cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Model of Mastery Motivation for At-Risk Preschoolers.

The authors empirically tested a theoretical model of mastery motivation with 169 4-year-old African American at-risk children and their parents. The authors hypothesized that (a) parent characteristics (exogenous variables of education, income, and global self-efficacy) would predict parenting beliefs and parent-child relationships, (b) parenting beliefs and parent-child relationships would predict children's mastery, and (c) children's mastery would predict academic gains from pretest to posttest. The results showed that parents' education predicted parenting beliefs, parents' global self-efficacy predicted parenting beliefs and parent-child relationships, parenting beliefs predicted parent-child relationships, parent-child relationships predicted children's mastery, and children's mastery predicted children's performance on achievement tests controlling for pretest differences. This research provides support for the contention that motivational patterns develop early as a function of family variables and have the potential to influence academic success. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Voltage interaction between sarcolemma and junctional SR membrane

A computer model, based on the electric field model for propagation in cardiac tissue, was developed to examine the possible interactions between the cell surface and the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (J-SR) at the cell diads (regions where the SR membrane comes in close proximity to the cell membrane). The surface sarcolemmal membrane (SL) of the cell was modeled as 5 sections (units 1-5) of excitable membrane, conforming to a Hodgkin-Huxley kinetic model as modified by D. Noble for purkinje fibers. The J-SR was modeled as a tubular ring (1 @mm-wide) around the perimeter of the cell, composed of two parallel membranes: one membrane (unit 6) apposed to the SL and the other membrane (unit 7) further from the SL. These two concentric rings of excitable membrane were modeled as a torus inside the cylindrical cell. The seven units were connected by a resistive network. The equivalent circuit for this model was solved numerically on an IBM-AT compatible computer. For stimulation, a 2 mA/cm^2 current pulse was applied to unit 1 for 0.5 msec, and the voltages of all the units were monitored. Under our standard conditions, an action potential (AP) initiated at unit 1 propagated immediately to unit 2, then to units 4 and 5. Unit 3, the surface membrane directly opposed to the J-SR, fired after a slight delay. There was a further delay from the time unit 3 fired until J-SR units 6 and 7 fired. The total delay from the first surface unit of the cell to the J-SR units under standard conditions was 1.13 msec. We believe the transfer of excitation from the surface of the cell to the SR occurs due to current flow through the J-SR units 6 and 7 when surface unit 3 is firing. Since the gap between unit 6 and 3 is very narrow (e.g., ca 150 A), the shunt resistance for current flowing between these membranes is very high, thus current is forced to flow through units 6 and 7. This current hyperpolarizes unit 6, but depolarizes unit 7 to threshold causing it to fire an AP, which then propagates to unit 6. Increased sodium conductance in the SR facilitates propagation, as does a decrease in the thickness of the gap between the surface and J-SR membranes. An increase in the surface area of J-SR unit 7 slowed propagation. Thus any organelle which is physically located in very close proximity to the surface membrane will ''hear'' the electrical activity that occurs in the surface membrane. This model could lead to new insights into the calcium release process in muscle during excitation-contraction coupling, and other signal transduction processes.
Netrin-1 abrogates ischemia/reperfusion-induced cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction via nitric oxide-dependent attenuation of NOX4 activation and recoupling of NOS.

Abstract Despite an established role of mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, the upstream activators have remained incompletely defined. We have recently identified an innovative role of exogenously applied netrin-1 in cardioprotection, which is mediated by increased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Here, we tested the hypothesis that this “pharmacological” treatment of netrin-1 preserves mitochondrial function via novel mechanisms that are NO dependent. Freshly isolated C57BL6 mouse hearts were perfused using a Langendorff system, and subjected to a 20 min global ischemia/60 min reperfusion, in the presence or absence of netrin-1. I/R induced marked increases in infarct size, total superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production, activity and protein abundance of NADPH oxidase (NOX) isoform 4 (NOX4), as well as impaired mitochondrial integrity and function, all of which were attenuated by netrin-1. This protective effect of netrin-1 is attributed to cGMP, a downstream effector of NO. The protein levels of NOX1 and NOX2 were however unaffected, and infarct size from NOX1 and NOX2 knockouts was not different from wild type animals. Scavenging of NO with PTIO reversed inhibitory effects of netrin-1 on NOX4, while NO donor attenuated NOX4 protein abundance. In vivo NOX4 RNAi, or sepiapterin perfusion, resulted in recoupling of NOS, decreased infarct size, and blockade of dysfunctional mitochondrial swelling and mitochondrial superoxide production. These data demonstrate that netrin-1 induces cardioprotection through inhibition of NOX4 activity, which leads to recoupling of NOS, augmented NO bioavailability, reduction in oxidative stress, and ultimately preservation of mitochondrial function. The NO-dependent NOX4 inhibition connects with our previously established pathway of DCC/ERK1/2/eNOS/NO/DCC feed-forward mechanism, to maintain NOS in the coupling state to attenuate oxidative stress to preserve mitochondrial function. These findings may promote development of novel therapeutics for cardiac I/R injury. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Mitochondria: From Basic Mitochondrial Biology to Cardiovascular Disease”.
Unusual finding of the craniocervical junction.

The authors report a rare anomaly of the upper cervical spine. After an automobile accident, an 8-year-old child underwent CT of the head. Imaging showed a bony anomaly of the neck that was further imaged with thin cuts through the atlas and axis. This demonstrated an unfused anterior arch of the atlas and fusion of the odontoid process to the anterior arch of the atlas. Neurologically, the child is normal with no decreased range of motion about the cervical spine. After a review of the literature, this seems to be only the sixth reported case. Clin. Anat. 18:449–451, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mediator is a transducer of amyloid-precursor-protein-dependent nuclear signalling

Regulated intramembrane proteolysis of the amyloid precursor-protein (APP) produces both a characterstic amyloid-β peptide that contributes to neuritic plaque formation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer disease and a small APP intracellular domain (AICD) that transcriptionally activates genes implicated in Alzheimer disease pathology. Although the biochemical events leading to amyloidogenic APP processing at the cell membrane have been described in detail, comparably little is known about the mechanistic basis of AICD-dependent gene regulation in the nucleus. In this study, we show that the AICD activates transcription by targeting MED12, an RNA polymerase II transcriptional Mediator subunit that is implicated in human cognitive development. The AICD binds to MED12/Mediator in vitro and in vivo. Disruption of the AICD/MED12 interaction inhibits AICD transactivation potential and expression of AICD target genes. Mediator, in a MED12-dependent manner, occupies only AICD-bound promoter DNA, indicating that the AICD recruits Mediator to activate transcription. These results identify the MED12 interface in Mediator as a crucial transducer of AICD transactivation and a potential therapeutic target in Alzheimer disease.
Predicting the survival of bladder carcinoma patients treated with radical cystectomy

BACKGROUND Clinical outcomes vary for patients treated with radical cystectomy. The authors sought to identify factors associated with the survival of patients treated with radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder. METHODS The authors studied 218 patients treated with radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma between 1980 to 1984. Patient ages ranged from 41 to 78 years (mean, 64 years). Using the 1997 TNM system, T classifications were Ta (17 patients), T1 (44), T2 (71), T3a (42), T3b (14), T4a (28), and T4b (2). Thirty-two patients had lymph node metastasis at the time of surgery. Histologic grade was determined according to the newly proposed World Health Organization and International Society of Urological Pathology grading system; tumor was low grade in 43 patients and high grade in 175. The male-to-female ratio was 4.9 to 1. The mean follow-up of patients still alive was 13.1 years (median, 13.8 years; range, 30 days to 18 years). Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the impact of numerous clinical and pathologic findings on survival. RESULTS Ten-year local recurrence free, distant metastasis free, cancer specific, and all-cause survival were 71%, 73%, 67%, and 41%, respectively. In univariate analysis, cancer size, T classification, and lymph node status were associated with distant metastasis free, cancer specific, and all-cause survival. Histologic grade and surgical margin status were significantly associated with worse cancer specific and all-cause survival, but not with distant metastasis free survival. In multivariate analysis, cancer size, margin status, T classification, and lymph node status were identified as significantly associated with cancer specific survival after adjustment for age and gender. CONCLUSIONS Long term survival is achieved in a significant number of patients treated with radical cystectomy. In this study, patients with organ-confined (≤ pT2) and small size (≤ 3 cm) cancer had favorable 10-year distant metastasis free (93%) and cancer specific survival (88%) after cystectomy. Tumor size, margin status, extravesical involvement, and lymph node metastasis are important pathologic factors and should be considered as stratification variables in identifying patients for whom adjuvant chemotherapy should be evaluated in clinical trials. Cancer 2000;88:2326–32. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Thermal Noise in Precision Rotors

A first, simple theory of thermal fluctuations of ideal rigid rotors is presented, along with some representative measurements and analysis of a real rotor. The ideal rotor has a power spectrum of fractional frequency fluctuations with two regions. At low frequency it is flat, and at high frequency it varies as ω-2. A related measure, the level of fluctuations as a function of measuring time (the Allan variance), is presented. Our present magnetically suspended rotors are shown to have an excess noise amplitude of about 104 times the ideal level. "Electronic cooling" by feedback can provide great improvement in both the noise amplitude and spectral behavior of the ideal rotor.
Bioenergetics-based modeling of individual PCB congeners in nestling tree swallows from two contaminated sites on the Upper Hudson River, New York

A bioenergetics-based model was used to simulate the accumulation of total PCBs and 20 PCB congeners by nestling tree swallows at two contaminated sites on the Upper Hudson River, New York. PCB concentrations in birds were calculated as the sum of inherited residues and those acquired through consumption of contaminated insects. Close agreement between simulations and measured residues in 5-, 10-, and 15-day-old nestlings was obtained when PCB concentrations in the diet were set equal to those in food boli taken from adult birds. These simulations were further optimized by fitting the value of a dietary assimilation efficiency constant. Fitted constants for both sites were similar and averaged about 0.7. An evaluation of model performance for individual congeners provided no evidence of metabolic biotransformation. The results of this study are consistent with a companion effort in which principal components analysis was used to compare PCB congener patterns in insects and in tree swallow eggs, nestlings, and adults. Together, these studies establish a quantitative linkage between nestling tree swallows and the insects that they consume and provide strong support for the use of nestling swallows as a biomonitoring species for exposure assessment.
Total aganglionosis of the colon: recognition and management.

Abstract Total megacolon (aganglionosis of the entire colon) has been recognized with increasing frequency. It is, though not common, more unrecognized than extremely rare. 1 There have been only sporadic reports of successfully treated cases; the most acceptable method has been ileostomy, with ileoproctostomy at a later stage. The mortality is very high. Bodian, Carter, and Ward in 1951 reviewed 160 cases of Hirschsprung's disease. 2 Of theses, 8.8 per cent were atypical, 2 per cent were total. They collected 14 long segment variants, 13 died, most of them in the first month of life. Bodian reported one case of aganglionosis disease from the duodenojejunal junction to the anus. Potts had 2 similar cases. 3 Zuelzer and Wilson reported 2 cases of total Hirschsprung's disease (20 per cent of their series). 4 All succumbed in early infancy. Sandegard reported in 1953 the first instance of total aganglionic colon treated successfully. 5 Swenson and Fisher in 1955 had 2 patients, 6 and Swenson added more in 1959. The incidence of total Hirschsprung's disease was 2.5 per cent. Dorman reported three successfully treated cases in 1967 7 and Edelman reported two more in 1960. 8 Five other cases have been reported by other authors since 1960. 9–11 At Texas Children's Hospital up to 1967 there have been 87 patients with typical aganglionic disease of the distal colon and 13 with Hirschsprung's disease of the entire colon. Twelve of the 13 patients with total megacolon were operated upon. Seven recovered, 2 of whom succumbed to unrelated causes.
Comparative carbon footprint assessment of winter lettuce production in two climatic zones for Midwestern market

The following study assesses cold-season hoop house lettuce production in the context of local food systems’ relative environmental effects. For this purpose, we compare the carbon footprints of leaf lettuce production in two climatic zones, one close to the consumer market and one distant, via environmental impact modeling in SimaPro 7.3. A site-specific scenario is first detailed with organic leaf lettuce locally grown in an East Lansing, Michigan hoop house. This is compared to a hypothetical scenario, modeled using average industry data, with leaf lettuce conventionally grown in California then shipped to East Lansing. The system boundaries used in this analysis extend from manufacturing of farm production inputs to a hypothetical retail gate. We assumed that the consumer drove the same distance to the retailer in each case. The functional unit used is 1 kg of leaf lettuce. Results demonstrate that the distant system exhibits 4.3 times the CO2 ‘footprint’ per kg of lettuce. This nonlocal system also resulted in higher resource depletion, health impact and ecological damage potential as demonstrated via the SimaPro simulation. This study concludes that unheated, hoop house lettuce production, given the assumption on within-area travel, has a smaller carbon footprint than outdoor, distant production, and speaks to both the potential value of more localized food systems and the need for a more diverse set of scenario modeling to understand the boundaries of this value.
Explaining neoclassical economists' pro-growth agenda: does the popular Solow growth model bias economic analysis?

The Solow model concludes that long-run growth depends on technological progress, which is taken by neoclassical economists as suggesting there are no limits to growth because humanity’s capacity to think and expand knowledge is unlimited. This paper develops a two-sector Solow model consisting of natural and economic sectors, and it demonstrates that continued rapid growth is not inevitable and an economic collapse is possible. The logical application of the Solow model thus does not provide a justification for continuing the energy-based technological change and economic growth we have experienced over the past two centuries.
The normal (transverse) impregnation of liquids into axially oriented fiber bundles

Abstract A model for the transverse (normal) impregnation of viscous liquids into a regular hexagonally packed fiber lattice is developed. The calculations take into account the continuous and discontinuous changes in the capillary pressure as the contact line penetrates into the fiber matrix. The rates of impregnation are calculated as a function of the liquid contact angle, viscosity, and interfacial tension, as well as the fiber radius and the fiber to fiber separation. The model predicts normal impregnation rates which are up to two orders of magnitude slower as compared with axial impregnation in the same fiber matrix.
A versatile method of discrete convolution and FFT (DC-FFT) for contact analyses

The fast Fourier transform (FFT) technology has been introduced into the process of contact analyses. However, a problem may occur at the borders of the domain due to a periodic error involved. In order to obtain reasonable results, an expedient treatment requires a computational physical domain much larger than the target domain at the cost of calculation efficiency. This paper studies the source of the error and investigates the methods that can help avoid this error and improve the efficiency. Discrete convolution and FFT (DC-FFT) is first adopted instead of the method of continuous convolution and Fourier transform for the contact problems. A few approaches based on the DC-FFT method are presented and numerical results are compared.
Teachers View Students: an Attitude Assessment Through Personality Profiles:

The attitudes of 52 evening college faculty members at three state universities were obtained through their descriptions of an ideal college student and a typical adult evening college student on an adjective check list. Results were reported in terms of per sonality profiles of the two student types, and significant differ ences were found on 19 of the 22 experimental scales used for analysis of the data. These faculty members had a generally less favorable attitude toward adult students than they had toward their ideal conception of a college student. Therefore, the general purposes of the study were achieved. Faculty attitudes could be assessed by means of a personality inventory, which discriminated between relevant concepts, and some expected differences between these concepts were found.
Hydrogen fluoride elimination from fluoroalkanes and fluoroalkenes: energy partitioning and thermochemistry

Abstract HF elimination from vibrationally excited CH 2 CHF, CH 2 CF 2 , CH 3 CH 2 F and CH 3 CHF 2 molecular ions and some of their associated fragment ions has been studied by ion kinetic energy spectrometry. It is shown how the results may be used to correct fragment ion enthalpies determined using threshold measurements. The systems studied included both endothermic and exothermic reactions. Energy partitioning patterns have been established and the fluoroalkane cases show similarities both to the corresponding neutral reactions and to four-centered elimination of HCl from chloroalkane molecular ions. On the other hand, the fluoroalkene ions are sharply distinguished in that they partition larger fractions of the available energy as translational energy. The results are discussed in terms of the energy requirements for the forward and reverse reactions and in terms of the properties of the activated complexes.
A Mechanism for the Upregulation of EGF Receptor Levels in Glioblastomas

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a GTP-binding protein/acyltransferase whose expression is upregulated in glioblastoma and associated with decreased patient survival. Here, we delineate a unique mechanism by which tTG contributes to the development of gliomas by using two glioblastoma cell lines, U87 and LN229, whose growth and survival are dependent on tTG. We show that tTG significantly enhances the signaling activity and lifespan of EGF receptors (EGFRs) in these brain cancer cells. Moreover, overexpressing tTG in T98G glioblastoma cells that normally express low levels of tTG caused a marked upregulation of EGFR expression and transforming activity. Furthermore, we show that tTG accentuates EGFR signaling by blocking c-Cbl-catalyzed EGFR ubiquitylation through the ability of tTG to bind GTP and adopt a specific conformation that enables it to interact with c-Cbl. These findings demonstrate that tTG contributes to gliomagenesis by interfering with EGFR downregulation and, thereby, promoting transformation.
1024 PENICILLIN HYPERSENSITIVITY IN CHILDREN GIVEN PENICILLIN OR PLACEBO AT BIRTH

Penicillins are frequently used in neonates; however, the potential for inducing hypersensitivity is unknown. Subjects participated in a placebo-controlled trial of parenteral penicillin prophylaxis of neonatal streptococcal disease 2 years earlier. Parents were interviewed to determine allergic history and antibiotic use. Sera from the 2 year olds were tested for IgG and/or IgE antibody to benzylpenicilloyl antigen(BPO) by radioimmunoprecipitation and RAST, respectively. Half the infants in each group had received a β-lactam antibiotic since the injection at delivery. Possible β-lactam allergic reactions occurred in approximately 10% of each group. Food allergies were reported more often in placebo recipients (23 of 220 vs. 14 of 200, p=.02). IgG-BPO was found in 3 of 61 penicillin and 4 of 46 placebo recipients who later received β-lactam therapy. None of the IgG-BPO positive sera contained IgE-BPO. Additional, randomly selected IgG-BPO negative sera were also negative for IgE-BPO. IgG-BPO was present in only one child with no known laterβ-lactam exposure. Early exposure to a single dose of parenteral penicillin does not appear to predispose to subsequent penicillin allergy in the first 2 years of life.
Determining pulmonary resistance to gas flow during sinusoidal pressure wave mechanical ventilation.

Standard techniques for measuring pulmonary resistance (RP) to gas flow in newborn infants yield results that are widely dispersed and difficult to interpret. The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate a new improved method for determining RP which utilizes a sinusoidal pressure wave generator. Measurements of respiratory flow rate and transpulmonary pressure were made in cats 1) breathing spontaneously, 2) mechanically ventilated with a time-cycled pressure-limited ventilator, and 3) mechanically ventilated with a sinusoidal pressure wave delivered to the airways. RP values were calculated using 2 methods: 1) at midinhalation (RPI) and midexhalation (RPE), and 2) at iso-volume times during inhalation and exhalation (RP(iso-V)). During spontaneous breathing, RP values were 65 +/- 16 (mean +/- SE), 90 +/- 23 and 78 +/- 27 cm H2O/L . sec for RPI, RPE, and RP(iso-V), respectively. Mechanical ventilation yielded RP values of 35 +/- 4 and 124 +/- 26 cm H2O/L . sec for RPI and RPE, respectively. During sinusoidal airway pressure ventilation, standard errors were reduced; PP values were 33 +/- 4, 54 +/- 6, and 42 +/- 4 cm H2O/L . sec for RPI, RPE, and RP(iso-V), respectively. The use of the sinusoidal pressure wave generator smoothed the pressure-flow data and improved the quality of RP determinations. Coefficients of variation were reduced by 45%. The methods used are simple to apply and may make the determination of RP in ICU patients more practical.
H2+ embedded in a Debye plasma: Electronic and vibrational properties

Abstract The effect of plasma screening on the electronic and vibrational properties of the H 2 + molecular ion was analyzed within the Born–Oppenheimer approximation. When a molecule is embedded in a plasma, the plasma screens the electrostatic interactions. This screening is accounted in the Schrodinger equation by replacing the Coulomb potentials with Yukawa potentials that incorporate the Debye length as a screening parameter. Variational expansions in confocal elliptical coordinates were used to calculate energies of the 1 s σ g and 2 p σ u states over a range of Debye lengths and bond distances. When the Debye length is comparable to the equilibrium bond distance, the dissociation energy is reduced while the equilibrium internuclear separation is increased. Expectation values, static dipole polarizabilities and spectroscopic constants were calculated for the 1 s σ g state.
Comparison of EPI and psychoticism scales with measures of the five-factor model of personality

Abstract The need for a comprehensive model of personality traits acceptable to the entire community of personality researches has often been acknowledged. In this article, two such models are compared. Eysenck scales measuring neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism and lie are correlated with self-report and peer-rating measures of the five-factor model—neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness—in a sample of adult men and women. Findings suggest that: (1) neuroticism and extraversion factors from the two systems match well; (2) sociability and impulsivity are distinguishable traits, but both fall within the broad domain of extraversion; (3) the EPI L scale measures aspects of several substantive traits rather than a response bias; (4) openness to experience is not well-represented in the Eysenck system; and (5) psychoticism corresponds most closely to the low poles of agreeableness and conscientiousness.
The Scientific Contributions of William Weber Coblentz

A brief review of the early training and graduate work of Coblentz is given, and then a discussion is made of the major researches he carried out. These researches were on the absorption spectra of gases, liquids, and solids, a determination of blackbody constants from experimental measurements, the calibration of radiant energy of a lamp in absolute units, the measurements of the radiant energy from stars and planets; the discovery of infrared photosensitive materials, the determination of the distribution of ozone in the atmosphere, the calibration of sources and detectors in the ultraviolet region, and the measurement of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun It is pointed out that Coblentz was a pioneer in many of these fields and that there was a lapse of many years from the time of his work until other scientists saw the importance and usefulness of it.
ON THE INTERACTION OF ADENINE WITH IONIZING RADIATION: MECHANISTICAL STUDIES AND ASTROBIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

The molecular inventory available on the prebiotic Earth was likely derived from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial sources. A complete description of which extraterrestrial molecules may have seeded early Earth is therefore necessary to fully understand the prebiotic evolution which led to life. Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are expected to cause both the formation and destruction of important biomolecules-including nucleic acid bases such as adenine-in the interstellar medium within the ices condensed on interstellar grains. The interstellar ultraviolet (UV) component is expected to photochemically degrade gas-phase adenine on a short timescale of only several years. However, the destruction rate is expected to be significantly reduced when adenine is shielded in dense molecular clouds or even within the ices of interstellar grains. Here, biomolecule destruction by the energetic charged particle component of the GCR becomes important as it is not fully attenuated. Presented here are results on the destruction rate of the nucleobase adenine in the solid state at 10 K by energetic electrons, as generated in the track of cosmic ray particles as they penetrate ices. When both UV and energetic charged particle destructive processes are taken into account, the half-life of adenine within dense interstellar clouds is found to bemore » {approx}6 Myr, which is on the order of a star-forming molecular cloud. We also discuss chemical reaction pathways within the ices to explain the production of observed species, including the formation of nitriles (R-C{identical_to}N), epoxides (C-O-C), and carbonyl functions (R-C=O).« less
Land Developability: Developing an Index of Land Use and Development for Population Research

This research proposes an approach for linking land use and development to population data by using the ModelBuilder function of ArcGIS. The layers of land use and development are aggregated into a single raster layer representing undevelopable lands. The layer of undevelopable lands in pixels is then aggregated to political or geographical areas from which a Developability Index representing the proportion of lands available for development can be derived. The index can then be linked to population data for demographic research. For demonstration purposes, the proposed approach is used to generate a Land Developability Index for all minor civil divisions of Wisconsin, USA, in 2001. This approach and the generated land developability are useful for studying the relationship between land use and development and population dynamics based on political or geographical areas.
Dysregulation of the Immune Response in Severe Sepsis

Sepsis is systemic expression of a generalized activation of the host's innate immunity as a result of varied types of insults. This expression involves a cellular inflammatory response that has both proinflammatory and antiinflammatory components, the primary trigger for which is an intracellular oxidative stress, induced by receptor-mediated transmembrane signal transduction or direct noxious injury. Sepsis reflects the interaction between pro- and anti-inflammatory intracellular mechanisms, the uncontrolled activation of which leads to cell exhaustion, organ dysfunction, and death. Successful clinical trials of novel treatments for the management of severe sepsis share a common ability to down-regulate this overall response, restoring normal proinflammatory responsiveness and mitochondrial energetic function.
Small effects in β-decay studies of the conserved vector current

The inclusion of certain small higher-order effects in the analysis of β-decay is shown to have negligible effects on the conclusions drawn about the conserved vector current theory of weak interactions. The same is true of the value of the weak coupling constant as determined from nuclear β-decay.
TIME-RESOLVED RESONANCE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY AT LOW TEMPERATURE. THE EXCITED-STATE METAL-METAL STRETCHING FREQUENCY OF RH2(TMB)42+ (TMB = 2,5-DIMETHYL-2 ,5-DIISOCYANOHEXANE)

The excited-state metal−metal stretching frequency of the bridged binuclear complex Rh_2(TMB)_4^(2+) (TMB = 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-diisocyanohexane) obtained from time-resolved resonance Raman spectra is 151 cm^(-1), as compared to 50 cm^(-1) in the ground state, indicating a much stronger Rh−Rh bond in the excited state than in the ground state. The key experimental innovation was lowering the solution sample temperature to just above the glass transition to increase the excited triplet state lifetime relative to the laser pulse width.
Analytic approach to auroral electron transport and energy degradation

Abstract The interaction of a beam of auroral electrons with the atmosphere is described by the linear transport equation, encompassing discrete energy loss, multiple scattering and secondary electrons. A solution to the transport equation provides the electron intensity as a function of altitude, pitch angle (with respect to the geomagnetic field) and energy. A multi-stream (discrete ordinate) approximation to the transport equation is developed. An analytic solution is obtained in this approximation. The computational scheme obtained by combining the present transport code with the energy degradation method of Swartz (1979) conserves energy identically. The theory provides a framework within which angular distributions can be easily calculated and interpreted. Thus, a detailed study of the angular distributions of “non-absorbed” electrons (i.e., electrons that have lost just a small fraction of their incident energy) reveals a systematic variation with incident angle and energy, and with penetration depth. The present approach also gives simple yet accurate solutions in low order multi-stream approximations. The accuracy of the four-stream approximation is generally within a few per cent, whereas two-stream results for backscattered mean intensities and fluxes are accurate to within 10–15%.
Uroplakin as a marker for typing metastatic transitional cell carcinoma on fine‐needle aspiration specimens

BACKGROUND Immunohistological markers specific for a single type of epithelium are rare. Recently, urothelium tissue-specific genes were cloned. The genes encoded a family of transmembrane proteins, uroplakins, that are expressed only in urothelial mucosa. Using uroplakin antibodies on paraffin-embedded tissue, a previous study demonstrated positive staining in 66% of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cases and negative staining in all other tumors (including breast, ovarian, lung, and gastrointestinal carcinomas) tested. The current study addresses the diagnostic value of uroplakins in conventional fine-needle aspiration (FNA) material in establishing a diagnosis of metastatic TCC. METHODS Representative slides from 27 FNA cases of metastatic TCC and 52 non-TCC carcinomas were collected. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase method was utilized, using polyclonal antiuroplakin as the primary antibody on 95% ethanol-fixed, Papanicoloau-stained direct smears. RESULTS Twenty-five of 27 metastatic TCC cases (93%) were found to stain positively for uroplakin with a superficial membrane/microluminal staining pattern. A few cells with diffuse membranous staining also were noted in 48% of the positive metastatic TCC cases. The superficial membrane/microluminal staining pattern was not observed in any of the non-TCC carcinomas. However, approximately 6% of these cases (3 of 52 cases) did show rare tumor cells with diffuse membranous staining. CONCLUSIONS The application of uroplakin antibodies to 95% ethanol-fixed FNA direct smears has improved the sensitivity of the antibody for metastatic TCC while maintaining a specificity comparable to that of paraffin-embedded tissue. The authors believe that these antibodies have diagnostic potential in cytopathology in the evaluation of metastatic TCC. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2001;93:216–221. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Intraventricular conduction abnormalities in patients with clinically suspected myocarditis are associated with myocardial necrosis

Twenty-nine patients with suspected myocarditis, either with or without intraventricular conduction abnormalities, were investigated for degree of myocardial necrosis by antimyosin scintigraphy. Among those 29 patients, 16 had intraventricular conduction abnormalities. Antimyosin scans were analyzed for heart/lung ratios and semiquantitative visual uptake scores (0 to 4+ scale). Of the 16 patients with conduction abnormalities, 15 (94%) demonstrated visual antimyosin uptake versus 7 (54%) of 13 cases without conduction abnormalities (p < 0.03). In addition, the heart/lung ratios and uptake scores were significantly higher in the group with conduction abnormalities than in the group without (1.64 +/- 0.31 vs 1.39 +/- 0.20, p < 0.03; and 2.3 +/- 0.7 vs 1.4 +/- 0.7, p < 0.005; respectively). In conclusion, intraventricular conduction abnormalities in patients with suspected myocarditis were more strongly associated with active and more severe myocardial necrosis as judged by antimyosin imaging than patients with normal electrocardiograms.
Spatial heterogeneity and critical patch size: Area effects via diffusion in closed environments.

Abstract We describe a class of mathematical models for critical patch size in which the mechanisms inducing area effects are based on source–sink population dynamics arising from dispersal throughout a closed, finite, but spatially heterogeneous environment. Our models are reaction–diffusion equations, but unlike classical KISS models for area effects they do not assume that there is dispersal across the boundary of the environment into a hostile exterior. We observe that simple rescaling has the same effects in our models as in KISS models and hence predicts the same sort of area effects, but that other sorts of rescaling may not predict area effects. The models considered here provide an alternative to the KISS models used in our previous work on species–area relationships in island biogeography.
Application of inverse heat-conduction problems in experimental investigations of the heat exchange of casting units of furnaces

The use of the method of solving inverse heat-conduction problems yielded data on nonsteady heat exchange of the casting unit of furnaces.
Effect of pesticides on liver cholinesterases from rabbit, pigeon, chicken, sheep and pig.

Abstract The effect of twelve different pesticides, including carbamates, chlorinated hydrocarbons and organophosphorus compounds, on liver enzymes isolated from rabbit, pigeon, chicken, sheep, and pig is reported. The cholinesterases from these sources were inhibited at very low concentrations by the organophosphorus pesticides DDVP, Paraoxon, Parathion. and methyl Parathion. None of these enzymes was inhibited by any of the chlorinated pesticides, and pigeon and sheep liver cholinesterase were not inhibited by Sevin. Some selectivity of the enzyme systems for the determination of pesticides is possible.
Trends in theoretical plant epidemiology

We review trends and advances in three specific areas of theoretical plant epidemiology: models of temporal and spatial dynamics of disease, the synergism of epidemiology and population genetics, and progress in statistical epidemiology. Recent analytical modelling of disease dynamics has focused on SIR (susceptible–infected–removed) models modified to include spatial structure, stochasticity, and multiple management-related parameters. Such models are now applied routinely to derive threshold criteria for pathogen invasion or persistence based on pathogen demographics (e.g., Allee effect or fitness of fungicide-resistant strains) and/or host spatial structure (e.g., host density or patch size and arrangement). Traditionally focused on the field level, the scale of analytical models has broadened to range from individual plants to landscapes and continents; however, epidemiological models for interactions at the cellular level, e.g., during the process of virus infection, are still rare. There is considerable interest in the concept of scaling, i.e., to what degree and how data and models from one scale can be transferred to another (smaller or larger) scale. Despite assertions to the contrary, the linkages between epidemiology and population genetics are alive and well as exemplified by recent efforts to integrate epidemiological parameters into population genetics models (and vice versa) and by numerous integrated studies with an applied focus (e.g., to quantify sources and types of primary and secondary inoculum). Statistical plant epidemiology continues to rely heavily on the medical and ecological fields for inspiration and conceptual advances, as illustrated by the recent surge in papers utilizing ROC (receiver operating characteristic), Bayesian, or survival analysis. Among these, Bayesian analysis should prove especially fruitful given the reliance on uncertain and subjective information for practical disease management. However, apart from merely adopting statistical tools from other disciplines, plant epidemiologists should be more proactive in exploring potential applications of their concepts and procedures in rapidly expanding disciplines such as statistical genetics or bioinformatics. Although providing the scientific basis for disease management will always be the raison d’etre for plant epidemiology, a broader perspective will help the discipline to remain relevant as more resources are being devoted to genomic and ecosystem-level science.
Different noses for different mice and men

Chemosensory receptor genes encode G protein-coupled receptors with which animals sense their chemical environment. The large number of chemosensory receptor genes in the genome and their extreme genetic variability pose unusual challenges for understanding their evolution and function. Two articles in BMC Genomics explore the genetic variation of chemosensory receptor gene repertoires in humans and mice and provide unparalleled insight into the causes and consequences of this variability.
Imaging Properties of Three-Dimensional Pupils

Three-dimensional pupils present new opportunities for optical design, including controlled shift variance, depth selectivity, and dispersion. We present analytical and numerical studies of the impulse response of 3D pupils and discuss implications for computational imaging.
The Effect of Nω-Nitro-L-Arginine Methylester on Hypoxic Vasoconstriction in the Neonatal Pig Lung

ABSTRACT: This study was carried out to determine the influence and site of action of N-nitro-L-arginine methylester, an L-arginine analogue, on basal pulmonary vascular tone and hypoxic vasoconstriction in neonatal pig lungs. We studied isolated lungs from pigs, age 14.5 ± 0.5 (SD) d and weight 3.6 ± 0.7 kg, perfused with autologous blood at a constant flow rate. The arterial-venous occlusion method was used to determine sites of action upstream and downstream of the double occlusion pressure (Pd) during baseline, infusion of acetylcholine, and ventilation of the lung with a hypoxic gas mixture. The measurements were then repeated during the three conditions described above after adding N-nitro-L-arginine methylester, a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, to the blood. During control conditions, the vascular resistance was almost evenly divided upstream and downstream of Pd. Infusion of acetylcholine resulted in downstream dilation, and hypoxia resulted in an increase in both upstream and downstream resistance. After adding N-nitro-L-arginine methylester to the blood, there was an increase in both upstream and downstream resistances; acetylcholine infusion resulted in an increase in total vascular resistance, which was entirely due to upstream constriction; and the hypoxia response was much larger both upstream and downstream of Pd. These results suggest that nitric oxide synthase helped maintain a low level of basal pulmonary vascular tone both upstream and downstream of Pd in these neonatal pig lungs; that the vascular effect of acetylcholine was changed from downstream dilation to upstream constriction by N-nitro-L-arginine methylester; and that nitric oxide synthase activity modulated both the upstream and downstream vasomotor response to hypoxia.
Brain expansion in the chick embryo initiated by experimentally produced occlusion of the spinal neurocoel

The brain expands in the early chick embryo from pressure generated by accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a closed neural tube. The sealing of the neural tube occurs as the result of occlusion of the spinal neurocoel rostral to and before closure of the posterior neuropore. We have previously demonstrated the dependence of normal brain expansion upon intraluminal pressure. We had yet to demonstrate, however, that brain expansion actually depends upon natural occlusion of the spinal neurocoel. To demonstrate such dependence, we experimentally occluded the spinal neurocoels of embryos 5 hr younger than stage 11 embryos (in which occlusion of the neurocoel occurs naturally). The stage 10 chick embryos were cultured ex ovo and critically staged, and their spinal neurocoels were occluded using microcautery. All embryos were photographed immediately and at 5, 12, and 24 hr after cautery. Serial sections were made of selected embryos, in which the areas of both the brain and the head were measured. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum nonparametric tests, Hodges-Lehmann estimators, bootstrapping techniques, and resampling randomization tests were used to determine whether the increases in the brain and head areas for the experimental embryos were significantly different from those of the control embryos during three distinct intervals of expansion: 0-5, 5-12, and 0-12 hr. From 0 to 5 hr, the brains of the precociously occluded embryos expanded significantly more than the brains of the non-occluded controls. From 5 to 12 hr, the brains of the embryos with naturally occluded neurocoels grew significantly larger than the brains of the embryos with precociously occluded neurocoels. At 12 hr, there appeared to be no difference in brain size for these two groups. We conclude that the data support the hypothesis that brain expansion is directly dependent upon occlusion of the spinal neurocoel.
Direct versus indirect effects of habitat reduction on the loss of avian species from tropical forest fragments

Tropical forest fragments typically decrease in avian diversity at rates inversely related to area. However, the mechanisms by which area reduction drives avian species loss remain poorly understood. Changes in habitat area may directly lead to species loss through stochastic fluctuations of reduced populations. Alternatively, area-dependent changes in top-down and bottom-up processes associated with fragmentation may indirectly lead to accelerated avian extinctions. For example, on land-bridge islands in Lago Guri, Venezuela, fragmentation has resulted in complex changes in the biotic environments through altered abundances of nest predators and generalist herbivores. Using path analysis, we quantified the relative importance of these indirect versus direct effects of area reduction on the rates of avian species loss from 11 fragments during the period 1993–2003. Area reduction had a direct effect on species loss but this was relatively minor compared with indirect effects, especially those mediated through changes in herbivore abundances: species loss was slowed on islands occupied by hyperdense howler monkeys and accelerated on islands with leaf-cutter ants but lacking howlers. The effects of herbivores on bird species loss are likely indirect and resulting from bottom-up processes. The primacy of indirect effects at Lago Guri suggests that the loss of species from forest fragments may be driven by active biotic processes (i.e. changes in trophic structure) and is not only a passive response to reduction in habitat area per se. These findings have important implications for the design and management of reserves aimed at protecting birds and other threatened species.
CHELATION THERAPY FOR IRON OVERLOAD: NURSING PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Many diseases of the blood are treated with blood transfusion therapy. Chronic transfusions can cause iron overload, and, if untreated, can cause end-organ damage. Chelation therapy provides a way of treating iron overload and minimizing its adverse effects. Nurses need to understand that iron overload is a consequence of chronic blood transfusion, and they need to know what effects it has on end organs and what treatment options are available.