cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Marinbiologische Aspekte der Wasserbewegung

1. Wasserbewegung ist mit fast allen ubrigen okologischen Faktoren im Meere verflochten. Oft ist sie deren Transportmittel, vielfach wird sie gleichzeitig von diesen Faktoren modifiziert. Wasserbewegung ist letztlich ein besonderer Aspekt des gesamten Faktorensystems. 2. Die Komplexitat der Wasserbewegung beruht hinsichtlich der Einzelmerkmale auf den verschiedenen Mesgrosen, deren Variabilitat und den unterschiedlichen Wirkungen, die mit einem Bewegungsvorgang einhergehen. 3. Hinsichtlich der komplexen Merkmale und ihrer Wirkungen ist festzustellen, das sich Wasserbewegungen bereits nach Herkunft, Verteilungsweise und Raumgrosen, in welchen sie angreifen, stark unterscheiden. Allein die uber 13 Dezimalen (von 10000 km bis 10 μm) reichenden Raumdimensionen biologischer Stromungswirkungen fuhren in den ozeanischen, litoralen, Substrat-und Grenzschichtbereichen schrittweise zu neuen Bewegungsfallen, Phanomenen und biologischen Wirkungen. 4. Diese Komplikation spiegelt sich auch in der Methodik der Wasserbewegungsmessung wider. Ihre Entwicklung geht von der mechanischen zur elektronischen Datenaufnahme uber; dennoch hat jede Mesgrose ihr eigenes Methodenarsenal und die indirekten Bestimmungsverfahren spielen nach wie vor eine wichtige Rolle.
Pigmented, Lipid-Laden Histiocytes in the Central Nervous System in Chronic Granulomatous Disease of Childhood

In addition to granulomas, infiltrates of pigmented, lipid-laden histiocytes are a consistent morphologic finding in visceral organs of the reticuloendothelial system in patients with chronic granulomatous disease. We report a case with widespread meningeal and focal brain stem infiltrates of these distinctive histiocytes. The noninfectious involvement of the central nervous system in chronic granulomatous disease may be greater than previously recognized and related to the role of the CNS in the reticuloendothelial system.
The Differential Diagnosis of Diseases of the Head of Fowls

Abstract Although the several pathological conditions of the head of fowls which have been variously designated as chicken pox, contagious epithelioma, epitheliosis infectiosa avium, avian diphtheria, canker, roup, diphtheritic roup, contagious eye roup, nasal roup, contagious catarrh, colds, etc., have been the subject of much careful study there still appears to exist considerable confusion concerning their relationship. A lack of uniformity of the terms applied by different investigatiors to the different types of lesions has added to the confusion. In this discussion an attempt will be made to point out the relationship and differential features between these diseases as they occur in California. To avoid confusion in nomenclature the classification suggested by the writer in a previous paper will be used. Chicken pox or Contagious Epithelioma:—This is a readily transmissible disease manifested by the formation of wart-like epithelial tumors on the comb, wattles, or skin of the head. Occasionally lesions . . .
Central opioid receptor involvement in gastrointestinal motility

Abstract The recent development of selective opioid agonists has permitted a better understanding of the importance of the central opioid system in the modulation of propulsion of gastrointestinal contents. It is now apparent that the types of cerebral opioid receptors involved in gut motility are also associated with other opioid effects (e.g. thermal and visceral analgesia). Other types of cerebral opioid receptors are associated with analgesia, but not with gastrointestinal effects. Furthermore, the opioid receptor subtypes in the spinal cord that are involved in these centrally initiated gut effects are not necessarily the same as those at the cerebral level; compounds affecting the gut at spinal cord sites do not always produce similar effects when given into the brain. Spinally-administered opioids do not require communication with supraspinal sites in order to affect the gut. In contrast, bombesin, a nonopioid neuropeptide that normally inhibits transit after intracerebroventricular or intrathecal administration, fails to alter gut motility on intrathecal administration if communication between the brain and the spinal cord has been disrupted. Frank Porreca, James J. Galligan and Thomas F. Burks discuss these developments which indicate that distinct chemosensitive sites within the CNS can be activated to alter gut motility and which offer exciting possibilities for future therapeutic application.
Impacts of combined salinity and temperature extremes on different strains and species of tilapia inhabiting the watershed of the Salton Sea.

AbstractTilapia have relatively rapid osmoregulatory abilities, but the combined stress due to extreme temperature and salinity can negatively affect the survival of the fish. This study compared the tolerance of the California Mozambique Tilapia hybrid (Mozambique Tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus × Wami Tilapia O. urolepis; CA hybrid) from aquaculture and three species of tilapia that currently live in the Salton Sea area: Blue Tilapia O. aureus, Redbelly Tilapia Tilapia zillii, and CA hybrid collected from the sea. The CA hybrid tilapia (both cultured and feral) was the most resistant species across all treatments and could survive salinities up to 60 g/L (‰). The CA hybrid from aquaculture was the most tolerant to higher temperatures (33–38°C), while the one from the Salton Sea was the most tolerant to colder temperatures (11–16°C). In terms of salinity regimes, the aquaculture CA hybrid and Blue Tilapia survived better at 20‰, while the CA hybrid from the sea did best at 45‰. The different stocks of ti...
The Child Gender Socialization Scale: A Measure to Compare Traditional and Feminist Parents

This paper presents four studies conducted to develop a measure of parents’ attitudes about gendered behaviors in their children. Participants were US college students and community residents. It was expected that scores on the measure would distinguish between parents of sons and daughters, and between parents with traditional and feminist beliefs. To begin, we created a self-report questionnaire consisting of ratings of 84 gender-related behaviors, characteristics, and educational and occupational aspirations for children. Based on factor analysis and other analyses of scale scores to refine the measure, our final measure has 28 items on five scales. In keeping with expectations, the five scales consistently differentiated between boys and girls and/or traditional and feminist parents.
Invertebrates Associated with a Horizontal-Flow, Subsurface Constructed Wetland in a Northern Climate

Wetlands function as buffers between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, filtering pollutants generated by human activity. Constructed wetlands were developed to mimic the physical and biological filtering functions of natural systems for the treatment of human and animal waste under controlled conditions. Previous studies on the effect of constructed wetlands on native invertebrate populations have concentrated almost exclusively on mosquitoes. Here, we present the first study investigating the relationship between vegetation cover and aeration regime, and the diversity and abundance of nematodes and springtails (Collembola) in a constructed wetland designed to treat dairy farm wastewater in northwestern Vermont. We investigated four treatment cells differing in aeration regime and vegetation cover, but equally overlaid by a layer of compost to provide insulation. Analysis showed that nematodes were most abundant in the nonplanted and nonaerated cells, and that bacterivorous nematodes dominated the community in all cells. Springtails were found to be most numerous in the planted and nonaerated cells. We hypothesize that the vegetation provided differing environmental niches that supported a more diverse system of bacteria and fungi, as well as offering protection from predators and inclement weather. Nematodes were likely imported with the original compost material, while springtails migrated into the cells either via air, water, or direct locomotion.
Managing depression in the patient with cancer

Depression is the most common psychiatric problem encountered among patients with cancer. The acute stress response, which occurs at pivotal points during the course of illness, is normal. However, severe or protracted depressive symptoms should be evaluated and treated. The treatment of depression, which often involves a combined regimen of psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic intervention, can result in improved compliance with therapy, a greater tolerance for the disease and its outcome, and an improved quality of life.
Curvelets and reconstruction of images from noisy radon data

The problem of recovering an input signal form noisy and linearly distorted data arises in many different areas of scientific investigation; e.g., noisy Radon inversion is a problem of special interest and considerable practical relevance in medical imaging. We will argue that traditional methods for solving inverse problems - damping of the singular value decomposition or cognate methods - behave poorly when the object to recover has edges. We apply a new system of representation, namely the curvelets in this setting. Curvelets provide near-optimal representations of otherwise smooth objects with discontinuities along smooth C2 edges. Inspired by some recent work on nonlinear estimation, we construct a curvelet-based biorthogonal decomposition of the Radon operator and build a reconstruction based on the shrinkage of the noisy curvelet coefficients. This novel approach is shown to give a new theoretical understanding of the problem of edges in the Radon inversion problem.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of competition among fertility centers on pregnancy and high-order multiple gestation rates.

Objective To measure the effect of competition among fertility centers on pregnancy and high-order multiple (HOM) gestation rates after IVF. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Four hundred eight fertility clinics registered with the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology as providing IVF services in 2000. Competition was defined as number of clinics in a geographically defined area. Demand for services was based on the population of reproductive-aged women. Patient(s) Three hundred eighty-one fertility clinics reporting clinical outcomes. Intervention(s) Pregnancy rates, HOM gestation rates, population of reproductive-aged women, and number of competing clinics were calculated for each clinic from Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology and census data. Main Outcome Measure(s) The clinic HOM gestation rate (percentage of pregnancies that were HOM) and age-adjusted pregnancy rate. Result(s) The number of clinics in an area of competition ranged from 1 to 22. The HOM gestation rate per clinic ranged from 0% to 50%. As demand increased, competition increased. As competition increased, the number of HOM pregnancies per clinic decreased. In areas of low competition (1 to 2 clinics) the clinic HOM gestation rate was 8.43%, in areas of intermediate competition (3–7 clinics) 8.39%, and in areas of high competition (8–22 clinics) 8.24%. In areas with intermediate demand, high levels of competition resulted in fewer HOM pregnancies than intermediate competition (relative risk 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.36–0.89) or low levels of competition (RR 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.35–0.94). Age-adjusted pregnancy rates did not differ by level of competition. Conclusion(s) According to these data, the risk of HOM gestation decreases with increasing competition among clinics; however, pregnancy rates are unaffected.
An improved educational software package to illustrate neural network paradigms

Summary form only given, as follows. An overview is presented of a software package designed to illustrate several neural network paradigms. It is an improved version of an earlier package encompassing a greater number of paradigms. The package is primarily developed for educational purposes to illustrate the network training process. The package covers most of the commonly used neural network paradigms and consists of nine different programs to simulate nine paradigms. These include: perceptron, Adaline, Madaline, Hopfield, brain-state-in-a-box (BSB), backpropagation (BP), bidirectional associative memory (BAM), counterpropagation (CP), and spatio-temporal pattern recognition (SPR). The package allows experimentation with all aspects of the paradigms, such as network topology, neurodynamics, network dynamics, and network training algorithm. The programs are written in BASIC and can be run on any IBM-PC or compatible machine. The package is also available for free distribution. >
Effects of electrolyte on the electrokinetic properties of toluene-in-water miniemulsions

Abstract The electrokinetic sonic amplitude (ESA) is measured for toluene-in-water miniemulsions stabilized by cetyl alcohol (CA) and 10 mM sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). It is shown that the effects of electrolyte on the electrokinetic properties of the miniemulsions can be followed through the effect on the ESA to the point of coagulation (CCC). The data clearly show a maximum in the ESA as the electrolyte concentration is increased in the low concentration region up to 10 mM which is likely due to the displacement of CA adsorbed at the o/w interface by SLS and/or co-ion adsorption. The maximum is also detected in the electrophoretic ζ potentials.
A regional diffusion theory explanation for states’ proposal and adoption of anti-passive investment company laws

Abstract We investigate the propensity of states to propose and adopt laws prohibiting the deduction of intercompany interest or royalties in response to the passive investment company tax minimization strategy (anti-PIC statutes). Using event history analysis with panel data from 1991–2005, we investigate whether regional diffusion theory explains the proposal and adoption of anti-PIC statutes. Our results provide support for the regional diffusion theory explanation, in that both proposing and adopting states have a higher proportion of adopting states in their particular Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) region. We find no relationship between decreases in states’ real corporate income tax revenues and their adoption of anti-PIC statutes, but do find that proposals are more common in states with slower growth in real personal income. This study contributes to existing state and local tax policy research by demonstrating that certain types of policy decisions may arise from reasons closely linked to herding behavior.
Diagonal implicit multigrid solution of compressible turbulent flows

The Caughey (1988) multigrid diagonal implicit algorithm for Euler equations is extended to solve the two-dimensional thin layer Navier-Stokes equations for turbulent transonic flows. To further accelerate convergence to a steady state, the implicit scheme is used within the multigrid method. Results are presented for transonic flows past airfoils, and the flow-field results are compared with other computational data and experiments demonstrating the accuracy of the method.
Superior data for superior information: multidiscriminate ladar

Complex environments require quality information to make proper decisions. In this paper I will emphasize ladar sensing for complex environments, especially for identification of objects in a complex environment. The right sensor provides data that can easily be converted to desired information. This allows both automated cuing, and possibly even automatic object recognition. Ladar has the most discriminates of any sensor modality. Optical sensors have much higher real beam resolution than microwave sensors. Active sensors have control of the object illumination, which can provide additional information compared to a passive sensor. Because ladar is an active EO sensing modality you have high real beam resolution, and control of the illumination pattern. Ladar can provide a 3D image, grey scale in multiple colors, velocity and vibration information, polarization properties of the object viewed, and even speckle properties of the surface of the viewed object. Also, 3D shape is a mostly invariant discriminate, assisting in high confidence object recognition.
Delayed onset and decreased incidence of diabetes in BB rats fed free radical scavengers.

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that free radicals play a role in the selective destruction of pancreatic beta-cells in BB Wor rats. Diabetes-prone BB rats of both sexes and 40 days of age were divided into three groups. The control group was fed ad libitum Purina rat chow powder, while the experimental group was fed ad libitum the rat chow powder blended with a mixture of four known free radical scavengers: allopurinol, mercaptopropionylglycine, dimethylthiourea and Vitamin E. A third group was pair-fed 10 g chow powder/rat/day, since in earlier experiments we observed that rats on the experimental diet consumed only about 10 g/rat/day. All rats were studied up to age 120 days. Body weight and food intake were measured daily. Urine was tested for glucose beginning at age 60 days. When glucosuria appeared, blood glucose and urinary ketones were measured. Body weight gain in the experimental and pair-fed groups was similar, but lower than the control group. Life table analysis of the data showed a decreased and a delayed onset of diabetes in the rats fed free radical scavengers. Thus, the results of this study demonstrated that calorie restriction and the related impaired growth did not affect the incidence of diabetes in the BB rat. In addition, the results suggested a role for free radicals in the spontaneous destruction of pancreatic beta-cells in the BB rat.
Direct Conversion of S-(+)-Bulbocapnine into S-(+)-2-Hydroxy-10-methoxyaporphine

Abstract The opening of a methylenedioxy group with simultaneous elimination of an oxygen atom during sodium in liquid ammonia reduction is a well established process in the aporphine alkaloid series1. It has furthermore been reported that phosphate esters of phenols are deoxygenated under similar reaction conditions2. The alkaloid bulbocapnine (1) contains an aromatic methylendioxy group and a phenolic hydroxy group; it thus seemed indicated to attempt the direct removal of two oxygen atoms by treating the phosphate ester 2 with an alkali metal in liquid ammonia. We now would like to give experimental details regarding this practical step which was summarized elsewhere3.
Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Specificity in Developing Neural Circuits

The function of the brain depends on highly specific patterns of connections between populations of neurons. The establishment of these connections requires the targeting of axons and dendrites to defined zones or laminae, the recognition of individual target cells, the formation of synapses on particular regions of the dendritic tree, and the differentiation of pre- and postsynaptic specializations. Recent studies provide compelling evidence that transmembrane adhesion proteins of the immunoglobulin, cadherin, and leucine-rich repeat protein families, as well as secreted proteins such as semaphorins and FGFs, regulate distinct aspects of neuronal connectivity. These observations suggest that the coordinated actions of a number of molecular signals contribute to the specification and differentiation of synaptic connections in the developing brain.
Genic SSRs for European and North American hop (Humulus lupulus L.)

Eight genic SSR loci were evaluated for genetic diversity assessment and genotype identification in Humulus lupulus L. from Europe and North America. Genetic diversity, as measured by three diversity indices, was significantly lower in European cultivars than in North American wild accessions. Neighbor Joining cluster analysis separated the hop genotypes into European and North American groups. These eight SSRs were useful in uniquely identifying each accession with the exception of two sets of European landraces and a pair of Japanese cultivars, ‘Shinshuwase’ and ‘Kirin II’. An accession from Manitoba grouped with the European (EU) cluster reflecting the group’s genetic similarity to older Manitoba germplasm used to develop ‘Brewer's Gold’ and the gene pool arising from this cultivar. Cultivars grouped closely with one of their immediate parents. ‘Perle’ grouped with its parent ‘Northern Brewer and ‘Willamette’ grouped with its parent ‘Fuggle H’. Wild American accessions were divided into two subgroups: a North Central group containing mostly H. lupulus var. lupuloides and a Southwestern group containing H. lupulus var. neomexicanus accessions. These eight SSRs will be valuable for genotype identification in European and wild American germplasm and may potentially prove useful for marker-assisted selection in hop. PCR products from four previously reported primer pairs that amplify the same intronic SSR regions as do the genic SSRs in this study were compared in eight common cultivars. Different primer pairs generated robust markers at the chs2 and chi loci. However, only the HLC-004B and HLC-006 primer pairs amplified successfully at the chs3 and chs4 loci.
Binding and Hydrolysis of Ampicillin in the Active Site of a Zinc Lactamase

Binding and hydrolysis of ampicillin are described in a model active site derived from dinuclear B. fragilis zinc lactamase. The protein binding site consists of the two zinc cations bound with a bridging hydroxide and ligands from the first-shell residues, conserved residues near the zinc site, and the moveable loop of residues from numbers 43−53. The model active site consists of the first-shell residues, the conserved residues, and glu45 and glu47 from the moveable loop. Ampicillin is primarily located in the active site by the binding of the thiazolidine ring's extra-cyclic carboxylate to the ammonium of conserved lysine 184 when water bound to Zn2 in the active site is retained. A comparable strong salt bridge is formed between the ammonium of the ampicillin zwitterion and glu45 on the flexible loop that moves mostly as a unit at least 10 A to complete the binding site. The zwitterion character of this antibiotic influences the final docking arrangement and ultimate reaction path. Classical molecular...
A Descriptor-Based Design Methodology for Developing Heterogeneous Microstructural Materials System

In designing a microstructural materials system, there are several key questions associated with design representation, design evaluation, and design synthesis: how to quantitatively represent the design space of a heterogeneous microstructure system using a small set of design variables, how to efficiently reconstruct statistically equivalent microstructures for design evaluation, and how to quickly search for the optimal microstructure design to achieve the desired material properties. This paper proposes a new descriptor-based methodology for designing microstructural materials systems. It is proposed to use a small set of microstructure descriptors to represent material morphology features quantitatively. The descriptor set should be able to cover microstructure features at different levels, including composition, dispersion status, and phase geometry. A descriptor-based multiphase microstructure reconstruction algorithm is developed accordingly that allows efficient stochastic reconstructions of microstructures in both 2D and 3D spaces for finite element analysis (FEA) of material behavior. Finally, the descriptor-based representation allows the use of parametric optimization approach to search the optimal microstructure design that meets the target material properties. To improve the search efficiency, this paper integrates state-of-the-art computational design methods such as design of experiment (DOE), metamodeling, statistical sensitivity analysis, and multi-objective optimization, into one design optimization framework to automate the microstructure design process. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using the design of a polymer nanocomposites system. The choice of descriptors for polymer nanocomposites is verified by establishing a mapping between the finite set of descriptors and the infinite dimensional correlation function.
Has the averch-johnson effect been theoretically justified?

Abstract In this paper we show that the Averch-Johnson effect of overcapitalization by a regulated monopoly does not obtain when the firm operates in the decreasing cost range of output. We develop a dynamic adjustment-cost model of the firm and apply a recent result by Brock and Dechert for non-concave Hamiltonians to solve for the optimal investment policy for the firm. With a phase diagram analysis we are able to make sharp comparisons between the regulated and unregulated cases. In particular we show that investment by a regulated firm is lower than that of an unregulated firm, even when the rate of return constraint is not binding.
Patient Population Controls

Quality control (QC) procedures incorporating patient means, or average of normals (AoN) algorithms, have been used in hematology laboratories and large reference laboratories for decades to monitor analytical processes during the periods between the testing of reference sample QC materials. With the advent of middleware that includes AoN capability, these QC procedures are now available to many more laboratories, including medium-sized hospital laboratories. AoN procedures can improve the control of tests that have low "sigma-metrics," such as electrolytes, where relatively low numbers of patient results can be averaged to provide a high probability of detecting medically significant errors. QC of nearly one-third of the tests whose AoN capabilities have been studied would possibly benefit from AoN procedures in medium-sized laboratories. To obtain satisfactory performance, laboratories must tailor the applications of AoN procedures to their particular volumes and test characteristics.
(2-Chloroethyl) Trimethylammonium Chloride and Related Compounds as Plant Growth Substances. II. Effect on Growth of Wheat.

In this series of publications, the action of (2chloroethyl)trimethylammonium chloride and certain other compounds structurally related to the quaternary ammonium cation, (CH3),3N + CH2-CH2X, are described as a class of plant growth substances. In the first paper (1), compounds were examined for biological activity by an assay with wheat seedlings which involved the measurement of the distance between the bases of the first two leaf blades. Three very active and closely related compounds were discovered in which X was a chloro, bromo or = CH2 group, namely, (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammonium chloride, (2-bromoethyl) trimethylammonium bromide and (2,3-n-propylene) trimethylammonium bromide.3 The growth of wheat plants after various treatments with the three most active derivatives is described in this paper. The most characteristic growth change was a reduction in height of plants accompanied by an increase in stem diameter. In most respects the growth alterations after treatment with derivatives related to (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammonium chloride were the opposite from that obtained with gibberellin, and in addition, these effects were reversed by gibberellin. In fact, the actions of gibberellin and (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammonium chloride on the growth of plants have been found to be mutually antagonistic.
An analysis of chewed food particle size and its relationship to molar structure in the primatesCheirogaleus medius andGalago senegalensis and the insectivoranTupaia glis

The chewed food particle size and shearing capacity of the lower molars of two primate species, the fat-tailed dwarf lemur,Cheirogaleus medius and the bushbabyGalago senegalensis, and an insectivoran, the tree shrew,Tupaia glis, were compared. Differences in the shearing design of the lower molars correlate strongly with the chewed food particle size in these species: the greater the shearing capacity, the smaller the chewed food particles. These three species are of comparable size but differ greatly in diet in the wild.C. medius primarily eats fruit and nectar, whileG. senegalensis andT. glis are largely insect-eaters. The lower molars ofG. senegalensis andT. glis show a much greater shearing capacity than do those ofC. medius. The average length of chewed food particles ofC. medius is significantly larger than that ofG. senegalensis, while that ofT. glis is intermediate between the two primates but is closer to that ofG. senegalensis. Our findings that insect-eating species grind their food more finely than do fruit- and resin-eating species can be correlated with digestibility of foods: finely chewing foods such as fruits which are low in relatively undigestible cell wall components would not greatly improve their digestibility, so a highly efficient food processing apparatus would be less important to the animal's survival. Insect-eaters much more finely chew their foods, implying that there is some constituent of insect bodies difficult to digest, and that grinding increases its digestibility. We suggest that this constituent is chitin.
Inhibition of inactivation of single sodium channels by a site-directed antibody

The effects of site-directed antibodies on single sodium channel currents in excised membrane patches from rat brain neurons have been examined. Of six antibodies directed against different intracellular domains of the sodium channel alpha subunit, only an antibody directed against a highly conserved intracellular segment between homologous transmembrane domains III and IV induced late single channel openings and prolonged single channel open times during depolarizing test pulses, resulting in nearly complete inhibition of sodium channel inactivation. The antibody effect was not observed if the membrane patches were depolarized to inactivate sodium channels before exposure to the antibody, indicating that the intracellular sequence recognized by the antibody is rendered inaccessible by inactivation. The results show that a conformational change involving the intracellular segment between domains III and IV of the alpha subunit of the sodium channel molecule is required for fast sodium channel inactivation and suggest that this segment may be the fast inactivation gate of the sodium channel.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension in children

For physicians to admit that a group of patients remains for whom no cure is available in modern medicine is intellectually unsatisfying. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare condition. Because the symptoms are nonspecific and the physical finding can be subtle, the disease is often diagnosed in its later stages. The natural history of pulmonary arterial hypertension is usually progressive and fatal. At the 1998 Primary Pulmonary Hypertension World Symposium, clinical scientists from around the world gathered to review and discuss the future of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Bringing together experts from a variety of disciplines provided the opportunity for a better understanding of the pathology, pathobiology, risk factors, genetics, diagnosis and treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Remarkable progress has been made in the field of pulmonary arterial hypertension over the past several decades. The pathology is now better defined and significant advances have occurred in understanding the pathobiological mechanisms. Risk factors have been identified and the genetics have been characterised. Advances in technology allow earlier diagnosis as well as better assessment of disease severity. Therapeutic modalities such as new drugs, e.g. epoprostenol, treprostinil and bosentan, and surgical interventions, e.g. transplantation and blade septostomy, which were unavailable several decades ago, have had a significant impact on prognosis and outcome. Thus, despite the inability to really cure pulmonary arterial hypertension, therapeutic advances over the past two decades have resulted in significant improvements in the outcome for children with various forms of pulmonary arterial hypertension. This review of pulmonary arterial hypertension will highlight the key features of pulmonary hypertension in infants and children and the current understanding of pulmonary arterial hypertension with specific recommendations for current practice and future directions.
Surface nanostructuring of biocompatible polymer for wettability control in MEMS

We present a low-potential method to control surface roughness of doped polypyrrole through redox-induced transformation in surface morphology. By varying the electric potential of as-deposited doped polypyrrole in aqueous sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (0.1M) from -0.6 to +1.5V (vs. Ag/AgCl), doped polypyrrole transforms from being a hydrophilic film (60deg contact angle) to a hydrophobic film (107deg contact angle). Atomic force microscope measurements verify that the surface morphologies of doped polypyrrole, when subject to applied potentials from -0.6V to +1.5V, change from smooth (average roughness of 3.1 nm) to rough (average roughness of 31.1 nm), representing a 10-fold increase in surface roughness. Based on these evidence, we postulate that the degree of oxidation strongly influence surface roughness.
Detecting Small Changes and Additional Peptides in the Canine Parvovirus Capsid Structure

Parvovirus capsids are assembled from multiple forms of a single protein and are quite stable structurally. However, in order to infect cells, conformational plasticity of the capsid is required and this likely involves the exposure of structures that are buried within the structural models. The presence of functional asymmetry in the otherwise icosahedral capsid has also been proposed. Here we examined the protein composition of canine parvovirus capsids and evaluated their structural variation and permeability by protease sensitivity, spectrofluorometry, and negative staining electron microscopy. Additional protein forms identified included an apparent smaller variant of the virus protein 1 (VP1) and a small proportion of a cleaved form of VP2. Only a small percentage of the proteins in intact capsids were cleaved by any of the proteases tested. The capsid susceptibility to proteolysis varied with temperature but new cleavages were not revealed. No global change in the capsid structure was observed by analysis of Trp fluorescence when capsids were heated between 40°C and 60°C. However, increased polarity of empty capsids was indicated by bis-ANS binding, something not seen for DNA-containing capsids. Removal of calcium with EGTA or exposure to pHs as low as 5.0 had little effect on the structure, but at pH 4.0 changes were revealed by proteinase K digestion. Exposure of viral DNA to the external environment started above 50°C. Some negative stains showed increased permeability of empty capsids at higher temperatures, but no effects were seen after EGTA treatment.
Periprostatic nerve blockade for transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy of the prostate : A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study

Purpose: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of periprostatic anesthesia administration during prostate biopsy.Materials and Methods: From May to November 2000 transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy was performed in 132 consecutive men due to an abnormal digital rectal examination and/or elevated prostate specific antigen. During biopsy 66 patients each were randomly assigned to receive an injection of 1% lidocaine or normal saline. Immediately after biopsy the pain score was recorded independently by patients and the physician using a 10-point linear scale. In addition, patients were given a descriptive questionnaire to be completed at home and mailed back within 2 weeks of biopsy.Results: Mean patient perceived pain scores plus or minus standard deviation of 2.7 ± 0.21 in the lidocaine and 4.7 ± 0.26 in the saline groups were significantly different (p <0.0001), as were mean physician perceived scores of 2.9 ± 0.27 and 5.1 ± 0.34, re...
Naming speed and word familiarity as confounding factors in decoding

The present investigation has three aims: (1) to establish a suitable composite index which combines speed and accuracy in the measurement of decoding skill; (2) to examine whether speed acts as a confounding factor in the measurement of decoding ability; and (3) to see whether familiarity with the word, as indicated by the ability to pronounce it, or lack of it acts as a confounding factor in the assessment of spelling skills. Three studies were conducted to fulfill these aims. In the first study, 33 children from Grade 2 were asked to name a list of 40 letters of the alphabet as quickly and as accurately as possible. A combined index of speed and accuracy was computed from these two sets of data using two formulas, which were based on the ‘z’ score and the mean variance score. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient of 0.94 was obtained between the results of the two formulas indicating that the two formulas yield almost identical results. In the second study, 37 fifth-graders were administered the word-attack sub-test of Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery. When the speed and accuracy composite index, based on the ‘z formula’ was applied to the word-attack scores, it was found that three children were slow decoders even though their scores were within the normal range. In the third study, 39 children from Grade 3 and 40 children from Grade 5 were asked to read aloud a list of words and then these words were administered as a spelling test. Subsequently, their spelling ability was assessed by computing the number of words they could both read and spell correctly. When familiarity of words was included as a factor in assessing spelling ability, five children in Grade 3 and three children in Grade 5 were found to be misclassified as poor spellers. This indicates that including word-naming speed and word familiarity (i.e. ability to pronounce) produce different metrics than when they are not. Inclusion of speed and familiarity factors in assessment can be helpful in avoiding false negatives and false positives.
The hospital satellite network: A national/international perspective

“Upon this gifted age, in its dark hour Falls from the sky a meteoric shower Of facts…that lie unquestioned, uncombined. Wisdom enough to luck us of our ills Is daily spun: but there exists no loom To weave its fabric”.
The myology of the manus of microtine rodents

A study of the muscles of the manus of 13 genera and subgenera of microtine rodents revealed considerable variation which could be organized into 23 primitive-derived evolutionary hypotheses (transmutation series). The results, when compared with those for other mammals, produced functional/ecological hypotheses which were tested by comparing their predictions with the literature. The microtine manus is morphologically distinguished by nine characters and is adapted for a terrestrial/semi-fossorial niche. In particular, Dicrostonyx and Lemmus (distinguished by eight characters) possess the most highly fossorial manus, while the manus of Arborimus (distinguished by eight characters) contains a combination of primitive characters and derived characters which give the Tree vole the most highly developed ‘clasping’ ability among the microtines studied. The study has revealed characters which have potential systematic value but it is probable that parallelism has occurred in the microtine manus. When the manual characters are combined with characters from other functional complexes, their systematic value can be more clearly determined.
One Voice Too Many: Adult Age Differences in Language Processing With Different Types of Distracting Sounds

An experiment is reported that investigated factors that might contribute to age differences in the ability to process spoken language under conditions of competition from various types of background noise. Age differences in recall of spoken sentences were shown to depend on the type of background noise as well as its intensity. Increased intensity levels of just one competing speaker produced differentially greater impairment in older adults than in young adults. Analyses showed that listening performance was predicted not only by individual differences in hearing ability but also by speed of processing, which underscores the combined role of age-related auditory and cognitive changes in processing spoken language.
Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Child Abuse

This paper, Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Child Abuse, written by C. Henry Kempe and published in 1982 in Pediatrics, sought to broaden attention to child maltreatment beyond to a wider per that brought attention to the problem of child abuse and neglect. It forms the basis of the commentaries included in succeeding chapters in this section of this book
Modeling the Structure of Partnership Between Researchers and Front-Line Service Providers: Strengthening Collaborative Public Health Research

Partnerships between HIV researchers and service providers are essential for reducing the gap between research and practice. Community-Based Participatory Research principles guided this cross-sectional study, combining 40 in-depth interviews with surveys of 141 providers in 24 social service agencies in New York City. We generated the Provider-Researcher Partnership Model to account for provider- and agency-level factors’ influence on intentions to form partnerships with researchers. Providers preferred “balanced partnerships” in which researchers and providers allocated research tasks and procedures to reflect diverse knowledge/skill sets. An organizational culture that values research can help enhance providers’ intentions to partner. Providers’ intentions and priorities found in this study may encourage researchers to engage in and policy makers to fund collaborative research.
Characterization of DNA binding, transcriptional activation, and regulated nuclear association of recombinant human NFATp

Background NFATp is one member of a family of transcriptional activators whose nuclear accumulation and hence transcriptional activity is regulated in mammalian cells. Human NFATp exists as a phosphoprotein in the cytoplasm of naive T cells. Upon antigen stimulation, NFATp is dephosphorylated, accumulates in nuclei, and functions to regulate transcription of genes including those encoding cytokines. While the properties of the DNA binding domain of NFATp have been investigated in detail, biochemical studies of the transcriptional activation and regulated association with nuclei have remained unexplored because of a lack of full length, purified recombinant NFATp.
A Molecular Switch in a Replication Machine Defined by an Internal Competition for Protein Rings

Replication machines use ring-shaped clamps that encircle DNA to tether the polymerase to the chromosome. The clamp is assembled on DNA by a clamp loader. This report shows that the polymerase and clamp loader coordinate their actions with the clamp by competing for it through overlapping binding sites. The competition is modulated by DNA. In the absence of DNA, the clamp associates with the clamp loader. But after the clamp is placed on DNA, the polymerase develops a tight grip on the clamp and out-competes the clamp loader. After replication of the template, the polymerase looses affinity for the clamp. Now the clamp loader regains access to the clamp and removes it from DNA thus recycling it for future use.
Challenges and opportunities in late-stage chronic kidney disease

There is increasing recognition that chronic diseases are a major challenge for health delivery systems and treasuries. These are highly prevalent and costly diseases and frequency is expected to increase greatly as the population of many countries ages. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not received the same attention as other chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure; yet, the prevalence and costs of CKD are substantial. Greater recognition and support for CKD may require that the disease no longer be viewed as one continuous disease state. Early CKD stages require less complex care and generate lower costs. In contrast, late-stage CKD is every bit as complex and costly as other major chronic diseases. Health authorities may not recognize and fund CKD care appropriately until late-stage CKD is defined clearly as separate and distinct from earlier stages of disease. In this review, we describe the burden of chronic diseases, consider the challenges and barriers and propose processes to improve late-stage CKD care. In particular, we recommend the need for improved continuity of care, enhanced use of information technology, multidisciplinary care, timely referral to nephrologists, protocol use and improved patient engagement.
The tolerance of primate spinal cord to re-irradiation

Abstract Purpose: This study was designed to assess the tolerance of the cervical spinal cord of rhesus monkeys to This information is essential for treatment recommendations in previously irradiated patients. Methods and Materials: Control animals received a single course of treatment to total doses of 70.4 Gy, 77.0 Gy, or 83.6 Gy in daily fractions of 2.2 Gy. Twelve asymptomatic animals that received 70.4 Gy were re-irradiated two years later to cumulative doses of 83.6, 92.4, or 101.2 Gy. Another group of 15 animals received 44 Gy and two years later were re-irradiated to cumulative doses of 83.6, 92.4, 101.2, or 1I0 Gy. The clinical endpoint was myeloparesis. A complete necropsy was performed in all animals when myeloparesis manifested or at the end of observation period. Results: Only two of the 12 asymptomatic animals of the 70.4 Gy dose-response study group and two of the 15 animals that had received 44 Gy initially developed myelopathy within two years of re-irradiation. The ED 50 value of the single-course irradiation was 76.1 ± 1.9 Gy, while the extrapolated ED 50 for retreatment after 44 Gy was ≥ 110 Gy. The lesions of the two symptomatic animals that received 70.4 Gy initially were mixtures of white matter and vascular lesions similar to those observed after single course irradiation. However, both symptomatic animals given 44 Gy initially had hemorrhagic infarcts in the white matter. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that substantial recovery of occult injuries induced by the initial 44 Gy had occurred within two years. The difference between the types of lesions observed after a single course and re-irradiation suggests that vascular injury may recover less efficiently or at slower rate than white matter damage. The dependence of the extent of recovery on the initial dose and the time course of such recovery in primates are being investigated.
The static electrocardiogram in clinically healthy, anesthetized, zoo-kept black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus).

Abstract Objectives The goal of this study was to evaluate the static electrocardiograms of clinically healthy black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ), and suggest normal values. Animals Thirteen clinically healthy black-tailed prairie dogs were included in the study. They were anesthetized for physical examination, and complete laboratory data including troponin I concentration, thoracic radiographs, echocardiograms, and static ECG were recorded. Material and methods Static electrocardiograms were recorded using standard, six-limb leads from each of the 13 apparently healthy prairie dogs. Each prairie dog was anesthetized with isoflurane via facemask. Electrocardiograms were recorded in right lateral recumbency. The data were retrospectively analyzed. Lead II was used for waveform analysis. Results The median heart rate was 250 bpm (range 147–320). Median P-wave amplitude was 0.05 mV (range 0.01–0.06) and P-wave duration was 0.03 s (range 0.02–0.03). The PR interval was 0.06 s (range 0.04–0.06). The R-wave amplitude was 0.5 mV (range 0.1–1.15) and the QRS duration was 0.02 s (range 0.02–0.03). The QT interval was 0.12 s (range 0.1–0.14). Sixty-two percent of the QRS complexes were of Rs configuration. Conclusions Static electrocardiograms can be performed and evaluated in anesthetized prairie dogs. This report provided normal values in clinically healthy black-tailed prairie dogs.