cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of socioeconomic status on children with hearing loss.

Abstract Objective Health care disparities are noted between different socioeconomic groups; it is crucial to recognize and correct disparities, if present, that extend to children with hearing loss. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on access to hearing rehabilitation and speech and language therapy and outcomes in children with hearing loss. Methods Retrospective Chart Review of children diagnosed with hearing loss at 3 tertiary care academic centers from 2010 to 2012. Two hundred patients were then randomly selected from each institution for analysis. International and self-pay patients were excluded. They were separated into two groups based on SES using insurance coverage as proxy for financial status (private insurance versus Medicaid). Main outcome measures included number of hearing aid evaluations recommended andcompleted, compliance with hearing aids use, diagnosis on speech therapy evaluations, participation in speech therapy, and outcomes noted on the last speech therapy session in patients’ medical record at time of study completion. Results 600 patients were identified by random selection out of total of 3679 patients. 18 were excluded because they were international pay or self-pay. Of 582 patients, 299 (51.4%) had private insurance and 283 (48.6%) had Medicaid. The pure tone average (PTA) at initial diagnosis did not differ between the two populations (left ear p = 0.74, right ear p = 0.68). There was no significant difference in the number of hearing aid evaluations recommended (p = 0.49), hearing aid evaluation completed (p = 0.68), or documented hearing aid compliance (p = 0.68) between the two populations. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the presence of speech delay (p = 0.62), the receipt of speech therapy (p = 0.49), or speech language outcomes between the two groups (p = 0.45). Conclusions This study suggests that despite lower socioeconomic status, in children with hearing loss, Medicaid allows equivalent access to hearing rehabilitation and speech therapy as their privately insured counterparts and children achieve similar speech and language outcomes.
The Physical Environment and Public Policy

Applied exercise psychology: the challenging journey from motivation to adherence , Applied exercise psychology: the challenging journey from motivation to adherence , کتابخانه‌های دانشگاه کردستان
Perceived Effectiveness of Home-Based Primary Care Teams in Veterans Health Administration.

Background and objectives Previous studies have shown that staff perception of team effectiveness is related to better health outcomes in various care settings. This study focused on the Veterans Health Administration's Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program. We examined variations in HBPC interdisciplinary teamwork (IDT) and identified modifiable team and program characteristics that may influence staff perceptions of team effectiveness. Research design We used a broadly validated survey instrument to measure perceived team effectiveness, workplace conditions/resources, group culture, and respondents' characteristics. Surveys were initiated in January and completed in July, 2016. Methods Team membership rosters (n = 249) included 2,852 IDT members. The final analytical data set included 1,403 surveys (49%) from 221 (89%) teams. A generalized estimating equation model with logit link function, weighted by survey response rates, was used to examine factors associated with perceived team effectiveness. Results Respondents who served as primary care providers (PCPs) were 8% more likely (p = .0044) to view team's performance as highly effective compared to other team members. Teams with nurse practitioners serving as team leader reported 6% higher likelihood of high-perceived team effectiveness (p = .0234). High team effectiveness was 13% more likely in sites where the predominant culture was characterized as group/developmental, and 7%-8% more likely in sites with lower environmental stress and better resources and staffing, respectively. Conclusions and implications Team effectiveness is an important indirect measure of HBPC teams' function. HBPC teams should examine their predominant culture, workplace stress, resources and staffing, and PCP leadership model as part of their quality improvement efforts.
How to screen for intimate partner violence.

Domestic violence affects individuals in every part of the world, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality, or educational background. In the United States, domestic violence affects as many as 3 million women each year. Physicians and other health care providers have a unique opportunity to screen their patients-both female and male-for domestic violence or abuse. This article describes signs and symptoms of domestic violence that physicians should look for when seeing patients in the medical office or hospital and offers guidelines for initiating a discussion with patients who might be victims or abusers. Language: en
Parents’ and young children’s attention to mathematical features varies across play materials

Abstract Children’s attention to numerosity is reported to uniquely predict their later mathematical skills (e.g., Hannula-Sormunen, 2015), but there is some debate concerning the extent to which this attention to number is spontaneous or contextually driven, and it is not known how attention to numerosity varies with respect to other mathematical features, such as shape. In the present study, we used a within-subjects observational design to examine attention to mathematical features, during brief semi-structured play sessions, among parent–child dyads. Our aims were to address whether children’s and parents’ attention to mathematical features varies with play materials and whether attention to mathematical features is correlated between children and their parents. Specifically, we coded verbal references to quantitative (number, quantity, and part-whole relations) and spatial (size, shape, location, and orientation) features that emerged during Duplos and kitchen set play among 45 two- to four-year olds and their parents. Analyses of variance revealed that children and parents attended to mathematical features more frequently during Duplos compared to kitchen set play, and that this difference was largely accounted for by greater attention to spatial features, but not quantitative features. Correlations between children’s and parents’ attention to mathematical features differed between Duplos and kitchen set play, suggesting that these play materials also influence mathematics-oriented play dynamics. The results extend previous experimental laboratory findings on attention to number to additional mathematical features, and provide evidence for the contextual influences on attention to mathematical features in naturalistic settings.
Die arithmetischen Eigenschaften der Binomialkoeffizienten

Die rekursive Formel von Pascal besagt, dass jede Zahl in dieser Tabelle, abgesehen von der obersten 1, gleich der Summe der beiden uber ihr stehenden Zahlen ist. (Die Zahl 56 in der 8–ten Zeile ergibt sich zum Beispiel aus 21+35.) Hier betrachten wir die leeren Stellen als Nullen.
Has liberalism ruined everything

There has been considerable recent discussion of the social effects of “liberalism,” which are said to include a growth in out-of-wedlock childbirth, repudiation of traditions (religious and otherwise), a rise in populism, increased reliance on technocracy, inequality, environmental degradation, sexual promiscuity, deterioration of civic associations, a diminution of civic virtue, political correctness on university campuses, and a general sense of alienation. There is good reason for skepticism about these claims. Liberalism is not a person, and it is not an agent in history. Claims about the supposedly adverse social effects of liberalism are best taken not as causal claims at all, but as normative objections that should be defended on their merits. These propositions are elaborated with reference to three subordinate propositions: (1) liberalism, as such, does not lack the resources to defend traditions; (2) liberalism, as such, hardly rejects the idea of “constraint,” though the domains in which liberals accept constraints differ from those of antiliberals, and vary over time; (3) liberalism, as such, does not dishonor the idea of “honor.” There is a general point here about the difficulty of demonstrating, and the potential recklessness of claiming, that one or another “ism” is causally associated with concrete social developments.
Alternating Minimization Based Framework for Simultaneous Spectral Calibration and Image Reconstruction in Spectral CT

Photon-counting detectors acquire spectral information for the scanned object by separating incoming photons into pre-defined energy windows based on their energies. Using this energy information in computed tomography (CT) imaging, also called spectral CT, can mitigate beam-hardening artifacts and allows to estimate two or more basis material maps from the measured counts data. An important step for realizing spectral CT with photon-counting detectors is calibrating the spectral response of the imaging system. In this work, we explore the use of KL-divergence approach for spectrum estimation to allow for auto-calibration of the spectral response of each of the detector pixels in the spectral CT image reconstruction. Specifically, we incorporate unknown spectral components in the spectral CT data model and formulate simultaneous image reconstruction and estimation of these spectral components into the framework of alternating minimization. A simulation study is carried out to show how the algorithm can be implemented on spectral CT data.
Clonal hematopoiesis in cancer

Clonal hematopoiesis is a common premalignant condition defined by the abnormal expansion of clonally derived hematopoietic stem cells carrying somatic mutations in leukemia-associated genes. Apart from increasing age, this phenomenon occurs with higher frequency in individuals with lymphoid or solid tumors and is associated with exposures to genotoxic stress. Clonal hematopoiesis in this context confers a greater risk for developing therapy-related myeloid neoplasms and appears to contribute to adverse cancer-related survival through a variety of potential mechanisms. These include alterations of the bone marrow microenvironment, inflammatory changes in clonal effector cells and modulation of immune responses. Understanding how clonal hematopoiesis drives therapy-related myeloid neoplasm initiation and interactions with non-myeloid malignancies will inform screening and surveillance approaches and suggest targeted therapies in this vulnerable population. Here, we examine the clinical implications of clonal hematopoiesis in the cancer setting and discuss potential strategies to mitigate the adverse consequences of clonal expansion.
Long-term ACE inhibition in Alport syndrome: are the benefits worth the risks?

Gross et al. present results of the EARLY PRO-TECT trial, a randomized controlled trial of ramipril versus placebo in children with early-stage Alport syndrome. Although under-enrolled and not a positive trial in the traditional sense, EARLY PRO-TECT does provide strong supportive evidence for both long-term safety and a clinical benefit of early treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in slowing the progression of both albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate decline in children with Alport syndrome.
Aminophylline for renal protection in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in the era of therapeutic hypothermia.

BACKGROUND Neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) frequently develop acute kidney injury (AKI). Aminophylline has been shown to reduce severe renal dysfunction in neonates after perinatal asphyxia. However, the effect of aminophylline on renal function in neonates undergoing hypothermia has not been studied. METHODS A single-center, retrospective chart review of neonates cooled for moderate/severe HIE who received aminophylline for AKI was conducted to assess changes in urine output (UOP) and serum creatinine (SCr). Comparisons were also made to control neonates matched for hours of life who were cooled but unexposed to aminophylline. RESULTS Sixteen neonates cooled for HIE received aminophylline starting at 25 ± 14 h of life. Within 12 h of starting aminophylline, UOP increased by 2.6 ± 1.9 mL/kg/h. SCr declined by 0.4 ± 0.2 mg/dL in survivors over the first 4 days. When compared to control neonates, UOP increase was greater in the aminophylline group (p < 0.001). SCr declined in survivors in both groups, although baseline SCr was higher in the aminophylline group. CONCLUSIONS Aminophylline use in neonates with HIE undergoing hypothermia was associated with an increase in UOP and a decline in SCr. A randomized trial will be needed to establish a potential renal protective role of aminophylline. IMPACT The renal protective effect of aminophylline in neonates with HIE has not yet been studied in the context of therapeutic hypothermia. Aminophylline exposure in neonates cooled for HIE was associated with increased UOP and a similar decline in SCr when compared to control infants unexposed to aminophylline. Improved renal function after receiving aminophylline in this observational cohort study suggests the need for future randomized trials to establish the potential benefit of aminophylline in the HIE population undergoing hypothermia.
Medical Weight-Loss Outcomes in Patients Receiving Concomitant Psychotropic Medication: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective This study aimed to elucidate medical weight-loss outcomes in patients unexposed or exposed to psychotropic medication(s). Methods This retrospective cohort study evaluated weight-loss outcomes of completers treated at an academic weight-management center between April 1, 2014, and April 1, 2016. Patients were classified as either unexposed (not prescribed psychotropic medication) or exposed (prescribed psychotropic medication) based on use of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or antipsychotics during the study. Results Of 1,932 patients seen during the study period, 885 were eligible for inclusion, of whom 619 (70.0%) were unexposed and 266 (30.0%) were exposed to psychotropic medications. In the unexposed and exposed groups, the mean age, sex distribution, proportion with type 2 diabetes, initial BMI, and number of weight-loss medications prescribed were similar. At 12 months, the unexposed group lost 1.6% more weight on average than the exposed group (9.1% [SD 7.6%] vs. 7.5% [SD 8.1%], respectively; P = 0.02); 71.0% and 41.2% of the unexposed group achieved ≥ 5% and ≥ 10% weight loss at 12 months, respectively, compared with 63.1% and 31.8% in the exposed group at 12 months (P = 0.04 at 5%; P = 0.02 at 10%). Conclusions Exposure to psychotropic medications was associated with diminished weight loss in patients with medically managed overweight and obesity.
Unsupervised Sleep and Wake State Identification in Long-Term Electrocorticography Recordings

Studying the neural correlates of sleep can lead to revelations in our understanding of sleep and its interplay with different neurological disorders. Sleep research relies on manual annotation of sleep stages based on rules developed for healthy adults. Automating sleep stage annotation can expedite sleep research and enable us to better understand atypical sleep patterns. Our goal was to create a fully unsupervised approach to label sleep and wake states in human electro-corticography (ECoG) data from epilepsy patients. Here, we demonstrate that with continuous data from a single ECoG electrode, hidden semi-Markov models (HSMM) perform best in classifying sleep/wake states without excessive transitions, with a mean accuracy (n=4) of 85.2% compared to using K-means clustering (72.2%) and hidden Markov models (81.5%). Our results confirm that HSMMs produce meaningful labels for ECoG data and establish the groundwork to apply this model to cluster sleep stages and potentially other behavioral states.
Reflected shock-initiated ignition probed via simultaneous lateral and endwall high-speed imaging with a transparent, cylindrical test-section

Abstract A TRAnsparent cylindrical (TRAC) shock tube test section has been developed to explore the ignition structure behind reflected shockwaves via simultaneous lateral and endwall high-speed imaging using three fuel/oxidizer mixtures: 0.1% n-C7H16/1.10% O2/4.14% N2/94.66% Ar, 0.1% iC8H18/1.25% O2/4.69% N2/93.96% Ar, and 5% CH4/10% O2/85% CO2. During mild ignition, the first exothermic centers were located outside of the observable test section. It is shown that with increasing temperature the far-wall ignition events move closer to the endwall, until a strong ignition is achieved. The temperature gradients that promote mild ignition were quantified and were found to have a slight dependence on fuel with the RMS temperature gradients being 0.80% for n-heptane and 1.07% for isooctane. The impact of temperature gradients on metrics used to improve kinetic models, such as species time histories, is noteworthy. From this temperature gradient, an experimental correlation is provided to estimate the transition temperature from mild to strong ignition for a mixture. The effect of diagnostic location in non-homogeneous reactions is quantified in reference to ignition delay. The unique and insightful perspective on the ignition process under heavy shock bifurcation is also discussed.
The Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Dynamics of Public School District Secession, 1995-2015.

BackgroundScholars have increasingly expressed concern about a new secessionist movement, grounded in a doctrine of localism and facilitated by permissive state policies regarding the formation of ...
Neuropsychological Comparison of Guilt and Grief: A Review of Guilt Aspects in Prolonged Grief Disorder.

Taking an integrative approach toward developmental psychology and neurophysiology, this review selects findings from the psychological and medical literature on guilt and bereavement that are rele...
Beneficial use of dredged sediment as a sustainable practice for restoring coastal marsh habitat.

Coastal Louisiana (USA) continues to sustain immense land and habitat losses due to subsidence, sea-level rise, and storm events. Approximately 65 million m3 (85 million cubic yards) of sediment is dredged annually from Gulf Coast federal navigation channels to maintain safe waterway passage. The beneficial use of these sediments continues to increase, and now this sediment is recognized as a critical resource in large-scale (estimated multibillion dollar) ecosystem restoration efforts to mitigate land and habitat losses along the US Gulf Coast. However, the documentation of restoration benefits where dredged sediments are the primary resource is lacking, which limits the potential for future applications. Therefore, this study documents the progress to restore marsh habitat and the resultant benefits in West Bay, Louisiana, and investigates how the restoration practices align with principles of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering with Nature® (EWN®) and UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). West Bay, a 4964-ha subdelta adjacent to the Mississippi River, typifies risks of coastal land loss that also threatens the integrity of the adjacent federal navigation channel. To help restore coastal marsh habitat on a large spatial and temporal scale, the USACE constructed an uncontrolled diversionary channel from the Mississippi River and with subsequent direct and strategic placement of dredged sediment. Restoration performance was assessed through remotely sensed methods using data spanning approximately 70 years. To date, placement of dredged sediment in the bay has facilitated the creation of over 800 ha of new land in the formerly open waters of West Bay. The West Bay restoration project aligns with the principles of the EWN initiative, which supports more sustainable practices to deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits through collaborative processes and meaningfully integrates 10 of the UN SDGs designed to achieve a better and more sustainable future. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;00:1-12. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Rigid Application

Kripke defines a rigid designator as one that designates the same object in every possible world in which that object exists. He argues that proper names are rigid. So also, he claims, are various natural kind terms. But we wonder how they could be. These terms are general and it is not obvious that they designate at all. It has been proposed that these kind terms rigidly designate abstract objects. This proposal has been criticized because all terms then seem to come out rigid, thus trivializing rigidity. The paper starts with further criticisms of this proposal aimed particularly at a recent version given by LaPorte. The paper goes on to develop and defend an alternative proposal presented briefly in Devitt and Sterelny (1999): instead of taking those natural kind terms to rigidly designate an object we take them to rigidly apply to the members of their extensions. Schwartz has rightly insisted that a notion of rigidity must do some theoretical work if it is to be interesting. The paper argues that rigid application for kind terms does the same primary work as rigid designation for singular terms, the work of refuting description theories of some terms; and it does the same secondary work, of explaining certain modal phenomena (with one exception).
Comparing Framingham risk score and cognitive performance in a Mexican American cohort

Abstract Objective Mexican-Americans have a higher prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors as compared to Non-Hispanic whites. This study aims to elucidate the utility of the Framingham Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score (FCVDRS) as a predictor of cognitive performance on a cohort of Mexican Americans elders. Participants and Setting 429 Mexican-Americans (338 female and 91 male) from a longitudinal study conducted at The University of North Texas Health Science Center were studied. Main outcome measures Demographic and clinical data relevant to Framingham Cardiovascular Disease 10-year Risk Score (FCVDRS) were assessed. FCVDRS was calculated based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and categorized as Low if 20. Cognitive performance on Trails B, Wechsler Logical Memory I and II, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Animal Naming (AN) tests. Demographic data was analyzed using t-tests and chi-square tests as appropriate. Pearson correlation tests and ANOVAs were used to compare FCVDRS, as a continuous variable and as a categorical variable, against cognitive performance. Results Both Pearson correlation tests and linear regression analysis, showed significant correlations between FCVDRS and performance on 4 of the 8 measures of cognitive performance. ANOVAs with Post-Hoc analysis also showed that the difference in cognitive performance was more pronounced between groups with greater differences in FCVDRS. In all analyses, the strength of the relationship was stronger in females. Conclusion The results show that FCDVRS has high predictive utility in measures of cognitive function. Gender specific analysis between FCVDRS and cognitive performance indicate a stronger association in females.
The Temporal Structure of Therapy: Key Questions Often Associated with Different Phases of Sessions and Treatments (Plus Twenty-One Helpful Hints)

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an introduction to the temporal structure of therapy. There is also often a microcosm–macrocosm parallelism—the structure of each therapy session tends to mirror or parallel the overall course of treatment. Issues typically involved in the first portions of treatment are similar to those involved in the first portions of each session, the middle of treatment resembles the middle of each session, and the issues that characterize the later portions of the course of therapy tend to characterize the later portions of each session. Recognizing the respective phases of treatment and their requisite tasks, both in each session and in the overall course of treatment, can help make therapy more effective and efficient. This chapter presents several suggestions for structuring and modeling the therapy for each session and in the overall course of treatment, to make the therapy more effective and efficient. As the therapy begins, a therapist should especially attend to forming a good alliance, inquiring about possible changes since the last contact with patient, and establishing goals for the session and the therapy. The therapist needs to keep track of the client's goals, whether there is a good working alliance, and whether the treatment is going in the right direction or if some course ‘‘corrections'’ need to be made. Termination, which may be defined as ‘‘extracting the therapist from the equation of the successful relationship,’’ becomes central to the therapy. There are various issues that need to be addressed—goal attainment/homework/postsession tasks, and goal maintenance and relapse prevention—to ensure an effective therapy. Apart from these, the therapist should emphasize client choice and responsibility, clarify and cultivate the client's motivation, and pay close attention to the client–therapist relationship.
Quantitative Histochemistry of Cytochrome Oxidase Activity

This chapter explains the theory and methods for the mapping of cytochrome oxidase activity in the brain using quantitative histochemistry. Cytochrome oxidase catalyzes the electron transfer from cytochrome c to oxygen in all higher forms of living organisms. cytochrome oxidase activity can be measured histochemically using diaminobenzidine as the electron donor to reduce cytochrome c. This histochemical reaction is performed in fresh-frozen brains under conditions of linearity, using internal activity standards and quantitative densitometry, to allow quantification of enzymatic activity units. During cellular respiration, this reaction is necessary for ATP synthesis because of its coupling with oxidative phosphorylation. Cytochrome oxidase is critically important to neurons because they depend on oxidative metabolism for energy production. This chapter also reviews the regional brain effects of cytochrome oxidase inhibition. Enhanced vulnerability to cytochrome oxidase inhibition is found in brain regions most often engaged in associative memory functions. It is proposed that this vulnerability may depend on the sustained neuronal metabolic demands that long-term learning and memory imposes on these regions.
The Effects of Vitamin E Depletion and Repletion on Prostaglandin Dehydrogenase Activity in Tissues of Young Rabbits

The key enzyme controlling prostaglandin (PG) catabolism, 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH), was characterized in rabbit tissues. The apparent Michaelis constant (Km) using PGE2 as substrate was found to be 5.3, 4.0, 4.0 and 7.1 microM for semitendinosus and soleus muscles, heart and kidney, respectively. The effect of dietary vitamin E depletion and repletion on the PGDH activity in these tissues was studied. Vitamin E deficiency caused an elevation of PGDH activity in rabbit skeletal muscles but not in the heart and kidney. Oral supplementation of tocopherol acetate to the deficient animals did not affect the skeletal muscle PGDH activity. A long period of refeeding (30 days) was required to suppress the elevated PGDH level to the control values. The data indicates a higher turnover of the PGs in the vitamin E-deficient rabbit skeletal muscles. The significance of such a change in connection to prostaglandin metabolism is discussed.
After the Earth Shook

A Crack in the Edge of the World . America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906. By Simon Winchester . HarperCollins, New York, 2005. 478 pp. $27.95, C$37.95. ISBN 0-06-057199-3. A Crack in the Edge of the World . The Great American Earthquake of 1906. Viking, London, 2005. £16.99. ISBN 0-670-91487-8. A blend of science and history, the author's account of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake and its aftermath frequently wanders into intriguing digressions.
How China's Employment Problems Became Trade Problems: China, Labour Law, and the Rule of Law

In this article, I focus on the potential trade spillovers of Chinese policies to maintain employment. Chinese leaders are determined to maintain employment and have long ignored employment laws that could empower workers. But in 2007, China reformed its labor laws and allowed wide public comment. The new laws enhanced protections for workers, but the consensus among scholars, NGOs, and the US State Department is that these labor laws, like earlier laws, are unevenly and rarely enforced. I argue that Chinese failure to enforce these laws breachits WTO obligations. WTO members could use GATT Article XXIII, which establishes a "right of redress" for changes in domestic policy that systematically erode market access commitments even if no explicit GATT rule has been violated. Used creatively, this strategy could enable WTO member states to encourage China to do a better job of enforcing its labour laws.
The α-invariant on certain surfaces with symmetry groups

The global holomorphic α-invariant introduced by Tian is closely related to the existence of Kahler-Einstein metrics. We apply the result of Tian, Yau and Zelditch on polarized Kahler metrics to approximate plurisubharmonic functions and compute the α-invariant on CP 2 #nCP 2 for n = 1, 2, 3.
Channel Flow of a Concentrated Suspension

Abstract A theory for creeping flow of concentrated suspensions is described that takes into account the fluctuations of particles about their mean motion. The intensity of the velocity fluctuations is characterized by an internal field analogous to the temperature in classical kinetic theories, and governed by a balance law for the fluctuation energy. Explicit forms are posed for the viscosity, conductivity, dissipation, and pressure as functions of the temperature and mean interparticle separation. Approximate solutions are found for the temperature, separation, and mean velocity fields in flow between parallel plates. Qualitative behavior comparable to experimental observations is predicted: particle fluctuations and the mean shearing are confined to a region near the channel wall, while a plug-like region prevails in the center.
Soy Lecithin but Not Egg Lecithin Decreased the Plasma Cholesterol Concentration in Golden Syrian Hamsters

Egg lecithin differs from soy lecithin in its phospholipid profile and fatty acid composition. The current study was designed to test whether egg lecithin or soy lecithin decreased the plasma cholesterol concentration in hamsters that are used as a model for humans. Male golden Syrian hamsters were assigned randomly to eight dietary treatments lasting 4 weeks (n=10 per treatment) that contained 0.12% (wt/wt) of cholesterol and varied amount of supplemental lipids. The diet groups were: control with no supplemental lipid, 0.05%, 0.5%, and 5% (wt/wt) of egg lecithin or soy lecithin, respectively, and 5% (wt/wt) of soybean oil. Dietary soy lecithin decreased the plasma cholesterol concentration compared with control in a dosage- and time-dependent manner. The 5% soy lecithin treatment greatly decreased the final plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol compared with the control (p<0.0001). In addition, the 5% soy lecithin supplementation caused greater decrease in plasma total cholesterol than did the 5% soybean oil treatment (p<0.05), indicating effects beyond the fatty acid composition. The cholesterol absorption measured on day 24, however, was lower in the control group compared with all other treatments (p<0.05). Overall, dietary soy lecithin but not egg lecithin decreased the plasma cholesterol concentration in hamsters via a mechanism other than decreasing cholesterol absorption.
Identification of essential genes in Staphylococcus aureus using inducible antisense RNA.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the antisense RNA can effectively down-regulate gene expression in various bacterial systems. Antisense technology is an effective approach to down-regulate expression of specific genes. It is widely used to interfere with eukaryotic gene expression through injection of synthetic oligonucleotides complementary to mRNA and by the synthesis of antisense RNA from DNA cloned in an antisense orientation. However, the antisense method is not use routinely to inhibit gene expression in bacteria, even though there is evidence that antisense regulation occurs naturally in bacteria during plasmid, phage, and chromosomal replication. Combining an antisense strategy with a regulated expression system is useful in identifying and characterizing essential genes critical to bacterial growth in vitro and in vivo . Moreover, such a strategy offers a unique approach to the study of bacterial pathogenesis and definition of virulence factors. Regulated antisense RNA may use to decrease the expression of known genes during different stages of infection.
A two-stage virtual impactor for continuous concentration of particles in an aerosol

A two-stage virtual impactor has been designed and fabricated to concentrate aerosol particles. In this impactor, the minor flow from the first stage of the impactor is introduced into the second stage as the primary flow. The cut-point of the impactor is designed to be ~0.3 μm. The sample aerosol is introduced into the impactor at a flow rate of 8.0 atm- l min.−1 and after the two stages of separation, particles (> 0.5 μm diameter) are collected into the minor flow of 0.06 atm- l min−1 with 84% efficiency. The tandem arrangement of the two stages increases the concentration of larger particles by a factor of > 100. The small size and the low flow rates make the impactor compatible with the sampling requirements of instruments used for the chemical and physical characterization of particles from low-particle number density aerosols. In particular, the high particle concentration factor of the impactor will make it possible to analyze individual particles in real time from aerosols containing < 10 particles cft−1 by the mass spectrometric methods developed in our laboratory.
Insulating ferromagnetism in La4Ba2Cu2O10: an Ab initio wannier function analysis.

Microscopic mechanisms of the puzzling insulating ferromagnetism of half-filled ${\mathrm{L}\mathrm{a}}_{4}{\mathrm{B}\mathrm{a}}_{2}{\mathrm{C}\mathrm{u}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{10}$ are elucidated with energy-resolved Wannier states. The dominant magnetic coupling, revealed through evaluated parameters ($t$, $U$, and $J$), turns out to be the intersite direct exchange, a currently ignored mechanism that overwhelms the antiferromagnetic superexchange. By contrast, the isostructural ${\mathrm{N}\mathrm{d}}_{4}{\mathrm{B}\mathrm{a}}_{2}{\mathrm{C}\mathrm{u}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{10}$ develops the observed antiferromagnetic order via its characteristics of a 1D chain. Surprisingly, the in-plane order of both cases is not controlled by coupling between nearest neighbors. An intriguing pressure-induced ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition is predicted.
Energy requirements of middle-aged men are modifiable by physical activity.

Background: Energy requirements for weight maintenance decrease with age. Often, this decline is not proportionately matched by reduced energy intake, resulting in weight gain. Objective: We hypothesized that energy requirements for total daily weight maintenance in healthy, sedentary, middle-aged men would increase after regular aerobic exercise or aerobic exercise plus weight loss to levels comparable with those in middle-aged athletes. Design: Weight-maintenance energy requirements were determined during weight stability (±0.25 kg) in 14 lean, sedentary (LS) men; 18 obese, sedentary (OS) men; and 10 male athletes of comparable ages (x ± SEM: 58 ± 1 y). Studies were done at baseline and after 6 mo of aerobic exercise (LS men) or aerobic exercise plus weight loss (OS men) or 3 mo of deconditioning (athletes). Results: The interventions raised maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) by 15% in the LS men and by 13% in the OS men and decreased it by 14% in athletes (all P< 0.01), eliminating the differences among groups at baseline. Body fat was reduced significantly in LS and OS men; fat-free mass decreased in OS men. Average daily energy requirements increased by 8% in LS men and by 5% in OS men (both P< 0.01) to levels comparable with the baseline requirements of athletes and correlated with VO 2 max (r 2 = 0.22, P< 0.0001) and fat-free mass (r 2 = 0.05, P< 0.02) across the range of VO 2 max achieved by all subjects. Conclusions: Under free-living conditions, aerobic exercise eliminated the difference in weight-maintenance energy requirements between middle-aged sedentary and athletic men, suggesting that energy requirements of healthy, middle-aged men are modifiable by regular physical activity.
The tumor-sensitive calmodulin-like protein is a specific light chain of Human unconventional myosin X

Abstract Human calmodulin-like protein (CLP) is an epithelial-specific Ca2+-binding protein whose expression is strongly down-regulated in cancers. Like calmodulin, CLP is thought to regulate cellular processes via Ca2+-dependent interactions with specific target proteins. Using gel overlays, we identified a ∼210-kDa protein binding specifically and in a Ca2+-dependent manner to CLP, but not to calmodulin. Yeast two-hybrid screening yielded a CLP-interacting clone encoding the three light chain binding IQ motifs of human “unconventional” myosin X. Pull-down experiments showed CLP binding to the IQ domain to be direct and Ca2+-dependent. CLP interacted strongly with IQ motif 3 (K d ∼0.5 nm) as determined by surface plasmon resonance. Epitope-tagged myosin X was localized preferentially at the cell periphery in MCF-7 cells, and CLP colocalized with myosin X in these cells. Myosin X was able to coprecipitate CLP and, to a lesser extent, calmodulin from transfected COS-1 cells, indicating that CLP is a specific light chain of myosin Xin vivo. Because unconventional myosins participate in cellular processes ranging from membrane trafficking to signaling and cell motility, myosin X is an attractive CLP target. Altered myosin X regulation in (tumor) cells lacking CLP may have as yet unknown consequences for cell growth and differentiation.
The role of bronchoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of bronchial adenoma.

In the light of our experience, we believe that irradiation has been of no proven value; that in many cases bronchoscopic removal is curative, and that in many other cases it constitutes efficacious preoperative or palliative treatment; that bronchotomy as shown by Goldman and others offers a good prospect of cure by a conservative surgical procedure in suitable cases; and that surgical resection by lobectomy or pneumonectomy is definitely indicated in many other cases, because of impossibility of complete local removal compression due to persisting extrabronchial tumor or irreversible changes in the distal portion of the lung. Finally, we definitely believe that in dealing with bronchial adenoma, cases should be individualized in selection of treatment method and resection should not be resorted to automatically as in carcinoma.
Bounded query machines: On NP and PSPACE

Abstract It is shown that NP is equal to PSPACE if and only if for every oracle set A , NP( A ) is equal to the class NPQUERY( A ) of languages accepted by nondeterministic polynomial space-bounded oracle machines that are allowed to query the oracle for A only a polynomial number of times. Further, it is shown that there is an oracle set B such that NPQUERY( B ) is not equal to the class PQUERY( B ) of languages accepted by deterministic polynomial space-bounded oracle machines that are allowed to query the oracle for B only a polynomial number of times.
The evolution of satellite-monitored radio tags for large whales: One laboratory's experience

Abstract Despite several centuries of whaling and directed research, there are only a few whale stocks whose year-round whereabouts are reasonably well known. For the vast majority of depleted populations, the link between seasonal feeding and breeding concentrations remains unknown. This lack of information on range, seasonal distribution, stock structure, and migration routes makes it difficult to design and implement effective conservation measures to promote recovery. The use of such information would have been valuable to develop stock-specific quotas for whaling, but now it may be even more important for recovery of depleted stocks and identifying anthropogenic threats throughout a depleted stock's range. Building upon the preliminary findings of Discovery tags and more recent photo identification studies, satellite-monitored radio tags are now providing range and seasonal distribution information for many stocks of depleted large whales. These parameters are important to better estimate population abundance, characterize habitats, identify threats to recovery, and design effective protection measures when needed. This paper traces one laboratory's experience with the development of satellite-monitored radio tag technology for large whales, including attachment mechanisms and delivery systems, in the hope that others will profit from our successes and our mistakes. Selected examples are used to demonstrate how such tags contribute to new insights about whales’ habitats, migrations, behaviour, and management.
Experiments in Training Overseas Administrators

As part of their training programs during World War II, various university and other groups developed experiments to supplement orthodox classroom teaching with more concrete demonstration and application of field techniques. These related to such problems as using interpreters, questioning informants, and dealing with practical situations in simulated field conditions. Such experiments appear to hold interesting possibilities of wider development and adaptation for training students not only for administration among peoples of other ethnic backgrounds, but also at the graduate level in anthropology and other human science fields. Presented here are some brief notes on their use in training programs at Stanford University, first in connection with the Far Eastern Area and Language Program, and more recently in the School of Naval Administration where naval officers are prepared to handle administrative responsibilities in the United States Pacific Island territories.
An Experimental Study of Mist/Air Film Cooling With Fan-Shaped Holes on an Extended Flat Plate: Part 2 — Two-Phase Flow Measurements and Droplet Dynamics

A Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA) system is employed to measure the two-phase mist flow behavior including flow velocity field, droplet size distribution, droplet dynamics, and turbulence characteristics. Based on the droplet measurements made through PDPA, a projected profile describing how the air-mist coolant jet flow spreads and eventually blends into the hot main flow is prescribed for both cylindrical and fan-shaped holes. The mist film layer consists of a typical coolant film layer and a wider droplet layer. The droplet layer is identified by a wedge-shaped enclosure prescribed by the data rate (droplet number per second) distribution. The apex of the enclosure, depicting by the maximum data rate, roughly indicating the core region of the coolant film. The upper boundary of the film layer, characterized by active mixing with the main flow, is found to be close to relatively high values of local Reynolds shear stresses. Thanks to higher inertia possessed by larger droplets (>20 μm in diameter) at the injection hole, the larger droplets tend to shoot across the coolant layer, resulting in a wider droplet layer than the cooling film layer.With the prescribed coolant film and droplet layer profiles, the heat transfer results on the wall presented in Part 1 are reexamined. The 3-D droplet measurements show that the droplets injected from the fan-shaped holes tend to spread wider in lateral direction than cylinder holes and accumulate at the location where the neighboring coolant film layers meet. This flow and droplet behavior explains the higher cooling performance as well as mist-enhancement occurs between the fan-shaped cooling holes, rather than along the hole’s centerline as demonstrated in the case using the cylindrical holes.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Introducing collaboration into an application development environment

We present contextual collaboration, an approach to building collaborative systems that embeds collaborative capabilities into core applications, and discuss its advantages. We describe the Jazz collaborative application development environment that we are using to explore this concept and discuss design guidelines that have emerged from our experience.
Xylose yields and relationship to combined severity for dilute acid post-hydrolysis of xylooligomers from hydrothermal pretreatment of corn stover

To maximize yields of fermentable xylose monomer from hydrothermal pretreatment of corn stover at 200 °C, the xylooligomers-rich liquor produced was post hydrolyzed with dilute sulfuric acid over a range of times and acid concentrations. The results showed that application of 0.75% H2SO4 at 110 °C for 180 min or 0.50% H2SO4 at 110 °C for 240 min recovered almost 100% of the total xylose from the oligomers. Furthermore, adjusting one constant in the combined severity parameter (CSP) provided a rapid and accurate tool for trading off times, temperatures, and acid concentrations to reach the highest xylose yields from xylooligomers in hydrothermal pretreatment solutions. This adjusted CSP showed that an 8.4 °C temperature increase has the same impact as doubling the acid concentration or halving reaction time instead of the 10 °C change projected by the customary CSP and suggests that xylooligomers bonds are more easily broken than the hemicellulose from which they are derived.
Combined extraction of cesium and strontium from alkaline nitrate solutions

The combined extraction of cesium and strontium from caustic wastes can be achieved by adding a crown ether and a carboxylic acid to the Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) solvent. The ligand 4,4'(5')-di(tert-butyl)cyclohexano-18-crown-6 and one of four different carboxylic acids were combined with the components of the CSSX solvent optimized for the extraction of cesium, allowing for the simultaneous extraction of cesium and strontium from alkaline nitrate media simulating alkaline high level wastes present at the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site. Extraction and stripping experiments were conducted independently and exhibited adequate results for mimicking waste simulant processing through batch contacts. The promising results of these batch tests showed that the system could reasonably be tested on actual waste.
Preservation of optical selection rules in an amorphous semiconductor

Abstract In amorphous solids, distinguishable regions of order exist that can be modeled by regular polytopes in curved (non-euclidean) spaces1,2. We propose that selection rules govern hypothetical physical processes, e.g., optical absorption, in such high symmetry non-euclidean structures. We show an analogy between curved space azimuthal angular momentum m and crystal momentum k. The selection rule ▵m=0 corresponds to a vertical ▵ k = 0 transition in a crystal. In amorphous Si, a remnant of the crystalline k selection rule exists near the 1.1 eV absorption edge.