cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Triamcinolone acetonide destabilizes VEGF mRNA in Müller cells under continuous cobalt stimulation.

Purpose To identify the molecular mechanism of steroid-induced downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) synthesis in Muller cells. Methods Confluent cultures of human Muller cells (MIO-M1) were treated with 100 microM CoCl(2), 1 microg/mL triamcinolone acetonide (TA), or both. VEGF secretion was measured with respect to time by ELISA. VEGF mRNA quantity and stability were analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The activity of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 was measured by the relative binding of HIF-1 protein to the hypoxia response element (HRE), by gel shift and ELISA. The HIF-1alpha protein level was determined with Western blot. Results TA decreased VEGF secretion by at least 50% in the presence of continuous cobalt stimulus. VEGF mRNA decreased 50- to 100-fold 6 hours after treatment with TA and cobalt compared with cobalt alone. VEGF mRNA stability was decreased in cobalt-stimulated, TA-treated cells compared with cobalt alone in cells synchronized by exposure to actinomycin D. HIF-1alpha protein level was sustained for the entire 24-hour treatment period and partitioned into nuclear, not cytosolic, fractions. HIF-1 activity was decreased by 20% to 30% in the presence of TA and cobalt compared with cobalt alone. Conclusions TA may decrease VEGF synthesis by nongenomic destabilization of VEGF mRNA in cobalt-stimulated Muller cells. There was little effect on the total HIF-1alpha protein level, HIF-1 partitioning, and HIF-1 activity.
Statin Wars: The Heavyweight Match-Atorvastatin versus Rosuvastatin for the Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Heart Failure, and Chronic Kidney Disease

Statins are a standard of care in many clinical settings, especially for dyslipidemia management, and are used for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Importantly, not all statins are born equal. The statin class consists of a number of heterogenous drugs, which vary in properties such as potency in lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lipophilicity, renoprotection, increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lowering triglyceride levels, and effects on glucose metabolism and myocardial function. It remains unclear whether these differences significantly impact clinical outcomes or if 1 statin should be preferred over another. This review summarizes the properties of the 2 most potent statins available (atorvastatin and rosuvastatin), as well as assesses the comparative experimental and clinical trials that have been conducted on these 2 agents. We believe that the available body of evidence indicates that atorvastatin may have several advantages over rosuvastatin, despite the latter's greater potency, suggesting that atorvastatin should be the potent statin of choice, especially in treating patients with renal impairment or heart failure with concomitant coronary artery disease. The recent availability of atorvastatin as a generic option gives this drug another practical and compelling advantage over rosuvastatin.
Nutrition, Environmental Toxins and Computerized EEG: A Mini-Max Approach to Learning Disabilities

Although many different types of information are important to a complete science of learning disabilities, information about “alterable variables” is of particular value as we attempt to apply our science to helping children. This month's Topical Review addresses a set of environmental and diet variables that are clearly alterable and that may have an important impact on the way children think and learn. The studies reviewed here have employed advanced technology to assess the effects of these “alterable variables” on both brain functioning and cognitive performance. Although the subjects employed in the studies are not formally diagnosed as learning disabled, the implications of the findings for children who experience special learning problems are nevertheless quite clear.—JKT
Solder Joining Technology

An in-depth review of controlled collapse chip connections (c-4), or otherwise known as Flip Chip Solder Joining Technology, is present. The C4 joint utilizes solder bumps deposited on wettable terminals on the chip and a matching footprint of the substrate. The upsidedown chip (flip chip) is aligned to the substrate and all joints are made simultaneously by reflowing the solder. An in depth review of this technology is presented. Materials, design factors, fabrication processes, tools, assembly, rework, and reliability are discussed. Future trends are indicated and comparisons make with wire bonding and Tab (tape automated bonding).
On the potential for alternative greenhouse gas equivalence metrics to influence sectoral mitigation patterns

Equivalence metrics used to quantify the relative climate impacts of different atmospheric forcers serve an essential function in policy and economic discussions about global climate change. The 100-year global warming potential (GWP-100), the most established greenhouse gas (GHG) equivalence metric, is used within the Kyoto Protocol, and in most emissions inventory, trading and offset mechanisms, to assign the mitigation value of non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases relative to carbon dioxide. In recent literature the GWP-100 and alternative metrics have been used to compare various anthropogenic climate forcers with respect to a wide range of environmental and economic goals. Building on this work, we examine how 16 different static and time-varying CO2-equivalence schemes might influence GHG mitigation across sectors and gases in a perfect and fluid global mitigation regime. This mitigation regime is guided by achieving a global mean radiative forcing (RF) of 5.7 Wm−2 in 2100 from 1765 levels through a mitigation policy of prescribed emissions reductions in each decade. It was found that static metrics defined on 20- instead of 100-year time horizons favor mitigation strategies that maximize the abatement of short-lived gases (e.g. methane), on average resulting in an RF from methane in 2100 of 0.5 Wm−2 instead of 1.1 Wm−2 from 100-year metrics. Similarly, metrics that consider integrated rather than end-point climate impacts imply mitigation strategies that maximize mitigation of shorter-lived GHGs, resulting in higher abatement of agriculture and waste emissions. Comparing extreme scenarios, these mitigation shifts across gases and sectors result in a nearly 30% difference in the representation of methane in global cumulative emissions reductions. This shift across gases and sectors to mitigate shorter-lived GHGs, in lieu of longer-lived GHGs like carbon dioxide, has implications for the long-term warming commitment due to 21st century emissions.
Methods of Cheating and Deterrents to Classroom Cheating: An International Study

This study examines the methods students use to cheat on class examinations and suggests ways of deterring using an international sample from Australia, China, Ireland, and the United States. We also examine the level of cheating and reasons for cheating that prior research has highlighted as a method of demonstrating that our sample is equivalent to those in prior studies. Our results confirm the results of prior research that primarily employs students from the United States. The data indicate that actions such as having multiple versions of the examination and scrambling the questions on these versions would deter cheating. In addition, given the increased level of cheating and students' increased perception of the social acceptability of cheating in college, the data provided by our international sample also suggest that some relatively simple precautions by instructors could dramatically reduce the level of cheating on in-class examinations.
Exergy and Fisher Information as ecological indices

Ecological indices are used to provide summary information about a particular aspect of ecosystem behavior. Many such indices have been proposed and here we investigate two: exergy and Fisher Information. Exergy, a thermodynamically based index, is a measure of the maximum amount of useable work that can be extracted when a system is brought into equilibrium with a reference state. The measure for exergy used herein, also includes a factor to weigh the “complexity” of the ecological species. Fisher Information is an old statistical measure that has recently been applied as a way to detect change in system regime and as a measure of system order. These two indices are compared on a 10-compartment food web model undergoing five different perturbation scenarios. This food web model, although simple, allows for some interesting insight into the two indices. The results show that generally, although not always, exergy and Fisher Information respond differently, such that when one increases due to a perturbation the other decreases and vice versa. We provide a discussion as to the usefulness of these metrics as ecological indices and as their potential use as ecological goal functions in light of these findings.
Efficient algorithms for analyzing segmental duplications, deletions, and inversions in genomes

Segmental duplications, or low-copy repeats, are common in mammalian genomes. In the human genome, most segmental duplications are mosaics consisting of pieces of multiple other segmental duplications. This complex genomic organization complicates analysis of the evolutionary history of these sequences. Earlier, we introduced a genomic distance, called duplication distance, that computes the most parsimonious way to build a target string by repeatedly copying substrings of a source string. We also showed how to use this distance to describe the formation of segmental duplications according to a two-step model that has been proposed to explain human segmental duplications. Here we describe polynomial-time exact algorithms for several extensions of duplication distance including models that allow certain types of substring deletions and inversions. These extensions will permit more biologically realistic analyses of segmental duplications in genomes.
Conformal Radiation Therapy for Childhood CNS Tumors

Radiation therapy plays a central role in the management of many childhood brain tumors. By combining advances in brain tumor imaging with technology to plan and deliver radiation therapy, pediatric brain tumors can be treated with conformal radiation therapy. Through conformal radiation therapy, the radiation dose is targeted to the tumor, which can minimize the dose to normal brain structures. Therefore, by limiting the radiation dose to normal brain tissues, conformal radiation therapy offers the possibility of limiting the long-term side effects of brain irradiation.In this review, we describe different approaches to conformal radiation therapy for pediatric central nervous system tumors including: A) three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy; B) stereotactic radiation therapy with arc photons; C) intensity-modulated radiation therapy; and D) proton beam radiation therapy. We discuss the merits and limitations of these techniques and describe clinical scenarios in which conformal radiation therapy offers advantages over conventional radiation therapy for treating pediatric brain tumors.
File synchronization and sharing: User practices and challenges

In this paper, we present results of qualitative analysis of interviews with 16 university faculty regarding their use of file synchronization and sharing technologies in their work and personal lives. We identify key problems and considerations that influence file synchronization and sharing practices, and describe commonly used strategies. Our findings show that while behaviors have evolved as technology changes, users continue to make extensive use of familiar patterns of access, including automated and manual methods. We identified several factors that influence users’ choice of methods for synchronization, including privacy and security concerns, data size, institutional policies, and knowledge of systems. We present insights about how boundaries and data separation affect synchronization practices, and about specific synchronization issues users faced when collaborating. Our findings extend research on personal and group information management practices and provide insight for the design of synchronization and sharing systems.
Morphology of Acute Myopathy Associated with Influenza B Infection

Calf muscle samples were obtained from 12 children with transient incapacitating myalgia and proved infection of the upper respiratory tract with influenza virus, type B. In all except one, light microscopy revealed isolated segmental muscle fiber degeneration and necrosis without frank myositis. Ultrastructural studies revealed that in zones of segmental necrosis. the sarcolemma was lysed but the basement membrane was intact. Focal degenerative changes included myofibrillar disarray with disruption floss of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, glycogen depletion accompanied by mitochondriopathy, subsarcolemmal mitochondria1 aggregates, activation of satellite cells, and focal filopodial transformation of the sarcolemma.The primary event in the pathogenesis of focal muscle fiber necrosis is likely to be biochemical and was not elucidated, but the focal sarcolemmal and T-tubule changes and mitochondriopathy suggest that destabilization of cell membranes may play a critical role. Sarcolemmal filopodia may be a marke...
Fgf-dependent depletion of microRNA-133 promotes appendage regeneration in zebrafish

Appendage regeneration is defined by rapid changes in gene expression that achieve dramatic developmental effects, suggesting involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs). Here, we find dynamic regulation of many miRNAs during zebrafish fin regeneration. In particular, miR-133 levels are high in uninjured fins but low during regeneration. When regeneration was blocked by Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) receptor inhibition, high miR-133 levels were quickly restored. Experimentally increasing amounts of miR-133 attenuated fin regeneration. Conversely, miR-133 antagonism during Fgf receptor inhibition accelerated regeneration through increased proliferation within the regeneration blastema. The Mps1 kinase, an established positive regulator of blastemal proliferation, is an in vivo target of miR-133. Our findings identify miRNA depletion as a new regulatory mechanism for complex tissue regeneration.
Surgical results in patients with double outlet right ventricle: a 20-year experience

Abstract Background . The objective of this study was to review our surgical strategy in children with double outlet right ventricle and to assess risk factors for early and late mortality and reoperation. Methods . Patients (n = 124; June 1980 to January 2000; age range, 7 days to 16 years; mean, 2.8 years) who underwent repair of double outlet right ventricle. The patients were divided into three groups. Group 1 (n = 47) had noncomplex patients with atrioventricular concordance, a single ventricular septal defect, balanced ventricles, no straddling atrioventricular valves, and no major pulmonary artery anomalies. Group 2 (n = 39) included patients with double outlet right ventricle and a subpulmonary ventricular septal defect (Taussig-Bing). Group 3 (n = 38) had patients with complex anomalies including straddling atrioventricular valves, atrioventricular septal defects or a hypoplastic valve or ventricle, or a combination of atrioventricular septal defects and hypoplastic valve or ventricle. Results . Four types of definitive repairs were performed: (1) intraventricular tunnel repair with a baffle from the left ventricle to the aorta (n = 53); (2) use of a valved or nonvalved conduit (n = 20); (3) arterial switch operation with a patch committing the left ventricle to the neo-aorta (n = 16); and (4) cavopulmonary shunt and Fontan procedures (n = 33). Two patients with late postoperative cardiomyopathy had heart transplantation. Potential risk factors included location of the largest ventricular septal defect, presence of additional ventricular septal defects, ventricular outflow obstruction or hypoplasia, or both ventricular outflow obstruction and hypoplasia, previous palliation, and type of definitive operation. There were six early deaths (4.8%) and four late deaths (3.2%), and two heart transplants (1.6%). Overall 15-year survival was 95.8%, 89.7%, and 89.5% for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively ( p = 0.08). Thirteen patients (11.4%) have required 15 reoperations. Mean follow-up for survivors was 76.6 ± 52.8 months. Up-to-date follow-ups are available on 114 surviving patients. Ninety-five of these patients (83.3%) were in New York Heart Association class I, and the remaining 19 patients (16.7%) were in New York Heart Association class II. Freedom from reoperation was 87%, 72%, and 100% at 15 years for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively ( p = 0.11). Conclusions . Survival was high for all patients with double outlet right ventricle undergoing intraventricular tunnel repair, arterial switch operation, and repair with a conduit or a modified Fontan procedure. Careful attention to preoperative anatomy dictates the best surgical approach and will enhance outcomes.
Bottom Characteristics of Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Shelf: ABSTRACT

Photographs of the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf floor between Panama City, Florida, and Galveston, Texas, were examined for evidence of sediment texture, structure, and biologic activity. Sediment size is distinctively coarser in areas of reef growth near the continental slope. Bioturbation was recognized by the presence of burrows, mounds, furrows, tracks, and excrements. Water turbidity of varying degrees at times obscured the real water-sediment interface. Current direction and inferred velocity were indicated by compass and sediment cloud. A program of extensive photography, complemented by shallow cores, grab samples, and box samples, is needed to understand fully the different physiographic provinces of the Gulf of Mexico and their local variations. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1899------------
TOWARDS PRACTICAL FACIAL FEATURE DETECTION

Localizing facial features is a critical component in many computer vision applications such as expression recognition, face recognition, face tracking, animation, and red-eye correction. Practical applications require detectors that operate reliably under a wide range of conditions, including variations in illumination, pose, ethnicity, gender and age. One challenge for the development of such detectors is the inherent trade-off between robustness and precision. Robust detectors tend to provide poor localization and detectors sensitive to small changes in local structure, which are needed for precise localization, generate a large number of false alarms. Here we present an approach to this trade-off based on context dependent inference. First, robust detectors are used to detect contexts in which target features occur, then precise detectors are trained to localize the features given the detected context. This paper describes the approach and presents a thorough empirical examination of the parameters needed to achieve practical levels of performance, including the size of the training database, size of the detector's receptive fields and methods for information integration. The approach operates in real time and achieves, to our knowledge, the most accurate localization performance to date.
Avian Paramyxovirus Serotype 1 (Newcastle Disease Virus), Avian Influenza Virus, and Salmonella spp. in Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) in the Great Lakes Region and Atlantic Coast of the United States

SUMMARY. Since their introduction to the United States in the late 19th century, mute swans (Cygnus olor) have become a nuisance species by causing damage to aquatic habitats, acting aggressively toward humans, competing with native waterfowl, and potentially transmitting or serving as a reservoir of infectious diseases to humans and poultry. In an effort to investigate their potential role as a disease reservoir and to establish avian health baselines for pathogens that threaten agricultural species or human health, we collected samples from 858 mute swans and tested them for avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (APMV-1), avian influenza virus (AIV), and Salmonella spp. when possible. Our results indicate that exposure to APMV-1 and AIV is common (60%, n 5 771, and 45%, n 5 344, antibody prevalence, respectively) in mute swans, but detection of active viral shedding is less common (8.7%, n 5 414, and 0.8%, n 5 390, respectively). Salmonella was isolated from three mute swans (0.6%, n 5 459), and although the serovars identified have been implicated in previous human outbreaks, it does not appear that Salmonella is commonly carried by mute swans.
The effects of tranquilizers on bacterial toxemias. I. Reserpine.

Purified exotoxins of Clostridium tetani and Clostridium botulinum are highly lethal to mice. Pretreatmenf of experimental animals with a single, large dose of reserpine prior to toxin administration resulted in a highly significant prolongation of survival time. Similar prolongation was achieved in overwhelming infection induced with Diplococcus pneumoniae . This effect was not demonstrated with small doses of reserpine administered in a divided series either prior to or concurrent with the infection.
Kohonen neural networks and language.

Kohonen neural networks are a type of self-organizing network that recognizes the statistical characteristics of input datasets. The application of this type of neural network to language theory is demonstrated in the present note by showing three brief applications: recognizing word borders, learning the limited phonemes of one's native tongue, and category-specific naming impairments.
Revision of North American Aleiodes (Part 9): the pallidator (Thunberg) species-group with description of two new species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Rogadinae).

The Aleiodes pallidator species-group is defined, and an identification key is provided for the five species known to occur in the U.S.A. and Canada. Two new species are described: Aleiodes martini Shaw and Marsh, from Florida, and A. xanthoclypeus Shaw and Marsh, known from Canada and Wisconsin, and reared from Lymantriidae species including Dasychira plagiata (Walker) and Olene grisefacta (a new host record for the genus Aleiodes). Five species are illustrated, and their host associations are summarized.
Neurotherapeutics in multiple sclerosis: Novel agents and emerging treatment strategies

New insights into the complex immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis have led to a proliferation of promising new therapeutic strategies. While the current armamentarium of immunomodulatory medications has demonstrated beneficial effects on the disease, more effective and tolerable therapies are needed. Several novel therapeutic strategies under investigation include oral therapies, monoclonal antibodies, symptomatic treatments, insights into neuroprotection and repair as well as combination regimens. New therapies may prove more efficacious and tolerable than the available arsenal of treatments; however, decisions regarding first-line therapies will expectedly become more complicated, with greater influence if risk-to-benefit ratios in light of premature safety data. Biomarker profiles may help elucidate disease subtypes as well as therapeutic response in an effort to individualize treatment choice. This review will highlight recent promising therapeutic strategies under investigation in the field of MS. Mt Sinai J Med 75: 157–167, 2008© 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Concentration gradient patterns of aerosol particles near interstate highways in the Greater Cincinnati airshed

The objective of this study was to determine if there is an exposure gradient in particulate matter concentrations for people living near interstate highways, and to determine how far from the highway the gradient extends. Air samples were collected in a residential area of Greater Cincinnati in the vicinity of two major highways. The measurements were conducted at different distances from the highways by using ultrafine particle counters (measurement range: 0.02–1 µm), optical particle counters (0.3–20 µm), and PM2.5 Harvard Impactors (0.02–2.5 µm). The collected PM2.5 samples were analyzed for mass concentration, for elemental and organic carbon, and for elemental concentrations. The results show that the aerosol concentration gradient was most clearly seen in the particle number concentration measured by the ultrafine particle counters. The concentration of ultrafine particles decreased to half between the sampling points located at 50 m and 150 m downwind from the highway. Additionally, elemental analysis revealed a gradient in sulfur concentrations up to 400 m from the highway in a residential area that does not have major nearby industrial sources. This gradient was qualitatively attributed to the sulfate particle emissions from diesel engine exhausts, and was supported by the concentration data on several key elements indicative of traffic sources (road dust and diesel exhaust). As different particulate components gave different profiles of the diesel exposure gradient, these results indicate that no single element or component of diesel exhaust can be used as a surrogate for diesel exposure, but more comprehensive signature analysis is needed. This characterization is crucial especially when the exposure data are to be used in epidemiological studies.
Immune Cells Have Sex and So Should Journal Articles

Males and females have the same immunological cells, proteins, and pathways in place to protect against the development of disease. The kinetics, magnitude, and skewing of the responses mounted against pathogens, allergens, toxins, or self-antigens, however, can differ dramatically between the sexes. Generally, females mount higher innate and adaptive immune responses than males, which can result in faster clearance of pathogens but also contributes to increased susceptibility to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in females compared with males. Hormonal and genetic factors contribute significantly to sex differences in immune function and disease pathogenesis. In particular, the expression of X-linked genes and microRNA as well as sex steroid hormones signaling through hormone receptors in immune cells can affect responses to immunological stimuli differently in males and females. Despite data illustrating profound differences between the sexes in immune function, sex differences in the pathogenesis of disease are often overlooked in biomedical research. Establishing journal policies that require authors to report the sex of their cells, animals, and subjects will improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of diseases, with the long-term goal of personalizing treatments for immune-mediated diseases differently for males and females in an effort to protect us equally.
Prevalence of malignancy within cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules.

Abstract Background The optimal management of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules is controversial given the variable malignancy rates reported in this patient population. We examined the prevalence of malignancy within cytologically indeterminate follicular thyroid lesions in an attempt to predict malignancy based on cytologic features. Methods Cytopathology reports obtained after fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) examination of indeterminate follicular thyroid lesions were examined over a 4-year period. The prevalence of malignancy on final histology was determined in 4 indeterminate cytologic categories. Results A total of 107 records were available (91 women, 16 men). The mean patient age was 45.4 ± 16 years. Forty-eight patients (45%) underwent surgery and had histopathologic diagnosis, while 57 patients did not have surgery. The prevalence of malignancy in patients who underwent thyroidectomy was 42% (20 of 48). Conclusions The high prevalence of malignancy within indeterminate follicular lesions may necessitate thyroidectomy for patients with indeterminate follicular lesions on FNAB examination.
Phonon engineered silicon - diamond nanoscale heterostructures with enhanced carrier mobility

Maintaining high electron mobility in Si channels as the transistor feature sizes continue to decrease is important for the development of Si nanoelectronics. Here we propose a novel way for the enhancement of the phonon-limited electron mobility in Si ultra-thin films. The method works over the wide range of temperatures and does not require SiGe alloy under layers which deteriorate heat removal. Our calculations show that the modification of the acoustic phonon spectrum in Si thin films embedded within ?acoustically hard? barriers results in the suppression of the electron - phonon scattering rates and corresponding increase in mobility.
On Being Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable: Centering an Africanist Vision in Our Gateway to Global Health

African identity must be central to research on African health and development. This article focuses on three primary themes for advancing a different vision for understanding health issues in Africa. The first is the need to deconstruct conventional assumptions and theories that have been used to frame public health problems and solutions in Africa. The second is to insist that identity be central to how we frame issues of health and behavior in general and in Africa in particular. The third is the importance of the notion of “social cultural infrastructure” in defining African ways of knowing to guide public health research and intervention in Africa. Finally, the metaphor of the “African gate” is used to illuminate these themes while drawing on examples from an HIV- and AIDS-related stigma research in South Africa and its implications for addressing the critical global public-health issues of today.
Experiences tuning SMG98: a semicoarsening multigrid benchmark based on the hypre library

LLNL's hypre library is an object-oriented library for the solution of sparse linear systems on parallel computers. While hypre facilitates rapid-prototyping of complex parallel applications, our experience is that without careful attention to temporal data locality, node performance of applications developed using hypre will fall significantly short of peak performance on architectures based on modern microprocessors. In this paper, we describe our experiences analyzing and tuning the performance of smg98, a benchmark that exercises hypre's semicoarsening multigrid solver. In the original code, the lack of temporal data reuse in the registers and caches significantly hurts performance. We describe a variety of techniques we applied to hand-tune the performance of hypre's semicoarsening multigrid solver. We expect that similar strategies will be applicable to other solvers and codes based on hypre as well. We present performance measurements of smg98 on both SGI Origin and Compaq Alpha platforms. Overall, our optimizations improve the node performance of smg98 by nearly a factor of two on large problems.
Effect of zinc deficiency and food restriction in rats on erythrocyte membrane zinc, phospholipid and protein content.

Zinc deficiency in rats increases the os motic fragilityof erythrocytes, suggesting a structural de fect in the plasma membrane. The purpose of this study was to determinethe effect of zinc deficiencyon membrane components that might be responsible for the increased fragility.Immature male rats were fed for 3 wk a zinc- deficient (0.5 mg Zn/kg) or a control (100 mg Zn kg) diet either ad libitum or pair-fed. Red blood cell membranes were analyzed for zinc after wet ashing in nitric-perchloric acid. The fatty acid composition of membrane phospha- tidylcholineand phosphatidylethanolaminewas determined bygas-liquidchromatography,and the proteincomposition was determinedbysodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The membranezinc concentrationwas decreased by zinc deficiency, but returnedto control levels upon repletion with a zinc-adequate diet for 3 d. The in creased osmotic fragilitywas also restored to the control level duringthe same repletionperiod,suggesting that zinc is an important determinant of membrane stability. The phospholipid fatty acid composition was altered by zinc deficiency, but these changes were not rapidlyreversed by repletion.The membranecnolesterokphosphoUpid ratiowas also increased by zinc deficiency. Zinc status had no influ ence on the membrane protein profilesof the components visualizedbystaining. Onlythe concentrationof membrane zinc correlatedwith osmotic fragilityduringzinc depletion and repletion. J. Nutr. 119: 1654-1660, 1989.
Boys' Maladaptive Social Information Processing, Family Emotional Climate, and Pathways to Early Conduct Problems.

Maladaptive social information processing characterizes many children with behavioral adjustment difficulties. Yet, we know little about the antecedents of maladaptive social information processing. The present study examined the relations between early family risk and later maladaptive social information processing and conduct problems in a sample of 178 economically disadvantaged boys. Early childhood assessments of socioeconomic disadvantage (low SES, single parent status, low maternal education) and maternal depression predicted boys’ maladaptive response generation and conduct problems at age 10, accounting for 6% and 14% of the variances, respectively, but not hostile attribution bias. Maladaptive response generation also fit a model of significant partial mediation of the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on conduct problems. Results suggest the importance of the family's emotional climate during children's early development for their later adjustment.
A luteolytic interaction between estradiol and prostaglandin F2alpha in hysterectomized ewes.

The hypothesis that the luteolytic interaction between prostaglandin F/sub 2/..cap alpha..(PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha..) and estradiol is independent of the uterus was evaluated in hysterectomized and hysterectomized, ovarian x-irradiated ewes. Hysterectomies and either sham or x irradiations were performed 7 or 8 days after observation of estrus. After a 72 h recovery period the effects of injections on two consecutive days of: (1) the vehicles for PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha.. and estradiol benzoate (E/sub 2/B), (2) 3.5 mg PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha.., (3) 750 ..mu..g E/sub 2/B, and (4) 3.5 mg PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha.. + 750 ..mu..g E/sub 2/B were compared in sham and ovarian x-irradiated ewes. Results of plasma progesterone determinations and mean corpus luteum weights showed that treatment with PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha.. alone was not luteolytic. Treatment with E/sub 2/B alone had marginal effects on corpus luteum function. For example, plasma progesterone concentrations were depressed (P < 0.05) when compared to vehicle treated controls at isolated times between 60 and 96 h after the first injection in both sham and x-irradiated ewes, and the mean corpus luteum weight for the x-irradiated group was less than that found for the control groups (P < 0.05). However, following treatment with both PGF/sub 2/..capmore » alpha.. and E/sub 2/B, complete luteolysis was observed in three of four sham and three of four x-irradiated ewes. These data suggest a luteolytic interaction between estradiol and PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha.. that is independent of the uterus. In a second experiment, hysterectomized sham and x-irradiated ewes were treated with 7.0 mg PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha... Plasma progesterone determinations and corpus luteum weights suggested that complete luteolysis was observed in all sham-irradiated ewes and in two of four x-irradiated ewes. This dose of PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha.. also proved to be effective in three of four x-irradiated, uterine intact ewes. These results suggest that ovarian follicles are not an absolute requirement for PGF/sub 2/..cap alpha..-induced luteolysis.« less
A multi-backend database system for performance gains, capacity growth and hardware upgrade

Traditional database systems have long been plagued by performance problems when there is either an increase in the mainframe usage or in the database applications. Solutions to these problems have been sought, first, by offloading the database system from the mainframe computer to a single, dedicated backend computer. The backend computer has its own disk storage, is used to perform all of the database operations, and interacts with the mainframe. However. database systems with this software single-backend approach still encounter the performance problems when either the backend usage or database applications increase. The software multiple-backend approach to database management and hardware upgrade is therefore proposed to overcome the performance-gains and capacity-growth problems of either traditional mainframe-based database systems or conventional software single-backend database systems. In this paper we specify the design requirements and issues of the software multi-backend database systems. We show how these requirements and issues affect the design and implementation of a multi-backend database system known as MBDS. Since MBDS is designed specifically for performance gains, capacity growth, and hardware upgrade, we benchmark MBDS in order to verify whether its design and implementation can indeed relate the gains and growth directly to the multiplicity of backends in terms of the response-time reduction and invariance.
Detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum by Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Urogenital Tract of Adults, in Amniotic Fluid, and in the Respiratory Tract of Newborns

On the basis of the nucleotide sequence of the urease genes of Ureaplasma urealyticum serotype 8, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were selected, evaluated for specificity and sensitivity, and tested for their ability to detect U. urealyticum in the adult urogenital tract, amniotic fluid, and endotracheal aspirates of newborns. All 14 reference serotypes of U. urealyticum were detected with equal sensitivity (1-10 cfu), whereas multiple strains of 12 other mycoplasma species found in humans as well as eukaryotic DNA were not detected. A total of 638 clinical specimens was evaluated. Results indicate that PCR is equal to if not more sensitive than culture for detection of U. urealyticum. Faster detection of U. urealyticum by PCR (< 24 h) compared to culture (2-5 days) will be particularly important in management of very low birth-weight infants in whom this organism has been shown to be a significant cause of meningitis, respiratory disease, and death. This method of detection will also be helpful in further determining the role of this organism in intraamniotic infection and premature birth.
The postpartum renal status of women with untreated asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy.

Abstract Fifteen women who had untreated asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy were studied 3 to 18 months after delivery. Nine of the women had histories of previous urinary tract infection. Twelve of the women had abnormal intravenous pyelograms. Creatinine clearance was decreased in 5 patients, 2 of whom had proteinuria and 2 of whom had decreased urinary concentrating ability. The 5 patients with decreased creatinine clearances all had histories of previous urinary tract infection (4 dating from childhood) and 4 had major abnormalities on intravenous pyelogram. These results suggest that in some women bacteriuria during pregnancy may represent one stage of a process which started long before pregnancy.
Alexander von Humboldt: Counternarrative of a dissenter?

When, in 2009, Charles Darwin’s bicentennial was celebrated all over the world, Alexander von Humboldt—whom Darwin admired and whose American travel account he head read on the Beagle—remained in the Englishman’s shadow. The fact that Humboldt had passed away in 1859 at least allowed historians to honor yet another anniversary, i.e., exactly one and a half centuries of post-Humboldtian commemoration. Darwin’s seminal insights into the principle of evolution, the variability of species, and the struggle for life among these (which others abbreviated in the even more powerful—and misused—phrase ‘‘survival of the fittest’’) seemed to outmatch the sprawling, hard-to-compress oeuvre of the Prussian naturalist Humboldt. The history of Humboldt’s publication alone is so complicated that, in 2000, a 500-page bibliography was published in Germany to trace the man’s published record. More importantly, Darwin’s thoughts still mobilize public opinion and fuel outcry on the part of Christian fundamentalists, thus guaranteeing media resonance even in the Internet age. In contrast, there seems to be much patina on the figure of Humboldt. As charmingly erudite as he was a person and as fascinating his journeys to America and Siberia (often forgotten, though, in light of the first) were, it has always been and remains hard to pin down Humboldt, his views, and his original achievements. The most important of those achievements concern the geography of plants, the establishment of isolines, and his encouragement to pursue comparative scientific research using the most up-to-date instruments, an approach that historians condensed long after his death in the term ‘‘Humboldtian science.’’ Why then does Humboldt matter today? And why, as Laura Dassow Walls wants us to believe (rightly so, as I think,) did Humboldt matter for the North American society and in particular for the intellectual life in the United States during the long nineteenth century? After all, the United States is generally not regarded as an Humboldtian turf,
Beneficial and Adverse Effects of Dietary Estrogens on the Human Endocrine System: Clinical and Epidemiological Data

Dietary estrogens, also known as phytoestrogens, represent a family of plant compounds which are of biological interest because they exhibit both in vivo and in vitro weak estrogenic and anti-estrogenic properties. Phytoestrogens appear to exert their physiological effects through a variety of possible mechanisms, such as their ability to bind to estrogen receptors and their actions on tyrosine kinases and growth factors. Phytoestrogens can be classified into three main categories consisting of isoflavones, lignans, and coumestans. A variety of commonly consumed foods contains appreciable amounts of these plant compounds which have been identified in various human body fluids, such as plasma, urine, bile, saliva, feces, breast milk, prostatic fluid and semen. Accumulating evidence from both clinical and epidemiological studies has suggested that dietary estrogens may potentially affect the human endocrine system. The existing evidence reviewed here will identify the current research in this area, which will include both the possible beneficial and adverse effects which dietary estrogens may have on the human endocrine system as it relates to breast, prostate and colon cancer, endogenous hormones, the menstrual cycle, menopausal symptoms, coronary heart disease, and osteoporosis. Moreover, the issue of infants fed soy-based formulas will be addressed.
Mythological and Prehistorical Origins of Neurosurgery

Mythology has a cultural appeal, and the description of some neurosurgical procedures in the Hindu, Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese mythology has a bearing to the origins of our professions. The traces to some of our modern-day practices also can be linked back to the ancient prehistoric eras of the Siberian, Persian, and the Andean region. In this historical perspective, we briefly dwell into individual accounts through the prism of different cultures to highlight the development of neurosurgery in mythology and prehistoric era.
Cryoprecipitates and Immune Complexes: Decrease in Antibody Bound 131I-Labeled BSA Antigen After Cryoprecipitation in Rabbit Serum

SummaryAntibody-bound IBSA was measured by the Farr technique in serum of rabbits undergoing immune elimination of IBSA. Determinations were made before and after the serum was placed at 2 ° to allow the cryoprecipitate to form. Several samples showed a significant decrease in the concentration of complexed IBSA after cryoprecipitation. The decrease in complexed BSA correlated with the amount of IBSA in the cryoprecipitate.
Derivation of Novel Risk Prediction Scores for Community-Acquired Sepsis and Severe Sepsis.

Objective:We sought to derive and internally validate a Sepsis Risk Score and a Severe Sepsis Risk Score predicting future sepsis and severe sepsis events among community-dwelling adults.Design:National population-based cohort.Setting:United States.Subjects:A total of 30,239 community-dwelling adult
The Incentive Effect of Executive Compensation——From the View of Investment—Cash Flow Sensitivity

The effect of executive compensation incentive is often subject to various factors.From the perspective of enterprise management,this paper builds a company profit maximization model and finds that the common measurement of pay-performance executive incentive compensation sensitivity act positively with investmentcash flow sensitivity,indicating that while the enterprise financing constraints exists,the executive compensation incentive effect will perform better.This conclusion is accord with the empirical test based on the 2007—2013listed companies.Further study finds that,in the less financing constrained companies and state-owned enterprises,the relationship between pay-performance sensitivity and investment-cash flow sensitivity is not significant,which suggests that there may exist a threshold effect.Further study of threshold regression results show that,the salary incentive effect is significant when the firm's degree of financing constraints are above the threshold.However,diis is not significant when the financing constraints are below the threshold.On one hand,these conclusions suggest that,in the state-owned enterprises, "financing soft constraints" have weakened the salary incentive effect.On the other hand,to achieve the optimal incentive effect,the executive compensation should be changed dynamically according to the degree of financing constraints.The discovery of this paper not only offers a new perspective for the study of executive compensation incentive evaluation,an alternative plan other than the equity incentive plan for long-term incentive,but also provides a new evidence to the urgency of the further market-oriented reform of state-owned enterprises.
pH sensors and ion Transporters: Potential therapeutic targets for acid-base disorders

Regulation of pH is critical for physiological processes. Maintenance of acid-base homeostasis is tightly regulated by the renal and respiratory systems. However, fluctuations in extracellular pH are also sensed by other organ systems. Ion transporter activity to modify the amount of acid (H+ and CO2) and bicarbonate HCO3- is therefore actively maintained within the kidney and lung. This review describes acid-base disorders (acidosis and alkalosis) and highlights the importance of pH sensors and ion transporters that may be potential therapeutic targets for treatment of acid-base disorders. Specifically, the renal pH sensors proline-rich tyrosine kinase- 2 (Pyk2) and G-protein coupled receptor-4 (GPR4) are discussed here.
The involvement of bulbospinal serotonergic neurons in the effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan on alpha and gamma motoneurons.

As indicated by the work of other investigators, there exists a system of serotonin (5-HT)-containing neurons which originate in the nucleus raphe and terminate near motoneurons in the spinal cord (Carlsson et al., 1964; Dahlstrom and Fuxe, 1965; Anderson and Holgerson, 1966). It has also been shown that the i.v. administration of the 5-HT precursor, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), leads to the facilitation of both alpha and gamma motoneurons (Myslinski and Anderson, 1978). The general belief is that 5-HTP produces this effect via the bulbospinal 5-HT pathway which converts it to 5-HT and subsequently releases it to activate the postsynaptic receptor sites (Anderson, 1972). If 5-HTP does produce this effect via the 5-HT neurons, the concurrent use of a 5-HT reuptake inhibitor should potentiate its effects; pre-treatment with a 5-HT synthesis inhibitor should depress its effects; and the electrical stimulation of the bulbospinal 5-HT system should produce effects similar to that of 5-HTP. We found all three cases to be true, which argues that 5-HTP works via the 5-HT pathway to facilitate alpha and gamma motoneurons.