cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activation–flow coupling during graded cerebral ischemia

Abstract Most functional neuroimaging techniques rely on activation–flow coupling (AFC) to detect changes in regional brain function, but AFC responses may also be altered during pathophysiological conditions such as ischemia. To define the relationship between progressive ischemia and the AFC response, graded levels of cerebral blood flow reduction were produced using a rat compression ischemia model, and the cerebral hemodynamic response to forepaw stimulation was measured. Graded levels of cortical ischemia of the somatosensory cortex were induced in male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 16) by compressing the intact dura with a 4-mm-diameter cylinder equipped with a laser-Doppler probe, combined with ipsilateral common carotid artery occlusion. At each level of CBF reduction, electric forepaw stimulation was conducted, and signal-averaged laser Doppler and evoked potential responses were recorded. A visible AFC response was present at all levels of CBF reduction (0–90% reduction from baseline), and the temporal characteristics of the response appeared largely preserved. However, the amplitude of the AFC response began to decline at levels of mild ischemia (10% flow reduction) and progressively decreased with further CBF reduction. The amplitude of the evoked response appeared to decrease in concert with the AFC amplitude and appeared to be equally sensitive to ischemia. AFC appears to be a sensitive marker for cerebral ischemia, and alterations in the AFC response occur at CBF reductions above the accepted thresholds for infarction. However, the AFC response is also preserved when flow is reduced below ischemic thresholds.
Design of a functional calcium channel protein: Inferences about an ion channel-forming motif derived from the primary structure of voltage-gated calcium channels

To identify sequence-specific motifs associated with the formation of an ionic pore, we systematically evaluated the channel-forming activity of synthetic peptides with sequence of predicted transmembrane segments of the voltage-gated calcium channel. The amino acid sequence of voltage-gated, dihydropyridine (DHP)-sensitive calcium channels suggests the presence in each of four homologous repeats (I-IV) of six segments (S1-S6) predicted to form membrane-spanning, alpha-helical structures. Only peptides representing amphipathic segments S2 or S3 form channels in lipid bilayers. To generate a functional calcium channel based on a four-helix bundle motif, four-helix bundle proteins representing IVS2 (T4CaIVS2) or IVS3 (T4CaIVS3) were synthesized. Both proteins form cation-selective channels, but with distinct characteristics: the single-channel conductance in 50 mM BaCl2 is 3 pS and 10 pS. For T4CaIVS3, the conductance saturates with increasing concentration of divalent cation. The dissociation constants for Ba2+, Ca2+, and Sr2+ are 13.6 mM, 17.7 mM, and 15.0 mM, respectively. The conductance of T4CaIVS2 does not saturate up to 150 mM salt. Whereas T4CaIVS3 is blocked by microM Ca2+ and Cd2+, T4CaIVS2 is not blocked by divalent cations. Only T4CaIVS3 is modulated by enantiomers of the DHP derivative BayK 8644, demonstrating sequence requirement for specific drug action. Thus, only T4CaIVS3 exhibits pore properties characteristic also of authentic calcium channels. The designed functional calcium channel may provide insights into fundamental mechanisms of ionic permeation and drug action, information that may in turn further our understanding of molecular determinants underlying authentic pore structures.
A clinical outcome and cost analysis of laparoscopic versus open appendectomy

BACKGROUND : Benefits of laparoscopic appendectomy are controversial, and the results of recent clinical studies have contradictory conclusions. We performed a cost analysis comparing laparoscopic and open appendectomies to assess potential efficacy of the laparoscopic approach. METHODS : All patients operated on for suspected acute appendicitis at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) from January 1, 1991 through January 1, 1995 were analyzed. Potential benefits of the laparoscopic approach were examined in five major categories : hospital length of stay, total hospital charges, operative time, operating room charges, and postoperative complications. Patients were stratified according to the presence or absence of perforation for outcome analysis. RESULTS : There were 163 appendectomies performed in 82 men and 81 women. Twenty-seven (17%) patients had laparoscopic evaluation, of which 21 underwent attempted laparoscopic appendectomy. Among nonperforated patients, laparoscopic appendectomy did not reduce hospital stay compared with open appendectomy, but did lead to greater hospital charges ($7760 vs $5064 ; P < 0.001). Operating times were longer in the laparoscopic group (104 vs 74 minutes ; P < 0.001) compared with open appendectomies. Operating room charges for laparoscopic appendectomies exceeded charges for the open approach ($4740 vs $1870 ; P < 0.001). Complication rates were similar (laparoscopic, 19% vs open, 16% ; NS). The false diagnostic rate for women was four times greater than for men among patients undergoing open appendectomy (31% vs 8% ; P < 0.01). Patients with perforation undergoing a midline incision had a longer hospital stay (9.5 vs 5.9 ; P < 0.02) than patients operated on through a right lower quadrant incision. CONCLUSIONS : In our analysis, laparoscopic appendectomy, while safe, was more expensive and was not associated with better clinical outcome compared with open appendectomy patients.
SERUM RESPONSIVE GENE EXPRESSION MEDIATED BY SP1

We compared the Sp1 binding activity of Rat2 fibroblasts in nuclear extracts prepared from quiescent cells and cells stimulated with 20% serum. Increased DNA-binding activity was observed in extracts from serum-stimulated cells when an Sp1 oligonucleotide was used as radiolabeled probe in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. This increase in Sp1 DNA-binding activity is not due to changes in the amount of Sp1 in the nucleus as shown by immunoblot analysis. The transcriptional activity of a reporter construct containing six Sp1 sites upstream of a minimal adenovirus promoter or an Sp1-dependent promoter such as ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) containing Sp1 sites was enhanced following serum stimulation in transient transfection assays. Dephosphorylation of the nuclear extracts with potato acid phosphatase abolished the Sp1 DNA-binding activity, demonstrating a possible correlation between phosphorylation of Sp1 and DNA-binding activity. These results implicate a potential role for Sp1 in mediating signal transduction pathways in response to mitogenic signals.
Can therapeutic considerations provide clues to the etiology of aphthous stomatitis and Behçet's syndrome?

An attempt is made to derive clues as to the etiology of aphthous stomatitis and Behcet's syndrome from analysis of the mode of action of the various therapeutic agents which have been employed in these diseases. It is concluded that owing to the diverse and frequently contrasting modes of action of these agents, this may well be an unproductive task. There is one exception to this conclusion. Since levamisole in small concentrations given intermittently appears to act as an immunopotentiator, and in large, prolonged dosages possibly as an immunosuppressora, future “diagnostic-therapeutic” trials could examine this dichotomy to determine whether aphthous stomatitis and Behcet's syndrome are infectious or hypersensitivity diseases.
Biological rationale and clinical use of interferon in the classical BCR-ABL-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms

Because of its antiapoptotic, antiproliferative, and immunomodulatory properties, interferon (IFN) has been broadly used as an antiviral and antineoplastic agent. These properties are particularly suitable for the treatment of the classical BCR-ABL-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), including essential thrombocytosis (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), and myelofibrosis (MF). In the MPN, IFN has been shown to suppress megakaryopoiesis, inhibit erythroid colony-forming cells, suppress bone marrow fibroblast progenitors, induce cytogenetic remission, and reduce the JAK2 V617F allele burden, sometimes completely. Although efficacy has long been demonstrated in the MPN, toxicities were frequent with recombinant IFN, tempering enthusiasm. However, with pegylated-IFN, because of less toxicity, there has been renewed interest, and recent studies in the MPN have shown hematologic and molecular response or remission in ET and PV; a smaller study in early MF has shown IFN's potential to retard fibrosis. The role of IFN in the treatment of MPN is being re-evaluated on the basis of these studies, and will be better defined as results return from an ongoing international study.
Metabolic mapping of rat striatum : somatotopic organization of sensorimotor activity

Abstract Diseases that affect the striatum produce movement disorders, for which rats have been a useful model. To determine the organization of functional, neural activity in the rat striatum related to motor activity, we used electrical stimulation of the motor cortex and [14C]deoxyglucose autoradiography. The stimulation produced movements of each of three body regions. Both the motor and somatosensory cortex were activated. Image analysis was used to objectively localize peak activation and to provide a map for further stereotaxic and localization studies. In the anterior striatum, in the dorsolateral sector, region of peak activation were well separated for each body region: the hindlimb peak activation was dorsomedial, the forelimb ventrolateral and vibrissae medial. Also, the activation fields were larger in anterior than in posterior striatum. Furthermore, activation ipsilateral to movement was present and the peak localization was offset from peaks contralateral to movement. In addition, there were activation regions in lateral striatum where body region representations may overlap. This is the first demonstration of a global striatal somatotopy that separates the limbs and vibrissae in rats. The functional average revealed by the deoxyglucose autoradiography showed a predominant isotropic or rod-like representation of sensorimotor activity for the limbs in striatum during movement and confirms aspects of the anatomy known for the corticostriate system in primates: metabolism was ‘patchy,’ and extended throughout long anteroposterior domains in striatum. These extensive and patchy arrangements suggest integrative, combinational and/or associative networks.
Glioblastoma stem-like cells give rise to tumour endothelium

Glioblastoma (GBM) is among the most aggressive of human cancers. A key feature of GBMs is the extensive network of abnormal vasculature characterized by glomeruloid structures and endothelial hyperplasia. Yet the mechanisms of angiogenesis and the origin of tumour endothelial cells remain poorly defined. Here we demonstrate that a subpopulation of endothelial cells within glioblastomas harbour the same somatic mutations identified within tumour cells, such as amplification of EGFR and chromosome 7. We additionally demonstrate that the stem-cell-like CD133(+) fraction includes a subset of vascular endothelial-cadherin (CD144)-expressing cells that show characteristics of endothelial progenitors capable of maturation into endothelial cells. Extensive in vitro and in vivo lineage analyses, including single cell clonal studies, further show that a subpopulation of the CD133(+) stem-like cell fraction is multipotent and capable of differentiation along tumour and endothelial lineages, possibly via an intermediate CD133(+)/CD144(+) progenitor cell. The findings are supported by genetic studies of specific exons selected from The Cancer Genome Atlas, quantitative FISH and comparative genomic hybridization data that demonstrate identical genomic profiles in the CD133(+) tumour cells, their endothelial progenitor derivatives and mature endothelium. Exposure to the clinical anti-angiogenesis agent bevacizumab or to a γ-secretase inhibitor as well as knockdown shRNA studies demonstrate that blocking VEGF or silencing VEGFR2 inhibits the maturation of tumour endothelial progenitors into endothelium but not the differentiation of CD133(+) cells into endothelial progenitors, whereas γ-secretase inhibition or NOTCH1 silencing blocks the transition into endothelial progenitors. These data may provide new perspectives on the mechanisms of failure of anti-angiogenesis inhibitors currently in use. The lineage plasticity and capacity to generate tumour vasculature of the putative cancer stem cells within glioblastoma are novel findings that provide new insight into the biology of gliomas and the definition of cancer stemness, as well as the mechanisms of tumour neo-angiogenesis.
Laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma. Case report and literature review

A case report is presented, believed to be the first documented example of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma developing in the larynx of a child. A review of the literature then follows, with evaluation of the epidemiology, treatment options, and survival of patients with this disease. Cure of this malignancy is more likely with early diagnosis and aggressive treatment. Cancer 59:1012-1018, 1987.
HIV-infected men who have sex with men who engage in very high levels of transmission risk behaviors: Establishing a context for novel prevention interventions

Men who have sex with men (MSM) comprise the largest risk group of individuals living with HIV in the USA and have the highest rates of new infections. A minority of HIV-infected MSM engage in unprotected anal intercourse after learning about their infection, potentially transmitting the virus to others. The current study sought to generate self-generated descriptive themes, from a group of HIV-infected MSM who reported high rates of sexual transmission risk behavior that may be relevant for understanding sexual risk in this group. Five descriptive themes emerged during content analysis: (a) serostatus attribution, (b) assumption of sexual partner's responsibility for safer sex, (c) sexual sensation seeking, (d) ongoing substance use, and (e) dissatisfaction with current relationships. Traditional HIV transmission risk reduction interventions that have been known to have only modest effects should be augmented by developing HIV prevention strategies for this subgroup of MSM to address these salient themes.
Unstable and multiple child care arrangements and young children's behavior ☆

Growing evidence suggests that child care instability is associated with child behavior problems, but existing studies confound different types of instability; use small, convenience samples; and/or control insufficiently for selection into child care arrangements. This study uses survey and calendar data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study to estimate the associations between three different types of child care instability-long-term instability, multiplicity, and the use of back-up arrangements-and children's internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors at age 3, controlling for a large number of child and family background characteristics. Long-term instability between birth and age 3, as measured in both the survey and calendar data, is associated with higher levels of externalizing behavior problems. Current multiplicity at age 3 (as measured by survey data) is associated with higher levels of both externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, but stable multiplicity over time (as measured using calendar data) is not. Finally, the use of back-up arrangements at age 3 is associated with higher levels of internalizing behaviors. We find no consistent differences in these results by the timing of instability, child gender, family income, or type of care.
Parenting Style and Generativity Measured in College Students and Their Parents

The logical consistency between generativity and the authoritative parenting style led to the hypothesis that the two behavior patterns or orientations were related. Survey measurements of perceive...
Identification of the Activating and Conjugating Enzymes of the NEDD8 Conjugation Pathway

NEDD8 is a ubiquitin-like molecule that can be covalently conjugated to a limited number of cellular proteins, such as Cdc53/cullin. We have previously reported that the C terminus of NEDD8 is efficiently processed to expose Gly-76, which is required for conjugation to target proteins. A combination of data base searches and polymerase chain reaction cloning was used to identify a cDNA encoding human UBA3, which is 38% identical to the yeast homologue, 22% identical to human UBA2, and 19% identical to the C-terminal region of human UBE1. The human UBA3 gene is located on chromosome 3p13 and gave rise to a 2.2-kilobase pair transcript that was detected in all tissues. Human UBA3 could be precipitated with glutathione S-transferase (GST)-NEDD8, but not with GST-ubiquitin or GST-sentrin-1. Moreover, human UBA3 could form a β-mercaptoethanol-sensitive conjugate with NEDD8 in the presence of APP-BP1, a protein with sequence homology to the N-terminal half of ubiquitin-activating enzyme. We have also cloned human UBC12 and demonstrated that it could form a thiol ester linkage with NEDD8 in the presence of the activating enzyme complex. Identification of the activating and conjugating enzymes of the NEDD8 conjugation pathway should allow for a more detailed study of the role of NEDD8 modification in health and disease.
ONTOGENY OF CTX EXPRESSION IN XENOPUS

Abstract In Xenopus , the type I transmembrane protein, CTX (cortical thymocyte-specific antigen of Xenopus ), is hypothesized to play a role in thymocyte differentiation and\or thymic selection. The present studies were undertaken to gather additional evidence in support of a postulated association of CTX with a differentiation step of a cell population that corresponds to the murine immature double positive (CD4 + CD8 + TCR + ) thymocyte subset. During ontogeny, cell surface expression of CTX on thymocytes can first be detected by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry at 8 days post-fertilization, about 1 day after CD8 + cells first appear. By 12 days post-fertilization, T-cells in the entire cortex except for the outer most layer of cells, are intensely CTX positive, whereas those in the medulla are negative. This pattern persists throughout larval and postmetamorphic life.
A Interactive Game to Enhance Student Understanding of Materials Management

It is difficult for students to grasp essential concepts of materials management because there is a considerable amount of new terminology as well as the need to develop a “feel” for what appears to be a static, but in actuality, a very dynamic process. In an attempt to overcome the language barrier as well as help the student develop a “feel” for the process, an old case study from the 70s has been revised and updated it for today’s student. The method of presentation has also been changed from an out-of class activity to an in-class group activity. Initial results, based on 3 classes of 35-40 students each, have been positive with absenteeism reduced from a historical average of 10-15% down to 2%. Student attitude appears to be better and test results appear to be better although comparisons in this area are more difficult to measure. A copy of the game is provided and maybe be freely used in your classroom. Any suggestions for improvement would be greatly appreciated. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v1i2.1485
Generalized inversion of the Korteweg-de Vries equation

Abstract A generalized inverse is presented for the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation, an initial condition and data from synthetic but realistic solitary internal waves. The synthetic data are statistically consistent with hypothesized levels of error in the KdV equation, initial condition and observing system. The observing system consists of point-wise measurements of the pycnocline displacement, either at fixed locations or from a ship drifting in the soliton current. These synthetic inversions are designed using the environmental conditions and disturbances observed by Pinkel [J. Phys. Oceanogr. 30 (2000) 2906]. The inverse solution is found by minimizing a quadratic cost functional, which yields a weighted least-squares best-fit to the KdV equation, the initial condition and the data. The weight for each squared residual is derived from its hypothesized covariance. The minimal value of the least-squares estimator (or cost function) is the test statistic for the error hypotheses and is shown here to be a reliable indicator of grossly incorrect hypotheses. In particular, it will be shown that even with just a single ship survey, the method does lead to decisive tests of hypotheses concerning the level of error in the model. Also, neglect of ship drift is found to be less deleterious to the inversion than is neglect of error in the KdV dynamics. The inverse is calculated by the iterated, direct representer algorithm [Ocean Model. 3 (2001) 137], which is readily extended to include parameter estimation. Significant skill is found for estimating the linear phase speed.
Non-Produced Inputs, Differential Profit Rates and the Okishio Theorem

The foundation of the most recent critique of the Marxian falling profit-rate theory, the Okishio theorem, is inapplicable as a statement about the potential rate of accumulation of an economy with commoditized non-produced inputs, i.e., "land" and natural resources. Even in a perfectly competitive economy with no complications such as "pure joint products," etc. the theorem, while valid in its conclusion that the rate of return on investment rises with capitalist technical change, nonetheless yields no definite conclusions about the potential rate of economic growth unless extremely dubious assumptions are made about the rate of saving/reinvestment out of the surplus by "capitalists vs. rentiers." Using a fairly general multi-sector model of pricing and accumulation to elaborate that point, this article clarifies also the relevance of the issue of "perfect vs. imperfect competition" in the recent controversy, by focusing on the role of land in the profit-rate equalization process. The conclusion that the...
Involvement of tumor acidification in brain cancer pathophysiology.

Gliomas, primary brain cancers, are characterized by remarkable invasiveness and fast growth. While they share many qualities with other solid tumors, gliomas have developed special mechanisms to convert the cramped brain space and other limitations afforded by the privileged central nervous system into pathophysiological advantages. In this review we discuss gliomas and other primary brain cancers in the context of acid-base regulation and interstitial acidification; namely, how the altered proton (H + ) content surrounding these brain tumors influences tumor development in both autocrine and paracrine manners. As proton movement is directly coupled to movement of other ions, pH serves as both a regulator of cell activity as well as an indirect readout of other cellular functions. In the case of brain tumors, these processes result in pathophysiology unique to the central nervous system. We will highlight what is known about pH-sensitive processes in brain tumors in addition to gleaning insight from other solid tumors.
The scales of salticid spiders

The form and location of the scales of salticid spiders, as revealed by light and scanning electron microscopy, provide useful diagnostic characters for the separation of species, the assignment of species to genera, and a further understanding of the relationships between salticid genera. Partly on the basis of distinctions provided by scale structure, the new genus Platycryptus, type-species Aranea undata De Geer, 1778, is defined. Metaphidippus vitis Cockerell, 1894, is placed in the genus Sassacus Peckham, 1895, and Paromaevia michelsoni (Barnes), 1955, is returned to the genus Maevia. The placement of Eris, Hentzia, Icius, Metaphidippus, Phidippus, and Sassacus in the subfamily Dendryphantinae is substantiated; Tutelina and Zygoballus are added to this group. On the basis of common scale structure, Evarcha, Habrocestum, Menememerus, Phlegra, Platycryptus, and Sitticus are tentatively assigned to the subfamily Habrocestinae. Scales of Anasntis, Corythalia, Cosmophasis, Hyllus, Marpissa, Metacyrba, Pellenes, Plexippus, Salticus, Sarinda, and Thiodina are also described.
Going in the Right Direction: Mating-Type Switching of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Is Controlled by Judicious Expression of Two Different swi2 Transcripts

Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the fission yeast, cells alternate between P- and M-mating type, controlled by the alternate alleles of the mating-type locus (mat1). The mat1 switching occurs by replacing mat1 with a copy derived from a silenced “donor locus,” mat2P or mat3M. The mechanism of donor choice ensuring that switching occurs primarily and productively to the opposite type, called directionality, is largely unknown. Here we identified the mat1-Mc gene, a mammalian sex-determination gene (SRY) homolog, as the primary gene that dictates directionality in M cells. A previously unrecognized, shorter swi2 mRNA, a truncated form of the swi2, was identified, and its expression requires the mat1-Mc function. We also found that the abp1 gene (human CENPB homolog) controls directionality through swi2 regulation. In addition, we implicated a cis-acting DNA sequence in mat2 utilization. Overall, we showed that switching directionality is controlled by judicious expression of two swi2 transcripts through a cell-type-regulated dual promoter. In this respect, this regulation mechanism resembles that of the Drosophila sex-determination Slx gene.
Thermal biology of newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) chronically infected with a naturally occurring pathogen

Abstract 1. Newts chronically infected with an Ichthyophonus-like organism selected warmer temperatures than healthy newts, consistent with prior work on behavioral fever, though the magnitude of the difference was much greater than reported in other studies. 2. The large difference in selected temperature (>11 °C) may be a consequence of the chronic nature of the Ichthyophonus infection in newts from the field. 3. Healthy newts exhibited a higher thermal tolerance than infected newts, reflecting the greater morbidity of infected newts. 4. Little is known about the course of Ichthyophonus in newts, and the possible consequences of changes in thermal biology are discussed.
The Effect of Sulfonamides in Reducing Mortality from Pullorum Disease in the Domestic Fowl

Abstract SULFONAMIDES have recently been synthesized, which differ from the earlier forms in that they are not readily absorbed, thus permitting the maintenance of high concentrations in the intestinal tract. This characteristic has resulted in their use for treatment of bacillary dysentery and other intestinal diseases, and has suggested a possible value in the treatment of chicks infected with Salmonella pullorum. Pullorum disease is a septicemia, so it was thought that the presence of one of these drugs in the intestines might inhibit the development of the infecting organisms and thus restrict their dissemination into other parts of the body. Included in the study were several sulfa-drugs which are readily absorbed, for comparison with those not readily absorbed. MATERIALS AND METHODS A highly susceptible strain of Rhode Island Red chicks was chosen for the study. Chicks were inoculated orally with 0.25 ml. of a 24 hour broth culture of S. pullorum. . . .
Analytical model for tool wear monitoring in turning operations using ultrasound waves

This paper presents an analytical model to monitor the gradual wear of cutting tools, on-line, during turning operations using ultrasound waves. Ultrasound waves at a frequency of 10 MHz were pulsed continuously inside several cutting tools, towards their cutting edge. The change in tool geometry, due to gradual wear, has been related, in a mathematical form, to the change in the acoustic behavior of ultrasound waves inside the body of the cutting tools. Physical laws governing the propagation and reflection of ultrasound waves along with geometrical analysis of the wear area were used in deriving the mathematical model. The experimental setup and model evaluation is based on a previously published research work by the author, which presented an empirical model showing a corresponding change in the ultrasound behavior with tool gradual wear. The current work emphasizes the previous findings and presents the relation between the acoustic behavior of ultrasound waves and the progressive tool gradual wear in a mathematical form that can be easily used in machine control operations.
Erosion of William Henry Welch's concept of the hygienic laboratory in our nation's schools of public health and medicine.

The last two decades have witnessed significant changes in American medical student education. Among the most obvious of these changes is the disappearance of laboratory instruction. At all but a handful of medical schools, our nation's physicians-in-training no longer spend blocks of time in laboratories of biochemistry, physiology, and microbiology, 1 This is a far cry from the early parts of the 20th century when, as a consequence of the Flexner report and the vigorous efforts of leading university presidents such as Daniel Coit Gilman (Johns Hopkins), Charles Eliot (Harvard), Paul Rainey Harper (Chicago), and others, laboratory instruction provided the core of U.S. medical education. The erosion in laboratory time for American medical students may partly account for the absence of physician-scientists in U.S. universities and biomedical research institutes. The Commonwealth Fund and other organizations have documented parallel reductions in the number of physicians who become National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded scientific investigators. 2 Together, these findings have led some to call for reforms. Are the Masters of Public Health (MPH) students in our 32 nationally accredited schools of public health also being deprived of laboratory training?.
ATP antagonists cibacron blue, basilen blue and suramin alter sound-evoked responses of the cochlea and auditory nerve

Abstract The P 2 -purinergic receptor antagonists suramin, cibacron blue and basilen blue, the latter two being isomers of reactive blue 2, were studied for their effects on sound-evoked responses from the cochlea (cochlear microphonic, CM; summating potential, SP; distortion product otoacoustic emissions, DPOAE) and auditory nerve (compound action potential, CAP). Local application of these compounds (10–1000 αM) into the cochlear perilymph was associated with concentration-dependent response alterations. Effects of suramin on cochlear responses were minimal: High-intensity SP was reduced slightly at concentrations >- 330 αM without significant alterations in CM or DPOAEs. The amplitude of the auditory nerve CAP was suppressed and its latency increased at drug concentrations >- 100 αM. Cibacron blue and basilen blue were of greater potency in their effects on cochlear and auditory nerve responses. DPOAEs were generally reduced, low-intensity SP was reduced and high-intensity SP was increased and CM was little affected at drug concentrations 100–1000 αM. The CAP was suppressed and its latency increased at concentrations >- 33 αM. Effects of suramin were largely reversible; those associated with cibacron blue and basilen blue generally were not. To the extent that these drugs acted selectively as antagonists of ATP receptor-mediated activity, results support the hypothesis that endogenous ATP exerts profound actions at the level of the cochlea and the auditory nerve.
Motion Analysis of Self-Propelled Pt—Silica Particles in Hydrogen Peroxide Solutions

Silica microspheres that are half-coated with platinum metal undergo self-propulsion in solutions of H2O2, with the average speed increasing with increasing H2O2 concentration. Microscopic observation of the particle motion, with segmentation of the image data, demonstrates that the particles move, on average, with the platinum-coated region oriented opposite to the direction of motion. Velocity autocorrelation and motion direction analyses show that the direction of motion is highly correlated with the particle orientation. The effect of the observation time interval on the measured translational diffusion coefficient and the apparent particle motion is analyzed.
Effect of fenspiride, a non-steroidal antiinflammatory agent, on neurogenic mucus secretion in ferret trachea in vitro.

Neural mechanisms contribute to control of mucus secretion in the airways. Fenspiride is a non-steroidal antiinflammatory agent which has a variety of actions, including inhibition of neurogenic bronchoconstriction. The effect of fenspiride on neurally-mediated mucus secretion was investigated in vitro in electrically-stimulated ferret trachea, using(35)SO(4)as a mucus marker. Cholinergic secretory responses were isolated using adrenoceptor and tachykinin receptor antagonists. Tachykinin responses were isolated using cholinoceptor and adrenoceptor antagonists. Electrical stimulation increased cholinergic secretion by;90% and tachykininergic secretion by;40%. Fenspiride (1 microM-1 mM) tended to inhibit cholinergic secretion in a concentration-dependent manner, although only at 1 mM was inhibition (by 87%) significant. Inhibition by fenspiride of tachykininergic secretion was not concentration-dependent, and again significant inhibition (by 85%) was only at 1 mM. Inhibition was not due to loss of tissue viability, as assessed by restitution of secretory response after washout. Fenspiride also inhibited secretion induced by acetylcholine, but did not inhibit substance P-induced secretion. Histamine receptor antagonists increased basal secretion by 164%, whereas fenspiride did not affect basal secretion. We conclude that, in ferret trachea in vitro, fenspiride inhibits neurally-mediated mucus secretion, with antimuscarinic action the most plausible mechanism of action, but not necessarily the only mechanism.
Seamlessness in Personality and Its Derangements

A significant but often overlooked aspect of the circumplex structure of the domain of interpersonal functioning is its systematically continuous ordering of the quality of the behavioral variations addressed. It is a domain, in other words, explicitly lacking in categorical boundaries wherein a given behavior can be sharply discriminated from others proximal to it within a shared circumplex space; any identified border is at best a fuzzy one characterized by blending and interpenetration. it is argued that this observation has extended generalizability in respect to the organization of personality, rendering moot and suspect taxonomic systems that postulate categorical entities. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) used in the diagnosis of purported derangements of personality is one such system, one that would therefore be expected to yield certain predictable anomalies. These problems are illustrated with reference to the widespread...
Autism Spectrum Disorder Early Screening Practices A Survey of Physicians

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement in 2007 urging physicians to screen for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at 18 and 24 months. This study sought to identify the sc...
Multicolor-Effects of Luminescing, Nanostructured Silicon After Spark-Processing in Pure and Composite Gases

Spark-processing has been shown recently to generate a silicon-based substance which intensely photoluminesces in the UV/blue or green spectral range, depending on whether the preparation was performed in flowing or stagnant air, respectively. This study reports about significant differences for the radiative properties of spark-processed silicon after preparations in oxygen, nitrogen, and mixtures of both gases. Whereas there is essentially no photoluminescence (PL) after processing in pure nitrogen, an orange PL band at 1.89 eV occurs after preparation in pure oxygen. The orange PL degrades with time and when exposed to laser light. Furthermore, it switches immediately to a more intense blue emission centered at 2.61 eV when the sample is subjected to lower gas pressures. A similar 2.6 eV PL is observed after heat treatments up to 350°C. If, however, spark-processing of Si is carried out in nitrogen and oxygen is added, a green PL arises, centered at 2.35 eV. Moreover, for a volume ratio of about 1:1 N2/O2 a PL band at 3.22 eV emerges, superimposing the green emission. Both bands are about two orders of magnitude more intense than the orange PL, when prepared under otherwise identical processing conditions.
Low-Cost Long-Term Monitoring of Global Climate Forcings and Feedbacks

We describe the rationale for long-term monitoring of global climate forcings and radiative feedbacks as a contribution to interpretation of long-term global temperature change. Our discussion is based on a more detailed study and workshop report (Hansen et al., 1993b). We focus on the potential contribution of a proposed series of inexpensive small satellites, but we discuss also the need for complementary climate process studies and ground-based measurements. Some of these measurements could be made inexpensively by students, providing both valuable climate data and science educational experience.
In Vivo Imaging of the Proximal Interphalangeal (PIP) Finger Joint with Three-Dimensional Photoacoustic Tomography

We study optimal scanning geometry for imaging finger joints by three-dimensional photoacoustic tomography using tissue phantom experiments, and the PIP finger joint in a human subject can be three-dimensionally imaged in our optimized spherical scanning.
Zinc ions inhibit replication of rhinoviruses.

THE rhinoviruses comprise a subgroup of the picornaviruses, distinguished by their acid lability. They are medically important as the infectious agents of the common cold in man. Although there have been reports of chemical agents which inhibit rhinovirus replication, in only a few instances has the mode of antiviral action been demonstrated at a biochemical level1,2.
Abstract 2418: NADPH Oxidase 1 over-expression enhances invasion via matrix metalloproteinase-2 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in melanoma cells

Nox1 is a member of the NADPH Oxidase family which has not been well characterized in the melanocytic cell lineage. Here we demonstrated that Nox1 and Nox4 were detected in melanocytic lineage, with only Nox1 detected in normal human melanocytes and Nox4 in a subset of metastatic melanoma cell lines. The protein level and enzymatic activity of Nox1 was elevated in all melanoma cells as compared to normal melanocytes. Over-expression of GFP-Nox1 protein in Wm3211 primary melanoma cells increased invasion rate by 4-6 fold as measured by Matrigel invasion assay, while knocking down or inhibiting Nox1 decreased invasion by approximately 40 to 60%. MMP-2 was increased by Nox1 over-expression at the mRNA, protein and activity levels, and decreased by Nox1 knockdown. MMP-2 promoter activity was also regulated by Nox1 knockdown. In addition, stable clones over-expressing Nox1 exhibited an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as examined by cell morphology and EMT markers; knockdown or inhibiting Nox1 led to a reversal of EMT. Supplementing MMP-2 to culture media did not induce EMT, suggesting that EMT induction by Nox1 was not through MMP-2 up-regulation. In summary, Nox1 was over-expressed in all melanoma cell lines examined, and enhanced cell invasion by MMP-2 up-regulation and EMT induction. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2418. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2418
Information-seeking practices during the sexual development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The influence and effects of coming out in a mediated environment

Constructing a sexual identity is one of the major developmental tasks of adolescence. Applying the Media Practice Model, this study retrospectively examines how self-identifying lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals used media during the commencement of the coming-out process and the effects of media use during this pivotal time of development. Results indicate that the Internet plays a critical role in the development of LGB sexual identities. Heavy users of media during the coming-out process are significantly less likely to communicate openly with their families later in life. However, individuals’ reports of loneliness and self-esteem are not affected. Conclusions suggest that mediated forms of communication can be beneficial for sexual exploration among LGB individuals.
Islands in the net: rewiring technological and financial circuits in the offshore Caribbean

Islands in the Net: Rewiring Technological and Financial Circuits in the “Offshore” Caribbean* BILL MAURER University of California, Irvine islands in the net Bruce Sterling’s novel, Islands In The Net, opens with a scene on a Gulf of Mex- ico beach. Laura, the novel’s protagonist, jogs along the seaside, “in pure ani- mal ease, like an antelope,” when suddenly she trips and falls, snagged by “a black, peeling length of electrical cable. Junked flotsam from the hurricane, buried in the sand” (Sterling 1989:1). It is also flotsam of another era. Tugging on the cable to find its source, she unearths a video-cassette recorder, corroded by “twenty years of grit and brine” (p. 2). The novel’s opening occasions, for the protagonist and the reader, reflection on modern communications, capital- ism, and media. It is also an unsubtle foreshadowing of what will become of Laura as the novel progresses. On a mission to root out shady dealings in off- shore “data havens,” like Grenada and Singapore, Laura eventually finds her- self ensnared by the interlinking corporate connections bridging her world of “legitimate” business enterprise with the havens’ illicit world of “bad” capital- ism and illegitimate trade. Digging deeper, she uncovers the gritty, briny truth about her own corporation and, indeed, an entire corporate order in which the line between legitimate and illegitimate corporate activity simply vanishes into virtual space. In his masterful book about the interaction between telecommunications * A version of this paper was presented on a panel at the Western Humanities Conference in River- side, California, 1998, and I thank the organizers of that conference and the panel audience for their support and comments. I would like to thank the following individuals for comments on earlier drafts of this essay: Robin Balliger, Tom Boellstorff, Ruth Buchanan, Eve Darian-Smith, Mike Bur- ton, James G. Ferguson, Jim Hess and Joanie McCollum. I would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for CSSH for their incisive commentary and excellent suggestions for revision, only some of which I have been able adequately to address here. Research and writing support for this paper was provided by a Junior Faculty Career Development Award from the School of Social Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, for which I also extend my thanks. I would like especially to thank Susan Coutin and Diane Nelson for reading several versions and for encouraging me to pursue the line of inquiry represented here. All errors and inconsistencies are my responsibility alone. 0010-4175/01/467–501 $9.50 © 2001 Society for Comparative Study of Society and History
Rate Coefficient for the Reaction N + NO

Evidence has been advanced that the rate coefficient for the reaction N + NO right arrow N2 + O has a small positive temperature dependence at the high temperatures (900 to 1500 K) that prevail in the terrestrial middle and upper thermosphere by Siskind and Rusch (1992), and at the low temperatures (100 to 200 K) of the Martian lower thermosphere by Fox (1993). Assuming that the rate coefficient recommended by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory evaluation (DeMore et al., 1992) is accurate at 300 K, we derive here the low temperature value of the activation energy for this reaction and thus the rate coefficient that best fits the Viking 1 measured NO densities. We find that the fit is acceptable for a rate coefficient of about 1.3 x 10(exp -10)(T/300)(exp 0.5)exp(-400/T) and better for a value of about 2.5 x 10(exp -10)(T/300)(exp 0.5)exp(-600/T)cu cm/s.
Abnormal membrane properties of the sarcoplasmic reticulum of pigs susceptible to malignant hyperthermia: modes of action of halothane, caffeine, dantrolene, and two other drugs.

Abstract The role of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in malignant hyperthermia (MH) was studied using the heavy microsomal fraction prepared from semitendinosus muscles of both normal and genetically MH-susceptible pigs. In the presence of ATP, SR was loaded with 70 nmol Ca 2+ /mg SR protein. Under these conditions, MH-SR demonstrated Ca 2+ -induced Ca 2+ release (Ca-ICaR) and halothane-induced Ca 2+ release (halothane-ICaR; halothane concentrations as low as 10 μ m ). Normal SR did not demonstrate these release phenomena. Dantrolene inhibited the halothane-ICaR, but did not inhibit the Ca-ICaR. Ruthenium red and tetracaine inhibited both types of Ca 2+ release. From the measurement of passive Ca 2+ efflux, it was shown that dantrolene did not affect the Ca 2+ permeability of the SR itself, but suppressed only the halothane-induced increment of the permeability. The membrane order parameter of the SR, as measured by the spin-probe EPR technique, indicated that halothane disordered the lipid bilayer of MH-SR to a greater extent than it did of normal SR. This halothane disordering effect on MH-SR was antagonized by dantrolene. Ruthenium red and tetracaine did not antagonize the halothane disordering effect. These results raise the possibility that halothane could disturb the structure of the lipoprotein complex in MH-SR in such a way that it could open the Ca 2+ -release channels. The Ca 2+ thus released further opens the channel through the Ca-ICaR mechanism in a positive feedback fashion, thus triggering the MH syndrome. The efficacy of dantrolene in ameliorating the MH syndrome might be related to the inhibition of this halothane effect.
Synthesis of [18F]fluoroalanine and [18F]fluorotamoxifen for imaging breast tumors

To develop ligands for imaging breast tumors, [18F]fluoro analogue of tamoxifen and [18F]fluoroalanine were radiosynthesized. In vivo biodistribution studies were performed in mammary tumor-bearing rats. In studies on the biodistribution of an [18F]fluoro analogue of tamoxifen, tumor uptake decreased when rats were pretreated with diethylstilbestrol (DES), suggesting that tracer uptake in tumors was receptor-mediated. An estrogen receptor assay indicated that tumors have a receptor density of 7.5 fmol/mg protein. Studies of the distribution of [18F]fluoroalanine in tissue showed that the tumor-to-tissue ratio increases as a function of time. Positron emission tomography (PET) images of tumor-bearing rats demonstrated that tumors can be visualized 1 h after rats are injected with an [18F]fluoro analogue of tamoxifen. PET imaging of pigs after injection of 10 mCi of [18F]fluoro analogue of tamoxifen showed uterine uptake that could be blocked by DES (50 mg). The findings suggest that both radiotracers are useful for imaging breast tumors.