cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Pediatric Risk of Hospital Admission score: a second-generation severity-of-illness score for pediatric emergency patients.

Objective. To develop and validate a second-generation severity-of-illness score that is applicable to pediatric emergency patients. The Pediatric Risk of Admission (PRISA) score was developed in a single hospital and was recalibrated and validated in 2, previous, small studies from academic pediatric hospitals. This study was performed to develop and validate a score in a larger sample of diverse hospitals. Methods. Emergency departments (EDs) were block randomly selected as part of a study on ED quality on the basis of 3 care characteristics: annual patient volume (high or low compared with national median), presence or absence of a pediatric emergency medicine subspecialist, and presence or absence of residents. Patients were selected randomly on the basis of daily arrival logs. Medical records were photocopied, and abstracted data included demographic, historical, physiologic, and therapeutic information. The total sample was randomly divided into a 75% development sample and a 25% validation sample. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to model the risk of mandatory admission, admissions for which preidentified, inpatient medical resources were used. The resulting multiple logistic regression model coefficients were converted to integer scores. Calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit) and discrimination (area under the ROC curve) were used to measure performance. As a measure of construct validity, proportions of patients in ordered risk intervals were correlated with the outcomes of admission, mandatory admission, and ICU admission. Results. Sixteen EDs enrolled 11664 patients. Mean patient age (±SD) was 6.8 ± 5.8 years, and 53% were male. Nine percent arrived by emergency medical services, and 6.9% were admitted. The most common diagnoses were minor injuries, otitis media, and fever. The multivariate analysis yielded a score with 7 historical variables, 8 physiologic variables, 1 therapy (oxygen) term, and 1 interaction term. Calibration was excellent. In the development sample, 442 mandatory admissions were predicted and 442 were observed (total χ2 = 2.275), and in the validation sample, 136.6 were predicted and 145 were observed (χ2 = 8.575). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.82 ± 0.01 (SE) in the development sample and 0.77 ± 0.02 in the validation sample. In ordered predicted risk intervals, the proportion of patients with admissions, mandatory admissions, and ICU admissions increased in a linear manner. Conclusions. The second-generation PRISA II score for pediatric ED patients has been developed and validated in a large sample of diverse hospitals. Performance characteristics indicate that PRISA II will be useful for institutional comparisons, benchmarking, and controlling for severity of illness when enrolling patients in clinical trials.
Designing and Evaluating E-Learning in Higher Education: A Review and Recommendations:

In the past decade, there has been tremendous growth in the availability of college and university courses taught entirely online. In this manuscript, we review issues that impact the effectiveness...
Positive practice routines in overcoming resistance to the treatment of school phobia: a case study with follow-up.

Abstract The treatment is described of a 6-year-old first grade girl who refused to attend her classroom without adult accompaniment. For eight weeks an attempt was made, using different adult escorts, to prompt/shape classroom attendance through classroom exposure. However, the outcome was the development of an unwavering preference to remain in the principal's office after the child would not tolerate separation from these adults. Rather then continue to take her to the classroom, an intervention was initiated designed to structure her daily experiences and provide instruction. In this she was expected to practice several educational activities at designated times in the principal's office. This intervention resulted in a complete elimination of the child's classroom avoidance within five weeks and concomitant improvements in both social and academic functioning. Although the child's mother suddenly died during intervention, follow-up at one and 12 months in a different school indicated the maintenance of all therapeutic gains. Unique aspects of the procedures pertaining to refractory problems and some tentative behavioral guidelines to overcoming resistance to treatment are discussed.
Effects of standing litter on the biophysical interpretation of plant canopies with spectral indices

Abstract Litter is frequently present within vegetation canopies and thus contributes to the overall spectral response of a canopy. Consequently, litter will affect spectral indices designed to be sensitive to green vegetation, soil brightness or other features. The main objectives of the current research were to 1) evaluate the spectral properties of green vegetation and litter and 2) quantify the effect of standing litter on the performance of spectral indices. The SAIL (scattering by arbitrarily inclined leaves) model was used to generate canopy reflectance “mixtures” and to estimate fractions of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) with varying leaf area index (LAI), soil background, combinations of vegetation component spectral properties, and one or two horizontal vegetation layers. Spectral measurements of different bare soils and mature green and senescent leaves of representative plant species at the HAPEX-Sahel (Hydrological Atmospheric Pilot Experiment) study sites were used as input. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and the modified NDVI (MNDVI) and mixture model spectral indices were selected to evaluate their performance with respect to standing litter and green vegetation mixtures. Spectral reflectance signatures of leaf litter varied significantly, but strongly resembled soil spectral characteristics. The biophysical phyameters (LAI, fAPAR), derived from spectral vegetation indices, tended to be overestimated for randomly distributed, sparse green and litter vegetation cover mixtures, and underestimated for randomly distributed dense green and litter vegetation cover mixtures. All spectral indices and their biophysical interpretation were significantly altered by variability in 1) green leaf, leaf litter, and bark optical properties, 2) the amount and position of standing leaf litter, 3) leaf angle distribution, and 4) soil background. The NDVI response to these variables was inconsistent, and was the most affected by litter. The spectral mixture model indices, designed to be sensitive to litter, were shown to be promising for the identification of litter present among different ecosystems.
Clinical evaluation of the new Amplatzer duct occluder II for patent arterial duct occlusion

Background: Several devices such as coils and Amplatzer duct occluder (ADO) are used for catheter closure of patent arterial ducts (PDA). These carry a high success rate but residual shunts, suboptimal device orientation, and technical problems are encountered. The Amplatzer duct occluder II (ADO II) is designed to address these limitations. Objectives: To evaluate the technical features of the new ADO II device for PDA closure and document the immediate/early closure rate, complications and device behavior during implantation. Methods: Prospective, two center study from February 2008 to January 2009. Twenty-seven patients (18 females) received the ADO II. The median age was 22 months (range: 7 months–68 years) and the median weight was 11.7 kg (range: 6.9–108). The median PDA diameter was 2.6 mm (range: 1–4.4). The approach was arterial in 13 and venous in 14 patients. Follow-up included echocardiography at 1 day and 1 month postimplantation. Results: All implantations were technically successful with immediate complete angiographic closure in 21 and trivial contrast flow in six patients. The median procedure time was 43 min (range: 15–82) and the fluoroscopy time was 6 min (range: 2.2–26.5). Echocardiography confirmed no residual shunts on the following day. There were no complications. Conclusion: The new ADO II is a versatile and very effective device for closure of PDAs of various shapes, lengths, and up to diameters of 5.5 mm. The disc articulations, high early closure rate, arterial or venous approach options, and small diameter delivery catheter are all beneficial features. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Numerical analysis for structural health monitoring of a damaged composite panel using PZT actuators and sensors

Reliable damage detection is crucial for assessing the integrity of a structure. In this paper, a numerical study of a composite panel fabricated to simulate a crack is undertaken using finite element methods (FEM). The damage to be considered is a transverse crack which pre-exists in the structure. The finite element models are developed for an undamaged and a damaged composite panel to compute the change in Lamb wave response due to the existence of a crack. The model is validated using shear lag analysis applied at the crack. The results are verified experimentally by comparing the results for an undamaged composite panel and a composite panel fabricated with a simulated crack using the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. The responses for each panel are obtained using surface mounted lead zirconate titanate (PZT) actuators and sensors. PZT is used to generate Lamb waves which produce stress throughout the panel thickness. Propagation characteristics of Lamb waves are varied by the presence of damage. The sensor data provide reliable information about the integrity of the structure. Numerical results are compared to the sensor output to ensure accuracy of the damage detection system.
On-line calibration of multiple LIDARs on a mobile vehicle platform

In this paper, we examine the problem of extrinsic calibration of multiple LIDARs on a mobile vehicle platform. To achieve fully automated and on-line calibration, the original non-linear calibration model is reformulated as a second-order cone program (SOCP). This provides an advantage over more standard linearized approaches in that a priori information such as a default LIDAR calibration, calibration tolerances, etc., can be readily modeled. Furthermore, in contrast to general non-linear methods, the SOCP relaxation is convex, returns a global minimum, and can be solved very quickly using modern interior point methods (IPM). This enables the calibration to be estimated on-line for multiple LIDARs simultaneously. Experimental results are provided where the approach is used to successfully calibrate a pair of Sick LMS291-S14 LIDARs mounted on a mobile vehicle platform. These showed the SOCP formulation yielded a more accurate reconstruction and was 1–2 orders of magnitude faster than the traditional non-linear least-squares approach.
A simulation study of the growth of benthic microalgae following the decline of a surface phytoplankton bloom

The West Florida continental shelf is an oligotrophic system for most of the year. An episodic chlorophyll plume has previously been observed in satellite imagery on the northern portion of the shelf during the spring months. The fate of the plume upon its decline in the late spring and early summer is unknown. Decreased chlorophyll levels and sustained nutrient stocks may be explained by sediment/water-column interactions, including the presence of benthic microalgae. A one-dimensional model, consisting of 16 state variables, is constructed to simulate the decline of a surface chlorophyll bloom in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico as measured during the Florida Shelf Lagrangian Experiment (FSLE). Results from a baseline simulation of two FSLE studies suggest that remineralized nutrients from the declining bloom are taken up by heterotrophic bacteria in the water-column and by benthic microalgae in the sediments. Perturbation experiments imply that low light levels, due to increased CDOM, do not have significant effects on the benthic microfloral community at mid-shelf locations.
THE CRUCIFIXION AS REALISATION OF IDENTITY: THE GIFT OF RECOGNITION AND REPRESENTATION

This essay approaches the complex structure of the Christian's identity from the perspective of the crucifixion of Christ. Central to this approach are the concepts of recognition and representation, which are employed to clarify presuppositions of Christian identity that can be seen as theologically and philosophically prior to the doctrinal conceptions of reconciliation and atonement. The cross can be seen as a gift only if it is simultaneously conceived of as a possibility for receiving a new identity through the recognition of God both as the other represented and representing the human on the cross. On the basis of recognition and representation, implications concerning the more doctrinal formulation of Christology, anthropology and soteriology are spelled out.
A Simplified Model for Predicting Air Flow in Multizone Structures

Abstract Several infiltration models exist to treat air flows in multizone buildings. Most of them, however, are written as research tools and rely on the use of mainframe computers; as such, they are generally unavailable to the average user. Even if they can be obtained, the models are seldom user-friendly. Engineers and architects are key professionals in need of a simplified multizone infilfration model that will allow them to predict infiltration and ventilation for buildings. This paper describes the second step in the development by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory of a multizone infiltration model for calculating the air-flow distribution of a complex building. This model is based on an algorithm that can be determined with a pocket calculator. To simplify the calculation process, we have categorized buildings on the basis of their ratio of permeabilities and have lumped together the physical parameters describing the air permeability distribution needed to calculate the building's overall infiltration/exfiltration rate as well as the infiltration/exfiltration for each of the building's zones. The simplified multizone model described in this paper is illustrated by a sample calculation of an eight-story building.
Thermodynamic properties of solid palladuim-copper and platinum-copper alloys

Abstract The activities and the free energies of formation at 1350°K of solid PdCu and PtCu alloys have been calculated from vapor-pressure data. The enthalpies of formation at 298°K have been determined by liquid-tin solution calorimetry for the PtCu alloys. The entropies of formation of both systems have been computed from the free energy and enthalpy values by means of the Gibbs-Helmholtz equation. The results are discussed in relation to the Pd-Ag alloy system, which has a similar electronic structure, and to other physical properties of the PdCu and PtCu alloy systems.
Prostate-specific antigen doubling time predicts response to deferred antiandrogen therapy in men with androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives To identify the pretreatment variables that are predictive of response and the duration of response to deferred antiandrogen therapy in men with androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC). Methods A total of 375 patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy for advanced prostate cancer between 1977 and 2002 had medical records available for retrospective review. Of these 375 patients, 163 were diagnosed with AIPC. The inclusion criteria included (1) diagnosis of AIPC and (2) treatment with deferred antiandrogen therapy. AIPC was biochemically defined as two consecutive rises in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level during androgen deprivation therapy. The treatment response to deferred antiandrogen therapy was defined as a 50% or greater decline in the pretreatment PSA level. The prognostic value of various pretreatment parameters was determined with the appropriate statistical methods and tested with a Cox proportional hazards model. Results Of the 163 patients with AIPC, 36 were treated with deferred antiandrogen therapy. Of these 36 patients, 12 (33.3%) experienced a PSA response. The median PSA failure-free survival was 9.0 months (95% confidence interval 5.2 to 12.9). The only pretreatment variable predictive of a PSA response was the PSA doubling time (PSADT). The mean PSADT in responders was 12.7 months versus 7.5 months in nonresponders ( P = 0.037). Moreover, PSADT was the only statistically significant variable on univariate analysis of PSA failure-free survival in responders (hazard ratio 0.202, 95% confidence interval 0.041 to 0.990, P = 0.049). No statistically significant difference was found in cancer-specific survival between responders and nonresponders ( P = 0.1501). Conclusions The PSADT predicted both the response and the duration of the response to deferred antiandrogen therapy in patients diagnosed with AIPC.
Privacy as life, liberty, property

The cluster of concerns usually identified as matters of privacy can be adequately accounted for by unpacking our natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Privacy as derived from fundamental natural rights to life, liberty, and property encompasses the advantages of the control and restricted access theories without their attendant difficulties.
US Provider-Reported Diet and Physical Activity Counseling to Pregnant and Non-pregnant Women of Childbearing Age During Preventive Care Visits

Healthy diet, physical activity and appropriate weight gain during pregnancy contribute to healthy birth outcomes. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women receive counseling about diet and exercise during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum periods. We sought to determine how often healthcare providers report counseling women of childbearing age about diet or exercise and if such rates vary by pregnancy, overweight/obesity status or physician specialty. We combined the 2005–2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to obtain nationally representative estimates of outpatient preventive care visits for women of child-bearing age (15–44 years). Accounting for survey design, we compared proportions of preventive visits that included diet/exercise counseling for pregnant women versus non-pregnant women and performed multivariable logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios. Providers reported counseling pregnant women about diet/exercise during 17.9 % of preventive care visits compared to 22.6 % of visits for non-pregnant women (P < 0.01, adj. OR 0.8, 95 % CI 0.7, 1.0). Overweight/obese pregnant (vs. non-pregnant) women were significantly less likely to receive diet/exercise counseling (adj. OR 0.7, CI 0.5, 0.9) as were women seen by OB/GYNs versus non-OB/GYNs (adj. OR 0.4, CI 0.3, 0.5). Our findings suggest that provider-reported diet/exercise counseling rates during preventive care visits for women of childbearing age vary by overweight/obesity and pregnancy statuses, as well as by provider specialty. Our data suggest that there may be missed opportunities to provide diet/exercise counseling and that increasing rates of counseling could result in improved maternal and infant health outcomes.
Impact of digital media on comics

Digital comics are more than Web comics. Web comics nominally benefit from the affordances of digital interactive media such as distributing comics instantaneously at low cost, storing and exploring an archive, applying animation and sound, and connecting with the comics artist and fan base via email and social media. Digital comics can expand beyond Web comics such as site-specific comics, location based comics (GPS comics), embodied comics (computer vision based comics). Murray identifies the affordances of digital media as "procedural, participatory, spatial, and encyclopedic" [Murray 1997]. When the affordances of digital media are fully used, digital comics offers the comic artist new meaning making strategies.
Signaling mechanisms for regulation of chemotaxis

Chemotaxis is a fascinating biological process, through which a cell migrates along a shallow chemoattractant gradient that is less than 5% difference between the anterior and posterior of the cell. Chemotaxis is composed of two independent, but interrelated processes-motility and directionality, both of which are regulated by extracellular stimuli, chemoattractants. In this mini-review, recent progresses in the understanding of the regulation of leukocyte chemotaxis by chemoattractant signaling are reviewed.
Aldehyde dehydrogenase content and composition of human liver

Abstract Human liver contains only four proteins which catalyze dehydrogenation of acetaldehyde; two of these are tetrameric with MW of 220,000 and are structurally related. These enzymes were purified previously to homogeneity and are now known as the cytoplasmic E1 and mitochondrial E2. The other two proteins do not appear to be structurally related to E1 and E2. The recently isolated E4 enzyme is a dimer of MW of ca. 175,000; the E3 may be a polymorphic enzyme. The Enzyme Commission classification for E1 and E2 is EC 1.2.1.3., that for E4 is at present uncertain since its Michaelis constants for short chain aldehydes are high, making it unlikely that these would be its natural substrates. The relationship between E3 and E4 is also uncertain. Employing a suitably designed assay, E1 and E2 are assayed as “low Km” enzymes while E3 and E4 are assayed as “high Km” enzymes. Therefore by employing such an assay, combined with electrofocusing procedure, an assessment of enzyme content and composition of aldehyde dehydrogenase in human liver can be made.
Auditory property detectors and processing place features in stop consonants.

The effects of selective adaptation on the perception of consonant-vowel (CV) stimuli varying in place of production was studied under two conditions. In the first condition, repeated presentation of a CV syllable produced an adaptation effect resulting in a shift in the locus of the phonetic boundary between [ba] and [da]. This result replicated previously reported findings. However, in the second condition, an adaptation effect was obtained on this same test series when the critical acoustic information (i.e., formant transitions) was present in final position of a VC speech-like syllable. These latter results support an auditory account of selective adaptation based on the spectral similarity of the adapting stimuli and test series rather than a more abstract linguistic account based on phonetic identity.
Hegel's “Science” and Whitehead's “Modern World”

“I have never been able to read Hegel: I initiated my attempt by studying some remarks of his on mathematics which struck me as complete nonsense. It was foolish of me, but I am not writing to explain my good sense.”—A. N. Whitehead.
Coping with economic stress: Implications for helping professionals

This article suggests methods for educational and service application of the research generated from the regional project, W-167, Coping with Stress: Adaptation of Nonmetropolitan Families to Socioeconomic Changes. Similarities among families studied as well as differences among state projects are highlighted. Suggestions for application center on strategies for educating rural families directly, providing information to those who work with rural families, and developing support systems conducive to the rural environment.
First Global Analysis of Saturation Artifacts in the VIIRS Infrared Channels and the Effects of Sample Aggregation

Unlike previous spaceborne Earth observing sensors, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) employs onboard sample aggregation to reduce downlink bandwidth requirements and preserve spatial resolution across the scan. To examine the potentially deleterious impacts of onboard sample aggregation when encountering detector saturation, nearly four months of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Nightfire product are analyzed, which contains a subset of the hottest observed nighttime pixels. An empirical method for identifying saturation is devised. The M12 band (3.69 μm) is the most frequently saturating band with 0.15% of the Nightfire pixels at or near the ∼359-K detector saturation limit; some saturation is also found in M14, M15, and M16 (8.58, 10.74, and 11.86 μm). Artifacts consistent with detector saturation are seen with M12 temperatures as low as 330 K in the scene center. This partial saturation and aggregation influence must be considered when using VIIRS radiances for quantitative characterization of hot emission sources such as fires and gas flaring.
An assessment of the importance of process in the development of communications materials in Uganda

Abstract In previous country programmes, communications development work was divided into single-issue vertical projects. Each project developed its own materials and would then send it to an in-house materials development unit. This unit would, in turn, design the graphics and layout, supervise the printing, and organise the field-testing. The system was production oriented. The Country Programme in Uganda is now organised on a broad-based programme arrangement in which different issues are combined. New concepts are being introduced along with new ways of working in the field, and a wide range of people from many different sectors and types of organisations are required for the production of communications materials. Inevitably, this approach has considerable costs, particularly in terms of time and control on the final product. During the time of transition from the single-intervention vertical product approach to a broad multi-sector programme approach, different processes were used to develop communications material. This variation created an opportunity to compare processes within one context, hence this assessment. The overall purpose of the assessment was to determine if the costs incurred by each method were justified in terms of the value added, such as stakeholder acceptance, ownership and use by the field staff.
A method for animating viscoelastic fluids

This paper describes a technique for animating the behavior of viscoelastic fluids, such as mucus, liquid soap, pudding, toothpaste, or clay, that exhibit a combination of both fluid and solid characteristics. The technique builds upon prior Eulerian methods for animating incompressible fluids with free surfaces by including additional elastic terms in the basic Navier-Stokes equations. The elastic terms are computed by integrating and advecting strain-rate throughout the fluid. Transition from elastic resistance to viscous flow is controlled by von Mises's yield condition, and subsequent behavior is then governed by a quasi-linear plasticity model.
Most Value Planning: Estimating the Net Benefits of Electric Utility Resource Plans

Most U.S. utility regulatory commissions require that electric utilities minimize cost when comparing supply-side and demand-side resources. However, utilities should also consider the effects of r...
Santa or the Grinch: Paradoxes Presented by the Use of Today’s Popular Media

This paper grew out of a larger study designed to investigate the usage patterns and effects of the introduction of the personal computer and the Internet in both the contemporary workplace and the home. During the course of analysis of the data collected several paradoxes associated with this usage emerged. The first, and in many ways the most important, was the paradox between the ability of Internet-based communication and software computer programs to facilitate the educational process while at the same time altering the learning patterns of the student users, affecting writing, and potentially affecting their cognitive processing. Secondly, while the usage of these technologies fulfilled the early expectations for creating a more efficient work place, it also created a new demand for increased production. This new expectation has blurred the line between professional and personal time with the usage of these technologies entering domestic space and has created the potential for anxiety and disjuncture. Thirdly, in research endeavors, these technologies have allowed people to collect and evaluate data in newer and quicker ways; however the demand for increased productivity has also altered the research function as attention is directed toward the production of papers and not the development of grander explanatory theories. Also, while the use of many Internet-based communication modalities promotes mobility, their constant use can also contribute to the avoidance of personal contact, isolation, and egocentric behavior. This paper describes these paradoxes and concludes by examining the emerging trends and patterns that these paradoxes have come to reinforce.
The role of vitamin B6 and the biosynthesis of choline in the excised tomato root.

Abstract The following substances were found to replace pyridoxine, to a greater or lesser degree, in the nutrition of a clone of excised tomato roots: dl -valine, l -valine, dl -norvaline, l -serine, dl -norleucine, dl -cystathionine, l -methionine, l -isoleucine, l -lysine, l -phenylalanine, dl -leucine, l -leucine, dl -α-aminobutyric acid, ethanolamine, dimethylaminoethanol, choline, glycolic acid, and formate. It was shown that ethanolamine does not act as a precursor of vitamin B 6 . The data are considered to support the view that choline is formed in the excised tomato root by methylation of ethanolamine; that ethanolamine is formed on decarboxylation of serine by an enzyme containing a component of vitamin B 6 ; that norvaline may be involved in “normal” metabolism; and that vitamin B 6 is involved, directly or indirectly, in the biosynthesis of other substances listed in the above paragraph.
Inhibition of GSH-dependent PGH2 isomerase in mammary adenocarcinoma cells by allicin.

We have reported tha allicin, a constituent of garlic oil, has no effect on the activities of platelet cyclooxygenase or thromboxane synthase, or vascular PGI2 synthase. The effect of allicin on glutathione (GSH) dependent PGH2 to PGE2 isomerase is unknown. We therefore studied the effect of allicin on PGE2 biosynthesis in a murine mammary adenocarcinoma cell line (No 4526). Intact or sonicated cells were incubated with either 14C-arachidonic acid (AA) or 14C-PHG2, respectively. Following metabolism, products were extracted, separated by TLC and analyzed by radiochromatographic scan. PGE2 was predominantly formed with minimal amounts of PGF2α and PGD2. Formation of 6-keto-PGF1α or TXB2 was not detected indicating the absence of TXA2 and PGI2 synthase activity. Indomethacin and ibuprofen inhibited the PGE2 formation (p < 0.05). The enzymatic PGE2 formation in sonicates was blocked by depletion of the cellular non-protein thiols by buthionine sulfoximine and was shown to be dependent on GSH. Allicin, over the range of 10–1000 μM, inhibited the formation of PGE2 in cells exposed to 2.0 μM 14C-AA for 20 min. and in sonicated cells incubated with 20.0 μM 14C-PGH2 for 2 min (p < 0.05). Allicin did not alter cyclooexygenase-mediated oxygen utilization in ram seminal vessicle microsomes, suggesting that allicin selectively inhibits the GSH-dependent PGH2 to PGE2 isomerase in this adenocarcinoma cell line.
Transient exposure to elastase induces mouse aortic wall smooth muscle cell production of MCP-1 and RANTES during development of experimental aortic aneurysm.

Abstract Purpose Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is associated with chronic transmural inflammation and destruction of the elastic media. The purpose of this study was to elucidate molecular mechanisms that might orchestrate leukocyte recruitment into the outer aortic wall by determining whether CC chemokines contribute to development of aneurysm degeneration in an elastase-induced mouse model of AAA. Methods Adult male C57BL/6J mice underwent transient elastase perfusion of the abdominal aorta to induce development of AAA. At various intervals after elastase perfusion (0, 4, 7, 14 days), real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure aortic wall expression of the CC (β) chemokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). Expression of these chemokines by cultured mouse aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMC) was similarly assessed after transient (5 minutes) exposure to elastase solutions in vitro. Results Mouse aortic diameter (mean ± SEM) increased to aneurysmal proportions by 14 days after elastase perfusion (from 0.51 ± 0.03 mm to 1.34 ± 0.32 mm; 163% increase; P P P 90-fold) of MCP-1 and RANTES, despite concomitant decrease in cell numbers. Conclusions Increased mouse aortic wall expression of MCP-1 and RANTES occurs early in development of elastase-induced AAA and before onset of the chronic inflammatory response. Moreover, elastase directly stimulates AoSMC chemokine production in vitro. Elastase-induced medial SMC production of CC chemokines may therefore provide an important link between enzymatic injury, leukocyte recruitment, and aneurysmal degeneration of the aortic wall.
Self-assembly in a mixed polymer brush with inhomogeneous grafting density composition

While theoretical and numerical studies have shown the possibility of obtaining long-range ordering from the self-assembly of A–B binary mixed brushes similar to diblock copolymer thin films, such ordered patterns are not currently obtainable experimentally. In addition, most experimental observations of mixed brushes show relatively short range order with many defective structures. One explanation for poor microdomain ordering in experimental mixed brushes is a strong correlation between the spatial distribution of the grafting points and the self-assembly. To investigate this relationship in detail, we use self-consistent field theory (SCFT) simulations to study the phase-separated morphologies of melt mixed brushes with spatially varying grafting density compositions. Variations in the grafting density composition are implemented by modulating the grafting chain end distribution function to locally control the ratio of A and B chains attached to the surface, while maintaining uniform total grafting density. Three different types of grafting density composition variations are investigated: a linear ramping of the grafting density composition, deterministic sinusoidal variations, and random fluctuations with various correlation lengths and strengths. The resulting patterns in the micro-phase separated brush are seen to depend sensitively on both the wavelengths and amplitudes of the imposed grafting density fluctuations.
Loom-sensitive neurons link computation to action in the Drosophila visual system.

Summary Background Many animals extract specific cues from rich visual scenes to guide appropriate behaviors. Such cues include visual motion signals produced both by self-movement and by moving objects in the environment. The complexity of these signals requires neural circuits to link particular patterns of motion to specific behavioral responses. Results Through electrophysiological recordings, we characterize genetically identified neurons in the optic lobe of Drosophila that are specifically tuned to detect motion signals produced by looming objects on a collision course with the fly. Using a genetic manipulation to specifically silence these neurons, we demonstrate that signals from these cells are important for flies to efficiently initiate the loom escape response. Moreover, through targeted expression of channelrhodopsin in these cells, in flies that are blind, we reveal that optogenetic stimulation of these neurons is typically sufficient to elicit escape, even in the absence of any visual stimulus. Conclusions In this compact nervous system, a small group of neurons that extract a specific visual cue from local motion inputs serve to trigger the ethologically appropriate behavioral response.
Futures spread risk in soybean multiyear hedge-to-arrive contracts

Soybean futures spreads in the 1948–1997 period are evaluated for the associated monetary risks inherent in multiyear hedge-to-arrive contracts (HTAs). For all years, the probability of having a negative old crop–new crop spread is approximately 75%. However, the high-price years have a 100% probability of having a negative spread and a 50–60% probability of having a negative spread exceeding 10 percent. The spread risk in high price years makes a multiyear HTA an imprecise hedge. Thus, establishing new crop prices close to current futures prices by initially using old crop futures is unlikely. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An Analytical Solution to Model Aquaculture Wetlands Subject to Intermittent Loading and Variable Initial Concentrations

Constructed wetlands are increasingly being used to treat intermittent releases of wastewaters from aquaculture ponds. Most constructed wetland design protocols are based on steady-state releases and as such are incapable of characterizing transient pollutant distribution arising from intermittent releases. Given the seasonal nature of aquaculture operations, the constructed wetland has to be developed using water from other nearby sources (termed as fill water in this study). In some instances, the pollutant concentrations in the fill water are noted to be greater than that measured in the aquaculture ponds. Also, the pollutants in the wetland may exhibit spatial variability due to geochemical interactions with wetland soils. These effects cannot be captured with existing steady-state design schemes. A mathematical model based on the tanks-in-series conceptualization is developed to overcome the aforementioned limitations. An analytical solution for multiple intermittent releases and spatially varying initial concentrations is obtained using Laplace transform and superposition techniques. The utility of the developed model is illustrated using an example based after a constructed wetland at the Loma Alta Shrimp Aquaculture Facility (LASAF) in South Texas. The developed model captures the extremely nonlinear relationship between the maximum discharge concentration and the hydraulic residence time. For the conditions assumed in this study, the extent of mixing is not of major concern when the spacing between the loadings is greater than 0.75 times the hydraulic residence time (HRT). Model results also suggest that the wetland should be oriented in a manner such that the internal geochemical production of the pollutant, if any, is near the inlet.
Does the U.S. Food Stamp Program contribute to adult weight gain

Abstract Obesity poses substantial costs both to the individual and society, mainly through its impact on health and labor productivity. Because obesity is more prevalent among the poor some have raised concerns that food assistance programs may encourage excess weight. This paper investigates whether the U.S. Food Stamp Program contributes to adult participants’ weight as measured by body mass index (BMI). Results suggest that the typical female food stamp participant's BMI is indeed more than 1 unit higher than someone with the same socioeconomic characteristics who is not in the program. For the average American woman, who is 5 ft 4 in. (1.63 m) tall, this means an increase in weight of 5.8 pounds (2.6 kg). While this association does not prove that the Food Stamp Program causes weight gain, it does suggest that program changes to encourage the consumption of high-nutrient, low-calorie foods should be considered.
Harmonic average of slopes and the stability of absolutely continuous invariant measure

For families of piecewise expanding maps which converge to a map with a fixed or periodic turning point touching a branch with slope of modulus equal to or less than 2, the standard Lasota–Yorke argument fails to prove stability. It is the goal of this paper to use instead the harmonic average of slopes condition for a large class of maps satisfying the summable oscillation condition for the reciprocal of the derivative. Using Rychlik’s Theorem for a family of perturbations we prove weak compactness in L1 of the density functions associated with them. From this it follows that we have stability of absolutely continuous invariant measures of the limit map.
Synthesis and release of calcitonin-like immunoreactivity by anterior pituitary cells: evidence for a role in paracrine regulation of prolactin secretion

Calcitonin (CT) is a potent and specific inhibitor of basal and TRH-induced PRL release and PRL mRNA levels in rat anterior pituitary (AP) cells, an action mediated through specific inhibition of the Ca(2+)-inositol phosphate messenger system. Because CT and CT-like peptides have been reported to be present in the AP, the present studies investigated 1) whether 35S-labeled CT-like substances can be precipitated from rat AP cell lysates, 2) whether immunoreactive CT is secreted from rat AP cells, as assessed from a cell blot assay and from RIA of spent medium from cultured AP cells, and 3) whether the release of PRL from cultured rat AP cells can be influenced by immunoneutralization of endogenous CT. Dispersed rat AP cells were labeled with [35S]cysteine, CT-like substances were immunoprecipitated from the lysate with antihuman CT (anti-hCT) and antisalmon CT (anti-sCT) immunoglobulin G conjugated to protein-A-Sepharose beads, and the immunoprecipitates were fractionated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacry...
Genetic Modification of the Effects of Alcohol on Metabolic and Clinical Phenotypes: A Review

Moderate alcohol intake is associated with improved high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, inflammation, insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. These beneficial effects have not been consistent across studies. Genetic mechanisms that regulate alcohol intake and metabolism may in part explain the inconsistencies. In this report we review evidence of the impact of genetic variation on the effects of moderate alcohol intake on metabolic and clinical phenotypes. We focused on single nucleotide polymorphisms in major alcohol-metabolizing enzyme genes, particularly alcohol dehydrogenases (i.e., ADH1B, ADH1C and ADH7), aldehyde dehydrogenase, and cytochrome P450 2E1 because of their reported effects on gene transcription rates, enzyme activity and association with clinical endpoints. We report that while there is evidence for genetic modification of the effects of alcohol on various metabolic phenotypes, most studies are based on minimally genotyped populations. Studies using dense markers (e.g., from exome sequencing) are needed and may explain some of the inconsistencies.
Negotiation of the Autonomy–Connectedness Dialectic in Adolescent Television Dramas: An Up-Close Look at Everwood, Seventh Heaven, and Veronica Mars

This study examines the relational maintenance strategies used to negotiate autonomy and connectedness in father–child relationships portrayed in adolescent television dramas. Episodes of 3 programs—Everwood, Seventh Heaven, and Veronica Mars—were coded for relational maintenance behaviors. Sharing information about activities, manipulating physical distance, and sharing emotions were among the most frequently occurring behaviors. Because television can have a socializing effect on viewers, studying the maintenance strategies used in popular adolescent television dramas can increase understanding of 1 element of adolescent viewer socialization.
Degradation of [14C]Carfentrazone-ethyl under Aerobic Aquatic Conditions

Carfentrazone-ethyl (CF-E) is an aryl triazolinone reduced-risk herbicide for use on corn, wheat, and soybean. As part of the assessment of its metabolic fate, the aerobic aquatic metabolism of [14...
Structural interpretations of F0 rotary function in the Escherichia coli F1F0 ATP synthase

F(1)F(0) ATP synthases are known to synthesize ATP by rotary catalysis in the F(1) sector of the enzyme. Proton translocation through the F(0) membrane sector is now proposed to drive rotation of an oligomer of c subunits, which in turn drives rotation of subunit gamma in F(1). The primary emphasis of this review will be on recent work from our laboratory on the structural organization of F(0), which proves to be consistent with the concept of a c(12) oligomeric rotor. From the NMR structure of subunit c and cross-linking studies, we can now suggest a detailed model for the organization of the c(12) oligomer in F(0) and some of the transmembrane interactions with subunits a and b. The structural model indicates that the H(+)-carrying carboxyl of subunit c is located between subunits of the c(12) oligomer and that two c subunits pack in a front-to-back manner to form the proton (cation) binding site. The proton carrying Asp61 side chain is occluded between subunits and access to it, for protonation and deprotonation via alternate entrance and exit half-channels, requires a swiveled opening of the packed c subunits and stepwise association with different transmembrane helices of subunit a. We suggest how some of the structural information can be incorporated into models of rotary movement of the c(12) oligomer during coupled synthesis of ATP in the F(1) portion of the molecule.
Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia: preliminary results at one year

Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is presently under investigation for the correction of myopia. Two companies in the United States, Summit Technology (Waltham, Mass.) and VisX, Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) have developed excimer laser delivery systems and are participating in an FDA study to determine the safety and efficacy of PRK. This is a preliminary report on the refractive and visual results of 51 of 100 eyes treated between October 10, 1990 and March 7, 1991 by the Summit Technology UV200LA excimer laser under the FDA Phase IIB FDA protocol one year after surgery. More detailed information on eight patients treated at Emory University Eye Center (Emory Subgroup) is also reported.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
RETROGRADE CELL DEGENERATION IN DIENCEPHALIC AND OTHER STRUCTURES AFTER HEMIDECORTICATION OF RHESUS MONKEYS.

Abstract Two newborn and three young adult monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ) were hemidecorticated by surgical aspiration and allowed to survive postoperatively for 15 to 31 days. The brains were perfused, sectioned transversely and stained with thionine. Resulting retrograde cell degeneration in the diencephalon and various other structures was examined microscopically and a comparison made between the newborn and adult animals. In the infant monkeys the following thalamic nuclei showed heavy cell loss: anterior dorsalis; anterior ventralis; anterior medialis (lateral two-thirds); ventralis lateralis; ventralis posterior lateralis; ventralis posterior inferior; lateralis dorsalis; lateralis posterior; reticularis; medialis dorsalis, partes parvocellularis and multiformis; pulvinaris; geniculatus lateralis dorsalis; geniculatus medialis, pars parvocellularis; and suprageniculatus. Nuclei showing partial cell loss were: anterior medialis (medial one-third); medialis dorsalis, pars densocellularis; reuniens; centralis latocellularis; alaris; centralis lateralis; paracentralis; limitans; and ventralis posterior medialis. Unaffected or only slightly affected nuclei included: ventralis anterior; medialis dorsalis, pars magnocellularis; geniculatus medialis, pars magnocellularis; centrum medianum; parafascicularis; centralis superior lateralis; and assorted midline nuclei. Thalamic degeneration in the adults was similar to the infants with the following exceptions which showed more severe cell loss in the adults: ventralis anterior; medialis dorsalis, pars magnocellularis; geniculatus medialis, pars magnocellularis; centralis lateralis; and paracentralis. Additional degeneration was present in three extrathalamic structures: the medial mamillary nucleus, which showed severe cell loss in the infants and partial cell loss in the adults; the caudal half of the nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca, which had virtually disappeared; and the ipsilateral pontine nuclei which were partially affected in the infants. No differences in extent of degeneration could be ascribed to variation in postoperative survival times.