cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regional Nodal Staging: Clinically Node Negative

First developed and introduced by Dr. Donald Morton and colleagues in the early 1990s, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a technique to evaluate the pathologic status of regional lymph nodes (LN) in patients who present with clinically node-negative melanoma. The evidence for performing SLNB is strongest for patients diagnosed with intermediate-thickness melanomas (>1.0–4.0 mm in Breslow thickness). Additionally, SLNB may be considered for patients with higher risk thin ( 4.0 mm) melanomas. Lymphoscintigraphy with radiolabeled colloid should be performed preoperatively in order to accurately identify the regional draining nodal basin. Intradermal injection of blue dye may be additionally used intraoperatively to assist with SLN identification. For thorough pathologic evaluation, SLNs should be bivalved and serially sectioned. A combination of hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry (S-100, HMB-45, and MART-1) is typically utilized to identify LN metastases. SLNB specimens should be evaluated for the location of the tumor deposit within the LN (subcapsular, trabecular or intraparenchymal), presence or absence of extracapsular invasion, and size of the tumor deposit.
Pharmacology of Local Anesthetics

The development of local anesthetics dates to the first use by the Incas of Peru, using cocaine for its medicinal properties. They treated headaches with trepanation or by burrowing holes in the skull with chewed cocaine as the local anesthetic. Today, the use of local anesthetics by anesthesia providers has gained increasing popularity, traditionally in both obstetric and regional anesthesia. This chapter will focus on the types of local anesthetics, dosing and mechanism of action, indications with clinical pearls, and drug interactions/toxicity profile.
Fighting the Freshman Fifteen: Sleep, Exercise, and BMI in College Students:

Purpose:To examine how sleep and physical activity predict body mass index (BMI) in college students.Design:Cross-sectional.Setting:Medium-sized public university in the Southeastern United States....
Metallic glasses -- a new class of materials: their scientific and industrial importance*

This paper reviews significant developments in the field of amorphous alloys, especially the evolution of a new class of materials called metallic glasses. The structure of metallic glasses and the metallurgical operations used in their preparation are discussed in detail. Following this is an analysis of the electrical, magnetic, mechanical and superconducting properties of metallic glasses. The paper ends with a discussion of the most promising techniques now available for the production of amorphous alloys such as the powder metallurgy method.
Theoretical insights into non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation over Fe3C

Identifying catalysts for non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation has become increasingly important due to the increasing demand for propylene coupled to decreasing propylene production from steam cracking as we shift to lighter hydrocarbon feedstocks. Commercialized propane dehydrogenation (PDH) catalysts are based on Pt or Cr, which are expensive or toxic, respectively. Recent experimental work has demonstrated that earth-abundant and environmentally-benign metals, such as iron, form in situ carbide phases that exhibit good activity and high selectivity for PDH. In this work, we used density functional theory (DFT) to better understand why the PDH reaction is highly selective on Fe3C surfaces. We use ab initio thermodynamics to identify stable Fe3C surface terminations as a function of reaction conditions, which then serve as our models for investigating rate-determining and selectivity-determining kinetic barriers during PDH. We find that carbon-rich surfaces show much higher selectivity for propylene production over competing cracking reactions compared to iron-rich surfaces, which is determined by comparing the propylene desorption barrier to the C-H scission barrier for dehydrogenation steps beyond propylene. Electronic structure analyses of the d-band center and the crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) of the carbides demonstrate that the high selectivity of carbon-rich surfaces originates from the disruption of surface Fe ensembles via carbon. Finally, we investigated the role of phosphate in suppressing coke formation and found that the electron-withdrawing character of phosphate destabilizes surface carbon.
Conceptual Approaches to Foreign Policy and Application to African Countries

This chapter addresses the pertinent question of approaches to understanding foreign policy-making. Scholars have long debated whether the theories that explain foreign policy, overwhelmingly developed in western countries, are likely to explain the same phenomena elsewhere, especially in the Global South. Theories and approaches such as Almond’s Mood theory, domestic audience costs, bureaucratic politics, Groupthink, poliheuristic theory or foreign policy approaches that explain foreign policy in democracies have limited explanatory power over African countries, OAU and AU’s institutional foreign policy. This chapter examines the existence, absence, role and the sources of foreign policy in Africa—elites, bureaucracies, citizens, domestic audiences and the external stakeholders in the making of foreign policy. Foreign policy is a more recent area of growth in scholarship in global politics, and theory-testing around who the key actors, ideas and approaches continue to evolve. Though Africa’s post-colonial foreign policy was partly informed by colonial experiences and residual colonization, limited educational and political participation during colonialism impacted the ability of citizens to direct foreign policy and gave elites much latitude in crafting foreign policy. Still, once-consensus national, regional and Pan African goals were swept up in personality disagreements and regional vendettas. Still, understanding foreign policy from a theoretical perspective is invaluable; this chapter examines approaches that are more, or less likely, to explain foreign policy in Africa.
Trunk motion and anterior cruciate ligament injuries: a narrative review of injury videos and controlled jump-landing and cutting tasks

The aims of this narrative review were to summarise trunk motion and external trunk perturbation observed in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury videos and to review the association between trunk motion and ACL loading variables in controlled jump-landing and cutting tasks in non-injured populations. Video analyses have shown limited trunk flexion and increased trunk lateral bending towards the injured leg are associated with increased risk of ACL injuries, while trunk axial rotation away from the injured leg is more frequent than rotation towards the injured leg. Contact with the trunk before and at the time of the injury is common and might increase the risk of ACL injury. Controlled jump-landing and cutting studies have shown that limited trunk flexion and increased trunk lateral bending are associated with increased ACL loading. However, the findings of trunk axial rotation are not consistent with most video analyses. Mid-flight external trunk perturbation could increase ACL loading variables for one leg and is consistent with the videos of trunk-contact ACL injuries. These findings may help understand the role of trunk motion on primary ACL injury mechanisms and improve ACL injury screening tasks and ACL injury prevention strategies with the consideration of trunk motion.
Factors affecting time to brain metastases for stage 2 and 3 breast cancer patients: A large single-institutional analysis with potential screening implications.

Background Breast cancer is the second most common cancer associated with brain metastases. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that impact the time to brain metastases in breast cancer patients at a single institution. Methods Single institution retrospective study that captured all consecutive stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancer patients from 2003 to 2010. Patient characteristics analyzed included age, hormone status, HER2 receptor status, grade, stage, and time from breast cancer diagnosis to brain metastasis. Results A total of 1218 patients were eligible for the final analysis. 849 (69.7%) patients were ER+/HER2-, 90 (7.4%) were HER2+, and 279 (22.9%) were triple-negative (TN). Overall, 74 patients (6.1%) developed brain metastases over a median follow up time of 92 months. Median times to brain metastases for HER2+, TN, and ER+/HER2- patients were 20, 26, and 57 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that TN disease (HR = 2.043, P = .015), grade (HR = 1.667, P = .024) and stage (HR = 3.851, P < .001) were independent risk factors for earlier brain metastases. Median times to brain metastases were 34 and 52 months for stage 3 and 2 patients, and 30, 49, and 71 months for grade 3, 2, and 1 tumors, respectively. Conclusions This single-institutional case series demonstrates that TN breast cancer, higher stage, and higher histologic grade are associated with earlier brain metastases in multivariate analysis. Additional prospective studies are warranted to investigate the impact of brain metastases screening on survival outcome in this high-risk defined group.
Galleria mellonella infection model to evaluate pathogenic and nonpathogenic Leptospira strains

Abstract The Galleria mellonella larvae infection model is emerging as a valuable tool for studying various characteristics of infectious agents and host-pathogen interaction. This system has been widely recognized as a high throughput, ethical, and cost-effective invertebrate infection model to study the virulence and pathogenesis of various bacterial pathogens. In this study, we compared the effect of Leptospira infection in G. mellonella larvae infected with Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni (pathogenic) or Leptospira biflexa serovar Patoc (saprophytic) strains. We observed significant pathologic changes such as decreased activity, complete melanization, and lower survival rate in the G. mellonella larvae infected with a pathogenic strain L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni compared to those infected with a nonpathogenic strain L. biflexa serovar Patoc. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and the potential of using G. mellonella larvae as an alternative model to study virulence mechanisms and pathogenesis of Leptospira strains. Once optimized, the G. mellonella infection model can be a potential substitute for hamsters to explore various host and pathogen-related mechanistic events in Leptospira infection.
Defoe's America

Preface 1. Defoe's America 2. Mastering the savage: conversion in Robinson Crusoe 3. Servitude and self-transformation in Colonel Jack 4. Moll Flanders and the misrepresentation of servitude Conclusion: Defoe, cannibals, and colonialism Bibliography Index.
Aerodynamic Shape Inverse Design Methods

Aerodynamic problems are defined by the governing partial differential or integral equations, shapes and sizes of the flow domains, boundary and initial conditions, fluid properties, and by internal sources and external inputs of mass, momentum and energy. In the case of an analysis (direct problem) we are asked to predict the details of a flow-field if the shape(s) and size(s) of the object(s) are given. In the case of a design (inverse or indirect problem) we are asked to determine the shape(s) and size(s) of the aerodynamic configuration(s) that will satisfy the governing flow-field equation(s) subject to specified surface pressure or velocity boundary conditions and certain geometric constraints [130]–[138]. The entire design technology is driven by the increased industrial demand for reduction of the design cycle time and minimization of the need for the costly a posteriori design modifications.
The laminins: a family of basement membrane glycoproteins important in cell differentiation and tumor metastases.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the new findings regarding the additional variants, active sites, cellular receptors, signaling events, and the roles of laminin in tumor growth and metastases. Because laminin can regulate so many basic cellular functions in neuronal, epithelial, and tumor cells, a better understanding of its chemistry and role in development and in disease may lead to new strategies for therapeutic/clinical intervention. Laminin is an extracellular glycoprotein found in the matrix, known as the basement membrane that separates epithelial cells from the stromal connective tissue. Laminin is active in cell adhesion, growth, migration, differentiation, and tumor metastases. Various diseases and pathological processes, including tumor growth and metastases, are because of the changes in laminin activity and/or autoantibodies to laminin. The response of the cells is dependent on the cell type and various cell-specific intracellular events are activated. Multiple active sites on laminin and cellular receptors are described in the chapter. Both laminin and the synthetic peptides that define the active sites have important clinical uses. Twelve different cellular receptors are identified, with multiple mechanisms of signal transduction revealed by signaling studies.
Neural correlates of error monitoring in adolescents prospectively predict initiation of tobacco use

Deficits in self-regulation of behavior can play an important role in the initiation of substance use and progression to regular use and dependence. One of the distinct component processes of self-regulation is error monitoring, i.e. detection of a conflict between the intended and actually executed action. Here we examined whether a neural marker of error monitoring, Error-Related Negativity (ERN), predicts future initiation of tobacco use. ERN was assessed in a prospective longitudinal sample at ages 12, 14, and 16 using a flanker task. ERN amplitude showed a significant increase with age during adolescence. Reduced ERN amplitude at ages 14 and 16, as well as slower rate of its developmental changes significantly predicted initiation of tobacco use by age 18 but not transition to regular tobacco use or initiation of marijuana and alcohol use. The present results suggest that attenuated development of the neural mechanisms of error monitoring during adolescence can increase the risk for initiation of tobacco use. The present results also suggest that the role of distinct neurocognitive component processes involved in behavioral regulation may be limited to specific stages of addiction.
Tunneling and the validity of the low-momentum expansion of the effective action

Abstract We investigate the validity of the low-momentum expansion of the effective action in a quantum mechanical version of scalar QED with hamiltonian H = 1 2 mφ 2 + 1 2 m A 2 + 1 24 λ [φ 2 − a 2 ] 2 + 1 2 e 2 φ 2 A 2 . In a “Coleman-Weinberg” or Born-Oppenheimer approximation where the “photon” field A is treated exactly, we find that the validity of the low-momentum expansion of the effective action in determining instanton solutions is related to the validity of the WKB approximation for the “photon” propagator. We find that there is a regime in φ, where the naive WKB approximation breaks down. A more careful WKB calculation including turning points leads to an improved local potential. We calculate in this model the improved local potential and determine the correction to the instanton action.
Use of the Marshall Space Flight Center solar simulator in collector performance evaluation

Actual measured values from simulator checkout tests are detailed. Problems encountered during initial startup are discussed and solutions described. Techniques utilized to evaluate collector performance from simulator test data are given. Performance data generated in the simulator are compared to equivalent data generated during natural outdoor testing. Finally, a summary of collector performance parameters generated to date as a result of simulator testing are given.
Does Microfinance Really Help the Poor? New Evidence from Flagship Programs in Bangladesh

The microfinance movement has built on innovations in financial intermediation that reduce the costs and risks of lending to poor households. Replications of the movement's flagship, the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, have now spread around the world. While programs aim to bring social and economic benefits to clients, few attempts have been made to quantify benefits rigorously. This paper draws on a new cross-sectional survey of nearly 1800 households, some of which are served by the Grameen Bank and two similar programs, and some of which have no access to programs. Households that are eligible to borrow and have access to the programs do not have notably higher consumption levels than control households, and, for the most part, their children are no more likely to be in school. Men also tend to work harder, and women less. More favorably, relative to controls, households eligible for programs have substantially (and significantly) lower variation in consumption and labor supply across seasons. The most important potential impacts are thus associated with the reduction of vulnerability, not of poverty per se. The consumption-smoothing appears to be driven largely by income-smoothing, not by borrowing and lending. The evaluation holds lessons for studies of other programs in low-income countries. While it is common to use fixed effects estimators to control for unobservable variables correlated with the placement of programs, using fixed effects estimators can exacerbate biases when, as here, programs target their programs to specific populations within larger communities.
The Challenge of Programming Language Design

What makes a programming language successful? If we study the history of this field one quickly comes to the conclusion that success is not based strictly on technical merit. In the early days of computing FORTRAN was sponsored by a major computer company while the use of COBOL was mandated by the largest user of computers, the U.S. Department of Defense. No doubt these sponsorships helped greatly. But, though LISP has had no major industrial supporters, it has continued to have an enthusiastic group of users, especially in the artificial intelligence community. And Pascal, which was developed as a teaching tool, is fast becoming the standard language available on microprocessors and the major language taught in academic departments of computer science. On the other hand PL/1 did not succeed to the extent it was originally hoped, despite the fact that it had influential backers. So, as it is in many fields, there is no one formula for success. In this chapter, rather than focusing on a formula for success, we will focus on some criteria which can be used to evaluate the quality of any programming language design.
Evaluation of force field training customized according to individual movement deficit patterns

Variation in upper extremity motor impairments among stroke survivors creates challenges for the design of robot-assisted therapies. One approach to enhance treatment is to customize based on individual assessments of motor capabilities. However, current strategies are limited by the use of traditional assessments (e.g. Fugl-Meyer, goal-directed performance) for informing customization. Our approach characterizes natural motor behavior through distributions of self-directed motor exploration. We then design unique force fields that push participants towards their neglected movements in the velocity domain. In this study, we investigated how stroke survivors' (n = 6) movement patterns evolve with customized force field training and compared this to a control group that trained without forces (n = 6). Our results showed that both training groups improved Fugl-Meyer UE scores (2.5 ± 1.0 point and 1.5 ± 0.7 point improvements for the force field group and control group, respectively) and increased their movement capabilities in the velocity domain (104.1 ± 28.1% and 169.8 ± 101.4% increases for the force field group and control group, respectively). These results provide preliminary evidence that patient-specific force fields could be developed into a treatment that expands movement capabilities. To our knowledge, this study is the first to directly link distributions of movement to robot-assisted therapy.
Wind Stress Dynamics in Chesapeake Bay: Spatiotemporal Variability and Wave Dependence in a Fetch-Limited Environment

AbstractThe spatiotemporal variability of wind stress dynamics in Chesapeake Bay has been investigated using a combination of observations and numerical modeling. Direct measurements of momentum and surface heat fluxes were collected using an ultrasonic anemometer deployed on a fixed tower in the middle reaches of Chesapeake Bay in the spring of 2012 along with collocated wave measurements. These measurements were compared to bulk estimates of wind stress using wave-dependent formulations of the Charnock parameter (alpha). Results indicate that a constant alpha value of 0.018 reasonably represents observed stress values, but estimates can be improved by the inclusion of surface wave information in the parameterization of alpha. Using a wave age formulation of alpha in combination with an optimally interpolated 10-m neutral wind field, a third-generation numerical wave model, Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN), was employed to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of wind stress across the estuary. Alp...
Social-Science Fiction: The Genesis and Legacy of Horace Miner's “Body Ritual among the Nacirema”

In this article, I present the first comprehensive examination and analysis of what remains, nearly sixty years after its initial publication, not only one of the most frequently read articles in the history of American Anthropologist but also one of the more widely circulated English-language pieces of 20th-century social science. Combining archival research at Horace Miner's home institution, interviews with family members and former colleagues, and examination of over 50 partial or full anthological reproductions of the piece spanning five decades, I examine the genesis and reception of the work with an eye to unpacking the reasons for its extraordinary longevity. My conclusions are, first, that the work has been read in a surprisingly atomized rather than holistic manner, resulting in a misunderstanding of Miner's likely intentions. Second, the work has accumulated diametrically opposed readings as either illustrative of or, since the late 1960s, radically skeptical of basic ethnographic method. Third, this and other paradoxes inherent in the composition and reception of the work, combined with its comic traits, qualify it as a latter-day example of the carnivalesque.
Elucidating influences on superior‐subordinate communication: Attributional confidence and organizational control expectancies

The purpose of this study was to examine how differences in organizational control expectancies affect superior‐subordinate interaction and relational certainty. Employees (N = 280) from several organizations completed measures of perceived control, attributional confidence, and superior‐subordinate interaction. Results indicated significant relationships between subordinates ‘ work locus of control orientation with relational certainty and superior‐subordinate relationship quality. A large effect was observed between subordinates ‘ report of relational certainty with supervisor and supervisor leadership style.
Timing of pulmonary and systemic blood flow during intermittent high intrathoracic pressure cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the dog

Abstract Simultaneous compression-ventilation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been shown to produce high peripheral arterial pressure and flows in comparison with conventional Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. To evaluate further the mechanisms responsible for blood flow during the large cyclical changes in intrathoracic pressure with simultaneous compression-ventilation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation this study assessed (1) the timing of blood flow from the lungs toward the aorta and periphery, and (2) the timing and mechanisms of return of blood from the periphery to the heart and lungs. After induction of ventricular fibrillation in dogs, radionuclide angiography was performed and pulmonary flow velocity measured during simultaneous compression-ventilation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation with each high (70 to 100 mm Hg) intrathoracic pressure phase lasting from 0.9 to 3.6 seconds. The abdomen was bound. Carotid flow during resuscitation was 27 ± 5 percent (mean ± standard error of the mean) of the value before cardiac arrest. With injection of technetium-99m albumin into the right atrium, the radionuclide activity cleared the right atrium only during periods of tow intrathoracic pressure between the high intrathoracic pressure periods. There was a simultaneous increase in lung activity during the periods of low pressure. Thus, blood left the right atrium and entered the lungs during these low pressure periods. Flow velocity recordings in the pulmonary artery confirmed that pulmonary flow occurred mainly during low intrathoracic pressure. There was negligible retrograde pulmonary flow during high intrathoracic pressure. This feature, together with a lack of increase in right atrial counts, suggests that the pulmonary valve was probably closed during high intrathoracic pressure. After injection of technetium-99m albumin into the distal pulmonary bed through a wedged catheter, 29.7 ± 8 percent (probability [p] Thus, with simultaneous compression-ventilation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, blood flow into the lungs occurs during periods of low intrathoracic pressure and from the lungs into the left ventricle and aorta during periods of high intrathoracic pressure. The heart functions merely as a passive conduit for blood flow to and from the lungs.
The covariance of routine and compensatory juvenile growth rates over a seasonality gradient in a coastal fish

Compensatory growth is widespread in juvenile animals; it refers to the ability to grow at faster-than-routine rates, following intervals of slow growth due to reduced food supply or temperature. Whether the ability to grow rapidly under routine conditions is associated with enhanced or reduced compensatory growth performance is unknown. We examine the among-population covariance in routine and compensatory growth ability in juvenile Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia. Routine growth rate in this species positively varies with latitude, indicating selection for more rapid increase in size in highly seasonal environments. High-latitude fish may also show strong compensatory ability, considering the selective value of rapid recovery from winter for growth and breeding in the spring. Alternatively, low-latitude fish may be more readily able to compensate because they have more energetic scope for growth. To test these alternatives, laboratory-reared juveniles from three populations [Nova Scotia (NS), New York (NY), and South Carolina (SC)] were maintained at temperatures promoting maximum growth. In each population, control fish were furnished ad libitum rations, while treatment fish were subject to 5 or 10 days of maintenance ration before returning to unlimited ration. Treatment fish grew slightly in length, but not mass, over the period of limited ration. We observed compensatory growth in all populations. NS fish recovering from 10 days of limited ration grew 12% faster in length and 46% faster in dry mass than NS control fish, over 15 days of unrestricted growth. In contrast, recovering SC fish grew 1.4% faster in length and 22% faster in dry mass than SC control fish. A period of starvation (mass loss) is not a required condition for a compensatory response, as has been assumed in theoretical work. The positive covariance between routine and compensatory growth performance indicates that the growth rate strategy of high latitude fish includes rapid recovery from periods of depletion, adding to the suite of characteristics that have differentiated along an environmental gradient in seasonality.
Crystal field splitting in Ti3O5 via EPR spectroscopy

Abstract Previous attempts to describe the crystal field environment of the Ti3+ ion in the mixed valence phases of the titanium-oxygen system described by TinO2n−1 have been hindered by the lack of single-crystal EPR data. Using g-shift results from single crystals of Ti3O5 in conjunction with LCAO calculations, we have shown that assignment of a D2h symmetry with rhombic field splitting parameters of E2 − E′0 = 3100cm−1; E1 − E′0 = 6300cm−1; and E3 − E′0 = 26,000cm−1 is consistent with available optical, x-ray and EPR data. In addition EPR spin-concentration measurements have been correlated with available electrical conductivity measurements to identify the site of the paramagnetic center responsible for the observed EPR spectrum.
Regulation of protein diversity by alternative pre‐mRNA splicing with specific focus on chondrogenesis

Analysis of the human genome has dramatically demonstrated that the majority of protein diversity is generated by alternative splicing of pre-mRNA. This powerful and versatile mechanism controls the synthesis of functionally different protein isoforms that may be required during specific stages of development from a single gene. Consequently, ubiquitous and/or tissue-specific RNA splicing factors that regulate this splicing mechanism provide the basis for defining phenotypic characteristics of cells during differentiation. In this review, we will introduce the basic mechanisms of pre-mRNA alternative splicing, describe how this process is regulated by specific RNA splicing factors, and relate this to various systems of cell differentiation. Chondrogenesis, a well-defined differentiation pathway necessary for skeletogenesis, will be discussed in detail, with focus on some of the alternatively-spliced proteins known to be expressed during cartilage development. We propose a heuristic view that, ultimately, it is the regulation of these RNA splicing factors that determines the differentiation status of a cell. Studying regulation at the level of pre-mRNA alternative splicing will provide invaluable insights into how many developmental mechanisms are controlled, thus enabling us to manipulate a system to select for a specific differentiation pathway.
Mime, Comedy, Sophistry: Speculations on the Origins of Rhetoric

(2005). Mime, Comedy, Sophistry: Speculations on the Origins of Rhetoric. Advances in the History of Rhetoric: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 199-209.
GAMETE INTERACTIONS AND GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION AMONG THREE SYMPATRIC POLYCHAETES.

The evolution of gamete incompatibility between free-spawning marine invertebrate species has been explained by three hypotheses: (1) independent divergence at gamete recognition loci; (2) selection against hybrids; and (3) a process of sexual selection involving polymorphic gamete recognition loci (Metz and Palumbi 1996). The first two hypotheses predict that gamete incompatibility appears only after gene flow has been halted for other reasons and the third that gamete incompatibility appears simultanously with blocks to gene flow. Here I show that gametes of three sympatric polychaetes in the genus Arctonoe are compatible in all crosses, over a broad range of gamete concentrations and contact times. Although at least some hybrid crosses produce fertile adults, allozyme and mitochondrial DNA sequence data indicate that the three species do not regularly exchange genes. These data are consistent with predictions of the first two hypotheses for the evolution of gamete incompatibility, but allow rejection of the third hypothesis. Gametes of the three species are compatible despite estimated divergence times of 1-3 M.Y.B.P.; in several other marine invertebrates, divergence times of the same magnitude are associated with asymmetric or complete gamete incompatibility. It appears likely that segregation of symbiotic adults on their respective host species restricts mating opportunities, and thus gene flow, among Arctonoe species.
Simultaneous determination of volatile aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons in water and soil by dual‐channel ECD/PID equilibrium headspace analysis

Volatile aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons are determined in water and soil samples by equilibrium headspace gas chromatography. Simultaneous analysis is carried out in a dual column/dual detector arrangement with ECD and PID. Their determination in contaminated soil is performed with the same instrumental configuration. However, in contrast to water analysis, an increased sample temperature was found necessary for highly adsorptive soil specimens. At sample temperatures of 95 °C, recoveries near 100% have been found. Both adsorption and desorption processes were found to be strongly time-dependent.
Metal-Binding Dependent Disruption of Membranes by Designed Helices

The de novo design of molecular switching peptides is of increasing interest because it tests and extends our fundamental understanding of this process while laying the groundwork for the creation of new chemical and biological sensors. Here, an alpha-helical amphiphilic cell-lytic peptide, mastoparan X, was engineered to bind divalent cations. Binding of Zn(II) or Ni(II) to the designed peptide Mst-HH stabilizes the lytic amphiphilic structure and increases the activity of the peptide. Although both Zn(II) and Ni(II) activate Mst-HH for membrane lysis, they appear to do so via different mechanisms. Additionally, a series of metal binding-site mutants were synthesized to assess the relationship of charge and helical propensity to the toxicity and switchability. Additionally, by changing the characteristics of the metal-binding ligands, we can vary the selectivity of the site.
Myocardial function improved by electromagnetic field induction of stress protein hsp70.

Studies on myocardial function have shown that hsp70, stimulated by an increase in temperature, leads to improved survival following ischemia reperfusion (I-R). Low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) also induce the stress protein hsp70, but without elevating temperature. We have examined the hemodynamic changes in concert with EMF preconditioning and the induction of hsp70 to determine whether improved myocardial function occurs following I-R injury in Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were exposed to EMF (60Hz, 8µT) for 30 minutes prior to I-R. Ischemia was then induced by ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 30 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. Blood and heart tissue levels for hsp70 taken at 10 minute intervals were determined by Western blot and RNA transcription by rtPCR. Significant upregulation of the HSP70 gene and increased hsp70 levels were measured in response to EMF pre-exposures. Invasive hemodynamics, as measured using a volume conductance catheter, demonstrated significant recovery of systolic contractile function after 30 minutes of reperfusion following EMF exposure. Additionally, isovolemic relaxation, a measure of ventricular diastolic function, was markedly improved in EMF-treated animals. In conclusion, noninvasive EMF induction of hsp70 preserved myocardial function and has the potential to improve tolerance to ischemic injury.
A brief CI compliance guide, part 2: Food Lions, lazy mosaics, and fuzzy impostors

Legal issues are examined in cases involving the use of a false identity to gather confidential information and the use of a false identity to gather nonconfidential information, as well as the failure to fully disclose one's true identity (without adopting a clearly false one) to gather either confidential or nonconfidential information. The law of deceit is examined, as are the realities of litigation and punitive damages. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Introductory textbooks in physical geography: an American perspective

Our Environment D.K. Fellows (1980) Second edition, Wiley (0–471–05755‐X), 532 pp. Essentials of Physical Geography R.E. Gabler, R.J. Sager, S. Brazier & J. Pourciau (1977) Holt, Rinehart & Winston (0–03–018311–1), 496 pp. [Gabler‐E]. Introduction to Physical Geography R.E. Gabler, R. Sager, S. Brazier & J. Pourciau (1975) Holt, Rinehart & Winston (0–03–089418–2), 801 pp. [Gabler‐I]. Physical Geography J.S. Gardner (1977) Harper & Row (0–06–167411–7), 571 pp. Physical Geography P. Gersmehl, W. Kammrath & H. Gross (1980) Saunders College/HRW (0–03–014476–0), 415 pp. The Earth in Profile: A Physical Geography D. Greenland & H.J. de Blij (1977) Canfield/Harper & Row (0–06–383615–7), 468 pp. Introduction to Physical Geography H.M. Kendall, R.M. Glendinning, C.H. MacFadden & R.F. Logan (1974) Second edition, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (0–15–544004–7), 423 pp. Physical Geography: Environment and Man J.F. Kolars & J.D. Nystuen (1975) McGraw‐Hill (0–07–035290–9), 344 pp. Physical Geography M.P. Mclntyre (1980) Thi...
Pitfalls in automatic lithostratigraphic correlation

Abstract Automatic computer correlation of digital lithostratigraphic measurements can be useful and accurate. It eliminates perception differences of visual correlation by geologists. Unfortunately, the information content in such single-valued data strings as geophysical log curves usually is not sufficient to determine the true correlation. Unless the correlation range is restricted by a priori information, results may be in error. Automatic correlation is difficult and presents many problems for the unwary geologist.
From symptom to diagnosis: clinical distinctions among various forms of intestinal inflammation

Inflammation is the gut’s mute response to a myriad of diverse insults. Assigning a diagnosis in such cases is often straightforward, particularly when an infectious etiology can be identified. In the minority of presentations that represent new occurrences of the idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), making a positive diagnosis and, indeed, distinguishing between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are also routine matters. However, a casual diagnosis of IBD may result in critical errors in management in that incorrect diagnosis may result in inappropriate or even contraindicated treatment. The issue remains that no gold standard test exists for the diagnosis of IBD. For this reason, diagnosing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis continues to be a more than occasional challenge to the practicing gastroenterologist. Until such time as highly specific and sensitive diagnostic tests for IBD are devised, distinguishing among various forms of intestinal inflammation of idiopathic and identifiable causes will remain a test of clinical acumen, drawing on relevant history, attentive physical examination, judicious laboratory testing, and detailed review of radiographic, endoscopic, and pathologic data. This article reviews the findings that are most helpful in distinguishing various forms of intestinal inflammation. The comments below are divided into 2 parts: first, a review of the points of history, physical examination, and laboratory data useful in correctly diagnosing patients who present with a clinical syndrome suggestive of IBD; and second, a summary of the features that help to differentiate among inflammatory conditions of the bowel, organized by clinical syndrome as presentations of ileitis, proctitis, colitis, and the difficult pouch.
Rapid development of functional tolerance to caffeine-induced seizures in rats.

AbstractThe concentration and time dependence of caffeine-induced neurotoxicity was determined by infusing rats intravenously with caffeine at a rate of about 5, 12.5, and 25 mg kg-1 min-1 until the onset of generalized seizures which occurred at about 82, 28, and 11 min, respectively. The concentration of caffeine in the serum, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid at onset of seizures increased with decreasing infusion rate; the concentrations of caffeine metabolites were negligible and serum protein binding was not affected by the infusion rate. In another experiment, one group of rats was infused with caffeine for 60 min at about 2.2 mg kg-1 min-1 whereas another group was infused with solvent only. Both groups were then immediately infused with caffeine at about 22 mg kg-1 min-1 until onset of seizures. Caffeine concentrations at that time in serum, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid were significantly higher in the caffeine-pretreated animals than in the solvent-pretreated controls. The same pretreatment 17 hr...
Neonatal Growth Rate and Development of Mice Raised on Milk Transgenically Enriched With Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status of the neonatal brain has been associated with cognitive capability in mice. Previously, transgenic mice expressing the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) n-3 fatty acid (FA) desaturase gene under the control of a lactation-induced mammary gland promoter were found to produce milk containing significantly elevated levels of α-linolenic (ALA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acid. In this study, the preweaning growth rate and development of mouse pups consuming elevated n-3 PUFA milk produced by transgenic dams were evaluated using the Wahlsten observational test battery and the object novelty preference test. Brains were collected at weaning and analyzed for FA composition. Pups nursed on transgenic dams had earlier eye opening, higher visual placement scores, and 1.6-fold more docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in their brains compared with pups raised on wildtype dams. There was no significant effect of milk treatment (transgenic versus control) on other developmental parameters or novelty preference behavior. The pups consuming the elevated n-3 PUFA transgenic milk had slower preweaning growth rates such that pups reared on wildtype dams producing control milk were heavier than pups reared on transgenic dams producing high n-3 PUFA milk by postnatal day 18. This transgenic model enables the provision of a high n-3 PUFA lactational environment independent of maternal diet or gestational FA status.
A Ca2+-activated ATPase specifically released by Ca2+ shock from Paramecium tetraurelia

Deciliation of Paramecium tetraurelia by a Ca2+ shock procedure releases a discrete set of proteins which represent about 1% of the total cell protein. Marker enzymes for cytoplasm (hexokinase), endoplasmic reticulum (glucose-6-phosphatase), peroxisomes (catalase), and lysosomes (acid phosphatase) were not released by this treatment. Among the proteins selectively released is a Ca2+-dependent ATPase. This enzyme has a broad substrate specificity which includes GTP, ATP, and UTP, and it can be activated by Ca2+, Sr2+, or Ba2+, but not by Mg2+ or by monovalent cations. The crude enzyme has a specific activity of 2-3 mumol/min per mg; the optimal pH for activity is 7.5. ATPase, GTPase, and UTPase all reside in the same protein, which is inhibited by ruthenium red, is irreversibly denatured at 50 degrees C, and which has a sedimentation coefficient of 8-10 S. This enzyme is compared with other surface-derived ATPases of ciliated protozoans, and its possible roles are discussed.
Bifunctional Abietadiene Synthase: Mutual Structural Dependence of the Active Sites for Protonation-Initiated and Ionization-Initiated Cyclizations

Abietadiene synthase from grand fir catalyzes two sequential, mechanistically distinct cyclizations, of geranylgeranyl diphosphate and of copalyl diphosphate, in the formation of a mixture of abietadiene isomers as the committed step of diterpenoid resin acid biosynthesis. Each reaction is independently conducted at a separate active site residing in what were considered to be structurally distinct domains typical of terpene cyclases. Despite the presence of an unusual 250-residue N-terminal insertional element, a tandem pair of charged residues distal to the insertion was shown to form a functional part of the C-terminal active site. Because abietadiene synthase resembles the ancestral plant terpene cyclase, this observation suggests an early evolutionary origin of catalytically important positively charged residues at the N-terminus of enzymes of this general class. A series of N- and C-terminal truncations of this enzyme were constructed and characterized, both alone and as mixtures of adjacent polypep...
Cardiovascular effects of positive pressure ventilation

Abstract The cardiovascular effects associated with mechanical ventilation are the result of a complex interaction between changes in (1) preload secondary to changes in VR, RV-LV interactions, and direct mechanical effects of lung inflation and (2) changes in LV afterload, especially with cardiomyopathy-induced low output states. The possible ischemia-producing effects of high airway pressure are poorly understood and should be investigated in future studies. The overall effects of mechanical ventilation also are modulated by the sympathoadrenal response to decreased CO. Patients with coronary ischemia appear to benefit from mechanical ventilation, although patient selection and the mechanisms involved need much more investigation. Positive end-expiratory pressure-induced changes in abdominal pressure at different blood volume levels need to be considered. The cardiovascular effects of mixed modes of ventilation, such as intermittent mandatory ventilation, involve even more complex interactions.
Recent developments in receptor modeling

Receptor modeling is the application of data analysis methods to elicit information on the sources of air pollutants. Typically, it employs methods of solving the mixture resolution problem using chemical composition data for airborne particulate matter samples. In such cases, the outcome is the identification of the pollution source types and estimates of the contribution of each source type to the observed concentrations. It can also involve efforts to identify the locations of the sources through the use of ensembles of air parcel back trajectories. In recent years, there have been improvements in the factor analysis methods that are applied in receptor modeling as well as easier application of trajectory methods. These developments are reviewed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural rearrangements, including parallel inversions, within the chloroplast genome of Anemone and related genera

Chloroplast DNA cleavage sites for 10 restriction enzymes were mapped for 46 species representing all sections of Anemone, four closely related genera (Clematis, Pulsatilla, Hepatica, and Knowltonia), and three more distantly related outgroups (Caltha, Ranunculus, and Adonis). Comparison of the maps revealed that the chloroplast genomes of Anemone and related genera have sustained an unusual number and variety of rearrangements. A single inversion of a 42-kb segment was found in the large single-copy region of Adonis aestivalis. Two types of rearrangements were found in the chloroplast genome of Clematis, Anemone, Pulsatilla, Hepatica, and Knowltonia: An approximately 4-kb expansion of the inverted repeat and four inversions within the large single-copy region. These rearrangements support the monophyletic status of these genera, clearly separating them from Caltha, Ranunculus, and Adonis. Two further inversions were found in two Clematis species and three Anemone species. While appearing to support a monophyletic grouping for these taxa, these two inversions conflict with data from both chloroplast restriction sites and morphology and are better interpreted as having occurred twice independently. These are the first two documented cases of homoplastic inversions in chloroplast DNA. Finally, the second intron of the chloroplast rps12 gene was shown to have been lost in the common ancestor of the same three Anemone species that feature the two homoplastic inversions.
Bis-silyl Substituted Ferrocenylenes, Including Dicyanovinyl Electron-withdrawing Groups, as Potential Non-linear Optical Materials

1,1′-Bis-silylferrocenylenes ( p -XC 6 H 4 SiMe 2 -C 5 H 4 ) 2 Fe, X=Br ( 1 ), CHO ( 2 ), CHC(CN) 2 ( 3 ) have been synthesized and characterized by NMR and Mossbauer spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray diffraction and electrochemistry. Complex 1 crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P 2 1 / n whereas 3 forms in the non-centrosymmetric group Cc . The latter complex exhibits a chain-like structure in the solid state via CH⋯N intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The hyperpolarizability of 3 is significantly greater than the related mono-silylferrocene complex (C 5 H 5 )Fe(C 5 H 4 SiMe 2 C 6 H 4 CHC(CN) 2 ) while Mossbauer spectroscopy exhibits negligible charge transfer between the cyano groups and the ferrocenylene iron center.