cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cholesterol Modulates α-Secretase Cleavage of Amyloid Precursor Protein

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and cholesterol metabolism are genetically linked to Alzheimer's disease, the latter through apolipoprotein E, a lipid and cholesterol transport protein. We have examined the hypothesis that the processing of APP is disrupted by elevated cholesterol, which is known to modulate the activity of several transmembrane proteins. In the current study, cholesterol, solubilized by methyl-β-cyclodextrin or ethanol, was added to the culture media of APP 751 stably transfected HEK 293 cells. Radiolabeled APP and APPsol. (the soluble N-terminal derivative following α-secretase cleavage) were precipitated from lysates and conditioned media of stably transfected HEK 293 cells; the relative levels were determined by quantitative densitometry following separation by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The data show that cholesterol, solubilized by methyl-β-cyclodextrin, greatly reduced the levels of APPsol.. Low doses of ethanol-solubilized cholesterol similarly caused a dramatic reduction of APPsol.. By contrast, levels of APP holoprotein remained the same or increased. The large decrease seen in APPsol. production was not due to nonspecific inhibition of secretion because several secreted proteins increased in level. Cholesterol, which impedes membrane fluidity, may lower APPsol. production by impeding the interaction of the substrate with its protease(s). If APPsol. were to function trophically, as suggested by other studies, the current conclusion suggests that changes in cellular cholesterol levels in Alzheimer's disease could contribute to neuronal degeneration by decreasing the production of APPsol..
Finland, Weinstein, and the birth of antibiotic regret.

In 1953, two pioneers in the field of infectious diseases, Maxwell Finland and Louis Weinstein, coauthored a Journal article describing the numerous “untoward effects” of antibiotic chemotherapy. In many ways, the article marked antibiotics' official fall from grace.
The inflammation highway: metabolism accelerates inflammatory traffic in obesity

As humans evolved, perhaps the two strongest selection determinants of survival were a robust immune response able to clear bacterial, viral, and parasitic infection and an ability to efficiently store nutrients to survive times when food sources were scarce. These traits are not mutually exclusive. It is now apparent that critical proteins necessary for regulating energy metabolism, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, Toll-like receptors, and fatty acid-binding proteins, also act as links between nutrient metabolism and inflammatory pathway activation in immune cells. Obesity in humans is a symptom of energy imbalance: the scale has been tipped such that energy intake exceeds energy output and may be a result, in part, of evolutionary selection toward a phenotype characterized by efficient energy storage. As discussed in this review, obesity is a state of low-grade, chronic inflammation that promotes the development of insulin resistance and diabetes. Ironically, the formation of systemic and/or local, tissue-specific insulin resistance upon inflammatory cell activation may actually be a protective mechanism that co-evolved to repartition energy sources within the body during times of stress during infection. However, the point has been reached where a once beneficial adaptive trait has become detrimental to the health of the individual and an immense public health and economic burden. This article reviews the complex relationship between obesity, insulin resistance/diabetes, and inflammation, and although the liver, brain, pancreas, muscle, and other tissues are relevant, we focus specifically on how the obese adipose microenvironment can promote immune cell influx and sustain damaging inflammation that can lead to the onset of insulin resistance and diabetes. Finally, we address how substrate metabolism may regulate the immune response and discuss how fuel uptake and metabolism may be a targetable approach to limit or abrogate obesity-induced inflammation.
A slip-line plasticity analysis of sliding friction of rough surfaces exhibiting self-affine (fractal) behavior

Abstract A plasticity analysis of sliding friction of rough (fractal) surfaces sliding against smooth surfaces was developed based on a slip-line model of a rigid spherical asperity (wear particle) plowing and cutting through a soft semi-infinite medium. Solutions of the fraction of fully plastic asperity microcontacts responsible for the evolution of friction and energy dissipation were obtained in terms of the total normal load (global interference), interfacial adhesion characteristics, topography (fractal) parameters of the hard surface, and elastic–plastic material properties of the soft surface. This was accomplished by incorporating the slip-line model of a single microcontact into a friction analysis of sliding surfaces demonstrating multi-scale roughness. Numerical results provide insight into the effects of global interference (normal load), fractal parameters (surface roughness) of the hard surface, interfacial shear strength (adhesion), and material properties of the soft surface on plastic deformation at the microcontact level, global coefficient of friction, and frictional energy dissipated during sliding.
Maternal prenatal stress and infant regulatory capacity in Mexican Americans

Abstract The early postpartum period lays important groundwork for later self-regulation as infants’ dispositional traits interact with caregivers’ co-regulatory behaviors to produce the earliest forms of self-regulation. Although emerging literature suggests that fetal exposure to maternal stress may be integral in determining child self-regulatory capacity, the complex pathways that characterize these early developmental processes remain unclear. The current study considers these complex, transactional processes in a low income, Mexican American sample. Data were collected from 295 Mexican American infants and their mothers during prenatal, 6- and 12-week postpartum home interviews. Mother reports of stress were obtained prenatally, and mother reports of infant temperament were obtained at 6 weeks. Observer ratings of maternal sensitivity and infant regulatory behaviors were obtained at the 6- and 12-week time points. Study results indicate that prenatal stress predicts higher levels of infant negativity and surgency, both of which directly or interactively predict later engagement in regulatory behaviors. Unexpectedly, prenatal stress also predicted more engagement in orienting, but not self-comforting behaviors. Advancing understandings about the nature of these developmental pathways may have significant implications for targets of early intervention in this high risk population.
Anaerobic Metabolism in Tidal Freshwater Wetlands: I. Plant Removal Effects on Iron Reduction and Methanogenesis

For energetic reasons, iron reduction suppresses methanogenesis in tidal freshwater wetlands; however, when iron reduction is limited by iron oxide availability, methanogenesis dominates anaerobic carbon mineralization. Plants can mediate this microbial competition by releasing oxygen into the rhizosphere and supplying oxidized iron for iron reducers. We utilized a plant removal experiment in two wetland sites to test the hypothesis that, in the absence of plants, rates of iron reduction would be diminished, allowing methanogenesis to dominate anaerobic metabolism. In both sites, methanogenesis was the primary anaerobic mineralization pathway, with iron reduction dominating only early and late in the growing season in the site with a less organic soil. These patterns were not influenced by the presence of plants, demonstrating that plants were not a key control of microbial metabolism. Instead, we suggest that site conditions, including soil chemistry, and temperature are important controls of the pathways of anaerobic metabolism.
Performance of Nuclear Rocket for Large-Payload, Earth-Satellite Booster

The performance of single-stage, heat-transfer-type nuclear rockets using either dispersed-fuel-in-graphite reactors or tungsten-fuel-element-in-BsO reactors with hydrogen as propellant is evaluated for large-payload, earth- satellite missions. The reactor and nuclear rocket performance is presented for several reactor sizes and for a range of reactor operating conditions to show the effect of important reactor variables and to predict payload versus gross weight characteristics for nuclear rockets of this type. Due to the basic differences and assumptions for the two types of reactors, a close conparison of performance is avoided. For the assumptions used, however, the study shows that the BeO- tungsten reactor must operate at temperatures about 10 per cent higher than the graphite reactor for the same performannce. The graphite reactor also offers lower uranium investments and reduced system complexity. The BeO-tungsten reactor probably permits higher operating temperatures, although actual performance for either system is dependent on materials temperature limits which, as yet, are unestablished. Using either type of reactor, for the assumed range of temperatures, the study indicates nuclear rocket payloads up to about 10 per cent of the gross weight. (auth)
Learning about Teaching for Understanding through the Study of Tutoring.

Abstract In this study, we conducted a fine-grained analysis of an expert tutor's (Nancy Mack) tutorial actions as she attempted, successfully, to help students learn fractions with understanding. Our analysis revealed that, as Mack tutored students in two different research studies, she took two types of tutorial actions previously unrecorded in the literature. By analyzing her actions using a methodology involving production rules, we suggest how her content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and her knowledge of her students were interrelated and how they impacted on her instructional decisions and teaching actions. We also provide an example of how using production rules can be useful to discern some of the complexities involved in teaching and tutoring.
Abraham Kuyper and the Rise of Neo-Calvinism in the Netherlands

Few men in modern Dutch history have played such a significant role as Abraham Kuyper. A theologian of European renown, a church reformer whose activities lastingly changed the existing church order in his country, a statesman who during five decades of an active political career combined his religion with a unique theory of government, and last but not least, a journalist and outstanding man of letters, Kuyper, during the course of his long life, placed a stamp upon the civilization of the Netherlands which it never was to lose. The immense breadth of his intellect, sustained by a tremendous energy, allowed him to speak with authority on subjects ranging from Calvin's concept of grace, through Islamic architecture, to the future of colonial reform, and earned him the epithet of Abraham de Geweldige (Abraham the Magnificent). His greatest achievement, however, was the foundation of a system of religious dogma upon which he erected a political and social philosophy which in the Protestant Netherlands since 1850 was the only one of lasting influence.1
Ring torque on Janus and the melting of Enceladus

The absence of craters noted on Voyager 2 images of Encedalus indicates geologically recent resurfacing, probably due to internal melting; heating mechanism calculations, however, yield heating rates too small to cause melting. If Janus, whose orbital mean motion is currently decreasing as Janus' orbit evolves outward due to resonant torques from Saturn's rings, were ever to become locked into a stable 2:1 orbital commensurability with Encedalus, the resulting angular momentum transfer could have sufficiently enhanced the eccentricity of Encedalus' orbit for the ensuing tidal heating to have melted Encedalus' interior. However, the predicted rapid time scale for ring evolution due to resonant torques from Saturn's inner moons remains a major problem.
Si-based quantum staircase terahertz lasers

Abstract Design results are presented for electrically pumped quantum staircase intersubband p-i-p SiGe/Si strain-balanced superlattice lasers to be operated at 77 K or higher. The wavelength of laser emission will be in the THz range. Two approaches of quantum staircase lasers will be presented, one utilizes the inverted light-hole effective mass, while the other inverted heavy-hole mass. Optical gain on the order of a few 100 cm −1 can be achieved for both laser designs.
Theoretical and clinical perspectives of client stalking behavior.

This article applies theoretical perspectives of client stalking behavior to vignettes of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) who have experienced stalking incidents. A description of stalking behavior, estimations of the frequency of stalking behavior, characteristics of stalkers, and the impact of stalking on victims are addressed. Health care professionals, including CNSs, may inadvertently become victims of stalking behavior. Firm and clear boundary setting is important in all CNS-client relationships. CNSs who believe that they are becoming the objects of attention for particular individuals are advised to convey a clear message that they have no interest in the development of such a relationship. In this article CNS responses to actual client stalking behavior, including confrontation by the CNS, police involvement, restraining orders, and use of the CNS's attorney, are explored. The use of clinical consultation and the need for agencies to develop safety plans for all employees are also addressed. Language: en
Symmetry and transitivity of conditional relations in monkeys (Cebus apella) and pigeons (Columba livia)

In Experiment 1 six monkeys were tested with discriminative relations that were backward relative to their training in a 0-second conditional (“symbolic”) matching procedure. Although there was some indication of backward associations, the evidence was generally weak, and statistical evaluations did not reach conventional significance levels. Unlike children, who show backward associations to the point of symmetry, monkeys and pigeons display at best only weak and transient backward associations. In Experiment 2 associative transitivity was assessed across two sets of conditional matching tasks. All four monkeys tested demonstrated strong transitivity. In contrast, in Experiment 3 there was no evidence of transitivity in three pigeons tested under conditions closely comparable to those of Experiment 2. These results may identify some key features of interspecies differences and contribute to analyses of serial learning in animals.
Neurosarcoidosis: Diagnosis and management

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic inflammatory granulomatous disease that affects both the central and peripheral nervous system. The neurological manifestations depend on the areas of the neuroaxis affected. In the brain, patients with neurosarcoidosis have leptomeningeal and intraparenchymal infiltration of granulomas that leads to, for example, cranial nerve palsies, basal meningitis, and endocrine dysfunction. It can cause peripheral neuropathies such as mononeuritis multiplex and sensorimotor polyneuropathy as well as radiculopathy and myopathy. Diagnosis and management of patients with neurosarcoidosis are challenging given that the gold standard is tissue-proven biopsy, which, in most cases of neurological illness, is difficult to obtain. Treatment strategies have not been rigorously evaluated but corticosteroids are considered the drug of choice. Other immunosuppressant agents such as cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, and infliximab are efficacious in the treatment of neurosarcoidosis.
An optimizing interpreter for multidimensional products in computational chemistry

The multidimensional product between an N-dimensional array B and an M-dimensional array C produces an (N + M − 2L)-dimensional array A from the dot-product-like contraction of L pairs of dimensions in B and C. For example, in the multiplication indices a,b,… are contracted, and the remaining indices i,j,k,l,… are mapped from matrices B and C to the target matrix A. We have developed an algorithm, which we incorporated into a program called GENPRD, for interpreting the topological description of a general multidimensional matrix product, optimizing the execution path, and finally evaluating the product. No specific information about the nature of a given product is included in the program. Instead, GENPRD is driven by two tables: one specifies the indices to be contracted and the mapping of the uncontracted indices to the target array; the second one indicates the organization of the arrays in secondary storage. The tables are text files which are read at execution time. The information is then processed to form an optimized set of loops for evaluating the product and performing associated I/O. GENPRD is implemented in a program for quantum-chemical computations using many-body perturbation theory and the coupled-cluster method. This implementation produced code that ran at 90% of the speed of the hand-coded version. Ultimately, GENPRD will reduce the FORTRAN code from 20,000 lines to 2,000 lines.
Treatment of inflammatory facial acne with the 1,450 nm diode laser alone versus microdermabrasion plus the 1,450 nm laser: a randomized, split-face trial.

BACKGROUND The 1,450 nm laser has been effective in treating acne. Microdermabrasion may help treat acne and reduce skin barriers to increase the delivery rate of topical anesthetics. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pain associated with the treatment of inflammatory facial acne with the 1,450 nm laser alone versus microdermabrasion plus the 1,450 nm laser. METHODS Twenty patients with facial acne were treated with the 1,450 nm laser alone and microdermabrasion plus the 1,450 nm laser in a randomized, split-face trial. RESULTS Laser alone and microdermabrasion plus laser significantly reduced the total number of acne lesions. Mean reductions of 53.5% and 55.6% were found after three treatments for laser alone and microdermabrasion plus laser, respectively. Clinical improvement was maintained 12 weeks after the last treatment. Mean pain scores were 5.3±1.5 for microdermabrasion plus laser and 5.2±1.5 for laser alone. There was no statistical difference between treatment levels for efficacy or pain. There was an average 10% increase in sequential pain as the laser treatment progressed. CONCLUSION The 1,450 nm laser is effective, well tolerated, and safe for treating facial acne. This small pilot study did not demonstrate increased clinical efficacy or decreased associated pain with the addition of microdermabrasion to treatment with the 1,450 nm laser. A larger study may be needed to demonstrate any additional benefit.
Couples' reciprocal patterns in narcotics addiction: A recommendation on treatment strategy

Couples that include an addict establish over time a stable pattern of deviant behavior that is reciprocally influenced by each spouse's level of drug use. Adequate intervention strategies must understand this dynamic in order to promote successful change. This article describes how behavioral patterns of narcotics addicts are affected by their spouses' addictive consumption of drugs. Analyses are conducted for men and women separately to explore gender differences with the use of retrospective self-report data on addiction histories collected from over 600 addicts who were admitted to methadone maintenance clinics in Southern California. Time-series analyses are conducted at the aggregate level to examine dynamic relationships between self's and spouse's narcotics use and other behaviors (e.g., employment, crime involvement, and alcohol use). Results indicate gender differences in conformity to spouse's drug use, especially for women, and in the effects of addiction on the related behaviors. These results suggest that intervention efforts should extend to addicts' partners in addition to the addicts themselves. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Neural cell adhesion molecule distribution in soft tissue tumors

The distribution of the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM; CD56) was studied immunohistochemically in acetone-fixed frozen sections of 83 soft tissue tumors and selected normal mesenchymal tissue using Leu-19 monoclonal antibody and avidin-biotin peroxidase immunostaining. Positive N-CAM immunostaining was found in gastrointestinal and uterine cells but not in vascular smooth muscle cells. Normal skeletal muscle was negative, but atrophic muscle fibers within tumors were positive. Strong and consistent immunoreactivity was seen in nerves, pheochromocytoma, malignant schwannoma, and spindle cells, but not in epithelial-like cells of synovial sarcoma, hemangiopericytoma, benign leiomyoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. Variable staining was seen in benign schwannoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Limited, usually focal N-CAM immunoreactivity was seen in desmoid tumor, dermatofibrosarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma. Although the N-CAM is consistently seen in neural tumors, it is not cell lineage specific. Changes on malignant transformation (comparing corresponding benign and malignant lesions) do not show any consistent pattern. Rather, there is neoexpression of the N-CAM in rhabdomyosarcoma, whereas there is loss of the N-CAM in leiomyosarcoma. Immunohistochemistry of the N-CAM can be a useful adjunct for characterization of soft tissue tumors, and its possible correlation with tumor behavior has to be examined in further studies.
Pulmonary vascular hemodynamics in chronic lung disease patients with and without oxyhemoglobin desaturation during sleep.

Nonapneic, nocturnal oxyhemoglobin desaturation (NOD) during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep has been proposed as a predecessor and possible etiologic factor in the development of pulmonary hypertension in patients both with restrictive and obstructive chronic lung disease. The association between abnormal waking cardiopulmonary hemodynamics and NOD has not been established in patients with mild daytime hypoxemia. Gas exchange, pulmonary function, red cell mass, radionuclide gated cardiac ejection fraction, and supine cardiopulmonary hemodynamics were examined in 36 patients with chronic lung disease. All had a daytime PaO 2 >60 mm Hg and REM sleep-related NOD for >5 minutes, to 85 percent or lower. These data were compared to those from 13 subjects with similar symptoms and objective measures of pulmonary dysfunction but without evidence of NOD. Patients with NOD showed more end organ evidence of hypoxemia and more abnormal cardiopulmonary hemodynamics than patients with similar degrees of lung disease but without NOD. The relative role of daytime vs nocturnal hypoxemia in inducing hemodynamic differences between groups cannot be determined from this study.
Body mass index is associated with higher lymph node counts during retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.

Objective To determine whether body mass index (BMI) is associated with lymph node counts in patients treated with a primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND). Lymph node counts are a proposed measure of quality assurance for numerous malignancies. Investigation of patient factors associated with lymph node counts are lacking. Methods Using the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Testis Cancer Database, we identified 255 patients treated with a primary RPLND for nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) from 1999–2008. The associations between BMI and node counts were evaluated using linear regression models in univariate and multivariable models adjusting for features reported to predict higher node counts (year of surgery, stage, and surgeon volume). Results Median BMI (IQR) was 26.1 (23.4–28.7) and median (IQR) total node count was 38 (27–53). Median total node count for patients with a BMI <25, 25 to 29, and ≥30 was 35, 42, and 44 nodes, respectively. In a univariate analysis, higher BMI was significantly associated with higher total node counts (coefficient 0.7 nodes for each 1-U increase in BMI; P = .026). Features associated with higher node count on multivariate analysis included high-volume surgeon (P = .047), pathologic stage (P = .017), more recent year of surgery (P < .001), and higher BMI (P = .009). Conclusion Our results suggest for the first time that BMI is independently associated with higher lymph node counts during a lymph node dissection. If confirmed by others, these results may be important when using lymph node counts as a surrogate for adequacy of a lymph node dissection.
Depolarization of PC12 cells induces neurite outgrowth and enhances nerve growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth in rats

Synaptic plasticity is clearly controlled by synaptic activity and by neurotrophin-dependent signaling. We have previously hypothesized that synaptic activity modulates concomitant neurotrophin receptor signaling, thereby integrating the activity state of a synapse with the state of neurotrophic support available at the synapse. Herein we present evidence in support of this hypothesis. Using PC12 cells as a model of the presynaptic element, we show that depolarization increases TrkA tyrosine phosphorylation in response to nerve growth factor (NGF). Moreover, we show that depolarization alone is sufficient to induce the tyrosine phosphorylation of TrkA. These findings are functionally relevant, as evidenced by our observation that depolarization alone induces neurite outgrowth, and that depolarization dramatically enhances neurite outgrowth in response to NGF, especially in primed PC12 cells. We conclude that normal synaptic function may depend upon the integration of synaptic activity and activity-dependent neurotrophin release and signaling, and that these findings have potential relevance to neural repair.
Excitatory amino acid receptors appear to mediate paroxysmal depolarizing shifts in rat neocortical neurons in vitro

Abstract This study was designed to assess some of the contributions of excitatory amino acids to locally evoked responses in neurons in slices from frontal motor cortex in Sprague-Dawley rats. Intracellular recordings were obtained from 54 cortical neurons. Paroxysmal depolarization shifts (PDS) were evoked by local single pulse stimulation in cortex or in a small number of cases (n = 2) occurred spontaneously. These potentials could be abolished by application of kynurenic acid, a broad spectrum excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist. They were enhanced in Mg2+-free medium and could then be antagonized by application of d,l -2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP5), a selective blocker of theN-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors.
The effect of trawl speed on the footrope capture efficiency of a survey trawl

The effect of speed through water on the footrope capture efficiency of a survey bottom trawl was experimentally investigated by repetitively towing at three vessel speeds (2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 knots) with an auxiliary net attached underneath the trawl footrope to capture fish escaping beneath the trawl. Length-dependent capture efficiencies were then computed from the number of fish caught in both the trawl and auxiliary net. Capture efficiencies for Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus, walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma and Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis were not affected by fish length or trawl speed. Capture efficiency for skates Bathyraja spp. decreased with increasing trawl speed but was not affected by fish length. Capture efficiencies for arrowtooth flounder Atheresthes stomias and flathead sole Hippoglossoides elassodon increased with fish length and decreased with increasing trawl speed. Our results indicate that in areas of variable current, variation in survey catch per unit effort could be reduced for some species by standardizing towing speed to speed through water or by reducing footrope lift by the addition of sufficient weight to the trawl footrope.
Whose prayer? : The best regime of book 7 and the lessons of Aristotle's Politics

Most modern readers of Aristotle's Politics assume that the regime “according to prayer” (kat'euchen) in Book 7 is the culmination of the work as a whole, a utopia designed to guide political reform. I say no. This polis is not an ideal to be applied to practice, but one aspiration among several to be seriously examined and consulted by political people as they deliberate about what to do in particular situations. The prayer presented in chapters 4-12 is not meant to be understood as Aristotle's own, but as coming from one imagined voice among the several presented in the Nicomachean Ethics and Politics. Would Aristotle pray for this regime? No. It is instead the prayer of a “real man” (an aner) fully committed to political life, someone who, unlike Aristotle, can imagine nothing more beautiful than a beautiful polis. Aristotle's subtlety here has important implications for understanding the philosophy/politics relationship.
The malleable homo sovieticus: transnational entrepreneurs in post-communist East Central Europe

Abstract This paper investigates the coping strategies of post-1989 East Central European transnational migrant entrepreneurs. Paradoxically, rather than facilitating transfer into the region of liberal-democratic orientations and practices, the incorporation of East Central Europe into late 20th-century consumer capitalism based on short-cycle flexible production in sectors unregulated by legal-institutional frameworks reproduces some of the features of the accustomed homo sovieticus syndrome: in particular, the reliance on the beat-the-system/bend-the-rules orientation on informal/crony patronage and connections, and immediate consumption rather than deferred gratification/investment-oriented capital accumulation renders effective strategies of economic action in the new situation. The effects of so-informed transnational migrant entrepreneurs' activities on the transformation processes in their home-countries are also discussed.
Smoking, arousal, and affect: the role of anxiety sensitivity.

Abstract Purpose Despite evidence that smoking elevates peripheral autonomic nervous system activity, cigarette smokers commonly report smoking to reduce negative affect, or “calm down.” Studies suggest that anxiety sensitivity is positively associated with the use of anxiolytic substances, but anxiety sensitivity is also characterized by aversive responding to elevations in physiological arousal. As such, anxiety sensitivity may be an important factor in the study of smoking, affect, and arousal. Method Smokers smoked cigarettes in two experimental sessions: a Stressful Speech Condition and a No Stress Condition. Psychophysiological and self-report served as within-subjects, repeated measures. Results Findings revealed that smoking reduced anxiety in high anxiety sensitive smokers who smoked during a stressful situation, but not a no stress situation. Low anxiety sensitive smokers endorsed anxiolysis in both conditions. Conclusions Results suggest that high anxiety sensitive smokers may be sensitive to the physiologically arousing effects of smoking in low stress, low arousal, situations.
Expanding Therapeutic Options in Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) still carries a poor prognosis. Chemoimmunotherapy (combination with rituximab) is the routine first-line therapy, although data strongly suggest a benefit from intensification through high-dose therapy with stem cell transplantation consolidation or dose-intense chemotherapy with HyperCVAD (fractionated cyclophosphamide/vincristine/doxorubicin/dexamethasone)/rituximab. Unfortunately, most patients still experience relapse, and a multitude of novel agents are currently being tested in this setting, including proteasome inhibitors with bortezomib (the first of its class and first Food and Drug Administration-approved drug in MCL), mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, Bcl-2 inhibitors, and antiangiogenesis agents, among others. Because of the relative rarity of the disease-MCL represents 6% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma-an obvious effort is needed to enroll patients on clinical trials. Not surprisingly, as in other non-Hodgkin lymphomas, MCL appears more and more as a heterogeneous disease, which might impact future clinical trial design through pharmacogenomics and hopefully help us develop smaller "molecular" relevant trials.
Lubrication of animal joints. II. The mechanism.

Abstract The effect of viscosity (Z) of several lubricants, the frequency of oscillation (N) and loading (P) on the coefficient of friction (μ) of excised dog ankle joints have been studied in vitro. Bovine synovial fluid reduced μ from 0·0099, obtained when saline solution was the bath fluid, to 0·0044. Viscosity per se was not an important factor inasmuch as treatment of synovia and synovia concentrate with testicular hyaluronidase, reduced Z from between 5 and 107 centipoise to approximately that of saline, but did not affect μ. The synovial lubricating factor remained in the mucin fraction which was retained by a Millipore filter having a pore dia. of 0·22 microns, and was shown to plate out onto the surface of the cartilage. Viscous purified hyaluronic acid lacked lubricating ability. These data and the relation between μ and a variation in ZN P indicate that combinations of self-pressurized hydrostatic, boundary and elastohydrodynamic mechanisms are involved in the lubrication of animal joints.
Plasma TNF-α and Soluble TNF Receptor Levels after Doxorubicin with or without Co-Administration of Mesna-A Randomized, Cross-Over Clinical Study.

Purpose Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) is a common sequelae of cancer therapy. Recent preclinical observations have suggested that CICI can be mediated by chemotherapy-induced plasma protein oxidation, which triggers TNF-α mediated CNS damage. This study evaluated sodium-2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (Mesna) co-administration with doxorubicin to reduce doxorubicin-induced plasma protein oxidation and resultant cascade of TNF-α, soluble TNF receptor levels and related cytokines.
Early Triassic magnetic polarity time scale―integration of magnetostratigraphy, ammonite zonation and sequence stratigraphy from stratotype sections (Canadian Arctic Archipelago)

Abstract Stratotypes defining the stages of the Early Triassic (Griesbachian, Dienerian, Smithian and Spathian) are located on Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg islands in the northern Canadian Arctic. Ammonite-rich horizons are within a clastic outer shelf-to-slope facies of thick progradational wedges of mudstones and siltstones. Three sections were sampled for magnetostratigraphy and interpreted for transgressive and regressive pulses of sedimentation. Using the ammonite zonation as a guide, the transgressive-regressive cycles and magnetostratigraphies have been correlated among the sections and to the published Triassic sequence stratigraphy time scale, thus enabling definition of the magnetic polarity pattern for the upper Griesbachian to Smithian stages in multiple sections. The magnetic polarity and associated sequence stratigraphy pattern for the lower Griesbachian and for the Spathian were derived from single sections. The Griesbachian and Dienerian stages each have two pairs of normal- and reversed-polarity chrons; the Smithian is predominantly of normal polarity, and the Spathian is predominantly of reversed polarity. This magnetic polarity time scale may help to resolve age correlations of North American redbed facies and to define the Permian-Triassic boundary. After correction for variable structural orientations, the mean directions of magnetization from the three sites converge at 296° declination, 57° inclination (k = 60,α95 = 16.5°; equivalent pole = 41°N, 161°E; paleolatitude = 38°N), which is consistent with the pole derived from nearby Early Permian volcanics and supports a postulated post-Early Triassic, pre-Tertiary counterclockwise rotation of this region with respect to cratonic North America.
Safety, Minimization, and Awareness Radiation Training Reduces Fluoroscopy Time During Unilateral Ureteroscopy

Objective To determine the impact of Safety, Minimization and Awareness Radiation Training (SMART) on fluoroscopy time during unilateral uncomplicated ureteroscopy for urolithiasis performed by urology residents. Materials and Methods All consecutive ureteroscopy cases for urolithiasis meeting inclusion criteria and performed by first-year urology residents over a 2-year period were reviewed. Fluoroscopy times during SMART and without SMART were compared. Results A total of 202 ureteroscopy cases were reviewed. The mean patient age was 48.7 years. The mean stone diameter was 7.6 ± 3.3 mm. The mean operating time was 79.8 ± 34.3 minutes. The mean cumulative fluoroscopy time was 85.6 ± 36.9 seconds per case. A Spearman rank correlation identified 8 variables significantly correlated with fluoroscopy time, with the most significant correlation between shorter fluoroscopy time and SMART exposure (rho = 0.532; P Conclusion SMART reduces fluoroscopy time during unilateral uncomplicated ureteroscopy for urolithiasis performed by urology residents by 56%.
Basal expression of the human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) gene in K562 cells.

Abstract Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) functions in hematopoiesis and regulates mature monocytes. Untreated K562 leukemic cells transcribe M-CSF. Elements between bases −43 and −77 (NF-KB enhancer) and between −129 and −180 (Sp1 enhancer) of the M-CSF promoter were important for basal transcription. Gel Shift assays and ultraviolet crosslinking experiments showed a 50 kDa protein bound to the NF-KB element at −65 in a GTP-dependent fashion. Additionally, a K562 nuclear protein, specifically bound the Sp1 enhancer. Run-off transcription and half-life studies showed that M-CSF is regulated primarily at the post-transcriptional level.
Learning How Organizations Mitigate Risk

Over time, more and more organizations, whose technical and industrial activities are capable of causing perceptible adverse public effects, feel pressure from their external environment to greatly reduce the incidence of errors or failure. This paper describes the first phase of research designed to extend the HRO findings and approaches to studying organizations that are not yet experiencing similar pressures, but may soon be. Preliminary work supports four hypotheses that were generated by literature on resource dependency which was developed and applied to the marine industry. Future research will extend observations further, ultimately returning to such primary issues of the original research as decision making, culture, adaptation to technology and structure, but applying these issues to a wider variety of cases, outcomes and approaches.
TRH decreases food intake and increases water intake and body temperature in rats.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is a key regulator of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, which plays an important role in energy homeostasis and is involved in the regulation of feeding behavior. In the present study, we investigated the effects of acute and chronic TRH treatment on water intake, body temperature and feeding behavior in rats. TRH (0, 4, 16 and 64 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously twice a day (06:00 and 18:00 h) in rats fed ad libitum. TRH decreased food and water intake in the first few hours (P < .05). There was a small reduction in food intake over the 24-h period, but body weight was not affected (P < .05). When TRH was injected at a dose of 32 mg/kg twice a day (06:00 and 18:00 h) for 5 days, T(3) and T(4) concentrations were increased (P < .05). TRH increased body temperature for 2 h after injection. Water intake was markedly increased (P < .05), but there was no effect on food intake or body weight. These results show that whereas a single injection of TRH decreases short-term food and water intake in rats, repeated daily treatments stimulate water intake but not food intake, and, thus, the increase in water consumption is mediated independently of food intake under these conditions.
Helix–coil transition in poly-ε-carbobenzoxy-L-lysine

The reversible helix-to-random coil conformational change which occurs in solvated poly-ϵ-carbobenzosy-L-lysine, a synthetic polypeptide, has been studied. The course of this cooperative transition, which in many ways resembles a first-order phase transition, was followed both by measuring changes in optical rotation as a function of temperature, and calorimetrically by determining the heat capacity of the solution through the transition region. From the latter measurements, the enthalpy of transition was calculated. From the results it has been shown directly, for the first time, that in a statistical thermodynamical sense, the transition in this system is significantly more cooperative than that undergone by poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate, a closely analogous polypeptide. Thus a previously held concept that the degree of cooperation might be quantitatively similar for a wide range of such systems has been shown, for at least one important example, not to be tenable.
Biodegradation of medium chain hydrocarbons by Acinetobacter venetianus 2AW immobilized to hair-based adsorbent mats

The natural attenuation of hydrocarbons can be hindered by their rapid dispersion in the environment and limited contact with bacteria capable of oxidizing hydrocarbons. A functionalized composite material is described herein, that combines in situ immobilized alkane-degrading bacteria with an adsorbent material that collects hydrocarbon substrates, and facilitates biodegradation by the immobilized bacterial population. Acinetobacter venetianus 2AW was isolated for its ability to utilize hydrophobic n-alkanes (C10-C18) as the sole carbon and energy source. Growth of strain 2AW also resulted in the production of a biosurfactant that aided in the dispersion of complex mixtures of hydrophobic compounds. Effective immobilization of strain 2AW to the surface of Ottimat™ adsorbent hair mats via vapor phase deposition of silica provided a stable and reproducible biocatalyst population that facilitates in situ biodegradation of n-alkanes. Silica-immobilized strain 2AW demonstrated ca. 85% removal of 1% (v/v) tetradecane and hexadecane within 24 h, under continuous flow conditions. The methodology for immobilizing whole bacterial cells at the surface of an adsorbent, for in situ degradation of hydrocarbons, has practical application in the bioremediation of oil in water emulsions. Published 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol Prog., 2011.
Gas-Phase Thermochemistry of Polyhalide Anions

A flowing afterglow−tandem mass spectrometer has been used to determine 0 K bond strengths in three hypervalent polyhalide ions: D(Cl2−Cl-) = 99 ± 5 kJ/mol, D(Br2−Br-) = 127 ± 7 kJ/mol, and D(Br2−Br3-) = 40 ± 7 kJ/mol. These bond strengths are close to the previously measured values D(I2−I-) = 126 ± 6 kJ/mol and D(I2−I3-) = 49 ± 6 kJ/mol. In contrast, Cl5- and F3- are not formed at room temperature in the flowing afterglow. Solvation energies for the trihalides derived from this work and literature thermochemistry are inversely correlated with the size of the ion, in reasonable agreement with the predictions of the Born model. The electron affinities EA(Cl3) = 4.60 ± 0.09 eV and EA(Br3) = 4.55 ± 0.10 eV can also be derived. The gas-phase bond strengths are more consistent with the three center-four electron bond model than with the expanded octet model.
Catalytic Motors for Transport of Colloidal Cargo

Autonomous micro- and nanomotors should, in principle, deliver materials in a site-directed fashion, powering the assembly of dynamic, nonequilibrium superstructures. Here we demonstrate that catalytic Pt−Au nanomotors can transport a prototypical cargo: polystyrene microspheres. In addition, motors with Ni segments can overcome both Brownian orientational fluctuations and biased rotation of the rod−sphere doublet to enable persistent steerable uniaxial motion in an external magnetic field. Assuming a cargo-independent motive force, the speeds are inversely proportional to the Stokes resistance, which we compute using a completed double-layer boundary integral equation. In addition, we demonstrate motors transporting cargo via chemotaxis toward a H2O2 fuel source.
Assembly of Resorcinarene Capsules in Wet Solvents

Resorcinarenes assemble in wet chloroform or benzene to form hexameric capsules, resembling inflated cubes or volleyballs. NMR methods are used to determine the number of solvent molecules detained inside; eight molecules of benzene are encapsulated.
“Superman Says, ‘Read!’” National Comics and Reading Promotion

Between the years 1935 and 1946, National Comics—the leading comic book publisher in the United States—experimented with various strategies such as book lists and juvenile book reviews in order to encourage children and young adults to read books other than comics. This paper surveys these strategies and the work of key persons such as Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, M.C. Gaines, and Josette Frank, in the context of the broader landscape of children’s reading and comics publishing. In addition, the paper argues that National’s efforts serve as further encouragement for contemporary scholars to reevaluate the role that comics played in the cultural and literary lives of young readers.
Notes on the sexual behavior of the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus)

Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) sexual behavior was studied at the Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia, for 12 months. Data were collected on one-male groups and all-male groups using event sampling for copulations, presents, and same-sex mounts. Proboscis monkeys follow typical colobine patterns of sexual behavior with females soliciting copulations through head shaking, pout face, and the presentation of the hindquarters. Males appear to be single-mount ejaculators. Harassment of copulating pairs and female-female competition for a mate were observed. Same-sex mounts (female-female and male-male) were also observed. Additional data are needed to evaluate their function.
An EMG-assisted model of loads on the lumbar spine during asymmetric trunk extensions

An EMG-assisted, low-back, lifting model is presented which simulates spinal loading as a function of dynamic, asymmetric, lifting exertions. The purpose of this study has been to develop a model which overcomes the limitations of previous models including static or isokinetic mechanics, inaccurate predictions of muscle coactivity, static interpretation of myoelectric activity, and physiologically unrealistic or variable muscle force per unit area. The present model predicts individual muscle forces from processed EMG data, normalized as a function of trunk angle and asymmetry, and modified to account for muscle length and velocity artifacts. The normalized EMGs are combined with muscle cross-sectional area and intrinsic strength capacity as determined on a per subject basis, to represent tensile force amplitudes. Dynamic internal and external force vectors are employed to predict trunk moments, spinal compression, lateral and anterior shear forces. Data from 20 subjects performing a total of 2160 exertions showed good agreement between predicted and measured values under all trunk angle, asymmetry, velocity, and acceleration conditions. The design represents a significant step toward accurate, fully dynamic modeling of the low-back in multiple dimensions. The benefits of such a model are the insights provided into the effects of motion induced, muscle co-activity on spinal loading in multiple dimensions.
Assessing global disclosure risk in masked microdata

In this paper, we introduce a general framework for microdata and three disclosure risk measures (minimal, maximal and weighted). We classify the attributes from a given microdata in two different ways: based on their potential identification utility and based on the order relation that exists in their domain of value. We define inversion and change factors that allow data users to quantify the magnitude of masking modification incurred for values of a key attribute. The disclosure risk measures are based on these inversion and change factors, and can be computed for any specific disclosure control method, or any combination of methods applied in succession to a given microdata. Using simulated medical data in our experiments, we show that the proposed disclosure risk measures perform as expected in real-life situations.