cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of positive lesions in 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT.

231Background: The 18F-Fluciclovine (FACBC) PET/CT scan has higher sensitivity than traditional imaging modalities for detection of prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence. We aim to identify the PSA char...
Novel DNA methylation sites associated with cigarette smoking among African Americans

Introduction: Cigarette smoking has been associated with adverse health outcomes for mothers and children and is a major contributor to heart disease. Although cigarette smoking is known to affect ...
TAZ Forces Lateral Inhibition

New mechanisms by which cells communicate to specify cell fate during animal development are continuously being discovered. In a recently published article in Cell, Xia et al. (2019) identify the transcriptional regulator TAZ as a novel mediator of lateral inhibition in zebrafish oogenesis that directs cell fate through mechanical cues.
Post-survey Likert constructions: an adaptive method for generalizing perceptions of environmental variability

Environmental perceptions are inherently based on an individual’s existing knowledge, experiences, and future expectations. Methods for measuring environmental perception, therefore, must capture a range of experiences while also being flexible enough to integrate these experiences into a coherent unit for analysis. Many research topics require cross-cultural comparisons in order to corroborate findings; however, assessments of environmental perception are often place- and context-specific. We propose here post-survey Likert constructions (PSLCs), using semi-structured interviews to construct a five-point scale system from multiple household responses after the completion of interviews. This method is able to capture the natural variability in the population using the respondents’ own language and characterizations of phenomena. We applied this method to measure the perceived environmental variability of residents living in a dynamic flooding landscape in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. The PSLC method captures the differences in environmental perception in a location with different settlement and cultural histories, multiple language groups, and different environmental conditions. The method easily transfers to other environments and populations, allowing for potential cross-cultural comparisons of perceived environmental variability. This publication responds to calls for increased transparency in reporting the development, execution, advantages, and disadvantages of methods related to environmental change.
Bone Marrow Failure Disorders in the Adolescent Female

Bone marrow failure is a collective term used to describe a group of disorders which impair normal hematopoiesis, resulting in single or multiple blood cytopenias. Bone marrow failure varies in the degree and extent of its severity. There is a wide differential involved in evaluating and treating an adolescent female with bone marrow failure, and in this chapter, we are aiming to review the importance of establishing the inciting cause of marrow failure followed by focused discussion on the better studied and described genetic and acquired disorders associated with marrow failure. Details pertaining to the adolescent female are highlighted when relevant.
A Machine Learning Approach to Detecting Low Medication State with Wearable Technologies

Medication adherence is a critical component and implicit assumption of the patient life cycle that is often violated, incurring financial and medical costs to both patients and the medical system at large. As obstacles to medication adherence are complex and varied, approaches to overcome them must themselves be multifaceted.This paper demonstrates one such approach using sensor data recorded by an Apple Watch to detect low counts of pill medication in standard prescription bottles. We use distributed computing on a cloud-based platform to efficiently process large volumes of high-frequency data and train a Gradient Boosted Tree machine learning model. Our final model yielded average cross-validated accuracy and F1 scores of 80.27% and 80.22%, respectively.We conclude this paper with two use cases in which wearable devices such as the Apple Watch can contribute to efforts to improve patient medication adherence.
Mentoring gone wrong: What is happening to mentorship in academia?:

Mentorship is one of the most important founding elements of academia. In fact, it can be easily argued that mentorship was born with academia. An effective mentorship in training and teaching prog...
Agricultural Biotechnology-An Opportunity to Feed a World of Ten Billion

The latest United Nations population projections predict that the human population will expand from roughly 7.5 billion to between 8.3 and 10.9 billion by mid-century. This presents an acute need to increase agricultural productivity quickly and to do so without unduly damaging the many other kinds of organisms that share our planet. The advances of genetic engineering and genetic modification hold the promise of making it possible for us to grow more food on the same amount of land using less water, energy, and chemicals: critically important objectives if we are to live sustainably within planetary constraints. At the same time, these advances have evoked an almost unprecedented level of societal controversy quite specifically in the realm of food production, resulting in the proliferation of regulatory and legal issues that threaten to block their use in achieving a more sustainable existence for humanity on planet Earth. If modern science is to contribute to the agricultural productivity increases required in coming decades as the climate warms and the human population continues to grow, it is imperative to get beyond the cultural and political biases against molecular crop modification, acknowledge the safety record of GM crops, and ease the regulatory barriers to their development and deployment.
A Novel Combination of Accelerometry and Ecological Momentary Assessment for Post-Stroke Paretic Arm/Hand Use: Feasibility and Validity

Use of the paretic arm and hand is a key indicator of recovery and reintegration after stroke. A sound methodology is essential to comprehensively identify the possible factors impacting daily arm/hand use behavior. We combined ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a prompt methodology capturing real-time psycho-contextual factors, with accelerometry to investigate arm/hand behavior in the natural environment. Our aims were to determine (1) feasibility and (2) measurement validity of the combined methodology. We monitored 30 right-dominant, mild-moderately motor impaired chronic stroke survivors over 5 days (6 EMA prompts/day with accelerometers on each wrist). We observed high adherence for accelerometer wearing time (80.3%), EMA prompt response (84.6%), and generally positive user feedback upon exit interview. The customized prompt schedule and the self-triggered prompt option may have improved adherence. There was no evidence of EMA response bias nor immediate measurement reactivity. An unexpected small but significant increase in paretic arm/hand use was observed over days (12-14 min), which may be the accumulated effect of prompting that provided a reminder to choose the paretic limb. Further research that uses this combined methodology is needed to develop targeted interventions that effectively change behavior and enable reintegration post-stroke.
Epidemiology Surveillance and Capacity Improvement: A Characterization of Texas, 2017.

OBJECTIVES In response to increasing caseloads of foodborne illnesses and high consequence infectious disease investigations, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) requested funding from the Texas Legislature in 2013 and 2015 for a new state-funded epidemiologist (SFE) program. METHODS Primary cross-sectional survey data were collected from 32 of 40 local health departments (LHDs) via an online instrument and analyzed to quantify roles, responsibilities, and training of epidemiologists in Texas in 2017 and compared to similar state health department assessments. RESULTS Sixty-six percent of SFEs had epidemiology-specific training (eg, master's in public health) compared to 45% in state health department estimates. For LHDs included in this study, the mean number of epidemiologists per 100 000 was 0.73 in medium LHDs and 0.46 in large LHDs. SFE positions make up approximately 40% of the LHD epidemiology workforce of all sizes and 56% of medium-sized LHD epidemiology staff in Texas specifically. CONCLUSIONS Through this program, DSHS increased epidemiology capacity almost twofold from 0.28 to 0.47 epidemiologists per 100 000 people. These findings suggest that capacity funding programs like this improve epidemiology capacity in local jurisdictions and should be considered in other regions to improve general public health preparedness and epidemiology capacity.
Evolution of the role of molybdenum in duplex stainless steels during thermal aging: From enhancing spinodal decomposition to forming heterogeneous precipitates

Abstract Thermal aging of ferrite in duplex stainless steels leads to a complex microstructural evolution that can give way to large deleterious changes in mechanical properties. The microstructural evolution mechanisms that happen concurrently are strongly linked to minor changes in composition. By characterizing duplex stainless steels with various compositions over a range of aging conditions, it was revealed that adding a modest amount of Mo to cast austenitic stainless steel (such as changing from grade CF3 to grade CF3M) not only increases the kinetics of spinodal decomposition and Ni-Si-Mn-rich G-phase precipitation, but it also forms a separate Mo-rich phase. At shorter equivalent aging times, Mo segregates from Fe and towards Cr accelerating spinodal decomposition. At longer aging times, Mo enriches in the Ni-Si-Mn clusters before phase separating into an adjoined Mo-rich cluster. These phase changes and precipitation events result in a rather steep drop in fracture and impact toughness. These results will inform the design of similar alloys for use at high temperatures.
Neuregulin 1 and ErbB4 kinase actively regulate sharp wave ripples in the hippocampus.

Sharp wave ripples (SW-Rs) in the hippocampus are synchronized bursts of hippocampal pyramidal neurons (PyNs), critical for spatial working memory. However, the molecular underpinnings of SW-Rs remain poorly understood. We show that SW-Rs in hippocampal slices from both male and female mice were suppressed by neuregulin 1 (NRG1), an epidermal growth factor whose expression is enhanced by neuronal activity. Pharmacological inhibition of ErbB4, a receptor tyrosine kinase for NRG1, increases SW-R occurrence rate in hippocampal slices. These results suggest an important role of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in regulating SW-Rs. To further test this notion, we characterized SW-Rs in freely moving male mice, chemical genetic mutant mice, where ErbB4 can be specifically inhibited by the bulky inhibitor 1NMPP1. Remarkably, SW-R occurrence was increased by 1NMPP1. We found that 1NMPP1 increased the firing rate of PyN neurons, yet disrupted PyN neuron dynamics during SW-R events. Furthermore, 1NMPP1 increased SW-R occurrence during both non rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) states and wake states with a greater impact on SW-Rs during wake states. In accord, spatial working memory was attenuated in male mice. Together these results indicate that dynamic activity of ErbB4 kinase is critical to SW-Rs and spatial working memory. This study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism of SW-Rs and a novel function of the NRG1-ErbB4 signaling. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT SW-Rs are a hippocampal event, important for memory functioning. Yet the molecular pathways that regulate SW-Rs remain unclear. NRG1, previously known to be increased in PyN in an activity dependent manner, signals to its receptor, ErbB4 kinase, that is in important regulator of GABAergic transmission and long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. Our findings demonstrate that SW-Rs are regulated by this signaling pathway in a dynamic manner. Not only so, we show that this signaling pathway is dynamically needed for spatial working memory. These data suggest a molecular signaling pathway, NRG1-ErbB4 that regulates an important network event of the hippocampus, SW-Rs, that underlies memory functioning.
Ancient Bodies, Modern Lives: How Evolution Has Shaped Women's Health

How has bipedalism impacted human childbirth? Do PMS and postpartum depression have specific, maybe even beneficial, functions? These are only two of the many questions that specialists in evolutionary medicine seek to answer, and that anthropologist Wenda Trevathan addresses in Ancient Bodies, Modern Lives. Exploring a range of women's health issues that may be viewed through an evolutionary lens, specifically focusing on reproduction, Trevathan delves into issues such as the medical consequences of early puberty in girls, the impact of migration, culture change, and poverty on reproductive health, and how fetal growth retardation affects health in later life. Hypothesizing that many of the health challenges faced by women today result from a mismatch between how their bodies have evolved and the contemporary environments in which modern humans live, Trevathan sheds light on the power and potential of examining the human life cycle from an evolutionary perspective, and how this could improve our understanding of women's health and our ability to confront health challenges in more creative, effective ways.
Genomic landscape of cutaneous T cell lymphoma

Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a non-Hodgkin lymphoma of skin-homing T lymphocytes. We performed exome and whole-genome DNA sequencing and RNA sequencing on purified CTCL and matched normal cells. The results implicate mutations in 17 genes in CTCL pathogenesis, including genes involved in T cell activation and apoptosis, NF-κB signaling, chromatin remodeling and DNA damage response. CTCL is distinctive in that somatic copy number variants (SCNVs) comprise 92% of all driver mutations (mean of 11.8 pathogenic SCNVs versus 1.0 somatic single-nucleotide variant per CTCL). These findings have implications for new therapeutics.
Fundamentals of Oversampled A/D Converters

In this section, we provide some background for various oversampled converters. We are primarily interested in multi-loop, multi-stage and incremental structures . The fundamental nature of each structure will be briefly described mathematically.
Conceptualising multifunctional agriculture from a global perspective: Implications for governing agricultural trade in the post-Doha Round era

The notion of multifunctional agriculture has been researched from diverse disciplines including economics, sociology, political economy, and geography since the URAA. In particular, the economics approach represents an attempt to tailor the concept of multifunctional agriculture to market- oriented WTO trade regime. The approach has been fundamentally troubled by the lack of concord among WTO member countries on the question of what constitutes multifunctional agriculture. This article redefines multifunctional agriculture as a concept encompassing six components that are extremely heterogeneous in their nature of external benefits. Upon examining different positions taken by the US, the EU, the Cairns group, LDCs, and the G10, this article develops a conceptual model explaining why the notion of multifunctional agriculture is conceived so differently across countries. The model posits that institutions, natural resources endowment, ecological conditions, farm policies, and culture/history unique to each country would determine the state of economic development and agricultural competitiveness in a country, which in turn shape the pattern of social demand for various components of multifunctional agriculture. The theorizing undertakes to overcome the Euro- centrism that has dictated the discourse of multifunctional agriculture since the URAA. Implications are discussed for the governance of agricultural trade in the post-Doha Round era.
Conservative Methods for Nonlinear Problems

When we attempt to solve nonlinear conservation laws numerically we run into additional difficulties not seen in the linear equation. Moreover, the nonlinearity makes everything harder to analyze. In spite of this, a great deal of progress has been made in recent years.
The Future of Enterprise Is with the Mobile Workforce: An International Field Study

To create the most effective mobile applications, Oracle must understand how and in what contexts the mobile workforce is using their mobile devices. Oracle mobile researchers went into the workforce population and conducted an international, ethnographic field study to fully understand the mobile worker's needs, behaviors, and contextually based activities.
Immunotherapy of murine leukemia. IX. The requirement for the Fc portion of antibody for successful passive serum therapy of Friend leukemia virus-induced disease.

Abstract The possible role of an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)-type mechanism in the passive serum therapy of Friend leukemia virus (FLV)-induced erythroleukemia has been investigated by determining whether successful serum protection requires an intact Fc portion on the administered antibody. F(ab′) 2 fragments of IgG extracted from chimpanzee anti-FLV and goat anti-FLV gp71 antisera were prepared and compared with whole serum and uncleaved IgG for their capacity to protect DBA/2 mice against challenge with leukemogenic dose of FLV. Despite demonstrating in vitro virus neutralizing activity equivalent to that seen with antiviral serum or IgG, the virus-specific F(ab′) 2 preparations were devoid of protective activity. Given that passively administered F(ab′) 2 of goat origin have been reported to persist at stable levels in the mouse circulation, the failure of these F(ab′) 2 preparations to protect against virus challenge cannot be ascribed to rapid clearance from the treated animals. These results indicate that the passive serum therapy of FLV-induced disease is Fc dependent, consistent with the involvement of an ADCC-type mechanism, as well as confirming the previous suggestion that virus neutralization does not represent the sole mechanism of serum protection in this system.
A values approach to understanding ethical business relationships in the 21st century: A comparison between Germany, India, the People's Republic of China, and the United States

The purpose of this study was to examine howmanagerial values may differ between future managersfrom Germany, India, the People's Republic of China(PRC), and the United States (U.S.) and to considerhow these differences may influence current and futureethical business relationships. The results show thatthere are significant differences between countries onthe acceptance of authority with the exception of theU.S. and the PRC. All countries sampled were high onneed determined expression with nonsignificancebetween the means of the PRC/U.S. and Germany/U.S. Allcountries sampled were significantly high onequalitarianism and individualism was high for allcountries except the PRC and India, which were notsignificant. The results point to the increasedcommonality between future managers across the fourcountries as opposed to the traditional stereotypesassociated with each culture. Possible implicationsare discussed relative to the 21st century andorganizations that are involved in interculturalhiring.
Hematopoiesis in larval Pseudoplusia includens and Spodoptera frugiperda.

Maintenance of circulating hemocytes in larval Lepidoptera has been attributed to both mitosis of hemocytes already in circulation and the release of hemocytes from hematopoietic organs. In this study, we compared hematopoiesis in the noctuids Pseudoplusia includens and Spodoptera frugiperda. For both species, hemocyte densities per μl of blood increased with instar. Differential hemocyte counts indicated that plasmatocytes were the most abundant hemocyte type during early instars but granular cells were the most abundant hemocyte type in the last instar. Hematopoietic organs were located in the meso- and metathorax of S. Frugiperda and P. Includens. These organs contained large numbers of hemocytes in S. Frugiperda, but contained few hemocytes in P. Includens. The majority of the hemocytes recovered from hematopoietic organs were identified as plasmatocytes. Using hemocyte type-specific markers and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation experiments, we determined that all hemocyte types with the exception of oenocytoids synthesize DNA. BrdU labeling indices for both species also fluctuated with the molting cycle. Ligation experiments suggested that hematopoietic organs are an important source of circulating plasmatocytes in S. Frugiperda but not in P. Includens. Injection of heat killed bacteria into larvae induced higher levels of BrdU labeling than injection of sterile saline, suggesting that infection and wounding induce different levels of hemocyte proliferation. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 43:147–164, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Endothelin-1 Induces CXCL1 and CXCL8 Secretion in Human Melanoma Cells

The endothelin pathway plays a critical role in melanoma tumor progression by a variety of mechanisms that enhance tumor cell growth, invasion, and metastasis. Here, we investigate the effect of this pathway on CXC chemokine expression in human melanoma cells and melanocytes. As determined by ELISA, endothelin-1 (ET-1) induces CXCL1 and CXCL8 secretion in three human melanoma cell lines in a concentration-dependent fashion. These responses are mediated by the endothelin-B receptor and are sustained over a 40 h time course. ET-1 does not induce CXCL1 secretion in primary human melanocytes but ET-3, an endothelin isoform, induces a low level of CXCL1 secretion in certain cultures. Neither ET-1 nor ET-3 induces secretion of CXCL8 in primary human melanocytes; thus, this response may be specific for melanocytic cells that have undergone malignant transformation. We have previously demonstrated that ET-1 induces changes in the expression of adhesion molecules in melanoma cells such that invasion and metastasis are favored. This study demonstrates that ET-1 additionally induces secretion of CXC chemokines critical for melanoma metastasis and tumor progression.
Incidental CD8 T cell reactivity against caspase‐cleaved apoptotic self‐antigens from ubiquitously expressed proteins in islets from prediabetic human leucocyte antigen‐A2 transgenic non‐obese diabetic mice

Apoptosis is known as a major mechanism which contributes to beta cell decay in type 1 diabetes. Commitment to this pathway generally involves caspase-mediated protein cleavage and was found to induce cross-presentation of a specific antigen repertoire under certain inflammatory conditions. We aimed to assess the significance of the CD8 T cell population reactive against such caspase-cleaved apoptotic self-antigens in pancreatic islets of prediabetic human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 transgenic non-obese diabetic chimeric monochain transgene construct (NOD.HHD) mice. We have reproduced a unique peptide library consisting of human CD8 T cell-derived apoptosis-specific antigens, all of which belong to structural proteins expressed ubiquitously in human islets. Pancreatic islets from prediabetic NOD.HHD mice, harbouring humanized major histocompatibilty complex (MHC) class I, were isolated and handpicked at various ages, and islet-infiltrating CD8 T cells were expanded in vitro and used as responders in an interferon (IFN)-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. Human T2 cells were used as antigen-presenting cells (APC) to avoid endogenous antigen presentation. Analogous to the interindividual variability found with peptides from known islet autoantigens such as islet-specific glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit related protein (IGRP) and insulin, some mice showed variable, low-degree CD8 T cell reactivity against caspase-cleaved self-antigens. Because reactivity was predominantly minor and often undetectable, we conclude that beta cell apoptosis does not routinely provoke the development of dominant cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) reactive against caspase-cleaved self-antigens in the NOD.HHD model.
Pathologic quiz case: male with nonproductive cough.

A Hispanic man who complained of a nonproductive cough, fever (temperature, 37–388C [99– 1008F]), abdominal distention, and left upper quadrant pain of 1 week’s duration was admitted to the hospital. He denied chills, night sweats, sore throat, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dysuria, or change in weight or appetite. His medical history revealed the presence of polycythemia vera (PV) diagnosed 13 years ago and treated with phlebotomy and hydroxyurea. On admission, he was not in acute distress. Physical examination showed low-grade fever and a slightly tender, markedly enlarged spleen. Complete blood cell count revealed the following values: hemoglobin, 109 g/L; hematocrit, 0.33; red blood cell count, 4.13 3 1012/L; white blood cell count, 5.5 3 109/L; and platelet count, 21 3 109/L. The white cell differential showed 0.15 neutrophils, 0.07 bands, 0.42 lymphocytes, and 0.36 blasts. The blasts in the peripheral blood varied in appearance from small cells showing lymphoid features with a high nucleus-cytoplasmic ratio, sparse cytoplasm, dense nuclear chromatin, and inconspicuous nucleoli to larger forms with a lower nucleus-cytoplasmic ratio, a moderate amount of basophilic cytoplasm, few fine perinuclear azurophilic granules, occasional cytoplasmic blebs or buds, dispersed nuclear chromatin, and distinct nucleoli. Occasional micromegakaryocytes and large hypogranular platelets were also seen. Bone marrow aspiration and a trephine biopsy were performed. The as-
Development of BION/spl trade/ technology for functional electrical stimulation: hermetic packaging

BIONs/spl trade/ are chronically implanted, individually addressable, single channel electrical stimulators that are now in clinical trials. They receive power and command signals from an externally worn RF transmission coil. The electronic circuitry is packaged in a glass capsule that can be injected through a hypodermic needle to provide distributed multichannel FES systems. The small size (2 mm OD /spl times/ 16 mm long), external electrodes and long design life (>10 years) pose a challenge for hermetic sealing and testing. We here describe several novel packaging techniques that have been integrated into a single workstation to enable efficient and reliable production of BION implants.
Blue toe syndrome: treatment with percutaneous atherectomy.

"Blue toe syndrome" refers to digital ischemia of the foot in the presence of palpable or Doppler audible pedal pulses. This clinical syndrome is caused by microembolization to small vessels from a proximal source. The use of percutaneous transluminal atherectomy is described in the treatment of embologenic superficial femoral artery lesions in seven patients. All seven had prompt healing of the ischemic toes, and none required surgical revascularization or amputation. One patient developed a recurrent stenosis at the atherectomy site and had a second episode of digital ischemia, which was treated by means of atherectomy with a larger device. Histologic study of atherectomy specimens suggests that emboli arise from adherent fibrinoplatelet aggregates or thrombus and less often from cholesterol-rich atheromatous plaque. Although either percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or atherectomy can be used to treat the underlying stenosis, percutaneous atherectomy offers the advantage of nonsurgical removal of embologenic material and provides material for histologic study. Percutaneous atherectomy is an effective method of treating embologenic superficial femoral stenoses in patients with ipsilateral blue toe syndrome.
Modest Reduction in Risk for Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Critically ill Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation Following Topical Oral Chlorhexidine

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Chlorhexidine, toothbrushing, and preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill adults. Munro CL, Grap MJ, Jones DJ, McClish DK, Sessler CN. Am J Crit Care 2009;18:428-37. Reviewers Frank A. Scannapieco, DMD, PhD, Catherine J. Binkley, DDS, MSPH, PhD Purpose/Question Does mechanical (toothbrushing), topical oral chlorhexidine, and/or a combination of toothbrushing plus chlorhexidine reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation? Source of Funding National Institutes of Health Grant R01 NR07652 Type of Study/Design Randomized controlled trial Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Grade B: Inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence
A specialized innervation of the tensor tympani muscle inMacaca fascicularis

Abstract The innervation of the tensor tympani muscle of the middle ear inMacaca fascicularis (cynomolgus monkey) was studied using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) neural tracing technique. A compact column of small trigeminal motoneurons was labeled ipsilaterally following intramuscular application of HRP to the tensor tympani muscle. This column is located ventral and lateral to the dorsolateral division of the trigeminal motor nucleus, and just medial to the descending trigeminal nerve rootlets. No labeled neurons were present in the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus or any other brainstem nucleus. Results are compared with those previously reported in several non-primate mammalian species, and in detail with that of the cat. A possible differential role of the tensor tympani muscle in acoustic modulation/middle ear aeration between primate and non-primate mammals is discussed.
Interactions of propionate and carnitine metabolism in isolated rat hepatocytes

Accumulation of propionate and its metabolic products propionyl-CoA and methylmalonyl CoA results in disruption of normal hepatic metabolism. Carnitine can partially restore normal cellular function in the presence of propionate. This beneficial effect of carnitine has been hypothesized to result from removal of propionyl groups in the form of propionylcarnitine. The present study was designed to elucidate the kinetics of propionylcarnitine formation in isolated rat hepatocytes, and the consequences of propionylcarnitine formation on propionate and carnitine metabolism. 14C-Propionate was converted to CO2, glucose, and propionylcarnitine in the hepatocyte system. Rates of CO2 production plateaued at propionate concentrations above 0.5 to 1.0 mmol/L, while in contrast, rates of glucose production declined as the propionate concentration was increased from 1.0 to 10.0 mmol/L. Increasing concentrations of carnitine up to 10.0 mmol/L resulted in increased production of propionylcarnitine. Despite formation of propionylcarnitine, propionate conversion to CO2 and glucose was unaffected by addition of carnitine. Thus, 10 mmol/L carnitine was able to increase total propionate metabolism (conversion to CO2, glucose and propionylcarnitine) by 40%. Hepatocyte metabolism of propionate was associated with a decrease in carnitine concentration and an increase in short chain acylcarnitines. This decrease in carnitine concentration was also seen in the presence of 150 mumol/L added carnitine, and was greater with propionate as a substrate as compared to butyrate. High performance liquid chromatography was used to permit specific quantification of propionylcarnitine. This technique confirmed that in the presence of propionate, propionylcarnitine was the major acylcarnitine generated and was responsible for the depletion of free carnitine from the system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Modification of dimethylhydrazine-induced carcinogenesis in rats by dietary cholesterol.

Abstract Diets capable of affecting serum cholesterol levels were examined for effects on tumorigenesis in male Fischer 344 rats given 1,2‐dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH). Four regimens were used: Group A was maintained on a semipurified diet; Group B was maintained on the same diet with cholesterol and bile salts added; Group C was fed the cholesterol and bile salt diet and then switched to the semipurified diet; and Group D was fed the cholesterol and bile salt diet and then placed on a semipurified diet containing bile salts. Six months after DMH administration, Groups B and D exhibited similar tumor incidence (77% and 83 %, respectively) and yield (2.3 and 2.4 tumors/tumor‐bearing rat). These yields were significantly greater than those seen in Group A (70% incidence and 1.4 tumors/tumor‐bearing rat) or Group C (52% incidence and 1.7 tumors/tumor‐bearing rat). Tumors in Groups B and D were larger in size and closer to the rectum than those seen in the other groups. In each of Groups A, C, and ...
Characterization of NaK-ATPase from vascular smooth muscle.

1. 1. NaK-ATPase activity can be demonstrated in a membrane fraction of bovine renal arteries. 2. 2. The temperature and pH optima were 44° and 7.0, respectively. 3. 3. The concentrations of monovalent cations required for maximal activity were 100 mM for Na+ and 10 mM for K+. 4. 4. A Mg/ATP ratio of 2 gave greater activity than a ratio of 1; the Km for Mg ATP was 1.67 × 10−3 M. 5. 5. The I50 for ouabain inhibition was 5 × 10−7 M and for inhibition by calcium was 0.3 mM. 6. 6. An ouabain insensitive Na+ dependent ATPase was also present in the preparation; no K+ dependent ATPase activity could be demonstrated. 7. 7. These ATPase activites could also be demonstrated in bovine coronary and canine mesenteric arteries in similar proportions.
Theory of Stimulated Raman Effect. II

The theory of stimulated Raman scattering using the coupled-wave approach is extended to include the case of polar media, with and without inversion center. Mixed effects of parametric down-conversion and Raman emission may occur. The threshold of the stimulated Raman effect in these media should not be much higher than that in a nonpolar system. The mixed effects of parametric down-conversion and stimulated Raman emission are also considered in purely electronic systems. They may be observable if the Raman transitions have a narrow linewidth.
Communication and memory optimal parallel data cube construction

Data cube construction is a commonly used operation in data warehouses. Because of the volume of data that is stored and analyzed in a data warehouse and the amount of computation involved in data cube construction, it is natural to consider parallel machines for this operation. We address a number of algorithmic issues in parallel data cube construction. First, we present an aggregation tree for sequential (and parallel) data cube construction, which has minimally bounded memory requirements. An aggregation tree is parameterized by the ordering of dimensions. We present a parallel algorithm based upon the aggregation tree. We analyze the interprocessor communication volume and construct a closed form expression for it. We prove that the same ordering of the dimensions minimizes both the computational and communication requirements. We also describe a method for partitioning the initial array and prove that it minimizes the communication volume. Experimental results from implementation of our algorithms on a cluster of workstations validate our theoretical results
Amobarbital vs saline extinction following different magnitudes of consistent reinforcement

Rats were extinguished in a runway following acquisition under large consistent reward (20 45-mg pellets) vs small consistent reward (2 pellets). Large reward reduced resistance to extinction under amobarbital and under saline; in the goal section, the reducing effects of large reward were greater under amobarbital than under saline. The reducing effect of large reward on resistance to extinction thus appears to be independent of the absolute level of frustration occurring in extinction.
Essential role for Rap1 GTPase and its guanine exchange factor CalDAG-GEFI in LFA-1 but not VLA-4 integrin–mediated human T-cell adhesion

Regulated adhesion of T cells by the integrins LFA-1 (lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1) and VLA-4 (very late antigen-4) is essential for T-cell trafficking. The small GTPase Rap1 is a critical activator of both integrins in murine lymphocytes and T-cell lines. Here we examined the contribution of the Rap1 regulatory pathway in integrin activation in primary CD3+ human T cells. We demonstrate that inactivation of Rap1 GTPase in human T cells by expression of SPA1 or Rap1GAP blocked stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α)–stimulated LFA-1–ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) interactions and LFA-1 affinity modulation but unexpectedly did not significantly affect binding of VLA-4 to its ligand VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1). Importantly, silencing of the Rap1 guanine exchange factor CalDAG-GEFI inhibited SDF-1α- and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)–induced adhesion to ICAM-1 while having no effect on adhesion to VCAM-1. Pharmacologic inhibition of Phospholipase C (PLC) blocked Rap1 activation and inhibited cell adhesion and polarization on ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition led to enhanced levels of active Rap1 concomitantly with increased T-cell binding to ICAM-1, whereas adhesion to VCAM-1 was reduced. Thus, PLC/CalDAG-GEFI regulation of Rap1 is selectively required for chemokine- and PMA-induced LFA-1 activation in human T cells, whereas alternate PLC- and PKC-dependent mechanisms are involved in the regulation of VLA-4.
Modeling of delamination in composite laminates using a layer-wise plate theory

Abstract The layer-wise laminate theory of Reddy is extended to account for multiple delaminations between layers, and the associated computational model is developed. Delaminations between layers of composite plates are modeled by jump discontinuity conditions at the interfaces. Geometric nonlinearity is included to capture layer buckling. The strain energy release rate distribution along the boundary of delaminations is computed by a novel algorithm. The computational model presented is validated through several numerical examples.
Inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation in tumor cells and mitochondria by daunomycin and adriamycin

Abstract The binding of copper to daunomycin has been investigated. It is concluded that the strenght of binding is not large enough for the 1:2 copper-daunomycin complex to exist in vivo . Daunomycin and adriamycin inhibit glutamate- and pyruvate-malate-dependent oxidative phosphorylation in bovine heart mitochondria and adriamycin uncouples this process as well. No inhibition of Ehrlich ascites tumor cell or mitochondrial respiration by daunomycin is observed at concentrations much larger than those used for heart. In conjunction with the work of others, these results suggest a role for the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation in the cardiac toxicity of these anthracycline drugs.
Becoming a Reflective Teacher: The Role of Stimulated Recall

Abstract In order to teach student teachers to be reflective practitioners, teacher educators must provide definitions and models that are useful to their student teachers. Recall of the teaching events of a lesson is an important part of reflectivity. To determine the extent to which student teachers can recall these teaching events, a study was conducted to answer questions about the differences between unaided and aided recall of deviations from a planned lesson. Results indicate that student teachers recall less than half of their deviations, and are especially prone to fail to remember student-initiated deviations. Implications for teaching reflectivity include the advisability of employing stimulated recall techniques when teaching student teachers how to be reflective.
Robotically assisted division of a vascular ring in children

Over the past decade, technical advances, including the evolution of thoracoscopic instruments and high-resolution cameras, have contributed to the widespread use of video-assisted thoracoscopic techniques in the pediatric population. Introduction of robotic surgical systems represents a further step in the evolution of endoscopic instrumentation. These computer-enhanced systems offer 3-dimensional visualization and significantly improved instrumentation, with motion scaling and a wrist mechanism that allow the performance of fine microsurgical tasks by using an endoscopic approach. These specific advantages make the use of this technology potentially beneficial for the treatment of pediatric patients. This report describes the use of a robotic surgical system for the division of a vascular ring in 2 patients.
Equating the Standard and Advanced Forms of the Raven Progressive Matrices

Raw scores on the Standard and Advanced forms of the Raven Progressive Matrices were rescaled in a college sample by means of equipercentile equating to yield a common scale that accommodates a wider range of talent than do the raw scores of either form. The common scale is expressed as IQ with mean and standard deviation equated to the national normative sample for the Otis-Lennon IQ Mental Ability Test.
Phonological Processes, Confrontational Naming, and Immediate Memory in Dyslexia

A group of poor readers classified as dyslexic by age/IQ discrepancy criteria (n=42) were contrasted with two clinic control groups: 56 adequate-for-age readers with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and 21 poor-for-age readers not meeting the IQ discrepancy criterion (slow/borderline group). The children (33 girls, 86 boys) ranged in age from 7.5 years to 12 years. Variables chosen for study included simple and complex phonological processing, speech rate, continuous naming speed, running memory span, serial memory span, and mental addition. Evidence is presented that the two poor reader groups are distinguishable. Unlike the dyslexic group, the slow/borderline group did not differ from the ADD group on three key measures: simple auditory phonological sensitivity, continuous naming speed, and running memory span. Stepwise regression to predict word list reading level showed that once age and verbal IQ were removed (51% of variance), these three key measures accounted for an additional 22% of the variance ...
The role of mast cells in bacterial enteritis

Considering that the intestinal lumen is home to greater than 400 commensal bacterial species, it is curious that the mucosal immune system can detect the presence of pathogens among benign flora. The rapid and potent response of the innate immune cells ensures that virulent organisms are contained to the intestine, although this reaction can also damage surrounding tissue if not kept in balance. The work by Feng et al1 in this issue of The American Journal of Pathology demonstrates that mast cells are involved in the inflammatory reaction to intestinal pathogens and that mast cell products released during degranulation may be the cause of intestinal damage due to infection. Several innate immune cell types reside in the intestinal lamina propria, including mast cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. Within the intestine, mast cells are found in the mucosal and submucosal layer and can release a variety of bioactive proteins that can directly affect ion secretion (leading to diarrhea) and epithelial barrier function (leading to bacterial translocation). Although it is well documented that mast cell activation contributes to secretory diarrhea and colitis, it is still unclear how mast cells are triggered by microbial products to cause pathology. The observations presented here by Feng et al1 demonstrate that Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 on mast cells is responsible for diarrhea caused by Staphylococcus aureus. This work is a culmination of past studies demonstrating that mast cell products affect intestinal physiology and that mast cells are an important part of the innate immune response to bacterial infection.
Crisis and the Everyday in Postsocialist Moscow – By Olga Shevchenko

The article presents a review of the book "Crisis and the Everyday in Postsocialist Moscow," by Olga Shevchenko.
Religion and Youth

Religion and Youth SYLVIA COLLINS-MAYO & PINK DANDELION, eds., 2010 Farnham, Surrey & Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Limited 278 pp., £65.00, US$124.95 (hb), £17.99, US$34.95 ISBN 978–0–7546–67...
Radiation efficiency of convected fluid‐loaded plates

The radiation of sound from geometrically simple vibrating structures into stationary fluids is well understood. However, to date, very few investigations have considered the effects of fluid convection on structural acoustic radiation. The purpose of this investigation is to quantify the effects that fluid flow has on the sound radiated from rectangular vibrating plates. The discussion includes a description of the fundamental physics associated with a simply supported, vibrating, rectangular plate imbedded in an infinite baffle and radiating into a semi-infinite convected fluid field. This is followed by a discussion of the computational approach used to calculate the plate radiation efficiency. Finally, numerical results are presented which demonstrate the effect that convection has on the radiation efficiency. The primary effect is a significant increase in radiation efficiency in the mid-wave number region, which is attributable to an effective decrease in the critical frequency.
Protein Folding, Interrupted

Globular proteins start their lives as linear chains of amino acids coming off the ribosome. Proteins must then fold into specific three-dimensional structures to be functional. In 1957, the first such structure, of myoglobin, was determined at atomic resolution ( 1 ). Fifty-six years and 90,000-plus protein structures later ( 2 ), we have a very good idea of the necessary requirements for a stable, specific structure. Key to these requirements is the formation of a well-packed, largely anhydrous core ( 3 ). Yet, on page 795 of this issue, Sun et al. ( 4 ) report an antifreeze protein with a core mostly consisting of water.
New monte carlo results on the robustness of the anova f, w and f statistics

Because the usual F test for equal means is not robust to unequal variances, Brown and Forsythe (1974a) suggest replacing F with the statistics F or W which are based on the Satterthwaite and Welch adjusted degrees of freedom procedures. This paper reports practical situations where both F and W give * unsatisfactory results. In particular, both F and W may not provide adequate control over Type I errors. Moreover, for equal variances, but unequal sample sizes, W should be avoided in favor of F (or F ), but for equal sample sizes, and possibly unequal variances, W was the only satisfactory statistic. New results on power are included as well. The paper also considers the effect of using F or W only after a significant test for equal variances has been obtained, and new results on the robustness of the F test are described. It is found that even for equal sample sizes as large as 50 per treatment group, there are practical situations where the F test does not provide adequately control over the probability...
Use of a bioactivation system to screen for hemolytic response to environmental agents: Evaluation of six pesticides

Abstract Six pesticides were examined for oxidant Stressor effects on Dorset sheep erythrocvtes, an animal model with low glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G‐6‐PD) activity. The pesticides tested were atrazine, azinphos‐methyl, methomyl, parathion, propoxur and zineb. A liver microsomal enzyme system was used to generate metabolites of the parent compounds. The blood parameters measured were reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and methemoglobin formation. The results indicated that metabolites of the six pesticides were not oxidant Stressor agents towards G‐6‐PD deficient erythrocytes, in vitro. The pesticides, zineb and parathion, incubated without the microsomal enzyme system, did exert statistically significant oxidizing effects on the G‐6‐PD deficient erythrocytes.