cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of intrathecal capsaicin and an NK-1 antagonist, CP,96-345, on the thermal hyperalgesia observed following unilateral constriction of the sciatic nerve in the rat.

We evaluated the effect of intrathecal (i.t.) capsaicin (CAP) and the NK-1 selective non-peptidic antagonist, CP,96-345, on the thermal hyperalgesia ordinarily observed after unilateral partial ligation of the sciatic nerve in rats. CAP was injected i.t. 2 days after constriction injury. Seven days after partial ligation, the levels of substance P (sP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were the same in the left and right dorsal horns of the lesioned rats which were injected with vehicle (VEH). CAP (75 micrograms/15 microliters of 20% 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin) resulted in an equal reduction (40-50%) in the dorsal horn levels of sP and CGRP, but not VIP. After 7 days, i.t. CAP increased the paw withdrawal latency (PWL) of the non-injured hind paw. In contrast, there was no change in the PWL of the injured paw when compared to that of VEH-treated animals. Thus, CAP did not abolish the hyperalgesic state. We concluded that the thermal hyperalgesia after sciatic nerve constriction injury is not mediated by CAP-sensitive C fibers. CP,96-345 given i.t. at a dose which is physiologically active (400 micrograms) had little effect on the thermal response latency of either the normal or hyperesthetic paw. This provides further evidence that neither the normal pain response nor hyperalgesic state is dependent upon a dorsal horn action of sP.
NEW CONSERVED QUANTITIES FOR THE SPACES OF DIFFERENT CURVATURES

It is known that corresponding to each isometry there exists a conserved quantity. It is also known that the Lagrangian of the line element of a space is conserved. Here we investigate the possibility of the existence of "new" conserved quantities, i.e. other than the Lagrangian and associated with the isometries, for spaces of different curvatures. It is found that there exist new conserved quantities only for the spaces of zero curvature or having a section of zero curvature.
Cellular effects of enamel matrix derivative are associated with different molecular weight fractions following separation by size-exclusion chromatography.

Background: Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) was shown to enhance soft tissue healing and regeneration of the periodontium; however, the mechanisms of this action are unknown. It is assumed that amelogenin, the most abundant protein in EMD, is the protein primarily responsible for the effects of EMD. The purpose of this study was to fractionate EMD and associate its specific cellular effects with different molecular weight fractions following size-exclusion chromatography. Methods: Freshly dissolved EMD was fractionated by gel filtration, and forty-five 7-ml fractions were collected, desalted, lyophilized, and resuspended. These fractions were analyzed for their effects on the differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells (C2C12) and the proliferation and differentiation of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs). Alkaline phosphatase activity (C2C12) was measured as a marker for osteogenic differentiation before and after preincubation of the fractions with the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) decoy receptor, noggin. Angiogenesis (HMVEC) was evaluated as a marker for endothelial cell differentiation. Enzymographic assays used polyacrylamide gels copolymerized with denatured type I collagen to determine gelatinolytic activities in each fraction. Results: EMD fractionated into three major protein peaks following size exclusion chromatography with cross-linked dextran particle matrix. Peak I was associated with the column void volume, whereas peak III eluted near the salt volume. Peak II eluted between these two peaks. Proliferation and angiogenic activities were associated with peaks II and III for the microvascular cells. The differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells, indicated by alkaline phosphatase activity, was induced by EMD components present in peak I and the leading edge of peak II. The additional observation that this differentiation was inhibited by prior treatment of the fractions with noggin suggested the activity was induced by BMP rather than amelogenin or other unknown proteins. Gelatinolytic activities were detected in the early fractions of peaks I and II of gel-fractionated EMD. Conclusions: The cellular activities stimulated by EMD are not associated with a single molecular weight species. The fact that noggin abolishes C2C12 alkaline phosphatase activity suggests that effects on osteoprogenitor cell differentiation are the result of a BMP-like protein(s), whereas effects on proliferation and angiogenesis are associated with lower molecular weight species present in peaks II and III. Finally, unheated EMD displays gelatinolytic activities that are also detectable following size-exclusion separation of its constituents. The masses of these activities were consistent with those reported for latent and active matrix metalloproteinase-20. J Periodontol 2009;80:648-656.
A modified linearized thermistor thermometer using an analog multiplier

A scheme to measure temperature using a thermistor probe has been suggested by A.A. Khan et al. (see ibid., vol.37, p.322-232, June 1988). In this circuit, Khan et al. have used an analog multiplier in the divide mode to eliminate the need to know the actual value of the thermistor constant, beta . This scheme also provides a wide linear range, as is shown by their experimental results. However, two problems are noted in the circuit. This scheme requires the generation of a reference voltage E/2 and the use of a difference amplifier. A difference amplifier requires tightly matched resistors so that the common mode gain can be made as small as possible. A modification to this circuit is suggested in which these two problems can be eliminated. It is also found that only one adjustment is needed for calibration in the modified scheme. >
ThO2–UO2 annular pins for high burnup fuels

Abstract The main purpose of this work is to investigate the use of annular fuel pins (particularly pins containing thorium dioxide) for high burnup fuel. The following parameters were evaluated and compared between postulated mixed thorium–uranium dioxide standard and annular (9% void fraction) type fuel assemblies, as a function of burnup: the infinite multiplication factor, the uranium and plutonium isotopic compositions, the fuel temperature coefficient of reactivity and the conversion ratio. We used the SCALE-4.3 code system. The calculation method consisted in obtaining actinide and fission product number densities as functions of assembly burnup, by means of a 1-D transport calculation combined with a 0-D burnup calculation. These number densities were then used in a 3-D Monte Carlo code for obtaining k∞ from two-dimensional-symmetry “snapshots”.
Cost-Effectiveness of Decision Support Strategies in Acute Bronchitis.

BACKGROUND A recent clinical trial suggests that printed (PDS) and computer decision support (CDS) interventions are safe and effective in reducing antibiotic use in acute bronchitis relative to usual care (UC).
The J gene of ϕX174: Isolation and characterization of a J gene mutant

The J gene protein of bacteriophage ϕX174 is a component of the mature phage. The previous lack of J gene mutants has prevented an in vivo analysis of J protein functions. A ϕX174 mutant was constructed by inserting an 11 nucleotide sequence into the J gene. This mutant, designated insJ, was viable only in the presence of a wild-type J gene carried on a plasmid that could provide J protein. An analysis of DNA synthesis during insJ mutant infection under non-permissive conditions confirmed that the J protein is not required for viral DNA synthesis.
Bursal antisteroidogenic peptide alters the activity of steroidogenic enzymes in chicken granulosa cells.

Abstract We have previously reported that a peptide from chicken bursa of Fabricius, bursal antisteroidogenic peptide (BASP), inhibits luteinizing hormone-stimulated progesterone biosynthesis by chicken ovarian granulosa cells. The objective of this study was to determine the site(s) of BASP inhibition within the steroidogenic pathway of chicken granulosa cells. The effects of BASP on key steroidogenic enzymes, including adenylyl cyclase (AC), phosphodiesterase, the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme complex and 3s-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase were determined. Luteinizing hormone (10 ng/tube) stimulated a fivefold increase in granulosa cell progesterone production that was inhibited by BASP (0.06, 0.12 or 0.25 bursal equivalents) in a dose-dependent manner. Luteinizing hormone stimulated a sixfold increase in cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) formation, and this increase was potentiated by BASP in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, BASP stimulated cAMP formation in the absence of luteinizing hormone without affecting progesterone production. The AC activator forskolin (0.1 mM) stimulated a 4.5-fold increase in progesterone synthesis, which was inhibited by BASP. In the presence of forskolin. BASP increased cAMP formation in a dose-dependent manner. A fivefold increase in progesterone synthesis induced by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (1.0 mM) was inhibited by BASP. In the presence of 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine, BASP increased cAMP formation in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol (250, 500, 1,000, or 2,500 ng/tube) or pregnenolone (50, 100, 200, or 500 ng/tube) resulted in up to 15- or 10-fold increases in progesterone production, respectively. Increasing concentrations of BASP caused a dose-dependent suppression of the conversion of 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol, but not pregnenolone, to progesterone. The inhibition of steroidogenesis by BASP is not associated with reduced cAMP levels, and BASP appears to strongly stimulate AC activity. In addition, these findings suggest that BASP may limit the availability of progesterone precursors by inhibiting the activity of the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme complex.
Tactical Differences in Coping With Rejection Sensitivity: The Role of Prevention Pride:

Prevention pride reflects a person's subjective history of success in preventing negative outcomes, leading to a strategic avoidance of errors of commission (e.g., explicit mistakes) in new situations. Two studies examined the impact of prevention pride on the strategies that highly rejection sensitive (HRS) people use to cope with the anxiety of anticipated rejection and the negative feelings elicited by perceived rejection. It was hypothesized that prevention pride orientation would lead HRS people toward covert and passive rather than overt and active forms of negative coping. Results indicated that HRS individuals who were also high in prevention pride reported increased use of self-silencing, presumably to prevent rejection. When rejection was perceived, however, they expressed hostility passively, by reducing positive behavior (e.g., withdrawing love and support) while inhibiting direct, active acts of hostility (e.g., yelling).
‘The Power To Develop Dispositions’: Revisiting John Dewey's Democratic Claims For Education

This article reviews John Dewey and Our Educational Prospect, A Critical Engagement with Dewey's Democracy and Education, edited and spearheaded by David T. Hansen, with contributions by Gert Biesta, Reba N. Page, Larry A. Hickman, Naoko Saito, Gary D. Fenstermacher, Herbert M. Kliebard, Sharon Fieman-Nemser and Elizabeth Minnich. This review will not only praise and evaluate the merits of this book, but will also attempt to frame this new study of Dewey within the challenges that continue to engage education in the realms of democracy, as the latter continues to strive for its own survival. While highlighting salient aspects of Hansen et al.'s rereading of Dewey's great work, this review seeks to frame both Dewey's text and this Deweyan study within the breadth of those other challenges by which education—and in turn philosophy of education—has come to take on issues such as: the nexus between theory and practice, the prevalent domination of the social scientific paradigm in education and the continuous threat of the standardisation and institutionalisation of human learning. It will be argued that, to meet this challenge, philosophy of education must sustain a continuous engagement with Dewey's work. A rereading of Dewey also involves a revaluation of his pragmatic theory of education and its lineage, moving from Emerson's metaphilosophy to Cavell's ethics. As Hansen et al. invariably engage with the latter, this review will question, through Adorno and Horkheimer's critique of pragmatisation, whether Deweyan pragmatism can still challenge the current state of affairs by which education is not only systematised away from learning, but also subsumed into a more institutionalised state—a condition that immediately jars with Dewey's own philosophical instincts and pedagogical labours.
The Potential Collapse of Fish Stocks in a Developing Fishery

Abstract In developing a fishery on a stock whose surplus production is governed by a logistic or similar growth law, a policy of steadily increasing the fishing quota and watching the stock carefully is likely to lead to overfishing; at the time of greatest danger, there are no warning signs. Increasing the nominal effort for a schooling fish stock has similar problems. A policy of steadily increasing the fishing mortality, although more difficult to implement, runs less risk of overfishing. These points are illustrated by simulations.
Schwann Cell Dedifferentiation Is Independent of Mitogenic Signaling and Uncoupled to Proliferation: ROLE OF cAMP AND JNK IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE DIFFERENTIATED STATE*

Myelinating Schwann cells (SCs) are highly plastic cells that are able to dedifferentiate and re-enter the cell cycle. However, the molecular signals controlling dedifferentiation are not completely understood. Because a connection between mitogenic signaling and myelin loss has been suggested, we investigated the role of cAMP, a strong inducer of the myelinating phenotype, and mitogenic factors activating receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) on SC dedifferentiation. We herein provide evidence indicating that cAMP was required to not only initiate but also maintain a state of differentiation because SCs rapidly dedifferentiated and became competent to resume proliferation upon the removal of cAMP stimulation. Surprisingly, isolated SCs could undergo multiple cycles of differentiation and dedifferentiation upon cAMP addition and removal, respectively, in the absence of mitogenic factors and without entering the cell cycle. Conversely, the activation of RTKs and the ERK cascade by a variety of growth factors, including neuregulin, was not sufficient to initiate dedifferentiation in the presence of cAMP. Importantly, a reduction of cAMP triggered dedifferentiation through a mechanism that required JNK, rather than ERK, activity and an induction of the expression of c-Jun, a transcriptional inhibitor of myelination. In summary, the reversible transition from an undifferentiated to a myelinating state was dependent on cAMP but independent of RTK signaling and cell cycle progression, further indicating that dedifferentiation and proliferation are uncoupled and differentially regulated events in SCs.
Treatment of Alzheimer's disease by zinc compounds

At the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD), specific lesions occur in the hippocampus, i.e., neuropile-capillary amyloid (AM) plaques and neuronal paired-helical filaments (PHF)-neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). The hippocampus is the area of brain with the highest zinc content. Chemical investigations demonstrated that in AD, the cerebral zinc decreases, especially in the hippocampus. The mechanism may be the following: The primary, genetically determined, microvascular AM (asymptomatic) disturbs the blood-brain barrier, and metals (calcium, iron, aluminium, silicon, mercury, etc.( reach the cerebral cortex, where their levels increase and displace the zinc (whose level decreases) in some enzymes which become nonfunctional. The secondary production of PHF-NFT and the neuronal dysfunction responsible of the clinical symptoms of dementia may be related to the functional deficiency of the following zinc-enzymes: (1) those of DNA metabolism giving rise to abnormal DNA and therefore synthesis of abnormal proteins, constituting the NFT; (2) those involved in phosphorylating mechanisms at a post-transcriptional (ribosomal-mitochondrial) level, producing the abnormally phosphorylated tau protein, constituting the PHF; 3) that of glutamate (GLU) catabolism, resulting in a neurotoxic increase of GLU, producing PHF by abnormal phosphorylation of the neurofilaments; 4) those of neuronal detoxification contributing to the neuronal dysfunction. In regard to potential for therapeutic intervention, the timing needed for the AM-induced production of NFT, in the various areas of the brain, has been estimated to be about 14–67 months. During this time it may be possible to influence the AM-induced production of NFT: The chronic administration of neuroleptics enhances it, and the chronic administration of other drugs may reduce it. Such drugs may be zinc compounds, which will give an excess of zinc in the brain, will inhibit the above-mentioned AM induced by zinc deficiency, mechanisms producing the NFT related to the clinical symptoms of dementia, and therefore, may prevent, stop, delay, and even improve them. Preliminary trials with zinc-aspartate give promising results. Research is in progress to consolidate this zinc theory and to find more appropriate zinc compounds for this treatment. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Distribution of Chlorinated Organic Contaminants in Dreissenid Mussels Along the Southern Shores of the Great Lakes

Abstract Samples of dreissenid mussels were collected from 21 sites along the U.S. shores of the southern part of the Great Lakes and their connecting channels. These samples were analyzed for tissue levels of 16 chlorinated organic compounds, mostly pesticides, as well as for lipid levels. Aldrin, endrin, and lindane were found above detection levels at less than one-half of the sites, primarily at sites in Lake Michigan. Mirex was detected at nine sites mostly in Lake Ontario and the Niagara River, but also near Detroit and in Saginaw Bay. Heptachlor was detected at only two sites, both in Lake Erie. Cis-chlordane, dieldrin, hexachlorobenzene, heptachlor, trans-nonachlor, and total DDTs were detected at all or almost all of the sites. Except for hexachlorobenzene, which was highest near Buffalo, these chemicals were found at higher concentrations in Lake Michigan, especially near Milwaukee, than in the other areas studied. A comparison of the concentrations of chlorinated organic compounds to the levels of lipids showed that differences in dreissenid lipid levels among sites were not the major cause of the observed differences in concentrations in the chlorinated organic compounds. At most sampling locations, the category total DDTs was composed primarily of the DDT breakdown products DDD and especially DDE. However, a substantial percentage of the total DDTs detected at sites in eastern Lake Erie and western Lake Ontario was composed of the parent DDT compounds, suggesting the presence of a relatively recent input of this compound in this area. Comparison of the concentrations of chlorinated organic compounds measured in Great Lakes dreis-senids with concentrations of these compounds in marine mussels and oysters found generally similar levels for most of the compounds. Exceptions to this were hexachlorobenzene and mirex which had mean concentrations more than 5 times greater in mussels from the Great Lakes than from marine locations and lindane which had concentrations in mussels from the Great Lakes less than one-tenth of those from marine mussels.
Inhibition of CXCL16 Attenuates Inflammatory and Progressive Phases of Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Antibody-Associated Glomerulonephritis

Chemokines recruit and activate leukocytes during inflammation. CXCL16 is a recently discovered chemokine that is expressed as a transmembrane protein that is cleaved to form the active, soluble chemokine. We analyzed the role of CXCL16 in the development of inflammation and in the progression of the anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody-induced experimental glomerulonephritis in Wistar-Kyoto rats. CXCL16 was expressed in glomerular endothelial cells and mediated adhesion of macrophages expressing CXCL16 and its cognate receptor, CXCR6. Glomerular infiltrates displayed a strong migratory response to soluble CXCL16. Soluble CXCL16 and its receptor CXCR6 were induced in nephritic glomeruli throughout the disease, and CXCL16 expression correlated with the up-regulation of ADAM10, suggesting that this disintegrin and metalloproteinase mediates the chemokine activity of CXCL16. Blocking CXCL16 in the acute inflammatory phase or progressive phase of established glomerulonephritis significantly attenuated monocyte/macrophage infiltration and glomerular injury; proteinuria also improved. We conclude that CXCL16/CXCR6 plays a critical role in stimulating leukocyte influx, which causes glomerular damage during anti-GBM glomerulonephritis. Blocking CXCL16 actions limits the progression of anti-GBM glomerulonephritis even when the disease is established.
Augmented Reality Enhanced Nanomanipulation by Atomic Force Microscopy With Local Scan

Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has been used to manipulate nano-objects for more than a decade. However, it is still in the infant stage to serve as a manufacturing tool for fabrication of nanodevices. The major hindrance is the low efficiency due to the absence of visual feedback, positioning errors, and losing objects during manipulation. The lack of visual feedback can be solved by integrating an augmented reality interface into an AFM based nano-robotic system. Through the augmented reality interface, the operator can manipulate the nano-objects and simultaneously observe the real-time changes of the nano-environment. Position errors caused by thermal drift and nonlinearity of piezoactuators often lead the AFM tip to a wrong position and in turn miss the nano-objects. Due to the small touching area between AFM tip and the object, the tip often slips over or slips aside the nano-object during manipulation. All these problems can be solved by introducing a local scan mechanism to the AFM based robotic system. The local scan strategies will improve the reliability of the visual feedback, therefore, significantly improve the efficiency of AFM based nano-manipulation. In this paper, the augmented reality interface is briefly introduced. And then the local scan strategies are proposed to eliminate the positioning errors, relocate the actual position of nano-objects, and find back the nano-objects if they are lost during manipulation. The paper finally demonstrates that single carbon nanotube (CNT) based nano-sensors can be fabricated by the AFM based nano-robotic system assisted by local scan.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Halogenated epoxides and related compounds as inhibitors of epoxide hydrase.

Abstract A variety of chlorinated and fluorinated epoxides and related compounds were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of epoxide hydrase. The compounds were tested using chicken liver microsomes and a radiometric assay based on [ 3 H]styrene oxide, and using partially purified chicken liver microsomal epoxide hydrase and a continuous photometric assay based on p -nitrostyrene oxide, whose hydration could be monitored at 310 nm. For the 16 compounds studied both assays gave similar patterns of inhibitory activity. As expected from the relative K m values of the two substrates, all inhibitors were considerably more active against styrene oxide ( K m =1.0 mM) than against p -nitrostyrene oxide ( K m = 4.2 μ M), and styrene oxide was a weak alternate-substrate inhibitor against p -nitrostyrene oxide. 1,1,1-Trichloropropene oxide, however, was a potent alternate-substrate inhibitor against p -nitrostyrene oxide. Addition of various substituents to the α-carbon of styrene oxide generated a series of compounds whose inhibitory potency toward p -nitrostyrene oxide increased in the order H ≈ CF 3 3 2 Cl 2 3 ≈ 1,1,1-trichloropropene oxide. In contrast, addition of a CH 3 or CCl 3 group to the β-carbon of styrene oxide resulted in only a modest increase in inhibitory potency. 2-Phenyl- and 3-phenyloxetane showed no pronounced inhibitory activity toward either styrene oxide or p -nitrostyrene oxide, but pentafluorophenyl ethylene oxide and 1,1, 1-trichlorobutane-3,4-oxide were moderately active inhibitors, although significantly less potent than 1,1,1-trichloroproene oxide. These results show that electronegativity, steric effects, and hydrophobic effects are each important in governing the interaction of epoxide hydrase substrates with the enzyme, although it is not yet possible to analyze separately the effects of each of these parameters on K m , V , and the catalytic mechanism.
The restricted cubic spline as baseline hazard in the proportional hazards model with step function time-dependent covariables

We incorporate a cubic spline function where the tails are linearly constrained, as the baseline hazard, into the proportional hazards model. We show estimation of covariable coefficients and survival probabilities with this model to be as efficient statistically as with the Cox proportional hazards model when covariables are fixed. Examples show that the inclusion of time-dependent covariables defined as step functions into the restricted cubic spline proportional hazards model reduces computation time by a factor of 213 over the Cox model. Advantages of the spline model also include flexibility of the hazard, smooth survival curves, and confidence limits for the survival and hazard estimates when there are time-dependent covariables present.
Strongly typed memory areas programming systems-level data structures in a functional language

Modern functional languages offer several attractive features to support development of reliable and secure software. However, in our efforts to use Haskell for systems programming tasks-including device driver and operating system construction-we have also encountered some significant gaps in functionality. As a result, we have been forced, either to code some non-trivial components in more traditional but unsafe languages like C or assembler, or else to adopt aspects of the foreign function interface that compromise on strong typing and type safety.In this paper, we describe how we have filled one of these gaps by extending a Haskell-like language with facilities for working directly with low-level, memory-based data structures. Using this extension, we are able to program a wide range of examples, including hardware interfaces, kernel data structures, and operating system APIs. Our design allows us to address concerns about representation, alignment, and placement (in virtual or physical address spaces) that are critical in some systems applications, but clearly beyond the scope of most existing functional languages.Our approach leverages type system features that are wellknown and widely supported in existing Haskell implementations, including kinds, multiple parameter type classes, functional dependencies, and improvement. One interesting feature is the use of a syntactic abbreviation that makes it easy to define and work with functions at the type level.
Paradoxical Vessel Remodeling of the Proximal Segment of the Left Anterior Descending Artery Predicts Long-Term Mortality After Heart Transplantation.

Abstract Objectives This study investigated the association between arterial remodeling and geographic distribution of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), and outcomes after heart transplantation. Background CAV is characterized by a combination of coronary intimal thickening and pathological vessel remodeling, which varies at different locations in coronary arteries. Methods In 100 transplant recipients, serial volumetric intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) was performed at baseline and 1 year post-transplantation in the first 50 mm of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). IVUS indices were evaluated in the entire segment and 3 equally divided LAD segments. Paradoxical vessel remodeling was defined as [Δvessel volume/Δintimal volume Results After 1 year, death or re-transplantation occurred in 20 patients over a median follow-up period of 4.7 years. Paradoxical vessel remodeling was observed in 57%, 41%, 50%, and 40% for the entire vessel, proximal, middle, and distal LAD segments, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly lower event-free rate of survival in patients with paradoxical vessel remodeling involving the proximal LAD segment, which was not present when involving the entire LAD or mid and distal LAD segments. In multivariate analysis, paradoxical vessel remodeling of the proximal LAD segment was independently associated with death or re-transplantation (hazard ratio [HR]: 11.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.39 to 83.23; p = 0.0015). Conclusions Despite the diffuse nature of CAV, paradoxical vessel remodeling of the proximal LAD segment at 1 year was the primary determinant of long-term mortality or re-transplantation. Assessment of arterial remodeling combined with coronary intimal thickening may enhance identification of high-risk patients who may benefit from closer follow-up and targeted medical therapies.
Airborne Cryptococcus neoformans: particles from pigeon excreta compatible with alveolar deposition.

Although the portal of entry of Cryptococcus neoformans is believed to be the lungs, viable airborne particles of C neoformans small enough to reach the alveoli have not been observed previously in nature. Airborne particles from pigeon excreta were sampled with an Andersen sampler and a venturi scrubber. When sampled in a 6.2-liter laboratory air chamber and in a church belfry, approximately 0.01960.3396 of viable, airborne C neoformans existed in particles with diameters between 1 [i and 5.5 jx. The demonstration of particles compatible with alveolar deposition supports the hypothesis that cryptococcosis may originate as a pulmonary infection.
Screening for At-Risk Alcohol Use and Drug Use in an Emergency Department: Integration of Screening Questions Into Electronic Triage Forms Achieves High Screening Rates

Study objective Previous studies have shown that brief interventions for at-risk alcohol and drug use are significantly more likely to occur if patients are screened with a standardized, validated instrument, but high screening rates have traditionally been difficult to attain. Use of very brief screens can enable brief intervention specialists to focus their efforts on assessing and assisting patients most likely to need a brief intervention or more intensive treatment. This study describes the results of integrating brief substance abuse screens into an urban emergency department's (ED's) triage process. Methods As part of a comprehensive initiative to increase alcohol and drug screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), 3 single-item screening questions were programmed into the electronic triage tool used in the ED to detect tobacco use, at-risk alcohol use, illicit drug use, or prescription drug misuse. Project staff conducted training sessions with nurses to ensure the questions were asked properly and ED supervisors provided ongoing performance feedback. Names of patients with positive responses to the alcohol or drug questions automatically populated a list forwarded to health education specialists, who provided assessments, brief interventions, and referrals. Results Screening was conducted with 145,394 of 151,597 eligible patients, a 96% screening rate. Electronic reports revealed an 89% screening rate 30 days postimplementation and gradually increasing and stabilizing at approximately 97%. The overall percentage of patients screening positive for alcohol or drug use was similar to that of other ED-based studies (22%) but varied substantially by patient demographics. Conclusion High rates of screening can be achieved if properly integrated into a clinical setting's existing patient care processes with well-planned information technology support.
Building Power, Losing Power: The Rise and Fall of a Prominent Community Economic Development Coalition:

This article examines the neighborhood economic development movement in Chicago from the late 1970s through summer 2002, with a focus on changes since the middle 1980s, when Harold Washington’s progressive regime provided much hope for those promoting community-based development approaches and reforms. More specifically, it analyzes the growth, struggles, and eventual collapse of the city’s longstanding and nationally recognized coalition of neighborhood economic development organizations, the Chicago Association of Neighborhood Development Organizations (CANDO). CANDO’s rise and fall showcases the changing fortunes of the community-based development movement in large cities. The group’s experience is important for understanding the relationship between the movement and local government in general and for suggesting the best ways for community-based development organizations to gain and keep power in the face of changing environments
Isotopic fractionation of water during evaporation

[1] Variations in the isotopic content (18O/16O and D/H ratios) of water in the natural environment provide a valuable tracer of the present-day global hydrologic cycle and a record of the climate over at least 400,000 years that is preserved in glacial ice. The interpretation of observed isotopic ratios in water vapor, rain, snow, and ice depends on our understanding of the processes (mainly phase changes) that produce isotopic fractionation. Whereas equilibrium isotopic fractionation is well understood, kinetic effects, or diffusion-controlled fractionation, has a limited experimental foundation. Kinetic effects are significant during evaporation into unsaturated air and during condensation to form ice from vapor. Kinetic effects are also thought to control the deuterium excess (d = δD − 8δ18O) of precipitation. We describe experiments to observe kinetic effects associated with evaporation. Analysis of our own and previous experiments shows that surface cooling of the liquid is a crucial variable affecting fractionation from evaporating water that has not been properly considered before. Including the effects of evaporative surface cooling reconciles observed D/H fractionation with kinetic theory and removes the need to invoke an unusual size for the HDO molecule. Thus the isotopic molecular diffusivity ratios are D(H218O)/D(H216O) = 0.9691 and D(HD16O)/D(H216O) = 0.9839. Implications of this work for representation of kinetic fractionation in global circulation models and cloud physics models are briefly discussed.
Growth differentiation factor‐15 (GDF‐15) suppresses in vitro angiogenesis through a novel interaction with connective tissue growth factor (CCN2)

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) and the CCN family member, connective tissue growth factor (CCN2), are associated with cardiac disease, inflammation, and cancer. The precise role and signaling mechanism for these factors in normal and diseased tissues remains elusive. Here we demonstrate an interaction between GDF-15 and CCN2 using yeast two-hybrid assays and have mapped the domain of interaction to the von Willebrand factor type C domain of CCN2. Biochemical pull down assays using secreted GDF-15 and His-tagged CCN2 produced in PC-3 prostate cancer cells confirmed a direct interaction between these proteins. To investigate the functional consequences of this interaction, in vitro angiogenesis assays were performed. We demonstrate that GDF-15 blocks CCN2-mediated tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVEC) cells. To examine the molecular mechanism whereby GDF-15 inhibits CCN2-mediated angiogenesis, activation of αV β3 integrins and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) was examined. CCN2-mediated FAK activation was inhibited by GDF-15 and was accompanied by a decrease in αV β3 integrin clustering in HUVEC cells. These results demonstrate, for the first time, a novel signaling pathway for GDF-15 through interaction with the matricellular signaling molecule CCN2. Furthermore, antagonism of CCN2 mediated angiogenesis by GDF-15 may provide insight into the functional role of GDF-15 in disease states.
Functional specialization within the striatum along both the dorsal/ventral and anterior/posterior axes during associative learning via reward and punishment

The goal of the present study was to elucidate the role of the human striatum in learning via reward and punishment during an associative learning task. Previous studies have identified the striatum as a critical component in the neural circuitry of reward-related learning. It remains unclear, however, under what task conditions, and to what extent, the striatum is modulated by punishment during an instrumental learning task. Using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a reward- and punishment-based probabilistic associative learning task, we observed activity in the ventral putamen for stimuli learned via reward regardless of whether participants were correct or incorrect (i.e., outcome). In contrast, activity in the dorsal caudate was modulated by trials that received feedback—either correct reward or incorrect punishment trials. We also identified an anterior/posterior dissociation reflecting reward and punishment prediction error estimates. Additionally, differences in patterns of activity that correlated with the amount of training were identified along the anterior/posterior axis of the striatum. We suggest that unique subregions of the striatum—separated along both a dorsal/ventral and anterior/posterior axis— differentially participate in the learning of associations through reward and punishment.
A longitudinal study of task performance, head movements, subjective report, simulator sickness, and transformed social interaction in collaborative virtual environments

Empirical research on human behavior in collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) is in its infancy. Historically, one of the more valuable tools social scientists have used to evaluate new forms of media is longitudinal studies that examine user behavior over an extended period of time. In the current study, three triads of participants came to the lab for 15 sessions over a ten week period to collaborate for approximately 45 minutes per session. We examined nonverbal behavior, task performance on verbal tasks, and subjective ratings of presence, copresence, simulator sickness, and entitativity over time. Furthermore, we examined two types of transformed social interaction: nonverbal mimicry and facial similarity. Results demonstrated substantial changes in task performance, subjective ratings, nonverbal behavior, and simulator sickness over time as participants became familiar with the system. Furthermore, transforming avatar appearance to increase facial similarity sometimes improved task performance. We discuss implications for research on CVEs.
Continuing challenges in influenza

Influenza is an acute respiratory disease in mammals and domestic poultry that emerges from zoonotic reservoirs in aquatic birds and bats. Although influenza viruses are among the most intensively studied pathogens, existing control options require further improvement. Influenza vaccines must be regularly updated because of continuous antigenic drift and sporadic antigenic shifts in the viral surface glycoproteins. Currently, influenza therapeutics are limited to neuraminidase inhibitors; novel drugs and vaccine approaches are therefore urgently needed. Advances in vaccinology and structural analysis have revealed common antigenic epitopes on hemagglutinins across all influenza viruses and suggest that a universal influenza vaccine is possible. In addition, various immunomodulatory agents and signaling pathway inhibitors are undergoing preclinical development. Continuing challenges in influenza include the emergence of pandemic H1N1 influenza in 2009, human infections with avian H7N9 influenza in 2013, and sporadic human cases of highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza. Here, we review the challenges facing influenza scientists and veterinary and human public health officials; we also discuss the exciting possibility of achieving the ultimate goal of controlling influenza's ability to change its antigenicity.
Pancreatic cancer and thromboembolic disease

Thromboembolic disease is a common complication of pancreatic cancer and is causally associated with the generation of an intrinsic hypercoagulable state. Pancreatic-cancer cells activate platelets and express several procoagulant factors, including tissue factor and thrombin. The activation of coagulation is not simply an epiphenomenon, but might also be related to enhanced tumour growth and angiogenesis. Clinical manifestations of thromboembolic disease in pancreatic cancer include deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, disseminated intravascular coagulation, portal vein thrombosis, and arterial thromboembolism. Reported incidences of disease range from 17% to 57%. Treatment options include warfarin and low-molecular-weight heparins. Studies over the past decade suggest that long-term use of these heparins in both primary and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolic disease improves outcomes in comparison with warfarin. Further research is needed to understand better the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease in pancreatic cancer and to optimise strategies of prevention and treatment.
Polymer Electronics for Explosives Detection

The amplifying ability of semiconductive organic polymers in sensory schemes is described and its use for the detection of nitroaromatic explosives is reviewed. Semiconductive organic polymers serve as extremely efficient conduits for the transport of optically induced excitations and it is this transport property that allows for the high sensitivity of these materials to trinitrotoluene (TNT) and dinitrotoluene (DNT), the primary explosives used in landmines. Systematic molecular designs for the formation of improved sensitivity sensory materials are described.
What Is the Current Role of CT Urography and MR Urography in the Evaluation of the Urinary Tract

Technologic advances in both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have resulted in the ability to image the urinary tract in ways that surpass the prior mainstay of urinary tract imaging, the intravenous urogram. In adults, for most, if not all, historical indications for intravenous urography, CT urography or MR urography is now the preferred examination. Although a variety of techniques for both examinations have been described, each test provides more diagnostic information than does intravenous urography. With the introduction of multidetector technology, CT urography, to date, has emerged as the initial heir apparent to intravenous urography; many years of experience have now clearly demonstrated that CT is the test of choice for many urologic problems, including urolithiasis, renal masses, urinary tract infection, trauma, and obstructive uropathy. CT urography provides a detailed anatomic depiction of each of the major portions of the urinary tract--the kidneys, intrarenal collecting systems, ureters, and bladder--and thus allows patients with hematuria to be evaluated comprehensively. MR urography can be used also to evaluate the urinary tract and has the advantage of not using ionizing radiation and the potential to provide more functional information than CT. However, MR urography is less established and less reliably results in diagnostic image quality relative to CT urography. Although both tests can be used to evaluate the urinary tract, several issues remain and include reaching a consensus on the optimal protocols and appropriate utilization in an era of cost containment and heightened concerns about radiation exposure.
DNA preservation: a test of commonly used preservatives for insects

Abstract. Understanding the impact of collection and storage preservatives is important for all specimen-based research, ranging from morphological studies to genetic- and genomic-based research. We evaluated the effectiveness of four commonly used preservatives for their ability to preserve insect DNA for several ant species as well as the DNA from host-associated microbes of one ant species. We made replicated collections of ant specimens of different sizes and from three different environmental climates into four different preservatives (95% ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), propylene glycol and RNAlater), isolated DNA across two different time periods and performed PCR on all DNA extracts (n = 180 samples + 10 controls). Although ethanol returned the best overall results for DNA yield and PCR success, our analyses did not show a significant difference between specimens preserved in ethanol or propylene glycol on the timescales we investigated. We found that average DNA yield was significantly higher...
Response surface methodology and its application in simulation

The contents of this paper reflect a portion of the conference tutorial on the application of response surface methodology to simulation. In this paper we will present an outline of the methodology and give a simple example of its application to a two variable optimization problem. In the tutorial itself we will discuss the methodology in greater detail and discuss an additional application to a six variable optimization problem. The examples are taken from the simulation of a semiconductor manufacturing line.
Structure/Function Analysis of the Pantoea stewartii Quorum-Sensing Regulator EsaR as an Activator of Transcription

In Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, two regulatory proteins are key to the process of cell-cell communication known as quorum sensing: the LuxI and LuxR homologues EsaI and EsaR. Most LuxR homologues function as activators of transcription in the presence of their cognate acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) signal. However, EsaR was initially found to function as a repressor in the absence of AHL. Previous studies demonstrated that, in the absence of AHL, EsaR retains the ability to function as a weak activator of the lux operon in recombinant Escherichia coli. Here it is shown that both the N-terminal and the C-terminal domains of EsaR are necessary for positive regulation. A site-directed mutagenesis study, guided by homology modeling to LuxR and TraR, has revealed three critical residues in EsaR that are involved in activation of RNA polymerase. In addition, a native EsaR-activated promoter has been identified, which controls expression of a putative regulatory sRNA in P. stewartii.
The determinants and effects of CEO–employee pay ratios

We study the determinants and effects of the relative compensation of top executives and lower-level employees. First, we show that CEO–employee pay ratios depend on the balance of power between the CEO (relative to the board) and ordinary employees (relative to management). Second, our results suggest that employees do not perceive higher pay ratios as an inequitable outcome to be redressed via costly behaviors that lower productivity. We do not find a negative relation between relative pay and employee productivity, either in our full sample or in subsamples where employees are well-informed about executive pay and are protected against career retributions. Rather, we find that productivity increases with relative pay when the firm has fewer employees who are well-informed, and when promotion decisions are predominantly merit-based. We also find that firm value and operating performance both increase with relative pay. We conclude that ordinary employees appear to perceive an opportunity in higher pay ratios but the extent to which such perception incentivizes them depends on the likelihood of success in a series of sequential promotion tournaments.