cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coral Reefs, Carbonate Sediments, Nutrients, and Global Change

As the 21st century begins, studies of coral reefs, carbonate sediments, and limestones will continue to be fundamental to understanding the past, present, and future of marine ecosystems and global climate. An intellectually challenging aspect of carbonate research is the plethora of paradoxes associated with the biology of carbonate-secreting organisms, carbonate geochemistry, and carbonate depositional ecosystems. Discovering new paradoxes, deciphering existing ones, and deepening understanding of old ones undoubtedly will continue to engage carbonate researchers well into the new century.
The Flexor Pollicis Longus Tendon Does Not Lie Parallel to the Thumb Metacarpal.

Background: Repair of the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendon by tendon retriever can be challenging because of uncertainty of the optimal direction. This study aims to describe the FPL tendon path...
Neuromechanical Control Strategies of Frontal-Plane Angular Momentum of Human Upper Body During Locomotor Transitions

Control of whole-body angular momentum (H) is important for robots and humans alike to maintain dynamic balance during locomotion. $H$ is directly related to body dynamics through external moments and ground reaction forces. The human upper body is a critical contributor to H, and deficient control of the trunk has been related to poor dynamic balance. We examined the neuromechanical control strategies of frontal plane angular momentum of trunk $\pmb{(H_{t})}$ during locomotor transitions while walking overground. Five healthy subjects completed ten types of transitions of altered anticipation (anticipated, unanticipated), complexity (straight walking, cuts, cut-stair ascent), and cutting style (crossover, sidestep). The average positive and negative frontal plane $\pmb{H_{t}}$ were significantly larger in unanticipated transitions, in which crossover cut-stairs were 144% higher in positive $\pmb{H_{t}}$ and sidestep cut-stairs were 147% higher in negative $\pmb{H_{t}}$ than normal walking. Furthermore, during anticipated states, crossovers had different magnitudes of average $\pmb{H_{t}}$ relative to sidesteps, indicating a preparatory control of the magnitude of $\pmb{H_{t}}$ based on cutting style, not complexity. The timing of $\pmb{H_{t}}$ lagged during unanticipated transitions relative to anticipated transitions except for cut-stairs tasks. In addition, the timing of $\pmb{H_{t}}$ in unanticipated states was not different from anticipated states at the end of transition, indicating an adapting control pattern of timing throughout the course of the entire unanticipated transitions. These results suggest that individuals may face more challenges in controlling trunk dynamic balance during anticipated and unanticipated transitions, and represent an opportunity for emerging robotic assistive devices that target upper-body mechanics during locomotion.
Catering to chondrocytes.

An innovative strategy for delivering drugs to chondrocytes in situ offers new avenues for treating osteoarthritis (Geiger et al., this issue).
Qualities of Education

Conceptions of the quality of education are as old as education itself. All education seeks to achieve some form or version of quality even if the objectives of education range from those promoting development and amelioration of societal conditions, to those aiming to improve the capacities of individuals and groups, to those seeking to use education as an instrument of subjugation or control. In other words, quality is a highly complex concept, open to many interpretations and operationalisations. Quality, per se, defies simple definition.
Energy savings with outdoor temperature-based smart ventilation control strategies in advanced California homes

Abstract We simulated the energy performance of smart ventilation controls based on outdoor temperature in homes located in California climate regions, designed to comply with the 2016 Title 24, Part 6 California Energy Code prescriptive requirements. The smart controls shift ventilation rates in time, but ensure an annual occupant pollutant exposure equal to, or less than, what would be experienced in a home with a constant ventilation rate equal to the whole house target airflow in the ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2016. Annual simulations of previously developed prototype homes with validated ventilation models were conducted via co-simulation of EnergyPlus with CONTAM. Controller performance varied substantially by climate zone, airtightness and house prototype. Smart controls were generally ineffective in Climate Zone 1 (Arcata) due to its lack of a cooling season and low diurnal temperature swings. The most successful smart controls used parameters pre-calculated using an optimization routine. In order to better inform state energy policy, we also determined savings weighted by the amount of new home construction in each climate. The best controls averaged about one-third of ventilation-related energy savings that increased to about 48–55% when weighted. Annual average savings were about 650–700 kWh/year for the best controllers. The vast majority of site energy savings were for heating end-uses (>90% of total savings). Whole house ventilation rates increased between 0% and 42%, with typical increases in the 15–20% range. The best-performing control strategies shifted ventilation rates seasonally and modulated flows within each season. Peak concentrations during low ventilation times were kept below an exposure level of 3, well below the maximum of 5 required to avoid acute exposure issues.
Self-reported sleep quality and sleep disorders in people with physician-diagnosed gout: an Internet cross-sectional survey

Limited information exists regarding sleep disorders in gout. Our objective was to assess the burden of sleep disorders in people with gout. A brief anonymized Internet survey of people with physician-diagnosed gout who visited a gout education website assessed the frequency of sleep problems, sleep quality over the past 24 h (0 = best possible sleep, 10 = worst possible sleep), daytime sleepiness on a typical day (0 = none and 10 = most sleepy during the day), sleep quantity (number of hours of sleep), and the frequency of snoring or gasping, and snorting or stopping breathing during the sleep, using validated questionnaires, including the NHANES 2016 sleep questionnaire. We used Chi-square test to compare the categorical and t test the continuous variables. Of the 454 website visitors who clicked the survey, 320 survey respondents reported physician-diagnosed gout. Mean age was 57 years (standard deviation [SD], 13.4), 72% were male, 77% were White, and mean gout duration was 7.6 (SD, 11). Of the respondents, 23% reported doctor-diagnosed sleep disorder (sleep apnea, 17%; sleep study ordered, diagnosis pending, 4%; other sleep disorder 2%). A mean 6.7 h of sleep per night was reported (SD, 1.3). Eighty-six percent reported snoring during sleep and 45% reported having snorted, gasped, or stopped breathing while asleep. Two thirds of the patients reported feeling sleepy during the day, at least 3–4 times a month or more. Sleep quality was 5.5 (SD, 2.6), and daytime sleepiness was 3.5 (SD, 2.6) on a 0–10 scale (higher = worse). People with physician-diagnosed gout reported frequent sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness in an Internet survey. More in-depth studies are needed to better understand the association of gout with sleep disorders.
Challenges with Validating Nonharmonized Assays.

Chromogranin A (CgA) is a nonspecific circulating marker for neuroendocrine tumors, with wide variations in reported sensitivity and specificity (1, 2). In addition to neuroendocrine tumors, CgA has been shown to be increased in response to exercise and in the presence of nonneuroendocrine tumors, certain medications, and nonmalignant conditions such as heart disease, liver disease, and renal failure (1, 3). CgA has been shown to have some prognostic value, including in certain patients with prostate cancer (4, 5). In this issue of The …
Categorical Data Analysis

This article describes the origins of categorical data analysis and the main categorical methods applied in geographic and regional science research. After introducing important terminology by using a 2×2 contingency table, categorical methods are reviewed for two distinctive situations – association and prediction. First, loglinear models are reviewed as a method of assessing associations and likelihoods among a set of categorical variables. Second, logistic regression is reviewed as a method for predicting the probability of a dichotomous response variable from among predictor variables. Additional approaches to categorical data analysis, such as the conditional logit, the multinomial logit, probit, and lograte models, are also discussed. The article concludes by describing recent developments in spatially explicit versions of categorical data methods for geographical research.
Is Having Too Many Aggravating Factors the Same as Having None at All? A Comment on the Hidalgo Cert. Petition

While the Court does not dispute that at first blush the defendant's argument appears logical, it is disturbed by the prospect of how one determines the point at which the number of aggravating circumstances causes the death penalty statute to be generally unconstitutional. Is the Court to engage in some mathematical calculation as to who might be covered by the statute and who is not; and if so, what would be reasonable and logical factors to include in the formula? Can the Court arbitrarily declare that fifty aggravating circumstances is too many but forty-nine is permissible? Even assuming one could create a tool that would measure the percentage of defendants eligible for capital punishment, where is the dividing line of constitutionality and who makes that decision?
Reparations revisited: the role of economic advisers in reforming German central banking and public finance

The economic advisers of the 1924 Dawes Committee enacted currency and banking reforms as a means of resolving financial and geopolitical problems. Although the committee members stated that they had no plans to resolve the Ruhr occupation, evidence from the technical advisers demonstrated the opposite. Economists Edwin Kemmerer, Joseph Davis and Arthur Young sought to appease Franco-Belgian demands for a resolution to the reparations debate by balancing the German budget and reorganising the banking system, thereby also addressing the question of military occupation. This research delves into the advisers’ reports on public finance, currency stabilisation and the gold standard, arguing that their attempts to assuage reparation-related concerns rested on major reforms to German central banking.
Regional intra-arterial chemotherapy for treatment of advanced malignant tumors in children

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and long-term outcomes of regional intra-arterial chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced malignant solid tumors in children.Methods During Jul 1999 and Dec 2006,regional intra-arterial chemotherapy was performed in 15 patients (aging from 0.5 to 12 years,6 males and 9 females) with advanced malignant solid tumors in various parts of their bodies.In all the eases,13 accepted preoperative treatment and 2 accepted postoperative treatment.The tumors included rhabdomyosarcoma (2 cases in pelvis,2 in vagina and 1 in bladder),endodermal sinus tumor (3 in sacroiliac and 1 in colic omentum),malignant teratoma (1 in ovary and 1 in cerebellum),desmoplastic small round cell tumor (1 in abdomen),pancreablastoma (1 in root of mesentery),ependymoma (1 in cerebellum) and dermatofibrosareoma (1 in upper arm).Transcatheter arterial infusion chemotherapy (TAIC) of cisplatin,pirarubicin and vindesine was performed with the doses as follows:cisplatin 80 mg/m2,pirarubicin 40 mg/m2 and vindesine 3 mg/m2.Internal lilac artery was chosen as the route of administration for tumors in pelvis,bladder and vagina,internal I|iac artery and coccygeal artery for tumors in sacroiliac,superior mesenteric artery for tumors in abdomen,branch of brachial artery for tumors in upper arm and vertebral artery for tumors in cerebellum.TAIC was repeated every 4 weeks.In the intermission of TALC,intravenous systemic chemotherapy with vindesine,VP16,and ephosphamide were administered.Results In the period of chemotherapy,no cardiotoxicity,nephrotoxicity or hepatic dysfunction were observed except for grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ bone marrow suppression.One patient with ependymoma in the cerebellum got mild hemiplegia and recovered 4 weeks later.The tumors of the 13 patients accepting preoperative treatment were significantly shrunken,localized and could be completely resected.Remnant tumors of the 2 patients who underwent postoperative TAIC disappeared with no recurrence.Thirteen patients survived during the following-up for 4.2 years (2-9 years).One patient lost follow-up.One patient died of tumor recurrence.Conclusions Regional intra-arterial chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced malignant solid tumors in children is feasible and effective.It can be used as preoperative treatment to reduce the tumor size,induce necrosis of the tumor and improve the radical tumor resection rates or can be used to eliminate the postoperative residual tumor to avoid recurrence and metastasis. Key words: Neoplasms; Chemotherapy,cancer,regional perfusion
Seasonal contamination of well-water in flood-prone colonias and other unincorporated U.S. communities.

Many of the six million residents of unincorporated communities in the United States depend on well-water to meet their needs. One group of unincorporated communities is the colonias, located primarily in several southwestern U.S. states. Texas is home to the largest number of these self-built communities, of mostly low-income families, lacking basic infrastructure. While some states have regulations that mandate minimum infrastructure for these communities, water and sewage systems are still lacking for many of their residents. Unprotected wells and self-built septic/cesspool systems serve as the primary infrastructure for many such colonias. This research was designed to probe how wells and septic/cesspool systems are influenced by heavy rainfall events. Such events are hypothesized to impact water quality with regard to human health. Inorganic and microbiological water quality of the wells in nine colonias located in Nueces County, Texas, were evaluated during dry and wet periods. Nueces County was selected as an example based on its flooding history and the fact that many colonias there depend entirely on well-water and septic/cesspool systems. The results demonstrate that well-water quality in these communities varies seasonally with respect to arsenic (up to 35 μg/L) and bacterial contamination (Escherichia coli), dependent on the amount of rainfall, which leaves this population vulnerable to health risks during both wet and dry periods. Microbial community analyses were also conducted on selected samples. To explore similar seasonal contamination of well-water, an analysis of unincorporated communities, flooding frequency, and arsenic contamination in wells was conducted by county throughout the United States. This nationwide analysis indicates that unincorporated communities elsewhere in the United States are likely experiencing comparable challenges for potable water access because of a confluence of socioeconomic, infrastructural, and policy realities.
Preparation of School Psychologists to Support Black Students Exposed to Police Violence: Insight and Guidance for Critical Training Areas

The extrajudicial killing of Black people, particularly unarmed Black boys and men, at the hands of police is one of the most pressing social and racial justice issues in the USA. The awareness of, and indirect exposure to, police killings of Black people has a detrimental impact on the academic achievement, school attendance, mental health, and social development of Black children and youth. Despite this, there has been silence from the school psychology profession regarding police violence against Black people and ways to provide school-based support to Black children and youth who are exposed to such violence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore school psychology students’ and school psychologists’ knowledge about police violence against Black people, their experiences with graduate education preparation for providing professional support to Black students who are exposed to police violence against Black people, and their perceptions of training areas in which school psychology programs could improve. Findings indicated that participants gained knowledge about police violence against Black people from multiple sources, including personal and professional experiences; few discussed police violence or Black Lives Matter specifically in their programs; none had specific training to support Black students exposed to police violence against Black people; and most recommended programs improve multicultural training.
Genetic variation for plant growth traits in a common wheat population is dominated by known variants and novel QTL

Genetic variation in growth over the course of the season is a major source of grain yield variation in wheat, and for this reason variants controlling heading date and plant height are among the best-characterized in wheat genetics. While the major variants for these traits have been cloned, the importance of these variants in contributing to genetic variation for plant growth over time is not fully understood. Here we develop a biparental population segregating for major variants for both plant height and flowering time to characterize the genetic architecture of the traits and identify additional novel QTL. We find that additive genetic variation for both traits is almost entirely associated with major and moderate-effect QTL, including four novel heading date QTL and four novel plant height QTL. FT2 and Vrn-A3 are proposed as candidate genes underlying QTL on chromosomes 3A and 7A, while Rht8 is mapped to chromosome 2D. These mapped QTL also underlie genetic variation in a longitudinal analysis of plant growth over time. The oligogenic architecture of these traits is further demonstrated by the superior trait prediction accuracy of QTL-based prediction models compared to polygenic genomic selection models. In a population constructed from two modern wheat cultivars adapted to the southeast U.S., almost all additive genetic variation in plant growth traits is associated with known major variants or novel moderate-effect QTL. Major transgressive segregation was observed in this population despite the similar plant height and heading date characters of the parental lines. This segregation is being driven primarily by a small number of mapped QTL, instead of by many small-effect, undetected QTL. As most breeding populations in the southeast U.S. segregate for known QTL for these traits, genetic variation in plant height and heading date in these populations likely emerges from similar combinations of major and moderate effect QTL. We can make more accurate and cost-effective prediction models by targeted genotyping of key SNPs.
Pharmacokinetic Drug-Drug Interaction Study of Omecamtiv Mecarbil With Omeprazole, a Proton Pump Inhibitor, in Healthy Subjects

Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a novel cardiac myosin activator in development for the treatment of heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction. OM is administered as a 25-, 37.5-, or 50-mg modified-release formulation in patients with HF. Proton pump inhibitors are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in this patient population. Given the potential for coadministration of both drugs in patients with HF, we evaluated the potential for omeprazole to affect the pharmacokinetics of OM in an open-label study in 14 healthy subjects. Subjects received a single 50-mg dose of OM on day 1, followed by 40-mg once-daily doses of omeprazole on days 4 to 8. On day 9, a single 40-mg dose of omeprazole was administered first and immediately followed by 50-mg of OM. Blood samples were collected up to 144 hours after dosing following administration of OM on days 1 and 9 to characterize plasma concentrations of OM. The ratios of the geometric least-square means (90% confidence intervals) of OM coadministered with omeprazole compared to OM alone were 94.5% (81.7%-109.3%), 94.3% (81.5%-109.1%), and 101.2% (95.4%-107.3%) for area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity, area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last measurable concentration, and maximum observed plasma concentration, respectively. Coadministration of OM with omeprazole was not associated with any clinically significant pharmacokinetic drug interactions. Single doses of OM were safe and well tolerated when coadministered with omeprazole.
Hemodynamic Assessment of Dual Obstructive Left Ventricular Assist Device Lesions.

Obstructive left ventricular assist device (LVAD) lesions are uncommon but are being increasingly recognized, particularly with the increased use of advanced imaging modalities. While heart failure symptoms and LVAD power fluctuations have a broad differential, obstructive lesions in the LVAD circuit should be considered. We present a unique case of a patient supported on HeartWare HVAD (Medtronic Inc., Dublin, Ireland) therapy, who experienced postural dizziness with objective orthostatic hypotension and occasional ventricular tachycardia. With fluctuations in LVAD flow and power, a CT scan with three-dimensional reconstruction was obtained showing outflow graft kinking. The patient was brought to the cardiac catheterization laboratory for investigation and consideration of outflow graft intervention. However, intracardiac echocardiography revealed the presence of an inflow cannula obstruction with position changes and catheter interrogation involving the outflow cannula suggestive of a gradient across the kinked area as an unlikely cause for the presentation. This case highlights the importance of a thorough interrogation for obstructive lesions in the setting of heart failure symptoms, particularly postural symptoms, in a patient on LVAD therapy, even when not identified on routine echocardiography.
A retrospective analysis and quality improvement education initiative to increase HPV vaccination rates in an inner city primary care clinic.

213Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most commonly spread sexually transmitted infection and is implicated in the oncogenesis of several cancers, including cervical, anal,vaginal and or...
Human ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions enhance expectation-related pain modulation

Pain is strongly modulated by expectations and beliefs. Research across species indicates that subregions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) play a fundamental role in learning and generating predictions about valued outcomes. Consistent with this overarching framework, neuroimaging studies of experimental pain indicate that VMPFC activation tracks expectations of pain relief and statistically mediates expectation-related reductions in responses to painful stimuli across a distributed pain processing network. However, lesion studies in preclinical models and in humans with refractory chronic pain suggest that VMPFC may play a more general role in representing the affective and motivational qualities of pain that contribute to its strong aversive drive. To test whether VMPFC is necessary for pain processing in general, or instead plays a more specific role in the modulation of pain by expectations, we studied responses to experimental heat pain in five adults with bilateral surgical lesions of VMPFC and twenty healthy adults without brain damage. All participants underwent quantitative sensory testing (QST) to characterize pain sensitivity, followed by a pain expectancy task. Participants were instructed that auditory cues would be followed by heat calibrated to elicit low or high pain. Following a conditioning phase, each cue was intermittently paired with a single temperature calibrated to elicit moderate pain. We compared ratings of moderate heat stimuli and subjective expectancy ratings as a function of cue to evaluate whether VMPFC lesions impact cue-based expectancy and expectancy effects on pain intensity and unpleasantness. We also analyzed QST measures to evaluate whether VMPFC lesions were associated with overall shifts in pain sensitivity. Compared to adults without brain damage, individuals with VMPFC lesions reported larger differences in expectations as a function of pain-predictive cues, and stronger cue-based modulation of pain ratings, particularly for ratings of pain unpleasantness. There were no group differences in pain sensitivity, nor in the relationship between pain and autonomic arousal, indicating that the impact of VMPFC lesions is specific to expectancy-based modulation of pain unpleasantness. Our findings suggest that the VMPFC is not essential for basic subjective and physiological responses to painful stimuli. Rather, our findings of significantly enhanced cue- related expectancy effects may suggest that VMPFC plays an important role in updating expectations or integrating sensory information with expectations to guide subjective judgements about pain. Taken together, these results expand our understanding VMPFCs contribution to pain and highlight the role of VMPFC in integrating cognitive representations with sensory information to yield affective responses.
General rules and the justification of probable belief in Hume’s Treatise

By the conclusion of Book I of the Treatise, Hume faces something of a dilemma. Because of the skeptical arguments of part 4, he is "ready to reject all belief and reasoning, and can look upon no opinion even as more probable or likely than another" (T 268-9).l Yet on the other hand, he clearly does think that some methods of belief-formation are better than others. Five paragraphs after the passage just cited, he proclaims, "I make bold to recommend philosophy, and shall not scruple to give it the preference to superstition of every kind and denomination" (T 271). Although it is difficult to take much of what Hume says in part 4 (and especially section 7) at face value, it is clear that Hume is sincere in his endorsement of philosophy here. Book I, after all, is only the first of the three books of the Treatise, and the other two books begin just four (Selby-Bigge) pages after this endorsement. The skeptical arguments examined throughout the Treatise seem to indicate that we cannot show that many, if any, of our beliefs have a high probability of being true, and yet Hume wants to maintain a distinction between better and worse methods of belief-formation. On what could such a distinction be founded? Notoriously, there are several different themes in the Treatise that look like they might play some role; at various points in the Treatise, Hume mentions the involuntariness of belief, the pleasure derived from philosophy, the love of truth, the distinction between the more and less universal workings of the mind, and so forth. Not surprisingly, there is a good deal of debate among Hume's commentators as to which of these themes is actually at work
A system for video conversion and text data overlay

This paper describes the design and development of a Video Conversion and Data Overlay (VCDO) prototype that takes in an analog National Television System Committee (NTSC) video signal generated by a video camera and data acquired by a microcontroller and display them in real-time on a digital panel. An 8051 microcontroller is used to acquire power dissipation by the display panel, room temperature, and camera zoom level. The paper describes the major hardware components and shows how they are interfaced into a functional prototype. Test data results are presented and discussed.
Metaherpetic corneal disease in a dog associated with partial limbal stem cell deficiency and neurotrophic keratitis.

Objective To describe clinical, in vivo confocal microscopic, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical features of a dog with metaherpetic corneal disease that developed subsequent to a protracted episode of canine herpesvirus-1 (CHV-1) dendritic ulcerative keratitis. Case description A 7-year-old, spayed-female, Miniature Schnauzer was treated for bilateral CHV-1 dendritic ulcerative keratitis. Following resolution of ulcerative keratitis, sectoral peripheral superficial corneal gray opacification, vascularization, and pigmentation slowly migrated centripetally to the axial cornea of both eyes. Corneal sensitivity measured with a Cochet–Bonnet esthesiometer was dramatically and persistently reduced. In vivo corneal confocal microscopic examination revealed regions of epithelium with a conjunctival phenotype. In these areas, the surface epithelium was thin, disorganized, and composed of hyper-reflective epithelial cells. Goblet cells and Langerhans cells were frequent, and the subbasal nerve plexus was completely absent or markedly diminished. Histopathologic abnormalities in the globes were restricted to the superficial cornea and included sectoral corneal conjunctivalization, increased anterior stromal spindle cells, and vascularization. Immunohistochemical evaluation of the corneas with anti-neurotublin antibody demonstrated attenuation of the epithelial and subbasal nerve plexuses with marked stromal hyperinnervation and increased numbers of morphologically abnormal neurites. Conclusions Similar to herpes simplex virus keratitis in humans, CHV-1 ulcerative keratitis may be associated with the development of chronic degenerative corneal disease in dogs. In the described dog, this chronic corneal disease included progressive corneal opacification because of partial limbal stem cell deficiency and neurotrophic keratitis. Long-term monitoring of dogs following resolution of active CHV-1 keratitis may be indicated, particularly when ulcerations persist for an extended period.
Relations of Classroom Structures and Teacher Behaviors to Social Orientation, Self-Esteem, and Classroom Climate Among Anglo American and Mexican American Children.

This investigation examines the relationship of classroom structure and teacher behaviors to cooperative, competitive, and individualistic social orientation, self-esteem, and classroom climate among Mexican American and Anglo Anerican children. Fifteen teachers were systematically observed in their classrooms, and 107 children (77 Anglo and 30 Mexican American, ages 7–11) were tested on the social orientation choice card (SOCC), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and Anderson's My Class Inventory. Results indicate that (a) the teachers frequently used cooperative group classroom structures, (b) teacher behaviors and classroom structures were related to social orientation and self-esteem of children in a culturally relative pattern, and (c) teacher behaviors were significantly related to positive classroom climates for both cultural groups. Results are discussed in terms of cultural relativity of the interrelations among the school and child variables, implications for desegregation, and the possible antecede...
Development and death of external granular layer cells in the weaver mouse cerebellum: a quantitative study

Previous studies have identified the cerebellar granule cell as a primary site of gene action in the weaver mutant mouse. The temporal expression of the weaver mutant granule cell phenotype has not been fully investigated. To identify early postnatal expression of the weaver mutant phenotype, we quantitated 4 parameters of cerebellar development in postnatal day 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 +/+, wv/+, and wv/wv mice: (1) cerebellar area, (2) cells in the external granule layer (EGL), (3) number of mitotic figures in the EGL, and (4) number of pyknotic figures in the EGL. Qualitative observations suggest a generalized retardation in the development of wv/wv and wv/+ EGL cells compared with the +/+ cells. Quantitatively, the earliest detectable mutant phenotype in wv/wv and wv/+ cerebella is the increased presence of cell death in the EGL, apparent at the day of birth. Degenerating cells in the EGL, the majority of which are found in the postmitotic zone of this layer, contain abnormally clumped heterochromatin, suggestive of “nuclear” cell death. Previous hypotheses concerning the mechanism of weaver gene action have suggested that granule cells die due to their inability to migrate from the EGL. The time course, mode, and spatial organization of cell death found in the present studies lead us to suggest that an earlier event in granule cell development, such as the exit of neuroblasts from the cell cycle or axonogenesis, is affected by the weaver gene.
Crack profiles in applied moment double cantilever beam tests

{ital In situ} observations of crack propagation in an applied moment double cantilever beam specimen were used previously to obtain the {ital R}-curve behavior of ceramic composites. To predict the {ital R}-curve using constitutive models, knowledge of the crack profile is required to derive the bridging stress distribution along the crack length and to analyze the toughening effect. To predict the crack profile in an applied moment double cantilever beam test, both the deformation of the crack surface due to the bending moment and the movement of the crack surface due to the rigid body motion of the loading fixture need to be considered. The analytical solution for the crack profile is derived in the present study. The predicted crack profiles agree well with experimental measurements. {copyright} {ital 1998 Materials Research Society.}
Three-dimensional ground-penetrating radar imaging using synthetic aperture time-domain focusing

This paper discusses a three-dimensional synthetic aperture imaging technique based on time- domain focusing of pulse-echo radar data. We describe the basic image formation process, important data processing issues, and compensation for planar variations in the media. We present a high-resolution volumetric image reconstruction of a concrete test slab and show that we are able to identify steel reinforcing bars in the image. We conclude with a brief comparison of this imaging method with a technique based on diffraction tomography.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Treatment of Acute Seizures and Status Epilepticus

Overt status epilepticus and persistent obtundation after a witnessed clinical seizure are neurologic emergencies. Early recognition and intervention in the electroclinical syndrome of status epilepticus reduces morbidity, although treatment of the underlying etiology is also critical. This review outlines key concepts related to status epilepticus, delineates an approach to the early management of status epilepticus, and highlights novel but practical approaches in the evaluation and treatment of refractory status epilepticus, emphasizing the use of a treatment algorithm. This review is written from the perspective of the intensive care unit clinician, and the approach and opinions expressed stem from clinical experience and review of the current literature. Particular attention is given to an overall approach to the management of convulsive status epilepticus in adults and older children as well as exploring novel approaches and diagnostic tools that may prove useful in difficult-to-control status epilepticus.
HiRISE imaging of impact megabreccia and sub-meter aqueous strata in Holden Crater, Mars

High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images of Holden crater, Mars, resolve impact megabreccia unconformably overlain by sediments deposited during two Noachian-age phases of aqueous activity. A lighter-toned lower unit exhibiting phyllosilicates was deposited in a long-lived, quiescent distal alluvial or lacustrine setting. An overlying darker-toned and often blocky upper unit drapes the sequence and was emplaced during later high-magnitude flooding as an impounded Uzboi Vallis lake overtopped the crater rim. The stratigraphy provides the first geologic context for phyllosilicate deposition during persistent wet and perhaps habitable conditions on early Mars.
Mechanics Modeling of Blade/Disk Contacts

A predictive procedure capable of calculating dovetail surface contact loads in gas turbine engines is developed. The procedure determines contact normal and tangential loads, for a complete mission involving radial blade and thermal loads. Once Finite Element calculations to determine empirical constants for a specific blade/disk geometry are completed, the predictive procedure handles complicated load histories in near real-time for both single and double tang dovetails. The resulting load histories can be combined with Singular Integral Equations to calculate edge-of-contact stresses. The resulting contact stresses have been used to successfully predict fretting fatigue lives under controlled laboratory conditions.© 2005 ASME
Vigilance and feeding behaviour in large feeding flocks of laughing gulls, Larus atricilla, on Delaware Bay

Laughing gulls (Larus atricilla) forage on horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs during May in Delaware Bay each year. They feed in dense flocks, and foraging rates vary with vigilance, bird density, number of steps and location in the flock, whereas time devoted to vigilance is explained by number of steps, density, location and feeding rates. The time devoted to vigilance decreases with increasing density, increasing foraging rates and decreasing aggression. Birds foraging on the edge of flocks take fewer pecks and more steps, and devote more time to vigilance than those in the intermediate or central parts of a flock.
Phanerozoic non-actualisticpaleoecology

Abstract Paleoecological interpretations have steadily improved over the years as new environmental settings on the modern Earth have been discovered, and have been incorporated into an ever-growing set of actualistic models for interpreting ancient environments and ecologies. However, it is apparent that there are paleoecological questions which do not yield satisfactory solutions through the strict application of actualistic models. Thus, it is possible for ancient biological attributes of the environment to no longer exist or be predominant in modern settings. For these features a non-actualistic approach provides the key to understanding ancient ecologies. Until recently, non-actualistic approaches have been most commonly taken by Precambrian paleoecologists. However, it is time for Phanerozoic paleoecology to adopt some of the healthy scepticism about actualism that characterizes the methodology of the Precambrian paleoecologist. Much of the growth of the new discipline termed “evolutionary paleoecology” will depend upon the insights provided through application of a non-actualistic viewpoint. The development of this approach is not an indication of the errors of actualism, but of the increasing maturity of methodologies available to the Phanerozoic paleoecologist.
Chromium genotoxicity: A double-edged sword.

Abstract Certain forms of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] are known respiratory carcinogens that induce a broad spectrum of DNA damage. Cr(VI)-carcinogenesis may be initiated or promoted through several mechanistic processes including, the intracellular metabolic reduction of Cr(VI) producing chromium species capable of interacting with DNA to yield genotoxic and mutagenic effects, Cr(VI)-induced inflammatory/immunological responses, and alteration of survival signaling pathways. Cr(VI) enters the cell through non-specific anion channels, and is metabolically reduced by agents including ascorbate, glutathione, and cysteine to Cr(V), Cr(IV), and Cr(III). Cr(III) has a weak membrane permeability capacity and is unable to cross the cell membrane, thereby trapping it within the cell where it can bind to DNA and produce genetic damage leading to genomic instability. Structural genetic lesions produced by the intracellular reduction of Cr(VI) include DNA adducts, DNA-strand breaks, DNA–protein crosslinks, oxidized bases, abasic sites, and DNA inter- and intrastrand crosslinks. The damage induced by Cr(VI) can lead to dysfunctional DNA replication and transcription, aberrant cell cycle checkpoints, dysregulated DNA repair mechanisms, microsatelite instability, inflammatory responses, and the disruption of key regulatory gene networks responsible for the balance of cell survival and cell death, which may all play an important role in Cr(VI) carcinogenesis. Several lines of evidence have indicated that neoplastic progression is a result of consecutive genetic/epigenetic changes that provide cellular survival advantages, and ultimately lead to the conversion of normal human cells to malignant cancer cells. This review is based on studies that provide a glimpse into Cr(VI) carcinogenicity via mechanisms including Cr(VI)-induced death-resistance, the involvement of DNA repair mechanisms in survival after chromium exposure, and the activation of survival signaling cascades in response to Cr(VI) genotoxicity.
Capacity and economies of scale in electric power transmission

Abstract Historically, most analyses of electric utility cost structures have focused almost exclusively on the generation sector of the industry. Electric restructuring raises a number of new questions which require analysis of electric utility operations in other sectors of the industry. Most restructuring proposals call for continued regulation of the transmission sector of the industry based upon the presumption that it is a natural monopoly. The presumption, however, is based upon little empirical evidence. We present a modified translog cost model which examines whether economies of scale genuinely exist in the provision of electric transmission service. We find strong economies over all relevant ranges of capacity and across all regions of the USA. The result is timely since it supports existing restructuring policies calling for continued regulation of the transmission portion of the industry.
Determinants of Neighborhood Satisfaction: A Metropolitan-Level Analysis*

Students of neighborhood satisfaction have traditionally regarded the individual as the appropriate unit of analysis. In this present paper we break with tradition proposing that satisfaction can a...
Influence of postpartum shock controllability on subsequent maternal behavior in rats

Responses of mother rats were observed 24 h before and 24 and 72 h after exposure to one of three 8-day postpartum treatments: shock escape training, yoked inescapable shock, or restrained with no shock. In contrast to those in the other two groups, the dams given inescapable shock showed slower speed to approach the nest, shorter durations of being on the nest, and lower frequency and shorter total duration of oral contact with their pups. These dams also retrieved their pups less frequently, but this measure, as well as the frequency of leaving the nest, did not result in significant differences between groups. Since the traditional interpretations of the learned-helplessness effect were not entirely able to account for these findings, the observed uncontrollable-stress-produced changes in maternal behavior were examined from an ethological perspective.
Paclitaxel Induces Prolonged Activation of the Ras/MEK/ERK Pathway Independently of Activating the Programmed Cell Death Machinery

Paclitaxel is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent and is known to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in a variety of cell types, but the precise underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. To elucidate these mechanisms, we challenged human esophageal squamous cancer cell lines with paclitaxel and investigated its effects upon signal transduction pathways. Physiologically relevant concentrations of paclitaxel (1-1,000 nm) induced apoptosis. All three mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 MAPK, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were activated upon paclitaxel treatment. Interestingly, JNK activation and p38 MAPK activation were delayed and peaked at 48 h, whereas ERK activity was sustained over 72 h. In addition, Ras activation and MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) phosphorylation were observed in concordance with ERK activation. While ERK activation was completely ablated by MEK inhibitors, immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis revealed that neither MEK-1 nor MEK-2 was involved, but instead another member of the MEK family may potentially participate. Although pretreatment with a general caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone rescued the cell death, it did not prevent Ras or ERK activation. Furthermore, inhibition of JNK, p38 MAPK, or MEK did not alter PARP cleavage and the cell death induced by paclitaxel. These results in aggregate suggest that the delayed activation of JNK, p38 MAPK, and ERK was not linked to activation of the cell death machinery.
Satisfaction with genetic counseling for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations among African American women.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate satisfaction with genetic counseling for BRCA1 and BRCA2 ( BRCA1/2 ) mutations among African American women. Methods Participants were 54 African American women at moderate and high risk for BRCA1/2 mutations who were offered genetic testing as part of a randomized clinical trial designed to compare the effects of culturally tailored genetic counseling (CTGC) and standard genetic counseling (SGC). Satisfaction with genetic counseling was evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire following culturally tailored or standard pre-test education and counseling. Results Overall, the majority of women (96%) were very satisfied with genetic counseling; however, only 26% reported that their worries were lessened and 22% reported that they were able to cope better. Women who received CTGC were significantly more likely than women who received SGC to report that their worries were lessened ( p p Conclusions Most African American women were satisfied with genetic counseling; however, women who received culturally tailored genetic counseling were significantly more likely to strongly agree that their worries were lessened compared to women who received standard genetic counseling. Practice implications Discussion of cultural beliefs and values during genetic counseling may be beneficial to African American women, especially those with low incomes.
Mass Spectrometric Detection of Neuropeptides Using Affinity-Enhanced Microdialysis with Antibody-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles

Microdialysis (MD) is a useful sampling tool for many applications due to its ability to permit sampling from an animal concurrent with normal activity. MD is of particular importance in the field of neuroscience, in which it is used to sample neurotransmitters (NTs) while the animal is behaving in order to correlate dynamic changes in NTs with behavior. One important class of signaling molecules, the neuropeptides (NPs), however, presented significant challenges when studied with MD, due to the low relative recovery (RR) of NPs by this technique. Affinity-enhanced microdialysis (AE-MD) has previously been used to improve recovery of NPs and similar molecules. For AE-MD, an affinity agent (AA), such as an antibody-coated particle or free antibody, is added to the liquid perfusing the MD probe. This AA provides an additional mass transport driving force for analyte to pass through the dialysis membrane and thus increases the RR. In this work, a variety of AAs have been investigated for AE-MD of NPs in vitr...
Review: bupropion and nortriptyline each increase smoking cessation rates.

Source Citation Hughes JR, Stead LF, Lancaster T. Antidepressants for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(4):CD000031. 15494986