cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Readin’, ‘Ritin’, and Statistics

Statistics has, for a number of years, been the principle mathematical tool used by scholars in a number of disciplines (e. g., economics, psychology and medicine). For example, a survey of a leading political science journal (see p. xiv of [3]) found that 65 percent of all the articles published between 1968 and 1970 used numerical data. This had grown from 12 percent in the period 1946–48. The uses (and abuses) of statistics are so pervasive that at least one course in statistics is now required by most of the undergraduate programs in the social sciences.
Reading About the Financial Crisis: A 21-Book Review

The recent financial crisis has generated many distinct perspectives from various quarters. In this article, I review a diverse set of 21 books on the crisis, 11 written by academics, and 10 written by journalists and one former Treasury Secretary. No single narrative emerges from this broad and often contradictory collection of interpretations, but the sheer variety of conclusions is informative, and underscores the desperate need for the economics profession to establish a single set of facts from which more accurate inferences and narratives can be constructed.
Methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma

The development of HCC is a complex, multistep, multistage process. The molecular pathogenesis of HCC appears to involve multiple genetic aberrations in the molecular control of hepatocyte proliferation, differentiation and death and the maintenance of genomic integrity. This process is influenced by the cumulative activation and inactivation of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and other genes. p53, a tumor suppressor gene, is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancers. There is also a striking sequence specific binding and induction of mutations by AFB1 at codon 249 of p53 in HCC. Epigenetic alterations are also involved in cancer development and progression. Methylation of promoter CpG islands is associated with inhibition of transcriptional initiation and permanent silencing of downstream genes. It is now known that most important tumor suppressor genes are inactivated, not only by mutations and deletions but also by promoter methylation. Several studies indicated that p16, p15, RASSF1A, MGMT, and GSTP1 promoter hypermethylation are prevalent in HCC. In addition, geographic variation in the methylation status of tumor DNA indicates that environmental factors may influence the frequent and concordant degree of hypermethylation in multiple genes in HCC and that epigeneticenvironmental interactions may be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. We have found significant relationships between promoter methylation and AFB1-DNA adducts confirming the impact of environmental exposures on gene methylation. DNA isolated from serum or plasma of cancer patients frequently contains the same genetic and epigenetic aberrations as DNA isolated from an individual's tumor. The process by which tumor DNA is released into circulating blood is unclear but may result from accelerated necrosis, apoptosis or other processes. p53 mutation and p16 promoter hypermethylation have been detected in paired tumor and plasma of HCC cases. More recently, we investigated promoter hypermethylation in DNA isolated from the serum of HCC patients who provided repeated blood samples prior to diagnosis and controls enrolled in a cancer screen program in Taiwan. Among cases, aberrant methylation was found in serum DNA one to nine years before clinical HCC diagnosis. RASSF1A had the highest frequency of hypermethylation with 70% of cases having at least one positive sample compared to 44% for p16 and 22% for p15. For the controls, promoter hypermethylation was found in 6 and 4% of subjects for RASSF1A and p16, respectively; none had methylation of p15. An ROC curve that included clinical risk factors (age, HBsAg status, anti-HCV status, smoking, alcohol status) and hypermethylation biomarkers gave an overall predictive accuracy of 89% with sensitivity and specificity 84% and 94%, respectively. The analysis of epigenetic changes on RASSF1A, p16 and p15 tumor suppressor genes in serum DNA may be a valuable biomarkers for early detection in populations at high risk of HCC. In addition, the area of global hypomethylation remains largely unexplored in HCC.
Pathogen Loading From Canada Geese Faeces in Freshwater: Potential Risks to Human Health Through Recreational Water Exposure.

Summary Canada geese (Branta canadensis) faeces have been shown to contain pathogenic protozoa and bacteria in numerous studies over the past 15 years. Further, increases in both the Canada geese populations and their ideal habitat requirements in the United States (US) translate to a greater presence of these human pathogens in public areas, such as recreational freshwater beaches. Combining these factors, the potential health risk posed by Canada geese faeces at freshwater beaches presents an emerging public health issue that warrants further study. Here, literature concerning human pathogens in Canada geese faeces is reviewed and the potential impacts these pathogens may have on human health are discussed. Pathogens of potential concern include Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Helicobacter canadensis, Arcobacter spp., Enterohemorragic Escherichia coli pathogenic strains, Chlamydia psitacci, Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia. Scenarios presenting potential exposure to pathogens eluted from faeces include bathers swimming in lakes, children playing with wet and dry sand impacted by geese droppings and other common recreational activities associated with public beaches. Recent recreational water-associated disease outbreaks in the US support the plausibility for some of these pathogens, including Cryptosporidium spp. and C. jejuni, to cause human illness in this setting. In view of these findings and the uncertainties associated with the real health risk posed by Canada geese faecal pathogens to users of freshwater lakes, it is recommended that beach managers use microbial source tracking and conduct a quantitative microbial risk assessment to analyse the local impact of Canada geese on microbial water quality during their decision-making process in beach and watershed management.
CAPES/FIPSE year one experience report: why begin with math learning objects? CAPES/FIPSE: um relato de experiência do primeiro ano: por que começar com os objetos de aprendizagem da matemática?

This experience report describes one student’s perspective about being a part of the first CAPES/FIPSE exchange session that brought her to study at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil from Utah State University (USU) in the United States. In June and July 2010, this student joined two other university students to present the CAPES/FIPSE project and the related math learning objects at four schools in Campinas. This article provides an overview of the project and offers this student’s thoughts about possible reasons for the instructors’ immediate responses and future plans with the digital learning objects. Keywords CAPES/FIPSE; International student exchange; Digital learning objects; Cultural affordances; Instructor education Resumo Este relato de experiencia descreve a perspectiva de uma estudante sobre ser parte da primeira sessao de intercâmbio CAPES/FIPSE, que a trouxe para estudar na Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) no Brasil, da Utah State University (USU) nos Estados Unidos. Em Junho e Julho de 2010, essa estudante juntou-se a outros dois estudantes universitarios para apresentar o projeto CAPES/FIPSE e os objetos de aprendizagem de matematica para quatro escolas em Campinas. Esse artigo fornece uma visao geral do projeto e oferece pensamentos dessa aluna sobre as possiveis razoes para as respostas imediatas dos professores e planos futuros com os objetos de aprendizagem digitais.
A wideband CPW-fed microstrip antenna at millimeter-wave frequencies

This paper presents a CPW-fed aperture-coupled micromachined microstrip antenna operating at 94 GHz. The design consists of two stacked silicon substrates: (1) the top 200 /spl mu/m silicon substrate, which carries the microstrip antenna, is micromachined to improve the radiation performance of the antenna, and (2) the bottom 100 /spl mu/m silicon substrate, which carries the feed CPW line. The performances of this new antenna are compared to the ones obtained with a microstrip-fed aperture-coupled micromachined microstrip antenna designed by some of the authors and published previously. It is demonstrated that a wider bandwidth and a less sensitive input impedance versus the fabrication process accuracy are obtained with the new design presented in this paper. The measured return loss is -27 dB at 94 GHz with a 10-dB bandwidth greater than 30%. The CPW-fed aperture-coupled micromachined microstrip antenna is an efficient solution to the vertical integration of antenna arrays at millimeter-wave frequencies.
Natural Products: An Overview

Natural products, the remarkable collection of small molecules made by living organisms in an idiosyncratic manner, have made important contributions to organic chemistry, biology, and medicine. Although natural products contain a mother lode of molecular diversity, all of their structures reflect an evolutionary history and a biosynthetic production from a limited set of starting materials and reactions. The structures of natural products differ quantifiably from the small molecules usually found in the screening libraries used in high-throughput assays. Deeper structural analysis often reveals that natural products bind important biological targets with an exquisite degree of shape and charge complementarity. In addition, natural products often employ a variety of stratagems to disguise reactive functional groups until they are needed. Biosynthetic pathways for natural products resemble those used to construct more common biomolecules; the main themes are reactions that couple monomers into larger molecules and the lavish use of redox chemistry not just to create skeletons but also to cross-link them and decorate them with oxygen-based functionality. Although the historic contributions of natural products to chemistry, biology, and medicine are clear, their current use, especially in drug discovery, seems less clear. However, efforts to explore new areas of biological diversity, mine genomes, and study the natural roles of natural products are rejuvenating natural products research and illuminating its future.
Comparison of base inclinations for left-handed DNA and RNA

The Z'-form of poly(dG-m5dC) · poly(dG-m5dC) in 85% ethanol/MOPS and the Z-form poly(rG-rC) · poly(rG-rC) in 4.8 M NaClO4, 20% ethanol are studied by flow linear dichroism. Simulataneous analysis of the isotropic absorption and linear dichroism data yields the angle of inclination of the base normal relative to the helix axis, and the orientation of the axis around which the bases incline. For the Z'-form of poly(dG-m5dC) · poly(dG-m5dC) the inclination angles are 31.3° for guanine, and 27.9° for cytosine; for the Z-form of poly(rG-rC) · poly(rG-rC) they are 25.0° for guanine, and 23.3° for cytosine. The inclination angles for the Z'-form DNA are similar to those for the Z-form, and the angles for Z-form RNA are somewhat smaller. The axes of inclination for guanine and cytosine are similar in all three left-handed forms. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Infrared divergences, the renormalization group and vertex functions at inhomogeneous momentum scales☆

Abstract The renormalization group of a φ 4 theory in four dimensions in interpreted and extended to enable a meaningful calculation of vertex functions in the perturbative regions where the momentum scales are very uneven. Specific techniques are developed for the propagator, four-point function and higher-order vertex functions. Infrared divergences are identified as the consequence of an inadequate treatment of inhomogeneous momentum scales: they no longer appear when the mentioned techniques are applied. It is expected that an analogous development can be carried out in other infrared free-field theories.
Utility of aeromagnetic studies for mapping of potentially active faults in two forearc basins: Puget Sound, Washington, and Cook Inlet, Alaska

High-resolution aeromagnetic surveys over forearc basins can detect faults and folds in weakly magnetized sediments, thus providing geologic constraints on tectonic evolution and improved understanding of seismic hazards in convergent-margin settings. Puget Sound, Washington, and Cook Inlet, Alaska, provide two case histories. In each lowland region, shallow-source magnetic anomalies are related to active folds and/or faults. Mapping these structures is critical for understanding seismic hazards that face the urban regions of Seattle, Washington, and Anchorage, Alaska. Similarities in aeromagnetic anomaly patterns and magnetic stratigraphy between the two regions suggest that we can expect the aeromagnetic method to yield useful structural information that may contribute to earth-hazard and energy resource investigations in other forearc basins.
The cloned rat hydrolytic enzyme responsible for the breakdown of anandamide also catalyzes its formation via the condensation of arachidonic acid and ethanolamine

Anandamide amidase is the hydrolytic enzyme responsible for the breakdown of anandamide, an endogenous cannabimimetic, to arachidonate and ethanolamine. Another enzymatic activity called anandamide synthase catalyzes the reverse reaction, that is the condensation of arachidonate and ethanolamine. Using a recently cloned rat fatty acid amidohydrolase (FAAH), we tested the hypothesis that the synthase and the amidase activities are catalyzed by the same enzyme. Untransfected and vector transfected (pcDNA3) COS-7 cells did not express detectable levels of either the amidase or synthase. However, when COS-7 cells were transiently transfected with a rat FAAH pcDNA3 construct, both amidase and synthase were concomitantly expressed. These results indicate that the enzymatic formation of anandamide from arachidonic acid and ethanolamine can be mediated by anandamide amidase acting in the reverse direction. The FAAH transfected cells expressed higher levels of enzyme than either rat brain homogenates or neuroblastoma cells in culture. Furthermore, the reaction rate for the amidase in FAAH transfected COS-7 cells, neuroblastoma cells and brain homogenate was always greater than the synthase reaction. These studies raise the question if this synthase reaction serves any physiological role, especially in view of the evidence that anandamide can be formed by a different pathway.
High density cultures of embryoid bodies enhanced cardiac differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells.

Abstract Murine embryonic stem cell (mESC)-derived cardiomyocytes represent a promising source of cells for use in the development of models for studying early cardiac development as well as cell-based therapies in postnatal pathologies. Here, we report a highly efficient cardiac differentiation system in which high density embryoid body (EB) cultures leads to a marked increase of cardiomyocytes production from multiple mESC lines without the addition of any cardiogenic growth factors. Our results show that high density EB cultures significantly increase the yield of functional cardiomyocytes, which express typical cardiac markers, exhibit normal rhythmic Ca2+ transients, and respond to both β-adrenergic and electric stimulations. During the differentiation period, the inhibition of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling significantly attenuates the increase of cardiac differentiation as well as the increased expression of cardiac-specific genes, NK2 transcription factor related 5 (Nkx2.5) and myosin light chain 2v (Mlc2v) by high density EB cultures. Therefore, we believe that we offer a novel and efficient means of cardiomyocyte production for practical use of mESCs in cardiac regenerative medicine.
Surgical Treatment of Double-Outlet Left Ventricle Report of Four Cases

Four patients with double-outlet left ventricle and ventricular septal defect have been successfully corrected surgically. Three of the patients had pulmonary stenosis, and one did not. Three patients had d-position of the great arteries, and one patient had l-position with the aorta anterior and to the left. Surgical correction was accomplished by repairing the ventricular septal defect, closing the connection between left ventricle and pulmonary artery, and creating a conduit between right ventricle and pulmonary artery. The preferred conduit is a composite valved one.
3,6,9,16,19,22-Hexaaza­tricyclo­[22.2.2.211,14]­triaconta-1(27),11 (30),12,14(29),24(28),25-hexa­ene hexa­kis(p-toluene­sulfonate) dihydrate

In the title compound, C24H44N66+·6C7H7O3S−·2H2O, the macrocycle crystallizes in its hexa­protonated form, accompanied by six p-toluene­sulfonate ions and two water mol­ecules, and lies on an inversion center. The three independent p-toluene­sulfonate anions and their inversion equivalents at (1 − x, 1 − y, 1 − z) are linked to the macrocyclic cation through N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Of these, two p-toluene­sulfonate ions are located on opposite sides of the macrocyclic plane and are linked to bridgehead N atoms via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The remaining four p-toluene­sulfonate ions bridge two adjacent macrocyclic cationic units through N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding involving other N atoms, forming a chain along the a axis. The water mol­ecules, which could not be located and may be disordered, do not inter­act with the macrocycle; however, they form hydrogen bonds with anions.
Reducing failure rates of robotic systems though inferred invariants monitoring

System monitoring can help to detect abnormalities and avoid failures. Crafting monitors for today's robotic systems, however, can be very difficult due to the systems' inherent complexity. In this work we address this challenge through an approach that automatically infers system invariants and synthesizes those invariants into monitors. The approach is novel in that it derives invariants by observing the messages passed between system nodes and the invariants types are tailored to match the spatial, temporal, and operational attributes of robotic systems. Further, the generated monitor can be seamlessly integrated into systems built on top of publish-subscribe architectures. An application of the technique on a system consisting of a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) landing on a moving platform shows that it can significantly reduce the number of crashes in unexpected landing scenarios.
Gender-Specific Echocardiographic Findings in Nonagenarians With Cardiovascular Disease

Echocardiographic findings in the fastest growing segment of our population, the very elderly, are limited in the literature. We performed a retrospective analysis of 431 consecutive nonagenarians who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (2-dimensional, M-mode, pulse and continuous wave Doppler with color flow mapping) at our center. Mean age was 92.4 years, with women being the majority (73% vs 27%). Men were more likely than women to have coronary artery disease (45% vs 36%, p = 0.03), impaired left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (51% vs 40%, p <0.04), lower mean LV ejection fraction (50% vs 54%, p = 0.01), and regional wall motion abnormalities (31% vs 19%, p = 0.009). Women were much more likely than men to have hypertension (76% vs 52%, p = <0.0001), LV hypertrophy (82% vs 72%, p <0.001), severe left atrial enlargement (31% vs 16%, p = 0.004), moderate to severe mitral annular calcification (22% vs 10, p = 0.006), and tricuspid regurgitation (70% vs 51, p = 0.002). In this, largest to date, study of echocardiographic findings in nonagenarians, abnormal findings were much more common than previously reported. Men were more likely to have coronary artery disease and related findings, whereas women were more likely to have hypertension and related findings.
Reasoning visualization in expert systems—the applicability of algorithm animation techniques

Visualization of the reasoning process of an expert system can be useful in many situations. Unfortunately, no current expert system development environment presents us with this visualization. The problem is three-fold. First, the information presented typically contains too much detail. It is presented at the wrong conceptual level. Second, the information desired is not always available. Third, even when the desired information is presented at a reasonable conceptual level, there may be too much of it.This paper presents the results of research into providing a means for users to flexibly and easily create visualizations of the reasoning processes of forward-chaining rule-based expert systems using algorithm animation techniques. Levels of reasoning are described in order to identify the information necessary from the expert system development environment for these visualizations.A dual process visualization environment is presented consisting of 1) a version of CLIPS modified for the identified information access requirements, and 2) VISOR, an algorithm animation based system for creating visualizations of arbitrary complexity which can be triggered by “interesting event” messages from the running expert system application. This is followed by examples from several visualizations performed during the scope of this work.
Longitudinal respiratory health study of the wood processing industry.

Background A 5-year longitudinal study examined nonmalignant respiratory effects of wood processing dust exposure. Methods Ten study plants, investigator selected from 447 candidate plants, included 1 sawmill-planing-plywood, 1 plywood, 1 milling, 3 cabinet and 4 furniture facilities. Personal dust samples (2363) were divided into three size fractions (extrathoracic, tracheobronchial, and respirable) which were apportioned into wood solids (WS) and residual particulate matter (RPM), and used to compute each individuals TWA exposure for the 6 exposure types. Serial spirometric tests and medical, smoking and occupational questionnaires were collected with 1,164 subjects having adequate follow-up (minimum 3 datapoints over at least 2.5 years) for analyses. Forward selection regression was used to evaluate the effect of exposure on annual change in FEV1, FVC, FEF25–75, and FEV1/FVC. Results There were no significant adverse effects of WS exposures (overall means were 0.66, 0.32, and 0.05 mg/m3, for extrathoracic, tracheobronchial, and respirable fractions, respectively). Statistically significant effects were only to respirable RPM in the milling facility (mean exposures of 0.147 mg/m3 associated with changes in FEV1 = −32 ml/year, FEV1/FVC = −0.48%/year, and FEF25–75 = −0.11 l/s/year) and in the sawmill-planing-plywood facility (mean exposures of 0.255 mg/m3 associated with changes in FEV1 = −59 ml/year and FVC = −103 ml/year). Conclusion Exposure to WS was not associated with significant adverse effects. Respirable RPM was associated with an obstructive effect in the milling facility, and respirable RPM was also associated with a restrictive effect in the sawmill-planing plywood facility. Finally, this study does not exclude the possibility that other exposures common to this industry can cause respiratory effects, only that none were noted in this population for wood solids for the exposure levels and durations studied. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:595–609, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Melanocortin-4 receptor mutations paradoxically reduce preference for palatable foods

Haploinsufficiency of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) results in melanocortin obesity syndrome, the most common monogenic cause of severe early onset obesity in humans. The syndrome, which produces measurable hyperphagia, has focused attention on the role of MC4R in feeding behavior and macronutrient intake. Studies show that inhibition of MC4R signaling can acutely increase the consumption of high-fat foods. The current study examines the chronic feeding preferences of mice with deletion of one or both alleles of the MC4R to model the human syndrome. Using two-choice diet paradigms with high-fat or high-carbohydrate foods alongside normal chow, we show, paradoxically, that deletion of one allele has no effect, whereas deletion of both alleles of the MC4R actually decreases preference for palatable high-fat and high-sucrose foods, compared with wild-type mice. Nonetheless, we observed hyperphagic behavior from increased consumption of the low-fat standard chow when either heterozygous or homozygous mutant animals were presented with dietary variety. Thus, decreased MC4R signaling in melanocortin obesity syndrome consistently yields hyperphagia irrespective of the foods provided, but the hyperphagia appears driven by variety and/or novelty, rather than by a preference for high-fat or high-carbohydrate foodstuffs.
Modification of the Patient Competency Rating Scale for use on an acute neurorehabilitation unit: the PCRS-NR

Objective: The Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS) is a 30-item self-report questionnaire that was developed to assess awareness of deficits in post-acute patients following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of this study was to develop a modified and psychometrically sound version of the PCRS for use on an acute, inpatient neurorehabilitation unit.Research design: Prospective cohort of patients seen for inpatient rehabilitation following brain injury.Procedures: Nineteen items from the original PCRS were retained for their applicability to an inpatient neurorehabilitation unit and administered to 108 acute neurological inpatients.Results: Principle components factor analyses with varimax rotation yielded a three factor solution. Acceptable internal consistencies were calculated for each factor and the total PCRS score.Conclusions: These findings document the psychometric properties of a briefer version of the PCRS for use on an inpatient rehabilitation unit. This modified version has been labe...
Question answering using ontological semantics

This paper describes the initial results of an experiment in integrating knowledge-based text processing with real-world reasoning in a question answering system. Our MOQA "meaning-oriented question answering" system seeks answers to questions not in open text but rather in a structured fact repository whose elements are instances of ontological concepts extracted from the text meaning representations (TMRs) produced by the OntoSem text analyzer. The query interpretation and answer content formulation modules of MOQA use the same knowledge representation substrate and the same static knowledge resources as the ontological semantic (OntoSem) semantic text analyzer. The same analyzer is used for deriving the meaning of questions and of texts from which the fact repository content is extracted. Inference processes in question answering rely on ontological scripts (complex events) that also support reasoning for purely NLP-related purposes, such as ambiguity resolution in its many guises.
Revolution for Breakfast: Intersections of Activism, Service, and Violence in the Black Panther Party’s Community Service Programs

While there is a small body of research on service provision by groups that espouse a willingness to use violence, this research often is based on a presumption that service provision is used solely as a utilitarian tool to recruit members for political or violent activities. Through an examination of service provision by the Black Panther Party (BPP), the authors seek to problematize the utilitarian notion of service provision by reframing political activism, service, and violence as parallel acts of resistance serving similar purposes of countering oppression and healing communities. During field research in Oakland, California, extensive information was collected through interviews with former BPP members and recipients of BPP social services, as well as archival documents and audiovisual materials produced both about and by the BPP. The analysis explores several examples of the BPP offering free healthcare, breakfast, and education services. The data provide evidence that an organization that has been traditionally framed as militant not only acted rationally, but also provided an important defense for their community. Both their social service provision and their commitment to bear arms were viewed locally as acts of compassion, protection, and love.
Relation between regional distribution of thallium-201 and myocardial blood flow in normal, acutely ischemic, and infarcted myocardium

Myocardial localization of thallium-201 was compared with direct measurements of myocardial perfusion in normal, acutely ischemic, and recently infarcted myocardium. Studies were performed in 6 chronically instrumented dogs that were subjected to myocardial infarction by occlusion of the proximal left circumflex coronary artery. Four days after myocardial infarction, thallium-201 and 9 +/- 1 micrometer niobium-95-labelled microspheres were injected simultaneously after acute left anterior descending coronary arterial occlusion; the animals were killed 5 minutes later and the entire left ventricle was sectioned into 1 to 2 g samples. Regression analyses between thallium-201 activity and regional myocardial blood flow using all myocardial samples demonstrated a very close linear relation in each dog; r values were 0.98 or greater, indicating that the initial localization of thallium-201 in acutely ischemic and recently infarcted myocardium as a function of regional blood flow was essentially identical. Consequently, in each dog the regional distribution of thallium-201 closely approximated myocardial perfusion over a wide range of blood flow and potentially different local metabolic conditions that may be encountered in the clinical use of the isotope.
Electrocardiographic interpretation (1995): Can we do better?—Part II

An explanation of the Grant method and six steps the author of this paper considers essential to electrocardiographic interpretation are presented in Part I of the paper (Clin. Cardiol. 18, 433–439, 1995).
Quantitative autoradiographic analysis of estradiol retention by cells in the preoptic area, hypothalamus and amygdala

These experiments were done to compare quantitatively, on a cell-by-cell basis, estradiol retention by cells in the medial preoptic area, arcuate nucleus, ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial nucleus, and the caudal half of the medial nucleus of the amygdala. The steroid autoradiograms were prepared from 2 μ sections of brains from ovariectomized, adrenalectomized adult female rats that had been infused intravenously with [3H] estradiol (E2) in a regimen which kept circulating hormone concentration at or above proestrus levels for 3–4 h. Even in these brain regions, containing the most dense collections of E2-concentrating cells, a maximum of only 27–61% of the cells concentrated E2. Therefore, in these regions only a particular subset of the cells retain hormone; other cells in the region do not retain hormone. Frequency distribution histograms of the number of grains per cell versus the number of cells in each region showed a wide range in the amount of E2 retained per cell, and no modes among E2retaining cells. The data followed a distribution markedly different from that predicted by a simple Poisson distribution, confirming that E2-retention does not result from a random, passive process such as diffusion. The overall quantitative characteristics of the frequency distribution histograms were similar across the four brain areas. Therefore, we propose that the different E2-sensitive functions of these brain areas must depend on differences in the neural connectivity or differences in hormone regulated peptide content of the areas.
Reliability and validity testing of the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard: an assessment tool to help employers prevent heart disease, stroke, and related health conditions.

Objective:To develop, evaluate, and improve the reliability and validity of the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard (HSC).Methods:We tested interrater reliability by piloting the HSC at 93 worksites, examining question response concurrence between two representatives from each worksite. We conducted cogni
Effect of target velocity in a frontal plane on binocular spatial localization at photopic retinal illuminance levels

Binocular settings of equidistance have been obtained in a two-rod test apparatus that provides real-depth cues. The magnitude of the localization error for a black vertical rod which oscillates in a given frontal plane has been studied as a function of target velocity at each of three specified photopic levels of binocular retinal illuminance.The direction of the localization error was opposite for the two observers used. For both observers, however, the absolute magnitude of the localization errors progressively increased as target velocity was increased at each of the three retinal illuminance levels.Also, retinal illuminance level has an effect on spatial localization. For both observers, the oscillating rod was localized at increasing distances from the eyes as level of retinal illuminance was increased at a given target velocity.These new data are discussed in relation to comparable data obtained in earlier experiments on depth settings for stationary targets and on depth settings for oscillating targets viewed under conditions of unequal binocular retinal illuminance (Pulfrich stereophenemenon).
Trans-o-hydroxycinnamic acid glucosylation in cell-free extracts of Melilotus alba

Abstract The glucosylation of trans - o -hydroxycinnamic acid has been demonstrated in cell-free extracts of Melilotus alba . The reacton requires UDPG, a sulfhydryl compound, and an active extract from sweet clover leaves. The product of the reaction has been tentatively identified as trans -,β- D -glucosyl- o -hydroxycinnamic acid.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus in a Stretch of the Guadalupe River, Texas, with Five Main-Stream Impoundments by

Nitrogen and phosphorus were studied in a 168-km stretch of the Guadalupe River that had five main-stream impoundments. Flow through the study area was controlled by releases from these five reservoirs and from Canyon Reservoir, a deep-storage reservoir, located 30 km upstream. Parameters measured monthly on a diel basis at 16 stations were nitrate nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, inorganic phosphate phosphorus, organic phosphate phosphorus, and total phosphate phosphorus. Inorganic nitrogen concentrations observed in this study were as high or higher than that previously reported for other bodies of water. Nitrate nitrogen entered the study area in relatively high concentrations from Comal Springs which was a major source of water for the Guadalupe River. Water from Canyon Reservoir, the other major source of water, was relatively low in nitrate nitrogen. The concentration of nitrate nitrogen was, therefore, dependent in part upon the portion of the total river flow originating from the two sources. Increased discharge from Canyon Reservoir and utilization by plants in areas of high chlorophyll a resulted in low nitrate-nitrogen levels. Retention of water in reservoirs reduced the concentration of nitrate nitrogen due to increased utilization by plants in areas of low flow. Nitrate nitrogen, in general, reached seasonal minima in summer and maxima in winter. Nitrite nitrogen showed considerable variation with no meaningful pattern except that higher concentrations occurred in association with high chlorophyll a and high Kjeldahl nitrogen, regions and periods of low river flow, and large phytoplankton populations. There was no increase in concentration of any form of nitrogen in the vicinity of sewage outfalls and no downstream accrual. Phosphorus levels in the study area were as high or higher than those reported in studies of other bodies of water. Sewage treatment plants at New Braunfels and Seguin, Texas, were major sources of phosphorus to the Guadelupe River. Total phosphate phosphorus was determined to be the most critical phosphate parameter in assessing eutrophication. Seasonally, it ranged from a winter high to a summer low. Concentrations were highest immediately below sewage outfalls and decreased as water progressed downstream. Inorganic-phosphate-phosphorus concentrations showed no clear seasonal trend but were clearly associated with sewage outfalls. Since large standing crops of phytoplankton were observed in areas of low inorganic phosphate phosphorus, it was not considered to limit photosynthesis. Total organic phosphate phosphorus varied seasonally, with high concentrations occurring during the spring and low concentrations in the fall. Total organic phosphate phosphorus showed no correlation with sewage outfalls, but was correlated to a degree with total Kjeldahl nitrogen and chlorophyll a. No consistent pattern of diel fluctuations was evident for any phosphorus or nitrogen compounds analyzed.
Development and Electromechanical Properties of Multimaterial Piezoelectric and Electrostrictive PMN-PT Monomorph Actuators

Monolithic multimaterial monomorphs, comprised of varying ratios of piezoelectric 0.65Pb(Mg1/3 Nb2/3)O3-0.35PbTiO3 to electrostrictive 0.90Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.10PbTiO3, have been co-fired at 1150∘C. The relative permittivity, displacement, and polarization hysteresis were investigated for varying ratios of piezoelectric to electrostrictive material. The permittivity of the 1:1 multimaterial monomorphs followed the dielectric mixing laws, showing a dielectric constant of 5,500 at room temperature. The P-E hysteresis loop of the 1:1 sample exhibited a maximum and remnant polarization slightly less than the piezoelectric PMN-PT 65/35, but higher than the electrostrictive PMN-PT 90/10. Displacement was found to be higher for the 3:1 monolithic monomorph actuators, reaching 76 μ m at 6 kV/cm. The results indicate that by minimizing the electrostrictive layer thickness the tip displacement can be substantially increased while maintaining a lower hysteresis than that of the purely piezoelectric counterpart.
From the House to the Streets: The Cuban Woman’s Movement for Legal Reform, 1898–1940

From the House to the Streets is the first study on feminists and the feminist movement in Cuba between 1902 and 1940. In the four decades following its independence form Spain in 1898, Cuba adopted the most progressive legislation for women in the western hemisphere. K. Lynn Stoner explains how a small group of women and men helped to shape broad legal reforms: she describes their campaigns, the version of feminism they adopted with all its contradictions, and contrasts it to the model of feminism North Americans were transporting to Cuba. Stoner draws on rich primary sources—texts, personal letters, journal essays, radio broadcasts, memoirs from women’s congresses—which allow these women to speak in their own voices. In reconstructing the mentalite of Cuban feminists, who came primarily from a privileged social status, Stoner shows how feminism drew from traditional notions of femininity and a rejection of gender equality to advance a cause that assumed women’s expanded roles were necessary for social progress. She also examines the values of the progressive male politicians who supported feminists and worked to change Cuban laws.
CAROTENOID LIMITATION AND MATE PREFERENCE EVOLUTION: A TEST OF THE INDICATOR HYPOTHESIS IN GUPPIES (POECILIA RETICULATA)

Under the indicator models of mate choice, female preferences evolve to exploit the condition-dependence or ''indicator value'' of male traits, which in turn may cause these traits to evolve to elaborate extremes. If the indicator value of a male trait changes, the payoff function of the female preference for that trait should change and the preference should evolve to a new optimum. I tested this prediction in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, a species in which the indicator value of a sexually selected male trait, carotenoid coloration, varies geographically. Carotenoid coloration is thought to be an indicator of foraging ability and health because animals must obtain carotenoid pigments from their diet. The primary dietary source of carotenoids for guppies is unicellular algae, the abundance of which varies among natural streams because of variation in forest canopy cover. Carotenoid availability limits male coloration to a greater extent in streams with greater forest canopy cover. Thus, the indicator value of male coloration covaries positively with canopy cover. To test the indicator model prediction, I measured genetic divergence in the strength of female preferences for carotenoid coloration between high- and low-carotenoid availability streams in each of three river drainages. Second-generation laboratory-born females were given a choice between full-sib males raised on three different dietary levels of carotenoids. For all six populations, male attractiveness (as determined from the responses of females to male courtship displays) increased with dietary carotenoid levels. However, the strength of female preferences differed between populations in the predicted direction in only one of three river drainages. These results fail to support a crucial prediction of the indicator model. More studies taking an interpopulation approach to studying mate preference evolution are needed before the explanatory value of the indicator models can be rigorously assessed.
Lessons from nineteenth-century advocacy in the USA for urban parks as antidotes for ill health

One of the forces which led to parks becoming an integral part of cities' infrastructure in the mid- and late nineteenth century in the USA was a widespread perception that they contributed to alleviating disease contagion and epidemics. This paper identifies six strategies that were effective in this successful movement which appear to have relevance in the contemporary context. Four of these contribute to the central challenge of positioning parks so parks are recognized as a component to be included in the multifaceted effort to address the obesity epidemic: conceptual alignment, cost-effectiveness, associative positioning and psychological positioning. The other two pertain to the tactical use of science to support advocacy and the need to secure influential champions.
Multiple Withdrawals from Chronic Ethanol “Kindles” Inferior Collicular Seizure Activity: Evidence for Kindling of Seizures Associated with Alcoholism

The present investigation tested the hypothesis that multiple withdrawals from chronic ethanol treatment "kindles" seizure activity. Two animal models of kindled seizure activity--electrical stimulation of the inferior collicular cortex or the amygdala--were used to evaluate this hypothesis. Four withdrawals from a 12-day ethanol-liquid diet regimen facilitated the seizure kindling rate in the inferior collicular cortex, when the stimulation was initiated 7 days after the last withdrawal. In contrast, four withdrawals from this chronic ethanol regimen significantly attenuated the rate of amygdaloid kindling. When the withdrawals were increased to six or 10 using a 5-day chronic ethanol treatment schedule, the kindling rate in the inferior collicular cortex proved directly proportional to the withdrawal number. Continuous ethanol exposure over the same period as the 10 withdrawal group also facilitated the inferior collicular kindling rate, but not to the extent found in the 10 withdrawal group. A before, 10 withdrawals from the 5-day chronic ethanol liquid diet treatment attenuated the rate of amygdaloid kindling. Thus, this kindling action of repeated ethanol withdrawals appears specific to seizures originating from the inferior collicular cortex, not the limbic system. These findings support a previous hypothesis for a kindling etiology of alcoholism related seizures.
Role of β-blocker therapy in pediatric heart failure

Heart failure is becoming an increasingly common and significant problem in the field of pediatric cardiology. The numerous types of cardiomyopathies, and more recently, long-term survival of patients with congenital heart disease, have added to a growing patient population. Over the last several decades, our knowledge base regarding mechanisms of disease and therapeutic intervention in adult patients with heart failure has drastically changed. The most recent and important breakthrough in the pharmacologic treatment of heart failure has been the particular role of β-blocker therapy. This medication has led to significant improvements in survival and symptoms in adults, with less convincing findings in limited studies in pediatrics. The ability to study the benefits of this therapy in patients has been challenging owing to the heterogeneity of the patient population and lack of large sample sizes. However, as we investigate the mechanisms behind the disease process, the differences that exist between disease conditions and ages, and the significant alterations that may exist at the molecular and genetic level, our understanding of β-blocker therapy in pediatric heart failure will improve, and ultimately may lead to patient-specific therapy.
Monobromobimane as an affinity label of the xenobiotic binding site of rat glutathione S-transferase 3-3.

Monobromobimane (mBBr), besides being a substrate in the presence of glutathione, inactivates rat liver glutathione S-transferase 3-3 at pH 7.5 and 25°C as assayed using 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB). The rate of inactivation is enhanced about 5-fold by S-methylglutathione. Substrate analogs bromosulfophthalein and 2,4-dinitrophenol decrease the rate of inactivation at least 20-fold. Upon incubation for 60 min with 0.25 mM mBBr and S-methylglutathione, the enzyme loses 91% of its activity toward CDNB and incorporates 2.14 mol of reagent/mol of subunit, whereas incubation under the same conditions but with added protectant 2,4-dinitrophenol yields an enzyme that is catalytically active and contains only 0.89 mol of reagent/mol of subunit. mBBr-modified enzyme is fluorescent, and fluorescence energy transfer occurs between intrinsic tryptophan and covalently bound bimane in modified enzyme. Both Tyr115 and Cys114 are modified, but Tyr115 is the initial reaction target and its modification correlates with loss of activity toward CDNB. The fact that the activity toward mBBr is retained by the enzyme after modification suggests that rat isozyme 3-3 has two binding sites for mBBr.
Comment on the APEX e+e- Experiment.

A Comment on the Letter by I. Ahmad, et al. Phys. Rev. LLett. 75, 2658 (1995). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.
Fecal continence following colectomy and ileoanal anastomosis through extramucosal rectal tube

Abstract Ileoanal anastomosis through an extramucosal rectal muscularis tube was performed on 12 dogs in an attempt to reestablish fecal continence. Three of the 4 dogs which were chronic survivors maintained normal weight postoperatively, and each of the 4, as well as many of the short-term survivors, had consistent fecal continence when given daily paregoric. It is anticipated that this technique may find clinical application in patients with ulcerative colitis and other diseases involving primarily the rectal mucosa, since the neurogenic and muscular sphincteric mechanisms necessary for continence may be preserved.
Identification of oleoresin in epoxy-embedded slash pine tissue.

Sudan black B stains oleoresin blue-black in epoxy-embedded material as well as in living tissue. The Sudan black B staining properties of oleoresin are similar to those of lipid, but it can be distinguished from tannin, which stains brown. Practically all oleoresin present in resin ducts and intercellular spaces, and much of that contained in epithelial and ray cells, is extracted in preparatory procedures for electron microscopy. A fixation procedure is proposed which preserves significantly more oleoresin in situ The use of Sudan black B enables one to localize oleoresin by light microscopy, and permits direct comparison of adjacent sections of epoxy-embedded material at the ultrastructure level. Ultrastructurally oleoresin and lipid possess similar electron densities and can be distinguished from the highly electron-opaque tannin deposits.