cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adverse reactions to food additives

Objectives To summarize the literature related to the classification of food additives and their reported adverse reactions and to provide a practical approach for evaluation of patients suspected of having such reactions. Data Sources Information was derived from selected reviews and original articles published in peer-reviewed journals and from authoritative textbook chapters, supplemented by the clinical experience of the authors. Study Selection Priority was given to studies that used blinded, placebo-controlled oral challenges to confirm adverse reactions to food additives. In addition, selected, appropriately evaluated case reports are included. Results A large number of food additives are widely used in the food industry. Adverse reactions to additives seem to be rare but are likely underdiagnosed in part due to a low index of suspicion. Numerous symptoms have been attributed to food additive exposure, but the cause-and-effect relationship has not been well demonstrated in all. Conclusions Reactions to food additives should be suspected in patients who report symptoms to multiple unrelated foods or to a certain food when commercially prepared but not when homemade and the allergy evaluation rules out a role for food protein. It is also prudent to investigate food additives in patients considered to have idiopathic reactions. There is a minor role for skin testing or in vitro testing. Oral challenge testing with common additives, preferably preceded by a trial of an additive-free diet, is the definitive procedure for detecting the offending agent. Once the specific additive is identified, management is basically avoidance of all its forms.
Clinging and Climbing Ability of Adults of Several Stored-Product Beetles on Flexible Packaging Materials

Adults of Oryzaephilus mercator (Fauvel), O. surinamensis (L.), Cathartus quadricollis (Guerin-Meneville), Lasioderma serricorne (F.), and Sitophilus oryzae (L.), species of beetles that are common pests of stored products, were able to climb 7 polymer films, glass, aluminum foil, and paper at the greatest angle of incline (90°). The other adult beetles tested, ranked generally from best to worst climbers, were: Cryptolestes pusillus (Schonherr), Dermestes maculatus De Geer, Tribolium Confusum Jacquelin duVal, T. castaneum (Herbst), Anthrenus flavipes LeConte, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), Trogoderma variabile Ballion, and Attagenus megatoma (F.). The test materials, ranked generally from easiest to most difficult to climb, were: paper, 4-mil polyethylene, 5-mil polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, aluminum foil, 1-mil teflon, 2-mil teflon, ethylenetetrafluoroethylene (Tefzel®), and glass.
Residential choice and the local public sector: An alternative test of the “Tiebout Hypothesis”

Abstract This paper provides an empirical test of the hypothesis, commonly referred to as the “Tiebout Hypothesis,” that locally provided public services and the level of local taxes influences residential choice decisions of households. This hypothesis has previously been tested by looking at the capitalization of fiscal factors into housing prices. This study analyzes the determinants of residential choice by looking at household moving data. The results provide support for the Tiebout hypothesis, even in cases when no capitalization is expected. Support was developed for the hypothesis that at any point of time significant fiscal disequilibrium exists for residents of some communities, resulting in a reduction of the efficiency properties of the Tiebout mechanism.
Characterization of poly(ethylene glycol) gels with added collagen for neural tissue engineering.

Over the past decade, it has been increasingly recognized that both chemical and mechanical properties of scaffolds influence neural cell behavior, ranging from growth to differentiation to migration. However, mechanical properties are difficult to control for in the design of scaffolds for nerve regeneration, as properties change over time for most biologically derived scaffolds. The focus of this project was to examine how the mechanical properties of a nondegradable scaffold, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) gels, influenced nerve cell behavior. Low concentration PEG gels, of 3, 4, or 5% PEG, with added collagen to alter chemical properties were examined for both their mechanical properties and their ability to support nerve expression and extension. Stiffness (G*) significantly increased with increased PEG concentration. The addition of chemically conjugated collagen significantly decreased the stiffness compared to plain gels. This phenomenon was confirmed to be an effect of the conjugate, and not the protein itself, as G* of gels containing conjugate, but no protein, was not significantly different than G* of gels with conjugated protein. PC12 cell neurite expression increased with decreasing PEG and increasing collagen concentration. At its best, the expression approached the value on collagen-coated tissue culture plastic, which is a substantial improvement over previous studies on PEG. Neurite extension of dorsal root ganglia was also improved on these same gels over gels with either higher PEG concentration or lower collagen amount. Overall, these results suggest that exploration of lower stiffness materials is necessary to improve neurite growth and extension in three-dimensional synthetic scaffolds. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2010
Collection of rosette-forming spleen cells by BPA density gradient centrifugation.

SummaryA method for fractionation of rosette-forming cells has been described. Incubation mixtures of SRBC with antibody producing mouse spleen cells in which rosettes had been formed were layered on BPA density gradients for centrifugation, with resulting enrichment of rosettes relative to the original cell suspension. Certain fractions consisted of up to 40% rosette-forming cells. The possibility that rosettes were formed passively under the conditions of this study was ruled out by a series of experiments. Production of rosettes did not result from incubation of normal spleen cells with mouse anti-SRBC serum or with medium in which antibody producing suspensions of cells had been incubated. The production of rosettes could be suppressed by prior incubation of the cells with iodoacetate or with antileukocyte or antispleen cell serum produced in allogeneic animals.
Ethnobotany of cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule), rustic seed crop of the Altiplano

Canihua, Chenopodium pallidicaule, is a weedy plant cultivated by Indian fanners on the Altiplano of Peru and Bolivia. Because canihua is resistent to low temperatures, drought, salty soil, disease, and pests, it has achieved importance in the agricultural system, but only because it prospers where other crops are often marginal food producers. Its dual usage of seed and ash, high protein content, and function as an insurance crop explain its persistence, but its future role in Altiplano agriculture may depend on its genetic improvement.
The effect of slow intraparticle diffusion on observed immmobilized enzyme stability

Abstract The isothermal deactivation of immobilized enzymes was studied for cases where the main reaction followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics and rates of deactivation reactions were first order in enzyme activity. Observed enzyme activities and deactivation rates were predicted by orthogonal collocation when intraparticle diffusion was limiting and presence of reactant could either increase or decrease the deactivation rate. Use of the Bischoff-Aris general modulus allowed the analytical proof that apparent coefficients for immobilized enzymes following Michaelis-Menten kinetics, under strong intraparticle diffusion control, whose deactivation was unaffected by reactant concentration, were exactly half those of enzymes not under diffusion limitation.
Heat Transfer Coefficients to Liquids with Food Particles in Axially Rotating Cans

Heat transfer rates were measured for steam-heated, rotating cans containing potato spheres in water. Can rotational speed (9.3–101 rpm), sphere size (22.2–35.0 mm), and potato volume fraction (0.107–0.506) were varied in 14 triplicated experiments. Overall heat transfer coefficients were correlated within ±25% with physical properties and operating variables by an equation derived by dimensional analysis. Film coefficients (hp) for heat transfer from the water to potatoes in the can were determined by thermocouple measurement of potato surface temperatures; values were found to be finite and nearly invariant, averaging hp= 160 ± 30 W/m2K. The lack of variation of hp suggested that for the experimental conditions tested, there was little relative motion between liquid and particles.
Outcomes and health status of socially disadvantaged women during pregnancy.

We sought to examine the health status of disadvantaged pregnant women more broadly and to consider if poor maternal health predisposes a woman to an adverse birth outcome. We surveyed 250 women recruited from six health centers in the greater Boston area during their third trimester. The main predictor variables were maternal physical functioning (PF), emotional health (EH), and overall health status in the month prior to pregnancy. The main outcome variables were the decline of maternal PF and EH during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. Mean PF scores fell from 91.9 prior to pregnancy to 63.7 during the third trimester (mean scores transformed 0 to 100, where a higher score represents better health). EH remained unchanged during pregnancy. After adjustment, women with a preexisting medical condition reported a lower PF score prior to pregnancy (87.8 versus 94.5, p < 0.05). Poor PF prior to pregnancy or during the third trimester was associated with an increased risk of preterm labor (odds ratio 2.02...
Normalization of hematocrit in hemodialysis patients does not affect silent ischemia

Transient ST-segment depression measured on ambulatory ECG monitors has been described as representing silent ischemia. Patients who demonstrate silent ischemia have been reported to show increased mortality compared to patients without silent ischemia. We undertook this study to determine if the correction of anemia in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients from(± = standard deviation) 30 ± 3 to 42 ± 3 with the use of Epoetin alfa would result in decreased silent ischemia in patients with clinically evident ischemic heart disease or congestive heart failure.Methods: Thirty one ESRD patients with congestive heart failure or patients with clinically-evident ischemic heart disease were randomized into one of two arms. Patients in Group A had their hematocrit increased with the use of slowly escalating doses of Epoetin alfa to 42 ± 3% and patients in Group B were maintained with a hematocrit of 30 ± 3% throughout the course of the study. All patients had a 24 hour Holter monitor recording at baseline and at...
Intramolecular heterogeneity of ligand binding by two IgM antibodies derived from murine hybridomas.

Abstract The ligand binding properties of two murine anti-DNP IgM hybridoma antibodies were analyzed. These IgM antibodies, designated NP3-17 C1-20 and SP2/0 I-64 C1–12, each displayed an average of only five high affinity binding sites for the DNP moiety. Reductive 7S subunits of both of these proteins each adsorbed to and were hapten eluted from DNP affinity columns. These subunits, when examined by equilibrium dialysis, each contained an average of one high affinity binding site. Structural analysis of these molecules indicated each to be homogeneous. Results obtained from trypsin hydrolysis of each molecule indicated that differences in conformation of the binding sites may account for the observed binding heterogeneity.
Embryological origin of the antenno-maxillary complex of the larva of Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) larvae bear an anterior collection of sensory elements termed the antenno-maxillary complex. We have examined the anterior morphology of normal larvae and of lethal embryos homozygous for the mutation Pc3, which do not complete involution and dorsal closure of the head during embryogenesis. In the latter case, the maxillary organ develops, but is incomplete. Two papilla sensilla, which are normal components of the maxillary organ, occupy a more dorsal position in close juxtaposition to the antennal organ, which is not gnathocephalic in origin. This observation, as well as details of its innervation, indicate that the maxillary organ is of mixed segmental origin.
Variable frequency clock study using DSL/VS

Abstract A variable frequency clock (VFC) is an example of a common electronic feedback control system that defies rigorous analysis yet is readily studied by time domain simulation. Composed of several nonlinear as well as linear blocks, continuous and discrete elements, feedback and feedforward paths, such systems are also subject to input and parameter variations of stochastic nature. They are typically conceived by inventive engineers without the benefit of much analysis. Simulating such circuits by representing each component is possible but often unwieldy and of little help to the designer at inception. But, with the help of IBM's Dynamic Simulation Language (DSL/VS), a higher level model is easily coded, rapidly computed and conveniently evaluated by inspection of graphs. This permits accurate performance prediction as well as design optimization with or without man in the loop. A specific clocking scheme, employed in several IBM tape drives, is used as an example of modeling and simulating a hybrid circuit. Block and timing diagrams, complete application program code, and some graphs are given for this sample problem.
Novel model of calvarial defect in an infected unfavorable wound: Reconstruction with rhBMP-2. part II

BACKGROUND Animal models of bone reconstruction have shown recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) to be an effective therapy in the acute calvarial defect wound. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of rhBMP-2 in a rabbit model of an unfavorable scarred calvarial wound with the criterion standard of autograft. METHODS Nineteen adult New Zealand white rabbits underwent subtotal calvariectomy. After 6 weeks of healing and normal scar formation, these animals underwent reoperation for scar debridement and assignment to 1 of 4 therapeutic groups. Animals were assigned to an empty control group (no treatment, n = 3), vehicle control group (neutral buffered solution on an absorbable collagen sponge [ACS], n = 3), surgical control group (cryopreserved autograft, n = 3), or an experimental treatment group (rhBMP-2 on an ACS, n = 10). All animals underwent computed tomography imaging at 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after secondary reconstructive surgery. At 6 weeks, all animals were killed, and the defects were examined histologically. Percentage of healing of each defect was determined, and a 4 × 3 mixed-model analysis of variance was performed on healing as a function of time and therapy. RESULTS Based on measures of defect radiopacity, the treatment group (rhBMP-2/ACS) and surgical control group (autograft) were statistically equivalent with 98% and 83% healing, respectively, at 6 weeks. The empty control and vehicle control groups were inferior to the treatment group (rhBMP-2/ACS) and surgical control (autograft) groups at each timepoint (P < 0.05). Histologically, bone in the surgical control (autograft) group was less trabecular and less cellular than the bone formed in the experimental treatment group (rhBMP-2/ACS). CONCLUSIONS Compared with historical controls, rhBMP-2 therapy was as effective in reconstructing calvarial defects in the unfavorable scarred wound as in the acute favorable calvarial wound. When compared with cryopreserved autograft, rhBMP-2-regenerated bone showed equal defect coverage and similar bone thickness with varying bony architecture.
Loss of nerve cell bodies in caudal locus coeruleus following treatment of neonates with 6-hydroxydopa.

The locus coeruleus is a well defined nucleus in cresylechtviolet preparations and the perikarya are easily distinguished. The coeruleus neurons are thought to be noradrenergic and during development can be selectively affected by the neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopa (6-OHDOPA). In 6-month-old rats that were treated on day of birth with 6-OHDOPA (60 mg/kg, i.p.) there was a 32% loss of nerve cell bodies in the locus coeruleus. While it was apparent that loss of cell bodies occurred throughout the entire nucleus, the greatest loss of perikarya was from the caudal extent of the nucleus. It is known that sprouting of noradrenergic terminals occurs in the cerebellum of rats following treatment of newborns with 6-OHDOPA. That there are fewer cell bodies to contribute additional terminals further dramatizes this sprouting phenomenon.
TIO2 PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF DIMETHYL- AND DIETHYL- METHYLPHOSPHONATE, EFFECTS OF CATALYST AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and diethyl methylphosphonate (DEMP) are readily mineralized by photoexcited titanium dioxide (TiO2). Intermediate products include low molecular weight organic acids and methylphosphonic acid. Complete mineralization yields phosphate and carbon dioxide. The photoactivities of different types of TiO2 were investigated. The decomposition kinetics of DMMP and effects of DMMP and catalyst concentration, sonication, solar irradiation, oxygen concentration, temperature, and hydrogen peroxide on the rate of decomposition are reported. The degradation rates increase with simultaneous sonication, addition of hydrogen peroxide, and at higher temperatures.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE UNSTABLE LESION BY ANGIOGRAPHY, ANGIOSCOPY, AND INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND

Acute coronary syndromes are a spectrum of clinical presentations with various pathophysiology substrates. As such it is impossible to talk about one type of atherosclerotic lesion being solely responsible for stable or unstable angina or acute myocardial infarction. Although atherosclerosis is a diffuse disease, with the ability to image the coronary tree in vivo and perform angioplasty of a diseased segment, focus has shifted to understanding the events occurring at the site of an individual lesion responsible for a clinical syndrome. This has resulted in efforts to detect and characterize the culprit lesion in order to (1) understand the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease and (2) potentially individualize treatment with lesion-specific strategies that may improve long-term outcomes and reduce costs. It is hoped that a better understanding of lesions and mechanisms that cause acute coronary syndromes may lead to improved therapies and ultimately to preventive strategies that will save lives, by identifying those plaques that are vulnerable to disruption and thrombosis. Most of the information available regarding the characteristics of coronary culprit lesions come from studies using angiography, angioscopy, and intracoronary ultrasound. Each method carries its own advantages and limitations and has been strengthened by information derived from histopathologic studies that validate and complement their findings. Integration of knowledge from all these sources continues to help clinicians and scientists understand the processes that lead to unstable coronary syndromes.
Evaluation of a dispersive Raman spectrometer with a Ge array detector and a 1064 nm laser for the study of explosives

Abstract We report on the coupling of an NIR laser operating at 1064 nm with a dispersive Raman spectrometer using a germanium array detector to measure the Stokes-shifted Raman spectra of explosives. By using a Ge array detector, spectral features from 250 to 1800 cm −1 could clearly be observed for the majority of compounds studied. Spectra were routinely obtained with 1–2 min of data collection. The utility of this instrument is compared to other previous identified instrumental approaches, with particular regard to fieldability of a Raman-based explosive analyzer.
Halocin S8: a 36-Amino-Acid Microhalocin from the Haloarchaeal Strain S8a

Halocin S8 is a hydrophobic microhalocin of 36 amino acids (3,580 Da) and is the first microhalocin to be described. This peptide antibiotic is unique since it is processed from inside a much larger, 33,962-Da pro-protein. Halocin S8 is quite robust, as it can be desalted, boiled, subjected to organic solvents, and stored at 4°C for extended periods without losing activity. The complete amino acid sequence of halocin S8 was obtained first by Edman degradation of the purified protein and verified from the halS8 gene: H2N-S-D-C-N-I-N-S-N-T-A-A-D-V-I-L-C-F-N-Q-V-G-S-C-A-L-C-S-P-T-L-V-G-G-P-V-P-COOH. The halS8 gene is encoded on an ∼200-kbp megaplasmid and contains a 933-bp open reading frame, of which 108 bp are occupied by halocin S8. Both the halS8 promoter and the “leaderless” halS8 transcript are typically haloarchaeal. Northern blot analysis revealed three halS8 transcripts: two abundant and one minor. Inspection of the 3′ end of the gene showed only a single, weak termination site (5′-TTTAT-3′), suggesting that some processing of the larger transcripts may be involved. Expression of the halS8 gene is growth stage dependent: basal halS8 transcript levels are present in low concentrations during exponential growth but increase ninefold during the transition to stationary phase. Initially, halocin activity parallels halS8 transcript levels very closely. However, when halocin activity plateaus, transcripts remain abundant, suggesting inhibition of translation at this point. Once the culture enters stationary phase, transcripts rapidly return to basal levels.
A model for intervertebral disc shape variation in a population including the effect of degeneration

The 3D shape of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is modeled in this work from a population of samples. Heretofore, 3D models of the disc have been created from individual samples only. L3/L4 discs were segmented from 14 magnetic resonance images. The mean shape was calculated using a signed distance function representation, and principal components analysis was used to re-express the residual variability with an orthonormal basis. The first basis vector, which represents lateral bulging of the disc, expresses the majority of the population's shape variation. This vector was also significantly correlated with Pfirrmann grade (p<0.01), a measure of disc degeneration. The IVD shape model can thus be used to generate an average IVD shape for the population, as well as shapes for specific degenerative grades.
A second nitrogen fixation system in Azotobacter vinelandii

Abstract Nif − strains of Azotobacter vinelandii lacking active nitrogenase undergo phenotypic reversal to Nif + under molybdenum-deficient conditions. This phenotypic reversal phenomenon has been cited as evidence that A. vinelandii possesses two nitrogen fixation systems; the conventional molybdo-enzyme system and an alternative N 2 fixation system. Recent experiments with nifHDK deletion strains support this conclusion.
Wave Breaking in Wave Groups

Experiments were conducted with periodic wave groups incident on a plane beach with a slope of 1:35. The wave groups were composed of a series of cnoidal waves with varying wave heights. Emphasis was on obtaining a number of measurements inside the surf zone. The analysis of the data shows that the location of the start of breaking of the individual waves in a group is affected by the groupiness of the waves. The \iH/\ih ratio at breaking was seen to have a wider variation for the individual waves in the group than for monochromatic waves. In all cases, some groupiness was conserved inside the surf zone, but in some cases it was reversed in the sense that the higher waves in the group before breaking became the smallest after and vice versa. It was also found that even inside the surf zone, nonlinear interactions result in energy at frequencies that are multiples of the group frequency, although, as expected, the energy is more evenly distributed between the different frequencies than in the waves originally generated.
Theological topographies: Multiple methods for planetary theologies:

The task of ‘doing’ ecotheology always already involves multiple perspectives and maps of various terrains. This short essay suggests three ‘prolegomena’ for doing planetary theology: embracing polydoxy, some form of agnosticism and the transgression of boundaries.
W04-01 A pre-post comparison of a multidimensional treatment program for acutely suicidal borderline patients

Over the last few years, a new comprehensive program for acutely suicidal borderline patients has been developed in the Geneva area (careful description is provided in a distinct section of this workshop). The present work will report the results of a service research oriented study aimed at evaluating the impact of the implementation of such multidimensional intervention on a system of psychiatric services in a 500.000 inhabitant catchment area. Specifically, a pre-post design has been utilized to compare two distinct patient cohorts meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder who had bee referred to medical emergency room with suicidal attempt. Both cohorts had follow-up at 3-month and 1 year to assess treatment failure, repetition, hospitalization and direct costs. The results indicate that the program is feasible and may be associated with improved outcome and substantial costs savings among acutely suicidal borderline patients.
Relationships among attributes, physical fitness, and self-concept development of elementary school children.

Summary.-The purpose of the investigation was to examine the relationshps among children's selected attributes, health-related physical fitness, and self-concept development. Subjects were 97 elementary school children in Grades 1 through 6. Correlations were examined for significance and effect size among the attributes of age, weight, body mass index, four scores from the Health Related Physical Fitness Test, and the total score from the Martinek-Zaichkowsky Self-concept Scale for Children. A max R~ forward stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to assess which attribute and physical fitness variables were the best predictors of self-concept scores. Analysis indicated that the one-variable model of weight was the best predictor of selF-concept. Self-concept or perceived competence is stabilized during the elementary school years, with teachers and peers exerting an increasing influence on its development after children enter school. Harter (1982) has identified physical competence, which refers to abilities, learning, and preferences for physical activities, as a component of self-concept development. A variety of psychomotor variables are related to children's self-concept development to varying degrees. Results of studies investigating self-conceptlperceived competence and motor control factors indicate low relationships between the two areas (Karper & Martinek, 1983; Lydon & Cheefers, 1984; Martinek, Cheefers, & Zaichkowsky, 1978). Ulrich (1987) reported that two physical fitness scores, sit-ups and flexed-arm hang, were significantly related to perceived competence but did not contribute to the discriminant function equation to differentiate children into groups of high, medium, and low perceived competence. Hopper's (1988) subjects, hearing-impaired children and adolescents who perceived themselves as athletically competent, performed well on the 9-min, run and sit-and-reach tests but did not perform as well on the sit-ups test. In the past decade there has been an increasing emphasis on health-related physical fitness in physical education programs of elementary schools. If children place high value on physical attributes and competence, then these variables should affect development of self-concept. The present study extended previous research by examining the relationships among selected
First Report of White Fir Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium abietinum f. sp. concoloris) on Mexican Spruce (Picea mexicana) in Northern Mexico.

White fir dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium abietinum Engelmann ex Munz f. sp. concoloris Hawksw. & Wiens, Viscaceae) severely parasitizes true firs (Abies spp.) from southern Washington to southern California (1). It also occurs in widely isolated populations on white fir (Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Hildebr.) in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona (1). In addition, the two known populations of dwarf mistletoe on Durango fir (Abies durangensis Martinez) in Chihuahua, Mexico (near Yahuirachi and on Cerro Mohinora) have been classified as white fir dwarf mistletoe (1). Although a subspecies of fir dwarf mistletoe (A. abietinum Engelm. ex Munz subsp. wiensii Mathiasen & C. Daugherty) severely parasitizes Brewer spruce (Picea breweriana S. Watson) in northern California and southern Oregon (2), Engelmann spruce (P. engelmannii (Parry) Engelmann), blue spruce (P. pungens Engelm.), and Chihuahua spruce (P. chihuahuana Mart.) have been reported to be immune to infection by white fir dwarf mistletoe in the southwest and M...
Arterial remodelling: an independent pathophysiological component of atherosclerotic disease progression and regression. Insights from serial pharmacological intervention trials.

Rodriguez-Granillo et al. 1 report arterial remodelling data from the ‘PERSPECTIVE’ study,2 an imaging substudy of the ‘EUROPA’ study.3 ‘EUROPA’ is a randomized, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial, which demonstrated that the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor perindopril reduced adverse clinical events in 12 218 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The EUROPA investigators suggested that the clinical benefit is related to anti-atherosclerotic effects of ACE inhibitors. However, the ‘PERSPECTIVE’ substudy, which examined the impact of perindopril on atherosclerosis in a subset of 118 patients, found neither an effect on plaque burden assessed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) nor an effect on angiographic luminal diameter. The lack of change in these imaging end-points could indicate that the clinical benefit of ACE inhibition is not mediated by changes of atherosclerotic plaque anatomy. However, an alternative explanation is that ACE inhibition exerts other plaque-stabilizing effects including modification of plaque composition and arterial remodelling. This hypothesis is examined in the current, serial IVUS study, which investigates the effect of perindopril on arterial remodelling and plaque composition. Remodelling was defined as a relative increase (expansive remodelling) or decrease (constrictive remodelling) of the mean vessel cross-sectional area (CSA) between baseline and follow-up. A total of 711 matched 5 mm segments from 118 IVUS examinations were available at baseline and after 3-year follow-up. There was no significant difference in the change of plaque burden between the perindopril and placebo groups. However, the … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1-216-445-7579. E-mail address: schoenp1{at}ccf.org
Genetics of Ischemic Stroke: Inheritance of a Sporadic Disorder

Stroke is a common neurologic disorder associated with comorbidities such as obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus. Smoking or being the first-degree relative of a stroke patient can independently almost double the risk of ischemic stroke, supporting the hypothesis that stroke results from an intricate interplay between genes and the environment. Several candidate genes have been nominated but not confirmed as influencing stroke susceptibility and phenotype. A number of genes involved in monogenic forms of disease have been identified as causative in familial stroke. Herein we discuss these genes and the potential role of genetics in the more common sporadic form of stroke and therapeutic intervention strategies.
Production of long-lived atomic vapor inside high-density buffer gas

(Dated: February 1, 2008)Atomic vapor of four diﬀerent paramagnetic species: gold, silver, lithium, and rubidium, is pro-duced and studied inside several buﬀer gases: helium, nitrogen, neon, and argon. The paramagneticatoms are injected into the buﬀer gas using laser ablation. Wires with diameters 25 µm, 50 µm,and 100 µm are used as ablation targets for gold and silver, bulk targets are used for lithium andrubidium. The buﬀer gas cools and conﬁnes the ablated atoms, slowing down their transport to thecell walls. Buﬀer gas temperatures between 20 K and 295 K, and densities between 10
Reality television, fan behavior, and online communities of practice

In this paper, I describe participation in reality television online communities as a case of "cultural convergence" (Ito, in press; Jenkins, 2006) across "old" fan fiction and "new" online community practices. The ways in which reality TV fans engage as media producers parallels the ways in which researchers who study other new media such as video games describe the rich discourse, enduring community, and media mixing required to participate in these settings (Ito, in press; Steinkuehler, 2006). I argue here that the characterization of these worlds as communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991), the dominant analytic framework for online communities, does not fully capture the way learning (and therefore becoming) happens in reality TV online communities and suggest ways to reframe this model. Finally, I propose directions for future research focused on understanding reality TV online fan communities as informal learning environments that require participants to engage in rich cognitive and sociocultural media literacy activities.
The comparative acute toxicity of cresol to two benthic crustaceans

Abstract Three immature phases and three adult sexual states of two species of benthic crustaceans, Gammarus fasciatus Say and Asellus militaris Hay, were exposed to static solutions of cresol to determine their relative acute responses. Exposure periods of 48 hr revealed that adult asellids were about twice as tolerant to cresol (mean TLm48 65.1 mg l−1) as adult gammarids (mean TLm48 31.1 mg l−1), and immature asellids were about four times as tolerant (mean TLm48 33.3 mg l−1) as immature gammarids (mean TLm48 8.6 mg l−1). The most susceptible phase of these crustaceans' life cycles was the first instar during molting, while adults were most tolerant. Based on two techniques for determining biologically safe concentrations, 0.525 to 0.70 mg cresol l−1 would be considered the upper limit in avoiding acute toxicity to benthic amphipod and isopod crustaceans.
Diaphragmatic hernia seen as a late complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic surgery has emerged as the standard of care for the elective operative management of symptomatic gallbladder disease. The surgical literature is now beginning to accumulate sufficient case numbers that more clearly define the associated morbidity of this type of surgery. This article reports an instance of iatrogenic injury to the right muscular hemidiaphragm and subsequent hernia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Multidimensional interpolation using osculatory radial basis functions

Abstract A procedure has been developed for the interpolation of functions defined in two dimensions using the values of the function and its normal derivatives at the boundary. The interpolating functions used are combinations of two classes of radial basis functions. This permits an interpolation scheme with osculatory features, i.e., the interpolant has a specified slope at the boundary interpolation points. The improved accuracy of the method is demonstrated over interpolation schemes using the traditional radial basis functions (with no osculation), especially for the calculation of the derivatives of the function at various internal points. A brief discussion on the utility of the new interpolation technique in solving nonlinear Poisson problems using the dual reciprocity boundary element method is provided.
Development of a pharmacological target profile for muscarinic agonists

The purpose of these studies was to determine the levels of intrinsic activity in vitro at muscarinic receptor pharmacological subtypes (M1, M2, and M3) that would optimize cognitive activity while minimizing acute adverse cholinergic effects in vivo. These levels of intrinsic efficacy at M1, M2, and M3 receptor subtypes, the target profile, could then be used to assess novel compounds for antidementia potential. To accomplish this, a series of muscarinic agonists (spirofuranone analogues) was prepared, and compounds with variable intrinsic activity at M1, M2, and M3 receptor subtypes were selected for characterization in a series of in vivo tests (reversal of scopolamine-induced memory impairment, and agonist-induced salivation, lacrimation, diarrhea, hypothermia, and bradycardia). Memory enhancement was found to correspond best to M1 activity with an apparent threshold of intrinsic activity of approximately 50% in human M1-transfected CHO cells. Surprisingly, a preferential M3 agonist (ARL 16037) produced a partial reversal of scopolamine-induced memory impairment, but only at high doses that resulted in severe diarrhea. However, it was unclear whether this memory effect was due to the weak M1 or strong M3 agonist activity of this compound. Three muscarinic agonists (ARL 14995, ARL 15467, and ARL 15424) reversed the scopolamine-induced memory deficits, as well as the cholinesterase inhibitor tacrine, suggesting that muscarinic agonists may be at least as clinically effective as cholinesterase inhibitors. Acute cholinergic side effects (diarrhea, salivation, lacrimation) corresponded best to M3 activity (contraction of guinea pig trachea) and were greatly diminished with in vitro intrinsic M3 activity of 50% or less. Agonist-induced heart rate reduction corresponded best to M2 receptor efficacy (inhibition of rat heart adenylyl cyclase). Identification of compounds without detectable in vitro intrinsic activity but with measurable heart rate effects suggested that signal amplification at M2 receptors in vitro limited detection of weak partial agonists. Development of the target profile has proven useful in rapid evaluation of compounds for optimization of muscarinic pharmacological properties. Drug Dev. Res. 40:117–132, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Adrenergic stimulation of prostacyclin production in the rat tail artery. II. The role of calcium.

Abstract This investigation studied the role of extracellular and intracellular calcium in the stimulation of prostacyclin (PGI2) production by norepinephrine (NE) in the rat tail artery in vitro . Incubation of the artery in zero calcium medium inhibited the response to NE as well as the response to the calcium ionophore A23187. Increasing the extracellular calcium concentration had no effect on basal or NE-stimulated PGI2 (measured by radioimmunoassay of the stable metabolite, 6-keto-PGF1α). Several different calcium entry blocking drugs had a partial inhibitory effect on the NE response, but it was noted that the dihydropyridine derivatives, nifedipine and nimodipine, also decreased the stimulatory effect of added exogenous arachidonic acid (AA). This effect on AA conversion was also seen with W-7, a calcium-calmodulin inhibitor, and with TMB-8, an inhibitor of intracellular calcium mobilization. However, two phenothiazine calmodulin inhibitors, trifluoperazine and pimozide, did not affect AA conversion and were effective in reducing the stimulatory response to NE.Trifluoperazine,particularly at a high dose of 10−4M, had an independent stimulatory effect on PGI2 Production in this tissue. The data suggests that many of the antagonist probes of extracellular-intracellular calcium metabolism may have variable effects on more than one point in the prostaglandin synthetic pathway. Nevertheless, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that NE stimulates PGI2 in the rat tail artery by activation of a calcium-calmodulin dependent phospholipase and that at least some of the calcium is of extracellular origin.
AGU Endorses Interior Department's Scientific Integrity Plan

[1] AGU has endorsed the U.S. Department of the Interior plan, released on 1 February, to ensure scientific and scholarly integrity throughout the agency's research and program operations (see the news item on page 46 of this Eos issue). “DOI's new plan recognizes the importance of scientific and scholarly integrity in building trust in science that informs public policy,” AGU president Michael J. McPhaden said. “Integrity of the scientific enterprise is essential for guiding the scientific community, policy makers, and the general public as we work together to meet global challenges related to climate change, natural hazards, and wise use of our natural resources.”
The Dioxan Technic

Diozan is recommended in place of alcohols and clearing oils in paraffin embedding and in the staining of sections. It is unnecessary to dehydrate fresh dioxan before using and the insertion of other dehydrators and clearers into the series is illogical. Used dioxan (if employed for the sake of economy), should be dehydrated with CaO rather than with CaCl2. A provisional dioxaniron-hematein method designed to avoid watery solutions is as follows: after removing paraffin in xylene, mordant 30 min. in 1% ferric chloride in 100% dioxan, rinse in 80% dioxan, stain in the following solution: dioxan, 40 cc.; water, 6 cc.; glacial acetic acid, 4 cc.; hematein, 5 g., saturated with potassium alum and filtered. Differentiate in 0.25% picric acid in 80% dioxan and alkalinize in 80% dioxan saturated with sodium bicarbonate. Rough determinations of the solubilities of various salts and dyes in dioxan are presented. A summary is given of the unpublished experiences of other workers with a variety of both plant and ani...
HIV/AIDS Knowledge on a College Campus

Applied anthropology is typically associated with bringing anthropological methods and perspectives to the world outside of academia. However, we can "practice anthropology" within the academic world, too, by gearing the classes we teach towards helping students deal with issues that are of relevance to them, and by involving students in the process and application of anthropological research. This article discusses the importance of incorporating HIV/AIDS education into the college curriculum, and it illustrates some of the ways that students can be effectively involved in applied anthropological research concerning HIV/AIDS awareness and education on campus.
Revitalising Indigenous Languages in Homogenising Times.

The world's linguistic and cultural diversity is endangered by the forces of globalisation, which work to homogenise and standardise even as they segregate and marginalise. Here, I focus on the struggle to conserve linguistic and cultural diversity among Indigenous groups in the United States. Native languages are in drastic decline. Yet even as more Native American children come to school speaking English, they are likely to be stigmatised as 'limited English proficient' and placed in remedial programmes. This situation has motivated bold new approaches to Indigenous schooling that emphasise immersion in the heritage language. This article presents data on these developments and their impacts on students' self-efficacy and school performance, analysing these data in light of critical theory and current knowledge in the field of bilingual education. Indigenous language reclamation efforts must not only confront a legacy of colonialism, but also mounting pressures for standardisation and English monolingua...
Hartmann Flow with Braginsky Viscosity: A Test Problem for Plasma in the Intracluster Medium

We consider a Hartmann layer, stationary flow of a viscose and resistive fluid between two plates with superimposed transverse magnetic field, in the limit of gyrotropic plasma, when viscosity across the field is strongly suppressed. For zero cross-field viscosity, the problem is not well posed, since viscosity then vanishes on the boundaries and in the middle of the layer, where there is no longitudinal field. An additional arbitrarily small isotropic viscosity allows one to find magnetic field and velocity profiles that are independent of this viscosity floor and different from flows with isotropic viscosity. Velocity sharply rises in a thin boundary layer, and the thinness of this boundary layer depends both on the Hartmann number and on the Lundquist number of the flow. The implication of the work is that, in simulating ICM dynamics, it is imperative to use numerical schemes that take into account anisotropic viscosity. Although magnetic fields are dynamically subdominant in the ICM, they do determine its dissipative properties, the stability of embedded structures, and the transition to turbulence.
Micro-optical phased arrays for spatial and spectral switching

This paper describes two optical devices based on linear arrays of micro mirrors. The first is a phased array of micro mirrors that can be rotated as well as translated vertically to maintain coherence across the array. We demonstrate experimentally that such micro mirrors are capable of high-diffraction-efficiency, phased-array scanning of laser beams. The second device is a Gires- Tournois interferometer with a micro mirror array that provides tunable phase modulation for the multitude of partially reflected beams within the interferometer. We demonstrate experimentally that the MEMS-GT interferometer can operate as a tunable deinterleaver for dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed fiber optic communication.
Anchoring Comprehension in Linguistic Precedents

Past research has shown that when speakers refer to the same referent multiple times, they tend to standardize their descriptions by establishing linguistic precedents. In three experiments, we show that listeners reduce uncertainty in comprehension by taking advantage of these precedents. We tracked listeners' eye movements in a referential communication task and found that listeners identified referents more quickly when specific precedents existed than when there were none. Furthermore, we found that listeners expected speakers to adhere to precedents even in contexts where it would lead to referential overspecification. Finally, we provide evidence that the benefits of linguistic precedents are independent of mutual knowledge—listeners were not more likely to benefit from precedents when they were mutually known than when they were not. We conclude that listeners use precedents simply because they are available, not because they are mutually known.
Coalitions among computationally bounded agents

Abstract This paper analyzes coalitions among self-interested agents that need to solve combinatorial optimization problems to operate efficiently in the world. By colluding (coordinating their actions by solving a joint optimization problem) the agents can sometimes save costs compared to operating individually. A model of bounded rationality is adopted where computation resources are costly. It is not worthwhile solving the problems optimally: solution quality is decision-theoretically traded off against computation cost. A normative, application- and protocol-independent theory of coalitions among bounded-rational agents is devised. The optimal coalition structure and its stability are significantly affected by the agents' algorithms' performance profiles and the cost of computation. This relationship is first analyzed theoretically. Then a domain classification including rational and bounded-rational agents is introduced. Experimental results are presented in vehicle routing with real data from five dispatch centers. This problem is NP-complete and the instances are so large that—with current technology—any agent's rationality is bounded by computational complexity.