cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family-based obesity treatment in children with disabilities

Abstract Objective To assess the relative effectiveness of an interdisciplinary, family-centered, tertiary-care pediatric weight management program for the treatment of patients with and without cognitive disabilities (CD). Methods Retrospective analysis of the clinical database of a tertiary-care pediatric weight management clinic (n = 453), extracting data from electronic health records including longitudinal change in weight status (body mass index [BMI] z -score) and frequency of attrition from treatment. Upon review of medical records, children enrolled in the treatment program were classified as having no CD (n = 342) or CD (n = 111). Results At baseline, there were no between-group differences in BMI or BMI z -score. After 4 months of treatment, 66% (299) of patients remained enrolled, and complete case data were available for 219 children in final analyses. There were no statistically significant differences in attrition between the 2 groups (no CD vs CD). Mean change in BMI z -score across all groups was −0.03 ± 0.13 ( P z -score was significantly greater among patients with CD (−0.07 ± 0.15) compared to those without CD (−0.03 ± 0.12) (difference 0.04, 95% confidence interval 0.005–0.08, P = .029). These change estimates were observed after adjusting for processes potentially associated with attrition. Conclusions Children with CD treated in an interdisciplinary, family-centered obesity clinic had similar or better outcomes compared to peers without CD. This success may be attributable to the patient-centered nature of this behavioral weight management program, which focused on leveraging the unique strengths and capabilities of each individual patient and family.
General theory of polycrystalline ENDOR patterns. g and hyperfine tensors of arbitrary symmetry and relative orientation

Abstract A general formulation is presented for the ENDOR spectra of a randomly oriented, polycrystalline (powder) S = 1 2 paramagnet, assuming slow cross-relaxation, g anisotropy domination of the EPR spectrum, arbitrary symmetries and relative orientations of g and hyperfine tensors, and δ-function EPR and ENDOR component lineshapes. Calculations for simple, archetypical types of centers have been presented, as well as selected calculations showing the full generality of the method. In particular, at g values where the ENDOR spectra arise from multiple orientations of the paramagnet (powder-type spectra) it was found that the ENDOR shape functions, N ( A ) g , show two divergences and no steps when the g and A tensors are coaxial; noncoaxiality can introduce subsidiary maxima and can cause the occurrence of as many as four additional divergences.
Synthesis of alkali and alkaline earth metal complexes of open cryptands and their X-ray structures wherein M=Li+, Na+ and Ba2+

Abstract Syntheses are reported for the open cryptands (ROCH2CH2)3N (R=CH3, 1; C2H5, 2) and their proton derivatives [H(ROCH2CH2)3N]X (R=CH3, X=Cl, 3; X=CF3COO, 4; X=p-CH3C6H4COO, 5), alkali metal complexes, [M(ROCH2CH2)3N]X (M=Li, R=CH3, X=I, 6; X=ClO4, 7; R=C2H5, X=I, 10; M=Na, R=CH3, X=I, 8; X=ClO4, 9), alkaline earth metal complexes, {M[(ROCH2CH2)3N]2}X2 (M=Mg, R=CH3, X=I, 11; X=ClO4, 12; R=C2H5, X=I, 18; M=Ca, R=CH3, X=I, 13; X=ClO4, 14; R=C2H5, X=I, 19; M=Sr, R=CH3, X=I, 15; R=C2H5, X=I, 20; M=Ba, R=CH3, X=I, 16; X=ClO4, 17; R=C2H5, X=I, 21), and alkaline earth hfac complexes, M(ROCH2CH2)3N(hfac)2 (hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonato, R=CH3, M=Mg, 22; M=Ca, 23; M=Ba, 24; R=C2H5, M=Mg, 25; M=Ca, 26; M=Ba, 27) are reported. The triester [CH3OC(CO)OCH2CH2]3N, 28 was obtained in the course of this research. The characterizations of the open cryptands and their protonated derivatives and complexes were performed by 1H, 13C NMR, mass spectral and elemental analysis. The structures of 3, 6, 8, 24 and 28 obtained by X-ray means are also described. A structural feature of each of the complexes 6, 8 and 24 is the tetradentate coordination exhibited by the open cryptand.
A case control study of anovaginal distance and bacterial vaginosis

We aimed to test the hypothesis that a short anovaginal distance may increase the risk of bacterial vaginosis (BV) due to faecal contamination and disruption of the vaginal microbiota. Women attending two sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, who complained of a vaginal discharge were asked to participate in a study to measure mucosal immune responses. In this pilot study of all enrolled women, a small plastic ruler was used to measure the anatomic distance from the posterior fourchette to the anus with the participant in the lithotomy position. Cases of BV, defined by Amsel's clinical criteria (n = 62), were compared with controls (n = 31) without BV. We used linear and logistic regression models to adjust for potential confounders. A total of 93 women were recruited (median age 28.6 years, 93% black, 4.4% gonorrhoea infection, 7.4% chlamydia infection, 8.6% trichomonas infection, 67% BV diagnosed). Mean anovaginal distance was 3.22 cm (SD: 0.74, range 1.8-5.2) for controls and 3.37 cm (SD: 0.76, range: 1.8-5.7) for cases (P = 0.38). There was no difference between cases and controls when comparing median values, quartiles and after adjusting for potential confounders. Among high-risk women with multiple co-infections, there was no association between anovaginal distance and clinical diagnosis of BV.
Cluster-based data modeling for semantic video search

In this paper we present a novel approach to query-by-example using existing high-level semantics in the dataset. Typically with visual topics, the examples are not sufficiently diverse to create robust model of the user's need in the descriptor's space. As a result, direct modeling using the provided topic examples as training data is inadequate. Otherwise, systems resort to multiple content-based searches using each example in turn, which typically provides poor results. We explore the relevance of visual concept models and how they help refine the query topics. We propose a new technique of leveraging the underlying semantics contained in the visual query topic examples to improve the search. We treat the semantic space as the descriptor space, and intelligently model a query in that space. We use unlabeled data to expand the diversity of the topic examples as well as provide a robust set of negative examples that allow direct modeling. The approach intelligently models a positive and pseudo-negative space using unbiased and biased methods for data sampling and data selection, and improves semantic retrieval by %12 over TRECVID 2006 topics. Moreover, we explore the visual context in fusion with text and visual search baselines and examine how this component can improve baseline retrieval results by expanding and re-ranking them. We apply the proposed methods in a multimodal video search system, and show how the underlined semantics of the queries can significantly improve the overall visual search results, improving baseline by over 46%, and enhancing performance of other modalities by at least 10%. We also demonstrate improved robustness over a range of query topic training examples and query topics with varying visual support of in TRECVID.
Parasitic Protozoa and Helminths: Biological and Immunological Challenges

Parasitic protozoans and helminths pose considerable medical as well as scientific challenges. Investigations of the complex and very different life cycles of these organisms, their adaptation to the obligate parasitic mode of life, and their ability to face the hostile host environment have resulted in many exciting discoveries. Invasion of host erythrocytes by plasmodial sporozoites and intact skin by schistosomal cercariae are outlined as examples of the elaborate mechanisms of parasitism. Isolation and characterization of single protective antigens or subunit vaccines from these two organisms are examined as models for vaccine development. Finally, developments in exploring gene regulation in protozoans and free and parasitic nematodes are briefly outlined.
Differential sensitivity to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol and flunitrazepam in PKCγ null mutant mice

Abstract Tests of ethanol effects in PKCγ null mutant mice have indicated that PKCγ plays a role in initial sensitivity to ethanol-induced sedation, hypothermia, and GABAA receptor function and impacts neurochemical pathways mediating anxiety. The present study was undertaken to evaluate whether the decreased sensitivity to ethanol previously observed in these mice generalized to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol. PKCγ null mutant mice and wild-type controls were tested in the elevated-plus maze, the black/white box, and the mirrored chamber after ethanol (0, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5 g/kg) or flunitrazepam (FNZ) (0, 0.015, 0.03, 0.06 mg/kg). Results indicated that although both genotypes exhibited anxiolytic responses to ethanol in the elevated plus-maze, null mutant mice were less sensitive than wild-type control mice; however, in the black/white box, PKCγ null mutants were more sensitive than controls to the anxiolytic effects of FNZ. Neither ethanol nor FNZ produced anxiolytic responses in the mirrored chamber for either genotype. These results suggest that PKCγ differentially mediates anxiolytic responses to ethanol and FNZ and that this relationship interacts with each drug's efficacy in reducing anxiety-related behaviors specific to each of the three mazes.
The combined antiischemic effects of the thromboxane receptor antagonist SQ 30,741 and tissue-type plasminogen activator

Abstract The thromboxane-receptor antagonist, SQ 30, 741, may be used as adjuvant therapy for thrombolysis and has also been shown to have antiischemic activity that is independent of its thrombolytic activity. Since tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and SQ 30, 741 may be administered simultaneously, we determined whether the antiischemic effects of SQ 30, 741 can be potentiated by t-PA. This was accomplished by combining doses of t-PA and SQ 30, 741, which alone were not cardioprotective. Anesthetized dogs were subjected to left circumflex coronary artery occlusion for 90 minutes and reperfusion for 5 hours. The dogs were treated during reperfusion with a dose of t-PA that caused approximately a 30% reduction in plasma fibrinogen alone or in combination with 1.5 mg/kg + 0.4 mg/kg/hr SQ 30,741, which started 10 minutes after initiation of ischemia. At these doses, neither t-PA nor SQ 30,741 alone significantly reduced infarct size (57% ± 6%, 50% ± 10%, 57% ± 6% of the left ventricular area at risk for vehicle controls, t-PA, and SQ 30,741 respectively); however, combination treatment resulted in a significant reduction in infarct size (37% ± 5% of the left ventricular area at risk). Higher doses of t-PA and SQ 30,741 alone significantly reduced infarct size. The protective effects of t-PA and SQ 30,741 occurred without altering peripheral hemodynamic status. No differences in collateral or reperfusion blood flow were observed between groups. Thus although SQ 30,741 may act to improve the efficacy of thrombolysis, t-PA may in turn enhance the antiischemic activity of SQ 30,741 or at least reduce the threshold dose.
Dimensions of Market Demand Associated with Pre-season Training: Development of a Scale for Major League Baseball Spring Training

Most professional sports engage in pre-season training and competition, and many international events are preceded by periods of pre-event training and competition. There is often a fan market for such training and competition. Market interest in pre-season training and competition is studied here in the context of Major League Baseball's spring training in Florida. It is noted that pre-season games are different from regular season games insomuch as they are more laid-back, are more affordable, and offer greater access to the athletes. It is also noted that pre-season training and games can serve as tourist attractions. In this study, a 29-item scale is developed that measures eight market demand variables associated with spring training in Florida: home team, opposing team, game promotion, economic consideration, schedule convenience, vacation activity, nostalgic sentiment, and love baseball. The scale is shown to be internally consistent, and the dimensions are shown to be independent. It is suggested that the scale can be used (or adapted) for future research into the bases for fan interest in pre-season or pre-event competitions.
Messenger RNA is translated when associated with the cytoskeletal framework in normal and VSV-infected HeLa cells

When the cytoskeletal framework is prepared from suspension-grown HeLa by extraction with nonionic detergent, all the polyribosomes are associated with the framework while 80% of tRNA and the major portion of monoribosomes as well as 75% of the cell proteins are found in the soluble fraction. The mRNA of polyribosomes is bound to the cytoskeleton and these molecules remain attached even after polyribosomes are disassembled in vivo prior to extraction. Although all actively translating message molecules are attached to the framework, about one quarter of the poly(A)+ mRNA is free of the framework. The binding of message to the skeleton may be obligatory for translation. Upon infection with VSV, all the viral polyribosomes but not all the viral messages of the infected cell are associated with the cytoskeletal framework. Pulse-chase labeling shows that VSV messages initially associate with the framework and then later detach and cease translation. The mRNA for the viral glycoprotein (G), known to translate only on ribosomes bound to endoplasmic reticulum, is also retained by the detergent-extracted structure. It appears that the protein substructure of the endoplasmic reticulum which binds polyribosomes is a component of the cytoskeletal framework.
1999 ASN Presidential Address

On behalf of the Council of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), I welcome you to Miami Beach and the 32nd annual meeting of the Society, the last meeting of this millennium. I have been honored to serve as President of your Society over the past year and have felt a special responsibility,
Effect of isocyanide on the ultrastructure of mouse pineal.

To investigate the possible influence of a strong malodorant on the pineal gland, the effects of tertiary n-butyl isocyanide on the ultrastructure of pinealocytes were studied. Adult male mice were adapted to a 23 hr dark: 1 hr light “long night” regimen to stimulate their pineal glands. Pinealocytes in “long night” adapted animals appeared metabolically active. Dramatic ultrastructural changes seen in pinealocytes of “long night” adapted animals after a six-hour exposure to the malodorant followed by a ten-hour period of rest included an increase in density of the nuclear chromatin, dilatations of the nuclear envelope, dilatation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and swelling of mitochondria. Isocyanide treatment did not affect the ultrastructure of liver, kidney, olfactory bulb or striate cortex of the animals exposed to odor. Our observations indicate that inhalation of isocyanide induces specific ultrastructural changes in the pineal gland which may be suggestive of its altered synthetic activity.
Teaching interviewing skills: The effect of instructors' academic department

This study examines student evaluations of an interviewing and communications skills course taught in small groups by members of psychiatry and family medicine departments. Student course evaluations for two academic years were analyzed by means of t-tests and multiple regression analyses to explore if the group leader's academic department affected the student's learning experience. Students taught by family medicine instructors rated significantly higher three aspects of the course: the usefulness of the role playing session, the credibility and realism of the videotaping session, and the recommendation that the course be continued. This study found the family medicine instructors to be valued teachers of interviewing and communication skills.
Direct cortical mapping via solving partial differential equations on implicit surfaces

In this paper, we propose a novel approach for cortical mapping that computes a direct map between two cortical surfaces while satisfying constraints on sulcal landmark curves. By computing the map directly, we can avoid conventional intermediate parameterizations and help simplify the cortical mapping process. The direct map in our method is formulated as the minimizer of a flexible variational energy under landmark constraints. The energy can include both a harmonic term to ensure smoothness of the map and general data terms for the matching of geometric features. Starting from a properly designed initial map, we compute the map iteratively by solving a partial differential equation (PDE) defined on the source cortical surface. For numerical implementation, a set of adaptive numerical schemes are developed to extend the technique of solving PDEs on implicit surfaces such that landmark constraints are enforced. In our experiments, we show the flexibility of the direct mapping approach by computing smooth maps following landmark constraints from two different energies. We also quantitatively compare the metric preserving property of the direct mapping method with a parametric mapping method on a group of 30 subjects. Finally, we demonstrate the direct mapping method in the brain mapping applications of atlas construction and variability analysis.
The premature loss of primary first molars: Space loss to molar occlusal relationships and facial patterns

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate space changes with the premature loss of primary first molars and their relationship to permanent molar occlusion and facial forms. Materials and Methods: Two hundred twenty-six participants (ranging in age from 7 years 8 months to 8 years 2 months; 135 female, 91 male) met all inclusion criteria designed to study space loss as a result of the premature loss of the primary first molar. After 9 months, space loss was evaluated in relationship to molar occlusion and facial form. Statistical evaluation was performed with the paired t-test and with a two-way analysis of variance for independent groups. Results: Patients with leptoprosopic facial form and end-on molar occlusions all exhibited a statistically significant difference when compared to controls in terms of space loss (P < .001). The mandibular extraction site for individuals with a mesoprosopic/euryprosopic facial form and end-on molar occlusion displayed space loss as well (P < .05). All patients with a leptopros...
Move it or lose it: axis specification in Xenopus.

A long-standing question in developmental biology is how amphibians establish a dorsoventral axis. The prevailing view has been that cortical rotation is used to move a dorsalizing activity from the bottom of the egg towards the future dorsal side. We review recent evidence that kinesindependent movement of particles containing components of the Wnt intracellular pathway contributes to the formation of the dorsal organizer, and suggest that cortical rotation functions to align and orient microtubules, thereby establishing the direction of particle transport. We propose a new model in which active particle transport and cortical rotation cooperate to generate a robust movement of dorsal determinants towards the future dorsal side of the embryo.
Sleep-Wake Cycle Diagnosed by CPAP Compliance Study

A 22-year-old male with autism presents for follow-up of his severe obstructive sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index 50/hour). He is currently on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy at 8 cm H2O. Patient admits that he does not wear the CPAP every night. According to his mother, he has poor sleep habits, frequently going to bed after midnight and getting up late in the morning, but she cannot give specific times. Patient does not complain of any daytime sleepiness but his mother states he dozes off periodically during the day. Patient is not presently employed or in school. A compliance report is generated and a sample of the report is shown. Figure 1 shows the CPAP usage for the past 7 months. Figure 2 illustrates the night-to-night compliance over a 2-week period. Figure 1 CPAP usage. Figure 2 Night-to-night compliance. In addition to poor compliance, the CPAP compliance report illustrates which of the following sleep-wake cycle patterns? Nonentrained Sleep phase advance Sleep phase delay Irregular Answer—See next page. Answer: C. Sleep phase delay
Overcoming deception in evolution of cognitive behaviors

When scaling neuroevolution to complex behaviors, cognitive capabilities such as learning, communication, and memory become increasingly important. However, successfully evolving such cognitive abilities remains difficult. This paper argues that a main cause for such difficulty is deception, i.e. evolution converges to a behavior unrelated to the desired solution. More specifically, cognitive behaviors often require accumulating neural structure that provides no immediate fitness benefit, and evolution often thus converges to non-cognitive solutions. To investigate this hypothesis, a common evolutionary robotics T-Maze domain is adapted in three separate ways to require agents to communicate, remember, and learn. Indicative of deception, evolution driven by objective-based fitness often converges upon simple non-cognitive behaviors. In contrast, evolution driven to explore novel behaviors, i.e. novelty search, often evolves the desired cognitive behaviors. The conclusion is that open-ended methods of evolution may better recognize and reward the stepping stones that are necessary for cognitive behavior to emerge.
An expanding role for apolipoprotein E in sepsis and inflammation

Background Apolipoprotein E (apoE), a component of plasma lipoproteins, plays an important, but poorly defined role in sepsis. We have shown that injecting apoE increases septic mortality in a rat model of gram-negative bacterial sepsis, with concomitant hepatic natural killer T (NKT) cell proliferation and activation. The presumed mechanism for this apoE-mediated mortality is that apoE can bind and traffic antigens, presumed to include lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and promote activation of dendritic cells (DC) with subsequent NKT activation and cytokine release. Thus, we sought to prove that LPS was the antigen responsible for the increased NKT activation enhanced by the presence of apoE.
The first “Slit” is the deepest: the secret to a hollow heart

Tubular organs are essential for life, but lumen formation in nonepithelial tissues such as the vascular system or heart is poorly understood. Two studies in this issue (Medioni, C., M. Astier, M. Zmojdzian, K. Jagla, and M. Semeriva. 2008. J. Cell Biol. 182:249-261; Santiago-Martinez, E., N.H. Soplop, R. Patel, and S.G. Kramer. 2008. J. Cell Biol. 182:241-248) reveal unexpected roles for the Slit-Robo signaling system during Drosophila melanogaster heart morphogenesis. In cardioblasts, Slit and Robo modulate the cell shape changes and domains of E-cadherin-based adhesion that drive lumen formation. Furthermore, in contrast to the well-known paracrine role of Slit and Robo in guiding cell migrations, here Slit and Robo may act by autocrine signaling. In addition, the two groups demonstrate that heart lumen formation is even more distinct from typical epithelial tubulogenesis mechanisms because the heart lumen is bounded by membrane surfaces that have basal rather than apical attributes. As the D. melanogaster cardioblasts are thought to have significant evolutionary similarity to vertebrate endothelial and cardiac lineages, these findings are likely to provide insights into mechanisms of vertebrate heart and vascular morphogenesis.
Variability in spine surgery procedures performed during orthopaedic and neurological surgery residency training: an analysis of ACGME case log data.

Background: Current spine surgeon training in the United States consists of either an orthopaedic or neurological surgery residency, followed by an optional spine surgery fellowship. Resident spine surgery procedure volume may vary between and within specialties. Methods: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education surgical case logs for graduating orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery residents from 2009 to 2012 were examined and were compared for spine surgery resident experience. Results: The average number of reported spine surgery procedures performed during residency was 160.2 spine surgery procedures performed by orthopaedic surgery residents and 375.0 procedures performed by neurosurgery residents; the mean difference of 214.8 procedures (95% confidence interval, 196.3 to 231.7 procedures) was significant (p = 0.002). From 2009 to 2012, the average total spinal surgery procedures logged by orthopaedic surgery residents increased 24.3% from 141.1 to 175.4 procedures, and those logged by neurosurgery residents increased 6.5% from 367.9 to 391.8 procedures. There was a significant difference (p < 0.002) in the average number of spinal deformity procedures between graduating orthopaedic surgery residents (9.5 procedures) and graduating neurosurgery residents (2.0 procedures). There was substantial variability in spine surgery exposure within both specialties; when comparing the top 10% and bottom 10% of 2012 graduates for spinal instrumentation or arthrodesis procedures, there was a 13.1-fold difference for orthopaedic surgery residents and an 8.3-fold difference for neurosurgery residents. Conclusions: Spine surgery procedure volumes in orthopaedic and neurosurgery residency training programs vary greatly both within and between specialties. Although orthopaedic surgery residents had an increase in the number of spine procedures that they performed from 2009 to 2012, they averaged less than half of the number of spine procedures performed by neurological surgery residents. However, orthopaedic surgery residents appear to have greater exposure to spinal deformity than neurosurgery residents. Furthermore, orthopaedic spine fellowship training provides additional spine surgery case exposure of approximately 300 to 500 procedures; thus, before entering independent practice, when compared with neurosurgery residents, most orthopaedic spine surgeons complete as many spinal procedures or more. Although case volume is not the sole determinant of surgical skills or clinical decision making, variability in spine surgery procedure volume does exist among residency programs in the United States.
Calling out the heavy hitters: what the use of performance-enhancing drugs in professional baseball reveals about the politics and mass communication of sport.

In this essay, the author proposes that, in order to understand how the issue of performance-enhancing-drug use in professional baseball has been defined for mass audiences, scholars need to consider the political and economic interests of both baseball and the media companies that have covered the issue. Where performance-enhancing drugs are concerned, media characterizations have had a significant impact on the formation of public and organizational policy, and the author seeks to demonstrate that portrayals and perceptions of drug use in baseball can be understood through the media product that results from an intersection of normative standards with powerful influences on those standards. Calling out the heavy hitters in a culture of pervasive drug use is unfair to elite performers in that media reports sometimes give the impression that athletes have reached superstar status because they were willing to do what others were not; this is a basic falsehood.
A Review of the Prevalence, Utility, and Caveats of Using Chloroplast Simple Sequence Repeats for Studies of Plant Biology

Microsatellites occur in all plant genomes and provide useful markers for studies of genetic diversity and structure. Chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSRs) are frequently targeted because they are more easily isolated than nuclear microsatellites. Here, we quantified the frequency and uses of cpSSRs based on a literature review of over 400 studies published 1995–2013. These markers are an important and economical tool for plant biologists and continue to be used alongside modern genomics approaches to study genetic diversity and structure, evolutionary history, and hybridization in native and agricultural species. Studies using species-specific primers reported a greater number of polymorphic loci than those employing universal primers. A major disadvantage to cpSSRs is fragment size homoplasy; therefore, we documented its occurrence at several cpSSR loci within and between species of Acmispon (Fabaceae). Based on our empirical data set, we recommend targeted sequencing of a subset of samples combined with fragment genotyping as a cost-efficient, data-rich approach to the use of cpSSRs and as a test of homoplasy. The availability of genomic resources for plants aids in the development of primers for new study systems, thereby enhancing the utility of cpSSRs across plant biology.
Increase in TNFα Transport after SCI Is Specific for Time, Region, and Type of Lesion

Abstract The dynamic changes of the blood–brain barrier and blood–spinal cord barrier (BBB) are an important part of the CNS response to injury. This study addresses the permeability of the BBB in the acute phase of spinal cord injury (SCI) to the thoracic region. SCI by compression or by complete transection was generated in mice. BBB disruption was evaluated by spinal cord uptake of radiolabeled albumin. The BBB of the thoracic spinal cord was disrupted immediately after compression injury, lasting for 2 days. This was followed by a delayed permeability increase in the cervical spinal cord beginning 3 days after injury. After transection, BBB disruption was limited to the thoracic spinal cord and was present only immediately postinjury. The entry of TNFα not only was increased at the time of BBB disruption, following the same pattern, but also had secondary changes after the BBB permeability to albumin had returned to normal. The increase of TNFα entry, best explained by upregulation of the specific transport system for TNFα, was pronounced in the lumbar spinal cord as well as the thoracic region, and followed a different time course after the two types of injury. Integrating our results with those of the literature regarding the roles of inflammatory responses and the effects of TNFα in spinal cord regeneration, we conclude that the time-, region-, and lesion-specificity of the upregulation of TNFα transport is part of the regulatory changes at the BBB in response to SCI.
Logic programming for manufacturing system specification

Programming languages enable a manufacturing system analyst to represent problems to a computer and specify the means for solution. Often the underlying data organizations and computational means of solution are not apparent. Users usually know what they want done, but not necessarily how to do it. Many computerized manufacturing systems (CMS) cannot handle unstructured decision problems since they do not utilize a systematic method for representing system elements, attributes, states, goals, and processing rules. Logic programs for CMS specification offers a powerful representation capability that facilitates structural and operational understanding. Through a procedural interpretation, a logic program can also be executed.
Subsystem decomposition in simulation of a PCB assembly line

Simulation modeling of large complex systems is time consuming. In this paper we examine a modeling decomposition approach that would expedite the modeling process. We discuss some of the theoretical and practical problems of decomposition and provide an example found in printed circuit board assembly.
Recombinant bovine somatotropin's effects on patterns of nutrient utilization in lactating dairy cows

The discussion of effects of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) administration on the metabolism of lactating dairy cows presented is divided into two parts: short term and long term. Short-term effects are evident during the initial period of treatment when milk production is increased but feed intake has not yet increased. During this period body reserves are mobilized to support the higher rates of milk production. This phase is very similar to the early lactation condition, when energy requirements for milk production also exceed energy intake. Two notable exceptions to this analogy are that glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations are not altered during rbST treatment but are influenced by stage of lactation. After the initial phase of rbST treatment, feed intake increases to compensate for the increase in milk production. During this phase the metabolism of cows treated with rbST essentially mirrors the metabolism of untreated cows producing comparable amounts of milk.
Evidence for Abnormalities in Clotting and Thrombolysis as a Risk Factor For Stroke

Four hundred six patients with ischemic thrombotic cerebrovascular disease (ITCVD) and 115 age-matched controls were studied to select risk factors which would identify ITCVD-prone individuals from a healthy population. The following factors were evaluated: soluble fibrin, plasminogen, plasminogen activator, fibrinogen, partial thromboplastin time, generation of thromboplastin, fibrin degradation products, triglycerides, type IV hyperlipoproteinemia, and cholesterol. Discriminate function analyses were used to select those risk factors which best separate and classify the ITCVD and control subjects. The primary risk factors are the activated partial thromboplastin time, soluble fibrin, fibrinogen, and plasminogen activator. Utilizing only these four primary risk factors in a discriminate function, 93.2% of the patients were correctly classified. Consideration of other variables increased still further the discriminate function.
Designing Games to Effect Social Change

Serious games, persuasive games, news games – these are all terms used for games which let players gain an experiential understanding of real world issues through play. Many in this growing class of games deal with social causes; recent examples include Peacemaker, about solving Middle East peace, The Redistricting Game, about congressional redistricting and redistricting reform, and the online game series published by the New York Times that includes Food Import Folly (which is about the FDA limited inspection policy on U.S. food imports). The field has a number of good examples that let users learn about social issues, however, to date, the field is short on examples of games that achieve measurable results in the real world. This paper addresses issues of design, theory, and activism pertaining to games about social causes. The author is an experienced designer and scholar who deals with all three of these issues in his work. Here is an outline of best practices for designing games to affect social change. Each is discussed in detail below: 1. Define intended outcomes 2. Integrate subject matter experts 3. Partner with like-minded organizations 4. Build sustainable community 5. Embrace “wicked problems” 6. Maintain journalistic integrity 7. Measure transference of knowledge 8. Make it fun
Synthetic fluid inclusions: XIII. Experimental determination of PVT properties in the system H2O+ 40 wt % NaCl + 5 mol% C02 at elevated temperature and pressure

Abstract The location of the liquid + vapor → liquid phase boundary and the P−T slopes of iso-Th lines were determined for a constant composition of 40 ± 0.1 wt% NaCl and 5 ± 0.15 mol% C02 (both relative to H2O) at high density. Synthetic fluid inclusions with this composition were formed in cold-seal pressure vessels at pressures of 2 and 4 kbar and temperatures between 350° and 700°C. The inclusions were analyzed on a gas-flow heating/cooling stage to determine the temperatures of halite dissolution [Tm(H+L+V→L+V)] and total homogenization [Th(L+v→L)]. Addition of 40 wt% NaCl to an aqueous solution containing 5 mol% C02 causes a significant shift of the liquid + vapor → liquid boundary towards higher pressures. The slopes of the iso-Th lines decrease from 29.5 bars/°C for Th(L+V→L) of 400°C, to 6.4 bars/°C for Th(L+v→L) = 600°C. Addition of 5 mol% C02 to an aqueous solution containing 40 wt% NaCl results in halite dissolution temperatures that are slightly higher (TM(H+L+V→L+V) ≈ 332°C) than the literature value of 323†C for the vapor-saturated liquidus of an H2O-40 wt% NaCI mixture. Calculated molar volumes for 40 wt% NaCl + 5 mot% C02 solutions at 2 and 4 kbar show trends that are similar to those of other compositions in the ternary system H2O CO2 NaCl at the same pressures and temperatures. In the P−T range of this study, all excess volumes are negative and lie between the values for the compositions H2O 5 mot% C02 and H2O 40 wt% NaCl.
Rapid detection of Salmonella using a redox cycling-based electrochemical method

Abstract An electrochemical method based on redox cycling combined with immunomagnetic separation and pre-concentration was developed for rapid and sensitive detection of Salmonella. Electrochemical methods for the detection of bacteria offer the advantages of instant quantification with minimal equipment. Unfortunately, the limits of detection are often poor compare to other transduction methods such as fluorescence and chemiliuminescence. We demonstrated an electrochemical method which is both rapid and has a low limit of detection. A two-step strategy, which included immunomagentic pre-concentration and redox cycling was used to amplify the signal. Magnetic beads modified with anti-Salmonella antibodies were used for separation and pre-concentration of Salmonella from phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and agricultural water. Then anti-Salmonella antibodies conjugated with alkaline phosphatase were employed for labeling the Salmonella which had been captured by magnetic beads. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) catalyzed the substrate l -ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AAP) to electroactive species l -ascorbic acid (AA) while tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) facilitated the regeneration of AA on the gold electrode to form redox cycling resulting in an amplified signal. Under the optimal conditions, the Salmonella in PBS buffer as well as in agricultural water were detected. The limit of detection of this approach was approximately 7.6 × 102 CFU/mL and 6.0 × 102 CFU/mL in PBS buffer and agricultural water, respectively, without pre-enrichment in 3 h. When the agricultural water has been pre-enriched for 4 h, the limit of detection was approximately 10 CFU/mL.
The Agitated Patient in the Emergency Department

A 32-year-old male with a past history of paranoid schizophrenia and methamphetamine use presents to the emergency department requesting help. He is vague in his requests for help and seems paranoid about staff harming him. He is not taking his psychiatric medication. He is directable in triage, but after being placed into a room begins to escalate. By the time the physician and nurse go to see him, he attempts to strike the physician. He is talking loudly and breaks a portable computer. Security must be called immediately to the bedside.
Enhancement of lycopene extraction from tomatoes using pulsed electric field

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment for enhancing lycopene extraction. Tomato pulp was obtained by blending fresh tomato fruit. Approximately 5 g of the pulp was subjected to PEF. The parameters of the treatments were: electric field 4, 8, 16, 20 and 24 kV/cm, capacity of discharge capacitor 0.02, 0.06, 1, 2 and 3 μF and number of pulses 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50. Lycopene content was determined using spectrophotometric method at the wavelength of 503 nm after low volume hexane extraction. PEF treatment increased lycopene extraction from fresh tomato fruit generally. A maximum of 68.8% was obtained using 16 kV/cm, 2 μF, and 50 pulses compared to untreated samples, however 20 kV/cm, 0.06μF, 50 pulses was shown to be more energy efficient.
Olfaction in Rats with Transection of the Lateral Olfactory Tract

The lateral olfactory tract (LOT) is the major, although not the only, projection pathway from the olfactory bulb to the anterior olfactory nucleus and olfactory cortex. Transection of the LOT produces deficits in the ability to smell. However, some reports indicate that rats or hamsters with LOT transection are anosmic or have severe olfactory deficits (Cattarelli, 1982; Devor, 1973; Long and Tapp, 1970; Marques, O’Connell, Benimoff, and Macrides, 1982; Thompson, 1980) while others (Gervais and Pager, 1982; Slotnick, 1985; Slotnick, 1990; Slotnick and Berman, 1980; Slotnick and Risser, 1990; Swann, 1934) indicate much less severe deficits after similar lesions. Except for a few studies (Bennett, 1968; Slotnick and Schoonover, 1984), most prior investigations of neuroanatomical correlates of olfactory function have not used quantitative olfactometric methods or psychophysical tests and it is difficult to compare or evaluate their outcomes. This problem is addressed in the present study by assessing odor detection, two-odor discrimination, intensity-difference and absolute detection thresholds of rats in which the lateral olfactory tract was transected.
Analyzing the role of science practices in general chemistry courses and assessments

It is important to understand what goals and skills general chemistry instructors value beyond content proficiency in their courses to better understand how these values align with current reform efforts in science education. These reform efforts at the K-12 level aim to widen the focus of science curricula to encompass development of practices and skills beyond content. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a total of 18 general chemistry instructors from high schools, community colleges, and state-funded universities to identify what types of goals they held for students. Interviews were then analyzed to reveal patterns in the types of skills valued across institution types.
Hardship and depression.

We argue that successfulfulfillment of husbands' and wives' role obligations in the household affects psychological well-being. Ongoing economic hardship-the inability to adequately feed, clothe, and provide medical care for the family-indicates unsuccessful fulfillment of both breadwinner and homemaker obligations. Using a national sample of married couples, we find that economic hardship is increased by low income, low education, being young, and having young children. Economic hardship, in turn, increases both spouses' depression levels. Other factors affect husbands and wives differently. A husband's personal earnings directly decrease his depression, because, we argue, his earnings indicate successful fulfillment of provider obligations. A wife's major role obligation is not provider, but homemaker. We find that a wife's personal earnings do not affect her depression, whereas her education and children do.
Transforming the International System: Small Increments Along a Vast Periphery

Many students of world politics take their subject so seriously that they often mistake their conception of reality for reality itself. There may be an objective truth about any given event or trend in world affairs, but the observer must use some method to comprehend it and, in so doing, he inevitably renders the truth subjective. The “established facts” of world politics are, in effect, no more than widespread agreement—what I shall call an intersubjective consensus—among actors and experts as to the existence and relevance of particular phenomena. Total comprehension of the realities of world politics can thus only be approximated. The greater the intersubjective consensus, the greater the comprehension and the more “real” the reality.
Effects of sampling intensity on the collection of spider (Araneae) species and the estimation of species richness

In this study I compare the relative effectiveness of temporally and spatially constrained sampling strategies on the collection of spiders, and discuss how the sampling strategy used may affect estimates of spider species richness. Using 3 time-based collecting methods (ground sampling, above ground sampling, and vegetation beating) and 1 area-based method (Tullgren leaf litter extraction), 3 collectors sampled spiders from 10- by 50-m plots in a cove forest in the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area of northern Georgia between 18 May and 4 June 1993. Eighty samples collected from four 10- by 50-m plots (0.2 ha) contained 77 species, and 77 samples from 24 such plots (1.2 ha) contained 78 species. A total of 2,842 adults spiders was collected from the 1.4 ha sampled, representing 92 species, 64 genera, and 20 families. Increasing the collecting effort per unit area (repetitive collecting) is a more efficient strategy for collecting cryptic or covert species as opposed to spreading the sampling effort over a larger area (nonrepetitive collecting). It is suggested that before arthropod assemblages are included in management decisions, the methods used to collect the species must be fully examined. Richness estimates for the site ranged from 85 to 144 species using the repetitive strategy, from 88 to 95 for the nonrepetitive strategy, and from 102 to 112 for the entire dataset.
Compatibility and Consensus: A Proposal for the Conceptual Linkage of External and Internal Dimensions of Foreign Policy*

The relative intractablility of the international environment poses a problem for the foreign policy of all nations. Purpose and power meet with cross-purpose and countervailing power, and most foreign policy projects face external restraints that the makers of policy can neglect only at the risk of failure. Foreign policy—the more or less coordinated strategy with which institutionally designated decision-makers seek to manipulate the international environment—generally meets with tenacious resistance, if not insuperable obstacles.To regard foreign policy and statecraft from this perspective, however, implies a good deal of determinism. In its more extreme analytical applications, this viewpoint reduces the pursuit of foreign policy goals to a contest between statesman and environment that is already settled by the insurmountable restrictions of the international “system.” Nations are implicitly delegated to play out the roles that the international system has “assigned” to its “actors” to maintain system stability or equilibrium. Domestic political variables are largely neglected in this analytical perspective. Foreign policy aspirations are assessed primarily in terms of whether a nation has adequately “internalized” system “rules”—that is to say, whether a polity has adjusted to the contingencies of the international system, which seems to move toward a preordained historical or analytical telos. The strictures of necessity, imposed by the international environment, take analytical precedence over considerations of preferences and the possibility of choice.
First-order patterning transitions on a sphere as a route to cell morphology

We propose a general theory for surface patterning in many different biological systems, including mite and insect cuticles, pollen grains, fungal spores, and insect eggs. The patterns of interest are often intricate and diverse, yet an individual pattern is robustly reproducible by a single species and a similar set of developmental stages produces a variety of patterns. We argue that the pattern diversity and reproducibility may be explained by interpreting the pattern development as a first-order phase transition to a spatially modulated phase. Brazovskii showed that for such transitions on a flat, infinite sheet, the patterns are uniform striped or hexagonal. Biological objects, however, have finite extent and offer different topologies, such as the spherical surfaces of pollen grains. We consider Brazovskii transitions on spheres and show that the patterns have a richer phenomenology than simple stripes or hexagons. We calculate the free energy difference between the unpatterned state and the many possible patterned phases, taking into account fluctuations and the system’s finite size. The proliferation of variety on a sphere may be understood as a consequence of topology, which forces defects into perfectly ordered phases. The defects are then accommodated in different ways. We also argue that the first-order character of the transition is responsible for the reproducibility and robustness of the pattern formation.