cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uric acid-induced arrestment as a possible bird host cue (kairomone) in nymphs and adults of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.)

Abstract Nymphs and adults of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), respond to uric acid by arrestment, but not attraction. When placed on uric acid treated surfaces, ~ 60% of 100 ticks engaged in rigorous search behavior ceased ambulatory activity, became akinetic and curled their legs, and grouped in small clusters. This response has biological significance because uric acid is a component of bird excreta and may act as a host cue (kairomone), signaling nymphal A. americanum's preferred host. The arrestment of ticks by uric acid also has control significance because uric acid may prevent ticks from leaving traps if applied with acaricide simultaneously. Uric acid prompted no reaction by American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), consistent with their preference for mammals over birds. Differential response toward uric acid by A. americanum and D. variabilis is reminiscent of tick responses to an arrestment-assembly pheromone, where a structural relative (guanine) is the active ingredient...
Microbe–Host Interactions are Positively and Negatively Regulated by Galectin–Glycan Interactions

Microbe-host interactions are complex processes that are directly and indirectly regulated by a variety of factors, including microbe presentation of specific molecular signatures on the microbial surface, as well as host cell presentation of receptors that recognize these pathogen signatures. Cell surface glycans are one important class of microbial signatures that are recognized by a variety of host cell lectins. Host cell lectins that recognize microbial glycans include members of the galectin family of lectins that recognize specific glycan ligands on viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. In this review, we will discuss the ways that the interactions of microbial glycans with host cell galectins positively and negatively regulate pathogen attachment, invasion, and survival, as well as regulate host responses that mitigate microbial pathogenesis.
Radiation induced sarcomas of bone following therapeutic radiation

Because of new therapeutic trends of multi-modality and the importance of late effects, we have updated our series of radiation induced bone sarcomas seen at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center over the past four decades. A total of 37 cases of bone sarcoma arising from normal bone in the irradiated field was analyzed. The median for latent period from irradiation to diagnosis of bone sarcoma was 11 years with a minimum latent period of four years. The median radiation dose for the bone sarcoma was 6000 rad in 6 weeks with a minimum total radiation dose of 3000 rad in 3 weeks. We have found nine patients who developed bone sarcomas in the radiation field after successful treatment of Hodgkin's disease. Criteria for radiation induced bone sarcomas and the magnitude of the risk of bone sarcomas are briefly discussed.
Stress and physical child abuse

Abstract Data from a nationally representative sample of 1,146 families with a child age 3–17 at home are used to test the theory that stress is associated with child abuse only under certain conditions. The measure of stress is a modification of the Holmes-Rahe scale. The measure of child abuse was whether during the previous year the parent had punched, kicked, bit, hit the child with an object, “beat up” the child or attacked the child with a knife or gun. The findings show that the child abuse rate increases as the number of Stressors experienced during the year increased. This applies to abuse by both fathers and mothers. Mothers were more abusive under normal conditions, but under high stress their rate did not increase as much as that of the fathers. The theory that stress does not necessarily lead to assault was tested by introducing as controls a number of variables thought to play a part in establishing a linkage. Among these were growing up in a family in which one could observe and role-model violence, low attachment to the marriage, male dominance in the marriage, and isolation from informal social networks which could help resolve or control family problems. The results were generally consistent with this theory. It is suggested that if conditions such as those represented by the control variables are present, stress is related to child abuse. If these conditions are not present, the relation between stress and child abuse is absent or minimal.
Increasing reading rate and comprehension: The effects of repeated readings, sentence segmentation, and intonation training

Abstract Thirty fourth and fifth graders, reading below grade level, participated in a study to investigate the effects of repeated readings, intonation training and segmentation training on reading rate and reading comprehension. The dependent variables were reading rate and comprehension. These measures were collected for passages read under each level of the repeated reading variable. A 2 x 3 mixed design with one between and one within group factor was used and two separate ANOVA's, one for each dependent variable were calculated. A significant increase in reading rate was noted as the number of repeated readings increased from one to three to seven. Comprehension also significantly increased when the students read the passage three times instead of one time and seven times instead of one time. Students trained to segment sentences did read at a faster rate and scored higher in comprehension than those students given intonation training, but not to a statistically significant degree. No interaction wa...
Brief behavioral therapy for pediatric anxiety and depression: Piloting an integrated treatment approach.

Abstract Mood and anxiety disorders in youth are disabling, distressing, and prevalent. Furthermore, depression and anxiety frequently co-exist, may share several etiological factors, and respond to similar interventions. In this paper, we report preliminary results from a treatment adaptation project designed to condense existing cognitive behavioral therapy protocols for anxiety and depression to their core components and combine them into a brief, integrated treatment suitable for the broad population of internalizing youth seen in primary care. Specifically, we discuss: (a) the rationale for targeting anxiety and depression in pediatric primary care and the deployment-focused treatment development model; (b) the content of our behaviorally based treatment program; and (c) clinical outcomes of 2 sample cases with comorbid depression and anxiety.
Stability of quadruple junctions

THE analysis of triple junctions (points on the Earth where three lithospheric plates meet) has proved to be a powerful tool in deciphering the plate tectonic evolution of the Earth. In their classic paper on the evolution of triple junctions1, McKenzie and Morgan dismissed the possibility of stable quadruple junctions existing more than instantaneously. We show here that quadruple junctions can be stable according to the vector velocity stability criteria of McKenzie and Morgan.
Extension of the active-space equation-of-motion coupled-cluster methods to radical systems: The EA-EOMCCSDt and IP-EOMCCSDt approaches

The development of the active-space variants of the electron-attached (EA) and ionized (IP) equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOMCC) methods, in which higher-than-doubly excited components of the cluster operator T and higher than 2p-1h or 2h-1p components of the electron attaching and ionizing operators R are defined through the use of active orbitals, is discussed. As shown by preliminary test calculations of adiabatic excitation energies and potential energy curves for the low-lying states of the CH and OH radicals, the basic active-space EA-EOMCC and IP-EOMCC methods, referred to as the EA-EOMCCSDt and IP-EOMCCSDt approaches, are capable of accuratelydescribing the ground and excited states of open-shell systems, even at the moderately stretched nuclear geometries and even for states with a strong multi-determinantal or doubly excited character, at the low costs that are on the order of those characterizing the standard EOMCC singles and doubles method. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
Altered mucin expression is a field change that accompanies mucinous (colloid) breast carcinoma histogenesis

Mucinous carcinomas of the breast, so-called colloid carcinomas, exhibit better prognoses than their nonmucinous breast counterparts. This biological difference exhibited by mucinous breast carcinomas prompted us to examine the relationship of mucin expression to colloid carcinoma histogenesis. We studied 50 colloid carcinomas, 50 noncolloid cancers, and 50 normal breasts by hematoxylin-eosin (HE P < .05). In these cases of colloid carcinoma, these increased MUC2 and MUC5 signals were also observed in areas of hyperplasia, ADH, DCIS, and invasive carcinoma. In contrast, the noncolloid carcinomas showed fivefold increased MUC1 signals but no increases in MUC2 or MUC5. In mixed colloid/noncolloid carcinomas, the colloid areas had identical mucin expression patterns as the pure colloid carcinomas, but there was a loss of MUC2 and MUC5 expression and a gain of MUC1 expression in the noncolloid areas that was therefore identical to the pattern observed in pure noncolloid carcinoma. In this study, we conclude that the altered expression of mucin so characteristic of colloid carcinoma is also a field change present in adjacent and remote normal breast epithelium.
Head movement estimation for wearable eye tracker

In the study of eye movements in natural tasks, where subjects are able to freely move in their environment, it is desirable to capture a video of the surroundings of the subject not limited to a small field of view as obtained by the scene camera of an eye tracker. Moreover, recovering the head movements could give additional information about the type of eye movement that was carried out, the overall gaze change in world coordinates, and insight into high-order perceptual strategies. Algorithms for the classification of eye movements in such natural tasks could also benefit form the additional head movement data.We propose to use an omnidirectional vision sensor consisting of a small CCD video camera and a hyperbolic mirror. The camera is mounted on an ASL eye tracker and records an image sequence at 60 Hz. Several algorithms for the extraction of rotational motion from this image sequence were implemented and compared in their performance against the measurements of a Fasttrack magnetic tracking system. Using data from the eye tracker together with the data obtained by the omnidirectional image sensor, a new algorithm for the classification of different types of eye movements based on a Hidden-Markov-Model was developed.
Some optimal designs for comparing a set of test treatments with a set of controls

In this paper, we give a detailed study of the problem of optimally comparing a set of t test treatments to a set of s controls under a 0-way elimination of heterogeneity model. The relationships between designs that are A and MV-optimal for comparing the test treatments to the controls and those that are A and MV-optimal for comparing all treatments are also studied.
Accurate Line Shapes from Sub-1 cm–1 Resolution Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy of α-Pinene at Room Temperature

Despite the importance of terpenes in biology, the environment, and catalysis, their vibrational spectra remain unassigned. Here, we present subwavenumber high-resolution broad-band sum frequency generation (HR-BB-SFG) spectra of the common terpene (+)-α-pinene that reveal 10 peaks in the C–H stretching region at room temperature. The high spectral resolution resulted in spectra with more and better resolved spectral features than those of the Fourier transform infrared, femtosecond stimulated Raman spectra in the bulk condensed phase and those of the conventional BB-SFG and scanning SFG spectroscopy of the same molecule on a surface. Experiment and simulation show the spectral line shapes with HR-BB-SFG to be accurate. Homogeneous vibrational decoherence lifetimes of up to 1.7 ps are assigned to specific oscillators and compare favorably to lifetimes computed from density functional tight binding molecular dynamics calculations. Phase-resolved spectra provided their orientational information. We propose ...
The role of optimal debulking in advanced stage serous carcinoma of the uterus

Abstract Objective . To evaluate the role of optimal surgical cytoreduction and postoperative therapy in women with advanced uterine serous carcinoma (USC). Methods . A multi-institutional, retrospective review identified 52 women with stage IV USC. Patient factors, surgical findings, and follow-up data were collected. Differences in demographics, surgical treatments, and adjuvant therapies administered were assessed with Fisher's exact test. Analysis of survival was performed using Kaplan-Meier and comparisons of survival were made using the log-rank test. Results . Twenty-six women were optimally debulked (≤1 cm residual) and 23 were suboptimally debulked. Three women underwent biopsies for pathologic confirmation and were included in the suboptimal group. There was no difference in demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, postoperative complications, or mortality between the two groups. Median CA-125 level at presentation was not statistically different between the two groups ( P > 0.05). Median survival was longer in the optimal group (15 vs. 8 m), however, this did not reach statistical significance ( P > 0.05). Women who received adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy had a longer median survival than those who did not receive platinum chemotherapy (21 vs. 2 m) ( P P > 0.05). Conclusion . Although no clear survival advantage is shown in the women who underwent optimal versus suboptimal debulking, there was a trend towards longer median survival in those who were maximally cytoreduced. Adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy is associated with significantly longer survival in all women, regardless of amount of residual disease.
3-D nanofabrication using nanostructured photoresist film as free-standing appliqué

This paper reports a three-dimensional (3-D) nanofabrication method using a nano-patterned photoresist (PR) film as a free-standing flexible template. In contrast to the conventional usage of PR as a two-dimensional (2-D) pattern transfer layer on a planar substrate in MEMS applications, the lithographically predefined PR layer is released from the supporting substrate in the form of a free-standing film and then applied as an applique for the 3-D (e.g., onto a curved surface) and hierarchical (e.g., onto a micro-textured surface) nano-patterning. The ultrathin free-standing PR films show excellent flexibility, integrality, and robustness under various mechanical manipulations and further pattern transfer processes such as deposition and etching after being appliqued. Enabled by such versatility, periodic nanostructures are successfully demonstrated on various substrates via various fabrication techniques. The results suggest that the application of the free-standing PR films as applique will enables them to be used as flexible and re-useable templates or elements in MEMS fabrication and devices, especially for convenient and efficient 3-D nanofabrication over a large area.
Self-similar crack expansion method for analysis of cracks in an infinite medium or semi-infinite medium

Abstract Three-dimensional cracks in an infinite medium or semi-infinite medium are analyzed using the self-similar crack expansion (SSCE) method, in which the stress intensity factors at crack tips are determined by calculating the crack-opening displacements over the crack surface. Calculations show that this method yields very accurate results for stress intensity factors of cracks with various geometries. Based on the numerical calculation by the SSCE method, the effects by Poisson’s ratio of materials on stress intensity factors are discussed for cracks in an infinite medium and semi-infinite medium.
The Cooking of Fowl with Various Salts for Precooked Poultry Products

Abstract THE continued utilization of poultry products in frozen and canned foods is dependent upon the development and improvement of commercial processing methods. It is generally known that the keeping qualities of precooked frozen meats depends on the way meats are cooked, method of packaging, type of seasoning and storage temperatures. Much of the research reported in the literature on quality of chicken meat as affected by cooking methods has been with young chickens. There are a number of papers which describe palatability of mature birds cooked with water but basic data are not available for recommending commercial cooking methods. Hanson et al. (1950) reported that the older less tender chickens of food quality could be successfully utilized in precooked frozen foods for a more flavorful product than that obtained from younger birds. Simmering or pressure-cooking was recommended to make the meat the desired degree of tenderness. Vail and Conrad (1948)…
Procedure-Related Morbidity in Bariatric Surgery: A Retrospective Short- and Mid-Term Follow-Up of a Single Institution of the American College of Surgeons Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence

Background Our objective was to ascertain procedure-related morbidity among laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB), laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) patients. These are the 3 most common bariatric procedures performed worldwide. We reviewed our experience since the introduction of LSG and compared the procedure-related morbidity among all 3 procedures. Study Design We conducted a retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of all morbidly obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery between the years 2005 and 2011. We identified and compared complications, mortality, readmissions, and reoperations in patients who underwent LRYGB, LAGB, and LSG. Results A total of 2,199 bariatric procedures were performed during this period of time. Of those procedures, 1,327 were LRYGB, 619 were LSG, and 253 were LAGB. Perioperative mortality was not applicable for all 3 procedures. The leak rate was 0.5% for LRYGB and 0.3% for LSG, and was not applicable for LAGB. The average number of readmissions postoperatively was less than 2 times for all 3 procedures: LRYGB 1.96 times, LSG 1.49 times, and LAGB 1.54 times. The percentages of procedures requiring reoperations due to complications or failures were 14.6% in the LAGB group, 6.6% in the LRYGB group, and 1.8% in the LSG group. Conclusions In short- and mid-term follow-up, LSG appears to have the lowest procedure-related morbidity when compared with LRYGB and LAGB.
Acute stimulant ingestion and neurocognitive performance in healthy participants.

Context: Concussion management has become an area of great concern in athletics, and neurocognitive tests, such as Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), are commonly used as management tools. Given the restrictive nature of current management plans, anecdotal concerns have been raised about athletes trying to cheat the assessments and return to participation sooner. Stimulants have been shown to improve neurocognitive measures similar to those used in ImPACT. Therefore, they could possibly improve performance during baseline and postinjury testing. Objective: To examine the effects of a supplement containing stimulants on ImPACT performance. Design: Crossover study. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 5 men (age = 20.6 ± 1.5 years, height = 176.3 ± 9.6 cm, mass = 76.9 ± 18.6 kg) and 7 women (age = 20.6 ± 1.1 years, height = 162.9 ± 7.8 cm, mass = 60.9 ± 8.2 kg) with no histories of physician-diagnosed head injury, learning disability, or ...
Biochemical and Cellular Aspects of Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity

Abstract Pulmonary oxgen toxicity results in intraalveolar hemorrhage and edema following the breakdown of the alveolar-capillary barrier. Hyperoxia causes increased production of partially reduced species of oxygen in lung cells critical for maintaining the integrity of the alveolar-capillary barrier, the capillary endothelial cell and the alveolar epithelium. In vitro studies of subcellular organelles isolated from lung including mitochondria, microsomes and nuclei show that oxygen radical production by these organelles increases as a function of oxygen tension. Morphological alterations of lung cell organelles in early stages of oxygen toxicity probably reflect cell injury induced by toxic reactions of relatively high local concentrations of reactive oxygen species. Cell injury and secondary inflammatory responses will occur when edogenous antioxidant defenses are overwhelmed. Oxygen-injured lung cells release paracrine mediators which effect the growth and differentiation of other lung cells. A number of factors can modify pulmonary oxygen toxicity, including the maturational state of the lung, infiltration of phagocytic cells, liposome-mediated augmentation of lung cell antioxidant enzyme activities and commonly prescribed medications.
MEC-2 and MEC-6 in the Caenorhabditis elegans Sensory Mechanotransduction Complex: Auxiliary Subunits that Enable Channel Activity

The ion channel formed by the homologous proteins MEC-4 and MEC-10 forms the core of a sensory mechanotransduction channel in Caenorhabditis elegans. Although the products of other mec genes are key players in the biophysics of transduction, the mechanism by which they contribute to the properties of the channel is unknown. Here, we investigate the role of two auxiliary channel subunits, MEC-2 (stomatin-like) and MEC-6 (paraoxonase-like), by coexpressing them with constitutively active MEC-4/MEC-10 heteromeric channels in Xenopus oocytes. This work extends prior work demonstrating that MEC-2 and MEC-6 synergistically increase macroscopic current. We use single-channel recordings and biochemistry to show that these auxiliary subunits alter function by increasing the number of channels in an active state rather than by dramatically affecting either single-channel properties or surface expression. We also use two-electrode voltage clamp and outside-out macropatch recording to examine the effects of divalent cations and proteases, known regulators of channel family members. Finally, we examine the role of cholesterol binding in the mechanism of MEC-2 action by measuring whole-cell and single-channel currents in MEC-2 mutants deficient in cholesterol binding. We suggest that MEC-2 and MEC-6 play essential roles in modulating both the local membrane environment of MEC-4/MEC-10 channels and the availability of such channels to be gated by force in vivo.
Soil microbial communities under model biofuel cropping systems in southern Wisconsin, USA: Impact of crop species and soil properties

Biofuel-induced landscape change will have an enormous impact on terrestrial ecosystems in the near future due to globally escalating energy demands, but investigations into the biological properties of soil under potential biofuel crops have not been well documented. The soil microbiota plays a significant role in ecosystem services and especially their regulation of carbon and nutrient cycles. To improve our knowledge about the structure of soil microbial community and the factors that influence it, we analyzed microbial lipids and various soil physicochemical factors under model biofuel cropping systems of corn, switchgrass and mixed prairie in southern Wisconsin, USA. Principal component analysis of lipid biomarkers from soil microbial communities indicated that there were consistent differences among the crop species. Microbial biomass was significantly lower in corn than prairie soils, with switchgrass intermediate to these systems. An increase in fungi to bacteria ratio was coinciding with a net growth in fungal biomass when converting conventionally managed corn system to perennial systems, which indicates the microbial community change could be affected by the creation or expansion of niches for certain functional groups, rather than rebalancing of competitive interactions among these groups. The soil microbial community structure under corn was distinct from the perennial systems with markers indicative of greater in situ stress in annual corn sites and a reduced proportional abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and an increased of gram-positive bacteria. Redundancy analysis (RDA) using 21 lipid biomarkers concurrently with 17 physicochemical indices showed that these properties correlated with different subsets of the microbial communities. We conclude that the cropping system shifted the microbial community composition at this regional scale, which may also affect the microbial processes associated with these differing communities. This may be significant when scaled up from regional to national, continental or global scales.
Malingering Disorientation to Time, Personal Information, and Place in Mild Head Injured Litigants

Suchy and Sweet (2000) found disorientation in 12 (24) of 50 benefit-seeking patients. They suggested that this level of disorientation, particularly in a sample that should not experience disorientation, is comparable to published base rate studies of malingering. The present study examined disorientation to date and personal information/place as indicators of malingering following a mild head injury. A mild head injury group (MHIG) in litigation was compared to patient groups with diagnoses of a psychiatric condition, Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia and moderate to severe closed head injury group not in litigation. In the MHIG, disorientation to date and personal information/place was present in 7.4 and 5.7 of the sample, respectively, and significantly less than that found in the other three neurological groups. Disorientation to date was more common in the MHIG when compared to the psychiatric controls, but not disorientation to personal information/place. Relying on disorientation as an indicat...
Multiple Regimes of Collision of an Electrophoretically Translating Polymer Chain against a Thin Post

We use a previously developed bead-spring Brownian dynamics model for simulating the topological interactions between polymers and thin obstacles to study electrophoretically translating DNA strand...
The determination of the Mg2+.ATP dissociation constant by competition with Eu3+ ion using laser-induced Eu3+ ion luminescence spectroscopy.

A direct spectroscopic method for the determination of the submicromolar dissociation constant of Eu3+. ATP using laser-induced Eu3+ ion luminescence spectroscopy is described. The dissociation constant of Mg2+.ATP is then determined by the competition of Mg2+ with Eu3+ for the binding of ATP. The experiments were performed in 2H2O to mitigate the significant quenching of the Eu3+ luminescence that occurs in 1H2O. Values for the effective dissociation constants of the 1:1 ATP metal ion complexes of 1.2 +/- 0.3 X 10(-7) and 2.7 +/- 0.7 X 10(-4) M are obtained for Eu3+ and Mg2+, respectively, at p2H 5.8.
Synthesis of nickel-monocarbollide complexes by oxidative insertion.

Treatment of the 11-vertex carborane anion [closo-2-CB10H11]- with Ni(0) reagents in tetrahydrofuran (THF) affordsvia oxidative insertion reactions12-vertex Ni(II) complexes, isolated as the salts [N(PPh3)2][2,2-L2-closo-2,1-NiCB10H11] (L = CO (1a), CNBut (1b), and CNXyl (1c; Xyl = C6H3Me2-2,6); L2 = cod (1d; cod = 1,2:5,6-η-cyclo-octa-1,5-diene)). One CO ligand in 1a is readily replaced by donors L‘ in the presence of Me3NO to give the species [N(PPh3)2][2-CO-2-L‘-closo-2,1-NiCB10H11] (L‘ = PEt3 (1e), PPh3 (1f), CNBut (1g), and CNXyl (1h)). The anionic complexes themselves readily react with hydride abstracting reagents in the presence of donor ligands to yield zwitterionic complexes in which boron vertexes bear substituents that are bound through C, N, or O atoms. Thus, for example, 1c with H+ and CNXyl gives [2,2,7-(CNXyl)3-closo-2,1-NiCB10H10] (2b), while 1f with Me+ in the presence of OEt2 affords [2-CO-2,11-{μ-PPh2(C6H4-o)}-7-OEt2-closo-2,1-NiCB10H9] (4), in which an additional cycloboronation of on...
Bench Validation of Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography in Determining the End-Expiratory Lung Volume during High Frequency Ventilation

Bench Validation of Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography in Determining the End-Expiratory Lung Volume during High Frequency Ventilation
RRT: The Regularized Resolvent Transform for High-Resolution Spectral Estimation

A new numerical expression, called the regularized resolvent transform (RRT), is presented. RRT is a direct transformation of the truncated time-domain data into a frequency-domain spectrum and is suitable for high-resolution spectral estimation of multidimensional time signals. One of its forms, under the condition that the signal consists only of a finite sum of damped sinusoids, turns out to be equivalent to the exact infinite time discrete Fourier transformation. RRT naturally emerges from the filter diagonalization method, although no diagonalization is required. In RRT the spectrum at each frequency s is expressed in terms of the resolvent R(s)(-1) of a small data matrix R(s), that is constructed from the time signal. Generally, R is singular, which requires certain regularization. In particular, the Tikhonov regularization, R(-1) approximately [R(dagger)R + q(2)](-1)R(dagger) with regularization parameter q, appears to be computationally both efficient and very stable. Numerical implementation of RRT is very inexpensive because even for extremely large data sets the matrices involved are small. RRT is demonstrated using model 1D and experimental 2D NMR signals. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.
A quantitative study of full crown preparation debris

Abstract A laboratory study was designed to sort and quantitate the dental aerosol cloud created during ten full crown preparation precedures with the use of a tapered diamond stone as the cutting instrument in the air-turbine handpiece. The quantitative evaluation presents data that may be useful in predicting hazardous levels of particulate air contamination in dental or clinical operatories.
Reactive oxygen species mediate pyridostigmine-induced neuronal apoptosis: involvement of muscarinic and NMDA receptors.

Pyridostigmine bromide (PB) is a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor used for treatment of myasthenia gravis and for prophylactic protection against organophosphate nerve agent. We previously showed PB can induce apoptotic death in rat brain following systemic treatment. To study mechanisms by which PB induces brain cell death, cultured rat cerebellar granule cells were used. Cytotoxicity was determined after exposure to PB (10-1000 microM) for 24 h; a high concentration of PB (>500 microM) significantly increased lactate dehydrogenase release, which was reduced by pretreatment with the antioxidant, N-t-butyl-alpha-phenyl-nitrone (PBN). Apoptosis, as determined by TUNEL staining, was concentration dependent (10-250 microM) after a 24-h exposure and cytotoxicity was confirmed by gel electrophoresis of DNA, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, elevation of caspase activity, and electron microscopy. The oxidant-sensitive fluorescent dye 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate was used to detect reactive oxidative species (ROS) generation. Pretreatment with PBN, superoxide dismutase, catalase, or the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) blocked PB-induced ROS generation and apoptotic cell death. Pretreatment with atropine or MK-801 blocked ROS generation and the subsequent neurotoxicity, showing that both muscarinic and NMDA receptors mediate the response. DNA extracted from PB-treated cells revealed oligonucleosomal fragmentation on gel electrophoresis and antioxidants attenuated the DNA fragmentation, providing further evidence for a link of ROS generation and apoptosis. These results indicate that muscarinic receptor-mediated ROS generation is an initiating factor in PB-induced apoptotic cell death and activation of the NMDA glutamate receptor is directly linked to the response.
The effects of the introduction of a high-nutrient transitional formula on growth and development of very-low-birth-weight infants.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of introducing a high-nutrient transitional formula (TF) for use after discharge on the growth and development of premature infants. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a cohort study of all surviving infants with a birth weight ≤1250 g admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 1996. Infants with major congenital abnormalities were excluded. There were 180 infants discharged, including 66 on TF and 114 on standard formulas for full-term infants. RESULTS: Use of TF started the week before discharge, and increased from 10% in 1995 to 66% in 1996 (p<0.001). Regression analyses controlling for multiple confounders identified TF as a significant contributor to improved weight at 3 months and length at 18 months. Bayley developmental scores were not affected. CONCLUSION: Introduction of a TF for very-low-birth-weight infants resulted in improved growth after discharge.
Rheology of thixotropic montmorillonite dispersions. I. Changes on aging of plain and polysorbate 80 containing dispersions.

The rheological characteristics of thixotropic montmorillonite dispersions are best defined on the basis of a concept of two different yield values, dynamic and static, in addition to plastic viscosity and thixotropic area. The values of these parameters were determined periodically for 10 weeks after preparation of the dispersions and were found to change at different rates. This shows that evaluation of a single rheological parameter as a function of time is not indicative of the overall rheological changes undergone by these systems. The feasibility of selective modification of certain rheological properties and aging characteristics is demonstrated by the rheograms obtained from montmorillonite dispersions to which polysorbate 80 had been added at the time of preparation.
CULTURING THE EPIBLAST CELLS OF THE PIG BLASTOCYST

Pig epiblast cells that had been separated from other early embryonic cells were cultured in vitro. A three-step dissection protocol was used to isolate the epiblast from trophectoderm and primitive endoderm before culturing. Blastocysts collected at 7 to 8 days postestrus were immunodissected to obtain the inner cell mass (ICM) and destroy trophectodermal cells. The ICM was cultured for 2 to 3 days on STO feeder cells. The epiblast was then physically dissected free of associated primitive endoderm. Epiblast-derived cells, grown on STO feeders, produced colonies of small cells resembling mouse embryonic stem cells. This primary cell morphology changed as the colonies grew and evolved into three distinct colony types (endodermlike, neural rosette, or complex). Cell cultures derived from these three colony types spontaneously differentiated into numerous specialized cell types in STO co-culture. These included fibroblasts, endodermlike cells, neuronlike cells, pigmented cells, adipogenic cells, contracting muscle cells, dome-forming epithelium, ciliated epithelium, tubule-forming epithelium, and a round amoeboid cell type resembling a plasmacyte after Wright staining. The neuronlike cells, contracting muscle cells, and tubule-forming epithelium had normal karyotypes and displayed finite or undefined life spans upon long-term STO co-culture. The dome-forming epithelium had an indefinite life span in STO co-culture and also retained a normal karyotype. These results demonstrate the in vitro pluripotency of pig epiblast cells and indicate the epiblast can be a source for deriving various specialized cell cultures or cell lines.
Homosexual Parents: Why Appeals Cases Approximate the “Gold Standard” for Science—A Reply to Duncan:

Summary.-Unlike the unverifiable claims of volunteers in studies of homosexual parenting, an alert ex-spouse is ready to testib as to the falsity of any claim by the other spouse in custody proceedings. Further, a greater variety of professionals ace involved in getting at the "truth." We argue that examination of an unbiased corpus ol such appeals cases is far more apt to reflect the underlying "reality" about homosexual parenting than studies performed on volunteers. While celebrating our means of exploiting the dormation contained in appeals cases for social science, Duncan (1999) suggests that our study is no different from other studes in the field. He holds that ours is also "lunited in scope, based on a similarly small sample [and] not llkely to be any more representative of the general population than is a sample of convenience" (p. 791). He also is "disturbed by the cavalier way in which they write off the body of existing research" (p. 791). We beg to dlffer. The corpus of existing research is often grossly misrepresented (Cameron & Cameron, 1997), but were it represented fairly, the evidence reported is too inadequate to yield more than highly tentative truths. Our forensic study is far superior to the "body of existing research" and is more kely to be representative of the general population of homosexual parents and their children than are volunteers from that population. To the best of our knowledge, we used every single case in the forensic literature up through 1994 in our catchment area in studying the 40 appeals cases. Our Database 1s Close To The Social Science "Gold Standard The hds of evidence that came out at trial and were recorded in our society's official documents at appeal are very close to, if not in fact, the "gold standard" against which almost every other kind of social science test or measure on the issue of homosexual parenting could reasonably be judged. Is not science an attempt to "find out the truth about ?" For instance, social scientists ask random samples of potential voters how they intend to vote. If respondents know and tell us the truth, our assessments are close to the election, and if nothing dramatic intervenes before the elec
The Capstone Course

Most colleges and universities have examined and revised their liberal arts education curricula in recent years. These analyses have included both the entire curriculum, as well as, the major. One aspect of the major, receiving particular attention, has been the capstone course, a culminating experience in which students are expected to integrate, extend, critique, and apply the knowledge gained in the major. This article, and those that accompany some of the syllabi that follow, examine some possibilities for the capstone course in sociology. I begin by reviewing the efforts of the Association of American Colleges, the prime mover in the curriculum review movement. I, then, address what might constitute a capstone course. Finally, I examine some decisions involved in developing a capstone course.
The Home as Battlefront: Femininity, Gendered Spheres, and the 1943 Women in National Service Campaign

This essay investigates the dynamics of the Women in National Service (WINS) campaign, an attempt by the magazine Ladies' Home Journal to militarize middle-class housewives on the U.S. home front during World War II. Adapting the construct of gendered spheres to the campaign, the analysis suggests that the WINS effort carefully modulated its prewar depictions of domesticity and female submissiveness to offer a transformative view of the wartime home and the role of the housewife in it. The essay concludes, however, that while this transformed vision was overtly empowering, its built-in limitations effectively created a sense of covert disempowerment.
An algorithm for smoking cessation

An algorithm for physician-based treatment for smoking cessation is presented based on the following guidelines: (1) Smokers who are not contemplating cessation need motivational interventions. (2) Smokers who are contemplating cessation need information about treatments. (3) Smokers ready for action need to set a quit date. (4) Formal therapy for smoking cessation is indicated only after a failed attempt. (5) Nicotine withdrawal symptoms or high scores on the Fagerstrom Tolerance Scale are indications for pharmacotherapy. (6) Transdermal nicotine with or without nicotine polacrilex is the preferred first-step pharmacotherapy. (7) Among smokers receiving nicotine replacement, group behavioral therapy should be encouraged but not be required. (8) Nondependent smokers (those who do not need pharmacotherapy but need treatment) should participate in group behavioral therapy. (9) Those who fail to quit with nicotine replacement and/or group behavior therapy should be screened for psychiatric and alcohol and other drug problems and should be referred for individual therapy.
Aspiration and microscopy in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy

Abstract Objective: To compare Karman cannula aspiration followed by dissecting microscopy with suction curettage and permanent histology in obtaining and identifying chorionic villi. Methods: Karman cannula aspiration was performed before standard curettage for failed intrauterine pregnancies (N=22) or possible ectopic gestation (N=24). Dissection microscopy for chorionic villi was performed on aspirates before submission for permanent histology. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of each method in obtaining and identifying villi was determined. Results: Overall, all methods were only moderately sensitive in detecting chorionic villi (50–76%). If failed intrauterine pregnancies were excluded, all methods had poor sensitivity (25–64%). However, if villi were detected, the positive predictive value of all methods was high (>80%). Conclusions: Karman cannula aspiration followed by dissecting microscope examination or permanent histology may offer an alternative to traditional curettage in the diagnosis of ectopic gestations. A larger trial to validate these findings seems justified.
SrRbK and Sr isotopic relationships in ultramafic rocks, southeastern Alaska

Abstract Geologic evidence suggests that a series of ultramafic complexes of the ‘Duke Island type’ located along a 560 km-long belt in southeastern Alaska crystallized from magmas of ultramafic composition. Some geologists have proposed that these magmas were derived by fractional fusion of ultramafic material in the upper mantle. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios, corrected for growth of radiogenic 87 Sr, in total rock samples and in minerals from four ultramafic complexes range from 0.7026 to 0.7068, and the K/Rb ratios in total rock samples range from 300 to 1200. Other workers have reported that the isotopic composition of strontium in alpine peridotites is significantly different from that of oceanic volcanic rocks, but the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of the Alaskan ultramafites and of oceanic volcanic rocks are similar.
Conceptual and lexical determinants of nonentrenched thinking

Abstract Two experiments investigating information-processing consequences of entrenched and nonentrenched concepts are reported. An attempt is made to distinguish between these two kinds of concepts by using two variables—the naturalness of the occurrence described by a concept and the familiarity of the name used to refer to that occurrence. In each experiment a given conceptual system was expressed in four alternative forms by crossing concept familiarity (naturalness) with lexical familiarity. The experiments used a concept-selection task in which subjects were required to characterize an event based on a preliminary piece of information and a final, confirmatory piece of information. The results indicated that the locus of nonentrenchment lies in using a familiar name to identify an unfamiliar occurrence or in using an unfamiliar name to identify a familiar occurrence. An information-processing model of task performance provided a very good account of the latency data and scores from the concept-selection task correlated with scores from a set of psychometric reasoning tests. The distinction between entrenched and nonentrenched concepts can be interpreted in terms of interference theory, and it also has implications for the way we think about induction and human intelligence.
Transition of patterns in the cell-chemotaxis system with proliferation source

Abstract Phase transition analysis is a fundamental component in understanding pattern-forming behavior of many biochemical systems, such as those found in developmental biology. The purpose of this work is to analyze the phase transition property of a diffusion–chemotaxis model with proliferation source, a macroscopic model of mobile species aggregation. Along the way, we will show that the system exhibits a very rich pattern-forming behavior, resulting in a competition between hexagonal, roll, and rectangular patterns. In particular, we show existence of regular hexagonal patterns in a confined spatial geometry where only two modes become unstable. It is also shown that they are either saddle points or attracting nodes. Moreover, we show that the competition happens inside a local attractor which consists of a finite number of stationary solutions and their connecting heteroclinic orbits. The structure of this attractor will be precisely determined as well.
Systematic Review of Randomized Trials of Treatment of Male Sexual Partners for Improved Bacteria vaginosis Outcomes in Women

BackgroundBacterial vaginosis (BV) affects 10% to 30% of women and recurs in 15% to 30% within 3 months after treatment. BV is not considered an sexually transmitted infection, and treatment of the male sexual partner is not recommended. This recommendation is based on the results of 6 randomized co
Can an Angry Woman Get Ahead? Status Conferral, Gender, and Expression of Emotion in the Workplace

Three studies examined the relationships among anger, gender, and status conferral. As in prior research, men who expressed anger in a professional context were conferred higher status than men who expressed sadness. However, both male and female evaluators conferred lower status on angry female professionals than on angry male professionals. This was the case regardless of the actual occupational rank of the target, such that both a female trainee and a female CEO were given lower status if they expressed anger than if they did not. Whereas women's emotional reactions were attributed to internal characteristics (e.g., “she is an angry person,” “she is out of control”), men's emotional reactions were attributed to external circumstances. Providing an external attribution for the target person's anger eliminated the gender bias. Theoretical implications and practical applications are discussed.
Internal structure of Kevlar® fibres by atomic force microscopy

Abstract The nanometre-scale resolution atomic force microscopy images of the internal structure of Kevlar® fibres made it possible to reconcile differences between existing proposed structural models. Detailed real-space structures of the ‘pleats’ in these fibres and evidence of chain-end segregation in fractured fibres revealed previously inaccessible structure-property relations.
Is Small Beautiful? Microhistory and the History of Everyday Life

Books reviewed in this article: The History of Everyday Life. Reconstructing Historical Experiences and Ways of Life Edited by Alf Ludtke, translated by William Templer Jeux d'Echelles. La micro-analyse al'experience Edited by Jacques Revel
Irreversible effect of hydrostatic pressurization on yielding in niobium

The irreversible effects of hydrostatic pressurization on the mechanical properties of polycrystalline Nb were studied. It was found that for prior pressures up to and including 3.45 MPa, there is no detectable change in the yield stress. Prior pressurization at 6.9 MPa eliminates the yield drop and sharp yield point at room temperature and reduces the yield stress at all temperatures. Pressurization at higher pressures causes a correspondingly greater decrease in yield stress. The fractional change in yield stress for a given prior pressure is greater at lower temperatures. The mechanical behavior of pre-pressurized niobium differs from that of other bcc metals such as iron and chromium mainly in that the critical pressure to induce an irreversible effect on mechanical properties is about two orders of magnitude lower than those previously observed. (auth)