cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma, Urine, and Adipose Tissue Biomarkers of Dietary Intake Differ Between Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Diet Groups in the Adventist Health Study-2.

BACKGROUND Differences in food composition, nutrient intake, and various health outcomes have been reported for vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) cohort. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether biomarkers of dietary intake also differed between individuals classified as vegetarian (vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian) and non-vegetarians based on patterns of consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs. METHODS Fasting plasma, overnight urine, and adipose tissue samples were collected from a representative subset of AHS-2 participants classified into 5 diet groups (vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, non-vegetarian) who also completed food-frequency questionnaires. Diet-related biomarkers including carotenoids, isoflavones, enterolactone, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins were analyzed in 840 male and female participants. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association between diet pattern and biomarker abundance, comparing each of 4 vegetarian dietary groups to non-vegetarians, and adjusted mean values were calculated. Bonferroni correction was applied to control for multiple testing. RESULTS Vegans had higher plasma total carotenoid concentrations (1.6-fold, P < 0.0001), and higher excretion of urinary isoflavones (6-fold, P < 0.0001) and enterolactone (4.4-fold) compared with non-vegetarians. Vegans had lower relative abundance of saturated fatty acids including myristic, pentadecanoic, palmitic, and stearic acids (P < 0.0001). Vegans had higher linoleic acid (18:2ω-6) relative to non-vegetarians (23.3% compared with 19.1%) (P < 0.0001), and a higher proportion of total ω-3 fatty acids (2.1% compared with 1.6%) (P < 0.0001). Results overall were similar but less robust for lacto-ovo- and pesco-vegetarians. 1-Methylhistidine was 92% lower in vegans, and lower in lacto-ovo- and pesco-vegetarians by 90% and 80%, respectively, relative to non-vegetarians (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION AHS-2 participants following vegan, and lacto-ovo- or pesco-vegetarian diet patterns have significant differences in plasma, urine, and adipose tissue biomarkers associated with dietary intakes compared with those who consume a non-vegetarian diet. These findings provide some validation for the prior classification of dietary groups within the AHS-2 cohort.
Identification of lenalidomide resistance pathways in myeloma and targeted resensitization using cereblon replacement, inhibition of STAT3 or targeting of IRF4

To understand immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) resistance in multiple myeloma (MM), we created isogenic human multiple myeloma cell lines (HMCLs) sensitive and resistant to lenalidomide, respectively. Four HMCLs were demonstrated to be resistant to all IMiDs including lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and CC-220, but not to Bortezomib. In three HMLCs (MM.1.SLenRes, KMS11LenRes and OPM2LenRes), CRBN abnormalities were found, including chromosomal deletion, point mutation, and low CRBN expression. The remaining HMCL, XG1LenRes, showed no changes in CRBN but exhibited CD147 upregulation and impaired IRF4 downregulation after lenalidomide treatment. Depletion of CD147 in XG1LenRes and three additional HMCLs had no significant impact on MM viability and lenalidomide response. Further analysis of XG1LenRes demonstrated increased IL6 expression and constitutive STAT3 activation. Inhibition of STAT3 with a selective compound (PB-1-102) re-sensitized XG1LenRes to lenalidomide. Since XG1LenRes harbors a truncated IRF4 that is not downregulated by lenalidomide, we targeted IRF4/MYC axis with a selective inhibitor of the bromodomain of CBP/EP300 (SGC-CBP30), which restored lenalidomide response in XG1LenRes. This strategy also appeared to be more broadly applicable as SGC-CBP30 could re-sensitize two resistant HMCLs with low but detectable CRBN expression to lenalidomide, suggesting that targeting CBP/E300 is a promising approach to restore IMiD sensitivity in MM with detectable CRBN expression.
Adaptive Subspace Signal Detection With Uncertain Partial Prior Knowledge: Off-Grid Problem and Efficient Implementation

We consider signal detection in subspace interference with partial prior knowledge of the subspace. The problem was recently considered by Li et al. , where a subspace knowledge with learning (SKL) Bayesian model was proposed to leverage partial and uncertain knowledge of the subspace bases. The SKL, however, is based on the assumption that the subspace bases are a subset of a known overdetermined dictionary defined on a densely sampled frequency grid. Due to the so-called grid mismatch problem, i.e., the subspace bases may not be exactly on the frequency grid, there is a need to develop solutions that can exploit approximate prior knowledge, i.e., knowledge of frequency grid points close to the true frequencies but the latter themselves. In this paper, we extend the work by Li et al. and develop a modified SKL (mSKL) algorithm to exploit partial, approximate, and uncertain prior knowledge for subspace estimation and target detection. The mSKL is a Bayesian inference algorithm that can reject incorrect subspace bases, recover missing bases, and benefit approximately correct bases in the prior knowledge set. For computational efficiency, the recently introduced generalized approximate message passing (GAMP) is employed in the mSKL for efficient update of some posteriors. The resulting scheme, referred to as the mSKL-GAMP, is shown to offer competitive subspace recovery and target detection performance over a range of alternative methods in various scenarios with different grid mismatch levels.
Contract Administration Tools for Design-Build and Construction Manager/General Contractor Highway Projects

AbstractAlternative contracting methods (ACMs) such as design-build (DB) and construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC), when used strategically, have been shown in some studies to offer cost ...
Aeroacoustic source localization and source level estimation during wind tunnel testing of a flat plate with and without a gap

Acoustic measurements in wind tunnels are notoriously difficult because of machinery noise from the tunnel, and aeroacoustic noise generated within the tunnel and by the test model; and because the potentially-weak signals of interest may share a common frequency range with these noise sources. Thus, when model changes are made, localizing any new aeroacoustic source(s) and determining their level(s) are challenging tasks. This presentation provides such experimental results for the aeroacoustic source associated with addition of a 6 mm gap in a 0.5-m-by-1.0-m flat plate aligned with the flow direction. When present, the gap was located 0.40-m from the plate’s leading edge. The measurements were collected in the Anechoic Flow Facility of the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Carderock Division at nominal air speeds of 19 and 30 m/s using a ∼0.6-m-diameter spiral microphone array with 24 elements placed 1.24 m from the plate and separated from the air flow by a thin barrier. Measurements in the 4-to-12 kHz frequency range were processed using conventional and high-resolution beamforming methods with and without noise-reference subtraction. Source location and level estimation for the gap-induced aeroacoustic sound source was successful at nominal signal-to-noise ratios of –20 dB. [Work supported by NAVSEA through the NEEC.]
Prior exposure to elevated pCO2 does not affect calcification of a tropical scleractinian when returned to ambient pCO2

Abstract Coral reefs experience biologically-driven pCO2 oscillations that are predicted to become more extreme in magnitude and duration under ocean acidification (OA) regimes. Understanding the plasticity of responses in common reef-building corals to oscillations in pCO2 will allow for better predictions of their function in future seawater conditions. This study explored the effects of variation in seawater pCO2 on coral calcification using experiments conducted over one month between 9 April 2018 and 18 May 2018. Branches (~4-cm long) of Acropora retusa were sampled from colonies at 10-m depth on the fore reef of Mo'orea, French Polynesia (17° 28′ 53.9004" S, 149° 49′ 50.5992" W). We tested the hypothesis that depressed calcification caused by elevated pCO2 (~1000 μatm) is relaxed (i.e., calcification increases) upon return to ambient pCO2 (~400 μatm). Corals first were incubated in ambient or elevated pCO2 for 19 days, with the result that calcification integrated over this period was reduced by 31% under elevated pCO2. The same corals were then incubated at ambient pCO2 for 11 days, during which calcification was independent of the experimental pCO2 exposure history. Our results suggest that a quick relaxation of pCO2-depressed calcification in A. retusa following cessation of high pCO2 indicates that corals are capable of a reversible plastic response of calcification when confronted by pCO2 oscillations.
Geomagnetic and Solar dependency of MSTIDs occurrence rate: A climatology based on airglow observations from the Arecibo Observatory Remote Optical Facility (ROF)

We employ in this work the first airglow dataset registered at the Remote Optical Facility (ROF) in Culebra, Puerto Rico, during the descending phase of the solar cycle #24. From November 4, 2015, ...
Growth and Oleanolic Acid Accumulation of Polyscias fruticosa Cell Suspension Cultures.

BACKGROUND Oleanolic acid is an oleanane triterpene found in many plant species all over the world. This compound is also a major saponin in leaves of Polyscias fruticosa and possesses several promising pharmacological activities, such as hepatoprotective effects, and antiinflammatory, antioxidant, or anticancer activities. OBJECTIVE The objective of the present work is to establish cell suspension culture of P. fruticosa, investigate the influence of several factors such as plant growth regulators and carbon source on cell growth, and determine their oleanolic acid content. METHODS Cell culture was established by using 2 g fresh weight of 30 day old friable callus derived from in vitro stem segment in 50 mL of liquid medium with a shaking speed of 220 rpm. The culture was then incubated at 25±2oC with a shaking speed of 120 rpm in the period of 12 h daylight at a light intensity of about 6.75 μmol/m2/s. Cell growth was measured by fresh and dry biomass at 16 h day. Oleanolic acid content was determined using HPLC analysis. RESULTS & DISCUSSION The study results showed that MS medium containing 2% sucrose as a carbon source, supplemented with 1 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.5 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was the most appropriate growth medium. Cell biomass and oleanolic acid content reached the highest values of 0.43 g dry weight/flask and 25.4 mg/g dry weight, respectively. CONCLUSION These results indicated the potential production of oleanolic acid, a compound with high pharmacological value, from P. fruticosa cell culture.
Preconsultation compassion intervention to reduce anxiety among patients referred to a cancer center: protocol for a randomised control trial.

Introduction Patients diagnosed with cancer commonly have a high degree of anxiety during an initial oncology consultation, which may interfere with a patient’s ability to retain information required to make informed treatment decisions. A previous study randomised breast cancer survivors (volunteers) to view either (a) a brief video depicting a standard initial consultation from an oncologist or (b) an identical consultation with the addition of compassionate statements from the oncologist, and found the compassionate statements reduced anxiety among the volunteers. However, while compassionate statements reduced anxiety during simulation, it is currently unknown whether watching a video containing compassionate statements from an oncologist prior to an initial oncology consultation will reduce anxiety among patients referred to a cancer centre. The aim of this randomised control trial is to test whether watching a brief video containing compassionate statements from an oncologist, compared with watching a standard introduction video, prior to an initial oncology consultation will reduce the degree of anxiety among patients referred to a cancer centre. Methods and analysis This is a prospective, randomised controlled clinical trial at an academic cancer centre. We will enrol adult patients scheduled for an initial oncology consultation. Subjects will be randomly assigned to receive a standard introduction video or enhanced compassion video for viewing prior to the initial oncology consultation. On arrival to the cancer centre, we will measure anxiety severity using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The HADS has two 7-item subscales (HADS anxiety and HADS depression) and is well-validated among oncology patients. We will use Wilcoxon rank-sum test to test for a difference in the HADS subscales between the two video groups. Ethics and dissemination The Cooper University Hospital Institutional Review Board approved this study. The results from this randomised control trial will be submitted for publication to a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number NCT04503681.
Investigating the mechanical behavior of multiscale porous ultra-high temperature ceramics using a quasi-static material point method

Abstract Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are a class of materials that maintain their structural integrity at high temperatures, e.g. 2000 °C. They have been limited in their aerospace applications because of their relatively high density and the difficulty involved in forming them into complex shapes, like leading edges and inlets. Recent advanced processing techniques have made significant headway in addressing these challenges, where the introduction of multiscale porosity has resulted in lightweight UHTCs and a more tailored thermal conductivity response. The effect of porosity on the properties of UHTCs must be characterized to enable design, but doing so experimentally can be costly, especially when attempting to mimic hypersonic flight conditions. As such, this paper seeks to computationally characterize and understand the effective mechanical properties of porous UHTCs, specifically titanium diboride, and validate those results against experimental results so as to build confidence in the model. An implicit quasi-static variant of the Material Point Method (MPM) is developed, whose capabilities include intrinsic treatment of large deformations and contact which are needed to capture the post-elastic behavior of simulated porous UHTC microstructures. It is found that the MPM can approximately obtain the elastic properties of porous UHTCs without calibration, and that the post-elastic results are found to be qualitatively consistent with experimental results. With calibrated input properties, significantly improved agreement is obtained.
Autograding "Explain in Plain English" questions using NLP

Previous research suggests that "Explain in Plain English" (EiPE) code reading activities could play an important role in the development of novice programmers, but EiPE questions aren't heavily used in introductory programming courses because they (traditionally) required manual grading. We present what we believe to be the first automatic grader for EiPE questions and its deployment in a large-enrollment introductory programming course. Based on a set of questions deployed on a computer-based exam, we find that our implementation has an accuracy of 87-89%, which is similar in performance to course teaching assistants trained to perform this task and compares favorably to automatic short answer grading algorithms developed for other domains. In addition, we briefly characterize the kinds of answers that the current autograder fails to score correctly and the kinds of errors made by students.
Indirect Determination of Hydraulic Properties of Porous Media

This paper considers an inverse problem associated with modelling unsaturated flow in a porous medium. An unknown coefficient in a typical inverse problem is shown to be uniquely determined in a given equivalence class by a combination of Dirichlet and Neumann data. It is further shown that an approximation to the coefficient can be constructed by an algorithm based on a trace-type functional formulation of the inverse problem.
Scale Renormalization and Random Solutions of the Burgers Equation

Solutions of the Burgers equation with a stationary (spatially) stochastic initial condition are considered. A class of limit laws for the solution which correspond to a scale renormalization is considered.
Barriers to coliphage infection of commensal intestinal flora of laboratory mice

Growth characteristics of coliphage viruses indicate that they are adapted to live with their Eschericia coli hosts in the intestinal tract. However, coliphage experimentally introduced by ingestion persist only transiently if at all in the gut of humans and other animals. This study attempted to identify the barriers to long term establishment of exogenous coliphage in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of laboratory mice. Intestinal contents were screened for the presence of coliphage and host bacteria, and strains of E. coli bacteria from different segments of the GI tract were tested for susceptibility to six common laboratory coliphages. Contrary to expectations, coliphage were not evident in the GI tracts of laboratory mice, although they were occasionally detected in feces. Commensal flora showed extreme variability within groups of mice despite identical handling and diet. Less than 20% of 48 mice tested carried E. coli in their gut, and of 22 commensal E. coli strains isolated and tested, 59% were completely resistant to infection by lambda, M13, P1, T4, T7, and PhiX174 coliphage. Lysogeny could not be demonstrated in the commensal strains as mitomycin C failed to induce detectable phage. Pre-existing immunity to phages was not evident as sera and fecal washes did not contain significant antibody titers to six laboratory phage types. Lack of sufficient susceptible host bacteria seems to be the most likely barrier to establishment of new coliphage infections in the mouse gut.
Caveolin, cholesterol and Ras signalling.

Studies on the role of cholesterol- and caveolin-rich membrane microdomains in localizing Ras to the plasma membrane and enabling its signalling activity reveal intriguing differences both between mammalian H-Ras and K-Ras and between requirements for Ras signalling in mammalian and nematode cells.
Coincidental malabsorption of lactose, fructose, and sorbitol ingested at low doses is not common in normal adults

Normal subjects may incompletely absorb either lactose, fructose, or sorbitol and may therefore have abdominal symptoms. The frequency of coincidental malabsorption of these sugars is not known. This is clinically important, since we often ingest them during the same day and malabsorption may cause abdominal symptoms. To shed light on this issue we studied 32 normal subjects. Volunteers drank in random order the following solutions: 20 g lactulose, 50 g sucrose, 50 and 25 g lactose, 50 and 25 g fructose, 20 and 10 g sorbitol. Semiquantitative carbohydrate malabsorption was estimated with lactulose standards. Frequency of 50-g lactose (69%), 50-g fructose (81%), and 20-g sorbitol (84%) malabsorption was not significantly different (P = 0.3). The estimated median fraction of the ingested high dose malabsorbed was 42, 19, and 68% for lactose, fructose, and sorbitol, respectively. At low challenging doses, 63% of the volunteers absorbed two of three or all three sugars, and 88% were asymptomatic to two or all three sugars. In conclusion, the frequency of coincidental malabsorption of lactose, fructose, and sorbitol and intolerance to these sugars is not common, when normal adults ingest them at low doses.
Three‐Dimensional Displays

The sections in this article are 1 Computer Graphics Rendering 2 Direct Volume Display Device Rendering 3 A Survey of Direct Volume Display Devices 4 COmputer Graphics Techniques 5 Conclusion
Fish found in flagrante delicto.

Genetic analysis of cichlid fish in Nicaraguan lakes reveals a possible case of repeated sympatric speciation: the creation of two species from one in the same environment.
ORGANIC REQUIREMENTS AND SYNTHETIC MEDIA FOR GROWTH OF THE MYXOMYCETE PHYSARUM POLYCEPHALUM.

Daniel, John W. (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Karlee L. Babcock, Alice H. Sievert, and Harold P. Rusch. Organic requirements and synthetic media for growth of the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum. J. Bacteriol. 86:324–331. 1963.—An isolate of Physarum polycephalum was maintained in submersed pure culture in a completely defined medium, giving cell yields approximately 70% of those obtained in a partially defined medium. Optimal concentrations of the absolute organic requirements, identified as d- or l-methionine, biotin, thiamine, and hematin as previously reported, were established. Glycine was highly stimulatory. In a minimal medium, alanine or glutamine, not required in the complete medium, stimulated growth and appeared to function as sources for transamination. Arginine was also required in the minimal medium. The cell yield in a simplified medium containing the absolute requirements plus glycine, alanine, and arginine was approximately the same as that in the complete medium, but the growth rate was about 25% lower.
Component Architecture of the Tecolote Framework

Los Alamos National Laboratory's Tecolote Framework is used in conjunction with other libraries by several physical simulations. This paper briefly describes the design and use of Tecolote's component architecture. A component is a C++ class that meets several requirements imposed by the framework to increase its reusability, configurability, and ease of replacement. We discuss both the motives for imposing these requirements upon components and the means by which a generic C++ class may be integrated into Tecolote by satisfying these requirements. We also describe the means by which these components may be combined into a physics application.
The Treatment of Sexual Perversion

In recent years there have been a variety of approaches to the treatment of sexual perversions. Generally, these approaches can be divided into five main categories: psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, relapse prevention, organic, and family systems. The psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral orientations have largely dominated treatment, inasmuch as both of these approaches purport to treat the full spectrum of paraphiliac disorders. Relapse prevention techniques, which are being used increasingly in specialized treatment programs for sex offenders, can be initiated at the very onset of the treatment encounter.1 The organic and family systems approaches are somewhat delimited in that each of these perspectives treats a narrower range of deviant sexual disorders. For example, the organic approach, which until recently was confined to the administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, Depo-Provera),2 is used for the seriously acting out and potentially dangerous patient for whom immediate control measures are indicated. The family systems approach has been mostly limited to the advanced stages of the treatment of some incest cases (intrafamilial pedophilia).3
Thyroid hormone secretion rates and food consumption of the hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) at 25.5° and 4.5°C

The thyroid hormone secretion rates (TSR) were determined on the mature, female hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) at 25.5 and 4.5°C. A rapid increase in thyroid activity was observed within the first 10 days of cold exposure. Thyroid activity increased up to 39–40 days, then plateaued for a period up to 65–70 days, and finally declined toward the pre-exposure levels by 150 days at 4.5°C. Food consumption determined at 25.5°C increased very rapidly after exposure of the hamsters to 4.5°C. Increases to twice the control values were recorded at 12–13 days after cold exposure. Food consumption then declined to about 60% above the pre-exposure level and plateaued rather irregularly up to 55 days of exposure. It appears that both increased thyroid activity and increased food consumption may help to acclimate the hamster to cold. Although food consumption remains high up to 55 days of cold exposure, it appears that by 150 days of cold exposure, thyroid hormone secretion rates have declined to almost pre-exposure levels.
FTIR-ATR study of the co-adsorption of benzophenone with sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate using Al2O3-coated optics

Abstract The adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SLABS), and the co-adsorption of those surfactants with a “probe” species — benzophenone (BPN) — at the Al2O3/aqueous solution interface were examined via polarized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy. The internal reflection element (IRE) was ZnSe, coated with 0.1–0.25 μm of Al2O3 deposited by r.f. sputtering. This technique allows in situ determination of adsorption isotherms and adsorbate structures from IR-ATR spectra of the surfactants. Spectra of the surfactant head groups may be analyzed at energies down to about 900 cm−1. The interface remains in contact with surfactant solution while the spectra are obtained. Solvation-induced band shifts for BPN co-absorbed with SDS or with SLABS, compared with band positions in various solvents, indicated that BPN resided in the alkyl region of the SDS or SLABS surface layer. The extent of co-adsorption was a function of pH and ionic strenght. The presence of the BPN reduced the adsorption density of both SDS and SLABS. Orientation of the probe molecules within the adsorbed SDS layer was determined from the linear dichroic ratios exhibited by polarized ATR spectra. The orientation of the BPN molecules changed significantly with solution conditions, but generally the long axis of the BPN molecules was normal to long axes of the surfactant alkyl chains. The surfactant alkyl chains were found to be inclined to the surface normal at angles of 42–50, and the phenyl rings of SLABS were inclined at 38–45, depending upon the conditions. The implications of these results for the IR spectral analysis of adsorbate structures are discussed.
Energy shifts due to the ponderomotive potential

We show, by simple classical arguments, that the explicit time dependence of the ponderomotive potential causes both a shift and a broadening of the photoelectron lines in high-intensity multiphoton experiments. If the laser pulse is short enough, some of the energy from the absorbed photons will be lost by an electron when it separates from the pulse. Since different atoms are ionized at different intensities, the shifts of the energies of the individual electrons will differ. This will be detected as an inhomogeneous broadening of the electron lines. Both the shift and the broadening will be of the same order of magnitude as the ponderomotive potential. Fast electrons experience a lower shift than slow electrons. The important parameter is the ratio between the transverse pulse diameter and the pulse duration. If the electron velocity is much higher than this ratio, there will be no shift. If the velocity is much lower than this ratio, there will be a maximum shift. These predictions have just recently been confirmed, at least qualitatively, by experiments.
Thermoluminescence Response of Lithium Fluoride to Energetic Light Ions

Thermoluminescence measurements were made on thin lithium fluoride (LiF) specimens exposed singly or in a stack to various ion and gamma/x-ray sources, and the results were analyzed in an attempt to correlate individual thermoluminescence peaks with basic underlying processes. A low temperature composite peak at 440-460 K, commonly observed in gamma irradiated specimens, has been found for all our exposures, and we attribute it specifically to interactions that result in low ionization densities. A high temperature peak has been found to be prominently stimulated in specimens subjected to ion bombardment. Based in part on our calculations of elastic collision processes, this peak is interpreted as relating at least in part to displacement-damage-type traps produced directly by energetic ions in the LiF lattices. Two additional groups of thermolumin-escence response exist in the intermediate temperature range (490 - 550 K) and appear to be associated with higher ionization densities. Overall, our results to date appear to confirm that the local ionization density (irrespective of how it is produced) is a principal factor in shaping the glow curve. It is also very likely that the enhanced defect concentration resulting from ion-produced atomic displacements provides added deep traps and therefore contributes to the observed (high-temperature) response. We feel that a better understanding of how the high temperature traps are formed and filled is essential for establishing the correlations needed in using thermoluminescence techniques for high energy neutron dosimetry.
Spatiotemporal aspects of pulsed electrical stimuli on the responses of rabbit retinal ganglion cells

Implanted intraocular microelectrode arrays are being used to provide sight to individuals who are blind due to photoreceptor degeneration. It is envisioned that this retinal prosthesis will create the illusion of motion by stimulating focal areas of the retina in a sequential fashion through neighboring electrodes, much like the rapid succession of still images in movies and computer animation gives rise to apparent motion. Using a high-density microelectrode array, we examined the extracellularly recorded responses of rabbit retinal ganglion cells to a bar-shaped electrode array that was stepped at 50 microm increments at different rates across the retina and compared these responses to the responses generated to a similarly shaped light stimulus that was stepped across the retina. When the retina was stimulated at 1 step/s, retinal ganglion cells gave robust bursts of action potentials to both the electrode array and the light stimulus. The responses to the 'moving' electrode array decreased progressively with increasing stepping frequency. At 16 steps/s (highest frequency tested), the number of spikes per sweep and the number of bursts per sweep were reduced 75% and 67% respectively. In contrast, when the retina was stimulated at 16 steps/s with the 'moving' light stimulus, the number of spikes per sweep and the number of bursts per sweep were reduced only 43% and 25% respectively. These findings suggest that simple translation of object motion to sequential stimulation through neighboring electrodes may not be the best way to convey the perception of object motion in a patient with a retinal prosthesis.
Longitudinal study of self-regulation, positive parenting, and adjustment problems among physically abused children

Objective Research using normative and high-risk samples indicates a significant link between problems with self-regulation and child maladjustment. Nevertheless, little is known about the processes that may modify the link between self-regulation and maladjustment. This longitudinal study examined the joint contributions of child self-regulation and positive parenting behaviors to the development of externalizing and internalizing symptomatology spanning from preschool to 1st grade.
Assessing the steps to war

This analysis outlines and tests the steps-to-war explanation of international conflict. At the core of this explanation is the expectation that territorial disputes are a key source of war and that as states that have these disputes make politically relevant alliances, have recurring disputes and build up their military forces against each other, they will experience ever-increasing probabilities of war. The absence of these risk factors is expected to lessen the chances of severe conflict. Utilizing the Militarized Interstate Dispute data of the Correlates of War project, the data analyses provide full support for the steps-to-war explanation during the 1816–1945 era and partial support for the Cold War nuclear 1946–92 span. Among the findings for this latter period is the presence of a curvilinear relationship between the number of prior disputes and the probability of war – after a large number of disputes, states begin to ritualize their behaviour at levels short of war.
Approaches to community concerns: applied public health

Public health workers are challenged to address community health concerns believed to be related to environmental exposures. The challenge is heightened when there are multiple potential exposures and numerous health concerns. In a community in Washington State, we employed different approaches depending on the specificity of diagnosis and the relation of the disease to environmental exposures. For diseases with specific diagnoses and questionable associations with environmental exposures, we began by determining whether rates of disease were higher than expected. Different approaches were needed for three different health concerns. Major limitations were estimating community population counts and obtaining comparison rates from published literature. Despite limitations, epidemiologic data developed at a relatively low cost were useful in assisting the community in understanding its health status.
Response of hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidases to various types of insecticide chemical synergists administered to mice

Abstract For several hours after a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose to mice, piperonyl butoxide, 2-methylpropyl 2-propynyl phenylphosphonate (NIA 16824), and 5,6-dichloro-l, 2,3-benzothiadiazole (WL 19255) inhibit hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidase (mfo) activity and the apparent level of cytochrome P-450 but, after 24–72 hr, they induce increased mfo activity and P-450 content. Other types of insecticide chemical synergists studied are generally less active or inactive in this respect. The active compounds enhance the toxicity of several insecticide chemicals and markedly prolong hexobarbital sleeping time but not hexobarbital toxicity. The action of WL 19255 differs from that of piperonyl butoxide and NIA 16824 in that it is relatively non-specific in inhibiting enzymatic activity on several substrates, gives a more prolonged effect on P-450, and the magnitude of induction is greater.
Is the Secret to Labor's Future in Its Past?

Eisenscher contends that the labor movement will be unable to reverse its decline without extensive changes in institutional practices that became hegemonic during and immediately after World War II. This article considers current efforts to restore union power and the problems inherent in them. The article concludes with discussion of changes that are required for U.S. organized labor to avoid becoming little more than a niche influence in the twenty-first century.
Development of 14 English grammatical morphemes in Spanish-English preschoolers.

Previous research in the USA studying Spanish–English bilingual children's language development has largely focused on children's developing abilities in Spanish. However, relatively little research has been conducted on children's English grammatical development. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the English grammatical development of bilingual (Spanish–English) Head Start children during the preschool years. The goals were to determine (a) whether there are differences in children's productions of English grammatical morphemes based on timing of English exposure and (b) which morphological structures met mastery, emerging and early emerging levels of production by bilingual children. These aims were accomplished through in-depth analyses of spontaneous language samples collected over a two-year period in Head Start. Comparisons were made between Spanish-speaking children who were exposed to English at home from birth (home English communication (HEC)) and Spanish-speaking children who ...
How the News was brought from Byzantium to Angoulême; or, The Pursuit of a Hare in an Ox Cart

AbstractAdemar of Chabannes (988-1034) of noble family, a-monk in the monastery of St. Cybard (Eparchus) at Angouleme, compiled a Chronicon in three books. The first begins with the origins of the Franks and ends with the death of Pepin the Short in 768; the second deals with the reign of Charlemagne; the third covers the years 814 to 1030. The first two books and the first fifteen chapters of the third (down to the year 877) are wholly derivative from identifiable sources. But from chapter sixteen onward the third book provides valuable information chiefly on the period 877-1030 in Aquitaine, presumably drawn from local written sources and from the memories of Ademar's associates. These included notably his two uncles, who were attached to the monastery of St. Martial at Limoges, as was Ademar himself in his youth. It was at St. Martial that on a stormy night in 1010 Ademar had a vision in the heavens of a fiery Cross with Christ upon it weeping a great river of tears: an experience that rendered him so ...
Regulatory sequences and a novel gene in the msp (GP63) gene cluster of Leishmania chagasi.

The surface protease GP63 of Leishmania chagasi is encoded by a cluster of more than 18 tandem major surface protease (msp) genes belonging to three classes (mspL, mspS, mspC). mspL and mspS transcripts are differentially expressed during parasite growth. RNAs from mspS genes predominate during stationary phase, the time when parasite virulence and GP63 expression are maximal. We hypothesized that the unique regions downstream of mspS genes contain signals important for gene expression. The 2.8 kb region between tandem mspS genes was found to contain an 882 bp open reading frame designated mag. Copies of mag were found downstream of all mspS genes in the cluster. mag hybridized faintly to bands on Northern blots and a fully processed mag cDNA was identified in a promastigote cDNA library, providing evidence that mag genes are expressed at low levels. Similar to mspS RNAs, the abundance of mag RNAs was greater in stationary phase than logarithmic phase organisms, although mag RNAs were less abundant than mspS RNAs throughout growth. Northern blots and enzyme assays of promastigotes containing plasmid constructs in which the β-galactosidase gene was followed by sequences between mspS coding regions, either with or without mag and its downstream sequences, suggest these regions have several regulatory effects accounting for the growth-associated changes in mspS expression.
Isolated sixth-nerve palsies in younger adults

• Acquired sixth-nerve palsies are relatively rare in younger adults. We reexamined 49 patients, aged from 15 to 50 years, with isolated sixth-nerve palsies who were seen between 1972 and 1982 at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. In this group, the following etiologies were encountered: vasculopathy (14 patients [29%]), tumors (eight patients [16%]), multiple sclerosis (six patients [12%]), presumed inflammation (four patients [8%]), trauma (three patients [6%]), postlumbar puncture (two patients [4%]), and orbital amyloidosis (one patient [2%]). Eleven patients (22%) had no determined cause of their sixth-nerve palsy. The implications for the clinical management of isolated sixth-nerve palsies in younger adults are discussed.
Deweyan tools for inquiry and the epistemological context of critical pedagogy

This article develops the notion of resistance as articulated in the literature of critical pedagogy as being both culturally sponsored and cognitively manifested. To do so, the authors draw upon John Dewey's conception of tools for inquiry. Dewey provides a way to conceptualize student resistance not as a form of willful disputation, but instead as a function of socialization into cultural models of thought that actively truncate inquiry. In other words, resistance can be construed as the cognitive and emotive dimensions of the ongoing failure of institutions to provide ideas that help individuals both recognize social problems and imagine possible solutions. Focusing on Dewey's epistemological framework, specifically tools for inquiry, provides a way to grasp this problem. It also affords some innovative solutions; for instance, it helps conceive of possible links between the regular curriculum and the study of specific social justice issues, a relationship that is often under-examined. The aims of crit...
Frequency discrimination ability and stop-consonant identification in normally hearing and hearing-impaired subjects

Identification of place of articulation in the synthesized syllables/bi/,/di/, and /gi/ was examined in three groups of listeners: (a) normal hearers, (b) subjects with high-frequency sensorineural...
Effects of exogenous oxytocin on production and milking variables of cows

Five doses of oxytocin (.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 IU) were injected through the subcutaneous abdominal vein (milk vein) of 15 Holstein Friesian cows 1 min before machine attachment. After teat cup removal, cows were given 10 IU of oxytocin via the milk vein for measurement of residual milk 1. An additional 10 IU of oxytocin was given 15 min later for estimating residual milk 2. Total milk yield was slightly higher for cows receiving 2.0 and 3.0 IU oxytocin. Milk fat yield was highest for cows receiving 2.0 and 3.0 IU oxytocin. Percent milk protein was less for cows receiving higher doses. Administration of 2.0 or 3.0 IU oxytocin significantly reduced total residual milk yield as compared with other doses. Fat percent in total residual milk was not affected by administration of oxytocin. Machine-on time, peak flow rate, and average milk flow rate did not differ with oxytocin treatment. A dose of either 2.0 or 3.0 IU oxytocin given via the milk vein will lead to slightly higher milk yields but will not affect milk flow dynamics as compared with lower doses. Moreover, milk fat yield is increased and total residual milk yield is decreased with either 2.0 or 3.0 IU oxytocin, suggesting that these doses result in more efficient extraction of milk. Administering more than 3.0 IU of oxytocin intravenously to promote milk ejection should be of no advantage.
Developmental trends in adolescents' psychological and legal competence to consent to abortion.

United States Supreme Court has affirmed the right of states to require parental consent or notice from minors seeking abortion. We examine an underlying presumption that minors are not competent to consent to abortion. Participants (N=75 age 13–21, seeking a pregnancy test at a women's medical clinic) completed an interview that was audiotaped and scored on four cognitive and volitional criteria of legal competence. Competence was compared in three age groups (≤15; 16–17; 18–21) for participants who considered abortion and for those who did not. Adolescents age 16–17 and adolescents ≤15, who considered abortion, appeared as competent as legal adults; only≤15-year-old adolescents who did not consider abortion appeared less competent. Regression analysis was used to identify psychosocial predictors of competence. Results challenge the presumption that minors are not competent. An alternate policy based upon informed consent and empowerment of minors as decision makers is proposed.
Meta‐marketing: Unifying organisational focus to achieve marketplace goals and objectives

Marketing and sales have not received the same emphasis from western leadership that they have in Japan. In the American model, one group markets, another sells, another designs and manufactures, and another sets organisational goals and objectives. Each area becomes separate and isolated without a common focus. Well‐designed meta‐marketing strategies directed by senior management can facilitate rapid and productive responses to changing environments. To excel in a global economy, the field of marketing must take a new position, rethinking its fundamental relationship to all aspects of the organisation and its external environment. The perception of marketing must move beyond its present paradigm. To improve profits and sales by x percent each year is limiting. A business should expand in relation to potential, not last year's profits. A marketing focus must be designed that will increase market share, growth, short‐ and long‐term profits, and employment. Leadership can improve productivity by directing a...
Human glomerular visceral epithelial cells synthesize a basal lamina collagen in vitro

Isolated human glomeruli were digested with purified bacterial collagenase yielding epithelial cells. These cells grew to saturation density and did not become multi-layered. They were identified as visceral glomerular epithelial cells by their morphologic appearance by phase and electron microscopy and by the presence of surface receptors for C3b. Neither Factor VIII antigen nor Fc receptors were observed. The glomerular epithelial cells synthesized a collagenous protein that was antigenically similar to human glomerular basal lamina. Proteins precipitated from visceral epithelial cell medium with affinity purified antibody against noncollagenous glomerular basal lamina antigens yielded a single collagenase labile protein that by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis migrated with an apparent Mr of 168,000 in the presence of reducing agents. Analysis of hydroxyproline isomers yielded a ratio of 3-hydroxyproline to total hydroxyproline of 0.17. Pepsin digestion yielded a disulfide-bonded multimer which, with reduction, migrated with an apparent Mr of 148,000. These data demonstrate that human glomerular visceral epithelial cells can be isolated and propagated in vitro and that they synthesize a collagen similar to that found in vivo.
Different modes of loss of photoreversibility of ultraviolet light-induced true and suppressor mutations to tryptophan independence in an auxotrophic strain of Escherichia coli

Abstract The loss of photoreversibility of UV-induced mutations to tryptophan independence in a tryptophan-requiring strain of E. coli (left after “ mutation frequency decline ”, produced by incubation in the absence of the amino acid, has eliminated most suppressor mutations) occurs during the first 20 min of postirradiation incubation. It is amino acid independent but is blocked by dinitrophenol. It is independent of DNA replication since it occurs in the presence of nalidixic acid, an inhibitor of DNA replication. Loss of photoreversibility of the suppressor mutations (subject to mutation frequency decline ) occurs in correlation with the initial doubling of DNA in the culture and may be prevented by nalidixic acid, suggesting that DNA replication is required for such loss. The initial postirradiation replication of DNA is significant to the mutation process since expression of both sorts of mutation (measured on tryptophan-free minimal agar medium) does not occur unless DNA synthesis is allowed before plating and is prevented by nalidixic acid. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that dimer excision accounts for loss of photoreversibility of stable reversions to tryptophan independence but that DNA replication is necessary to this process for suppressor mutations of this requirement subject to mutation frequency decline .
Nature of the upper crust beneath central Tibet

Abstract A wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic line obtained through Sino-French joint research near the Bangung-Nujiang Suture in Tibet [1] yielded crustal velocity estimates for both P and S waves. AVp/Vs ratio of 1.65 was derived fo waves propagating in the upper ( 50°C/km near the surface), a shallow low-velocity zone is expected to form in a granitic upper crust for both P and S waves. A two-dimensional ray-tracing study indicates that the observed first P and S waves [1] can be interpreted as diving waves above a low-velocity zone where a positive gradient exists. The low-velocity zone commences at a depth of 10 km and extends possibly to 20 km or deeper.