cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positive and Negative Family Emotional Climate Differentially Predict Youth Anxiety and Depression via Distinct Affective Pathways

A socioaffective specificity model was tested in which positive and negative affect differentially mediated relations of family emotional climate to youth internalizing symptoms. Participants were 134 7th-9th grade adolescents (65 girls; 86 % Caucasian) and mothers who completed measures of emotion-related family processes, experienced affect, anxiety, and depression. Results suggested that a family environment characterized by maternal psychological control and family negative emotion expressiveness predicted greater anxiety and depression, and was mediated by experienced negative affect. Conversely, a family emotional environment characterized by low maternal warmth and low positive emotion expressiveness predicted only depression, and was mediated through lowered experienced positive affect. This study synthesizes a theoretical model of typical family emotion socialization with an extant affect-based model of shared and unique aspects of anxiety and depression symptom expression.
Comparison of fractal methods with discrete cosine transform (DCT) and wavelets

The paper contains a brief description of fractal image compression methods with sample compression results. We also present comparative results between two fractal schemes, discrete cosine transform and a wavelet method. We show that, with the PSNR as a measure of image quality, some fractal schemes perform best over the range of compressions of most interest.
The detection of post-therapy residual minimal disease in leukemias characterized by specific chromosomal anomalies.

The Detection of Residual Minimal Disease (RMD) in CML after Therapy: Kathryn E. Fuscaldo and Isadore Brodsky, Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, Pa. USA.Chromosomal and Southern Blot analyses have been used to diagnose Leukemias characterized by non-random chromosomal rearrangements. They have also been used to monitor disease progression during and after chemotherapy. These methodologies are often not adequate to detect RMD after ablative therapy and Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT). Molecular quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) techniques have been developed to detect low levels of leukemic cells in patients with diseases characterised by fusion transcripts. 95% of Chronic Myelocytic (CML) and 15–25% of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) patients are Ph1 producing a fusion transcript between the abl proto-oncogene9 and the bcr gene.22 Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) with break points in the (RAR) gene15 and the zyl gene17 also produces a fusion transcript. The significance of PCR for 1) d...
Laser and multipolar electrocoagulation ablation of early Barrett's adenocarcinoma: long-term follow-up.

Abstract Background: Endoscopic ablation of Barrett's esophagus, including associated dysplasia and adenocarcinoma, can be achieved by various techniques, but few long-term results are available. The aim of our study was ablation of intramucosal adenocarcinoma with a combination of Nd:YAG laser plus multipolar electrocoagulation. Methods: Patients with documented Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma who either had refused surgery or were poor candidates for surgery because of high risk were offered endoscopic therapy. Patients underwent therapy with Nd:YAG laser and multipolar electrocoagulation. They were treated with omeprazole (20 mg twice daily) as maintenance therapy. Results: Six patients were enrolled in the study over a 7-year period. All were men with a mean age of 78.2 years. The mean length of Barrett's esophagus was 6.0 cm (range, 3 to 10 cm). Seventeen Nd:YAG laser (mean, 2.8/patient) and 20 multipolar electrocoagulation (mean, 3.3/patient) sessions were used during the study period. All patients had a complete initial response to therapy. One patient on chronic immunosuppressive medications had recurrence of the tumor after an initial complete response (36-month follow-up). Two patients have no evidence of Barrett's esophagus, and 3 patients have residual intestinal metaplasia on biopsy of an irregular appearing "neo" Z-line. Mean follow-up in this group is 3.4 years (range, 9 to 86 months). Conclusions: Laser photocoagulation and multipolar electrocoagulation can be successfully and safely used to ablate intramucosal adenocarcinoma in the setting of Barrett's esophagus. Patients remain functional with normal swallowing. (Gastrointest Endosc 1999;49:442-6.)
Uveitis. An internist's view

• The utility of an evaluation for systemic disease in a patient with uveitis is controversial. To address this issue, we reviewed the records of 236 consecutive patients with uveitis who were referred primarily by ophthalmologists to an internist in a university-based clinic. Patients were referred for a variety of purposes, including differential diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and desire for a second opinion. The study population included 121 male patients and 115 female patients. In 40% of all patients, a systemic disease thought to be causally related to the eye inflammation was diagnosed or its diagnosis was confirmed. While 53% of patients with anterior uveitis had a causally related systemic illness, only 17% of patients with posterior uveitis and 22% of patients with chorioretinitis had an associated systemic disease. The most frequently diagnosed systemic diseases were Reiter's syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, Sjogren's syndrome, and sarcoidosis. These diagnoses were usually not known prior to referral. An internist can make a significant contribution to the evaluation of many patients with uveitis. Furthermore, most diagnoses can be established by a thorough history and physical examination, without extensive laboratory testing. ( Arch Intern Med . 1989;149:1173-1176)
First Report of Neofusicoccum australe, N. luteum, and N. parvum Associated With Avocado Branch Canker in California.

In 1953, branch cankers on California avocado (Persea americana Mill.) trees were attributed to a Botryosphaeria anamorph, Dothiorella gregaria (teleomorph B. ribis) (2), and the disease was known as Dothiorella canker. Since this time, it has been suggested that this fungus should probably be classified as Fusicoccum aesculi Corda (teleomorph B. dothidea) (3). To our knowledge, B. dothidea is the only reported Botryosphaeriaceae species causing Dothiorella canker on avocado in California. Between the summer of 2008 and the winter of 2009, five trees from each of eight avocado orchards in five counties (San Diego, Riverside, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo) were surveyed for Dothiorella canker symptoms to verify the associated Botryosphaeriaceae species. Typical Dothiorella canker symptoms observed included darkened and friable bark with a dried, white, powdery exudate. Underneath the bark, cankers were variable in shape and some penetrated into the heartwood. Small sections of tissue (0.5 cm2...
A dendrochronological study of black and scarlet oak decline in the Missouri Ozarks

Abstract Examination of tree-ring data revealed important relationships regarding red oak decline in the Missouri Ozarks. Red oaks, mainly black and scarlet oak, exhibiting greater than 30% crown dieback had significantly lower present-day growth rates compared with trees with less than 30% dieback. Red oaks with declining crowns first showed significantly lower radial growth than trees that are healthy at present in the 10 years following years of severe drought in southeastern Missouri. These dates for initiation of radial growth decline varied by tree age, and were 1936 for 60–79-year-old trees and 1952 for 40–59-year-old trees.
Optimization of an encapsulated phase change material thermal energy storage system

Abstract Thermal energy storage enables uninterrupted operation of a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant during periods of cloudy or intermittent solar availability. This paper presents a transient computational analysis of an encapsulated phase change material (EPCM) thermal energy storage (TES) system for repeated charging and discharging cycles to investigate its dynamic response. The influence of the design and operating parameters on the dynamic charge and discharge performance of the system is analyzed to identify operating windows that satisfy technoeconomic targets of storage cost less than $15/kW h t , round-trip exergetic efficiency greater than 95%, charge time less than 6 h and a minimum discharge period of 6 h. Overall, this study illustrates a methodology for design and optimization of encapsulated PCM thermal energy storage system (EPCM-TES) for a CSP plant operation.
Diagnostic value of C-reactive protein in children with perforated appendicitis.

The diagnostic value of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in children with perforated appendicitis was prospectively studied in 78 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed appendicitis. The patients were divided into two groups: group A included 56 patients with perforated appendicitis and group B consisted of 22 patients with simple appendicitis. Serum CRP level and leucocyte count were assayed in all and abdominal ultrasonography was performed in 75. The mean age of group A patients was significantly lower than that of group B patients (7.5 vs. 10.4 years,P<0.001). Group A patients had a significantly higher mean serum CRP levels than group B patients (92 vs. 31 mg/l,P<0.001), while the mean leucocyte count was comparable in the two groups. Of 75 examined patients, 73 (97%) had a pre-operative sonographic diagnosis of appendicitis.
Preservation by freezing of glucose and alanine transport into kidney membrane vesicles.

Abstract Vesicular membrane fractions prepared from rat kidney cortices by a series of differential centrifugations can be frozen in 15% glycerol and stored at −70°C. These vesicles can be reclaimed with removal of glycerol by two brief centrifugations. Such frozen/reclaimed vesicles are osmotically active and show transport characteristics for d -glucose and l -alanine which are similar in many respects to those exhibited by freshly prepared vesicles.
SOLUTIONS OF THE AITCHISON EQUATION FOR FINAL STATE INTERACTION

Abstract We present numerical solutions to the Aitchison equation for final state interactions in the process A → 3a for the special cases that the two-particle interaction in the final state is given by a scattering length, effective range or resonance approximation. Non-relativistic kinematics are used throughout. The integral equations have been solved by numerical iteration. In addition, the Aitchison equation has been generalized to include a two-particle bound state, but no solutions have been found for this case.
The crystal structure of Gd5Si4

Abstract Gd5Si4 is orthorhombic, Pnma, lattice parameters, a = 7.4738(8), b = 14.724(1), c = 7.7362(7), Z = 4, at 25 °C. The structure has been determined from three-dimensional X-ray data collected by counter methods. Least-squares refinement has led to a final conventional R value (on F) of 0.061 for 917 observed reflections. The structure can be described in terms of three different layers perpendicular to the b axis. The first layer contains Si atoms only, the second only Gd atoms, and the third both Gd and Si atoms. The structure is similar to that of Sm5Ge4, but there are significant differences in the coordination number around several of the atoms. Two Gd atoms have 10 other rare-earth atoms as near neighbors as compared to 9 in the structure of Sm5Ge4. An additional 6 Si atoms form a very distorted octahedron around these two Gd atoms giving rise to a coordination number of 16. The third crystallographically independent Gd atom has a 14 fold coordination consisting of 8 Gd and 6 Si. This latter arrangement exists also for one of the rare-earth atoms in the structure of Sm5Ge4. The coordination number of one of the Si atoms has increased to 8 as compared to 7 in Sm5Ge4. The coordination of the other two crystallographically independent Si atoms remains at 9 as in the germanide compound.
Army women's evaluations of a self-administered intervention to prevent sexually transmitted diseases during travel.

Summary Background Military personnel experience seven times the sexually transmitted infections of civilians. Military women are especially vulnerable. No self-administered interventions to promote safer sexual behaviors are available for use by military personnel while on duty in austere locations. The purpose of this study was to ascertain Army women's evaluations of a new theory-based, self-administered, and portable intervention designed to promote safer sexual practices during duty abroad. Method Two focus groups were conducted at a large military installation in the Pacific Northwest. Army women ( N = 20) ages 18–49 years participated in the groups. Women first examined the intervention and then their reactions to the intervention were elicited with open-ended questions. The qualitative data then were content analyzed. Results All participants would either recommend or personally use the intervention. Positive features of the intervention included the type of information, a user-friendly and self-explanatory format, and that it was an aid to decision making about safer sex. Concerns included a tendency toward too much information and fears of non-acceptance by peers or sexual partners. Conclusion Minor changes have been made based upon these results. The intervention will be reviewed again and proceed to clinical trials with female military personnel and other travelers.
Effects of supplementation of carbohydrate and ketone body infusion in pregnant rats

Abstract Female rats fed a 4% carbohydrate diet, starting from gestational day 0, maintained normal blood glucose level and a low blood ketone body level on day 12 of pregnancy. The loss of implanted embryos was much reduced compared to the 2% carbohydrate diet-fed dams, and was comparable to the 6% carbohydrate diet-fed dams. Therefore, a 4% carbohydrate diet was given to pregnant rats infused with sodium β-hydroxybutyrate to test the effects of hyperketonemia per se on the maintenance of pregnancy. Control rats were fed the same diet but infused with sodium acetate. Continuous infusion of sodium β-hydroxybutyrate from gestational day 0 through 12 resulted in an elevated blood ketone body level associated with a significant increase of embryo resorption. These observations suggested that maternal hyperketonemia in early gestation contributed to the detrimental effects on embryo survival.
Amniotic fluid volume dynamics

From the moment of implantation until delivery some 37 weeks later, the human embryo or fetus is surrounded by fluid. Initially this fluid is a transudate from maternal and embryonic tissues which provides nutrients for the growing embryo. Starting in early pregnancy, the fetal kidneys begin to contribute substantial quantities of urine to the amniotic fluid volume. At mid pregnancy, when the skin becomes keratinized, the kidneys become the main source of amniotic fluid. Fetal swallowing is the main route of amniotic fluid removal. Although fetal urine production and swallowing have been studied in both human pregnancy and animal models, the knowledge from these investigations is not sufficiently extensive to explain overall amniotic fluid volume regulation. None the less, it is clear that the amniotic fluid is in a dynamic, ever-changing state. The production rate of the fetal urine in the human fetus at term (800–1200ml/day) is sufficient to replace completely the entire amniotic volume every 12–24 hours1. While the fetus is producing large volumes of urine, the volume of amniotic fluid is normally maintained within a very narrow range. Deviations from the normal range are often associated with significant perinatal morbidity and mortality.
Information exchange in wireless networks with noisy transmission links

An information exchange problem is considered where there are a number of terminal nodes, each of which transmits a broadcast-encoded version of individual information streams uplink to a network hub node that in turn transmits a network-coded version of these information streams downlink in a single transmission broadcast to all of the terminal nodes. All uplink broadcast transmissions from the terminal nodes are sent over a shared wireless broadcast medium where terminal nodes can listen opportunistically to transmissions sent by neighboring terminal nodes to enable an opportunistic network coding scheme. All information streams are encoded into a stream of binary code bits. We assume that all transmission channels are binary symmetric channels (BSCs) and all decoding is performed in a maximum likelihood manner. A network coding scheme is devised for the special case of two terminal nodes where uplink broadcast transmissions are designed to maximize the reliable rate at which opportunistic listening by neighboring nodes is achieved while simultaneously reducing the downlink channel capacities required for reliable direct broadcast transmissions from the network hub to the terminal nodes. Channel capacity requirements are determined for all the transmission channels.
Parylene microprobes with engineered stiffness and shape for improved insertion

This paper reports on a new structure and fabrication technology for Parylene-based recording and stimulating penetrating microprobes with engineered mechanical stiffness, low cross-sectional area and sharp tips. Taking advantage of significant benefits from polymer microprobes is often prevented due to their troublesome insertion. This paper addresses this issue and describes a process that allows integrating vertical Parylene stiffeners in the shank without adding process complexity, increasing probe thickness and volume or compromising use in 2D/3D arrays. A metal mask formed around the tip allows for the local thinning down of Parylene, creating a sharp tip during an etch step. These features increase the stability of the probe while reducing both the load on the shank during implantation as well as the dimpling of the brain surface. Shanks 2 mm long, 20 µm thick and 380 µm wide were rendered stable enough for insertion into cadaver lamb brain through the pia by employing five stiffeners. Probes were fabricated in a three mask process with high yield (>80%), and under soak-tests it was determined that they remain electrically functional over a period of three months.
US information retrieval system evolution and evaluation (1945-1975)

Information retrieval has evolved through four phases: manual and mechanical devices; off line computing; online computing and vendor access; and distributed, networked, and mass computing. The article primarily addresses the first three phases. We examine IR systems in terms of four basic functions within a broader communications system context: analysis of document information content including description of document elements (such as author, title, volume, and so on), abstracting, indexing, and other processes; identification and location of sources of documents through bibliographic browsing and searching; evaluation and assessment of bibliographic search output such as screening of bibliographic descriptions; and provision of physical access to document information content through various media such as print on paper, microform, and screen displays.
Estimates of Homicide-Suicides Among the Elderly, 1968 to 1975

This article describes homicide-suicide among those aged 65 years and older in the United States using archival data from 1968 to 1975. Comparisons were made between 184 homicide-suicides and 400 randomly selected victims of all other types of homicide. The findings indicate that homicide-suicides occurred predominantly in the family unit, especially involving female spouses, and among White victims and offenders. Handguns and other firearms were the weapon of choice in homicide-suicides. Language: en
Measured sanctions: Legume hosts detect quantitative variation in rhizobium cooperation and punish accordingly

Question: Does severity of punishment vary quantitatively with partner cooperation? Hypothesis: Sanctions against defecting partners may be crucial for the evolutionary persistence of cooperation. Legume sanctions have been demonstrated when rhizobia either fully defect or fully cooperate, but not when they invest at an intermediate level. We predicted that intermediate rates of cooperation would trigger intermediate sanctions. Model system: We varied rhizobium cooperation and its importance to the plant by adjusting N2 concentration, manipulating rhizobia to fix N2 at about 1%, 17%, 33%, 50%, and 100% of their potential, and/or by adding nitrate. Results: Fixation and rhizobium fitness were significantly correlated in a regression model suggesting that sanction strength varies with N2 fixation. Sanction severity was increased by the addition of external nitrate.
Invited Commentary: On Population Subgroups, Mathematics, and Interventions

New sex-specific equations, each with race/ethnic-specific intercept, for predicted lung function illustrate a methodological point, that complex differences between groups may not imply interactions with other predictors, such as age and height. The new equations find that race/ethnic identity does not interact with either age or height in the prediction equations, although there are race/ethnic-specific offsets. Further study is warranted of the effect of possible small race/ethnic interactions on disease classification. Additional study of repeated measures of lung function is warranted, given that the new equations were developed in cross-sectional designs. Predicting lung function is more than a methodological exercise. Predicted values are important in disease diagnosis and monitoring. It is suggested that measurement and tracking of lung function throughout young adulthood could be used to provide an early warning of potential long-term lung function losses to encourage improvement of risky behaviors including smoking and failure to maintain normal body weight in the general population.
The Effect of Steam-Flaked or Dry Ground Corn and Supplemental Phytic Acid on Phosphorus Partitioning and Ruminal Phytase Activity in Lactating Cows

Abstract The effect of starch source and phytic acid (PA) supplementation on phosphorus (P) partitioning and ruminal phytase activity was evaluated in eight midlactation cows (four ruminally cannulated). Cows were randomly assigned to treatments in replicated 4×4 Latin squares with four 18-d periods. Diets included dry ground corn (DG) or steam-flaked corn (SF), with no supplemental P (L; 0.33% P) or supplemental purified PA (0.44% P) to provide additional P from a nonmineral source. Total collection of milk, urine, and feces was conducted on d 16 to 18 of each period. Ruminal fluid was sampled and ruminal pH measured every 8h on d 17 and 18. Milk yield was unaffected by starch source, despite lower DMI by cows fed SF. Cows fed SF had increased DM digestibility compared with those fed DG, and tended to have higher efficiency of milk yield (1.40 vs. 1.35kg of milk/kg of DMI). Intake and fecal excretion of P was lower in cows fed SF than in cows fed DG. In cows fed SF, milk P as a percentage of P intake increased compared with cows fed DG. Ruminal pH was unaffected by diet, but milk fat content was lower for cows fed SF. Milk yield, DMI, and feed to milk ratio were not affected by supplementation with PA. Although cows fed PA had increased P intake compared with cows fed low P diet, increased P excretion resulted in no differences in apparent P digestibility. Phosphorus balance tended to be higher in cows fed PA, but milk P as a percentage of intake was reduced. The interaction of starch source and PA affected ruminal phytase activity. Altering starch source to improve efficiency of milk yield in lactating dairy cows may help reduce P losses from dairy farms.
Flow effects in balanced steady state free precession imaging.

An analysis of the effect of flow on 2D fully balanced steady state free precession (SSFP) imaging is presented. Transient and steady-state SSFP signal intensities in the presence of steady and pulsatile flow were simulated using a matrix formalism based on the Bloch equations. Various through-plane flow waveforms and rates were modeled numerically considering factors such as the excitation slice profile and both in- and out-flow effects. Phantom measurements in an experimental setup that allowed the assessment of SSFP signal properties as a function of frequency offset and flow rate demonstrated that the computer simulations provided a suitable description of the effects of flow in SSFP imaging. A volunteer scan was performed to provide in vivo validations. For accurate modeling of SSFP signal intensities it is crucial to include effects such as imperfect slice profiles and, more importantly, "out-of-slice" contributions to the signal. Both simulations and experiments show that there can be considerably large-frequency offset dependent-signal contributions from flowing spins that have already left the imaging slice but still add to the SSFP signal. Although spins leaving the slice do not experience additional RF-excitation, gradient activity is not confined to the region of excitations and the balanced nature of the SSFP imaging gradients allows "out-of-slice" transverse magnetization to contribute to the total SSFP signal, effectively by broadening the slice thickness for flowing spins. This results in a frequency dependence of in-flow related signal enhancement and flow artifacts.
High-sensitivity liquid chromatography–combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry of fat-soluble vitamins

The sensitivity of high-precision liquid chromatography/combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/C-IRMS) was improved by more than two orders of magnitude by modifications which permit optimization of flows. The lower limits for high precision are about 3 μg of analyte on-column for flow injection and LC modes. Pneumatic aerosol spray coating was implemented and compared with simple dip coating. The signal enhancement for aerosol compared with dip coating is up fourfold at higher levels but drops to less than twofold at lower levels, while the dynamic range is extended at higher levels by fourfold at high sample load levels. LC separations for underivatized tocopherols, retinyl acetate and ergocalciferol are demonstrated with precision and accuracy of about δ13C < 2.5% for replicates. This work demonstrates sensitivity useful for a wide range of LC analyses and extends high-precision LC/C-IRMS to the determination of several fat-soluble vitamins.
Augmentation of collateral blood flow to the ischaemic myocardium by oxygen inhalation following experimental coronary artery occlusion

Since the mechanism by which oxygen reduces infarct size is not yet completely understood, we tested the hypothesis that breathing 100% oxygen may alter regional myocardial blood flow. In 23 anaesthetised open-chest dogs with acute occlusions of the left anterior descending coronary artery or of its apical branch, regional myocardial blood flow was determined by the microsphere technique at 15 and 30 min following coronary artery occlusion. Fifteen treated dogs were ventilated with 100% oxygen beginning 17 min after occlusion (ie , after the first determination of regional myocardial blood flow) and continuing until the end of the experiment, while the other 8 dogs served as controls and were ventilated continuously with room air. In treated dogs, following the administration of 100% oxygen, transmural flow at sites remote from the distribution of the occluded vessel (nonischaemic sites) decreased from 121 ±5 before oxygen to 108 ±6 cm3·min−1 ·100g−1 (P <0.05). However, in the ischaemic sites it increased from 28 ±3 before oxygen to 32 ±3 cm3·min−1 ·100g−1 (P <0.05). In the control dogs transmural flow, 15 and 30 min after occlusion, was, in nonischaemic sites, 118 ±7 and 125 ±10 cm3·min−1 ·100g−1 NS, and in the ischaemic sites 27 ±4 and 25 ±3 cm3·min−1 ·100g−1 NS, respectively. Thus, ventilation with 100% oxygen can augment perfusion of the ischaemic myocardium and this may be, in part, the mechanism by which it reduces infarct size.
Development and evolution of chordate cartilage.

Deuterostomes are a monophyletic group of animals containing vertebrates, lancelets, tunicates, hemichordates, echinoderms, and xenoturbellids. Four out of these six extant groups—vertebrates, lancelets, tunicates, and hemichordates—have pharyngeal gill slits. All groups of deuterostome animals that have pharyngeal gill slits also have a pharyngeal skeleton supporting the pharyngeal openings, except tunicates. We previously found that pharyngeal cartilage in hemichordates and cephalochordates contains a fibrillar collagen protein similar to vertebrate type II collagen, but unlike vertebrate cartilage, the invertebrate deuterostome cartilages are acellular. We found SoxE and fibrillar collagen expression in the pharyngeal endodermal cells adjacent to where the cartilages form. These same endodermal epithelial cells also express Pax1/9, a marker of pharyngeal endoderm in vertebrates, lancelets, tunicates, and hemichordates. In situ experiments with a cephalochordate fibrillar collagen also showed expression in pharyngeal endoderm, as well as the ectoderm and the mesodermal coelomic pouches lining the gill bars. These results indicate that the pharyngeal endodermal cells are responsible for secretion of the cartilage in hemichordates, whereas in lancelets, all the pharyngeal cells surrounding the gill bars, ectodermal, endodermal, and mesodermal may be responsible for cartilage formation. We propose that endoderm secretion was primarily the ancestral mode of making pharyngeal cartilages in deuterostomes. Later the evolutionary origin of neural crest allowed co-option of the gene network for the secretion of pharyngeal cartilage matrix in the new migratory neural crest cell populations found in vertebrates. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 308B, 2007. r 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Region-specific regulation of RGS4 (Regulator of G-protein-signaling protein type 4) in brain by stress and glucocorticoids: in vivo and in vitro studies.

The present study demonstrates that the regulator of G-protein–signaling protein type 4 (RGS4) is differentially regulated in the locus coeruleus (LC) and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus by chronic stress and glucocorticoid treatments. Acute or chronic administration of corticosterone to adult rats decreased RGS4 mRNA levels in the PVN but increased these levels in the LC. Similarly, chronic unpredictable stress decreased RGS4 mRNA levels in the PVN but had a strong trend to increase these levels in the LC. Chronic stress also decreased RGS4 mRNA levels in the pituitary. The molecular mechanisms of RGS4 mRNA regulation were further investigated in vitro in the LC-like CATH.a cell line and the neuroendocrine AtT20 cell line using the synthetic corticosterone analog dexamethasone. Consistent with the findings in vivo , dexamethasone treatment caused a dose- and time-dependent decrease in RGS4 mRNA levels in AtT20 cells but a dose- and time-dependent increase in CATH.a cells. RGS4 mRNA regulation seen in these two cell lines seems to be attributable, at least in part, to opposite changes in mRNA stability. The differential regulation of RGS4 expression in the LC and in key relays of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis could contribute to the brain’s region-specific and long-term adaptations to stress.
Smoothing Curves in Manifolds

The problem of fitting a curve to data on a surface is explored, using both splines and kernel estimators. Examples are considered which suggest that there are two fundamentally different approaches, depending on how the manifold is coordinatized. Two theorems are stated, giving conditions for consistency of the estimators.
Distinct Roles of Two Binding Sites for the Bovine Papillomavirus (BPV) E2 Transactivator on BPV DNA Replication

The modulation of DNA replication by transcription factors was examined by using bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV). BPV replication in vivo requires two viral proteins: E1, an origin-binding protein, and E2, a transcriptional transactivator. In the origin, E1 interacts with a central region flanked by two binding sites for E2 (BS11 and BS12), of which only BS12 has been reported to be essential for replication in vivo. Using chemical interference and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we found that the binding of E2 to each site stimulates the formation of distinct E1-origin complexes. A high-mobility C1 complex is formed by using critical E2 contacts to BS12 and E1 contacts to the dyad symmetry element. In contrast, interaction of E2 with the BS11 element on the other origin flank promotes the formation of the lower-mobility C3 complex. C3 is a novel species that resembles C2, a previously identified complex that is replication active and formed by E1 alone. The binding of E1 greatly differs in the C1 and C3 complexes, with E1 in the C1 complex limited to the origin dyad symmetry region and E1 in the C3 complex encompassing the region from the proximal edge of BS11 through the distal edge of BS12. We found that the presence of both E2-binding sites is necessary for wild-type replication activity in vivo, as well as for maximal production of the C3 complex. These results show that in the normal viral context, BS11 and BS12 play separate but synergetic roles in the initiation of viral DNA replication that are dependent on their location within the origin. Our data suggest a model in which the binding of E2 to each site sequentially stimulates the formation of distinct E1-origin complexes, leading to the replication-competent complex.
Human Papillomaviruses As Therapeutic Targets in Human Cancer

Cervical carcinomas are almost universally associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, and are a leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. HPV oncoproteins contribute to cancer initiation and progression and their expression is necessary for the maintenance of the transformed state. The fact that the initiating oncogenic insult, infection with a high-risk HPV and viral oncoprotein expression, is common to almost all cervical cancers offers unique opportunities for prevention, early detection, and therapy. The potential for prevention has been realized by introduction of prophylactic vaccines that are to prevent transmission of specific high-risk HPVs. Given, however, that these vaccines have no therapeutic efficacy and HPV-associated cervical cancers arise years if not decades after the initial infection, it has been estimated that there will be no measurable decline of HPV-associated tumors before 2040. Cervical cancer alone will be diagnosed in more than 375,000 US women between now and 2040. Other HPV-associated anogenital and head and neck cancers are predicted to afflict another 700,000 men and women over this time period. Hence, therapeutic efforts to combat high-risk HPV-associated disease remain of critical importance.
Polymers for viral gene delivery

Background: The development of viral vectors capable of providing efficient gene transfer in diseased tissues without causing any pathogenic effects is pivotal for overcoming the many challenges facing gene therapy. Objective: Immune responses against viral vectors, inadequate gene expression and inefficient targeting to specific cells in vivo are some of the major problems limiting the clinical utility of viral gene therapy. Methods: This review will focus on recent progress in strategic polymer-based modifications to improve the performance and biocompatibility of a variety of viral vectors. We will discuss the preclinical development of four approaches involving injectable polymers, polyelectrolytes, polymer microspheres and polymer–virus conjugates. Results/conclusion: Much progress has been made in creating ‘hybrid’ gene delivery vectors that combine the strengths of polymers and viruses. With further optimization, these hybrid vectors, which may be safer and more effective, are likely to succeed in ...
Maternal loading with very low-density lipoproteins stimulates fetal surfactant synthesis

We examined whether administration of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) to pregnant rats increases surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) content in fetal pre-type II alveolar epithelial cells. VLDL-triglycerides are hydrolyzed to fatty acids by lipoprotein lipase (LPL), an enzyme activated by heparin. Fatty acids released by LPL can incorporate into the PtdCho molecule or activate the key biosynthetic enzyme cytidylyltransferase (CCT). Dams were given BSA, heparin, VLDL, or VLDL with heparin intravenously. Radiolabeled VLDL given to the pregnant rat crossed the placenta and was distributed systemically in the fetus and incorporated into disaturated PtdCho (DSPtdCho) in pre-type II cells. Maternal administration of VLDL with heparin increased DSPtdCho content in cells by 45% compared with control (P < 0.05). VLDL produced a dose-dependent, saturable, and selective increase in CCT activity. VLDL did not significantly alter immunoreactive CCT content but increased palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids in pre-type II cells. Furthermore, hypertriglyceridemic apolipoprotein E knockout mice contained significantly greater levels of DSPtdCho content in alveolar lavage and CCT activity compared with either LDL receptor knockout mice or wild-type controls that have normal serum triglycerides. Thus the nutritional or genetic modulation of serum VLDL-triglycerides provides specific fatty acids that stimulate PtdCho synthesis and CCT activity thereby increasing surfactant content.
Repeated exposure to prolactin is required to induce luteal regression in the hypophysectomized rat.

We investigated whether prolactin (PRL) treatments resembling the intermittent PRL surges of estrous cycles could induce luteal regression in hypophysectomized rats. Immature female rats were stimulated to ovulate and form corpora lutea with exogenous gonadotropins, and were hypophysectomized following ovulation. A single s.c. injection of either vehicle (VEH) or PRL was administered to each rat on post-hypophysectomy Day 8 and again on Day 11. The four resulting treatment groups consisted of rats that received two injections of VEH, VEH followed by PRL, PRL followed by VEH, or two injections of PRL. Rats were killed 24 or 72 h following the second injection. Plasma 20alpha-dihydroprogesterone, luteal weight, and total luteal protein were determined. One ovary was sectioned for immunohistochemistry for monocytes/macrophages, apoptotic nuclei, and major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) molecules. No effect of time (following injection) was observed on any endpoint, indicating that PRL does not have an ongoing regressive action. Time groups from within each treatment group were therefore pooled for analysis. Significant declines (P: < 0.05) in plasma concentrations of 20alpha-dihydroprogesterone, luteal weight, and protein per corpus luteum occurred only after two injections of PRL. Numbers of luteal monocytes/macrophages, apoptotic nuclei, and MHC II-positive cells were low in all groups; numbers of luteal monocytes/macrophages increased following two injections of PRL (P: < 0.05). We conclude that PRL has a cumulative regressive effect on the corpus luteum of the hypophysectomized rat. Drawing a parallel with the estrous cycle, we suggest that continued exposure to PRL, over several cycles, is necessary to induce full luteal regression.
A Mutant eIF4E Confers Resistance to Potato Virus Y Strains and is Inherited in a Dominant Manner in the Potato Varieties Atlantic and Russet Norkotah

Potato Virus Y (PVY) is one of the most important pathogens affecting potato production worldwide. Here we tested the efficacy of engineered resistance against PVY in two popular susceptible potato varieties, Russet Norkotah and Atlantic. This resistance is based on the expression of a modified potato eIF4E gene containing mutations homologous to those in the recessive resistant allelic variant found in pepper. The expression of this eIF4E variant conferred differential resistance responses against three prevalent PVY strains including PVYO, PVYN:O and PVYNTN in the five tested transgenic lines. When resistance was established, the virus was not detectable in the inoculated leaves, the newly emerged leaves, nor in the sprouted tubers. Some strains were restrained to a low but detectable level in some of the potato lines. Crosses between transformed and wild type lines demonstrated that the engineered resistance gene was inherited in a dominant manner.
Species and Cultivar Influences on Infestation by and Parasitism of a Columbine Leafminer (Phytomyza aquilegivora Spencer)

Columbine, Aquilegia spp., are regularly attacked by agromyzid leafminers, Phytomyza spp. Effects of columbine species and cultivars on infestation by the leafminer Phytomyza aquilegivora Spencer, and subsequent parasitism by hymenopterous parasitoids was evaluated in two-year field trials at four locations in central and north Geor gia. Among 20 columbine taxa planted in non-irrigated, wooded sites in central and north Georgia, two selections (A. flabellata and A. caerulea ‘Dwarf Fantasy Mix’) were comparable to the moderately resistant native species A. canadensis. In irrigated sites in central and north Geor gia, all cultivars were equally infested by the leaf miner. The most heavily attacked selections among all sites were A. alpina, A. chrysantha ‘Yellow Star’, A. caerulea, A. caerulea ‘McKana mix’, A. caer ulea ‘Music hybrid’, A. skinneri , and A. x hybrida ‘Ruby Port’. The variegated selection, A. ver vaeneana ‘Woodside’, sustained intermediate infestation levels as did A. vulgaris ‘Winkie Blue & White’. Cultivar influences on parasitism of leafminers was quantified at two sites. Eleven species of hymenopteran parasitoids representing three families were recovered. Leafminers infesting A. chrysantha ‘Yellow Star’ were most heavily parasitized at both locations. Chrysocharis pentheus Walker was the most abundant parasitoid, representing 41% of all parasitoids collected and 48.4% of the species reared from leafminers in central Geor gia. Seladerma sp. was the only parasitoid reared from leafminers collected in north Geor gia and represented 22.1% of all parasitoids obtained.
PREDICTION OF UNEQUAL GROWTH OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES IN ANTERIOR POLIOMYELITIS

Of 166 adults in whom poliomyelitis developed before the age of eleven, varying degrees of muscle power and shortening were present in the lower extremities. There was no specific relationship between the age of onset and the amount of discrepancy in limb length. There was, however, a definite relationship between the relative muscle strength in the two extremities and the discrepancy in limb length. These data may be utilized clinically in predicting the amount of shortening that will occur in a patient having poliomyelitis before the age of eleven.
Sex and Sexuality in Latin America

Despite the explosion of critical writing on gender and sexuality, relatively little work has focused on Latin America. Sex and Sexuality in Latin America: An Interdisciplinary Readerfills in this gap. Daniel Balderston and Donna J. Guy assert that the study of sexuality in Latin America requires a break with the dominant Anglo-European model of gender. To this end, the essays in the collection focus on the uncertain and contingent nature of sexual identity. Organized around three central themes--control and repression; the politics and culture of resistance; and sexual transgression as affirmation of marginalized identities--this intriguing collection will challenge and inform conceptions of Latin American gender and sexuality. Covering topics ranging from transvestism to the world of tango, and countries as diverse as Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, this volume takes an accessible, dynamic, and interdisciplinary approach to a highly theoretical topic. "Opens up new conceptual horizons for exploring gender and sexuality...In stimulating readers to think 'outside the box' of established academic notions of sexuality and gender, Sex and Sexuality in Latin America illustrates the sometimes mind-boggling mission of iconoclastic scholarship. The well-written essays are thought-provoking analyses on the cutting edge of gender scholarship." Latin American Research Review, vol. 36, no. 3, 2001
Five-year Follow-up of a Man with Subcutaneous Mycetomas Caused by Microsporum audouinii

A black man with subcutaneous mycetomas caused by Microsporum audouinii was treated by a combination of griseofulvin, 18.5 g of amphotericin B, excisional surgery, and later, ketoconazole, resulting in a satisfactory arrest or cure of the clinical illness. Complications of therapy included residual impaired renal function and a change in hair color from black to a rust brown color. The continued use of the term mycetoma to describe such lesions is justified.
Personality Traits and Country-of-Origin Cues: Evaluating Consumer Predispositions to Seek Country of Origin Information

This study attempts to utilize personality traits to identify consumers most likely to seek and use country-of-origin information in the product evaluation process. In this regard, a number of personal- ity variables are assessed and differences are noted between individuals rating low and high on the respective variables with regard to their country-of-origin information search activity.
Design, Assembly, and Characterization of TALE-Based Transcriptional Activators and Repressors

Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are modular DNA-binding proteins that can be fused to a variety of effector domains to regulate the epigenome. Nucleotide recognition by TALE monomers follows a simple cipher, making this a powerful and versatile method to activate or repress gene expression. Described here are methods to design, assemble, and test TALE transcription factors (TALE-TFs) for control of endogenous gene expression. In this protocol, TALE arrays are constructed by Golden Gate cloning and tested for activity by transfection and quantitative RT-PCR. These methods for engineering TALE-TFs are useful for studies in reverse genetics and genomics, synthetic biology, and gene therapy.
Managing mergers: Why people first can improve brand and IT consolidations

Abstract The number and value of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) continue to grow, with record increases in the U.S. and Asia Pacific in 2015. Yet, despite calls from academic literature for more consideration of the human and behavioral factors in such massive change, there remains an inordinate focus on the financial or quantitative aspects. We connect the newer streams of research with efficiency and growth imperatives via an illustrative analysis of ANZ New Zealand's horizontal merger with The National Bank of New Zealand. ANZ successfully completed a brand and technology merger by prioritizing the customer, addressing employees’ socioeconomic concerns, providing enough time and resources to ensure efficiencies, and rebranding enriched customer services and revenues. The results were overwhelmingly positive and provide a useful template for how M&As should be executed in the future using a people-first approach.
Self-knowledge as a factor in becoming a multicultural educator

AbstractIn this article, I define self-knowledge and describe how it can serve as a basis for creating contexts for multicultural engagement. The article describes a course where teachers critically reflect on media, biographies, their personal narratives, and professional application projects. Media, biographies, professional application projects, and personal narratives are powerful sources for deepening self-knowledge and for posing critical questions about difference and diversity. Key elements of the course are discussed and four course assignments are described. Comments from teachers are woven throughout the article to illustrate insights that can be gained through critical self-reflection. The article ends with lessons the author learned while teaching about self-knowledge.