cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linking the degree of virilization in females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia to genotype

Mutations of CYP21A2 variably decrease 21-hydroxylase activity and result in a spectrum of disease expressions in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). We examined the association between CYP21A2 mutations and virilization (Prader score) in females with CAH. The study population included 187 CAH females with fully characterized CYP21A2 mutations. One hundred fifty-eight patients were sorted into groups by expected enzyme activity (percent of normal activity) of the less severely affected allele: (A) null, 0%; (B) I2G, 1%; (C) I172N, 2%; and (D) V281L, >2%. We observed an inverse relationship between virilization and residual enzyme activity (P < 0.001). Subjects in group A or B had a significantly higher likelihood (unadjusted odds ratio: 16; P < 0.001) of developing severe virilization compared with those in group C. Surprisingly, 24% of group D patients, whose mutation is usually associated with nonclassical (NC) CAH, had severe virilization. Among subjects with the NC P30L mutation, 66% expressed unexpected virilization. Virilization, usually leading to extensive reconstructive surgery, is highly likely in patients with null or I2G mutations; however, NC mutations (P30L/V281L) may also lead to unexpected virilization. These findings have implications for prenatal counseling and highlight the need for additional investigations into other factors that influence virilization in CAH.
Routledge Handbook of Global Mental Health Nursing: Evidence, Practice and Empowerment

E. L. Yearwood and V. P. Hines-Martin (Eds.)Routledge, New York, NY, 2017ISBN: 978-1-138-01761-0Edited by E. L. Yearwood and V. P. Hines-Martin (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Global Mental Health Nu...
Thermoregulation: The Normal Structure and Function of the Cutaneous Vascular System

During exposure to cold, our bodies attempt to maintain normal core temperature by restricting heat loss, which is mediated by reducing blood flow to the skin (cutaneous vasoconstriction), and by increasing heat production (thermogenesis). Blood vessels in the skin have specialized structural and functional features that enable them to contribute to thermoregulation. Arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs) are direct connections between arterioles and venules that bypass nutritional capillaries and allow markedly increased blood flow to the skin. When there is need for heat conservation AVAs remain constricted, whereas during heat elimination they are fully dilated. Cold exposure increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for initiating cutaneous vasoconstriction. Local cooling of the extremities further amplifies the vasoconstrictor response to sympathetic nerve activity. Sympathetic vasoconstriction and local cold-induced amplification act selectively to restrict blood flow through AVAs, preserving nutritional blood flow through skin capillaries. Multiple mechanisms can contribute to sympathetic and local cold-induced amplification of vasoconstriction. However, a key component is activation of smooth muscle α2-ARs. The female cutaneous vascular system is especially sensitive to thermal challenges (warm and cold).
Arbitrary and self-configuring photonic circuits for sensing and processing

New architectures and simple configuration algorithms based on progressive single-parameter feedback loops allow complex photonic circuits to be set up and stabilized, and even to train themselves for complex tasks. Principles of such systems and current and potential applications will be discussed.
Expression characterization of the herbicide tolerance gene Aryloxyalkanoate Dioxygenase ( aad-1 ) controlled by seven combinations of regulatory elements

Availability of well characterized maize regulatory elements for gene expression in a variety of tissues and developmental stages provides effective alternatives for single and multigene transgenic concepts. We studied the expression of the herbicide tolerance gene aryloxyalkanoate dioxygenase (aad-1) driven by seven different regulatory element construct designs including the ubiquitin promoters of maize and rice, the actin promoters of melon and rice, three different versions of the Sugarcane Bacilliform Badnavirus promoters in association with other regulatory elements of gene expression. Gene expression of aad-1 was characterized at the transcript and protein levels in a collection of maize tissues and developmental stages. Protein activity against its target herbicide was characterized by herbicide dosage response. Although differences in transcript and protein accumulation were observed among the different constructs tested, all events were tolerant to commercially relevant rates of quizalafop-P-ethyl compared to non-traited maize under greenhouse conditions. The data reported demonstrate how different regulatory elements affect transcript and protein accumulation and how these molecular characteristics translate into the level of herbicide tolerance. The level of transcript detected did not reflect the amount of protein quantified in a particular tissue since protein accumulation may be influenced not only by levels of transcript produced but also by translation rate, post-translational regulation mechanisms and protein stability. The amount of AAD-1 enzyme produced with all constructs tested showed sufficient enzymatic activity to detoxify the herbicide and prevent most herbicidal damage at field-relevant levels without having a negative effect on plant health. Distinctive profiles of aad-1 transcript and protein accumulation were observed when different regulatory elements were utilized in the constructs under study. The ZmUbi and the SCBV constructs showed the most consistent robust tolerance, while the melon actin construct provided the lowest level of tolerance compared to the other regulatory elements used in this study. These data provide insights into the effects of differing levels of gene expression and how these molecular characteristics translate into the level of herbicide tolerance. Furthermore, these data provide valuable information to optimize future designs of single and multiple gene constructs for maize research and crop improvement.
HIV Testing, Positivity, and Receipt of Services among Black, White, and Hispanic Women Participating in HIV Prevention Programs Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015.

Abstract Background Black women who are positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are more likely than other HIV-positive women to experience poor health outcomes. Given these disparities, we compared receipt of HIV testing and other preventive services among Black, White, and Hispanic women participating in HIV prevention programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015. Methods Data came from 61 health department jurisdictions and 123 community-based organizations. Using Wald χ2 tests, we assessed racial/ethnic differences in HIV testing by demographic characteristics, risk factors, HIV status, HIV service delivery, and (using unlinked data) participation in evidence-based HIV prevention interventions among women. We also assessed temporal changes in Black women's receipt of preventive services (2012–2015). Results In 2015, there were 1,326,589 HIV testing events (single sessions in which one or more HIV tests are performed to determine HIV status) that occurred among Black, White, and Hispanic women, resulting in 4,868 positive diagnoses. Proportionally fewer Black (vs. White and Hispanic) women were linked to HIV medical care within 90 days (64.4% vs. 69.1% and 73.7%), interviewed for partner services (50.4% vs. 54.4% and 63.5%), and referred to risk reduction services (55.5% vs. 57.7% and 59.8%). From 2012 to 2015, HIV testing events among Black women decreased by 15.2%, but linkage to care within 90 days increased by 30.6% and participation in one or more evidence-based intervention increased by 46.8% among HIV-positive Black women. Conclusions Black HIV-positive women were less likely than White and Hispanic women to receive services that prevent HIV-related morbidity and mortality. Additional programmatic efforts are needed to increase the proportion of HIV-positive Black women who are linked to services to reduce HIV disparities among women.
Process Formation in Astrocytes: Modulation of Cytoskeletal Proteins

Studies on primary astrocytes cultured in vitro have shown that process formation involves changes in cytoskeletal proteins and release of tension on the substratum. Actin filament reorganization has previously been found to be the major cytoskeletal change occurring during process formation. These changes are relatively rapid with breakdown of the actin web and release of contacts occur within 15 min. of cyclic AMP treatment. The former is regulated by myosin light chain (MLC) and actin depolymerizing factor (ADF), with MLC involved in the initial release of contractile tension and ADF in both initial and longer term actin breakdown. Our results show that the dephosphorylation of MLC is due to the phosphorylation and inactivation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in response to cyclic AMP. To further study the mechanisms underlying the process formation in astrocytes we used endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasopeptide which has been shown to inhibit process formation in astrocytes and sodium fluoride which is a general phosphatase inhibitor. We observe an increase in phosphorylation of MLC on inhibition of process formation. To study the role of adhesion in process formation we used suspension cultures of astrocytes. Our results with the astrocytes in suspension suggest that the process formation in astrocytes is adhesion dependent and the changes in ADF and MLC occur only when there is process formation.
The Original Sinn of Wittgenstein’s Philosophy of Mathematics

The playful title of this paper has a serious purpose. We cannot understand Ludwig Wittgenstein, the philosopher, without understanding Ludwig Wittgenstein, the moral agent (and the moral patient). Wittgenstein himself would have agreed. He frequently couched his discussion of philosophical problems in moral or quasi-moral terms. He called Frank Ramsey a bourgeois thinker. He compared mathematicians’ presumed reaction to his criticisms to a patient’s resentful response to Freudian psychoanalysis. He expressed his disapproval of the intellectual level of philosophical journals by comparing them unfavorably with American pulp detective magazines. When Russell praised Norbert Wiener as a mathematician, Wittgenstein’s reply was curt: “If Wiener is good at mathematics, mathematics is no good”. It is amply clear that set theory was a more serious sin for Wittgenstein than sodomy.
The Bloom Is Off the Rose: Deprofessionalization in Public Accounting

This chapter argues that the great success story of accounting professionalization is rapidly in the process of reversal. Using conventional criteria of professionalism, accounting either failed to achieve the heights that other professions have accomplished or lost its way toward such objectives. The chapter explores the penetration of commercialization in the context of our need to cling to a belief in a classic professionalism that progressively becomes less true.
Injury Prevention and Safety

Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in the US for people between ages of one and 44-years-old, affecting everyone regardless of race, sex, or economic status. As stated by the Centers for Disease Control, more Americans die from violence and injures - such as motor vehicle crashes, falls, or homicides - than from any other cause, including cancer, HIV, or the flu. Some injuries result in temporary or long-term disability. Survivors are often faced with life-long mental, physical, and financial problems. Injury prevention functions as a primary figure in preventing or reducing the severity of bodily injury and reducing the costs of medical care and loss of productivity.
Early Alignment in Police Traffic Stops

ABSTRACTThis article examines the “reason for the stop” in police traffic stops as an important site of alignment that connects pre-beginning events to ratified interaction. Getting citizens on board with the business of what is an incipiently coercive encounter is important police work, especially in the early moments of interaction but later in the interaction as well. As I demonstrate, officers’ and citizens’ orientations to pre-beginning events, and how these are displayed with respect to the reason for the stop, serve as an omnirelevant resource for alignment, and sometimes contestation, throughout the course of the encounter. Data are in American English.
Training Front-Line Employees to Conduct Visual Analysis Using a Clinical Decision-Making Model

Behavior analysts visually analyze graphs to interpret data in order to make data-based decisions. Though front-line employees implement behavioral interventions on a daily basis, they are not often trained to interpret these data. A clinical decision-making model may aid front-line employees in learning how to interpret graphs. A multiple-baseline-across-participants design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a clinical decision-making model on the percentage of correct responses when interpreting line graphs. All of the participants increased their percentage of correct responses after the introduction of the clinical decision-making model. Two of the eight participants required additional feedback. The implications of these findings are discussed.
A Decade On: Systematic Review of ClinicalTrials.gov Infectious Disease Trials, 2007–2017

Background Registration of interventional trials of Food and Drug Administration-regulated drug and biological products and devices became a legal requirement in 2007; the vast majority of these trials are registered in ClinicalTrials.gov. An analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov offers an opportunity to define the clinical research landscape; here we analyze 10 years of infectious disease (ID) clinical trial research. Methods Beginning with 166 415 interventional trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov from 2007-2017, ID trials were selected by study conditions and interventions. Relevance to ID was confirmed through manual review, resulting in 13 707 ID trials and 152 708 non-ID trials. Results ID-related trials represented 6.9%-9.9% of all trials with no significant trend over time. ID trials tended to be more focused on treatment and prevention, with a focus on testing drugs, biologics, and vaccines. ID trials tended to be large, randomized, and nonblinded with a greater degree of international enrollment. Industry was the primary funding source for 45.2% of ID trials. Compared with the global burden of disease, human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS and hepatitis C trials were overrepresented, and lower respiratory tract infection trials were underrepresented. Hepatitis C trials fluctuated, keeping with a wave of new drug development. Influenza vaccine trials peaked during the 2009 H1N1 swine influenza outbreak. Conclusions This study presents the most comprehensive characterization of ID clinical trials over the past decade. These results help define how clinical research aligns with clinical need. Temporal trends reflect changes in disease epidemiology and the impact of scientific discovery and market forces. Periodic review of ID clinical trials can help identify gaps and serve as a mechanism to realign resources.
Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition in a Declining City: Shrewd Choice or Wishful Thinking?

Research on entrepreneurial opportunity recognition has tended to ignore the context variable of place (local city) or to explore opportunity recognition in large, thriving city settings. We describe effects of the declining city on nascent entrepreneurship. We then develop propositions for how the nascent entrepreneur’s sense of the home city’s decline weakens the otherwise positive link between four antecedents and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition. We close with a discussion of universities’ entrepreneurship involvement and collegiate entrepreneurship education in declining cities and describe the Invent Penn State initiative in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Endogenous hypercortisolism inducing reversible ocular hypertension.

Abstract Purpose To describe the clinical findings of two patients with reversible ocular hypertension secondary to endogenous hypercortisolism. Design Retrospective, observational case series. Subjects A 65-year-old man (patient 1) and a 21-year-old woman (patient 2) were both found to have Cushing's syndrome after presentation to our clinic with elevated intraocular pressures (IOP). Methods Clinical histories, ophthalmic examinations including IOP measurements, optical coherence tomography of the retinal nerve fiber layer, visual field testing, magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography of two patients were reviewed between 2007 and 2019. Observations Patient 1 demonstrated elevated IOP (maximum 26 mmHg OD and 22 mmHg OS) and bilateral disc edema. Following diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome, the patient underwent two pituitary resections and bilateral adrenalectomy, with subsequent resolution of his hypercortisolism and ocular hypertension (OHT). Patient 2 presented with blurred vision and found to have OHT (maximum 32 mmHg OU). Following diagnosis of Cushing's disease and two resections of her adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) producing pituitary adenoma, her IOPs normalized. Both patients maintained normal IOPs after resolution of their endogenous hypercortisolism and discontinuation of topical IOP-lowering medication. Conclusions and Importance Ocular hypertension induced by endogenous hypercortisolism is, in some cases, fully reversible following normalization of cortisol levels. These findings suggest that the physiologic changes to the trabecular meshwork induced by endogenous hypercortisolism may be fully reversible.
Comorbidities and Disparities in Outcomes of COVID-19 Among African American and White Patients

Abstract Initial surveillance data suggests a disproportionately high number of deaths among Black patients with COVID-19. However, high-risk comorbidities are often over-represented in the Black population, and understanding whether the disparity is entirely secondary to them is essential. We performed a retrospective cohort study using real-time analysis of electronic medical records (EMR) of patients from multiple healthcare organizations in the United States. Our results showed that Black patients with COVID-19 have a significantly higher risk of mortality, hospitalization, and invasive mechanical ventilation compared to White patients. The incremental risk of poor outcomes in Blacks persists despite accounting for a higher prevalence of comorbidities. This may point to the disparities in socioeconomic determinants of health affecting Blacks and the need for an improvement in the care of this vulnerable population.
Robust Content-Adaptive Global Registration for Multimodal Retinal Images Using Weakly Supervised Deep-Learning Framework

Multimodal retinal imaging plays an important role in ophthalmology. We propose a content-adaptive multimodal retinal image registration method in this paper that focuses on the globally coarse alignment and includes three weakly supervised neural networks for vessel segmentation, feature detection and description, and outlier rejection. We apply the proposed framework to register color fundus images with infrared reflectance and fluorescein angiography images, and compare it with several conventional and deep learning methods. Our proposed framework demonstrates a significant improvement in robustness and accuracy reflected by a higher success rate and Dice coefficient compared with other methods.
Exploring how visual attention, inhibitory control, and co-speech gesture instruction contribute to children’s analogical reasoning ability

Abstract Analogical reasoning is an important, but difficult skill to develop. Here, we consider (1) whether children’s difficulty with analogical reasoning can be understood by measuring visual attention during analogy problem solving and a measure of inhibitory control, which researchers have suggested plays an integral role in analogical reasoning, and (2) whether analogical reasoning can be supported with co-speech gesture instruction. Children (4–5 year-olds) solved scene analogies before and after speech-alone or speech + gesture instruction. Results suggest relations exist between some behavioral performance measures, inhibitory control, and visual attention, but some of these relations change after instruction. During instruction, gesture led to more mature looking patterns, although this did not predict performance: All children showed gains from pretest to posttest. We consider how these findings extend prior gesture and analogical reasoning literature, call for replication of these findings, and identify future directions of research.
On ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductors, but particularly diamond

The demand of higher power density from power converters has increased since its very origin and increased by 3 orders of magnitude over the last 40 years. This trend is not just seen in power conversion, but also in Radar communication where RF power density is the metric. So, although very different in applications, both power converter and RF power amplifiers are relying on a roadmap decorated with WBG and Ultra-WBG materials. Beyond GaN and SiC, Ga2O3, Diamond and AlN have been explored for some time in academia, government labs, and industry. All these materials come with their own merits and demerits; doping efficiency being of utmost relevance for their application as a semiconductor device. Diamond, with a bandgap of 5.47eV is definitely a very attractive material for its large critical electric field (3x more than SiC), high thermal conductivity (6x more than SiC) and other carrier transport properties.
“Io credo…”: “Professing” faith in Paradiso 24:

Dantists have largely interpreted Paradiso 24 as a dryly intellectual canto that positively engages with medieval scholastic culture. Consequently the poet’s treatment of faith is seen as both ideo...
Evaporation characteristics during decompression of liquified CO2 from a conical-shaped vessel

Abstract Safe transport of pressurized CO2 requires a profound knowledge of the processes' effect during the phase transition on catastrophic failure of a tanker filled with liquid CO2. This study presents experimental results and analyses associated with the characteristics of expansion waves during depressurization of liquified CO2 in a divergent cross-section vessel. It explores the rarefaction and evaporation waves velocities analyzed in different three vessel's regions based on the pressure records. Results showed that the evaporation wave velocity increased downward with decreasing cross-section and increased liquid volume fraction. Also, the upstream state properties after the isentropic expansion in the metastable region were determined. The results were compared with previously achieved outcomes of CO2 decompression from a constant cross-section rectangular duct. Comparisons indicated significant differences in the wave pattern. So, expansion waves velocities varying in different vessel regions while they were nearly constant for the duct. The evaporation wave velocities were nearly identical for the duct and the upper conical vessel's regions. But their divergence increased as the evaporation wave propagated downwards. Furthermore, the downstream two-phase flow in the conical vessel propagated in an increased cross-section toward the exit. In comparison, there was non-spontaneous two-phase propagation behind the evaporation wave due to the small exit cross-section in the rectangular duct. Additionally, during the isentropic expansion, the degree of superheat was higher for the conical vessel than the duct, resulting in significant discrepancies in the upstream flow properties.
Beweise, die Grünbaums Bedenken hinsichtlich Freuds Methode der klinischen Schlußfolgerung verringern können

Es ist befriedigend, mit Grunbaum zu diskutieren, weil er in seinen Beurteilungen aufrichtig ist und weil er ungewohnlich aufgeschlossen ist gegenuber triftigen Beweisen. Meine Beweise beziehen sich auf die ersten beiden seiner 3 „fundamentalen Fragen“.
Managing tourism in the Galapagos Islands through price incentives: A choice experiment approach

Abstract This study analyzes nature-based tourism in Ecuador's Galapagos National Park, which faces great risks of invasive species due to visitor contacts. The analysis uses visitors' preference data to evaluate the potential impacts of various pricing strategies on revenues. Data come from choice experiment surveys conducted in 2009, regarding four characteristics of a tour to the Galapagos: length of stay, depth of experience in the islands' ecosystem, level of protective measures taken against invasive species, and price. We found that the typical tourist would be willing to pay 2.5 times more for a tour with high-level of protection against invasive species than for a tour with the current level of protection and otherwise similar characteristics. The mean marginal willingness to pay for a tour with an in-depth natural experience is 1.8 times more than for a similar tour providing only an overview of the Galapagos' ecosystem. Further, we determined that differences in elasticity of demand between long and short tours suggest that a pricing strategy may be used to encourage tourists to take longer tours without affecting total revenue. Such a pricing strategy would decrease the number of unique island visitor contacts per year, thereby reducing the threat to the islands' unique ecosystem.
The Interplanetary and Planetary Environments

This chapter will focus on the interplanetary and planetary environments in which spacecraft, landers, rovers, and aerobots will have to survive as mankind explores and expands out into the solar system. Emphasis is on the expected range of magnetospheric, atmospheric, ionospheric, and dust environments that will be encountered at the planets, comets, asteroids, and the Moon and that can impact spacecraft performance. The discussion includes a description of Solar Wind, which is a primary source of many of these environments and the ‘ocean’ in which all the spacecraft must fly. The surfaces and environments of the terrestrial planets and the Moon will also be discussed. Keywords: space environments; radiation belts; planetary ionospheres; planetary atmospheres; surface environments
chapter 16 – FLUID MECHANICS

Publisher Summary A fluid is a substance that cannot support a shearing stress. This characteristic gives fluids the ability to flow or change shapes. Both gases and liquids are fluids. Fluid mechanics is concerned with the behavior of fluids at the macroscopic level—the level at which measurements are made with pressure gauges, thermometers, and flow meters. Fluid mechanics is the analysis of the behavior of fluids. The description of fluid motion relies on Newton's laws of motion that is formulated in terms of measurable properties of the fluid, such as density, pressure, and flow velocity. A fluid has weight and, therefore, exerts a pressure on submerged objects. A fluid in motion transports momentum and energy. This chapter describes fluid statics and also explains the buoyant force exerted by fluids called Archimedes' principle. Fluid statics is concerned with fluids in which the center of mass of each fluid particle has zero velocity and zero acceleration. The chapter describes viscosity also known as unstable fluid motion.
The Performance of Reflection: A Grounded Analysis of Prospective Teachers' ePortfolios.

This paper reports on a grounded theory analysis of prospective teachers’ online reflections in an ePortfolio system as part of a university-based teacher preparation program requirement. results indicate that prospective teachers tend to showcase or “sunshine” their teaching and learning experiences rather than reflect on them analytically and critically. This “sunshining” is accomplished by carelessly using academic buzzwords, whitewashing negative experiences by using downtoners and blaming others for problems in their classrooms as expressed in their online reflections. The research also revealed some major reasons that contribute to why prospective teachers reflected in the way they did. This implies that authentic reflective processes must be better supported in online ePortfolio systems by teacher educators and ePortfolio designers.
Heart rate variables in the Vascular Quality Initiative are not reliable predictors of adverse cardiac outcomes or mortality after major elective vascular surgery

Objective Heart rate (HR) parameters are known indicators of cardiovascular complications after cardiac surgery, but there is little evidence of their role in predicting outcome after major vascular surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine whether arrival HR (AHR) and highest intraoperative HR are associated with mortality or major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) after elective vascular surgery in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). Methods Patients undergoing elective lower extremity bypass (LEB), aortofemoral bypass (AFB), and open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in the VQI were analyzed. MACE was defined as any postoperative myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, or congestive heart failure. Controlled HR was defined as AHR P Results There were 13,291 patients reviewed (LEB, n = 8155 [62%]; AFB, n = 2629 [18%]; open AAA, n = 2629 [20%]). Rates of any preoperative beta-blocker exposure were as follows: LEB, 66.5% (n = 5412); AFB, 57% (n = 1342); and open AAA, 74.2% (n = 1949). AHR and DHR outcome association was variable across patients and procedures. AHR P = .03), whereas AHR P = .0001) and 30-day death (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.33-0.77; P = .001) in patients at moderate and high cardiac risk. These HR associations disappeared in controlling for beta-blocker status. For AFB and open AAA repair patients, there was no significant association between AHR and MACE or 30-day mortality, irrespective or cardiac risk or beta-blocker status. DHR and extremes of highest intraoperative HR (>90 or 100 beats/min) were analyzed among all three operations, and no consistent associations with MACE or 30-day mortality were detected. Conclusions The VQI AHR and highest intraoperative HR variables are highly confounded by patient presentation, operative variables, and beta-blocker therapy. The discordance between cardiac risk and HR as well as the lack of consistent correlation to outcome makes them unreliable predictors. The VQI has elected to discontinue collecting AHR and highest intraoperative HR data, given insufficient evidence to suggest their importance as an outcome measure.
A progressive-duration schedule of reinforcement☆

We describe a schedule of reinforcement involving systematic, within-session increases in response-duration requirements. Rats received access to appetitive reinforcers for depressing and holding down a response lever. Duration requirements increased after each reinforcer delivery. Sessions ended when reinforcement criteria were unmet for a period of ten minutes. Breaking points, defined as the terminal duration requirement in effect prior to the end of the session, stabilized when environmental conditions were held constant. Breaking points were sensitive to manipulations of both food deprivation and reinforcer quality. Analogous to progressive-ratio schedules, progressive-duration schedules may provide an assay for measuring the amount of behavior an organism will emit for a given reinforcer under current motivational conditions.
Constitutive Stat3 activation alters behavior of hair follicle stem and progenitor cell populations

STATs play crucial roles in a wide variety of biological functions, including development, proliferation, differentiation and migration as well as in cancer development. In the present study, we examined the impact of constitutive activation of Stat3 on behavior of keratinocytes, including keratinocyte stem cells (KSC) in vivo. BK5.Stat3C transgenic (Tg) mice, which express a constitutively active form of Stat3 (Stat3C) in the basal layer of the epidermis and in the bulge region KSCs exhibited a significantly reduced number of CD34+/α6 integrin+ cells compared to non-transgenic (NTg) littermates. There was a concomitant increase in the Lgr-6, Lrig-1, and Sca-1 populations in the Tg mice in contrast to the CD34 and Keratin-15 positive population. In addition, increased expression of c-myc, β-catenin, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes as well as decreased expression of α6-integrin was observed in the hair follicles of Tg mice. Notably, Sca-1 was found to be a direct transcriptional target of Stat3 in keratinocytes. The current data suggest that elevated Stat3 activity leads to depletion of hair follicle KSCs along with a concomitant increase of stem/progenitor cells above the bulge region. Overall, the current data indicate that Stat3 plays an important role in keratinocyte stem/progenitor cell homeostasis.
Ionic contributions to the Raman tensor of insulators

Earlier authors have pointed out that at infrared frequencies, ionic contributions to the nonlinear optical susceptibilities of crystals can become important. Of particular interest is their frequency variation, which may exhibit resonances when the frequency of one or more optical beams coincides with that of an optical phonon. We present a simple theory of the nonlinear optical response of insulators in the infrared region which incorporates both the electronic and ionic contributions to the Raman tensor. The method is easily extended to the discussion of other nonlinear mixing or harmonic-generation processes in the infrared region. Primary application is to crystals of the zinc-blende structure, and the processes examined explicitly are the generation of optical phonons by resonances with the difference frequency of two infrared waves mixed in the crystal, and the ionic Raman effect.
Tritium diffusion in 304- and 316-stainless steels in the temperature range 25 to 222 °C

Tritium diffusion measurements in 304- and 316-stainless steels were carried out over the temperature range 25 to 222 °C by direct measurement of tritium diffusion gradients. The 6Li (n, α)3H reaction was used to inject tritium into the specimens and to produce initial tritium concentrations in the range 0.0005 ppm to 0.007 ppm 3H by weight. Three components were identified from the concentration profiles: a surface region approximately 5 μm thick where tritium trapping occurred, a normal diffusion profile which appeared characteristic of bulk diffusion, and a rapid diffusion “tail” which was tentatively attributed to grain boundary diffusion. Surface release measurements of tritium verified the existence of a surface trapping layer. The bulk diffusion component was consistent with classical diffusion solutions and gave: D = 0.018 ( + 0.011 − 0.007) × exp − (0.61 ± 0.01 eV/kT) (cm2/sec). The surface trapping was tentatively attributed to the presence of helium stabilized voids in the specimen surface layers.
Vasopressin response to 2-deoxy-D-glucose in the rat.

The effect of 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) upon plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP), measured by a specific and sensitive RIA, has been studied in unanesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats. Injection of the drug ip at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW caused a 10-fold rise in plasma AVP to 23.4 ± 4.9 pg/ml (mean ± SD). This effect was associated with a rise in plasmas osmolality to 301.8 ± 3.9 mosmol/kg, but this change was accounted for totally by a rise in plasma glucose to 17.3 ± 3.0 mM and in plasma urea to 3.4 ± 0.4 mM. The only effective solute, plasma sodium, fell to 135.0 ± 0.8 mM. Idiogenic osmoles did not change. Blood volume was reduced by about 5%, while PRA and mean arterial pressure did not change. Thus, the rise in plasma AVP caused by 2DG was not mediated by osmotic or hemodynamic stimuli. Treatment with propranolol (2.5 mg/kg BW) 15 min before 2DG completely abolished the AVP response. These results indicate that 2DG stimulates AVP release by a primary mechanism different from that which mediates the effect of ...
Intermediary metabolism of 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (dichlobenil) in chickens and growth of chickens fed dichlobenil

1. Ten 14C-labelled metabolites were isolated from either bile (6 metabolites) or urine (7 metabolites) from chickens given single oral doses of 2,6-dichlorobenzo[14C]nitrile (14C-dichlobenil). All metabolites were benzonitriles with the following ring substituents: two Cl, OH (two isomers); Cl, two OH; Cl, OH, SH; Cl, OH, S-glutathione; Cl, OH, S-cysteinylglycine; Cl, OH, S-cysteine; and Cl, OH, S-(N-acetyl)cysteine.2. 2-(S-Glutathionyl)-3-hydroxy-6-chlorobenzo[14C]nitrile perfused through chicken kidneys in situ was excreted in urine from the perfused kidney (44% dose) as 2-mercapto-3-hydroxy-6-chlorobenzonitrile.3. Dichlobenil (2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile) was fed at 0, 75, 150 or 225 p.p.m. in the diet to broiler and laying strains of cockerels to determine biological activity. Feed consumption and growth were not affected, but liver and kidney weights were higher in chicks fed the dichlobenil. The percentage of lipid or nitrogen in the livers and kidneys from chicks fed dichlobenil did not differ from c...
Probability of monozygotic twinning as a reflection of the genetic control of cell development.

Summary The stability of the incidence of monozygotic twinning (MZT) suggests that its origin is genetically, rather than environmentally, controlled. Available data, though scant, supports our hypothesis that the MZT probability is (1/2)K, where K is a species-specific integer parameter. For humans MZT occurs in about four of 1000 births, which is close to one occurrence in 28 births, i.e. K = 8. The environmental factors are not the cause of MZT, but may influence its expression. When this influence is in effect under some extreme experimental conditions the above form of MZT probability is observed. Binary structure of the MZT probability provides insight into genetic control mechanism of cell division.
Coronal transcerebellar diameter: an alternate view

Evaluation of the fetal cerebellum in the axial plane has become an important part of obstetric sonography. We report our experience with an alternate view, the coronal transcerebellar view, in 134 fetuses at gestational ages of 13–30 weeks. There is a linear first-order correlation between axial and coronal transcerebellar diameters. Additionally, the coronal view was more reliably obtained, especially at gestational ages between 24 and 30 weeks. We believe that this view warrants further study, particularly in pathological states. Copyright © 1992 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Modifications of pulvinar and geniculo-cortical evoked potentials during visual discrimination learning in monkeys☆

Abstract Electrical activity was recorded from various cortical and subcortical loci in monkeys during the learning of visual pattern discriminations. Potentials evoked by the discriminative stimuli were found to change during learning in the striate and prestriate cortex, the lateral geniculate body and the inferior pulvinar. No changes were evident in the medial pulvinar, midbrain reticular formation or hippocampus. In the inferior pulvinar and prestriate cortex the greatest changes were evident during the acquisition of the discrimination, while in the lateral geniculate nucleus and striate cortex the most marked changes were observed following attainment of criterion performance. These results are interpreted as showing a functional differentiation of the pulvinar-prestriate system from the geniculostriate system, and suggest that the inferior pulvinar is involved in the acquisition of visual pattern discriminations.
Classification of benign endometrial glandular cells in cervical smears from postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND The Bethesda System recommends reporting benign endometrial cells in cervical smears from postmenopausal (PMP) women as a glandular cell abnormality. However, PMP women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) sometimes may experience endometrial shedding. The significance of such a finding has not been investigated in detail. METHODS The authors evaluated 85 PMP women with cervical smears that contained benign endometrial glandular cells. Clinical information, including vaginal bleeding and the use of HRT or tamoxifen, was recorded, and follow-up was obtained. RESULTS Thirty-three PMP women were not on HRT, and 11 women were symptomatic. Twenty women underwent endometrial biopsy: Two symptomatic patients had endometrial adenocarcinoma, and 3 symptomatic patients and 1 asymptomatic patient had endometrial polyps. The frequency of abnormal findings was 18%. Forty-seven PMP women received HRT; 15 were symptomatic. Twenty-two patients underwent endometrial biopsy: 1 symptomatic patient had cystic hyperplasia, and 2 symptomatic patients and 1 asymptomatic patient had an endometrial polyp. The frequency of abnormal findings was 8.5%. No one type of HRT was correlated with specific findings. Five PMP women were on tamoxifen, and two of them were symptomatic. Four patients underwent endometrial sampling: Two of them had an endometrial polyp, which was symptomatic in one patient. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm that benign endometrial glandular cells in cervical smears from PMP women may indicate endometrial pathology, especially if vaginal bleeding is present. Although atypical endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma was not identified in the group of PMP women on HRT, endometrial abnormalities of a lesser degree were present in 8.5% of patients. Thus, the authors favor continued classification of benign endometrial glandular cells in cervical smears of PMP women, whether or not they are on HRT, as a glandular cell abnormality. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2002. © 2002 American Cancer Society.
Boron compounds for thermal-neutron detection

Abstract Pressed pellets of hexagonal boron nitride (BN), boron oxide (B2O3), boron phosphide (BP), as well as electrophoretically deposited BN have been evaluated as detectors for thermal neutrons. The current-versus-voltage characteristic was studied for each of these materials before and during irradiation with a neutron flux of about 108 n/cm2s. The dark current was lowest in the B2O3 pellets and highest in the BP peliets with that of BN lying intermediate, as might be expected from their forbidden gaps. The differences observed during irradiation in the current values for the three boron compounds have been explained as being due to the “boron to anion” atomic-weight ratio being different in them.
Simultaneous thrombin and plasmin generation capacities in normal and abnormal states of coagulation and fibrinolysis in children and adults.

Abstract Introduction Thrombin and plasmin are the key enzymes involved in coagulation and fibrinolysis, respectively. Plasma coagulative and fibrinolytic potentials in normal children and adults, and in representative pathologically altered hemostatic states, were evaluated via simultaneous assessment of thrombin and plasmin generation. Materials and Methods An assay of Simultaneous Thrombin and Plasmin generation (STP) was developed to measure thrombin and plasmin in plasma using individual fluorometric substrates. Coagulation is initiated with dilute tissue factor, phospholipid, and calcium in platelet-poor plasma; fibrinolysis is accelerated via tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Abnormal states of hemostasis were investigated. Results STP assay reproducibility and normal adult and pediatric values for measured and calculated parameters have been established. Onset of both thrombin and plasmin generation was significantly delayed in children relative to adults (p Conclusion Simultaneous assessment of thrombin and plasmin generation in plasma shows promise for affording an enhanced understanding of overall coagulative and fibrinolytic functions in physiological and pathologically altered states of hemostasis in children and adults.
High-Frequency Ultrasound Tissue Classification of Atherosclerotic Plaques in an APOE-KO Mouse Model Using Spectral Analysis

Small animal models have been widely used in cardiovascular research when studying the development and treatment of different diseases. This kind of research has promoted the development of noninvasive techniques to assess cardiac tissue and blood vessels of small animals. Recently, we have developed a high-frequency ultrasound imaging system for small animals, in particular, mouse and rat models. In this work, we aim to elucidate the usefulness of using spectral analysis of the received radiofrequency (RF) ultrasound signals to extract quantitative parameters to assess mechanical properties of cardiac and vascular tissues. A custom system that employs high-frequency single-element ultrasound transducers (30–120 MHz) is used for scanning. Various signal and image processing techniques are applied on the received ultrasound signals to reconstruct high resolution B-mode and spectral images. In vitro imaging of isolated heart and vessels of APOE-KO “knock-out” mouse model with atherosclerosis was performed. Power spectral densities (PSD) of RF signals were evaluated within various regions of interests (ROI) including degassed water, normal cardiac tissue, and cardiac tissue with atheroma. Various parameters were extracted from the power spectrum such as the maximum power (Pmax ), the frequency at maximum power (Fpeak ), and the variance of power spectrum (Pvar ). Results of the preliminary spectral analysis indicated larger values for the Pmax , Fpeak , and Pvar parameters for ROI contains atheroma than other regions. For example using the envelop data, the normalized maximum power (Pmax ) value for cardiac tissue with atheroma was 0.0 ± 0.789 (dB), whereas for normal tissues it was about −13.71± 0.267 (dB). These results suggest the use spectral images as a quantitative method when assessing mouse hearts and blood vessels noninvasively.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Removing Hexazinone from Groundwater with Microbial Bioreactors

Hexazinone, a triazine herbicide that is often detected as a ground and surface water contaminant, inhibits electron transport in photosynthetic organisms and is toxic to primary producers that serve as the base of the food chain. This laboratory study evaluated the ability of two types of microbial reactors, i.e., a vegetable oil-based nitrogen-limiting biobarrier and an aerobic slow sand filter, as methods for removing hexazinone from simulated groundwater. The N-limiting biobarriers degraded hexazinone, but did so with a 52 week incubation period and a removal efficiency that varied greatly among replicates, with one biobarrier showing a removal efficiency of ~95% and the other an efficiency of ~50%. More consistent degradation was obtained with the aerobic sand biobarriers. Four aerobic biobarriers were evaluated and all behaved in a similar manner degrading hexazinone with removal efficiencies of ~97%; challenging two of the aerobic biobarriers with large amounts of influent hexazinone showed that these barriers are capable of efficiently remediating large amounts (>100 mg L−1) of hexazinone at high efficiency. The remediation process was due to biological degradation rather than abiotic processes. The long lag phase observed in both types of reactors suggests that an acclimation process, where microorganisms capable of degrading hexazinone increased in numbers, was required. Also, the isolation of bacteria that show a positive growth response to the presence of hexazinone in their growth media suggests biological degradation.