cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transdiagnostic psychiatric disorder risk associated with early age of menarche: A latent modeling approach.

Abstract Background Earlier age of pubertal maturation in females is associated with increased risk for mental health problems in adolescence, compared with on-time or later maturation. However, most investigations of pubertal timing and mental health consider risk for individual disorders and fail to account for comorbidity. A latent-modeling approach using a large, nationally representative sample could better explain the transdiagnostic nature of the consequences of early-onset puberty. Methods Data on age of menarche and mental disorders were drawn from a population-representative sample of adolescents (n = 4925), ages 13–17. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to fit four latent disorder categories: distress, eating, and externalizing, and fear disorders. Timing of menarche included those with earlier (age ≤ 10, age 11) and later age of onset (age 13, 14 +), relative to those with average timing of menarche (age 12). Associations between timing of menarche and latent disorders were estimated in a structural equation model (SEM), adjusted for age, income, race, parent marital status, BMI, and childhood adversity. Results The measurement model evidenced acceptable fit (CFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.02). Onset of menarche before age 11 was significantly associated with distress disorders (coefficient = 0.096; p Conclusion The latent modeling approach illuminated meaningful transdiagnostic psychiatric associations with early timing of menarche. Biological processes initiated at puberty can influence cognitive and affective processes as well as social relationships for adolescents. Under developmentally normative conditions, these changes may be adaptive. However, for those out of sync with their peers, researchers and clinicians should recognize the potential for these processes to influence liability to a broad array of psychopathological consequences in adolescence.
Electron Scattering Wings on Lines in Interacting Supernovae

We consider the effect of electron scattering on lines emitted as a result of supernova interaction with a circumstellar medium, assuming that the scattering occurs in ionized gas in the preshock circumstellar medium. The single scattering case gives the broad component in the limit of low optical depth, showing a velocity full width half maximum that is close to the thermal velocities of electrons. The line shape is approximately exponential at low velocities and steepens at higher velocities. At higher optical depths, the line profile remains exponential at low velocities, but wings strengthen with increasing optical depth. In addition to the line width, the ratio of narrow to broad (scattered) line strength is a possible diagnostic of the gas. The results depend on the density profile of the circumstellar gas, especially if the scattering and photon creation occur in different regions. We apply the scattering model to a number of supernovae, including Type IIn and Type Ia-CSM events. The asymmetry to the red found in some cases can be explained by scattering in a fast wind region which is indicated by observations.
Furfural production from biomass pretreatment hydrolysate using vapor-releasing reactor system.

Biomass hydrolysate from autohydrolysis pretreatment was used for furfural production considering it is in rich of xylose, xylo-oligomers, and other decomposition products from hemicellulose structure. By using the vapor-releasing reactor system, furfural was protected from degradation by separating it from the reaction media. The maximum furfural yield of 73% was achieved at 200 °C for biomass hydrolysate without the use of the catalyst. This is because the presence of organic acids such as acetic acid in hydrolysate functioned as a catalyst. According to the results in this study, biomass hydrolysate with a vapor-releasing system proves to be efficient for furfural production. The biorefinery process which allows the separation of xylose-rich autohydrolysate from other parts from biomass feedstock also improves the overall application of the biomass.
Do novel weapons that degrade mycorrhizal mutualisms promote species invasion

Non-native plants often dominate novel habitats where they did not co-evolve with the local species. The novel weapons hypothesis suggests that non-native plants bring competitive traits against which native species have not adapted defenses. Novel weapons may directly affect plant competitors by inhibiting germination or growth, or indirectly by attacking competitor plant mutualists (degraded mutualisms hypothesis). Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) are widespread plant invaders that produce potent secondary compounds that negatively impact plant competitors. We tested whether their impacts were consistent with a direct effect on the tree seedlings (novel weapons) or an indirect attack via degradation of seedling mutualists (degraded mutualism). We compared recruitment and performance using three Ulmus congeners and three Betula congeners treated with allelopathic root macerations from allopatric and sympatric ranges. Moreover, given that the allelopathic species would be less likely to degrade their own fungal symbiont types, we used arbuscular mycorrhizal (AMF) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree species to investigate the effects of F. japonica (no mycorrhizal association) and Rhamnus cathartica (ECM association) on the different fungal types. We also investigated the effects of F. japonica and R. cathartica exudates on AMF root colonization. Our results suggest that the allelopathic plant exudates impact seedlings directly by inhibiting germination and indirectly by degrading fungal mutualists. Novel weapons inhibited allopatric seedling germination but sympatric species were unaffected. However, seedling survivorship and growth appeared more dependent on mycorrhizal fungi, and mycorrhizal fungi were inhibited by allopatric species. These results suggest that novel weapons promote plant invasion by directly inhibiting allopatric competitor germination and indirectly by inhibiting mutualist fungi necessary for growth and survival.
Narrating Mother Identities From Prison

Incarcerated mothers face challenges to mothering in prison, including restricted opportunities to perform parenting tasks, ambiguous loss, and a compromised parenting identity. This study uses int...
Justifying Beliefs: The Dream Hypothesis and Gratuitous Entities

Paul Moser distinguishes two roads leading to skepticism, the low road and the high road, both of which, he argues, are dead-ends. Travellers of the low road, among whom he identifies defenders of Cartesian skepticism like Barry Stroud, are guilty of setting excessively high and unjustified requirements for knowledge, thereby “redefining what knowledge is”. At worst, they pose a threat to our claims to shnow things. But shnowing is not knowing. Human knowledge — as opposed to the fabricated shnowledge — may still be secure. Travellers of the high roads, on the other hand, do tell us something about knowledge: that our ordinary requirements for knowledge cannot or do not get met even in the cases of mundane physical-object statements. However, what they tell us is false; a proper account of the relevant requirements, which Moser outlines, would reveal that high-road skepticism, too, can be defeated. According to this account, the common-sense realist belief in physical objects wins hands down over the skeptic’s outlandish hypotheses.
Detection of the Fast Neuronal Signal on the Motor Cortex Using Functional Frequency Domain near Infrared Spectroscopy

Using non-invasive near infrared spectroscopy fast changes in the range of ms in the optical properties of neurons during brain activity have been described. Since the signal is small, the system to detect it has to be highly noise optimized.
Endocrine, Paracrine, and Autocrine Regulation

As with most human metabolic processes, the regulation of protein metabolism involves redundant control mechanisms to maintain homeostasis. Many hormones can influence protein metabolism (Table 6.1). Some hormones, such as thyroid hormones, do not fluctuate much from day to day or from hour to hour in healthy, well-nourished individuals, but their presence may be essential for maintaining normal rates of protein turnover. Other hormones, such as insulin, have concentrations that vary over a wide range from hour to hour and are involved in acute regulation of metabolism. Hormones may have direct effects on protein metabolism through specific signal transduction systems, or indirect effects related to effects on levels of metabolic substrates (Chapter 7). Not only the concentrations of the hormones, but also the sensitivity to specific actions of hormones can vary to maintain metabolic homeostasis. In addition to hormones that are produced in endocrine glands and act at tissues remote from the glands, there are many peptides released by nonendocrine cells that act on nearby cells (paracrine effects) or on the cells producing them (autocrine effects). These effects are hormone-like in that they require interaction of the peptide with specific receptors on the cell surface. Although this chapter will focus on the effects of each hormone separately, many situations are associated with changes in multiple catabolic and anabolic hormones and ultimate effect of all of these influences may be somewhat upredictable.
Three Issues Concerning Relevance in IS Research: Epistemology, Audience, and Method

Academic concerns about making research into the design, construction and use of information systems (IS) more relevant to practice is a persistent theme in the IS literature and in recent ISWorld discussions. This essay addresses three questions implicit in this discussion: Is there an agreed upon epistemology underlying IS research? To whom should IS be relevant or alternatively what ends should this research serve? Does the choice of research method contribute to the creation of relevant IS research? These questions are explored from the perspective on an unrepentant idealist.
Storybook selection criteria used by teachers of d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing prereaders communicating in English

For d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing prereaders who communicate predominately in spoken and/or signed English (DHH-English), Teachers of the d/Deaf (TODs) read books aloud to increase English skills, aud...
Extrafollicular Localization of Germinal Center Cells

Recognizing neoplastic versus reactive lymphoid follicles is critical in distinguishing follicular lymphoma from reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. The composition and architecture of lymphoid follicles as well as the growth pattern of germinal center cells are useful parameters in this differential. The use of extrafollicular localization of germinal center cells as a diagnostic feature for lymphoma is reviewed.
Construct Validation of the H.E.W. Office of Youth Development National Strategy for Youth Development Model.

A sample of 5994 twelve to nineteen-year-old males and females, mostly Caucasian, were given a Youth Need Survey including a self-reported delinquency scale and attitude scales measuring variables ...
A generic adaptive restart scheme with applications to saddle point algorithms.

We provide a simple and generic adaptive restart scheme for convex optimization that is able to achieve worst-case bounds matching (up to constant multiplicative factors) optimal restart schemes that require knowledge of problem specific constants. The scheme triggers restarts whenever there is sufficient reduction of a distance-based potential function. This potential function is always computable. We apply the scheme to obtain the first adaptive restart algorithm for saddle-point algorithms including primal-dual hybrid gradient (PDHG) and extragradient. The method improves the worst-case bounds of PDHG on bilinear games, and numerical experiments on quadratic assignment problems and matrix games demonstrate dramatic improvements for obtaining high-accuracy solutions. Additionally, for accelerated gradient descent (AGD), this scheme obtains a worst-case bound within 60% of the bound achieved by the (unknown) optimal restart period when high accuracy is desired. In practice, the scheme is competitive with the heuristic of O'Donoghue and Candes (2015).
APOE ϵ4 modifies the relationship between infectious burden and poor cognition.

Objective We investigated whether APOE ϵ4 is an effect modifier of the association between infectious burden (IB) and poor cognition in a multiethnic cohort, the Northern Manhattan Study. Methods IB was assessed by a quantitative weighted index of exposure to common pathogens associated with vascular risk, infectious burden index (IBI), and by serology for individual infections. Cognition was assessed by completion of the Mini-Mental State Examination at baseline and a full neuropsychological test battery after a median follow-up of approximately 6 years. Adjusted linear and logistic regressions estimated the association between IBI and cognition, with a term included for the interaction between APOE ϵ4 and IBI. Results Among those with full neuropsychological test results (n = 569), there were interactions between IBI and APOE ϵ4 (p = 0.07) and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and APOE ϵ4 (p = 0.02) for processing speed. IBI was associated with slower processing speed among non–ϵ4 carriers (β = −0.08 per SD change in IBI, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.16 to −0.01), but not among APOE ϵ4 carriers (β = 0.06 per SD change in IBI, 95% CI –0.08 to 0.19). HSV-1 positivity was associated with slower processing speed among non–ϵ4 carriers (β = −0.24, 95% CI −0.45 to −0.03), but not among APOE ϵ4 carriers (β = 0.27, 95% CI −0.09 to 0.64). Conclusions Potential effect modification by the APOE ϵ4 allele on the relationship of infection, and particularly viral infection, to cognitive processing speed warrants further investigation.
Law and virtue in a post-sovereign “Commonwealth:” Neil MacCormick and the political theory of constitutional pluralism:

This paper reconstructs the political thought of the Scottish legal philosopher, and eventually MEP, Sir Neil MacCormick (1941–2009), the founder of “constitutional pluralism,” one of the most infl...
Weighing the Effects of Federal Educational Policy on Democracy: Reframing the Discourse on High-Stakes Accountability

The year 2013 marked the 30th anniversary of the report, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Its original release was the watershed for a series of federal policies that would ...
Do we still need to assess for lung shunt in all Y90 Liver treatment’s ?

1315 Introduction: Since the introduction of transarterial radioembolization (TARE) for the treatment of liver malignancies a key pre therapy step has been to assess for potential lung shunting with a hepatic arterial injection of Tc-MAA and a quantitative image assessment of the radiopharmaceutical distribution. However this causes the need for additional costs and morbidity as well as a treatment delay. Literature and our experience has suggested that a critical evaluation of the cross sectional imaging prior to therapy may help predict when significant shunting to the lungs may be present. We wanted to evaluate which imaging findings were key for prediction of significant lung shunting. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 823 lung shunt studies performed at our institution over a 7 year period and identified those with a substantial lung shunt (>/= 15%). We then evaluated the pre-treatment cross sectional imaging for the type, size, number and location of liver tumors, as well as for the presence of vascular tumor involvement. Results: Of the 823 studies only 58 (7%) had significant (>15%) lung shunting. Of these, 45 (76%) were primary liver tumors, most were hepatocellular carcinoma with only one cholangiocarcinoma. The rest 13 (24%) were metastatic disease with neuroendocrine the dominant type (46%). Tumor size larger than 10 cm was seen in 24 (41%) and greater than 7cm seen in 30 (52%). In the smaller tumor group 38 (
Estimating the hazard rate difference from case-cohort studies.

The case-cohort design, among many two-phase sampling designs, substantially reduces the cost of an epidemiological study by selecting more informative participants within the full cohort for expensive variable measurements. Despite their benefits, additive hazards models, which estimate hazard differences, have rarely been used for the analysis of case-cohort studies due to the lack of software and application examples. In this paper, we describe a newly developed estimation method that fits the additive hazards models to general two-phase sampling studies along with the R package addhazard that implements it. It allows for missing covariates among cases, cohort stratification, robust variances, and the incorporation of auxiliary information from the full cohort to enhance inference precision. We demonstrate the use of this tool to estimate the association of the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) with biomarkers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) by analyzing the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, which adopted a two-phase sampling design for studying these two biomarkers. We show that the use of auxiliary variables from the full cohort based on calibration techniques improves the precision of the hazard difference being estimated. We observe a synergistic effect of the two biomarkers among participants with lower LDL cholesterol (LDL-C): the CHD hazard rate attributable to the combined action of high hs-CRP and high Lp-PLA2 exceeded the sum of the CHD hazard rate attributable to each one independently by 11.58 (95% CI 2.16–21.01) cases per 1000 person-years. With higher LDL-C, we observe the CHD hazard rate attributable to the combined action of high hs-CRP and medium Lp-PLA2 was less than the sum of their individual effects by 13.42 (95% CI 2.44–24.40) cases per 1000 person-years. This demonstration serves the dual purposes of illustrating analysis techniques and providing insights about the utility of hs-CRP and Lp-PLA2 for identifying the high-risk population of CHD that the traditional risk factors such as the LDL-C may miss. Epidemiologists are encouraged to use this new tool to analyze other case-cohort studies and incorporate auxiliary variables embedded in the full cohort in their analysis.
What We Know About the Impacts of WebQuests: A Review of Research

This article examines the body of research investigating theimpacts of the WebQuest instructional strategy on teachingand learning. The WebQuest instructional strategy is oftenpraised as an inquiry-oriented activity, which effectivelyintegrates technology into teaching and learning. The resultsof research suggest that while this strategy may have apositive impact on collaborative working skills and learnerattitudes, there is little direct impact or advantage forincreasing student achievement when compared with otherinstructional activities. Included in this article is a discussionof the notable research studies that have investigated theWebQuest strategy as well as a discussion of the implica-tions and future direction for web-based inquiry projects.
Magnetism in 4d-transition metal clusters.

We present the results of a study of magnetism in rhodium, ruthenium, and palladium clusters. We report values for the magnetic moments of rhodium clusters which are free from a systematic error present in our previous measurements [Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 923 (1993)] and show that their magnetic moments decrease to the bulk value of zero as the cluster sizes increase. Ruthenium and palladium clusters are nonmagnetic.
Basic leucine zipper transcription factor, ATF-like (BATF) is essential for the development of protective immunity against parasitic helminth infection (MPF1P.779)

Parasitic helminth infections afflict roughly a quarter of the world’s population. Immunity against parasitic helminth infection relies on the induction of allergic inflammation. Major hallmarks of allergic inflammation, such as IgE, eosinophilia, and mucus production, depend on the cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13. In mice, IL-4 from CD4+ follicular T helper (Tfh) cells is required for IgE production, while IL-13 from CD4+ T-helper 2 (Th2) cells is required for worm clearance and mucus production. The basic leucine zipper transcription factor, ATF-like (BATF) is critical for Tfh function, however its necessity in Th2 cell development and IL-4 production remains unclear. To investigate the role of BATF in the context of allergic inflammation, we infected wild-type and BATF-deficient mice with the helminth Nippostrongylus brasiliensis to compare the resultant immune responses. In wild-type mice, N. brasiliensis infection induced a robust response as indicated by lung eosinophilia, high serum IgE, and worm expulsion. In contrast, BATF-deficient mice exhibited dramatically reduced eosinophilia, no IgE, and were unable to clear parasites from the intestine. Studies with IL-4-reporter mice revealed that these defects in allergic immunity were attributed to impaired Tfh and Th2 cell development. These findings suggest that BATF plays a central role in protection against helminths, and BATF is critical for the development of both Th2 and Tfh cells during allergic responses.
Simple Tests of Normality in Small Samples

Moment tests, combinations of moment tests, and three other simple tests of normality are compared to the Shapiro-Wilk W statistic. Monte Carlo trials indicate that some of the tests give adequate control of Type I error rates for sample sizes as low as..
Antepartum fetal heart rate testing: The nonstress test

Antepartum assessment of fetal well being relies heavily on the observation of RHR. Fetal stress testing was introduced in the early 1970's in an attempt to define the fetus at risk. The stress factor most widely used has been uterine contractions, which isolate the fetus from its oxygen supply, and in the compromised fetus would be anticipated to provoke late decelerations in the FHR. Although the contraction stress test or "oxytocin challenge test" is useful in evaluating fetal condition, it is time consuming, not easily quantitatable or repeatable, and many times difficult to interpret. An attractive alternate approach of antepartum FHR testing (AFHRT) is the "nonstress" test. The positive experience of European investigators has led to interest in this method of fetal assessment in North America. Investigation from the literature contrasting the "stress" versus "nonstress" methods is discussed and observations derived from 2 year experience at LAC/USC Medical Center are presented. A protocol for AFHRT currently being evaluated clinically is presented.
Maternal blood B-cell (CD19+) percentages and serum immunoglobulin concentrations correlate with breast-feeding behavior and serum prolactin concentration.

PROBLEM: Lactating women recover from pregnancy-induced immunosuppression while actively secreting immunologically active agents into milk. Few clinical studies have examined changes in postpartum maternal immune status or explored mechanisms. METHOD OF STUDY: We measured blood B-cell (CD19+) percentages and serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgM, and IgA at I to 2 weeks, I month, and 2 months postpartum in a longitudinal study of seven healthy, lactating women. RESULTS: More frequent or extended breast-feeding sessions were correlated with lower CD19+ percentages, reduced serum IgG, and higher serum IgA and IgM concentrations. CD19+ percentages were correlated negatively with serum prolactin concentrations. Blood samples drawn before and 30 min after breast-feeding did not differ in CD19+ percentages or serum Ig concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm our previous cross-sectional study showing a negative correlation between CD19+ percentages and serum prolactin. Because lactation practices are modifiable, these findings suggest that women can influence the course of lactation-associated immunologic changes.
Analysis of parameter estimation heat conduction problems with phase change using the finite element method

A solution to a parameter estimation problem in heat conduction with phase change is presented. Specifically, the thermophysical properties of the material are estimated by using the temperature measurements of several sensors located inside the fixed domain. In the parameter estimation problem the error is minimized between given and modelled temperatures at sensor locations over the time interval where the experiment involved variation of the material parameters. The methods are illustrated with several examples. The effects on the solution of the locations of the sensors, the number of the sensors, the time step and the number of time steps are examined.
Rapid improvement in insomia following self-monitoring

Abstract Self-monitoring was successfully used in treating an insomniac, decreasing the amount of time needed for the patient to fall asleep, procuring earlier waking, and eliminating daily naps. The gains were maintained at a 6-month follow-up.
Administration of a receptor antagonist for platelet-activating factor during equine endotoxaemia

Summary Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is an important mediator of endotoxaemia and various PAF receptor antagonists prevent many of the adverse effects of experimental endotoxaemia in laboratory animals. In this study a specific PAF receptor antagonist was used to investigate the role of PAF in equine endotoxaemia. At an interval of not greater than 10 days, 6 horses were each challenged with endotoxin and endotoxin with concurrent administration of SRI 63–441, a PAF receptor antagonist. The order of the treatments was randomised. Clinical signs, serum biochemical and coagulation profiles, and platelet aggregation in vitro were monitored in all horses for 24 h after treatment. Challenge with endotoxin increased maximal platelet aggregation induced by PAF. This response was blocked by administration of SRI 63–441 concurrently with endotoxin. No changes in percentage maximal platelet aggregation to ADP or collagen were noted after administration of endotoxin. The PAF receptor antagonist delayed the onset of fever, tachycardia, leucopenia and lactic acidaemia. Lack of more profound beneficial alterations of the horses' responses to endotoxin may have been due to the low dose of endotoxin administered in this model or to only partial effectiveness of SRI 63–441 in blocking the effects of endotoxin-induced PAF.
Early changes in T lymphocytes and subsets of mouse progeny defective as adults in controlling growth of a syngeneic tumor after in utero insult with benzo(a)pyrene.

Abstract Benzo(a)pyrene, a potent carcinogen, severely suppresses the anti-SRBC plaque-forming cell response, the mixed lymphocyte response (afferent T cell function), and an in vivo graft-vs.-host response (efferent T cell function) of mouse progeny exposed to the carcinogen during gestation (11 to 13 days). Immunodeficiency occurs early after birth (1 week) and persists for 18 months. The abnormalities in the T cell-mediated responses led us to examine the quantitative profile of T cells and subsets (Lyt 1 + , Lyt 2 + ) present in the lymphoid organs during fetogenesis (15 to 19 days) and postnatally. In addition, we examined the ability of 3- to 8-month-old progeny and their spleen cells to resist the in vivo growth of cells from a syngeneic fibrosarcoma (a tumor that had been induced by benzo(a)pyrene). Our observations included: (1) Depletion of T cells and subsets in the thymus late (19 days) in gestation and postnatally. (2) Depleted T and Lyt 1 + cells in the spleen during gestation, while postanatally the former were enhanced and the effect on the latter was variable (enhancement and reduction). (3) In the fetal liver, the T cells were reduced, but the Lyt 1 + cells were unchanged. (4) The Lyt 2 + cells were strikingly enhanced in the fetal liver and spleen, but most dramatically for the former. (5) The Lyt 1/Lyt 2 ratio was less than 1.00 or controls in the fetal liver and spleen, a condition which persisted for 30 days postnatally in the latter organ. (6) Benzo(a)pyrene-exposed progeny or their spleen cells were relatively ineffective in resisting in vivo growth of transferred tumor cells. These results show that this carcinogenic pollutant induces a marked disorientation of T cells and subsets which can persist for at least 4 weeks postnatally. This suggests disruption of T cell differentiation during ontogenesis which may have profound implications on the ability to resist induction and growth of neoplasias after in utero exposure to the carcinogen.
Extreme spatial and temporal variability of hydrothermal microbial mat communities along the Mariana Island Arc and southern Mariana back-arc system

[1] Twenty-five microbial communities were sampled from 18 different hydrothermal systems located at seven different sites along the Mariana Island Arc and at a single site from the southern Mariana Spreading Center over a 3-year period. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene revealed that the microbial community diversity is much greater along the Mariana Arc/back-arc than at either hot spot volcanoes or mid-ocean ridges along the same spatial scale. Cluster analysis of T-RFLP fingerprints reveals the microbial communities formed three distinct clusters designated Mariana clusters I, II, and III. Microbial communities in Mariana Cluster I are all associated with iron-rich microbial mats and are dominated by members of the ζ-Proteobacteria and by unique phylotypes clustering deeply in the δ-Proteobacteria and within the Nitrospira division. Mariana Cluster II communities are all from shallow hydrothermal systems and mostly from colder sediments or microbial mats that are dominated by putative heterotrophic phylotypes usually associated with seawater and sediments not generally associated with hydrothermal fluid inputs. Mariana Cluster III is generally from much hotter vent sites and is dominated by sulfur-oxidizing ɛ-Proteobacteria. Quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) of Archaeal abundance reveal that all of the microbial communities are dominated by members of the Bacterial domain. Sampling of microbial mats from Iceberg Vent at NW Rota-1 in 2004 and again in 2006 reveal the community has shown a transition from Caminibacter group ɛ-Proteobacteria phylotypes to a mixed population of Caminibacter, Sulfurovum, and Sulfurimonas group ɛ-Proteobacteria.
Properties of crystalline IgG3 globulin.

Abstract The first crystallizable gamma-G globulin of the IgG 3 subclass is described. Crystals were spontaneously obtained upon cooling the serum and in neutral salt solutions. Crystal growth was achieved in 33% of saturated ammonium sulfate. Reduction and alkylation did not abolish the crystalline nature of the protein. Dialysis of the reduced and alkylated protein against 1M acetic acid, and pepsin digestion of the protein abolished the crystalline properties. The preliminary data suggest that the Fc region of the protein is the molecular segment primarily involved in conferring the crystalline and self-associating properties to this protein.
Biopsy and definitive radiation therapy in Stage I and II adenocarcinoma of the female breast: Analysis of cosmesis and the role of electron beam supplementation

The cosmetic and functional outcome in 130 patients with Stages I and II carcinoma of the breast treated by biopsy and radiation therapy were evaluated. The cosmetic outcome was excellent in 107 patients (82%), acceptable in 17 patients (13%), and unacceptable in six patients (5%). Complete axillary dissection (CAD) was more morbid than limited axillary dissection (LAD) as a means of preradiotherapy staging of the axilla. The former was more often associated with breast edema, hematoma formation, and subsequent development of arm edema than the latter. A multivariate analysis revealed that the four most dominant variables associated with the attainment of an excellent cosmetic outcome were: 1) the performance of a conservative biopsy procedure; 2) small breast size (cup size A and B); 3) the use of electron energies equal to or less than 12 MeV; and 4) the presence of primary tumors less than or equal to 4 cm in diameter when adjusted for breast size. Postexternal beam supplementation to the area of the primary tumor was accomplished with electrons in 107 patients (82%) and with interstitial implantation in 23 patients (18%). Excellent cosmetic results were achieved in 97 of the 107 patients (91%) treated with electrons. The use of electrons appears to produce local control and cosmesis equal to that of interstitial implantation if specific indications and guidelines are followed, and is superior to implantation in certain clinical settings.
T cell chemo-vaccination effects after repeated mucosal SHIV exposures and oral pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with anti-viral drugs is currently in clinical trials for the prevention of HIV infection. Induction of adaptive immune responses to virus exposures during anti-viral drug administration, i.e., a “chemo-vaccination” effect, could contribute to PrEP efficacy. To study possible chemo-vaccination, we monitored humoral and cellular immune responses in nine rhesus macaques undergoing up to 14 weekly, low-dose SHIVSF162P3 rectal exposures. Six macaques concurrently received PrEP with intermittent, oral Truvada; three were no-PrEP controls. PrEP protected 4 macaques from infection. Two of the four showed evidence of chemo-vaccination, because they developed anti-SHIV CD4+ and CD8+ T cells; SHIV-specific antibodies were not detected. Control macaques showed no anti-SHIV immune responses before infection. Chemo-vaccination-induced T cell responses were robust (up to 3,940 SFU/106 PBMCs), predominantly central memory cells, short-lived (≤22 weeks), and appeared intermittently and with changing specificities. The two chemo-vaccinated macaques were virus-challenged again after 28 weeks of rest, after T cell responses had waned. One macaque was not protected from infection. The other macaque concurrently received additional PrEP. It remained uninfected and T cell responses were boosted during the additional virus exposures. In summary, we document and characterize PrEP-induced T cell chemo-vaccination. Although not protective after subsiding in one macaque, chemo-vaccination-induced T cells warrant more comprehensive analysis during peak responses for their ability to prevent or to control infections after additional exposures. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring these responses in clinical PrEP trials and suggest that a combination of vaccines and PrEP potentially might enhance efficacy.
Desensitization kinetics of a chloride acetylcholine response in Aplysia.

Abstract The kinetics of desensitization of acetylcholine-evoked Cl conductance increased response of Aplysia RC neurons of the abdominal ganglion were studied under voltage-clamp conditions for comparison with results of similar studies on acetylcholine Na and K responses. The response evoked by acetylcholine on RC neurons was an outward current at resting potential (about −45 mV) that reversed at about −65 mV and was blocked by d -tubocurarine and strychnine but not hexamethonium and was not activated by arecoline. From the current-voltage relation this response can be ascribed to a pure conductance increase to Cl. The apparent K D was 40.6 μM. Upon prolonged exposure to acetylcholine the response peaked within 200–400 ms, and then decayed to a plateau current in the continued presence of the agonist. The peak and plateau currents reversed at the same potential, indicating that there had not been significant redistribution of Cl. The current decay in every cell was best fit by a double exponential function plus a constant, and the average time constant were τ fast = 1.8 ± 0.2s andτ slow = 16.2 ± 1.0s. Both components were slowed by cooling. While τ fast did not change with dose, τ slow increased with dose. Both components accelerated with hyperpolarization and upon application of trifluoperazine (2 μM). These results are consistent with the interpretation that desensitization of the acetylcholine Cl response is composed of two independent processes. This conclusion is the same as that derived from studies of the acetylcholine Na and K responses, and is in general consistent with desensitization being a property of a common acetylcholine receptor, and independent of the ionic selectivity of the associated channel. There are, however, significant differences in voltage, temperature and trifluoperazine dependence of the two components of the three ionic responses which may reflect influence of the different ion channels and/or transduction mechanisms.
Goldman and the foundations of social epistemology

This essay argues that Alvin I. Goldman's truth-linked theory of group knowledge (veritism) omits individual components of social cognition, that all group based theories of knowledge lead to scepticism, and that if any sense is to be made of social knowledge, it must be done on individualist lines. I argue that Goldman's veritism can be reconstructed by adopting a reliabilist theory,social reliabilism. And I argue that Goldman's objections to a particular sort of consensualism are not telling. So there are now two plausible and competing theories of social knowledge-social reliabilism and consensualism.
Genetic determination of the developmental program for maize scutellar alcohol dehydrogenase: involvement of a recessive, trans-acting, temporal-regulatory gene.

The developmental program of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in the scutellum of maize strain R6-67 is different from that of W64A. The level of scutellar ADH activity in R6-67 remains relatively high during the course of early sporophytic development as compared to the commonly observed pattern. In the typical inbred strain W64A, the activity of ADH declines substantially during that period. The variance values from the crosses between R6-67 and W64A reveal that the trait is under genetic control. Detailed genetic analysis suggests that a single gene is responsible for the altered developmental program of ADH activity in R6-67. This gene meets the criteria for temporal regulatory genes and is different from Adh2, the structural gene which codes the ADH-2 isozyme. We have designated this gene as Adr1 (alcohol dehydrogenase regulator, #1). Adr1 is unlinked to Adh2. There is no de novo synthesis of ADH in the scutellum during germination, and the difference in the activity level reflects the difference in the amount of enzyme protein as demonstrated by density labeling and rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Thus, it appears that Adr1 may regulate the degradation of ADH.
Proteolytic Degradation and Modification of Rat Prolactin by Subcellular Fractions of the Rat Ventral Prostate Gland

We previously showed that at pH 7.4, the cytosol and a low speed pellet (3300 × g) of rat ventral prostate degraded rat PRL, whereas a high speed pellet (25,000 × g) was inactive. The current study further explores PRL degradation by ventral prostatic tissue. Enzyme markers indicated that the low speed pellet was mitochondria enriched (cytochrome c oxidase), and the high speed pellet was lysosome enriched (acid phosphatase), although there was considerable cross-contamination between the two fractions. Proteolysis of hormone was examined by incubating 125I-labeled rat iodo-PRL with tissue fractions, followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and radioautography to identify products and quantify the extent of PRL degradation. Acidification of the incubation medium (pH 4−5) to optimize lysosomal protease activities inhibited PRL degradation in cytosol and activated the process in both pellets consistent with the distribution of acid phosphatase. Under acidic incubation conditions,...
Selective forebrain fiber tract lesions implicate ventral hippocampal structures in tonic regulation of paraventricular nucleus corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA expression

The hippocampus appears to be involved in tonic regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis via interactions with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP)-containing neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). To further investigate the anatomical basis of such interactions, lesions were made to forebrain fiber tracts in position to communicate inhibitory information from the hippocampus to the PVN. Total fimbria-fornix transections (TFF) and lateral fimbria-fornix lesions (LFF) both significantly increased CRH mRNA levels in the medial parvocellular PVN, as assayed by semi-quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry. Medial fimbria-fornix lesions or section of the medial corticohypothalamic tracts (MCHT) did not influence CRH mRNA levels. The LFF group showed increases in both AVP mRNA and ACTH secretion, whereas no other lesion was effective in this regard. The results suggest: (1) hippocampal efferents conferring tonic inhibition of the HPA axis probably originate in regions contributing to the lateral extent of the fornix, representing structures in the ventral subiculum and ventral extent of CA1; (2) projections from the hippocampus to the medial basal hypothalamus (travelling in the MCHT) are unlikely to affect HPA function; (3) hippocampus may influence the PVN CRH/AVP neuron at multiple levels, in that LFF and TFF lesions have differential effects on PVN AVP mRNA levels and ACTH secretion.
The Dialogic Performative in Critical Ethnography

The most difficult, the most risky, the most awe-inspiring gift of performance and what holds the ethical imperative in its nervous embrace is what some have referred to as the dialogic performativ...
Radiation-induced renovascular hypertension successfully treated with transluminal angioplasty: Case report

Severe hypertension and stenosis of the right renal artery developed in a 21 year old male, 14 years after completion of inverted Y radiation (4000 rads) for abdominal Hodgkin's disease. Transluminal angioplasty resulted in improvement of the right kidney function, and normalization of the blood pressure for one year. Subsequently, the patient required only minimum medical therapy for blood pressure control. Transluminal angioplasty may be effective immediately in the treatment of radiation induced renal artery stenosis, although long term success remains uncertain.
Deposition of Ni monolayers on O/W(110), H/W(110) and CO/W(110) search for metallicity

Abstract An attempt to look for the metallicity of Ni monolayers adsorbed on O and H covered W(110) surfaces was made. Ni on oxygen covered W(110) indicates little screening of the W-O dipole potential. For Ni on H/W(110) virtually the same work function results for H/W ⩾ 0.3, namely 5.3 eV, which is approaching, but still below that of Ni(111), namely 5.42 eV. The Ni1/H/W(110) work function value is close to that for saturation coverage of H on Ni1/W(110), namely H/W = 0.44, but arguments against substantial H migration to the outside of the Ni layer are given. It is not possible to prepare Ni/CO/W(110) layers, because of displacement (but not desorption) of CO by incoming Ni atoms. For Ni on O/W(110) and on H/W(110) no collective Ni excitations were seen. UPS indicates that the Ni d-band is considerably narrower for Ni1/O/W(110) than for Ni1/W(110), while it is only slightly narrower for Ni1/H1/W(110). For all three cases the band is narrower than for Ni3/W(110). It is concluded that Ni does not behave metallically on O/W(110) but is tending in the direction of being metallic on H/W(110).
Trends in Imaging and Surgical Management of Pediatric Urolithiasis at American Pediatric Hospitals

Purpose: Little is known of current practice patterns for pediatric urolithiasis. We examined recent trends in imaging and surgical management.Materials and Methods: The Pediatric Health Information System database is a national database collected at American pediatric hospitals. We searched the database from 1999 to 2008 to identify children diagnosed with urolithiasis. Inpatient hospital admissions, and emergency department and outpatient medical/surgical short stay visits were included. We examined imaging and surgical management trends during the study period using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models.Results: We identified 7,921 children diagnosed with urolithiasis during the study period, of whom 1,712 (22%) underwent stone related surgery and 6,318 (80%) underwent stone related diagnostic imaging. The surgery rate remained stable during the study period (p = 0.15), as did the overall imaging rate (p = 0.2). However, computerized tomography use increased (26% to 45%) and plain x-ray...
Fine scale uncertainty in parameter estimation for elliptic equations

We study the problem of estimating the coefficients in an elliptic partial differential equation using noisy measurements of a solution to the equation. Although the unknown coefficients may vary on many scales, we aim only at estimating their slowly varying parts, thus reducing the complexity of the inverse problem. However, ignoring the fine-scale fluctuations altogether introduces uncertainty in the estimates, even in the absence of measurement noise. We propose a strategy for quantifying the uncertainty due to the fine-scale fluctuations in the coefficients by modeling their effect on the solution of the forward problem using the central limit theorem. When this is possible, the Bayesian estimation of the coefficients reduces to a weighted least-squares problem with a covariance matrix whose rank is low regardless of the number of measurements and does not depend on the details of the coefficient fluctuations.
Snake venom action: are enzymes involved in it?

Enzymes were the first clearly recognized components of snake venoms. When several more were discovered, attempts were made to correlate venom action with enzymic functions. The last few years have seen most successful efforts in the identification, isolation and structural elucidation of highly toxic polypeptides present in snake venoms, in particular of ‘neurotoxins’ and membrane-active toxins. Following this development the polypeptides were called the true toxic components and the enzymes lost their previous central position in venom pharmacology. The time, therefore, has come to re-evaluate the role of enzymes in the complex interaction between snake and prey. While highly active polypeptides indeed dominate the action of hydrophiid venoms, they appear to play a lesser role in crotalid venom action as compared with enzyme components. Enzymes are involved in many levels of venom action, e. g. by serving as spreading factors, of by producing very active agents, such as bradykinin and lysolecithins in tissues of preys or predators. Some toxins, e. g. the membrane-active polypeptides appear to participate in the interaction between membrane phospholipids and venom phospholipases. The classical neurotoxin, β-bungarotoxin, has been recognized as a powerful phospholipase. Several instances are known which indicate that some enzymes potentiate the toxic action of others; the analysis of a single enzyme may, therefore, not fully reveal its biofunction. For 3 enzymes, ophidianl-amino acid oxidase, ATPpyrophosphatase, and acetylcholinesterase, some of the problems pertaining to venom toxicity are discussed.
Rapid estimation by detecting probabilistically unknown impulse inputs

For on-line estimation of the parameters of a system with unknown impulse inputs, Kalman filter does not perform adequately. A scheme has been developed to detect and estimate the impulse changes and thus obtain a rapid estimate. An example shows the desirability of the new method.
FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE COSMOPOLITAN-LOCAL LATENT ROLE CONSTRUCT

Summary.-Organizational researchers widely accept the 1957 work of Gouldner describing the influence of cosmopolitan-local "latent roles" on various organizational outcome variables. New cosmopolitan and local scales were described here for further research.