cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reestablishing Intrapersonal Balance Through Restoration: An Integrated Framework to Escape Dissonance

The shift towards a higher level of societies’ environmental concern has been mirrored in the increasing number of research studies conducted within an environmental context. Yet, the research is at times not well developed theoretically, leading to the need for an expansion of marketing thought to incorporate environmental responsibility within established theories used in the discipline. The current conceptual research study is a direct response to this request by proposing an integrative framework that incorporates six commonly applied theoretical constructs within the marketing literature: balance theory, social comparison theory, cognitive dissonance, escape theory, restoration theory, and negative self-conscious emotions. Balance theory is adapted to an overarching umbrella that interconnects various concepts into one comprehensive framework, which is put forward within the context of environmentalism and ecological behavior. This study extends the scope of social comparison theory by arguing that social competition is not the only behavioral outcome of social comparison as behavior can also be tailored towards reestablishing an intrapersonal balance. In addition, restorative behavior is adjusted to incorporate ecological and environmentally conscious behavior, a concept not introduced into the literature up to this point. Finally, balance theory was conceptualized with a more significant focus on the internal balance within humans instead of focusing on the balance among triadic relationships. Overall, the proposed framework’s main contribution is its flexibility as it warrants to be extended to different contexts beyond environmental consciousness and ecological behavior. Thus, it is a relatively general theoretical construct. Indeed, individuals experience social comparison in nearly every aspect of their life. Marketing research addresses social comparison in contexts ranging from reactions to models in advertising to encounters with service providers. Lastly, the integrative framework and the accompanying propositions are expected to result in an identification of additional significant factors that will allow the casual explanation of ecological behavior.
Transmission capacity of multi-antenna ad hoc networks with CSMA

Multiple antennas have become a common component of wireless networks, improving range, throughput, and spatial reuse, both at the link and network levels. At the same time, carrier sensing is a widely used method of improving spatial reuse in distributed wireless networks, especially when there is limited coordination among non-communicating nodes. While the combination of carrier sensing and multiple antennas has been considered in the literature, physical layer spatial models and the attendant consequences have not been included. The primary reason for this has been the difficulty of analyzing functionals of interacting point processes. Having developed new methods of quantifying physical layer performance with robust spatial network models, we use these techniques to address the following questions: What multiple antenna techniques produce the best network performance, and what is the performance gain? And, how should multiple antennas interact with carrier sensing parameters? Overall, the analysis confirms the significant benefit of multiple antennas in distributed wireless networks.
Optimal sizing of a solar-plus-storage system for utility bill savings and resiliency benefits

Solar-plus-storage systems can achieve significant utility savings in behind-the-meter deployments in buildings, campuses, or industrial sites. Common applications include demand charge reduction, energy arbitrage, time-shifting of excess photovoltaic (PV) production, and selling ancillary services to the utility grid. These systems can also offer some energy resiliency during grid outages. It is often difficult to quantify the amount of resiliency that these systems can provide, however, and this benefit is often undervalued or omitted during the design process. We propose a method for estimating the resiliency that a solar-plus-storage system can provide at a given location. We then present an optimization model that can optimally size the system components to minimize the lifecycle cost of electricity to the site, including the costs incurred during grid outages. The results show that including the value of resiliency during the feasibility stage can result in larger systems and increased resiliency.
Physiological Indicators of the Cognitive Redline

As suggested in recent research, some physiological measures such as breath rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, electroencephalography, and skin conductance response, can be used to indicate aspects of mental workload. Some of these physiological measures are insensitive to added mental workload at a point referred to as the cognitive redline. This redline is not well indicated in the literature, but is generally defined by patterns of performance decrements. The present study involved the use of the Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II (MATB-II) to systematically manipulate imposed multitask workload, and investigate the validity of online measures of heart rate variability (HRV) to indicate the cognitive redline, as inferred by performance and subjective workload measures.
Experimental Carcinogenicity by the Virus In Vivo

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) induces lymphoid neoplasms in marmosets and owl monkeys (Shope et al., 1973; Epstein et al., 1973 a, b, 1975). The tumors caused experimentally resemble Burkitt’s lymphomas (BL) in several ways: they arise in the germinal centers of lymphoid follicles, they contain many EBV DNA copies per cell, and they express the EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA). Not all individuals of susceptible species infected in the laboratory manifest malignant disease. Some seem to contract a benign lymphoproliferative syndrome while others remain healthy. Thus a spectrum of responses, such as is seen in human EBV infections, also occurs after infection of new-world primates in the laboratory.
Role of nanostructure on mechanical properties of nacre

Publisher Summary Nacre, the inner layer of sea shell is composed of calcium carbonate (95%) and proteins and other organics (5%). The nano scale architecture of nacre results in mechanical properties far superior than calcium carbonate. This chapter describes results of work elucidating quantitatively effect of some nano structural nuances in nacre on its bulk mechanical properties. The organic/inorganic interface is biochemically (chemical bonds, charge), structurally (molecular and crystallographic spacing), and mechanically compatible. The interfaces in nacre have a nanoscale roughness, allowing the two dissimilar phases to physically interpenetrate The aragoniticstructure also occurs in deposits of geologic origin and exhibits identical crystallographic structure but small differences are detected in the electronic structure possibly from the influence of organic. Current research has also suggested the presence of mineral bridges in organic layers as a mechanism of nacre formation as opposed to heteroepitaxial nucleation of the aragonitic layers.
Does A Brief Mindfulness Intervention Impact Quiz Performance

Mindfulness practices improve cognition, emotional balance, and well-being in clinical and non-clinical populations. The bulk of mindfulness research in higher education has focused on improving ps...
Author’s response to commentary on “Carbon balance effects of U.S. biofuel production and use”

The impact of substituting biofuels for fossil fuels on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has been debated for many years. A reason for the lack of resolution is that the method widely used to address the question, lifecycle analysis (LCA), is subjective. Its results irreducibly depend on untestable assumptions, notably those pertaining to system boundaries but also those for representing market effects. The best one can do is empirically constrain estimates of net CO2 impact using data that characterize important aspects of the overall system. Our 2016 paper, “Carbon balance effects of U.S. biofuel production and use,” took such an approach, using field data to estimate the direct CO2 exchanges for a circumscribed vehicle-fuel system over the 2005–2013 period of expanding US biofuel use. De Kleine and colleagues criticize our work because it does not follow LCA conventions, arguing in particular for the primacy of the assumption that biofuels are inherently carbon neutral. This response refutes their critique; it reminds readers why the lifecycle paradigm fails for a dynamic system involving the terrestrial carbon cycle, stresses the need to bound an analysis of key carbon exchanges, and explains why the circular logic of LCA can be so beguiling.
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and Desiccation Tolerance: Elucidating Functional and Mechanistic Underpinnings of Anhydrobiosis.

Over 300 years ago the father of microscopy, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, observed dried rotifers (tiny animals) “coming back to life” upon rehydration. Since then, scientists have been fascinated by the enduring mystery of how certain organisms survive losing essentially drying out completely. Historically sugars, such as the disaccharide trehalose, have been viewed as major functional mediators of desiccation tolerance. However, some desiccation tolerant organisms do not produce this sugar, hinting that additional mediators, and potentially novel mechanisms exist. It has become apparent that a common theme among such organisms is the production and use of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) to mediate survival in this dry state. However, the basic biology of these proteins – which unlike globular proteins lack persistent three-dimensional structure – is poorly understood, as are the functional mechanisms utilized by these enigmatic proteins that allow them to mediate desiccation tolerance. We purpose that probing the biochemical and biophysical nature of stress-related IDPs will provide mechanistic insights into these fascinating proteins.
Autophagy: A Lysosome-Dependent Process with Implications in Cellular Redox Homeostasis and Human Disease

Abstract Significance: Autophagy, a lysosome-dependent homeostatic process inherent to cells and tissues, has emerging significance in the pathogenesis of human disease. This process enables the de...
Abstract 10630: Active Myocardial TGF-β Level is Significantly Increased in End-Stage Human Heart Failure

Persistent TGF-β activation is thought to be involved in progressive ventricular remodeling and TGF-β inhibition has been considered as a potential treatment to prevent the progression of heart failure. However, there has been no direct evidence of increased active TGF-β levels in the diseased human myocardium. Thus, we assessed the hypothesis that increased active TGF-β is seen in the myocardium of end-stage heart failure. We examined the molecular and biochemical profiles of human myocardial tissues from non failing donors (NF; n = 10), patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM; n = 10) and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM; n = 10) obtained at the time of heart transplant. We studied mRNA levels by real-time RT-PCR, protein levels by immunoblots, and active TGF-β levels by bioassay using cultured mink lung epithelial cells transfected with plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 promoter-luciferase construct. Using this assay, active TGF-β levels were measured in the protein extracts from myocardial tissues. Data were shown as mean ±SD. The patients9 ages were NF 49± 20, ICM 57± 5, and NICM 52 ±10. Pre-transplant LVEF was NF 67 ±7%, ICM 21 ±14%, and NICM 14 ±6%. There was no significant difference in Collagen I, Collagen III, or TGF-β1 mRNA levels among the 3 groups. Although TGF-β1 protein levels by immunoblots were not significantly different in 3 groups, there was a pronounced increase in free TGF-β levels (Figure) and in phosphorylation of Smad2 in ICM and NICM compared with NF [NF 1.0 ±0.16; ICM 2.44 ±0.47 (p
The Future of Regulatory Plant Science

Regulatory plant science has a unique evolution which distinguishes it from many disciplines with similar functions. The design and role of most National Plant Protection Organizations is closely linked to the International Plant Protection Convention and more recently to the World Trade Organization Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. The international regulatory framework created by these agreements and the activities surrounding them represent a major adjustment for the phytosanitary community and is expected to be a significant factor in determining the direction of future efforts in regulatory plant science. It is clear that a focus on the application of phytosanitary measures in trade will continue to be crucial; complemented by substantial efforts in harmonization and capacity building to meet the anticipated demands of commerce. Other aspects of the Convention that may have had greater attention in the past are likely to fade in importance as new challenges occupy the efforts of the phytosanitary community on its journey into the digital era with a mix of old and new approaches and tools but with an eye towards flexibility and change. Developing analytical capacity will be critical to advancing defendable regulatory decisions and challenging others. The role of science and technology will be dramatically greater, especially in developing more sophisticated and cost-effective programs based on the continuum concept.
Burst Firing Induced by N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Requires Activation of an Electrogenic Sodium Pump in Rat Dopamine Neurons

In vitro, dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra zona compacta (SNC) fire action potentials in a regular pacemaker pattern (Sanghera et al., 1984; Johnson and North, 1992; Grace and Onn, 1989; Lacey et al., 1989). However, in vivo, dopamine neurons fire in bursts (Freeman et al., 1985; Sanghera et al., 1984). The fact that burst firing occurs in vivo but not in vitro implies that afferent connections essential for burst firing are severed in the process of cutting the brain slice (Sanghera et al., 1984). Svensson and Tung (1989) showed that cooling the pre-frontal cortex in the anesthetized rat reversibly blocked burst firing in VTA dopamine neurons. Because prefrontal cortex sends axons which contain excitatory amino acids (EAA’s) to the VTA (Christie et al., 1985), it was thought that cooling the cortex diminished the synaptic release of EAA’s onto dopamine neurons. This conclusion is supported by the findings that glutamate receptor antagonist drugs such kynurenate, 4-(3-phosphonopropyl)-2-piperazine carboxylic acid (CPP), and DL-aminophosphonovaleric acid (APV) reversibly blocked burst firing in dopamine VTA neurons recorded extracellularly in the rat (Charlety et al., 1991; Overton and Clark, 1992; Chergui et al., 1991). In this communication, we report on the mechanism of action underlying burst firing induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in dopamine neurons in vitro.
Further Evidence of the In Vivo Role of Erythropoietin or Companion Molecules Induced by Hypoxia on Proliferation and Continuing Differentiation of BFU-e in PCDC

Normal and plethoric bone marrow cells were grown in plasma clot diffusion chambers (PCDC) implanted into the peritoneum of normal mice or mice submitted to 7 her of hypoxia (23,000 ft) daily, on a single day or on 2 consecutive days at different times after implantation of the PCDC's. Daily discontinuous hypoxia (DDH) produced more 6-day bursts than other treatments. Hypoxia on days 1 and 2 after implantation was nearly as effective as DDH on day-6 bursts. Later bouts of hypoxia or a singly hypoxic exposure on day 1 or 2 was less effective. Erythropoietin (Ep) levels were measured by bioassay on both diffusion chamber (DC) contents and serum. Serum Ep levels peaked at 160 mU/ml after a 7-hr hypoxic exposure while the DC content Ep levels were in the nondetectable range (less than 50 mU/ml). The data implies that either higher than normal Ep levels or a companion molecules (s) produced by hypoxia are required for 1–2 days early in the culture period of force an increasing number of BFU-d-e down the erythrocytic pathway and thus increase red cell production at times of need in vivo.
Microglial dopamine receptor elimination defines sex-specific nucleus accumbens development and social behavior in adolescent rats.

Adolescence is a developmental period in which the mesolimbic dopaminergic “reward” circuitry of the brain, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), undergoes significant plasticity. Dopamine D1 receptors (D1rs) in the NAc are critical for social behavior, but how these receptors are regulated during adolescence is not well understood. In this report, we demonstrate that microglia and complement-mediated phagocytic activity shapes NAc development by eliminating D1rs in male, but not female rats, during adolescence. Moreover, immune-mediated elimination of D1rs is required for natural developmental changes in male social play behavior. These data demonstrate for the first time that microglia and complement-mediated immune signaling (i) participate in adolescent brain development in a sex-specific manner, and (ii) are causally implicated in developmental changes in behavior. These data have broad implications for understanding the adolescent critical period of development, the molecular mechanisms underlying social behavior, and sex differences in brain structure and function.
Is It the Mesh

It is well known that after inguinal herniorrhaphy, some patients develop inguinodynia. Pain has often been blamed on injury or entrapment of the ilioinguinal nerve. Since the advent of mesh, we ha...
Protectionism under Trump: The China Shock, Deplorables, and the First White President

This paper uses USA county‐level electoral data to examine the 2016 turn to protectionism. The hypothesis that support for protectionism was purely a response to globalization is rejected. Exposure to trade competition encouraged a shift to the Republican candidate, but this effect is mediated by race, diversity, education, and age. If the turn toward protectionism is due to economic dislocation, then public policy interventions could mitigate the impact and support the re‐establishment of a political consensus for open trade. If, however, the drivers are identity or cultural values, then the scope for constructive policy intervention is unclear.
Timing, Jitter, and Wander

This chapter contains sections titled: The Primary Reference Source The Phase-Lock Loop Bit, Frame, and Payload Synchronization Synchronization Impairments Network Hierarchy Theoretical Foundation of Timing Error Traffic Probability and Signal Quality Jitter and Wander Wander References Standards
Post cricoid tumours; a limiting factor for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy insertion in cancer patients: Results from a tertiary care hospital.

Abstract Background and study aims The aim of this study was to review all episodes of PEG insertion in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) at a cancer specialist centre. Patients and methods Using a structured data extraction form, we abstracted patients’ demographic data and clinical information including the primary site of tumour, TNM staging, whether PEG tube was inserted successfully, any complications resulting from PEG tube insertion and duration the tube was in place. Results We identified a total of 339 HNC patients who had received at least one attempted PEG tube insertion. The mean age of patients was 49.5 ± 14.5 years and 66% (n: 233/339) were males. 151/ 339 (44.5%) patients had a tumour in the pharynx and nasopharynx, 103/ 339 (30.4%) in oral cavity, 81/ 339 (23.9%) in post-cricoid region and 4 (1.1%) of the patients had a laryngeal carcinoma. Histopathologically, most tumours (75.8%) were squamous cell carcinoma presenting at a T4 (52.6%), N0 (38.3%) and M0 (91.7%) stage. PEG tube was successfully inserted in 303/339 (89.4%) patients. There were 36 PEG failures; 24 (66.6%) in postcricoid and laryngeal tumours, 8 (22.3%) in pharynx/nasopharynx and 4 (11.1%) in oral cavity tumours. Of the 81 patients with post-cricoid tumour, PEG tube was successfully inserted in 57/ 81 (70.3%) of the patients. Age, gender or T stage of the tumour was not found to be statistically significant predictors of PEG failure. The only significant factor was presence of post-cricoid or laryngeal tumours that increased the risk of PEG failure 12 times (95% confidence interval: 3.4 to 42.3). Conclusion PEG tube should be used as a first line feeding option in patients with all type of head and neck cancers, however, the attending clinicians should have this foresight of higher failure rates in patients with post-cricoid tumour.
Value of metalloproteinases in predicting COPD in heavy urban smokers

Emphysema in asymptomatic heavy smokers can be detected during CT-scan screening for lung cancer. Metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been found to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and to possibly serve as biomarkers for emphysema. The NYU Lung Cancer Biomarker Center enrolled study subjects over 50 years of age with lung cancer risk factors from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2015. These subjects received chest multi-detector computed tomography, spirometry, and provided serum for immunoassays for metalloproteinases (MMP) -1, -2, -7, -9, -10 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) -1 and -2. Three hundred sixteen study subjects were enrolled. Of the 222 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 46% had emphysema. Smokers with emphysema had increased pack-years of smoking compared to smokers without emphysema (51 ± 24 pack-years (mean ± sd) versus 37 ± 20; p < 0.0001). Smokers with emphysema also had lower FEV1/FVC percent compared to smokers without emphysema (68 ± 11 (mean ± sd) versus 75 ± 8; p < 0.0001). Increased age and pack-years of smoking were associated with increased odds of emphysema. None of the metalloproteinases or tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases were useful to predict the presence of emphysema in smokers. Emphysema was detected by CT in almost half of heavy urban smokers. Serum MMP levels provided minimal additional information to improve the detection of mild emphysema among smokers given their clinical characteristics (age, pack-years, and FEV1/FVC ratio).
Perspectives of Aging Adults Who Frequently Seek Emergency Department Care.

Abstract Background The number of people managing chronic conditions is growing with the rapidly aging population. Visits to the emergency department are steadily rising, but little is known about the rationale of those seeking emergent care. Aims The goal of this study was to better understand, from the patients' perspective, the reasons for seeking care in an emergency department setting. Design A qualitative descriptive design was used to interview aging adults with at least two chronic conditions who made three or more visits to the emergency department within a year. Participants/Subjects The eight-person sample was 88% female and 75% white, with an average age of 54 years. Methods Participant interviews were conducted with a semistructured interview guide. Conventional content analysis was used to examine words and phrases in professionally transcribed documents. Qualitative methods for testing and confirming conclusions were performed. Results We discovered that aging adults visit the emergency department to seek relief from unrelenting pain and to overcome barriers to receiving treatment for pain in ambulatory settings. Participants reported feeling judged when seeking emergency department care for pain management. Conclusions Participants described emergency department care as the only option in response to several barriers to healthcare access. Most commonly, emergency department care was sought when relief from persistent or acute pain was required. One way to reduce strain on EDs from pain-related visits is to manage patients with persistent pain more proactively in their community environment.
The U.S. Crime Puzzle: A Comparative Perspective on U.S. Crime and Punishment

This paper compares actual U.S. crime and incarceration rates to predicted rates from cross-country regressions. Global cross-country regressions of crime and incarceration on background characteristics explain much of the variation between other countries. But the estimated models predict only one-fourth of U.S. incarceration and not all of U.S. crime. The coincidence of the non-negative U.S. crime residuals with the very large positive U.S. incarceration residual constitutes a puzzle. The two pieces fit together only if the residual U.S. incarceration does not contribute to a reduction in crime, except to the extent an omitted criminogenic factor pushes up U.S. crime. The paper quantifies this relationship. Drawing on additional evidence from comparative and U.S.-specific data, it argues that the puzzle's most plausible solution combines low effectiveness of mass incarceration with omitted criminogenic factors such as U.S. neighborhood segregation.
Selecting the optimal immunotherapy regimen in driver-negative metastatic NSCLC.

The treatment landscape of driver-negative non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is rapidly evolving. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors, specifically those targeting PD-1 or PD-L1, have demonstrated durable efficacy in a subset of patients with NSCLC, and these agents have become the cornerstone of first-line therapy. Approved immunotherapeutic strategies for treatment-naive patients now include monotherapy, immunotherapy-exclusive regimens or chemotherapy–immunotherapy combinations. Decision making in this space is complex given the absence of head-to-head prospective comparisons, although a thorough analysis of long-term efficacy and safety data from pivotal clinical trials can provide insight into the optimal management of each subset of patients. Indeed, histological subtype and the extent of tumour cell PD-L1 expression are paramount to regimen selection, although other clinicopathological factors and patient preferences might also be relevant in certain scenarios. Finally, several emerging biomarkers and novel therapeutic strategies are currently under investigation, and these might further refine the current treatment paradigm. In this Review, we discuss the current treatment landscape and detail our approach to first-line immunotherapy regimen selection for patients with advanced-stage, driver-negative NSCLC. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now standard-of-care therapies for patients with advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without a targetable driver alteration. Various ICIs or combination regimens have been approved in this setting, relative to chemotherapy, although no prospective data are available comparing the various ICI-based approaches. Here, the authors provide guidance on selecting the optimal ICI-based therapy and highlight several future research directions that will probably further improve the outcomes of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC.
Perspective on the relationship between GABAA receptor activity and the apparent potency of an inhibitor.

BACKGROUND In electrophysiological experiments inhibition of a receptor-channel, such as the GABAA receptor, is measured by co-applying an agonist producing a predefined control response with an inhibitor to calculate the fraction of the control response remaining in the presence of the inhibitor. The properties of the inhibitor are determined by fitting the inhibition concentration-response relationship to the Hill equation to estimate the midpoint (IC50) of the inhibition curve. OBJECTIVE We sought to estimate here the sensitivity of the fitted IC50 to the level of activity of the control response. METHODS The inhibition concentration-response relationships were calculated for models with distinct mechanisms of inhibition. In Model I, the inhibitor acts allosterically to stabilize the resting state of the receptor. In Model II, the inhibitor competes with the agonist for a shared binding site. In Model III, the inhibitor stabilizes the desensitized state. RESULTS The simulations indicate that the fitted IC50 of the inhibition curve is sensitive to the degree of activity of the control response. In Models I and II, the IC50 of inhibition was increased as the probability of being in the active state (PA) of the control response increased. In Model III, the IC50 of inhibition was reduced at higher PA. CONCLUSIONS We infer that the apparent potency of an inhibitor depends on the PA of the control response. While the calculations were carried out using the activation and inhibition properties that are representative of the GABAA receptor, the principles and conclusions apply to a wide variety of receptor-channels.
Alzheimer's disease centers and the dementias of aging program of the national institute on aging: a brief overview.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has stimulated many recent landmark advances in the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementing disorders. This progress is due in part to an extramural network of AD Centers (ADCs) that was established 15 years ago as a component of the NIA Dementias of Aging Program. The ADCs provide a unique infrastructure to support and augment studies on the pathobiology of AD and related disorders as well as to educate scientists and the public about these neurodegenerative dementias. The mission and structure of the ADC network are summarized to illustrate how the ADCs play important roles in accelerating development of effective therapies for AD and related disorders.
Gibberellin A3 Modification of Vegetative Growth and Flowering of Dwarf Tomatoes

SummaryThe vegetative growth and flowering patterns of dwarf tomatoes were altered by 10–7 M to 5 x 10–3 M gibberellin A3 concentrations. The six dwarf cultivars studied differed in their sensitivity to the gibberellin as indexed by stem elongation, stem size, change in leaf angles, leaf area expansion, number of leaf nodes, cotyledon abscission, days to first anthesis and flower numbers on the inflorescences. Vegetative growth was more responsive to gibberellin than was flowering.A significant interaction in leaf area was observed between leaf position (or age) and gibberellin A3 concentration. In general, the leaf areas of the older maturing leaves located centrally on the main stem were inhibited, while the younger immature leaves near the growing apex were promoted by high gibberellin concentrations. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is discussed.
Descripció, aplicació pràctica i resultats de la tècnica d'Azrin y Nunn per a la modificació d'hàbits nerviosos

El programa de inversion del habito desarrollado por Azrin y Nunn ha sido aplicado con exito para solucionar una amplia gama de habitos nerviosos: onicofagia, tricotilomania, tartamudeo, tics, etc. Este programa ha sido administrado a poblaciones espanolas para reducir su habito compulsivo de morderse las unas, obteniendose un 82% de disminucion en el numero de episodios. Se ha encontrado que el aprendizaje de una reaccion incompatible -considerado como fundamental por Azrin y Nunn- no es importante para conseguir buenos resultados. Se sugiere que los factores accidentales desempenan un papel importante tanto en este metodo como en otras terapias comportamentales: biorretroalimentacron, desensibilizacion sistematica, etc.
Aminosalicilati pri vnetni črevesni bolezni

Numerous clinical trials have supported the efficacy of aminosalicylates in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, particularly ulcerative colitis. There are few studies in paediatric patients addressing either pharmacokinetic properties or efficacy. There are a number of controversies in their clinical use, including: the optimum dose and dosing interval for induction and maintenance of remission, the most appropriate preparation given the clinical setting, the overall efficacy in Crohn’s disease, the efficacy in preventing post-operative recurrence of Crohn’s disease etc. A new oral mesalamine formulation, MMX (multi-matrix tablet), delivers mesalamine particularly to the distal colon even when given once daily. The tablet form still precludes use in small children.
N=1 Supergravity unified theories and their experimental signatures

A review is given of the recent developments of the N=l Supergravity unified theories. The first part of these lectures contains the underlying formalism while the second part contains a discussion of the phenomenological consequences of the theory. The lectures begin with a brief introduction to the supergravity-matter couplings and a deduction of the Lagrangian which couples an arbitrary number of chiral multiplets and a vector multiplet to supergravity. This is followed by a discussion of the phenomena of gravity induced symmetry breaking via the super Higgs effect. The effective low energy theory that arises after elimination of the super Higgs and heavy fields is exhibited. Generation of the weak scale in the theory at the tree level (T.B. models) or through renormalization group effects (R.G. models) is discussed. Gauge hierarchy of the Supergravity unified theory at the tree level and at the one loop level is discussed. Next a model independent formulation of the low energy theory is given which can accommodate a wide variety of N=1 Supergravity models. Particle content of this model independent theory is exhibited by diagonalization of the mass matrices in the supersymmetric sectors of the gauge bosons and Higgs bosons and in the squark and slepton sectors. The interaction vertices in terms of the physical fields are exhibited. Experimental signatures of N=l Supergravity unified theory are investigated in a variety of phenomena. These include supersymmetric decays of the W+- and Z0 and possible experimental signals for the production of Winos, Zinos, squarks and sleptons at energies currently avaialble at the PP Collider at CERN or in future experiments at SLC, LEP, Tevatron or SSC. Events with special signatures in the W and Z decays are found to be UFO events, lepton-jet events and certain exotic events. Other signatures of the theory are supersymmetric electro-weak effects on gu-2 which are generally found to be larger than the electro-weak contributions of the standard Weinberg-Salam theory. Supersymmetric corrections to the p parameter, sin 20W and to MW and MZ masses are also discussed.
Validation of a clinically useful measure of children's state anxiety before medical procedures

Hospitals and other medical settings often involve situations that are distressing to children, including intrusive procedures, therapeutic interventions, limited or restricted activity, separation from the familiar, and an unfamiliar environment (Bossert, 1994). In particular, painful medical procedures, such as injections or intravenous (IV) line insertion, may lead to high levels of distress (Bossert, 1994; Claar, Walker, & Smith, 2002; Cohen et al., 2001; Smalley, 1999). Higher levels of distress have shortand long-term effects; extreme distress can jeopardize successful completion of a required procedure, and long-term effects include difficulty with future medical procedures and avoidance of medical care (Du, Jaaniste, Champion, & Yap, 2008; Kennedy, Luhmann, & Zempsky, 2008; Matthews, 2011; Noel, McMurtry, Chambers, & McGrath, 2010). Variability in causes of children’s distress, levels of anxiety, and responses to interventions designed to lower anxiety and reduce distress highlight the need for tools facilitating rapid clinical evaluation of each child. Such tools are readily available for assessment of pain (von Baeyer, 2009), but not for anxiety. Validated measures of child anxiety are typically lengthy and designed for use in research, limiting their utility in busy clinical settings. A brief measure of child self-reported state anxiety will facilitate identification of children with high anxiety levels, as well as development of interventions to lower anxiety in clinical settings, helping clinicians provide individualized care. The purpose of this article is to describe the construct validity of the Child Anxiety Meter-State (CAM-S) as a brief measure of child state anxiety appropriate for use in a clinical setting.
Measurement of Cellular Adhesion Under Static Conditions

This unit describes procedures for measuring the adhesion of lymphoid cells to immobilized ligands or adherent cell monolayers. The basic protocol, which is optimized for human T cells, can be easily modified to study almost any cell type in suspension if the corresponding adhesive ligand is available. Alternate protocols describe modifications to the basic protocol that allow analysis of cell adhesion in the presence of stimulators of lymphocyte activation or monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that react with adhesion molecules or their ligands, or analysis of cell adhesion to adherent cell monolayers. A support protocol is provided for determining the optimal concentration of adhesion ligands and choosing the appropriate type of microtiter plate for static adhesion assays.
Immune tolerance: a synopsis of the international experience

Because of the increased morbidity and cost of care associated with inhibitor development, immune tolerance therapy (ITT) is of crucial value in the care of haemophilia. The 24-year experience with this modality, primarily in the treatment of factor VIII inhibitors, has included the use of both high and low doses of clotting factor, with and without immune modulation. Overall success rates for ITT in haemophilia A have been similar (63-83%), while median time to IT has been variable (1.2-24 months). The role of type and purity of clotting factor used remains unclear. Three immune tolerance registries have suggested the potential importance of treatment parameters such as pre-induction inhibitor titer and daily factor dose in the prediction of successful outcome. Ultimately, prospective randomized studies of ITT are required to definitively compare therapeutic regimens with respect to efficacy, safety, and cost effectiveness.
Regioregular Oligomer and Polymer Containing Thieno[3,4-b]thiophene Moiety for Efficient Organic Solar Cells

A regioregular conjugated oligomer (MF) and its polymer counterpart (PF) containing a thieno[3,4-b]thiophene moiety have been developed. The existence of thieno[3,4-b]thiophene extends the absorption of the molecules to longer wavelengths and increases the current density of solar cell devices using these materials. The regioregularity of the polymers from the incorporation of regioregular oligothiophene fragments also enhances hole mobility. Consequently, the polymers show higher solar energy conversion efficiencies in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells than the low molecular weight oligomers. Spectroscopic and structural studies reveal that composite films prepared from the polymer exhibit a larger charge carrier density and smaller domain sizes for the electron donor and acceptor than the oligomer counterpart. These results rationalize the origin for the higher solar cell efficiency.
Measurement of the strong coupling constant alpha s at the Z0 resonance using modified jet mass difference.

A modified jet mass difference (thrust criterion) technique is used to extract the value of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}({M}_{{Z}^{0}}^{2})$. This new technique suppresses fragmentation uncertainty, reducing the overall systematic error. Based on this method and using results from two experiments at the CERN ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider LEP, we determine ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}({M}_{{Z}^{0}}^{2})=0.127\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004$, where the errors have been added in quadrature.
PHOTO-REACTIVATION AFTER DIVISION II.

IT was reported earlier that in a strain of Tetrahymena pyriformis grown in this laboratory the lethal effect of ultra-violet light could be photo-reactivated even after the irradiated individuals had divided once or twice1. There are several ways in which this phenomenon might be used to elucidate the lethal action of ultra-violet light. Many preliminary enquiries could be made; but it is particularly desirable to determine whether the observed response is a general characteristic or a special trait of the particular species and strain used.
SU-E-J-29: Evaluation of Effectiveness of Immobilization Devices for Radiation Therapy with Repeated CBCT Studies.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of three different immobilization devices for lungradiation therapy with daily and/or weekly cone‐beam CTs (CBCT).Methods: Three different immobilization devices, short (IM1) and long (Im2) Vac‐lok cushion with wing boards (Civco), BodyFix (Im3, Elekta), were investigated. Repeated CBCTimages for 3 SBRT patients immobilized with Im3, and 6 IMRT patients immobilized with IM1 and Im2 (3 each) were acquired. Each SBRT patient received 70 Gy in 10 fractions and setup daily with CBCT, while IM1 and Im2 patients were setup daily with orthogonal kV, and weekly CBCT (week 0–6). The day 1, 6 and 10 CBCT for Im3 were considered week 0–2 CBCT. Patient setup was first based on skins markers then shifts were made based on bony landmarks in kV and GTV with CBCT. Skin contours, which are further away from the isocenter and thus more sensitive to rotation and skin folding, were extracted in each CBCT data set and the difference on skin contours were investigated for both before and after shifts. Results: Over 2 weeks of treatment, Im3 has the smallest standard deviation for setup shifts (0.09, 0.16, 0.20 cm on LR, UD and IO directions) compared to IM1 (0.29, 0.35, 0.34 cm) and Im2 (0.11, 0.19, 0.40 cm), which indicates setup based on skin markers were the most reproducible for Im3. Over 6 weeks of treatment, Im2 (0.16, 0.18, 0.42 cm) is more reproducible than IM1 (0.44, 0.45, 0.35 cm). All 3 patients with IM1 and 2 patients with Im2 were found to have >1 cm difference in skin contour even after shifts were made. 1 patient with IM1 was found to have non‐reproducing skin folding of >3 cm difference. Conclusions: Information derived from repeated CTimages could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the immobilization devices.
A charge-inverting mutation in the "linker" region of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors alters agonist binding and gating kinetics independently of allosteric modulators.

AMPA receptors are gated through binding of glutamate to a solvent-accessible ligand-binding domain. Upon glutamate binding, these receptors undergo a series of conformational rearrangements regulating channel function. Allosteric modulators can bind within a pocket adjacent to the ligand-binding domain to stabilize specific conformations and prevent desensitization. Yelshansky et al. (Yelshansky, M. V., Sobolevsky, A. I., Jatzke, C., and Wollmuth, L. P. (2004) J. Neurosci. 24, 4728–4736) described a model of an electrostatic interaction between the ligand-binding domain and linker region to the pore that regulated channel desensitization. To test this hypothesis, we have conducted a series of experiments focusing on the R628E mutation. Using ultrafast perfusion with voltage clamp, we applied glutamate to outside-out patches pulled from transiently transfected HEK 293 cells expressing wild type or R628E mutant GluA2. In response to a brief pulse of glutamate (1 ms), mutant receptors deactivated with significantly slower kinetics than wild type receptors. In addition, R628E receptors showed significantly more steady-state current in response to a prolonged (500-ms) glutamate application. These changes in receptor kinetics occur through a pathway that is independent of that of allosteric modulators, which show an additive effect on R628E receptors. In addition, ligand binding assays revealed the R628E mutation to have increased affinity for agonist. Finally, we reconciled experimental data with computer simulations that explicitly model mutant and modulator interactions. Our data suggest that R628E stabilizes the receptor closed cleft conformation by reducing agonist dissociation and the transition to the desensitized state. These results suggest that the AMPA receptor external vestibule is a viable target for new positive allosteric modulators.
Climatological Numerical Models of the Surface Mixed Layer of the Ocean

Abstract Three slab models of the surface mixed layer of the ocean are given simple and fast computer implementations. Actual meteorological data from Ocean Weather Station N are used for a year-long forecast. The results compare quite well with the observations of vertical temperature profiles, with correlations up to 0.98 between predicted and observed sea-surface temperature and of 0.8 between predicted and observed mixed-layer depths. Temperature anomalies introduced in the spring can be covered up in the summer, yet reappear in the winter. A constant-thickness slab is suitable as a lower boundary for some atmospheric climatological studies, if a depth of 25 m is used. The model based on a Foude number criterion worked best for the available data set; this is physically appealing since the model contains no adjustable parameters.
The Solution of the Schrödinger Equation for an Approximate Atomic Field

An approximate atomic potential having an "effective nuclear charge for potential," that is, bilinear in the radial distance from the nucleus, is discussed and shown to approximate reasonably well to Hartree or Fermi-Thomas potentials. The Schr\"odinger equation with the approximate potential is solved as a series of hydrogenic wave functions and as a power series in $\frac{\mathrm{Ar}}{(1+Ar)}$ ($A$ being a parameter of the potential). Some illustrative numerical results pertaining to the mercury atom are presented.
Influence of Vanadium on the Oxidation Resistance of the Intermetallic Phase Nb5Si3

The influence of vanadium additions on the oxidation resistance of the intermetallic phase Nb5Si3 was examined. Samples were produced by compacting mechanically alloyed powders using the field-assisted sintering technique. Oxidation experiments were performed under isothermal conditions at 800, 1000 and 1200 °C for oxidation times up to 100 h. Linear oxidation rate constants were found for all temperatures tested and the influence of the oxide scale morphology is discussed. At 800 °C very promising low weight gains were obtained and this particular oxide scale was examined thoroughly using scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis to determine the oxide phases formed. As expected from the phase diagram the mixed oxide V2O5·9Nb2O5 was found as the major phase constituting the scale. No spallation of this mixed oxide was observed which is likely due to its lower volume gain as compared to pure Nb2O5. Together with the slower formation kinetics, Vanadium addition in the amount used seems to positively alter the oxidation behaviour of Nb5Si3.
Position estimation by registration to planetary terrain

LIDAR-only and camera-only approaches to global localization in planetary environments have relied heavily on availability of elevation data. The low-resolution nature of available DEMs limits the accuracy of these methods. Availability of new high-resolution planetary imagery motivates the rover localization method presented here. The method correlates terrain appearance with orthographic imagery. A rover generates a colorized 3D model of the local terrain using a panorama of camera and LIDAR data. This model is orthographically projected onto the ground plane to create a template image. The template is then correlated with available satellite imagery to determine rover location. No prior elevation data is necessary. Experiments in simulation demonstrate 2m accuracy. This method is robust to 30° differences in lighting angle between satellite and rover imagery.