cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relationships among Clinician Self-Report of Empathy, Mindfulness, and Therapeutic Alliance

The current study explored the potential benefits of clinician mindfulness within the therapeutic relationship by investigating the mediating effects of self-reported empathy on the relationship between mindfulness and clinician-reported therapeutic alliance. This study sampled from licensed clinicians though professional psychology list serves (n = 96; 89% doctoral level psychologists) actively working in a clinician’s role. Participants completed an online survey battery assessing trait mindfulness, clinician empathy, and therapeutic alliance. A mediation model correlational analysis utilizing PROCESS bootstrapping analysis software macro was used. It was found that personal distress empathy partially mediated the relationship between clinician mindfulness and therapeutic alliance. Results indicated that clinicians who reported higher amounts of mindfulness are less likely to experience negative emotions when their clients experience negative emotions, thus potentially reducing the likelihood of experiencing emotional contagion, which in turn is related to higher levels of perceived therapeutic alliance. The findings of this study, if confirmed in future ecological research, may indicate that mindfulness may serve as a protective factor of experiencing client’s negative emotions, thus facilitating therapeutic alliance and effectiveness.
Value-based decisions involve sequential sampling from memory

Deciding between two equally appealing options can take considerable time. This observation has puzzled economists and philosophers, because more deliberation only delays the reward. Here we show that this seemingly irrational behavior is explained by the constructive use of memory. Using functional brain imaging in humans, we show that how long it takes to decide between two familiar food items is related to activity in the hippocampus, within specific regions shown to be associated with the retrieval of long-term memories. Moreover, we show that value is partially constructed during deliberation to resolve preference, and this constructive process changes behavior and brain responses. These results render memory as a supplier of evidence in value-based decisions, resolving a central paradox of choice.
Numerical Decomposition of the Rank-Deficiency Set of a Matrix of Multivariate Polynomials

Let A be a matrix whose entries are algebraic functions defined on a reduced quasi-projective algebraic set X, e.g. multivariate polynomials defined on X:= ℂ N . The sets \({\mathcal S}_k(A)\), consisting of x∊X where the rank of the matrix function A(x) is at most k, arise in a variety of contexts: for example, in the description of both the singular locus of an algebraic set and its fine structure; in the description of the degeneracy locus of maps between algebraic sets; and in the computation of the irreducible decomposition of the support of coherent algebraic sheaves, e.g. supports of finite modules over polynomial rings. In this article we present a numerical algorithm to compute the sets \({\mathcal S}_k(A)\) efficiently.
Manifest Refraction Versus Autorefraction for Patients with Subfoveal Choroidal Neovascularization

Purpose To compare the results from manifest refraction using trial lenses and a standard visual acuity protocol to results from autorefraction for obtaining refractive error and best corrected visual acuity in patients enrolled in a randomized clinical trial. Methods During a 4-month period, 29 patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV), who were enrolled in the Submacular Surgery Trials (SSTs) Pilot Study at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, gave verbal consent to participate in this study. Best corrected visual acuity was obtained using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity charts and standardized room lighting after performance of manifest refraction, according to the SST protocol, and autorefraction. Refractive error (spherical equivalent) and visual acuity scores were obtained in both eyes of all patients. Results On average, manifest refraction gave a spherical equivalent that was 1.04 D more plus than autorefraction (95% limits of agreement = 0.74, 1.34). On average, the visual acuity score was 1.5 letters better after manifest refraction than after autorefraction (95% limits of agreement = 0, 3.0). The comparison of the two methods of refraction was subdivided according to visual acuity level and eye disease (age-related macular degeneration or ocular histoplasmosis syndrome). Conclusions Despite large differences in spherical equivalent between manifest refraction and autorefraction, the visual acuity scores were close (mean difference, 1.5 letters). Other studies comparing subjective refraction and autorefraction have shown similar results. Autorefraction in patients with subfoveal CNV may be a satisfactory alternative to manifest refraction in clinical trials and field studies in which best corrected visual acuity is of interest.
RESPONSE OF EMBRYOS OF THE AMERICAN OYSTER, CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA, TO HEAVY METALS AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES

ABSTRACT The acute toxicity of four heavy metals (copper, mercury, silver, and zinc) added individually to embryos of the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica , in natural seawater was studied at 20, 25, and 30°C. The toxicity of copper-zinc and mercury-silver mixtures to oyster embryos at the above temperatures was also determined. All of these metals, added either individually or in combination, were less toxic at 25°C than at either 20 or 30°C, suggesting that oyster embryos are more susceptible to metal toxicity at either 20 or 30°C than at 25°C. Less than additive effects were observed at 20 and 25°C with mercury and silver in combination. Simple additive effects were noted at 30°C for the mercury-silver mixture and at 20, 25, and 30°C for the copper-zinc mixture.
A Modified QuEChERS Sample Preparation Method for Simultaneous Determination of 62 Pesticide Residues in Edible Fungi Using Gas Chromatography–Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

A rapid analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 62 pesticides in edible fungi was established based on modified QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) sample preparation method with gas chromatography–triple mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS). Before extracting the target compounds from edible fungi, the dry samples were soaked in distilled water for 30 min to improve the extraction efficiency. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile–water and acetic acid–sodium acetate buffer solution (pH = 5.5) and salted out by anhydrous MgSO4. Then the extracts were cleaned up with n-propyl ethylene diamine (PSA), octadecylsilane (C18), graphitized carbon black (GCB), and anhydrous MgSO4. Additional concentration steps were performed in this to improve the sensitivity of the method. Finally, the cleaned extracts were detected by GC–MS/MS in multi-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, and the internal standard curve method was applied to quantify the pesticides. In the linear range of each pesticide, good linear calibrations with coefficients (R 2) with additional concentration steps were performed in this to improve the sensitidry Lentinula edodes. Recoveries at three levels (10, 50, and 100 μg/kg) ranged from 75.4 to 117.1 % for all the compounds, with relative standard deviations (RSD) between 3.2 and 15.2 %. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.625–20 μg/kg. The QuEChERS method was more straightforward, less time and labor intensive, as well as more sensitive, selective, and accurate for screening multiple pesticide residues, and it has been applied to edible fungi samples from different provinces in China.
Mental Health Problems and Suicide Risk: The Impact of Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance

Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD) is a suicide-specific, episodic clinical entity that is theorized to characterize acute suicide risk. Little work has examined the role of ASAD in mental health conditions linked to suicide risk. Thus, the current study examined whether depression, social anxiety, panic, and alcohol-related problems were related to suicide risk via ASAD history. A total of 527 undergraduates completed an online survey. Depression, social anxiety, and alcohol problem risk (but not panic) were robustly, significantly related to suicide risk, but only social anxiety and depression were robustly related to ASAD history. Depression and social anxiety symptoms were indirectly related to suicide risk via ASAD. ASAD may serve as a potential explanatory pathway through which some mental health conditions may lead to greater suicide risk.
TIME EVOLUTION OF A NONSINGULAR PRIMORDIAL BLACK HOLE

There is growing notion that black holes may not contain curvature singularities (and that indeed nature in general may abhor such spacetime defects). This notion could have implications on our understanding of the evolution of primordial Black holes (PBHs) and possibly on their contribution to cosmic energy. This paper discusses the evolution of a nonsingular black hole (NSBH) based on a recent model [M. R. Mbonye and D. Kazanas, Phys. Rev. D. 72 (2005) 024016]. The model is used to discuss the time evolution of a primordial black hole (PBH), through the early radiation era of the universe to present, under the assumption that PBHs are nonsingular. In particular, we track the evolution of two benchmark PBHs, namely the one radiating up to the end of the cosmic radiation domination era, and the one stopping to radiate currently, and in each case determine some useful features including the initial mass mf and the corresponding time of formation tf. It is found that along the evolutionary history of the universe the distribution of PBH remnant masses (PBH-RM) PBH-RMs follows a power law. We believe such a result can be a useful step in a study to establish current abundance of PBH-MRs.
Effects of tranexamic acid on coagulation function of the infants underwent heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

Objective To investigate the effects of tranexamic acid and ulinastatin on coagulation function of the infants tmderwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB).Methods Sixty infants with congenital heart disease were randomly divided into 3 groups(n=20 per group).Group A were treated with tranexamic acid,Group B were treated with tranexamic acid and ulinastatin,and group C with normal saline The blood samples were collected at different time points before heparinization,after neutralization of heparin by protamine and 24 hours after surgery.The platelet count and aggregation and D-dimer were examined.Mediastinal drainage and blood transfusion volume of the patients were recorded at 6 and 24 hours after surgery.Results There was no significant difference of platelet count and platelet aggregation rate among the three groups before surgery.The platelet count of the group C was significantly lower than these of the group B and A after neutralization of heparin by protamine.No difference of platelet count was noted between the group A and B either before or after CPB.The platelet count of group C decressed significantly after CPB. Before the patients were heperinized,no difference of D-dimer was found among the 3 groups.At the other time points,the D-dimer of group C was significantly higher than that of the other groups,No differences of D-dimer was found between group A and B at all time points.Six hours after operation,the mediastinal drainage of group C was higher than that of the other 2 groups;the volume of postoperative blood transfusion of the group B was less than that of the group C. Conclusions Tranexamic acid treatment produces satisfied anti-fibrinolytic effects and platelet function protections in the infants underwent heart operation with CPB.Tranexamic acid combined with ulinastatin results in reducing the postoperative drainage and blood tranfusion rather than synergistic anticoagulation effects. Key words: Cardiopulmonary bypass; Tranexamic acid; Blood coagulation disorders
From Biochemistry to Genetics in a Flash of Light

The Genetics Society of America (GSA) Medal recognizes researchers who have made outstanding contributions to the field of genetics in the past 15 years. The 2019 GSA Medal is awarded to Bonnie L. Bassler of Princeton University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in recognition of her groundbreaking studies of bacterial chemical communication and regulation of group behaviors.
Automated test generation for trojan detection using delay-based side channel analysis

Side-channel analysis is widely used for hardware Trojan detection in integrated circuits by analyzing various side-channel signatures, such as timing, power and path delay. Existing delay-based side-channel analysis techniques have two major bottlenecks: (i) they are not suitable in detecting Trojans since the delay difference between the golden design and a Trojan inserted design is negligible, and (ii) they are not effective in creating robust delay signatures due to reliance on random and ATPG based test patterns. In this paper, we propose an efficient test generation technique to detect Trojans using delay-based side channel analysis. This paper makes two important contributions. (1) We propose an automated test generation algorithm to produce test patterns that are likely to activate trigger conditions, and change critical paths. Compared to existing approaches where delay difference is solely based on extra gates from a small Trojan, the change of critical paths by our approach will lead to significant difference in path delay. (2) We propose a fast and efficient reordering technique to maximize the delay deviation between the golden design and Trojan inserted design. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach significantly outperforms state-of-the-art approaches that rely on ATPG or random test patterns for delay-based side-channel analysis.
Feature-based encoding of face identity by single neurons in the human medial temporal lobe

Neurons in the human medial temporal lobe (MTL) that are selective for the identity of specific people are classically thought to encode identity invariant to visual features. However, it remains largely unknown how visual information from higher visual cortex is translated into a semantic representation of an individual person. Here, we show that some MTL neurons are selective to multiple different face identities on the basis of shared features that form clusters in the representation of a deep neural network trained to recognize faces. Contrary to prevailing views, we find that these neurons represent an individual’s face with feature-based encoding, rather than through association with concepts. The response of feature neurons did not depend on face identity nor face familiarity, and the region of feature space to which they are tuned predicted their response to new face stimuli. Our results provide critical evidence bridging the perception-driven representation of facial features in the higher visual cortex and the memory-driven representation of semantics in the MTL, which may form the basis for declarative memory.
The prion-like domain of Fused in Sarcoma is phosphorylated by multiple kinases affecting liquid- and solid-phase transitions

We characterized novel phosphorylation patterns in FUS’s prion-like domain when FUS was cytoplasmic due to disease mutation or cellular stress. Phosphomimetic substitutions at kinase sites suggest ...
Comparing Plastic Surgeon Versus Orthopedic Surgeon Outcomes Following Distal Upper Extremity Amputations: A Study of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Database.

Background:Both plastic and orthopedic surgeons manage care for urgent/emergent hand conditions. It is unclear if surgeon specialty affects patient outcomes of these cases. The purpose of this stud...
Atomistic Simulations and Deep Mutational Scanning of Protein Stability and Binding Interactions in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Complexes with Nanobodies: Molecular Determinants of Mutational Escape Mechanisms

Structural and biochemical studies have recently revealed a range of rationally engineered nanobodies with efficient neutralizing capacity against SARS-CoV-2 virus and resilience against mutational escape. In this work, we combined atomistic simulations and conformational dynamics analysis with the ensemble-based mutational profiling of binding interactions for a diverse panel of SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with nanobodies. Using this computational toolkit we identified dynamic signatures and binding affinity fingerprints for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complexes with nanobodies Nb6 and Nb20, VHH E, a pair combination VHH E+U, a biparatopic nanobody VHH VE, and a combination of CC12.3 antibody and VHH V/W nanobodies. Through ensemble-based deep mutational profiling of stability and binding affinities, we identify critical hotspots and characterize molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding with single ultra-potent nanobodies, nanobody cocktails and biparatopic nanobodies. By quantifying dynamic and energetic determinants of the SARS-CoV-2 S binding with nanobodies, we also examine the effects of circulating variants and escaping mutations. We found that mutational escape mechanisms may be controlled through structurally and energetically adaptable binding hotspots located in the host receptor-accessible binding epitope that are dynamically coupled to the stability centers in the distant epitope targeted by VHH U/V/W nanobodies. The results of this study suggested a mechanism in which through cooperative dynamic changes, nanobody combinations and biparatopic nanobody can modulate the global protein response and induce the increased resilience to common escape mutants.
A touch more with Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird: authenticity, intimacy and women's sports celebrity on Instagram live

Instagram Live has become a useful tool for maintaining celebrity and continuing to generate engagement, one that many celebrities turned to during COVID-19 shut-downs. Among them, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, the women's sports power-couple, used Instagram Live to create a weekly talk-show that would eventually be titled A Touch More. The Instagram Live platform provided the unpredictability of liveness and enabled Bird and Rapinoe to perform intimacy and authenticity as part of their celebrity persona maintenance during a time of increased precarity for their sports and thus their main avenue for fame. This article analyzes how Instagram Live - in relation to Instagram and Instagram Stories - operates as a locus of celebrity performance of authenticity and intimacy with A Touch More as the case study. Further, by exploring the construction of Bird and Rapinoe's individual and coupled celebrity personas as fundamentally connected to the gendered precarity of their sports, I argue that even with their superstar status, Bird and Rapinoe's cultivated intimacy in A Touch More was, in essence, a market necessity.
Delayed weaning improves the growth of lambs grazing chicory (Cichorium intybus) pastures

Abstract The Midwestern United States is characterized by summers with limited precipitation and as such pastures mature and feed quality decreases from mid to late summer. The poor forage quality impedes sheep production at weaning. Alternative forages such as chicory have been shown to maintain forage quality for a greater time compared to grass pastures and may increase body weight growth of weaned lambs. To improve system efficiency producers may consider delaying lamb weaning age to improve the growth and health of pasture-reared lambs if forage quality can be maintained. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of delayed weaning on the growth and health of lambs grazing chicory (Cichorium intybus). We hypothesized that delaying lamb weaning age would increase lamb body weight and improve parasite resilience. A total of 18 cross-bred ewes and 36 cross-bred lambs (25.2 ± 0.5 kg) were stratified by weight, sex, and randomly assigned to one of two weaning treatments: 1.) lambs weaned at 60 days of age (control) and 2.) lambs, 60 days of age, remained with their dam and weaned at 116 days of age (delayed weaned). Delayed weaning resulted in greater weight gains as delayed weaned lambs were heavier on days 42 and 56 of the grazing period when compared with control lambs. In addition, delayed weaned lambs had a greater average daily gain (ADG) on days 14 and 42 of the grazing period and overall ADG when compared with control lambs. In monitoring lamb health, there were no differences in lamb FAMACHA© eye score, packed cell volume, fecal egg count, and total plasma protein concentration. Delayed weaning has shown to be beneficial in improving lamb growth; however, within the context of the current study delayed weaning did not improve lamb parasite resilience.
Local Political Priorities during Tunisia's First Democratic Municipal Elections

In May 2018, Tunisia held the country’s first democratic local elections to elect representatives to the country’s 350 municipal councils. Democratic consolidation depends, in part, on the development of municipal councils that can aggregate and process diverse societal interests at the local level, as well as on the ability of political candidates and politicians to represent and respond to citizens’ priorities. In this paper, we examine the local development priorities of candidates and citizens. We find that, overall, the municipal election candidates’ local priorities for governance do broadly correspond to those of citizens. For both candidates and citizens, the top four local issues are local roads, waste and the environment, local jobs, and security. Given the use of gender and age electoral quotas, we also examine how individual-level characteristics, such as gender and age, are correlated with the local development priorities of candidates and citizens. We find that women and youth do hold different priorities than their older and male counterparts, both at the citizen and candidate level. Accordingly, the quotas may improve substantive as well as descriptive representation. Finally, we examine the congruence of candidate and citizen priorities. We find a notable gap in local political priorities between candidates and citizens, particularly over employment and local security issues: citizens place a greater emphasis on employment than candidates and candidates place a greater emphasis on security. Drawing on interviews with municipal council candidates and surveys of both candidates and citizens, we argue that these differences result from the patterns of selection into political candidacy and confusion over the mandate of local councillors.
CHARACTERIZING HABITABLE EXOMOONS

We discuss the possibility of screening the atmosphere of exomoons for habitability. We concentrate on Earth-like satellites of extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) that orbit in the Habitable Zone (HZ) of their host stars. The detectability of exomoons for EGPs in the HZ has recently been shown to be feasible with the Kepler Mission or equivalent photometry using transit duration observations. Transmission spectroscopy of exomoons is a unique potential tool to screen them for habitability in the near future, especially around low mass stars. Using the Earth itself as a proxy we show the potential and limits of spectroscopy to detect biomarkers on an Earth-like exomoon and discuss effects of tidal locking for such potential habitats.
Cournot Competition and Scale Economies in Capacity

The Cournot model remains the most important and widely-applied theoretical model of strategic competition, and countless variations on the Cournot theme have been published in the economics literature. This working paper extends the development of the Cournot framework to incorporate a special form of firm input which is limitational for the production of output. Firms are taken to be capacity-constrained by their holdings of this input, and they use ordinary capital and labor inputs to produce output at or below their effective constraint. Motivated by the technical features of radio spectrum necessary for the delivery of various sorts of wireless services, we assume that the maximal output rate of any firm is a convex, increasing function of its holding of the limiting factor. We analyze Cournot equilibria for key industry configurations, and demonstrate that, under such circumstances, industry output rates and consumer welfare may be increasing in the level of industry concentration. The analysis could be applicable to public policy formulation in industries that operate under potentially binding collective capacity constraints.
Advancing theory development in total quality management

The Deming management method, which encompasses the breadth of W. Edwards Deming's approach to quality management, has had significant impact on the practice and scholarship of quality management. In this paper we present a scholarly introspection and discussion on scientific research related to the Deming management method, the contributions of such research to theory development in quality management, and future research directions to pursue in order to continue to advance scientific knowledge in quality management. In doing so, we traced the historical development of the Deming management method. We present and discuss two streams of research related to the Deming management method, namely the concept of profound knowledge and the Deming‐based theory of TQM. We also highlight several opportunities for future research that would advance theory development in the TQM discipline – opportunities anchored by the imperative for confirmatory research that requires proper operationalization and primary data, and the plausibility of theory refinement and extension through the specification of new relationships and the inclusion of moderators and mediators.
Leadership Survival, Regime Type, Policy Uncertainty and PTA Accession

Preferential trade agreements (PTAs) limit member-states' trade policy discretion; consequently policy uncertainty is mitigated. Reductions in policy uncertainty stemming from accession to a PTA improve the resource allocation decisions of the voters and reduce deadweight losses from the need to self-insure against policy uncertainty. The resultant increase in efficiency improves an incumbent government's -- particularly a democratic government's -- chance of surviving in office. We test this prediction using survival analysis, adjusting for potential selection biases using propensity score matching. We find robust support for the proposition that governments that sign PTAs survive longer in office than observationally similar governments that do not sign. And we find that this effect is stronger in democracies than in autocracies.
The origin of thalamic inputs to the "hand" representation in the primary motor cortex

We used retrograde transport of WGA-HRP to examine the origin of thalamic inputs to the “hand” representation in the primary motor cortex of macaques (Macaca nemestrina). Injections were placed in either the crest of the precentral gyrus or the rostral bank of the central sulcus. The sites for injection in the sulcus were determined by using intracortical stimulation to map the location of hand representation. We found that the precentral gyrus and central sulcus receive their predominant input from different subdivisions of the ventrolateral thalamus. Ventralis posterior lateralis pars oralis (VPLo) provides the most substantial input to a portion of the hand representation on the gyrus. In contrast, Ventralis lateralis pars oralis (VLo) provides the most substantial input to a portion of the hand representation in the sulcus. Prior studies have shown that VPLo is a major site of termination of cerebellar efferents and that VLo is a major site of termination of pallidal efferents. Thus, our results indicate that both the basal ganglia and the cerebellum “directly” influence the “hand” representation of the primary motor cortex.
Modulation of pre-mRNA splicing and protein production of fibronectin by TGF-beta2 in porcine trabecular cells.

PURPOSE To determine the effect of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta2 on the pre-mRNA splicing pattern of fibronectin, as well as on the synthesis and secretion of this glycoprotein by porcine trabecular cells. METHODS First-passage porcine trabecular cells were rendered quiescent and incubated in culture medium containing 15% newborn calf serum, in serum-free culture medium containing either activated TGF-beta2 (concentration range: 0.2-2.7 ng/ml) or activated TGF-beta1 (1 ng/ml), or in serum-free medium alone (untreated control samples). For investigation of alternative splicing, total RNA was extracted, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed with primer pairs located in exons flanking the exon (extra domain [ED]A, or EDB) that undergoes alternative splicing. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were verified by Southern hybridization and quantified by using laser densitometry. The percentage of EDA-positive (+) isoforms was compared with that of the EDB+ isoforms among the groups. To study the effect of TGF-beta2 on the synthesis and secretion of fibronectin, total protein was extracted from both cultured cells and conditioned medium, Western blot analysis was performed using an anti-fibronectin antibody, and the products were quantified by laser densitometry. Immunocytochemical analysis was also performed on cultured trabecular cells to detect fibronectin. RESULTS Fibronectin mRNA that was detected in untreated serum-starved control cells was EDA and EDB negative. Incubation of trabecular cells in medium containing 1 ng/ml TGF-beta2, 1 ng/ml TGF-beta1, or 15% newborn calf serum induced the expression of EDA+ and EDB+ mRNA to varying degrees. At concentrations of 0.2, 0.5, 1.5, and 2.7 ng/ml, TGF-beta2 increased the concentration of fibronectin by 2-, 3-, 3.8-, and 5-fold in the conditioned medium, and by 3-, 3.7-, 4-, and 4.3-fold in the cell extracts, respectively. The trabecular cells treated with TGF-beta2 exhibited strong immunoreaction for fibronectin, whereas the cells incubated in serum-free medium showed only minimal immunoreactivity. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that TGF-beta2 and TGF-beta1 modified the alternative splicing pattern of fibronectin pre-mRNA and enhanced the synthesis and secretion of this extracellular matrix molecule by trabecular cells in a dose-dependent fashion. These findings indicate a mechanism whereby TGF-beta2, the concentration of which is elevated in aqueous humor of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, contributes to the increased deposition of extracellular matrix molecules in the outflow pathway.
Visual Perceptual Organization: Lessons From lesions

The visual world consciously perceived is very different from the chaotic juxtaposition of different colors and shapes that stimulate the individual retinal receptors. Objects are seen as detached and separable from adjacent objects and surfaces despite the fact that parts of a single object may be spatially or temporally discontinuous, and have different colors or even transect several different depth planes. Additionally, because most surfaces are opaque, portions of objects are routinely hidden from view, and, as wemove around, surfaces continually undergo occlusion and fragmentation. As is apparent from this description, the objects of phenomenal perception are not given in any direct way in the retinal image. Some internal processes of organization must clearly be responsible, then, for producing a single, coherent percept. Exactly what these processes are remains poorly understood despite the roughly 100 years since the Gestalt psychologists ﬁrst articulated the principles of perceptual organization. Although the Gestalt work on perceptual organization has been widely accepted as identifying crucial phenomena of perception, there has been, until the last decade or so, relatively little theoretical and empirical emphasis on perceptual organization with a few exceptions. And, to the extent that progress has been made, there still remain many open questions. In this chapter, we explore some of these open issues in light of data we have obtained through a series of neuropsychological investigations with individuals who areimpaired in perceptual organization following brain damage, hence the title of this chapter.
TRANSFORMACIONES CONSTITUCIONALES EN BOLIVIA: ESTADO INDÍGENA Y CONFLICTOS REGIONALES

Este articulo presenta un analisis sobre los problemas en la implementacion del texto constitucional aprobado en febrero de 2009; asimismo, analiza el contexto en que se negociaron algunos cambios para viabilizar el referendum constitucional aprobatorio; cuales fueron los conflictos politicos en la coyuntura 2008-2009, y una aproximacion en torno a como los nuevos poderes departamentales, municipales y sus redes descentralizadas podrian mostrar renovaciones democraticas o retos bastante dificiles de enfrentar dentro de los marcos del denominado Estado Plurinacional en Bolivia. Asimismo, desde las perspectivas de la teoria democratica emergen multiples y complejos desafios hacia adelante.
Apoptosis in molluscan immune defense

Apoptosis, or Type I programmed cell death, is a fundamental biological process involved incellular homeostasis in metazoans. Apoptosis plays a key role in immune system homeostasis andfunction, defense against parasite and pathogens and self/non-self recognition. In this review, Ipresent our current knowledge of the mechanisms and signaling pathways underlying apoptosis inmollusks and its roles in host-pathogen interactions and immune defense. Both signaling andexecution pathways of apoptosis appear to be highly conserved in mollusks, although there isevidence that some apoptotic mechanisms (e.g., caspase-independent cell death) may differ frommodel invertebrates such as Caenorhabditis and Drosophila and more closely resemble those seen invertebrates. Apoptosis is important for the functioning of the molluscan immune system as indicated by the high baseline apoptosis rates observed in circulating and resident hemocytes. Apoptosis also plays a role in host protection against parasites by limiting the spread of the pathogen while preventing inflammatory damage of surrounding tissues. In molluscs, interaction between immune cells and parasites or pathogens usually triggers apoptosis; however, some pathogens (especially obligatory intracellular parasites that depend on the host cell for their survival and proliferation) can inhibit this response and prevent host cell death. Currently, the mechanisms underlying pathogen-induced modulation of apoptosis in molluscs are not well understood. Summarizing our current knowledge of the immune functions of apoptosis in molluscs, and comparing them with the more widely studied vertebrate systems, this review will delineate the gaps in our understanding of this critical cellular process in molluscs and assist in the ongoing search for evolutionary novel mechanisms of apoptosis in immune defense and self/non-self-recognition.
Characterization of coke on equilibrium fluid catalytic cracking catalysts by temperature-programmed oxidation

Abstract Characterization of coke on equilibrium, fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts contaminated with metals is investigated using temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) and temperature-programmed hydrogenation (TPH). TPO spectra of spent equilibrium catalysts from cracking of sour imported heavy gas oil (SIHGO) and ASTM standard-gas–oil feed were deconvoluted into four peaks by fitting them into Gaussian-type functions. The four peaks are assigned to different types of coke on the catalyst. The first peak is produced by hydrocarbons desorbing from the coke. Traditionally, this is called cat-to-oil coke. The second peak is contaminant coke produced by contaminant-metal reactions. The third peak is conversion coke produced by acid-catalyzed reactions. A graphite-like coke that is related to both feedstock properties and catalyst activity produces the last peak. The TPO spectra of spent catalysts from cracking n-hexadecane are deconvoluted into three peaks, corresponding to the first three peaks observed with gas–oil cracking. The graphite-like coke is not observed after n-hexadecane cracking. TPO peak area is proportional to the amount of coke on catalyst. The amount of contaminant coke correlates with contaminant-metal concentration. The sum of the conversion coke and the graphitic coke correlates with catalyst activity. This sum can be used to characterize the coking tendency of a feedstock. Feedstock comparisons at 50% conversion show that SIHGO feed produces twice as much coke as ASTM feed and nearly five times as much coke as n-hexadecane. TPH results are less useful in characterizing coked catalysts. The peaks in TPH spectra can be correlated with only the first three peaks of TPO spectra. The high temperature peak assigned to graphitic coke in TPO is not observed in TPH spectra. This situation occurs because graphitic coke is more reactive with oxygen than with hydrogen, so that oxidation occurs within the temperature range of experimental equipment, while graphitic coke hydrogenation occurs at higher temperatures, beyond the range of the TPH apparatus.
A prospective evaluation of fatty pancreas by using EUS.

Background Fatty liver is associated with obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and the metabolic syndrome. The pathophysiology of fatty pancreas is poorly understood, but it may be closely related to fatty liver. Objective The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of fatty pancreas and risk factors associated with its development. Design Prospective, single center study. Setting Tertiary-care academic medical center. Patients This study involved 250 consecutive patients referred for EUS examination. Intervention All patients undergoing EUS at our institution were prospectively identified. Information regarding demographics, tobacco use, alcohol use, blood test results, and comorbidities were collected before EUS. Pancreatic echogenicity was graded in comparison to the spleen at the time of EUS by using an a priori specified grading scheme. Main Outcome Measurements Prevalence of fatty pancreas and factors associated with its development. Results During the study period, 250 consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled. The prevalence of fatty pancreas was 27.8% (95% CI, 22.1-34.1). Fatty liver was seen in 22.6% of patients. Factors associated with fatty pancreas on univariate analysis were increasing body mass index (BMI) (P = .004), fatty liver (P Limitations Single institution study. All patients were referred for EUS, which limits generalizability. Lack of histological confirmation of pancreatic fat. Conclusion We found a strong association between fatty pancreas and the metabolic syndrome.
A new growth deficiency syndrome.

A new syndrome characterized by growth and mental deficiency, unusual facies, hearing loss, generalized muscular hypertrophy, joint limitations and skeletal deformities is described. Older paternal age has been documented in these two cases.
Modeling human perception and estimation of kinematic responses during aircraft landing

The thrust of this research is to determine estimation accuracy of aircraft responses based on observed cues. By developing the geometric relationships between the outside visual scene and the kinematics during landing, visual and kinesthetic cues available to the pilot were modeled. Both fovial and peripheral vision was examined. The objective was to first determine estimation accuracy in a variety of flight conditions, and second to ascertain which parameters are most important and lead to the best achievable accuracy in estimating the actual vehicle response. It was found that altitude estimation was very sensitive to the FOV. For this model the motion cue of perceived vertical acceleration was shown to be less important than the visual cues. The inclusion of runway geometry in the visual scene increased estimation accuracy in most cases. Finally, it was shown that for this model if the pilot has an incorrect internal model of the system kinematics the choice of observations thought to be 'optimal' may in fact be suboptimal.
La synthèse organique

Abstract Some comments on the problems that are encountered by organic chemists who attempt the total synthesis of a molecule having several asymmetric centers. These difficulties explain the relatively slow progress of that branch of chemistry, although some of its successes merit being considered works of art.
Medullary thyroid cancer: management guidelines of the American Thyroid Association.

Background: Inherited and sporadic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is an uncommon and challenging malignancy. The American Thyroid association (ATA) chose to create specific MTC Clinical Guidelines that would bring together and update the diverse MTC literature and combine it with evidence-based medicine and the knowledge and experience of a panel of expert clinicians. Methods: Relevant articles were identified using a systematic PubMed search and supplemented with additional published materials. Evidence-based recommendations were created and then categorized using criteria adapted from the United States Preventive Services Task Force, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Results: Clinical topics addressed in this scholarly dialog included: initial diagnosis and therapy of preclinical disease (including RET oncogene testing and the timing of prophylactic thyroidectomy), initial diagnosis and therapy of clinically apparent disease (including preoperative testing and imaging, extent of surgery, and h...
Effective Teaching in Physical Education: Using Transportation Metaphors to Assess Our Status and Drive Our Future

In our reflection on Rink's (2013), McKenzie and Lounsbery's (2013), and Ward's (2013) characterizations of effective teaching in physical education (PE), 2 themes emerged that permeate these diverse perspectives: policy and accountability. In our commentary, we focus our initial discussion on the implications that policy and accountability have on effective teaching in PE. A thread running through this discussion is the feasibility of promoting effective teaching in the context of current policy and demands for accountability. We provide an argument that school PE is in peril and draw parallels to previous commentaries of research on teaching. We conclude with comments highlighting steps that have the potential to revitalize school PE as a core element in school curricula. We argue that if school PE is to survive, it is critical that we advocate for policies that promote and support quality daily PE. To do that, we must convince decision makers that PE makes a valuable contribution to the school curricul...
Psychophysics of EEG alpha state discrimination

Nearly all research in neurofeedback since the 1960s has focused on training voluntary control over EEG constructs. By contrast, EEG state discrimination training focuses on awareness of subjective correlates of EEG states. This study presents the first successful replication of EEG alpha state discrimination first reported by Kamiya (1962). A 150-s baseline was recorded in 106 participants. During the task, low ( 70th percentile) triggered a prompt. Participants indicated "high" or "low" with a keypress response and received immediate feedback. Seventy-five percent of participants achieved significant discrimination within nine sessions, with a significant learning curve effect. Performance was significantly related to physical properties of the EEG signal, including magnitude, duration, and absolute vs. relative amplitude. These results are consistent with a conceptualization of EEG state discrimination as a sensory modality, although it is also intricately related to voluntary control of these states.
Angular Distribution in the High Energy Deuteron Photoeffect

Consideration is given to the possible use of the electric dipole isotropic part of the deuteron photo-disintegration cross section as an indicator of weak odd state noncentral forces. This cross section is not very sensitive to weak tensor forces of the usual type, but is strikingly affected by a singular spin-orbit coupling. While for the usual tensor forces the ratio, $\frac{a}{b}$, of the isotropic to the ${sin}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}$ term in the cross section varies slowly over a broad energy range, it rises rapidly with energy if the noncentral force is strongly singular. Calculation is done in first Born approximation. A detailed estimate of the magnetic isotropic cross section is included, for this is an unexpectedly large "background" to the electric term which is of interest.
Characterization of Nickel Ions in Nickel‐Doped Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia

The distribution of Ni2+ ions in NiO-doped 10YSZ powder is examined with Superconducting Quantum Interference Device magnetometry, a technique that is able to distinguish between randomly distributed Ni2+ ions in solid solution and ordered Ni2+ ions within NiO with high precision. Very high purity powders containing 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mol% NiO in 10YSZ (all levels below the solid solubility limit of NiO in 10YSZ) were made from acetate precursors and a modified EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)-citrate synthesis method. The powders were calcined in air at either 873 or 1273 K. The 873 K calcination leads to single phase YSZ particles about 10 nm in diameter, and almost all of the NiO dopant exists in complete solid solution. The 1273 K calcination leads to a larger YSZ particle size (55–95 nm), and also to the formation and/or growth of NiO particles, the amount of which depends on the length of time of calcination. Upon sintering the powders in air (1773 K, 1 h), the NiO dissolves back into 10YSZ. The results demonstrate that particle growth during calcination leads to the exsolution of Ni2+ ions to form NiO. This has important implications for the synthesis of NiO-doped 10YSZ from chemical precursors.
Glycine Metabolism in Intact Leaves by in Vivo 13C and 15N Labeling

Solid-state 13C NMR measurements of intact soybean leaves labeled by 13CO2 (at subambient concentrations) show that excess glycine from the photorespiratory C2 cycle (i.e. glycine not part of the production of glycerate in support of photosynthesis) is either fully decarboxylated or inserted as 13C-labeled glycyl residues in proteins. This 13C incorporation in leaf protein, which is uniformly 15N labeled by 15NH415NO3, occurs as soon as 2 min after the start of 13CO2 labeling. In those leaves with lower levels of available nitrogen (as measured by leaf nitrate and glutamine-glutamate concentrations), the excess glycine is used primarily as glycyl residues in protein.
Cosolvent interactions in supercritical fluid solutions

The addition of cosolvents to supercritical fluid (SCF) solvents can have large effects on solubilities, giving engineers the ability to tailor loadings and selectivities of solutes for difficult separations. It is necessary to have a better understanding of the special intermolecular interactions that occur in SCF solutions to predict the effects of cosolvents. The authors use a SCF chromatographic technique to acquire a database of cosolvent effects for a variety of cosolvents and solutes; examination of the cosolvent effects shows evidence of hydrogen bonding, charge transfer complex formation, and dipole-dipole coupling between solute and cosolvent molecules. SCF solvents, carbon dioxide, ethane, and fluoroform, are compared, and then the use of the chromatograph to measure solubilities is discussed.
Flumazenil associated seizure in an 11-month-old child

Seizures are the most common serious complication of flumazenil usage in adults. We report a prolonged seizure in an 11-month-old child that occurred immediately after the administration of 0.3 mg of flumazenil. Precautions recommended for the administration of flumazenil in adults should also be used in pediatric patients.