cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aggregates of Bacteria in Sea Water as Determined By Treatment With Surface Active Agents1

Sea water samples were treated with the surface active agents, Tween 80, MYRJ-52, Renex 31, and Dow Corning Antifoam AF Emulsion to determine their effect on the dispersal of microbes in aggregates. All of these substances in the concentration of 10 ppm increased the plate counts compared to untreated controls. In the case of Tween 80, the most carefully studied of the wetting agents, the results from different water samples were somewhat variable, with an average of almost twice as many colonies developing from the treated sea waters. Mechanical agitation of the sea water had little effect on the number of colonies developing on plates compared to stationary controls. Maximum development of colonies on agar pour plates occurred when sea water samples were treated with 1 to 10 ppm Tween 80. There was evidence for inhibition of pigmented colonies at concentrations of the wetting agent higher than 10 ppm as indicated by serial dilution and replica plate methods. Direct microscopic observations of microorganisms from water before and after treatment with the surface active agents indicated the occurrence of cells in large clumps, usually on detritus, and individual cells. Less than 13 per cent of the total number of cells was removed from the aggregates by the surface active substances. There was a tendency for the percentage of clumped bacteria to be inversely proportional to the total microscopic count. The dispersal of bacterial clumps by the surface active agents is attributed to their surface tension depression.
Wear of titanium carbide reinforced metal matrix composites

Abstract The wear resistance of eight titanium carbide (TiC) reinforced metal matrix composites was investigated under different wear conditions. The TiC particles were dispersed in various steel and nickel matrices using a powder metallurgy (P/M) technique. Volume fraction of TiC particles in these composites varied between 0.35 and 0.45. The microstructure of each material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A high-stress abrasion test (pin abrasion), a low-stress abrasion test (dry-sand/rubber-wheel (DSRW)), an abrasion–impact test (impeller-in-drum) and an erosion test were utilized to understand the wear behavior of these materials under different conditions. While in the low-stress abrasion environment, finer TiC particles (with smaller interparticle spacing) provided better wear resistance, the coarser TiC particles were more effective in protecting the softer matrix from abrasion in the high-stress environment. On the other hand, variation in TiC size did not affect the rate of material loss in the impact–abrasion test. Erosion rate was unchanged with hardness of the composites.
Enhancement of in vitro antibody responses by human serum proteins cleaved by trypsin.

Abstract Tryptic cleavage of human serum proteins remarkably enhanced in vitro plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses of mouse spleen cells primed with sheep erythrocytes (SE). Moreover, trypsin cleaved proteins could mimic the activity of T-cells in immune responses of SE-primed B cells. Eluted with 6 M guanidine-HCl on a Sepharose 6B-CL Column, the activity was found in the fraction corresponding to the molecular weight greater than 100,000. The results suggest that tryptic cleavage of human serum proteins produced a factor(s) that resembeled the T-cell augmentation of B-cell immune responses.
Parametric Effects on Exergetic Efficiency During H2-O2 Combustion Including Singlet Oxygen

Previous work conducted by the authors showed that for a stoichiometric inlet fuel-oxidizer ratio at 1 atm and 1200 K, an optimal range of exergetic efficiency exists for H2 combustion when singlet oxygen composes 0–20% of the oxidizer; with the maximum occurring at approximately 10%. Additionally, in the optimal range, 60% of the total exergy destruction occurs before ignition. These results provide encouraging evidence that it is possible to improve the exergetic efficiency of combustion inherently and thereby reduce fuel usage for a desired energy transfer. The focus of this study is to determine if the exergetic efficiency of combustion can be further optimized by varying other combustion parameters in addition to the inlet concentration of singlet oxygen.The chemical kinetics simulation was accomplished by developing an adiabatic plug flow reactor model in CHEMKIN-PRO® and employing the Moscow State University H2-O2 mechanism. The ranges of parameters considered were: equivalence ratio 0.7–1.3, inlet temperature 1100–1300 K, inlet concentration of singlet oxygen 0–20%, and diluent type (Ar, N2, no dilution). Pressure was held fixed at 1 atm. The calculated quantities were: exergetic efficiency, exergy destruction before ignition, molar conversion of H2, exit temperature, ignition temperature, and ignition distance.Results of the study show that over the optimum range the maximum exergetic efficiency occurs for an equivalence ratio of 1.3, with no dilution at 1300 K. Furthermore, the data show that for 20% inlet singlet oxygen there is significant variability in exergy destruction before ignition, ignition temperature, and ignition distance. Understanding how varying traditional combustion parameters impacts the enhancing effect that singlet oxygen has on the exergetic efficiency of H2 combustion provides a framework for directing future research efforts for hydrocarbon combustion under a broader range of operating conditions of practical engineering interest.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
PDGFBB Increases Myocardial Production of VEGF: Shift in VEGF mRNA Splice Variants after Direct Injection of bFGF, PDGFBB, and PDGFAB

Abstract Background. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in angiogenesis. We hypothesized that a combination of recombinant angiogenic proteins might induce myocardial VEGF production and cause a shift in the mRNA signal produced. Materials and methods. The left ventricles of New Zealand white rabbits were injected with 500 μL of saline, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF AB ), platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF BB ), bFGF + PDGF AB , or bFGF + PDGF BB . Myocardial VEGF production was analyzed by ELISA while mRNA splice variants were analyzed by RT-PCR 3 and 7 days after injection. Results. PDGF BB alone caused the most pronounced induction of VEGF. Three days after injection the induction of VEGF by PDGF BB was significant compared to all treatment groups, except the bFGF + PDGF BB group. Induction of VEGF by PDGF BB was associated with a decrease in mRNA production of VEGF 121 within the myocardium. Conclusions. Injection of PDGF BB induces significant production of VEGF within the myocardium. This induction of VEGF production is associated with a shift toward other, less soluble forms of VEGF. These findings may allow more precise regulation of the myocardial response to therapeutic angiogenesis.
Heat treatment control of Ag?Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox multifilamentary round wire: investigation of time in the melt

It is well known that the critical current density Jc of Ag-sheathed Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox (2212) varies strongly with heat treatment details, particularly the maximum processing temperature Tmax, but the mechanism for such Jc variations and how the processing window can be widened remain unknown. We systematically measured the Jc and electromagnetic properties of a powder-in-tube Ag-sheathed multifilamentary Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox (2212) round wire processed with the maximum processing temperature Tmax ranging from 887 to 900 °C and the time at the maximum temperature tmax from 0 to 3 h using three representative heat treatment schedules. We found that Jc correlates weakly to Tmax, but it correlates strongly to the time in the melt tmelt, a processing parameter that has not been explicitly considered before. Jc is rather insensitive to Tmax in the temperature range 887–900 °C and the true cause of Jc declining with high Tmax appears to be the long tmelt that leads to collapse of filament structure. By tuning tmelt we were able to widen the Tmax window to 10 °C. The Jc–tmelt correlation, as well as quench studies, indicate that Jc is controlled by complex diffusion processes occurring in the melt (filament bonding, bubble agglomeration, and perhaps Cu loss). Our findings highlight tmelt as an important processing parameter for optimizing Jc and may serve as a general guide for heat treating 2212 coils.
A Metric-Based System for Evaluating the Productivity of Preclinical Faculty at an Academic Medical Center in the Era of Clinical and Translational Science

Academic medical centers are faced with increasing budgetary constraints due to a flat National Institutes of Health budget, lower reimbursements for clinical services, higher costs of technology including informatics and a changing competitive landscape. As such, institutional stakeholders are increasingly asking whether resources are allocated appropriately and whether there are objective methods for measuring faculty contributions and engagement. The complexities of translational research can be particularly challenging when trying to assess faculty contributions because of team science. For over a decade, we have used an objective scoring system called the Matrix to assess faculty productivity and engagement in four areas: research, education, scholarship, and administration or services. The Matrix was developed to be dynamic, quantitative, and able to insure that a fully engaged educator would have a Matrix score that was comparable to a fully engaged investigator. In this report, we present the Matrix in its current form in order to provide a well-tested objective system of performance evaluation for nonclinical faculty to help academic leaders in decision making.
Physical aging of an amorphous polyimide: Enthalpy relaxation and mechanical property changes

The physical aging behavior of an isotropic amorphous polyimide possessing a glass transition temperature of approximately 239°C was investigated for aging temperatures ranging from 174 to 224°C. Enthalpy recovery was evaluated as a function of aging time following sub-Tg annealing in order to assess enthalpy relaxation rates, and time-aging time superposition was employed in order to quantify mechanical aging rates from creep compliance measurements. With the exception of aging rates obtained for aging temperatures close to Tg, the enthalpy relaxation rates exhibited a significant decline with decreasing aging temperature while the creep compliance aging rates remained relatively unchanged with respect to aging temperature. Evidence suggests distinctly different relaxation time responses for enthalpy relaxation and mechanical creep changes during aging. The frequency dependence of dynamic mechanical response was probed as a function of time during isothermal aging, and failure of time-aging time superposition was evident from the resulting data. Compared to the creep compliance testing, the dynamic mechanical analysis probed the shorter time portion of the relaxation response which involved the additional contribution of a secondary relaxation, thus leading to failure of superposition. Room temperature stress-strain behavior was also monitored after aging at 204°C, with the result that no discernible embrittlement due to physical aging was detected despite aging-induced increases in yield stress and modulus. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1931–1946, 1999
Portable LED-array VIS–NIR spectrophotometer/nephelometer

A portable instrument with a high-speed multiple-wavelength LED array source, and simultaneous detectors for absorbance and 90° nephelometry, was tested from 420 to 950 nm. Absorbance values and simultaneous 90°-scatter intensities at six different wavelengths can be determined and stored every 0.02 s. An advantage of this LED instrument is that its sensitivity is equal to or better than many research-grade spectrophotometers. Also, unlike diode array spectrometers, which emit white light through samples, the LED instrument emits monochromatic light through samples, enabling us to obtain turbidity, turbidity ratio, and particle size information in addition to the absorption spectrum. Field applications can range from simple turbidity and multiple-wavelength absorbance measurements to kinetic experiments with temporal acquisition of multiple-wavelength absorbance and simultaneous turbidity data. Rugged, laptop compatible, portable, and inexpensive, the LED instrument is useful for discrete or on-line VIS–NIR absorption analysis and turbidity, or turbidity ratio, analysis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Field Analyt Chem Technol 2: 21–28, 1998
Quality of end‐of‐life care in low‐income, uninsured men dying of prostate cancer

BACKGROUND: The quality of end-of-life care was assessed in disadvantaged men prospectively enrolled in a public assistance program. That end-of-life care would be aggressive, moreso than recommended by quality-of-care guidelines, was hypothesized. METHODS: Included in the study were all 60 low-income, uninsured men in a state-funded public assistance program who had died since its inception in 2001. To measure quality of end-of-life care, information was collected regarding timing of the institution of new chemotherapeutic regimens, time from administration of last chemotherapy dose to death, the number of inpatient admissions and intensive care unit stays made in the 3 months preceding death, and the number of emergency room visits made in the 12 months before dying. Also noted were hospice use and the timing of hospice referrals. RESULTS: Eighteen men (30%) enrolled in hospice before death and the average hospice stay lasted 45 days (standard deviation, 32; range, 2-143 days; median, 41 days). Two patients (11%) were enrolled for fewer than 7 days, and none were enrolled for more than 180 days. The average time from administration of the last dose of chemotherapy to death was 104 days. Chemotherapy was never initiated within 3 months of death, and in only 2 instances (6%) was the final chemotherapeutic regimen administered within 2 weeks of dying. Use of hospital resources (emergency room visits, inpatient admissions, and intensive care unit stays) was uniformly low (mean, 1.0 ± 1.0, 0.65 ± 0.82, and 0.03 ± 0.18, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: End-of-life care in disadvantaged men dying of prostate cancer, who enroll in a comprehensive statewide assistance program, is high-quality. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Fine-tuning the ring-size of metallacyclophanes: a rational approach to molecular pentagons.

Cristian Saul Campos-Ferna´ndez, Rodolphe Cle´rac,John M. Koomen, David H. Russell, and Kim R. Dunbar*Texas A&M UniVersity, Department of ChemistryCollege Station, Texas 77842-3012ReceiVed August 9, 2000The essence of supramolecular chemistry is the self-assemblyof noncovalently linked molecular clusters and networks, aspontaneous process that involves various driving forces (e.g.,metal-ligand interactions, ion templation, hydrogen bonding,
A novel epigenetic effect can alter centromere function in fission yeast

A novel epigenetic mechanism that can affect minichromosome centromere function in vivo has been identified in S. pombe. This epigenetic system can result in the conversion of a nonfunctional centromere to a functional one without changes in the content, structural arrangement, or chemical modification state of the minichromosomal DNA. The conversion from a centromere-inactive to an active state, which is evident with minichromosomes carrying abbreviated centromeric DNA constructions, occurs with a relatively high frequency during mitotic cell divisions and readily provides an in vivo assay for proper centromere formation. The centromere-targeted epigenetic system supports a model for centromere function that involves specific de novo folding of centromeric components into a higher order chromatin structure.
SF6 usage and emission trends in the TFT-LCD industry

Abstract Several fluorinated compounds (FCs) used in electronics manufacturing, including SF6, perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are extremely potent greenhouse gases. These compounds are classified as global warming pollutants to be controlled by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. Thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) manufacturing is a major source of SF6 emissions, in which these gases are used for equipment cleaning and plasma etching. The respective Environmental Protection Administration of the Republic of China, Taiwan and the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States collaboratively strive in encouraging high technology manufacturers to improve annual reporting of FCs emissions and implement emission reduction practices and technologies. In the TFT-LCD industry, FCs account on average for 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions; 80% of emissions originate from the etching process and 20% from the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber cleaning process, which is in compliance with Taiwan EPA data reports from 2005 to 2010. The leading TFT-LCD manufacturers are Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The World LCD Industry Cooperation Committee (WLICC) subsequently established an aggressive climate protection action plan in 2001. This study focuses specifically on SF6 usage and emission factors reflecting common TFT-LCD manufacturing practices.
Cholesterol, Hydroxycholesterols, and Bile Acids

Abstract Although a variety of oxidation products of cholesterol occur in vitro, enzyme-catalyzed oxidations can occur at only 5 sites on the cholesterol molecule: C7α, C22R, C24S, C25, and C27. The genes coding for the synthesis of these enzymes were cloned, the tissue expressions of the mRNAs were identified, and the enzymes were characterized. The biologic properties of the hydroxycholesterol molecules that are initially generated and their metabolites are under study. Downregulation of cholesterol synthesis via the SREBP/SCAP regulatory pathway is common to the initial hydroxycholesterols, but more variations exist with respect to these intermediates functioning as ligands for the nuclear receptor LXRα. Because this receptor regulates the expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase and ABC transporter proteins, hydroxycholesterols and their intermediate steroid metabolites modulate a number of biologic processes. Metabolism of 22S-hydroxycholesterol to steroid hormones differs from that of the other hydroxycholesterols which form mostly steroid acidic products, otherwise known as bile acids. In vivo estimates of their production rates in intact humans indicate that 24S and 25-hydroxycholesterol account for no more than 7% of total bile acid production per day. Current evidence indicates that cholesterol 7α-hydroxycholesterol generated in the liver is the major source of bile acids in older adults. It is also known that the cholesterol 27-hydroxylation pathway is the only one expressed in fetal and neonatal life. Precisely when the proportions contributed by these two metabolic pathways to bile acid synthesis begin to shift and the role of the cholesterol 27-hydroxylase pathway in reverse cholesterol transport mandate further study.
Detecting and localizing failure points in proton exchange membrane fuel cells using IR thermography

Abstract An understanding of the potentially serious long-term performance degradation effects that coating and/or other fabrication irregularities might have in mass produced proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is essential to determine manufacturing tolerances of fuel cell components. An experimental setup and methodology is described that employs accelerated stress tests (ASTs) and IR thermography to accurately determine the location and severity of developing failure points in PEMFCs. The method entails a novel hardware that allows the spatial observation of a hydrogen crossover experiment within a fuel cell hardware. The application of the method is demonstrated by comparing the effects of an AST on pristine as well as defect-containing MEAs. The presented method is shown to be valuable for determining the areas within a fuel cell that are most stressed by aging processes.
Interactive effects of elevation and burial with wrack on plant community structure in some Rhode Island salt marshes

1 The effects of disturbances and elevation on marsh plant communities were examined using experimental disturbances along an elevation gradient in marshes with different disturbance histories. In addition, differences in species composition among five marshes were determined at elevations at which the greatest concentration of burial by wrack occurred. 2 Experimental wrack burial generally caused significant mortality of the high-marsh competitive dominants, Juncus gerardi and Spartina patens, and strongly increased the abundance of the fugitive perennial, Distichlis spicata. 3 The effects of experimental wrack burial interacted strongly with abiotic factors associated with elevation to influence the distributions of both competitive dominants and annual fugitive plants. 4 Frequent wrack burial in a marsh appears to lead to a persistent assemblage of plants dominated by competitively subordinate fugitives. This assemblage of fugitives tends to occur at intermediate elevations within the marsh, where wrack gets stranded for long periods of time and where the resistance of Juncus gerardi to wrack burial is lowest. 5 We suggest that wrack-burial disturbances interact strongly with marsh elevation to influence the zonation of plants in New England salt marshes, and discuss some implications of our results.
Cultivating Flourishing Lives A Robust Social Justice Vision of Education

Presented at AERA 2010 as the Social Justice Award Lecture, this article calls attention to the purposes of education in the 21st century and the need for a robust, social justice vision of education. Here, it is argued that education is about the cultivation of a flourishing life and not only the narrow preparation for employment. To realize education that cultivates students’ flourishing minds and lives, this article proposes five core principles for this robust social justice vision: self-assessment, critical questioning, practicing democracy, social action, and criteria for adjudication.
Analyzing indentation stress–strain response of LaGaO3 single crystals using spherical indenters

Abstract In this work, a new approach to spherical nanoindentation analyses has been described and utilized to study the anisotropy of mechanical properties for (1 0 0) and (0 0 1) LaGaO3 single crystals. Unlike sharp indenters, indentations by spherical indenters permit the nanoindentation load–displacement curve to be converted more reliably into indentation stress–strain curves. Using a new definition of indentation strain, we present indentation stress–strain curves that are relatively insensitive to the radii of the indenters. These curves allow the modulus of the sample to be evaluated from the elastic loading segment, instead of the common practice of approximating it from the elastic unloading segment. These measurements indicate that the (1 0 0) LaGaO3 single crystal has a higher modulus and a higher hardness compared to the (0 0 1) sample.
Dietary Fish Oil Substitution Alters the Eicosanoid Profile in Ankle Joints of Mice during Lyme Infection

Dietary ingestion of (n-3) PUFA alters the production of eicosanoids and can suppress chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The extent of changes in eicosanoid production during an infection of mice fed a diet high in (n-3) PUFA, however, has not, to our knowledge, been reported. We fed mice a diet containing either 18% by weight soybean oil (SO) or a mixture with fish oil (FO), FO:SO (4:1 ratio), for 2 wk and then infected them with Borrelia burgdorferi. We used an MS-based lipidomics approach and quantified changes in eicosanoid production during Lyme arthritis development over 21 d. B. burgdorferi infection induced a robust production of prostanoids, mono-hydroxylated metabolites, and epoxide-containing metabolites, with 103 eicosanoids detected of the 139 monitored. In addition to temporal and compositional changes in the eicosanoid profile, dietary FO substitution increased the accumulation of 15-deoxy PGJ(2), an antiinflammatory metabolite derived from arachidonic acid. Chiral analysis of the mono-hydroxylated metabolites revealed they were generated from primarily nonenzymatic mechanisms. Although dietary FO substitution reduced the production of inflammatory (n-6) fatty acid-derived eicosanoids, no change in the host inflammatory response or development of disease was detected.
Explicit Pre-Training Instruction Does Not Improve Implicit Perceptual-Motor Sequence Learning.

Memory systems theory argues for separate neural systems supporting implicit and explicit memory in the human brain. Neuropsychological studies support this dissociation, but empirical studies of cognitively healthy participants generally observe that both kinds of memory are acquired to at least some extent, even in implicit learning tasks. A key question is whether this observation reflects parallel intact memory systems or an integrated representation of memory in healthy participants. Learning of complex tasks in which both explicit instruction and practice is used depends on both kinds of memory, and how these systems interact will be an important component of the learning process. Theories that posit an integrated, or single, memory system for both types of memory predict that explicit instruction should contribute directly to strengthening task knowledge. In contrast, if the two types of memory are independent and acquired in parallel, explicit knowledge should have no direct impact and may serve in a “scaffolding” role in complex learning. Using an implicit perceptual-motor sequence learning task, the effect of explicit pre-training instruction on skill learning and performance was assessed. Explicit pre-training instruction led to robust explicit knowledge, but sequence learning did not benefit from the contribution of pre-training sequence memorization. The lack of an instruction benefit suggests that during skill learning, implicit and explicit memory operate independently. While healthy participants will generally accrue parallel implicit and explicit knowledge in complex tasks, these types of information appear to be separately represented in the human brain consistent with multiple memory systems theory.
Three Ecologies of Consumption

Could people’s economic identities become other than capitalist? How would patterns of consumption change if we began to see food or water as economy-makers that shape what we become? Can we “metabolize” the world in a different way each time we eat a different meal or enter a different consumption assemblage? The paper builds on Felix Guattari’s idea of three ecologies to address these questions. In particular, it examines the link between economy and subjectivity. By placing Polanyi, Foucault, Deleuze, Bennett, and Escobar into conversation, part I of the paper explores how Guattari’s Integrated World Capitalism (IWC) works. IWC has a host of components of subjectification and multiple sites of emergence. What arises is a new optic of polyeconomies. This new way of seeing is developed in part II of the paper. It reveals the economy to be a more-than-human-domain and a crucial dimension of subject formation. The optic articulates an anti-essentialist notion of the economy as a heterogeneous set of material practices: both as something humans perform as participants in complex assemblages and something that is done to humans by the conjoint action of other “economy-makers.” The paper draws on examples of diverse economies in Africa and South America to show that there is more to the economy than markets and humans. This optic of polyeconomies enables us to advance an ethic of consumption, compatible with eco-egalitarianism and respect for biodiversity.
Resentment and dependency in the suicidal individual

(1969). Resentment and Dependency in the Suicidal Individual. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 81, No. 1, pp. 137-145.
Cougar Dispersal Patterns, Metapopulation Dynamics, and Conservation

We examined cougar ( Puma concolor ) dispersal, emigration, and immigration in the San Andres Mountains, New Mexico, from 1985 to 1995 to quantify the effects of dispersal on the local population and surrounding subpopulations. We captured, tagged, and radio-collared animals to detect the arrival of new immigrants and dispersal characteristics of progeny. We found that cougars in southern New Mexico exhib- ited a metapopulation structure in which cougar subpopulations were separated by expanses of noncougar habitat and linked by dispersers. Of 43 progeny ( n 5 20 males, 23 females) studied after independence, only 13 females exhibited philopatric behavior. Males dispersed significantly farther than females, were more likely to traverse large expanses of noncougar habitat, and were probably most responsible for nuclear gene flow between habitat patches. We estimated that an average of 8.5 progeny (i.e., cougars born in the study area) successfully emigrated from and 4.3 cougars successfully immigrated to the San Andres Mountains each year. Concurrently, an average of 4.1 progeny were recruited into the San Andres cougar population. Pro- tected cougar subpopulations can contribute to metapopulation persistence by supplying immigrants to sur- rounding subpopulations that are affected by fragmentation or offtake by humans. Cougar population dy- namics and dispersal behavior dictate that cougar management and conservation should be considered on a regional scale.
Predicting Obesity in Children

Obesity in both children and adults is a major public health concern in the United States. Recent studies have provided data on predicting whether children will become obese adults. This information may be helpful in the development of preventive measures and treatments for obesity.
Valganciclovir: An Advance in Cytomegalovirus Therapeutics

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary clinical data for valganciclovir, a new oral agent for the therapy of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.DATA SOURCES:Relevant literature was extracted via MEDLINE/PUBMED and searchable abstracts from infectious diseases conferences covering the period from January 1990 to April 2002. Tertiary references provided background information.DATA SYNTHESIS:Current standard treatment for CMV retinitis consists of intravenous therapy, intraocular implant, and intraocular injection. The low bioavailability of oral ganciclovir restricts its use to prophylaxis and maintenance treatment. Oral valganciclovir, recently approved for both induction and maintenance therapy of CMV retinitis, may fill a niche for this disease.CONCLUSIONS:Although only 1 clinical study has been published for valganciclovir, its favorable pharmacokinetic profile, encouraging preliminary efficacy data, ease of administration, and lack of potential catheter-related complicatio...
Non-specificity of the divalent cation capable of restoring normal intestinal permeability after chelation depletion.

Summary and conclusions1. All of the alkaline earth cations are able to restore normal aqueous permeability of the mucosal epithelial membrane following chelation depletion by Na2H2EDTA. 2. Each alkaline earth metal is capable of permeability reinstatement at a minimal concentration. These minimum levels of replacement for each ion are in accord with the position of the elements in the periodic table. 3. The relationship between minimal replacement concentration and charge density appears to indicate that a physical property of these ions is involved in the restoration of permeability, as opposed to a specific biochemical characteristic of a particular ionic species. 4. The particular alkaline earth metal, or combinations thereof, physiologically responsible for regulation of permeability and cell adhesion in epithelial tissue cannot be specified with any degree of certainty.
Exomic Sequencing Identifies PALB2 as a Pancreatic Cancer Susceptibility Gene

Through complete sequencing of the protein-coding genes in a patient with familial pancreatic cancer, we identified a germline, truncating mutation in PALB2 that appeared responsible for this patient's predisposition to the disease. Analysis of 96 additional patients with familial pancreatic cancer revealed three distinct protein-truncating mutations, thereby validating the role of PALB2 as a susceptibility gene for pancreatic cancer. PALB2 mutations have been previously reported in patients with familial breast cancer, and the PALB2 protein is a binding partner for BRCA2. These results illustrate that complete, unbiased sequencing of protein-coding genes can lead to the identification of a gene responsible for a hereditary disease.
Challenges to Traditional Clinical Definitions of Depression in Young Black Men

Despite high rates of unemployment, incarceration, violence, and suicide experienced by young Black men in America, research conducted in inner-city environments consistently report nonsignificant levels of depression among Black men. The unique history of social exclusion, stereotyping, and discrimination experienced by Black men has significant implications for the accurate assessment of depression. A review of significant historical and current sociological, educational, and legal-justice circumstances that affect the mental health of young Black men is presented. Barriers and limitations to traditional depression assessment and measurement is discussed and followed by recommendations for advancing knowledge of depression in young Black men. Research and practice that seeks to explore and explain sociocultural variances in traditional definitions of depression among young Black men will improve mental health, mental health outreach, and social function in this population.
Extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) in vascular biology: an update on exogenous gene transfer and endogenous regulators of ecSOD

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) is the major extracellular scavenger of superoxide (O 2 ·− ) and a main regulator of nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity in the blood vessel wall, heart, lungs, kidney, and placenta. Involvement of O 2 ·− has been implicated in many pathological processes, and removal of extracellular O 2 ·− by ecSOD gene transfer has emerged as a promising experimental technique to treat vascular disorders associated with increased oxidant stress. In addition, recent studies have clarified mechanisms that regulate ecSOD expression, tissue binding, and activity, and they have provided new insight into how ecSOD interacts with other factors that regulate vascular function. Finally, studies of a common gene variant in humans associated with disruption of ecSOD tissue binding suggest that displacement of the enzyme from the blood vessel wall may contribute to vascular diseases. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent research findings related to ecSOD function and gene transfer and to stimulate other investigations into the role of this unique antioxidant enzyme in vascular pathophysiology and therapeutics.
Monodisperse droplet generation and rapid trapping for single molecule detection and reaction kinetics measurement

On-chip monodisperse droplet analysis systems are ideal for low concentration and single molecule applications because they partition reagents into identical picoliter or smaller reactor volumes that can be observed in real-time. We present a novel trapping method with droplet stopping times of ∼38 ms that is applicable to most on-chip droplet generators. The technique greatly extends optical interrogation times without droplet motion or coalescence; and will allow on-chip single molecule detection of nanoparticle emitters with simple optics. The method maintains droplet monodispersity without chemistry-altering surfactants, and has been shown to preserve a stationary droplet stream through repetitive high-temperature thermal cycling with no additional energy input required to maintain droplet position.
Insect Hemocytes and the Problem of Host Recognition of Foreignness

If cellular and humoral immune reactions of vertebrate species were used as evaluative criteria, insects would not be considered immunocompetent. Immunologic specificity, as defined by antigen—antibody complementarity, and immunologic memory, as measured by anamnestic responses or second-set allograft rejections, are not characterisitc of insect immunity (Good and Papermaster, 1964; Saunders, 1970). However, even in the absence of these and other “deficiencies,” cellular and humoral immune reactions of insects are excellent homeostatic adaptations that effectively discern and combat foreignness and abnormal or effete host tissues. Against those foreign organisms too large to be phagocytized, the principal cellular reaction of insects is encapsulation. Typically, the initial reaction is characterized by aggregation of host blood cells or hemocytes to form a capsule around a parasite, and the deposition of melanin on or very near the outer surface of the parasite (c.f. Salt, 1963, 1970; Poinar, 1969; Shapiro, 1969). Against various microbial parasites, some insects produce humoral substances (antibacterial, bactericidal, lytic, etc.) that provide some degree of immunity. Unfortunately, the origin of these substances is unknown. Moreover, except for nonspecificity and lack of similarity to vertebrate antibodies (immunoglobulins), little is known of their chemical nature (Briggs, 1958, 1964; Stephens, 1959, 1962a,b, 1963a–d; Stephens and Marshall, 1962; Chadwick, 1967; Hink and Briggs, 1968, 1969; Chadwick and Vilk, 1969; Boman et al., 1972).
The growth of high quality InP/InGaAs/InGaAsP interfaces by CBE for SCH multi-quantum well lasers

The growth of bulk InGaAsP and heterointerfaces of InP/InGaAs and InGaAsP/InGaAs by chemical beam epitaxy for use in multiple quantum well separate confinement heterostructure (MQW-SCH) lasers is discussed. InGaAsP has been successfully grown for lambda =1.1, 1.2, and 1.4 mu m, and a strong dependence on substrate temperature has been observed for the In and Ga incorporation rates. InP/InGaAs and InGaAsP/InGaAs quantum wells have been grown to determine the optimum gas switching sequence that minimizes the measured photoluminescence FWHM. Lattice matched MQW-SCH lasers grown using different interface switching sequences are described. The best laser is shown to have a threshold current density of 854 A/cm/sup 2/ for an 800 mu m*90 mu m broad area device. >
Surgical treatment of upgaze palsy in Parinaud's syndrome.

Abstract Introduction Upgaze paralysis due to supranuclear defects can cause significant visual symptoms. There are only a few reports on the treatment of this problem in the literature. Patients with Parinaud's syndrome may also have retraction nystagmus and convergence on attempted upgaze that further complicates the treatment. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 48 patients with Parinaud's syndrome. Eleven patients were not able to elevate to the primary position and underwent surgery for the upgaze defect. Surgical treatments included transpositions in 2 patients, inferior rectus recessions in 8, which was combined with a superior rectus resection in one. Results Preoperative duction measurements demonstrated an average limitation on upgaze to −19° (−10 to −30) below midline with zero representing midline. Postoperative measurements showed marked improvement to +19 degrees above midline (15 to 30). Inferior rectus recessions were as effective as transpositions in restoring function. In addition, there was a marked reduction in the retraction nystagmus and upgaze convergence as well. Conclusions Visually significant upgaze limitation can be relieved with bilateral inferior rectus recessions in Parinaud's syndrome. Retraction nystagmus and covergence movements are also markedly improved.
Spread of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae), from Two Caged Layer Facilities to Neighboring Residences in Rural Ohio

Complaints of excessive numbers of flies were reported by citizens living in a rural area surrounding a large (>2 million laying hens) egg-layer facility in northwestern Ohio. Sticky cylinder traps and hanging fly strips were used at outdoor and indoor locations, respectively, at known distances from the layer farm and from control sites to determine the most likely source of the flies and to determine the severity of the problem compared with fly populations in nearby rural settings. House flies, Musca domestica (L.), were the predominant flies captured on fly traps located within 6.4 km of the poultry operations. There was a significantly greater number of M. domestica trapped in the study area surrounding the layer facility than in the control areas. The quantity of house flies captured decreased with increased distance from the layer farm. Two years into the study, a second egg-layer facility opened in an area that was originally a control site. With regard to this second farm, after 4 yr of study, there was a significant difference shown between the population of house flies during the 2-yr control phase and the 2-yr period when the egg-layer facility was operational. This study documented that large egg layer facilities can significantly increase the house fly population in the surrounding community up to 6.4 km from the source of the flies and may result in a severe nuisance up to 3.2 km away.
Correlation and Causation in Fisheries and Watershed Management

Efforts to understand how to manage aquatic ecosystems often rely on correlations between human actions and impacts in the ecosystem. We are often warned that correlation does not imply causation and that the gold standard for identifying cause and effect relationships is manipulative experiments. History shows us that correlations are often not causal and that managers should not design policies based on the assumption of causality. However, in the absence of manipulation, correlative evidence may be all that is available. Correlative evidence is strongest when (1) correlation is high, (2) it is found consistently across multiple situations, (3) there are not competing explanations, and (4) the correlation is consistent with mechanistic explanations that can be supported by experimental evidence. Where possible, manipulative experiments and formal adaptive management should be employed, but in large-scale aquatic ecosystems these opportunities are limited. More commonly, we should emphasize identifying t...
Fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance.

A thorough understanding of the physiologic principles underlying fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance and of the compensatory mechanisms that come into play when disease, trauma, sepsis, or surgery distort normal patterns is essential for the surgeon.
Zooming Web browser

The World Wide Web (WWW) is becoming increasingly important for business, education, and entertainment. Popular web browsers make access to Internet information resources relatively easy for novice users. Simply by clicking on a link, a new page of information replaces the current one on the screen. Unfortunately however, after following a number of links, people can have difficulty remembering where they've been and navigating links they have followed. As one's collection of web pages grows and as more information of interest populates the web, effective navigation becomes an issue of fundamental importance. We are developing a prototype zooming browser to explore alternative mechanisms for navigating the WWW. Instead of having a single page visible at a time, multiple pages and the links between them are depicted on a large zoomable information surface. Pages are scaled so that the page in focus is clearly readable with connected pages shown at smaller scales to provide context. As a link is followed the new page becomes the focus and existing pages are dynamically repositioned and scaled. Layout changes are animated so that the focus page moves smoothly to the center of the display surface while contextual information provided by linked pages scales down. While our browser supports multiscale representations of existing HTML pages, we have also extended HTML to support multiscale layout within a page. This extension, Multi-Scale Markup Language, is at an early stage of development. It currently supports inclusion within a page of variable-sized dynamic objects, graphics, and other interface mechanisms from our underlying Pad++ substrate. This provides sophisticated client- side interactions, permits annotations to be added to pages, and allows page constituents to be used as independent graphical objects. In this paper, we describe our prototype web browser and authoring facilities. We show how simple extensions to HTML can support sophisticated client-side interactions. Finally, we discuss the results of preliminary user-interface testing and evaluation.
Mental health wellness application: a new toolkit for psychological wellness

Over the past decade, there have been major advances in Web 2.0 and Smartphone technologies. A recent systematic review carried out in 2013 has highlighted the lack of evidence base for existing mental health applications. Zhang et al have underscored how psychiatrists could be app-developers to negate the drawbacks of the current lack of evidence base for mental health applications. The new Mental Health Wellness application has been developed by Clinicians with experiences in mood disorder, and the aim of the app is to empower individuals to better manage their mental health conditions. The paper will illustrate the key features of the smartphone application and describes how a patient could make use of the application as a bridging tool between consults.
The Consequences of Sectarianism for Social Participation

T HIS paper examines the relation between an individual's preference for Sectarianism and his social participation. It was hypothesized that, for the Sectarian, religious affiliation denotes a significant part of an integrated life pattern while, for many other Protestants, religious affiliation forms a more segmentalized aspect of their life experiences. If this hypothesis is valid, data should indicate that the Sectarian would center most of his social participation within the church, becoming only a nominal member in "secular" organizations. For the Sectarian, it would appear probable that his religious and friendship groups would tend to coincide. It would also follow that the Sectarian would derive more satisfaction from his religious affiliation while other Protestants would be placed in a position of ambivalence with competing allegiances in organizations outside their church. These are some of the general areas of investigation in the study reported here.
Evolutionary relationships in peromyscus congruence in chromosomal genic and classical data sets

G- and C-banded karyotypes are presented for Peromyscus pirrensis (subgenus Isthmomys ) and P. perfulvus and P. nudipes (subgenus Peromyscus ). These data for P. pirrensis are the first reported for the subgenus Isthmomys . The karyotype of this species is unique for the Peromyscus thus far studied in three chromosomal conditions, and these data are interpreted as being compatible with the hypothesis that the subgenus Isthmomys may be the first lineage to diverge from the other Peromyscus (sensu Hooper, 1968). Using data for the 30 species of Peromyscus thus far studied by G- and C-banding, the systematic value of chromosomal banding studies within the genus is assessed by comparing the conclusions from a cladistical analysis of the data with proposed relationships based on morphological and biochemical data. It is shown that a cladogram (generated by the most parsimonious placement of detectable chromosome rearrangements, including reversals and convergences) is largely compatible with the systematic rearrangement proposed by Hooper (1968). In several places where the morphology and genic data are inconclusive, the chromosomal data are also inconclusive.