cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract P203: pNaktide Targeted to Adipocytes Inhibits Na/k-atpase Reactive Oxygen Species, Systemic Inflammation, and Obesity Development in Mice Fed a Western Diet (WD)

Introduction: Obesity is a worldwide epidemic with many comorbidities. It has been demonstrated that oxidative stress can exacerbate obesity development. We have previously published that systemic administration of pNaKtide, a Na/K-ATPase signaling antagonist, was able to decrease oxidative stress and adipogenesis by blocking Na/K-ATPase signaling mediated amplification of oxidative stress. Hypothesis: Adipocyte dysfunction in mice fed western diet (WD) may be prevented by lentiviral-mediated adipocyte-specific delivery of pNaKtide. Methods: C57Bl6 mice were randomly divided into five groups: 1) normal chow 2) normal chow+lenti-adipo-pNaKtide 3) WD 4) WD+lenti-adipo-GFP and 5) WD+lenti-adipo-pNaKtide (n=6-8/group). Lentiviral constructs with pNaKtide driven by an adiponectin promoter were used to achieve pNaKtide expression specifically in adipose tissue. Groups 2 and 5 were given an intraperitoneal injection of lenti-adipo-pNaKtide and group 4 was given an intraperitoneal injection of lenti-adipo-GFP at beginning of the experiment and again at week 2; total time=12 weeks. Body weight was measured weekly. Glucose clearance was determined using an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test before termination of the experiment. At sacrifice body weight, visceral and subcutaneous fat content of all mice were measured. Blood samples were collected for determination of inflammatory cytokines. Tissues were flash frozen and maintained at -80°C. Results: Lenti-adipo-pNaKtide significantly reduced WD-induced weight gain, and visceral and subcutaneous fat content. Lenti-adipo-pNaKtide reduced WD-induced changes in glucose tolerance and inflammatory markers TNFα, IL-6 and MCP-1 (p Conclusion: Collectively this study introduces the novel idea that adipocytes may have a systemic effect. Specifically targeting pNaKtide to the adipocytes with lenti-adipo-pNaKtide ameliorates this systemic effect. This new information is important in the development of new therapeutic targets for obesity.
Warfare and Military Studies, Overview

A brief overview of warfare and military studies is a monumental task given the extensive history and rich material available. Not only is there a wealth of research, but it is interdisciplinary and cross-national in focus. This article presents a brief and selective overview of the ideas reflected in this history. It focuses primarily (but not exclusively) on the changes that have occurred since the early 1970s and that seem to capture the changing nature of the research. For the most part these changes have been framed around the broad rubrics of structural changes in society, the military and organizations, social trends, and demographic shifts, each of which can be further subdivided based on specific elements of structural, social, and demographic changes. Each of these broad topical areas in combination with increasingly sophisticated technological developments have forced militaries to introduce drastic changes in recruitment, retention, training, and management programs as well as in overall organization and mission statements. This article discusses the various elements of change in the study of warfare and the military organization.
What Does a Model Model? And for Whom?

Writing is an ever-creative artifice, elaborated in many different ways and used for many different purposes in different situations throughout history. From this perspective, each writer, embedded...
Why conservatives abandoned conservation

During the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, Donald Trump suggested that, if elected, he would roll back environmental regulations, open public lands up for natural resource extraction, and pull the United States out of the Paris Accord, calling global warming a "hoax." Once in office, he followed through on this campaign rhetoric with a speed and intensity that was greeted with cheers by most Republicans in Congress. The irony is that the major environmental laws that today9s Republican Party seeks to weaken were widely championed by Republicans of an earlier era. What caused the shift? In The Republican Reversal , James Turner and Andrew Isenberg focus on three characteristics of the Republican Party that changed over time: (i) a shift from viewing environmental issues as urgent to viewing them as alarmist and exaggerated; (ii) a shift from relying on scientific research and expertise to viewing these entities with suspicion; and (iii) a shift from embracing a central role of government in addressing environmental problems to viewing regulations as a threat to economic growth, individual freedom, and free enterprise.
Nationwide risk factors for hospital readmission for subsequent injury after motor vehicle crashes.

Objective: Some drivers involved in motor vehicle crashes across the United States may be identified as at risk of subsequent injury by a similar mechanism. The purpose of this study was to perform...
Ungewissheit und das Problem des sozialen Handelns. Einige methodologische Bemerkungen zum Forschungsprogramm der „Theorie reflexiver Modernisierung“

Die nachfolgenden Uberlegungen verdanken sich meiner wiederholten Lekture von Wolfgang Bons’s mehr als anregendem Buch „Vom Risiko. Unsicherheiten und Ungewisheit in der Moderne“, in dem ich einen uber weite Strecken impliziten, aber durchaus ins Grundsatzliche ausgreifenden Vorschlag daruber unterbreitet sehe, in welcher Weise – auch gesellschaftstheoretisch relevante – in jedem Fall theoriegeleitete sozialwissenschaftliche Forschungen anzulegen sind. Wie mir scheint, steht dabei die – wenn man so will: nachaufklarerischen und die Reproduktionsbedingungen der sogenannten „reflexiven Moderne“ widerspiegelnden – Frage im Vordergrund, wie die Sozialwissenschaften in einer heuristisch anregenden Weise dem Tatbestand gerecht werden konnen, dass das menschliche Wissen, wenn uberhaupt vorhanden, zumeist auch dann unzulanglich, limitiert, wenn nicht falsch ist, wenn die Suche nach Abhilfen kein naturliches Ende kennt.
Texturing of metallic surfaces for superhydrophobicity by water jet guided laser micro-machining

Abstract This experimental work demonstrates a new cost-effective way of achieving superhydrophobicity on metallic surfaces by micro-texturing with a novel water jet guided laser process. Compared to conventional pure laser texturing by nanosecond, picosecond and femtosecond lasers, water jet guided laser processing yields textures with an almost zero heat affected zone while the debris on the textured surface is simultaneously cleaned by the jet during the process. The effects of grid spacing, laser power coupled into the jet and water jet diameter are examined and processing conditions for achieving superhydrophobicity are provided. Changes in the wetting of the surface over time under ambient conditions from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic, due to changes in surface chemistry, were explored. It has been shown that the surface contact angle dramatically increases within the first couple of days after texturing when exposed to air. After around 20 days, the contact angle stabilized at 150°, 130° and 129° on textured 304 stainless steel, titanium and 6061 aluminum surfaces, respectively.
Experimental Feasibility Study of Tunable-Stiffness Polishing Wheel via Integration of Magneto-Rheological Elastomers

The mechanical polishing is one of the critical microfabrication processes in semiconductor and a host of other critical industries. There has been a great effort in consumable development (pads, slurries, etc.) to improve the overall polishing efficiency and resulting surface quality. In this study, we explored a unique composite polishing wheel with integration of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs). The proposed design aims to control local contact area and contact pressure during fine polishing process and thereby control the material removal rate with precise adjustment of the magnetic field. Two (Two MRE microstructure) MRE, isotropic and chain structured orthotropic, materials were included in the design. The feasibility of the designed wheel and the workpiece-wheel contact characteristics were tested under compression loading. An experimental setup was designed to apply vertical and horizontal magnetic fields. Digital image correlation technique was utilized to measure the local in-plane strain field around contact region. It was found that addition of MRE inserts can alter the local stress field around the contact area, resulting in a strong modulation with up to three-fold increase of both the contact area and the local pressure distribution. Finite element analysis highlighted the intricate role of the MRE inserts in modulating the local strain field around the contact area, and thereby inducing a concurrent increase in both the contact area and the local pressure distribution under the same nominal macroscopic applied load. The observed demand modulation of the contact pressure is anticipated to have a marked effect on the polishing process and the resulting surface quality.
Ant biodiversity and ecosystem services in bioenergy landscapes

Abstract Most strategies for limiting global climate change invoke the use of bioenergy, but biofuel crops vary in climate mitigation potential and in the provision of other ecosystem services. The predominant biofuel in North America is ethanol produced from corn Zea mays. Corn is grown on ∼360,000 km2 of land in the U.S. and ∼40 % of the yield is used for ethanol production. Despite its prevalence, corn ethanol is a poor climate change mitigator and the spread of intensive corn agriculture also leads to the loss of biodiversity and an unknown complement of associated ecosystem services. To test for effects of land use intensity on the provision of ecosystem services from biofuel crops, we compared insect communities inhabiting long-term experiments in which land use intensity varied from annual corn production to less intensive native perennial biofuel crops (switchgrass and restored prairie) and unmanaged native forests. Within the experiments we focused on ants (Formicidae: Hymenoptera), including their diversity, abundance, functional traits, and predation of biofuel crop pests. Native perennial biofuel crops supported up to 185 % more ant species than corn fields and provided up to 55 % more natural pest suppression. They also contained higher functional richness by supporting social parasites and seed dispersing ants that were absent in corn. Biofuel crops did not differ in ant activity or the prevalence of introduced ants. Our results highlight tradeoffs in bioenergy production and suggest ways to maximize benefits for wildlife and people. Converting some corn fields to prairie or other native vegetation could restore landscapes while mitigating climate change and meeting energy needs.
Socioeconomic status and physical fitness in youth: Findings from the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey

This study examined the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and musculoskeletal (MSF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in youth. The sample consisted of boys and girls between 3-15 ...
Education and Ethno-Religious Conflict in Postcolonial Spaces

Ethno-religious tensions have been a key feature of conflicts in various regions of the world in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This chapter situates the historical tensions in Mindanao within this broader context. It argues that, while there are important differences, there are critical similarities that make an examination of the case of Mindanao of more than local interest and relevance. It argues furthermore that educational policy and practice is one of the arenas in which such conflicts play out. It concludes with a discussion of postcolonial theory as a useful framework for understanding both the particular case of Mindanao and similar conflicts in other parts of the world.
EPICARDIAL ADIPOSE TISSUE PREDICTS THE PRESENCE OF AORTIC VALVE STENOSIS

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is visceral fat surrounding the heart. Echocardiography is a low-cost, noninvasive tool that has been validated to measure EAT. Prior studies have found an association between increased EAT and coronary heart disease (CAD), metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus.
Spirituality, religion, and marital/family issues

Abstract Marital and family issues are key predictors of the course and severity of a wide variety of mental health disorders. To that end, it is noteworthy that a substantial volume of research ties spirituality and religion (S/R) to emotional closeness of family relationships for many couples, parents, and children. In this chapter, we efficiently summarize this research by presenting key scientific findings on how and why S/R is associated with positive relationship functioning, personal wellbeing of individuals within families, and also how this domain can intensify and even lead to the development of relational and personal distress. We also offer two clinical vignettes to illustrate various roles that S/R can play – for better and worse – among individuals in emotional distress who are coping with relationship concerns.
Mixed-Dimensional Heterostructure Material-Based SERS for Trace Level Identification of Breast Cancer-Derived Exosomes

Raman spectroscopy has capability for fingerprint molecular identification with high sensitivity if weak Raman scattering signal can be enhanced by several orders of magnitudes. Herein, we report a...
Options for COVID-19 Entry into Pulmonary Cells.

Seven billion people all over the world are currently threatened by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus, and the scientific community has been mobilized to the best of its ability to counteract this threat...
Menu development for meetings and events: an opportunity for conveying cultural diversity and inclusion initiatives

Meetings and events present opportunities to bring together diverse groups of people. Reflective of the greater diversity and inclusion movements in the country, event planners are tasked with crea...
Not so fast with the filter! Is it really in the inferior vena cava?

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement can lead to rare but sometimes serious complications, including malposition of the IVC filter in a non-target vessel or organ. We present the case of a 74-year-old male who presented to our institution for a percutaneous nephrostomy tube change and was incidentally found to have two IVC filters, one of which was properly positioned in the IVC and one of which was improperly deployed in the right ascending lumbar vein. Venography through the sheath before filter loading and deployment decreases the risk of malpositioning the IVC filter.
Efficient gradient waveform measurements with variable-prephasing.

Abstract Accurate measurement of gradient waveform errors can often improve image quality in sequences with time varying readout and excitation waveforms. Self-encoding or offset-slice sequences are commonly used to measure gradient waveforms. However, the self-encoding method requires a long scan time, while the offset-slice method is often low precision, requiring the thickness of the excited slice to be small compared to the maximal k-space encoded by the test waveform. This work introduces a hybrid these methods, called variable-prephasing. Using a straightforward algebraic model, we demonstrate that variable-prephasing improves the precision of the waveform measurement by allowing acquisition of larger slice thicknesses. Experiments in a phantom were used to validate the theoretical predictions, showing that the precision of variable-prephasing gradient waveform measurements improves with increasing slice thickness.
Men and women trainers equally effective at promoting exercise adherence, self-efficacy, and fitness in women.

BACKGROUND This study examined the effect of a personal trainer's sex on self-efficacy and fitness in woman clients. METHODS Women (n: 28; mean ± SD; age, 41.6 ± 15.0 yrs.; height, 153.49 ± 28.11cm; BMI, 25.9 ± 6.4 kg•m-2) completed a perceptual scale of self-efficacy (BARSE) and fitness tests before and after a training program. Trainers (men and women) met one-on-one with the volunteers on a biweekly basis for 8 weeks. Univariate analyses of change scores and repeated measures analysis of variance with Fisher's LSD pairwise comparisons tested changes in dependent variables by trainer sex. RESULTS Significant increases were seen in (mean ± SE; change for men trainers; change for woman trainers): self-efficacy (7.3 ± 3.4; 7.3 ± 2.7%); leg press strength (18.2 ± 3.7; 16.4 ± 3.3 kg); seated row (6.1 ± 1.5; 5.3 ± 1.3 kg); muscular endurance in 60° flexion hold (20.5 ± 5.8; 24.8 ± 5.0 sec) and wall-sit (19.9 ± 6.4; 33.5 ± 5.8 sec); but not flexibility (V-sit, 7.11 ± 5.51; 4.23 ± 4.50 cm). Chest press strength significantly increased for women trainers only (2.7 ± 2.2; 5.3 ± 1.8 kg). Despite this, there were no significant differences for any variable in the change from pre-to-post based on the sex of the trainer. CONCLUSIONS Both men and woman-led training was effective for increasing markers of self-efficacy and fitness in woman clients.
Targeted sequencing reveals candidate causal variants for dairy bull subfertility

Bull fertility is a key factor for successful reproductive performance in dairy cattle. Since the semen from a single bull can be used to inseminate hundreds of cows, one subfertile bull could have a major impact on herd reproductive efficiency. We have previously identified five genomic regions, located on BTA8 (72.2 Mb), BTA9 (43.7 Mb), BTA13 (60.2 Mb), BTA17 (63.3 Mb), and BTA27 (34.7 Mb), that show large dominance effects on bull fertility. Each of these regions explained about 5-8% of the observed differences in sire conception rate between Holstein bulls. Here, we aimed to identify candidate causal variants responsible for this variation using targeted sequencing (10 Mb per region). For each genomic region, two DNA pools were constructed from n ≈ 20 high-fertility and n ≈ 20 low-fertility Holstein bulls. The DNA-sequencing analysis included reads quality control (using FastQC), genome alignment (using BWA and ARS-UCD1.2), variant calling (using GATK) and variant annotation (using Ensembl). The sequencing depth per pool varied from 39× to 51×. We identified a set of nonsense mutations, missense mutations, and frameshift variants carried by low-fertility bulls. Notably, some of these variants were classified as strong candidate causal variants, i.e., mutations with deleterious effects located on genes exclusively/highly expressed in testis. Genes affected by these candidate causal variants include AK9, TTLL9, TCHP, and FOXN4. These results could aid in the development of novel genomic tools that allow early detection and culling of subfertile bull calves.
Reservoir Project Environmental Study

The research-management principles and methods used in conducting an interdisciplinary environmental resources study are summarized as an aid in complying with the federal NEPA requirements. A case study of the proposed Ames reservoir project in Iowa is used to illustrate the application of study methods, organization of the project study and review, cross-discipline coordination, problems encountered in achieving results, and application of these results in final decision making. Results achieved by the five study categories also are presented. Keys to good management are adequate project leadership, a well-defined scope of work, adequate data and resource information, functional study categories as manageable tasks, ability to meet time schedules, and formulation and publication of results.
Beyond Mainstream Explanations of the Financial Crisis: Parasitic Finance Capital

This book provides a critique of the neoclassical explanations of the 2008 financial collapse, of the ensuing long recession and of the neoliberal austerity responses to it. The study argues that while the prevailing views of deregulation and financialization as instrumental culprits in the explosion and implosion of the financial bubble are not false, they fail to point out that financialization is essentially an indication of an advanced stage of capitalist development. These standard explanations tend to ignore the systemic dynamics of the accumulation of finance capital, the inherent limits to that accumulation, production and division of economic surplus, class relations, and the balance of social forces that mold economic policy. Instead of simply blaming the ‘irrational behavior’ of market players, as neoliberals do, or lax public supervision, as Keynesians do, this book focuses on the core dynamics of capitalist development that not only created the financial bubble, but also fostered the ‘irrational behavior’ of market players and subverted public policy. Due to its interdisciplinary perspective, this book will be of interest to students and researchers in economics, finance, politics and sociology.
Application of a technique of Franklin and Friedman to some problems in acoustics

In their 1957 paper, FRANKLIN and FRIEDMAN [l] introduced a method for obtaining an improved asymptotic expansion for Laplace transforms, which as they showed is sometimes also convergent. In their introduction, they listed three potential disadvantages of the usual Watson result [2]. First, the resulting series is sometimes divergent; second, it is always singular as the transform variable approaches zero; and third, the first term alone is often virtually useless for numerical calculations, except for very large values of the transform variable. They then introduced an improved asymptotic expansion which is sometimes convergent and whose first term is more accurate than the first term in the Watson expansion. More precisely, the remainder after one term of the Franklin-Friedman expansion is one order of magnitude smaller than the first term in the Watson expansion. However, as a penalty, the first term of the Franklin-Friedman expansion is more complicated. The purpose of this paper to motivate the ansatz chosen by Franklin and Friedman, to describe some extensions to other integrals, and to examine some examples. These examples are chosen to illustrate the improved accuracy and sometimes uniform results this method yields.
The role of the auroral ionosphere in magnetospheric substorms

The energy that is released during a magnetospheric substorm has large and obvious effects on the Earth’s auroral ionosphere. In fact, ionospheric effects such as the strengthening of electrojets and the motion and intensification of auroral forms were central elements in the development of the concept of the substorm (see, e.g., Akasofu, 1968). The purpose of this paper is not to discuss the obvious ionospheric manifestations of a substorm. Instead, we address the more subtle converse question of the effect of the ionosphere on substorm phenomena that occur near the magnetospheric equatorial plane.
Response to Comment on “Dermatitis Herpetiformis Sera or Goat Anti–Transglutaminase-3 Transferred to Human Skin-Grafted Mice Mimics Dermatitis Herpetiformis Immunopathology”

Dr. Antiga and colleagues question the hypothesis we have proposed, which addresses the immunopathogenesis of dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). Briefly stated, in some patients with celiac disease (CD) and Abs to tissue transglutaminase, Abs to epidermal transglutaminase (TG3) develop through epitope
AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN HUMAN POSTURE CONTROL: MOTOR COORDINATION TESTS

Postural responses to support surface displacements were measured in 214 normal human subjects ranging in age from 7 to 81 years. Motor tests measured leg muscle Electromyography (EMG) latencies, body sway, and the amplitude and timing of changes in center of pressure displacements in response to sudden forward and backward horizontal translations of the support surface upon which the subjects stood. There were small increases in both EMG latencies and the time to reach the peak amplitude of center of pressure responses with increasing age. The amplitude of center of pressure responses showed little change with age if the amplitude measures were normalized by a factor related to subject height. In general, postural responses to sudden translations showed minimal changes with age, and all age related trends which were identified were small relative to the variability within the population.
Differential animal use within three Late Classic Maya states: Implications for politics and trade

Abstract The nature of Maya political institutions and state-level resource dynamics during the Late Classic period (AD 550–850) has been the subject of much discussion over the past several decades. This study uses zooarchaeology to track the acquisition and distribution of animal resources within and between political states. We assess the faunal remains excavated from three capitals (Piedras Negras, Yaxchilan, and Aguateca) in two ways. First, we compare the types and uses of resources at capital centers with their subordinate communities to understand the extent of resource control within individual polities. Second, by comparing animal remains between households of different social tiers at each capital center, we explore the distribution of resources within each community. Results indicate that capital residents made use of a wider variety of species than those at subordinate centers, particularly more species from mature forests and exotic (marine) environments. Animal species also varied between households of different social tiers, with middle-ranking elites having the greatest diversity of taxa while high-ranking elites focused on a select group of potentially prestigious species. Non-elites mainly acquired river resources. These results suggest a complex system of animal resource acquisition and distribution played an important role in maintaining the Maya political state.
Real Affirmative Action: The Importance of Economic Growth

The objective of this paper is to go beyond the controversy concerning affirmative action by examining its success in advancing the economic well-being of the two numerical most important groups that it has been designed to assist: women and black people. It concludes that affirmative action alone does not raise incomes. The original version of affirmative action in which employers were compelled to do a good faith search for blacks and women in the context of a high growth economy may be all that is required to produce a positive benefit.
Incidence of and risk factors for clinically significant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in a cohort of HIV-infected adults.

Objectives: Outbreaks of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) have been noted in multiple sites in the United States. This study's purpose was to estimate trends in the incidence of and risk factors for clinically significant MRSA (CS-MRSA) infection in a cohort of HIV-infected adults. Design: A retrospective clinic-based cohort (January 1, 2000-December 31, 2003) study. Methods: We ascertained all initial episodes of CS-MRSA and categorized them by primary site. Incidence rates were estimated by half year. Risk factors for CA-MRSA infection were identified using Cox modeling. Results: Of 126 potential events, 94 were CS. Their primary sources were 83% skin or soft tissue, 10% blood, 6% respiratory, and 1.0% other sites. Among these, 60% were CA and 40% were nosocomial. Of antibiotics tested, only cotrimoxazole resistance was associated with nosocomial acquisition. The 3455 patients contributed 7003 person-years at risk. The incidence of CS-MRSA infection increased 6.2-fold from the first to the last half year. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of CA-MRSA infection included HIV transmission by men who have sex with men or by injection drug use, CD4 count <50 cells/μL, log 10 HIV plasma viral load, and absence of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. Conclusions: The incidence of initial CS-MRSA events increased more than 6-fold in a 4-year period. The associations between CA-MRSA infection and HIV severity indicators merit examination in other cohorts.
Oxygen, diffuse scattering, and tweed structure in the YBa2Cu3O7-δ system

Abstract Microstructure and diffuse scattering of electron diffraction in YBa2(Cu1-xMx)3O7-δ (M=Fe, Co, Al, Ga, Zn and Ni, 0≤x≤0.33) were studied. It was found that the substitution for Cu by 3-valent Fe, Co and Al at a level x≥0.03 causes a structural transition from twin to tweed. For 0.03≤x≤0.06, the geometry of the reciprocal spot associated with the tweed structure has a cross-platelet shape extended in 2 equivalent 〈hh0〉 directions, which corresponds to the displacive modulation in real space. For x≥0.10, the observed diffuse satellites and short-square-pipe intensity suggest the existence of a three-dimensional short-range ordering in these materials. Oxygen-reduction and reoxidization experiments indicate that development of tweed depends on the oxygen distribution. We believe that the configuration of oxygen in the Cu(1) layer is responsible for the formation of tweed structure in YBa2Cu3O7-δ system.
A multifunctional reporter mouse line for Cre- and FLP-dependent lineage analysis.

The Cre/lox and FLP/FRT recombination systems have been used extensively for both conditional knockout and cell lineage analysis in mice. Here we report a new multifunctional Cre/FLP dual reporter allele (R26NZG) that exhibits strong and apparently ubiquitous marker expression in embryos and adults. The reporter construct, which is driven by the CAG promoter, was knocked into the ROSA26 locus providing an open chromatin domain for consistent expression and avoiding site-of-integration effects often observed with transgenic reporters. R26NZG directs Cre-dependent nuclear-localized β-galactosidase (β-gal) expression, and can be converted into a Cre-dependent EGFP reporter (R26NG) by germline excision of the FRT-flanked nlslacZ cassette. Alternatively, germline excision of the floxed PGKNEO cassette in R26NZG generates an FLP-dependent EGFP reporter (R26ZG) that expresses β-gal in FLP-nonexpressing cells. Finally, by the simultaneous use of both Cre and FLP deleters, R26NZG allows lineage relationships to be interrogated with greater refinement than is possible with single recombinase reporter systems. genesis 47:107–114, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The internet and home purchase

In the pre–internet era, information was a key determinant of the geographic nature of intra–urban moves. Information was a far more limited commodity, and therefore subject to management and even manipulation. Information brokers, particularly real estate agents, could order and limit the kinds of information to which prospective buyers gained access, with the potential of strongly biasing search space. In the past few years, a vastly enriched information source on housing vacancies has become available through real estate industry–sponsored sites on the internet. This rich information source has the potential to influence spatial patterns and processes in the search for housing by eliminating information barriers in the search process. Three hypotheses were tested with data from Wake County (Rayleigh), North Carolina. First, those with less prior familiarity with the destination area would make more frequent use of the internet. Second, internet users would visit fewer houses personally because they would have more prior information about the market, eliminating the need for some personal home visits. Third, internet users, armed with greater information about the house, neighbourhood, and prices of other recent sales, would pay less for the same housing/neighbourhood bundle. Recent movers in Wake County, North Carolina, were surveyed in early 2000, and the characteristics of web users were compared with nonusers. The major finding of this research is that to date, the internet has had little impact on search patterns, except that those using the internet tend to visit a larger number of houses personally than those who do not use the world wide web as an information source.
Sexual Function in Adult Patients With Spina Bifida and its Impact on Quality of Life

Purpose: We evaluated sexual function in adult patients with spina bifida and its impact on quality of life.Materials and Methods: Between March 2005 and May 2006, 76 adult patients with spina bifida, including 34 women and 42 men, with a mean age of 24.4 years (range 18 to 37) were seen for followup at our institution. Following institutional review board approval data were collected from medical records and validated questionnaires were completed, including the Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire to assess sexual function and SF-36™ to assess quality of life.Results: Of the 76 patients 18 (24%), including 9 women and 9 men, achieved sexual intercourse at least once in the last 2 months. There was no difference regarding gender distribution and mean age ± SD in sexually active vs not sexually active patients (25.8 ± 4.2 vs 24 ± 4.5 years, p = 0.13). All levels (thoracic to sacral) of myelomeningocele were seen in the 2 groups with significant higher lesions of neurological impairment in not sexually acti...
Ceftriaxone pharmacokinetic properties during continuous venovenous haemofiltration using an in vitro model

During continuous venovenous haemofiltration (CVVH), drug clearance is dependent on the extracorporeal blood flow, ultrafiltration rate, albumin binding, molecular weight and the volume of distribution of the drug [1]. Doses are adjusted assuming reduced drug clearance by the renal system and CVVH. Variation in filtration practice, including predilution, high-volume haemofiltration and filters, greatly alters the removal of drugs. Assessing the adequacy of cephalosporin dosing during CVVH is complex; underdosing or overdosing may occur. We studied the pharmacokinetics properties of ceftriaxone during CVVH using an in vitro model.
Parenteral Nutrition Complications in a Voluntary Hospital

A prospective study analyzing the complications in 307 patients who had specialized nutrition support administered by their private practitioners was performed and compared to other series in which a nutrition support service exclusively provided such care to patients. The mechanical complication rate of 4.6%, septic complication rate of 2.9%, and metabolic complication rate of 4.2% compared favorably with the reported literature. A new category of complications, the judgmental complication, is described and was 12.7% in the reported series. The Saint Barnabas Medical Center experience suggests that individual practitioners can satisfactorily administer intravenous specialized nutrition support if in fact an involved nutrition support service functions administratively and supportively in the background. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition8:385-390, 1983)
Magnetostratigraphy of cave sediments, Wyandotte Ridge, Crawford County, Indiana: towards a regional correlation

Abstract The polarity of 42 sediment samples obtained from 21 sites in Wyandotte Cave and five smaller satellite caves in Wyandotte Ridge, southern Indiana, is used as a basis for a magnetostratigraphic correlation with sediments in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Sediments in caves at elevations between 137 and 162 m have a normal polarity, but the fill between 168 and 171 m exhibits a polarity reversal. The reversal is interpreted to represent the most recent polarity change, suggesting that the upper level of Wyandotte cave was last active at about the same time (not less than 0.78 Ma) as the “C” level in Mammoth Cave which lies at approximately the same elevation. The local base level control in both cave systems is provided by tributaries of the Ohio River. Thus, the correlation is most likely a consequence of the contemporaneous abandonment of upper-level passages in Wyandotte and Mammoth caves during the early Pleistocene reconstruction of the Ohio River drainage. Sediments in caves between 236 and 241 m have a normal polarity. The fill in these (Little Wildcat and Galley Door) caves is probably at least 2.6 Ma old. It appears to correlate with the residuum that delimits the Upper Mitchell Plain Surface (the Pennyroyal Plateau in Kentucky) and, on the basis of our interpretation of the magnetostratigraphy, is older than the fill in the highest (“A” and “B”) levels in Mammoth Cave.
Surgical relationship of the medial pectoral nerve to the musculocutaneous nerve: a cadaveric study.

OBJECTIVE: For purposes of neurotization of the musculocutaneous nerve (MCN) with the medial pectoral nerve (MPN) after upper trunk brachial plexus injuries, the anatomic relationship between these two nerves was defined in a cadaveric model. METHODS: Thirty-five brachial plexuses in 18 adult cadavers were dissected. The distance between the origin of the MPN from the medial cord to the origin of the MCN from the lateral cord was measured. The length, diameter, branching, and location of the MPN were recorded. The diameter of the proximal MCN was recorded. RESULTS: Thirty-seven percent of the MPNs, when detached from the pectoralis muscles, were too short to reach the proximal MCN by a mean distance of 15 mm. The MPN pierced the pectoralis minor muscle in 80% of the dissections. The cross sectional area of the MCN was always larger than the cross sectional area of the MPN by an average factor of 2.5. CONCLUSION: When planning to use the MPN for neurotization of the MCN, one should be prepared to harvest an interposition graft, because over one-third of MPNs may not have enough length to reach the MCN in a tension-free manner. Diameter mismatch occurs predictably between the distal MPN and the proximal MCN.
Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling of Entrained-Flow Gasifiers with Improved Physical and Chemical Submodels

Optimization of an advanced coal-fired integrated gasification combined cycle system requires an accurate numerical prediction of gasifier performance. While the Lagrangian discrete phase formulati...
Personality, geographical art, and lessons from Sauer's Mexico

Editors' note: This essay by Dan Arreola begins the second set of retrospective pieces commissioned to celebrate the centennial volume. Members of the Editorial Board responded to our request to pr...
Molecular cloning and characterization of a greenbug (Schizaphis graminum) cDNA encoding acetylcholinesterase possibly evolved from a duplicate gene lineage

An acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7) cDNA was cloned and characterized from a greenbug (Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)) cDNA library. The complete cDNA (3283 bp) contains a 2028-bp open reading frame encoding 676 amino acid residues. The putative AChE preproenzyme has a 17 amino acid signal peptide, a 78 amino acid activation peptide and a mature enzyme of 581 amino acid residues. The first nine amino acid residues (YTSDDPLII) that were determined by sequencing the N-terminus of a 72-kDa AChE purified from the greenbug matched the nine residues deduced from the cDNA. The key amino acid residues, including the three residues Ser206 (200 in Torpedo), Glu332 (327) and His446 (440) forming a catalytic triad, three pairs of cysteine putatively forming intrachain disulfide bonds, and 10 out of the 14 aromatic residues lining the active site gorge of the Torpedo AChE, are conserved. However, Ser336 (Phe331) in the greenbug substituted an aromatic amino acid residue that is conserved in all other known AChEs. Northern blot analysis of mRNA revealed a 3.7-kb transcript, and Southern blot analysis suggested a single copy of this gene in the greenbug. The deduced amino acid sequence is most similar to AChE1 of the nematodes Caenorhabditis briggsae and C. elegans with 43% identity. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the greenbug AChE formed a cluster with those of nematodes, a squid and ticks, and grouped out of the insect cluster. This result suggests that the cloned gene evolved from a different duplicate gene lineage of insect AChEs.
The academic library becomes the academic learning commons

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to profile the academic “Learning Commons,” a model of library service adopted by numerous institutions of higher education to attract students seeking a “one‐stop” library experience.Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a literature review and commentary on this topic that is now being addressed by cost‐conscious colleagues.Findings – Many academic libraries have adopted the “Learning Commons” model in order to adapt to the new reality of library usage in the present environment.Originality/value – The value in addressing this issue is to expand the discussion of this evolution of academic library service to offer possibilities for other academic libraries' consideration.
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of the Mono(silyl)platinum(II) Complex cis-(2,6-Mes2C6H3(H)2Si)Pt(H)(PPr3)2

The synthesis and structural characterization of cis-(2,6-Mes2C6H3(H)2Si)Pt(H)(PPr3)2 (1), a mono(silyl)platinum(II) complex, are described.
Catheter-related bloodstream infection

Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs) are a common, frequently preventable complication of central venous catheterization. CR-BSIs can be prevented by strict attention to insertion and maintenance of central venous catheters and removing unneeded catheters as soon as possible. Antiseptic- or antibiotic-impregnated catheters are also an effective tool to prevent infections. The diagnosis of CR-BSI is made largely based on culture results. CR-BSIs should always be treated with antibiotics, and except in rare circumstances the infected catheter needs to be removed.
The effects of early rearing conditions upon responses to mirror-image stimulation in domestic chicks and turkeys*

Two experiments were performed in which either White Plymouth Rock chicks or domestic turkeys were reared under three maintenance conditions (with a mirror, with a conspecific, or in visual isolation) from Day 1 posthatch until Day 7. On Day 7, the Ss were given a preference test to determine whether they spent more time before a mirror or with another bird. Ss reared with a mirror spent approximately two-thirds of their time in the vicinity of the mirror, whereas socially reared Ss spent approximately two-thirds of their time with an agemate. The social isolates, on the other hand, failed to show a preference for either mirror image of conspecific stimulation. A third experiment evaluated the choice behavior of turkeys socially reared in the presence of a mirror, and revealed that, like the social isolates, these Ss also failed to exhibit a reliable preference. The results are interpreted in terms of the effects of early rearing conditions upon social stimulus preferences.
On the analytic structure of the Taylor-Maccoll conical-flow solution

The conical flow solution for axisymmetric supersonic flow past cones has been found to be virtually independent of the ratio of specific heats when normalized in a certain way. A simple rational approximation to this flow is derived. The important singularities and the limiting behavior of the solution are also discussed.
Molecular sieve chromatography of biosynthetic cell [14C]glucomannan chains☆

Abstract Radioactive d -glucomannan chains, prepared using Phaseolus aureus enzymes, were acetylated and subjected to molecular sieve chromatography. A comparison with dextran acetates, of known molecular weight range, provided approximate molecular weight data. The [ 14 C]glucomannan chains were not uniformly dispersed, but were separated into two major fractions. These fractions may be collections of polysaccharide chains incompletely resolved. The two fractions had a mobility similar to that of dextrans with molecular weights of 200,000–300,000 and 60,000–90,000. The molecular weight of the largest [ 14 C]-glucomannan fragment is, consequently, around 200,000 at the minimum. Preliminary results suggest that the lower molecular weight components may be precursors of the higher molecular weight components. Mild acid and alkaline treatment cause the production of materials of much lower molecular size.
TH-C-L100J-10: Micro-CT Imaging and Quantitative Characterization of Bone Morphogenetic Protein Regulated Differentiation of Mesenhcymal Stem Cells

Purpose: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone tumor. So far, there has been only poor understanding about its molecular biology largely due to the difficulty of direct characterization of OS evolution. However, it has recently been discovered that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) regulated differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) closely resembles the differentiation of OS cells. Therefore, we developed and used a micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT) system for imaging and quantitatively characterizing BMP regulated MSCs differentiation in mice, which can potentially lead to more substantial understanding of human OS development. Method and Materials: We have developed a laboratory cone‐beam micro‐CT imagingsystem, which consists of a micro‐focal X‐ray source, a rotary stage with mouse holder, and a CsI‐coupled CMOSdetector. Reconstruction can be accomplished with either Feldkamp‐Davis‐ Kress (FDK) algorithm or the PI‐line‐based backprojection filtration (BPF) algorithm that was developed in our laboratory. The reconstructed images are volume‐rendered with VolView 2.0 (Kitware Inc., Clifton Park, NY) for visualization. An IDL program is developed for automatically extracting and characterizing transplanted boney structure volume within a user‐specified region‐of‐interest (ROI). Results: About 40 mice were scanned with the micro‐CT imagingsystem. From each of them, both reconstructed images and volume‐rendered images were obtained for quantitatively assessment. Within user‐specified ROI, the volumes of the boney structure formed by BMP regulated MSCs differentiation were automatically calculated. Conclusion: Our micro‐CT system provides a powerful tool for imaging and quantitative characterization of BMP regulated MSCs differentiation in mice model, which is potentially helpful in achieving further understanding of human osteosarcoma development.
t(11;14) Plasma Cell Disorder Presents as a True Nonsecretory, Nonproducer Multiple Myeloma

We describe an extremely rare case of so-called nonsecretory, nonproducer myeloma in an 80-year-old man who presented with weight loss and anemia. The patient's serum protein electrophoresis was negative for M protein spike, and quantitation of his immunoglobulin level was far below the normal range. The bone marrow biopsy showed a sheet-like diffuse plasmacytic infiltrate with essential absence of trilineage hematopoiesis. Flow cytometry analysis and immunohistochemical study demonstrated a strong CD38/CD138/immunoglobulin G heavy chain-positive plasma cell population but failed to detect either cytoplasmic kappa or lambda light chain expression. Chromosomal analysis and dual fluorescence in situ hybridization studies clearly demonstrated the presence of t(11;14)(q13;q32) translocation in the neoplastic plasma cells.
Correlación significativa entre la oximetría cerebral y la presión en el muñón carotídeo durante la endarterectomía carotídea

La existencia de una informacion limitada sobre la correlacion entre la presion en el munon carotideo y las modificaciones de la oximetria cerebral asociadas al clampaje durante la endarterectomia carotidea (EAC) nos ha llevado a evaluar manera prospectiva 38 intervenciones consecutivas de EAC realizadas en 37 pacientes. En este estudio se utilizo el oximetro cerebral INVOS-4100 para determinar la oximetria cerebral (saturacion de oxigeno cerebral) antes (momento t1) y despues (momento t2) del clampaje, junto a la presion en el munon carotideo. Todos los pacientes fueron intervenidos mediante EAC bajo anestesia general con el uso sistematico de una derivacion tipo Javid. El clampaje (momentos t1 y t2) dio lugar a cambios estadisticamente significativos (p