cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitotane enhances cytotoxicity of chemotherapy in cell lines expressing a multidrug resistance gene (mdr-1/P-glycoprotein) which is also expressed by adrenocortical carcinomas.

P-Glycoprotein (Pgp), product of the mdr-1 gene, is a 130- to 180-kDa plasma membrane phosphoglycoprotein which mediates multidrug resistance in cell culture by increasing efflux of the natural product chemotherapeutic agents. High levels of expression of mdr-1/Pgp are found in both the normal adrenal and adrenocortical cancers. By RNA in situ hybridization the expression in adrenocortical cancer is shown to be widely distributed. The present study demonstrates that decreased drug accumulation mediated by mdr-1/Pgp can be overcome by clinically achieveable concentrations of mitotane (o,p′-DDD). The increase in drug accumulation with the addition of mitotane is due at least in part to a decrease in drug efflux and results in an increase in cytotoxicity when agents of the natural product class are used. This effect is observed in cells with a broad range of mdr-1/Pgp expression, including levels comparable to those found in most adrenocortical cancers. Similar increases in drug accumulation can be demonstra...
WCDMA PCS Handset Front End Module

A compact handset front-end module (FEM) is developed for the third generation wide band CDMA application in PCS band. This module uses Skyworks' switched load insensitive power amplifier (LIPAreg) technology. It operates at high and low power modes for good PAE and linearity. The low mode PAE is enhanced using analog bias control circuit. The FEM is optimized for low output power variation under mismatch load. It has extremely good ruggedness. It performs very well over temperature and has >55dB Tx-to-Rx isolation
Retinol and retinoic acid-binding proteins in bovine retina: aspects of binding specificity.

Bovine serum contains no apoprotein of low molecular weight with the capacity to bind either [3H]retinol or [3H]retinoic acid, and the intact retinol-binding protein complex of bovine serum is resistant to exchange of ligand. Acetone-extracted serum bound both ligands, but no evidence of the presence of any low molecular weight protein showing preferential binding of retinoic acid could be found. Bovine retina contains low molecular weight proteins capable of binding and exchanging [3H]retinol and [3H]retinoic acid, one displaying specificity toward retinol and another showing greater specificity toward retinoic acid.
Brain Structure and Obesity

Obesity is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular health problems including diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. These cardiovascular afflictions increase risk for cognitive decline and dementia, but it is unknown whether these factors, specifically obesity and type II diabetes, are associated with specific patterns of brain atrophy. We used tensor-based morphometry (TBM) to examine gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume differences in 94 elderly subjects who remained cognitively normal for at least 5 years after their scan. Bivariate analyses with corrections for multiple comparisons strongly linked body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma insulin (FPI) levels, and Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM2) with atrophy in frontal, temporal, and subcortical brain regions. A multiple regression model, also correcting for multiple comparisons, revealed that BMI was still negatively correlated with brain atrophy (FDR 30) showed atrophy in the frontal lobes, anterior cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, and thalamus compared to individuals with a normal BMI (18.5–25). Overweight subjects (BMI: 25–30) had atrophy in the basal ganglia and corona radiata of the WM. Overall brain volume did not differ between overweight and obese persons. Higher body mass index was associated with lower brain volumes in overweight and obese elderly subjects. Obesity is therefore associated with detectable brain volume deficits in cognitively normal elderly subjects.
Selective targeting of magnetic albumin microspheres to the Yoshida sarcoma: Ultrastructural evaluation of microsphere disposition

Abstract Magnetic albumin microspheres (1 μ m average diameter) were selectively targeted to subcutaneous solid Yoshida sarcoma tumors (average size 450 mm 2 ) in Holtzman rats. This was accomplished by placing an external magnet adjacent to the tumor while the microspheres were infused. Microspheres contained ultra-fine particles of Fe 3 O 4 and no drug (placebo). Placebo microspheres were used due to the previously demonstrated rapid tumoricidal effect of targeted low-dose doxorubicin microspheres. Animals were killed 10 min , 60 min , 30 min , 24 hr and 72 hr after microsphere administration and tumors were examined by transmission electron microscopy to determine the in vivo disposition of the magnetically targeted microspheres. Using placebo microspheres, we have demonstrated microspheres endocytosed in endothelial cells as early as 10 min after infusion. By 30 min microspheres can be seen in the extravascular compartment, sitting adjacent to tumor cells and occasionally in tumor cells. By 24 hr the majority of microspheres have been endocytosed by tumor cells. Microspheres were still observed within tumor cells as late as 72 hr after administration. The rapid extravasation and cellular uptake of magnetically focused microspheres explains the extremely rapid tumoricidal effect previously observed when doxorubicin-containing microspheres were targeted to the tumor.
Women, Class, and Education in Mexico, 1880-1928:

Finally this paper is not an exhaustive treatment of Mexican women as participants in class struggle although it makes observations about the Mexican womens movement at a particular point in historical time. Essentially it is argued here that during the Mexican Revolution educated petty-bourgeois women "reformers" employed by the state sought to develop and strengthen the subordinate role of working-class women in the home and in production in reaction against the mobilization of peasants and workers in the Mexican Revolution. Their implemented ideology in the field of education and other social services was a manifestation of the level of class struggle in the Mexican Revolution. Secondly the failure of the workers movement to generate an effective womens movement to counteract that of bourgeois feminism lay in the youth size composition and ideological immaturity of the Mexican working class which likewise determined its inability to dominate the Mexican Revolution. (excerpt)
Reversible Reactions of Thiols and Thiyl Radicals with Nitrone Spin Traps

The reactions of the reversible addition of thiols and thiyl radicals to the nitrone spin traps DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide) and DEPMPO (5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide) are described. Addition of the thiols to the double CN bond of the nitrones results in the formation of the corresponding hydroxylamines, measured using 31P NMR and the phosphorus-containing trap DEPMPO. Subsequent mild oxidation of these hydroxylamines into the paramagnetic adducts may interfere with genuine spin trapping of thiyl radicals representing the Forrester−Hepburn mechanism. The reverse decomposition of hydroxylamines to the parent nitrone and thiol and of paramagnetic adducts to the nitrone and thiyl radical were observed for the first time. The recycling of reduced thiols from thiyl radicals by nitrones may comprise the mechanism of their effective antioxidant activity, in vivo. The release of thiyl radicals upon the breakdown of the paramagnetic adduct may significantly affect not only the quanti...
Effect of cocaine and murine aids on lamina propria T and B cells in normal mice

We developed an experimental model to study the effect of daily cocaine administration on the mucosal immune system during murine acquired immune deficiency syndrome (MAIDS). Mice were infected with LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus, a retrovirus which causes immunosuppression with development of functional murine AIDS. Mice were given cocaine by daily intraperitoneal injection for 11 weeks. Our objective was to investigate if cocaine treatment could alter the mucosal immune system at the level of the intestinal lamina propria (ILP) and if it could further modify the already altered mucosal immunity when it was administered to MAIDS-mice. Daily cocaine administration induced a significant decrease in the number of IgA+ cells with a concomitant increase in the number of CD8+ cells per villi in the ILP. Murine retrovirus infection alone decreased the number of IgA+ and CD4+ cells in the ILP, and this decreased was even more marked when MAIDS mice also received cocaine. These data indicate that cocaine administration could potentiate the dramatic effect that MAIDS infection has in the mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues.
Host Search behaviour by Rhagoletis pomonella files: inter‐tree movement patterns in response to wind‐borne fruit volatiles under filed conditions

. Responses of Rhagoletis pomonella (Wash) (Diptera: Tephritidae) to synthetic host fruit violates were studied in the field. Individually marked females were released in the centre of a 25 m2 patch containing twenty-five host trees (Crataegus mollis var, toba) and followed as they moved within and between trees. Fly response to three experimental conditions was studied: (1) ‘clean’ air; (2) synthetic host fruit violates (apple) permeating the patch; and (3) a single point source of odour placed c 1m away from the edge of the patch. Files in a patch permeated with host odour moved faster, exhibited more straightened-out moves, and reached the edges of the patch more quickly than those exposed to clean air. Flies exposed to a point source of odour exhibited clear orientation responses, arriving consistently at the tree harbouring the source of odour. Odour exposure was intermittent and usually brief (c. 20s-1 exposure) with intervals between exposure periods averaging 103s. Wind speed and direction were highly variable. Flies moved during wind ranging in speed form 0.5 to 4.4 m s-1, with their activity being greatest at winds below 2m s-1. Strong winds (>3.5 ms-1) either arrested movement or enhanced downwind displacement. Our observations tend to support the ‘series-of-steps’ hypothesis reviewed by Gibson & Brandy (1985) as a mechanism of close-range host location (1-5m from odour source). Our findings are discussed with respect to theoretical and practical implications of insect orientation mechanisms to odours, dispersal, and control strategies.
Ascites and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: Recommendations from two United States centers

Cirrhosis affects millions of people throughout the world. Two of the most serious complications of liver cirrhosis are ascites and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). The development of ascites is related to the severity of portal hypertension and is an indicator of increased mortality. Although sodium restriction and diuretic therapy have proven effective, some patients may not respond appropriately or develop adverse reactions to diuretic therapy. In such cases, interventions such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement are warranted. SBP is a complication of ascites that confers a very high mortality rate. Recognition and prompt treatment of this condition is essential to prevent serious morbidity and mortality. Initiation of prophylaxis in SBP remains controversial. Given the burden of liver cirrhosis on the health care system, ascites and SBP will continue to provide challenges for the primary care provider, hospitalist, internist, and gastroenterologist alike.
Does the effect of respondent characteristics on consumer assessments vary across health plans

Responses to the Consumer Assessments of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS) are related to respondent characteristics. CAHPS procedures include casemix adjustment to remove effects of difference in respondent characteristics on comparative plan ratings, under the assumption that casemix coefficients are homogeneous across plans. The authors analyzed data from the Washington state CAHPS demonstration, fitting hierarchical models in which coefficients of casemix variables and intercepts could vary by plan. They estimated the impact of variability in casemix coefficients on plan adjustments and also assessed the implications for differential effects of individual characteristics at different plans. Estimated between-plan variability of coefficients was small, but the data are consistent with substantially larger variability. The potential impact of this variability on adjustments for plans was small relative to the magnitude of the adjustments. Comparisons between plans for individuals, however, could be affected substantially. This methodology could be useful wherever casemix adjustment is applied.
Natural rights and the individualism versus collectivism debate

L'A. etudie le debat qui oppose l'individualisme au collectivisme et mesure son influence sur la question des droits naturels. Apres avoir examine l'ideal individualiste de la societe, puis l'ideal collectiviste, l'A. prend parti pour un compromis entre les deux qui aboutirait au respect des valeurs de l'individu et a la creation de valeurs communes
Organochlorine compounds in human adipose tissue from north Texas.

This paper reports a preliminary study that was conducted to determine the concentrations of organochlorine compounds in the adipose tissue of residents of North Texas. Thirty‐five human adipose tissue samples were obtained during autopsy between 1987 and 1988 from persons who had no known occupational exposure to organochlorine pesticides. These samples were analyzed by electron‐capture gas Chromatographic methods for the presence of beta‐benzene hexachloride, o,p’ ‐DDE, p,p'‐DDE, o,p'‐DDT, p,p'‐DDT, dieldrin, oxychlordane, and heptachlor epoxide. The findings indicate greater than 97% occurrence for each compound with the exception of o,p'‐DDE and o,p'‐DDT, each of which occurred in 54% of the population sampled. Statistical analyses of the data showed strong positive correlations beween adipose tissue concentrations and age for oxychlordane, heptachlor epoxide, p,p'‐DDT, p,p'‐DDE, and total DDT (the normalized sum of DDT and its analogues) (p < .05). Statistically significant differences (p < .05) in g...
A New Method for the Determination of the Area Under a Cardiac Output Curve

An equation of a continuous curve having the general form of the cardiac output curve has been derived in a logical fashion. The resulting equation of this curve originating at the origin is y = y p (x/x p ) m exp (1 - (x/x p ) m ) where y and x are the vertical and horizontal components of the curve, y p and x p are the vertical and horizontal displacements of the curve at its peak, and m is a positive constant to be determined for each curve. This equation is integrated to determine the area under the curve it represents and appropriate substitutions are employed, with the result that the equation for the area is reduced to area = y p x p W where W is determined from a table included in the text.
Alternation behavior of cats with medial visual cortex ablation.

Abstract Previous work by Lubar et al. [15] showed that cats with medial visual cortex ablation were impaired in acquisition of two-way active avoidance while pattern discrimination and gross behavior remained normal. In the present study cats with comparable ablations served in 6 experiments involving visual and nonvisual spatial alternation in a two-choice Yerkes alley as well as home cage and neurological observations. Animals with ablations were significantly impaired in (1) a spatial alternation task; (2) spatial alternation after peripheral occlusion; (3) a reversal using pattern and spatial elements; (4) one-way active avoidance with shock punishment; (5) a form discrimination requiring spatial alternation. Experimental animals were equal to controls in alternation using only a single cue. The deficits observed mainly involved acquisition and were in all but two cases reduced by training. The exceptions were (2) peripheral occlusion and (3) reversal learning. Though grossly and neurologically normal, experimental animals had higher home cage activity and vocalization levels than controls. The results are evaluated in terms of visual and nonvisual functions of the visual cortex.
Pleistocene Mountain Glaciation, Northern Vermont

Lateral moraines, end moraines, cirques, and outwash plains together demonstrate the former presence of local valley glaciers in the Green Mountains of northern Vermont. Two phases of valley glaciation are recognized. The earliest phase is represented by end moraines and stagnant ice features that are graded to outwash plains that in turn can be traced into deltas of Laurentide proglacial lakes. Comparison of delta elevations indicates that the moraines of the earliest phase are generally the same age but with minor differences. The second phase is indicated by cirque moraines and outwash plains. The earlier phase is definitely late Wood-fordian, but the absolute age of the later phase is uncertain. Although valley glaciers are recognized, the possibility of an ice cap in northern Vermont is considered unlikely.
Training Digital Age Journalists: Blurring the Distinction between Students and Professionals.

Increasingly, top-tier journalism and media schools are entering into partnerships with mainstream media organizations to create and distribute student-produced content. While internships have long...
One-Dimensional Chain of Anisotropic Spin-Spin Interactions. II. Properties of the Ground-State Energy Per Lattice Site for an Infinite System

The ground-state energy $2f$ per lattice site for an infinite system is studied as a function of $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ and of the magnetization $y$. Analyticity properties of $f(\ensuremath{\Delta}, y)$ are proved. The behavior of $f(\ensuremath{\Delta}, y)$ at and near $y=0$ and $y=1$ are investigated.
Prolonged disease-free survival after orthotopic liver transplantation plus adjuvant chemoirradiation for cholangiocarcinoma

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) alone for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma is often associated with early disease relapse and limited survival. Because of these discouraging results, most programs have abandoned OLT for cholangiocarcinoma. However, a small percentage of patients have achieved prolonged survival after OLT, suggesting that adjuvant approaches could perhaps improve the survival outcome. Based on these concepts, a protocol was developed at the Mayo Clinic using preoperative irradiation and chemotherapy for patients with cholangiocarcinoma. We report our initial results with this pilot experience. Patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma above the cystic duct without intrahepatic or extrahepatic metastases were eligible. Patients initially received external-beam irradiation plus bolus fluorouracil (5-FU), followed by brachytherapy with iridium and concomitant protracted venous infusion of 5-FU. 5-FU was then administered continuously through an ambulatory infusion pump until OLT. After irradiation, patients underwent an exploratory laparotomy to exclude metastatic disease. To date, 19 patients have been enrolled onto the study and have been treated with irradiation. Eight patients did not go on to OLT because of the presence of metastasis at the time of exploratory laparotomy (n = 6), subsequent development of malignant ascites (n = 1), or death from intrahepatic biliary sepsis (n = 1). Eleven patients completed the protocol with successful OLT. Except for 1 patient, all had early-stage disease (stages I and II) in the explanted liver. All patients who underwent OLT are alive, 3 patients are at risk at 12 months or less, and the remaining 8 patients have a median follow-up of 44 months (range, 17 to 83 months; 7 of 9 patients > 36 months). Only 1 patient developed tumor relapse. OLT in combination with preoperative irradiation and chemotherapy is associated with prolonged disease-free and overall survival in highly selected patients with early-stage cholangiocarcinoma.
Low Testosterone Has a Similar Prevalence among Men with Sexual Dysfunction Due to Either Peyronie's Disease or Erectile Dysfunction and Does Not Correlate with Peyronie's Disease Severity

Abstract Introduction Low testosterone (T) has been suggested as a risk factor for Peyronie's disease (PD) that may correlate with disease severity. Low T is common in men with sexual dysfunction but its role in the pathogenesis of PD remains unclear. Aim The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of low T ( Methods Retrospective review of 300 men with either PD or ED was conducted. Men were excluded for combined PD and ED, psychogenic ED, or prior T use. For men with PD, plaque size, degree of curvature, and surgical correction rate were compared. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measures were (i) mean T levels in men with PD or ED and (ii) plaque size, degree of curvature, and surgical correction rates among men with PD and either low T or normal T. Results Eighty‐seven men with PD and 98 men with ED were identified. Men with PD had mean total T and free T of 328 ng/dL and 11.5 ng/dL, while men with ED had mean levels of 332 ng/dL and 12.1 ng/dL, respectively ( P > 0.05). Of PD men, 52.9% had low T, compared with 45.9% of men with ED ( P = 0.35). T levels did not correlate with plaque size or degree of curvature in the PD group ( P > 0.05). Conclusions Men with sexual dysfunction characterized by either PD or ED had similarly low T levels, and low T did not correlate with PD severity or surgical correction rate. The comparable prevalence of low T in men with PD or ED suggests the high rate of low T in PD men may be related to a common process among men with abnormal erectile physiology and not specifically causative in plaque formation. Kirby EW, Verges D, Matthews J, Carson CC, and Coward RM. Low testosterone has a similar prevalence among men with sexual dysfunction due to either Peyronie's disease or erectile dysfunction and does not correlate with Peyronie's disease severity. J Sex Med 2015;12:690–696.
Domain studies in single-crystal ferrite MIG heads with image-enhanced, wide-field, Kerr microscopy

The magnetic domain structure at the media-facing surfaces of the single-crystal ferrite MIG heads is investigated using the magnetooptical Kerr effect. Domain behavior depends strongly on the stress state and surface treatment of the head. The pole tips display coercive zig-zag domain walls, which are nucleated at the gap by write current pulses. For the samples studied, nucleation and motion of these walls are different between heads which exhibit small secondary pulses in the read-back signal and heads which do not. >
How are terrestrial gamma ray flashes produced in thunderstorms

Terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) are intense bursts of gamma rays that originate in thunderstorms and last from a few tens of microseconds to a few milliseconds. First observed in the early 1990s, TGFs are the highest-energy natural phenomenon originating within Earth's atmosphere.
Method for three-dimensional visualization of neurodegeneration in cupric-silver stained serial rat brain slices

The spatial distribution of neurodegeneration in brains is difficult to visualize when working from 2-D serial slices. In studies where repetitive operant behavior measurements are made over several weeks following organic solvent exposure, definitive evidence of degeneration in brain structures may have been significantly cleared by the time the tissue is prepared histologically. The only remaining evidence that injury has occurred may be nothing more than neuronal and cellular debris. By choosing stains that are specific for this type of residual and/or indicative of specific pathology, a 3-D representation of the spatial distribution of the neuronal and cellular debris fields within the organ can be highlighted and displayed. We present a method for visualizing the spatial distribution of neuronal degeneration that can result from low-level organic solvent exposure scenarios. A cupric-silver stain highly specific for neuronal degeneration is used to identify neuronal debris fields in 73 serial slices of brains of rodents that were exposed to toluene vapors. Serial brain sections stained with cupric-silver are scanned at 600 dpi using a gray-scale protocol. Using commercially available software, scans are assembled into 3-D images showing both topographical and internal anatomical details. The reassembled images are further processed into stereo pairs. Gray-scale scans are compared to the original sections to establish gray-scale ranges for healthy and damaged tissue and artifact staining.
Loss of DJ-1 Does Not Affect Mitochondrial Respiration but Increases ROS Production and Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Opening

Background: Loss of function mutations in the DJ-1 gene have been linked to recessively inherited forms of Parkinsonism. Mitochondrial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress are thought to be key events in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Although it has been reported that DJ-1 serves as scavenger for reactive oxidative species (ROS) by oxidation on its cysteine residues, how loss of DJ-1 affects mitochondrial function is less clear. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) or brains from DJ-12/2 mice, we found that loss of DJ-1 does not affect mitochondrial respiration. Specifically, endogenous respiratory activity as well as basal and maximal respiration are normal in intact DJ-12/2 MEFs, and substrate-specific state 3 and state 4 mitochondrial respiration are also unaffected in permeabilized DJ-12/2 MEFs and in isolated mitochondria from the cerebral cortex of DJ12/2 mice at 3 months or 2 years of age. Expression levels and activities of all individual complexes composing the electron transport system are unchanged, but ATP production is reduced in DJ-12/2 MEFs. Mitochondrial transmembrane potential is decreased in the absence of DJ-1. Furthermore, mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening is increased, whereas mitochondrial calcium levels are unchanged in DJ-12/2 cells. Consistent with earlier reports, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is increased, though levels of antioxidative enzymes are unaltered. Interestingly, the decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potential and the increased mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening in DJ-12/2 MEFs can be restored by antioxidant treatment, whereas oxidative stress inducers have the opposite effects on mitochondrial transmembrane potential and mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Conclusions/Significance: Our study shows that loss of DJ-1 does not affect mitochondrial respiration or mitochondrial calcium levels but increases ROS production, leading to elevated mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and reduced mitochondrial transmembrane potential.
The University and the Responsible Conduct of Research: Who is Responsible for What?

Research misconduct has been thoroughly discussed in the literature, but mainly in terms of definitions and prescriptions for proper conduct. Even when case studies are cited, they are generally used as a repository of “lessons learned.” What has been lacking from this conversation is how the lessons of responsible conduct of research are imparted in the first place to graduate students, especially those in technical fields such as engineering. Nor has there been much conversation about who is responsible for what in training students in Responsible Conduct of Research or in allocating blame in cases of misconduct. This paper explores three seemingly disparate cases of misconduct—the 2004 plagiarism scandal at Ohio University; the famous Robert Millikan article of 1913, in which his reported data selection did not match his notebooks; and the 1990 fabrication scandal in Dr. Leroy Hood’s research lab. Comparing these cases provides a way to look at the relationship between the graduate student (or trainee) and his/her advisor (a relationship that has been shown to be the most influential one for the student) as well as at possibly differential treatment for established researchers and researchers-in-training, in cases of misconduct. This paper reflects on the rights and responsibilities of research advisers and their students and offers suggestions for clarifying both those responsibilities and the particularly murky areas of research-conduct guidelines.
Perioperative Care of the Immunocompromised Patient

ABSTRACT • IMMUNITY REFERS TO THE BODY'S capacity to resist invading organisms and toxins, thereby preventing tissue and organ damage. A patient whose immune system is impaired may be at higher risk for untoward perioperative events. • SOME POPULATIONS MOST AT RISK for immunocompromise include infants, geriatric patients, people who have undergone organ transplantation, and people with cancer. Patients who are immunocompromised have an increased risk for hypothermia, which can affect postoperative wound healing processes and can increase the risk of wound infection. • THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES a basic overview of the immune system, a discussion of common disorders and diseases of the immune system, and a guide for perioperative nurses to use when they care for a patient who is immunocompromised. AORN J 85 (March 2007) 544-560. © AORN, Inc, 2007.
Eye movements during listening reveal spontaneous grammatical processing

Recent research using eye-tracking typically relies on constrained visual contexts in particular goal-oriented contexts, viewing a small array of objects on a computer screen and performing some overt decision or identification. Eyetracking paradigms that use pictures as a measure of word or sentence comprehension are sometimes touted as ecologically invalid because pictures and explicit tasks are not always present during language comprehension. This study compared the comprehension of sentences with two different grammatical forms: the past progressive (e.g., was walking), which emphasizes the ongoing nature of actions, and the simple past (e.g., walked), which emphasizes the end-state of an action. The results showed that the distribution and timing of eye movements mirrors the underlying conceptual structure of this linguistic difference in the absence of any visual stimuli or task constraint: Fixations were shorter and saccades were more dispersed across the screen, as if thinking about more dynamic events when listening to the past progressive stories. Thus, eye movement data suggest that visual inputs or an explicit task are unnecessary to solicit analogue representations of features such as movement, that could be a key perceptual component to grammatical comprehension.
Genetic studies in NZB mice. I. Spontaneous autoantibody production.

The appearance of naturally occurring thymocytotoxic autoantibodies (NTA) and spontaneously produced antibodies to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was studied in NZB, and DBA/2 mice and their F1 and backcross progeny. NTA production was markedly decreased in males; however, castrated males produced quantities of NTA similar to those of females. Because the amount of NTA was influenced by sex hormones, it was necessary to gonadectomize all progeny to determine the mode of inheritance. Such studies suggested that NTA production was determined by a single locus with a gene dosage (codominant) mode of expression. The spontaneous production of antibodies to ssDNA appeared to be inherited as a single dominant genetic trait. The quantity of anti- ssDNA was also found to be under additional regulation; either a gene dosage effect or more likely a regulatory gene. The genes controlling the presence and quantity of ssDNA antibodies were not linked to the gene controlling the appearance of NTA.
Post-welfarist risk managers? Risk, crime prevention and the responsibilization of community-based organizations:

Numerous scholars have observed that neo-liberal rationalities have resulted in the replacement of interventionist State-run welfare initiatives with community-based risk managing schemes in a proc...
Strengthening Laboratory Services and Systems in Resource-Poor Countries

Medical and public health laboratory services are a critical component of a country’s national health system, as they are central in disease diagnosis, prevention, surveillance, treatment, and outbreak investigations. However, laboratory services and systems in resource-poor countries have been neglected and need to be strengthened to meet the goals of several major global health programs, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM); the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); the Millennium Development Goal for health; and the International Health Regulation. These goals require all countries to have the capacity to assess, detect, and report to the World Health Organization (WHO) any potential public …
ULTRASOUND FOR CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME SCREENING IN MANUAL LABORERS

Introduction: Manual laborers are at increased risk for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and a combination of history, physical examination, and nerve conduction studies is often used to screen for CTS in this population. Neuromuscular ultrasound may be a better screening tool, because it is painless. In this study we compare the accuracy of nerve conduction studies and ultrasound for CTS screening. Methods: Five hundred thirteen manual laborers were screened prospectively for CTS using nerve conduction studies and neuromuscular ultrasound, and the accuracy of the 2 techniques was compared using the Katz hand diagram as the diagnostic standard. Results: The ROC curves for the 2 techniques were not significantly different (P = 0.542), indicating that the approaches had similar diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions: Neuromuscular ultrasound is a painless technique that has diagnostic accuracy similar to nerve conduction studies and can be used to screen large populations at risk for CTS. Abbreviations CTS: carpal tunnel syndrome ROC: receiver operating characteristic
Fraudulent financial reporting, corporate governance and ethics: 1987‐2007

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review, critique, and integrate certain trends, events, and research streams involving earnings management, fraudulent financial reporting, corporate governance and ethics.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a brief history of relevant events and trends in financial reporting for the period 1987‐2007. Within this historical context, financial reporting and earnings quality are discussed from the academic and practitioner points of view. The influence of corporate governance and the role of ethics and behavior are introduced as part of an integrated discussion of academic and practitioner viewpoints of earnings management and fraudulent financial reporting. The last section of the paper provides final observations and recommendations for future research.Findings – The paper concludes that academic research in earnings management and fraudulent financial reporting has become increasingly narrow in addressing important issues and problems in practice.Res...
Something old is new again: airline–airport consortia and key stakeholder benefits

Although consortia in the aviation sector predate deregulation by decades, this type of cooperative agreement, particularly in the airline industry, is experiencing a resurgence of interest from industry participants and academia. Airlines are searching for new innovative ways to reduce costs while airports are searching for private partners to improve terminal facilities and equipment and update services. Passengers, on the other hand, continue to balance price versus performance in their travel experience. This empirical research study finds evidence of positive influences of airline consortia to all key stakeholders; however the majority of benefit appears to be felt by the airlines and the associated airport. It is still unclear how much benefit is passed on to the passenger. Regardless, research results clear a path for a better understanding of the positive results of consortia in this turbulent industry.
The photosphere - magnetic and dynamic state

The photosphere is essentially a relatively thin boundary layer between two fundamentally different plasma regimes. The solar interior is characterized by high density, high opacity, high $\beta $ and convective instability, whereas the outer solar atmosphere has the opposite properties. The convection in the interior provides the ultimate driving force for all of the dynamic and magnetic structure of the solar atmosphere, yet when we view the photosphere, we can observe only the upper boundary of the convection zone. Instead, we observe primarily its various after-effects: overshoot, wave propagation, and confinement of the magnetic field. These observable phenomena are described with a view toward diagnosing the essential physics above and below the photosphere. The convective modes, granulation and supergranulation, are reviewed briefly; the oscillatory modes are discussed in somewhat more detail. Finally, the magnetic structure of the photosphere is described.
High-speed I/O: the operating system as a signalling mechanism

The design of modern operating systems is based around the concept of memory as a cache for data that flows between applications, storage, and I/O devices. With the increasing disparity between I/O bandwidth and CPU performance, this architecture exposes the processor and memory subsystems as the bottlenecks to system performance. Furthermore, this design does not easily lend itself to exploitation of new capabilities in peripheral devices, such as programmable network cards or special-purpose hardware accelerators, capable of card-to-card data transfers.We propose a new operating system architecture that removes the memory and CPU from the data path. The role of the operating system becomes that of data-flow management, while applications operate purely at the signaling level. This design parallels the evolution of modern network routers, and has the potential to enable high-performance I/O for end-systems, as well as fully exploit recent trends in programmability of peripheral (I/O) devices.
Sucrose Permeability as a Marker for Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Gastroduodenal Injury: How Sweet Is It?

The authors report that sucrose is a novel permeability marker in the evaluation of proximal gastrointestinal (GI) injury. In patients undergoing endoscopy and in volunteers who were chronically taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the sucrose permeability test accurately identified patients with severe gastritis and gastric ulcer. The sucrose permeability test did not detect other types of proximal GI injury as reliably. Given the propensity of NSAIDs to cause upper GI injury, the authors suggest that this test can be used to identify people who might be at high risk from the sequelae of NSAID ingestion. This interesting marker deserves further evaluation in targeted prospective studies.
Microscopic Shape Memory and Superelastic Effects and Their Novel Tribological Applications

We provide an overview of our recent work on microscopic shape memory and superelastic effects and their tribological applications.
Factors Affecting Immunoreactive Thromboxane B2 in Kidney Transplant Patients

Immune responses involve activation of blood elements such as lymphocytes, granulocytes, monocytes, and platelets. Activation of these cells entail formation of thromboxane A2 TXA2 and other metabolites of arachidonic acid. 1–5 The site of the immunological response in renal transplantation is the allograft. Consequently, the arachidonate products are also likely to be of renal origin and may be reflected in the urine. Thus the monitoring of urine for thromboxane, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins may reflect the immunological reaction. Moreover, since the early events in cell activation involve arachidonate release and metabolism, these products should provide an early indicator of increased activation. Recently we have observed increased urinary thromboxane B2 concentrations during human kidney allograft rejection.6
Moderate Aortic Valvular Insufficiency Invalidates Vortex Formation Time as an Index of Left Ventricular Filling Efficiency in Patients With Severe Degenerative Calcific Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement.

Objective Transmitral blood flow produces a vortex ring (quantified using vortex formation time [VFT]) that enhances the efficiency of left ventricular (LV) filling. VFT is attenuated in LV hypertrophy resulting from aortic valve stenosis (AS) versus normal LV geometry. Many patients with AS also have aortic insufficiency (AI). The authors tested the hypothesis that moderate AI falsely elevates VFT by partially inhibiting mitral leaflet opening in patients with AS. Design Observational study. Setting Veterans Affairs medical center. Participants Patients with AS in the presence or absence of moderate AI (n = 8 per group) undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) were studied after institutional review board approval. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Under general anesthesia, peak early LV filling (E) and atrial systole (A) blood flow velocities and their corresponding velocity-time integrals were obtained using pulse-wave Doppler transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to determine E/A and atrial filling fraction (beta). Mitral valve diameter (D) was calculated as the average of major and minor axis lengths obtained in the midesophageal bicommissural (transcommissural anterior-lateral-posterior medial) and LV long-axis (anterior-posterior) TEE imaging planes, respectively. VFT was calculated as 4·(1-beta)·SV/πD3, where SV = stroke volume measured using thermodilution. Hemodynamics, diastolic function, and VFT were determined during steady-state conditions before cardiopulmonary bypass. The severity of AS (mean and peak pressure gradients, peak transvalvular jet velocity, aortic valve area) and diastolic function (E/A, beta) were similar between groups. Moderate centrally directed AI was present in 8 patients with AS (ratio of regurgitant jet width to LV outflow tract diameter of 36±6%). Pulse pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure were elevated in patients with versus without AI, but no other differences in hemodynamics were observed. Mitral valve minor and major axis lengths, diameter, and area were reduced in the presence versus the absence of AI. VFT was increased significantly (5.7±1.7 v 3.2±0.6; p = 0.00108) in patients with AS and AI compared with AS alone. Conclusion Moderate AI falsely elevates VFT in patients with severe AS undergoing AVR by partially inhibiting mitral valve opening. VFT may be an unreliable index of LV filling efficiency with competitive diastolic flow into the LV.
Intestinal obstruction in murine schistosomiasis japonica.

During the course of a study of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis, intestinal obstruction was observed incidentally in 80% of mice infected for 40 weeks with 1 worm pair of a Formosan strain of Schistosoma japonicum and in 60% of mice similarly infected with a Philippine strain. The cause of the obstruction was a localized thickening of the intestinal wall due to masses of parasite eggs and the host granulomatous and fibrotic reaction to them. This penchant of the S. japonicum worms to remain relatively localized is in marked contrast to the continual migration of the Schistosoma mansoni worms as they deposit their eggs. These observations have clinical implications, as schistosomiasis japonica has been reported to be one of the important causes of bowel obstruction in endemic areas in China, and cerebral schistosomiasis caused by this parasite is usually related to the postmortem finding of localized masses of eggs in the brain.
Insulator-to-metal transition and correlated metallic state of V 2 O 3 investigated by optical spectroscopy

The optical properties of V${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$ thin films are investigated across the insulator-to-metal transition and in the metallic state. The spectral weight transfer observed across the transition, over an energy scale of 5 eV, is consistent with the Mott-Hubbard model for correlated electron systems. In the metallic phase, a strong Drude peak is observed, which exhibits a pronounced temperature dependence related to the transfer of states from the Hubbard bands to the quasiparticle peaks as the temperature is reduced. The analysis of the far-infrared spectra reveals signatures of strong electronic correlations in V${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$. Finally, a comparison to VO${}_{2}$ data is presented.
A Parataeniella (Trichomycetes, Eccrinales) in an Isopod

SUMMARYA new species of the fungus order Eccrinales (Trichomycetes), Parataeniella armadillidii, is described and illustrated, attached to the chitinous lining of the hindgut of the pillbugs Armadillidium vulgare and A. nasatum (Isopoda) in Kansas. This is the first species of Parataeniella reported outside of Europe. A significant feature of the genus is the conversion of the entire unbranched and nonseptate thallus into a single sporangium producing numerous uninucleate spores. In this respect Parataeniella resembles the ectocommensal Trichomycete genus Amoebidium (Amoebidiales), but Parataeniella produces no amoeboid cells and has other reproductive features characteristic of the Eccrinales.
The Twig Wasp of Cork Oak—Its Biology and Control

Cork oak ( Quercus suber L.), the principal source of commercial cork, was introduced to this country in 1858 from acorns sent from Spain. For Many years no pests were noted. In 1918 the twig wasp Plagiotrochus suberi Weld, not described until 1926, was observed injuring the tree in California. It has since become a pest, particularly when the cork oak is planted as an ornamental or shade tree. The larvae feed within a jellylike matrix in the small twigs. The resulting dead twigs on the infested trees present an unsightly, brushy appearance. The wasp has 1 generation a year. The agamic females emerge from the twigs via a small round hole in May. They are very weak fliers and remain close to the twigs on which they originated. Oviposition is in the twig growth of the previous year. The eggs hatch in late summer and the larvae develop slowly, pupating the following April. The insect has been found in Switzerland and Portugal (where it probably originated) only in the past few years. The time and manner of introduction into California are not known. In North America the wasp is found only in California. Only moderate control has been obtained with sprays of lindane and carbaryl directed against the adult stage. A European aphid, Myzocallis borneri Stroyan , is now a pest of the cork oak in California. This record is new Other insect pests of the tree in this country are of very minor importance.
Youth Programs of the ESA: Special-Interest Exploring in Entomology

An interest survey of high-school-age boys was made by the Institute for Social Research of the University of Michigan for the Boy Scouts of America. This survey showed 14- to 16-year-old boys to be more concerned about truly important things in life than we perhaps realize. Most of the boys (58%) said that taking on responsibility made them feel important and useful. Education and jobs are foremost in their minds, as 83% wanted to know more about vocations and career training. To obtain these objectives 94% wanted expert adult guidance.