cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suture bicuspidization of the tricuspid valve versus ring annuloplasty for repair of functional tricuspid regurgitation: Midterm results of 237 consecutive patients

Objective Uncorrected functional tricuspid regurgitation has serious long-term morbidity and mortality. We reviewed our experience with tricuspid posterior annular bicuspidization versus ring tricuspid annuloplasty for treatment of functional tricuspid regurgitation. Methods From 1999 to 2003, 237 patients underwent tricuspid annuloplasty for functional tricuspid regurgitation as part of their cardiac surgical procedure. Bicuspidization was performed in 157 patients and ring annuloplasty in 80 patients. Preoperatively, 227 (96%) patients had moderate or greater tricuspid regurgitation with a median regurgitation of 3+. Follow-up information was obtained for 234 (99%) patients with a mean follow-up time of 3 years. Postoperative transthoracic echocardiograms were assessed for severity of tricuspid regurgitation. Moderate or greater tricuspid regurgitation was considered significant. Survival and development of recurrent tricuspid regurgitation were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Tricuspid regurgitation and risk factors for recurrent regurgitation were identified and analyzed by multivariable ordinal longitudinal methods. Results At 3 years postoperatively, tricuspid regurgitation in patients treated by bicuspidization annuloplasty was zero to mild in 75%, moderate in 11%, moderate to severe in 6%, and severe in 8% of patients. In those undergoing ring annuloplasty, tricuspid regurgitation was zero to mild in 69%, moderate in 14%, moderate to severe in 7%, and severe in 10%. There was no significant difference between the two groups ( P = .18). Risk factors for recurrent tricuspid regurgitation included higher preoperative regurgitation grade, preoperative tricuspid regurgitation without concomitant mitral regurgitation, and higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure. Conclusions Bicuspidization annuloplasty and ring annuloplasty were effective at eliminating tricuspid regurgitation at 3 years postoperatively. Bicuspidization annuloplasty is a simple, inexpensive option for addressing functional tricuspid regurgitation. All patients with moderate-to-severe functional tricuspid regurgitation should undergo tricuspid annuloplasty regardless of the technique used.
Cataloger makeover: Creating non-marc name authorities

This article shares a vision of the enterprise of cataloging and the role of catalogers and metadata librarians in the twenty-first century. The revolutionary opportunities now presented by Semantic Web technologies liberate catalogers from their historically analog-based static world, re-conceptualize it, and transform it into a world of high dimensionality and fluidity. By presenting illustrative examples of innovative metadata creation and manipulation, such as non-MARC name authority records, we seek to contribute to the libraries’ mission with innovative projects that enable discovery, development, communication, learning, and creativity, and hold promise to exceed users’ expectations.
Intensive Behavior Therapy for Tics: Implications for Clinical Practice and Overcoming Barriers to Treatment

This case study illustrates the treatment of an individual diagnosed with Tourette syndrome (TS) treated with a behavior therapy (BT) protocol adapted from Woods and colleagues (2008). The client was a 25 year old, male who traveled from his country of origin for 2 weeks of intensive treatment for complex tics. The tics included multiple body movements and vocalizations that were both distressing and impairing. BT for tics is typically implemented weekly over the course of 10 weeks, and the efficacy of this regimen with adults has been demonstrated in several clinical trials (e.g., Wilhelm et al. American Journal of Psychiatry 160:1175–1177, 2003). In this report, we outline the case of a treatment-seeking adult with TS for which practical considerations necessitated a consolidated, intensive BT protocol involving massed rather than traditional spacing of sessions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of intensive BT for an adult with TS. Specific modifications to the protocol, as well as the specific steps for intensive BT, are discussed within the context of this client’s unique circumstances. Clinical considerations for intensive treatment for TS are also discussed.
Excitonic emission from CsI(Na)

Photoluminescence in CsI(Na) was studied. This work used nonionizing light sources and obtained the data from well-annealed zone-refined specimens. A series of excitation and emission spectra were measured at temperatures between 300 and 4.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The emission spectra consist of the characteristic blue emission and other low-temperature emissions. The emission spectra were decomposed into the superposition of Gaussian peaks by computer. It is found for the first time that the characteristic emission consists of two bands, centered at 4200 and 3700 \AA{}, respectively. The latter one increased as the temperature decreased. The energies of localized excitons were calculated by employing a Born-Haber cycle. The calculated results were compared with the measured excitation spectra. Each excitation band was identified as the transition of either a free or a localized exciton. The most important one is the exciton created by transferring an electron from an iodine ion to a substitutional sodium ion. This localized exciton called "impurity" exciton is responsible for the excitation band of the characteristic emission. The $\ensuremath{\beta}$ exciton also contributes to this excitation at low temperatures. A configuration-coordinate diagram is proposed to explain the evolution of the two characteristic emission bands. The diagram consists of the ground state and two excited states. Two polarization experiments were carried out in order to understand the symmetry of the characteristic luminescent center. Neither of the two characteristic emission bands was polarizable.
Sodium space determinations in shock

Abstract 1. 1. Sodium space determinations were conducted upon rats before inflicting a 20% full-thickness corporal burn or endotoxin poisoning (25 mg./kg. of intravenous E. coli endotoxin) and 4 hours after injury. These animals received no treatment. 2. 2. The sodium space did not increase for rats burned or given endotoxin when the space was calculated from a single initial injection of radioactive sodium. When the space was measured by a second past burn injection of radioactive sodium, however, the Nae increased 5 to 10%. 3. 3. All rats burned or given endotoxin became hypovolemic, as measured by increased hematocrit; blood pressure did not change. 4. 4. The hypovolemia attending the administration of intravenous endotoxin appeared due to sequestration of fluid within the gastrointestinal tract of the rat. 5. 5. The fluid sequestered during the hypovolemia attending burning contained sodium ions freely diffusible with the “exchangeable” sodium ions—those measured in the exchangeable sodium space.
Neuroimaging and Cognition in Parkinson's Disease Dementia

The prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD) is high and can potentially occur as the result of multiple differing pathologies. Neuroimaging has provided evidence of decreased cortical volume, increased white matter diffusion changes, and decreased resting metabolic activity that appears to begin prior to the onset of dementia in PD patients. Cognitive impairment has been found to be associated with multiple neurotransmitter transmission deficiencies, including dopamine and acetylcholine, indicating a widespread neurotransmitter dysfunction in PD-related dementia. Findings of increased Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) binding in subjects with Lewy Body Disease (LBD) compared with Parkinson's disease and dementia (PDD) may explain phenotype differences in the spectrum of Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), and show promise in guiding future therapeutic trials aimed at this disease. Advances in neuroimaging now allow for the detection of volumetric, pharmacologic, and pathological changes that may assist in the diagnosis and prediction of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's patients so that better evaluation of disease progression and treatment can be obtained.
Block and Sliding-Block Lossy Compression via MCMC

We propose an approach to lossy compression of finite-alphabet sources that utilizes Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and simulated annealing methods. The idea is to define an energy function over the space of reconstruction sequences. The energy of a candidate reconstruction sequence is defined such that it incorporates its distortion relative to the source sequence, its compressibility, and the point sought on the rate-distortion curve. The proposed algorithm samples from the Boltzmann distribution associated with this energy function using the "heat-bath" algorithm. The complexity of each iteration is independent of the sequence length and is only linearly dependent on a certain context parameter, which grows sub-logarithmically with the sequence length. We show that the proposed algorithm achieves optimum rate-distortion performance in the limits of large number of iterations, and sequence length, when employed on any stationary ergodic source. Inspired by the proposed block-coding algorithm, we also propose an algorithm for constructing sliding-block (SB) codes using similar ideas.
Seasonal production and molecular characterization of microcystins in Oneida Lake, New York, USA.

Oneida Lake, northeast of Syracuse, New York, in the United States, is a shallow eutrophic lake with a well-established toxic cyanobacterial population. Samples for DNA, toxin, and phycological analyses were collected from six stations throughout the summers of 2002 (78 samples) and 2003 (95 samples). DNA was amplified by PCR using primer sets specific to the nonribosomal microcystin synthe- tase complex (mcyB and mcyD). PCR analysis in 2002 indicated that the microcystin genes were present in the water column from mid-June through October, as 88% of the samples tested positive for mcyB and 79% of the samples tested positive for mcyD. In both years the onset of microcystin production was detected as early as mid-July by the protein phosphatase inhibition assay, reaching a maximum in 2002 of 2.9 l gL � 1 and in 2003 of 3.4 l gL � 1 . Beginning in mid- to late August of both years the microcystin level at all six stations was in excess of the World Health Organization (WHO) advisory level of 1.0 l gL � 1 . In the present study we compared microcystin occurrence and potential production at the six stations using pro- tein phosphatase inhibition assay, high-performance liquid chromatography, and polymerase chain reac- tion analyses. # 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 20: 243-248, 2005.
A Gustotopic Map of Taste Qualities in the Mammalian Brain

The taste system is one of our fundamental senses, responsible for detecting and responding to sweet, bitter, umami, salty, and sour stimuli. In the tongue, the five basic tastes are mediated by separate classes of taste receptor cells each finely tuned to a single taste quality. We explored the logic of taste coding in the brain by examining how sweet, bitter, umami, and salty qualities are represented in the primary taste cortex of mice. We used in vivo two-photon calcium imaging to demonstrate topographic segregation in the functional architecture of the gustatory cortex. Each taste quality is represented in its own separate cortical field, revealing the existence of a gustotopic map in the brain. These results expose the basic logic for the central representation of taste.
Profound “pacemaker syndrome” in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) results in depressed cardiac output and pulmonary congestion from decreased left ventricular diastolic compliance, and in a large subset of patients is further complicated by dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Complete atrioventricular (AV) block can induce severe hemodynamic compromise and is particularly dangerous in patients with structural heart disease. The incidence of spontaneous AV block in patients with HC is unknown but is the subject of numerous clinical and electrophysiologic reports.1–11 The use of β blockers and calcium channel antagonists in patients with HC may independently induce rhythms that compromise normal AV synchrony. “Pacemaker syndrome” refers to the occurrence of symptoms in patients managed with single-rate ventricular pacing who develop the adverse electrophysiologic and hemodynamic consequences of the loss of AV synchrony.12 Rarely has serious hemodynamic compromise been noted. This syndrome is similar to the hemodynamic events described in 3 patients with HC and profound hemodynamic impairment due to the loss of AV synchrony.
Nevada cooperative snow-surveys: Review of 1939 forecast results, Humboldt River basin, Nevada

I consider the results obtained as very satisfactory because the Humboldt River represents one of the most difficult streams to forecast. The precipitation during the runoff-period, March through July, was 98.6 per cent of normal. The forecast for Lamoille Creek was made with the provision that the precipitation at the Lamoille station be 6.5 inches during the April–July period. The precipitation during the period was actually 6.35 inches, or about the amount that was given in the forecast.
Targeted intestinal epithelial deletion of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 reveals important roles for extracellular-regulated kinase-1/2 in restitution

Barrier defects and/or alterations in the ability of the gut epithelium to repair itself are critical etiological mechanisms of gastrointestinal disease. Our ongoing studies indicate that the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its cognate ligand CXCL12 regulate intestinal-epithelial barrier maturation and restitution in cell culture models. Gene-deficient mice lacking CXCR4 expression specifically by the cells of the intestinal epithelium were used to test the hypothesis that CXCR4 regulates mucosal barrier integrity in vivo. Epithelial expression of CXCR4 was assessed by RT-PCR, Southern blot, immunoblot and immunohistochemistry. In vivo wounding assays were performed by addition of 3% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in drinking water for 5 days. Intestinal damage and DAI scores were assessed by histological examination. Extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was assessed in vivo by immunoblot and immunofluorescence. CXCR4 knockdown cells were established using a lentiviral approach and ERK phosphorylation was assessed. Consistent with targeted roles in restitution, epithelium from patients with inflammatory bowel disease indicated that CXCR4 and CXCL12 expression was stable throughout the human colonic epithelium. Conditional CXCR4-deficient mice developed normally, with little phenotypic differences in epithelial morphology, proliferation or migration. Re-epithelialization was absent in CXCR4 conditional knockout mice following acute DSS-induced inflammation. In contrast, heterozygous CXCR4-depleted mice displayed significant improvement in epithelial ulcer healing in acute and chronic inflammation. Mucosal injury repair was correlated with ERK1/2 activity and localization along the crypt-villus axis, with heterozygous mice characterized by increased ERK1/2 activation. Lentiviral depletion of CXCR4 in IEC-6 cells similarly altered ERK1/2 activity and prevented chemokine-stimulated migration. Taken together, these data indicate that chemokine receptors participate in epithelial barrier responses through coordination of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
The importance of liquid water concentration in the atmospheric oxidation of SO2

Abstract The concentration of condensed water available for aqueous chemical reactions is viewed as a fundamental parameter of the heterogeneous conversion of gaseous SO2 to particulate sulfate. New results from a series of dispersed-phase experiments in a cloud chamber, in which the magnitude of this parameter was allowed to vary widely, demonstrate that the heterogeneous SO2 conversion rate in hazes is generally limited by the small concentration of condensed water. This limitation precludes the heterogeneous oxidation pathway from being important in the atmosphere during haze episodes except under extreme conditions of high humidities and aerosol loadings. In clouds, on the other hand, the liquid water concentrations are relatively large, permitting chemically related factors, such as pH-dependent equilibria and oxidant abundances, to limit the SO2 conversion rate.
Inertial fusion power plant concept of operations and maintenance

Parsons and LLNL scientists and engineers performed design and engineering work for power plant pre-conceptual designs based on the anticipated laser fusion demonstrations at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Work included identifying concepts of operations and maintenance (OM unique remote material handling systems for use in areas with high radiation, radioactive materials, or high temperatures; a five-year fusion engine target chamber replacement cycle with other annual and multi-year cycles anticipated for major maintenance of other systems, structures, and components (SSC); and unique SSC for fusion target waste recycling streams. This paper describes fusion power plant O&M concepts and requirements, how O&M requirements could be met in design, and how basic organizational and planning issues can be addressed for a safe, reliable, economic, and feasible fusion power plant. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Anatomic relationship of the optic radiations to the atrium of the lateral ventricle: description of a novel entry point to the trigone.

Objective The aim of this study was to delineate the anatomic relationship of the optic radiations to the atrium of the lateral ventricle using the Klingler method of white matter fiber dissection. These findings were applied to define a surgical approach to the trigone that avoids injury to the optic radiations. Methods Sixteen cadaveric hemispheres were prepared by several cycles of freezing and thawing. With the use of wooden spatulas, the specimens were dissected in a stepwise fashion. Each hemisphere was dissected first from a lateromedial direction and then from a mediolateral approach, and careful attention was given to the course and direction of the optic radiation fibers at all points from Meyer's loop to their termination at the cuneus and the lingual gyrus. Results In all 16 dissected hemispheres, the following observations were made: 1) the entire lateral wall of the lateral ventricle-from the temporal horn to the trigone to the occipital horn-is covered by the optic radiations; and 2) the medial wall of the lateral ventricle in the area of the trigone is entirely free of the optic radiations. Conclusion The results of this study confirm that the medial parieto-occipital interhemispheric approach to the ventricular trigone will avoid injury to the optic radiations and the calcarine cortex. The authors describe the most direct trajectory to the ventricular trigone using this approach and propose a point of entry that transects the cingulate gyrus at a point 5 mm superior and 5 mm posterior to the falcotentorial junction.
Computational analysis of rates of energy decay in elastic beams

Abstract This paper is concerned with the damping of elastic beams of two different kinds. The first model involves the application of viscous damping at a single point either in the interior or at the boundary. The second involves a thermoelastic beam model in which mechanical damping is applied at a boundary. Since the second model is known to be uniformly stabilized via thermal effects alone, an analysis of the relative importance of the thermal and applied mechanical damping is presented. A careful analysis of the effects of rotational forces is also included using realistic model parameters.
Risk-Taking Behavior: A Cognitive Approach:

In examining the associations of critical thinking skills and risk-taking behavior, scores on the Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V, Rotter's I-E Scale, and the Cornell Critical Thinking Scale confirm earlier research on sensation seeking in pointing to gender differences that predict more risk-taking behavior by men (n = 52) than women (n = 48).
A rapid feedback characterization technique for polymeric hollow fiber membranes using disperse dyes

The long time lag between fiber spinning and the availability of characteristic data for process evaluation currently complicates research in hollow fiber membrane formation. This lag time is due to the down-stream processing required before traditional gas based permeation measurements can be made on the spun fiber. A rapid feedback characterization technique, based on commercially available disperse dyes, is described here for polymeric hollow fiber membrane spinning applications. This technique involves dyeing wet hollow fibers, immediately after spinning, in an aqueous dye bath. In the present work, polysulfone fibers are shown to be characterizable using this method before lengthy down-stream processing (i.e. solvent exchange, drying, and post-treatment). Dye uptake in the hollow fibers is a function of skin porosity, thereby allowing quick evaluation of permeation characteristics. Dye uptake was measured using UV-visible spectrophotometry. Examples of fibers characterized using this technique and relationships between dye uptake and post-treated permselectivity are shown and discussed.
Assembly Protein Precursor (pUL80.5 Homolog) of Simian Cytomegalovirus Is Phosphorylated at a Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Site and Its Downstream “Priming” Site: Phosphorylation Affects Interactions of Protein with Itself and with Major Capsid Protein

Capsid assembly among the herpes-group viruses is coordinated by two related scaffolding proteins. In cytomegalovirus (CMV), the main scaffolding constituent is called the assembly protein precursor (pAP). Like its homologs in other herpesviruses, pAP is modified by proteolytic cleavage and phosphorylation. Cleavage is essential for capsid maturation and production of infectious virus, but the role of phosphorylation is undetermined. As a first step in evaluating the significance of this modification, we have identified the specific sites of phosphorylation in the simian CMV pAP. Two were established previously to be adjacent serines (Ser156 and Ser157) in a casein kinase II consensus sequence. The remaining two, identified here as Thr231 and Ser235, are within consensus sequences for glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) and mitogen-activated protein kinase, respectively. Consistent with Thr231 being a GSK-3 substrate, its phosphorylation required a downstream “priming” phosphate (i.e., Ser235) and was reduced by a GSK-3-specific inhibitor. Phosphorylation of Ser235 converts pAP to an electrophoretically slower-mobility isoform, pAP*; subsequent phosphorylation of pAP* at Thr231 converts pAP* to a still-slower isoform, pAP**. The mobility shift to pAP* was mimicked by substituting an acidic amino acid for either Thr231 or Ser235, but the shift to pAP** required that both positions be phosphorylated. Glu did not substitute for pSer235 in promoting phosphorylation of Thr231. We suggest that phosphorylation of Thr231 and Ser235 causes charge-driven conformational changes in pAP, and we demonstrate that preventing these modifications alters interactions of pAP with itself and with major capsid protein, suggesting a functional significance.
Meniscus Reconstruction Through Coculturing Meniscus Cells with Synovium-Derived Stem Cells on Small Intestine Submucosa—A Pilot Study to Engineer Meniscus Tissue Constructs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of coculturing meniscus cells (MCs) and synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs) on small intestine submucosa (SIS) to establish an innovative method to engineer in vitro meniscus constructs. About 0.9 million cells (MCs, prelabeled SDSCs [with Vybrant DiI], and a coculture of MCs and prelabeled SDSCs [50:50]) were mixed with fibrin gel and seeded onto freeze-dried SIS discs (5 mm diameter x 1-2 mm thickness) individually. The tissue constructs were incubated in a serum-free defined medium supplemented with 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor beta-1 and 500 ng/mL insulin-like growth factor I for 1 month. One day after cell seeding, samples for scanning electron microscopy were prepared to evaluate cell attachment on the SIS surface. During incubation, fluorescent microscopy was used to trace cell migration (with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole as a counterstain) on SIS scaffold. The tissue constructs were assessed using histology, immunostaining, biochemical analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and compressive modulus. All three groups of cells attached well on SIS. The coculture with SDSCs yielded MC-based tissue constructs with greater cell survival and differentiation into chondrogenic phenotypes, which exhibited higher glycosaminoglycan, collagen II, and Sox 9 but relatively low collagen I, resulting in the concomitant increase in equilibrium modulus. This pilot study demonstrates the advantages of coculturing MCs with SDSCs on SIS for meniscus tissue engineering and regeneration.
Assessing Learning in Service-Learning Courses through Critical Reflection

The purpose of this study was to describe and examine a model for assessing student learning through reflection in service-learn ing courses. This model utilized a course-embedded process to frame, facilitate, support, and assess students' depth of learning and critical thinking. Student refiection products in two service-learning courses (a freshman course and an upperlevel course) at a public university were examined at two times for depth of academic, personal, and civic learning and for level of critical thinking. Depth of learning and levels of critical thinking between freshmen and upperclassmen were compared. Results suggest that the model and associated rubrics were useful in documenting student learning. Students could identify, describe, and apply their learning. They had difficulty, however, evaluating their learning and thinking critically. There was some enhancement in depth of learning and critical thinking over time with upperclassmen achieving greater depth of learning and higher levels of critical thinking in some areas. Findings indicate that the model is a rigorous tool that can be used to document and assess student learning in service-learning courses.
Estradiol increases platelet aggregation in PlA1/A1 individuals

Background The platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor is a key mediator of platelet aggregation and intracoronary thrombosis. Studies have suggested that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase coronary events in postmenopausal women. Objectives We sought to characterize the relationship between the estrogen concentration expected in HRT and platelet aggregation. Design and Results Platelet aggregation studies were performed using epinephrine on 30 healthy individuals (15 Pl A1/A1 and 15 Pl A1/A2 ) before and after incubation with β-estradiol (E 2 ) (10 −11 mol/L). The effect of E 2 10 −11 mol/L on Pl A1/A1 platelets demonstrated a significant increase ( P = .03) in aggregation compared with baseline. In contrast, with the same concentration of E 2 , aggregation of Pl A1/A2 platelets decreased significantly compared with baseline ( P Conclusions Estrogen concentration similar to that expected in HRT resulted in an increase in platelet aggregation in Pl A1/A1 individuals, but not in Pl A1/A2 individuals. The data may provide further insight for the increase in coronary events seen in HRT clinical trials and suggest that further evaluation is needed to better define the role of pharmacogenetics in HRT.
Study of focused ultrasound tissue damage using MRI and histology.

This paper reports on an experimental study of in vivo tissue damage in the rabbit brain with focused ultrasound (FUS) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathological analysis. Ten ultrasonic lesions (tissue damage) were created in five rabbits using a focused ultrasound beam of 1.5 MHz, electrical power input to the transducer of 70-85 W, and an exposure duration of 15-20 seconds. T1- and T2-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) and Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences were used to detect the ultrasonic lesions after treatment. Imaging was performed for 4-8 hours after treatment, after which the animals were immediately sacrificed. Ultrasonic lesion diameter was measured on MRI and histological sections after correction for tissue shrinkage during the histological processing. The T1-weighted images showed lesions poorly, whereas both T2-weighted and FLAIR images showed lesions clearly. The lesion diameters on both T2 and FLAIR imaging correlated well with measurements from histology. The time delay before lesions appeared on T2-weighted imaging was 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the exposure location in the brain. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;10:146-153.
Extensive dispersal of Roanoke logperch (Percina rex) inferred from genetic marker data

The dispersal ecology of most stream fishes is poorly characterised, complicating conservation efforts for these species. We used microsatellite DNA marker data to characterise dispersal patterns and effective population size (Ne) for a population of Roanoke logperch Percina rex, an endangered darter (Percidae). Juveniles and candidate parents were sampled for 2 years at sites throughout the Roanoke River watershed. Dispersal was inferred via genetic assignment tests (ATs), pedigree reconstruction (PR) and estimation of lifetime dispersal distance under a genetic isolation-by-distance model. Estimates of Ne varied from 105 to 1218 individuals, depending on the estimation method. Based on PR, polygamy was frequent in parents of both sexes, with individuals spawning with an average of 2.4 mates. The sample contained 61 half-sibling pairs, but only one parent–offspring pair and no full-sib pairs, which limited our ability to discriminate natal dispersal of juveniles from breeding dispersal of their parents between spawning events. Nonetheless, all methods indicated extensive dispersal. The AT indicated unrestricted dispersal among sites ≤15 km apart, while siblings inferred by the PR were captured an average of 14 km and up to 55 km apart. Model-based estimates of median lifetime dispersal distance (6–24 km, depending on assumptions) bracketed AT and PR estimates, indicating that widely dispersed individuals do, on average, contribute to gene flow. Extensive dispersal of P. rex suggests that darters and other small benthic stream fishes may be unexpectedly mobile. Monitoring and management activities for such populations should encompass entire watersheds to fully capture population dynamics.
“In-awareness” approach to international public relations

Abstract The skill of cultural “in-awareness” developed within the field of intercultural communication is applied to international public relations to understand culture’s influence on the communication function of public relations. The goal of the in-awareness approach is to expose hidden cultural assumptions and expectations that plague international public relations and allow one to explore national and cultural differences between clients and practitioners in a systematic and nonthreatening manner. A three-tiered framework is presented based on a country profile, cultural profile, and communication profile. The country profile provides a broad outline of what may be feasible within a particular country, while the cultural profile speaks to what may be effective in that country. The communication profile further refines cultural generalities by delineating culturally-based communication behaviors that underlie common public relations practices. By examining the communication profiles of both the practitioner and client, one can see how cultural communication differences translate into culturally-defined expectations and assumptions about specific public relations activities.
The Homeschooling of Scout Finch

Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most widely taught texts in language arts classrooms through the English-speaking world and is greatly valued by many readers today for its depiction of youth grappling with racism in the American South of the Depression Era. However, the novel’s subtle and sustained critique of public education has remained largely unrecognised. This essay identifies in the novel an underlying nostalgia for the past homeschooling of Southern white aristocracy as well as disdain for modern public institutions and for the democratic values that those institutions seek to instil in youth.
Activation ofStreptomyces viridochromogenes spores by detergents

Constitutively dormant spores ofStreptomyces viridochromogenes germinate rapidly following treatment with 1.0% of the detergents Tween 80, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), or sodium heptadodecyl sulfate. Six other detergents did not activate the spores. Activation by SDS was studied further. The spores were not activated following treatment with 0.09% or less of SDS for 60 min at 37°C. Activation was complete within 1 to 2 min of treatment with 1.0% SDS. the SDS-activated spores became deactivated during incubation in buffer. Deactivation was slow at 4°C and complete after incubation for 12 h at 25°C or 6 h at 37°C. The endogenous respiratory rate of the spores was increased 3-fold by SDS activation.
CAUSAL INFLUENCES ON EDUCATIONAL PLANS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS BY RACE

The influence of ability, SES level, school characteristics, mother's expectations and self-perceptions on students' level of educational plans (LEP) as high school seniors were examined separately for samples of 9,055 whites and 1,077 blacks using the same hypothesized causal model. Structural (path) analyses produced similar patterns for both racial groups in the hierarchy of direct influences on LEP, with mother's expectations found to be dominant. Academic achievement and SES, which showed only moderate direct influences, produced their major impact indirectly by acting through parental expectations; while minimal or negligible influence could be ascribed to school context variables or student self-esteem, Where racial differences were identified, they indicated greater net impact of the hypothesized effects on LEP and a better overall model fit for white students (i.e., better predictive and explanatory value). A finding of greater indirect influences among whites for SES and academic achievement has implications for somewhat greater consistency between traditional middle class value systems and goals for white students.
2-Amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid, a selective antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate, prevents barbital withdrawal-induced convulsions and the elevation of cerebellar cyclic GMP in dependent rats.

Abstract Female Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on a diet ofbarbital for 8 weeks, a period of time previously shown to result in tolerance to and dependence on the drug. After completing this course, the barbital was abruptly withdrawn and the selective antagonist of N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA), 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (APH), or saline was infused intracerebroventricularly over 48 hr. Control rats which had not received barbital, were similarly infused with either saline or APH. All animals were observed for 12–48 hr following the withdrawal of the barbital; spontaneous convulsions, previously reported to be numerous and severe after withdrawal of the drug, were counted and graded according to severity. Forty-eight hr after withdrawal of barbital, the rats were killed by focussed microwave irradiation and cerebellae were collected for later determination of levels of cGMP. Nine convulsions occurred in 29 rats withdrawn from barbital and infused intracerebroventricularly with APH, this contrasted markedly with 61 convulsions seen in 29 animals withdrawn from the drug and infused with saline. There was a 3-fold elevation of levels of cGMP in the saline-infused, barbital-withdrawn rats when compared to control rats infused with saline. This evaluation was markedly, although not completely, prevented by the intracerebroventricular infusion of APH. These data provide evidence that dicarboxylic amino acid pathways, speciically those acting through NMDA receptors, are involved in Scizure activity seen following abrupt abstinence from barbital.
Life Alienation Syndrome

Es geht hier um Eifersucht. Beim bekannten Parental Alienation Syndrome sind geschiedene Elternteile eifersuchtig, wenn das gemeinsame Kind noch den anderen liebt. So sind Familien eifersuchtig, wenn der Hauptverdiener zu viel arbeitet. Der Arbeitsgeber wiederum schaut argwohnisch auf das Privatleben der Leistungstrager. Der Tagesgeschaftsmanager mag keine Kundengefalligkeiten auf Kosten des Gewinns usw. Wenn jemand in dieser Weise eifersuchtog ist, macht er das, worauf er eifersuchtig ist, gnadenlos madig. Er entfremdet mit System. Ich mochte aufzeigen, dass das, was eigentlich nur in Scheidungsfamilien psychologisch zum Thema gemacht wird, ein ganz weit verbreitetes Ubel darstellt.
Numerical results for transformation toughening in ceramics

Abstract Finite element analysis was used to study the fracture toughening of a ceramic by a stress-induced dilatant transformation of second phase particles. The finite element method was based on a continuum theory which modelled the composite as a subcritical material. Transient crack growth was simulated in the finite element mesh by a nodal release technique. The crack's remote tensile opening load was adjusted to maintain the near-tip energy release rate at the level necessary for crack advance. The transformation zone surrounding the crack developed as the crack propagated through the composite. Resistance curves were computed from the analysis; the results confirm that during crack advance maximum toughness is achieved before steady state is reached. Diagrams of each transformation zone and R -curve are provided to expedite comparison with experimental data.
Can a 2-D MT frequency response always be interpreted as a 1-D response?

SUMMARY Weidelt and Kaikkonen showed that in the transverse magnetic (TM) mode of magnetotellurics it is not always possible to match exactly the 2-D response at a single site with a 1-D model, although a good approximation usually seems possible. We give a new elementary example of this failure. We show for the first time that the transverse electric (TE) mode responses can also be impossible to match with a 1-D response, and that the deviations can be very large.
Are there bound A=2 hyperon states?

Abstract One-boson-exchange potentials for ΛN , Σ + p , ΛΛ and Ξ N elastic scattering at E lab ≲ 150 MeV are calculated including renormalizations due to two-boson exchanges. The model is derived from a quark pairing mechanism that has previously been tested for elastic NN scattering. The resulting phase shifts and effective range parameters are compared with data and other phenomenological potentials for Λ N and Σ + p systems, and reasonable agreement is achieved. In the ΛΛ and Ξ N channels, deuteron-like bound states may exist.
Complete Inactivation of the TSC2 Gene Leads to Formation of Hamartomas

The work was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R29NS32300-05 and by a National Tuberous Sclerosis Association Senior Investigator Award (97-4) to H.N.
A Randomized Controlled Design Investigating the Effects of Classroom-Based Physical Activity on Children's Fluid Intelligence and Achievement.

Existing literature shows promising effects of physical activity on children’s cognitive outcomes. This study assessed via a randomized, controlled design whether additional curricular physical act...
Biomechanical evaluation of spinal fixation devices: I. A conceptual framework.

In the field of spinal fixation devices, there is a profusion of new instrumentations. Often, the biomechanical evaluation is done in a nonstandardized manner, which makes it difficult to compare the results of one researcher with those of another, for the same device or for different devices. There
Sequence analysis of gene 3, gene 4 and gene 5 of avian infectious bronchitis virus strain CU-T2

Abstract We have previously reported the nucleotide sequences of gene 2 (spike (S) protein gene), gene 6 (nucleocapsid (N) protein gene), and the 3′ end untranslated region of a novel avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strain, CU-T2 [Jia et al. (1995) Arch. Virol. 140, 259–271]. In the present report we describe the sequences of the remaining genes of this strain (gene 3, 4 and 5) with the exception of gene 1 (RNA polymerase gene). Gene 3 contained three open reading frames (ORFs), 3a, 3b and 3c of 174, 195 and 282 nucleotides (nt), respectively. Gene 4 (membrane (M) protein gene) consisted of 749 nt with a single ORF of 687 nt. Gene 5 contained two ORFs, 5a and 5b, with 198 and 249 nt, respectively. Thus, in total, there were 7349 nt from the 5′ end of S protein gene to the 3′ end of the CU-T2 genome. The overall nt sequence homologies between gene 3, 4, and 5 of CU-T2 and those of other strains were between 84.1–90.8%, 85.8–88.8% and 90.4–96.4%, respectively. The predicted amino acid (aa) sequence homologies revealed that gene 3b and 5b were more conserved than 3a, 3c and 5a. Each individual gene of CU-T2 strain (with the exception of the RNA polymerase gene) had a different level of homology with the homologous gene of other strains, suggesting that the evolution of IBV strains in general has been a complex, and as yet, poorly understood process. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Pollen deposition and vegetation in the southern Rocky Mountains and southwest Plains, USA

Abstract A 2-year study of pollen influx in 37 Tauber traps along a 320-km transect extending from 1–224 to 3642 m elevation indicates that pollen dispersal occurs both upslope and down-slope in the southern Rocky Mountains. The dispersal pattern is related to both westerly airflow over the mountain crest and south and southwest summer winds. Tree taxa exhibit a greater variability in pollen production, from one year to another, than shrubs and grasses. Higher pollen percentages generally correspond to greater influx values. Abies, Picea, and Pinus pollen influx correlate with tree absolute density (trees per hectare). Montane species of Abies and Picea are under-represented in pollen percentages, while Pinus species are over-represented, as in eastern North America. Aspen trees dominate several forest stands, but Populus is a minor component of pollen trap assemblages. Between 20 and 60% of the pollen grains deposited in the traps has originated by medium- or long-distance transport.
Toxicity of Oil and Dispersed Oil on Juvenile Mud Crabs, Rhithropanopeus harrisii

In order to simulate an offshore oil spill event, we assessed the acute toxicity of the non-dispersed and the chemically dispersed water-accommodated fraction (WAF) of crude oil using Louisiana sweet crude and Corexit® 9500A with juvenile Harris mud crabs (Rhithropanopeus harrisii), an important Gulf of Mexico benthic crustacean. The chemical dispersion of crude oil significantly increased acute toxicity of the WAF in juvenile mud crabs compared to naturally dispersed oil. The majority of the mortality in the chemically dispersed treatments occurred within 24 h. While higher concentrations of chemically dispersed WAF had no survivors, at lower concentrations surviving juvenile crabs displayed no long-term effects. These results suggest that if the juvenile crabs survive initial exposure, acute exposure to dispersed or non-dispersed crude oil may not induce long-term effects.
Holocene Cementation of Carbonate Sediments in the Florida Keys

ABSTRACT Previously undescribed examples of Holocene cementation of carbonate sediment have been discovered at two localities in the Florida Keys. Slabs of weakly cemented carbonate sand were discovered on a continuously submerged portion of White Bank, 3.1 km SE of the Mosquito Bank tower. The cement comprises furry coatings of acicular crystals interpreted as aragonite on basis of morphology, results of staining tests, and high-strontium, low-magnesium content. This is a normal form of submarine cement. Near the southeasternmost corner of Bahia Honda Key carbonate rock ledges crop out discontinuously along a 46 m foreshore stretch of sandy beach. Rock texture is like that of adjacent unconsolidated beach sands. Grains range from fine sand to free gravel, commonly in alternating layers within a single exposure, and most of the rock is laminated. The rock dips seaward, at approximately the same angle as the beach surface, but is apparently a form of cay rock. The rock is weakly cemented by rhombic crystals that by electron probe microanalysis were determined to have low strontium and relatively low magnesium content. This suggests that the cement is low-magnesium calcite. Similarly cemented carbonate sand occurs as much as one meter below the backshore surface, and at depths of 16 to 25 cm in a freshwater marsh lying inland from the beach. The relatively low magnesium content of the calcite and the salinity of water in contact with the rock suggest that cementation occurred in the zone of fresh water-sea water mixing.
Cardiovascular benefit of cholesterol-lowering therapy: does improved endothelial vasodilator function matter?

Lipid-lowering therapy with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) has been shown in large clinical trials to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in otherwise healthy hypercholesterolemic subjects and in patients with coronary artery disease. The magnitude of risk reduction is greatest in individuals with the highest pretreatment cholesterol levels, although those with mild elevation in LDL cholesterol may also benefit from statin therapy. Because angiographic trials with lipid-lowering therapy have shown little reduction in atherosclerotic plaque size, alternate mechanisms of therapeutic benefit to the arterial wall have been proposed, the most testable of which is improvement in endothelial vasodilator function. The endothelium maintains a nonthrombogenic surface for blood flow, prevents platelet and leukocyte adhesion to the vessel surface, modulates cellular composition of the arterial wall, and promotes dilator tone of arteries and veins, homeostatic properties regulated in part by the local synthesis of nitric oxide. Several groups have shown that endothelial release of nitric oxide is reduced or absent in patients with atherosclerosis, as well as in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis, including hypercholesterolemia. Thus, acetylcholine, the agonist used in Furchgott and Zawadzki’s experiments that showed release of relaxant factor from the endothelium,1 commonly constricts coronary arteries of patients with atherosclerosis at doses that dilate arteries of patients whose coronary angiograms appear normal, especially if they are free of risk factors for atherosclerosis.2 3 Consistent with the notion that an important mechanism of cardiovascular risk reduction with statin therapy is improvement in nitric oxide–regulated endothelial function, several groups have shown that statin therapy reduces the constrictor effect of acetylcholine on coronary arteries of patients with atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia.4 5 6 7 Increased nitric oxide bioactivity would be expected to restore arterial homeostasis, including arterial dilator responsiveness, which, in turn, might reduce stress-induced ischemia.8 9 Thus, improved endothelium-dependent …