cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional localization and targeting of prostate cancer foci with imaging and histopathologic correlation: establishing a multidisciplinary team for quality improvement.

Purpose of reviewThe current trend in image-based identification and characterization of prostate cancer (PCa) utilizing multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) has affected diagnostic and treatment planning in terms of targeted biopsy, risk stratification and prognostic evaluation, clinical management and foll
A Comparison of Computerized and Paper and Pencil Versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

Date Presented 04/06/19 The purpose of this study was to compare the results of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) paper and electronic versions when administered to older adults. Additionally, factors related to participant preferences and familiarity with computerized tablets were considered. This research encourages practitioners to be cognizant of the mode of assessments they use as it may impact client performance. Primary Author and Speaker: Mackenzie Rodgers Additional Authors and Speakers: Elena Donoso Brown Contributing Authors: Sarah Wallace, Richard Simpson, Alexander Kranjec, Kristin D'Acunto, Caroline Agostino, Mary Rose Zoeckler
Association of D-dimer and fibrinogen magnitude with hypercoagulability by thromboelastography in severe COVID-19

Abstract Introduction D-dimer concentration has been used to identify candidates for intensified anticoagulant treatment for both venous thromboembolism prevention and mitigation of the microthrombotic complications associated with COVID-19. Thromboelastography (TEG) maximum amplitude (MA) has been validated as an indicator of hypercoagulability and MA ≥ 68 mm has been utilized as a marker of hypercoagulability in other conditions. We evaluated the relationship between coagulation, inflammatory, and TEG parameters in patients with COVID-19 on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Methods We performed a single center retrospective analysis of consecutive patients that received ECMO for the treatment of COVID-19. TEG, inflammatory, and coagulation markers were compared in patients with and without thrombotic complications. Correlation tests were performed to identify the coagulation and inflammatory markers that best predict hypercoagulability as defined by an elevated TEG MA. Results 168 TEGs were available in 24 patients. C-reactive protein and fibrinogen were significantly higher in patients that developed a thrombotic event versus those that did not (p=0.038 and p=0.043 respectively). D-dimer was negatively correlated with TEG MA (p 441 mg/dL had a sensitivity of 91.2% and specificity of 85.7% for the detection of MA ≥ 68 mm. Conclusions In critically ill patients with COVID-19, D-dimer concentration had an inverse relationship with hypercoagulability as measured by TEG MA. D-dimer elevation may reflect severity of COVID-19 related sepsis rather than designate patients likely to benefit from anticoagulation. Fibrinogen concentration may represent a more useful marker of hypercoagulability in this population.
Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO): A New Typology for Capturing Children’s Play Behaviors in Outdoor Environments

Engagement in play has been definitively linked to the healthy development of children across physical, social, cognitive, and emotional domains. The enriched nature of high-quality outdoor play environments can afford a greater diversity of opportunities for play than indoor settings. To more effectively design outdoor play settings, we must better understand how the physical environment supports, or hinders, the different types of play which suit children’s needs and interests. However, play typologies or observation tools available to date do not adequately capture the unique characteristics of outdoor play. This paper outlines the development and testing of the Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO), a new typology of outdoor play, as well as a systematic field observational protocol which can be used to effectively depict children’s behaviors in outdoor spaces, as well as evaluate the play environment itself. The tool can be deployed in either a collapsed or expanded form to serve the needs of a wide range of studies and environments. This new tool represents a significant advance in the ability to fully and effectively study and plan outdoor play environments to provide more diverse, high-quality play settings that will support the healthy development of children across the spectrum.
Behavioral Epigenetics: The Underpinnings of Political Psychology

Following the foundational work of the ENCODE project the definition of a gene has changed, from a specific DNA sequence coding for a protein, to a process dominated by epigenetics. Epigenetics is a regulatory network that activates, or silences genes based on environmental influences. Epigenetics is the interface between the environment and the genome. The relevance of epigenetics to social policy and therefore politics is that all environmental insult factors affect the human body, not just in the present but passed on in the epigenome to future generations. Transgenerational epigenetics can even pass the impact of trauma (such as from the Holocaust) from one generation to the next. Politics and social policy have yet to respond to the impact of epigenetics on health and disease. Psychological/ideological factors blocking acceptance of epigenetic influence on social policy are motivated reasoning, just world view, blaming the victim, and binding values. Both personal responsibility factors (which conservatives espouse) and the interactional influence of the environment (which liberals appreciate) are at work in producing epigenetic outcomes across generations.
Towards a “Digital” Sports Journalism: Field Theory, Changing Boundaries and Evolving Technologies:

Long trivialized as the “toy department,” sports journalism nevertheless represents an enduring, and vital subfield within journalism. As with many niches of journalism, sports journalism has neede...
Tonic Immobility Is Influenced by Starvation, Life Stage, and Body Mass in Ixodid Ticks

The ability to escape predation modulates predator-prey interactions and represents a crucial aspect of organismal life history, influencing feeding, mating success, and survival. Thanatosis, also known as death feigning or tonic immobility (TI), is taxonomically widespread, but understudied in blood-feeding vectors. Hematophagous arthropods, such as ticks, are unique among animals as their predators (birds, mice, lizards, frogs, and other invertebrates) may also be their source of food. Therefore, the trade-off between predator avoidance and host-seeking may shift as the time since the last bloodmeal increases. Because ticks are slow-moving and unable to fly, or otherwise escape, we predicted that they may use TI to avoid predation, but that TI would be influenced by time since the last bloodmeal (starvation). We therefore aimed to quantify this relationship, examining the effect of starvation, body mass, and ontogeny on TI for two tick species: Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) (Acari: Ixodidae). As we predicted, the duration and use of TI decreased with time since feeding and emergence across species and life stages. Therefore, ticks may become more aggressive in their search for a bloodmeal as they continue to starve, opting to treat potential predators as hosts, rather than avoiding predation by feigning death. Antipredator behaviors such as TI may influence the intensity and amount of time ticks spend searching for hosts, driving patterns of tick-borne pathogen transmission. This identification and quantification of a novel antipredation strategy add a new component to our understanding of tick life history.
State Minimum Wage Laws as a Response to Federal Inaction

This article analyzes state legislative and ballot measure activity related to the minimum wage between 2003 and 2020. The analysis distinguishes proposals to raise the minimum wage from those to i...
Expanding legal treatment options for medical marijuana in the State of Louisiana.

Background: The use of cannabis for ‘medical’ purposes has expanded throughout the USA. Despite the limited peer-reviewed medical research, medical marijuana therapy has been to treat chronic pain,...
Super-Resolution Sensing with a Randomly Scattering Analyzer

A randomly scattering analyzer is presented as means to access super-resolution spatial sensing information associated with subwavelength motion of a coherent incident field or remote object and illustrated using cross-correlations of normalized laser speckle patterns.
Passive Smoking Throughout the Life Course and the Risk of Incident Rheumatoid Arthritis in Adulthood Among Women

Objective To investigate passive smoking throughout the life course and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while accounting for personal smoking. Methods We analyzed the Nurses' Health Study II prospective cohort, using information collected via biennial questionnaires. We assessed the influence of 1) maternal smoking during pregnancy (in utero exposure), 2) childhood parental smoking, and 3) years lived with smokers since age 18. Incident RA and serostatus were determined by medical record review. Using the marginal structural model framework, we estimated the controlled direct effect of each passive smoking exposure on adult incident RA risk by serologic phenotype, controlling for early-life factors and time-updated adulthood factors including personal smoking. Results Among 90,923 women, we identified 532 incident RA cases (66% seropositive) during a median of 27.7 years of follow-up. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with RA after adjustment for confounders, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.25 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.03-1.52), but not after accounting for subsequent smoking exposures. Childhood parental smoking was associated with seropositive RA after adjustment for confounders (HR 1.41 [95% CI 1.08-1.83]). In the controlled direct effect analyses, childhood parental smoking was associated with seropositive RA (HR 1.75 [95% CI 1.03-2.98]) after controlling for adulthood personal smoking, and the association was accentuated among ever smokers (HR 2.18 [95% CI 1.23-3.88]). There was no significant association of adulthood passive smoking with RA (HR 1.30 for ≥20 years of living with a smoker versus none [95% CI 0.97-1.74]). Conclusion We found a potential direct influence of childhood parental smoking on adult-onset incident seropositive RA even after controlling for adulthood personal smoking.
On the Local Communication Complexity of Counting and Modular Arithmetic.

In standard number-in-hand multi-party communication complexity, performance is measured as the total number of bits transmitted globally in the network. In this paper, we study a variation called local communication complexity in which performance instead measures the maximum number of bits sent or received at any one player. We focus on a simple model where $n$ players, each with one input bit, execute a protocol by exchanging messages to compute a function on the $n$ input bits. We ask what can and cannot be solved with a small local communication complexity in this setting. We begin by establishing a non-trivial lower bound on the local complexity for a specific function by proving that counting the number of $1$'s among the first $17$ input bits distributed among the participants requires a local complexity strictly greater than $1$. We further investigate whether harder counting problems of this type can yield stronger lower bounds, providing a largely negative answer by showing that constant local complexity is sufficient to count the number $1$ bits over the entire input, and therefore compute any symmetric function. In addition to counting, we show that both sorting and searching can be computed in constant local complexity. We then use the counting solution as a subroutine to demonstrate that constant local complexity is also sufficient to compute many standard modular arithmetic operations on two operands, including: comparisons, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and exponentiation. Finally we establish that function $GCD(x,y)$ where $x$ and $y$ are in the range $[1,n]$ has local complexity of $O(1)$. Our work highlights both new techniques for proving lower bounds on this metric and the power of even a small amount of local communication.
Body-Worn Cameras: A Step Toward Trust and Legitimacy for Campus Police

3 Background 4 Research Questions 15 Methods 15 Literature Review 16 Theoretical Applications and Empirical Support (RQ1) 16 Concerns of Body-Worn Cameras (RQ2) 29 Characteristics of Campus Policing (RQ3) 34 Body-Worn Cameras and Campus Policing (RQ4) 43 Conclusion 47 Bibliography 49 BWCs: A STEP TOWARD TRUST AND LEGITIMACY FOR CAMPUS POLICE 3
Fatty acid binding to CD36 affects oxLDL uptake

We investigated the hypothesis that interactions of unesterified fatty acid (FA) with the plasma membrane protein CD36 affect uptake of oxLDL. Because the binding of natural FA to CD36 have not bee...
Interactive Effects of Ethanol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Endocrine Functions in Male Mice

Exposure during sexual maturation to alcohol (ETOH) plus Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) significantly decreased the weights of adrenals, kidneys, testes, and emptied seminal vesicles ten days after cessation of treatment. Administration of ETOH alone reduced kidney weights, and that of THC alone decreased emptied seminal vesicle weights. The effects of THC treatment may be reversible, since mice killed 24 hours after the last exposure also had signifIcant reductions in kidney and testes weights. In contrast, perinatal exposure to ETOH or THC, alone or in combination, decreased testes weights in adulthood; THC alone reduced seminal weights, and ETOH or THC alone decreased kidney weights. Testosterone production in vitro was lower in testes obtained from mice perinatally exposed to ETOH, and plasma testosterone levels were reduced in all drug-exposed animals. Plasma LH levels were lower and FSH levels higher in mice perinatally treated with the combination of ETOH plus THC. Postcastration LH and FSH levels were elevated in THC-exposed mice. Exposure to ETOH or THC, alone or in combination, influences the development of male reproductive function in mice.
Endergonic reduction of mitochondrial diphosphopyridine nucleotide by sarcosine.

Abstract The aerobic dehydrogenation of the N-methyl group of sarcosine initiates an energy-requiring reduction of diphosphopyridine nucleotide in intact mitochondria. The formation of DPNH can be measured both spectrophotometrically and by the reduction of acetoacetate. Except in the presence of uncouplers, such as Dicumarol and arsenate, reduction of DPN by sarcosine does not require added adenosine triphosphate. The formation of DPNH is inhibited by Amytal, but not by oligomycin. It is proposed that DPN is reduced by electron transfer flavoprotein(2H) via the Amytal-sensitive site of the respiratory chain, and that the energy for this endergonic process can be transferred from the two terminal sites of energy conservation without the participation of inorganic phosphate.
Interleukin 2 Activation of Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes Infiltrating into Human Metastatic Melanomas

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were isolated from 22 tumors obtained from 15 patients with metastatic melanoma. In 18 of the 22 tumors, a substantial number of lymphocytes was isolated with an average lymphoid cell:tumor cell ratio of 1.26. The TIL were predominantly cytotoxic/suppressor T-lymphocytes with an average of 87% Leu4+, 61% Leu2a+, and 18% Leu3a+ cells. There were less than 2% natural killer cells, B-cells, or macrophages. An average of 3.8% (range, less than 0.1 to 8.6%) of freshly isolated TIL bound to autologous tumor cells. Prior to culture, none of the tumor-binding cells (TBC) was cytotoxic as judged by trypan blue exclusion. The frequency of TBC increased to 11.6% after 2 days of culture, and 10% of these TBC developed cytotoxic activity. When interleukin 2 was added to cultures, the frequency of TBC increased, and the frequency of cytotoxic TBC was 2-fold higher compared to control cultures. After 10 days of culture with interleukin 2, TIL increased in number with a concomitant disappearance of tumor cells, whereas there were severe decreases of lymphocytes and no decrease of tumor cells in control cultures. TIL were cultured for 8 to 10 days with recombinant interleukin 2 and tested for cytotoxicity against autologous and allogenic tumor cells and K562 targets in a 4-h 51Cr release assay. rIL2-cultured TIL from all nine patients tested exhibited the highest levels of lysis against autologous tumor cells. Of the nine TIL samples, five exhibited an apparent specificity for autologous melanoma, while four specimens killed both allogenic and autologous melanoma. The ability of TIL to kill K562 targets appeared to parallel the ability to kill allogenic targets. For comparison, recombinant interleukin 2-cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the same patients were assayed for cytotoxic activity against autologous and allogenic melanomas. Unlike some TIL, none of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibited specificity for autologous tumor cells. In summary, TIL isolated from metastatic melanoma patients were predominantly cytotoxic T-lymphocytes with the ability to recognize and kill autologous tumor cells after in vitro culture; interleukin 2 induced proliferation of TIL and augmented their cytotoxic activity such that they eliminated autologous tumor cells.
The art of secularism: the cultural politics of modernist art in contemporary India, by Karin Zitzewitz, New York, Oxford University Press, 2014, 206 pp., $50.00 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0199335411

Taking on modernism, secularism, art and cultural politics in one book might first appear to be an overly ambitious project, but in Karin Zitzewitz’s hands, these broad themes feed pointed, intimat...
The Regulation of Dynein-Driven Microtubule Sliding in Chlamydomonas Flagella by Axonemal Kinases and Phosphatases

The purpose of this chapter is to review the methodology and advances that have revealed conserved signaling proteins that are localized in the 9 + 2 ciliary axoneme for regulating motility. Diverse experimental systems have revealed that ciliary and eukaryotic flagellar motility is regulated by second messengers including calcium, pH, and cyclic nucleotides. In addition, recent advances in in vitro functional studies, taking advantage of isolated axonemes, pharmacological approaches, and biochemical analysis of axonemes have demonstrated that otherwise ubiquitous, conserved protein kinases and phosphatases are transported to and anchored in the axoneme. Here, we focus on the functional/pharmacological, genetic, and biochemical approaches in the model genetic system Chlamydomonas that have revealed highly conserved kinases, anchoring proteins (e.g., A-kinase anchoring proteins), and phosphatases that are physically located in the axoneme where they play a direct role in control of motility.
An objective method to define outlier optical coherence tomograms and repeatability of retinal nerve fibre layer measurements.

. Purpose: To compare the variation in thickness and reflectivity of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL), circumferentially and on repeated testing. Methods: In 24 normal eyes and 38 eyes with different optic neuropathies or retinopathies, third-party optical coherence tomography (OCT) software defined the RNFL border based on the reflectivity pattern across the retina and also provided measurements of the mean reflectivity and total retinal thickness in addition to RNFL thickness. A new Gaussian filtering method was implemented so that the weight of the applied filter was varied for each of five individually repeated scans until an optimum weight filter was determined. Results: The scans requiring the highest weight filter could be identified as ‘outlier’ scans that contained measurement or alignment artifacts. There was no difference in the weights of filtering needed for normal and abnormal eyes. The RNFL thickness and reflectivity, and retinal thickness were highly correlated with one another in normal and abnormal eyes. Conclusions: A new Gaussian filtering routine was devised that not only defined the most reproducible substructure of the RNFL for a given patient's eye, but also provided a new method of quantifying measurement variability and identification of scans with measurement or alignment artifacts.
Live Free or Die : Tales of Homeless (Cells) in Cancer

Anoikis, programed cell death that occurs on cell detachment from the extracellular matrix, thus disrupting integrin-ligand interactions, is a critical mechanism in preventing ectopic cell growth or attachment to an inappropriate matrix. Anoikis prevents shed epithelial cells from colonizing elsewhere and is thus essential for maintaining tissue organization. Lack of integrin ligation leads to decreased focal adhesion kinase and integrin-linked kinase activity, which impairs downstream survival signaling. Consequently, targeting tumor cell survival by triggering anoikis provides a unique molecular basis for novel therapeutic targeting of tumors before initiation of metastasis. The two major cell death pathways involved in anoikis signaling are apoptosis and autophagy; growing evidence suggests an extensive cross-talk between the two killing modes as well as context-dependent cooperation and antagonism. This review discusses the functional integration between the two modes of cell death converging at anoikis, including key molecules of interaction such as Beclin 1, reactive oxygen species, extracellular signal-related kinase, and death-associated protein kinase. The involvement of other apoptotic effectors such as Bcl-2, p53, and FLICE inhibitory protein in cancer cell anoikis is also discussed. Dissecting the mechanistic players in the cellular response may be of high clinical significance in identifying effective approaches in reversing anoikis resistance in primary tumor cells and, consequently, impairing metastasis.
Quality Assurance in Anatomic Pathology: Automated SNOMED Coding

This case study details the set-up and implementation of the PathNet autocoder (Cerner Corporation) in a busy anatomic pathology laboratory. After initial start-up, procedures were developed to improve the system's performance. Four classes of software coding errors were identified, and an index was developed to measure the number of cases between errors (CBE). Through modifications in the program, the CBE increased sharply by the end of the six-month study period. During the last three months of the study, the efficiency of case retrieval was tested by comparing manual and electronic methods on the same reference cases. This demonstrated significant time saving and removed the variability of manual coding. The technique employed in this study may assist other institutions seeking to implement such a coding system within their respective environments.
Progressive image coding with spatially variable resolution

We present a wavelet-based progressive image coding system that allows the specification of regions of interest to alter the spatial allocation of future transmitted bits. When used in an interactive mode with feedback, the viewer, after seeing a low resolution version of the image, can instruct the encoder to concentrate more effort on coding regions of interest. When operating in an independent mode, the encoder can select regions of interest based on automatic feature recognition algorithms or offline human selection. The algorithm is flexible enough to adapt to changes of interest during encoding.
Minding the Gap: eBook package purchasing

Purpose – This study aims to highlight practical considerations to be made when choosing an eBook package for an institution. Many academic libraries purchase eBooks bundled in packages, either as a time- or cost-saving measure or to build a new subject collection. Design/methodology/approach – The authors searched the Web sites of six major publishers for information on eBook packages, including subject coverage, digital rights management restrictions and usage allowances. The analysis also includes a potential overlap between related subject collections and the ability to purchase titles individually. Findings – Usage allowances, digital rights management restrictions and purchasing options vary considerably from publisher to publisher. There was title overlap between related subject packages found in some publishers. In response to user preferences and needs, many publishers are loosening restrictions on their eBook content, which make purchasing packages a more attractive option for libraries. Origina...
Diffusion-, T2-, and Perfusion-Weighted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Middle Cerebral Artery Embolic Stroke and Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Intervention in the Rat

Thrombolysis of embolic stroke in the rat was measured using diffusion (DWI)-, T2 (T2WI)-, and perfusion (PWI)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An embolus was placed at the origin of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) by injection of an autologous single blood clot via an intraluminal catheter placed in the intracranial segment of internal carotid artery. Rats were treated with a recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) 1 hour after embolization (n = 9) or were not treated (n = 15). Diffusion-weighted imaging, T2WI, and PWI were performed before, during, and after embolization from 1 hour to 7 days. After embolization in both rt-PA-treated and control animals, the apparent diffusion coefficient of water (ADCw) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the ischemic region significantly declined from the preischemic control values (P or = 0.80, P < 0.05) were found between lesion volume measured 1 week after embolization and CBF and ADCw obtained 1 hour after injection of rt-PA. Within a coronal section of brain, MRI cluster analysis, which combines ADCw and T2 data maps, indicated a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the lesion 24 hours after thrombolysis compared with nontreated animals. These data demonstrate that the values for CBF and ADCw obtained 1 hour after injection of rt-PA correlate with histologic outcome in the tissue, and that the beneficial effect of thrombolysis of an intracranial embolus by means of rt-PA is reflected in an increase of CBF and ADCw, a reduction in the increase of T2, and a reduction of the ischemic lesion size measured using MRI cluster analysis.
Studies on the mechanism of the azaserine-induced decrease in the activity of thymidine kinase.

Abstract The intraperitoneal injection of azaserine ( O -diazoacetyl- l -scrine), a potent inhibitor of the synthesis of purine nucleotides de novo , into mice bearing sarcoma 180 ascites cells resulted in a decrease to about 25 per cent of normal in the activity of thymidine kinase of the neoplastic cells. Almost complete restoration of the activity of this enzyme was achieved by exposure in vivo of the azaserine-treated cells to a source of either preformed adenine or a mixture of thymidine and deoxycytidine. Treatment with azaserine caused a pronounced depletion of adenine nucleotide pools due to an inability of the drug-treated cells to synthesize purine nucleotides de novo . Provision to the cells of preformed adenine allowed circumvention of the metabolic blockade and adenine nucleotide pools were restored to normal, whereas the mixture of thymidine and deoxycytidine did not influence the size of the intracellular purine nucleotide pool in cells exposed to azaserine. The results are interpreted and discussed in terms of the role of the substrates in maintaining the intracellular concentration of thymidine kinase.
HER-2/neu oncogene amplification in prostate cancer

Oncogene amplification is a manifestation of genetic instability, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many cancers. Work performed in this laboratory has focused on HER-2/neu amplification in breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and rhabdomyosarcoma, all of which revealed HER-2/neu amplification in at least a proportion of tumors. In the present project, we studied HER-2/neu oncogene amplification in prostate carcinoma, 244,000 new cases of which are diagnosed yearly, and which affects a significant number of men. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using the Vysis HER-2/neu probe with a chromosome 17 centromere control probe was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archival prostate cancer tissues. Out of a total of 85 cases studied, 7 cases (8.2%) were found to be amplified. Of those 7 amplified cases, 2 were also trisomic for chromosome 17. Amplification is defined as a signal ratio of HER-2/neu to chromosome 17 of >1.5, after Mark et al. (1998). Clinicopathologic characteristics of the amplified cases versus the nonamplified cases will be compared. Although the results of the present study still need to be confirmed and extended by additional cases in other centers, the data thus far do indicate that a small subset of prostate cancer is characterized by HER-2/neu gene amplification, as in other cancers. (This study was partially funded by Vysis, Inc., Downers Grove, IL).
Cultivating a thriving childcare workforce: a theory-driven qualitative analysis

Following a positive organizational framework, this study fills a gap in the human service literature by examining what works to boost childcare workers' ability to thrive in their jobs. Drawing from Spreitzer, Sutcliffe, Dutton, Sonenshein, and Grant's model of thriving at work, this study examines effective mechanisms (affirming work conditions, cultivated job resources, and work engagement) that facilitate positive experiences at work for childcare providers. Qualitative data was collected from seven focus groups (n = 26) of childcare providers. Key findings suggest affirming work conditions that offer decision-making discretion about one's approach to care and a climate of trust and respect – particularly with parents – are instrumental to provider engagement. Most notably, findings also highlight the importance of understanding and harnessing the positive attributes of the meaning making process to develop intrinsic motivation and foster team-orientation. This enhances childcare providers' ability to...
Evaluation of packet scheduling algorithms in mobile ad hoc networks

We examine the queuing dynamics at nodes in an ad hoc mobile network and evaluate network performance under different packet scheduling algorithms using Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) and Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing (GPSR) as the underlying routing protocols. Typically, packet schedulers in ad hoc networks give priority to control packets over data packets and serve data packets in FIFO order. We find that setting priorities among data packets can decrease end-to-end packet delay significantly. In particular, we find that among the algorithms we studied, those that give priority to data packets with short distance metrics show the smallest delay and the highest throughput, without increasing routing overhead. In addition, we show that with both DSR and GPSR, giving priority to control packets over data packets affects the performance significantly when mobility is high. With DSR, giving priority to control packets reduces the average delay. In contrast, with GPSR, this scheduler increases the average delay.
Mapping the distribution of invasive Staphylococcus aureus across Europe.

Franklin Lowy discusses a new study in PLoS Medicine in which the investigators developed an interactive tool for analyzing the spatial distribution of invasive Staphylococcus aureus.
Palau Community College-Belau National Museum image archives digitization and access project

This poster presentation will describe a collaboration project between the Palau Community College (PCC) Library and the Belau National Museum (BNM). The project, funded by a two-year U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant, will enhance access to the BNM Media Collection. The Media Collection is in great demand, and the pressures of human use exacerbate an already tenuous situation for the long-term preservation of the images. While digitization is not viewed as the preservation solution, it will assist the Museum to lessen the impact of human handling. By making the Media Collection more accessible through integration of the PCC Library's online catalog, a much wider audience will be reached, and mishandling of the original images will be significantly reduced.The PCC website, currently under final development will link the Library WebCollection Plus which will contain digitized images selected from the extensive photo archives, as well as digitized images of the ethnographic and other objects in the Museum's collection, including contemporary art. This poster session will enable viewers to see the range of images included in the project.This poster presentation will enable researchers to learn how this project will support scholarly research.
Differences in stress reactivity of laboratory macaques measured by heart period and respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Some laboratory primates are more likely than others to react to anxietyprovoking stressors. Individuals that overreact to stressors may experience diminished psychological well-being and would be inappropriate for some experiments. The differences between reactive and nonreactive individuals may be reflected in heart period and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Using surface electrodes and radio telemetry, we measured these two cardiac variables in seven male and ten female singly caged longtailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) when they were exposed to two stressors, a sudden noise (whistle test) and an unfamiliar technician wearing capture gloves (glove test). Behavior was videotaped during both tests. For the whistle test, cardiac data were recorded before, during, and after two 1 min whistle blasts separated by 90 min. For the glove test, data were recorded in 1 min blocks every 8 min over 96 min before, during, and after 1 min exposure to the gloved technician. Heart period was decreased and RSA was suppressed during both the whistle and glove exposures. After the whistle test, the cardiac activity of most subjects returned to baseline levels within 10 min. The glove test produced more extended suppression, with greater individual differences, than the whistle test. There were greater individual differences in RSA than in heart period. These enhanced individual differences were used to define stress reactors that differed from nonreactors in their cardiac data profiles. Of 16 subjects that completed the glove test, five were identified as reactors. Am. J. Primatol. 45:245-261, 1998.
The significance of repeated exercise testing with thallium-201 scanning in asymptomatic diabetic males

This study was conducted with asymptomatic middle-aged male subjects with diabetes mellitus to detect latent cardiac disease using noninvasive techniques. One group of 38 diabetic males (mean age 50.5 +/- 10.2 years) and a group of 15 normal males (mean age 46.9 +/- 10.0 years) participated in the initial trial; 13 diabetic patients and 7 control subjects were restudied 1-2 years later. Maximal treadmill exercise with a Bruce protocol and myocardial scintigraphy with thallium-201(201Tl) were used. Diabetic subjects on initial examination and retesting achieved a lower maximal heart rate and duration of exercise than control subjects. Abnormal electrocardiographic changes, thallium defects, or both were observed in 23/38 diabetic males (60.5%) on the first study and only one 65-year-old control subject had such findings. On retesting, the control subjects had no abnormalities while 76.9% of diabetic subjects had either 201Tl defects or ECG changes. We conclude that despite the fact that none of diabetic males had any clinical evidence or symptoms of heart disease, this high-risk group demonstrated abnormalities on exercise testing that merit careful subsequent evaluation and followup and could be an effective method of detecting early cardiac disease.
ROLE OF ESCHERICHIA COLI COLONISATION FACTOR ANTIGEN IN ACUTE DIARRHŒA

Abstract The role of colonisation factor antigen (C.F.A.) in diarrhœa was studied in volunteers who ingested either E.coli H-10407, which possessed C.F.A., or H-10407-P, which lacked C.F.A. In the first study the dose given was 10 6 C.F.A. + or C.F.A. - E. coli ; in the second study the dose was 10 8 of the same organisms. Diarrhœa, with or without other symptoms, occurred only in those who ingested 10 8 C.F.A. + E. coli. Those volunteers taking the C.F.A. - strain shed the test organism in the stool for only 2 or 3 days whereas those ingesting the C.F.A. + strain shed the organism until the end of the study (7 days). Antibody responses in those ingesting the C.F.A. + strain were: anti-C.F.A., 7 of 12 volunteers; antitoxin, 6 of 13; and anti-078 somatic antigen, 11 of 13. No volunteer ingesting the C.F.A. - organism seroconverted to any of the antigens. The study showed the importance of C.F.A. in the pathogenesis of human disease due to toxigenic E. coli.
Kinetic characterization and substrate requirement for the Ca2+ uptake system in platelet membrane

An ATP-dependent mechanism for Ca2+ uptake in human platelet membrane fractions has been identified and characterized. Ca2+ uptake into a membrane fraction is shown to be stimulated at low concentrations of ATP and Ca2+ and to require magnesium ions. Initial rate kinetics, using Eadie-Scatchard analysis, indicated a single class of calcium uptake sites in the presence of ATP, with a Kd for free [Ca2+] of 0.145 microM. Ca2+ uptake in the presence of several ATP concentrations demonstrates that ATP binds to at least two sites, representing high and low affinities of 3.21 and 80.1 microM, respectively. The neuroleptic drug fluphenazine inhibited ATP-stimulated calcium uptake (IC50 = 55 microM), suggesting this ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake system may provide a useful ion-transport model with which to study neuroleptic therapy in humans.
Tissue transglutaminase, inflammation, and cancer: How intimate is the relationship?

Despite significant advances in surgery and biology, cancer remains a major health problem. It is now well accepted that metastasis and cancer cells' acquired or inherent resistance to conventional therapies are major roadblocks to successful treatment. Chronic inflammation is an important driving force that provides a favorable platform for cancer's progression and development and suggests a link between inflammation and metastatic transformation. However, how chronic inflammation contributes to metastatic cell transformation is not well understood. According to the current theory of cancer progression, a small subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumors is responsible for their metastasis, resistance, and sustenance. Whether CSCs originate from normal stem cells or from dedifferentiation of terminally differentiated cells remains unknown. Recent evidence indicates that stem cells are not unique; malignant or nonmalignant cells can reprogram and de-differentiate to acquire a stemness phenotype. Thus, phenotypic plasticity may exist between stem cells and non-stem cells, and a dynamic equilibrium may exist between the two phenotypes. Moreover, this equilibrium may shift in one direction or another on the basis of contextual signals in the microenvironment that influence the interconversion between stem and non-stem cell compartments. Whether the inflammatory microenvironment influences this interconversion and shifts the dynamic equilibrium towards stem cell compartments remains unknown. We recently found that aberrant tissue transglutaminase (TG2) expression induces the mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stem cell characteristics in epithelial cells. This finding, in conjunction with the observation that inflammatory signals (e.g., TGFβ, TNFα, and NF-κB) which induce EMT, also induce TG2 expression, suggests a possible link between TG2, inflammation, and cancer progression. In this review, we summarize TG2-driven processes in inflammation and their implications in cancer progression.
Religious Stability, Endogamy, and the Effects of Personal Religiosity on Attitudes toward Abortion

research has consistentb shown that religious affili'ation and persorul religiosity are related to airtion attitudes. In this study, we have extended the extant li'terature by examining variation in the effect of personal religiosity on attitudes toward abortion across faith groups and across contexts of religious stability/change and enzlogamylexogamy. Using dota from the NORC General Social Surveys, we found that the strength of the religiosity-abortion attitude relationship does indeed vary as pred'cted across faith groups, but that the influence of religious stability/change and endogamy/exogamy on this relationship are not as pronounced as antiapated.
Malignant melanoma. Role of node dissection reappraised.

Two hundred and fifty-nine patients with malignant melanoma have been reviewed. One hundred and fifty of these were determinate. A primary excision and dissection in continuity of the tumor, the intervening lymphatics, and the regional lymph nodes achieved a 5-year survival free of disease for 67.5% of the patients. When the nodes were clinically negative but microscopically positive, 45% survived. An elective discontinuous node dissection offers no better prognosis than does a therapeutic dissection and is not indicated in the primary treatment of malignant melanoma.
A mixing-length theory of tidal flushing

The salinity distribution in an idealized estuary where mining is predominantly due to the tides is computed, using an eddy diffusivity based on the distribution of tidal currents and excursions. Comparison is made to the salinity distribution in real estuaries.
PHYLOGENETIC AND TAXONOMIC REASSESSMENT OF THE DELESSERIACEAE (CERAMIALES, RHODOPHYTA) BASED ON TWO MOLECULAR DATA SETS

The current system of classification of the Delesseriaceae rests largely on Kylin's treatment which encompass the subfamilies Delesserioideae with five ‘Groups’ and Nitophylloideae with six ‘Groups’. In this study we test the Kylin system based on phylogenetic analyses inferred from two molecular data sets and morphological evidence. A total of 145 delesseriacean taxa worldwide were sequenced for chloroplast-encoded rbcL, and 82 taxa for the nuclear-encoded large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (LSU). Three large clades are identified in the combined data sets, one of which corresponds to the Delesserioideae, one to a narrowly circumscribed Nitophylloideae, and the third to a new subfamily comprising the remainder of the Nitophylloideae sensu Kylin. Belonging to the Delesserioideae are an expanded Hemineura group that includes Hemineura, Patulophycus, Marionella, Laingia, Botryocarpa and possibly Pseudophycodrys, a Caloglossa group, a Hypoglossum group that includes Hypoglossum, Branchioglossum, Bartoniella, Zellera, Phitymorphora, and Chauviniella, a Delesseria group with Delesseria, Membranoptera and possibly Grinnellia (but not Apoglossum) and most southern hemisphere species of Delesseria which are properly placed in Paraglossum J. Agardh 1898. The revised Nitophylloideae contains Nitophyllum, Valeriemaya, Polyneuropsis, Calonitophyllum and also Martensia and Opephyllum. The unnamed subfamily includes the Phycodrys group with Phycodrys and Polyneura, the Cryptopleura group with species placed in Cryptopleura, Hymenena, Acrosorium and Botryoglossum, the Myriogrammeae with Myriogramme and Haraldiophyllum, and the Schizoserideae with Schizoseris, Neuroglossum, Drachiella, Abroteia, and South American species of Platyclinia. This research promotes the correlation of molecular and morphological phylogenies with biogeographic hypotheses for the family.
An Empirical Study of Iterative Improvement in Programming Assignments

As automated tools for grading programming assignments become more widely used, it is imperative that we better understand how students are utilizing them. Other researchers have provided helpful data on the role automated assessment tools (AATs) have played in the classroom. In order to investigate improved practices in using AATs for student learning, we sought to better understand how students iteratively modify their programs toward a solution by analyzing more than 45,000 student submissions over 7 semesters in an introductory (CS1) programming course. The resulting metrics allowed us to study what steps students took toward solutions for programming assignments. This paper considers the incremental changes students make and the correlating score between sequential submissions, measured by metrics including source lines of code, cyclomatic (McCabe) complexity, state space, and the 6 Halstead measures of complexity of the program. We demonstrate the value of throttling and show that generating software metrics for analysis can serve to help instructors better guide student learning.
Regulation of cytoplasmic mRNA decay

Discoveries made over the past 20 years highlight the importance of mRNA decay as a means of modulating gene expression and thereby protein production. Up until recently, studies largely focused on identifying cis-acting sequences that serve as mRNA stability or instability elements, the proteins that bind these elements, how the process of translation influences mRNA decay and the ribonucleases that catalyse decay. Now, current studies have begun to elucidate how the decay process is regulated. This Review examines our current understanding of how mammalian cell mRNA decay is controlled by different signalling pathways and lays out a framework for future research.
The disinfection of contact lenses contaminated with adenovirus.

Abstract PURPOSE: We compared the efficacy of different contact lens disinfection systems to eliminate adenovirus. METHODS: Laboratory study evaluating the elimination of adenoviral ocular isolates by contact lens disinfection systems. Hard (gas permeable) and soft contact lenses were contaminated with adenovirus serotypes 8 and 19, and then they were disinfected with chemical, hydrogen peroxide, and heat sterilization systems. The survival of the adenovirus was determined by the shell vial technique. RESULTS: Adenovirus survived chemical and hydrogen peroxide disinfection but not heat sterilization. CONCLUSION: Because heat sterilization is not readily available to sterilize adenovirus contaminated contact lenses, it may be prudent for patients with adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis to dispose of unclean contact lenses.
Minute Virus of Mice NS1 Interacts with the SMN Protein, and They Colocalize in Novel Nuclear Bodies Induced by Parvovirus Infection

The human survival motor neuron ( SMN ) gene is the spinal muscular atrophy-determining gene, and a knockout of the murine Smn gene results in preembryonic lethality. Here we show that SMN can directly interact in vitro and in vivo with the large nonstructural protein NS1 of the autonomous parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVM), a protein essential for viral replication and a potent transcriptional activator. Typically, SMN localizes within nuclear Cajal bodies and diffusely in the cytoplasm. Following transient NS1expression, SMN and NS1 colocalize within Cajal bodies. At early time points following parvovirus infection, NS1 fails to colocalize with SMN within Cajal bodies; however, during the course of MVM infection, dramatic nuclear alterations occur. Formerly distinct nuclear bodies such as Cajal bodies, promyelocytic leukemia gene product (PML) oncogenic domains (PODs), speckles, and autonomous parvovirus-associated replication (APAR) bodies are seen aggregating at later points in infection. These newly formed large nuclear bodies (termed SMN-associated APAR bodies) are active sites of viral replication and viral capsid assembly. These results highlight the transient nature of nuclear bodies and their contents and identify a novel nuclear body formed during infection. Furthermore, simple transient expression of the viral nonstructural proteins is insufficient to induce this nuclear reorganization, suggesting that this event is induced specifically by a step in the viral infection process.