cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying the influence of factors on the quality of critical reflection: Framing, frequency, and feedback

In this study, we sought to identify the factors contributing to the quality of student critical reflections. Prior analyses of institutional assessment and evaluation data, including student reflection scores and experience with critical reflection pedagogies, had shown us that student experience and faculty experience with particular pedagogies were not adequate predictors of students’ ability to articulate their learning through reflective practices. Moreover, we suspected that instructor familiarity with critical reflection would have a much stronger impact than student’s prior experiences. After conducting two focus groups with [authors’ affiliated university] faculty and bolstering our existing literature review, however, we found that instructor and student experience with critical reflection may not impact the quality of a student’s critical reflection as strongly as the way in which reflective prompts were framed. Following subsequent qualitative analyses, the themes of framing, frequency, and feedback emerged, which were then used as a framework to guide the direction of future quantitative analyses. We discuss the implications for the implementation of critical reflection pedagogy and the improvement of student learning outcomes.
Perioperative safety in patients with resectable synchronous colorectal liver metastases.

Worldwide, at least a quarter of the patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are diagnosed with metastatic disease at presentation and many of them eventually succumb to their disease. A third of these patients may have their metastatic disease burden confined to the liver. It has been estimated that about 15–25% of CRC patients initially present with synchronous resectable liver metastases (SRLM) (1). These patients represent a group whose oncologic prognosis has significantly improved over the past decades (2).
Treating Vitamin D Deficiency and Insufficiency in Chronic Neck and Back Pain and Muscle Spasm: A Case Series

Introduction The association between vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency and pain in the musculoskeletal system, especially in the neck and/or back regions, and/or muscle spasm is not well studied. The results of the limited studies have been mixed.
Acute kidney injury is associated with increased healthcare utilization, complications, and mortality after primary total knee arthroplasty.

Background:The objective of this study was to assess healthcare utilization and complications associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA)....
Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for early stage large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung.

Aim Some patients with early stage large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the lung are not surgical candidates and will be managed with radiotherapy. We used the national cancer database to identify predictors of stereotactic radiotherapy and compare outcomes. Materials & methods We queried national cancer database for T1-2N0 LCNEC treated with radiation. Logistic regression and Cox regression identified predictors of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) and survival, respectively. Results We identified 754 patients, with 238 (32%) treated with SABR. Predictors of SABR were distance to facility, no chemotherapy, academic center, T1 and recent year. After propensity matching, median survival was 34.7 months compared with 23.7 months in favor of SABR (p = 0.02). Conclusion SABR for LCNEC has increased over time and was associated with improved survival.
Local delivery of tobramycin and vancomycin in primary total knee arthroplasty achieves minimum inhibitory concentrations for common bacteria causing acute prosthetic joint infection.

Aims The aim of this study was to determine if the local delivery of vancomycin and tobramycin in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can achieve intra-articular concentrations exceeding the mini...
Prevention of Urinary Stones With Hydration (PUSH): Design and Rationale of a Clinical Trial

Rationale & Objective Although maintaining high fluid intake is an effective low-risk intervention for the secondary prevention of urinary stone disease, many patients with stones do not increase their fluid intake. Study Design We describe the rationale and design of the Prevention of Urinary Stones With Hydration (PUSH) Study, a randomized trial of a multicomponent behavioral intervention program to increase and maintain high fluid intake. Participants are randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to the intervention or control arm. The target sample size is 1,642 participants. Setting & Participants Adults and adolescents 12 years and older with a symptomatic stone history and low urine volume are eligible. Exclusion criteria include infectious or monogenic causes of urinary stone disease and comorbid conditions precluding increased fluid intake. Interventions All participants receive usual care and a smart water bottle with smartphone application. Participants in the intervention arm receive a fluid intake prescription and an adaptive program of behavioral interventions, including financial incentives, structured problem solving, and other automated adherence interventions. Control arm participants receive guideline-based fluid instructions. Outcomes The primary end point is recurrence of a symptomatic stone during 24 months of follow-up. Secondary end points include changes in radiographic stone burden, 24-hour urine output, and urinary symptoms. Limitations Periodic 24-hour urine volumes may not fully reflect daily behavior. Conclusions With its highly novel features, the PUSH Study will address an important health care problem. Funding National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Trial Registration Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with study number NCT03244189 .
Analysis of Factors Associated with Stunted Growth in Children Aged 12-60 Months Living in Lenda Village, Manggarai Regency, NTT

Stunting is one of the main health problems in Indonesia resulting from poor nutrition. Stunted growth can have a negative impact on children's development and long-term growth. The prevalence of stunted growth in NTT Province in 2017 reached 22.30%. Lenda Village became the priority village for an integrated stunted growth prevention program in 2018. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with the incidence of stunted growth in children aged 12-60 months (n = 82) in Lenda Village, from October 2018-April 2019 using a cross-sectional study. The sample technique used was purposive sampling.The instruments used were: a questionnaire (including demographic data, birth history, diarrhea, mother’s knowledge), microtoise and weight scales.The analysis data involved a chi-square test and binary logistic regression. The results showed that most children were stunted (58 children (70.7%)). There was a significant association between exclusive breastfeeding (AOR = 5.193, 95 % CI= 1.275-21.158, p = 0.022), immunization status (AOR= 0.110, 95 % CI = 0.025-0.477, p =0.003), diarrhea (AOR = 13.386, CI 95 % = 2.270-78.949, p= 0.004), knowledge (AOR = 0.049, 95 % CI = 0.008-0.290, p= 0.001) and stunted growth. Integrated stunted growth management needs to be provided through cross-sectoral collaboration to increase the coverage of health care providers, improve sanitation, increase the level of maternal knowledge and improve health outcomes during both antenatal and postnatal care
Pricing Ordered Items.

We study the revenue guarantees and approximability of item pricing. Recent work shows that with $n$ heterogeneous items, item-pricing guarantees an $O(\log n)$ approximation to the optimal revenue achievable by any (buy-many) mechanism, even when buyers have arbitrarily combinatorial valuations. However, finding good item prices is challenging -- it is known that even under unit-demand valuations, it is NP-hard to find item prices that approximate the revenue of the optimal item pricing better than $O(\sqrt{n})$. Our work provides a more fine-grained analysis of the revenue guarantees and computational complexity in terms of the number of item ``categories'' which may be significantly fewer than $n$. We assume the items are partitioned in $k$ categories so that items within a category are totally-ordered and a buyer's value for a bundle depends only on the best item contained from every category. We show that item-pricing guarantees an $O(\log k)$ approximation to the optimal (buy-many) revenue and provide a PTAS for computing the optimal item-pricing when $k$ is constant. We also provide a matching lower bound showing that the problem is (strongly) NP-hard even when $k=1$. Our results naturally extend to the case where items are only partially ordered, in which case the revenue guarantees and computational complexity depend on the width of the partial ordering, i.e. the largest set for which no two items are comparable.
Libel Law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Towards a Broader Protection for Media Defendants

This Note argues that Canada should recognize a privilege for media defendants similar to the United States actual malice standard in order to guarantee fully the freedom of the press set forth in the new Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Part I examines the recently adopted Charter, and the similarity between its free press provision and the first amendment of the United States Constitution. Part II demonstrates how current Canadian libel law curtails freedom of the press by burdening media defendants. Part III argues that the United States constitutional privilege better protects freedom of the press as guaranteed in the First Amendment than has the Charter in Canada. This Note concludes that in order for Canada to ensure media defendants the right of free speech as guaranteed in the Charter, the Canadian courts should adopt a more protective libel standard for media defendants, similar to the actual malice standard in the United States. LIBEL LAW AND THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS: TOWARDS A BROADER PROTECTION FOR MEDIA DEFENDANTS
Electronic Contract Framework for Contractual Agents

In this paper, we propose an agent-based framework for the automation of contractual relationships. Contracts are defined as specification of expected behaviours and are modelled using the logical constructs of norms and sanctions. Based on the dynamic nature of norms, we introduce a collaborative protocol used by contractual agents to share their views on contractual commitments. Lastly, we present the conceptual architecture and the high-level reasoning process of contractual agents.
Implicating PARP and NAD+ depletion in type I diabetes.

Mice deficient in the PARP DNA repair enzyme are refractory to toxin-induced death of pancreatic beta cells and do not become diabetic (pages 314–319).
Constraints on modified Newtonian dynamics theories from radio tracking data of the Cassini spacecraft

The modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) is an attempt to modify the gravitation theory to solve the dark matter problem. This phenomenology is very successful at the galactic level. The main effect produced by MOND in the Solar System is called the external field effect parametrized by the parameter ${Q}_{2}$. We have used nine years of Cassini range and Doppler measurements to constrain ${Q}_{2}$. Our estimate of this parameter based on Cassini data is given by ${Q}_{2}=(3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1{0}^{\ensuremath{-}27}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, which shows no deviation from General Relativity and excludes a large part of the relativistic MOND theories. This limit can also be interpreted as a limit on an external tidal potential acting on the Solar System coming from the internal mass of our Galaxy (including dark matter) or from a new hypothetical body.
Growth of Fish Cell Lines on Microcarriers

Microcarrier beads were evaluated as substrates for the propagation of five anchorage-dependent fish cell lines. Growth of rainbow trout gonad (RTG-2) and Atlantic salmon cells was limited on microcarriers maintained in suspension. However, stationary microcarriers were suitable substrates for the growth of RTG-2, AS, Chinook salmon embryo (CHSE-214), and fathead minnow cells. Cell yields ranged from 2 × 106 to 2.9 × 106 cells per ml, representing 7- to 10-fold increases over the initial cell concentrations. The yield of new RTG-2 cells per unit volume of growth medium was 2.8 times greater in microcarrier cultures than in standard monolayer cultures. Northern pike cells failed to grow on microcarriers. Yields of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus propagated in microcarrier cultures of RTG-2 cells were more than twice the yields in standard monolayer cultures. The greater economy of microcarrier cultures in terms of growth vessel and medium requirements holds great promise for the large-scale production of anchorage-dependent fish cell cultures and fish viruses.
Cognitive Control Predicts Academic Achievement in Kindergarten Children.

Children's ability to shift behavior in response to changing environmental demands is critical for successful intellectual functioning. While the processes underlying the development of cognitive control have been thoroughly investigated, its functioning in an ecologically relevant setting such as school is less well understood. Given the alarming number of children who face failure in the U.S. school system, the purpose of this project is to determine whether subtly different measures of cognitive control differentially predict academic achievement. Sixty-five kindergarten children were given two versions of a Dimensional Change Card Sort task—a geometric version followed by a linguistic version. Educational outcomes consisted of a standardized measure of academic achievement as well as assessments used by the school district. Results revealed that cognitive control, particularly as assessed by the linguistic variant, predicted children's academic performance on math and school-based assessments, thereby suggesting that deficient cognitive control negatively impacts educational success.
Microbial interactions and differential protein expression in Staphylococcus aureus -Candida albicans dual-species biofilms.

The fungal species Candida albicans and the bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus are responsible for a majority of hospital-acquired infections and often coinfect critically ill patients as complicating polymicrobial biofilms. To investigate biofilm structure during polymicrobial growth, dual-species biofilms were imaged with confocal scanning laser microscopy. Analyses revealed a unique biofilm architecture where S. aureus commonly associated with the hyphal elements of C. albicans. This physical interaction may provide staphylococci with an invasion strategy because candidal hyphae can penetrate through epithelial layers. To further understand the molecular mechanisms possibly responsible for previously demonstrated amplified virulence during coinfection, protein expression studies were undertaken. Differential in-gel electrophoresis identified a total of 27 proteins to be significantly differentially produced by these organisms during coculture biofilm growth. Among the upregulated staphylococcal proteins was l-lactate dehydrogenase 1, which confers resistance to host-derived oxidative stressors. Among the downregulated proteins was the global transcriptional repressor of virulence factors, CodY. These findings demonstrate that the hyphae-mediated enhanced pathogenesis of S. aureus may not only be due to physical interactions but can also be attributed to the differential regulation of specific virulence factors induced during polymicrobial growth. Further characterization of the intricate interaction between these pathogens at the molecular level is warranted, as it may aid in the design of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at combating fungal–bacterial polymicrobial infection.
Pavement Noise Investigation in North Carolina

This paper presents the findings on pavement noise on various types of pavements in North Carolina (NC) by using an On-Board Sound Intensity (OBSI) method. As a competitive alternative for noise mitigation, quieter pavement may provide advantages that noise barriers do not have, or to where sound barriers are not suited. The first step in developing quieter pavement is identifying the noise levels of different types of highway pavements. To reach the ultimate goals of quieter pavement development, this research has focused on the most imperative task, i.e., to measure the noise levels of different types of pavements. Pavement noise levels of 61 highway sites including 153 test sections around 30 counties for nine types of pavements across North Carolina have been investigated. Quiet pavement(s) has been identified.
Kinesthetic Aftereffects are in the Hands, Not in Phenomenal Space:

Kinesthetic figural aftereffects (KFAE) were measured in 44 Ss to determine whether satiation occurs in the hands or in phenomenal three-dimensional space. KFAE of equal sign and magnitude occurred...
CNTF receptor alpha is expressed by magnocellular neurons and expression is upregulated in the rat supraoptic nucleus during axonal sprouting.

Abstract Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is expressed by glial cells at multiple levels of the magnocellular neurosecretory system (MNS). CNTF is present in astrocytes in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON) as well as in perivascular cells in the neurohypophysis, and a several fold increase in CNTF immunoreactivity occurs in the SON following either axotomy of magnocellular neurons or during axonal sprouting by intact magnocellular neurons. CNTF also promotes survival and stimulates process outgrowth from magnocellular neurons in vitro. While these findings suggest that CNTF may act as a growth factor in support of neuronal plasticity in the MNS, little is known regarding possible expression of receptors for CNTF in the MNS. We have therefore used immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization to examine the expression of CNTF receptor alpha (CNTFRα) in the rat MNS. Robust immunoreactivity for CNTFRα was observed associated with oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic neurons distributed throughout the SON. Astrocytes located within the ventral glial lamina (VGL) of the SON were also immunoreactive for CNTFRα. Robust hybridization of an anti-sense [35S]-cRNA probe to CNTFRα mRNA was observed throughout the SON, while binding of a control sense probe was much lower. Grains were found clustered predominantly over neuronal somata, indicative of expression by magnocellular neurons within the SON. We next examined changes in expression of CNTFRα mRNA by magnocellular neurons 7 days following unilateral transection of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial tract. The level of CNTFRα mRNA was increased 32% (compared to age-matched intact controls; p
Sulfonated poly(ethylene-ran-styrene) ionomers

Ionomers were prepared by partially sulfonating the styrene units of a poly(ethylene-ran-styrene) (ES) copolymer. The metal salt derivatives of sulfonated ES had higher Tg, melt viscosity and rubbery modulus than did the parent ES because of the formation of labile, physical crosslinks from intermolecular dipole–dipole associations between metal sulfonate groups. Microphase separation of ion-rich aggregates with a characteristic size of 3–9 nm also occurred as a result of the strong intermolecular associations. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Quantitative analysis of polymer additives in low density polyethylene using supercritical fluid extraction/supercritical fluid chromatography

Analysis of low concentration polymer additives has been a challenging problem. The commonly used methods of analysis involve the initial extraction of polymer additives with solvents, often in a Soxhlet apparatus, followed by liquid, size exclusion, or gas chromatography. This paper describes the on-line super-critical fluid extraction (SFE)-supercritical fluid chromatographic (SFC) determination of different additives from low density polyethylene. Cryogenic collection was used as an interface between SFE and SFC to focus the extraction eluate before transfer to an analytical SFC column for quantitative analysis.
A Scheme for Quantitative Holographic Vibration Analysis from Reconstructed Irradiance Data

Abstract It is shown that the irradiance data from frequency-translated time-average holography and a recurrence relationship of Bessel function of the first kind can be very effectively used for the vibration analysis. The vibration amplitude can directly be determined from the irradiance values at any image point without the traditional fringe counting procedure. The theory of the process is presented.
The temporal template of tourism: a comparative analysis of Epcot Center (Orlando) and Wadi Rum (Jordan)

The article offers a comparative analysis to demonstrate how Western culture produces temporal narratives of world history in which the Arab, Muslim, and Turk are understood as ‘behind’ European and Western civilization. To illustrate this argument, the article takes the reader on a journey from Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida to Wadi Rum in Jordan to locate how a temporal script produced in the context of nineteenth-century Social Darwinism informs contemporary representations in these important tourist locations. The author is particularly interested in analyzing how these examples from the tourism industry illustrate a Eurocentric (in the case of Epcot) and a nationalist (in the case of Jordan) temporal script in which the modern self is distanced from its premodern Other, producing a temporal script which denies coeval time between the ‘modern’ West/Jordanian and its ‘traditional’ Eastern/Bedouin Other. The paper explores also how such representations are consequential because they produce political ...
Screening Sex Revelando e dissimulando o sexo

Neste texto, procura-se contar a historia da exibicao do sexo em filmes majoritariamente produzidos nos Estados Unidos no periodo de quase um seculo. Ao se perguntar quando, porque e como os Estados Unidos se transformaram de uma cultura que nao exibia o sexo em uma que o exibe, a autora insiste no duplo significado do verbo screen (tanto como uma revelacao quanto uma dissimulacao). Exibir e revelar em uma tela. Mas um segundo e igualmente importante significado, como diz o dicionario e "proteger ou esconder atras de uma tela". Os filmes tanto revelam como escondem. O artigo analisa a forma como mudancas sociais ocorridas nos Estados Unidos, como, por exemplo, a Revolucao sexual dos anos 60 e novas visoes a respeito da sexualidade, possibilitaram novas maneiras de representacao do sexo no cinema, reorganizando a relacao entre o publico e o privado. O artigo se pergunta tambem sobre como nossos corpos e sentidos reagem ao encontro com o sexo na tela, introduzindo a ideia de "saber carnal" (carnal knowledge).
Fusing E-strings to heterotic strings: E+E→H

E-strings arise from M2 branes suspended between an M5 brane and an M9 plane. In this paper we obtain explicit expressions for the elliptic genus of two E-strings using a series of string dualities. Moreover we show how this can be used to recover the elliptic genus of two ${E}_{8}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{E}_{8}$ heterotic strings using the Ho\ifmmode \check{r}\else \v{r}\fi{}ava--Witten realization of heterotic strings in M-theory. This involves highly nontrivial identities among Jacobi forms and is remarkable in light of the fact that E-strings are ``sticky'' and form bound states whereas heterotic strings do not form bound states.
Melanocortin-independent Effects of Leptin on Hepatic Glucose Fluxes

Leptin and insulin share some hypothalamic signaling molecules, but their central administration induces different effects on hepatic glucose fluxes. Acute insulin infusion in the third cerebral ventricle inhibits endogenous glucose production (GP), whereas acute leptin infusion stimulates gluconeogenesis but does not alter GP because of a compensatory decrease in glycogenolysis. Because melanocortin agonists also stimulate hepatic gluconeogenesis, here we examined whether central melanocortin blockade modifies the acute effects of leptin on GP, on gluconeogenesis, on glycogenolysis, and/or on the hepatic expression of the gluconeogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). Systemic or central administration of leptin alone did not alter GP, despite increasing both the rate of gluconeogenesis and the expression of Glc-6-Pase and PEPCK. When activation of the central melanocortin pathway was prevented, the effects of leptin on gluconeogenesis, Glc-6-Pase, and PEPCK were abolished, and a marked suppression of glycogenolysis resulted in decreased GP. We conclude that leptin regulates hepatic glucose fluxes through a melanocortin-dependent pathway leading to stimulation of gluconeogenesis and a melanocortin-independent pathway causing inhibition of GP and glycogenolysis.
Outcome Severity and Judgments of “Responsibility”: A Meta‐Analytic Review

Research has provided mixed support for the hypothesis that when an incident results in a more severe outcome, more responsibility will be attributed to a potentially responsible actor. This paper uses the techniques of meta-analysis to examine this literature. The results support the contention that people attribute greater responsibility for the outcome of a negative incident when that outcome is more severe than when the outcome is minor. The direction of this relationship is consistent across methodologies. However, the strength of the correlation varies depending on which type of judgment participants are asked to make. Because many of these variables are tied to legal concepts, the results are discussed in the context of the expectations of the legal system regarding the impact of outcome severity on each variable.
Neuroelectromagnetic Forward Modeling Toolbox

This paper introduces a Neuroelectromagnetic Forward Modeling Toolbox running under MATLAB (The Mathworks, Inc.) for generating realistic head models from available data (MRI and/or electrode locations) and for solving the forward problem of electro-magnetic source imaging numerically. The toolbox includes tools for segmenting scalp, skull, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissues from T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images. After extracting the segmented tissue volumes, mesh generation can be performed using deformable models. When MR images are not available, it is possible to warp a template head model to measured electrode locations to obtain a better-fitting realistic model. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is used for the numerical solution of the forward problem. Toolbox functions can be called from either a graphic user interface or from the command line. Function help messages and a tutorial are included. The toolbox is freely available under the GNU Public License for noncommercial use and open source development.
The fine structure constant from helium fine structure

New theoretical values of the 23P fine structure splittings in helium are presented. If QED is assumed valid, the experimental values of the splittings combined with theory yield a value for the fine structure constant accurate to 0.94 ppm.
Hydrodynamics of thin liquid films bounded by viscoelastic interfaces

Abstract A hydrodynamic model has been developed to describe the rate of drainage of an axisymmetric plane-parallel horizontal film bounded by viscoelastic interfaces. The effects of interfacial tension gradients, interfacial viscosity, and interfacial mobility are discussed. The viscoelastic nature of the interfaces is shown to have a pronounced effect on the rate of film drainage.
Prophets, evangelists, and missionaries: Trans-Atlantic interactions in the emergence of Nigerian Pentecostalism

AbstractThis article historicizes the contemporary Pentecostal movement in Nigeria by examining relationships between Nigerian prophets, British missionaries, and American evangelists in the 1930s and 1940s. First, the article challenges assumptions about the genealogy and chronology of Nigerian Pentecostalism by taking a close look at the beginnings of the Christ Apostolic Church. Then, it discusses new evidence which reveals the surprising influence of a marginal American evangelist and renegade British missionary on the church's doctrine. Making use of a wide range of evidence from Nigerian, Welsh, and American archives, the article argues that while the Aladura movement may have had indigenous origins, its development made significant use of foreign support and did so much earlier than has been appreciated by previous studies. The larger significance of this argument is that it shows the mutual constitution of American, British, and Nigerian Pentecostalism; instead of emerging first in the US and UK a...
Enhancement of Hepatitis B Virus Replication by the Regulatory X Protein In Vitro and In Vivo

The 3.2-kb hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome encodes a single regulatory protein termed HBx. While multiple functions have been identified for HBx in cell culture, its role in virus replication remains undefined. In the present study, we combined an HBV plasmid-based replication assay with the hydrodynamic tail vein injection model to investigate the function(s) of HBx in vivo. Using a greater-than-unit-length HBV plasmid DNA construct (payw1.2) and a similar construct with a stop codon at position 7 of the HBx open reading frame (payw1.2*7), we showed that HBV replication in transfected HepG2 cells was reduced 65% in the absence of HBx. These plasmids were next introduced into the livers of outbred ICR mice via hydrodynamic tail vein injection. At the peak of virus replication, at 4 days postinjection, intrahepatic markers of HBV replication were reduced 72% to 83% in mice injected with HBx-deficient payw1.2*7 compared to those measured in mice receiving wild-type payw1.2. A second plasmid encoding HBx was able to restore virus replication from payw1.2*7 to wild-type levels. Finally, viremia was monitored over the course of acute virus replication, and at 4 days postinjection, it was reduced by nearly 2 logs in the absence of HBx. These studies establish that the role for HBx in virus replication previously shown in transfected HepG2 cells is also apparent in the mouse liver within the context of acute hepatitis. Importantly, the function of HBx can now be studied in an in vivo setting that more closely approximates the cellular environment for HBV replication.
Discrimination vs. permissible preferential treatment regarding University of Haifa dormitories: or when Cicero met Adalah in the cafeteria

This essay analyzes the allocation policies enacted by Haifa University over its dormitories. While seemingly a trivial case, it is actually a key example of an ongoing legal and social struggle between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel. The policy provides preferential treatment for veterans of IDF and national service. Adalah challenged this policy in an Israeli court which accepted the petition. However, the legislation was later changed to allow such preferential treatment. This article examines two issues: national service for Arabs, and the preferential treatment practised by Haifa University I will argue that both opening national service for Arabs, and the policy of Haifa University are justified, however, the analysis will demonstrate the complexity of both subjects, and the article concludes with suggestions for both issues.
Numerical taxonomy and cooperative studies: roles and limits.

Because of the wide array of specialized tests needed for classification of mycobacteria and the complexity of some of these tests, the International Working Group on Mycobacterial Taxonomy was organized in 1967 to conduct cooperative studies and provide a broad data base for numerical taxonomic analysis of the genus. Certain parameters, such as immunologic properties and lipid composition, were withheld fromi the numerical analyses to provide independent corroboration of the observed clustering. Overall, these studies have yielded confirmation of the validity of many species, as well as detailed description of these species. The numerical analyses do not resolve all taxonomic questions in the genus Mycobacterium, but they do provide phylogenetic hypotheses based on phenetic clustering. These hypotheses presently are being tested by techniques for measuring DNA relatedness and protein sequence conservation. Concurrently, cooperative studies are continuing in order to provide adequate description of some of the more obscure mycobacterial species. Around 1950, a considerable body of research was directed toward finding characteristics of tubercle
Abstention and Political Competition

The classical literature on spatial majority voting postulates that all citizens vote. The Median Voter Theorem (MVT) then obtains when parties have perfect information on voter behavior and are either office-seekers (“Downsian”) or ideological. This paper introduces abstention, a simple yet realistic modification. We show that the main features of the MVT survive to a large extent but subject to some qualifications. First, the winning policy does not bear any necessary relation to the median voter. Second, there exist examples in which the candidates choose different positions at equilibrium. Third, equilibrium may fail to exist or be unique. Finally, the equilibria of the model with office-motivated parties may differ from the ones where parties are ideological.
The role of rituals in the management of the dialectical tension of “old” and “new” in blended families

In this study we examined how members of step‐ or blended families interact and develop their families by examining their successful and unsuccessful ritual enactments. Blended families provide a fertile context in which to study ritual adaptiveness and the possible relationship between successful enactment of rituals and their adaptability. Data were in‐depth interviews with 53 members of blended, families concerning their successful and unsuccessful ritual enactments. A qualitative/interpretive analysis indicated that blended families face an ongoing dialectical opposition between the “old family” and the “new family.” Blended family rituals are important communicative practices that enable blended family members to embrace their new family while still valuing what was important in the old family environment. The adaptive nature of rituals demonstrated the process of adjusting to the loss of the old family and to living in the new, blended family. Rituals that were successfully enacted were characterize...
Hypoxic inhibition of 3-methylcholanthrene-induced CYP1A1 expression is independent of HIF-1alpha

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) both require dimerization with AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT) to initiate transcription of their respective target genes. It has been proposed that competition for ARNT results in decreased targeting of AhR to cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) under hypoxia. We established primary cultures of HIF-1alpha null hepatocytes to examine the interaction between HIF-1alpha and AhR signaling. Gene expression of known HIF targets phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) increased under hypoxia, but was reduced in the HIF null cultures. Concomitant treatment of cultures with hypoxia (1% O2) and 3-methylcholanthrene (an AhR ligand) did not significantly alter HIF target gene expression. Furthermore, enzymatic activity and transcription of CYP1A1 was inhibited by hypoxia in HIF-1alpha null cultures, indicating that HIF-1alpha is not directly involved in negative regulation of AhR signaling.
Successor to the RXTE PCA based upon focusing optics

There is broad interest in a next generation timing mission to succeed the PCA of RXTE which will provide more effective area than its 0.6 square meters and much better energy resolution. Currently prospective missions are, like the PCA, based upon large area detectors. Serious consideration should also be given to a focusing system. The focusing system would be a modular array of relatively small diameter imaging telescopes or concentrators with solid state detectors in their focal planes. For areas exceeding a square meter a focusing system could actually be less complex, more reliable, and for one particular optical design perhaps not much more massive. The total detector area would be only a few percent of the telescope aperture, which makes the acquisition of detectors much less challenging. Today it is possible to obtain commercially a sufficient number of detectors with good energy resolution for all the focal planes of the focusing array. They require only modest cooling and that could be accomplished passively in space. Several optical designs are possible. The disadvantages of an optical system are larger mass, more difficultly obtaining broad bandwidth, smaller field of view, and larger volume to accommodate the focal length distance and a larger diameter. On the other hand, the focusing system is more sensitive to fainter sources, is much more efficient below 2 keV, is less sensitive to background and is likely to be less costly overall than an array of solid state area detectors with equally good energy resolution.
Structural Studies of {9-[2-(Dimethylamino)ethyl]fluorenyl}lithium Compounds

Two lithium compounds of the substituted fluorenyl ligand 9-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]fluorenyl (FlN) have been prepared and isolated. The X-ray crystal structures of FlNLi·Et2O (2) and FlNLi·2THF (3) have been obtained. In 2 the lithium atom is coordinated η5 to the fluorenyl anion while 3 exhibits an η2 arrangement. Structural details have been analyzed to provide additional insights regarding the nature of the lithium-π interactions in organolithium compounds with delocalized π-systems.
On efficient use of entropy centrality for social network analysis and community detection

Abstract This paper motivates and interprets entropy centrality, the measure understood as the entropy of flow destination in a network. The paper defines a variation of this measure based on a discrete, random Markovian transfer process and showcases its increased utility over the originally introduced path-based network entropy centrality. The re-defined entropy centrality allows for varying locality in centrality analyses, thereby distinguishing locally central and globally central network nodes. It also leads to a flexible and efficient iterative community detection method. Computational experiments for clustering problems with known ground truth showcase the effectiveness of the presented approach.
Timecourse of effects of triiodothyronine on mouse cerebellar cells cultured by two different methods.

Abstract Dissociated cells from week-old mouse cerebellum were grown on either polylysine coated coverslips or on uncoated coverslips. Polylysine coated coverslips give rise to cultures containing all of the cerebellar cell types except Purkinje cells. Use of uncoated coverslips gives rise to cultures which are depleted of granule cells because the granule cells are unable to adhere to glass without a substrate present. The uncoated coverslip cultures are therefore enriched in glial and other non-neuronal cells. Effects of triiodothyronine on each type of culture were then examined as a function of time. On coated coverslips hormone treatment caused a noticeable increase in cell clumping at 1 week, and seemed responsible for a leveling off of the decline in total high-affinity uptake of γ-aminobutyric acid, as well as for a small increase in β-alanine inhibited uptake between 2 and 3 weeks. There was no effect on the overall uptake of thymidine. On uncoated coverslips triiodothyronine treatment significantly increased the thymidine uptake at days 2 and 3, and increased the proportion of Bergmann-like to velate astrocytes at 1 week. There were, however, no significant differences in GABA uptake at any of the time points examined. We conclude that in cerebellar cultures lacking Purkinje cells, triiodothyronine affects both the rate of acquisition and the timecourse of morphological changes (possibly reflecting transformation to more differentiated states) of glial cells but not of neurons. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that, in vivo , thyroxine acts indirectly via Purkinje cells to give developmental signals to neuroblasts and/ or neurons.
Activated neutrophils aggravate endothelial dysfunction after reperfusion of the ischemic feline myocardium.

Endothelial dysfunction, as evidenced by decreased stimulated release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), occurs after reperfusion of the ischemic myocardium. To better understand this endothelial dysfunction, isolated cat hearts were perfused under constant flow by the Langendorff procedure with Krebs-Henseleit solution devoid of blood cells. Following global ischemia (90 minutes) and reperfusion (20 minutes), coronary vasorelaxation to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (ACh) was 70 ± 3% of initial values (p < 0.01) compared with 90 ± 4% in nonischemic control perfused hearts. No decrement occurred in response to the endothelium-independent vasodilator nitroglycerin (NTG). Coronary artery rings isolated from the ischemic left circumflex coronary artery showed a similar degree of endothelial dysfunction to ACh, with normal relaxation in response to NaNO2. Autologous cat neutrophils (100 million cells), activated with 100 nmol/L f-met-leu-phe infused into the heart directly before and throughout reperfusion, resulted in a further decrement in ACh-induced vasodilation, to 55 ± 5% of initial response, with no effect on NTG-induced vasodilation. Similar results were obtained with coronary artery rings isolated from perfusec cat hearts and exposed to neutrophils. This neutrophil-enhanced endothelial dysfunction was inhibited by human superoxide dismutase as well as by an antibody to the adherence glycoprotein complex CD-18 (i.e., MAbR 15.7). Therefore endothelial dysfunction occurs initially upon reperfusion of the previously ischemic heart and is aggravated by superoxide radicals produced by activated neutrophils.
Striatal dopamine dynamics in mice following acute and repeated toluene exposure

Rationale The abused inhalant toluene has potent behavioral effects, but only recently has progress been made in understanding the neurochemical actions that mediate the action of toluene in the brain. Available evidence suggests that toluene inhalation alters dopamine (DA) neurotransmission, but toluene’s mechanism of action is unknown.
Library & information science literature: How much of it is research?

In Library and Information Science (LIS), while there is an awareness of the variety of journal literature, we do not have a number on the percentage of the collection that qualifies as research. A content analysis of the LIS literature available at the Simmons College Library is currently in progress. The research level collection of LIS literature in support of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) program at the college makes the Library an ideal candidate for this study. Research is pre-defined and a collection method for a content analysis is planned. The entirety of the collection of articles available in 2011 will be analyzed and classified as per: 1) research versus non-research, 2) the subject of each article, and 3) the percentage of research compared to non-research. This study will benefit students, faculty, and staff with research requirements as well as librarians who guide patrons through a search. Further, it will provide a sense of the state of LIS literature for the sample year to be compared to previous studies.
Where good ERP implementations go bad: a case for continuity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine the concerns of administrative and clerical employees towards a web‐based business system and associated training which were not identified either before or during an enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation. Post‐implementation analyses revealed that while an implementation can be deemed a success immediately following go‐live dates, long‐term planning is essential to maintain change management continuity for administrators and employees.Design/methodology/approach – The stages of concern component of the concerns‐based adoption model offered a method of analysis of the Dallas, Texas, Independent School District's employees to identify the perceptions and levels of acceptance of the users in regards to the implementation of an ERP system in a public school district.Findings – The findings for the research questions assisted in interpreting and categorizing the responses to the open‐ended portion of the stages of concern questionnaire...
Adlerian and Analytic Theory: A Case Presentation.

Abstract A boy with encopresis was referred by pediatrics to psychiatry due to concerns about the family's functioning. The parents had recently divorced and the father retained custody of the two preschool children. The children's fearfulness and lack of appropriate social relationships were major problems. The child's encopresis threatened successful kindergarten adaptation. Family therapy led to consistent decrease of soiling. The initial assessment is discussed with respect to both Adlerian and psychoanalytic object-relations theory in order to demonstrate two distinctly different theories for understanding family dynamics and formulating a therapeutic approach. Object-relations theory emphasizes intra-psychic experience and developmental stages in the psychological birth of the individual. Separation-individuation of the child from mother and the resulting ability to handle the oedipal configuration determine psychic functioning. Adlerian theory emphasizes the purposes of behavior. Personality forms ...
EGFR-independent activation of ERK1/2 mediates growth inhibition by a PTPase antagonizing K-vitamin analog.

The K-vitamin analog Cpd 5 or [2-(2-mercaptoethanol)-3-methyl-1,4-napthoquinone] is a potent cell growth inhibitor in vitro and in vivo, likely due to arylation of enzymes containing a catalytic cysteine. This results in inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity with resultant hyperphosphorylation of EGF receptors (EGFR) and ERK1/2 protein kinases, which are downstream to EGFR in the MAPK pathway. We used NR6 fibroblast cells, which lack endogenous EGFR and its variant cells transfected with different EGFR mutants to assess the contribution of the EGFR-mediated signaling pathway to Cpd 5-mediated ERK activation and cell growth inhibition. Cpd 5 treatment resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of EGFR at carboxyl-terminal tyrosines. This phosphorylation and activation of EGFR were found to be necessary neither for growth inhibition nor for the activation of the downstream kinases ERK1/2, since both occurred in EGFR-devoid mutant cells. U0126 and PD 098059, specific inhibitors of MEK1/2, the ERK1/2 kinases, antagonized both cell growth inhibition and ERK1/2 phosphorylation mediated by Cpd5. Cpd 5 was also found to inhibit ERK1/2 phosphatase(s) activity in lysates from all the cells tested, irrespective of their EGFR status. These results show that EGFR-independent ERK1/2 phosphorylation was involved in the mechanism of Cpd5 mediated growth inhibition. This is likely due to the observed antagonism of ERK phosphatase activity. A candidate PTPase was found to be Cdc25A, a recently identified ERK phosphatase.