cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Renal Aminopeptidases and Angiotensin Type-2 (AT 2 ) Receptors in Sodium Excretion and Hypertension

The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is a coordinated hormonal cascade of major critical importance to the regulation of sodium (Na+) excretion and blood pressure. Recent studies from our laboratory have provided evidence for a critical role of angiotensin type-2 receptors (AT2Rs) in the control of renal Na+ excretion in response to different stimuli. In the normal rat, natriuretic responses to intrarenal angiotensin type-1 receptor (AT1R) blockade are abolished by concurrent intrarenal AT2R blockade. Surprisingly, angiotensin II (Ang II) is probably not the major effector of AT2R-mediated natriuresis. We have recently demonstrated that, in the presence of systemic AT1R blockade, intrarenal administration of the heptapeptide derivative of Ang II [des-aspartyl1-Ang II] (Ang III) increases renal Na+ excretion. This effect is also abolished with concurrent AT2R inhibition. In contrast, intrarenal Ang II administration in molar equivalent and higher concentrations did not increase urinary Na+ excretion. These observations suggest that renal AT2Rs mediate natriuresis and that Ang III, not Ang II, is the preferred agonist. This conclusion is bolstered by our observation that intrarenal inhibition of aminopeptidase N (APN), the enzyme that metabolizes Ang III to Ang IV, induces a marked augmentation in natriuretic responses to Ang III in the AT1R-blocked rat. In addition, natriuretic responses to intrarenal administration of dopamine (DA) D1-like receptor (D1R) agonist fenoldopam (FEN) are accompanied by recruitment of AT2Rs to the apical plasma membranes of RPT cells, and intrarenal AT2R blockade with PD abolishes FEN-induced natriuresis. Recent studies also have shown that intrarenal Ang III administration translocates AT2Rs to RPT apical plasma membranes and induces natriuresis in normal Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) but not in 12-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). These studies suggest that defects in AT2R-mediated natriuresis and cellular trafficking may be important in the pathogenesis of hypertension.
The miR-302-Mediated Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC): Multiple Synergistic Reprogramming Mechanisms

Pluripotency represents a unique feature of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). To generate ESC-like-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from somatic cells, the cell genome needs to be reset and reprogrammed to express the ESC-specific transcriptome. Numerous studies have shown that genomic DNA demethylation is required for epigenetic reprogramming of somatic cell nuclei to form iPSCs; yet, the mechanism remains largely unclear. In ESCs, the reprogramming process goes through two critical stages: germline and zygotic demethylation, both of which erase genomic DNA methylation sites and hence allow for different gene expression patterns to be reset into a pluripotent state. Recently, miR-302, an ESC-specific microRNA (miRNA), was found to play an essential role in four aspects of this reprogramming mechanism-(1) initiating global genomic DNA demethylation, (2) activating ESC-specific gene expression, (3) inhibiting developmental signaling, and (4) preventing stem cell tumorigenicity. In this review, we will summarize miR-302 functions in all four reprogramming aspects and further discuss how these findings may improve the efficiency and safety of the current iPSC technology.
Reflections on Developmental Spirituality: Journey Paradigms and Stages:

One prominent image of the Christian life in Scripture is that of a journey homeward. Consistent with Scripture and the developmental sciences, Christian spiritual authorities through history have ...
Note on the Rate of Restratification in the Baroclinic Spindown of Fronts

AbstractThis paper revisits how the restratifying buoyancy flux generated by baroclinic mixed layer instabilities depends on environmental conditions. The frontal spindown is shown to produce buoya...
Developing and validating microsatellite markers in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum S.)

Elephant grass [Pennisetum purpureum S.; syn. Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone] is an important global forage crop and is recognized for high yields of herbage with good nutritive value. It also has high biomass potential to be utilized as a biofuel feedstock. Whereas several previous genetic studies adapted simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.] for investigations in elephant grass, the present study developed SSR markers from 3536 DNA sequences derived from 16 elephant grass entries. A total of 3866 SSRs were identified including 1028 monomeric, 2019 dimeric, 735 trimeric, 49 tetrameric, 20 pentameric and 15 hexameric repeat motifs. Three hundred and seven sequences contained more than one repeated motif, and 154 SSRs were present in compound formation. Susequenctly, four elephant grass and two pearl millet genotypes were chosen to validate 727 SSR markers. Of these, 628 markers produced visually detectable amplification products, including 73 (11.6%) polymorphic ones across all six genotypes. Polymorphism between the four elephant grass genotypes was revealed by 316 (50.6%) markers with diversity index values ranging from 0.75 to 0.38. Dimeric SSRs had the highest polymorphic rate (48.7%). These validated SSR markers had 58.6% (368 of 628) transferability rate to pearl millet. The availability of these polymorphic SSR markers will support advanced genetic studies in P. purpureum and its relatives.
Spatial variation in oak (Quercus spp.) radial growth responses to drought stress in eastern North America

Dendroecology provides a means to evaluate how mature trees have responded to climate stresses in the recent past and provides one approach for projecting how existing forests will respond to futur...
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and Ca2+ are both required to open the Cl- channel TMEM16A.

Transmembrane member 16A (TMEM16A) is a widely expressed Ca2+-activated Cl− channel with various physiological functions ranging from mucosal secretion to regulating smooth muscle contraction. Understanding how TMEM16A controls these physiological processes and how its dysregulation may cause disease requires a detailed understanding of how cellular processes and second messengers alter TMEM16A channel gating. Here we assessed the regulation of TMEM16A gating by recording Ca2+-evoked Cl− currents conducted by endogenous TMEM16A channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, using the inside-out configuration of the patch clamp technique. During continuous application of Ca2+, we found that TMEM16A-conducted currents decay shortly after patch excision. Such current rundown is common among channels regulated by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Thus, we sought to investigate a possible role of PIP2 in TMEM16A gating. Consistently, synthetic PIP2 rescued the current after rundown, and the application of PIP2 modulating agents altered the speed kinetics of TMEM16A current rundown. First, two PIP2 sequestering agents, neomycin and anti-PIP2, applied to the intracellular surface of excised patches sped up TMEM16A current rundown to nearly twice as fast. Conversely, rephosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) derivatives into PIP2 using Mg-ATP or inhibiting dephosphorylation of PIP2 using β-glycerophosphate slowed rundown by nearly 3-fold. Our results reveal that TMEM16A regulation is more complicated than it initially appeared; not only is Ca2+ necessary to signal TMEM16a opening, but PIP2 is also required. These findings improve our understanding of how the dysregulation of these pathways may lead to disease and suggest that targeting these pathways could have utility for potential therapies.
6 – TAKING THE NATION'S ECONOMIC PULSE

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview on the nation's economic pulse. The gross national product (GNP) in recent years has basked in the warm glow of nearly universal praise. It is clear that estimating the value of the nation's total spending depends on the application of some fairly rigid—some would say arbitrary—rules of inclusion and exclusion. Economic scholars over the years have discussed ways to improve the GNP, which can be conveniently split into two groups, the pluses and the minuses. Those in the minuses group, while not necessarily unreceptive to the other group's proposals, nevertheless see a different set of deficiencies. Adjusting GNP accounting rules to embrace allowances for social values presents some abstruse conceptual problems. Until fairly recently, such social costs were not overwhelmingly important. The elements of the environment were so vast that they appeared to be inexhaustible. It is undoubtedly true that a GNP, which does not take account of environmental pollution, overstates growth and progress of the nation. The affluent society, measured by an expanding GNP, is not as affluent as the official numbers indicate.
The moral, or the story? Changing children's distributive justice preferences through social communication

Abstract Can social communication alter children's preexisting inclinations toward equality-based or merit-based forms of resource distribution? Six- to eight-year-old children's (N = 248) fairness preferences were evaluated with third-party distribution tasks before and after an intervention. Study 1 indicated that stories about beavers dividing wood had no impact on children's fairness preferences, while Study 2 indicated that brief, direct testimony was highly influential. Study 3 matched storybooks and testimony in content, with each discussing a situation resembling the distribution task, and both formats exerted a significant impact on children's fairness preferences that persisted across several weeks. There were some indications that interventions preaching the superiority of equality-based fairness were particularly effective, but there were no differences between reason-based and emotion-based interventions. Overall, storybooks and testimony can powerfully and enduringly change children's existing distributive justice preferences, as long as the moral lessons that are conveyed are easily transferable to children's real-world contexts.
Improving health, improving lives: impact of the African Youth Alliance and new opportunities for programmes.

The African Youth Alliance (AYA) was a partnership to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and prevent HIV/AIDS in Botswana, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda. The AYA model was a comprehensive range of integrated interventions, implemented concurrently and at scale using a multi-sectoral approach. AYA was funded for five years (2000-2005) with $56.7 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Over 35,000,000 stakeholders were reached through media campaigns, almost 400,000 young people received Life Planning Skills training, and over 2,500,000 visits were made by young people to static clinics and outreach services. A post-test evaluation was conducted by John Snow Inc. (JSI) in 2006 and combined case-control and self-reported exposure design. Case-control design data were analyzed using Propensity Score Matching (PSM), and the Self-Reported Exposure design data were analyzed using PSM and Instrumental Variable (two-stage regression) (IV). The results show AYA\'s significant and positive treatment effects on sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. The research suggests a comprehensive, multi-component approach such as AYA\'s can be effective in improving some key ASRH variables. Keywords : African Youth Alliance, programmes, young people, impact African Journal of Reproductive Health Vol. 11 (3) 2007: pp. 18-27
Improving aggregate user utilities and providing fairness in multi-rate wireless lans

A distributed medium access control (MAC) protocol is responsible for allocating the shared spectrum efficiently and fairly among competing devices using a wireless local area network. Unfortunately, existing MAC protocols, including 802.11's DCF, achieve neither efficiency nor fairness under many realistic conditions. In this dissertation, we show that both bit and frame-based fairness, the most widely used notions, lead to drastically reduced aggregate throughput and increased average delay in typical environments, in which competing nodes transmit at different data transmission rates. We demonstrate the advantages of time-based fairness, in which each competing node receives an equal share of the wireless channel occupancy time. Through analysis, experiments on a Linux test bed, and simulation, we demonstrate that time-based fairness can lead to significant improvements in aggregate throughput and average delay. Through a game theoretic analysis and simulation, we also show that existing MAC protocols encourage non-cooperative nodes to employ globally inefficient transmission strategies that lead to low aggregate throughput. We show that providing long-term time share guarantees among competing nodes leads rational nodes to employ efficient transmission strategies at equilibriums. We describe two novel solutions, TES (Time-fair Efficient and Scalable MAC protocol) and TBR (Time-based Regulator) that provide time-based fairness and long-term time share guarantees among competing nodes. TBR is a backward-compatible centralized solution that runs at the AP, works in conjunction with DCF, and requires no modifications to clients nor to DCF. TBR is appropriate for existing access point based networks, but not effective when nearby non-cooperative nodes fall under different administrative domains. Our evaluation of TBR on an 802.11b/Linux test bed shows that TBR can improve aggregate TCP throughput by as much as 105% in rate diverse environments. TES is a non-backward compatible distributed contention-based MAC protocol that is effective in any environment, including non-cooperative environments. Furthermore, the aggregate throughputs sustained with increased loads. Through extensive simulation experiments, we demonstrate that TES is significantly more efficient (as much as 140% improvement in aggregate TCP throughput) and fairer than existing MAC protocols including DCF. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.) (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Interaction of Zinc and Essential Fatty Acids in the Rat

Three experiments were performed to investigate the possibility of a physiological relationship between zinc and essential fatty acids (EFA). Male weanling rats were fed diets low in zinc, EFA or both and their growth rates, dermal scores and tissue fatty acid profiles determined. In experiment 1, a basal soybean protein diet containing 7 ppm of added zinc and approximately 300 ppm EFA was used in a 2 X 2 factorial design: low Zn-low EFA; adequate Zn-low EFA; low Zn-adequate EFA and adequate Zn-adequate EFA. The low zinc status accentuated signs of EFA deficiency, including dermal lesions and growth rate, but it had no significant effect on the fatty acid profile in plasma. In experiment 2, a basal casein diet containing approximately 25 ppm of EFA and less than 1 ppm of zinc, was used in a similar design. For 7 weeks two groups of weanling rats were fed ad libitum either a diet adequate in Zn and low in EFA or a diet adequate in all nutrients. From 7 to 12 weeks zinc was removed from one-half of each group and all were pair-fed to the intake of the low zinc-low EFA group. Zinc deficiency accentuated dermal lesions in the group deprived of EFA and caused enlarged joints suggestive of an arthritic-like syndrome. In experiment 3, an egg albumin based diet containing approximately 25 ppm EFA and less than 1 ppm of zinc was used in a 2 X 2 factorial design. No signs of fatty acid deficiency occurred in 5 weeks with adequate zinc. Zinc and EFA deficiency accentuated dermal scores and severely depressed growth. Zinc deficiency increased the proportion of arachidonic acid in foot skin especially in the EFA deficient group. It is concluded that there is a physiological interaction between Zn and essential fatty acids.
Salmonellosis and Shigellosis

Excerpt Herodotus*records the disastrous effects of dysentery on Xerxes' army during the retreat to Persia after the naval engagement at Salamis in 480 B.C. Similarly, clinical material recorded by...
Spin geometry and grand unification

Gravitation becomes unified with quantum mechanics when we recognize that the spacetime tetrads and the matter fields of Fermions are the integral and half-integral spin representations of theEinstein group, E, the global extension of the Poincare group to a curved spacetimeM. There are8 fundamental spinor representations of theE group, interchanged byP, T, andC: the degree-one maps of spin space overM. Tensor products of2 spinor fields buildClifford vectors or 1 forms, e.g. the spacetime tetrads. It takes tensor products of all8 spinor fields to build a natural 4 form; in particular, ourE-invariant Lagrangian density Open image in new window . We propose a simple form for Open image in new window : the8-spinor factorization of theMaurer-Cartan 4-form, Ω4. Thespin connections Ωα step off the conjoined left and right internalgl (2, ℂ) phase increments over aspacetime incrementeα. Our actionSg measures the covering number of the spinor phases over spacetimeM∪DJ; theDJ aresingular domains or caustics, whereJ=1, 2, and 3 chiral pairs of spin waves cross. Here, the massive Dirac equations emerge to govern the mass scattering that keep the “null zig-zags” of a bispinor particle confined to a timelike worldtube. We identify the coupled envelopes of 1, 2, and 3 chiral bispinor pairs as the leptons, mesons, and hadrons, respectively. These source topologically —nontrivialgl (2,C) phase distributions in the far-field region, which appear aseffective vector potentials. Their vorticities are thespin curvatures, whose Hermitian parts —thegravitational curvatures —specify how our spacetime manifoldM must expand and curve to accommodate such anholonomic differentials. The anti-Hermitian parts reproduce the standard electroweak and strong fields, together with their actions.
Globalización y bioética en los recursos para la salud

Summary Globalization is the term used to explain the exchange of goods and services around the globe. Economy, finances, technology, and information are diversified and spread all throughout the world at present. However, it is still being debated whether the global economic paradigm can be applied under considerations of justice and equity for healthcare systems or in the budget for research administration. This issue has become decisive, especially in countries where adequate development remains a pending public endeavor.
The Impact of Ownership Structure on the Performance of China's Feed Mill Sector

In the decade of the 1990s, China's feed sector became increasingly privatized, more feed mills opened, and the scale of operation expanded. Capacity utilization remained low and multi-ministerial supervision was still prevalent, but the feed mill sector showed a positive performance overall, posting a growth rate of 11 percent per year. Profit margin over sales was within allowable rates set by the government of China at 3 to 5 percent. Financial efficiency improved, with a 20 percent quicker turnover of working capital. Average technical efficiency was 0.805, as more efficient feed mills increasingly gained production shares. This study finds evidence that the increasing privatization explains the improved performance of the commercial feed mill sector. The drivers that shaped the feed mill sector in the 1990s have changed with China's accession to the World Trade Organization. With the new policy regime in place, the study foresees that, assuming an adequate supply of soy meal and an excess capacity in the feed mill sector, it is likely that China will allow corn imports up to the tariff rate quota (TRQ) of 7.2 mmt since the in-quota rate is very low at 1 percent. However, when the TRQ is exceeded, the import duty jumps to a prohibitive out-quota rate of 65 percent. With an import duty for meat of only 10 to 12 percent, China would have a strong incentive to import meat products directly rather than bringing in expensive corn to produce meat domestically. This would be further reinforced if structural transformation in the swine sector would narrow the cost differential between domestic and imported pork.
The Many Masks of Anon: Anonymity as Cultural Practice and Reflections in Case Law

Relying on an interdisciplinary analysis of the literature in communication, history, literature studies, and political science, this article argues that anonymity in discourse is a string of complementary and sometimes conflicting cultural practices that case law has only begun to unpack, particularly in online contexts. While anonymous speech appears as one construct in law, it actually represents a whole host of practices informed by different motivations and different experiences in discourse. Part One operationalizes how communication scholars and others define anonymous speech and its consequences and serves as a basis for thinking about the role of anonymous speech in law. Parts Two and Three use the interdisciplinary literature to address the origins and longstanding traditions of anonymous speech to identify the "beneficial" and "harmful" motivations for engaging in such practice. Part Four examines three U.S. Supreme Court decisions to address whether and how case decisions reflect those cultural practices identified in the literature. Part Five concludes with thoughts on the disconnect between cultural and legal practice. The law still largely sees anonymous speech as a singular construct, but may benefit from seeing anonymity as a set of practices. The author concludes that the cultural practice of anonymity is itself a wearer of many masks and traditions; courts would do well to recognize the many faces of and motivations for anon.
Sequential Dose-Dense Doxorubicin, Paclitaxel, and Cyclophosphamide for Resectable High-Risk Breast Cancer: Feasibility and Efficacy

PURPOSE: Dose-dense chemotherapy is predicted to be a superior treatment plan. Therefore, we studied dose-dense doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide (A → T → C) as adjuvant therapy. METHODS: Patients with resected breast cancer involving four or more ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes were treated with nine cycles of chemotherapy, using 14-day intertreatment intervals. Doses were as follows: doxorubicin 90 mg/m2 × 3, then paclitaxel 250 mg/m2/24 hours × 3, and then cyclophosphamide 3.0 g/m2 × 3; all doses were given with subcutaneous injections of 5 μg/kg granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on days 3 through 10. Amenorrheic patients with hormone receptor-positive tumors received tamoxifen 20 mg/day for 5 years. Patients treated with breast conservation, those with 10 or more positive nodes, and those with tumors larger than 5 cm received radiotherapy. RESULTS: Between March 1993 and June 1994, we enrolled 42 patients. The median age was 46 years (range, 29 to 63 years), the median number of posit...
Molecular Population Genetics of Drosophila Immune System Genes

A striking aspect of many vertebrate immune system genes is the exceptionally high level of polymorphism they harbor. A convincing case can be made that this polymorphism is driven by the diversity of pathogens that face selective pressures to evade attack by the host immune system. Different organisms accomplish a defense against diverse pathogens through mechanisms that differ widely in their requirements for specific recognition. It has recently been shown that innate defense mechanisms, which use proteins with broad-spectrum bactericidal properties, are common to both primitive and advanced organisms. In this study we characterize DNA sequence variation in six pathogen defense genes of Drosophila melanogaster and D. mauritiana, including Andropin; cecropin genes CecA1, CecA2, CecB, and CecC; and Diptericin. The necessity for protection against diverse pathogens, which themselves may evolve resistance to insect defenses, motivates a population-level analysis. Estimates of variation levels show that the genes are not exceptionally polymorphic, but Andropin and Diptericin have patterns of variation that differ significantly from neutrality. Patterns of interpopulation and interspecific differentiation also reveal differences among the genes in evolutionary forces.
"Skep" (Beinenkorb, *beoleap) as a Culture-Specific Solution to Exeter Book Riddle 17

(2005). 'Skep' (Beinenkorb, *beoleap) as a Culture-Specific Solution to Exeter Book Riddle 17. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 8-18.
Spina bifida and maternal Rh phenotype.

Based on the sample in this study (members of the Spina Bifida Association of America), there are approximately 2.15 times as many mothers with Rh-blood type than would be expected in a similar sized sample of the general population.
Bill Pak's vision: the neurogenetics of phototransduction.

We have created a special issue of the Journal of Neurogenetics to honor Bill Pak in the year of his 80th birthday. His research program has been in place at Purdue University since 1965. The resea...
Helper-free HSV-1 amplicons elicit a markedly less robust innate immune response in the CNS.

Abstract The development and implementation of direct gene transfer technologies for the study and treatment of chronic CNS disorders inherently requires consideration of vector safety. Virus-based vectors represent the most efficient modalities but harbor the potential to induce vigorous innate and adaptive immune responses when administered in vivo. These responses can arise because of virus particle components, resultant viral gene expression, and/or transgene expression. In the current study, we describe the innate responses elicited upon stereotactic delivery of herpes simplex virus type 1-based amplicon vectors. C57BL/6 mice were injected with sterile saline, β-galactosidase-expressing amplicon (HSVlac) packaged by a conventional helper virus-based technique, or helper virus-free HSVlac. After killing the mice at either 1 or 5 days after transduction, we analyzed them by immunocytochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR for various chemokine, cytokine, and adhesion molecule gene transcripts. All injections induced inflammation, with blood/brain barrier opening on day 1 that was enhanced with both amplicon preparations as compared with saline controls. By day 5, mRNA levels for the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ), chemokines (MCP-1, IP-10), and an adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) had returned to baseline in saline-injected mice and to near-baseline levels in helper virus-free amplicon groups. In contrast, mice injected with helper virus-packaged amplicon stocks elicited elevated inflammatory molecule expression and immune cell infiltration even at day 5. In aggregate, we demonstrate that helper virus-free amplicon preparations exhibit a safer innate immune response profile, presumably as a result of the absence of helper virus gene expression, and provide support for future amplicon-based CNS gene transfer strategies.
Arterial oxygen tension in acute myocardial infarction. Serial analysis of clinical state and blood gas changes.

Abstract The arterial hypoxemia frequently present in acute myocardial infarction was compared with simultaneous clinical examination on 177 occasions throughout 40 episodes of infarction and recovery. The arterial oxygen tension and the increment with 28 per cent oxygen were found to correlate with clinical severity. The daily arterial carbon dioxide, pH, and lactate studies did not accurately reflect changes in clinical course. The complex physiologic derangements are discussed. Arterial blood gas analysis is a safe and useful tool for evaluating the clinical course and management of acute myocardial infarction.
Attitudes toward limitation of support in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Objective: To prospectively determine opinions of members of a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) team regarding the appropriateness of aggressive care. The types of support that caregivers sought to limit and their reasons for wanting these limits were collected over time. Design: Prospective survey of caregiver opinions. Setting: PICU in an academic tertiary care children's hospital. Subjects: A total of 68 intensive care nurses, 11 physicians attending in the PICU, 10 critical care and anesthesia fellows, and 24 anesthesia and pediatric residents. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: During a 6-month period, 503 patients were admitted to the PICU. Within this time period, 52.4% of all deaths were preceded by limitation of support, with 100% of noncardiac surgical deaths preceded by limitation of medical interventions. At least one caregiver wished to limit care for 63 of these patients (12.5%). When caregivers wished to limit support they most frequently wished to limit invasive modes of support such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (94%) and hemodialysis (83%). The ethical rationales identified most often for wishing to limit support were burden vs. benefit (88%) and qualitative futility (83%). Preadmission quality of life was cited less frequently (50%). Caregivers were less likely to limit care on the basis of quality of life. Nurses and physicians in the PICU were very similar to each other in the types of support they thought should be limited and their ethical rationales. Conclusions: When making decisions about whether or not to limit care for a patient, caregivers were more likely to rely on the perceived benefit to the patient than preadmission quality of life.
Altered Dimer Interface Decreases Stability in an Amyloidogenic Protein

Amyloidoses are devastating and currently incurable diseases in which the process of amyloid formation causes fatal cellular and organ damage. The molecular mechanisms underlying amyloidoses are not well known. In this study, we address the structural basis of immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis, which results from deposition of light chains produced by clonal plasma cells. We compare light chain amyloidosis protein AL-09 to its wild-type counterpart, the κI O18/O8 light chain germline. Crystallographic studies indicate that both proteins form dimers. However, AL-09 has an altered dimer interface that is rotated 90° from the κI O18/O8 dimer interface. The three non-conservative mutations in AL-09 are located within the dimer interface, consistent with their role in the decreased stability of this amyloidogenic protein. Moreover, AL-09 forms amyloid fibrils more quickly than κI O18/O8 in vitro. These results support the notion that the increased stability of the monomer and delayed fibril formation, together with a properly formed dimer, may be protective against amyloidogenesis. This could open a new direction into rational drug design for amyloidogenic proteins.
Some Chemical and Physical Properties of Antidiabetic, an Oral Insulin†

The preparation of a hemin-insulin-choline chloride complex has been described. Some of the physical and chemical properties of this preparation are given. This complex was found to have prolonged insulin activity over that of crystalline insulin and also to have activity when administered orally. The hypoglycemic activity of both insulin and Antidiabetic was completely destroyed after treatment in liquid ammonia under pressure at room temperature.
An iterative algorithm for computing mean first passage times of Markov chains

Abstract Mean first passage times are an essential ingredient in both the theory and the applications of Markov chains. In the literature, they have been expressed in elegant closed-form formulas. These formulas involve explicit full matrix inversions and, if computed directly, may incur numerical instability. In this paper, we present a new iterative algorithm for computing mean first passage times in a manner that does not rely on explicit full matrix inversions. Results regarding the convergence behavior of this algorithm are also developed.
Postoperative Irradiation for Tonsillar Carcinoma

From January 1975 through July 1987 at the Mayo Clinic, 16 patients received postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil (pathologic stage I in 4 patients, stage III in 3, and stage IV in 9). Follow-up was continued for a minimum of 2 years or until death. At 5 years, overall survival was 74% and disease-free survival was 68% for the entire group of patients. The local-regional control rate at 5 years was 83% for 12 patients with pathologic stage III or IV disease; the 5-year disease-free survival rate was 74%. The results with use of postoperative irradiation for stage III or IV tonsillar cancer seem superior to those for a similar historical group of patients who underwent surgical treatment only. Because the number of patients was small and the analysis was retrospective, our study may have included some undetected bias.
New insights into the pathogenesis of pancreatitis

Purpose of reviewIn this article, we review important advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of pancreatitis.Recent findingsThe relative contributions of intrapancreatic trypsinogen activation and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) activation, the two major early independent cellular events in p
Discourse and the acquisition of grammatical morphemes.

Adult recasts of child utterances have been shown to be related in a general way to the child's acquisition of syntactic structures. The current study had two aims. The first aim was to determine which feature(s) of recasts (i.e. reformulation, expansion, topic continuation, or reply) was responsible for facilitating language acquisition by comparing them to other maternal discourse models that were systematically defined by these properties. The second aim was to investigate this relation more specifically by relating adult discourse models of specific grammatical morphemes to the child's acquisition of those same morphemes. Again, recasts were of particular interest. Twelve mother-child dyads were videorecorded during one hour of naturalistic interaction when the children were 1; 10 and 2; 4. Results indicated that maternal recasts of specific morphemes were related to the acquisition of those same grammatical morphemes during certain developmental periods, whereas other grammatical morphemes were facilitated by expansions and topic continuations. These results are discussed in terms of the processes responsible for these effects.
Increasing Ventilation Pressure Increases Cortical Subarachnoid Cerebrospinal Fluid Prostanoids in Newborn Pigs

ABSTRACT. This study examines the responses of pial arterioles and venules to increased mean airway pressure (Paw) in newborn pigs. We further characterized the changes in cortical subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid prostanoids with increased Paw, both before and after cyelooxygenase inhibition with indomethacin. Eight chloralose anesthetized newborn pigs were equipped with closed cranial windows and ventilated with a conventional infant pressure-cycled respirator. Increasing Paw from 3.2 ± 0.3 cm water to 14.3 ± 0.6 cm water did not change pial arteriole or venule diameters. Cerebrospinal fluid prostanoids (6–keto- TxB2, PGE2, and ), however, were increased reversibly (3- to 5-fold) by increasingPaw After indomethacin (5 mg/kg, intravenous) pial arterioles constricted approximately 15% with increased Paw. These results suggest that increasing ventilation pressure increases brain prostanoid production. Prostanoids appear to inhibit vasoconstriction and may be important in maintaining cerebral blood flow during the stress of mechanical ventilation.
Interacting with a “Living Workbook”

This article discusses one of the videodisc-microcomputer projects which have been designed and implemented at Brigham Young University. This is the first project which was developed and used here, described from the point of view of one who took part in its conception, design, and development and then was able to use it in the classroom. The project showed demonstrable positive results and was enthusiastically received by the students who used it. The system is here described, as are the results observed.
Highly resistant HIV: if not a super strain, at least a wake-up call.

Even if it is too soon to sound the alarm about a “super strain,” we must redouble our prevention efforts.
Infrared laser induced energy transfer studies in S18O2

Abstract Vibrational energy transfer has been studied in S 18 O 2 , following pumping of the symmetric stretch (ν 1 ) by a Q-switched CO 2 laser. Fluorescence from the asymmetric stretch (ν 3 ) is monitored as a function of time following the laser pulse. This fluorescence rises with a rate constant of 74 ± 10 ms −1 torr −1 , and then decays with a rate constant of 3.6 ± 0.1 ms −1 torr −1 for the S 18 O 2 itself. The effect of rare gases on the rise and fall rates was also studied. The results agree well with those on S 16 O 2 and are consistent with a double V-V picture in which the excitation is distributed rapidly between the stretches, but is shared with the bend much more slowly. This produces molecules in which the stretches are much “hotter” than the bend, giving rise to possibilities of laser action on the stretch-to-bend transitions and mode-selective vibrational enhancement of chemical reactions. Also, new results have been derived on the kinetics of V-V processes in mixtures. V-V transfer in various isotopic mixtures of SO 2 has been studied and the kinetic analysis indicates that S 18 O 2 and S 16 O 2 exhibit the same V-V rates.
Plugoma: CT Findings after Prosthetic Plug Inguinal Hernia Repairs

Background Unrecognized CT findings of a prosthetic plug used in inguinal hernia repair can lead to incorrect diagnosis or unnecessary workup of a patient. The objective of this study is to review the expected CT findings present in patients with a history of plug repair. Study Design Retrospective cohort study retrieving clinical and image data from a single-institution database. Patients who underwent prosthetic plug hernia repair during a 5-year period at our institution had their records queried for subsequent abdominal CT scans. These CT scans were reviewed by 2 radiologists for findings referable to the hernia repair. Results Five-hundred and sixty-four consecutive patients underwent prosthetic plug hernia repair during a 5-year period. Fifty-one patients who had had 55 surgical procedures had subsequent CT scans, none in the early postoperative period. Readers identified 100% of the plugs, 68% of which were described as round or oval in shape. All the plugs were in close proximity to the inferior epigastric artery and were of low density on CT images. Surgical scar was identifiable in 87% of patients. Thirty-two patients (63%) had a second CT scan, demonstrating no change in size and location of the plugoma. Conclusions A prosthetic mesh plug is easily seen on CT images, typically appearing as a smooth round or oval hypodense mass close to the inferior epigastric artery, deep to a surgical scar, and stable over time. It can usually be distinguished from pathologic findings. It is important that the radiologist be familiar with the patient's surgical history when interpreting these images.
Appendix C—Report on research in the field of ground water being conducted by oil companies

In view of the shortness of time since the appointment of the writer to the Committee on Ground Water this report is confined to the technology and problems in the Gulf Coast Oil Province. Of course, many of the methods and practices would apply to most parts of the country however, some would differ materially from one region to another. The writer wishes to acknowledge the suggestions and comments by F. H. LAHEE and PAUL WEAVER. Having been stationed in Houston, Texas, in the heart of the Gulf Coast Area for four and a half years, the writer has had an opportunity to view the great similarity of the problems confronting the petroleum geologist and engineer and the ground-water hydrologist. Both groups deal with the accumulation, movement, and withdrawal of fluid from underground strata, yet each group is content to study its own literature and use its own terminology without much concern for the other. The petroleum and ground-water engineer, independently of one another, have developed mathematical formulas for the determination of permeability from field-data. These formulas use the same basic principles of physics and the initial papers on the subject by both groups were published within two years of one another. Because of the similarity in the technology and problems of the petroleum engineer and the ground-water hydrologist there is a definite need for closer cooperation. Some of the problems are so closely related that their solution rests in cooperative studies.
The multics PL/1 compiler

The Multics PL/1 compiler is in many respects a "second generation" PL/1 compiler. It was built at a time when the language was considerably more stable and well defined than it had been when the first compilers were built. It has benefited from the experience of the first compilers and avoids some of the difficulties which they encountered. The Multics compiler is the only PL/1 compiler written in PL/1 and is believed to be the first PL/1 compiler to produce high speed object code.
An approach to developing process-oriented growth and yield models

Abstract This article discusses an approach to developing management-oriented growth and yield models first presented by Khil'mi in 1957 that is based on some underlying principles of plant energetics. By beginning with some reasonable assumptions about energy relationships between plants and their environment and then applying dimensional analysis, models can be developed that are more closely tied to the basic physical and biological processes that drive tree growth and stand development. Further, such models can be practically useful to forest managers faced with decision-making responsibilities. An interesting stand-level survival model developed by Khil'mi is applied to two different data sets as an example application of the approach. Results from the application suggest that process-oriented growth and yield models developed using dimensional analysis can be both biologically intuitive and practically useful. The effectiveness of such models, however, may often depend on obtaining suitable data from permanent re-measurement plots that span a relatively long time period.
Evaluation of cloud liquid absorption models at 90 and 150 GHz

The use of microwave observations in the frequency range of 90–150 GHz holds the promise to dramatically improve the retrieval of integrated liquid water in thin clouds due to the increased sensitivity of these frequencies to the presence of liquid water. One of the largest sources of retrieval uncertainty at these frequencies is the inaccuracy of liquid water absorption models at low temperatures. The purpose of this work is to assess the performance of four liquid water absorption models by comparing model simulations with measurements collected by a microwave high-frequency radiometer (MWRHF) located at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Climate Research Facility (ACRF) in the Southern Great Plains, OK. Measurements at 90 and 150 GHz were collected during cloudy and cold conditions. In an attempt to isolate different sources of possible errors we give an assessment of the instrument calibration and compare clear-sky measurements with model simulations using an updated formulation for the water vapor continuum. With the help of a ceilometer and cloud radar we identified several cases of cold, thin liquid clouds and for those cases we independently retrieved liquid water path using infrared frequencies. The independently retrieved liquid water path was then used to compute brightness temperatures at 90 and 150 GHz with the four liquid absorption formulations. Simulation results were then analyzed and compared with observations.
Spatial Pricing, Spatial Rents, and Spatial Welfare

This paper presents a model of spatial equilibrium that integrates elements of spatial pricing and ThA¼nen location models. Properties of equilibrium under mill, uniform, and discriminatory pricing regimes are explored. Three comparative propositions concerning firm, consumer, and landowner welfare that obtain under the alternative pricing schemes are presented. The welfare findings contrast with those found in the extant spatial pricing literature. In particular, the superiority of mill pricing from a consumer welfare perspective is questioned.
Hitting the target for inpatient glycemic management.

AbstractHyperglycemia in the hospital setting can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Many factors can influence glucose levels including critical illness, supplemental feeding, and glucocorticoid administration. An understanding of glycemic treatment options for hospitalized patients is esse
Localization of a Position Effect Element that Affects Alcohol Dehydrogenase Transgene Expression in Drosophila melanogaster

The molecular basis for the abnormal expression of an alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) transgene, introduced into the 25 C-D region of an Adh negative strain of Drosophila melanogaster, was investigated using a transient expression assay. A 14-kb genomic clone from the transformed line, MM-50, containing the transgene was isolated. A position effect element was identified upstream of the Adh gene within a 1.7-kb EcoRI fragment. This element acts as a silencer, greatly reducing the Adh transcriptional activity. Sequence analysis reveals that the silencer element is 1.18 kb long. There are no long open reading frames present in the sequence, suggesting that it is derived from a noncoding region. A 20-bp sequence (17/20 nucleotides matching) containing a high T/C content is repeated within the silencer region. Within each of these homologous regions there is an internal repeat of the sequence CTCTC. The repeated sequences in MM-50 contain a consensus motif, CCTCTC, for silencer elements found in the rat collagen ...
Solution of the Problem of Central Pattern Generators and a New Concept of Brain Functions

A new concept of brain functions is proposed. According to it, the brain is a hierarchy of neural optimal control systems where each level possesses a dynamic model of its controlled object; this can be a lower control level in the CNS or an executive organ. The new concept of brain functions is based on the solution of the problem of central pattern generators and on the neural network computational principle. Contemporary data on the cerebellum, cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops (the structural/functional basis of the highest brain levels), Parkinson’s disease, and methods of its treatment (including deep brain stimulation) are analyzed from the point of view of the new concept of brain functions. These examples demonstrate the universal applicability of the new concept in the investigation of the physiology and pathophysiology of neural networks and the respective clinical effects.
The ^(12)C(α, γ)^(16)O reaction and stellar helium burning

The cross section for the reaction ^(12)C(α, γ)^(16)O has been measured for a range of c.m. energies extending from 1.41 MeV to 2.94 MeV, by using ^(12)C targets of high isotopic purity, large NaI(T1) crystals, and the time-of-flight technique for the suppression of prompt neutron background and time-independent background. Gamma-ray angular distributions were measured at c.m. energies of 2.18, 2.42, 2.56 and 2.83 MeV. By means of theoretical fits, which include the coherent effects of the 1^− states of ^(16)O at 7.12 MeV, 9.60 MeV, and those at higher energies, the electric-dipole portion of the cross section at astrophysically relevant energies has been determined. A three-level R-matrix parametrization of the data yields an S-factor at E_(c.m.) = 0.3 MeV, S(0.3 MeV) = 0.14^(+0.14)_(−0.12) MeV · b. A “hybrid” R-matrix optical-m parameterization yields S(0.3 MeV) = 0.08^(+0.05)_(−0.04) MeV · b. This S-factor is of crucial importance in determining the abundances of ^(12)C and ^(16)O at the end of helium burning in stars.