, from the approach. In this review, I discuss the development of nuclease-stimulated, homologous recombination-based approaches as a novel gene therapy strategy for the primary immunodeficiencies.
Grazing schedule effect on forage production and nutritive value of diverse forage mixtures

The use of complex mixtures (mixtures of more than three species) may increase yield of pastures; however, we know little about how grazing management affects the productivity of mixtures. A grazing experiment was performed during 2005 and 2006 near State College, PA, to compare mixtures of grasses, legumes, and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) for their botanical composition, nutritive value, and forage production under two grazing schedules: when the sward reached 25 cm in height (sward height schedule, SH) or when alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) reached the bud stage (morphology or MP schedule). The SH schedule produced 30% more dry matter (DM) than the MP schedule averaged for 2 yr. Forage yield of the five-species (6427 kg ha -1 in 2005 and 6624 kg ha -1 in 2006) and seven-species (6816 kg ha -1 in 2005 and 6772 kg ha -1 in 2006) mixtures was stable during the contrasting weather of 2005 and 2006. Grass monoculture with N and simple mixtures (two species, grass-legume) produced 989 kg ha -1 more DM than the complex mixtures in 2006 when weather conditions were favorable. The SH schedule produced forage of better nutritive value compared with the MP schedule at first harvest in both years [20 g kg -1 less acid detergent fiber (ADF) in 2006; 25 g kg -1 in 2005, 53 g kg -1 in 2006 more neutral detergent fiber (NDF); 21 g kg -1 in 2005, 30 g kg -1 in 2006 more crude protein (CP); and 33 g kg -1 in 2006, 53 g kg -1 more in vitro true dry matter digestibility (IVTDMD)]. Complex mixtures of forage species provide more consistent yields of DM than binary grass-legume mixtures or grass monocultures in variable environments.
A COMPARISON OF THE PEDIATRIC EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAZELTON NEONATAL ASSESSMENT TO A STANDARD NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION

To test the clinical significance of the Brazelton Neonatal Examination, we compared its predictive value to that of a standard neurological examination. The Brazelton Assessment tests and documents the infant's organized responses to environmental events (social and non-social) and his use of “state” behavior as an organizing process in the neonatal period. The Assessment tests for neurological integrity as well as for individual differences in behaviors which may reflect future cognitive and affective competence. The subjects were a group of 53 infants judged to be suspect by pediatric examination. All the infants were given two neurological and two Brazelton examinations during the neonatal period and then followed for seven years. However, the neurological misdiagnosed three times as many normal infants as compared to the Brazelton. This greater discriminating capacity of the Brazelton examination avoids the problems entailed in misdiagnoses for parents and child, and allows for a more effective focusing of our clinical skills.
Histopathologic validation of angioscopy and intravascular ultrasound.

BACKGROUND To establish a histopathologic basis for angioscopic and ultrasound image interpretation we studied 70 postmortem human arterial segments in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS We used 7- to 9-French fiber-optic angioscopes and 20- to 30-MHz intravascular ultrasound imaging catheters. Three observers assigned an angioscopic and ultrasound image classification to each vessel segment. The image and histological classification categories were then compared. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both methods separately or in combination for normal vessels were each greater than or equal to 95%. The predictive value was better for angioscopy than for ultrasound due to incorrect ultrasound interpretations of normal anatomy in the presence of thrombus. For stable atheroma the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the individual methods were each greater than 90%. However, both angioscopy and ultrasound had classification errors in that disrupted atheroma was identified and classified as stable atheroma. Consequently, the predictive value was 74% for angioscopy and 78% for ultrasound. For disrupted atheroma the sensitivities for angioscopy and ultrasound were only moderate (73% and 81%, respectively), whereas the specificity, accuracy, and predictive value were each high (greater than 90%). For thrombus detection, the specificity, accuracy, and predictive value were high (greater than 93%) for each method. The sensitivity of angioscopy was 100%. However, sensitivity was lower for ultrasound (57%) due to false-negative interpretation of laminar clots in normal vessels and an inability to distinguish disrupted or stable atheroma from intraluminal thrombus. CONCLUSIONS Contingency analyses showed that each imaging method alone or combined had significant agreement with the results obtained from histology (p less than 0.001). When assessing all cases in which angioscopy and ultrasound were concordant, there was a 92% agreement with the histological classification.
Purification and characterization of homogeneous protein synthesis elongation factor 2 from hen oviduct.

Abstract An elongation factor with activity corresponding to that of mammalian EF-2 (avian EF-2) has been purified 500-fold from hen oviduct to apparent homogeneity using a 6-step procedure. The homogeneity of the preparation has been determined by the following criteria: (1) a single band on three polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoretic systems (anodic, cathodic, and sodium dodecyl sulfate); (2) velocity sedimentation ultracentrifugation; and (3) amino terminal analysis. These studies show that purified avian EF-2 is a single polypeptide. The purified protein has been found to have activity in the following reactions: (1) synthesis of polyphenylalanine from [14C]Phe-tRNA in the presence of rabbit reticulocyte EF-1; (2) formation and release of the dipeptide[14C]phenylalanylpuromycin also in the presence of EF-1; (3) the ribosome-dependent hydrolysis of [γ-32P]GTP; and (4) the diphtheria toxin-dependent [3H]ADP-ribose incorporation from [3H]NAD+. The activity of the factor in polypeptide synthesis is inhibited by fusidic acid and ADP-ribosylation. Avian EF-2 was inactive in stimulating polyphenylalanine synthesis from [14C]Phe-tRNA in a protein synthesis system derived from Escherichia coli. The molecular weight was determined to be 80 000 by band sedimentation ultracentrifugation, 96 000 by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration chromatography and 93 000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Stokes radius was estimated to be 37.5 A. The calculated axial ratio of the molecule was 4. The sedimentation coefficient ( s 20, w ) was 4.92 S at infinite dilution. Comparison of the amino acid composition analysis of avian EF-2 with other mammalian EF-2 molecules as well as EF-G from E. coli showed that there was a striking degree of similarity. The molecular weight calculated from the amino acid residue composition was 81 500. The p I was estimated to be 6.75 by the technique of zone convection electrofocusing. In addition fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra of purified avian EF-2 were analyzed. Circular dichroism spectrum analysis estimated the α-helix content of the molecule to be 19–20%.
New Platforms and Devices in Colonoscopy

Gastrointestinal endoscopy is a rapidly evolving field. Techniques in endoscopy continue to become more sophisticated, as do the devices and platforms, particularly in colonoscopy and endoscopic resection. This article reviews new platforms for endoscopic imaging of the colon, and discusses new endoscopic accessories and developments in endoscopic resection.
Shape of the particulate beam attenuation spectrum and its inversion to obtain the shape of the particulate size distribution.

The link between the spectral shape of the beam attenuation spectrum and the shape of the particle size distribution (PSD) of oceanic particles is revisited to evaluate the extent to which one can be predicted from the other. Assuming a hyperbolic (power-law) PSD, N(D) ∝ D-ξ, past studies have found for an infinite distribution of nonabsorbing spheres with a constant index of refraction that the attenuation spectrum is hyperbolic and that the attenuation spectral slope γ is related to the PSD slope ξ by ξ = γ + 3. Here we add a correction to this model because of the finite size of the biggest particle in the population. This inversion model is given by ξ = γ + 3 - 0.5 exp(-6γ). In most oceanic observations ξ > 3, and the deviation between these two models is negligible. To test the robustness of this inversion, we perturbed its assumptions by allowing for populations of particles that are nonspherical, or absorbing, or with an index of refraction that changes with wavelength. We found the model to provide a good fit for the range of parameters most often encountered in the ocean. In addition, we found that the particulate attenuation spectrum, cp(λ), is well described by a hyperbolic relation to the wavelength cp ∝ λ-γ throughout the range of the investigated parameters, even when the inversion model does not apply. This implies that knowledge of the particulate attenuation at two visible wavelengths could provide, to a high degree of accuracy, the particulate attenuation at other wavelengths in the visible spectrum.
Interleukin-4 plus tumor necrosis factor α augments the antigenicity of melanoma cells

Immune cytokines are important regulators of the immune response to neoplastic cells. We previously reported that interleukin 4 (IL-4) and either tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) or interferon γ (IFN) synergistically inhibit melanoma cell growth and induce cell differentiation. In the present study we used various combinations of IL-4, IFN and TNF to enhance the antigenicity of melanoma cells. IL-4 plus TNF significantly increased the ability of melanoma cells to stimulate cytotoxic T cells (CTL) and act as targets of these CTL; IL-4 plus IFN was somewhat less effective, while TNF plus IFN was not as effective. IL-4 plus TNF also increased the expression of HLA class I and HLA-DR antigens on melanoma cells. The CTL lines examined in this study were CD3+CD4+ and oligoclonal. These preclinical results suggest that the immune response to melanoma whole-cell vaccines might be enhanced by pretreating vaccine cells with IL-4 plus TNF.
A comparative evaluation of polytetrafluoroethylene, umbilical vein, and saphenous vein bypass grafts for femoral-popliteal above-knee revascularization: a prospective randomized Department of Veterans Affairs cooperative study.

Abstract Purpose: Currently, the choice of a vascular prosthesis for a femoral-popliteal above-knee arterial bypass graft is left to the surgeon's preference, because the available information on comparative evaluations is inconclusive. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Study 141 was established to identify whether improved patency exists with different bypass graft materials for patients with femoral-popliteal above-knee bypass grafts. Methods: Between June 1983 and June 1988, 752 patients at 20 VA medical centers were randomized to receive either an externally supported polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE; N=265), human umbilical vein (HUV; N=261), or saphenous vein (SV; N=226) for an above-knee femoral-popliteal bypass graft. The indication for the bypass grafting operation was limb salvage in 67.5% of the patients. Patients were observed every 3 months for the first year and every 6 months thereafter. All patients were instructed to take aspirin (650 mg) daily for the duration of the study. Doppler-derived ankle-brachial indices (ABIs) were determined preoperatively and serially postoperatively. A bypass graft was considered to be patent when the Doppler-derived postoperative ABI remained significantly improved (more than 0.15 units higher than their preoperative value) and additional objective information, such as angiograms or operations, did not contradict these observations. Patency failure also included bypass grafts that were removed because of an infection or aneurysmal degeneration. Patency rates were compared by using the Kaplan-Meier life table analysis. Results: The cumulative assisted primary patency rates were statistically similar among the different conduit types at 2 years (SV, 81%; HUV, 70%; PTFE, 69%). After 5 years, above-knee SV bypass grafts had a significantly ( P ≤.01) better patency rate (73%) than HUV bypass grafts (53%), which had a significantly ( P ≤.01) better patency rate than PTFE bypass grafts (39%). Limb salvage was slightly worse with PTFE conduits. The number of bypass graft thromboses and major amputations within the first 30 days was highest in the HUV group. Conclusion: The overall results of this prospective randomized study suggest that the SV should be considered as the bypass graft of choice for femoral-popliteal above-knee reconstruction and that, when a prosthetic bypass graft is used, an HUV should also be considered as an alternative choice to PTFE. (J Vasc Surg 2000;32:268-77.)
Precursors of major outer membrane proteins of Escherichia coli

Summary The production of two major outer membrane proteins of Escherichia coli , the matrix protein, and the tolG protein was examined in cells mildly treated with toluene. Toluene treatment is known to result in the accumulation of the prolipoprotein, a putative precursor of the lipoprotein of the E.coli outer membrane (Halegoua et al. , (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252 , 2324–2330). It was found that in the toluene-treated cells 35 S-methionine was not incorporated into the bands of the matrix protein and the to1G protein in sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. Instead, two new bands appeared and each of them migrated slower than the corresponding band of the in vivo product by almost the same extent. The new products were shown to be closely related to the matrix protein and the tolG protein. In both cases the molecular weights of the new products were found to be larger by about 2,000 than those of the corresponding in vivo products. These results strongly suggest that both the matrix protein and the to1G protein are produced from their precursors, the promatrix protein and the protol-G protein, as is the case with the lipoprotein.
Stability and Degradation Processes of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) on Metal Oxide Surfaces

The chemical stability of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) when placed in physical contact with metal oxides is investigated. In this study, PETN was placed on the surfaces of a range of microcrystalline metal oxides including MnO2, CuO, MoO3, WO3, Bi2O3, SnO2, and Fe2O3 in coverages of 1–3.5 monolayers by a wet impregnation technique. Samples were then placed in a controlled temperature environment at 50°C and checked periodically for the presence of decomposition products using liquid chromatography. PETN proved to be inert over all of the oxides except MoO3, which showed the relatively rapid evolution of a brown gas over a period of 48 h. Analysis of the evolved gas indicated that it is primarily NO2 along with N2O4, N2O, and CO2.
Effects of chronic systemic treatment with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α activators on neuroinflammation induced by intracerebral injection of lipopolysaccharide in adult mice.

We examined whether chronic systemic treatment with agonists for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) influences neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection into the somatosensory cortex in adult mice. Mice were pretreated with Wy-14643 or fenofibrate, both at 30 mg/kg, for 7 days. These treatment protocols increased the amount of PPARα mRNA and active form of PPARα protein in the brain. LPS injection reduced the PPARα mRNA level in the brain. On the contrary, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, COX-2, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and PECAM-1 were elevated at 6 h after LPS. Wy-14643 and fenofibrate inhibited the elevations of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1. Wy-14643, but not fenofibrate, also attenuated the iNOS elevation. At 3 days after LPS, Wy-14643 and fenofibrate showed similar inhibitions in these molecules. LPS injection also elevated IL-6 protein levels in the brain and serum at 6 h, which was inhibited by fenofibrate. Histological analyses showed that Wy-14643 and fenofibrate profoundly attenuated microglia/macrophage activation, neutrophil recruitment, and neuronal injury at 3 days after LPS. These findings suggest that activation of PPARα attenuates neuroinflammation in the adult mouse brain, implicating that PPARα may be a potential therapeutic target for CNS diseases in which neuroinflammation plays a substantial role.
New Approaches to Assessing Language and (Inter‐)Cultural Competences in Higher Education / Nouvelles approches de l’évaluation des compétences langagières et (inter‐)culturelles dans l’enseignement supérieur edited by DERVIN, FRED, & EIJA SUOMELA–SALMI

A review of the book "New Approaches to Assessing Language and (Inter-)Cultural Competences in Higher Education/Nouvelles approches de l'evaluation des competences langagieres et (inter-)culturelles dans l'enseignement superieur," edited by Fred Dervin and Eija Suomela-Salmi is presented.
Mononuclear leukocyte glucocorticoid receptor binding characteristics and down-regulation in major depression

Some patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have elevated plasma cortisol concentrations and show failure to suppress cortisol secretion upon administration of dexamethasone (DEX), yet they do not have Cushingoid features. To study whether this represents glucocorticoid (GC) resistance, [3H]-DEX-binding assays were used to measure, in vitro, the GC receptor affinity (1/Kd) and number (Bmax) in mononuclear leukocytes of 11 MDD patients and 15 control subjects. No receptor abnormalities were detected in the MDD group; thus any cellular defect leading to a lack of responsiveness to GC in the MDD patients, if present, probably lies beyond the initial receptor binding. DEX (1.0 mg orally) was administered to study in vivo GC receptor down-regulation. Compared to the control group, fewer depressed subjects down-regulated Bmax after DEX. By paired t-test, Bmax decreased significantly in the control group but not in the depressed group. Receptor number on the control day did not correlate significantly with the degree of receptor down-regulation, severity of depression or cortisol concentrations across all the subjects. These results do not lend support to previous reports suggesting that GC resistance in MDD results from a GC receptor-binding abnormality, and they emphasize the importance of considering receptor studies in the context of GC-mediated cell processes in order to identify the exact cellular defect(s) leading to GC resistance.
A computationally efficient approximation algorithm for feed-forward open queueing networks and blocking

Abstract We present a computationally efficient version of an algorithm reported by Altiok and Perros [2] for the analysis of feed-forward open exponential queueing networks with blocking. The proposed algorithm has minimal time and space requirements, and it has the same accuracy as the original algorithm.
Changes in the heme ligation during folding of a Geobacter sulfurreducens sensor GSU0935

Ligand binding and substitution reactions are important for metalloprotein folding and function. The heme sensor of a methyl-accepting chemotaxis GSU0935 is a c-type cytochrome from the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens. The heme domain switches one of its axial ligands from H2O to a low-spin ligand, presumably Met, upon reduction. The study analyzes the stability and folding kinetics of the ferric domain. Guanidine hydrochloride denaturation yields the low-spin heme species arising from coordination of the ferric heme by non-native His residues. The population of the low-spin species further increases and then declines during protein refolding. Kinetics and mutational effects suggest that His54, from the N-terminal region of the domain, is the transient ligand to the heme. The capture and release of a non-native ligand within the compact partially-folded structures illustrates the flexibility of the heme environment in GSU0935, which may relate to the domain sensor function.
Exact k-NN queries on clustered SVD datasets

Clustered SVD-CSVD, which combines clustering and singular value decomposition (SVD), outperforms SVD applied globally, without first applying clustering. Datasets of feature vectors in various application domains exhibit local correlations, which allow CSVD to attain a higher dimensionality reduction than SVD for the same normalized mean square error. We specify an exact method for processing k-nearest-neighbor queries for CSVD, which ensures 100% recall and is experimentally shown to require less CPU processing time than the approximate method originally specified for CSVD.
The Cenozoic structural evolution of a fold-and-thrust belt, northeastern Brooks Range, Alaska

A Cenozoic fold-and-thrust belt in the eastern structural province of the northeastern Brooks Range exposes polydeformed lowgrade metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of the pre-Mississippian basement and its sedimentary cover immediately adjacent to much younger foredeep deposits. Analysis of mesoscopic and map-scale structures in the range-front region suggests that at least one pre-Mississippian deformational event was recorded in the basement sequence by north-vergent fold-and-thrust structures and associated penetrative structures. Most of later Cenozoic shortening of the pre-Mississippian rocks was accommodated by thrust duplication, with little development of penetrative mesoscopic structures. Although separated from the underlying basement rocks by a major regional decollement horizon, Cenozoic deformation in the overlying Mississippian through Lower Cretaceous cover sequence also was primarily by thrust duplication. Although local and regional structural trends within the cover sequence suggest that Cenozoic deformation was north-northwest directed, east-west Cenozoic structural trends within the pre-Mississippian rocks may reflect an inherited pre-Mississippian structural grain and/or pre-Mississippian-age structures reactivated during Cenozoic deformation. A regional balanced cross section of the eastern structural province was constructed by integrating the detailed structural data from the range-front region with subsurface data from the foredeep basin to the north and reconnaissance surface data from the interior of the range. This balanced cross section indicates that Cenozoic shortening across the region was 101 km (63 mi) over an undeformed length of 220 km (137 mi), or 46%
Cortical and spinal mechanisms of task failure of sustained submaximal fatiguing contractions.

In this and the subsequent companion paper, results are presented that collectively seek to delineate the contribution that supraspinal circuits have in determining the time to task failure (TTF) of sustained submaximal contractions. The purpose of this study was to compare adjustments in supraspinal and spinal excitability taken concurrently throughout the performance of two different fatigue tasks with identical mechanical demands but different TTF (i.e., force-matching and position-matching tasks). On separate visits, ten healthy volunteers performed the force-matching or position-matching task at 15% of maximum strength with the elbow flexors to task failure. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), paired-pulse TMS, paired cortico-cervicomedullary stimulation, and brachial plexus electrical stimulation were delivered in a 6-stimuli sequence at baseline and every 2–3 minutes throughout fatigue-task performance. Contrary to expectations, the force-matching task TTF was 42% shorter (17.5±7.9 min) than the position-matching task (26.9±15.11 min; p 0.05). Therefore, failure occurred after a similar mean decline in motorneuron excitability developed (p 0.10) and an index of upstream excitation of the motor cortex remained constant (p>0.40). Together, these results suggest that as fatigue develops prior to task failure, the increase in corticospinal excitability observed in relationship to the decrease in spinal excitability results from a combination of decreasing intracortical inhibition with constant levels of intracortical facilitation and upstream excitability that together eventually fail to provide the input to the motor cortex necessary for descending drive to overcome the spinal cord resistance, thereby contributing to task failure.
Lower interbreath interval complexity is associated with extubation failure in mechanically ventilated patients during spontaneous breathing trials.

Abstract : Objective: To determine whether lower complexity of interbreath interval as measured with nonlinear analysis techniques will identify patients who fail to separate from mechanical ventilation after 30-minute spontaneous breathing trials (SBTs). Methods: Respiratory waveforms from SBT of patients in surgical or burn intensive care units were recorded for later analysis. The decision to extubate was made by attending physician. Extubated patients were observed for 48 hours; during this time, reintubation or noninvasive positive pressure ventilation was considered as a failure. Analysis of waveform data by software was performed post hoc. Sample entropy (SampEn) and other nonlinear measures were 48 hours of extubation. Results: Thirty-two patients (24 burn, 8 trauma/surgical admissions; mean age, 40.2 + or - 16.9 years; 26 men and 6 women) who were intubated 24 hours were extubated after SBT. Twenty-four patients were successfully separated from mechanical ventilation and eight failed. Age, gender, and mechanism of injury did not influence outcome. SampEn calculated for the two groups presented in this study was different with the cohort that failed extubation having a lower mean value (1.35 + or - 0.39 vs. 1.87 + or - 0.27; p less than 0.001). Other nonlinear metrics were moved in concert with SampEn. The stationarity in the respiratory signal was not different between groups. Conclusion: In intubated patients, the interbreath interval in those who were successfully separated from mechanical ventilation was more irregular than those who failed, as measured by nonlinear techniques. When available at bedside, these metrics may be useful markers of pulmonary health and assist in clinical decision making.
Interactive visualization of 3D medical data

Techniques for rendering 3-D medical data are described. They consist of (1) surface-based techniques, which apply a surface detector to the sample array, then fit geometric primitives to the detected surfaces, and finally render the resulting geometric representation; (2) binary voxel techniques, which begin by thresholding the volume data to produce a three-dimensional binary array; the cuberille algorithm then renders this array by treating 1's as opaque cubes having six polygonal faces; and (3) volume-rendering techniques, a variant of the binary voxel techniques in which a color and a partial opacity are assigned to each voxel; images are formed from the resulting colored, semitransparent volume by blending together voxels projecting to the same pixel on the picture plane. Specialized display devices (stereo viewers, varifocal mirrors, cine sequences, real-time image-generation systems, and head-mounted displays) are described. Topics for future research are identified. >
246. Efficient Gene Transfer to Peripheral Nervous System Via Systemic Delivery of AAV Vectors

Top of pageAbstract Gene transfer to the peripheral nervous system has great therapeutic potential for the treatment of many neurological diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hereditary axonal motor neuropathies, and so on. Here we describe evidence that AAV vectors can be efficiently delivered to peripheral nervous system by a single intraperitoneal injection into neonatal mice. We delivered AAV 8-LacZ vector encoding beta-gal, and AAV8- mini-agrin vector encoding secreatable agrin protein, which is a basement membrane-associated heparan sulphate proteoglycan, to the neonates respectively. In AAV8-LacZ injected mice, we observed robust beta-gal positive cells in sensory neuron cells and peripheral nerve roots. In AAV8-mini-agrin injected mice, we noticed extensive presence of mini-agrin protein surrounding individual axon-Schwann cell units. Additionally, mini-agrin protein co-localized with laminin |[gamma]|1, a component of extracellular matrix, in the basal lamina of peripheral nerve roots. Our results demonstrate that AAV vector can be efficiently delivered to the peripheral nervous system systemically. This study should facilitate the development of gene therapy based strategy for treatment of peripheral neuronal diseases.
Bees assess pollen returns while sonicating Solanum flowers

Can bees accurately gauge accumulating bodily pollen as they harvest pollen from flowers? Several recent reports conclude that bees fail to assess pollen harvest rates when foraging for nectar and pollen. A native nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cavanilles) that is visited exclusively for pollen by both solitary and social bees (eg. Ptiloglossa and Bombus) was studied in SE Arizona and SW New Mexico. The flowers have no nectaries. Two experiments were deployed that eliminated “pollen feedback” to the bees by experimentally manipulating flowers prior to bee visits. The two methods were 1) plugging poricidal anthers with glue and 2) emptying anthers of pollen by vibration prior to bee visitation. Both experiments demonstrated that bees directly assess pollen harvest on a flower-by-flower basis, and significantly tailor their handling times, number of vibratile buzzes per flower and grooming bouts according to the ongoing harvest on a given flower. In comparison to experimental flowers, floral handling times were extended for both Bombus and Ptiloglossa on virgin flowers. Greater numbers of intrafloral buzzes and numbers of times bees groomed pollen and packed it into their scopae while still on the flower were also more frequent at virgin versus experimental flowers. Flowers with glued andreocia received uniformly brief visits from Bombus and Ptiloglossa with fewer sonications and virtually no bouts of grooming. Curtailed handling with few buzzes and grooms also characterized visits to our manually harvested flowers wherein pollen was artificially depleted. Sonicating bees respond positively to pollen-feedback while harvesting from individual flowers, and therefore we expect them to adjust their harvesting tempo according to the currency of available pollen (standing crop) within Solanum floral patches.
Behavioral effects of xylamine-induced depletions of brain norepinephrine: interaction with amphetamine

Male rats were treated with a combination of systemic fluoxetine and intraventricular xylamine in order to deplete brain norepinephrine (NE) in the projection areas of the locus coeruleus. Liquid chromatographic measures confirmed that xylamine reduced hippocampal NE by 77%. Four days later, control and lesioned rats were tested following subcutaneous injections of either saline or 1.0 mg/kg amphetamine in a Behavioral Pattern Monitor which recorded the sequential patterns of their locomotor and investigatory (holepokes) responses. Relative to controls, NE-depleted rats exhibited no alteration in the amount of spontaneous locomotor activity or its rate of habituation, but made fewer rearings and holepokes, particularly early in the hour test session. When challenged with 1.0 mg/kg amphetamine, sham-lesioned rats exhibited the expected increases in locomotor activity, holepokes, rearings, and both entries into and time spent in the center of the chamber. The lesioned animals exhibited a potentiation of the amphetamine effect on center activity and a diminished effect of amphetamine on holepoking and rearings. Control and lesioned rats were again tested at 18 days postlesion using the same test paradigm. The previously noted effects of the lesions on spontaneous behavior were absent at 18 days. Furthermore, the ability of these NE depletions to alter the behavioral effects of 1.0 mg/kg amphetamine at 4 days postlesion largely disappeared by 18 days. These results are indicative of some compensatory mechanism(s) operating to restore normal function between 4 and 18 days after the introduction of the lesion.
Indestructibility, strongness, and level by level equivalence

We construct a model in which there is a strong cardinal whose strong- ness is indestructible under -strategically closed forcing and in which level by level equiv- alence between strong compactness and supercompactness holds non-trivially.
Isolation and characterization of an exopolysaccharide depolymerase from Pseudomonas marginalis HT041B

An enzyme has been isolated fromPseudomonas marginalis (a pathogen responsible for the spoilage of fruits and vegetables in storage) that degrades the exopolysaccharide (mw>2×106 Da) produced by this organism. The mechanism of degradation has been determined to be a depolymerization that results from glucosidic cleavage. The product of depolymerization is a polysaccharide of ca. 2.5×105 Da. The enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 28 kDa, a pH optimum of 6.5, pI=9.1, and an apparent Km of 1.95×10−7±3.5×10−8M. Native and enzyme-treated marginalan supported no or very limited growth of the bacterium respectively.
Risk factors for fecal shedding of Salmonella from horses in a veterinary teaching hospital.

Identification of risk factors for horses shedding Salmonella in their feces helps identify patients at-risk of infection and protect the overall population through heightened biosecurity. Fecal samples from 230 hospitalized horses were cultured for Salmonella spp. Historical data were collected on 21 putative risk factors and assessed for association with the risk of a horse being culture positive using forwards stepwise logistic regression. Salmonella was isolated from 13 horses—most commonly from either the first (n=5) or second (n=4) sample collected. Only presenting complaint (confounded by age, breed and gender) was significantly (P≤0.05) associated with positive Salmonella-culture results. Analysis of residuals showed that the model was robust, but individual risk-factor estimates were changed by removal of outliers. Overall, presenting complaint (for example, lower-respiratory-tract disease) was the most important indicator of culture status.
Colorimetric Determination of Dextrosulphenidol and Raceophenidol

Dextrosulphenidol and raceophenidol may be degraded by alkaline hydrolysis, followed by periodate oxidation, to form p -methylsulfonylbenzaldehyde, which can be determined colorimetrically as the alkali salt of its p -nitrophenylhydrazone. Specific analytical procedures for the determination of dextrosulphenidol and raceophenidol in blood plasma or serum, urine, feces, tissues, eggs, and poultry feed, based on these reactions, are described.
The determination of the sign of the asymmetry parameter in λ0 decay from the scattering of the decay proton

A statistical method is presented whereby the information provided by a small number of nuclear scatters of λ0 decay protons can be used to determine the sign of the asymmetry parameter due to parity non-conservation in λ0 decay. As an example, the analysis is applied to twenty-one proton scatters of λ0 hyperons decaying in the Princeton multiplate cloud chamber. Because the asymmetry to be expected in each observed nuclear scatter is small, our data do not yield a statistically significant result. However, if each experimenter would follow a similar procedure with his data, it should be possible to combine results to determine the sign with a high degree of certainty.
Cultural variations in achievement motivation despite equivalent motivational strength: Motivational concerns among Indian and American corporate professionals

Abstract We explored the possibility that persons from two cultures, Indian and American, might be similar in overall levels of motivational strength yet differ significantly in their experience and expression of achievement motivation. We anticipated that Indian, more than American, corporate professionals would incorporate not only self-based but also other-oriented concerns (e.g., for the welfare of co-workers and community members) into their experience of achievement motivation in the workplace. American and Indian corporate professionals responded to an online survey that included a novel measure tapping interpersonal concerns in achievement motivation. Despite the groups being equivalent on multiple demographic indicators and on traditional indices of both motivational strength and motivational orientation, Americans and Indians differed substantially in motivational concerns, with Indians grounding their sense of achievement motivation more strongly in concerns for extended family, co-workers and community. Implications for the study of cultural variations in personality processes are discussed.