cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathogen clonal expansion underlies multiorgan dissemination and organ-specific outcomes during murine systemic infection

The dissemination of pathogens through blood and their establishment within organs lead to severe clinical outcomes. However, the within-host dynamics that underlie pathogen spread to and clearance from systemic organs remain largely uncharacterized. In animal models of infection, the observed pathogen population results from the combined contributions of bacterial replication, persistence, death, and dissemination, each of which can vary across organs. Quantifying the contribution of each these processes is required to interpret and understand experimental phenotypes. Here, we leveraged STAMPR, a new barcoding framework, to investigate the population dynamics of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli, a common cause of bacteremia, during murine systemic infection. We show that while bacteria are largely cleared by most organs, organ-specific clearance failures are pervasive and result from dramatic expansions of clones representing less than 0.0001% of the inoculum. Clonal expansion underlies the variability in bacterial burden between animals, and stochastic dissemination of clones profoundly alters the pathogen population structure within organs. Despite variable pathogen expansion events, host bottlenecks are consistent yet highly sensitive to infection variables, including inoculum size and macrophage depletion. We adapted our barcoding methodology to facilitate multiplexed validation of bacterial fitness determinants identified with transposon mutagenesis and confirmed the importance of bacterial hexose metabolism and cell envelope homeostasis pathways for organ-specific pathogen survival. Collectively, our findings provide a comprehensive map of the population biology that underlies bacterial systemic infection and a framework for barcode-based high-resolution mapping of infection dynamics.
The Gastrointestinal Tract and Naturally Occurring Pharmacologically Active Amines

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the gastrointestinal tract and naturally occurring pharmacologically active amines. Naturally occurring pharmacologically active amines are of interest to the chemist, physiologist, pharmacologist, and clinician. Not only has a vast amount of research been concerned with the physiologic and pathologic roles of these amines, but inquiry into the routes of their formation and degradation has been of equal interest. Much of the literature relative to amines has been concerned with serotonin and histamine. The large concentration and wide distribution of serotonin in the gastrointestinal tract has suggested a relationship between motility and this amine. The gastric secretion produced by histamine injection is high in acid content, but low in pepsin content. Histamine evokes its gastric secretory action after the section and subsequent denervation of the vagus nerves. Both serotonin and histamine are potent stimulants to smooth muscle in the gastrointestinal tract, bronchi, and blood vessels. The administration of either of these agents will produce flushing, hyperperistalsis, and bronchial constriction in humans. However, marked differences exist between some of the actions of these two amines. Histamine causes marked gastric acid stimulation, while the administration of serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptophan causes the inhibition of gastric acid secretion and stimulation of mucus secretion from the stomach.
The statement on professional ethics: implications and applications

The 1981 ALA Statement on Professional Ethics differs significantly from previous statements, which were, by and large, neglected. In recent years, particularly since 1975, more interest has been shown by librarians in the development of a meaningful statement which speaks in a practical way to services they provide. The purpose of this article is to encourage reference to the 1981 Statement as a point of departure in developing more specific approaches to ethical or professional library service. The specific approaches work themselves out in the areas of competency, business affairs, loyalty, and interpersonal relations.
Specification and Verification of a Network Nail System

Techniques for describing and verifying modular systems are illustrated using a simple network mail problem. The design is presented in a top-down style. At each level of refinement, the specifications of the higher level are verified from the specifications of lower level components.
Species Diversity, Phylogeny and Phylogeography of Centrarchidae

Centrarchidae is a clade of freshwater fishes endemic to North America, a part of the world that harbors more species of freshwater fishes than any other nontropical region on Earth (Briggs 1986; Lundberg et al . 2000). Centrarchid fishes have been of interest to biologists for a long period of time because they are commonly the dominant top-level predators in the diverse communities of freshwater fishes in eastern North America, and as such, they are among the world’s most popular freshwater sport fishes (Henshall 1881; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Philipp and Ridgway 2002). Interestingly, it is only in the last 10 years or so that comparative morphological and molecular data have been used in conjunction with objective character-based methods to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of Centrarchidae. The goal of this chapter is to review and assess previous ideas regarding the diversity and relationships of centrarchid species. We hope to provide biologists from all disciplines with a clear picture of the current and best-supported hypotheses of centrarchid phylogeny, and we intend to illustrate how many recent, cutting-edge efforts have agreed remarkably with studies published as far back as the nineteenth century. Although we realize our esoteric interests in centrarchid diversity and phylogeny, as well as our desire to understand the results of modern phylogenetic analyses in the context of the rich past of centrarchid taxonomy and systematics may be confusing to the average fish biologist or ichthyologist, we will attempt to clarify what seems like a morass of trees and classifications for biologists in need of phylogenetic hypotheses. It is our desire that both comparative biologists and conservation agencies exploit the current state of knowledge regarding centrarchid diversity and phylogenetic relationships. In this chapter we provide a discussion of the currently recognized diversity of both extant and fossil species in Centrarchidae, and we attempt to illuminate some unresolved issues in this area that need attention in future research efforts. We present an overview of previous investigations and hypotheses concerning the evolutionary relationships of Centrarchidae, including a discussion of recent efforts using morphological and molecular data in addition to those that pre-date the development of phylogenetic systematics, or cladistics (Hennig 1966). Many of the pre-cladistic ideas of centrarchid relationships discussed in this review were presented as purely taxonomic hypotheses, where the hypothesized relationships were implied from the composition and ranking of taxa. Evolutionary biologists often investigate genetic variation within a geographic context, as intraspecific gene trees often show a strong geographic pattern. Such is the science of phylogeography (Avise 2000). We provide a review and discussion of phylogeography in centrarchids, highlighting some of the problems that have made such analyses in Centrarchidae less straightforward than in species from other groups of North American freshwater fishes.
Synthesis, posttranslational modifications, and nuclear transport of polyomavirus major capsid protein VP1.

Abstract Polyomavirus major capsid protein VP1 synthesis was studied in infected primary baby mouse kidney cells. A standard curve of VP1 protein was used to quantitate VP1 in the cytoplasm and nucleus of infected cells during the time course of infection. Polyomavirus VP1 continued to be accumulated in the cytoplasm of the cells until 27 h postinfection, at which time the synthesis of VP1 leveled off. VP1 continued to accumulate in the nucleus of the infected cells throughout the course of infection. The presence of the six isospecies, A to F, of polyomavirus VP1 was also studied to determine the relative quantity of each species during the time course of infection. All six species were found in the cytoplasm and nucleus of infected cells at various times postinfection. However, the relative quantity of each species was different at early as compared with later times of infection. In addition, phosphorylated VP1 was found in isolated polyribosomes of infected cells, suggesting that phosphorylation of VP1 is a cotranslational modification. Examination of the effect of macromolecular synthesis on the transport of VP1 into the nucleus of infected baby mouse kidney cells as well as the rate of its nuclear accumulation during and after protein synthesis inhibition revealed that the continual transport and accumulation of VP1 in the nucleus required protein synthesis.
Puerperal and perinatal infections with group B streptococci.

Abstract Twenty-one patients were seen with puerperal sepsis owing to group B streptococci (GBS), resulting in an attack rate of 2/1,000 deliveries. Most were young primiparous black women from a population with a known high incidence of GBS carriage. The asscciation among abdominal delivery, endometritis, and puerperal sepsis was striking. Cultures of the birth canal or lochia were commonly positive for the same serotype recovered from the blood. Forty-seven patients with nonbacteremic GBS infections were seen; 27 had endometritis or amnionitis. Twenty patients had GBS urinary tract infection: Eight infections occurred prenatally, seven at delivery, and five post partum. Seven neonates developed serious GBS infections; intrauterine exposure occurred in at least four cases. Fetal exposure to GBS also occurred in three of four cases in which parturients with GBS bacteremia were delivered of their infants by cesarean section. Because of the high incidence of puerperal and perinatal GBS infections in this population, antibiotic prophylaxis regimens may be beneficial.
Racial Differences in Cognitive Function and Risk of Incident Stroke.

Background and Purpose Cognitive impairment is associated with increased risk of stroke; however, it is not known whether this association varies by race. Our objective was to examine the association between cognitive function and the risk of stroke among non-Hispanic blacks and whites with no history of stroke. Methods Participants were from a population-based cohort study of 7205 older adults (61% black and 59% female) from Chicago's South Side. A standardized composite cognitive function score based on 3 components—global cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination), executive function (Symbol Digits Modalities test), and episodic memory (Delayed and Immediate Story Recall tests)—was used to predict risk of stroke (from Medicare hospitalization data) using a Cox model. Results During 72,868 person-years of follow-up, 16% (N = 1185) developed stroke. After adjusting for vascular risk factors, 1 standard deviation lower composite cognitive function score was associated with increased risk of stroke in blacks (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66-1.88), which was twofold higher than whites (HR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.26-1.55) ( P difference = .002). Lower global cognition and executive function were associated with a similarly increased risk of stroke in blacks and whites. Lower episodic memory (composite of recall tests) was associated with increased risk of stroke that was twofold higher in blacks (HR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.10-1.14) than in whites (HR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04-1.09). Conclusions Lower cognitive function was associated with increased risk of stroke and this association was stronger among blacks than whites. Future studies are needed to determine factors that can explain this finding.
A RESEARCH NOTE: PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND SENSORY CHANGES DURING THERMAL PROCESSING OF THREE SPECIES OF CANNED FISH

This study was conducted to determine the effect of species and formulation on the physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of catfish, ocean perch and Atlantic pollock during thermal processing. The results show that the changes in pH, thiamin, texture and Hunter ‘L’value during canning were different between species. There were no significant differences in the changes in cook-out volume, expressible moisture and TBA values between species. The formulation (water or oil) pack had no effect on the the physical, chemical and sensory tests conducted. The three canned species were judged by ten taste panelists as appetizing in color and flavor and moderate in fish aroma, tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability.
Design and Implementation of an Active Video Distribution System

The temporal ordering and the spatial viewpoints of video frames in conventional digital video content are completely determined at the time of authoring. Because of the lack of runtime navigation flexibility in the content, traditional video-on-demand systems have very limited navigation controls, such as fast-forward/rewind etc. In contrast, we have developed a new form of interactive video content called active video , which supports hyper-linking among related video sequences for temporal navigation and interpolation among stored video sequences, that simultaneously capture a dynamic scene, for spatial navigation. Thus active video enables the end user to choose the temporal frame sequencing and the viewing angle (even virtual ones) during playback. This additional navigation flexibility cannot be supported by traditional video distribution systems. The storage and playback of active video poses unique design challenges. Active video delivery requires computation support on the data path, between the storage and the playback application, to interpolate new views based on stored views. Since active video is only a specific instance of a broad class of interactive media, that require computation support on the server, the new distribution system designed for active video should also be programmable and extensible to store and perform runtime processing of other forms of interactive media. A software architecture of the shared programmable computation framework also needs to address performance and data isolation issues. We have designed and implemented a comprehensive active video authoring, compression, storage, and playback system called Memphis . In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of the storage and playback components which address the above design issues.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Paleoecology of middle siwalik sediments and faunas, northern Pakistan

Abstract The Siwalik deposits of northern Pakistan are distinctive for their excellent sedimentary record and Neogene mammal faunas that include a family of homonoids, the Ramapithecidae. A 160-m interval was chosen from 3500 m of local section for study of lateral lithofacies variation, microstratigraphy and taphonomy of selected fossil localites. Field data consists of: (1) stratigraphic sections that span 30 km of lateral exposure, (2) microstratigraphic sections of fossul localities in presentative deposional environments, and (3) taphonomic sampling of a subset of these localities. These data form the basis for landscape, habitat, and community reconstruction. The physiography of the paleoenvironment was determined by braided and meandering river channels. Lateral distribution of channel and floodplain deposits suggests that a mosaic of vegetation types covered the entire drainage basin, including constantly renewed plant succession along channel margins and more stable associations on floodplains. Vertebrate fossils occur in three major depositional settings: channel-lags, channel-margin swales, and floodplain land surfaces. Most collected fossils come from channel-lag conglomerates. The predominant taphonomic influence on the overall fossil assemblage from this interval has been fluvial transport and sorting resulting in a sampling bias toward medium-sized taxa. However, rank abundances from the fossil samples may be valid for these taxa. Fluvial processes probably harvested bones from all habitats present, but no habitat associations of major taxa are detectable. A relatively high species richness of small to medium ungulate herbivores suggests the presence of diverse vegetation types that probably included forest, woodland, and grassland. The ramapithecids were uncommon, medium-sized members of this community.
The Dental School in the Educational Continuum

A multiple track system allows a student to pursue liberal arts study in conjunction with dental school, and accepts field experience for course credit. The dental curriculum should be flexible enough to grant advanced placement to qualified students and to allow students to progress at their own pace. Faculty members of dental schools should work with university faculty members to provide adequate counseling for students.
Collector capacitance and high-level injection effects in bipolar transistors

A simple model for the behavior of the collector capacitance of bipolar transistors has been developed with the aim of studying high-level injection phenomena in epitaxial collectors. The Collector capacitance (C c ) calculated from the results of a dynamic small-signal measurement. It is Observed that C c increases by more than an order of magnitude as the collector current is increased from a low value into the quasi-saturation regime at a fixed collector-emitter voltage of 1 V. The collector capacitance is composed of a transition capacitance, which is due to the presence of unneutralized charges in the collector region, and of a diffusion capacitance, which is due to the presence of neutralized charge in transit across the base and the collector regions. The transition capacitance is the dominant component at low-current levels. However, at high-current levels, the diffusion capacitance predominates if the one, dimensional "base-widening" model (Kirk effect) becomes operative and the total capacitance becomes very large. This capacitance is found to be about an order of magnitude larger than that expected if the two-dimensional "lateral-spreading" model were dominant. Good agreement is observed between the experimental data and the theoretical C c estimates using the one-dimensional model. Thus it is concluded that the base-widening model controls the behavior of our devices at high levels of injection in the collector.
Energizing rheumatology training: put teaching back into the academic limelight.

The effective teaching of clinical medicine is not easy. There are many competing demands for a clinician educator’s time that distract from teaching, including the need for clinical and administrative productivity, family expectations, and the required involvement with educational oversight committees. But I believe that the major underrecognized impediments to developing robust rheumatologic teaching programs filled with energetic and effective educators are (1) the relatively few practical and available opportunities for clinical faculty to participate in continued medical education (CME) activities directed toward advancing their teaching abilities, developing innovative educational programs, and enabling realistic self-assessment of their teaching skills; and (2) the lack of rigorously defined and uniformly accepted attributes of the successfully trained clinical rheumatologist1. As a professional community we need to support our teaching faculty in getting better teaching tools and refine our definition of the final product of professional training: the clinical rheumatologist. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) several years ago promulgated the idea (that is, an expectation) that teaching programs should hold annual education program reviews (program self-assessment) and provide formal continuing education for their core teaching faculty on the components of effective teaching (personal self-assessment). On the ACGME Website (www.acgme.org/acWebsite/navPages/commonpr\_documnts/VC\_Evaluation\_ProgramEvaluation\_Explanation.pdf), this statement can be found: “Faculty participation in faculty development activities should be monitored and recorded... Activities should — over time — include not only CME-type activities directed toward acquisition of clinical knowledge and skills, but also activities directed toward developing teaching abilities...”. Berman, et al 2 are to be congratulated for communicating through the Journal of Rheumatology the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) rheumatology department’s advancement of the concept of providing ongoing education for its educators (addressing my point 1 above). As Berman, et al note, establishing a faculty development program in teaching is not a new idea. This …
Large-scale integration: promises versus accomplishments: the dilemma of our industry

This paper discusses the dilemma posed by the promises made about large-scale integration, and the expectations derived from the promises. Furthermore, it examines LSI's present form. In some instances what have appeared to be "broken promises" are not in fact that at all. Some believers wanted to believe and thus have suffered from self-delusion. Some promises certainly were unwise or premature, thus creating false impressions. But others represented a misunderstanding between component and system engineers.
Mutant TP53 Posttranslational Modifications: Challenges and Opportunities

The wild-type (WT) human p53 (TP53) tumor suppressor can be posttranslationally modified at over 60 of its 393 residues. These modifications contribute to changes in TP53 stability and in its activity as a transcription factor in response to a wide variety of intrinsic and extrinsic stresses in part through regulation of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. The TP53 gene frequently is mutated in cancers, and in contrast to most other tumor suppressors, the mutations are mostly missense often resulting in the accumulation of mutant (MUT) protein, which may have novel or altered functions. Most MUT TP53s can be posttranslationally modified at the same residues as in WT TP53. Strikingly, however, codons for modified residues are rarely mutated in human tumors, suggesting that TP53 modifications are not essential for tumor suppression activity. Nevertheless, these modifications might alter MUT TP53 activity and contribute to a gain-of-function leading to increased metastasis and tumor progression. Furthermore, many of the signal transduction pathways that result in TP53 modifications are altered or disrupted in cancers. Understanding the signaling pathways that result in TP53 modification and the functions of these modifications in both WT TP53 and its many MUT forms may contribute to more effective cancer therapies.
Privacy, Trust, and Disclosure: Exploring Barriers to Electronic Commerce

This study proposes and tests a model of online information disclosure to commercial Web sites, which is an important component of e-commerce. Based on social exchange theory and research on self-disclosure in interpersonal contexts, the model emphasizes the role of trust and past online behavior in the disclosure of personal information to a commercial Web site created for this study. Data collected to test the model confirmed all predicted paths. A second aim of this exploratory research was to examine the nature and quality of online disclosure. Data show differences in online information disclosure depending on the characteristics of Internet users and the type of information requested from commercial Web sites.
Compassion, Ethics, and Neuroscience: Neuroethics Through Buddhist Eyes

As scientists advance knowledge of the brain and develop technologies to measure, evaluate, and manipulate brain function, numerous questions arise for religious adherents. If neuroscientists can conclusively establish that there is a functional network between neural impulses and an individual's capacity for moral evaluation of situations, this will naturally lead to questions about the relationship between such a network and constructions of moral value and ethical human behavior. For example, if cognitive neuroscience can show that there is a neurophysiological basis for the moral appraisal of situations, it may be argued that the world's religions, which have traditionally been the keepers and purveyors of ethical values, are rendered either spurious or irrelevant. The questions point up broader dilemmas in the interface between science and religion, and raise concerns about the ethics of neurological research and experimentation. Since human beings will still arbitrate what is "moral" or "ethical," how can religious perspectives enrich the dialogue on neuroethical issues and how can neuroscience enrich dialogue on religion? Buddhist views on the nature of consciousness and methods of practice, especially meditation practice, may contribute to discussions on neuroscience and theories about the interrelationship between consciousness and ethical awareness by exploring the role that karma, intentionality, and compassion play in Buddhist understandings of the interrelationship between consciousness and ethics.
Gas phase methylation of the dihydroxybenzenes

Abstract Tandem mass spectrometry has been used to determine the site of gas-phase methylation of o-, m-, and p-dihydroxybenzene under chemical ionization conditions. The reagent ions were CH3ClCH3+ generated from methyl chloride, and CH3FCH3+ generated from methyl fluoride. Ring methylation is favored over substituent methylation by approximately 3:1 with both reagent gases. However, the behavior of the meta compound with methyl chloride is exceptional, yielding almost exclusive methylation in the ring. The less reactive dimethylchloronium ion apparently reacts more selectively than its fluorine analog and therefore preferentially generates the thermodynamically more stable adduct. The enhanced stability of the ring bonded form in the meta case follows from simple resonance considerations. The pressure of the reagent gas generally had a significant effect on the ratio of ring-to-substituent methylation. This is accounted for in terms of the approach to equilibrium achieved at elevated pressure. In addition to the ring- and substituent-bonded structures, the presence of a loosely bound ion is also indicated from the collision-induced dissociation spectra of the ion/molecule products. This is particularly evident in the products of reaction of catechol and hydroquinone with methyl fluoride at low pressure. In methylation, as well as in the accompanying halomethylation reactions, isomer identity is retained in the adduct ions.
Primary polydipsia—compulsive water drinking: Report of two cases

Two children with primary polydipsia (compulsive water drinking) are reported. Each child had an organic central nervous system disease known to cause diabetes insipidus. However, each child concentrated urine normally and had a normal blood level of antidiuretic hormone. A background of common emotionality, similar to that observed in the compulsive eater, was noted clinically in both children and was substantiated by psychologic examination, thus suggesting the diagnosis of psychogenic polydipsia. However, as lesions of the central nervous system are known to effect the sensation of thirst, the primary polydipsia exhibited by both children could be attributed equally well to organic hypothalamic disease. The precise cause of the polydipsia exhibited by these children must, therefore, remain in doubt.
Aransas Bay Virus, a New Arbovirus of the Upolu Serogroup from Ornithodoros Capensis (Acari: Argasidae) in Coastal Texas

In 1975, three strains of a new virus were isolated from 164 pools of Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) capensis ticks collected from aquatic birds' nests on coastal islands of southern Texas. Isolation, identification and characterization of the new virus, Aransas Bay are described. Complement-fixation tests revealed a relationship of this agent with Upolu virus, known only from Australia, but reactions were significantly stronger in one direction than in the other. Both viruses react markedly in immunofluorescence and neutralization tests with Aransas Bay immune ascitic fluid (AF), but potent immune AF prepared from Upolu virus reacts only slightly or not at all in these tests with the new virus. Repeated attempts to produce a hemagglutinin from Aransas Bay virus have failed. The new agent is an RNA virus, between 100 and 220 nm in size, possesses essential lipids, and is sensitive to exposure to heat and acid. It is lethal for suckling and weanling mice by intracerebral and intraperitoneal routes of inoculation, and infects Vero cells with the production of cylopathic effects and plaques. A new serological group, Upolu, is proposed. Soldado virus (Hughes serogroup) was also identified in ticks from this study.
Spontaneous rearrangement in Corey's reaction

Abstract A 1 H-NMR study of the oxidative deamination of sec -alkyl primary amines with 3,5-di- tert -butyl-1,2-benzoquinone confirmed spontaneous rearrangement of the quinone-imines to the respective aromatic Schiff bases.
AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF EQUITY COSTS AND RISK PREMIUMS IN THE ELECTRIC UTILITY INDUSTRY: 1971–1985

This paper develops a varying parameter econometric model that estimates the cost of equity of individual utility firms from 1971 to 1985. The equity costs estimated in this framework can be analyzed in terms of their statistical precision. The paper also examines, theoretically and empirically, the relationship between the econometric estimates of the equity risk premiums and the risk-free interest rates. The data do not support the hypothesis that risk premiums are independent of interest rates. Also, the relationship appears to vary over time. These results invalidate the risk premium approach in which equity costs are estimated by adding a constant, historical average risk premium to the prevailing interest rates.
Dynamic analysis of cytosolic glucose and ATP levels in yeast using optical sensors.

Precise and dynamic measurement of intracellular metabolite levels has been hampered by difficulties in differentiating between adsorbed and imported fractions and the subcellular distribution between cytosol, endomembrane compartments and mitochondria. In the present study, genetically encoded FRET (Forster resonance energy transfer)-based sensors were deployed for dynamic measurements of free cytosolic glucose and ATP with varying external supply and in glucose-transport mutants. Moreover, by using the FRET sensors in a microfluidic platform, we were able to monitor in vivo changes of intracellular free glucose in individual yeast cells. We demonstrate the suitability of the FRET sensors for gaining physiological insight by demonstrating that free intracellular glucose and ATP levels are reduced in a hxt5Δ hexose-transporter mutant compared with wild-type and other hxtΔ strains.
Nicotine-Induced Sensitization in Mice: Changes in Locomotor Activity and Mesencephalic Gene Expression

It is believed that drug-induced behavioral sensitization is an important process in the development of substance dependence. In order to explore mechanisms of sensitization, a mouse model of nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization was established, and effects of the sensitization process on mesencepahlic gene expression were examined. A schedule, which included 3 weeks of intermittent nicotine exposure (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) and 3 weeks of withdrawal, resulted in locomotor sensitization. Effects of sensitization on mesencephalic expression of approximately 14,000 genes were assessed using oligonucleotide microarrays. Signal intensity differences in samples obtained from repeated nicotine- and saline-exposed animals were analyzed with z-test after False Discovery Rate (FDR) multiple test correction. Genes related to GABA-A receptors and protein phosphatases were among 68 genes showing significantly different expression levels between the saline and the nicotine groups. We hypothesize that some of the gene expression changes in the mesencephalon are involved in pathways leading to nicotine-induced sensitization. Down-regulation of GABA-A receptors induced by repeated nicotine exposure may facilitate dopaminergic neuronal transmission and may contribute to increased locomotor activity.
Photoaffinity labeling of D1 and D5 dopamine receptors

Abstract Although human D 1 and D 5 dopamine receptors are encoded by distinct genes and share only 50% sequence homology at the amino acid level, their pharmacological properties are identical. Using a selective D 1 receptor photoaffinity radioligand, (±)-7-[ 125 I]iodo-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-(4-azidophenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine ([ 125 I]MAB), we have further probed the molecular properties of these receptors in transfected GH 4 C 1 rat pituitary cells. Under reversible, non-covalent binding conditions, [ 125 I]MAB bound to both the D 1 and the D 5 receptors with identical affinities, dopaminergic selectivity and stereospecificity. Upon photoactivation of the bound [ 125 I]MAB, the label was incorporated into a ∼64 000 mol. wt protein corresponding to the D 1 dopamine receptor. However, there was no specific photoincorporation of the ligand observed in D 5 receptors. The lack of [ 125 I]MAB photolabeling of D 5 receptors was independent of the cell line chosen, since similar results were obtained using other transfected cells. The data suggest that although both D 1 and D 5 receptors share structurally similar binding sites, the protein domains around the sites are different. Thus, although there are currently no specific compounds which bind preferentially to D 1 or D 5 receptors, these receptors can be distinguished from one another by the inability of [ 125 I]MAB to photolabel D 5 , but not D 1 , receptors. Such selective targeting of a specific receptor may be useful in understanding the functional importance and/or interaction between closely related members of the same receptor family when co-expressed in the same cell.
Effect of massage therapy on stress levels and quality of life in brain tumor patients—observations from a pilot study

Patients with brain tumors report experiencing elevated levels of stress across the disease continuum. Massage therapy is a commonly used complementary therapy and is employed in cancer care to reduce psychological stress and to improve quality of life (QoL). The purpose of this pilot study was to obtain a preliminary assessment of the efficacy of massage therapy on patient reported psychological outcomes and QoL. The design of the study was a prospective, single-arm intervention. Participants were newly diagnosed primary brain tumor patients who reported experiencing stress and who received a total of eight massages over a period of 4 weeks. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Brain to assess their stress level and QoL. As a group, levels of stress dropped significantly between weeks 2 and 3 (M = 12.3, SD = 3.09, P ≤ 0.010). A trend for the reduction in stress continued through week 4 (P ≤ 0.063). At the end of week 4, PSS-10 scores of all participants were below the threshold for being considered stressed. By the end of the intervention, participants reported significant improvements in three test domains, emotional well-being, additional brain tumor concerns, and social/family well-being. This study indicates that participation in a massage therapy program is both feasible and acceptable to newly diagnosed brain tumor patients experiencing stress. Furthermore, participants in this study reported improvements in stress and their QoL while receiving massage therapy.
Myelography as a Stand-Alone Diagnostic Procedure for Degenerative Spine Disease in Developing Nations

The use of "stand-alone" contrast myelography (i.e., without computed tomography) has a proven track record in developing nations where few patients have access to magnetic resonance imaging, whether on the basis of prohibitive cost or the absence of such a modality altogether. To substantiate the author's 12-year experience with more than 300 myelograms performed in 16 different countries (plus some 1500 studies during 30 years of practice in the United States), a prospective pilot study was undertaken over 1 month in a community-based neurosurgical setting in western Kenya. Forty patients underwent cervical or lumbar myelography at Tenwek Hospital under the auspices of the Neurosurgery Training Program for East, Central, and South Africa (NSTP-ECSA) following failure of conservative measures to treat spine-related pathology. Thirty-five of the forty patients (88%) came to definitive surgery on the basis of a positive study that correlated with their clinical history and physical examination. There were no significant complications from the procedures, and no false-positive studies, with virtually all patients returning to normal activity and/or gainful employment within 3 weeks of their surgery. Myelography as a stand-alone diagnostic procedure is a sensitive, specific, and cost-effective means of diagnosing symptomatic degenerative spine disorders. Accordingly, its use should be encouraged at every NSTP-ECSA training site to address such ubiquitous pathology.
AN OBSERVER SCALE TO MEASURE ALEXITHYMIA

The authors developed a relatively brief observer alexithymia measure that can be used by patients’ acquaintances and relatives. Items corresponding to the defining features of alexithymia (California Q-Set Alexithymia Prototype) were written, and the new instrument's psychometric properties were evaluated in 3 lay-rater samples. The 33-item Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS) is internally consistent (coefficient alphas = 0.88 and 0.89) and stable (2-week test-retest reliability = 0.87). Moreover, it has an interpretable five-factor structure (based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses): distant, uninsightful, somatizing, humorless, and rigid. The OAS is a reliable instrument with a stable factor structure and good conceptual coverage and thus, it appears to be a useful tool for collecting observer data on the clinically relevant expressions of alexithymia that receive minimal attention.
Equality and Difference: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Central Focus of Family Law

Martha Fineman has written a wonderfully insightful book that focuses on the straitjacket the rhetoric of equality imposed on divorce reform efforts. She demonstrates that in replacing fault-based financial awards, courts and legislatures emphasized formal, or "rule," equality in the resulting awards, much to the disadvantage of women who need more than their former husbands to maintain comparable financial positions. Similarly, she examines the role of the rhetoric of equality in explaining the popularity of joint custody, again emphasizing the disadvantages such rule equality imposes on mothers who, because of their stronger emotional ties to children, face greater demands with fewer resources. She describes the methodology of the book as a feminist one and defines feminist methodology in terms of the rejection of an emphasis on such abstract ideals as equality and an insistence on the importance of the actual effects on the lives of women (at 191 n.5). To deal with these effects, she proposes consideration of result equality rather than rule equality and renewed consideration of the importance of the mother-child bond. Although this book was only recently published, Fineman began to explore the limits of equality at the same time that Carol Gilligan published In a Different Voice. Her criticisms, much like Gilligan's, involve a rediscovery of the special role women play with respect to children, and
Implementation of high-speed LFSR design with parallel architectures

Linear feedback shift register (LFSR) is an important component of the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) operations and BCH encoders. The contribution of this paper is two fold. First, this paper presents linear transformation of serial LFSR architecture into the transformation of parallel LFSR architecture. This transformation achieves a full speed-up compared to the serial architecture at the cost of an increase in hardware overhead. This method applies to all generator polynomials used in CRC operations and BCH encoders. Second, a new formulation is proposed to modify the parallel LFSR into the form of pipelining and retiming algorithm. We propose a high-speed parallel LFSR architecture based on pipelining and retiming algorithms to reduce the critical path. Finally, we are calculating the Bit Error Rate (BER) tester for the proposed LFSR design. The advantage of this proposed approach over the previous architectures is that it has both feed forward and feedback paths. Also it has the advantage of further increasing the speed-up and it increases the throughput rate. We further propose to apply combined parallel and pipelining techniques to eliminate the fan-out effect in long generator polynomials. The proposed scheme can be applied to any generator polynomial, i.e., any LFSR in general. The proposed parallel architecture achieves better area-time product compared to the previous designs.
Markov Models for Biogeography-Based Optimization

Biogeography-based optimization (BBO) is a population-based evolutionary algorithm that is based on the mathematics of biogeography. Biogeography is the science and study of the geographical distribution of biological organisms. In BBO, problem solutions are analogous to islands, and the sharing of features between solutions is analogous to the migration of species. This paper derives Markov models for BBO with selection, migration, and mutation operators. Our models give the theoretically exact limiting probabilities for each possible population distribution for a given problem. We provide simulation results to confirm the Markov models.
Causality checking and enhancement of 3D electromagnetic simulation data

A causality checker is developed and used to validate and improve S-parameter data computed with a commercial 3D electromagnetic simulator. Improved data quality as shown by the causality checker is demonstrated to fix a flawed SerDes link simulation and an impedance extraction based on a TDR simulation. It is demonstrated that simple examination of the S-parameters cannot differentiate between good and bad data as shown by the causality checker. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the causality checker can determine when frequency is under-sampled in the 3D electromagnetic extraction.
The acceptability of treatment for depression among African-American, Hispanic, and white primary care patients

Background. Ethnic minority patients are less likely than white patients to receive guideline-concordant care for depression. It is uncertain whether racial and ethnic differences exist in patient beliefs, attitudes, and preferences for treatment. Methods. A telephone survey was conducted of 829 adult patients (659 non-Hispanic whites, 97 African Americans, 73 Hispanics) recruited from primary care offices across the United States who reported 1 week or more of depressed mood or loss of interest within the past month and who met criteria for Major Depressive Episode in the past year. Within this cohort, we examined differences among African Americans, Hispanics, and whites in acceptability of antidepressant medication and acceptability of individual counseling. Results. African Americans (adjusted OR, 0.30; 95% CI 0.19–0.48) and Hispanics (adjusted OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.26–0.76) had lower odds than white persons of finding antidepressant medications acceptable. African Americans had somewhat lower odds (adjusted OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.35–1.12), and Hispanics had higher odds (adjusted OR, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.08–9.89) of finding counseling acceptable than white persons. Some negative beliefs regarding treatment were more prevalent among ethnic minorities; however adjustment for these beliefs did not explain differences in acceptability of treatment for depression. Conclusions. African Americans are less likely than white persons to find antidepressant medication acceptable. Hispanics are less likely to find antidepressant medication acceptable, and more likely to find counseling acceptable than white persons. Racial and ethnic differences in beliefs about treatment modalities were found, but did not explain differences in the acceptability of depression treatment. Clinicians should consider patients’ cultural and social context when negotiating treatment decisions for depression. Future research should identify other attitudinal barriers to depression care among ethnic minority patients.
Excretion of 6-keto-PGF1α and PGE2 in rats with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus

We measured the urinary excretion of a stable metabolite of prostacyclin, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, and of PGE2 in homozygous Brattleboro rats, a strain with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus. Excretion of both prostaglandins was largely increased compared to both heterozygous Brattleboro rats and Long-Evans rats. These results are in contrast to previously published observations demonstrating a subnormal excretion of PGE2 in Brattleboro rats. It is suggested that prostaglandin synthesis may be under tonic inhibitory control by vasopressin both in the kidney and in the endothelial cells of blood vessels. The findings further support the view that prostaglandins play an important role in the regulation of water excretion and in the pathogenesis of polyuric conditions.
A quantitative study of the medial surface dynamics of an in vivo canine vocal fold during phonation.

Objectives/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to measure the medial surface dynamics of a canine vocal fold during phonation. In particular, displacements, velocities, accelerations, and relative phase velocities of vocal fold fleshpoints were reported across the entire medial surface. Although the medial surface dynamics have a profound influence on voice production, such data are rare because of the inaccessibility of the vocal folds. Study Design: Medial surface dynamics were investigated during both normal and fry-like phonation as a function of innervation to the recurrent laryngeal nerve for conditions of constant glottal airflow. Methods: An in vivo canine model was used. The larynx was dissected similar to methods described in previous excised hemilarynx experiments. Phonation was induced with artificial airflow and innervation to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The recordings were obtained using a high-speed digital imaging system. Three dimensional coordinates were computed for fleshpoints along the entire medial surface. The trajectories of the fleshpoints were preprocessed using the method of Empirical Eigenfunctions. Results: Although considerable variability existed within the data, in general, the medial-lateral displacements and vertical displacements of the vocal fold fleshpoints were large compared with anterior-posterior displacements. For both normal and fry-like phonation, the largest displacements and velocities were concentrated in the upper medial portion. During normal phonation, the mucosal wave propagated primarily in a vertical direction. Above a certain threshold of subglottal pressure (or stimulation to the recurrent laryngeal nerve), an abrupt transition from chest-like to fry-like phonation was observed. Conclusions: The study reports unique, quantitative data regarding the medial surface dynamics of an in vivo canine vocal fold during phonation, capturing both chest-like and fry-like vibration patterns. These data quantify a complex set of dynamics. The mathematical modeling of such complexity is still in its infancy and requires quantitative data of this nature for development, validation, and testing.