cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Symposium Overview: Chemical Modulation of Neuroreceptors and Channels via Intracellular Components

Whereas the roles of G proteins and protein kinases in various neuroreceptors and ion channels have been studied extensively, their roles in the actions of drugs and toxicants on these receptors and channels remain to be elucidated. Almost all drugs and toxicants exert multiple actions on multiple target sites, and there is no reason to assume that a chemical modulates a receptor/channel via a single mechanism. In fact, experimental evidence is slowly but steadily being accumulated to indicate that certain drugs and toxicants modulate neuroreceptor/channel functions through interactions with intracellular components such as G proteins and protein kinases. Multiple actions of a toxicant on various receptors/channels may be explained on the basis of its interaction with the G protein/kinase system that is a common denominator of the target sites. This is a virgin field that promises a quantum leap in the coming years. Each presentation and discussion will focus on expected future developments and potential significance in the field of neurotoxicology.
Thermal and Mechanical Buckling and Postbuckling Responses of Selected Curved Composite Panels

The results of an experimental and numerical study of the buckling and postbuckling responses of selected unstiffened curved composite panels subjected to mechanical end shortening and a uniform temperature increase are presented. The uniform temperature increase induces thermal stresses in the panel when the axial displacement is constrained. An apparatus for testing curved panels at elevated temperature is described. Numerical results generated by using a geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis code are presented. Several analytical modeling refinements that provide more accurate representation of the actual experimental conditions, and the relative contribution of each refinement, are discussed. Experimental results and numerical predictions are presented and compared for three loading conditions including mechanical end shortening alone, heating the panels to 250°F followed by mechanical end shortening, and heating the panels to 400°F. Changes in the coefficients of thermal expansion were observed as temperature was increased above 330°F. The effects of these changes on the experimental results are discussed for temperatures up to 400°F. loads. Knight and Starnes,1 for example, conducted room-temperature tests of curved composite panels subjected to mechanical axial compression loads, and compared the test results with numerical results from a nonlinear finite element code which included the effects of measured geometric imperfections. The response of curved composite panels to thermal loading conditions has been studied analytically by a number of investigators2"8 for panels both with and without cutouts, but these results were not correlated with experimental results. The present paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical study of curved composite panels subjected to a uniform temperature change and a mechanical axial compression load. The response of the panels due to the thermal stresses caused by boundary condition constraints are described. Comparisons of the results of panels loaded in axial compression and panels subjected to a uniform temperature change with restricted axial displacement are made to help explain their complex behavior. Numerical results were generated using the geometrically nonlinear finite element code STAGS,9 which accounts for large rotations and allows solutions along an unstable postbuckling path.
STEM: species tree estimation using maximum likelihood for gene trees under coalescence

STEM is a software package written in the C language to obtain maximum likelihood (ML) estimates for phylogenetic species trees given a sample of gene trees under the coalescent model. It includes options to compute the ML species tree, search the space of all species trees for the k trees of highest likelihood and compute ML branch lengths for a user-input species tree. Availability: The STEM package, including source code, is freely available at http://www.stat.osu.edu/∼lkubatko/software/STEM/. Contact: lkubatko@stat.osu.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Characterization of a cystathionine β-synthase allele with three mutations in cis in a patient with B6 nonresponsive homocystinuria

We used SSCP to survey reverse transcribed-PCR amplified cystathionine synthase cDNAs from patients with homocystinuria. In a single CBS allele, we identified one synonymous and two missense mutations in a portion of the cDNA encoded by a single 135 bp exon which also encodes K119, the putative site of cofactor, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, binding. The patient, a B6-nonresponsive homocystinuric of Irish descent, is homozygous for a G-->A transition at cDNA position 374, a G-->A transversion at position 393, and a G-->A transition at position 453 resulting in R125Q, E131D and P145P, respectively. Family studies confirmed that all three mutations are present in cis and none were present in 54 Irish and 58 North American controls. R125 is conserved in rat CBS while E131D is conserved in rat CBS, and a related enzyme, O-acetylserine(thiol)-lyase, from a variety of plant and bacterial species. Expression studies showed that both R125Q and E131D, either individually or together, inactivate CBS. The apparently simultaneous appearance of more than one mutation in a single exon suggests they may have arisen by a gene conversion event or by nonhomologous recombination.
CONTROL OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR BY THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF DROSOPHILA: DISSECTION OF A COURTSHIP PATHWAY BY GENETIC MOSAICS

In gynandromorphs of Drosophila, a detailed examination was made of the association between male courtship behavior and the chromosomal genotype of various parts of the central nervous system. Mosaic flies that behave as males repeatedly show a shorter murtship than normal males. If there is to be male behavior, the posterior dorsal brain must be haplo- X on at least one side for occurrence of the early courtship events. tapping, following of females and wing extension. Licking (proboscis extension) has nearly the same focus but is submissive; that is, male tissue must be present in both left and right dorsal brain. The next courtship step, attempted copulation, has a focus (especially for actual genital contact) located in the thoracic ganglia, though apparently not in a discrete region. Attempted copulation, which can occur even in mosaics with a gravid abdomen, may be correlated with the presence of sex combs. The role of courtship foci are interpreted in terms of known sensory inputs to and functions of the major insect ganglia.
Race and recurrence in women who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Black women can have worse outcomes than white women with breast cancer. We examined survival in black and white women who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: We identified 98 women with stage II or III breast cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Women with inflammatory breast cancer, T4 disease, or metastases were excluded. Data were analyzed using the Fisher exact test and Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: From the cohort, 69 women were included. The median follow-up was 6.2 years. The estrogen receptor status was similar. White women tended to overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) (P 5.091). The pretreatment T stage was T3. All women received similar neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-year progression-free survival was better for white women compared with black women (78% vs 58%, P 5 .05). The 5-year overall survival was similar (P 5 .095). CONCLUSIONS: The pretreatment characteristics of women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy were similar. Black women had a worse disease-free survival. The overall survival was the same.
Functional Assessment and Binge Eating A Review of the Literature and Suggestions for Future Research

This article briefly discusses the process of conducting a functional assessment of a problem behavior. Current research on the assessment of antecedents and consequences of binge eating behavior is then reviewed. The article concludes with suggestions for future research in the functional assessment and classification of binge eating.
A simultaneous-modular approach to process flowsheeting and optimization. Part II: Performance on simulation problems

The performance of the simultaneous-modular approach on five simulation problems, ranging in complexity from very simple to moderately complex, is studied. Numerical experiments comparing different computational strategies for implementing the simultaneous-modular approach are also performed. Full-block perturbation is found to be the most suitable technique for obtaining the flowsheet-level Jacobian. On process simulation problems the simultaneous-modular approach, as implemented in SIMMOD, is found to be as reliable as the sequential-modular approach, and competitive with or sometimes much better than the sequential-modular approach in terms of computational efficiency.
A transient rise in cytosolic calcium follows stimulation of quiescent cells with growth factors and is inhibitable with phorbol myristate acetate

We have used aequorin as an indicator for the intracellular free calcium ion concentration [( Ca++]i) of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Estimated [Ca++]i of serum-deprived, subconfluent fibroblasts was 89 (+/-20) nM, almost twofold higher than that of subconfluent cells growing in serum, whose [Ca++]i was 50 (+/-19) nM. Serum, partially purified platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) stimulated DNA synthesis by the serum-deprived cells, whereas epidermal growth factor (EGF) did not. Serum immediately and transiently elevated the [Ca++]i of serum-deprived cells, which reached a maximal value of 5.3 microM at 18 s poststimulation but returned to near prestimulatory levels within 3 min. Moreover, no further changes in [Ca++]i were observed during 12 subsequent h of continuous recording. PDGF produced a peak rise in [Ca++]i to approximately 1.4 microM at 115 s after stimulation, and FGF to approximately 1.2 microM at 135 s after stimulation. EGF caused no change in [Ca++]i. The primary source of calcium for these transients was intracellular, since the magnitude of the serum-induced rise in [Ca++]i was reduced by only 30% in the absence of exogenous calcium. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) had no effect on resting [Ca++]i. When, however, quiescent cells were treated for 30 min with 100 nM PMA, serum-induced rises in [Ca++]i were reduced by sevenfold. PMA did not inhibit growth factor-induced DNA synthesis and was by itself partially mitogenic. We suggest that if calcium is involved as a cytoplasmic signal for mitogenic activation of quiescent fibroblasts, its action is early, transient, and can be partially substituted for by PMA. Activated protein kinase C may regulate growth factor-induced increases in [Ca++]i.
An Adhesive for labelling Animals exposed to Sea-Water over Long Periods

THE adhesive, 3M EC-1341, has been found to be successful in attaching paper labels to the valves of experimental oysters which were living in a natural salt pond for eight months.
Evaluation of the effect of ambrisentan on digital microvascular flow in patients with systemic sclerosis using laser Doppler perfusion imaging: a 12-week randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial

Introduction In patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), digital ischemia results from an occlusive microvasculopathy that may not respond adequately to conventional vasodilators. Endothelin receptor antagonists can potentially modify the fibroproliferative vascular remodeling in SSc, and hence their use may be justified in the management of digital ischemia. The objective of this clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of ambrisentan, a selective endothelin type A receptor antagonist, on microvascular blood flow in patients with limited systemic sclerosis (SSc) using laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI).
The Role of Zinc in Dental Amalgams

Twenty-five AG-Sn alloys containing various additions of Zn were amalgamated and the amalgams tested for physical properties pertinent to dental restoration use. The mercury retained, dimensional change, compressive strength, and creep were all functions of the Zn content.
Do Reentry Women Have Special Needs

Reentry and nonreentry women were compared on their reasons for being in school, goals associated with education, and campus services used or wanted. Eighty-two California State University, Hayward, undergraduate students volunteered to participate in the questionnaire survey. Reentry women were found to be more self-motivated, with higher educational goals, and higher grade point averages than nonreentry women. Reentry women also made less use of currently available student services. Reasons for this lack of use, and suggestions for future services were explored.
Lifespan and Lesions in Genetically Heterogeneous (Four-way Cross) Mice: A New Model for Aging Research

Genetically heterogeneous animal models provide many advantages for research on aging but have been used infrequently. We present here lifespan and lesion data from a study of mice bred as a cross between (AKR/J x DBA/2J)F, females and (C57BL/6J x SJL/J)F, males. In such a four-way cross population, each mouse is genetically unique, but replicate populations of essentially similar genetic structure can be generated quickly, at low cost, and of arbitrary size from commercially available, genetically stable hybrid parents. We employed a protocol in which mice judged to be severely ill were euthanatized to obtain tissue in optimal condition for necropsy, and we were able to infer a likely cause of illness in 42 of 44 animals. Malignant lymphoma, including at least four histopathologically distinct subtypes, was the most common cause and was also a frequent incidental finding in mice dying of other causes. Neoplastic disease, benign or malignant, was the sole or a contributing cause of illness in 90% of the mice for which a cause could plausibly be assigned. A wide range of lethal and nonlethal degenerative lesions was also noted. The coefficient of variation for lifespan in these genetically heterogeneous mice was 26%, similar to that seen in analyses of recombinant inbred mouse lines. Baseline lifespan and pathology data on four-way cross mice is a useful prelude to the exploitation of this rodent model in tests of genetic and mechanistic hypotheses about aging.
Effects of novel chemical cues on predatory responses of rodent-specializing rattlesnakes

We examined predatory responses of prairie (Crotalus viridis) and timber (Crotalus horridus) rattlesnakes to mouse carcasses misted with diluted perfumes or water. In Experiment 1, snakes showed equivalent latencies to strike, grasp, and ingest perfume- and water-misted carcasses. In Experiment 2, snakes that struck carcasses misted with perfume, water, or no liquid subsequently showed similar increases in tongue-flicking. In no-strike trials, snakes showed very low levels of tongue-flicking regardless of the type of chemical cues on the carcass. We conclude that during and after strikes, rattlesnakes behaved similarly towards both normal and chemically-novel rodent prey, implying that such prey are equally acceptable to the snakes.
Weak adversaries for the k-server problem

We study the k-server problem when the offline algorithm has fewer than k servers. We give two upper bounds of the cost WFA(/spl rho/) of the Work Function Algorithm. The first upper bound is kOPT/sub h/(/spl rho/)+(h-1)OPT/sub k/(/spl rho/), where OPT/sub m/(/spl rho/) denotes the optimal cost to service /spl rho/ by m servers. The second upper bound is 2hOPTh(/spl rho/)-OPT/sub k/(/spl rho/) for h/spl les/k. Both bounds imply that the Work Function Algorithm is (2k-1)-competitive. Perhaps more important is our technique which seems promising for settling the k-server conjecture. The proofs are simple and intuitive and they do not involve potential functions. We also apply the technique to give a simple condition for the Work Function Algorithm to be k-competitive; this condition results in a new proof that the k-server conjecture holds for k=2.
A computational study of microflaps with application to vibration reduction in helicopter rotors

of oscillating Gurney flaps, or microflaps, has been conducted. Two-dimensional unsteady airloads, lift, moment and drag, due to an oscillating microflap were computed using a compressible Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) flow solver. The CFD results were generated with an overset mesh approach that captures oscillatory microflap motion. Three microflap configurations were examined so as to determine the type most suitable in terms of actuation eciency and practical implementation. Furthermore, a reduced order model (ROM) for the unsteady microflaps was developed based on CFD simulations, using the Rational Function Approximation (RFA) approach. The resulting RFA model is a state-space, time-domain aerodynamic model that accounts for unsteadiness, compressibility and time-varying freestream eect, suitable for use with comprehensive rotorcraft simulations. The agreement between the ROM and direct CFD calculations was found to be excellent even in presence of strong nonlinear flow eects. The approximate model is suitable for incorporation in a comprehensive code, from which the potential of microflaps for active control of vibrations in rotor can be determined. Preliminary studies with open loop control showed that the microflap produces substantial vibration reduction (52% reduction in vertical shear) on a hingeless rotor configuration resembling the MBB BO-105, confirming the control authority of this novel technique.
Regulation of ion channels in smooth muscles by calcium.

Intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) plays a central role in regulating tone and contractility of smooth muscle cells. In contrast to the “classic” model of electromechanical coupling where m...
What Does the Right to Life Really Entail? A Framework for Depolarizing the Abortion Debate

More than forty years after Roe v. Wade, bills and ballot initiatives that specify conception as the starting point of the human right to life are battlegrounds between pro-life and pro-choice activists. Underlying the controversy is the assumption that if the unborn have a fully human right to life from the moment of conception, then abortion is morally impermissible. Despite the polarized political debate, opinion polls suggest that many Americans are looking for some sort of middle ground on the morality of abortion. What most people lack, however, is a framework for defending a middle position.In this article I seek to provide such a framework by taking a close look at the question of what moral obligations to preserve unborn life actually follow from the assumption that the unborn have a fully human right to life from the outset of pregnancy. Framed in this way, many of the issues presented by abortion are not as unique as is sometimes supposed. Questions about the duty to preserve human life arise in many real-life situations. I suggest that we can make room for middle ground on the issue of abortion by comparing the obligations of pregnant women to sustain unborn life to the obligations of people in analogous situations to help others to survive. Although my analysis directly addresses the individual moral decision-makers who make up the electorate, it has important implications for our elected representatives who craft and vote on abortion legislation and whose voices dominate the political arena. Ultimately, I hope to defuse some of the divisiveness that currently characterizes the political debate about abortion by encouraging consideration of important questions that this debate typically overlooks.
A confined compression technique for hydraulic conductivity measurement in soft tissues

Multiphasic tissue models have been used extensively to predict the behavior of cartilaginous tissues [1]. Their application to other soft tissues, however, has often been overlooked. Unlike the more commonly used continuum model of the viscoelastic solid [2], multiphasic models allow us to infer the behaviors and properties of tissue subcomponents by observing the behavior of the tissue whole. As a great deal of tissue function and structure is related to the control and transport of fluids and fluid-borne agents, there is clearly a need for this insight in all tissues. For example, there has been a great deal of interest recently in the possibility of modifying the flow properties of solid tumors and other tissues to allow the targeted delivery of large molecular weight drugs, such as chemotherapeutic or genetic agents [3–4]. It is well known that the high interstitial fluid pressures, confused vasculature, and lack of a lymphatic system prevent the effective distribution of directly injected or systemically administered drugs into tumors [3]. Increasing the effective permeability of these tumors can ameliorate these issues and allow for more effective treatment. A handful of studies have found that the biphasic model, along with some basic experimental tools, can reasonably represent the flow properties of tumors [4–5]. In this paper, we describe a technique using a simple confined compression experiment with the biphasic model to measure the hydraulic conductivity of samples of cardiac tissue.© 2007 ASME
On the unidimensionality of the Alpert-Haber achievement anxiety test.

Herron ( 2 ) concluded that the Alpert-Haber facilitating (AAT+) and debilitating (AAT-) anxiety questionnaires are not measuring different characteristics in that they are affected in the same way by achievement stress and do not contribute separately to a multiple R predicting grade point average when scholastic aptitude is previously taken into account. While the covariance indicated by the reported AAT+/AATcorrelation of .46 may reflect, as Herron suggests, a common sensitivity to sirnational stress cues, considerable reliable variance remains unaccounted for and the scales may not appear to be unidimensional by other criteria. If Herron's conclusions have some generality, an inverse pattern of correlations among other personality scales should be found for AAT+ and AAT-, and the factor loadings of both scales should be similar in magnitude. Scores on the anxiety questionnaires and 4 6 other personality scales (California Psychological Inventory, 1 6 PF, FIRO-B, the K, A, R, and Es scales of the MMPI, and measures of self-esteem and psychosomatic anxiety were obtained for 536 young men selected for high scientific aptirnde.' The correlations and loadings on Factor I (principal components analysis, varimax rotation) of the anxiety questionnaire scores and the other personality measures were considered. Only 4 of the 18 correlations between AAT+ and the 46 other scales were significant at both the .05 level ( r = .09) and the .001 level (+ = .15), and 2 of these 4 were with dominance scales. Twenty-four of the AATcorrelations were significant at the ,001 level, the highest being with the MMPI A (anxiety) scale, the 16 PF 0 (worrying) scale, the 16 P F Q4 (unchannelled tension) scale, and the psychosomatic anxiety (PSA) scale. The intercorrelations among the A, 0, Q4 and PSA scales ranged from .46 (Q4/PSA) to .69 ( A / O ) . These scales and AATall loaded below -.40 on Factor I, which seemed to be measuring reported psychological well-being. AATf loaded only +.05 on this factor and no higher on any other except Factor VIII, which was defined only by the common variance on the achievement anxiety questionnaires. In this sample, then, Ss with high AATscores tended to have high scores also on measures o€ general anxiety, a result consistenr with the moderate to high correlations of AATand 3 out of 4 other anxiety scales reported by Alpert and Haber (1). The reverse was not, however, found. Alpert and Haber obtained only slightly lower and still significant negative correlations between AAT+ and 2 of the anxiety scales. In the young scientist sample, the correlations of AAT+ and the 4 anxiety measures were significantly lower than were the AATcorrelations, accounting at the most for 3% vs 28% of the anxiety scale variance. In terms of the factor structure indicated for the personality traits sampled, there appears to be little reason to consider AAT+ and AATas measuring opposite ends of a single dimension.
Theoretical Analysis of Heptane Droplet Combustion for Comparison with Results from the Shuttle Spacelab During the MSL-1 Mission

One of the experiments aboard the MSL-1 flights in April and July, 1997 was the Droplet Combustion Experiment (DCE). in which single, free isolated heptane droplets were burned in heliumoxygen atmospheres to help improve basic understanding of droplet combustion. The present paper reports on some theoretical work motivated by these experiments. It is indicated how the square of the droplet diameter can decrease nearly linearly with time while the flame diameter first increases then decreases, contrary to the diameter-square behavior. Both radiative and diffusive extinction, observed in these experiments, is described and explained qualitatively.
Cycloreversion Dynamics of a Photochromic Molecular Switch via One-Photon and Sequential Two-Photon Excitation

Ultrafast pump–probe (PP) and pump–repump–probe (PReP) measurements examine the ring-opening reaction of a photochromic molecular switch following excitation to the first and higher excited states. Sequential two-photon excitation is a sensitive probe of the excited-state dynamics, because the secondary excitation maps the progress along the S1 reaction coordinate onto the higher excited states of the molecule. In this contribution, secondary excitation at 800 nm accesses more reactive regions of the excited-state potential energy surfaces than are accessible with direct vertical excitation in the visible or UV. The quantum yield for cycloreversion increases by a factor of 3.5 ± 0.9 compared with one-photon excitation when the delay between the 500 nm pump and 800 nm repump laser pulses increases beyond ∼100 fs, in contrast with a slower ∼3 ps increase that was previously observed for one-color sequential excitation at 500 nm. The evolution of an excited-state absorption band reveals the dynamics of the h...
Vertebral Implantation of NELL-1 Enhances Bone Formation in an Osteoporotic Sheep Model

Background: Vertebral compression fractures related to osteoporosis greatly afflict the aging population. One of the most commonly used therapy today is balloon kyphoplasty. However, this treatment is far from ideal and is associated with significant side effects. NELL-1, an osteoinductive factor that possesses both pro-osteogenic and anti-osteoclastic properties, is a promising candidate for an alternative to current treatment modalities. This study utilizes the pro-osteogenic properties of recombinant human NELL-1 (rhNELL-1) in lumbar spine vertebral defect model in osteoporotic sheep. Methods: Osteoporosis was induced through ovariectomy, dietary depletion of calcium and vitamin D, and steroid administration. After osteoporotic induction, lumbar vertebral body defect creation was performed. Sheep were randomly implanted with the control vehicle, comprised of hyaluronic acid (HA) with hydroxyapatite-coated β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), or the treatment material of rhNELL-1 protein lyophilized onto β-T...
The Impact of Nursing Protocols on Continuous Special Observation.

BACKGROUND: Continuous Special Observation (CSO) is commonly ordered for patients at risk to injure themselves or others and involves assigning staff to monitor one patient at all times. CSO is int...
Current Alloplastic Materials in Augmentation Genioplasty

Alloplastic materials are widely used in augmentation genioplasty. They are readily available and routinely placed through intraoral incisions, resulting in optimal cosmesis. There has been an evolution in the materials used for this purpose, resulting in an exclusion of some of the earlier materials and development of more scientifically sound biomaterials. The purpose of this paper is to describe some of the currently popular alloplastic implant materials and elaborate on individual inherent benefits and disadvantages, as well as to discuss the treatment planning procedures for alloplastic augmentation genioplasty.
Methotrexate, its mechanism of action in malignant disease and mechanisms of resistance by malignant cells

Methotrexate (MTX), an antifolate inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), is used widely, as described in Chapters IV and V, for the treatment of various forms of cancer, such as lymphoma, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), germ cell tumors, breast cancer, gastric cancer, bladder cancer, osteogenic sarcoma (OS), and head and neck cancer [1], Aminopterin, an antifolate now supplanted by MTX, was the first drug capable of inducing complete remissions in children with ALL [2]. MTX administered as a single agent at maximally tolerated doses was one of the first agents shown to be capable of curing a human malignancy (choriocarcinoma) [3]. Although dramatic responses and even cure are observed in some of these malignancies with MTX treatment alone or in combination, in the majority of tumors such as acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), intrinsic resistance effectively prevents the use of this agent. In malignancies which are initially sensitive to therapy, e.g. ALL, acquired resistance may develop contributing to treatment failure and relapse [4].
Robotic-Assisted Laparoendoscopic Single-Site (RLESS) Pyeloplasty

The introduction of the da Vinci robot revolutionized laparoscopic surgery by recreating the wristed action of the human hand, while at the same time maintaining the minimally invasive nature of laparoscopic surgery. These advantages naturally led to its application in LESS surgery, with the first robotic LESS (RLESS) pyeloplasty reported in 2008 (Desai et al., BJU Int 101(1):83–88, 2008). Since then, RLESS strategies have continued to improve both through advances in single-site platforms and newly designed robotic arms.
COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE OF STANDARD AND MODIFIED PHEROMONE-BAITED WING TRAPS FOR CAPTURING HELIOTHIS ZEA (BODDIE) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE)

The wing trap, although economical and commercially available, has never been seriously considered as a standard for monitoring populations of the corn earworm (CEW)/cotton bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), mainly because it is considered inefficient relative to other available traps. Attempts were made to enhance the performance of the Pherocon 1C (P-1C) wing trap by modifying its structure and by varying the placement of the pheromone within the trap. P-1C traps receiving 40–50 g of supplemental adhesive captured 5.1-fold more CEW males than did the P-1C standard. The introduction of horizontal barriers of either Lexan or hardware cloth across the center of the P-1C trap or the placement of Lexan strips to close side trap openings had no effect on the number of CEW males captured. Traps with the pheromone located 1.0–1.5 cm from the top center of the trap captured more males than did traps with the pheromone placed an equivalent distance from the bottom of the trap. Centering the pheromone approximately...
Catholic Schools and Educational Attainment: Findings for Older Adults

Substantial attention has been given to the effects of Catholic and other private primary and secondary schooling on student achievement (Bryk, Lee, and Holland, 1993; Coleman and Hoffer, 1987; Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore, 1982; Evans and Schwab, 1995; Figlio and Stone, forthcoming; Greeley, 1982; Hoffer, Greeley, and Coleman, 1985; Ludwig, 1997; Murnane, 1984; Murnane, Newstead, and Olsen, 1985; Neal, 1997; Noell, 1982; Rouse, 1998; Sander, 1996 and 1997; Sander and Krautmann, 1995; Witte, 1992). All of the recent research focuses on individuals who were either in grade school or high school during the 1970s and thereafter. The key issue that has been addressed in the research on private schools is whether positive private school effects are the result of selection or better schooling. To my knowledge, no study of older cohorts has been undertaken that addresses the selection issue. Some of the historical research in this area suggest that students in Catholic schools had higher levels of educational attainment than students in public schools (Perlmann, 1989). However, a rigorous test of the hypothesis that Catholic schools caused higher levels of attainment has not been undertaken.
Linkage of Metabolic Defects to Activated PIK3CA Alleles in Endothelial Cells Derived from Lymphatic Malformation.

Abstract Background: Lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) derived from lymphatic malformations (LMs) bear activated PIK3CA alleles yet display an inflammatory gene expression profile. A basis for the...
High performance liquid chromatographic analysis of heroin by reverse phase ion-pair chromatography.

A method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an acetonitrile, water, phosphoric acid, and methane sulfonic acid mobile phase and a microparticulate octadecylsilane bonded column has been developed for the rapid, sensitive, selective, and accurate analysis of heroin. Retention data relative to heroin and 220 : 254 nm absorbance ratios are presented for the various adulterants in heroin exhibits.
Science and Technology in the United Nations System

Publisher Summary Science and technology, although they were not mentioned in the Charter of the United Nations, were readily progressed in the UN system since 1946: the Conference on Science and Technology for the less developed countries was convened by the United Nations in 1963, the Advisory Committee on the Application of Science and Technology to Development (ACAST) composed of 24 experts was created in 1964, and the Committee on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) composed of 54 governments was established in 1972. The UN Conference on Science and Technology for Development was convened in 1979. This chapter discusses objectives and problems of technology transfer and change, and the need for international action. A concerted action to accelerate the transfer should include comprehensive research toward identifying the major problems and technical assistance to developing countries. Research should apply notably to the two main channels used in the transfer of technology, that is, direct foreign investments and transfer agreements between independent enterprises, private, semipublic, or public. Such studies should identify the weaknesses and imperfections of the existing transfer channels and propose improvements.
A Note on the Dirichlet Processs

Properties of the k-dimensional Dirichlet distribution are so exposited as to motivate Blackwell’s (1973) constructive definition of the Dirichlet process.
Single-unit transfusions of RBC enzymatically converted from group B to group O to A and O normal volunteers

Full-unit transfusions of RBC enzymatically converted from group B to group O by treatment with alpha-galactosidase (ECO RBC) to group O and A normal healthy individuals exhibit excellent in vivo survival times (24-hour survival 95.1% +/- 2.3%, T50 36.9 +/- 4.6 days). These results confirm our earlier findings describing ECO RBC in vitro viability and normal in vivo survival time after small-volume infusions. No significant increase in pretransfusion anti-B titer or score is observed in either group O or A subjects provided that sufficient enzyme is used to treat the cells: Cells transfused to group O recipients require higher levels of enzyme (185 to 200 U/mL RBC) than those infused to group A (90 U/mL RBC). Two separate single-unit transfusions of ECO RBC to one group O recipient (4.5 months apart) also survived normally (24-hour survival 96% and 92%, T50 40 and 36 days) and did not increase preexisting anti-B levels in this subject. ECO RBC were not agglutinated or lysed by recipient sera before or after transfusion. Similarly, no antibody development to the alpha- galactosidase used in cell treatment (and washed from the product before transfusion) could be detected in any subject. The sustained increase in hemoglobin levels after transfusion of ECO RBC suggests that this product will be useful in treatment of acute and chronic anemia.
Die inhaltliche Theorie von Kohlberg

Kohlbergs inhaltliche Theorie soll getrennt nach ihrem Kern und dem Schutzgurtel von Hilfshypothesen untersucht werden. Da eine solche Differenzierung auf rein logischer Basis nicht moglich ist, werden alle Annahmen, die im Laufe der Theorieentwicklung unverandert geblieben sind, dem Theorie-Kern zugerechnet; Bereiche, in denen sich Modifikationen oder Neuerungen ergeben haben, dagegen dem Theorie-Gurtel. Anschliesend folgt die Diskussion, inwieweit die Theorie fur eine Formalisierung geeignet ist, mittels derer die Aufdeckung von internen oder externen Inkonsistenzen erleichtert wurde. Abschliesend wird das der Kohlbergschen Methode zugrundeliegende Mesmodell auf seine Kompatibilitat mit der Theorie gepruft.
Approaching the Treatment of AML from a Biological Perspective

Current acute myeloid leukemia (AML) therapy is inadequate for the great majority of patients. Major challenges are peculiar to the elderly and the infirm. There is no prospect of further advances using current standard agents. At our current state of knowledge, all potential classes of agents merit clinical investigation. However, the empirical approach can certainly be refined by the application of recent data on the pathophysiology of AML, its molecular biology, the aberrations that drive the proliferative and antiapoptotic leukemia advantages, and the study of resistance to standard and novel agents. In this chapter we review some of the more promising novel agents in AML.
Oceanography of the Planktonic Stages of Aggregation Spawning Reef Fishes

Aggregation spawning reef fish have planktonic (pre-flexion) and nektonic (post-flexion) larval phases. Pelagic eggs hatch in about 24 h into non-motile, yolk-sac larvae and several days later into pre-flexion larvae which feed actively and control depth despite incomplete fin development and limited motility. Thus, eggs, yolk-sac and pre-flexion larvae are all passive, planktonic drifters, yet they are not necessarily flushed away by coastal currents into the open sea. Here we investigate how the physics of near-shore flow features, such as diffusion of the initial spawning cloud, tidal advection in coastal boundary currents and entrainment into tidal eddies, interact with the complexities of reef topography to reduce offshore dispersion. We use scale modelling to estimate dispersal via turbulence of gamete clouds for the first few days post-spawning. Thereafter, we emphasize empirical information from tracked drifters released at spawning sites to evaluate alongshore tidal advection and entrainment into tidal eddies. Larval behaviour is of great importance not only to trajectories, but also because subtle depth adjustments by planktonic pre-flexion larvae permit contact with concentrated foods on density discontinuities or at convergent fronts. This food source is critical for transformation from pre-flexion plankton into post-flexion nektonic larvae.
Risk factors for pre-diabetes and diabetes in adolescence and their variability by race and ethnicity.

Abstract Adolescent risk factors for pre-diabetes and diabetes in young adulthood were examined in three minority groups and compared to those in non-Hispanic Whites. Retrospective cohort study with data on 8337 adolescent respondents from Add Health (1994–2008). Participants included 5131 non-Hispanic Whites, 1651 non-Hispanic Blacks, 1223 Hispanics, and 332 American Indians/Alaska Natives. Diabetes was defined as: hemoglobin A1C ≥ 6.5%, glucose > 125 mg/dl, self-reported diabetes, or self-reported diabetes medication use, in Wave 4 data. Pre-diabetes was defined as hemoglobin A1C ≥ 5.7%. Relative risk regression models were used to evaluate the association between risk factors and risk of diabetes and pre-diabetes, controlling for body mass index, sedentary and physical activity habits, fast food consumption, and parental education, parental diabetes status, and financial stability. 484 participants developed diabetes; 2878 developed pre-diabetes between 1994 and 2008. Pre-diabetes and diabetes were more prevalent in non-Hispanic Blacks (55% and 12%, respectively) than in American Indians/Alaska Natives (43% and 11%), Hispanics (37% and 6%), and non-Hispanic Whites (27% and 3%). In all races, higher body mass index and parental diabetes were associated with higher risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes, while female sex was associated with lower risk of pre-diabetes. Efforts to reduce the risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes in adolescents should emphasize parental diabetes and BMI in all races, independent of physical activity, sedentary behaviors, or fast food consumption. Future interventions might be interested in targeting households, rather than individuals, to prevent pre-diabetes and diabetes in adolescents and young adults.
The Drosophila Malpighian tubule as a model for mammalian tubule function.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Studies of the genetic model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, have unraveled molecular pathways relevant to human physiology and disease. The Malpighian tubule, the Drosophila renal epithelium, is described here, including tools available to study transport; conserved transporters, channels, and the signaling pathways regulating them; and fly models of kidney stone disease. RECENT FINDINGS Tools to measure Malpighian tubule transport continue to advance, including use of a transgenic sensor to quantify intracellular pH and proton fluxes. A recent study generated an RNA-sequencing-based atlas of tissue-specific gene expression, with resulting insights into Malpighian tubule gene expression of transporters and channels. Advances have been made in understanding the molecular physiology of the With No Lysine kinase-Ste20-related proline/alanine rich kinase/oxidative stress response kinase cascade that regulates epithelial ion transport in flies and mammals. New studies in Drosophila kidney stone models have characterized zinc transporters and used Malpighian tubules to study the efficacy of a plant metabolite in decreasing stone burden. SUMMARY Study of the Drosophila Malpighian tubule affords opportunities to better characterize the molecular physiology of epithelial transport mechanisms relevant to mammalian renal physiology.
Opinion: The National Institutes of Health needs to better balance funding distributions among US institutions.

The NIH is the federal steward of biomedical research in the United States. Taxpayers fund the NIH; the NIH supports research into the underlying biology, etiology, and treatment of diseases; and benefits of that research are returned to taxpayers. This is a large and complex enterprise, but at its core are two fundamental principles. The NIH is obligated to distribute its research grants and grant dollars in a fair and impartial manner among qualified investigators nationwide and to maximize the return on taxpayers’ investments. The NIH should rethink how it doles out funding. Studies indicate that research output does not grow linearly with the amount of research project grant support—and that the greatest rates of return are achieved with intermediate levels of funding. Image credit: Dave Cutler (artist). But to meet these obligations, the NIH must establish a better-balanced distribution of funding among institutions. Here, I describe why such changes are needed and propose a specific mechanism for how they could be implemented. The director of the NIH, Francis Collins, has recognized that “the US biomedical research workforce does not currently mirror the nation’s population demographically” and that “recruiting and retaining a diverse set of minds and approaches is vital to harnessing the complete intellectual capital of the nation” (1). These systemic problems stem, in part, from unequal access to NIH grant support among investigators grouped by race (2), gender (3), age (4), institution (5), and state (6). The differences in grant application success rates and award sizes among investigators grouped in various ways affect where the grant dollars go, leading to heavily skewed distributions of funding. For example, less than one in three applicants get any of their NIH research project grant applications funded over a five-year period (7), and among successful applicants, a small minority are strongly … [↵][1]1Email: WahlsWayneP{at}uams.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Nanomechanical properties of additively and traditionally manufactured nickel-chromium-based superalloys through instrumented nanoindentation

Abstract Despite the potential and promising future of additive manufacturing (AM), the quality and performance of the products from metal additive manufacturing has been susceptible to skepticism. Herein, a nanoindentation method was implemented to compare the hardness, Young’s modulus, and fracture toughness in AM and hot-rolled Inconel 718. Results indicated that Young’s modulus and hardness of AM IN718 were nearly 25% and 50% smaller, respectively, compared to hot-rolled specimens. Indentation fracture toughness measurements showed that the traditionally fabricated specimens had a fracture toughness close to the reported range, but that of the AM samples was almost 25% smaller.
Effects of Implementing a Patient Interactive Tool on Nurse Reassessment of Pain Documentation Compliance Rates

PURPOSE: Our children’s hospital uses an Interactive Patient Care (IPC) tool to provide entertainment, education, and communication through the patient’s television. In December 2014, we implemented a pain management interface (PMI) connecting the IPC, Electronic Health Record (EHR), nurse’s phone, and pharmacy inventory management system. This interface allows for the timed reassessment of pain through the patient’s television by triggering a pop-up question about pain level at a pre-defined time after medication is administered (eg. 30 minutes for oral narcotics, 15 minutes for intravenous narcotics). The patient’s …
Nephrotoxins and nephrotoxic acute kidney injury

Although the concept of nephrotoxicity has been recognized for more than 80 years, interest in nephrotoxins has intensified dramatically over the past two decades. Much of this attention has rightfully been focused on pharmaceutical agents and iatrogenic harm; however, it is important for providers to recognize that nephrotoxins can be found in naturally occurring substances as well. Although nephrotoxins exist in a myriad of forms, the means by which they induce injury can be organized into a few categories. For most of these agents, regardless of the mechanism, the final common pathway is acute kidney injury (AKI). Unfortunately, therapeutic options are limited and no treatments currently exist to reverse nephrotoxic AKI once it occurs. As a result, current strategies focus on increased awareness, nephrotoxin avoidance, early injury detection, and mitigation of disease severity. The goal of this review is to summarize our current understanding of nephrotoxic mechanisms and the epidemiology of nephrotoxic AKI. Additionally, avoidance and preventative strategies are discussed, screening approaches are suggested, and chronic monitoring recommendations are made.