cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of cell death by 8-amino-adenosine

4661 Our previous work has demonstrated the nucleoside analog 8-amino-adenosine accumulates as the triphosphate (8-amino-ATP) and induces cell death in multiple myeloma MM.1S cell line ( Mol Cancer Ther 3:1411, 2004). The mechanism of cytotoxicity was postulated to be due to a decline in the intracellular ATP pool and RNA synthesis inhibition. This study was initiated to determine which of these actions is responsible for analog induced cell death. Actinomycin D (Act D) is used as a frank RNA synthesis inhibitor at a concentration that affects RNA synthesis to a similar extent as 10 μM 8-amino-adenosine. After 6 hours, 8-amino-adenosine and Act D inhibit RNA synthesis by 92% and 86% compared to untreated cells. Although the RNA synthesis declines are similar with each agent, 8-amino-adenosine has a larger impact on caspase activation. Extrinsic caspases-8 and -10 are activated 3- to 4-fold more by 8-amino-adenosine compared to Act D while caspases-9, -6, and -3 are activated 2.5 to 3.5 times greater. The intracellular ATP level after Act D treatment is similar to the control whereas 8-amino-adenosine treated cells had 26% ATP remaining. These results indicate that frank RNA synthesis inhibition may not be solely responsible for cell death by 8-amino-adenosine. To determine the consequences of bioenergy depletion, pure ATP synthesis inhibitors are employed to decrease the ATP pool. The glycolysis inhibitor, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, and the electron transport chain inhibitor, antimycin A, are used to treat cells in the presence and absence of glucose. Treatment with 8-amino-adenosine lowers the intracellular ATP pool by 75% which was not replenished by addition of exogenous glucose. Under glucose-free conditions, 8-amino-adenosine induces activation of caspases-8, -9, and -3 by 6-, 8-, and 10-fold compared to untreated cells. 2-Deoxy-D-glucose causes intracellular ATP to decrease to 64% (with glucose) and 22% (without glucose) of the control ATP level without caspase activation. These results indicate that the extent of glycolysis inhibition alone did not induce cell death in these multiple myeloma cells. Antimycin A treatment decreases the ATP concentration by 24% and 93% in the presence and absence of glucose. Under glucose conditions, caspases-8, -9, and -3 are activated by antimycin A between 3- and 5-fold greater than untreated cells. However, in glucose-free media, antimycin A activates these caspases even higher. These results indicate that decreases in the ATP pool inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation lead to dramatic increases in caspase activation. Hence, 8-amino-adenosine-induced caspase activation mimics cellular bioenergy decline by antimycin A treatment. In conclusion, this work demonstrates 8-amino-adenosine induced cell death proceeds as a result of intracellular ATP pool decline while the effect on RNA synthesis may play a less significant role in cell death by this analog.
Video Head Impulse Testing in a Pediatric Population: Normative Findings

The video head impulse test (vHIT) is a new tool being used in vestibular clinics to assess the function of all six semicircular canals (SCCs) by measuring the gain of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in response to rapid head turns. Whereas vHIT has been validated in adults for all SCCs, there are few studies describing the normal response in children, particularly for stimulation of the vertical canals. The purpose of this study was to characterize the normal vHIT response for all six SCCs in children aged 4–12 years. A cross-sectional prospective descriptive study. Forty-one participants were categorized into one of four groups based on their age (4–6 years, 7–9 years, 10–12 years, and adults) with at least ten participants in each age group. The ICS Impulse system (GN Otometrics, Schaumburg, IL) was used to perform vHIT on each participant. Lateral, anterior, and posterior SCCs were stimulated by thrusting the head in the plane of the canal being evaluated and resulting VOR gain measures were calculated as eye velocity divided by head velocity. VOR gain of the pediatric age groups was compared with adults for all SCCs. There were no significant differences in mean VOR gain between the three pediatric age groups for any SCC measured; thus, the pediatric data were combined into one group of 30 children for comparison with the adult group. Results showed that the pediatric group had significantly higher mean VOR gain than the adult group during left lateral SCC testing. A significantly lower mean VOR gain, however, was observed for the children compared with the adult participants for left anterior and right posterior (LARP) impulses. There was a large amount of variability in the data during right anterior and left posterior (RALP) impulse testing for both the pediatric and the adult groups, which was at least partially attributed to large pupil diameter in the younger participants. Test time decreased with an increase in age for all impulse conditions (lateral, RALP, and LARP). Several modifications were necessary to obtain adequate data on the pediatric participants. vHIT can be used to successfully measure the function of the lateral SCC in children as young as 4 years of age. Our results provide normative gain values that can be used when testing children with lateral vHIT. Care must be taken to obtain the most accurate measures and reduce variability when testing children, particularly with LARP and RALP. Our data would suggest that lower gain cutoffs should be used for LARP and RALP testing in children than the cutoffs used for lateral vHIT. Further research is warranted to study LARP and RALP response reliability and validity in children because of the highly variable VOR gains found in this population. Pediatric modifications for successfully administering vHIT and obtaining reliable results are discussed.
How people talk about health?: Detecting Health Topics from Twitter Streams

The paper proposes an online clustering algorithm for detecting health-related topics. The method extracts from the tweets relevant terms and incrementally groups them by taking into account both term occurrences and tweet age. A detailed experimentation on the tweets posted by users in US shows that the method is capable to group tweets addressing common health issues into the pertinent topic, outperforming traditional topic model approaches, like Doc-p and LDA.
A Multi-Disciplinary Inquiry of Secular and Christian Approaches to Sex Education

Secular scholars have criticized Christian education and counseling on sex as restrictive, ineffective, and outdated. The authors of the current study explored both common non-Christian and Christi...
Optimum Signal Processing and Medium Characterization in the Time-Frequency and Wavelet Transform Domains

In underwater acoustic detection of nonstationary signals and characterization of the scattering it is advantageous to implement signal processors in time-frequency or timetimescale (wavelet transform) domains. By using reproducing kernel Hilbert space theory, this paper unifies optimum signal processing and medium characterization. Using wavelet transforms, the widely-used narrowband scattering function theory is extended to model wideband, nonstationary stochastic scattering and propagation channels. Solution of the inverse problem exploits recent developments of the group transform theory.
Application of the kinetics of heparin to the formulation of dosage schedules.

Because of the difficulties commonly encountered in evaluating the anticoagulant effect of heparin at the bedside and in determining appropriate dosage schedules for its administration, we have been studying the rate of heparin’s disappearance from blood. However it is measured, the half-life of heparin is about 1.5 hr (4). This suggests that giving the drug by intermittent intravenous injection every 4–6 hr, as is usual, does not ensure a sustained degree of anticoagulation, even when the dose is adjusted by, say, the Lee- White clotting time. Furthermore, in most reports of excessive bleeding after administration of heparin, the patients1 body weights have not been taken into account in reporting the dose of drug admin istered (9,15), so that the possibility of having administered an anticoagulating overdose of heparin can have been overlooked (3, 6).
The Influence of Strict Handgun Laws on Suicidal Behavior in the U.S.A.

ABSTRACT States in the U.S.A. with stricter handgun control laws appeared to have lower suicide rates overall and lower suicide rates by firearms in particular. No preventive effect from strict handgun control laws was found for homicide. Restrictions on the buying and the selling of handguns appeared to be more important than restrictions on the carrying of handguns.
Prolactin and systemic lupus erythematosus.

La prolactine est une hormone pituitaire peptidique immunomodulatrice. L'augmentation des concentrations seriques en prolactine accelere les phenomenes auto-immuns des souris lupiques NZB x NZW de premiere generation. Quelques malades atteints de lupus systemique ont une hyperprolactinemie, et les etudes longitudinales et transversales montrent que les taux seriques de prolactine sont associes ou correles a l'activite du lupus. Dans une etude preliminaire, on a montre que la suppression des niveaux physiologiques de la prolactine par la bromocriptine etait associee a l'amelioration de la maladie. Bien que des mecanismes specifiques doivent etre expliques, il apparait que la prolactine est immunomodulatrice chez les malades atteints de lupus. Une meilleure comprehension de son role et de ses interactions avec d'autres hormones pourrait conduire a de nouveaux traitements de cette maladie auto-immune hormonodependante.
A Cellular Backshell Concept for a Planetary Entry Vehicle

The development of an alternative, novel backshell concept to replace the traditional approach for the backshell of a planetary entry vehicle, was initiated in this study. The motivation was to determine if the novel concept, with the potential to provide significant improvements compared to the traditional approach, would be feasible. In initiating this effort, two cellular-type structures were chosen for evaluation. Preliminary structural finite element analysis models of just a single backshell panel were created for both a traditional design and the cellular concepts. Structural results revealed similar behavior for all the models. Although these initial results predicted higher mass values for the cellular structures, eventually adding more variables to the cell structure to further tailor the cellular concept, may significantly lower the mass predicted, and is justification for further study. Additionally, a novel approach to the thermal protection system of the cellular structures was proposed that included the use of advanced thermal blanket insulation. Thermal sizing analysis was performed for a simplified planetary entry heating condition producing a preliminary thermal design. However, further development and testing will be needed to determine if the proposed novel thermal protection approach, in conjunction with the cellular structure, would be an attractive alternative candidate backshell concept for future planetary entry vehicles.
Prosodic Patterns in English Conversation

Language is more than words: it includes the prosodic features and patterns that we use, subconsciously, to frame meanings and achieve our goals in our interaction with others. Here, Nigel G. Ward explains how we do this, going beyond intonation to show how pitch, timing, intensity and voicing properties combine to form meaningful temporal configurations: prosodic constructions. Bringing together new findings and hitherto-scattered observations from phonetic and pragmatic studies, this book describes over twenty common prosodic patterns in English conversation. Using examples from real conversations, it illustrates how prosodic constructions serve essential functions such as inviting, showing approval, taking turns, organizing ideas, reaching agreement, and evoking action. Prosody helps us establish rapport and nurture relationships, but subtle differences in prosody across languages and subcultures can be damagingly misunderstood. The findings presented here will enable both native speakers of English and learners to listen more sensitively and communicate more effectively.
Substance Use Disorders in Later Life: A Review and Synthesis of the Literature of an Emerging Public Health Concern

Substance use disorders (SUDs) among older persons are among the fastest growing health problems in the United States. The number of older persons is projected to exceed 72.1 million persons by 2030, following a trend of general population growth in the mid-1940s to 1960s. The generation, known as "baby boomers," who refashioned drug use during their 20-30s, are increasingly continuing drug habits into later life. This review aims to assess the epidemiology, impact, and treatment of geriatric SUDs. Academic databases including PubMed, PsychInfo, Ovid, and Medline, were queried up to December 2018 for terms of "geriatric," "older," "elderly," "substance abuse," "drug," "drug use," "drug abuse," "drug dependency," "illicit drugs," and "geriatric psychiatry." Articles identified included 17 government documents, 29 studies based upon government documents, 43 studies not related to US government surveys, 19 review articles, 9 commentary pieces, 4 newspaper articles, 2 textbooks, and 1 published abstract. Evaluated studies and documents together suggest that older individuals are using illicit drugs and meeting criteria for SUDs at higher rates than previous geriatric cohorts resulting in substantial negative impacts on medical and psychiatric conditions. These findings represent a novel trend since previous cohorts of older individuals were thought to rarely use illicit substances. Current treatment models are inadequate to address the new wave of older individuals with SUDs. The fields of geriatrics, addiction, and geriatric psychiatry must work together to establish comprehensive care models and treatment modalities for addressing this emerging public health concern.
Dynamic enhancers control skeletal muscle identity and reprogramming.

Skeletal muscles consist of fibers of differing metabolic activities and contractility, which become remodeled in response to chronic exercise, but the epigenomic basis for muscle identity and adaptation remains poorly understood. Here, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing of dimethylated histone 3 lysine 4 and acetylated histone 3 lysine 27 as well as transposase-accessible chromatin profiling to dissect cis-regulatory networks across muscle groups. We demonstrate that in vivo enhancers specify muscles in accordance with myofiber composition, show little resemblance to cultured myotube enhancers, and identify glycolytic and oxidative muscle-specific regulators. Moreover, we find that voluntary wheel running and muscle-specific peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (Pgc1a) transgenic (mTg) overexpression, which stimulate endurance performance in mice, result in markedly different changes to the epigenome. Exercise predominantly leads to enhancer hypoacetylation, whereas mTg causes hyperacetylation at different sites. Integrative analysis of regulatory regions and gene expression revealed that exercise and mTg are each associated with myocyte enhancer factor (MEF) 2 and estrogen-related receptor (ERR) signaling and transcription of genes promoting oxidative metabolism. However, exercise was additionally associated with regulation by retinoid X receptor (RXR), jun proto-oncogene (JUN), sine oculis homeobox factor (SIX), and other factors. Overall, our work defines the unique enhancer repertoires of skeletal muscles in vivo and reveals that divergent exercise-induced or PGC1α-driven epigenomic programs direct partially convergent transcriptional networks.
The pursuit of Earth's waters

In clear and engaging prose, historian Sarah Dry narrates the life stories of six individuals—from the Victorian British scientist John Tyndall to the late-20th-century Danish glaciologist Willi Dansgaard—whose scientific careers helped lay the foundations for the modern science of climate.
Income inequality in the post-2000 era: Development, globalization, and the state:

During the late 20th century, income inequality rose in most countries around the world, and by a substantial amount in some cases. By contrast, income disparities have stabilized during the post-2...
DNA methylation aging clocks and pancreatic cancer risk: Pooled analysis of three prospective nested case-control studies

Structured Abstract Background Pancreatic cancer is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030 in the United States. DNA methylation (DNAm) age may reflect age-related variations in the biological changes and abnormalities related to cancer development. Method We conducted a pooled analysis using prediagnostic blood samples of pancreatic cancer cases and matched controls selected from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), the Physician’s Health Study (PHS), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). We used three DNAm aging clocks (Hannum, Horvath, and PhenoAge) to estimate subjects’ DNAm age, epigenetic age acceleration (AA) and intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (IEAA) metrics. We performed conditional logistic regression and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression to examine associations between six AA and IEAA metrics and risk of pancreatic cancer and survival, respectively. Results A total of 393 incidence pancreatic cancer cases and 431 matched controls from the NHS, PHS, and HPFS cohorts were included in this analysis. The medians of all three epigenetic AA and three IEAA metrics were consistently above zero (indicating accelerated age) among cases, while they were below zero (indicating decelerated age) among the matched controls. Comparing participants in the highest quartile of age acceleration metrics, the pancreatic cancer risks were significantly increased by 67% to 83% for Hannum and PhenoAge AA or IEAA metrics with minimal of 7- to 9-years accelerated ages. Except for Hovarth AA and IEAA metrics, there were significant dose-response trends, such that higher age accelerations were associated with higher pancreatic cancer risk, but the relationships were nonlinear. Stratified analyses showed heterogeneous associations, varying by participants’ characteristics and by epigenetic AA or IEAA metrics. As time to diagnosis increased, the ORs of pancreatic cancer for the Hannum AA and Horvath AA or IEAA metrics trended upwards, while the ORs for the PhenoAge AA or IEAA and Hannum IEAA metrics trended downward. Overall, we observed no significant association between pancreatic cancer survival and any of the prediagnostic epigenetic AA or IEAA metrics. Conclusion Our results indicate DNAm age acceleration is associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in a nonlinear, dose-response manner. Epigenetic IEAA metrics may be a useful addition to current methods for pancreatic cancer risk prediction.
A theoretical framework to guide a study for exploring the impact of established and potential risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Abstract Aim The purpose of this paper is to present the conceptual framework that was used to guide a study on the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Background The Stress and Coping Framework for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus was developed in response to a review of the literature that suggests psychological stress, or simply distress, can contribute toward the development of T2DM with the established risk factors of genetic risk for diabetes (GRD), obesity, and advancing age. The literature shows that distress can influence insulin sensitivity and contribute to the development of T2DM; however, much of the literature fails to acknowledge the influence of distress in collaboration with GRD, obesity, and advancing age. Method As part of creating the current framework, an earlier version of the conceptual framework was used for a pilot study. An integrative review was conducted to examine the relationships among GRD, obesity (as a response to weight management), advancing age, distress, and coping (as a response to distress) to further refine the conceptual framework. Theoretical and empirical studies were examined to define distress, describe the nature and impact of the stress response, and determine how distress interacts with GRD, obesity, and advancing age. The literature was used to create a conceptual framework and model consisting of the interactions among the variables. Conclusion The Stress and Coping Framework for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus shows how distress can contribute to the development of T2DM by interacting directly with established risk factors and in promoting insulin resistance.
Part III – Project Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the concept of project appraisal and presents some controversial aspects of it. Project analysis is a case-by-case method of selecting investments for their ability to contribute to a social welfare function. The selected projects are those that use scarce factors of production most efficiently and, thus, maximize the value of the objective function. A country maximizing growth of net output and a firm maximizing profits have similar investment aims. Both want projects to produce as much output as possible for a given resource input and at the least to cover the cost of those resources. There are, however, critical differences that give social cost-benefit analysis a different character. The treatment of foreign exchange as a factor of production is based on the same considerations that led to the foreign exchange constraint in the two-gap model of growth. The analysis of the shadow foreign exchange rate is analogous to that for the shadow discount rate.
A novel study evaluation strategy in the systematic review of animal toxicology studies for human health assessments of environmental chemicals.

Abstract A key aspect of the systematic review process is study evaluation to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual studies included in the review. The present manuscript describes the process currently being used by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program to evaluate animal toxicity studies, illustrated by application to the recent systematic reviews of two phthalates: diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP). The IRIS Program uses a domain-based approach that was developed after careful consideration of tools used by others to evaluate experimental animal studies in toxicology and pre-clinical research. Standard practice is to have studies evaluated by at least two independent reviewers for aspects related to reporting quality, risk of bias/internal validity (e.g., randomization, blinding at outcome assessment, methods used to expose animals and assess outcomes, etc.), and sensitivity to identify factors that may limit the ability of a study to detect a true effect. To promote consistency across raters, prompting considerations and example responses are provided to reviewers, and a pilot phase is conducted. The evaluation process is performed separately for each outcome reported in a study, as the utility of a study may vary for different outcomes. Input from subject matter experts is used to identify chemical- and outcome-specific considerations (e.g., lifestage of exposure and outcome assessment when considering reproductive effects) to guide judgments within particular evaluation domains. For each evaluation domain, reviewers reach a consensus on a rating of Good, Adequate, Deficient, or Critically Deficient. These individual domain ratings are then used to determine the overall confidence in the study (High Confidence, Medium Confidence, Low Confidence, or Deficient). Study evaluation results, including the justifications for reviewer judgements, are documented and made publicly available in EPA’s version of Health Assessment Workspace Collaborative (HAWC), a free and open source web-based software application. (The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the US EPA).
Recess as a practical strategy to implement the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model in schools:

Objectives:Schools can provide an optimal environment for promoting children’s health behaviours. The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model addresses 10 aspects of the school envi...
The Limited Effects of Election Reforms on Efficacy and Engagement

Rules governing the conduct of elections have important consequences for democratic politics, and much can be learned from studying changes in electoral rules. Instances of change (or reform) allow us the possibility of examining how (or whether) new rules might create different outcomes. The authors consider the effects of two major changes in electoral rules: the adoption of proportional representation in several settings, and the adoption of legislative term limits in the United States. They examine trends in voting, turnout and public attitudes before and after the adoption of these reforms. They do this to assess whether the reforms lived up to advocates' claims that new election rules might improve efficacy and voter participation. They suggest that reform efforts such as these may have only minimal effects on engaging citizens with politics.
Corpus Callosal Microstructure Predicts Bimanual Motor Performance In Chronic Stroke Survivors

Abstract Much of the research using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in stroke focuses on characterizing the microstructural status of corticospinal tracts and its utility as a prognostic biomarker. However, the ischemic event in the lesioned cortex also triggers structural and functional alterations in its contralateral homolog through the corpus callosum (CC), known as transcallosal diaschisis. The few studies that have characterized the microstructural status of the CC using DTI only examine its relationship with paretic limb performance. Given the well-established role of the CC for bimanual coordination, especially fibers connecting the larger sensorimotor networks such as prefrontal, premotor and supplementary motor regions, we examine the relationship between the microstructural status of the CC and bimanual performance in chronic stroke survivors (n = 41). We used movement times for two self-initiated and self-paced bimanual tasks to capture bimanual performance. Using publicly available control datasets (n = 52), matched closely for acquisition parameters, including sequence, diffusion gradient strength and number of directions, we also explored the effect of age and stroke on callosal microstructure. We found that callosal microstructure was significantly associated with bimanual performance in chronic stroke survivors such that those with lower callosal FA were slower at completing the bimanual task. Notably, while the primary sensorimotor regions (CC3) showed the strongest relationship with bimanual performance, this was closely followed by the premotor/supplementary motor (CC2) and the prefrontal (CC1) regions. We used multiple mixed regression to systematically account for loss of callosal axons (i.e., normalized callosal volume) as well as differences in lesion size and other metrics of structural damage. Chronic stroke survivors presented with significantly greater loss of callosal fiber orientation (lower mean FA) compared to neurologically intact, age-similar controls, who in turn presented with lower callosal FA compared to younger controls. The effect of age and stroke were observed for all regions of the CC except the splenium. These preliminary findings suggest that in chronic stroke survivors with relatively localized lesions, callosal microstructure can be expected to change beyond the primary sensorimotor regions and might impact coordinated performance of self-initiated and cooperative bimanual tasks.
CORRELATION OF BONE DENSITY AND OCCLUSO-MANDIBULAR PLANE ANGLE: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

BACKGROUND With a significant rise in the use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and continuous evolution of newer applications, clinicians are increasingly using CBCT scans for bone density assessment using pixel intensity values (PIVs) while planning orthodontic treatment and in assessing fracture healing and dental implant sites. Several studies show that bone density increases with mandibular morphology and that patients with class III malocclusion have denser bone. OBJECTIVE(S) The objective of this study was to evaluate whether CBCT can determine relative differences in bone density among patients with different occluso-mandibular plane angles. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective evaluation of 300 CBCT scans of patients with different occluso-mandibular plane angles was performed. PIVs were measured with an area of 10 × 10 mm for different points of interest. The regions that were measured in the maxilla and the mandible were in the trabecular bone between the maxillary central incisors, between the first and second premolars, and mesial to the first molar, providing 6 points of interest. RESULTS The trabecular bone density between the central incisors in the maxilla was 527 and in the mandible it was 519 in the normodivergent group, 538 for the maxilla and 537 for the mandible in the hyperdivergent group, and 448 for the maxilla and 490 for the mandible in the hypodivergent group. Second premolars measured 331 for the maxilla and 408 for the mandible in the normodivergent group, 311 for the maxilla and 426 for the mandible in the hyperdivergent group, and 287 for the maxilla and 420 for the mandible in the hypodivergent group. The sites mesial to the left first molar measured 327 for the maxilla and 368 for the mandible in the normodivergent group, 285 for the maxilla and 354 for the mandible in the hyperdivergent group, and 289 for the maxilla and 389 for the mandible in hypodivergent group. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS Data from this study show that PIVs are very similar in both maxillary and mandibular sites and cannot reliably discern bone density between groups with different occluso-mandibular plane angles.
Nonlinear analysis and quasiconformal mappings from the perspective of PDEs

Introduction. The general trend of the geometric function theory in R is to generalize certain topological aspects of the analytic functions of one complex variable. The category of mappings that one usually considers in higher dimensions are the mappings with finite distortion, thus, in particular, quasiconformal and quasiregular mappings. This program, whose origin can be traced back to the works of M. A. Lavrentiev (1938), L. V. Ahlfors (1954), F. W. Gehring (1961), J. Vaisala (1961) and Y. Reshetnyak (1966), was held by an important school of Finnish geometers in the 1970’s, led by O. Martio, S. Rickman and J. Vaisala. For a recent account see [Ri] and [Vu]. But in this drive towards generalizations of analytic functions, one aspect has been quite neglected. This is the fact that the mappings in question solve important first order systems of PDEs analogous in many respects to the Cauchy-Riemann equations.
Justification and the Regress Problem

Belief without any justification is blind, or at least unreasonable. One major value of justification is that it relates belief to some relevant end in view. When the end is truth, and truth alone, epistemic justification is all-important. But epistemic justification is not the only kind of justification. Consider prudential justification, for instance. Many of our beliefs are prudentially justified because they are likely to have prudential consequences, that is, because they probably play an important role in bringing about what is in our best prudential interest. But many prudentially justified beliefs are obviously unlikely to be true. Consider, for instance, the case of a person washed asea some 200 miles from the nearest shore. This person, we may plausibly assume, has overwhelming evidence indicating that he cannot swim to safety. But since it is probably in this person’s best prudential interest to believe that he can swim to safety — for given that belief, he will continue to swim and might be rescued — he is, presumably, prudentially justified in believing that he can swim to safety. Clearly, if he had no such belief, he would probably drown immediately, without even trying to reach safety. Thus, although this person’s overwhelming evidence indicates it is false that he can swim to safety, he may nonetheless be prudentially justified in believing that he can, because it is probably in his best prudential interest to believe this
Next Steps: Advancing Culturally Competent School Mental Health

Chapter 19 of this Handbook offers some concluding thoughts. The first part of this chapter presents an overview of critical themes and advancements evident in each of the Handbook’s major sections (i.e., research, innovation, and specific problems). This section is followed by a discussion of key outstanding issues relevant to culturally competent school mental health (SMH). The chapter concludes with recommendations for next steps and guidelines about how to formulate a call to action for the provision of culturally responsive SMH.
CAMP: a common API for measuring performance

Accurate performance testing of heterogeneous distributed systems, such as those created using GRID technology, requires a consistent method for retrieving system performance data from multiple platforms. This paper presents CAMP1: a low-level platform independent performance data API designed for use with distributed testing frameworks. CAMP is not necessarily tied to the distributed testing task: it provides a simple, low-level interface into operating system performance data that can be used to build complex performance measurement applications. This paper discusses CAMP's functionality and implementation in detail. It also contains a detailed analysis of the API's correctness, performance, and overhead.
Integrating Reinforcement Learning into a Programming Language.

Creating artificial intelligent agents that are high-fidelity simulations of natural agents will require the engagement of behavioral scientists. However, agent programming systems that are accessible to behavioral scientists are too limited to create rich agents, and systems for creating rich agents are accessible mainly to computer scientists, not behavioral scientists. We are solving this problem by engaging behavioral scientists in the design of a programming language, and integrating reinforcement learning into the programming language. This strategy will help our language achieve adaptivity, modularity, and, most importantly, accessibility to behavioral scientists. In addition to allowing behavioral scientist to write rich agent programs, our language — AFABL (A Friendly Behavior Language) — will enable a true discipline of modular agent software engineering with broad implications for games, interactive storytelling, and social simulations.
Vasodilation in mature arterialized collateral capillaries increases flow in ischemic arterial trees (674.10)

During ischemic events, natural bypass routes such as collateral arterioles can redirect blood flow to the ischemic zone. However, reperfusion of the ischemic arterial tree can also occur in animal models that lack arteriole collaterals, such as Balb/C mice. Collateral capillaries associated with the ischemic arterial tree enlarge and recruit smooth muscle cells in response to an increased pressure gradient. The arterialized collateral capillaries (ACC) must also be able to dilate and constrict in response to the changing metabolic needs of the tissue fed by them. By 21 days after the onset of ischemia, ACCs begin to dilate and constrict in response to physiological stimuli, however it has yet to be shown if the vasodilation of ACCs will increase blood flow in the ischemic arterial tree. To test whether vasodilation of the ACCs will increase blood flow in the ischemic arterial tree, we used laser speckle flowmetry at 21 days post-ligation of the lateral cranial feed artery of the spinotrapezius muscle. We...
South Asian Folklore: A Handbook

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Frank J. Korom Year: 2006 Pages: 240 Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN: 0-313-33193-6 (hard cover). Prices: $55.00 USD(hard cover).
Broadband saturable Bragg reflectors from the infrared to visible using oxidized AIAs

Highly strained semiconductor saturable absorbers are monolithically integrated with large area high-index-contrast mirrors through controlled oxidation of AlAs. This technique is used to create broadband saturable Bragg reflectors for lasers from infrared to visible wavelengths.
Seismic response of 20‐story base‐isolated and fixed‐base reinforced concrete structural wall buildings at a near‐fault site

SUMMARY This paper investigates numerically the seismic response of six seismically base-isolated (BI) 20-story reinforced concrete buildings and compares their response to that of a fixed-base (FB) building with a similar structural system above ground. Located in Berkeley, California, 2 km from the Hayward fault, the buildings are designed with a core wall that provides most of the lateral force resistance above ground. For the BI buildings, the following are investigated: two isolation systems (both implemented below a three-story basement), isolation periods equal to 4, 5, and 6 s, and two levels of flexural strength of the wall. The first isolation system combines tension-resistant friction pendulum bearings and nonlinear fluid viscous dampers (NFVDs); the second combines low-friction tension-resistant crosslinear bearings, lead-rubber bearings, and NFVDs. The designs of all buildings satisfy ASCE 7-10 requirements, except that one component of horizontal excitation, is used in the 2D nonlinear response history analysis. Analysis is performed for a set of ground motions scaled to the design earthquake and to the maximum considered earthquake (MCE). At both the design earthquake and the MCE, the FB building develops large inelastic deformations and shear forces in the wall and large floor accelerations. At the MCE, four of the BI buildings experience nominally elastic response of the wall, with floor accelerations and shear forces being 0.25 to 0.55 times those experienced by the FB building. The response of the FB and four of the BI buildings to four unscaled historical pulse-like near-fault ground motions is also studied. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low-grade astrocytomas: the prognostic value of fibrillary, gemistocytic, and protoplasmic tumor histology.

Object Low-grade astrocytomas are slow-growing, infiltrative gliomas that over time may progress into more malignant tumors. Various factors have been shown to affect the time to progression and overall survival including age, performance status, tumor size, and the extent of resection. However, more recently it has been suggested that histological subtypes (fibrillary, protoplasmic, and gemistocytic) may impact patient outcome. In this study the authors have performed a large comparative population-based analysis to examine the characteristics and survival of patients with the various subtypes of WHO Grade II astrocytomas. Methods Patients diagnosed with fibrillary, protoplasmic, and gemistocytic astrocytomas were identified through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The chi-square test and Student t-test were used to evaluate differences in patient and treatment characteristics between astrocytoma subtypes. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess overall survival, and the ...
Pattern induced convex corner undercutting of oriented silicon microridges in potassium hydroxide

Modelling and fabrication of corner compensation structures is an active area of research involving KOH based wet etching. A useful data set has been generated to enable fabrication of efficient compensation structures used to prevent undercutting of convex corners during KOH etching. In this work, the effect of the mask pattern on the extent of undercutting the convex corners of microridges that occur during KOH etching was investigated. Microridges on silicon substrates oriented at varying angles with respect to the crystal orientation were etched in KOH solution. The ensuing undercut in the convex corners during the etching process was ascribed to the crystallographic orientation of the substrate, i.e. some crystal planes etch faster than others, contributing to a deformation of a desired structure. It was observed that the damage of the convex corners and the front face of the microridges increased with increasing angle of microridge orientation with respect to the direction. {311} planes arising from the corners making acute angles with the wafer orientation take longer to acquire a saddle point in the etching diagram. This is postulated to cause the observed complete wash out of the microridge faces for extremely acute angles.
Bubble nucleation in cphi4 models at all temperatures.

One possible way in which phase transitions in the early universe may have ocurred is via nucleation of bubbles of the new phase (true vacuum) in the old phase (false vacuum). The technique most widely used to compute the probability of bubble nucleation is based on instanton methods in the context of the semiclassical approximation. At zero temperature in (3+1) dimensions the nucleation rate is dominated by the O(4) symmetric instanton, a sphere of radius $R$, while at temperatures $T >> R^{-1}$, the decay is dominated by a ``cylindrical'' (static) instanton wtih O(3) invariance. There has been discussion in the literature as to whether the transition between these two regimens would be first order (discontinuity in the first derivative of the nucleation rate at the transition temperature $T_{c}$), or second order (continuity of the first derivative, but discontinuity of the second derivative at $T_{c}$). In this paper we obtain the finite temperature solutions corresponding to the quantum and the thermal regimes, and compute their action as a function of the temperature for different values of the wall thickness in a $\varphi^{4}$ potential. Our results indicate that only for the cases of very large wall thickness a second order transition takes place, while for all the other cases a first order transition occurs
Effect of single amino acid replacements on the thermodynamics of the reactive site peptide bond hydrolysis in ovomucoid third domain.

We have measured equilibrium constants, Khyd, at pH 6 for the hydrolysis of the reactive site peptide bond (bond between residues 18 and 19) in 42 sequenced variants (39 natural, 3 semisynthetic) of avian ovomucoid third domains. The values range from 0.4 to approximately 35. In 35 cases the effect of a single amino acid replacement on Khyd could be calculated, 13 are without effect and 22 range from a factor of 1.25 to 5.5. Several, but not all, of the effects can be rationalized in terms of residue-residue interactions that are affected by the reactive site hydrolysis. As the measurements are very precise it appears that additional measurements on designed rather than natural variants should allow for the precise measurement of side-chain-side-chain interaction energies.
Electrochemical Characterization of Films of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Their Possible Application in Supercapacitors

Films of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were cast from suspensions in several solvents on the surface of a Pt or Au electrode. Cyclic voltammetry of the films in MeCN did not show well-resolved waves (as distinct from films of C_(60) prepared in a similar manner). However, the increase in the effective capacitance of the electrode with a SWCNT film at 0.5 V vs. an AgQRE was 283 F/g, which is about twice that of carbon electrodes in nonaqueous solvents.
Bombus huntii, Bombus impatiens, and Bombus vosnesenskii (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Pollinate Greenhouse-Grown Tomatoes in Western North America.

Bumble bees (Bombus) are the primary pollinators of tomatoes grown in greenhouses and can significantly increase fruit weight compared with tomatoes that receive no supplemental pollination. More than a million colonies are sold worldwide annually to meet pollination needs. Due to mounting concerns over the transportation of bumble bees outside of their native ranges, several species native to western North American are currently being investigated as potential commercial pollinators. Here, two western, Bombus huntii Greene and Bombus vosnesenskii Radoszkowski, and one eastern species, Bombus impatiens Cresson, are compared for their efficacy as pollinators of greenhouse-grown tomatoes. In two experiments, colonies were placed in greenhouses and compared with control plants that received no supplemental pollination. In the first experiment, seed set was significantly increased with B. huntii pollination in one variety of cherry tomatoes. In the second experiment comparing all three bumble bee species, fruit weight was an average of 25.2 g heavier per fruit pollinated by bees versus the control, and the number of days to harvest was 2.9 d shorter for bee-pollinated fruit. In some rounds of pollination, differences were found among bumble bee species, but these were inconsistent across replicates and not statistically significant overall. Additionally, fruit weight was shown to be highly correlated to fruit diameter and seed set in all tests and, thus, is shown to be a reliable metric for assessing pollination in future studies. These results suggest that commercialization of western bumble bees is a viable alternative to the current practices of moving of nonnative bees into western North America to pollinate tomatoes.
Genetic and cellular analysis of cross-incompatibility in Zea mays

Three genetic systems conferring cross-incompatibility have been described in Zea mays: Teosinte crossing barrier1-strong (Tcb1-s) found in teosinte, and Gametophyte factor1-strong (Ga1-s) and Ga2-s found in maize and teosinte. The reproductive barrier between maize and some weedy teosintes is controlled by the Tcb1-s locus. Multi-generation inheritance experiments on two independent Tcb1-s lineages show that the Tcb1-s barrier is unstable in some maize lines. Reciprocal crosses between Tcb1-s tester plants and three recombinants in the Tcb1-s mapping region demonstrate that the Tcb1-s haplotype contains separable male and female components. In vivo assays of the dynamics of pollen tube growth and pollen tube morphology during rejection of incompatible pollen in silks carrying the Tcb1-s, Ga1-s, or Ga2-s barriers showed that, in all three, pollen tube growth is slower than in compatible crosses at early stages and had ceased by 24 h after pollination. In all three crossing barrier systems, incompatible pollen tubes have clustered callose plugs in contrast to pollen tubes of compatible crosses. Incompatible pollen tubes growing in the Tcb1-s, Ga1-s, and Ga2-s silks have different morphologies: straight, curved, and kinked, respectively. The distinct morphologies suggest that these crossing barriers block incompatible pollen through different mechanisms. This study lays the foundation for cloning the Tcb1 genes and provides clues about the cellular mechanisms involved in pollen rejection in the Tcb1-s,Ga1-s, and Ga2-s crossing barriers.
Flavobacterium johnsoniae GldJ Is a Lipoprotein That Is Required for Gliding Motility

Cells of Flavobacterium johnsoniae glide rapidly over surfaces by an unknown mechanism. Eight genes required for gliding motility have been described. Complementation of the nonmotile mutant UW102-48 identified another gene, gldJ, that is required for gliding. gldJ mutants formed nonspreading colonies, and individual cells were completely nonmotile. Like previously described nonmotile mutants, gldJ mutants were deficient in chitin utilization and were resistant to bacteriophages that infect wild-type cells. Cell fractionation and labeling studies with [3H]palmitate indicated that GldJ is a lipoprotein. Mutations in gldA, gldB, gldD, gldF, gldG, gldH, or gldI resulted in normal levels of gldJ transcript but decreased levels of GldJ protein. Expression of truncated GldJ protein in wild-type cells resulted in a severe motility defect. GldJ was found in regular bands that suggest the presence of a helical structure within the cell envelope.