cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety and efficacy of fentanyl administered by patient controlled analgesia in children with cancer pain.

Background Pain is the most common discomfort experienced by children with cancer and occurs in almost 89% of patients in an advanced stage of the disease. It is most often not adequately treated because of inexperience and unfounded fears of analgesic treatment. In adults, patient controlled analgesia (PCA) is widely administered, while in children with moderate to severe cancer pain its use is still under evaluation for safety and efficacy.
George Robert Tilton (1923–2010)

[1] George Robert Tilton, professor emeritus of geochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara, passed away 12 October 2010 at age 87 in Eugene, Oreg. George was among those exceptionally versatile scientists whose research and teaching effectively bridged two main disciplines: chemistry and geology. He was recognized internationally as a leader in lead isotope geochemistry and uranium-lead (U-Pb) geochronology, fields that he helped pioneer and revolutionize. George combined analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry to attack a wide range of geological problems, particularly those concerning the age, origin, and evolution of the Earth, Moon, and solar system.
Determination of methylmercury and estimation of total mercury in seafood using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS): Method development and validation

Abstract A method was developed for determination of methylmercury and estimation of total mercury in seafood. Mercury (Hg) compounds were extracted from 0.5 g edible seafood or 0.2 g lyophilized reference material by adding 50 ml aqueous 1% w/v l -cysteine·HCl·H2O and heating 120 min at 60 °C in glass vials. Hg compounds in 50 μl of filtered extract were separated by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography using a C-18 column and aqueous 0.1% w/v l -cysteine·HCl·H2O + 0.1% w/v l -cysteine mobile phase at room temperature and were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry at mass-to-charge ratio 202. Total Hg was calculated as the mathematical sum of methyl and inorganic Hg determined in extracts. For seafoods containing 0.055–2.78 mg kg−1 methylmercury and 0.014–0.137 mg kg−1 inorganic Hg, precision of analyses was ≤5% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for methylmercury and ≤9% R.S.D. for inorganic Hg. Recovery of added analyte was 94% for methylmercury and 98% for inorganic Hg. Methyl and total Hg results for reference materials agreed with certified values. Limits of quantitation were 0.007 mg kg−1 methylmercury and 0.005 mg kg−1 inorganic Hg in edible seafood and 0.017 mg kg−1 methylmercury and 0.012 mg kg−1 inorganic Hg in lyophilized reference materials. Evaluation of analyte stability demonstrated that l -cysteine both stabilized and de-alkylated methylmercury, depending on holding time and cysteine concentration. Polypropylene adversely affected methylmercury stability. Total Hg results determined by this method were equivalent to results determined independently by cold vapour-atomic absorption spectrometry. Methylmercury was the predominant form of Hg in finfish. Ratios of methylmercury/total Hg determined by this method were 93–98% for finfish and 38–48% for mollusks.
4. Using administrative data to study persons with disabilities

Administrative data result from administering health plans--tracking service utilization, paying claims, monitoring costs and quality--and have been used extensively for health services research. This article examines the strengths and limitations of administrative data for health services research studies of people with disabilities. Administrative data offer important advantages: encompassing large populations over time, ready availability, low cost, and computer readability. Questions arise about how to identify people with disabilities, capture disability-related services, and determine meaningful health care outcomes. Potentially useful administrative data elements include eligibility for Medicare or Medicaid through Social Security disability determinations, diagnosis and procedure codes, pharmacy claims, and durable medical equipment claims. Linking administrative data to survey or other data sources enhances the utility of administrative data for disability studies.
Inhibition of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine metabolism leads to marked decrease in 3,4-dihydroxymethamphetamine formation but no change in serotonin neurotoxicity: Implications for mechanisms of neurotoxicity

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)'s O-demethylenated metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxymethamphetamine (HHMA), has been hypothesized to serve as a precursor for the formation of toxic catechol-thioether metabolites (e.g., 5-N-acetylcystein-S-yl-HHMA) that mediate MDMA neurotoxicity. To further test this hypothesis, HHMA formation was blocked with dextromethorphan (DXM), which competitively inhibits cytochrome P450 enzyme-mediated O-demethylenation of MDMA to HHMA. In particular, rats were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups (n = 9–12 per group): (1) Saline/MDMA; (2) DXM/MDMA; (3) DXM/Saline; (4) Saline/Saline. During drug exposure, time-concentration profiles of MDMA and its metabolites were determined, along with body temperature. One week later, brain serotonin (5-HT) neuronal markers were measured in the same animals. DXM did not significantly alter core temperature in MDMA-treated animals. A large (greater than 70%) decrease in HHMA formation had no effect on the magnitude of MDMA neurotoxicity. These results cast doubt on the role of HHMA-derived catechol-thioether metabolites in the mechanism of MDMA neurotoxicity. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Transvaginal Mesh Kits—How “Serious” Are the Complications and Are They Reversible?

Objective To review the merit of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-issued warnings on the use of transvaginal mesh in women with pelvic organ prolapse because of escalating complications. Materials and Methods On institutional review board approval, we reviewed the data from 2 tertiary institutions managing complications of transvaginal mesh. The data recorded included mesh type, details of surgical removal, and patient-reported clinical outcomes. Results From 2006 to March 2011, 58 women were evaluated. Their mean age was 54.6 years (range 32-80), with a mean follow-up of 13 months (range 6-67). The mean interval to mesh excision surgery from the original prolapse surgery was 21 months (range 2-60). Of the 58 women, 35 (60%) had undergone concurrent midurethral sling surgery with the transvaginal mesh surgery. Also, 21 of the 58 patients (36%) had undergone initial mesh removal attempts before their referral to either tertiary institution. Most women presented with multiple complaints, with mesh extrusion the most frequently reported (n = 43 [74%]). Of the 58 women, 17 (29%) required re-excision of residual mesh, 13 once and 4 twice. Five women developed recurrent symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (7%). The residual rate of dyspareunia and pelvic pain was 14% and 22%, respectively. Fourteen women (24%) were treated successfully, with complete resolution of all presenting symptoms. Conclusion As outlined in the Food and Drug Administration notifications, patients should be forewarned that some transvaginal mesh complications are life altering and might not always be surgically correctable.
Representing three-dimensional shapes for visual recognition

Human vision, for the purpose of shape recognition, decomposes three-dimensional shapes into subunits. Simple rules, stated in the language of differential geometry, can describe this decomposition.
Effects of Douglas-fir 2+0 seedling morphology on field performance

The relationships between field performance of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) 2+0 seedlings and their initial diameter and root mass were evaluated on five sites in Oregon in the early 1980s to identify opportunities for improving seedling grading prior to planting. Survival and height 3–5 years after planting were positively related to seedling size at the time of planting. On all sites, survival nearly doubled from the smallest to largest diameter classes. Root mass had a similar relationship to survival on sites with environmental stress. Increasing root size class increased survival more for the small diameter classes than for the larger diameter clases. On the other hand, increasing root size class increased total height more for the large diameter class than the smaller ones. Although height was not as strongly affected as survival on several sites, height differences among initial seedling diameter classes were still significant and increasing after five years. Root class effects on height were less important than diameter class effects.
A multicast group communication protocol, engine, and bridge for CORBA

Multicast group communication is needed for fault-tolerant distributed systems and, in particular, for the new Fault Tolerant CORBA standard, to maintain strong replica consistency. However, different multicast group communication protocols are appropriate for different environments, which makes it difficult to define a single standard multicast protocol. In this paper, we present a multicast group communication engine and bridge for CORBA that allows multiple group communication protocols to be used concurrently. We also present the Fault Tolerant Multicast Protocol, a group communication protocol that allows different fault tolerance systems to interoperate. The group communication engine and bridge places Lamport timestamps on messages, and multicasts messages to groups, using one or more group communication protocols. The group communication protocols reliably deliver the timestamped messages in timestamp order to the group communication engine, which integrates these streams of messages into a single stream for delivery in timestamp order. The Fault Tolerant Multicast Protocol operates over IP Multicast, and consists of the Reliable Multicast Protocol which provides reliable source-ordered message delivery, the Reliable Ordered Multicast Protocol which provides reliable totally ordered message delivery, and the Host Group Membership Protocol which provides host group membership services. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Silencing estrogen receptor alpha in breast cancer cells.

Commentary to: Stable Knockdown of Estrogen Receptor α by Vector-Based RNA Interference Suppresses Proliferation and Enhances Apoptosis in Breast Cancer CellsHai-Jing Fu, Lin-Tao Jia, Wei Bao, Jing Zhao, Yan-Ling Meng, Cheng-Ji Wang,Li-Bo Yao, Si-Yi Chen and An-Gang Yang
MICROFABRICATION OF CYLINDRICAL ION TRAP MASS SPECTROMETER ARRAYS FOR HANDHELD CHEMICAL ANALYZERS

A new microfabrication method for micro-cylindrical ion trap (μ-CIT) mass spectrometer arrays (r o , z o ≅ 360 μm) is presented along with a strategy for incorporating integrated high-field emission electron sources for ionization. Simulations of the performance of μ-CITs were used to guide the geometrical design of the array, and process flows for microfabrication in silicon were developed and optimized for reduced capacitance. The microfabrication process is described in detail along with initial test results. Field emission sources were also fabricated in silicon using an edge-to-edge emission strategy to improve robustness in moderate vacuum environments. Simulations were also used to guide the design of the field emitter arrays. The microfabrication process is described and initial field emission data are presented. Strategies for further optimization and integration are also briefly discussed.
Aumento de la actividad de la beta-glucuronidasa del suero en la diabetes química

Les AA. ont mesure l'activite beta-glucuronidasique dans le serum de 41 sujets avec une tolerance au glucose diminuee (diabete chimique) et dans un groupe de controle de 41 sujets sains. Les resultats ont ete les suivants: 1) les sujets normaux de sexe masculin presentent des niveaux seriques de cet enzyme plus eleves que ceux qui ont ete observes chez les femmes; 2) les femmes avec diabete chimique presentent des niveaux plus eleves que ceux qui ont ete observes chez les femmes saines; 3) il existe une certaine tendance des niveaux enzymatiques du serum a l'augmentation avec l'âge chez tous les deux groupes; 4) la charge de glucose ne modifie pas les niveaux enzymatiques du serum; 5) il existe un petit groupe de sujets avec diabete chimique qui presentent des niveaux enzymatiques abnormement eleves; 6) les femmes normales, qui sont soumises a l'administration de contraceptives orales, presentent des niveaux plus eleves que ceux observes chez les autres femmes normales qui n'assument pas le medicament, sans presenter intolerance au glucose. Les AA. discutent sur ces resultats en comparaison des correlations entre diabete et atherosclerose.
Interactions between protozoa and other organisms

Abstract The water films covering aggregates and filling pores are the centers of decomposition activity, with their own communities of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. The latter two groups graze bacteria and fungi to release amounts of soluble nutrients and decrease the competitive activities of bacteria. The rates and amounts of mineralization are increased by redistribution of these microsites by plant root growth, animal movements, and by comminution by arthropods and earthworms. Encysted protozoa pass through the guts, but active forms are digested; hence, protozoa also serve as transformers of bacterial protoplasm into higher trophic levels. Some interaction between protozoa and fungi occurs, but the importance of protozoan mycophagy has yet to be assessed.
The method and management of thyroid surgery in the pediatric patient.

Thyroid surgery in the pediatric age patient accounts for a small minority of all thyroid surgery. Batsakis and Nishiyama reported only 136 patients under the age of 18 who underwent thyroid surgery in 27 years at the University of Michigan.1 In most series involving the pediatric age group, the majority of thyroid procedures are performed on adolescents.1–6 Thyroid surgery in the young child requires special precautions in addition to those routinely associated with thyroidectomy in the adult. The techniques and perioperative management of the pediatric thyroidectomy employed at our institution has evolved as experience is gained. Our experience with five such patients with adequate follow-up will be presented.
Hydrodynamic Instability of a Premixed Flame Under Confinement

Abstract —A linear stability analysis has been performed to identify the role of the hydrodynamic instability when combustion occurs in a closed tube. The model treats the flame as a surface of discontinuity in an otherwise inviscid, isentropic mixture. The burning rate is obtained from an analysis of the internal flame structure. It is shown that flame acceleration, a consequence of pressure buildup, has a damping influence on the long wavelength disturbances. Disturbances of shorter wavelengths grow but their growth rate exceeds the propagation speed, which can only then be identified as an instability. The growth rate is found to be always lower than the corresponding growth rate for a freely propagating flame.
Functional Comparison of Conjugative Transposons Tn916and Tn925

Abstract During interspecies matings betweenBacillus subtilisandBacillus thuringiensissubsp.israelensis,transfer of conjugative transposon Tn916was detected at a frequency of 1.1 × 10−4transconjugants per donor. Tn916-dependent transfer of plasmids pC194 and pE194 was detected at frequencies of 1.4 × 10−5and 3.2 × 10−7transconjugants per donor, respectively. Similar frequencies were obtained during parallel matings with otherwise isogenic strains that contain Tn925instead of Tn916. Tn916- or Tn925-dependent transfer of plasmids pC194 or pUB110 from the recipient to the donor (retrotransfer) was not observed during inter- or intraspecies matings. Transposon-mediated plasmid transfer by Tn916and Tn925is a Rec independent event. Thus, the data from studies in which otherwise isogenic donor and recipient strains were used indicated that Tn916and Tn925are, from a functional point of view, much more similar than previously suggested.
Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibition Potentiates Morphine Antinociception at the Spinal Level in a Postoperative Pain Model

Background and Objectives After peripheral inflammatory stimuli, spinal cord cyclooyxgenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA and protein levels increase, whereas COX-1 is unchanged. In animal models of inflammatory pain, intrathecal COX-2 selective inhibitors suppress hyperalgesia. However, the role of spinal COX-2 inhibition in postoperative pain is not well elucidated. This study investigates whether a water-soluble COX-2 selective inhibitor, L-745,337, can modify allodynic responses in a rat model of postoperative pain. Methods Allodynia was induced in the left plantar hindpaw by surgical incision. Animals then received intrathecal (0-80 μg) or subcutaneous (0-30 mg/kg) L-745,337 coadministered with intrathecal morphine (0-2 nmol). Reduction of mechanical allodynia (increased withdrawal threshold) was quantified with calibrated von Frey hairs. Results L-745,337 alone, whether intrathecal or systemic, had no effect on withdrawal threshold. When intrathecal L-745,337 at doses of 40 to 80 μg was combined with a subthreshold dose (0.5 nmol) of morphine, withdrawal thresholds were increased in a dose-dependent manner. Adding 80 μg L-745,337 to 1 nmol morphine produced an antiallodynic effect greater than that of morphine at twice the dose. Subcutaneous L-745,337, up to 30 mg/kg combined with intrathecal morphine resulted in the same antiallodynic response as morphine alone. Conclusion These results suggest a spinal interaction of COX-2 inhibition with opiate analgesia may allow a reduction of postoperative pain with lower doses of opiate.
Broadband gain in poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester photodetectors enabled by a semicontinuous gold interlayer

Substantial broadband photoconductive gain has been realized for organic, thin-film photodetectors with a poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester (P3HT:PCBM) active layer at low bias voltages. External quantum efficiencies upwards of 1500% were achieved when a semicontinuous gold layer was introduced at the anode interface. Significant gain was also observed in the sub-band gap, near infrared region where the external quantum efficiency approached 100% despite the lack of a sensitizer. The gain response was highly dependent on the thickness of the active layer of the photodetector with the best results achieved with the thinnest devices. The gain is the result of the injection of secondary electrons due to hole charge trapping at the semicontinuous gold layer.
Performance characteristics of a microsphere immunoassay using recombinant HCV proteins as a confirmatory assay for the detection of antibodies to the hepatitis C virus.

Background The detection of antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important assay for the identification of individuals infected with this virus. However, the confirmation of antibody positivity remains problematic. Currently none of the screening or confirmatory assays provide quantitation of the antibodies present. A microsphere assay was designed to provide improved confirmation. Methods Microspheres of 3.6 μm in diameter coated with NeutraAvidin were used to capture biotinylated HCV recombinant proteins. A phycoerythrin goat anti-human immunoglobulin G (IgG) was used to detect specific antibody captured to the microsphere. A human IgG calibrator was designed that was internal to each sample in the microsphere assay. Results Detection of HCV-specific antibody using these microspheres was straightforward in most samples, with the lower detection limit set at 0.01 μg equivalents of human IgG per milliliter. In antibody-positive samples, the HCV antibody levels ranged from 0.09 to 55 μg equivalents of IgG per milliliter. Forty-nine of the 54 samples (91%) previously identified as having an indeterminate serologic pattern were negative in the microsphere assay. Conclusions The microspheres and biotinylated HCV proteins were stable for longer than 8 months when stored at 2°C to 8°C and coating of the microspheres was reproducible with an interassay coefficient of variation less than 10%. Avidin-coated microspheres provide an easy solid support on which to design an assay provided the capture reagent being used can be biotinylated effectively. Confirmation of antibody to HCV can be performed using this assay format. © 2005 International Society for Analytical Cytology
Effect of dextran on protein stability and conformation attributed to macromolecular crowding

Thermally induced transition curves of hen egg-white lysozyme were measured in the presence of several concentrations of dextran at pH 2.0 by near-UV and far-UV CD. The transition curves were fitted to a two-state model by a non-linear, least-squares method to obtain the transition temperature (T(m)), enthalpy change (deltaH(u)(T(m))), and free energy change (deltaG(u)(T)) of the unfolding transition. An increase in T(m) and almost constant deltaH(u)(T(m)) values were observed in the presence of added dextran at concentrations exceeding ca 100 g l(-1). In addition, dextran-induced conformational changes of fully unfolded protein were investigated by CD spectroscopy. Addition of high concentrations of dextran to solutions of acid-unfolded cytochrome c at pH 2.0 results in a shift of the CD spectrum from that characteristic of the fully unfolded polypeptide to that characteristic of the more compact, salt-induced molten globule state, a result suggesting that the molten globule-like state is stabilized relative to the fully unfolded form in crowded environments. Both observations are in qualitative accord with predictions of a previously proposed model for the effect of intermolecular excluded volume (macromolecular crowding) on protein stability and conformation.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol treatment results in a suppression of interleukin-2-induced cellular activities in human and murine lymphocytes.

Abstract Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component in marijuana, has been shownto suppress a variety of interleukin-2-(IL-2)-dependent cellular functions in both murine and human lymphocytes. These effects were examined in both human peripheral blood lymphocytes (hPBL) and the IL-2-dependent murine cytotoxic T-cell line CTLL-2. Interleukin-2-induced thymidine uptake and uridine uptake were suppressed in a dose related manner when cells were co-incubated for 48 h with 100 U rhIL-2/ml and 1 – 10 μg THC/ml. Interleukin-2-induced protein synthesis was also suppressed in a dose related manner over this THC concentration range, with the hPBL being more susceptible to the suppressive effect of THC than the CTLL-2 cells. Autoradiographic analysis of the synthesized proteins from hPBL cell lysates reveals a generalized suppression of all nascent proteins in THC-treated cultures. Human natural killer cell activity is only affected at the highest concentration tested (10 μg THC/ml) while lymphokine-(IL-2)-activated natural killer cell activity is affected throughout the range of 1 – 10 μg THC/ml. Together these results suggest that THC interferes with the IL-2 : IL-2 receptor signaling cascade at one or possibly many points causing a decrease in IL-2-induced metabolic activity and cytolytic function.
Numerically exact integration of a family of axisymmetric finite elements

Axisymmetric finite element stress analysis involves repeated integration of a rational polynomial integrand. For elements near the axis of symmetry, such integrals are quasi-singular, are difficult to integrate numerically, and can lead to significant computational errors. This paper describes a Gaussian quadrature procedure to integrate exactly, within computational limits, a class of rational polynomials over undistorted triangular and quadrilateral finite elements. The procedure's accuracy and efficiency are illustrated through a numerical example. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reversal of neural and electrophysiologic remodeling in cardiac tissue

The authors conclude that themagnitude of sympathetic hyperinnervation occurring afterMI in human patients can be an important determinant ofsudden cardiac death. Thus, development of antiarrhythmicinterventions that target neural as well as electrical remod-eling after MI and other cardiovascular diseases may beimportant to increase treatment efﬁcacy.
Impact of Clothing on Impressions of Personal Characteristics and Writing Ability

The study was designed to determine if attractive clothing had a more positive effect than unattractive clothing on a perceiver's impressions of the personal characteristics of the writer of an essay and the qualities of the essay. Perceivers who assigned high interest/importance to clothing were expected to favorably rate both personal characteristics of an attractively dressed writer and the essay. A negative relationship was anticipated between high clothing interest/importance scores and ratings of an unattractively dressed writer and the essay. A total of 160 college coeds were divided equally among 8 experimental treatments: interest ing/uninteresting essay, two writers, and attractive/unattractive clothing. Significantly higher ratings were found with attractive clothing for the 5 personal traits and for 4 of the 5 essay qualities. Significant positive correlations occurred between high clothing interest/importance scores and ratings of personal traits and essay qualities. No significant negative correlations occurred between any evaluative ratings and high clothing interest/importance scores.
Home Builders Association vs. St. Louis County Water Company: A cost allocation case

This case examines cost allocation issues in a regulatory environment. The St. Louis County Water Company (SLCWC) is an investor-owned, for-profit utility regulated by the Public Service Commission of Missouri (PSC). At the time of this case, SLCWC had filed a request for a rate increase with the PSC. The Home Builders Association of St. Louis (HBA) intervened in the rate process to request a change in the way SLCWC allocated indirect payroll costs to its Construction operations. At least three constituencies have a stake in this allocation problem: the HBA, the PSC, and the SLCWC shareholders and managers. In addition, the Public Counsel’s office of the State of Missouri has the role of seeing that the residential consumers are represented in rate proceedings. However, in this case the Public Counsel’s role is passive. Part A of the case first provides a background on the PSC and the process of rate regulation at the PSC. Next, background information is presented on the SLCWC and the allocation method currently in use. Finally, a description of the HBA and its concern over the allocation method is presented. The case asks you to consider this allocation process from the point of view of (1) accounting theory, and (2) each of the three major stakeholders. Part B of the case reviews three alternative allocation schemes: one proposed by SLCWC and two proposed by a consultant to the HBA. This part of the case asks you to consider these proposals and discuss whether they offer improvements over the PSC method. Part C describes the resolution of the case and summarizes the experience of SLCWC in the first year following the case. It also can stand by itself since it illustrates generic cost allocation issues that came to light after the rate case.
The Neurotoxicant, Cuprizone, as a Model to Study Demyelination and Remyelination in the Central Nervous System

Myelin of the adult CNS is vulnerable to a variety of metabolic, toxic, and autoimmune insults. That remyelination can ensue, following demyelinating insult, has been well demonstrated. Details of the process of remyelination are, however difficult to ascertain since in most experimental models of demyelination/remyelination the severity, localization of lesion site, or time course of the pathophysiology is variable from animal to animal. In contrast, an experimental model in which massive demyelination can be reproducibly induced in large areas of mouse brain is exposure to the copper chelator, cuprizone, in the diet. We review work from several laboratories over the past 3 decades, with emphasis on our own recent studies, which suggest an overall picture of cellular events involved in demyelination/remyelination. When 8 week old C57BL/6 mice are fed 0.2% cuprizone in the diet, mature olidgodendroglia are specifically insulted (cannot fulfill the metabolic demand of support of vast amounts of myelin) and go through apoptosis.This is closely followed by recruitment of microglia and phagoctytosis of myelin. Studies of myelin gene expression, coordinated with morphological studies, indicate that even in the face of continued metabolic challenge, oligodendroglial progenitor cells proliferate and invade demyelinated areas. If the cuprizone challenge is terminated, an almost complete remyelination takes place in a matter of weeks. Communication between different cell types by soluble factors may be inferred. This material is presented in the context of a model compatible with present data—and which can be tested more rigorously with the cuprizone model. The reproducibility of the model indicates that it may allow for testing of manipulations (e.g. available knockouts or transgenics on the common genetic background, or pharmacological treatments) which may accelerate or repress the process of demyelination and or remyelination.
Disruption of nuclear maturation and rearrangement of cytoskeletal elements in bovine oocytes exposed to heat shock during maturation

Meiotic maturation in mammalian oocytes is a complex process which involves extensive rearrangement of microtubules, actin filaments and chromosomes. Since cytoskeletal elements are sensitive to disruption by heat shock, a series of experiments were performed to determine whether physiologically relevant heat shock disrupts the progression of the oocyte through meiosis, fertilization and zygote formation. Cumulus‐oocyte complexes were cultured at 38.5, 40.0 or 41.0 8C for the first 12 h of maturation. Incubation during the last 10 h of maturation and 18 h after fertilization was at 38.5 8C and in 5% (v/v) CO2 for both treatments. Examination of the cytoskeleton and the chromosome organization in matured oocytes revealed that oocytes matured at 38.58C were mostly at metaphase II (MII) stage, while the majority of heat-shocked oocytes were blocked at the first metaphase (MI), first anaphase or first telophase stages. A subset of heat-shocked oocytes possessed misshapen MI spindles with disorganized microtubules and unaligned chromosomes. A higher percentage of TUNEL-positive oocytes was noted for oocytes matured at 41.0 8C. Addition of 50 nmol/l sphingosine 1-phosphate to maturation medium blocked the effect of heat shock on progression through meiosis and apoptosis and increased the proportion of oocytes matured at 41.0 8C that were at MII. Following insemination, a high percentage of heat-shocked oocytes were unfertilized, while the majority of the control zygotes were fertilized and had two visible pronuclei. In conclusion, heat shock disrupts nuclear maturation and induces apoptosis. These alterations are likely to be involved in the mechanism underlying heatshock-induced disruption of oocyte capacity for fertilization and subsequent development.
Cyclomorphosis in Daphnia lumholtzi induced by temperature

SUMMARY 1. Cyclomorphosis is a well known phenomenon in Daphnia that involves a regular, seasonal, or induced change in body allometry. Long helmets and tail spines were induced in laboratory cultures of Daphnia lumholtzi with temperature of 31 ∞C as the proximal cue (temperature of locally occurring peak abundance in Kentucky Lake). The effect was greater in embryos than juveniles or adults exposed to the temperature cue. 2. The temperature cue appears to have a threshold value (animals cultured at 25 or 28 ∞C did not develop elongated helmets or spines). The helmet and spine length receded both with D. lumholtzi kept at a constant 31 ∞C temperature and when water temperature was decreased. 3. The induced helmet in this experiment (0.66 mm, 1.0 mm animal) was significantly longer than values reported in the literature for induction by planktivorous fish kairomones (0.25 mm, 1.2 mm animal). The strong response to a proximal cue of temperature may require the second weaker chemical cue for maintenance. It is suggested that a synergistic explanation with two cues may be more appropriate for cyclomorphosis induction and maintenance in Daphnia lumholtzi that could be tested with further studies.
Victims of Dating Violence Among High School Students: Are the Predictors Different for Males and Females?

The present study explored males' and females' experiences of violence within dating relationships and, specifically, whether there are different patterns in the predictors of victimization for males and females. The sample included a large, racially/ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse sample of public high school students. The study was guided by social learning theory and a feminist perspective. Numerous predictors of victimization within the three domains of contextual, situational, and sociodemographic factors were examined, with separate analyses conducted for males and females. Information regarding the context of the violence—that is, who initiated the violence, the perceived causes, and the reactions of the victims—are reported. Results revealed very different patterns of predictors for males and females, as well as gender differences in victims' reactions to the violence. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Energy Transfer Dynamics in Light-Harvesting Assemblies Templated by the Tobacco Mosaic Virus Coat Protein

Picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy was used to characterize energy transfer between chromophores displayed on a rod assembly of tobacco mosaic virus coat protein. The incorporation of donor chromophores with broad and overlapping absorption and emission spectra creates an "antenna" with a large absorption cross section, which can convey excitation energy over large distances before transfer to an acceptor chromophore. The possibility for both donor-to-donor and donor-to-acceptor transfer results in complex kinetic behavior at any single wavelength. Thus, to describe the various pathways of energy transfer within this system accurately, a global lifetime analysis was performed to obtain decay associated spectra. We found the energy transfer from donor to acceptor chromophores occurs in 187 ps with an efficiency of 36%. A faster decay component of 70 ps was also observed from global lifetime analysis and is attributed to donor-to-donor transfer. Although more efficient three-chromophore systems have been demonstrated, a two-chromophore system was studied here to facilitate analysis.
Monitoring coastal marshes for persistent saltwater intrusion

Saltwater flooding of coastal marshes by storm surge, rising sea level, and subsidence is a primary cause of wetland deterioration and habitat loss. The objective of this study is to provide resource managers with remote sensing products that support ecosystem-forecasting models requiring inundation data. This investigation employed time-series indices derived from 250-meter NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and 30-m Landsat imagery to map flooding and saltwater stress in the Sabine Basin in southwest Louisiana, before and after Hurricane Rita in 2005. After nearly 20 feet of storm surge inundated the area during Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Ike produced a storm surge of almost 14 feet in the same area and flooded areas as far as 30 miles inland. The study design of this investigation centered upon the use of vegetation and wetness (water) indicators to map flooded areas. The study team assigned a vegetation index to marsh areas of concomitant vegetation and water. We derived daily MODIS time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Water Index, and Normalized Difference Soil Index from the NASA Stennis Space Center Time Series Product Tool, which provides the capability to compute phenological parameters and performs temporal modeling at ecosystem scales. We estimated the extent of flooding as the percentage of time the MODIS index was water; i.e., below a certain threshold. The percentages indicate areas of persistent flooding over certain time intervals, thereby informing planners of areas with a high probability of conversion to open water. The study team used Landsat 5 and 7 data for the years 2004 through 2006 to produce an 8-day time series of vegetation and wetness indices. We evaluated these Landsat-based flood maps with lidar data and in situ elevation data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Coastwide Reference Monitoring System for the Sabine Basin. Finally, we combined salinity data collected in situ from the USGS and from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with our flooding estimates to map areas of persistent saltwater intrusion. The combination of these data are useful for habitat switching modules that predict the migration of marsh species from one salinity regime to another from estimates of the annual percent inundation and the mean annual salinity.
Autism Spectrum Disorders: Pharmacotherapy for Challenging Behaviors

Autism spectrum disorders, a group of five conditions with similar behavioral characteristics, have received increasing research attention in recent years. Treatments have been successful at least to remediate or improve some symptoms, and the amount of research on the topic has been escalating very rapidly. The two primary forms of intervention studied the most to date have been applied behavior analysis and behavior therapy, and psychopharmacology. The purpose of this paper was to review efficacy of this latter category: drug related interventions for challenging behaviors. Effectiveness of these treatments based on the available research literature are reviewed with respect to current strengths and weaknesses of various psychotropic drug interventions. Trends in the data and potential future directions for research are discussed, including types of drugs used, targets for intervention, the future of combined behavior and drug interventions, and the measurement of side effects in psychopharmacology.
Economic Potential and Entry into Marriage and Cohabitation

This article explores the relationship between economic potential and rates of entry into marriage and cohabitation. Using data from the 1990 census and the 1980–1992 High School and Beyond (Sophomore Cohort), we developed a method for explicitly estimating five time-varying measures of earnings potential. The analyses of union formation are based on an intergenerational panel study of parents and children, to which our measures of earnings potential were appended. The results indicate that all five measures of earnings potential strongly and positively influence the likelihood of marriage for men, but not for women. Earnings potential does not affect entry into cohabiting unions for either men or women.
Special Education and Private Schools Principals' Points of View

Principals of private schools were questioned about the practices of their schools regarding students with special needs. This mixed-design study was a part of a larger study to determine the current state of special education services in private schools in Tennessee. Initial demographic information on schools was gathered and analyzed by a quantitative survey. Open-ended questions regarding the mission of the schools, admissions and continued enrollment policies, and strengths and weaknesses of the schools as they pertained to serving students with special needs were presented in a questionnaire. The results indicate that leadership style may play a role in the acceptance of students with special needs in private schools. More research is needed due to the push for school choice through the No Child Left Behind Act and state voucher programs.
Troubled triangle: Russia, Ukraine and the United States

A potentially productive triangular arrangement among Russia, Ukraine, and the United States emerged in 1994 from efforts to constrain nuclear weapons diffusion. By 2001, this promising initiative was nearly moribund, owing to the inability or unwillingness of the parties to fulfill the commitments of subsequent agreements. The domestic and external causes of this failure are many and clear. Yet the advantages to each of reengaging in a trilateral relationship are also plain. This means fulfilling their unfinished agenda by learning from past mistakes, adopting realistic premises and goals, and pursuing ‘bottom up’ as well as ‘top down’ strategies.
Receiver structure trade-offs in equalized high-speed fiber-optic links

We experimentally investigate receiver structure trade-offs for equalized OC-192 fiber-optic links relying on Viterbi-algorithm-based sequence estimation. Our results prove that energy detection provides better performance than few-samples-per-bit detection at shorter distances of propagation. Alternatively, few-samples-per-bit detection provides longer reach at the cost of over-sampling and substantial power penalty for smaller amounts of accumulated dispersion
Real-time weather notification system using intelligent vehicles and smart sensors

We introduce a real-time weather notification system in which drivers are notified with any bad weather conditions on the road including icy conditions or foggy conditions. Different type of bad weather requires different type of detection. We combine all cases by placing sensors uniformly to the road with an intelligent vehicles that communicate with the surrounding vehicles and the road itself. Our system depends on the spread sensors placed uniformly on the highway to monitor the road traffic. Cat eye's on the road which has been used for years as a reflectors to help drivers over night or at bad weather conditions can be more smart or intelligent by adding sensing capabilities. Intelligent vehicles can help in detecting some types of bad weather conditions and with the help of the sensors over the road using a combination of vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, we can reach a system that gives real-time notice for the drivers. Embedded processors are built inside the sensor over the road to allow the node to process these information.
The Use of Pulse Oximetry During Conscious Sedation

SINCE its introduction in the early 1980s, pulse oximetry has been one of the most rapidly diffusing electronic monitoring technologies in medicine.1Use of pulse oximetry during procedures requiring general anesthesia quickly became standard practice in the United States because it is noninvasive, requires no special training, gives continuous realtime estimates of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) in the range of 70% to 100%, and gives early warning of loss of pulse.1-3This report provides background information concerning the development of oximetry technology and its use during "conscious sedation," a state of minimally depressed consciousness elicited by sedating agents used during certain procedures. HISTORY Oximetry originated in Germany in the 1930s with the work of Nicolai, Kramer, and Matthes.4They studied the kinetics of tissue oxygenation and applied the Beer Lambert law, which relates the concentration of a solute to the intensity of light transmitted through the
Creating the “Pillars”: Multiple Meanings of a Hubble Image:

The “Pillars of Creation” is arguably the most famous image produced by the Hubble space telescope, and it has led a quite unexpected life. On one hand, by tracing the trajectory of the image from its genesis through the traditional media channels between science and the public, this paper is a straightforward case study in the black-boxing of a scientific image. However, by continuing the story and following the “Pillars” into the hands of a group of enthusiasts whose interpretations of it differ from those of the scientific community, we find that the power of black-boxed scientific rhetoric can be co-opted by those who would use it for their own purposes.
Radiation chemistry of polybutadiene and butadiene-styrene block copolymers. II. Kinetics and mechanisms of free-radical decay reactions

The decay of free radicals produced in polybutadiene, polystyrene, and block copolymers of butadiene and styrene by γ irradiation at 77 K has been studied at −110°C in the case of polybutadiene and at −95°C for the other samples. The free-radical decay rate is best interpreted in terms of an equation based on a second-order decay mechanism of a fraction of the free radicals decaying in the presence of other nondecaying free radicals. Hydrogen gas accelerates the free-radical decay. Increase of radiation dose increases the fraction of the radicals that decay, while increase of the fraction of styrene segments decreases the decaying fraction. In pure polybutadiene the higher the cis content, the greater fraction of decaying free radicals, but the second-order decay constant is less in the high-cis-content polybutadiene and is also less at the higher dose, probably owing to the hindrance of the radiation-produced crosslinks on the free-radical decay. The decrease of the second-order constant with increase of dose is also true for all the block copolymers studied.
Nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging for fast label-free visualization of molecular domains in skin

The most prevalent molecular constituents of skin are spatially mapped by the use of nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging, a coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS)-based technique. Raman-like profiles over the range from 2,800 to 3,000 cm−1 are acquired by means of completely suppressing the non-resonant background, allowing the generation of images based on the molecule-specific spectral profiles over the probed region with high spatial resolution. A simple algorithm that maps spectral content to color allows the visualization of histology in a manner analogous to that obtained with more conventional staining procedures (e.g., hematoxylin-eosin), but faster and with the benefit of having access to localized spectra, which could further enhance the potential for diagnosis of diseases, especially during the early stages of development.
Homogeneous segmental profile of carbon monoxide-mediated pulmonary vasodilation in rats

Carbon monoxide (CO) has been proposed to attenuate the vasoconstrictor response to local hypoxia that contributes to pulmonary hypertension. However, the segmental response to CO, as well as its m...
Prime real estate: landscape, geography, and cultural anxieties in three western melodramas

This essay examines the critical and narratological significance of landscape and geography in three American western films—John Ford’s The Searchers (1956), Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (2007), and Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino (2008). Drawing on ecocritical, feminist, and Marxist theory in addition to film and genre theory, this essay insists on seeing the multiple denotative and connotative meanings on ‘landscape’ in American cultural production. The essay examines landscape as an artistic tradition of composed and framed natural beauty, as physical place and inhabited systems, and as fraught geopolitical space. This essay argues that an analysis of landscape in these films exposes the intricate relationships between land use, state formation, American capitalism, racial and ethnic difference, national identity, and gender identity. This project highlights the ways that social, cultural, and philosophical attitudes about race, gender, and national identity are attitudes that are constructed and formed in relation to physical spaces and geographic conditions, and this project emphasizes the dialogic nature of the relationships between sociophilosophical attitudes and physical realities. The essay argues that such an examination is of special importance now at a historical moment when anxieties and discussions about land, border and national security, and environmental impact are heavily mediated and theorized in a range of critical discourse communities.