cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporation of iododeoxyuridine into the deoxyribonucleic acid of mouse Ehrlich-ascites-tumor cells in vivo.

Abstract Evidence has been presented for the incorporation of radioactive iododeoxyuridine into the DNA of mouse Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vivo . Although thymidine was utilized preferentially (to a 40-fold greater extent than iododeoxyuridine) for the biosynthesis of DNA, an almost identical incorporation of iododeoxyuridine occurred when the total amount of [ 131 I]iododeoxyuridine injected was increased by 12-fold and the frequency of administration of the analogue was doubled.
The effects of shifting sleep two hours within a fixed photoperiod.

This study examined the effects of shifting the time of sleep within a constant photoperiod on the circadian rhythms of body temperature and melatonin secretion. Subjects lived under conditions of a long scotoperiod (dim light of less than 10 lux from 6 p.m. until 8 a.m.) for three weeks. In order to delineate dawn and dusk, subjects received one hour of bright light (2500 lux) before and after the scotoperiod (i.e., from 8 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 6 p.m.). For the first week of the experiment they slept from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. In the second week, sleep was advanced two hours; that is, subjects retired at 8 p.m. and arose at 4 a.m. The third week was a repeat of the first, resulting in a two-hour delay of sleep from week two to three. The six subjects who successfully completed this protocol had no significant changes in the timing of the body temperature minima and onset of secretion of melatonin. This indicates that the timing of allowed sleep has less of an immediate effect on circadian rhythms than the timing of the external light-dark cycle. The circadian effects of the timing of sleep may be due more to the light-dark cycle that is imposed by the sleep-wake cycle than from the timing of sleep itself.
Characteristics of foraging in the soft-bottom benthic starfish Luidia clathrata (echinodermata: Asteroidea): prey selectivity, switching behavior, functional responses and movement patterns

Luidia clathrata show a strong preference for the infaunal bivalve Mulinia lateralis in Tampa Bay, Florida. Quantitative and qualitative changes in diet occurred over a 7-month period. Individuals may shift from intraoral macrofaunal feeding to intra- and extraoral detrital feeding during periods of low macrofaunal availability. In the laboratory L. clathrata showed switching behavior, feeding disproportionately on the most abundant of two simulataneously presented food models. This switching mechanism may be related to either contact-chemoreceptive rejection of lowdensity food or enhanced distance-chemoreception of high density food. The use of standardized food models eliminated the possibility that handling time was important in switching behavior. Both fed and starved individuals showed functional responses to changes in prey density. However starved individuals ingested greater numbers of prey and spent more time foraging than did fed individuals. Switching and functional response behaviors may be important in promoting nutritional uptake and in causing density-dependent mortality of prey populations. Movement patterns of L. clathrata are directional in the absence of bivalve prey, but become non-directional once patches of prey are encountered. This allows individuals to remain in areas of high prey density. Luidia clathrata has characteristics of an optimal forager, where energy is maximized per unit feeding time.
Intensive Culture of Juvenile American Shad

Abstract American shad (Alosa sapidissima Wilson) were reared from fertilized eggs to fingerlings under intensive culture conditions. Eggs were incubated at 17 ± 1C (61-64 F) and averaged 70% hatch. Three-day-old fry were started on Artemia nauplii and converted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service open-formula diet when fish averaged 25mm (1 in) total length. Shad growth in length at 18 ± 2C (61-68 F) was asymptotic during larval and juvenile development, with one growth period evident from hatch to metamorphosis and another through juvenile development. Initial shad weight increases were rapid with gains as high as 7.1% per day during metamorphosis. Daily growth rates for both length and weight declined after the fish were 75 days old. Daily mortality rates were highest among first feeding fry, averaging 1.4% per day the initial 10 days and 2.1% per day for the next 5 days when most nonfeeding fry died. For every 10 k fry at hatch, approximately 7.1 k survived after 3 weeks, 6.3 k to metamorphosis, and 6.0...
An Integrative Model of the Development of Autobiographical Memory

Abstract The present paper provides a working model for studying the development of autobiographical memory. The model is based on an integration of literatures concerning (1) children′s metacognitive capacities, (2) the social construction of personal narratives, and (3) the development of the self-concept. By age 3, children possess the metacognitive understanding that knowledge of an event depends upon personal experience with that event and an awareness of the mental state of remembering. These representational capacities may allow children to understand that they are remembering an event because they personally experienced it, and thus "tag" memories for potential entry into autobiographical memory. The model outlines ways in which these representational capacities may also contribute to children′s ability to engage in the social construction of personal narratives. Further, the model specifies that the emergence of autobiographical memory requires an organized, psychological self-concept. Factors that affect the autobiographical memory system, but may not be essential for its ontogeny, are (1) the ability to engage in source monitoring and (2) particular parental styles of discussing the past. Thus, the present paper emphasizes the need for an integrated approach for studying the emergence of autobiographical memory.
Characterization of a polydnavirus (PDV) and virus-like filamentous particle (VLFP) in the braconid wasp Cotesia congregata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Abstract Two morphologically distinct virions were found to replicate in the female reproductive tract of wasps belonging to the species Cotesia congregata . Polydnaviruses (PDV) replicate in the ovaries of braconid and ichneumonid endoparasitic wasps and are injected into host insects during oviposition. Ultrastructural studies showed that in females of C. congregata , the polydnavirus initiated replication in specialized cells of the lower calyx following pupation, during the final phases of adult development, and replication and virus assembly continued throughout adult life. Viral envelopes initially were synthesized de novo at the periphery of the virogenic stroma, then multiple nucleocapsids were encapsidated; the maximum number seen per sectioned virion was 14. The extracellular virions in the calyx lumen measured >150 nm in diameter and had a tail. The PDVs did not replicate in cells composing the calyx wall. Replication also did not occur in a small subset of cells containing cytoplasmic PDVs, which appeared to be encased in whorls of endoplasmic reticulum. A virus-like filamentous particle (VLFP) was seen in the nucleus and cytoplasm of a few upper calyx cells that did not support PDV replication. This virus replicated significantly later than the PDV and contained only a single nucleocapsid per envelope. Only a few extracellular filamentous virions were seen in the calyx fluid. Those present had a double envelope and measured ca. 60 nm in diameter; their length was variable and sometimes exceeded 1 μm. Two viruses replicate in the reproductive system of C. congregata , as reported for other Cotesia species.
Tolerance of deviance and the community adjustment of the mentally ill

The influence of social variables on the level of community adjustment of 60 former state hospital patients was examined. Community adjustment was operationalized to include measures of instrumental performance, social participation and satisfaction with community circumstances. Hierarchical regression analysis was utilized to assess the contribution of social-level predictors. The results of the study suggest that the character of a psychiatric patient's social milieu can influence the success she/he experiences in attempting to adjust to life in the community. Specifically, each of the measures of adjustment was closely related to significant other attitudes, i.e., expectations and tolerance of deviance. Overall, the results suggest the importance of a social-environmental strategy as a means to achieve positive changes in patients' adjustment to community living.
The natural history of fibromyalgia

The natural history of fibromyalgia was studied in 39 treated patients. All patients were surveyed by interviews conducted in 1983 (at an average of 1.3 years after diagnosis), in 1984, and again in 1985. Throughout the survey period, more than 60% of patients had moderate to severe continuing symptoms, and almost all took medications regularly to control symptoms. Younger patients (P = 0.02), those with less severe symptoms at the initial survey (P = 0.005), and those with isolated Raynaud's phenomenon (P = 0.04) were more likely to be doing well 2 years later, although symptom remission was usually transitory.
Intratumoral heterogeneity of malignant gliomas measured in vitro

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the extent of intratumoral heterogeneity of radiation sensitivity in malignant gliomas, by comparing the intrinsic radiation sensitivity of different glioma sublines derived from the same tumor. Methods and Materials: The study was performed on five early established malignant gliomas (passage 3–10). Each specimen was quickly cut into three equal pieces (except for one specimen, where only two pieces were obtained). Each piece was processed independently, disintegrated into single cell suspension using a cocktail of enzymes. Survival curve assays, using colony formation as an end-point, were performed for each subline. Comparison between the intrinsic radiation sensitivity of sublines was calculated using the surviving fraction at 2 Gy and the mean inactivation dose as the measured parameters. The DNA content of the cell lines as well as their cell cycle analysis was determined using flow cytometry. Results: The mean calculated surviving fraction at 2 Gy of all the sublines was 0.37 ± 0.14, the mean mean inactivation dose was 1.98 ± 0.63. The intratumoral coefficient of variation for the calculated surviving fraction at 2 Gy of all cell lines was 38%, while that for intratumoral heterogeneity was 25%. Three of the 5 tumors showed a statistically significant difference in the surviving fraction at 2 Gy and mean inactivation dose values of their sublines ( p Conclusion: There is a significant intratumoral heterogeneity of radiation sensitivity in some malignant gliomas. This heterogeneity may limit the predictive power of surviving fraction at 2 Gy or mean inactivation dose, especially when their values are based upon a single measurement/single biopsy. In the meantime, this heterogeneity may be a factor in the discrepancy between unexpectedly sensitive tumor cell lines in vitro and their high clinical radiation resistance.
How a Bayesian Might Estimate the Distribution of Cronbach’s Alpha From Ordinal-Dynamic Scaled Data A Case Study Measuring Nursing Home Resident Quality of Life

We demonstrate the utility of a Bayesian-based approach for calculating intervals of Cronbach's alpha from a psychological instrument having ordinal responses with a dynamic scale. A small number of response options on an instrument will cause traditional-based interval estimates to be biased. Ordinal-based solutions are problematic because there is no clear mechanism for handling the dynamic scale. One way to remedy the bias is to adjust with a Bayesian approach. The Bayesian approach adjusts the bias and allows theoretically simple calculations of Cronbach's alpha and intervals. We demonstrate the calculations of the Bayesian approach while at the same time offer a comparison to more traditional-based methods using both credible (or confidence) intervals and mean squared error. Practical advice is offered.
HISTOPATHOLOGY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS OF RENAL TUMORS: TOWARD UNIFICATION OF A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

ABSTRACTPurpose: We characterize the genetic abnormalities associated with pathological subtypes of renal tumors, which may help diagnosis or prognostication.Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature review of genetic abnormalities associated with different renal tumor subtypes was performed.Results: Studies of sporadic and hereditary forms suggest that abnormalities in the von Hippel-Lindau and met genes are the earliest changes in conventional (clear cell) and papillary basophilic renal cancers, respectively. Renal oncocytoma and chromophobe carcinoma have common genetic abnormalities, suggesting a relationship. A similar finding has been observed between papillary adenoma and papillary basophilic renal cancer.Conclusions: These findings suggest that molecular diagnostic testing will help determine histopathological diagnosis, identify tumor types with similar genetic abnormalities suggesting a common origin and indicate potential prognostic markers for future study.
Adsorptive stripping voltammetry as a sample pretreatment method for trace uranium determinations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Abstract Adsorptive stripping voltammetry was investigated as a route for improving trace level quantification of uranium via on-line matrix elimination and analyte preconcentration. On the basis of prior literature reports, propyl gallate was selected as a chelating agent for adsorptive accumulation of uranium (VI) at a mercury thin-film electrode (MTFE). Off-line electrochemical studies indicated that the uranium-propyl gallate (U-PG) complex accumulated (−0.15 V) at a MTFE when the uranium containing sample was mixed (1:1 v/v) with 5 × 10−5 M PG in 0.05 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.5), and could be stripped into 0.05 M sodium acetate or 0.1 M ammonium nitrate, an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) compatable matrix, by a potential scan to −1.4 V. A thin-layer, flow-by electrochemical cell was placed on-line with ICP-MS and the same basic stripping procedure performed, but 238U was not detected when the stripping potential was applied. Combining a potential step to −1.2 V with injection of 1% HNO3 did, however, effectively release the uranium to the ICP-MS. Matrix elimination was successful, and 24-fold signal enhancement was achieved with a 10 min accumulation, consuming just 0.8 mL of a 0.5 μg/L uranium solution. Quantitative performance was tested on NASS-4 Open Ocean Seawater (2.68 ± 0.12 μg/L uranium) by using calibration plot and standard addition methods. Nonlinearities, as functions of both analyte concentration and deposition time, were observed and are consistent with saturation of the MTFE, suggesting that the technique is most applicable to ultratrace uranium analysis or appropriately diluted samples.
Smaller = Denser, and the Brain Knows It: Natural Statistics of Object Density Shape Weight Expectations

If one nondescript object’s volume is twice that of another, is it necessarily twice as heavy? As larger objects are typically heavier than smaller ones, one might assume humans use such heuristics in preparing to lift novel objects if other informative cues (e.g., material, previous lifts) are unavailable. However, it is also known that humans are sensitive to statistical properties of our environments, and that such sensitivity can bias perception. Here we asked whether statistical regularities in properties of liftable, everyday objects would bias human observers’ predictions about objects’ weight relationships. We developed state-of-the-art computer vision techniques to precisely measure the volume of everyday objects, and also measured their weight. We discovered that for liftable man-made objects, “twice as large” doesn’t mean “twice as heavy”: Smaller objects are typically denser, following a power function of volume. Interestingly, this “smaller is denser” relationship does not hold for natural or unliftable objects, suggesting some ideal density range for objects designed to be lifted. We then asked human observers to predict weight relationships between novel objects without lifting them; crucially, these weight predictions quantitatively match typical weight relationships shown by similarly-sized objects in everyday environments. These results indicate that the human brain represents the statistics of everyday objects and that this representation can be quantitatively abstracted and applied to novel objects. Finally, that the brain possesses and can use precise knowledge of the nonlinear association between size and weight carries important implications for implementation of forward models of motor control in artificial systems.
Thyrotropin and norepinephrine stimulate the metabolism of phosphoinositides in FRTL-5 thyroid cells.

Hormone-induced changes in phospholipid metabolism were examined in a functioning rat thyroid cell line (FRTL-5). Stimulation of FRTL-5 cells, prelabeled with 32P, with TSH or NE resulted in a rapid decrease in the radioactivity of both phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and phosphatidylinositol 4-mono-phosphate (PIP). The effects of TSH on phospholipid metabolism and calcium mobilization are independent of those on adenylate cyclase. This suggests that the TSH receptor may be unique in that it activates enzyme cascades involved in cAMP production and Ca2+ mobilization.
Joint range of motion after total shoulder arthroplasty with and without a continuous interscalene nerve block: a retrospective, case-control study.

Background and Objectives Although a continuous interscalene nerve block (CISB) has been shown to provide potent analgesia after major shoulder surgery, its potential effects on postoperative rehabilitation remain uninvestigated. Therefore, this retrospective case-control study was undertaken to determine the association between CISB and joint range-of-motion after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Methods The medical records for patients who underwent TSA at our institution in the previous 3 years were examined. Each patient with a CISB (cases) was matched with a patient without a CISB (controls) for the following variables: age, gender, and TSA type (primary v revision). Data collected included maximum shoulder elevation and external rotation (primary endpoints), along with pre- and postoperative pain scores. Results Of 134 charts reviewed, 25 cases were matched with an equal number of controls. On postoperative day 1, patients with or without a CISB achieved a median (5th-95th percentiles) of 85% (51-100) and 33% (11-56) of their surgeon-defined goal for elevation (P = .048), respectively, and attained 100% (33-100) and 17% (−81-68) for external rotation (P Conclusions The day after TSA, a CISB is associated with increased shoulder range of motion, most likely resulting from the potent analgesia these nerve blocks provide.
Spray pyrolysis of semi-transparent backwall superstrate CuIn(S,Se) 2 solar cells

We explored the feasibility of depositing CuIn(S,Se) 2 (CIS) absorbers using a recently developed hydrazine-based spray pyrolysis method in the backwall superstrate configuration. The devices were fabricated in a novel configuration consisting of a solution-processed CIS/CdS p-n junction sandwiched between two transparent conducting layers and photovoltaic responses was demonstrated with illumination through either side of the device. The structural, compositional, and electrical properties of the devices were investigated. The current voltage characteristics and quantum efficiency of the backwall superstrate and conventional substrate devices were studied. The performance of the backwall superstrate devices was less than that of the control devices due to the relatively thick absorber thickness and high sheet resistance of the transparent back contact. Further improvement in the crystal quality and stoichiometry of CIS deposition should lead to high efficiency devices with thinner and better quality absorbers.
Selective Pressure Causes an RNA Virus to Trade Reproductive Fitness for Increased Structural and Thermal Stability of a Viral Enzyme

The modulation of fitness by single mutational substitutions during environmental change is the most fundamental consequence of natural selection. The antagonistic tradeoffs of pleiotropic mutations that can be selected under changing environments therefore lie at the foundation of evolutionary biology. However, the molecular basis of fitness tradeoffs is rarely determined in terms of how these pleiotropic mutations affect protein structure. Here we use an interdisciplinary approach to study how antagonistic pleiotropy and protein function dictate a fitness tradeoff. We challenged populations of an RNA virus, bacteriophage Φ6, to evolve in a novel temperature environment where heat shock imposed extreme virus mortality. A single amino acid substitution in the viral lysin protein P5 (V207F) favored improved stability, and hence survival of challenged viruses, despite a concomitant tradeoff that decreased viral reproduction. This mutation increased the thermostability of P5. Crystal structures of wild-type, mutant, and ligand-bound P5 reveal the molecular basis of this thermostabilization—the Phe207 side chain fills a hydrophobic cavity that is unoccupied in the wild-type—and identify P5 as a lytic transglycosylase. The mutation did not reduce the enzymatic activity of P5, suggesting that the reproduction tradeoff stems from other factors such as inefficient capsid assembly or disassembly. Our study demonstrates how combining experimental evolution, biochemistry, and structural biology can identify the mechanisms that drive the antagonistic pleiotropic phenotypes of an individual point mutation in the classic evolutionary tug-of-war between survival and reproduction.
Differences in H-2 recombinant mice in the β-naphthoflavone inducibility of the mixed function monooxygenase, P1-450

The influence of the major histocompatibility complex (H-2 in mouse) on induction of cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase (P1-450) by the prototype polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), β-naphthoflavone, was investigated in C57BL/10 Sn (B10) recombinant congenic mice. The cytosolic Ah-receptor level, as measured by specific binding with [3H]-2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, was significantly lower in B10.A and B10.A (5R) than in either B10, B10.BR, or B10.A(2R), suggesting that the D region of H-2 influences Ah-receptor levels. The responsiveness to β-naphthoflavone, as determined by increased catalytic activity toward benzo(a)pyrene and 7-ethoxycoumarin, was considerably lower in 1310, B10.A, and B10.A(5R) than in B10.BR and somewhat lower than in B10.A(2R) or B10.A(4R) mice. The lower PAH responsiveness in B10.A and B10.A(5R) correlated with their lower Ah-receptor levels while that in B10 appeared to reflect a K-A region influence on PAH responsiveness that was not due to changed Ah-receptor levels. Thus, we conclude that more than one H-2 locus may influence PAH responsiveness, and by different mechanisms.
Identifying living and sentient kinds from dynamic information: the case of goal-directed versus aimless autonomous movement in conceptual change.

To reason competently about novel entities, people must discover whether the entity is alive and/or sentient. Exactly how people make this discovery is unknown, although past researchers have proposed that young children – unlike adults – rely chiefly on whether the object can move itself. This study examined the effect of goal-directed versus aimless autonomous movement on children’s and adults’ attributions of biological and psychological capacities in an effort to test whether goaldirectedness affects inferences across documented periods of change in biological reasoning. Half of the participants (adults, and 4-, 5-, 7-, and 10-year-olds; Ns ¼ 32) were shown videos of unfamiliar blobs moving independently and aimlessly, and the other half were shown videos of identical blobs moving identically but toward a goal. No age group was likely to attribute biological or psychological capacities to the aimless self-moving blobs. However, for 5-year-olds through adults, goal-directed movement reliably elicited life judgments, and it elicited more biological and psychological attributions overall. Adults differed from children in that goal-directed movement affected their attributions of biological properties more than their attributions of psychological properties. The results suggest that both young children and adults consider the capacity for goal-directed movement to be a decisive factor in determining whether something unfamiliar is alive, though other factors may be important in deciding whether the thing is sentient. q 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
ACTIVIST MOTHERING: Cross-Generational Continuity in the Community Work of Women from Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods

This article examines the cross-generational continuity of community work performed by women living and working in low-income communities and demonstrates the complex ways in which gender, race-ethnicity, and class contribute to the social construction of mothering. The analysis of low-income women's community work challenges definitions of mothering that are limited to biological and legal expressions, thus neglecting the significance of community-based nurturing work for geographic communities and racial-ethnic and class-based groups. The analysis utilizes a broadened understanding of labor and contests the divisions between paid and unpaid work traditionally used to discuss women's work. The article compares and contrasts the experiences of African-American and Latina (predominantly Puerto Rican women) community workers from low-income communities in New York City and Philadelphia. The findings of the research further demonstrate the ways that knowledge generated from the standpoint of women from diffe...
Differential Influence of Dexamethasone on the Activity and Synthesis of β-Galactoside Specific Lectin (Galaptin) During Postnatal Lung Development

This study examined the regulation of the activity and synthesis of lung beta-galactoside specific lectin (galaptin) by dexamethasone (Dex). The effect of Dex was different depending on the postnatal period administered. Dex decreased galaptin activity and synthesis when administered daily during the "critical period" of alveolarization (postnatal days 3-13) described by Massaro and coworkers (J Clin Invest 76:1297-1305, 1985). The normal rise in galaptin activity (both soluble and membrane- or particulate-bound) observed for untreated controls was prevented by Dex (0.22 mg/pup day-1) treatment. Short-term (2 days) administration on days 4 and 5 had little effect. However, short-term administration of Dex at a later time (days 10-11) increased galaptin activity and synthesis. Both soluble and particulate-bound galaptin were similarly increased by Dex. These studies indicate that both pools of galaptin may be synthesized and activated by a similar mechanism. The effects of Dex on galaptin expression by the postnatal rat lung suggests that endogenous glucocorticoids play a role in the regulation of galaptin activity. The findings for rats given this level of Dex suggest that the period in which exogenous glucocorticoids are administered initially, either as short-term or chronic treatments, is important for the direction of their effect on galaptin expression.
Monitoring Urban Tree Cover Using Object-Based Image Analysis and Public Domain Remotely Sensed Data

Urban forest ecosystems provide a range of social and ecological services, but due to the heterogeneity of these canopies their spatial extent is difficult to quantify and monitor. Traditional per-pixel classification methods have been used to map urban canopies, however, such techniques are not generally appropriate for assessing these highly variable landscapes. Landsat imagery has historically been used for per-pixel driven land use/land cover (LULC) classifications, but the spatial resolution limits our ability to map small urban features. In such cases, hyperspatial resolution imagery such as aerial or satellite imagery with a resolution of 1 meter or below is preferred. Object-based image analysis (OBIA) allows for use of additional variables such as texture, shape, context, and other cognitive information provided by the image analyst to segment and classify image features, and thus, improve classifications. As part of this research we created LULC classifications for a pilot study area in Seattle, WA, USA, using OBIA techniques and freely available public aerial photography. We analyzed the differences in accuracies which can be achieved with OBIA using multispectral and true-color imagery. We also compared our results to a satellite based OBIA LULC and discussed the implications of per-pixel driven vs. OBIA-driven field sampling campaigns. We demonstrated that the OBIA approach can generate good and repeatable LULC classifications suitable for tree cover assessment in urban areas. Another important finding is that spectral content appeared to be more important than spatial detail of hyperspatial data when it comes to an OBIA-driven LULC.
Impact of Source and Level of Calcium Fortification on the Heat Stability of Reconstituted Skim Milk Powder

Calcium enrichment of food and dairy products has gained interest with the increased awareness about the importance of higher calcium intake. Calcium plays many important roles in the human body. Dairy products are an excellent source of dietary calcium, which can be further fortified with calcium salts to achieve higher calcium intake per serving. However, the addition of calcium salts can destabilize food systems unless conditions are carefully controlled. The effect of calcium fortification on the heat stability of reconstituted skim milk was evaluated, using reconstituted skim milks with 2 protein levels: 1.75 and 3.5% (wt/wt) prepared using low and high heat powders. Calcium carbonate, phosphate, lactate, and citrate were used for fortification at 0.15, 0.18, and 0.24% (wt/wt). Each sample was analyzed for solubility, heat stability, and pH. The addition of phosphate and lactate salts lowered the pH of milk, citrate did not have any major effect, and carbonate for the 1.75% protein samples increased the pH. In general, changes in solubility and heat stability were associated with changes in pH. Calcium addition decreased the solubility and heat stability. However, interestingly, the presence of carbonate salt greatly increased the heat stability for 1.75% protein samples. This is due to the neutralizing effect of calcium carbonate when it goes into solution. The results suggested that the heat stability of milk can be affected by the type of calcium salt used. This may be applied to the development of milk-based calcium enriched beverages.
Ocular virulence of capsule-deficient streptococcus pneumoniae in a rabbit keratitis model.

PURPOSE. Determine the ocular virulence of noncapsular Streptococcus pneumoniae in a rabbit keratitis model. METHODS. Mice were infected intraperitoneally with 10 5 colony-forming units (CFUs) of Avery’s strain (capsular type 2) or strain R6 (a noncapsular derivative of type 2), and mortality was monitored daily. In addition, 10 5 CFU of each strain was injected into rabbit corneas. Bacterial loads in rabbit corneas were determined at 20 or 48 hours after infection. Slit lamp examination (SLE) of rabbit eyes was performed at 24, 36, and 48 hours after infection. Controls included corneas inoculated with bacterial suspension medium and UV-killed bacteria. RESULTS. One hundred percent mortality was observed in mice infected intraperitoneally with the encapsulated strain at 2 days after infection, whereas all mice infected with the nonencapsulated strain survived for 21 days. The nonencapsulated strain caused the same pathologic effects in the rabbit cornea as the encapsulated strain at 24, 36, and 48 hours after infection (P 0.080). Control corneas showed no pathologic effects and had significantly lower SLE scores than corneas infected with live bacteria (P 0.001). Mean bacteria log CFU SEM recovered at 20 hours after infection were 7.069 0.094 for the encapsulated and 6.533 0.116 for the nonencapsulated strain (P 0.001). Bacteria recovered from the corneas at 48 hours after infection were 6.712 0.349 and 1.807 0.462 for the encapsulated and nonencapsulated strains, respectively (P 0.001). CONCLUSIONS. The S. pneumoniae noncapsular strain was as virulent in the rabbit cornea as was the encapsulated strain, but unlike the encapsulated strain, was avirulent in the mouse peritoneum. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46:604 – 608)
FORGETTING A SECOND LANGUAGE1

A previous study by this author investigated group patterns of foreign language retention among young children after being removed from a language contact situation for a period of time. The present study was undertaken to provide an in-depth look at three students in an effort to determine whether the last things learned are, in fact, the first things to be forgotten, and whether forgetting entails unlearning in reverse order from the original learning process. Three subjects were administered an Oral Language Achievement Measure individually on a test-retest basis at the beginning of June 1973, the 20th month of language contact, and again in September 1973, after the children had started second grade. Two subjects provided examples to support the notion that some of the things that are learned last are also the first to be forgotten when the learners are removed from second language contact for a period of time. The third subject provided an example of reversion to an earlier pattern in the use of the definite article, perhaps skipping stages in between. Some data suggest that forgetting may produce forms that were never tried out during the process of language acquisition prior to the respite. Other data suggest that a pause in the learning process may actually cause a reduction in certain problem areas. Although the findings from this study are merely suggestive, since they are based on insufficient data to make them definitive, this is considered a first step in the direction of investigating the ways in which young children forget a language in which they have been immersed.
Effects of the α2-adrenergic receptor agonist dexmedetomidine on neural, vascular and BOLD fMRI responses in the somatosensory cortex

This article describes the effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) – the active ingredient of medetomidine, which is the latest popular sedative for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in rodents – on multiple unit activity, local field potential (LFP), cerebral blood flow (CBF), pial vessel diameter [indicative of cerebral blood volume (CBV)], and blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI. These measurements were obtained from the rat somatosensory cortex during 10 s of forepaw stimulation. We found that the continuous intravascular systemic infusion of DEX (50 lg/kg/h, doses typically used in fMRI studies) caused epileptic activities, and that supplemental isoflurane (ISO) administration of ~0.3% helped to suppress the development of epileptic activities and maintained robust neuronal and hemodynamic responses for up to 3 h. Supplemental administration of N2 Oi n addition to DEX nearly abolished hemodynamic responses even if neuronal activity remained. Under DEX + ISO anesthesia, spike firing rate and the delta power of LFP increased, whereas beta and gamma power decreased, as compared with ISO-only anesthesia. DEX administration caused pial arteries and veins to constrict nearly equally, resulting in decreases in baseline CBF and CBV. Evoked LFP and CBF responses to forepaw stimulation were largest at a frequency of 8–10 Hz, and a non-linear relationship was observed. Similarly, BOLD fMRI responses measured at 9.4 T were largest at a frequency of 10 Hz. Both pial arteries and veins dilated rapidly (artery, 32.2%; vein, 5.8%), and venous diameter returned to baseline slower than arterial diameter. These results will be useful for designing, conducting and interpreting fMRI experiments under DEX sedation.
Neighbourhood change among creative–cultural districts in mid-sized US metropolitan areas, 2000–10

Cities across the United States are experiencing a surge in urban residential development, particularly within the downtown core and other centrally located, historic, mixed-use urban neighbourhoods. Often situated in former warehouse districts or other ‘marginal’ areas, many of these neighbourhoods have been revalorized and reinvented as hubs of creative–cultural production and consumption. Through an examination of 102 US neighbourhoods in 70 mid-sized metropolitan areas, this article explores patterns in the physical form, geography, and recent demographic and socio-economic evolution of the ‘creative–cultural district’ (CCD). The results of this exploratory analysis suggest that over the previous decade (2000–10), the majority of CCDs attracted high-skill, high-wage creative–knowledge workers at a rate faster than their respective metropolitan areas. This ‘creative gentrification’ was also evident in rising residential populations, household income, education and rent. Rent increased faster than incom...
Influence of Age at Final Beak Trimming on Pullet and Layer Performance

Effects of final beak trimming on pullet and layer productivity were examined with three strains of commercial layers. All pullets were precision-trimmed at 7 days with final beak trimming at either 63, 84, or 105 days. Transient depressions of pullet body weight and feed consumption were noted in the periods immediately following beak trimming. Pullet mortality from 7 to 18 wk of age and 18-wk body weight were not significantly affected by beak trimming treatments. Strain effects were noted in rate of feed consumption following beak trimming. Age at 50% production was significantly later among birds trimmed at 63 days than among those trimmed at 84 or 105 days. Feed consumption, egg production, and mortality (140 to 441 days) were significantly lower among birds trimmed at 63 days than among those trimmed at 84 or 105 days. Egg quality and size were not influenced by beak trimming treatments.
FDTD analysis of power deposition patterns of an array of interstitial antennas for use in microwave hyperthermia

The finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) method is used to calculate EM power deposition patterns in inhomogeneous tissue models of tumors. The radiated near-field patterns from an array of uniformly and step-insulated interstitial antennas were used as incident fields on the excitation planes to calculate the scattered fields and SAR patterns in tumors. A comparison of data shows that the FDTD solution, in this particular application, overcomes some of the modeling difficulties encountered in the method of moments. Results for some specific tumor geometries are also presented to show the effectiveness of the microwave interstitial heating techniques in treating large tumors. Other advantages of the FDTD method, such as improved accuracy in modeling dielectric interfaces and the ability to model large tumors, are illustrated. >
A mutation in the HSD11B2 gene in a family with apparent mineralocorticoid excess

A mutation in the HSD11B2 gene has been discovered in a consanguineous Iranian family with three sibs suffering from Apparent Mineralocorticoid Excess (AME). Sequence data demonstrate a C to T transition resulting in an R337C mutation.
Semi-Supervised Cause Identification from Aviation Safety Reports

We introduce cause identification, a new problem involving classification of incident reports in the aviation domain. Specifically, given a set of pre-defined causes, a cause identification system seeks to identify all and only those causes that can explain why the aviation incident described in a given report occurred. The difficulty of cause identification stems in part from the fact that it is a multi-class, multilabel categorization task, and in part from the skewness of the class distributions and the scarcity of annotated reports. To improve the performance of a cause identification system for the minority classes, we present a bootstrapping algorithm that automatically augments a training set by learning from a small amount of labeled data and a large amount of unlabeled data. Experimental results show that our algorithm yields a relative error reduction of 6.3% in F-measure for the minority classes in comparison to a baseline that learns solely from the labeled data.
Progesterone effects on subjective and physiological responses to intravenous nicotine in male and female smokers

Objective Previous studies suggest possible modulatory effects of progesterone on nicotine addiction. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of progesterone, on acute physiological and subjective responses to intravenous (IV) nicotine in overnight abstinent male and female smokers. Methods Twelve smokers, six males and six females, participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, which consisted of two experimental sessions. Before each session, subjects were treated orally with a single dose of either 200 mg progesterone or placebo. Starting 2 h following the medication treatment, subjects received an IV saline injection, followed by 0.5 and 1.0 mg/70 kg IV nicotine. Results Progesterone treatment, compared to placebo, enhanced the ratings of “bad effects,” from IV nicotine and attenuated the rating of “drug liking.” Progesterone also enhanced suppression of smoking urges by nicotine as assessed by the Brief Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (BQSU). Conclusions These results suggest that progesterone may alter the subjective effects of nicotine as well as urges to smoke cigarettes. Further studies are warranted to examine the modulation of nicotine's effects by gonadal hormones. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Virtual environments for medical training: graphical and haptic simulation of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration

We develop a computer-based training system to simulate laparoscopic procedures in virtual environments for medical training. The major hardware components of our system include a computer monitor to display visual interactions between 3D virtual models of organs and instruments together with a pair of force feedback devices interfaced with laparoscopic instruments to simulate haptic interactions. We simulate a surgical procedure that involves inserting a catheter into the cystic duct using a pair of laparoscopic forceps. This procedure is performed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy to search for gallstones in the common bile duct. Using the proposed system, the user can be trained to grasp and insert a flexible and freely moving catheter into the deformable cystic duct in virtual environments. The associated deformations are displayed on the computer screen and the reaction forces are fed back to the user through the force feedback devices. A hybrid modeling approach was developed to simulate the real-time visual and haptic interactions that take place between the forceps and the catheter, as well as the duct; and between the catheter and the duct.
The Effect of Epinephrine on Calcium Handling by Adipocyte Plasma Membranes, Endoplasmic Reticulum, and Mitochondria*

The effect of epinephrine treatment of adipocy tes upon calcium handling by subsequently isolated plasma membranes, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria has been examined and compared to the previously reported effects of insulin upon these parameters. Epinephrine (0.1 μg/ml) treatment of adipocytes resulted in: 1) a 19% increase in calcium binding to plasma membranes at calcium concentrations (2 and 250 μM) which reflect binding to the high and low affinity calcium-binding sites, respectively; 2) small but significant decreases in the maximum rate (-7.4%) and the Km (-12.6%) for calcium uptake by the endoplasmic reticulum without changes in the steady state capacity or the rate of efflux from the endoplasmic reticulum; and 3) no change in the stable pool of calcium in the mitochondria. The epinephrine-induced increase in calcium binding by the plasma membranes is identical to the effects of insulin previously reported, suggesting that this alteration may be involved in the similar membrane effects of ...
Amplicor enterovirus polymerase chain reaction in patients with aseptic meningitis: a sensitive test limited by amplification inhibitors.

Abstract Objective.—To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and routine cell culture for the detection of enterovirus in cerebrospinal fluid. Methods.—Thirty-eight cerebrospinal fluid specimens were included. Cell culture was inoculated immediately and incubated for 14 days. An aliquot was kept frozen for Amplicor RT-PCR. Chart review was performed to determine the validity of the results. Results.—Nine of 38 specimens were positive for enterovirus by culture, and 14 were positive by RT-PCR. There were 7 discrepancies between the 2 methods. Six specimens were positive by RT-PCR and negative by the culture method. The 1 culture-positive but RT-PCR–-negative specimen was determined to contain PCR inhibitors. All discrepant results were confirmed as true positives by chart review. Patients whose cerebrospinal fluid was negative by both methods had a final diagnosis other than enterovirus infection. Conclusion.—Amplicor PCR is more sensitive than...
A Collaborative Filtering Approach to Real-Time Hand Pose Estimation

Collaborative filtering aims to predict unknown user ratings in a recommender system by collectively assessing known user preferences. In this paper, we first draw analogies between collaborative filtering and the pose estimation problem. Specifically, we recast the hand pose estimation problem as the cold-start problem for a new user with unknown item ratings in a recommender system. Inspired by fast and accurate matrix factorization techniques for collaborative filtering, we develop a real-time algorithm for estimating the hand pose from RGB-D data of a commercial depth camera. First, we efficiently identify nearest neighbors using local shape descriptors in the RGB-D domain from a library of hand poses with known pose parameter values. We then use this information to evaluate the unknown pose parameters using a joint matrix factorization and completion (JMFC) approach. Our quantitative and qualitative results suggest that our approach is robust to variation in hand configurations while achieving real time performance (&#x2248; 29 FPS) on a standard computer.