cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parenteral nutrition suppresses the bactericidal response of the small intestine

Background Parenteral nutrition (PN) increases infectious risk in critically ill patients compared with enteral feeding. Previously, we demonstrated that PN feeding suppresses the concentration of the Paneth cell antimicrobial protein secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) in the gut lumen. sPLA2 and other Paneth cell proteins are released in response to bacterial components, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and they modulate the intestinal microbiome. Because the Paneth cell protein sPLA2 was suppressed with PN feeding, we hypothesized PN would diminish the responsiveness of the small bowel to LPS through reduced secretions and as a result exhibit less bactericidal activity. Methods The distal ileum was harvested from Institute of Cancer Research mice, washed, and randomized for incubation with LPS (0, 1, or 10 μg/mL). Culture supernatant was collected and sPLA2 activity was measured. Bactericidal activity of the ileum segment secretions was assessed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with and without an sPLA2 inhibitor at 2 concentrations, 100 nmol/L and 1 μmol/L. Institute of Cancer Research mice were randomized to chow or PN for 5 days. Tissue was collected for immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ileal segments were incubated with LPS (0 or 10 μg/mL). sPLA2 activity and bactericidal activity were measured in secretions from ileal segments. Results Ileal segments responded to 10 μg/mL LPS with significantly greater sPLA2 activity and bactericidal activity. The bactericidal activity of secretions from LPS stimulated tissue was suppressed 50% and 70%, respectively, with the addition of the sPLA2-inhibitor. Chow displayed greater sPLA2 in the Paneth cell granules and secreted higher levels of sPLA2 than PN before and after LPS. Accordingly, media collected from chow was more bactericidal than PN. IHC confirmed a reduction in Paneth cell granules after PN. Conclusion This work demonstrates that ileal segments secrete bactericidal secretions after LPS exposure and the inhibition of the Paneth cell antimicrobial protein sPLA2 significantly diminishes this. PN feeding resulted in suppressed secretion of the sPLA2 and resulted in increased bacterial survival. This demonstrates that PN significantly impairs the innate immune response by suppressing Paneth cell function.
Fluorescent Nanoparticles for the Measurement of Ion Concentration in Biological Systems

Tightly regulated ion homeostasis throughout the body is necessary for the prevention of such debilitating states as dehydration.1 In contrast, rapid ion fluxes at the cellular level are required for initiating action potentials in excitable cells.2 Sodium regulation plays an important role in both of these cases; however, no method currently exists for continuously monitoring sodium levels in vivo 3 and intracellular sodium probes 4 do not provide similar detailed results as calcium probes. In an effort to fill both of these voids, fluorescent nanosensors have been developed that can monitor sodium concentrations in vitro and in vivo.5,6 These sensors are based on ion-selective optode technology and consist of plasticized polymeric particles in which sodium specific recognition elements, pH-sensitive fluorophores, and additives are embedded.7-9 Mechanistically, the sodium recognition element extracts sodium into the sensor. 10 This extraction causes the pH-sensitive fluorophore to release a hydrogen ion to maintain charge neutrality within the sensor which causes a change in fluorescence. The sodium sensors are reversible and selective for sodium over potassium even at high intracellular concentrations.6 They are approximately 120 nm in diameter and are coated with polyethylene glycol to impart biocompatibility. Using microinjection techniques, the sensors can be delivered into the cytoplasm of cells where they have been shown to monitor the temporal and spatial sodium dynamics of beating cardiac myocytes.11 Additionally, they have also tracked real-time changes in sodium concentrations in vivo when injected subcutaneously into mice.3 Herein, we explain in detail and demonstrate the methodology for fabricating fluorescent sodium nanosensors and briefly demonstrate the biological applications our lab uses the nanosensors for: the microinjection of the sensors into cells; and the subcutaneous injection of the sensors into mice.
Dynamics and activation in response regulators: the β4-α4 loop.

Two-component signal transduction systems of microbes are a primary means to respond to signals emanating from environmental and metabolic fluctuations as well as to signals coordinating the cell cycle with macromolecular syntheses, among a large variety of other essential roles. Signals are recognized by a sensor domain of a histidine kinase which serves to convert signal binding to an active transmissible phosphoryl group through a signal-induced ATP-dependent autophosphorylation reaction directed to histidine residue. The sensor kinase is specifically mated to a response regulator, to which it transfers the phosphoryl group that activates the response regulator’s function, most commonly gene repression or activation but also interaction with other regulatory proteins. Two-component systems have been genetically amplified to control a wide variety of cellular processes; for example, both Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have 60 plus confirmed and putative two-component systems. Bacillus subtilis has 30 plus and Nostoc punctiformis over 100. As genetic amplification does not result in changes in the basic structural folds of the catalytic domains of the sensor kinase or response regulators, each sensor kinase must recognize its partner through subtle changes in residues at the interaction surface between the two proteins. Additionally, the response regulator must prepare itself for efficient activation by the phosphorylation event. In this short review, we discuss the contributions of the critical β4-α4 recognition loop in response regulators to their function. In particular, we focus on this region’s microsecond-millisecond timescale dynamics propensities and discuss how these motions play a major role in response regulator recognition and activation.
Rice body formation without rheumatic disease or tuberculosis infection: a case report and literature review

Rice body formation is an uncommon inflammatory disorder associated with systemic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis infection. The pathophysiology of rice bodies is poorly understood. We describe a case of rice body formation in a 51-year-old male who presented with pain and swelling of the left wrist. The patient had no previous history of rheumatic disease, joint trauma, or infectious disease. He underwent a radical tenosynovectomy and had immediate improvement of symptoms. Despite extensive evaluation, the etiology of the rice bodies could not be identified. An increasing number of case reports have described rice body formation without a known cause suggesting an alternative, unidentified method of pathogenesis. We describe a unique case of rice body formation and a review of the literature with emphasis on theories of pathogenesis, diagnostic methods, and treatment.
An unusual catch in the nasopharynx.

Foreign bodies within the aerodigestive tract are common clinical entities. One of the most common sites for foreign bodies is the nasal cavity, particularly in children. Unless witnessed, the foreign body frequently becomes long standing and develops mucosal inflammation and a chronic infection. Classically, a unilateral purulent nasal discharge develops, which prompts the diagnosis and subsequent removal. Nasal foreign bodies in the adult population, however, are much less frequently encountered, and those isolated to the nasopharynx are exceedingly rare. We present one such case of an isolated nasopharyngeal foreign body in an adult patient with an associated review of the literature for this uncommon entity.
Palliative care: a discussion of management and ethical issues.

Nursing is multidimensional, interactive, interdisciplina y, and complex. Almost anything that can be said about nursing can be said another way. Some things worth being said and heard will not follow the norms of journal presentation. A forum accommodates the emerging voice, the new format, the innovative approach. Nursing Forum, in an efort to honor the independent voice in nursing, presents here the voice who elects to enter the dialogue, but who does so in another way.
Viral causes of diarrhea

Viruses are important causes of diarrhea. In healthy adults, the main clinical manifestation is acute, self-limited gastroenteritis. Advances in molecular diagnostics have shown that epidemics of acute gastroenteritis most frequently are due to caliciviruses spread through contaminated food or through person-to-person contact. Application of similar technology is needed to make a definitive statement about the role of such candidate viruses as rotavirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus as the cause of nonepidemic acute gastroenteritis in adults. Rarely a previously healthy adult gets acute CMV colitis. CMV and EBV mainly cause diarrhea in immunocompromised patients, however. Advances in prophylaxis and treatment have reduced the frequency and severity of these diseases. Acute infantile gastroenteritis is caused by rotavirus, calcivirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus. These viral diseases of the gut are seen by the physician as routine and rare clinical problems.
Usage of graph-theoretic methods in chemical venture analysis

Abstract Graph-theoretic methods have been employed in a variety of chemical engineering applications. The intention of this article is to describe a new application of these methods in the quantification of relationships between industrial chemical commodities. Specifically, graph-theoretic methods are employed to analyze the manufacturing connections between various industrial chemicals. The results of such analyses can be a useful aid in identifying potential candidates for manufacture in a co-sited mode, such as in a large petrochemical complex. Such results can also suggest new horizontal and/or vertical (backward or forward) integration opportunities in chemical business venture analysis. This new application of graph-theoretic methods is illustrated with both simple and comprehensive examples.
PHENOMENAL DISPLACEMENT OF LIGHTS IN APPARENT MOVEMENT AS A FUNCTION OF SEVERAL BACKGROUND STIMULI.

The radius of a pattern of lights in apparent motion was estimated by 60 Ss under various conditions. It was found that a white outline circle placed behind the lights would increase the estimation of the radius; the larger the circle, the larger the estimation of radius. Apparently when the circle is smaller than the true radius of the lights, there is a contrast effect; when the circle is larger, an assimilation effect. These results are consistent with results of other studies investigating a shift from assimilation to contrast under different sensory conditions.
The second evolution of ionic liquids: from solvents and separations to advanced materials--energetic examples from the ionic liquid cookbook.

In this Account of the small portion of the recent research in ionic liquids (ILs) by the Rogers Group, we fast forward through the first evolution of IL research, where ILs were studied for their unique set of physical properties and the resulting potential for tunable “green solvents”, to the second evolution of ILs, where the tunability of the cation and anion independently offers almost unlimited access to targeted combinations of physical and chemical properties. This approach is demonstrated here with the field of energetic ionic liquids (EILs), which utilizes this design flexibility to find safe synthetic routes to ILs with high energy content and targeted physical properties.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide over Pd/SiO2 Catalyst

Kinetics of hydrogen peroxide decomposition over Pd/SiO2 catalyst was investigated as part of a larger project to determine the overall kinetics of hydrogen peroxide formation by Pd/SiO2 catalyzed direct combination of hydrogen and oxygen. A Pd oxidative/reductive cycle mechanism for the decomposition of H2O2 over Pd/SiO2 was proposed. A Rideal−Eley rate expression based on this mechanism was shown to accurately correlate experimental data over a wide range of H2O2 concentration and temperature. This rate equation was shown to also apply in the presence of stabilizing concentrations of H2SO4.
The Male Gaze and Online Sports Punditry: Reactions to the Ines Sainz Controversy on the Sports Blogosphere

On September 11, 2010, Ines Sainz, a sports reporter for Mexican television network TV Azteca, was allegedly harassed by members of the New York Jets football team. Controversy erupted around the role of women in sports broadcasting and the myriad attendant dimensions involved, including issues of credibility, dominant beauty ideals, and the male gaze, among others. This study assesses how sports blogs covered the controversy, using a combination of in-depth interviewing and textual analysis of four popular sports blogs. The analysis revealed that the blogs constructed an atmosphere that exposed attitudes of objectification, Sainz’s perceived lack of credibility, and the sexual economy of sports blogs.
Word recognition performance with modified CID W-22 word lists.

Abbreviated CID W-22 lists were administered to large groups of normal and hearing-impaired listeners to test the hypothesis, that fewer, judiciously chosen items can be used to test word recogniti...
Measurement error in shovelnose sturgeon: Evidence from field observation and controlled experiment data

Length measurements of fishes are commonly used by fishery scientists because of their ease of collection and the profound insight into fish populations that they provide. Specifically, obtaining accurate fish lengths is imperative for obtaining accurate population demographics. Thus, reproducibility and consistency of measuring an individual fish over time can greatly influence population level metrics and ultimately management decisions. To investigate this, we recorded fork lengths of 526 shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus captured, measured, and marked in the field and recaptured within six years. Secondarily, we evaluated 37 shovelnose sturgeon measured in a controlled laboratory setting. We found that in both our field and laboratory evaluation that experienced biologists (between 5 and 20 years experience as fishery biologists) inaccurately measured (greater than 15 mm reduction in length) shovelnose sturgeon in approximately 5% of all cases. Of the approximately 5% erroneous measureme...
Monitoring β-secretase activity in living cells with a membrane-anchored FRET probe.

The pathological hallmark of an Alzheimer’s Diseased (AD) brain is the presence of insoluble neuritic plaques rich in amyloid-beta (Aβ).[1] Aβ is a 37–43 amino acid peptide that is linked to a variety of neurotoxic events, including oxidation of lipid membranes, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, and disruption of calcium homeostasis.[2] These events lead to diseased synapses, neuronal cell death, and eventually the outward symptoms of dementia. Because evidence of Aβ and its associated toxicity are widespread in the post-mortem AD brain, preventing Aβ formation has been a suggested strategy for potential therapeutic intervention. However, in order to develop effective drugs, advanced chemical tools are needed to efficiently elucidate the proteins involved in Aβ generation, and measure how they are affected under various conditions.
The Structure of Role Perception: A Comparison of Two Methods of Assessment.

To test the stability of role perception multidimensional scaling analyses were applied to family role constructs (Mother, Father, etc.) based on data from 2 methods which differed significantly in terms of the types of judgments of stimulus dissimilarity which were required. In the present application demonstrating stability of role perception reduced essentially to the problem of showing the statistical (rather, of course, than the strict mathematical) equivalence of 2 presumably multinormal data matrices. The problem, however, was complicated also not only because of the existence of individual differences in perceptual style but also because of the possible interaction of these with the method used for the assessment of subject judgments. An attempt was made, therefore, for both a statistical comparison as well as pattern comparisons after the data were factored along the lines of Tucker-Messick.
Continuously phase-matched terahertz difference frequency generation in an embedded-waveguide structure supporting only fundamental modes

We demonstrate an all-single mode structure which enables continuous phase matching of difference frequency generated THz light from the near-IR. This structure provides a long interaction length by way of well-confined collinear propagation of pumps and product without diffraction, resulting in high conversion efficiency. A LiNbO3 version of this structure achieved a power-normalized conversion efficiency of 1.3×10-7 W-1 - some 23 times larger than the largest previously reported results.
Biological effects of laser-induced shock waves: Structural and functional cell damage in vitro

Abstract A new experimental design has been used to study the biological effects of laser-induced shock waves which minimizes or eliminates interference from ancillary effects such as bubble formation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, or formation of radicals. The effects of these shock waves on human lymphocytes and red blood cells have been investigated. Three assays were used to determine cell injury: electron microscopy, ethidium bromide/ fluorescein diacetate (EB/FDA) staining and incorporation of tritiated thymidine. The degree of cell damage was related to the pressure and the number of pulses. Cell damage was quantified and correlated using the three assays. Measurements of gross structural alterations as determined by transmission electron microscopy were less sensitive than assays of structural damage (e.g., EB/FDA assay) which were less sensitive than functional assays (e.g., incorporation of tritiated thymidine).
Evolution of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials after Cardiac Arrest induced hypoxic-ischemic injury.

Abstract Aim We tested the hypothesis that early recovery of cortical SEP would be associated with milder hypoxic–ischemic injury and better outcome after resuscitation from CA. Methods Sixteen adult male Wistar rats were subjected to asphyxial cardiac arrest. Half underwent 7 min of asphyxia (Group CA7) and half underwent 9 min (Group CA9). Continuous SEPs from median nerve stimulation were recorded from these rats for 4 h immediately following CA, and at 24, 48, and 72 h. Clinical recovery was evaluated using the Neurologic Deficit Scale. Results All rats in group CA7 survived to 72 h, while only 50% of rats in group CA9 survived to that time. Mean NDS values in the CA7 group at 24, 48, and 72 h after CA were significantly higher than those of CA9. The N10 (first negative potential at 10 ms) amplitude was significantly lower within 1 h after CA in rats that suffered longer CA durations. SEPs were also analyzed by separating the rats into good (NDS ≥ 50) vs. bad (NDS Conclusions The diminished recovery of N10 is associated with longer CA times in rats. Higher N10 and peak-to-peak amplitudes during early recovery are associated with better neurologic outcomes. N7, which may represent thalamic activity, recovers much earlier than cortical responses (N10), suggesting failure of thalamocortical conduction during early recovery.
Injection of benzodiazepines but not GABA or muscimol into pars reticulata of substantia nigra suppresses pentylenetetrazol seizures

The substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr), a brain area rich in GABA and benzodiazepine receptors, is thought to be involved in the regulation of seizure activity. It has been shown to be a site of anticonvulsant action of substances that affect GABA transmission. The anti-pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) activities of intranigral of muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist; two benzodiazepines, midazolam and flurazepam; and GABA were examined. Microinjection of a wide dose range of both GABA and muscimol into the SNpr failed to show anti-PTZ seizure activity. Intranigral injections of midazolam and flurazepam showed clear, dose-dependent anti-PTZ effects. Ro15-1788, a benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, reversed the anticonvulsant effects of midazolam when both were infused intranigrally. Intranigral infusion of muscimol or flurazepam protected rats from bicuculline-induced tonic seizures. The results suggest that the anti-PTZ effects of benzodiazepines in SNpr might not be mediated through GABAA receptors. Another possibility is that nigral neurons bearing GABAA receptors functionally linked to benzodiazepine sites may not be representative of the whole population of nigral neurons inhibited by GABA agonists. This could result in different patterns of inhibition of nigral efferent activity by GABAA agonists and benzodiazepines.
2-Methylbutyryl CoA dehydrogenase from mitochondria of Ascarissuum and its relationship to NADH-dependent 2-methylcrotonyl CoA reduction

Acyl CoA dehydrogenase and electron-transfer flavoprotein have been isolated and partially purified from mitochondria of the anaerobic nematode, Ascaris suum. Dehydrogenase activity was greatest with 2-methylbutyryl CoA and the relative substrate specificities of the ascarid dehydrogenase(s) differ greatly from their mammalian counterparts. It appears that the ascarid dehydrogenase functions physiologically as a reductase, catalyzing the final step in the synthesis of branched-chain fatty acids. In fact, incubations of A. suum mitochondrial membranes with electron-transfer flavoprotein, 2-methylbutyryl CoA dehydrogenase, 2-methylcrotonyl CoA and NADH resulted in a substantial, rotenone-sensitive, 2-methylbutyrate synthesis. These results suggest that the ascarid electron-transport chain and at least two soluble mitochondrial proteins are involved in the NADH-dependent reduction of 2-methylcrotonyl CoA.
Synthesis of sugar oxime ether surfactants

A straightforward synthesis of a novel class of sugar surfactants is described. The key step is the chemoselective condensation of a hydrophobic alkoxyamine with the resident aldehyde/ketone moiety on a hydrophilic sugar. Neither protection/deprotection of the sugars nor extensive product purification is required. The method allows for the facile adjustment of hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains of the sugar oxime ether surfactant and uses inexpensive, readily accessible, and renewable materials.
Les développements de Framatome ANP dans les réacteurs de petite et moyenne puissance

Dans certains pays dont les Etats Unis, la dereglementation conduit a proposer des centrales de petites et moyennes puissances afin de suivre la demande au plus pres tout en minimisant les risques financiers. La nouvelle generation de HTR, le GT-MHR et le PBMR, entend repondre a cette demande. Ces 2 reacteurs modulaires de 275 et 110 MWe respectivement sont decrits et seront prochainement examines par la NRC.
Catalysis of Protein Folding by an Immobilized Small-Molecule Dithiol

The isomerization of non-native disulfide bonds often limits the rate of protein folding. Small-molecule dithiols can catalyze this process. Here, a symmetric trithiol, tris(2mercaptoacetamidoethyl)amine, is designed on the basis of criteria known to be important for efficient catalysis of oxidative protein folding. The trithiol is synthesized and attached to two distinct solid supports via one of its three sulfhydryl groups. The resulting immobilized dithiol has an apparent disulfide E°′ )- 208 mV, which is close to that of protein disulfide isomerase (E°′ )- 180 mV). Incubation of the dithiol immobilized on a TentaGel resin with a protein containing non-native disulfide bonds produced only a 2-fold increase in native protein. This dithiol appeared to be inaccessible to protein. In contrast, incubation of the dithiol immobilized on styreneglycidyl methacrylate microspheres with the non-native protein produced a 17-fold increase in native protein. This increase was 1.5-fold greater than that of a monothiol immobilized on the microspheres. Thus, the choice of both the solid support and thiol can affect catalysis of protein folding. The use of dithiol-decorated microspheres is an effective new strategy for preparative protein folding in vitro.
Mr Hicks and the "Monetarists"

It is a great privilege to open a conference in honour of Sir John Hicks. Among his many contributions to economics, none has been more influential than his interpretation and restatement of Keynesian theory in "Mr. Keynes and the 'Classics"'. So many text-books and articles have adopted the framework, first presented in that paper, that it has become the standard statement of macro-economic theory. Few dispute its place. Restatements, amendments and modifications have neither obliterated the main features of Hicks's presentation nor successfully altered many of the main propositions. Our large debt to Professor Hicks becomes apparent when we realize that, notwithstanding the central place of his statement of macro-theory, neither Hicks nor we, his fellow economists, would choose this influential paper as Hicks's main contribution to economics. Having praised the important role of the Hicksian framework as a major step in the development of macro-theory, it is proper to emphasize that the graphical apparatus received far more attention than the relative price theory it was intended to summarize. To Hicks, classical theory was a theory of relative prices according to which differences in the marginal cost of production and in the relative prices of consumption and investment goods determined the allocation of homogeneous labour and, in the short run, determined the level of employment. He regarded Keynes's description of classical economics as "quite as strange and novel as the doctrines of Mr. Keynes himself" ([2], p. 147). With the advantage of 35 years of hindsight, we know that it is the "strange and novel" interpretation that prevailed. It seems appropriate to begin this conference by acknowledging the very important contribution that Hicks made in synthesizing Keynesian and classical theory. Without a framework of the type he provided, many of the issues now comfortably settled might well remain in dispute. It is also appropriate to count the costs, a generation later, of retaining the synthesis. A main point of some current monetarist critiques of macro-economic theory is that a new framework is required to analyse the effects of relative prices and changes in relative prices. Monetarists emphasize the difference between market rates and real rates, between prices of current consumables and the prices of assets used to produce current and future income, between current prices and money wages and anticipated future prices and wages. All of these distinctions are mentioned by Hicks; until recently, none has held a
Colorimetric and fluorimetric assays to quantitate micromolar concentrations of transition metals.

Transition metal ions, although maintained at low concentrations, play diverse important roles in many biological processes. Two assays useful for the rapid quantification of a range of first-row transition metal ions have been developed. The colorimetric assay extends the 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol assay of Hunt et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 255, 14793 (1984)) to measure nanomole quantities of Co(2+), Ni(2+), and Cu(2+) as well as Zn(2+). The fluorimetric assay takes advantage of the coordination of a number of metal ions (Mn(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+)) by Fura-2 and can also be used to measure nanomole quantities of these ions. The assays developed here have the advantage of not requiring the extensive sample preparation necessary for other methodologies, such as atomic absorption spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICPES), while being comparable in accuracy to the detection limits of ICPES for the first-row transition metal ions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of these assays, we determined the affinity of carbonic anhydrase II (CA II), a prototypical zinc enzyme, for Ni(2+) and Cd(2+). These data indicate that CA II binds transition metals with high affinity and is much more selective for Zn(2+) over Ni(2+) or Cd(2+) than most small-molecule chelators or other metalloenzymes.
The second Arecibo upgrade

For more than 30 years, the 305 meter diameter radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory has been a unique tool. Scientists have used it to study the Earth's atmosphere, asteroids and even distant galaxies. The Arecibo facility is a part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC). The telescope has been an extremely productive research instrument. However, users have been hampered by needing line feeds to properly illuminate its spherical aperture. While effective at low frequencies, a line feed offers only a narrow bandwidth at an essentially fixed frequency. Observations, thus, have been restricted to very narrow frequency bands at a few specific frequencies between approximately 100 and 2400 MHz. A combination of factors now permits a major enhancement of the Observatory's capabilities. The new ingredients include: much-improved capability for numerical analysis and optimization of reflector antenna systems; advances in structural engineering, and computer control of complex systems. With these new capabilities, an all-reflective corrector system has been developed for the Arecibo telescope. This will significantly enhanced sensitivity over the frequency range from 300 MHz to at least 10 GHz. The details and results of this upgrade are discussed.
A meta-analysis of computerized cognitive-behavioral therapy for the treatment of DSM-5 anxiety disorders.

OBJECTIVE Access to qualified cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) remains a major barrier to improving clinical outcomes in anxiety disorders. The current meta-analysis examined the efficacy of computerized CBT (cCBT) for anxiety disorders and the durability of treatment gains during follow-up. DATA SOURCES We searched PubMed and references from included trials and previous meta-analyses in the area. STUDY SELECTION We included randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of cCBT for non-OCD and non-PTSD anxiety disorders. DATA EXTRACTION Forty trials involving 2,648 participants were included in this meta-analysis. We used a fixed-effect model to examine standardized mean difference in posttreatment anxiety levels. cCBT was compared to wait-list, in-person CBT, and Internet control. We also examined moderators of cCBT treatment gains over follow-up. RESULTS Meta-analysis indicated that cCBT was significantly more effective than wait-list control in the treatment of anxiety disorders (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.92 [95% CI, 0.83 to 1.02], k = 31, z = 18.8, P < .001). Moderator analyses also found that cCBT targeting specific anxiety disorders had greater efficacy than that targeting mixed anxiety symptoms. The efficacy of cCBT was equivalent to in-person CBT in studies that compared them head-to-head, for both children and adults (SMD = 0.05 [95% CI, -0.09 to 0.19], k = 15, z = 0.7, P = .46). Longitudinal studies indicate that individuals undergoing cCBT tended to continue to improve after completion of treatment, with longer follow-up periods associated with greater symptom reduction. CONCLUSIONS cCBT represents an efficacious intervention for the treatment of anxiety disorders and may circumvent barriers to accessing traditional CBT treatments. Further research is needed to examine the effectiveness of cCBT in real-world settings, for individuals with clinical comorbidities, and in comparison with more ecologically valid comparison conditions.
Characteristics of photon beams from Philips SL25 linear accelerators

The Philips SL25 accelerator is a multimodality machine offering asymmetric collimator jaws and a new type of beam bending and transport system. It produces photon beams, nominally at 6 and 25 MV, and a scattered electron beam with nine selectable energies between 4 and 22 MeV. Dosimetric characteristics for the 6- and 25-MV photon beams are presented with respect to field flatness, surface and depth dose characteristics, isodose distribution, field size factors for both open and wedged fields, and narrow beam transmission data in different materials.
A Low-Noise Charge-Sensitive Preamplifier with a Field-Effect Transistor in the Input Stage

The excellent energy resolution of semiconductor radiation detectors has generated a need for charge-sensitive transistorized preamplifiers which have low values of noise line-widths. The application of field-effect transistors in charge-sensitive configurations was investigated, and a low-noise preamplifier was consequently developed. The preamplifier has a junction field-effect transistor in the input stage. The field-effect transistor is connected in cascode with the second stage bipolar transistor which has its collector load bootstrapped by a White follower. The bias stabilization is adequate for normal operation of the preamplifier over an FET temperature range from room temperature to liquid nitrogen temperature. Measured values of the preamplifier noise line-width as a function of pulse-shaping time constants, total input capacitance, and temperature are presented. Formulas are included for the theoretical determination of the noise line-width, Application of the formulas requires knowledge of the parameters of the preamplifier and pulse-shaping circuitry and the noise characteristics of the FET. The FET noise characteristics are shown as experimentally determined graphs of narrow-band equivalent noise resistance versus frequency, temperature, and bias point. Preamplifier noise line-widths less than 1.6 kev fwhm for silicon detectors (189 rms electronic charges) and slopes less than 0.06 kev/pf (7.1 rms electronic charges per pf) were obtained when the FET was cooled to the optimum temperature which was approximately 125°K.
Morphometrics of compact bone: an example from Sudanese Nubia.

Morphometric analysis of compact femoral tissue was applied to a prehistoric population from Sudanese Nubia. Microradiographs of thin sections from below the lesser trochanter were examined. A total of 74 adults (40 females, 34 males) from the X-Group population (A.D. 350-550) were used to determine the underlying processes of bone remodeling in skeletal growth and maintenance. The relationship of bone turnover to the age of onset, patterning and frequency of cortical bone loss (osteoporosis) as a function of age and sex was examined. The cortical thickness, cortical area and formation/resorption frequencies were determined. Males exhibit a 4. 9per thousand net loss in cortical area, while females show a 10. 7per thousand loss. A substantial amount of female loss occurs in the third decade, with slight gain in the fourth and a steady loss up to the sixth decade. These trends were further explored and refined histologically. The periosteal and endosteal frequencies for males show a variable but definite decrease in mineralization (i.e., increased numbers of osteons in the forming stage) and a slight increase in resorption. Third decade females show a marked difference with high frequencies of resorption spaces and forming osteons. It is suggested that in this population, stress related to childbearing and childrearing may be effecting the frequencies of formation foci and resorption spaces.
Lateral stability of sandbed canals

The lateral stability of unlined sandbed irrigation canals is a problem in the operation and maintenance of gravity irrigation systems. This problem has been studied from the aspect of meandering thalwegs that develop in otherwise straight channels. Hydrodynamic stability analysis of two-dimensional flow in sandbed channels has been used to predice the conditions under which meandering thalwegs will develop and lead to lateral instability. The analytical study shows that, with realistic functions for hydraulic resistance and bedload transport used herein, the two parameters which determine if meandering thalwegs will develop are the discharge intensity, q and channel width W. Results of analysis are confirmed by extensive data, especially collected for this purpose from straight irrigation canals in Pakistan. This study leads to criteria for stable channel width.
Spontaneous Osteonecrosis of the Knee

A radiolucent lesion in the medial femoral condyle was observed in 40 knees in 39 patients over age 60. Most patients had had spontaneous onset of severe knee pain. Twelve knees were radiographically normal within 2 months following onset of pain. Seven knees proceeded to osteoarthritis whereas others became rather asymptomatic. Strontium-85 scintimetry of symptomatic knees showed exceedingly high values. Biopsy showed evidence of repair of bone tissue. The condition was identified as osteonecrosis, the natural history and management of which were discussed. Only 2 patients had a history of systemic adrenocorticosteroid treatment; no other conditions commonly associated with osteonecrosis were identified.
Effect of carbon dioxide partial pressure on blueberry fruit respiration and respiratory quotient

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. cvs. “Bluecrop” and “Elliot”) fruit were sealed in 0.00254 cm (1 mil) thick low density polyethylene packages and stored in gas-tight containers at 15°C. The chambers were continually purged with gas mixtures containing levels of CO2 sufficient to produce approximately 5, 20, 40 or 60 kPa CO2 in the pouches. Sampling the gas composition of the enclosed package permitted measurement of O2 uptake and CO2 production rates and calculation of the respiratory quotient (RQ) despite the high background CO2 level. O2 uptake was minimally affected by the CO2 treatments. RQ was dependent on both O2 and CO2 levels, increasing as O2 declined and as CO2 increased. As O2 declined, the O2 level at which RQ began to increase (RQ breakpoint) increased with CO2 partial pressure. The lower O2 limit was estimated to be 6, 7, 11 and 23 kPa O2 for the 5, 20, 40 and 60 kPa CO2 treatments, respectively.
RNAi the natural way

Although RNA interference has become a useful genetic technique, effective and stable knock-down of vertebrate genes remains a challenge, especially in vivo. A new approach, which uses RNA polymerase II to generate small interfering RNAs, not only seems to be more effective than previous approaches but also allows tightly regulated RNA interference in culture and in vivo.
Some experiments on perceptual learning of mirror-image acoustic patterns

It is well known that the formant transitions of stop consonants in CV and VC syllables are roughly the mirror image of each other in time. These formant motions reflect the acoustic correlates of the articulators as they move rapidly into and out of the period of stop closure. Although acoustically different, these formant transitions are correlated perceptually with similar phonetic segments. Earlier research of Klatt and Shattuck (1975) had suggested that mirror image acoustic patterns resembling formant transitions were not perceived as similar. However, mirror image patterns could still have some underlying similarity which might facilitate learning, recognition, and the establishment of perceptual constancy of phonetic segments across syllable positions. This paper reports the results of four experiments designed to study the perceptual similarity of mirror-image acoustic patterns resembling the formant transitions and steady-state segments of the CV and VC syllables /ba/, /da/, /ab/, and /ad/. Using a perceptual learning paradigm, we found that subjects could learn to assign mirror-image acoustic patterns to arbitrary response categories more consistently than they could do so with similar arrangements of the same patterns based on spectrotemporal commonalities. Subjects respond not only to the individual components or dimensions of these acoustic patterns, but also process entire patterns and make use of the patterns’ internal organization in learning to categorize them consistently according to different classification rules.
Inequalities for the Zeros of Bessel Functions

Let $j_{p,n} $, $j'_{p,n} $ denote the nth positive zeros of $J_p $, $J'_p $ respectively. It is shown that both $p^{ - 1} j_{p,n} $ and $p^{ - 1} j'_{p,n} $ are strictly decreasing functions of p.
Tattoo Narratives: The intersection of the body, self‐identity and society

Drawing upon Frank's (1995) discussion of the personal and social aspects of embodied storytelling, this paper considers the tattoo as a form of visual communication created within a multiplicity of contexts. Based on in‐depth interviews with eight tattooed men and women, the focus of this article is the stories that these individuals tell about their tattoos. I argue that the tattooed body is a distinctively communicative body. It has a great deal to say, not only about the identity of the wearer, but also about the culture in which she lives. I conclude with some reflections on examining the tattoo as a conceptual latchkey—a tool that may enable researchers to begin to unlock the complicated relationship between the body, self‐identity and society.
Stimulus range, number of categories, and the “virtual” exponent

Three different stimulus modalities (line length, number, and sound pressure) were judged by magnitude scaling techniques and by 7-, 15-, 31-, and 75-point category scales. All of the 40 subjects were given the same number stimuli, but two different sound-pressure ranges were presented (each to 20 subjects) and four different line-length ranges were presented (each to 10 subjects). Analyses of lack of fit for various simple functions were performed to determine bestfitting functions. The simple power function was often found to be an adequate fit to the data for all the response modalities used, although all of the response modalities were sensitive to changes in stimulus range. For simple power functions, the category-scale exponent was a function of both the range of stimuli and the number of categories provided. Category scales did not always produce exponents smaller than those obtained with magnitude estimation, which calls into question the concept of a virtual exponent for category scales.
A detection based approach to robust speech understanding

Field speech data pose great challenges to statistical modeling because the speech signal is often intermixed with extraneous sounds and other environmental noise either that are too difficult to compensate dynamically or for which it is too expensive to collect sufficient data for proper offline training. We propose a detection based method in which the speech recognizer can sharply tune to only the "meaningful" speech and gracefully ignore the "unwanted" audio segments. The method is designed to be integrated with the frame synchronous search for a single pass processing. In contrast to the conventional keyword spotting techniques, this integration allows the use of the language model for better predicting the detection targets during the search. To study its efficacy, we apply the framework to a spontaneous speech understanding application where cohesive phrases congruent to the domain semantics and application context are used as the salient feature for selective hearing. Experimental results on the effectiveness of the system in dealing with out of domain phrases and other spontaneous speech effects are encouraging.
Preparing for Public Life: School Sector and the Educational Context of Lasting Citizen Formation

School sector and educational context seem to make a difference in civic socialization. There is limited knowledge, however, of the mechanisms through which socialization may occur in public and private schools, and the extent to which they have any lasting effect. Does the private school effect on civic socialization persist into young adulthood, and if it does, what explains the effect? Analyzing data from NELS:88 using HLM, the results of this study show that, net of background controls, there is a private school effect on civic participation in young adulthood, but it is mediated through contextual factors in the family and school – such as parent-school involvement, intergenerational closure, student-teacher relationships and prior participation – that seem to account for the effect on adult civic behavior.
Low-income women's reproductive weight patterns empirically based clusters of prepregnant, gestational, and postpartum weights.

Background Women have varying weight responses to pregnancy and the postpartum period. The purpose of this study was to derive sub-groups of women based on differing reproductive weight clusters; to validate clusters by reference to adequacy of gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum incremental weight shifts; and to examine associations between clusters and demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial variables. Method A cluster analysis was conducted of a multi-ethnic/racial sample of low-income women ( n = 247). Clusters were derived from three weight variables: prepregnant body mass index, GWG, and postpartum retained weight. Results Five clusters were derived: Cluster 1, normal weight–high prenatal gain–average retain; cluster 2, normal weight–low prenatal gain–zero retain; cluster 3, high normal weight–high prenatal gain–high retain; cluster 4, obese–low prenatal gain–average retain; and cluster 5, overweight–very high prenatal gain–very high retain. Clusters differed with regard to postpartum weight shifts ( p p p p p Conclusion In a five-cluster solution, postpartum weight shifts, ethnicity, and initial breastfeeding were among factors associated with clusters. Monitoring of weight and appropriate intervention beyond the 6 weeks after birth is needed for low-income women in high normal weight, overweight, and obese clusters.
Is Durkheim the Enemy of Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychologists cite Durkheim's sociology as an exemplar of an approach that takes the human mind to be largely the product of social and cultural factors with negligible contributions from biology. The author argues that on the contrary, his sociological theory of the categories is compatible with the possibility of innate cognitive capacities, taking causal cognition as his example. Whether and to what extent there are such innate capacities is a question for research in the cognitive neurosciences. The extent to which these innate capacities can then be explained by natural selection remains an open question for empirical investigation.
Poverty of Culture

The author presents research in progress, exploring the Poverty of Culture as a refutation of the mythical ‘cycle of poverty’ sustained by the older Culture of Poverty.
Possible rate-limiting factors in urea synthesis by the perfused rat liver.

SummaryRates of urea synthesis from ammonium chloride by perfused rat livers, pretreated with different diets and hormones, were measured. Addition of ornithine to the perfusion media increased rates of urea synthesis, but not in proportion to the relative amount of argininosuccinate synthetase activity present. Livers from rats receiving a protein-free diet for 4 days were reported to have about 12% of the argininosuccinate synthetase (E.C. 6.3.4.5.) activity as livers from rats receiving a high-protein diet or rats pretreated with cortisol. However, in the presence of excess ornithine all 3 groups of rats synthesized urea at the same rate.This investigation suggests that under conditions in which high ammonia concentrations prevailed a factor or factors in addition to urea-cycle intermediates and the activity of urea-cycle enzymes were limiting the rate of urea synthesis, and that there was not a correlation between maximum rate of urea synthesis and the activity of argininosuccinate synthetase.The auth...