cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Approaches to Modulate the Chronic Wound Environment Using Localized Nucleic Acid Delivery

Significance: Nonhealing wounds have been the subject of decades of basic and clinical research. Despite new knowledge about the biology of impaired wound healing, little progress has been made in treating chronic wounds, leaving patients with few therapeutic options. Diabetic ulcers are a particularly common form of nonhealing wound. Recent Advances: Recently, investigation of therapeutic nucleic acids (TNAs), including plasmid DNA, small interfering RNA, microRNA mimics, anti-microRNA oligonucleotides, messenger RNA, and antisense oligonucleotides, has created a new treatment strategy for chronic wounds. TNAs can modulate the wound toward a prohealing environment by targeting gene pathways associated with inflammation, proteases, cell motility, angiogenesis, epithelialization, and oxidative stress. A variety of delivery systems have been investigated for TNAs, including dendrimers, lipid nanoparticles (NPs), polymeric micelles, polyplexes, metal NPs, and hydrogels. This review summarizes recent developments in TNA delivery for therapeutic targets associated with chronic wounds, with an emphasis on diabetic ulcers. Critical Issues: Translational potential of TNAs remains a key challenge; we highlight some drug delivery approaches for TNAs that may hold promise. We also describe current commercial efforts to locally deliver nucleic acids to modulate the wound environment. Future Directions: Localized nucleic acid delivery holds promise for the treatment of nonhealing chronic wounds. Future efforts to improve targeting of these nucleic acid therapies in the wound with both spatial and temporal control through drug delivery systems will be crucial to successful clinical translation.
Ozone-induced changes in murine lung extracellular vesicle number and small RNA content

Inhalation exposure to ozone (O3) causes adverse respiratory health effects that result from airway inflammation, a complex response mediated by changes to airway cellular transcriptional programs. These programs may be regulated in part by a subset of microRNAs transferred between cells (e.g. epithelial cells and macrophages) via extracellular vesicles (EV miRNA). To explore this, we exposed female C57BL/6J mice to filtered air (FA), 1, or 2 ppm O3 by inhalation and collected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) 21 hours later for markers of airway inflammation, EVs, and EV miRNA. Both concentrations of O3 significantly increased markers of inflammation (neutrophils and total protein) and the number of EVs in the BALF. Using high-throughput small RNA sequencing, we identified several differentially expressed (DE) BALF EV miRNAs after 1 ppm (16 DE miRNAs) and 2 ppm (99 DE miRNAs) O3 versus FA exposure. O3 concentration response patterns in EV miRNA expression were apparent, particularly for the two most highly expressed (miR-2137 and miR-126-3p) and lowly expressed (miR-378-3p and miR-351-5p) miRNAs. Integrative analysis of EV miRNA expression and airway cellular mRNA expression identified EV miR-22-3p as a candidate regulator of transcriptomic responses to O3 in airway macrophages. In contrast, we did not identify candidate miRNA regulators of mRNA expression data from conducting airways (predominantly composed of epithelial cells). In summary, our data show that O3 exposure alters EV release and EV miRNA expression, suggesting that further investigation of EVs may provide insight into their effects on airway macrophage function and other mechanisms of O3-induced respiratory inflammation.
Variation in Nemrut Dağ obsidian at Pre-Pottery Neolithic to Late Bronze Age sites (or: all that’s Nemrut Dağ obsidian isn’t the Sıcaksu source)

Abstract Nemrut Dag volcano was a highly important obsidian source in the ancient Near East for millennia, and its circular caldera is a conspicuous landmark on the landscape. In contrast to its archaeological relevance as an obsidian source, Nemrut Dag was poorly understood for decades, starting with the work of Renfrew and colleagues. Fortunately, in the last decade or two, archaeologists not only have geological studies from which to draw information about the volcano but also have conducted their own research, including the work of Robin (2017) and colleagues ( Robin et al., 2015 , Robin et al., 2016 , Khalidi et al., 2016 ). One key finding is that all of the tested Nemrut Dag obsidian artifacts from a variety of sites match the chemical fingerprint of an outcrop near the village of Sicaksu. Since then, it has been presumed that the Sicaksu outcrop is the source for Nemrut Dag obsidian artifacts at sites in various regions and times. In contrast, four types of Nemrut Dag obsidian, including the Sicaksu type, occur among the artifacts at Kortik Tepe, Domuztepe, and Tell Mozan, at which there are indications of a diachronic change. Developing our knowledge of field relationships among the types of Nemrut Dag obsidian advances our ability to make behaviorally relevant interpretations.
The (inner) world according to GARP: Genetic susceptibility and regulatory T cells

A human autoimmune and allergic disease susceptibility variant on chromosome 11 results in the reduced expression of the gene encoding the GARP protein and thus compromises the function of regulatory T cells.
10 Use of managerial epidemiology by healthcare leaders in ambulatory settings

Description Despite many health reforms, the United States continues to struggle with limited healthcare access, exponential healthcare costs, and poor quality of care. Overcoming these challenges requires healthcare leaders’ effective navigation of industry transformation towards population health and a shift in patient volume to ambulatory healthcare settings. Research has demonstrated that the use of managerial epidemiology, an application of epidemiology tools and principles to management decision-making within healthcare organizations, can better serve the health of the population and could improve the triple aim of inadequate access, high costs, and poor quality. However, the adoption of this practice is weak and its utilization by current healthcare leaders has not yet been studied. Diffusion of innovation theory framed this qualitative study to understand the perspectives of ambulatory healthcare leaders on using managerial epidemiology within their leadership approach as well as understand the spread of this practice and associated barriers. Twelve healthcare leaders participated in semistructured interviews. Findings from open-axial coding of the interview data indicated managerial epidemiology is critical and validated the importance of managerial epidemiology for impacting the triple aim, population health, and overall system performance. Additionally, this study provided steps to accelerate the adoption and highlighted the use of managerial epidemiology during a pandemic, which has worldwide implications for improving health and performance of healthcare globally therefore promoting social change.
Evaluating optimal irrigation for potential yield and economic performance of major crops in southwestern Kansas

Abstract The Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer – Cropping System Model was used with an objective to evaluate maize (Zea mays L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) yield, crop water productivity (CWP) and return after variable cost (RAVC) under different combinations of irrigation interval/capacity and plant available soil water (PASW) thresholds on three soil types in southwestern Kansas. Maize, grain sorghum and winter wheat yields were maximized under irrigation capacity of 4.2–6.3, 3.1–4.2 and 2.5–3.1 mm/d, respectively. The lowest and highest values in the range corresponded to silt loam and fine sand soils, respectively. For maize, maximum RAVC ($630–710/ha) and CWP (25–27 kg/ha/mm) were achieved with a relatively shorter irrigation interval (25 mm/4–8 d). RAVC values for grain sorghum and winter wheat were not substantially affected by irrigation interval. The RAVC for grain sorghum and winter wheat ranged from $150 to $200/ha and $310 to $370/ha, respectively. The CWP of grain sorghum peaked at shorter irrigation interval (25 mm/6–8 d), whereas, high CWP of wheat was simulated even at longer irrigation interval (25 mm/26 d). Overall, for winter wheat and grain sorghum, irrigation strategy for attaining higher RAVC values is different from irrigation strategy for attaining higher yield. Whereas, for maize, irrigation strategy for higher yield is the same as that irrigation strategy for higher RAVC. This study guides producers to identify and prioritize the most suitable irrigation strategy for optimizing yield, CWP and/or income while enhancing sustainability of environment and management of ground water. The present work assumes all factors except water are optimal and findings are sensitive to dynamics of price changes, productivity levels and variations in crop management and climate.
Value distribution and markets for social justice in global value chains: Interdependence relationships and government policy

Global value chains are highly prone to distortions in value distribution among participants. Their global fragmentation and relational governance undermine the effectiveness of regulatory intervention in amending these distortions. In this paper, I propose a new mechanism to administer value distribution that is in tune with the nature of these production systems. Building on interdependence theory, I suggest that interdependencies inherent in the co-specialized nature of supply chains give participants the power to alter the trade-offs between investment in social causes and economic gains and to incentivize socially desired behavior. I show how the interdependence logic manifests at varying levels of the GVC, including the producing constituencies, governments, and international organizations, as well as civil society. These dynamics create markets for social justice that are driven by relationships among GVC participants and operate simultaneously at different scales. I further posit that the effectiveness of interdependence relationships as a value-distributing mechanism is socially-constructed and outline the social conditions that determine the outcomes. I specify the varying impact of governments on interdependence relationships – as activators, facilitators, or inhibitors of the transformative power of interdependencies – and discuss their effectiveness.
Up-Regulation of the Long Noncoding RNA X-Inactive-Specific Transcript and the Sex Bias in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a sex-biased disease. Increased expression and activity of the long-noncoding RNA X-inactive–specific transcript (Xist), essential for X-chromosome inactivation and dosage compensation of X-linked genes, may explain the sex bias of PAH. The present studies used a murine model of plexiform PAH, the intersectin-1s (ITSN) heterozygous knockout (KOITSN+/–) mouse transduced with an ITSN fragment (EHITSN) possessing endothelial cell proliferative activity, in conjunction with molecular, cell biology, biochemical, morphologic, and functional approaches. The data demonstrate significant sex-centered differences with regard to EHITSN-induced alterations in pulmonary artery remodeling, lung hemodynamics, and p38/ETS domain containing protein/c-Fos signaling, altogether leading to a more severe female lung PAH phenotype. Moreover, the long-noncoding RNA–Xist is up-regulated in the lungs of female EHITSN-KOITSN+/– mice compared with that in female wild-type mice, leading to sex-specific modulation of the X-linked gene ETS domain containing protein and its target, two molecular events also characteristic to female human PAH lung. More importantly, cyclin A1 expression in the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle of synchronized pulmonary artery endothelial cells of female PAH patients is greater versus controls, suggesting functional hyperproliferation. Thus, Xist up-regulation leading to female pulmonary artery endothelial cell sexual dimorphic behavior may provide a better understanding of the origin of sex bias in PAH. Notably, the EHITSN-KOITSN+/– mouse is a unique experimental animal model of PAH that recapitulates most of the sexually dimorphic characteristics of human disease.
P32 Self-Efficacy Among Students in Various Dietetics Programs

Background In educational programs, student perceptions are often overlooked; yet, have been shown to contribute to motivation, engagement, and academic performance. Conversely, a lack of self-efficacy can be a barrier to professional and effective clinical practice. Objective The objective of this research is to explore student self-efficacy in various dietetics programs. Study Design, Setting, Participants A cross-sectional study design assessed self-efficacy among dietetics students (n = 44) in 4 programs: coordinated undergraduate, coordinated graduate, dietetic internship, and the Future Education Model Graduate Program. Students were classified as first year of the program or subsequent year, as well as first year or subsequent year(s) as undergraduate and graduate students. Measurable Outcomes/Analysis The Self-Efficacy Scale for Nutrition Students in the Clinical Setting is a survey consisting of 20 statements based on ACEND competencies for programs. Survey statements are rated on a 4-item Likert scale ranging from ‘not at all confident’ to ‘fully confident.’ This survey was administered electronically and mean self-efficacy scores across all items were compared using independent samples t test and ANCOVA. Results Students in the first year of a dietetics program had significantly lower scores (2.9 ± 0.53) than in students in subsequent years (3.4 ± 0.41, P = 0.004). First year graduate students had significantly lower scores (2.79 ± 0.38) than second year graduate (3.37 ± 0.46) and undergraduate students (3.47 ± 0.29, P = 0.008). Areas of highest confidence among all students were ability to abide by the code of ethics, collect food and nutrition-related history, and seek assistance when needed. Students demonstrated lowest confidence in the ability to review medications, identify drug/nutrient interactions, and demonstrate negotiation skills in the clinical setting. Conclusion First year students demonstrated lower self-efficacy, even at the graduate level; however, self-efficacy was higher in students after completing supervised practice. This work identifies potential areas of growth in dietetics programs and highlights the need for experiences that enhance self-efficacy.
Empires of the Mind: The Colonial Past and the Politics of the Present

Robert Gildea, professor of history at Oxford, focused on modern France in his early career; later, he saw the limitations of a national framework and began to experiment with transnational and glo...
Reexamining the Quantum-Classical Relation: Beyond Reductionism and Pluralism

Classical mechanics and quantum mechanics are two of the most successful scientific theories ever discovered, and yet how they can describe the same world is far from clear: one theory is deterministic, the other indeterministic; one theory describes a world in which chaos is pervasive, the other a world in which chaos is absent. Focusing on the exciting field of 'quantum chaos', this book reveals that there is a subtle and complex relation between classical and quantum mechanics. It challenges the received view that classical and quantum mechanics are incommensurable, and revives another, largely forgotten tradition due to Niels Bohr and Paul Dirac. By artfully weaving together considerations from the history of science, philosophy of science, and contemporary physics, this book offers a new way of thinking about intertheory relations and scientific explanation. It will be of particular interest to historians and philosophers of science, philosophically-inclined physicists, and interested non-specialists.
European Colonialism since 1700

1. Introduction 2. The European empires in the early eighteenth century 3. The restructuring of the Atlantic empires 4. The new empires in Oceania and Asia 5. Africa and the Middle East 6. Imperial Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries 7. Decolonisation and postcolonial Europe.
Thurgood Marshall's Bill of Rights for Kenya

In Thurgood Marshall's office after his death, draped over an armchair in the morning sun, was a cloak made of monkey skin. The cloak was from Kenya, and was among the Justice's most treasured possessions. For years, Marshall told his friends and his law clerks stories about Kenya. The cloak was a gift, he told them, from the time he was made an honorary tribal chief. But even those closest to Marshall knew little about the Kenya adventures he so keenly remembered. This short essay illuminates Marshall's work on a Bill of Rights for Kenya in the early 1960s as an exercise in constitutional borrowing. When Marshall went to Kenya he looked over just about every constitution in the world just to see what was good, and he told an interviewer that the United States Constitution was the best I've ever seen. But at a conference in London on the Kenya constitution, he offered a draft bill of rights for Kenya that had no American constitutional language in it. The rights Marshall embraced as ideal, at least for an emerging African country, drew most extensively from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and parts were based on the constitutions of two newly independent countries, Nigeria and Malaya. Marshall's American sensibility appeared in his document most clearly in his assumption that independent courts would enforce the bill of rights, and his emphasis on equality, something he still hoped to realize in his own country.
Enhanced biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls after site-directed mutagenesis of a biphenyl dioxygenase gene

Biphenyl dioxygenase catalyzes the first step in the aerobic degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the biphenyl dioxygenases from two PCB-degrading strains (Pseudomonas sp. strain LB400 and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707) were compared. The sequences were found to be nearly identical, yet these enzymes exhibited dramatically different substrate specificities for PCBs. Site-directed mutagenesis of the LB400 bphA gene resulted in an enzyme combining the broad congener specificity of LB400 with increased activity against several congeners characteristic of KF707. These data strongly suggest that the BphA subunit of biphenyl dioxygenase plays an important role in determining substrate selectivity. Further alteration of this enzyme can be used to develop a greater understanding of the structural basis for congener specificity and to broaden the range of degradable PCB congeners.
Parental Separation and Offspring Alcohol Involvement: Findings from Offspring of Alcoholic and Drug Dependent Twin Fathers

Background We examined associations between parental separation during childhood and offspring alcohol involvement, adjusting for genetic and environmental risks specific to parental alcohol (AD) and cannabis/other illicit drug dependence (DD). Methods The sample consisted of 1,828 offspring of male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry, who completed a telephone diagnostic interview. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were conducted predicting onset of first use, transition from first use to first AD symptom, and transition from first use to AD diagnosis from paternal and avuncular AD and DD history, parental separation, and offspring and family background characteristics. Paternal/avuncular DD/AD was based on the DSM-III-R; offspring and maternal AD were based on DSM-IV criteria. Results Paternal DD/AD predicted increased offspring risk for all transitions, with genetic effects suggested on rate of transitioning to AD diagnosis. Parental separation was predictive of increased risk for early alcohol use, but a reduced rate of transition to both AD symptom onset and onset of AD. No interactions between separation and familial risk (indexed by paternal or avuncular DD/AD) were found. Conclusions Findings highlight the contribution of both parental separation and paternal substance dependence in predicting timing of offspring alcohol initiation and problems across adolescence into early adulthood.
In Vitro Antifungal Activity of ME1111, a New Topical Agent for Onychomycosis, against Clinical Isolates of Dermatophytes

The treatment of onychomycosis has improved considerably over the past several decades following the introduction of the oral antifungals terbinafine and itraconazole. However, these oral agents suffer from certain disadvantages, including drug interactions and potential liver toxicity. Thus, there is a need for new topical agents that are effective against onychomycosis. ME1111 is a novel selective inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase (complex II) of dermatophyte species, whose small molecular weight enhances its ability to penetrate the nail plate. In this study, we determined the antifungal activity of ME1111 against dermatophyte strains, most of which are known to cause nail infections, as measured by the MIC (n = 400) and the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) (n = 300). Additionally, we examined the potential for resistance development in dermatophytes (n = 4) following repeated exposure to ME1111. Our data show that the MIC90 of ME1111 against dermatophyte strains was 0.25 μg/ml, which was equivalent to that of the comparators amorolfine and ciclopirox (0.25 and 0.5 μg/ml, respectively). ME1111 was fungicidal at clinically achievable concentrations against dermatophytes, and its MFC90s against Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes were 8 μg/ml, comparable to those of ciclopirox. Furthermore, ME1111, as well as ciclopirox, did not induce resistance in 4 dermatophytes tested. Our studies show that ME1111 possesses potent antifungal activity and suggest that it has low potential for the development of resistance in dermatophytes.
Surgical Instruments in Revision Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

• Continued development and refinement of available surgical instrumentation for endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) remains important.
Observational equivalence in the modeling of African labor markets and urbanization

Abstract This article examines the appropriateness of neoclassical and rent-seeking models of urbanization for the African milieu and demonstrates that the reduced forms of these two models may be quite similar. The models are not observationally equivalent, however, and methods of distinguishing between them are discussed. A demographic cohort shift model of African urbanization also is presented. Its excellent predictive power suggests that migration models that assume migrant homogeneity (i.e., highly aggregate migration models) ignore information that can be useful in predicting trends in migration flows.
The sound of the dentist's drill and students' anxiety scores.

In a sample of 42 college students, a positive correlation of .51 with sound and .56 without sound was found between EMG scores and their total Dental Anxiety Scale scores for those who did and did not hear the drill.
Spatially variable water table recharge and the hillslope hydrologic response: Analytical solutions to the linearized hillslope Boussinesq equation

The linearized hillslope Boussinesq equation, introduced by Brutsaert (1994), describes the dynamics of saturated, subsurface flow from hillslopes with shallow, unconfined aquifers. In this paper, we use a new analytical technique to solve the linearized hillslope Boussinesq equation to predict water table dynamics and hillslope discharge to channels. The new solutions extend previous analytical treatments of the linearized hillslope Boussinesq equation to account for the impact of spatiotemporal heterogeneity in water table recharge. The results indicate that the spatial character of recharge may significantly alter both steady state subsurface storage characteristics and the transient hillslope hydrologic response, depending strongly on similarity measures of controls on the subsurface flow dynamics. Additionally, we derive new analytical solutions for the linearized hillslope-storage Boussinesq equation and explore the interaction effects of recharge structure and hillslope morphology on water storage and base flow recession characteristics. A theoretical recession analysis, for example, demonstrates that decreasing the relative amount of downslope recharge has a similar effect as increasing hillslope convergence. In general, the theory suggests that recharge heterogeneity can serve to diminish or enhance the hydrologic impacts of hillslope morphology.
An improved quadratic inference function for parameter estimation in the analysis of correlated data

Generalized estimating equations (GEE) are commonly employed for the analysis of correlated data. However, the quadratic inference function (QIF) method is increasing in popularity because of its multiple theoretical advantages over GEE. We base our focus on the fact that the QIF method is more efficient than GEE when the working covariance structure for the data is misspecified. It has been shown that because of the use of an empirical weighting covariance matrix inside its estimating equations, the QIF method's realized estimation performance can potentially be inferior to GEE's when the number of independent clusters is not large. We therefore propose an alternative weighting matrix for the QIF, which asymptotically is an optimally weighted combination of the empirical covariance matrix and its model-based version, which is derived by minimizing its expected quadratic loss. Use of the proposed weighting matrix maintains the large-sample advantages the QIF approach has over GEE and, as shown via simulation, improves small-sample parameter estimation. We also illustrated the proposed method in the analysis of a longitudinal study.
On the costs of food price fluctuations in low-income countries

Abstract Conventional welfare measures of the costs of food price fluctuations in low-income countries are extended to allow for both economic growth and food security effects. The analysis reveals that growth and food security effects may dominate more conventional welfare costs of food price fluctuations, although estimating the empirical magnitude of the effects is hampered by the lack of consensus on the extent to which food price fluctuations actually reduce economic growth and food security. Even if the welfare costs of food price fluctuations are high there are many challenges to the design and successful implementation of price stabilization schemes.
The Smithsonian-NIST partnership: The application of instrumental neutron activation analysis to archaeology

The history and procedures of the Smithsonian-NIST programme in the application of instrumental neutron activation to the study of archaeological materials are reviewed. Statistical processing of the resulting analytical data is a major focus of the programme, with attention called to processes of initial group formation. Specific areas of current research emphasis are presented, which build upon the strength of accumulated databases.
The interrogator as critic: The turing test and the evaluation of generative music systems

Procedural or algorithmic approaches to generating music have been explored in the medium of software for over fifty years. Occasionally, researchers have attempted to evaluate the success of these generative music systems by measuring the perceived quality or style conformity of isolated musical outputs. These tests are often conducted in the form of comparisons between computer-aided output and non-computer-aided output. The model of the Turing Test (TT), Alan Turing's proposed "Imitation Game" (Turing 1950), has been submitted and employed as a framework for these comparisons. In this context, it is assumed that if machine output sounds like, or is preferred to, human output, the machine has succeeded. The nature of this success is rarely questioned, and is often interpreted as evidence of a successful generative music system. Such listener surveys, within necessary statistical and psychological constraints, may be pooled to gauge common responses to and interpretations of music—yet these surveys are not TTs. This article argues that Turing's well-known proposal cannot be applied to executing and evaluating listener surveys.
Authenticity, Legitimacy and Productivity: a Study of the Tensions Among Values Underlying Educational Activity

Have you ever asked a curriculum maker how he justifies some curriculum he has just 'developed' for a school? Among the answers you might receive are: 'Compared to the present curriculum in the school, this one is much more precise and clear; teachers will know what they are supposed to teach and they will be able to tell if they have taught it'; 'The students are regularly failing to pass college-entrance tests. This course of study will get many more of them over those hurdles'; 'The subject matter of the old curriculum is hopelessly outmoded. The new course was developed with leading experts in its field'; 'We got some money to develop a programme for the gifted; and this curriculum will really challenge higher-ability students'; 'Our parent group is pretty sophisticated. They want more "inquiry" in the classroom and, by heavens, they are going to get it'; 'The present curriculum was designed for middleclass students. Ours are lower class and they must both develop more self-esteem and have their cultural horizons expanded'. If you ask a teacher to justify his style of teaching, you get a range of answers which may include: 'After 15 years, I know these kids. They like my course and so do the parents'; 'Why, what have you got against democracy in the classroom?'; 'It is important, especially in these times, for students to learn to accept responsibility for their behaviour. That's why I make it a point to discuss all bad behaviour with the class'; 'For me teaching is an exciting adventure. I love to continually try out new activities in class'; 'Students respect a teacher who has high standards and makes them work hard'; 'Look at the mess the world is in. My students are going to learn to come to grips with real issues, such as the racial prejudice of the leaders in our community'. The question that all such responses raise is to what extent, and in what ways, does firm knowledge of the lives of students enter into the determination of curriculum design and instructional policies? One sees the interests of policymakers, subject-matter experts, parents, and teachers in these replies; and certain capabilities and 'needs' are attributed to 'the' student. These attributions may be based on generalizatio ns from sociological studies of large populations of '14 year olds'; or on psychological insights on 'resistance to change' obtained from the teacher's experience with an adult sensitivity group; or on some rough-and-ready diagnosis of what minorities have to learn to be able to 'compete'; or on some
Chirospecific syntheses of 2H- and 13C-labeled 1-O-alkyl-2-O-alkyl′-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamines and 1-O-alkyl-2-O-alkyl′-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines

Abstract A convenient sequence for the synthesis of 1-O-alkyl-2-O-alkyl′-sn-glycero-3-phospholipids was demonstrated starting from 2,3-O-isopropylidene-sn-glycerol, which was first alkylated with 1-bromohexadecane, then converted to the corresponding benzylidene analog. Other less convenient methods to prepare 2,3-O-benzylidene-1-O-hexadecyl-sn-glycerol were also investigated. The key step in the synthesis was the reduction of 2,3-O-benzylidene-1-O-hexadecyl-sn-glycerol with lithium aluminum hydride-aluminum chloride to give 3-O-benzyl-1-O-hexadecyl-sn-glycerol as the major product in 79% yield. The syntheses of 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-hexadecyl-(1′,1′-d2,-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine and 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-hexadecyl-(1′-13C)-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine as well as the correspondingly labeled sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine analogs were then performed. The optical purites of the synthetic intermediates and the ether lipids were established by a novel 1H-NMR method.
On the Matter of Suffering: Derek Parfit and the Possibility of Deserved Punishment

Derek Parfit has recently defended the view that no one can ever deserve to suffer. Were this view correct, its implications for the thorny problem of the justification of punishment would be extraordinary: age-old debates between consequentialists and retributivists would simply vanish, as punishment would only—and simply—be justifiable along Benthamite utilitarian lines. I here suggest that Parfit’s view is linked to uncharacteristically weak arguments, and that it ought to be rejected.
Effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on the immune responses of rhesus monkeys and mice

Abstract Female rhesus monkeys were fed either normal chow or chow containing 2.5 or 5.0 ppm of Aroclor 1248 (PCB). After 6 months, the PCB-fed monkeys developed chloracne, alopecia, and facial edema. After 11 months, control and treated monkeys were immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) and tetanus toxoid (TT). Monkeys fed 5.0 ppm of PCB had significantly lower anti-SRBC antibody titers than controls at only two intervals following primary immunization. Antibody response to TT was not measurably affected by PCB exposure. Both PCB-fed groups had consistently lower γ-globulin levels than controls. These results indicate that sustained exposure to low levels of PCB could have modest to slight immunosuppressive effects, which might be important depending on the general health of the individual. Mice fed up to 1000 ppm of PCB for 3 to 5 weeks exhibited no signs of PCB intoxication other than liver hypertrophy. However, these mice, when challenged with Salmonella typhimurium , showed higher mortality and significantly greater numbers of viable organisms in the spleen, liver, and blood than did controls. Similarly, exposed mice showed an increased sensitivity to endotoxin. Thus, mice exposed to subclinical doses of PCB (i.e., doses insufficient to produce overt clinical signs of intoxication) appear to have an impaired ability to withstand challenge by pathogens and an increased sensitivity to endotoxin.
Initial results from implementing and testing a MEMS adaptive optics system

This paper is the 3rd in a series of papers discussing characterization of a Micro-Electrical-Mechanical-System (MEMS) deformable mirror in adaptive optics. Here we present a comparison between a conventional adaptive optics system using a Xinetics continuous face sheet deformable mirror with that of segmented MEMS deformable mirror. We intentionally designed the optical layout to mimic that of a conventional adaptive optics system. We present this initial optical layout for the MEMS adaptive optics system and discuss problems incurred with implementing such a layout; also presented is an enhanced optical layout that partially addresses these problems. Closed loop Strehl highlighting the two systems will be shown for each case as well. Finally the performances of both conventional adaptive optics and the MEMS adaptive optics system is presented for a range of adaptive optics parameters pertinent to astronomical adaptive optics leading to a discussion of the possible implication of introducing a MEMS adaptive optics system into the science community.
Radio science investigations of the saturn system with voyager 1: preliminary results.

Analyses of Voyager 1 radio occultation measurements of the Saturn atmosphere near 75 deg south latitude and of the Titan equatorial atmosphere are presented. Molecular nitrogen appears to be the primary atmospheric constituent of Titan, whose clouds are probably methane ice. Solar abundance considerations of the data suggest large quantities of surface methane near its triple-point temperature, so that the three phases of methane could play a role on Titan analogous to that of water on earth. Ionospheric electron concentration and plasma scale height for the Saturn polar cap and monochromatic attenuation of the Saturn rings are also considered, along with radio tracking figures for the masses of two moons, Rhea and Titan.
A high-aspect-ratio two-axis electrostatic microactuator with extended travel range

Abstract The design, fabrication, modelling, and control of a two-axis electrostatic microactuator for precision manipulation tasks is described. A high-yield fabrication process using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers forms the 3-D high aspect ratio transverse comb drives that produce a relatively large electrostatic force. The structure is suspended by removing the substrate beneath the comb drives, therefore, a ground plane is not needed in order to compensate for electrostatic levitation. Among other advantages of the developed process is a dice-free release of wafer structures, allowing fragile structures to be individually packaged. Notching or footing effects and bowing effects are well-known problems in DRIE on SOI wafers. Techniques to overcome notching and bowing effects using a PlasmaTherm SLR-770 etcher are presented that do not require hardware modifications. A capacitive position sensing mechanism, capable of measuring displacements up to 4.5 μm with a resolution of 0.01 μm in both X and Y is integrated to provide position feedback. A nonlinear model inversion technique is proposed for nonlinear electrostatic microactuation system identification and improving system linearity and response. Pull-in instability limits the travel distance of transverse comb drive actuators. Using a nonlinear model inversion technique, a stable travel distance of 3.7 μm with a 4.5 μm gap has been achieved.
TH-C-19A-12: Two-Dimensional High Spatial-Resolution Dosimeter Using Europium Doped Potassium Chloride

Purpose: Recent research has shown that KCl:Eu2+ has great potential for use in megavoltage radiation therapy dosimetry because this material exhibits excellent storage performance and is reusable due to strong radiation hardness. This work reports our attempts to fabricate 2D KCl:Eu2+ storage phosphor films (SPFs) using both a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method and a tape casting method. Methods: A thin layer of KCl:Eu2+ was deposited on a substrate of borosilicate glass (e.g., laboratory slides) with a PVD system. For tape casting, a homogenous suspension containing storage phosphor particles, liquid vehicle and polymer binder was formed and subsequently cast by doctor-blade onto a polyethylene terephthalate substrate to form a 150 μm thick SPF. Results: X ray diffraction analysis showed that a 10 μm thick PVD sample was composed of highly crystalline KCl. No additional phases were observed, suggesting that the europium activator had completed been incorporated into the KCl matrix. Photostimulated luminescence and photoluminescence spectra suggested that F (Cl−) centers were the electron storage centers post x ray irradiation and that Eu2+ cations acted as luminescence centers in the photostimulation process. The 150 μm thick casted KCl:Eu2+ SPF showed sub-millimeter spatial resolution. Monte Carlo simulations further demonstrated that the admixture of 20% KCl:Eu2+ and 80% low Z polymer binder exhibited almost no energy dependence in a 6 MV beam. KCl:Eu2+ pellet samples showed a large dynamic range from 0.01 cGy to 60 Gy dose-to-water, and saturated at approximately 500 Gy as a Result of its intrinsic high radiation hardness. Conclusions: This discovery research provides strong evidence that KCl:Eu2+ based SPF with associated readout apparatus could Result in a novel electronic film system that has all the desirable features associated with classic radiographic film and, importantly, water equivalence and the capability of permanent identification of each detector. This work was supported in part by NIH Grant No. R01CA148853. The authors would like to thank Paul Leblans (AGFA Healthcare, Belgium) for many helpful discussions on this topic.
An Upper Cretaceous symmetrodont (Mammalia) from southern Utah

ABSTRACT A spalacotheriid symmetrodont from the Late Cretaceous (?early Campanian) Wahweap Formation of southcentral Utah is described on the basis of isolated molars. This is the first record of non-tribosphenic Theria from the southwestern United States. In several respects, Symmetrodontoides foxi, n.sp. is more primitive than its close relative, S. canadensis from the upper Milk River Formation (early Campanian, Aquilan) of Alberta, Canada. The orientation of wear striations indicates that jaw movement in this advanced symmetrodont included a significant transverse component. Although shearing was obviously important in spalacothere dental function, the lack of well-developed, polished wear facets and the presence of heavy apical wear indicate that puncture crushing was also significant.
You should see the other guy.

In this issue of Blood , Wall and colleagues report the use of radiolabeled 11-1F4 to visualize amyloid deposits.[1][1] This biodistribution study in humans demonstrates the ability of an antibody to bind to and identify amyloid deposits in vivo. Liver uptake was seen in a high proportion of
Impact of substance abuse on the course and treatment of bipolar disorder

Objectives: The objectives of this article are to review the prevalence, natural history, pathophysiology, and treatment of comorbid bipolar disorder with alcoholism and other psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUDs). Methods: All identified bibliographies through a literature search of all Medline files and bibliographies of selected articles focusing on the prevalence, natural history, course, prognosis, inter-relationship, and treatment of bipolar disorder with comorbid alcoholism and other PSUDs were reviewed. Results and conclusions: Comorbidity of bipolar disorder and alcoholism and other PSUDs is highly prevalent. The presence of this so called ‘dual diagnoses’ creates a serious challenge in terms of establishing an accurate diagnosis and providing appropriate treatment interventions. The inter-relationship between these disorders appears to be mutually detrimental. The course, manifestation, and treatment of each condition are significantly compounded by the presence of the other condition. Substance abuse and alcoholism appear to significantly complicate the course and prognosis of bipolar disorder resulting in increased suffering, disability, and costs. On the other hand, bipolar disorder may be a risk factor for developing PSUDs. Although, there are a number of hypotheses explaining the pathophysiological mechanism involved in such comorbidities, our understanding of the exact nature of such neurobiological mechanisms is still limited. While the antikindling agents and targeted psychotherapeutic techniques may be useful intervention strategies, there is still a significant lack of empirically based treatment options for these patients.
Nitromethane and Methyl Nitrite Adsorption on Au(111) Surfaces

The adsorption of nitromethane (CH3NO2 and CD3NO2) and d3-methyl nitrite (CD3ONO) on Au(111) was studied by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). These molecules are only weakly adsorbed on Au(111), and adsorption is completely reversible in both cases. Adsorbed CH3NO2 and CD3ONO in the monolayer each give rise to one thermal desorption peak in TPD with desorption activation energies of 10.5 and 8 kcal/mol, respectively. These desorption energies are close to the values for the heats of adsorption of these molecules, since there is no appreciable activation energy for molecular adsorption. HREELS confirms weak, molecular adsorption in the monolayer for both molecules. Furthermore, nitromethane is bonded on Au(111) in an upright, strongly tilted geometry, suggesting a monodentate coordination to the surface. Methyl nitrite adsorbs on Au(111) with the ONO group in a flat-lying geometry, with evidence for both cis and trans forms. The Au(111) ...
Structure And Meaning Of Organizational Vision

Chief executives in one national and three regional samples participated in a study of the content and structure of their organizational visions. Executives clustered in three groups distinguished ...
Inappropriate Early Hypotension in Adolescents: A Form of Chronic Orthostatic Intolerance with Defective Dependent Vasoconstriction

Instantaneous orthostatic hypotension (INOH) has been reported in children and adolescents as a new entity of orthostatic intolerance in children who underwent rapid standing as an orthostatic stress test. Children with INOH were discovered among patients presenting with symptoms of chronic orthostatic intolerance, which is often related to orthostatic tachycardia. We used head-up tilt table testing at 70 degrees to investigate children presenting with symptoms of chronic orthostatic intolerance. We compared 24 patients aged 12-17 y, with chronic orthostatic intolerance and symptoms for >or=3 mo, with 13 healthy normal control patients. We recorded continuous heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate and used venous occlusion strain gauge plethysmography to measure calf and forearm blood flow while supine and calf blood flow during head-up tilt. Patients with chronic orthostatic intolerance fulfilled criteria for the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome patients were divided into two groups by the occurrence of INOH. Supine forearm and calf arterial resistance was decreased in patients with INOH (n = 8) compared with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome patients without INOH (n = 16) and compared with control (n = 13). Resting calf venous pressure was elevated, suggesting excess venous filling because of vasodilation. During early head-up tilt, calf blood flow increased markedly in INOH, less in No-INOH, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome patients and least in control patients. Flow was temporally related to calf swelling and negatively correlated to hypotension. The data suggest that INOH occurs in patients with chronic orthostatic intolerance and orthostatic tachycardia and is related to rapid caudal blood flow when upright because of a vasoconstrictor defect.
Asking Students about the Importance of Safety Skills Instruction: A Preliminary Analysis of What They Think is Important

Although the importance of safety skills instruction is well acknowledged and available data suggest individuals with varying disabilities sustain injuries from accidents at a rate that is comparable to or may exceed the normative population, many students do not receive systematic safety skills instruction. Findings on the extent to which students are provided such instruction have been based largely on teacher input and parent input, with little or no input provided by students. The purposes of this investigation were to ask students with intellectual and other disabilities across two states about the safety skills they learned in school and to assign value to each safety skills' content area. In addition, this investigation sought to identify differences in safety beliefs between students with mild disabilities and students with moderate to severe disabilities. Results indicated that both groups valued safety skills instruction, but students with moderate to severe disabilities assigned a higher level ...