cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk of Psychiatric Adverse Events Among Montelukast Users

Background There have been conflicting results from observational studies regarding the risk of psychiatric adverse events (PAEs) with montelukast use. Objective To determine whether there are associations of depressive disorders, self-harm, and suicide with use of montelukast compared with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use. Methods Using data from the Sentinel Distributed Database from January 1, 2000, to September 30, 2015, patients (n = 457,377) exposed to montelukast or ICS, aged 6 years and older with a diagnosis of asthma, were matched 1:1 on propensity scores. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated for each study outcome overall and by age, sex, psychiatric history, and pre-/post-2008 labeling updates using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results Exposure to montelukast was associated with a lower risk of treated outpatient depressive disorder (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.89-0.93). No increased risks of inpatient depressive disorder (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.90-1.24), self-harm (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.69-1.21), or self-harm using a modified algorithm (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.63-1.05) were observed with montelukast use compared with ICS use. Most PAEs occurred in the roughly one-third of patients having a past psychiatric history. Conclusions When compared with use of ICS, we did not find associations between montelukast use and hospitalizations for depression or self-harm events. Our findings should be interpreted considering the study's limitations. Psychiatric comorbidity was common, and most PAEs occurred in patients with a past psychiatric history.
Adipose Derived Cellular Therapies–Arthroscopic Approaches

As biologic treatments for a variety of medical conditions become more commonly utilized, the utilization of autologous tissues for orthopaedic conditions has increased. In particular, human adipose derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (ADSC) therapies have become increasingly popular over the past decade. The ability to utilize a patient's own homologous tissue, with minimal manipulation, and improve the biologic environment of the diseased tissue, has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of patients. ADSCs are readily harvested from several easily accessible patient sites, including the subcutaneous tissue via simple lipoaspiration, as well as the infrapatellar fat pad via standard arthroscopic techniques. Moving forward, it remains paramount to continue to study ADSCs as a biologic therapeutic, better understand how to safely process this tissue once harvested, and determine which patient/pathology is best suited for injection or implantation.
Geographic variation of mercury in breeding tidal marsh sparrows of the northeastern United States.

Saltmarsh sparrows (Ammospiza caudacuta) and seaside sparrows (A. maritima) are species of conservation concern primarily due to global sea-level rise and habitat degradation. Environmental mercury (Hg) contamination may present additional threats to their reproductive success and survival. To assess site-specific total mercury (THg) exposure and identify environmental correlates of THg detection, we sampled blood from adult male saltmarsh and seaside sparrows at 27 sites between Maine and Virginia, USA. The mean THg concentration (±1 SD) throughout the entire sampling range was 0.531 ± 0.287 µg/g wet weight (ww) for saltmarsh sparrows and 0.442 ± 0.316 µg/g ww for seaside sparrows. Individual THg concentrations ranged from 0.135–1.420 µg/g ww for saltmarsh sparrows and 0.153–1.530 µg/g ww for seaside sparrows. Model averaging from a suite of linear mixed models showed that saltmarsh sparrows averaged 20.1% higher blood THg concentrations than seaside sparrows, potentially due to differences in diet or foraging behavior. We found no evidence for a relationship between sparrow THg concentrations and land cover surrounding sampled marshes or average precipitation-based Hg deposition. Overall, our results suggest considerable, unexplained variation in tidal marsh sparrow blood THg concentrations over their co-occurring breeding ranges.
Psychological risks to mother-infant bonding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the association between mental health symptoms, along with psychological experiences and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related concerns, and self-reported maternal-infant bonding experiences of postpartum women. Methods Using data collected from May 19 to August 17, 2020, this cross-sectional online study assessed 429 women to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women during the postpartum period. Enrolled respondents were asked to participate in a 30-45-min online survey about COVID-19-related experiences, pregnancy, stress, and well-being. Results Postpartum women's depressive symptoms were related to lower quality maternal-infant bonding, but the anxiety symptoms were not associated with bonding. Maternal self-efficacy, but not social support, was associated with mothers' higher quality of maternal-infant bonding. COVID-19-related grief was significantly associated with lower quality bonding. On the other hand, COVID-19-related health worries were associated with higher quality of maternal-infant bonding. Conclusions We describe potential psychological risk factors to maternal-infant bonding among postpartum women during the pandemic period. To best support the medical and psychological well-being of the mothers and infants, enhanced interdisciplinary partnerships among perinatal healthcare professionals involved in primary and/or specialty care is needed. Impact Unique COVID-19-related health and grief concerns exist, with implications for maternal-infant bonding. Depression but not anxiety is associated with lower maternal-infant bonding. Caregiving confidence, but not social support, is associated with higher maternal-infant bonding. It is critical to screen for postpartum depression and COVID-19-related grief during maternal follow-up and pediatric visits. Study findings inform and prioritize pediatric interventions toward enhancing maternal-infant bonding during the COVID-19 era.
Religion and the Environment

This chapter addresses the study of religionand the environment by focusing on lived religion and the ways in which people are shaped by, and draw on, religious resources in their understandings of, and interactions with, the environment. The review is organized around three areas of focus based on current literature and prospects for future research: (1) Religion as meaning systems and the “worldviews” it creates. (2). Religion as practices intertwined with the practices of everyday life and the meanings people attach to them. (3) The study of religious ecology including the circumstances, material and otherwise, in which specific religious expressions emerge and the conditions to which they respond. Combined, the accounts surveyed make visible how lived religion morphs through time and in relation to people’s interactions with the environment in both latent and manifest ways. They demonstrate the powerful effect religion continues to exert on environmentalism and ideas about ‘nature’, even though new modalities are not always religions in the conventional sense. And they speak to the ways in which religion is drawn through specific practices and processes as people interact with the environment, and reciprocal effects of the environment on religious practices and institutions.
Interoperable resource brokering with policy-based provisioning and job allocation

The increasing needs for computational power in areas such as weather simulation, genomics or Internet applications have led to sharing of geographically distributed and heterogeneous resources from commercial data centers and scientific institutions. Research in the areas of utility, grid and cloud computing, together with improvements in network and hardware virtualization has resulted in methods to locate and use resources to rapidly provision virtual environments in a flexible manner, while lowering costs for consumers and providers. However, there is still a lack of methodologies to enable efficient and seamless sharing of resources among institutions. In this work, we concentrate in the problem of executing parallel scientific applications across distributed resources belonging to separate organizations. Our approach can be divided in three main points. First, we define and implement an interoperable grid protocol to distribute job workloads among partners with different middleware and execution resources. Second, we research and implement different policies for virtual resource provisioning and job-to-resource allocation, taking advantage of their cooperation to improve execution cost and performance. Third, we explore the consequences of on-demand provisioning and allocation in the problem of site-selection for the execution of parallel workloads, and propose new strategies to reduce job slowdown and overall cost.
Overview of Buried Pipelines Under Seismic Loading

Damage and response behavior of buried lifelines, such as submerged tunnels and gas, water, and sewer distribution lines, subjected to earthquakes are reviewed. Current design practice, analysis procedures, code provisions, and the latest published research are considered. Damage surveys indicate that pipelines with flexible joints (rubber gasket), buried in uniform firm soil experience less damage during earthquakes. The seismic response behavior is governed by the displacements of the ground. Ductility to allow pipeline movement is the most important factor in designing such systems. Various passive design practices, such as carefully selecting site locations, ductile pipeline materials, and providing fail-safe systems are presently being used to mitigate the effects of earthquakes. There are no code provisions in the United States to design buried lifelines for seismic loads. Engineers and researchers are working toward developing seismic design codes for buried pipelines.
A Practical Reliability Evaluation of Embedded Avionic Software

The implementation of multiple microprocessor based flight control systems has provided new highs of hardware reliability. Current design goals for system reliability are in the order of 10 to 50 thousand hours. The need to consider failure of software in the system MTBF calculations has arisen, even though software doesn't "fail" in the traditional hardware sense. The current state of the art in software reliability prediction badly lags that of the hardware sense. The current approach is to use multiple independently developed, software programs to eliminate the generic software fault in multi-processor systems. A side effect is to increase the cost of the software portion of a system. The General Electric Aerospace Control Systems Department has developed several flight control programs that have been in service for years, and some system failure data is examined in detail with respect to software faults. The results show that reliable software systems can be met with well tested and maintained single software designs. After one million flight hours in the field, one system exhibits continued reliability growth, with ten thousand hours MTBF for the software. The failures were all non-critical and include incorrect requirements as well as design and implementation errors. Over sixty percent of the failures were traced to incorrect requirements. The implementation of a reliable, well tested single software design system is a cost effective alternative to costly multiple "independent" program developments. Recent developments show unexpected correlation of errors in independently developed software designs, reducing expected improvements in reliability. This, coupled with the significant portion of errors imbedded in requirements, points toward well tested single software designs as a method of meeting software reliability requirements. Current FAA certification philosophy is open-minded on the single software design approach.
Nonlinearity parameter B/A of the low?salinity seawater

The theoretically and experimentally determined values of the nonlinearity parameter B/A, reported in the literature, were obtained predominantly for high-salinity seawater. This work contains the experimental and theoretical investigation results of nonlinearity for low-salinity seawater, especially for the Baltic Sea. The theoretical method represents a thermodynamic approach. It is based on the variation orthe sound velocity with changes in pressure, temperature and salinity. Annual changes orthe nonlinearity parameter B/A in the South Baltic are determined by means of this method. The experimental method was based on the distortion of the finite amplitude sine wave emitted by a piston acoustic source. The growth of the second harmonic component is measured using a circular receiver which is coaxial with the source. In order to determine the B/A parameter, the experimental measurements were compared to the theoretical results which incorporated the nonlinear parameter. Measurements were carried out in several points of the South Baltic. The investigation results agree well in most cases. To achieve satisfactory accuracy, it is necessary to take into account the effects orboth the diffraction and attenuation on the second harmonic amplitude by interpretating the measurement results.
Differential effects of interleukin-4 in peptide induced autoimmunity

Abstract BALB/c mice immunized with multimeric DWEYSVWLSN develop IgG1 anti-DNA antibodies and glomerular immunoglobulin deposits, leading us to investigate the role of IL-4 in this model of antigen induced lupus. Splenocytes from DWEYSVWLSN immunized mice secreted IL-4 but not γ-interferon. Following peptide immunization, IgG1 anti-peptide and anti-DNA antibodies were significantly higher in IL-4 wild type mice, while IgM and IgG3 anti-DNA levels were significantly higher in IL-4 knockout mice. Titers of IgG anti-laminin and anti-histone, but not anti-Sm/RNP and anti-cardiolipin antibodies, were significantly higher in the IL-4 wild type group. Glomerular immunoglobulin deposition was substantially decreased in IL-4 knockout mice. We conclude that while IL-4 does not materially affect the generation of some autoantibody responses associated with peptide induced autoimmunity, IL-4 deficiency inhibits kidney immunoglobulin deposition. The effect of IL-4 on humoral autoimmunity in lupus is complex, and is dependent on genetic background, the antigenic trigger and stage of disease.
A Decade of Research: Assessing Change in the Technical Communication Classroom Using Online Portfolios

Over a period of 10 years, we have developed a sustainable process of online portfolio assessment that demonstrates both reliability and validity, using both qualitative and quantitative measures. The sustainable cycle is that, each semester, we assess a random sampling of the students' work that they have posted, as per our instructions, in an online portfolio. During the reading, the faculty score the documents for 11 variables, including writing, content, audience awareness, and document design. We achieved validity by a modified online Delphi that led to a redefinition of the construct of technical communication itself; we achieved reliability by adjudication resulting in adjacent scores. The results of our assessment meet the requirements of ABET and result in a continual cycle of improvement for our technical communication curriculum. Results from three semesters show an improving correlation between the course grade and the overall, holistic portfolio score.
An interactive tool for extremely dense landmarking of faces

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a tool that provides a GUI for generating a ground truth for landmark positions for 2D images used in computer vision applications. Further, we demonstrate via a case study that this tool greatly improves manual landmarking in the case of extremely dense (more than 250 points per images) annotation of face images with a factor of two speed up. Moreover the tool incorporates workflow technology capable of allowing multiple land-markers to work on the same set of images and for quality assurance checks. We are in the process of making this tool freely available to researchers from academia.
Case Report: Loss of Pubic and Axillary Hair Following Treatment with Glucocorticoids

A woman with prior bilateral oophorectomy developed loss of pubic and axillary hair following treatment with glucocorticoids. Serum androgens were low while cortisol and aldosterone levels were normal. This unusual presentation, which continued for at least 3 years, was most likely attributable to the prolonged selective suppression of adrenal androgens by glucocorticoids.
People's Rights: A Guide to ACLU Handbooks

Individual rights as a part of our common heritage has evolved from the philosophies of Locke, Voltaire, and the declarations of the French and American Revolutions. The basic rights of liberty, free speech, religion, worship, the right to be innocent until proven guilty are a basic principle of the freedom to which we all subscribe.
Pancreatitis is frequent among patients with side-branch intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia diagnosed by EUS

Background Because of greater recognition and improved imaging capabilities, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are being diagnosed with increasing frequency. IPMNs of the main pancreatic duct cause symptoms and lead to pancreatitis. Side-branch (SB) IPMNs are thought to cause symptoms less frequently, and their association with pancreatitis is not well defined. Objective Our purpose was to ascertain whether an association exists between SB-IPMN and pancreatitis. Design Single-center, retrospective study. Setting Academic medical center. Patients A total of 305 patients underwent EUS examinations between October 2002 and October 2006 for pancreatic cystic lesions. Main Outcome Measurement The main outcome measure was the frequency of acute or chronic pancreatitis that was not procedurally related. Results Thirty-two patients had SB-IPMNs, and 11 (34%) had pancreatitis. Three patients reported a single episode, and 8 patients reported having recurrent episodes of pancreatitis. Overall, 17 (53%) patients had symptoms possibly attributable to SB-IPMN. Female sex (73% vs 38%) and multiple pancreatic lesions (54% vs 24%) were more commonly seen in those with pancreatitis, but were not statistically significant factors. Larger cyst size or cyst fluid marker levels did not appear associated with pancreatitis occurrence. EUS-FNA demonstrated communication with the pancreatic duct in 94% and thick, mucinous fluid in 84%. Limitations Single-center, retrospective study. Conclusions Pancreatitis was frequently associated with the presence of SB-IPMNs in our referral practice. SB-IPMNs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with recurrent pancreatitis with cystic lesions seen on imaging studies. EUS-FNA was the most useful modality in helping to differentiate SB-IPMNs from other lesions.
The Political Implications of Higher Turnout

Rich Americans, far more likely to vote than their poorer fellow citizens, also differ in how they vote and what policies they favour. These undisputed facts lead to the widespread belief ‘that if everybody in this country voted, the Democrats would be in for the next 100 years.’ The gist of this conclusion, which seems to follow ineluctably from our opening sentence, is accepted by almost everyone except a few empirical political scientists. Their analyses of survey data show that no objectively achieved increase in turnout – including compulsory voting – would be a boon to progressive causes or Democratic candidates. Simply put, voters' preferences differ minimally from those of all citizens; outcomes would not change if everyone voted. John Kenneth Galbraith, Interview in California Monthly, February 1986, p. 11.
Light-saturated photosynthesis — Limitation by electron transport or carbon fixation?

Abstract The minimal turnover time, τ, for in vivo electron transport from water to CO 2 , was calculated from oxygen flash yields and steady-state light-saturated photosynthetic rates in the marine chlorophyte, Dunaliella tertiolecta , cultured at different growth irradiance levels. As cells adapted to lower growth irradiance levels, τ increased from 3.5 to 14.5 ms, in parallel with increases in the contents of chlorophyll a , Photosystem II, PQ, cytochrome b 6 f , Photosystem I and thylakoid surface density. Thus, at all growth irradiance levels examined, the relative proportion of these membrane-bound electron-transport components remained constant. However, the cellular pool size of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, determined by radioimmunoassay, was independent of growth irradiance. Hence the ratio of the enzyme to electron-transport chain components varied between 4.8 and 1.2 as a function of growth irradiance levels. The change in this ratio was related quantitatively to the minimal turnover time of electron transport from water to carbon dioxide. Taking into account thylakoid surface density, cellular contents of electron-transport components and diffusion coefficient of plastoquinol, a diffusion time of 2.3 ms was calculated for transport of PQH 2 from Photosystem II to cytochrome b 6 f . This rate is 1.5- to 13-times faster than τ. The data strongly suggest that under nutrient saturated conditions the absolute rate of light-saturated photosynthesis is limited by carbon fixation rather than electron transport. It is predicted, however, that in cells grown above 3000 μmol quanta per m 2 per s, electron transport rather than carbon fixation would become the rate-limiting step of light saturated photosynthesis.
Expression of leptin-like peptide (LLP) mRNA in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is induced by exposure to Edwardsiella ictaluri but is independent of energy status.

Leptin is a key pleiotropic cytokine involved in regulation of energy homeostasis and immunity in mammals. In channel catfish, the presence of a partial messenger RNA sequence that encodes a leptin-like peptide (LLP) has been identified and investigated. The objectives of the present studies were to clone and characterize full-length catfish LLP gene, examine tissue expression of LLP mRNA, and determine effects of prolonged fasting and exposure to Edwardsiella ictaluri (E. ictaluri), the bacteria that causes enteric septicemia in catfish, on LLP mRNA expression. Full-length catfish LLP gene was sequenced by genome walking and by 5 0 - and 3 0 -RACE. Catfish LLP gene contained three exons with the coding region located in exons 2 and 3. The amino acid sequence of the channel catfish LLP shared very low sequence similarities with leptin of other fish species or the mammalian leptin (24–49%). Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, LLP mRNA expression was detected in various tissues including brain, stomach, spleen, heart, liver, and trunk kidney and was especially high in the liver and trunk kidney. Expression of LLP mRNA in liver and brain was similar between fish that were fasted for 30 days and those that received feed daily for 30 days (P > 0.10). Expression of LLP mRNA was increased in liver, spleen, and trunk kidney within 48 h post-exposure to E. ictaluri compared to unexposed fish (P < 0.05). Based on the results of the current studies, amino acid sequence of catfish LLP is highly dissimilar to mammalian and fish leptin. Unlike in most mammals, catfish LLP expression is independent of energy status. However, the expression of catfish LLP is increased after exposure to pathogenic bacteria, which is similar to mammals. Further investigations are required to clearly define the biological function and regulation of catfish LLP.
A double Metropolis–Hastings sampler for spatial models with intractable normalizing constants

The problem of simulating from distributions with intractable normalizing constants has received much attention in recent literature. In this article, we propose an asymptotic algorithm, the so-called double Metropolis–Hastings (MH) sampler, for tackling this problem. Unlike other auxiliary variable algorithms, the double MH sampler removes the need for exact sampling, the auxiliary variables being generated using MH kernels, and thus can be applied to a wide range of problems for which exact sampling is not available. For the problems for which exact sampling is available, it can typically produce the same accurate results as the exchange algorithm, but using much less CPU time. The new method is illustrated by various spatial models.
Probing hydrophobic interactions using trajectories of amphiphilic molecules at a hydrophobic/water interface.

Individual molecules of fluorophore-labeled alkanoic acids with various chain lengths, BODIPY−(CH2)n−COOH (abbreviated as fl-Cn), were observed to adsorb and move at the methylated fused silica−water interface as a function of temperature using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. The statistical analysis of squared-displacement distributions indicated that the molecular trajectories were consistent with a diffusive model involving two intertwined modes. The slower mode, typically responsible for <50% of the molecular diffusion time, had a diffusion coefficient of <0.005 μm2/s and could not be distinguished from the apparent motions of immobilized molecules because of the limitations of experimental resolution. The faster mode exhibited diffusion coefficients that increased with temperature for all chain lengths, permitting an Arrhenius analysis. Both the effective activation energies and kinetic prefactors associated with the fast-mode diffusion coefficients increased systematically with ch...
Waveguide integrated Microstrip patch antenna at THz frequency

A novel technique to feed a microstrip patch antenna at terahertz (THz) frequency is discussed. To feed the Microstrip patch antenna, the waveguide impedance transformer has been used. The analysis shows that with the help of the waveguide transformer, the impedance of the antenna and the guide can be matched. This paves the way for realizing patch antenna at THz frequency using a practical excitation method.
The conference on precision electromagnetic measurements

The character and scope of the biennial Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements (CPEM) are described. Some of its history is recounted and its increasing international coverage is noted.
CORRECTING OVERBINDING IN LOCAL-DENSITY-APPROXIMATION CALCULATIONS

We introduce a semiempirical method to correct the systematic equilibrium lattice parameters underestimation present in first principles calculations based on the local density approximation. The method consists in performing calculations under a negative pressure such that the calculated equilibrium volume matches the experimentally observed one. We find that elastic properties obtained under these conditions are typically in better agreement with experiment. We also observe that the negative pressure which needs to be applied to crystalline compound can be reliably interpolated by taking the concentration-weighted average of the pressures determined from pure crystals made of each of the elements present in the compound. In a large class of materials, the knowledge of one pressure per element is thus sufficient to correct most of the bias in lattice constants and elastic properties. We finally propose a simple model of the nonlocal contribution to the exchange-correlations energy that is able to explain the observed linear dependence between the required negative pressure and concentration.
Spectral Sensitivity to Light of Two Species of Ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae)

Plots of electroretinogram (ERG) responses of adult American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), and camel ticks, Hyalomma dromedarii Koch, to monochromatic light were unimodal, with peaks at 510 and 470 nm, respectively. Peak eye sensitivities to wavelength were the same at 22 and 29°C, but, for D. variabilis , the ERG responses (millivolts per nanowatt) to wavelengths between 350 and 450 nm were higher at 29°C. Waveforms were characterized by a large negative voltage when the eye was initially exposed to the light stimulus, followed by a correspondingly large positive voltage after the light was turned off. Subsequent exposures of the eye to 0.16-s flashes of light at 0.16-s intervals produced ERG voltages of only about half the amplitude of those produced by the initial exposure. H. dromedarii consistently produced ERG voltage 3- to 10-fold higher than did D. variabilis , and produced faster “on/off” responses. Behavioral bioassays confirmed that both species responded more strongly to blue and green light than to red light. Both the ERG and behavioral bioassay of H. dromedarii showed a positive logarithmic relationship between tick response and radiance. Even red wavelengths were seen when radiance was sufficiently high. With H. dromedarii , the ERG responses to all 15 tested wavelengths between 350 and 650 nm could be visually matched by varying the radiance of 466 nm, indicating that the camel tick possesses a monochromatic receptor system.
Acute infusion of nicotine potentiates norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction in the hamster cheek pouch.

Although cigarette smoking and the components of cigarette smoke appear to alter nitric oxide synthase–dependent dilation of blood vessels, the effect of these substances on constrictor responses of resistance arterioles has not been examined. Thus the goal of this study was to examine the effect of a major component of cigarette smoke—that is, nicotine—on constrictor responses of cheek pouch arterioles. The diameter of cheek pouch arterioles (~50 μm in diameter) was measured by using intravital microscopy. We examined the responses of arterioles to angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, norepinephrine, and the thromboxane analog U-46619 before and after treatment with vehicle (saline solution), NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L -NMMA; 1.0 μmol/L), or nicotine (2.0 μg/kg/min IV for 30 minutes followed by a maintenance dose of 0.35 μg/kg/min for 30 minutes). Topical application of angiotensin II (0.01 and 0.1 nmol/L), arginine vasopressin (1.0 and 10 pmol/L), norepinephrine (1.0 and 10 nmol/L), and U-46619 (0.01 and 0.1 nmol/L) produced marked reproducible constriction of cheek pouch arterioles in hamsters treated with vehicle. Topical application of L -NMMA potentiated constrictor responses of arterioles to the high dose of arginine vasopressin (28% ± 4% versus 36% ± 4%; P < .05) and to both doses of norepinephrine (14% ± 1% and 24% ± 2% versus 19% ± 1% and 31% ± 3%; P < .05). The infusion of nicotine did not alter responses to angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, or U-46619 but modestly potentiated vasoconstriction in response to norepinephrine (12% ± 2% and 22% ± 2% versus 14% ± 2% and 26% ± 2%; P < .05). These findings suggest that the synthesis/release of nitric oxide may modulate constrictor responses of cheek pouch resistance arterioles to selected agonists. In addition, nicotine, at levels observed in smokers, may potentiate norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction. We suggest that preservation/potentiation of vasoconstrictor responses may contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular abnormalities associated with cigarette smoking. (J Lab Clin Med 1999;133:48-54)
Nephrotoxin exposure in utero reduces glomerular number in sclerosis-prone but not sclerosis-resistant mice.

Nephrotoxin exposure in utero reduces glomerular number in sclerosis-prone but not sclerosis-resistant mice. Background We have previously found that nephron number was not fixed, that is, there was a direct correlation between low birth weight and decreased nephron number in infants. In sclerosis-prone rats, we found that gentamicin exposure in utero induced a reduction in glomerular number and aggravated glomerulosclerosis in adults. In mice, we found that an inborn 50% reduction in nephron number, caused by the Os muta- tion, was associated with glomerulosclerosis in sclerosis-prone (ROP+/+) mice, but not in sclerosis-resistant (C57BL/6J) mice. Because the genetic background determined the response to decreased nephron number, we asked whether the susceptibility changes in glomerular number and glomerulosclerosis were linked. Methods Gentamicin was administered before and after the onset of fetal nephrogenesis. ( 1 ) Prior to the onset of nephrogenesis, two groups of pregnant mice were treated from embryonic day (E) E8 to E12. In group A, early glomerular development was studied by placing ureteric ridges removed on E12 in vitro for four days, following which the ureteric bud branches and glomeruli were counted using lectin staining. In group B, nephron number was determined in spontaneously delivered 14-day-old (14PN) pups by counting glomeruli. ( 2 ) After the onset of nephrogenesis, to determine the direct effects of gentamicin on nephron induction, ureteric ridges were placed in organ culture at E12 of normal gestation, in the presence or absence of gentamicin. The number of glomeruli and ureteric bud branches were counted after six days in culture. Results A decrease in glomerular number and ureteric bud branches was observed in sclerosis-prone (ROP+/+) mice, irrespective of whether gentamicin was administered prior to or after the onset of nephrogenesis. Glomerular number and ureteric bud branching were not decreased by gentamicin in sclerosis-resistant (C57BL/6) mice. Conclusions These data provide evidence that there is a positive correlation between the susceptibility to glomerulosclerosis in adulthood and a reduction in nephron number in utero . Thus, exposure to nephrotoxins in utero compounds the risk of renal failure as an adult in sclerosis-prone individuals.
Specific Mutations Near the Amino Terminus of Double-stranded RNA-dependent Protein Kinase (PKR) Differentially Affect Its Double-stranded RNA Binding and Dimerization Properties

The amino-terminal region of the double-stranded (ds) RNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR, has been shown to mediate both dsRNA binding and protein dimerization. To critically examine if PKR dimerization is dependent on dsRNA binding, we generated a series of mutants that are incapable of binding dsRNA. Some, but not all, of these mutants retained the ability to dimerize, as shown by a two-hybrid transcriptional activation assay in vivo and a chemical cross-linking assay in vitro. These mutants were used further to demonstrate that the translational inhibitory activity of PKR in vivo requires dsRNA binding; PKR mutants that dimerized but did not bind dsRNA could not inhibit the translation of a transfected reporter gene.
Laminated Transversely Isotropic Cylindrical Shells

A theory for the analysis of stresses in laminated circular cylindrical shells subjected to arbitrary axisymmetric mechanical and thermal loadings has been developed. This theory, specifically for use with pyrolytic-graphite-type materials, differs from the classical thin shell theory in that it includes the effects of transverse shear deformation and transverse isotropy, as well as thermal expansion through the shell thickness. Solutions in several forms are developed for the governing equations. The form taken by the solution function is governed by geometric considerations. A range in which the various solution forms occur was determined numerically. As a sample problem, the slow cooling of pyrolytic graphite deposited onto a commercial graphite mandrel was considered. Investigation of normal and shear stress behavior at the pyrolytic graphite-mandrel interface showed that these stresses decrease in magnitude with increasing E/Gc ratio and increasing deposit to mandrel thickness (ha /hb ) ratio. This implies that a thin mandrel and a material weak in shear are desirable to minimize the possibilities of flaking and delamination of the pyrolytic graphite.
Emotional responses to intergroup apology mediate intergroup forgiveness and retribution

Abstract According to intergroup emotion theory, the impact of many intergroup events on intergroup outcomes is mediated by group-directed emotions. We demonstrate that the ability of apology to reduce retribution against and increase forgiveness of a transgressing outgroup is contributed to by discrete intergroup emotions. We examined both negative (anger and fear) and positive (respect and satisfaction) emotions directed toward the transgressing outgroup. Apology reduced the desire for retribution whereas lack of apology increased it, and outgroup-directed anger uniquely mediated this effect. In contrast, apology increased and lack of apology decreased forgiveness, particularly when the ingroup responded to the transgression, and only outgroup-directed respect mediated this effect. These results provide the first evidence that intergroup emotions can mediate the impact of apology on intergroup relations outcomes.
The synapse en marron between golgi II neurons and mossy fibers in the rat's cerebellar cortex.

Mossy fibers engage in synapses en marron with the somata of some Golgi II cells. These synapses resemble in all particulars the synapses en marron made by climbing fibers except for the distinctive characteristics of the presynaptic terminal. The mossy fiber, with its axial stream of neurofilaments and mitochondria and its loose aggregations of round synaptic vesicles, makes an extensive contact with the wrinkled surface of the Golgi II perikaryon. Synaptic complexes are confined to the depths and sides of the furrows in the Golgi cell. The free side of the mossy fiber terminal often articulates with large numbers of granule cell dendrites, an arrangement similar to that found in ordinary glomeruli.
A comparative evaluation of substance abuse treatment: I. Treatment orientation, amount of care, and 1-year outcomes.

This article first explains the conceptual framework and plan of a naturalistic, multisite evaluation of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) substance abuse treatment programs. It then examines the effectiveness of an index episode of inpatient treatment and the effectiveness of continuing outpatient care and participation in self-help groups. The study was conducted among 3018 patients from 15 VA programs that emphasized 12-Step, cognitive-behavioral (CB), or eclectic treatment. Casemix-adjusted 1-year outcomes showed that patients in 12-Step programs were the most likely to be abstinent, free of substance abuse problems, and employed at the 1-year follow-up. Patients who obtained more regular and more intensive outpatient mental health care, and those who participated more in 12-Step self-help groups, were more likely to be abstinent and free of substance use problems at the 1-year follow-up. These findings support the effectiveness of 12-Step treatment and show that patients with substance use disorders who become more involved in outpatient care and self-help groups tend to experience better short-term substance use outcomes. Subsequent papers in this section focus on the proximal outcomes of treatment, patients with psychiatric as well as substance use disorders, patient-treatment matching effects, and the link between program treatment orientation and patients’ involvement in and the influence of 12-Step self-help groups.
Physical evaluation of a high-frame-rate extended dynamic range flat panel detector for real-time cone beam computed tomography applications

The use of flat panel detectors in computed tomography (CT) systems can improve resolution, reduce system cost, and add operational flexibility by combining fluoroscopy and radiography applications within CT systems. However, some prior studies have suggested that flat panel detectors would not perform well in CT applications due to their lack of high dynamic range, lag artifacts, and inadequate frame rate. The purpose of this study was to perform a physical evaluation of a prototype flat panel detector capable of high frame rates and extended dynamic range. The flat panel detector used had a pixel size of 194 microns and a matrix size of 2048x1536. The detector could be configured for several combinations of frame rate and matrix size up to 750 frames per second for a 512x16 matrix size with 4x4 binning. The evaluation was performed in terms of the MTF and DQE as a function of frame rate and exposure at the IEC RQA5 (~75 kVp, 21 mm Al) beam quality. The image lag was evaluated in terms of temporal-frequency dependent transfer function. Offset shift were also evaluated. Preliminary results indicate 0.1 MTF at 0.92 cycles/mm and DQE(0) of approximately 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, and 0.22 at 0.144, 0.065, 0.035, and 0.008 mR per frame exposures. The temporal MTF exhibited a low-frequency drop and a value of 0.5 at the Nyquist frequency. Offset shift was negligible. Considering high frame rate capabilities of the new detector, the results suggest that the detector has potential for use in real-time CT applications including CT angiography.
Modulatory role of focal adhesion kinase in regulating human pulmonary arterial endothelial barrier function.

The adhesive force generated by the interaction of integrin receptors with extracellular matrix (ECM) at the focal adhesion complex may regulate endothelial cell shape, and thereby the endothelial barrier function. We studied the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activated by integrin signalling in regulating cell shape using cultured human pulmonary artery endothelial cells. We used FAK antisense oligonucleotide (targeted to the 3′-untranslated region of FAK mRNA (5′-CTCTGGTTGATGGGATTG-3′) to determine the role of FAK in the mechanism of thrombin-induced increase in endothelial permeability. Reduction in FAK expression by the antisense augmented the thrombin-induced decrease in transendothelial electrical resistance (decrease in mock transfected cells of −43 ± 1 % and in sense-transfected cells of −40 ± 4 %, compared to the decrease in antisense-transfected cells of −60 ± 3 %). Reduction in FAK expression also prolonged the drop in electrical resistance and prevented the recovery seen in control endothelial cells. Thus, the thrombin-induced increase in permeability is both greater and attenuated in the absence of FAK expression. Inhibition of actin polymerization with latrunculin-A prevented the translocation of FAK to focal adhesion sites and tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK and paxillin, and concomitantly reduced the thrombin-induced decrease in electrical resistance by ∼50 %. Thus, the modulatory role of FAK on endothelial barrier function is dependent on actin polymerization. FAK translocation to focal adhesion complex in endothelial cells guided by actin cables and the consequent activation of FAK-associated proteins serve to reverse the decrease in endothelial barrier function caused by inflammatory mediators such as thrombin.
Expression of a nonmyristylated variant of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A during male germ-cell development

The catalytic subunits of protein kinase A are transcribed in all mouse tissues from two distinct genes that code for the Cα and Cβ isoforms. Alternative promoters exist for the Cβ gene that are used in a tissue-specific fashion and give rise to variants that differ in their amino-terminal sequences. We have characterized an alternative promoter that is present in the first intron of the Cα gene and is transcriptionally active in male germ cells. Transcription from this promoter is coincident with the appearance of pachytene spermatocytes and leads to a Cα protein (Cα2) that contains a distinctive 7 amino acid amino-terminus differing from the 14 amino acid amino-terminus of Cα1. The Cα2 protein does not contain the myristylation signal present on Cα1 and migrates at a lower molecular weight on SDS/PAGE gels. By Western blotting, we estimate that most or all of the Cα protein present in mature sperm is Cα2. The amino-terminal sequence of Cα2 is similar to that of ovine sperm C as previously reported [San Agustin, J. T., Leszyk, J. D., Nuwaysir, L. M. & Witman, G. B. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 24874–24883], and we show by cDNA cloning that human sperm also express a highly related Cα2 homolog. The Cα2 subunit forms holoenzymes with either RIIα or RIα, and both activate at the same concentration of cyclic nucleotide. Because protein kinase A is thought to play a pivotal role in sperm motility and capacitation, the distinctive biochemical properties of the unmyristylated Cα2 may be essential for fertility in the male.
The origin of the moon and the single-impact hypothesis III.

One of the newer ideas regarding the origin of the moon is concerned with a single-impact hypothesis. It is pointed out that this theory has the advantage of overcoming most of the difficulties with the classical theories. The angular momentum of the earth-moon system can easily be obtained by varying the initial conditions of the impact. A series of three-dimensional numerical simulations of the collision between the earth and an object of about 1/10 its mass is presented. Different impact velocities, impact parameters, and initial internal energies are considered. Attention is given to assumptions, the equation of state, numerical techniques utilizing the momentum equation and the energy conservation equation, tests, and initial conditions and units.
Laser-induced incandescence of flame-generated soot on a picosecond time scale

This paper presents measurements of time-resolved laser-induced incandescence (LII) from soot recorded on a picosecond time scale. The 532-nm output from a picosecond Nd:YAG laser was used to heat the soot, and a streak camera was used to record the LII signal. The results are compared with data collected on a nanosecond time scale and with a time-dependent model that solves the energy- and mass-balance rate equations. Relative to the laser timing, the picosecond and nanosecond results are very similar. Signals increase during the laser pulse as soot temperatures increase and decrease after the laser pulse. The signal decay rates increase significantly with increasing laser fluence. The LII model gives good agreement with the nanosecond data at fluences ≤0.2 J/cm2 and underpredicts the signal decay rates at higher fluences. The picosecond temporal profiles increase significantly faster and earlier in the laser pulse than predicted by the model. This disagreement between the model and picosecond LII data may be attributable to perturbations to the signal by laser-induced fluorescence from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or other large organic species. The excited state or states responsible for this fluorescence appear to be accessed via a two-photon transition and have an effective lifetime of 55 ps.
SIN and SIS tunneling in cuprates

We calculate the superconductor/insulator/normal-metal (SIN) and superconductor/insulator/superconductor (SIS) tunneling conductances for the spin-fermion model. We argue that at strong spin-fermion coupling, relevant to cuprates, both conductances have dip features near the threshold frequencies when a tunneling electron begins emitting propagating spin excitation. We argue that the resonance spin frequency measured in neutron scattering can be inferred from the tunneling data by analyzing the derivatives of SIN and SIS conductances.
Gonadotropin release and redistribution of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase in phorbol-stimulated rat pituitary cells

Abstract The effect of phorbol esters on calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent kinase (protein kinase C) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion was examined in cultured rat anterior pituitary cells. The potent tumor promoter 12-O-tetra-decanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulated LH secretion and activated pituitary protein kinase C in the presence of calcium and phosphatidylserine. The enzyme activity present in cytosol and particulate fractions was eluted at about 0.05 m NaCl during DE52-cellulose chromatography. Preincubation of pituitary cells with TPA markedly decreased cytosolic protein kinase C activity and increased enzyme activity in the particulate fraction. The maximal TPA-induced change in enzyme activity, with a 76% decrease in cytosol and a 4.3-fold increase in the particulate fraction, occurred within 10 min. The dose-dependent changes in protein kinase C redistribution in TPA-treated cells were correlated with the stimulation of LH release by the phorbol ester. These results suggest that activation of protein kinase C by TPA is associated with intracellular redistribution of the enzyme and is related to the process of secretory granule release from gonadotrophs.