cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of type 2 diabetes on bone metabolism and growth after spinal fusion

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Some clinical reports suggest diabetes may have a negative effect on spinal fusion outcomes, although no conclusive experimental research has been conducted to investigate the causality, impact, and inherent risks of this growing patient population. PURPOSE To analyze the hypothesis that type 2 diabetes (T2DM) inhibits the formation of a solid bony union after spinal fusion surgery by altering the local microenvironment at the fusion site through a reduction in growth factors critical for bone formation. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING In vivo rodent model of type 2 diabetes. METHODS Twenty control (Sprague Dawley, SD) and 30 diabetic (Zucker Diabetic Sprague Dawley, ZDSD) rats underwent posterolateral and laminar fusion surgery using a tailbone autograft implanted onto the L4/L5 transverse processes. A subset of animals was sacrificed 1-week postsurgery for growth factor analysis. Remaining rats were sacrificed 3-month postsurgery for fusion evaluation via manual palpation, micro-CT, and histology. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the manual palpation fusion rate between ZDSD rats and SD control rats. Growth factor assay of fusion site explants at early sacrifice demonstrated PDGF was upregulated in the ZDSD rats. TGFB, IGF, and VEGF were not statistically different between groups. Bone mineral density as determined by micro-CT was significantly lower in ZDSD rats compared to SD controls and was a significant function of HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS Data generated in this in vivo rat model of T2DM demonstrate that the metabolic dysregulation associated with the diabetic condition negatively impacts the quality and density of the formed fusion mass. Increased measures of diabetic status, as determined by blood glucose and HbA1c, were correlated with decreased quality of formed fusion, highlighting the importance of diabetic status monitoring and regulation to bone health, particularly during bone healing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE T2DM rats demonstrated increased rates of infection, metabolic dysregulation, and a reduction in spinal fusion consolidation. Clinicians should consider these negative effects during preoperative care and treatment of this growing patient population.
Supporting first-generation college students: analyzing academic and social support’s effects on academic performance

ABSTRACTAlthough the growing attendance of first-generation college students attests to higher education’s commitment to access and social mobility, by many measures students who are the first in t...
Combined 1- and 2-bit sigma-delta-modulation-based read-out system for gamma-ray detectors

Photosensor waveform signals from gamma-ray detectors are digitized when estimation tasks that require pulse-shape information are going to be performed (such as pile-up detection, pulse-shape discrimination, and maximum-likelihood energy and timing estimation). Conventional analog-to-digital converters (ADC) require sampling frequencies on the order of hundreds of MS/s for scintillation decay times on the order of tens of ns. Taking into account typical ADC resolutions of 12 to 16 bits, the amount of data that needs to be stored, scaled by the large number of channels in SPECT and PET gamma-ray detectors, results in very complex read-out electronics. We present a novel multichannel read-out system that largely reduces electronics complexity, based on the combination of 1-bit and 2-bit sigma-delta modulation ADC, from which we are able to obtain energy, timing and pulse-shape information. We have proposed a novel technique based on 2-bit sigma-delta modulation in which the four possible output values (00, 01, 10 and 11) are not necessarily equally spaced. This means that the 2-bit DAC can be optimized for different pulse shapes, allowing us to extract as much information as possible from the minimum amount of data. We implement the read-out system on a modular gamma camera, which consists of a scintillator crystal and nine photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Energy and position of interaction are estimated from the 1-bit modulation of individual PMTs. Simultaneously, the nine signals are summed and the 2-bit modulation is performed on the result. The analog part of the modulators is implemented on a printed circuit board with external analog comparators, and resistors that determine the feedback current. The digital side is implemented on a system on a chip (SoC) that incorporates an FPGA and a microprocessor in the same integrated circuit.
Ejaculatory and Orgasmic Dysfunction Following Prostate Cancer Therapy: Clinical Management.

The majority of sexual health research has focused on erectile dysfunction following prostate cancer treatment. Ejaculatory and orgasmic dysfunction are significant side effects following the treatment of prostate cancer. Orgasmic dysfunction covers a range of issues including premature ejaculation, anorgasmia, dysorgasmia, and climacturia. This review provides an overview of prevalence and management options to deal with orgasmic dysfunction. A Medline Pubmed search was used to identify articles relating to these problems. We found that orgasmic dysfunction has a very large impact on patients’ lives following prostate cancer treatment and there are ways for physicians to treat it. Management of patients’ sexual health should be focused not only on erectile dysfunction, but on orgasmic dysfunction as well in order to ensure a healthy sexual life for patients and their partners.
Social organization and homicide rates in Chicago neighborhoods: the role of structural stability and change

A life-course perspective on neighborhood effects suggests that levels of and changes in neighborhood structural conditions may impact neighborhood social organization, collective efficacy, and rec...
Unraveling pore evolution in post-processing of binder jetting materials: X-ray computed tomography, computer vision, and machine learning

Abstract Quality control in metal additive manufacturing prioritizes the development of advanced inspection schemes to characterize the defect evolution during processing and post-processing. This involves grand challenges in detecting internal defects and analyzing large and complex defect datasets in macroscopic samples. Here, we present an inspection pipeline that integrates (i) fast, micro X-ray computed tomography reconstruction, (ii) automated 3D morphology analysis, and (iii) machine learning-based big data analysis. X-ray computed tomography and automated computer vision result in a holistic defect morphology database for the inspected macroscopic volume, based on which machine learning analysis is employed to reveal quantitative insights into the global evolution of defect characteristics beyond qualitative human observations. We demonstrate this pipeline by examining the global-scale pore evolution in post-processing of binder jetting additive manufacturing, from the green state, to the sintered state, and to the hot isostatic pressed state of copper. The pipeline is shown to be effective at detecting and processing the information associated with a large number (∼105) of pores in macroscopic volumes. The subsequent principal component analysis and clustering analysis extract the key morphological descriptors and categorize the detected pores into four morphological groups. By quantifying the evolution of (i) the weight of pore morphology parameters and (ii) the pore number and volume fraction of each categorized group, new understandings are developed regarding the effects of sintering and hot isostatic pressing on pore decomposition, shrinkage, and smoothing during post-processing of binder jetting.
Nitrogen-Fertilizer Recovery from the Centrate of Anaerobically Digested Sludge

Provision of nitrogenous nutrient needs for plants, animals, and humans is heavily dependent on manufactured N-fertilizers. While the Haber–Bosch process has served the global demand for manufactur...
Integrative Spatial Single-cell Analysis with Graph-based Feature Learning

Abstract We propose GLISS, a strategy to discover spatially-varying genes by integrating two data sources: (1) spatial gene expression data such as image-based fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques, and (2) dissociated whole-transcriptome single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. GLISS utilizes a graph-based association measure to select and link genes that are spatially-dependent in both data sources. GLISS can discover new spatial genes and recover cell locations in scRNA-seq data from landmark genes determined from SGE data. GLISS also offers a new dimension reduction technique to cluster the genes, while accounting for the inferred spatial structure of the cells. We demonstrate the utility of GLISS on simulated and real datasets, including datasets on the mouse olfactory bulb and breast cancer biopsies, and two spatial studies of the mammalian liver and intestine.
A novel analysis of gene array data: yeast cell cycle

Many gene array studies of the yeast cell cycle have been performed (Cho RJ, Campbell MJ, Winzeler EA et al. A genome-wide transcriptional analysis of the mitotic cell cycle. Mol Cell 1998;2:65-73; Orlando DA, Lin CY, Bernard A et al. Global control of cell-cycle transcription by coupled CDK and network oscillators. Nature 2008;453:944-7; Pramila T, Wu W, Miles S et al. The Forkhead transcription factor Hcm1 regulates chromosome segregation genes and fills the S-phase gap in the transcriptional circuitry of the cell cycle. Genes Dev 2006;20:2266-78; Spellman PT, Sherlock G, Zhang MQ et al. Comprehensive identification of cell cycle-regulated genes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by microarray hybridization. MBoC 1998;9:3273-97). Largely, these studies contain elements drawn from laboratory experiments. The present investigation determines cell division cycle (CDC) genes solely from the data (Orlando DA, Lin CY, Bernard A et al. Global control of cell-cycle transcription by coupled CDK and network oscillators. Nature 2008;453:944-7). It is shown by simple reasoning that the dynamics of the approximately 6000 yeast genes are described by an approximately six-dimensional space. This leads a precisely determined cell-cycle period, along with the quality and timing of the identified CDC genes. Convincing evidence for the role of the identified genes is obtained. While these show good agreement with standard CDC gene representatives (Orlando DA, Lin CY, Bernard A et al. Global control of cell-cycle transcription by coupled CDK and network oscillators. Nature 2008;453:944-7; Spellman PT, Sherlock G, Zhang MQ et al. Comprehensive identification of cell cycle-regulated genes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by microarray hybridization. MBoC 1998;9:3273-97; de Lichtenberg U, Jensen LJ, Fausboll A et al. Comparison of computational methods for the identification of cell cycle-regulated genes. Bioinformatics 2005;21:1164-71) several hundred newly revealed CDC genes appear, which merit attention. The present approach employs an adaptation of a method introduced to study turbulent flows (Schmid PJ. Dynamic mode decomposition of numerical and experimental data. J Fluid Mech 2010;656:5-28), "dynamic mode decomposition" (DMD). From this, one can infer that singular value decomposition, analysis of the data entangles the underlying (gene) dynamics implicit in the data; and that DMD produces the disentangling transformation. It is the assertion of this study that a new tool now exists for the analysis of the gene array signals, and in particular for investigating the yeast cell cycle.
Associations Between Patient Health Outcomes and Secure Message Content Exchanged Between Patients and Clinicians: Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: The number of electronic messages securely exchanged between clinic staff and patients has risen dramatically over the last decade. A variety of studies explored whether the volume of messages sent by patients was associated with outcomes. None of these studies, however, examined whether message content itself was associated with outcomes. Because secure messaging is a significant form of communication between patients and clinic staff, it is critical to evaluate the context of the communication to best understand its impact on patient health outcomes. Objective: To examine associations between patients’ and clinicians’ message content and changes in patients’ health outcomes. Methods: We applied a taxonomy developed specifically for secure messages to 14,394 patient- and clinic staff–generated messages derived from patient-initiated message threads. Our study population included 1602 patients, 50.94% (n=816) of whom initiated message threads. We conducted linear regression analyses to determine whether message codes were associated with changes in glycemic (A1C) levels in patients with diabetes and changes in systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Results: Patients who initiated threads had larger declines in A1Cs (P=.01) compared to patients who did not initiate threads. Clinic nonresponse was associated with decreased SBP (β=–.30; 95% CI –0.56 to –0.04), as were staffs’ action responses (β=–30; 95% CI –0.58 to –0.02). Increased DBP, SBP, and A1C levels were associated with patient-generated appreciation and praise messages and staff encouragement with effect sizes ranging from 0.51 (A1C) to 5.80 (SBP). We found improvements in SBP associated with patients’ complaints (β=–4.03; 95% CI –7.94 to –0.12). Deferred information sharing by clinic staff was associated with increased SBP (β=1.29; 95% CI 0.4 to 2.19). Conclusions: This is the first research to find associations between message content and patients’ health outcomes. Our findings indicate mixed associations between patient message content and patient outcomes. Further research is needed to understand the implications of this work; in the meantime, health care providers should be aware that their message content may influence patient health outcomes.
Addendum to figs. 10 and 11 in “Clear-sky shortwave downward flux at the earth's surface: Ground-based data vs. satellite-based data” [J. Quant. Spec. and Rad. Tran. 224 (2019) 247-260]

Abstract While the CERES input aerosol optical depth and precipitable water data are continuously available, the same parameters derived from BSRN site measurements are available only intermittently. Cloudiness disrupts the aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval and precipitable water (w) observation sampling. Irregularly sampled records, such as these, can cause systematic biases if the averages of the continuous data are not sampled at the same times as the observed data, as shown by high biases in Fig. 10 in our original paper. This, however, does not suggest that the CERES input aerosol optical depth and precipitable water are systematically significantly higher than ground-based observations. In this addendum, we show that when the monthly means are computed from only those CERES hourly means that have a BSRN match, then the resulting monthly means differ from BSRN-derived parameters to a much lesser extent. To be precise, the biases in the original Fig. 10 decrease 82%, 69% and 52%, respectively; the magnitudes of slopes in the original Fig. 11 decrease by 69% and 65%, respectively. Imposing a cloud fraction less than or equal to 5% further reduces AOD and w mean values but not biases. Nevertheless, the flux bias reduces from -16.9 W m−2 to -4.2 W m−2 after imposing the cloud fraction restraint relative to the RADFlux clear-sky fluxes which appear to represent the driest and clearest conditions.
Seeking Selectivity in Organic and Biological Electrochemistry

Organic and biological electrochemistry is concerned with the application of electrochemical techniques to the study and utilization of organic and biological systems.
FMS-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia of adults, with a five-year survival that remains poor (approximately 25%). Knowledge and understanding of AML genomics have expanded tremendously over the past decade and are now included in AML prognostication and treatment decisions. FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is a Class III receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) expressed primarily in the cell membranes of early hematopoietic progenitor cells, found in 28% of all patients with AML. FLT3 is the second most frequent mutation in adult AML following Nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling phosphoprotein (NPM1), which is found in 50% of cases.1 FLT3 inhibitors are promising new molecular therapeutics increasingly becoming standard of care for both newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory FLT3 positive AML. This review will focus on the clinical trials/evidence, similarities, differences, clinical toxicities, and drug interactions relevant to treating clinicians as pertains to 5 FLT3-inhibitors: midostaurin, sorafenib, gilteritinib, crenolanib, and quizartinib.
Modes of Social Interaction Between Organizations: A Social-Psychological Explanation of Relationships Between Marketing Channel Dyads

Abstract The social-psychological approach to inter-organizational relationships is a timely and relevant focus of research in light of the increasing roles of coordination, cooperation and coalignment in strategic marketing channel systems. In this paper, the authors investigate boundary spanning attitudes and behaviors, and they posit social interaction as a salient theoretical underpinning of marketing channel relationships.
The Aranui/Hampshire Paradox: Planning and the politics of street naming in Christchurch, New Zealand

This discussion firstly explores how the streets in Aranui got their names. I then ask whether it matters how they got their names and I argue that the political and policy dimensions of street-naming are not merely historical questions; planners need to be prepared to revisit and reconfigure the identity of local neighbourhoods in partnership with local communities as circumstances and values change, particularly in “under-developed” locales.
Oxidation of Phenolic Compounds by Mycobacterium leprae and Inhibition of Phenolase by Substrate Analogues and Copper Chelators

Experiments were conducted on the substrate specificity of phenoloxidase in Mycobacterium leprae, by using various phenolic compounds. Comparative studies were carried out with the enzyme from mammalian and plant sources. The phenolase of M. leprae was found to be similar to the enzyme of plant origin in oxidizing a variety of substrates; it was different from the mammalian enzyme, which has a limited substrate specificity. The findings confirmed that phenoloxidase is a specific property of M. leprae and is not a result of adsorption of host-tissue enzymes. The method used in separation of bacilli from infected tissues was evaluated for its effect on the viability of the organisms. This was tested by using M. lepraemurium as a model. The preparative procedure was found to have no adverse effect on the ability of the organisms to multiply in the mouse foot-pad. Several inhibitors of phenoloxidase have been tested—both substrate analogues and compounds which bind copper in the enzyme. Substances binding copper were found to be more effective. Since phenolase has been found to be a characteristic metabolic activity in M. leprae, nontoxic inhibitors of the enzyme offer possibilities of developing a rational chemotherapy of leprosy.
Asian American Students' Cultural Values, Stigma, and Relational Self-construal: Correlates of Attitudes Toward Professional Help Seeking

In this study, we investigated how adherence to Asian values, stigma of receiving psychological help, relational-interdependent self-construal, age and gender, for Asian American college and graduate students, singly and in concert predicted attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. We also examined how stigma mediates the effect of adherence to Asian values on help-seeking attitudes. Correlational and multiple regression analyses determined that lower adherence to Asian values, lower levels of stigma, a higher relational-interdependent self-construal were associated with more positive help-seeking attitudes. Also, female and older students possessed more positive help-seeking attitudes. The mediational model was not significant. We discuss potential barriers to seeking professional help across sociocultural levels. We address implications for research and practice in mental health counseling.
The Impact of Living in Rural and Urban Areas: Vitamin D and Medical Costs in Veterans

Purpose: Living in a rural region is associated with significant health disparities and increased medical costs. Vitamin D deficiency, which is increasingly common, is also associated with many adverse health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether rural-urban residence status of veterans was related to vitamin D levels, and to determine if this factor also influenced medical costs/service utilization. Additionally explored was whether vitamin D differences accounted for part of the association between area of residence and medical costs/service utilization. Methods: Medical records of 9,396 veterans from 6 Veterans Administration Medical Centers were reviewed for variables of interest including county of residence, vitamin D level, medical costs and service utilization, and background variables. Rurality status was classified as large metropolitan, urban, and rural. Findings: The 3 rurality status groups differed significantly in vitamin D levels, with the highest levels observed for urban residents, followed by rural residents, and the lowest for large metro residents. Compared with urban residents, large metro residents were 49% more likely, while rural residents were 20% more likely, to be vitamin D deficient. Both rural and large metro residents had higher medical costs, and they were significantly more likely to be hospitalized. Vitamin D levels explained a statistically significant amount of the relationship between rurality status and medical costs/service utilization. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency may be an additional health disparity experienced by both rural and inner-city veterans, and patients residing in these locations should be considered at increased risk for deficiency and routinely tested.
Anatomical studies of the urethral plate: why preservation of the urethral plate is important in hypospadias repair

Objective To describe the detailed anatomy of the urethral plate in relation to its controversial role in hypospadias surgery. Materials and methods A newborn penis with proximal penile hypospadias and two fetal penises with distal shaft hypospadias were included in the study; 30 normal fetal penises served as the control. Specimens were embedded in paraffin and serially sectioned (6 µm) after formalin fixation. Every 10th section was stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Immunohistochemical staining for nerves (S100), smooth muscles (α-actin), blood vessels (factor VIII) and epithelium (cytokeratins 7, 14 and 18) were used on selected sections, with particular attention to the urethral plate. Masson’s trichrome and Sirius Red stains were used to localize collagen. Results There were extensive blood vessels, glands and smooth muscle under the urethral plate in the hypospadias specimens. These relatively well organized tissues corresponded to an abnormally formed corpus spongiosum. The glands underneath the urethral plate and adjacent to the normal urethra showed positive staining for cytokeratins 7 and 18, respectively (markers of endodermal origin) but were negative for cytokeratin 14 (a marker of ectodermal origin). Penile skin and urethral plate epithelium stained positively for cytokeratin 14 but not for cytokeratin 7 and 18. The urethral plate has a rich nerve supply, as determined by S100 staining. Collagen intensity under the urethral plate was no different from that in normal areas. Tunica albuginea stained intensely for type I and III collagen. Conclusion These results show that the urethral plate is well vascularized, has a rich nerve supply and an extensive muscular and connective tissue backing. These features may explain the lower complication rate with onlay flaps than with tube flaps. Therefore, from these anatomical findings, we continue to advocate preservation of the urethral plate and the onlay island flap for hypospadias reconstruction.
Introduction to the Role of Curriculum-Based Measurement in Response to Intervention

The use of appropriate, evidence based procedures for identifying students for inclusion in or movement between various tiers of instruction is critical to the effectiveness of Response to Intervention (RTI) instructional models. Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) has become the prevalent approach to monitor student response to instruction. In the introduction to this thematic issue, a rationale for aligning each article with the linchpins of assessing, instructing, and monitoring CBMs in reading and writing within an RTI framework is presented. The authors focus on refining current measures and developing new ones to help identify and plan instruction for at-risk readers and writers.
Implantable thin-film porous microelectrode array (P-MEA) for electrical stimulation of engineered cardiac tissues

We have designed, fabricated, and validated a novel porous, multielectrode array (P-MEA) device capable of low-voltage electrical stimulation of engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs). The primary advantage of this device is the ability to successfully function at a very low voltage thus minimizing any undesirable oxidative by-products in the culture environment or cell injury. Major features of our P-MEA include dimensions of 10 mm width and 82 mm length, four arms to allow movement of the individual pads within ECTs, each embedded electrode arm incorporates eight 100 µm×200 µm rectangular pores surrounding a 950 µm×340 µm exposed electrode, large pads on either side of the porous embedded device to function as current return electrodes, suture holes to aid in vivo suturing and stabilization, and an eight electrode connector pads. Average thickness of the Ni/Au electrodes was 20 nm of nickel and 400 nm of gold, an average electrode film thickness of 0.4 µm, and a double polyimide layer thickness of 16 µm. Electrode resistance ranged from 69.45 O to 78.52 O. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed that the P-MEA operates in the 0.01 V to 1.0 V range with favorable charge transfer characteristics. Proof of principle experiments confirmed the ability of the P-MEA to effectively embed within ECT and electrically stimulate ECT during chronic, in vitro culture. Histology imaging shows that the embedding of the device has no adverse effects on the ECT and the cardiomyocytes are aligned within the tissue. Experiments are ongoing to evaluate the role of electrical stimulation on the maturation and function of ECTs.
Burkholderia cepacia in cystic fibrosis: Novel Australian cluster strain without accelerated respiratory deterioration

OBJECTIVE To determine whether 4 years of colonization with a novel Australian cluster strain (The 'Hunter' strain) of Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients was associated with more rapid decline in nutritional status and pulmonary function than in non-colonized contemporaries from the same CF clinic. METHODOLOGY A retrospective review of respiratory function and nutritional data from a single multidisciplinary paediatric CF clinic over 4 years (1993-97). RESULTS Paired spirometry data for 1993 and 1997 were available in 47 patients without (n = 31) and with B. cepacia (n = 16) colonization (mean (+/- SD) ages in 1993: 12.1 years +/- 4.0 vs 12.6 years +/- 6.5; P = 0.83). Their percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (94.2% +/- 16.7 vs 85.9% +/- 21.2; P = 0.19) were not significantly different. The averaged annual fall in FEV1 over 4 years was also not significantly different (3.8% +/- 3.8 vs 3.6% +/- 3.7; P = 0.82). Weight percentile (Wt%), height percentile (Ht%) and percentage age weight for height (%WFH) were not significantly different between groups in 1993. By 1997, Wt% (36.7% +/- 25.1 vs 22.3% +/- 19.6; P = 0.04) and Ht% (42.5% +/- 29.6 vs 17.6% +/- 19.4; P = 0.002) but not %WFH (102% +/- 10.0 vs 106% +/- 11.2; P > 0.10) were lower in subjects with B. cepacia. CONCLUSIONS In adolescent CF patients, colonization with the Hunter strain of B. cepacia was associated with a deterioration in some nutritional parameters but not with an accelerated decline in FEV1 over 4 years. As varying pathogenicity of B. cepacia strains may account for differing rates of pulmonary decline, further assessment of the consequences of colonization with certain strains of B. cepacia in CF is needed.
Electrostriction and polarization

Abstract Electrostriction, the mechanical strain x resulting from electric polarization P, is a second order effect: x = QP 2. In this paper, the phenomenological and physical origins of the Q coefficients are discussed from a qualitative point of view. As pointed out by von Hippel, the mechanisms of electric polarization are space charge effects, dipole reorientation, ionic displacements and electronic polarizability. Not all of these mechanisms are equally effective in producing electrostriction. We have examined the Q coefficients reported for a number of solids in order to understand the relationships between the polarization mechanisms and electrostrictive strain. Trends were identified in the structure-property relationships but several important questions remain unanswered.
Coxsackie B4 Viral Nephritis in Mice and Its Autoimmune-Like Phenomena.

SummaryCoxsackie B4 virus may be highly nephrotropic. It may produce a viral nephritis and provoke an autoimmune-like reaction in the affected renal tissue of the experimentally infected mice. In this study, by means of immunonuorescent technique, both the specific viral antigen and immuno-globulin deposit were demonstrated in the glomeruli of infected mice within 5 to 8 weeks after inoculation with Coxsackie B4 virus. It is suggested that the virus may play a significant etiologic role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic renal disease in man, of which disease the etiologic source is often unknown.
Origin of insulin secreted from islet-like cell clusters derived from murine embryonic stem cells.

Islet-like cell clusters (ILCCs) were derived from murine embryonic stem cells using a slightly modified version of the protocol originally described by Lumelsky et al. in 2001. Analysis with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) that distinguish human from murine insulin demonstrated that insulin released from these ILCCs, upon initial in vitro glucose challenge, was of non-murine origin and in fact corresponded to the species of insulin, human or bovine, that had been added to the culture media used to derive ILCCs. This finding convincingly supports the hypothesis that ILCCs are not synthesizing insulin de novo, but rather simply regurgitating insulin taken up during tissue culture. In further experiments, ILCCs were derived in media in which insulin had been replaced by IGF-I with which it shares a common signaling pathway. These ILCCs failed to release any detectable insulin. In contrast, ILCCs produced by various protocols stained positive (dithizone and immunoselective antibodies) for intrace...
NADPH-Diaphorase Activity Changes During Gangliogenesis and Metamorphosis in the Gastropod Mollusc Ilyanassa obsoleta

Gaseous nitric oxide (NO) is produced through the action of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and acts as a neurotransmitter (Jacklet and Gruhn, 1994b; Elphick et al., 1995a; Jacklet, 1995) in the nervous systems of adult gastropod molluscs. By comparison, little or no information appears to exist about the ontogeny of molluscan NOS-containing neurons. NADPH-diaphorase (NADPHd) has been determined biochemically and histochemically to colocalize with NOS immunoreactivity in neurons; NOS is an isoform of NADPHd (Dawson et al., 1991; Hope et al., 1991). We used NADPHd histochemistry to map the distribution of NOS activity in the nervous systems of larvae, including metamorphosing individuals, and juveniles of the marine snail Ilyanassa obsoleta. Several ganglionic neuropils displayed reaction product throughout development. The most intense NADPHd staining occurred in the neuropil of the apical ganglion, a specialized larval structure. Intermediate staining levels occurred in neuropils of the cerebral, pedal, and pleural ganglia. Larval buccal and intestinal ganglia showed little reaction product, with slight increases arising in metamorphically competent larvae. NADPHd activity conspicuously decreased in the central nervous systems of metamorphosing larvae. The osphradial ganglion, which was present in young larvae, showed only weak NADPHd activity. Our results provide evidence for the existence of a nitrergic signalling system in molluscan larvae and juveniles.
Broadly Tunable, Mode-Hop-Tuned cw Optical Parametric Oscillator Based on Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate.

We describe a broadly tunable, cw optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled lithium niobate. The OPO can be tuned over a broad region in the mid IR (2900–3100 cm-1) covering the important C–H stretch region while a high spectral resolution (<0.1 cm-1) is maintained. The OPO is the light source for a field-portable photoacoustic spectrometer for gas-phase monitoring of volatile organic compounds.
WAS THE HIMALAYAN OROGEN A CLIMATICALLY SIGNIFICANT COUPLED SOURCE AND SINK FOR ATMOSPHERIC CO2 DURING THE CENOZOIC

The hypothesis that the Himalayan orogen was a climatically significant coupled source and sink for atmospheric CO2 during the Cenozoic is evaluated in light of the timing, duration and CO2 fluxes associated with Himalayan metamorphism and chemical weathering. We suggest that diachronous Eohimalayan metamorphism occurred over a ∼20 m.y. time span (Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene) with total metamorphic CO2 production of ∼4–10×1018 mol. Because this is much greater than the amount of carbon stored in the atmosphere and oceans, and because uplift and accelerated erosion began at least ∼5 m.y. after the peak of metamorphism, we conclude that it is implausible that CO2 produced by metamorphism in the Himalayan orogen was consumed millions of years later by erosion-enhanced weathering in this orogen. Assuming a global climate/silicate-weathering feedback, we estimate that metamorphic CO2 degassing from the Himalayan orogen would have produced a warming of <0.5°C, and enhanced weathering in this orogen would have produced a cooling of <0.2°C; thus, direct climate effects of this degassing and weathering were likely to have been minor.
Developing a Personal Grading Plan

The purpose of this instructional module is to assist teachers in developing defensible grading practices that effectively and fairly communicate students' achievement status to their parents. In formulating such practices, it is essential that teachers first consider their personal grading philosophy and then create a compatible personal grading plan. The module delineates key philosophical issues that should be addressed and then outlines the procedural steps essential to establishing a grading plan. Finally, the features of several common methods of absolute and relative grading are compared.
Expanding the role of surgery in intractable extratemporal pediatric epilepsy

The aim of epilepsy surgery in children is not only to control seizures but also to curtail future adverse neurological sequelae and improve quality of life. If presurgical evaluation demonstrates discordant or multifocal disease, intracranial surgery may be denied as a viable treatment option. When surgical therapy is offered not just as curative but also as palliative therapy, many children not considered optimal surgical candidates may benefit. From a consecutive series of 57 cases involving children who underwent intracranial epilepsy surgery at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital during 2001–2005, the authors present in detail 3 cases involving children who benefited significantly from such an aggressive approach. Marked improvement occurred not only in seizure control, but also in developmental and social functioning.
Emerging concepts of proctosigmoiditis.

This study of 276 patients with proctosigmoiditis seen at the Cleveland Clinic during the 20-year period of 1950 through 1969 has confirmed the view that proctosigmoiditis constitutes the benign end of the spectrum of mucosal ulcerative colitis. There has been an increasing incidence of proctosigmoiditis during a period when there are fewer patients with mucosal ulcerative colitis and an increasing number with transmural colitis. Proctosigmoiditis has a favorable prognosis in 90 per cent of patients, particularly when inflammatory changes involve the rectum only (proctitis). We prefer topical steroid therapy and, if possible, we avoid systemic therapy. Although rectal bleeding and inflammatory changes may recur, progression of disease occurred in only about 10 per cent of patients. Finally, in accordance with our concepts of mucosal (ulcerative) colitis and transmural (Crohn's) colitis, we suggest the terms “mucosal proctitis” and “mucosal proctosigmoiditis” for this condition.
Chromosome-specific DNA Repeat Probes

In research as well as in clinical applications, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has gained increasing popularity as a highly sensitive technique to study cytogenetic changes. Today, hundreds of commercially available DNA probes serve the basic needs of the biomedical research community. Widespread applications, however, are often limited by the lack of appropriately labeled, specific nucleic acid probes. We describe two approaches for an expeditious preparation of chromosome-specific DNAs and the subsequent probe labeling with reporter molecules of choice. The described techniques allow the preparation of highly specific DNA repeat probes suitable for enumeration of chromosomes in interphase cell nuclei or tissue sections. In addition, there is no need for chromosome enrichment by flow cytometry and sorting or molecular cloning. Our PCR-based method uses either bacterial artificial chromosomes or human genomic DNA as templates with {alpha}-satellite-specific primers. Here we demonstrate the production of fluorochrome-labeled DNA repeat probes specific for human chromosomes 17 and 18 in just a few days without the need for highly specialized equipment and without the limitation to only a few fluorochrome labels.
Bupivacaine toxicity in pregnant and nonpregnant ewes.

The relative central nervous system and cardiovascular toxicity of bupivacaine was compared in pregnant and nonpregnant ewes during continuous infusion of bupivacaine into the jugular vein at the rate of 0.5 mg. kg-1. min-1. In all animals, identical symptoms of toxicity occurred in the following order: convulsions, hypotension, respiratory arrest, and circulatory collapse. The dose of bupivacaine required to produce central nervous system (CNS) toxicity in the pregnant ewe tended to be lower than in the nonpregnant animal, although the difference was not statistically significant (P < 0.1). However, the mean dose of bupivacaine resulting in cardiovascular collapse was significantly lower in pregnant ewes (5.1 ± 0.7 mg/kg) than in nonpregnant animals (8.9 ± 0.9 mg/kg). Similarly, bupivacaine blood concentrations at the onset of respiratory arrest and circulatory collapse were lower in the pregnant group, being 5.2 ± 0.7 μg/ml and 5.5 ± 0.8 μg/ml, respectively, versus 7.5 ± 1.0 μg/ml and 8.0 ± 0.9 μg/ml, respectively, in the nonpregnant group (P < 0.05). The concentration of bupivacaine in the brain of pregnant ewes at the time of cardiovascular collapse was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than in the nonpregnant group (7.5 ± 1.5 vs. 16.3 ± 1.7 μg/g). The myocardial tissue concentration of bupivacaine also tended to be lower in the pregnant group, although the differences were not statistically significant (P < 0.1). Comparisons of bupivacaine doses and blood concentrations associated with the onset of convulsions and circulatory collapse (CC/CNS ratio) with those of lidocaine, reported previously, indicate that a narrower margin of safety exists following administration of bupivacaine in nonpregnant sheep. These ratios were 3.7 ± 0.5 and 1.6 ± 0.1, respectively, for bupivacaine and 7.1 ± 1.1 and 3.6 ± 0.3, respectively, for lidocaine. In addition, the data indicate that the pregnant sheep may be more sensitive to the cardiotoxic effects of bupivacaine than the nonpregnant animal.
Prevalence of Walleye Discrete Epidermal Hyperplasia by Age-Class in Walleyes from Oneida Lake, New York

Abstract The prevalence of visible proliferative lesions was followed on walleyes Sander vitreus at ages 3 to more than 8 years from 1997 to 2003 in Oneida Lake, New York. Walleye discrete epidermal hyperplasia, the focus of this report, is a seasonally limited skin disease caused by two closely related retroviruses, walleye epidermal hyperplasia virus type 1 and type 2. As with walleye dermal sarcoma, the in-lake transmission patterns of this disease are unknown. The percent of fish developing walleye epidermal hyperplasia lesions increased incrementally with age in this study. It is unlikely that all walleyes of a given year-class will contract discrete epidermal hyperplasia in their lifetimes because fewer than 20% of the fish age 8 and older were affected. In contrast, the prevalence of walleye dermal sarcoma, a disease we believe eventually affects almost all exposed walleyes, changes with age, decreasing after age 6, which suggests that walleyes develop resistance to that disease.
Differential germination among spores of the Microsporidian Octosporea muscaedomesticae

By monitoring the changes in a population of O. muscaedomesticae spores as it passed through the alimentary tracts of adult Phormia regina it was found that most spores germinate during the first passage while others do not germinate until they have made 2, 3, or 4 passages. Possible explanations for these differences are suggested.
Blogging in Baghdad: The Practice of Collective Citizenship on the Blog Baghdad Burning

This essay examines the blog Baghdad Burning written by Iraqi woman Riverbend. In the essay, I attune to two themes found on the blog. First, I argue that Riverbend cultivates a collective democracy through a privileging of “truth” as espoused by Iraqi bloggers, and, second, I find that she challenges politically constrictive definitions of citizenship through a performance of the everyday and an advocacy of a maternal peace. After attending to the themes, I argue that Riverbend's message of dissent becomes a way to assimilate and Americanize her, which contributes to the larger, wartime narrative that the United States has liberated Iraqi women.
Effective-medium approximation for liquid metals

An effective-medium theory is developed for the electronic structure of liquid metals. The medium is characterized by a medium site-site scattering matrix and a medium intersite propagator. These are self-consistently determined by removing an ion from the medium and then examining the scattering from that ion. To third order in the $T$-matrix expansion, the result corresponds to evaluating the three-particle distribution function in the superposition approximation, and this is more accurate than previous work. The result reduces to the coherent-potential approximation for the case of binary alloys. A tight-binding-model version of the theory is also discussed.
Irreversible modification of the voltage-sensitive calcium channel by N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethyoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ)

Abstract N -Ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) inhibited, in vitro , the specific binding of three structurally distinct L-type Ca 2+ channel ligands, (+)[ 3 H]PN 200 110, [ 3 H]desmethoxyverapamil and [ 3 H] cis -diltiazem to guinea pig ileal longitudinal smooth muscle. Maximum tension responses to Ca 2+ in a K + -depolarized functional smooth muscle preparation were reduced in a concentration-dependent manner following pretreatment with EEDQ and washout. Microsomal membranes prepared from smooth muscle pretreated with EEDQ followed by extensive washout showed a significant reduction in the amount of (+)[ 3 H]PN 200 110 bound without change of ligand affinity. Similar results were obtained in cardiac ventricle microsomes. Preincubation with verapamil (1 × 10 −5 M) largely prevented this reduction in [ 3 H]PN 200 110 binding sites by EEDQ. 45 Ca 2+ uptake in cortical synaptosomes during 1-sec depolarization following 68.5 mM K + was also inhibited by EEDQ. Specific binding of [ 125 I]ω-conotoxin GVIA to rat cerebral cortex membranes was inhibited by EEDQ, also in an apparently irreversible manner as seen by the marked reduction in binding site density with no significant change in the K D value. These observations indicate that EEDQ blocks Ca 2+ channel function and reduces irreversibly both 1,4-dihydropyridine and ω-conotoxin GVIA binding sites.
STEROLS AS BIOMARKERS IN GYMNODINIUM BREVE: DISTRIBUTION IN DINOFLAGELLATES

The sterol composition of marine microalgae has been shown to be a chemotaxonomic property potentially of value in distinguishing members of different algal classes. For example, members of the class Dinophyceae display sterol compositions ranging from as few as two (cholesterol and dinosterol in Alexandrium tamarense) to as many as twelve in certain Heterocapsa species. Certain of these are 4-methyl sterols rarely found in other classes of algae. The ability to use sterol biomarkers to distinguish certain dinoflagellates such as the toxic species Gymnodinium breve, responsible for red tide events in the Gulf of Mexico, from other species within the same class would be of considerable scientific and economic value. Gymnodinium breve has been shown by others to possess two principal novel sterols, (24S)-4a-methylergosta-8(14), 22-dien-3b-ol (ED) and its 27-nor derivative (NED), not previously known to be present in other dinoflagellates. Characterization of free and esterified sterols from laboratory cultures of G. breve and of samples from a recent bloom in the Gulf of Mexico has confirmed the predominance of these two sterols. This has prompted a study of the sterol signatures of more than 30 dinoflagellates. ED and NED were shown also to be the primary sterols of the closely related dinoflagellates G. mikimotoi and G. galatheanum. They are also found as minor components of the more complex sterol profiles of other members of the Gymnodinium-Peridinium-Prorocentrum (GPP) taxonomic group. The more widespread distribution of this sterol pattern is consistent with the known close relationship between G. breve and G. mikimotoi.