cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of cadmium on F-actin and microtubules of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.

Abstract The effect of cadmium on F-actin and microtubules of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells was studied by cytochemical methods. A 6-hr exposure to cadmium (10 μm) in a buffered salt solution resulted in the breakdown of actin filaments, particularly those associated with both the stress fibers and the lateral membranes in areas of intercellular contact. Microtubules were not dramatically altered during this exposure period and cell viability, determined by trypan blue exclusion, was similar to controls. The effect of cadmium on actin was reversible if the cells were returned to culture medium. The results indicate that one possible mechanism of cadmium toxicity is via an effect on the organization of actin filaments.
Erythrocyte Lipids in Infants with Low Birth Weights

Extract: The lipid composition of erythrocytes, obtained from the cord blood of prematurely born, low birth weight infants, was compared with that obtained from term infants. Infants weighing less than 1,200 g at birth had increased total lipids, lipid phosphorus (P), and cholesterol per cell (total lipid = 7.60 ± 10-10 mg; lipid P = 1.80 ± 10-11 mg; cholesterol = 2.10 ± 10-10 mg) when compared with controls (total lipid = 6.45 ± 10-10 mg; lipid P = 1.54 ± 10-11 mg; cholesterol = 1.79 ± 10-10 mg). The lipid content per 100 ml packed cells and the percentageF of total lipid as phospholipid and cholesterol did not differ significantly over the range of birth weights studied. Phospholipid fractionation showed a higher percentage of phosphatidyl choline in infants under 1,200 g birth weight (30.0% of total lipid P) than that noted in term infants (27.7% of total lipid P). The higher levels of combined phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidyl inositol noted in term infant erythrocytes (compared with normal adult cells) were observed in the low birth weight infants. Fatty acids esterified to phos-pholipids showed an increasing percentage of oleic acid with decreasing birth weight (infants of less than 1,200 g had 16.0% total fatty acid; infants of more than 2,500 g had 11.9% total fatty acid). Speculation: These studies suggest that the earliest embryonic erythrocytes have the greatest membrane lipid content although the overall membrane lipid distribution does not vary greatly during fetal life.
Hypothalamic Signaling Mechanisms in Hypertension

The etiology of hypertension, a critical public health issue affecting one in three US adults, involves the integration of the actions of multiple organ systems, including the central nervous system. Increased activation of the central nervous system, driving enhanced sympathetic outflow and increased blood pressure, has emerged as a major contributor to the pathogenesis of hypertension. The hypothalamus is a key brain site acting to integrate central and peripheral inputs to ultimately impact blood pressure in multiple disease states that evoke hypertension. This review highlights recent advances that have identified novel signal transduction mechanisms within multiple hypothalamic nuclei (e.g., paraventricular nucleus, arcuate nucleus) acting to drive the pathophysiology of hypertension in neurogenic hypertension, angiotensin II hypertension, salt-sensitive hypertension, chronic intermittent hypoxia, and obesity-induced hypertension. Increased understanding of hypothalamic activity in hypertension has the potential to identify novel targets for future therapeutic interventions designed to treat hypertension.
A 'biorelevant' approach to accelerated in vitro drug release testing of a biodegradable, naltrexone implant.

Abstract The development of a ‘biorelevant’ approach for accelerating drug release from an implant is described. A miniature, capillary system has been shown previously to be suitable for real-time release tests for a biodegradable, naltrexone implant. Whereas the real-time study under physiological condition was essential for evaluation of the system, the accelerated (short-term) method provides for a faster assessment of in vitro drug release that would be useful in product development and quality control. Increased temperature was employed as the mechanism for accelerating drug release. Release rates were investigated and compared using modifications of two devices: the flow-through cell and the new, potentially more ‘biorelevant’ capillary device. The data generated for accelerated release using both devices through 45 days indicated approximately two-fold and four-fold increases in release rates at 45 and 55 °C, respectively, as compared to the real-time release rate. The similar activation energy values for both devices obtained from Arrhenius plots demonstrated that the release mechanism had been consistent; and that the rates of release could be used for long-term prediction. The rate of release reverted to that observed in real-time data, however, upon a reduction of temperature to 38 °C. The results demonstrated that temperature was the sole factor involved in modification of the release rate in vitro. The profiles using both systems followed zero-order kinetics after an initial period of burst release.
Allyltin reagents. A general approach to carbon-carbon bond formation applied to penicillin derived azetidinones - I.

Abstract Allyltributyltin has been shown to be a useful reagent for allyl transfer to penicillin derived azetidinones. The radical mechanism of the reaction has been demonstrated and its stereochemical consequences recorded. The process opens new possibilities for the semi-synthesis of novel bicyclic β-lactam antibiotics from penicillin or cephalosporin.
Dielectric and thermal expansion properties of LHPG grown potassium lithium niobate single crystals

Compositions of potassium lithium niobate K6Li4+xNb10O30 (x for excess mole % of Li2O) with tetragonal tungsten bronze structure were prepared as crystal fibers by the Laser Heated Pedestal Growth technique. The lattice constants of KLN were measured by using X-ray diffraction and typical values for a = 12.5703 ± 0.0018 and c = 3.9485 ± 0.0012 were measured. This paper reports the dielectric permittivity measurements on single crystal along the a- and c- axis in the temperature range of 90–450K and frequency range of 102−105 Hz. The dielectric permittivity at room temperature along a- and c- axis was 430 and 330 respectively. Mechanism for the low temperature dielectric relaxation will be discussed. Thermal expansion behavier in the a- and the c-direction will also be reported.
On the Large Elastic Deflections of Plates

The equations governing the elastic deflections of a thin plate for deflections larger than those for which the Karman-Foppl theory is valid are developed. The connection between the new theory and that of Karman-Foppl is shown, a application is made to a circular plate uniformly loaded, and the dynamical situation is discussed. Die Theorie der elastischen Verbiegungen einer dunnen Platte wird fur den Fall entwickelt, das die Verbiegungen groser sind, als es dem Gultigkeitsbereich der Theorie von Karman und Foppl entspricht. Der Zusammenhang der neuen Theorie mit derjenigen von Karman und Foppl wird dargelegt. Als Anwendung wird der Fall einer gleichformig belasteten Kreisplatte behandelt und die dynamische Situation diskutiert.
Progressive addition lenses--measurements and ratings

BACKGROUND: This study is a followup to a previous study in which the optics of several progressive addition lens (PALs) designs were measured and analyzed. The objective was to provide information about various PAL designs to enable eye care practitioners to select designs based on the particular viewing requirements of the patient. METHODS: The optical properties of 12 lenses of the same power for each of 23 different PAL designs were measured with a Rotlex Class Plus lens analyzer. Lenses were ordered through optical laboratories and specified to be plano with a 2.00 diopters add. Measurements were normalized to plano at the manufacturer-assigned location for the distance power to eliminate laboratory tolerance errors. The magnitude of unwanted astigmatism and the widths and areas of the distance, intermediate, and near viewing zones were calculated from the measured data according to the same criteria used in a previous study. RESULTS: The optical characteristics of the different PAL designs were significantly different from one another. The differences were significant in terms of the sizes and widths of the viewing zones, the amount of unwanted astigmatism, and the minimum fitting height. Ratings of the distance, intermediate, and near viewing areas were calculated for each PAL design based on the widths and sizes of those zones. Ratings for unwanted astigmatism and recommended minimum fitting heights were also determined. Ratings based on combinations of viewing zone ratings are also reported. CONCLUSIONS: The ratings are intended to be used to select a PAL design that matches the particular visual needs of the patient and to evaluate the success and performance of currently worn PALs. Reasoning and task analyses suggest that these differences can be used to select a PAL design to meet the individual visual needs of the patient; clinical trials studies are required to test this hypothesis. Optometry 2006;77:23-39
Trinucleotide Repeat Disorders

The discovery that expansion of unstable repeats can cause a variety of neurological disorders has changed the landscape of disease-oriented research for several forms of mental retardation, Huntington disease, inherited ataxias, and muscular dystrophy. The dynamic nature of these mutations provided an explanation for the variable phenotype expressivity within a family. Beyond diagnosis and genetic counseling, the benefits from studying these disorders have been noted in both neurobiology and cell biology. Examples include insight about the role of translational control in synaptic plasticity, the role of RNA processing in the integrity of muscle and neuronal function, the importance of Fe-S-containing enzymes for cellular energy, and the dramatic effects of altering protein conformations on neuronal function and survival. It is exciting that within a span of 15 years, pathogenesis studies of this class of disorders are beginning to reveal pathways that are potential therapeutic targets.
Rapid Identification of Pathogenic Fungi Directly from Cultures by Using Multiplex PCR

A multiplex PCR method was developed to identify simultaneously multiple fungal pathogens in a single reaction. Five sets of species-specific primers were designed from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, ITS1 and ITS2, of the rRNA gene to identify Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Another set of previously published ITS primers, CN4 and CN5, were used to identify Cryptococcus neoformans. Three sets of primers were used in one multiplex PCR to identify three different species. Six different species of pathogenic fungi can be identified with two multiplex PCRs. Furthermore, instead of using templates of purified genomic DNA, we performed the PCR directly from yeast colonies or cultures, which simplified the procedure and precluded contamination during the extraction of DNA. A total of 242 fungal isolates were tested, representing 13 species of yeasts, four species of Aspergillus, and three zygomycetes. The multiplex PCR was tested on isolated DNA or fungal colonies, and both provided 100% sensitivity and specificity. However, DNA from only about half the molds could be amplified directly from mycelial fragments, while DNA from every yeast colony was amplified. This multiplex PCR method provides a rapid, simple, and reliable alternative to conventional methods to identify common clinical fungal isolates.
Second Amendment Penumbras: Some Preliminary Observations (Final)

With the Second Amendment now a working part of the Bill Of Rights in the wake of the Supreme Court's decisions in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago, this brief Essay examines the likely extent of penumbral rights under the Second Amendment, as well as the possible effect on unenumerated rights in general of an enforceable right to arms.
Feminism, Empowerment, and Field Education

Interactions between 19 field instructors and 19 field students provided the exploratory context from which an operational definition of empowerment was derived. Empowerment emerged as an interactive process of trust between the field instructors and their students. Specified as belief in self and in the other, that relational stance was both product and process and represented the feminist reconceptual ization of power that integrates relationship with connectedness.
Seasonal Differences in Social Behavior among Adult and Juvenile Meadow Voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus

Seasonal differences in behavioral interactions between wild-caught adult and juvenile meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, were measured in paired encounters in a neutral arena. Seasonal differences existed in the adult-juvenile paired encounters. Early in the breeding season (May—Aug.) paired encounters between adult males and juvenile males were more agonistic than other adultjuvenile pairings. Late in the breeding season (Sep.—Dec.) adult female-juvenile male encounters were more agonistic than other adult-juvenile pairings. Odor preferences of juveniles were determined in a Y-maze olfactometer. Juveniles did not demonstrate seasonal differences in odor preference. Males preferred the odor of adult females to the odor of adult males or their own odor. Females preferred the scent of an adult male to the odor of an adult female, but did not show a preference between their own odor and the odor of an adult male or an adult female. The results are consistent with hypotheses that state in a promiscuous species, females should be philopatric, and males should disperse as a consequence of adult competition. The data suggest that agonistic behavior by adults may regulate juvenile dispersal and recruitment, and define the composition of overwintering groups.
COMPRESSION OF TETRAHEDRALLY BONDED SIO2 LIQUID AND SILICATE LIQUID-CRYSTAL DENSITY INVERSION

We have investigated the response to pressure of liquid SiO2 by performing a quantitatively realistic Monte Carlo simulation. The model liquid was restricted to at most four‐fold Si‐O coordination by the effective imposition of an infinite potential barrier to a fifth bond. We thus obtained an unambiguous comparison of the compression mechanisms of solid and liquid tetrahedral networks. In spite of this restriction, the density of the simulated liquid exceeds that of the corresponding models of quartz, coesite and cristobalite at high pressure. The efficient compression of the liquid results from a continuous restructuring of the network that leaves the mean Si‐Si distance virtually unchanged and does not require an increase in the coordination number. The restructuring is effected by local breaking and reconnecting of bonds, a mechanism that is not available to a perfect crystal.
Positron Emission Tomography for Assessing Local Failure After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose We analyzed whether positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography standardized uptake values (SUVs) after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) could predict local recurrence (LR) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials This study comprised 128 patients with Stage I ( n = 68) or isolated recurrent/secondary parenchymal ( n = 60) NSCLC treated with image-guided SBRT to 50 Gy over 4 consecutive days; prior radiotherapy was allowed. PET/computed tomography scans were obtained before therapy and at 1 to 6 months after therapy, as well as subsequently as clinically indicated. Continuous variables were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis tests and categorical variables with Pearson chi-square or Fisher exact tests. Actuarial local failure rates were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Results At a median follow-up of 31 months (range, 6–71 months), the actuarial 1-, 2-, and 3-year local control rates were 100%, 98.5%, and 98.5%, respectively, in the Stage I group and 95.8%, 87.6%, and 85.8%, respectively, in the recurrent group. The cumulative rates of regional nodal recurrence and distant metastasis were 8.8% (6 of 68) and 14.7% (10 of 68), respectively, for the Stage I group and 11.7% (7 of 60) and 16.7% (10 of 60), respectively, for the recurrent group. Univariate analysis showed that SUVs obtained 12.1 to 24 months after treatment for the Stage I group ( p = 0.007) and 6.1 to 12 months and 12.1 to 24 months after treatment for the recurrent group were associated with LR ( p Conclusions PET was helpful for distinguishing SBRT-induced consolidation from LR. SUVs obtained more than 6 months after SBRT for NSCLC were associated with local failure. A maximum SUV greater than 5, especially at more than 6 months after SBRT, should prompt biopsy to rule out LR.
Alternative Aortic Access: Translumbar, Transapical, Subclavian, Conduit, and Transvenous Access to the Aorta

Large-caliber access to the arterial system is more frequently required in the age of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair, endovascular aneurysm repair, and transaortic valve implantation. Frequently either anatomical or vessel size constraints preclude use of common access points such as the common femoral, radial, and brachial arteries. Alternative approaches include percutaneous access at alternate sites (subclavian, axillary, and carotid), open surgical access to the heart (left ventricular apex), open surgical access to large-caliber vessels (ascending aorta, subclavian, and axillary arteries, retroperitoneal access to the iliac artery or distal aorta), and novel percutaneous approaches (transvenous). Such approaches require additional skill sets, equipment, and, frequently, multidisciplinary teams to ensure safety and success. The techniques and approaches outlined in this article may allow expansion of endovascular treatments to greater patient populations and disease states than previously thought feasible.
Effect of sampling rate on the conjugate gradient method applied to signal extrapolation

A different response to changes in sampling rate has been observed for conjugate gradients as opposed to SVD (singular-value decomposition) applied to signal extrapolation. The conjugate gradient solution is described in terms of the SVD, which leads to an explanation of the behavior of the conjugate gradient method in this context. Formulating the conjugate gradient method as a spectral filtering method and analyzing it in terms of the spectral filter functions generated as the iteration progresses have made it possible to explain the difference in the effect of sampling rate changes on the conjugate gradients approach to signal extrapolation as compared to the truncated SVD approach discussed by Sullivan and Liu (1984). >
Temporal Sequencing of Brain Activations During Naturally Occurring Thermoregulatory Events

Thermoregulatory events are associated with activity in the constituents of the spinothalamic tract. Whereas studies have assessed activity within constituents of this pathway, in vivo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have not determined if neuronal activity in the constituents of the tract is temporally ordered. Ordered activity would be expected in naturally occurring thermal events, such as menopausal hot flashes (HFs), which occur in physiological sequence. The origins of HFs may lie in brainstem structures where neuronal activity may occur earlier than in interoceptive centers, such as the insula and the prefrontal cortex. To study such time ordering, we conducted blood oxygen level-dependent-based fMRI in a group of postmenopausal women to measure neuronal activity in the brainstem, insula, and prefrontal cortex around the onset of an HF (detected using synchronously acquired skin conductance responses). Rise in brainstem activity occurred before the detectable onset of an HF. Activity in the insular and prefrontal trailed that in the brainstem, appearing following the onset of the HF. Additional activations associated with HF's were observed in the anterior cingulate cortex and the basal ganglia. Pre-HF brainstem responses may reflect the functional origins of internal thermoregulatory events. By comparison insular, prefrontal and striatal activity may be associated with the phenomenological correlates of HFs.
The concept of comparative information yield curves and its application to risk‐based site characterization

[1] Defining rational and effective hydrogeological data acquisition strategies is of crucial importance as such efforts are always resource limited. Usually, strategies are developed with the goal of reducing uncertainty, but less often they are developed in the context of their impacts on uncertainty. This paper presents an approach for determining site characterization needs on the basis of human health risk. The main challenge is in striking a balance between reduction in uncertainty in hydrogeological, behavioral, and physiological parameters. Striking this balance can provide clear guidance on setting priorities for data acquisition and for better estimating adverse health effects in humans. This paper addresses this challenge through theoretical developments and numerical simulation. A wide range of factors that affect site characterization needs are investigated, including the dimensions of the contaminant plume and additional length scales that characterize the transport problem, as well as the model of human health risk. The concept of comparative information yield curves is used for investigating the relative impact of hydrogeological and physiological parameters in risk. Results show that characterization needs are dependent on the ratios between flow and transport scales within a risk-driven approach. Additionally, the results indicate that human health risk becomes less sensitive to hydrogeological measurements for large plumes. This indicates that under near-ergodic conditions, uncertainty reduction in human health risk may benefit from better understanding of the physiological component as opposed to a more detailed hydrogeological characterization.
Principles and Guidelines for Early Intervention After Confirmation That a Child Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing

This document is a supplement to the year 2007 position statement of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing and provides comprehensive guidelines for establishing strong early intervention (EI) systems with appropriate expertise to meet the needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). Optimal outcomes can only be achieved when there is high quality to the universal newborn hearing screening programs, the audiologic diagnostic process of confirmation that a child is D/HH and fitting of amplification, and the provision of appropriate, individualized, targeted, and high-quality EI services. There are 12 best practice guidelines for EI programs that include the provision of timely referral to EI services with providers who have knowledge and skills in early childhood deafness and hearing loss, infusion within the system of partnerships with parents as well as professionals who are D/HH, longitudinal developmental assessments for monitoring the child's development, data management systems that include developmental outcomes, a process to monitor the fidelity of the intervention, and appropriate services for children with additional disabilities, those from non-English speaking families, and those from special populations, including unilateral hearing loss and auditory neuropathy/dyssynchrony.
Effects of Mannan Oligosaccharide or Antibiotics in Neonatal Diets on Health and Growth of Dairy Calves

Seventy-two Holstein calves were used to study the effect of feeding antibiotics or mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) in milk replacer. Calves were fed a 20% protein, 20% fat milk replacer containing antibiotics (400 g/ton neomycin + 200 g/ton oxytetracycline), MOS (4 g of Bio-Mos/d), or no additive (control) for 5 wk. Milk replacer was reconstituted to 12.5% dry matter and fed at 12% of birth weight during wk 1 and 14% of birth weight in wk 2 to 5. Fecal scores were monitored 3 times per week; body weight, heart girth, withers height, hip height, and hip width were measured at birth and weekly to 6 wk of age. Addition of MOS or antibiotics increased the probability of normal scores for fecal fluidity, scours severity, and fecal consistency as compared to control calves during the course of the study. Consumption of calf starter increased at a faster rate in calves fed MOS, and these calves consumed more calf starter after weaning (wk 6), than those fed antibiotic. No treatment differences in growth measures, total blood protein, or blood urea nitrogen were detected during the trial. Addition of MOS or antibiotics to milk replacer improved fecal scores in calves. Feed intake was improved in MOS-fed calves compared to antibiotic-fed calves, but this difference did not result in growth differences during the experimental period. The results suggest that antibiotics in milk replacers can be replaced with compounds such as mannan oligosaccharides to obtain similar calf performance.
Persistent QEEG Abnormality in Crack Cocaine Users at 6 Months of Drug Abstinence

The major objective of this study was to examine the persistence of abnormal quantitative EEG (qEEG) measures over a six month time interval in subjects in strictly supervised drug free residential treatment for crack cocaine dependence. Seventeen subjects were assessed with qEEG at five to 10 days, one month and six months following their last use of cocaine. No significant changes were noted over time in abnormal qEEG measures, which included deficits of absolute and relative power in the delta band and increased relative alpha power. The persistence of qEEG abnormality in crack cocaine withdrawal suggests a persistent neurobiologic alteration resulting from chronic cocaine exposure. The specificity of the qEEG findings is discussed, and an interpretation is suggested with reference to the hypothesis of neural sensitization in cocaine dependence.
Involvement of liver and skeletal muscle in sucrose-induced insulin resistance: dose-response studies.

The ability of dietary sucrose to induce insulin resistance independent of changes in body weight is controversial. In the present study male rats were fed a high-starch (ST) diet (starch 68% of total kcal) ad libitum for 2 wk and then were fed equicalorically either the ST diet or a high-sucrose (SU) diet (sucrose 68% of total kcal) for 8 wk. Euglycemic, hyperinsulinemic (0, 1.2, 4.1, 8, 15 mU.kg-1.min-1, n = 6-8/group per dose) clamps were then used to establish dose-response relationships for glucose kinetics and metabolism. Body weight (513 +/- 3 g) and composition were similar between groups after the 8-wk dietary period. Glucose infusion rates (GIR; mg.kg-1.min-1) were significantly less in SU (0.9 +/- 5.8 +/- 0.6, 14.8 +/- 1.3, and 18 +/- 1.1) than in ST rats (4.1 +/- 0.9, 12.3 +/- 1.2, 22.6 +/- 1.5, and 25.9 +/- 1.8) at 1.2, 4.1, 8, and 15 mU.kg-1.min-1, respectively. Impaired suppression of endogenous glucose production accounted for 46, 43, 23, and 0% of the reduction in GIR in SU rats at 1.2, 4.1, 8, and 15 mU.kg-1.min-1, respectively. Despite basal hyperinsulinemia (38 +/- 2 microU/ml in SU vs. 26 +/- 2 microU/ml in ST rats), liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) activity was 50% higher in SU than in ST rats and remained elevated in SU rats (by 30-40%) at the two lower insulin doses. No skeletal muscle glycogen accumulation occurred in SU rats at any of the insulin doses, and glycogen synthase I activity was significantly lower in SU rats at the two highest insulin doses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Human Fibroblasts Display A Differential Focal Adhesion Phenotype Relative to Chimpanzee

There are a number of documented differences between humans and our closest relatives in responses to wound healing and in disease susceptibilities, suggesting a differential cellular response to certain environmental factors. In this study, we sought to look at a specific cell type, fibroblasts, to examine differences in cellular adhesion between humans and chimpanzees in visualized cells and in gene expression. We have found significant differences in the number of focal adhesions between primary human and chimpanzee fibroblasts. Additionally, we see that adhesion related gene ontology categories are some of the most differentially expressed between human and chimpanzee in normal fibroblast cells. These results suggest that human and chimpanzee fibroblasts may have somewhat different adhesive properties, which could play a role in differential disease phenotypes and responses to external factors.
Age-Related Differences in Mental Performance:

The effects of age and socioeconomic status on two sets of measures of cognitive performance were reviewed. One set consisted of the 12 subtests of the General Aptitude Test Battery; the other was a group of laboratory-based experiments, most of which were initiated by the late George A. Talland. The relationships among the various measures of performance within and between the two sets were examined. Finally, plans for future studies of age-related differences in cognitive performance were outlined. The four principal findings are as follows. (1) Age-related declines in performance were found in all subtests of the General Aptitude Battery. Performance declined least in those subtests where the effects of socioeconomic status were strongest and most in those subtests where socioeconomic status effects were weakest. There was no evidence for a significant interaction between the effects of differences in age and socioeconomic status. (2) It is more difficult for older individuals than for younger ones to ...
The occurrence of the spores of B. botulinus in Belgium, Denmark, England, The Netherlands and Switzerland. VI

Botulism has been recognized in Germany since 1735, but Bitter 1 wrote in 1921 that all attempts made in Europe to locate B. botulinus in nature had completely failed. In 1919 Semerau and Noack2 expressed the opinion that the anaerobe occurred probably in regions or districts which from their geological or climatological location or incidental to contact with animal life and plant growth offered an environment suitable for multiplication and persistence. With the exception of the studies of van Ermengem 3 and Bitter, no data were available to support the hypothesis of Semerau and Noack. In yiew of the American findings, it suggested itself to examine a number of soil specimens collected in European countries in which human botulism had occurred. Such an undertaking was also prompted by a desire to compare the B. botulinus strains of the Old World with those of the New World. It can be stated without any fear of contradiction that nothing definite is known with regard to the various strains of B. botulinus which have been isolated in Europe. The early descriptions of van Ermengem and Leuchs 4 have with some slight modifications been copied by most of the recent writers. Moreover, the original strain of van Ermengem has been lost and fourteen so-called cultures of B. botulinus received from Germany during the last year have been found nontoxic, containing B. sporogenes or B. centro sporogenes. The only evidence which indicates that B. botulinus, type B or type A, is encountered in Germany is furnished by these observations : 1. The antitoxin prepared by the Institute of Infectious Diseases, Berlin, and supplied to us by Prof. Claus Schilling neutralizes the toxin of every American type B strain. 2. The Lister Institute of
Lendo o “capital” de Bourdie

The present article is a detailed analysis of Pierre Bourdieu’s work La Noblesse d´Etat. Grandes ecoles et esprit de corps (1989), through which we try to specify the way the French sociologist studies the logic of social domination in the advanced society and the mechanisms through which it disguises and perpetuates itself. Although the study is focused in France, the thematic unveiled by Bourdieu is universalising in its purpose and analytical results, being of great value for the study of the recruit, formation, and reproduction processes of the stable bodies of elite institutions of higher education.
Effect of Estradiol on Urinary Excretion of Ascorbic Acid in the Dog

ConclusionsEstradiol increases the clearance of ascorbic acid in the dog by reducing tubular reabsorption, the clearance approaching that of creatinine in some cases. As a result, the fasting plasma levels of ascorbic acid fall during the treatment.
The Relation of Age at Sexual Maturity to Some Developmental Characters

Abstract THE onset of sexual maturity produces a profound effect on the physiology of the fowl and subsequent developmental processes. The fact has long been known that age at sexual maturity has a significant influence on the development of feather pigments in such breeds as Barred Plymouth Rocks (Martin, 1929) and Rhode Island Reds (Hays, 1932). More recently because of the demand for chickens of superior meat quality, the effect of age at sexual maturity on such characters as rate of growth and adult weight requires attention. A considerable body of data collected a few years ago on Rhode Island Reds may serve a useful purpose in this connection. DATA AVAILABLE FOR STUDY Three generations of pedigreed Rhode Island Red pullets hatched in 1934, 1935, and 1936 in several experiments are available for study. Body weight was taken at monthly intervals throughout the laying year on 1,859 individuals, beginning when the . . .
TLR3 Agonist Poly-IC Induces IL-33 and Promotes Myelin Repair.

Background Impaired remyelination of demyelinated axons is a major cause of neurological disability. In inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), although remyelination does happen, it is often incomplete, resulting in poor clinical recovery. Poly-IC a known TLR3 agonist and IL-33, a cytokine which is induced by poly-IC are known to influence recovery and promote repair in experimental models of CNS demyelination. Methodology and Principal Findings We examined the effect of addition of poly-IC and IL-33 on the differentiation and maturation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) cultured in vitro. Both Poly-IC and IL-33 induced transcription of myelin genes and the differentiation of OPC to mature myelin forming cells. Poly-IC induced IL-33 in OPC and addition of IL-33 to in vitro cultures, amplified further, IL-33 expression suggesting an autocrine regulation of IL-33. Poly-IC and IL-33 also induced phosphorylation of p38MAPK, a signaling molecule involved in myelination. Following the induction of gliotoxic injury with lysolecithin to the corpus callosum (CC), treatment of animals with poly-IC resulted in greater recruitment of OPC and increased staining for myelin in areas of demyelination. Also, poly-IC treated animals showed greater expression of IL-33 and higher expression of M2 phenotype macrophages in the CC. Conclusion/Significance Our studies suggest that poly-IC and IL-33 play a role in myelin repair by enhancing expression of myelin genes and are therefore attractive therapeutic agents for use as remyelinating agents in human demyelinating disease.
Distribution of the European Pine Shoot Moth, Its Parasites, and Associated Insects in Red Pine Trees and Stands

Twenty species of parasites and associated insects were reared from shoots of red pine, Pinus resinosa Ait., infested with the European pine shoot moth, Rhyacionia buoliana (Schiffermuller), at Oakland, Md. In trees 7 ft tall, Hyssopus thymus Girault was more abundant than Exeristes comstockii Cresson, but the reverse was true in trees half that height. Total parasitism and parasitism by H. thymus and Eurytoma pini Bugbee were greater in the lowest ⅓ than in the topmost ⅓ of the tree; E. comstockii and associated insects of uncertain status—lepidopterans, coleopterans, and the dipteran Oscinella conicola (Green)—were most abundant in the topmost ⅓. Of Itoplectis conquisitor (Say) only males were reared. Usually only 1 shoot moth larva was found per shoot, but occasionally there were as many as 5; more than 1 larva per shoot occurred more often in the topmost than in the lowest ⅓ of the trees. Trees 3½ ft tall had a higher infestation rate than those 7 ft tall. Lammas shoots were infested at the same rate as normal shoots. In 3½-ft trees, 23% of the shoots were in the lowest ⅓ and 24% in the topmost ⅓ of the tree; in 7-ft trees, 50% and 10%, respectively.
P1-S1.36 Prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections among men and women entering the National Job Training Program-USA, 2004–2009

Background National notifiable disease data indicate that 99 of every 100 000 persons in the USA were infected with gonorrhoea in 2009, the lowest recorded gonorrhoea rate in US history. However, the extent to which declining case reports signify a reduction in prevalence is unknown. In order to better understand national gonorrhoea trends, we examined prevalence over time among men and women entering the National Job Training Program (NJTP). Methods Gonorrhoea prevalence was estimated among 16–24-year-old men and women entering the NJTP in 48 states and the District of Columbia from 2004–2009. To approximate gonorrhoea screening, only data from the 105 (85% of all 123) centers that performed gonorrhoea testing on at least 50% of the population were included. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the probability of testing positive for gonorrhoea over time, adjusted for variables associated with gonorrhoea risk. Results 95 184 men and 91 697 women were screened for gonorrhoea upon entry to the NJTP from 2004 to 2009. For women, gonorrhoea prevalence increased from 2004 (2.6%) to 2006 (2.9%), then decreased steadily through 2009 (1.8%). For men, prevalence increased from 2004 (1.3%) to 2005 (1.6%), then decreased through 2009 (0.9%). Gonorrhoea prevalence among black women decreased from 3.6% in 2004 to 2.5% in 2009 and was 2–4 times higher than prevalence among white women during the study period. Likewise, prevalence among black men decreased from 2.0% to 1.5% and was 8–22 times higher than prevalence among white men. After adjusting for age, race, region, and test technology, the odds of a woman testing positive for gonorrhoea decreased by 50% from 2004 to 2009. Similarly, the odds of a man testing positive for gonorrhoea decreased by 40% during the study period see Abstract P1-S1.36 Figure 1. Conclusions Declining trends in gonorrhoea infection among NJTP entrants are similar to those observed in gonorrhoea case report data, suggesting that the decrease in case reports is due to a decrease in prevalence. Both data sources also demonstrate continuing racial disparities in gonorrhoea infection between blacks and whites. Interventions to reduce gonorrhoea infections should be developed to reach populations with a disproportionate risk.
Neighborhood Violent Crime and Academic Growth in Chicago: Lasting Effects of Early Exposure

A large body of research documents the importance of early experiences for later academic, social, and economic success. Exposure to an unsafe neighborhood is no exception. Living in a violent neighborhood can influence the stress levels, protective behaviors, and community interactions of both parents and children in ways that generate cumulative educational disadvantage. Using nine years (2002-2011) of detailed crime data from the Chicago Police Department and longitudinal administrative data from the Chicago Public Schools, I estimate the influence of early exposure to neighborhood violence on growth in standardized test scores over time. Student fixed-effects are included to remove any bias due to constant differences between students. The results show that children from more violent neighborhoods fall farther behind their peers from safer neighborhoods as they progress through school. These effects are comparable in size to the independent association with socioeconomic disadvantage and an annual measure of more recent neighborhood violence exposure.
Migraine headaches in the adolescent.

Abstract Migraine headaches are common in adolescents. Characterized by recurring attacks of intense, pounding, and nauseating frontal or temporal head pain, migraine headaches are a significant contributor to school absences and lost productivity during the adolescent years and beyond. A systematic management program can be instituted to minimize these deleterious effects. The first step is to establish the diagnosis and reassure the patient that there is no serious underlying cause such as a brain tumor. The next step involves identification of lifestyle contributors followed by appropriate modification of sleep, activity, stress, diet, and other provocative influences, often with behavioral therapies. There is a vast, new pharmacologic armamentarium for the acute and preventative management of migraine. The choices depend on the headache burden: the individual patient's pattern, frequency, intensity, disability, and pain tolerance. This chapter reviews the phenomena of adolescent migraine with emphasis on office management.
Web Application for Incident Analysis

Traffic incidents usually imply a great amount of data regarding them. Currently there is a lack of software that can be regarded as efficient incident management visualization. Most incident management systems’ structures make the estimation of the actual road conditions an arduous task. It requires traffic operator to navigate through many tables, graphs, and maps to start getting a sense how to manage an incident, which is time consuming and not always correct. The emphasis is usually on data records, with less consideration given to ability for reviewing. Existing tools have proven to be not sufficiently applicable to simplify this task.
An Investigation of the Usability Issues of Home-based Video Telemedicine Systems with Geriatric Patients:

Telemedicine is the use of technology to provide and support healthcare when distance separates the clinical service and the patient. This system is rapidly replacing the conventional method of in-...
Narrative Style Influences Citation Frequency in Climate Change Science

Peer-reviewed publications focusing on climate change are growing exponentially with the consequence that the uptake and influence of individual papers varies greatly. Here, we derive metrics of narrativity from psychology and literary theory, and use these metrics to test the hypothesis that more narrative climate change writing is more likely to be influential, using citation frequency as a proxy for influence. From a sample of 732 scientific abstracts drawn from the climate change literature, we find that articles with more narrative abstracts are cited more often. This effect is closely associated with journal identity: higher-impact journals tend to feature more narrative articles, and these articles tend to be cited more often. These results suggest that writing in a more narrative style increases the uptake and influence of articles in climate literature, and perhaps in scientific literature more broadly.
The Unquiet Eastern Front: New Work on the Great War

In the introduction to their excellent survey of the First World War in Central Europe, Our War (Nasza wojna), Polish historians Wlodzimierz Borodziej and Maciej Gorny begin by wondering why the name of Przasnysz, a small Polish town north of Warsaw, carries today no connotations of misery or horror. In late 1914 and early 1915, they note, the Germans and Russians fought several ferocious battles in its vicinity, battles that ultimately claimed hundreds of thousands of casualties. And yet its name never became a part of the shared historical memory of the First World War. Przasnysz and its battles are long forgotten, not only, as might be expected, in Belgium, France and Great Britain, but also in Germany, Russia and the rest of Poland. This, Borodziej and Gorny note, is symptomatic of the hold that the war's Western Front has exercised for generations on the imaginations of scholars and the wider public alike – even within the states that now occupy the territory on which the titanic clashes of the Russian, Austrian and German empires claimed millions of lives. To schoolchildren in Warsaw no less than to scholars in Great Britain and the United States, the First World War is synonymous with the trenches of Belgium and France, and with the haunted names of Ypres, Passchendaele and Verdun. But the evidence of Nasza wojna and the other three books under review here suggests that the Eastern Front is finally emerging as a subject of scholarly and popular interest. Moreover, these books illustrate that careful study of that Front has the potential to deepen our understanding of the war's complex dynamics and their impact on the states and societies that grappled with them. The sweeping conquests and extended occupations of ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse populations; the migration of ethnic hostilities from the front lines to the home fronts of multinational states; the profound divide between urban and rural experiences of the war; the ways in which military institutions adapted to the industrialised brutality of modern warfare and the ways that venerable but sprawling imperial state systems tried to come to grips with the war's demands are just a few of the themes addressed by the books under review here. The history of the period, and of modern European history in general, stands to be greatly enriched by a renewed interest in ‘the forgotten Great War’.
The Effects of Sentencing on Recidivism: Results from a Natural Experiment

Although defendants who are sentenced to prison are known to re-offend at higher rates than defendants who are not sentenced to prison, this correlation does not have a clear causal interpretation because variation in sentencing in part reflects variation the defendants' perceived criminal propensities. Taking advantage of the random assignment of judges to criminal cases, we analyze a natural experiment in which defendants are effectively sentenced at random. We estimate the effects of conviction and incarceration on the probability that 10,814 defendants who appeared in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia between 1978 and 1984 were recharged or reconvicted during a 13-year follow-up period. We find little evidence that incarceration reduces the probability of recidivism, as would be expected based on "specific deterrence" and "incapacitation" hypotheses.
Minimally Invasive Aesthetic Procedures: An Update on a Decade-Old Prediction.

In 2007, the senior author (G.S.K.) published a commentary on the importance of incorporating minimally invasive aesthetic procedures into facial plastic surgery practices and training programs. The now decade-old prediction suggested that failing to perform minimally invasive aesthetic procedures placed facial plastic surgeons at risk of practice “phase out.” By not providing the most current options that patients' desire, we may lose patients to outside providers willing to perform those procedures. The aim of this article is to provide an update on this perspective by putting forth the results of the most up-to-date data on practice patterns with regard to minimally invasive aesthetic procedures.
Hopf Algebra of Sashes

A general lattice theoretic construction of Reading constructs Hopf subalgebras of the Malvenuto-Reutenauer Hopf algebra (MR) of permutations. The products and coproducts of these Hopf subalgebras are defined extrinsically in terms of the embedding in MR. The goal of this paper is to find an intrinsic combinatorial description of a particular one of these Hopf subalgebras. This Hopf algebra has a natural basis given by permutations that we call Pell permutations. The Pell permutations are in bijection with combinatorial objects that we call sashes, that is, tilings of a 1 by n rectangle with three types of tiles: black 1 by 1 squares, white 1 by 1 squares, and white 1 by 2 rectangles. The bijection induces a Hopf algebra structure on sashes. We describe the product and coproduct in terms of sashes, and the natural partial order on sashes. We also describe the dual coproduct and dual product of the dual Hopf algebra of sashes.