cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthetic Soft Tissue Characterization of the Mechanical Analogue Lumbar Spine

Evaluation of spinal implants is limited by difficulties in testing biological structures. Soft tissues primarily control spinal biomechanical responses. The objective of this study is to show controllability of the synthetic soft tissue properties of the mechanical analogue lumber spine. The development of an analogue spine would answer a multitude of clinical questions and improve implant design. Polyester fibers in a wave pattern were embedded in a shore-A F55 polyurethane matrix to mimic the nonlinear properties of human ligaments. Ligaments with four different volume fractions (Vf) of fibers were tested to failure in tension using specially designed jigs in a MTS MiniBionix. Polyester fibers oriented at +∕−30degrees were embedded in F55 polyurethane to simulate the annulus fibrosis (AF). Discs with three different Vf’s and F5 polyurethane for the nucleus pulposus were tested in compression to 1.25mm using a self-aligning jig. Displacement control was used for all specimens at a rate of 0.04230mm∕sec. For the ligaments, the initial stiffness and strain at toe was similar and the mean secondary stiffness in MPa was 187±5%, 307±5%, 422±2%, and 511±3% as the Vf increased. For the discs, the mean initial and (secondary) stiffness in N∕mm was 158±14%(658±6%), 150±5%(666±8%), and 74±3%(1230±2%) as the AF Vf increased. The results showed that synthetic soft tissue properties are controllable and properties measured fall within the range of human cadaveric literature values. A wide variety of analogue models can be developed utilizing the control of soft tissues.
Lone atrial fibrillation is associated with pectus excavatum.

Background Pectus excavatum is a skeletal abnormality that may have cardiac manifestations. Objective To determine whether pectus excavatum is associated with lone atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods The pectus severity index (PSI) is the ratio of the lateral diameter of the chest to the distance between the sternum and the spine on computed tomography scan. A normal PSI is ≤2.5 whereas patients with severe pectus excavatum have a PSI >3.25. We calculated the PSI of 220 consecutive patients with AF who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation from September 2008 to 2012 and compared this to the PSI of 225 controls without a history of AF undergoing chest computed tomography. Results Mean PSI was higher in patients with lone AF (2.72 ± 0.07) compared to patients with nonlone AF (2.25 ± 0.03) or controls (2.26 ± 0.03) (P Conclusions Nearly two-thirds of the patients with lone AF have at least mild pectus excavatum and 17% have severe pectus, which is significantly higher than in patients with nonlone AF or controls. This association suggests a potential genetic or mechanical abnormality may be common to the 2 disorders. Our study may provide insight into the pathogenesis of lone AF.
RAGE expression in human T cells: a link between environmental factors and adaptive immune responses

The Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) is a scavenger ligand that binds glycated endproducts as well as molecules released during cell death such as S100b and HMGB1. RAGE is expressed on antigen presenting cells where it may participate in activation of innate immune responses but its role in adaptive human immune responses has not been described. We have found that RAGE is expressed intracellularly in human T cells following TCR activation but constitutively on T cells from patients with diabetes. The levels of RAGE on T cells from patients with diabetes are not related to the level of glucose control. It co-localizes to the endosomes. Its expression increases in activated T cells from healthy control subjects but bystander cells also express RAGE after stimulation of the antigen specific T cells. RAGE ligands enhance RAGE expression. In patients with T1D, the level of RAGE expression decreases with T cell activation. RAGE+ T cells express higher levels of IL-17A, CD107a, and IL-5 than RAGE− cells from the same individual with T1D. Our studies have identified the expression of RAGE on adaptive immune cells and a role for this receptor and its ligands in modulating human immune responses.
Degraded Lignin Compounds Identified in Silicified Wood 200 Million Years Old

Degraded lignin compounds have been identified in Triassic age (about 200 million years) silicified wood from the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The pyrolysis products from black carbonaceous samples include carbon dioxide, low-molecular-weight alkanes and alkenes, benzene, alkyl-substituted benzenes, phenol, cresol, xylenols, indenes, benzofurans, trimethylindanone, and naphthalenes. These compounds are also the primary pyrolyzates of modern lignin above 500°C.
Zinc chloride paste for the debridement of chronic leg ulcers.

Abstract. Chronic leg ulcers present a difficult therapeutic problem, and their management requires frequent debridement. Thorough debridement of painful or extensive ulcerations is not always possible. Frequently, it must be done in the operating room, a situation accompanied by the potential complications of general anesthesia and by considerable expense. We present evidence for the effectiveness of zinc chloride paste as a relatively painless debriding agent in the management of chronic leg ulcers. When applied to the wound bed, zinc chloride paste fixes the tissue and leads to the formation of an eschar that falls off within a few days, leaving a granulating ulcer suitable for grafting.
Using cross-evaluation to evaluate interactive QA systems

In this article, we report on an experiment to assess the possibility of rigorous evaluation of interactive question-answering (QA) systems using the cross-evaluation method. This method takes into account the effects of tasks and context, and of the users of the systems. Statistical techniques are used to remove these effects, isolating the effect of the system itself. The results show that this approach yields meaningful measurements of the impact of systems on user task performance, using a surprisingly small number of subjects and without relying on predetermined judgments of the quality, or of the relevance of materials. We conclude that the method is indeed effective for comparing end-to-end QA systems, and for comparing interactive systems with high efficiency. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Maize Starch-Branching Enzyme Isoforms and Amylopectin Structure. In the Absence of Starch-Branching Enzyme IIb, the Further Absence of Starch-Branching Enzyme Ia Leads to Increased Branching

Previous studies indicated that the deficiency of starch-branching enzyme (SBE) Ia in the single mutant sbe1a∷Mu (sbe1a) has no impact on endosperm starch structure, whereas the deficiency of SBEIIb in the ae mutant is well known to reduce the branching of starch. We hypothesized that in maize (Zea mays) endosperm, the function of SBEIIb is predominant to that of SBEIa, and SBEIa would have an observable effect only on amylopectin structure in the absence of SBEIIb. To test this hypothesis, the mutant sbe1a was introgressed into lines containing either wx (lacking the granule-bound starch synthase GBSSI) or ae wx (lacking both SBEIIb and GBSSI) in the W64A background. Both western blotting and zymogram analysis confirmed the SBEIa deficiency in sbe1a wx and sbe1a ae wx, and the SBEIIb deficiency in ae wx and sbe1a ae wx. Using zymogram analysis, no pleiotropic effects of sbe1a genes on SBEIIa, starch synthase, or starch-debranching enzyme isoforms were observed. High-performance size exclusion chromatography analysis shows that the chain-length profiles of amylopectin as well as β-limit dextrin were indistinguishable between wx and sbe1a wx, whereas significant differences for both were observed between ae wx and sbe1a ae wx, suggesting an effect of SBEIa on amylopectin biosynthesis that is observable only in the absence of SBEIIb. The amylopectin branch density and the average number of branches per cluster were both higher in endosperm starch from sbe1a ae wx than from ae wx. These results indicate possible functional interactions between SBE isoforms that may involve enzymatic inhibition. Both the cluster repeat distance and the distance between branch points on the short intracluster chains were similar for all genotypes however, suggesting a similar pattern of individual SBE isoforms in cluster initiation and the determination of branch point location.
Adipogenic human adenovirus-36 reduces leptin expression and secretion and increases glucose uptake by fat cells

Human adenovirus Ad-36 causes adiposity in animal models and enhances differentiation and lipid accumulation in human and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, which may, in part, explain the adipogenic effect of Ad-36. We determined the consequences of Ad-36 infection on leptin and glucose metabolism in fat cells. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were used to determine the effect of infection by human adenoviruses Ad-36, Ad-2, Ad-9 and Ad-37 on leptin secretion and lipid accumulation. Rat primary adipocytes were used to determine the effect of Ad-36 infection on leptin secretion and glucose uptake in vitro. Furthermore, the effect of Ad-36 on expressions of leptin and selected genes of de novo lipogenesis pathway of visceral adipose tissue were compared ex vivo, between Ad-36 infected and uninfected control rats. Ad-36 suppressed the expression of leptin mRNA in 3T3-L1 cells by approximately 58 and 52% on days 3 and 5 post-infection, respectively. Leptin release normalized to cellular lipid content was 51% lower (P<0.002) in the Ad-36 infected 3T3-L1 cells. Lipid accumulation was significantly greater and leptin secretion was lower for the 3T3-L1 cells infected with other human adenoviruses Ad-9, Ad-36, or Ad-37. Whereas, human adenovirus Ad-2 did not influence cellular lipid accumulation or the leptin release. In rat primary adipocytes, Ad-36 reduced leptin release by about 40% in presence of 0.48 (P<0.01) or 1.6 nM insulin (P<0.05) and increased glucose uptake by 93% (P<0.001) or 18% (P<0.05) in presence of 0 or 0.48 nM insulin, respectively. Next, the adipose tissue of Ad-36 infected rats showed two to fivefold lower leptin mRNA expression, and 1.6- to 21-fold greater expressions for acetyl Co-A carboxylase-1 and 1.2- to 6.3-fold greater expressions for fatty acid synthase, key genes of de novo lipogenesis, compared to the uninfected weight and adiposity matched controls. The in vitro and ex vivo studies show that Ad-36 modulates adipocyte differentiation, leptin production and glucose metabolism. Whether such a modulation contributes to enhanced adipogenesis and consequent adiposity in Ad-36 infected animals or humans needs to be determined.
Impact of identification and treatment of depression in heart transplant patients.

Background. The effects of clinical depression after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) are relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of depression on outcomes after OHT. Methods. We performed a single center retrospective review of 102 consecutive patients who underwent OHT at Northwestern Memorial Hospital from June 2005 to October 2009. The diagnosis of depression was obtained from attending physician documentation. The primary endpoints were all-cause mortality (ACM), hospitalizations, and rejection. Results. Of 102 OHT patients, 26 (26%) had depression. Depressed patients were similar in age to nondepressed patients (57.6 years versus 56.9, ). There was no statistical difference in survival between groups at 5 years after OHT (). All-cause hospitalizations were higher in depressed versus nondepressed patients (4.3 versus 2.6 hospitalizations ). There were no significant differences in hospitalizations between the two groups for the following complications: cardiac (heart failure, edema, arrhythmias, and acute rejection) and infections. There was no significant difference in episodes of 2R and 3R rejection. Conclusion. Early identification and treatment of depression in OHT patients result in outcomes similar to nondepressed patients.
Controlled comparisons of clomipramine and fluoxetine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behavioral and biological results.

• Treatment with fluoxetine hydrochloride was compared with treatment with clomipramine hydrochloride in two groups of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder using two different experimental designs. In the first group of 11 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder studied using a randomized, doubleblind, crossover design, treatment with fluoxetine for 10 weeks was found to produce therapeutic effects similar to treatment with clomipramine for 10 weeks. There were significantly fewer total side effects reported during fluoxetine than clomipramine treatment. Drug tapering and placebo substitution in the 4-week crossover interval phase led to substantial relapses in obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and depression. Furthermore, responses to the second drug took as long to occur as responses to the first drug, although both drugs are thought to act by a common mechanism, serotonin uptake inhibition. A second group of 21 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder that had been previously stabilized on clomipramine treatmen with at least partial benefit were crossed over to fluoxetine treat ment in a double-blind fashion. After 10 weeks of fluoxetine administration, most patients manifested behavioral rating scores of obsessive-compulsive disorder and depressive symp toms that were comparable with precrossover ratings complete during clomipramine treatment. A significant exacerbation ir obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression ratings as wel as a similar lag in therapeutic efficacy were also noted in this second cohort of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder Platelet 5-HT concentrations were reduced 95% during both clo mipramine and fluoxetine treatment periods. These results sug gest that fluoxetine may represent a viable alternative to clomip ramine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, al though further studies with larger sample sizes are needed.
Testing for a ‘within-subjects’ association in repeated measures data

‘Within-subjects association’ is a tendency for a subject's personal highs in a variable Y to be associated with personal highs (or lows) in a variable X. We show that the within-subject Spearman correlations, individually of little reliability, can be aggregated across subjects in a repeated measures data set to effectively detect such an association. Observed significance levels can be assigned using an approximate randomization procedure even in small samples with variable numbers of observations per subject and ties in the ranks. We investigate the power of this method under the assumptions that the ranks within subjects follow a distribution proposed by Henze. On the basis of these results, we make recommendations for sample designs.
Product development and price trends for fiber optic components

Abstract Numerous technological innovations have resulted in improved performance and a dramatic decline in prices for fiber optic components over the past 15 years, greatly increasing their market acceptance. As many new companies enter the market and with many other companies beginning to use fiber optics, both suppliers and consumers face challenging decisions in managing the technology. This paper outlines the market factors and technical events that have influenced the development of fiber optic components with the goal of providing insight into the strategic management issues. The author argues that while individual technical breakthroughs may be unpredictable, aggregate characteristics of the market follow a path that can often be anticipated. In support of this argument, and given the particular importance of price trends in the market, an equation is developed from historical data to forecast average prices for each of the major fiber optic component groups.
Whose Good Old Days Are These?: A Dozen Predictions for the Digital Age

Ces temps que connaissent les bibliotheques aujourd'hui, a l'ere de l'electronique, seront-ils un jours consideres comme les bons vieux jours d'un âge d'or mythique ? Afin de determiner ce qui merite d'etre retenu et apprecie des temps presents, l'A. offre une douzaine de predictions caracterisant ce que l'avenir reserve aux bibliotheques universitaires et de recherche. L'acces aux sources tangibles d'information demeurera important ; la communication scientifique continuera a refleter les changements technologiques, mais pas partout de la meme maniere ; la dependance au format MARC continuera a diminuer ; les services techniques changeront et devront etre reorganises ; les technologies et les normes de preservation de l'information numerique emergeront, mais la resolution des principes de selection et des structures d'organisation interinstitutionnelles sera plus lente a se developper ; les bâtiments de bibliotheque seront plus importants ; les consortia de bibliotheques seront moins nombreux mais plus vastes et plus puissants ; les services aux utilisateurs seront influences par la tendance a la commercialisation et le developpement de l'internet, et l'internet sera influence par les bibliotheques ; la stabilite et la credibilite des bibliotheques seront valorisees par les secousses que connaitra le secteur commercial de l'information ; les aspects de politique publique auront plus d'impact sur le succes des bibliotheques que les aspects technologiques ; le nombre des bibliothecaires susceptibles de travailler dans les bibliotheques academiques continuera a decroitre ; l'infrastructure universitaire necessaire fera defaut.
Prostate Cancer: To Screen or not to Screen

Screening for early detection of prostate cancer seems both necessary and possible but it remains to be proven that it can lower mortality from the disease. Until properly evaluated, the risks of screening at present do not justify either the cost or the potential benefit that could result. An increased awareness of the problems encountered by screening could lead to greater impetus around the world to design and implement the proper studies. the recent information about the outcome following conservative management means that the value of treatment must also be assessed since it is possible that the only tumors cured by radiation therapy or surgery are those that are not life threatening, whereas the most lethal tumors are not identified sufficiently early by the available screening tests to be cured. the increased incidence and mortality from prostate cancer should lead to increased pressure to answer the important questions as soon as possible.
Evaluation ofLagenidium giganteumfor Biocontrol ofMansoniaMosquitoes in Florida (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract Inoculative releases of Lagenidium giganteum (California isolate) were made against a population of Mansonia dyari during a typical breeding season at one site in eastern Hillsborough County, Florida. Zoospores of L. giganteum were introduced into outdoor caged replicated test pools containing waterlettuce, Pistia stratiotes, and larvae of M. dyari collected from an inactive phosphate pit. First and second instar larvae were added twice a week between August and December, 1993, to simulate natural oviposition by M. dyari. Adult emergence was reduced by >77% in test pools treated with L. giganteum. Sentinel larvae provided evidence of recycling of the fungus approximately 14 days posttreatment. Continuous larval mortality of M. dyari was observed for a period of 46 days. Our data showed that water quality in the test pools and phosphate pit was suitable for fungal growth and zoosporogenesis as long as the water temperature did not exceed 38°C.
Developing Oral Communication in Students With Hearing Impairments: Whose Responsibility?

In the past 20 years, there have been significant changes in educational services for students with hearing impairments in the public schools. These changes include the enactment of the Education f...
The human GRB2 and Drosophila Drk genes can functionally replace the Caenorhabditis elegans cell signaling gene sem-5

Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans gene sem-5 affect cell signaling processes involved in guiding a class of cell migrations and inducing vulval cell fates. The sem-5 sequence encodes a protein comprised almost exclusively of SH2 and SH3 domains (SH, src homology region) that are found together in many signaling proteins and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases. A human protein, GRB2, was identified by its ability to associate with the activated human epidermal growth factor receptor (hEGFR). The GRB2 and Sem-5 proteins share an identical architecture of their SH2 and SH3 domains and 58% amino acid sequence identity. Here we demonstrate that GRB2 and a Drosophila sem-5-like gene Drk can specifically rescue sem-5 mutants. We also show that Sem-5, like GRB2, can bind to the activated hEGFR in vitro. We further correlate the abilities of several mutant variants of GRB2 and Sem-5 to bind to the hEGFR in vitro with their abilities to functionally replace sem-5 in vivo. These data indicate that GRB2 and Drk are functional homologues of Sem-5 and demonstrate the high degree of conservation of both structure and function between signaling systems throughout evolution.
Paraneoplastic nephrotic syndrome and inflammatory arthritis at diagnosis in Hodgkin lymphoma.

Case Report A 38-year-old Hispanic man presented with 1 month of migratory joint pain and swelling. He denied recent upper respiratory illness, pharyngitis, rash, or other symptoms. Medical history was noncontributory. He took ibuprofen for pain and denied drug, tobacco, or alcohol use. Physical examination was notable for lower extremity edema and 3 palpable right supraclavicular lymph nodes. Initial laboratory assessment is in Table 1. Though his hematologic evaluation was consistent with anemia (white blood cells, 8300/ L; hemoglobin, 8.4 /dL; platelets, 382 10/ L), there was no evidence of hemolysis
A heuristic fault-tolerant routing algorithm in mesh using rectilinear-monotone polygonal fault blocks

A new, rectilinear-monotone polygonally shaped fault block model, called Minimal-Connected-Component (MCC), was proposed in [D. Wang, A rectilinear-monotone polygonal fault block model for fault-tolerant minimal routing in mesh, IEEE Trans. Comput. 52 (3) (2003) 310-320] for minimal adaptive routing in mesh-connected multiprocessor systems. This model refines the widely used rectangular model by including fewer non-faulty nodes in fault blocks. The positions of source/destination nodes relative to faulty nodes are taken into consideration when constructing fault blocks. Adaptive routing algorithm was given in Wang (2003), that constructs a minimal ''Manhattan'' route avoiding all fault blocks, should such routes exist. However, if there are no minimal routes, we still need to find a route, preferably as short as possible. In this paper, we propose a heuristic algorithm that takes a greedy approach, and can compute a nearly shortest route without much overhead. The significance of this algorithm lies in the fact that routing is a frequently performed task, and messages need to get to their destinations as soon as possible. Therefore one would prefer to have a fast answer about which route to take (and then take it), rather than spend too much time working out an absolutely shortest route.
Elastic properties of quasicrystals

Abstract The elastic properties of several families of quasicrystals have been measured between 0.010 and 100 K. Their speed of sound varies linearly with temperature above 4 K, and their internal friction approaches a temperature-independent value below 4 K. These two quantities are proportional to each other even when the damping is much smaller than in any amorphous solid. It is concluded that the elastic properties of quasicrystals span the range from nearly perfect crystals to amorphous solids.
Amino acid sequence of the variable region of M149 mouse myeloma light chain: Comparison with the nucleotide sequence of K2 and K3 clones

Abstract The complete amino acid sequence of the kappa chain variable region from M 149, a myeloma urinary protein of BALB/c origin, has been determined. This sequence is compared with sequences of kappa chains from myeloma proteins that belong to the same group. The M 149 structure is also compared with the amino acid sequence derived from the nucleotide sequences of two EcoRI fragments (K2 and K3) of mouse DNA. These DNA fragments encode variable gene sequences closely related to mouse kappa light chain M149. Comparison of the protein sequence with the nucleotide sequence reveals differences in only 13–18 residues, which are clustered both in complementarity-determining regions and framework regions. When the probe derived from M149 tumour m-RNA was hybridized with mouse genome DNA, 6–8 different bands were revealed (Seidman et al., 1978b). Furthermore, the amino acid sequences corresponding to the K2 and K3 fragments have not yet been found among kappa light chains whose structures have been determined. These results therefore, raise the possibility that a set of genes (6–8), some of which remain silent, might exist in the mouse genome corresponding to each of the many groups identified among kappa light chains. Recent work has shown that light chain genes are encoded in three segments, a major variable region sequence, a short J sequence and the constant region sequence. Five J segments have been identified for all BALB/c mouse kappa chains by means of nucleotide sequencing of embryonic DNA (Max et al., 1979; Sakano et al., 1979). The J2 segment of embryonic DNA corresponds to the amino acid sequence, of M 149 protein covering residues 96–108.
Longitudinal relations between employment and depressive symptoms in low-income, suicidal African American women

Unemployment and depression are problematic at both individual and societal levels, and research suggests that the two phenomena are related. More thorough and longitudinal analyses, particularly ones within low-income minority populations, are needed to guide the development of programs to increase employment in persons with mental health problems. The current study aimed to specify the relations over time between depressive symptoms and employment status within a sample of 46 low-income African American women participating in an intervention study for intimate partner violence and suicidal behavior. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis indicated that baseline levels of depressive symptoms predicted employment status at the end of a 10-week intervention period, controlling for baseline employment status. Chi-square analysis and qualitative analyses of trends in depression scores showed that changes in employment status during the 10-week intervention period predicted 6-month and one-year follow-up levels of depressive symptoms. Results imply that, for women in the currently sampled population, depressive symptoms create vulnerability for job loss, but the ability to gain employment despite high levels of depressive symptoms is linked to lowered depression levels over the long term. Community programs assisting such women could therefore not just lower the vulnerability to job loss by treating depressive symptoms, but they could potentially lower long-term depression levels through interventions that enhance employability and motivation to pursue work. Language: en
A 3D image processing method for manufacturing process automation

Three-dimensional (3D) image processing provides a useful tool for machine vision applications. Typically a 3D vision system is divided into data acquisition, low-level processing, object representation and matching. In this paper, a 3D object pose estimation method is developed for an automated manufacturing assembly process. The experimental results show that the 3D pose estimation method produces accurate geometrical information for an automated material handling application.
Neutron scattering instrumentation at the Spallation Neutron Source.

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is an accelerator-based short-pulse neutron scattering facility designed to provide an order of magnitude more power than the most powerful existing facility of this type. The SNS is being constructed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is on schedule for completion in 2006. The unprecedented power of this facility brings many new opportunities and challenges for neutron scattering instrumentation. This instrumentation will cover a broad spectrum of science, with every instrument designed to be best-in-class. The SNS has provisions to accommodate up to 24 neutron beam instruments, and design and construction of a number of these instruments are already underway. Some of these instruments are funded within the SNS construction project and some from external sources. This paper will discuss the status of these funded instrumentation activities and of some other instrumentation activities in the planning stage, and will also discuss the process for providing additional instruments. The paper will also indicate the performance expected from many of these instruments and will address some of the challenges and opportunities faced in instrumenting a new spallation source of this unprecedented intensity.
Sexual assault and anorexia nervosa

Deux cas d'agression sexuelle avec apparition consecutive ou recrudescence d'anorexie. Traits communs a l'anorexie et au syndrome de la victime d'agression sexuelle
Student evaluation of instruction in higher education: exploring issues of validity and reliability

Many personnel committees at colleges and universities in the USA use student evaluation of faculty instruction to make decisions regarding tenure, promotion, merit pay or faculty professional development. This study examines the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the student evaluation of instruction (SEI) used at a large mid‐western university in the USA for both administrative and instructional purposes. The sample consisted of 73,500 completed SEIs for undergraduate students who self‐reported as freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. Confirmatory factor analysis via structural equation modelling was used to explore the construct validity of the SEI instrument. The internal consistency of students' ratings was reported to provide reliability evidence. The results of this study showed that the model fits the data for the sample. The significance of this study as well as areas for further research are discussed.
Resistance to Natural and Controlled Exposures to Eimeria tenella: Genetic Variation and Alloantigen Systems

Abstract Chickens from lines selected for high (HA) and low (LA) antibody response to sheep erythrocyte antigens were used to study relationships between blood group systems and resistance to Eimeria tenella. Results of natural and controlled exposures to E. tenella showed Line HA chickens to be more resistant than those from Line LA. Differences in resistance to E. tenella were found among alleles for the / blood group system with degree of resistance depending on the background genome.
Crown Rust Development and Selection for Virulence in Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae in an Oat Multiline Cultivar

Crown rust, caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae is the most important disease of cultivated oat in North America. Numerous race-specific (Pc) genes for crown rust have been found in Avena spp. but this type of resistance has not been durable when used in oat cultivars. Increasing diversity for resistance within a crop by the use of multiline cultivars or varietal mixtures has been proposed as a means of achieving durable resistance to highly variable pathogens such as P. coronata f. sp. avenae. Multiline cv. E77 was evaluated over multiple seasons in the University of Minnesota buckthorn nursery in St. Paul. Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica, the alternate host of P. coronata) supports a sexually recombining, highly diverse crown rust population in the St. Paul nursery. Crown rust severity on flag leaves was measured multiple times on E77 and its 10 component lines during grain filling. Single-urediniospore isolates taken from crown rust samples during early stages of the epidemic and at the end of the epidemic were tested for virulence on the 10 component lines of E77 in greenhouse seedling tests. Crown rust development was reduced in E77 compared with the weighted mean of the component lines at all stages of the crown rust epidemics. The mean virulence of single-urediniospore isolates tended to increase late in the epidemic on E77. These data suggest that multilines may select for complex virulence or "super races" and any resistance effect may not be durable.
The Social Nature of the Classical Conditioning Phenomena in People: A Comment on Hunt, Florsheim, Chatterjee, and Kernan:

Hunt, Florsheim, Chatterjee, and Kernan (1990) report an inability to replicate a series of studies I reported in 1986. In this paper, the social/historical nature of classical conditioning phenomenon in humans is used to explain both sets of results.
Rab11 helps maintain apical crumbs and adherens junctions in the Drosophila embryonic ectoderm.

Background Tissue morphogenesis and organogenesis require that cells retain stable cell-cell adhesion while changing shape and moving. One mechanism to accommodate this plasticity in cell adhesion involves regulated trafficking of junctional proteins.
Identification of Two Amino Acids within the EIIIA (ED-A) Segment of Fibronectin Constituting the Epitope for Two Function-blocking Monoclonal Antibodies

Alternative splicing of the fibronectin gene transcript gives rise to a group of adhesive glycoproteins showing restricted spatial and temporal expression during embryonic development, tumor growth, and tissue repair. Alternative splicing occurs in three segments termed EIIIB, EIIIA, and V. The EIIIA (or ED-A) segment of fibronectin is expressed prominently but transiently in healing wounds coincident with fibroblast expression of an activation marker, smooth muscle cell α-actin. A monoclonal antibody (IST-9) to the EIIIA segment blocks transforming growth factor-β-mediated smooth muscle cell α-actin expression by fibroblasts in culture. A second monoclonal antibody (DH1) blocks chondrocyte condensation in chicken embryos. We find that IST-9 and DH1 react with human, rat, and chicken but not with mouse or frog EIIIA, suggesting that His44 may be important for antibody binding. A series of deletion mutants of rat EIIIA, constructed as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins, do not react with either IST-9, DH1, or a third monoclonal antibody (3E2). Mutations of pairs of amino acids to alanine have little effect, except for either (Val34Thr35) or (Tyr36Ser37), which are located in a β strand upstream from His44. For these double mutants, the binding to all three monoclonal antibodies is markedly reduced. By contrast, single mutants at Thr35, Tyr36, or Ser37 retain full activity, suggesting that the epitope for these antibodies is determined in part by conformation. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of rat EIIIA demonstrates the importance of Ile43 and His44 for binding. Mutation of frog EIIIA (normally Val43Lys44) to rat (Ile43His44) is sufficient to restore fully IST-9 binding and much of the activity of DH1 and 3E2. Our findings demonstrate that the function-blocking antibodies, IST-9 and DH1, bind to the Ile43 and His44 residues in a conformationally dependent fashion, implicating the loop region encompassing both residues as critical for mediating EIIIA function.
Physiological Responses to Maximal Treadmill and Handweighted Exercise

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to compare the peak physiological responses among four protocols that employed different amounts of handweighted exercise in 16 males (aged 26.3 ± 4.1 years). The four protocols were (a) uphill treadmill running (UR; 3.36 m-s1, 2.5% grade increase-3 min1); (b) uphill treadmill walking while pumping 1.36kg handweights (HW) (UWHW; 1.79ms1, 5.0% grade increase-3 min1; (c) treadmill walking while pumping .91-kg HW (WHW; 1.79 m-s1, 0% grade, .91kg HW increase-3 min1); and (d) standing in place and pumping HW (SHW; arm work as described in WHW). It was hypothesized that the peak responses would be inversely proportional to the estimated muscle mass activated (i.e., UR = UWHW > WHW > SHW). Dependent variables included peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), peak heart rate (HRpeak), peak ventilation (Vepeak), and peak respiratory exchange ratio (RERpeak). No differences were noted between UR and UWHW with respect to any of the dependent variables. All variables (except RERpe...
The prevalence of congestive heart failure in two rural communities.

Abstract The prevalence of congestive heart failure as seen by the physician in the community has been evaluated in two rural counties by means of a physicians' survey. Six-month period prevalence rates for all ages combined have been calculated. These rates were 8.8 and 10.2 per 1000 of the white population of Montgomery County, North Carolina, and Caledonia County, Vermont, respectively. Age specific rates demonstrated the remarkable increase in congestive heart failure with increase in age. Six-month period incidence rates for congestive heart failure occurring in patients aged 45 and over were 1.9 per 1000 of the white population in Montgomery County and 2.5 in Caledonia County. The six-month period prevalence rate for all heart disease in Caledonia County was 18.3 per 1000 of the white population. The validity of this figure is doubtful. The distribution of major disease categories was similar for both counties. Atherosclerotic heart disease and hypertensive heart disease, either separately or combined, accounted for nearly 90 per cent of the diagnoses. Therapeutic habits concerning digitalis, diuretics and salt restriction have been discussed. Based on this study it would appear that congestive heart failure is, and will be, a very considerable chronic disease problem especially amongst older people. By 1970 there will be some 1,700,000 persons aged 45 and over who are or have been in congestive heart failure and this figure will include 250,000 new cases for the year.
Identification of citrus disease using color texture features and discriminant analysis

The citrus industry is an important constituent of Florida's overall agricultural economy. Proper disease control measures must be undertaken in citrus groves to minimize losses. Technological strategies using machine vision and artificial intelligence are being investigated to achieve intelligent farming, including early detection of diseases in groves, selective fungicide application, etc. This research used the color co-occurrence method (CCM) to determine whether texture based hue, saturation, and intensity (HSI) color features in conjunction with statistical classification algorithms could be used to identify diseased and normal citrus leaves under laboratory conditions. Normal and diseased citrus leaf samples with greasy spot, melanose, and scab were evaluated. The leaf sample discriminant analysis using CCM textural features achieved classification accuracies of over 95% for all classes when using hue and saturation texture features. Data models that relied on intensity features suffered a reduction in classification accuracy when categorizing leaf fronts, due to the darker pigmentation of the leaf fronts. This reduction was not experienced on the leaf backs where the lighter pigmentation clearly revealed the disease discoloration. Although, high accuracies were achieved when using an unreduced dataset consisting of all HSI texture features, the overall best performer was determined to be a reduced data model that relied on hue and saturation features. This model was selected due to reduced computational load and the elimination of intensity features, which are not robust in the presence of ambient light variation.
Biologic Potential of Calcium Phosphate Biopowders Produced via Decomposition Combustion Synthesis

The aim of this research was to evaluate the biologic potential of calcium phosphate (CaP) biopowders produced with a novel reaction synthesis system. Decomposition combustion synthesis (DCS) is a modified combustion synthesis method capable of producing CaP powders for use in bone tissue engineering applications. During DCS, the stoichiometric ratio of reactant salt to fuel was adjusted to alter product chemistry and morphology. In vitro testing methods were utilized to determine the effects of controlling product composition on cytotoxicity, proliferation, biocompatibility and biomineralization. In vitro, human fetal osteoblasts (ATCC, CRL-11372) cultured with CaP powder displayed a flattened morphology, and uniformly encompassed the CaP particulates. Matrix vesicles containing calcium and phosphorous budded from the osteoblast cells. CaP powders produced via DCS are a source of biologically active, synthetic, bone graft substitute materials.
Infectious complications in organ transplant recipients with the use of calcineurin-inhibitor agent-based immunosuppressive regimens.

Purpose of review The rates and types of infections associated with conventional immunosuppression regimens comprising calcineurin-inhibitor agents, tacrolimus, and cyclosporine could be used to compare similar data with the use of novel immunosuppressive regimens in organ transplant recipients. Recent findings Tacrolimus appears to be superior to cyclosporine in preventing rejection. The frequency and spectrum of infections in organ transplant recipients does not appear to be notably modified by the choice of calcineurin-inhibitor agents per se. A higher risk of cytomegalovirus and poorer outcomes associated with hepatitis C virus with cyclosporine in some studies may be related to a greater requirement of adjunctive immunosuppression with cyclosporine-based regimens. Potent immunosuppression with tacrolimus, however, particularly when combined with mycophenolate mofetil, is believed to be a significant contributor to a higher incidence of BK virus nephropathy in renal transplant recipients in recent years. Calcineurin-inhibitor agents possess in-vitro activity against a number of fungal pathogens. In the clinical setting, however, the immunosuppressive effect outweighs their antifungal activity. Summary Calcineurin inhibitor-based regimens have been the mainstay of immunosuppression after organ transplantation for almost two decades. However, suboptimal long-term outcomes in transplant recipients have led to a growing interest in the use of calcineurin inhibitor agent-sparing regimens. Whether novel immunosuppressive agents with a more selective mechanism of action would lead to a further reduction in the risk of posttransplant infections remains to be discerned.
The Josephson effect and flux quantum in RVB superconductors

Abstract In this paper we argue that the flux quantum can be either hc e or hc 2e and the frequency of the current in the Josephson effect can be either eV ℏ or 2eV ℏ for RVB superconductors depending on different situations. This assumes that the superconductivity is due to a charge e condensation.
Needs and supports reported by Latino families of young children with developmental disabilities

We interviewed 200 Latino parents (50 Mexican couples, 50 Puerto Rican couples) living in the United States to determine needs and supports related to raising a child with a disability and to identify variables related to reported needs and supports. The pattern of needs expressed was similar to that found in previous studies, but the number was substantially higher. More support was reported from family and formal sources than from friends or informal sources. Using repeated measures of analysis of covariance involving six family variables and three child variables, we found that English language proficiency was the only variable to account for significant variance in needs and supports.
Trading Places: Mary Shelley's Argument with Domestic Space

When Mary Shelley began writing The Last Man in 1824 in the wake of her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley’s untimely death, she drew from her close circle of family and friends as models for her main characters. Although it is tempting to view this novel as an autobiographical expiation of the profound sorrow that overwhelmed Shelley at her husband’s death, to do so is to underestimate her prescient political insight and to risk overlooking the complex implications of class and rank that suffuse the position of the narrator, Lionel Verney. While Shelley’s emotions give a passionate appeal to this novel, her intellectual ideas infuse the novel’s powerful critique of British governance. The Last Man is narrated in a political framework in which war and the clash of empires, parliamentary and republican conflict, turbulent revolution, and social and political corruption arrange the fates of the characters. In addition, the plague that silently and invisibly takes over Western Europe and England serves as a spectral process of corrosive malignity from outside, ensnaring all efforts to fix a domestic English system that is collapsing around individuals and the collective.
Effects of low-dose hydrogen peroxide in the isolated perfused rat lung

Isolated perfused rat lungs (IPRL) were used to determine if treatment with hydrogen peroxide would result in measurable changes in exhaled ethane during the early stages of capillary leak. Pulmonary capillary filtration coefficient, pulmonary vascular resistance, and dynamic pulmonary compliance were measured at two time points in an IPRL. Additionally, exhaled ethane was determined before and after the addition of 0.25 mM H2O2 to the perfusate in a second group of lungs. Lung wet/dry weight ratios were measured at the termination of the experiments. The ethane in the exhaled alveolar gas from IPRLs ventilated with 5%CO2/20%O2/balance N2 was quantitated using gas chromatography before and after the addition of 0.25 mM H2O2 to Krebs Ringer's 5% albumin perfusate. H2O2 (0.25 mM) caused a small but significant increase in capillary filtration coefficient from 0.0122 (+/- 0.0008) to 0.0173 (+/- 0.0013) mL/min/cm H2O/g dry lung weight (p < .05). Wet/dry lung weight ratios were increased in the H2O2-treated lungs (6.0654 +/- 0.1024 versus 5.4149 +/- 0.1143; p < .05). Exhaled ethane did not increase over the period of time hydrogen peroxide was present in the perfusate. In other experiments in closed-chested rats, 0.25 mM peroxide did not cause increased exhaled ethane, whereas 1 mM H2O2 did. This latter increase in ethane was not noted in similarly perfused open-chested rats. These data indicate that small amounts of H2O2 may increase pulmonary capillary permeability without affecting exhaled ethane measurements.
Enhancement of leaf fossilization potential by bacterial biofilms

Terrestrial leaf fossils often form through authigenic preservation in which the leaf surface is coated by a variety of minerals, especially iron oxides. The mechanism of this fossilization is unclear, because the largely hydrophobic leaf surfaces do not readily bind metal ions. Previously proposed mechanisms for mineral encrustation include precipitation of minerals in sediment pore space and precipitation of iron oxides at the surface by decay-produced CO 2 . Here we demonstrate that diverse bacterial species rapidly colonize leaf surfaces and form a biofilm within days of the leaf9s entry into a stream environment. Experimental mineralization of fresh and biofilm-coated leaves indicates that leaves without biofilm do not mineralize, but leaves with biofilms rapidly adsorb metal ions such as Fe 3+ onto the anionic biofilm surface where the ions form ferrihydrite. Once these mineralized leaves are buried by the sediment, they are more likely to be converted to fossils than non-mineralized leaves. Examination of a fossil leaf surface by scanning electron microscopy shows bacteria-sized structures resembling those found in biofilms. These experimental data imply that bacterial colonization of leaves may be an essential prerequisite for authigenic preservation.