cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF RETINOIC ACID ON EMBRYONIC RAT LUNG BRANCHING MORPHOGENESIS. † 2075

Retinoic acid (RA) has both morphogenetic and gene regulatory properties. We hypothesized that RA may act as an epigenetic signaling agent in branching morphogenesis of the lung. The following studies were conducted to determine the dose response of RA treatment on embryonic rat lung explants with respect to branching morphogenesis. lung cell differentiation as determined by routine light microscopy, and the expression of cellular retinol-binding protein(CRBP). a mediator of retinoid function. Embryonic rat lungs were collected on gestational day 11.5-12.0 (term = 22 days) and cultured in a serum-free medium. Experimental manipulation of the culture system consisted of addition of 10-6-10-8M RA beginning 3-4 hours after initial culture and every 24 hours thereafter for 96 hours. Control explants were maintained in medium alone for 96 hours. Embryonic rat lungs were collected also on gestational day 13.0 as an in vivo control. All explants were photographed daily for 72 hours. Explants from similar treatment groups were pooled at 96 hours for RNA isolation for northern blot hybridization with the rat cDNA for CRBP. The general growth of the explants was comparable in the four groups at 72 hours. There were no significant differences in number of end buds in RA-treated explants relative to controls at 24 hours. By 48 hours, however, the number of end buds was significantly increased in each group of RA-treated explants relative to controls (C=9.2±0.9, 10-6M RA=14.9±1.4*. [Illegible Text] RA=15.9±1.5*. 10-8M RA=16.1±1.4*, where *P≤0.001). At 72 hours, only explants treated with 10-8M RA demonstrated increased end buds relative to controls (C=31.6±3.2, 10-8M RA=55.9±3.9,P≤0.001). Light microscopy demonstrated that airway epithelium was more cuboidal with some cilia and fewer cytoplasmic vacuoles in explants treated with 10-6M RA. CRBP mRNA was detected in the day 13.0 lungin vivo and remained in control explants maintained in culture for 96 hours. CRBP mRNA abundance increased 2-3 fold in response to RA at all concentrations utilized. We conclude that 1) RA treatment of embryonic rat lung explants appears to increase branching morphogenesis and airway epithelial differentiation over a 72-hour period. and 2) early embryonic rat lungs contain mRNA for CRBP and that RA increases the expression of this genein vitro. These data support a role for retinoids, specifically RA, in early lung development. (Supported by American Lung Association Research Grant).
Isometric and isokinetic endurance testing of the forearm complex

The purpose of this study was to investigate the rela tionship of isometric and isokinetic endurance of the forearm complex under maximum effort in a healthy population. Isometric and isokinetic endurance meas urements of elbow flexion and extension of the domi nant and nondominant sides were made in 32 healthy male subjects (age range, 21 to 39 years). Both fatigue rates and the amount of time elapsed in reaching fatigue were determined. Analysis of these data reveals that 1) isometric endurance of the forearm complex cannot be used as a predictor of isokinetic endurance, as there is no relationship between the two, 2) dominant and non dominant endurance are related, a result that supports the belief that in the assessment of the endurance of a single diseased upper extremity, the best available comparison is with the contralateral healthy extremity, and 3) healthy males in the age range tested have greater endurance in elbow extension than in flexion.
A novel murine island skin flap for ischemic preconditioning.

Background Ischemia reperfusion injury is a well-known phenomenon affecting skin flap viability. One method to improve flap viability is ischemic preconditioning. Previous murine flap models used random flaps. We developed a single pedicle island skin flap which allows us to create true ischemia by clamping the single pedicle. Our first aim was to describe a novel murine skin flap model with a definable, reproducible injury. Our second aim was to test the usefulness of this model by demonstrating mitigation of injury via ischemic preconditioning. Materials and methods Dorsal lateral thoracic artery pedicle island skin flaps (3.5 × 1.5 cm) were elevated in 39 male C57/BL6 mice: a Control group (n = 7), 10 h of ischemia (n = 21), and Preconditioning (2 cycles of 20 min ischemia: 20 minutes reperfusion) + 10-h ischemia (n = 11). After flap elevation, a silicon sheet barrier was placed. The axial pedicles were occluded, and the flaps were inset with 6-0 prolene. In all mice, ischemia was followed by 1 wk of reperfusion. At 1 wk, percent necrosis was measured and an analysis of variance was performed. Results The percent of flap necrosis was 1.1% ± 1.11% in controls. Animals that were subjected to 10 h of ischemia developed 33.14% ± 7.23% necrosis. Preconditioned animals that underwent 10 h of ischemia demonstrated a 43% reduction in necrosis (18.82% ± 5.68%). There was a statistically significant difference among all groups (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion Rat models have been the standard for skin flap experiments. We have developed a novel murine single pedicle island skin flap model with reproducible injury. This model has numerous advantages, including ease of handling, low cost, appropriateness for biomedical studies, and the availability of genetically altered animals. We also confirmed this model's usefulness in a study of mitigation of ischemia reperfusion injury through ischemic preconditioning.
Modeling of Chromium Combustion in Incineration: Thermochemistry of Cr-C-H-Cl Combustion in Air and Selection of Key Reactions

Abstract A comprehensive thermochemical analysis of the equilibrium gaseous product composition resulting from burning chromium, hydrocarbon, and chlorohydrocarbon polymers in air at 101 kPa is presented. Calculations have been made over the range φ = 0.25–2.50 at adiabatic flame temperatures from 600 to 2100 K. The main chromium-containing species formed are CrO 3 , CrO 2 , CrO 2 Cl, and CrO 2 (OH). The yield of Cr(6+) derivatives reaches a maximum of 77% at 1650 K and φ = 0.25, mainly in the form of CrO 3 (g). The yield of CrO, CrOCl, CrOCl 2 , CrO 2 Cl 2 , CrOOH, and CrO 2 (OH) 2 does not exceed 0.1% of the initial chromium content, and that of other chromium-containing species is less than 10 −2 mol%. A reaction scheme is constructed on the basis of the data obtained. It includes reactions of the secondary oxidants CO 2 , H 2 O, HCl, OH, and O, as well as the reducing agents CO, H 2 , and H.
A Note on Nest Preference

ABSTRACT A series of observations was made of laying hens to gain further insight into their nesting habits. Approximately 250 pullets were observed once weekly over a 23-week period, beginning in October 1956 into March, 1957. Four 10 unit doubledeck nests were hung in a continuous row along one side of the pen. The row extended from a six foot aisleway at the rear of the house to within six feet of the front of the laying house which faced to the South and which remained open at all times. The nests in the top row were given odd numbers beginning with nest number one nearest the aisle to nest number 39 nearest the open front. Nests in the bottom row were given even numbers beginning with nest number two nearest the aisle. The eggs were gathered once daily at 5 p.m. and the number of eggs in each nest recorded.
Painting the Sacred in the Age of Romanticism

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)This extensive and in-depth study attempts to elevate Nazarene art from the lesser place it has come to occupy in the art historical canon. It is, however, much more a performance of the pleasures of close reading. A reader could hardly form the impression that Grewe has looked too thoroughly or read too much into a work; one always comes to feel that the art objects in question reward a prolonged gaze. Stated specifically, the author's argument concerns visual literacy in relation to biblical motifs, or how Old Testament typology in Nazarene art is linked to its later antitypes. Starting with works by Franz Pforr and Johann Friedrich Overbeck, Grewe investigates themes including friendship, brotherly love and familial love, and the importance of personal witnessing (which is introduced to account for the profusion of self-portraiture during the period). Grewe examines how the Lukasbund , or the Brotherhood of St. Luke, formed in Vienna in 1809, employed Old Testament imagery, refiguring it in a style distinct from the allegorical one that generally guides the reception of Romantic art. Grewe asserts that Pforr's work is allegorical insofar as it is religious at heart, yet it is also quite open to secular themes. She advances her argument about Nazarene secularization by highlighting the interaction between the artists' intellectual engagements and their religious practices. Starting from this methodological point, her study's six thoughtful and thorough chapters approach Nazarene painting from a wide variety of perspectives.Grewe's study of Overbeck's drawing Jacob Reproaching Laban for Giving him Rachel in Place of Leah (1807/1808) is a good example of refined close reading. Here the author attributes substantial intentionality to Overbeck, yet it is really Grewe herself who brings to the image an attention to stillness and a fascination with the figures' emotional states. She examines how Rachel gazes at Leah, and how the story is told through gestures and expressions. What emerges is the refined ekphrasis of the art historian, who sees pathos and desire in the figures' body language. There is something in Overbeck's faces and forms--in their curvature and personality--that permits Grewe to supplement the work persuasively with powerful narrative. She is best where she examines female figures such as Sulamith and Maria, who regularly appear as doubles of one another in Nazarene art. In Pforr's 1811 oil painting, for example, Maria appears as a figure for unsatisfied longing and unfulfilled destiny. Studying the "erotic economy" (82) of Sulamith and Maria , the author demonstrates a keen eye for detail.The quality of the reproductions throughout the book is impressive, and Grewe was fortunate to have published with Ashgate, who has provided her with ample space for images. To choose one example: the colors in Victor Orsel's Le Bien et Le Mal (1832) are arresting. In her discussion of that work Grewe both plots the trajectory from the Lukasbund to the Nazarenes, and explores how St. …
Lithium-Induced Hypercalcemia and Parathyroid Dysfunction

Received October 18, 2000; revised March 2, 2001; accepted March 15, 2001. From the University of Virginia, School of Medicine, RoanokeSalem Program and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, Virginia. Address reprint requests to Dr. Rifai, VAMC, Medicine/Psychiatry 116A7, Salem, Virginia 24153. Copyright 2001 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Lithium remains a first-line treatment for acute manic states and bipolar affective disorders despite the introduction of newer alternative effective treatments. Lithium therapy, however, is associated with a variety of side effects. Although thyroid dysfunction is the most widely recognized endocrine side effect of lithium therapy, hypercalcemia and more rarely a biochemical picture resembling primary hyperparathyroidism may also develop. Recognition of this less common, but potentially life-threatening side effect, is important as an increasing number of patients are receiving long-term lithium therapy. The following case illustrates the potential impact of lithium on parathyroid function.
NIAID mycoses study group multicenter trial of oral itraconazole therapy for invasive aspergillosis

Abstract background: Invasive aspergillosis is the most common invasive mould infection and a major cause of mortality in immunocompromised patients. Response to amphotericin B, the only antifungal agent licensed in the United States for the treatment of aspergillosis, is suboptimal. methods: A multicenter open study with strict entry criteria for invasive aspergillosis evaluated oral itraconazole (600 mg/d for 4 days followed by 400 mg/d) in patients with various underlying conditions. Response was based on clinical and radiologic criteria plus microbiology, histopathology, and autopsy data. Responses were categorized as complete, partial, or stable. Failure was categorized as an itraconazole failure or overall failure. results: Our study population consisted of 76 evaluable patients. Therapy duration varied from 0.3 to 97 weeks (median 46). At the end of treatment, 30 (39%) patients had a complete or partial response, and 3 (4%) had a stable response, and in 20 patients (26%), the protocol therapy was discontinued early (at 0.6 to 54.3 weeks) because of a worsening clinical course or death due to aspergillosis (itraconazole failure). Twenty-three (30%) patients withdrew for other reasons including possible toxicity (7%) and death due to another cause but without resolution of aspergillosis (20%). Itraconazole failure rates varied widely according to site of disease and underlying disease group: 14% for pulmonary and tracheobronchial disease, 50% for sinus disease, 63% for central nervous system disease, and 44% for other sites; 7% in solid organ transplant, 29% in allogeneic bone marrow transplant patients, and 14% in those with prolonged granulocytopenia (median 19 days), 44% in AIDS patients, and 32% in other host groups. The relapse rates among those who completed therapy and those who discontinued early for possible toxicity were 12% and 40%, respectively; all were still immunosuppressed. conclusion: Oral itraconazole is a useful alternative therapy for invasive aspergillosis with response rates apparently comparable to amphotericin B. Relapse in immunocompromised patients may be a problem. Controlled trials are necessary to fully assess the role of itraconazole in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis.
Pathogenicity of a Novel Biotype of Limonomyces roseipellis in Tall Fescue

An unusual and undescribed foliar blight of tall fescue was observed in a home lawn and in turf grass research plots near Griffin, GA in May and June, 2000 and 2001. Isolation from lesions yielded mycelium of a basidiomycete with hyphal characteristics (binucleate cells, absence of clamp connections) associated with Laetisaria and Limonomyces spp. Isolates from blighted tall fescue and an isolate of Limonomyces roseipellis formed a clade distinct from isolates of Laetisaria fuciformis based on ribosomal DNA sequences. These data, in conjunction with cultural morphology, indicate that the basidiomycete from tall fescue represents a biotype of Limonomyces roseipellis that lacks clamp connections. In a controlled environment, isolates of the biotype induced foliar blight in the fescue cvs. Kentucky 31 and Rebel III. Histological observations revealed that the fungus colonized leaf surfaces as branched hyphae and aggregated hyphal strands. Penetration occurred via stomatal pores on the abaxial leaf surface. Colonization of leaf tissues was inter- and intracellular, with no evidence of papilla formation in response to invading hyphae. The name "cream leaf blight" is proposed for this new disease of tall fescue.
An Overview of Some Methods of Fish Stock Assessment

Abstract Stock assessments, which evaluate the effects of fishing on a fishery, are one basis of fishery management decisions. Stock assessments are based on fisheries data (a description of the catch and catching process), research vessel survey data, and qualitative information drawn from the observations of the harvesters and other knowledgeable observers. The fundamental model used as a basis for stock assessments and fishery management decisions takes account of four forces affecting biomass of the exploited population. These are growth, recruitment, natural mortality, and fishing mortality. Recruitment is the major source of variability in production of a fish population. The magnitude of past recruitment is estimated by application of virtual population analysis (VPA) to fisheries data. Future recruitment is predicted from current research vessel survey data and the relationship between survey catch rates and VPA estimates of recruitment during past years.
Short-term scheduling of combined cycle units

Combined cycle units represent the majority of new generating unit installations across the globe. Combined cycle units feature distinct advantages for power generation such as high efficiency, fast response, shorter installation time, abundance of gas, and environmental friendliness. The short-term scheduling of combined cycle units could represent a complicated optimization problem because combined cycle units could have multiple operating configurations based on the number and the status of combustion turbine and steam turbine. In this paper, we present a method for establishing the state space diagram of combined cycle units for applying dynamic programming and Lagrangian relaxation to the security constrained short-term scheduling problem. Although the proposed method is applied in this paper to analyze combined cycle units, it is suitable for other types of generating units with multiple configurations including fuel switching/blending units, constant/variable pressure units, and dual boiler units. The paper presents a few case studies to verify the advantages of combined cycle units in competitive electricity markets.
Synthesis of platinum nanowire networks using a soft template.

Platinum nanowire networks have been synthesized by chemical reduction of a platinum complex using sodium borohydride in the presence of a soft template formed by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in a two-phase water-chloroform system. The interconnected polycrystalline nanowires possess the highest surface area (53 ± 1 m2/g) and electroactive surface area (32.4 ± 3.6 m2/g) reported for unsupported platinum nanomaterials; the high surface area results from the small average diameter of the nanowires (2.2 nm) and the 2−10 nm pores determined by nitrogen adsorption measurements. Synthetic control over the network was achieved simply by varying the stirring rate and reagent concentrations, in some cases leading to other types of nanostructures including wormlike platinum nanoparticles. Similarly, substitution of a palladium complex for platinum gives palladium nanowire networks. A mechanism of formation of the metal nanowire networks is proposed based on confined metal growth within a soft template consisting ...
Novel cell patterning using microheater-controlled thermoresponsive plasma films

A novel approach is reported for cell patterning based on addressable microheaters and a poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (pNIPAM) themoresponsive coating. This thermoresponsive coating is created by a radio frequency NIPAM plasma and is denoted as plasma polymerized NIPAM (ppNIPAM). Films of ppNIPAM with a good retention of monomer side-chain functionality are produced using low-power continuous plasma deposition. Cell adhesion and cell detachment tests indicate that the surface switches between adhesive and nonadhesive behaviors as a function of temperature. The use of a photolithographically fabricated microheater array allows the ppNIPAM transition to occur spatially under the control of individual heaters. This localized change in the surface adhesive behavior is used to direct site-specific cell attachment. Patterned adhesion of two types of cells has been visualized on the array through fluorescent markers. Applications for diagnostic devices, cell-based sensors, tissue engineering, and cell transfection are envisioned. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 70A: 159–168, 2004
Heat shock response in the Atlantic sea urchin,Arbacia punctulata

Synthesis of heat shock proteins of blastulae and gastrulae of the sea urchin,Arbacia punctulata, was characterized by analyzing proteins labeled in vivo with [35S]methionine on 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gels. Trypsin was also shown to stimulate synthesis of heat shock proteins.
Integrative Recovery: A Stage Paradigm

Abstract This paper outlines a 10-stage recovery paradigm (6 pretreatment and 4 treatment stages), based upon the clinical and research experience with those treated in residential therapeutic communities. Various recovery-stage formulations have been described for alcoholic abusers and smokers, largely from middle- and working-class backgrounds. However, the relevance of these formulations for other chemically dependent subgroups such as those seen in therapeutic communities (TCs) remains to be clarified. Clients in these programs are chronic abusers of all substances, but mainly opiates, cocaine, crack, marijuana, and alcohol, although multiple drug use is the rule. For most, substance abuse is embedded in a larger picture of personality disorder, social deviance, disaffiliation, and personal dysfunction. Increasing numbers are unhabilitated in that they have never acquired the behavioral skills, attitudes, or values associated with socialized living. Thus, the recovery goals in the TC extend much beyon...
Nano-polypharmacy to treat tumors: coencapsulation of drug combinations using nanoparticle technology.

Complex pathologies such as cancer involve multiple molecular and genomic pathways. Combinatorial drug therapies have proven viable in that they catalyze the inhibition of multiple pathways or multiple connection points of a single pathway.1,2,3,4,5,6,7 The benefits of using multiple drugs are supported by clinical data showing synergistic effects that are superior to the sum of the therapeutic effects of each drug, and conventional drug regimens include at least two drugs administered together or in sequence. The study reported by Blanco et al. in this issue addresses the synergistic targeting of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway by delivering both paclitaxel and rapamycin through nanoparticle (NP) incorporation.8 The results demonstrate the therapeutic superiority of delivering rapamycin and paclitaxel coencapsulated into a single NP formulation (nano-polypharmacy) over concomitant administration of separate NP formulations loaded with each drug individually. The results also demonstrate the critical importance of maintaining a particular drug ratio in the tumor so as to maximize the therapeutic efficacy.
Bacterial Deposition in Porous Media Related to the Clean Bed Collision Efficiency and to Substratum Blocking by Attached Cells

Deposition of Pseudomonas putida mt2 and Rhodococcus strain C125 during transport through columns packed with Teflon grains was investigated. Deposition was analyzed in terms of the clean bed collision efficiency α0 (the probability of a cell to attach upon reaching a cell-free substratum) and the surface area blocked by attached cells. Blocking was quantified by a blocking factor B, the ratio of the blocked area per cell to the geometric area of a cell. At an average interstitial fluid velocity of 200 μm s-1, α0 is close to unity (0.83 ± 0.01) for both strains, indicating that cell−solid interactions are almost completely favorable for deposi tion. Values for B of 1.6 ± 0.1 and 12.0 ± 0.8 were obtained for Ps. putida and Rhodococcus strain C125, respectively. This difference is consistent with differences in cell size and cell−cell repulsion, which were both smaller for Ps. putida than for Rhodococcus strain C125. At coverages close to saturation, multilayer adhesion and/or pore clogging occurs for the w...
DNA sequence, structure, and tyrosine kinase activity of the Drosophila melanogaster Abelson proto-oncogene homolog

Abstract We report our molecular characterization of the Drosophila melanogaster Abelson gene (abl), a gene in which recessive loss-of-function mutations result in lethality at the pupal stage of development. This essential gene consists of 10 exons extending over 26 kilobase pairs of genomic DNA. The DNA sequence encodes a protein of 1,520 amino acids with strong sequence similarity to the human c-abl proto-oncogene beginning in the type lb 5' exon and extending through the region essential for tyrosine kinase activity. When the tyrosine kinase homologous region was expressed in Escherichia coli, phosphorylation of proteins on tyrosine residues was observed with an antiphosphotyrosine antibody. These results show that the abl gene is highly conserved through evolution and encodes a functional tyrosine protein kinase required for Drosophila development.
The bloch-FET&#8212;A lateral surface superlattice device

We describe a lateral surface superlattice device embedded in a MOSFET structure. Control of the inversion layer density and the two-dimensional quantized inversion layer itself allows optimizing the sub-band energy level spacing for a variety of applications. In particular, the narrow bands that arise in the inversion layer itself lead to the possibility of readily achieving negative differential conductivity in the transport properties of electrons through the device.
Diffusion‐Limited Climb Rate of a Dislocation: Effect of Climb Motion on Climb Rate

The diffusion‐limited climb rate of a straight dislocation immersed in a nonequilibrium concentration of point defects was calculated in the quasisteady‐state approximation. It was shown that this approximation should apply in many cases of interest. Full account was taken of the effect of the dislocation climb motion while treating the problem of the diffusion of defects from (or to) the dislocation. The effect of the climb motion was expressed in terms of the dimensionless parameter vR/2D, where v is the climb velocity, R is the radius of the diffusion field of the climbing dislocation, and D is the point‐defect diffusivity. For vR/2D«1, the effect of the climb motion was negligible. For vR/2D»1, the climb rate tended to be faster than that calculated by ignoring the climb motion. It was shown, however, that under usual conditions the climb motion could never be an important factor affecting the diffusion‐limited climb rate. The results were applied briefly to some recent data for climbing dislocations in gold.
Precise determination of the helical repeat of tobacco mosaic virus.

Abstract Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is widely used as a distance standard in electron microscopy, fiber diffraction, and other imaging techniques. The dimension used as a reference is the pitch of the viral helix, 23 A. This distance, however, has never been measured with any great degree of precision. The helical pitch of TMV has been determined to be 22.92 ± 0.03 A by X-ray fiber diffraction methods using highly collimated synchrotron radiation.
PROBABILITY PREDICTION AND CLASSIFICATION

Criteria for prediction of multinomial responses are examined in terms of estimation bias. Logarithmic penalty and least squares are quite similar in behavior but quite different from maximum probability. The differences ultimately reflect deficiencies in the behavior of the criterion of maximum probability.
The penny-shaped crack in three-dimensional electrostriction

Zur Untersuchung der Spannungs- und Verschiebungsfelder in einem unendlichen elastischen Dielektrikum verwenden wir die dreidimensionale lineare ungekoppelte Theorie der Elektrostriktion.
The Hogeye Clovis cache, Texas: quantifying lithic reduction signatures

The Hogeye Clovis cache is comprised of 52 late-stage bifaces, finished points, and knife/cores cached in central Texas. Because these artifacts were all likely made and cached approximately 13,000 years ago by one or a handful of knappers belonging to a single band with a shared Clovis cultural template, Hogeye provides a rare opportunity to investigate Clovis lithic reduction signatures. This paper builds on previous analyses and presents new methods for quantifying Clovis biface production signatures, including serial flaking and the timing of last overshot flaking. The results show that the Hogeye cache bifaces technologically and morphologically differ from other regional Clovis biface reduction signatures. Additional data is needed to determine whether these differences reflect individual knapping preferences or regional cultural signatures. The methods used and developed here are not Clovis-specific and could be modified and combined with other analytical techniques to identify reduction signatures in biface assemblages from other times and places.
Missense mutations in CRELD1 are associated with cardiac atrioventricular septal defects.

Atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD) are common cardiovascular malformations, occurring in 3.5/10,000 births. Although frequently associated with trisomy 21, autosomal dominant AVSD has also been described. Recently we identified and characterized the cell adhesion molecule CRELD1 (previously known as “cirrin”) as a candidate gene for the AVSD2 locus mapping to chromosome 3p25. Analysis of the CRELD1 gene from individuals with non–trisomy 21–associated AVSD identified heterozygous missense mutations in nearly 6% of this population, including mutations in isolated AVSD and AVSD associated with heterotaxy syndrome. CRELD1 is the first human gene to be implicated in the pathogenesis of isolated AVSD and AVSD in the context of heterotaxy, which provides an important step in unraveling the pathogenesis of AVSD.
Developmental regulation of alternative exon usage in the house fly Vssc1 sodium channel gene

Sequence analysis of cDNA clones amplified by PCR from house fly ( Musca domestica L.) Vssc1 voltage-sensitive sodium channel alpha subunit transcript templates identified 11 putative alternatively spliced exons. Nine of these corresponded to the 7 optional exons (designated a, b, e, f, h, i, and j) and 2 mutually exclusive exons (designated c/d) identified previously in the orthologous para sodium channel alpha subunit genes of Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila virilis, whereas two segments represented new mutually exclusive exons in Vssc1 (designated k/l) located in a region not previously identified as a site of alternative splicing in para. Diagnostic PCR assays on individual Vssc1 cDNA templates detected the presence or absence of each putative alternative exon in multiple partial cDNAs (42-96 individual clones per cDNA pool) from newly emerged first instar larvae, pupae, day 1 adult heads, and day 1 adult bodies. Exons h and i were present in all cDNA clones from all developmental stages. Exon d was also present in all clones from all developmental stages that encoded full-length amino acid sequences; however, 1 of 42 clones from adult head contained an exon c-like segment in which the coding sequence was terminated by a premature stop codon. In contrast, the frequencies of exons a, b, e, f, j, k, and l differed between developmental stages and adult anatomical regions. Analysis of the Vssc1 region containing alternative exons a, b, c/d, e, f, h, and i as a single amplified cDNA segment identified nine Vssc1 splice variants involving these exons. The splice variant containing exons a, d, h, and i was the most abundant form in all cDNA pools examined, but the observed patterns of splice variant expression were specific to each developmental stage and adult anatomical region. Our results document the strong conservation of alternative exon location and structure between the Vssc1 gene of the house fly and the para gene of D. melanogaster but identify marked differences in exon usage between these species.
Geographical Distribution of Weather Catastrophes in the United States

In the 1949-2008 data period, the nation experienced 1,506 storm catastrophes (each causing losses of $1 million or more), and these caused insured losses totaling $368.1 billion. Catastrophes were most frequent in the eastern half of the nation, as were their losses, with 82% of catastrophes there and 91% of the nation's losses. The highest regional loss for 1949-2008 was $147.5 billion in the Southeast. Regional ranks based on average losses differed from those based on the 60-year frequency of catastrophes. The distributions of catastrophes and their losses were examined for the three 20-year periods during 1949-2008. The first period, 1949-1968, had fewer catastrophes in most regions than the two later periods, with less than 20% of the total catastrophes. In six regions, average losses per catastrophe were highest in the period 1949-1968, while average losses were highest in 1989-2008 in the Central, Southeast, and Southwest regions. In all but the Southwest region, average storm losses were lowest i...
Effect of Acute Hypophysectomy and Growth Hormone on FFA Mobilization, Nitrogen Excretion and Cardiac Glycogen in Fasting Rats

The effect of acute hypophysectomy and growth hormone replacement therapy on FFA mobilization, nitrogen excretion and cardiac glycogen was examined in fasting rats. Hypophysectomy caused an increase in nitrogen excretion, a decrease in cardiac glycogen and a complete blockade of FFA mobilization during fasting. Growth hormone therapy tended to restore all of the parameters to their control values. Plasma FFA levels did not reflect the marked changes seen in FFA release by incubated adipose tissue. The data suggest that growth hormone is the major pituitary hormone affecting FFA mobilization and they are consistent with a primary effect of growth hormone on FFA mobilization. (Endocrinology 83: 1162, 1968)
A technique to expose animals to concentrated fine ambient aerosols.

This paper presents the development and evaluation of an ambient particle concentrator for conducting animal inhalation exposure studies. The system utilizes the principle of virtual impactors to c...
Behavioral Interventions for Pediatric Patients' Acute Pain and Anxiety: Improving Health Regimen Compliance and Outcome

Three boys (ages 10 to 14 years) with chronic illnesses were referred to a pediatric psychology consultation service for behavioral assessment and intervention. Each case illustrates medical noncompliance as a complex set of child and caregiver behaviors with multiple environmental determinants. The following procedures are highlighted for each case: (a) operational definition of behavioral criteria for compliance; (b) identification of child, family, and environmental variables maintaining behaviors that prevent compliance; and (c) design and implementation of interventions to modify antecedents and contingencies in the physical and social environment. Effective techniques for shaping new child and family skills or strengthening infrequently performed health-enhancing behaviors are discussed.
Inhibition of degeneracy by intense magnetic fields: Derivation and astrophysical application

Strong magnetic fields inhibit degeneracy in Fermi gases, that is, they postpone degeneracy to higher densities or lower temperatures. We derive this principle, virtually unknown in the physical and astrophysical literature, for the case of an ideal Dirac electron gas. Its possible importance in astrophysics is due to the fact that the equations of state of Fermi gases at given density and temperature can be qualitatively changed by this degeneracy-inhibition by strong fields. All astrophysical work with strong fields up to the present has used the field-free equations of state and the usual MHD approximation: permeability ≈1. Their interest was focussed on the effects of a strong Lorentz force term. We consider an application to hypothetical degenerate stellar objects with arbitrarily strong fields to see what effects the changed equations of state would lead to. One result is that the luminosity-temperature relation of the star is changed: the luminosity is reduced for given mass and interior temperature.
A study of absorbative corrections in the reaction π−p→π−π+n

Abstract A general absorption model for the three-body final state reaction π − p→ π − π + n is developed for single pion exchange in a framework particularly suitable for including absorptive effects in analyses of ππ scattering in this reaction. The model is used to study the effects of absorption on the differential cross section and on the density matrix elements in the helicity and Gottfried-Jackson frames when the dipion effective mass range covers the ϱ-region. The model is also compared with the original (canonical) absorption model of Gottfried and Jackson, with the weak cut model and with the OPE-δ parametrization of absorptive effects. It is found that if strong absorption is operative, excellent fits to the data can be obtained. However, the detailed results are dependent on the non-unique I = 0 s-wave input ππ phase shifts, which mainly affects the sp interference density matrices, and therefore can be exploited to obtain a favored set of ππ phase shifts. In accord with the data, our model strongly suggests that non-evasive Chew-Low extrapolation techniques should be used in order to measure ππ phase shifts. The weak cut model, on the other hand, is found to be totally inadequate to describe the data in terms of π-exchange and an associated weak cut alone.
Use of electronic health record data to identify skin and soft tissue infections in primary care settings: a validation study.

Background Epidemiologic studies of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) depend upon accurate case identification. Our objective was to evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) of electronic medical record data for identification of SSTIs in a primary care setting.
Performance of B3LYP Density Functional Methods for a Large Set of Organic Molecules

Testing of the commonly used hybrid density functional B3LYP with the 6-31G(d), 6-31G(d,p), and 6-31+G(d,p) basis sets has been carried out for 622 neutral, closed-shell organic compounds containing the elements C, H, N, and O. The focus is comparison of computed and experimental heats of formation and isomerization energies. In addition, the effect of an empirical dispersion correction term has been evaluated and found to improve agreement with the experimental data. For the 622 compounds, the mean absolute errors (MAE) in the heats of formation are 3.1, 2.6, 2.7, and 2.4 kcal/mol for B3LYP/6-31G(d), B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p), and B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) with the dispersion correction. A diverse set of 34 isomerizations highlights specific issues of general interest, such as performance on differences in steric effects, conjugation, and bonding. The corresponding MAEs for the isomerizations are 2.7, 2.4, 2.2, and 1.9 kcal/mol. Improvement is obtained for isomerizations of amines and alcohols when bot...
Nonfat dry milk inhibits pink discoloration in turkey rolls

Abstract Pink discoloration in turkey rolls was prevented by incorporating 3% nonfat dry milk (NFDM) in the formulation. Coarsely ground, cooked turkey rolls formulated with NFDM also had higher levels of undenatured myoglobin than did controls. Nonfat dry milk may inhibit formation of reduced heme-denatured globin pigments (globin hemochromes) in cooked meat by inhibiting myoglobin denaturation or promoting heme oxidation. The mechanism of inhibition of pink discoloration by NFDM remains to be determined.
Freezing temperatures and densities of solutions of some hydrocarbons and sodium oleate inN-methylacetamide. Evidence for a solvophobic interaction

The freezing temperatures and densities (at 31°C) of solutions of octane, nonane, decane, 3,3-diethylpentane, and sodium oleate inN-methylacetamide (NMA) have been measured. The molality of the freezing solution was calculated from the density. The solubilities of octane, nonane, and decane inN-methylacetamide are also reported. Apparent molal volumes calculated from the densities are close to the values in the pure hydrocarbons and are not strong functions of the concentration. This indicates the absence of any unusual packing effect. The calculated free energies of transfer of the hydrocarbons from pure hydrocarbon to NMA solution are much less negative than the corresponding values for water, showing that the bulk solvophobic interaction inN-methylacetamide is smaller than in water. This is consistent with the freezing temperatures of sodium oleate which show that micelles do not form below 0.1 mole-kg−1. The osmotic coefficients of the hydrocarbons calculated from the freezing temperatures showed negative deviations from ideality that were larger for the hydrocarbons with the higher molecular weights. Two estimates of the pairwise solvophobic interaction inN-methylacetamide indicate that it is also smaller than in water. The solvophobic effect in this solvent does not include the large entropy and enthalpy effects found in aqueous solutions.
Novel hydration assessment techniques employing thirst and a water intake challenge in healthy men.

Exploring novel hydration indices is important because no human biomarker has been shown to be incontrovertibly valid in all life situations. The present investigation was designed to identify inex...
An Attachment-Theoretical Approach to Romantic Love and Religious Belief

This study conceptualizes personal religion, like romantic love, in terms of attachment theory and explores empirical relationships between adult attachment style and religious belief and behavior in an adult sample. Respondents who classified themselves as secure reported greater religious commitment and more positive images of God than insecure respondents. Avoidant respondents were more likely to describe themselves as agnostics; anxious/ambivalent respondents were more likely to report having had a glossolalia experience. Security of attachment to God was positively associated with security of adult attachment, but only among respondents who described their childhood maternal attachments as insecure. Attachment to God, in contrast to other religion variables, was strongly and significantly related to several mental and physical health outcomes. Results are interpreted in terms of mental models of attachment relationships, including relationships with God.
The Freewillers in the English Reformation

In searching for the sources and origins of the liberal theology which toward the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century came to occupy an increasingly important position in English religious thought, historians invariably have turned their attention toward the Continent. Indeed, the impact of this approach suggested by the very label—“Arminianism”—which historically has attached itself to the new theological tendency. But in the preoccupation with continental influences some significant indigenous sources and precedents have been overlooked. The purpose of this article is to call attention to one such precedent—the activities and opinions of an obscure though important religious group which flourished during the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I and which were known to their contemporaries as the “Freewillers.”
Collimator (head) scatter at extended distances in linear accelerator-generated photon beams.

Abstract Purpose : A calculation formalism is proposed to predict variation of head scatter as a function of field size and treatment distance. Methods and Materials : Assuming that the head scatter for the linear accelerator studied was contributed predominantly by the flattening filter, a formalism was devised to predict beam intensity as a function of distance from the target position. The method used the concept of an equivalent collimator field in which a given field at any distance can be equated to a field at the isocenter such that the extent of the flattening filter seen at the two positions is the same. Results : The equation derived from the concept of equivalent collimator field size predicated change in head scatter with distance to within 0.5% for collimator field sizes ranging from 8 × 8 to 40 × 40 cm and distances up to 300 cm from the target. Conclusions : Considering flattening filter to be the main source of head scatter, the observed deviation from inverse square law for extended treatment distances can be accounted for by an equivalent collimator field size, which sees the same extent of the flattening filter at the isocenter as the field at the given distance.
Age, imagery, and practice in paired-associate learning

Elder and college-aged subjects performed a series of paired-associate tasks designed to investigate age differences in the use of mnemonic imagery as a strategy in verbal learning. Subjects were tested on three occasions at two-week intervals. Two ten-pair lists of concrete-noun paired associates were learned at each session. Standard (no-imagery), self-generated, and experimenter-provided imagery instructions were used. Results indicated that imagery instructions are quite beneficial for elders in the short run. However, elders tended not to use the strategy effectively after a two-week interval unless reminded to do so. Results also indicated that elders were capable of generating useful learning strategies on their own when given sufficient experience with the task.
Apotransferrin Protects Cortical Neurons from Hemoglobin Toxicity

The protective effect of iron chelators in experimental models of intracerebral hemorrhage suggests that nonheme iron may contribute to injury to perihematomal cells. Therapy with high affinity iron chelators is limited by their toxicity, which may be due in part to sequestration of metals in an inaccessible complex. Transferrin is unique in chelating iron with very high affinity while delivering it to cells as needed via receptor-mediated endocytosis. However, its efficacy against iron-mediated neuronal injury has never been described, and was therefore evaluated in this study using an established cell culture model of hemoglobin neurotoxicity. At concentrations similar to that of CSF transferrin (50-100 micrograms/ml), both iron-saturated holotransferrin and apotransferrin were nontoxic per se. Overnight exposure to 3 μM purified human hemoglobin in serum-free culture medium resulted in death, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase release assay, of about three-quarters of neurons. Significant increases in culture iron, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyls, ferritin and heme oxygenase-1 were also observed. Holotransferrin had no effect on these parameters, but all were attenuated by 50-100 micrograms/ml apotransferrin. The effect of apotransferrin was very similar to that of deferoxamine at a concentration that provided equivalent iron binding capacity, and was not antagonized by concomitant treatment with holotransferrin. Transferrin receptor-1 expression was localized to neurons and was not altered by hemoglobin or transferrin treatment. These results suggest that apotransferrin may mitigate the neurotoxicity of hemoglobin after intracerebral hemorrhage. Increasing its concentration in perihematomal tissue may be beneficial.
Regulatory T cells and the pursuit of self-tolerance

Failure of the CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T-cell compartment to control immune reactivity to self-antigens leads to the development of chronic graft-versus-host disease largely mediated by donor-derived helper T cells that secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains
An Economic Analysis of the Earnings of Industrial Accountants.

This paper explores hypothesized determinants of accountants' earnings using a conventional Mincer earnings function. Findings indicate that the CPA credential, MBA degree, and years of work experience increase earnings. Also presented is a more detailed analysis of the earnings gap between accountants employed in traditional accounting positions and those in finance-related positions.