State University of New York System

About: State University of New York System is a education organization based out in Albany, New York, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 54077 authors who have published 78070 publications receiving 2985160 citations.

Production and physiological actions of anandamide in the vasculature of the rat kidney.

Abstract: The endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist anandamide is present in central and peripheral tissues. As the kidney contains both the amidase that degrades anandamide and transcripts for anandamide receptors, we characterized the molecular components of the anandamide signaling system and the vascular effects of exogenous anandamide in the kidney. We show that anandamide is present in kidney ho- mogenates, cultured renal endothelial cells (EC), and mes- angial cells; these cells also contain anandamide amidase. Reverse-transcriptase PCR shows that EC contain tran- scripts for cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors, while mes- angial cells have mRNA for both CB1 and CB2 receptors. EC exhibit specific, high-affinity binding of anandamide ( K d 5 27.4 nM). Anandamide (1 m M) vasodilates juxtamed- ullary afferent arterioles perfused in vitro; the vasodilation can be blocked by nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibition with L -NAME (0.1 mM) or CB1 receptor antagonism with SR 141716A (1 m M), but not by indomethacin (10 m M). Anan- damide (10 nM) stimulates CB1-receptor-mediated NO re- lease from perfused renal arterial segments; a similar effect was seen in EC. Finally, anandamide (1 m M) produces a NO-mediated inhibition of KCl-stimulated ( 3 H)norepineph- rine release from sympathetic nerves on isolated renal arte- rial segments. Hence, an anandamide signaling system is present in the kidney, where it exerts significant vasorelax- ant and neuromodulatory effects. ( J. Clin. Invest. 1997. 100: 1538-1546.) Key words: cannabinoidsendothelial cells • afferentanandamide amidasenitric oxide

Nutrient and particulate fluxes in a salt marsh ecosystem: Tidal exchanges and inputs by precipitation and groundwater 1

Abstract: Waterborne nutrients enter Great Sippewissctt Marsh through groundwater, rain, and tidal flooding. The ebb of tidal water removes nutrients. During summer, uptake by marsh biota leads to net import of nutrients. The increased export of ammonium in August may be due to leaching from senescent marsh plants. There is a net annual export of ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, dissolved organic (DON) and particulate (PN) nitrogen, particulate carbon (PC), and phosphate. Ammonium, DON, and PN are the major forms of nitrogen exported. Nutrient concentrations in coastal and marsh water are correlated, and marsh exports could contribute substantially to nutrient supplies of coastal waters. Groundwater entering the marsh provides primarily N03-N and DON. Nutrient inputs through precipitation consist primarily of DON, NO,-N, and NIIcN. Particulate materials in rain have a high C:N ratio, contributing little to enrichment of the nitrogen-limited salt marsh. Groundwater carries over 20 times the amount of nutrients brought in by rain. The nitrogen provided by both sources is more than enough to support annual plant growth. Inputs of nitrogen by groundwater are therefore important to the nitrogen economy of a salt marsh. About half the dissolved inorganic nitrogen brought into the marsh by groundwater is converted to and exported as PN. The marsh thus transforms the nitrogen that would have been used by primary producers into a form suitable for consumers such as shellfish. Large amounts of apparently refractory DON enter the marsh in groundwater and similar amounts are exported by tides. PC exported to coastal water is equivalent to 40% of the net annual production of Spartina alterniflora, the dominant marsh plant.

Development of a measure of experiential avoidance: The Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire.

Abstract: Experiential avoidance (EA) has been conceptualized as the tendency to avoid negative internal experiences and is an important concept in numerous conceptualizations of psychopathology as well as theories of psychotherapy. Existing measures of EA have either been narrowly defined or demonstrated unsatisfactory internal consistency and/or evidence of poor discriminant validity vis-a`-vis neuroticism. To help address these problems, we developed a reliable self-report questionnaire assessing a broad range of EA content that was distinguishable from higher order personality traits. An initial pool of 170 items was administered to a sample of undergraduates (N 312) to help evaluate individual items and establish a structure via exploratory factor analyses. A revised set of items was then administered to another sample of undergraduates (N 314) and a sample of psychiatric outpatients (N 201). A 2nd round of item evaluation was performed, resulting in a final 62-item measure consisting of 6 subscales. Cross-validation data were gathered in 3 new, independent samples (students, N 363; patients, N 265; community adults, N 215). The resulting measure (the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire, or MEAQ) exhibited good internal consistency, was substantially associated with other measures of avoidance, and demonstrated greater discrimination vis-a`-vis neuroticism relative to preexisting measures of EA. Furthermore, the MEAQ was broadly associated with psychopathology and quality of life, even after controlling for the effects of neuroticism.

Modeling the information-seeking behavior of social scientists: Ellis's study revisited

Abstract: This paper revises David Ellis's information-seeking behavior model of social scientists, which includes six generic features: starting, chaining, browsing, differentiating, monitoring, and extracting. The paper uses social science faculty researching stateless nations as the study population. The description and analysis of the information-seeking behavior of this group of scholars is based on data collected through structured and semistructured electronic mail interviews. Sixty faculty members from 14 different countries were interviewed by e-mail. For reality check purposes, face-to-face interviews with five faculty members were also conducted. Although the study confirmed Ellis's model, it found that a fuller description of the information-seeking process of social scientists studying stateless nations should include four additional features besides those identified by Ellis. These new features are: accessing, networking, verifying, and information managing. In view of that, the study develops a new model, which, unlike Ellis's, groups all the features into four interrelated stages: searching, accessing, processing, and ending. This new model is fully described and its implications on research and practice are discussed. How and why scholars studied here are different than other academic social scientists is also discussed.

A Partisan Schema for Political Information Processing

Abstract: Based on their interest in politics and knowledge of political leaders, individuals are classified into three levels of partisan sophistication: (1) those scoring high in interest and knowledge (partisan schematics), (2) a middle group, and (3) those scoring low (partisan aschematics). In this experimental study, and consistent with findings from cognitive and social psychology, partisan schematics prove better able than partisan aschematics to classify campaign statements as either Republican or Democratic and to recall the policy stands taken by a fictitious congressman. Aschematics, at the other extreme, perform at no better than chance levels in either the recognition or recall of the congressman's policy statements. There are, however, liabilities to sophistication as well: Schematics demonstrate a “consistency bias” in recalling significantly more policy statements that are consistent with the congressman's party identification than are inconsistent with it. This “restructuring” of memory is especially pronounced among sophisticates, and reflects a serious bias in the processing of political information.