cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostate MR imaging at 3T with a longitudinal array endorectal surface coil and phased array body coil.

Purpose To demonstrate the feasibility of using a double loop phased array endorectal coil combined with a phased array body coil to image the prostate at 3T. Materials and Methods We designed and constructed a novel prostate coil employing two arrayed 4.0 × 5.0 cm loops, tuned the device for optimal performance at 3T, and characterized the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with it. Results The coil Q factor was calculated to be ≈50 unloaded, and 30 when loaded on human tissue. SNR maps at multiple orientations were constructed and images were acquired on both a phantom and a human. As expected, SNR was highest along the midpoint of the array and demonstrated strong signal even at 4 cm from the coil. Conclusion The double loop phased array endorectal coil combined with a phased array body coil at 3T is feasible in vivo and compelling enough to warrant future clinical trials to evaluate its efficacy. These trials are currently under way. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;27:1327–1330. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Downscaled multi-model superensemble and probabilistic forecasts of seasonal rains over the Asian monsoon belt

This is a study on seasonal climate forecasts for the Asian Monsoon region. The unique aspect of this study is that it became possible to use the forecast results from as many as 16 state of the art coupled atmosphere-ocean models. A downscaling component, with respect to observed rainfall estimates uses data sets from TRMM and a dense rain gauge distriburion; this enables the forecasts of each model to be bias corrected to a common 25 km resolution. The downscaling statistics for each model, at each grid location is developed during a training phase of the model forecasts; the forecasts from all of the member models use the downscaling coefficients of the training phase. These forecasts are next used for the construction of a multimodel superensemble. A major result of this paper is on the climatology of the model rainfall. From the downscaled multimodel superensemble which shows a correlation of nearly 1.0 with respect to the observed climatology. This high skill is important for addressing the rainfall anomaly forecasts, which are defined in terms of departures from the observed (rather than a model based) climatology. The second part of this study addresses seasonal climate forecasts of Asian monsoon precipitation anomalies. Seasonal climate forecasts over the larger monsoon Asia domain and over the regional belts are evaluated. The superensemble forecasts invariably carry the highest skill compared to the member models globally and regionally. This relates largely to the presence of large systematic errors in models that carry low seasonal prediction skills. Such models carry persistent signatures of systematic errors, and their errors are recognized by the multimodel superensemble. One of the conclusions of this study is that given the uncertainties in current modeling for seasonal rainfall forecasts, post processing of multimodel forecasts, using the superensemble methodology, seems to provide the most promising results for the rainfall anomaly forecasts.
Entorhinal cortical lesions in rats and runway alternation performance: changes in patterns of response initiation

To determine whether bilateral lesions of the entorhinal cortex result in generalized performance deficits in tasks which require the recollection of previous trial events, we analyzed patterning behavior in runway alternation tasks. Under conditions of alternate trials of reward (four pellets) and nonreward, rats developed discriminative response patterns; responding with shorter latency and running faster on rewarded trials. Bilateral entorhinal cortex lesions resulted in pronounced reductions of latencies to start on nonreinforced trials to levels statistically indistinguishable from levels associated with reinforced trials; however, response differentiation on the run-time measures was comparable to that found with sham-operated animals. When subjects were shifted to alternation schedules of large (eight pellets) and small (two pellets) reward, operated animals immediately developed differential latencies to the two reward conditions, although longer latencies to start on small reward trials were observed for control subjects. The availability of short-term memory to operated animals for the recollection of previous trial events is indicated by the response differentiation in run measures on both reinforcement schedules. We propose that entorhinal cortex lesions elevate activity levels and thus disrupt response initiation patterns normally associated with contrasting reward conditions.
Nucleoprotein content during the staphylococcal growth cycle.

SummaryThe concentrations of pentosenucleic acid and desoxypentosenucleie acid per total nitrogen content at significant stages in the growth cycle of Staphylococcus aureus were determined. The concentrations were equal in resting or decay cultures, rose to a peak at 1-1½ hours of growth and thereafter declined. At peak concentrations, the PNA content was about twice that of DNA.
Criterion Predictability: Identifying Differences Between r2's

If each of k predictor variables is correlated with a criterion variable, the use of multiple t tests to assess pairwise differences between r's will compound Type I error. This note describes an overall F test for determining the significance of differences between r2's which provides an error term for use in conventional ANOVA follow-up procedures.
Limitations of Conduits in Peripheral Nerve Repairs

Nerve conduits have emerged as alternatives to autologous nerve grafts, but their use in large-diameter nerve deficits remains untested. We report four patients who underwent repair of large-diameter nerves using absorbable nerve conduits and discuss the failed clinical outcomes. The reported cases demonstrate the importance of evaluating the length, diameter, and function of nerves undergoing conduit repair. In large-diameter nerves, the use of conduits should be carefully considered.
Complications with using ratios for environmental data: comparing enantiomeric ratios (ERs) and enantiomer fractions (EFs)

Complications arise when ratios are used to present environmental data because ratios are an unbounded, multiplicative scale that can lead to asymmetrical (skewed) data distributions. Enantiomeric ratios (ERs), historically used in discussions of chiral signatures, often are published as mean ER ± single-value standard deviation. Application of statistical summaries, such as the widely used sample mean and standard deviation, to skewed ratio data is misleading and often inappropriate. Comparison of statistically summarized ER and enantiomer fraction (EF) data (which are based on a bounded, additive scale) for a range of hypothetical values reveals substantial discrepancies when conversion between ER and EF formats is used. These discrepancies are largest when the ratio data are greater than one and have large variability, because the data are more skewed. In many cases, the use of fractions instead of ratios can help to minimize misrepresentation of environmental data, including chiral data. The use of nonparametric statistical summaries, e.g., median and percentiles, provides a more robust indicator of the typical value and spread for both ER and EF data.
Maximizing photosynthetic efficiency and culture productivity in cyanobacteria upon minimizing the phycobilisome light-harvesting antenna size

A phycocyanin-deletion mutant of Synechocystis (cyanobacteria) was generated upon replacement of the CPC-operon with a kanamycin resistance cassette. The Δcpc transformant strains (Δcpc) exhibited a green phenotype, compared to the blue-green of the wild type (WT), lacked the distinct phycocyanin absorbance at 625nm, and had a lower Chl per cell content and a lower PSI/PSII reaction center ratio compared to the WT. Molecular and genetic analyses showed replacement of all WT copies of the Synechocystis DNA with the transgenic version, thereby achieving genomic DNA homoplasmy. Biochemical analyses showed the absence of the phycocyanin α- and β-subunits, and the overexpression of the kanamycin resistance NPTI protein in the Δcpc. Physiological analyses revealed a higher, by a factor of about 2, intensity for the saturation of photosynthesis in the Δcpc compared to the WT. Under limiting intensities of illumination, growth of the Δcpc was slower than that of the WT. This difference in the rate of cell duplication diminished gradually as growth irradiance increased. Identical rates of cell duplication of about 13h for both WT and Δcpc were observed at about 800μmolphotonsm(-2)s(-1) or greater. Culture productivity analyses under simulated bright sunlight and high cell-density conditions showed that biomass accumulation by the Δcpc was 1.57-times greater than that achieved by the WT. Thus, the work provides first-time direct evidence of the applicability of the Truncated Light-harvesting Antenna (TLA)-concept in cyanobacteria, entailing substantial improvements in the photosynthetic efficiency and productivity of mass cultures upon minimizing the phycobilisome light-harvesting antenna size.
SUICIDE IN PANIC DISORDER AND DEPRESSION

Major depressive disorder is the most common diagnosis in patients who complete suicide. For some time, researchers have attempted to identify factors predictive of suicidal risk in depressed patients. A principal source of such information is the National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Program on the Psychobiology of Depression. This 10-year study, which included 954 patients with major affective disorder, found that panic attacks, severe psychic anxiety, global insomnia, moderate alcohol abuse, loss of pleasure or interest in life, and diminished concentration were predictive of suicide risk within the first year after entry into the study. Hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and a previous suicide attempt were predictors of suicide after the first year. These data allow the clinician to weigh various symptoms in terms of their potential impact on suicide in a depressed patient. Because of the particularly high risk of suicide associated with depression and symptoms of anxiety, the recognition and treatment of anxiety during the depressive episode is a particular challenge.
Precipitation of Casein from Acidic Solutions by Divalent Anions

Abstract Whole casein, α s -, β -, and κ-caseins in acidic solutions are precipitated by low concentrations (about 0.005m) of sodium sulfate. The presence of sulfate in casein solutions broadens the isoelectric precipitation zone on the acid side with no change on the alkaline side. Other divalent anions such as pyrophosphate also precipitate the caseins; chloride, phosphate, and citrate (pH 3.2) do not precipitate caseins in this concentration range. The precipitation is markedly pH-dependent; the lower the pH the greater the concentration of sodium sulfate required for precipitation. The order of precipitation (mm of sodium sulfate giving 50% precipitation at pH 3.2) for the caseins (concentration: 0.4%) is α s , (3.7), κ (4.4), whole (5.6), β (8.3). The precipitation curves are S-shaped except that for κ-casein; precipitation of this casein tends to be incomplete, even with considerable increase in the concentration of sulfate, particularly at lower pH values. Sodium sulfate does not precipitate β -lactoglobulin. The polyanions such as heparin and polyphosphates precipitate both caseins and β -lactoglobulin.
Connexin 26 and connexin 30 mutations in children with nonsyndromic hearing loss.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Mutations in the connexin 26 (Cx26) or gap junction beta 2 gene are the leading cause of hereditary nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss in Caucasians. The Cx26 coding region of 68 children with nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss was sequenced to determine the frequency and type of Cx26 mutations in this population. Screening was also performed for a common connexin 30 (Cx30) or gap junction beta 6 mutation (del [GJB6-D13S1830]). Children also underwent audiological testing to determine whether any correlation exists between Cx26 mutations and severity of hearing loss. Study Design: In all, 68 children with nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss were screened for Cx26 and Cx30 mutations by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. Methods: Genomic DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using primers that flank the entire Cx26 coding region. Screening for the 342-kb Cx30 deletion was performed using primers that amplified the breakpoint junction of the deletion. The amplicons were then sequenced in both directions and analyzed for mutations. Audiometric testing, including pure-tone audiometry and auditory evoked brainstem response, was also performed to determine the degree of hearing loss. Results: Twenty-seven of 68 children tested had mutations in Cx26 with 35delG being the most prevalent. Ten additional Cx26 mutations were detected including a novel compound heterozygote. Two children were heterozygous for the Cx30 del (GJB6-D13S1830) mutation. Conclusion: Cx26 and Cx30 mutations were present in 41.2% of children tested in the study population. Audiometric data supported previous studies demonstrating a greater degree of hearing loss in subjects who are homozygous for the 35delG mutation.
Localization of enzymes within microbodies.

Microbodies from rat liver and a variety of plant tissues were osmotically shocked and subsequently centrifuged at 40,000 g for 30 min to yield supernatant and pellet fractions. From rat liver microbodies, all of the uricase activity but little glycolate oxidase or catalase activity were recovered in the pellet, which probably contained the crystalline cores as many other reports had shown. All the measured enzymes in spinach leaf microbodies were solubilized. With microbodies from potato tuber, further sucrose gradient centrifugation of the pellet yielded a fraction at density 1.28 g/cm3 which, presumably representing the crystalline cores, contained 7% of the total catalase activity but no uricase or glycolate oxidase activity. Using microbodies from castor bean endosperm (glyoxysomes), 50–60% of the malate dehydrogenase, fatty acyl CoA dehydrogenase, and crotonase and 90% of the malate synthetase and citrate synthetase were recovered in the pellet, which also contained 96% of the radioactivity when lecithin in the glyoxysomal membrane had been labeled by previous treatment of the tissue with [14C]choline. When the labeled pellet was centrifuged to equilibrium on a sucrose gradient, all the radioactivity, protein, and enzyme activities were recovered together at peak density 1.21–1.22 g/cm3, whereas the original glyoxysomes appeared at density 1.24 g/cm3. Electron microscopy showed that the fraction at 1.21–1.22 g/cm3 was comprised of intact glyoxysomal membranes. All of the membrane-bound enzymes were stripped off with 0.15 M KCl, leaving the "ghosts" still intact as revealed by electron microscopy and sucrose gradient centrifugation. It is concluded that the crystalline cores of plant microbodies contain no uricase and are not particularly enriched with catalase. Some of the enzymes in glyoxysomes are associated with the membranes and this probably has functional significance.
Alkali metal ion exchange selectivity of Al-substituted tobermorite

Alkali metal ion exchange isotherms at a total ionic strength of 0.001 M were determined at 25 °C on a 1.13 nm anomalous [Al3+ + Na+]-substituted tobermorite with the formula, Ca5Na0.75Al0.9Si5.1O16(OH)2 · 6.03H2O. The Kielland plots of Na+/K+, Na+/Rb+, and Na+/Cs+ exchange reactions showed straight lines. The slopes were steeper for Cs+ and Rb+ exchange reactions, as compared to K+ exchange. The cation-exchange selectivity for alkali metals was found to increase as follows: Cs+>Rb+>K+>Na+. A new evaluation method of the separation factor (αM N/K M d/K N d,K d: distribution coefficient) for a combination of two cations at infinite dilution was proposed in terms of the selectivity coefficient (K M Na) which can be easily determined from the Kielland plot. An extremely large separation factor for Cs (αCs Na = 112) was found at infinite dilution. These basic studies of cation exchange selectivity are of relevance in cation separation and purification and nuclear waste disposal.
Comparative analysis of 1st, 2nd, and 4th year MD students' attitudes toward Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Background To identify and report the attitudes and beliefs of 1st, 2nd, and 4th year medical students toward complementary alternative medicine (CAM).
Comparison of Agricultural Seed Loss in Flooded and Unflooded Fields on the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge

Waterfowl exploit seed resources in agricultural fields to help meet the energy demands associated with migration, thermoregulation, and various life-history activities. Biologists commonly flood agricultural fields to increase the availability of seed for waterfowl and to provide hunting opportunities. Previous studies suggest that flooding may accelerate seed loss; however, simultaneous comparison of seed loss with unflooded fields has not been made. We compared rates of loss between seed contained in wire mesh bags placed in an unflooded agricultural field vs. seed submersed in a flooded field on the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge from October 2007 to January 2008. Agricultural seed mass declined 40–300% more rapidly in the flooded than in the unflooded field. Corn, soybean, and grain sorghum seed mass declined 42%, 87%, and 46%, respectively, after 12 wk of continuous submersion, which was similar to previous studies that measured seed loss in flooded mesh bags. However, the rate of seed mass loss in unsubmersed mesh bags was 1.3–6.9 times lower than scattered seed lying on the ground under granivore exclosures in a separate experiment. We hypothesize lower rates of seed loss in mesh bags compared to scattered seed may be an artifact of the bags, which are commonly used in seed fate studies. Our results suggest biologists should delay flooding agricultural fields until immediately prior to the arrival of waterfowl and be aware that absolute estimates of seed loss from studies that use mesh bags may be biased negatively.
LIGHT-INDUCED EFFICIENCY AND PIGMENT ALTERATIONS IN RED ALGAE

The low photosynthetic efficiency of chlorophyll in freshly collected red algae, can, in the case of Porphyra perforata, P. nereocystis, and Porphyridium cruentum, be increased by growing the algae for 10 days in red or blue light. Exposure to darkness or to green light maintains the algae in their originally low efficiency with respect to chlorophyll, while retaining the high efficiency of phycobilins. Red- or blue-adapted algae are rapidly reversed by exposure to green light, the chlorophyll efficiency dropping to low values again in a few hours. This is assumed to account for the action spectrum of freshly gathered plants. Some pigment changes were observed, but not in the direction of "chromatic adaptation;" and the carotenoid pigments were not activated, even by blue light, but remained as photosynthetically inactive shading filters. The higher red algae (Florideae) did not show activation of chlorophyll by red or blue light.
Electrophysiological and pharmacological responses of chronically denervated lower esophageal sphincter of the opossum

Abstract Background & Aims: Achalasia is characterized by loss of myenteric neurons and incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The aim of this study was to develop an achalasia model in the opossum using the surfactant benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride (BAC). This study further characterizes the achalasia model. Methods: BAC or saline was injected circumferentially into the LES of 14 adult opossums. Eight months after injection, manometry, isolated muscle bath studies, electrical field stimulation, and histochemical analysis were performed. Results: Manometrically, the LES of BAC-treated opossums showed higher pressures (38.7 ± 12 mm Hg vs. 17 ± 3.0 mm Hg) and reduced esophageal body contraction amplitudes (4.2 ± 3 mm Hg vs. 27.4 ± 12 mm Hg). Isolated muscle strips challenged with carbachol and sodium nitroprusside contracted and relaxed similarly to controls. Electrical field stimulation failed to induce relaxation in BAC-treated tissue but did induce contraction. Contractile responses were markedly reduced by tetrodotoxin and atropine in BAC-treated animals and controls. An altered nitric oxide system was shown by the lack of response to l-arginine and N ω -nitro-l-arginine. Histology showed loss of myenteric neurons and increased cholinergic nerve bundles. Conclusions: Loss of NO inhibitory myenteric neurons markedly reduces the relaxation of the LES, and histology and pharmacological responses suggest a proliferation of cholinergic nerves into the LES contributing to the static elevated pressures of the amyenteric LES.
Pharyngoesophageal reconstruction with the anterolateral thigh flap after total laryngopharyngectomy.

BACKGROUND: Pharyngoesophageal defects traditionally have been reconstructed using a jejunal or radial forearm flap. In 2002, the authors began using the anterolateral thigh flap for pharyngoesophageal reconstruction, and it has become our preferred method. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical and functional outcomes achieved using this technique. METHODS: The medical records of 91 male and 23 female patients who underwent pharyngoesophageal reconstruction using an anterolateral thigh flap were retrospectively reviewed. Outcomes analyzed included length of hospital and intensive care unit stay, fistula and anastomotic stricture formation and other complications, swallowing and tracheoesophageal speech function, and survival. Most patients had primary (27%) or recurrent (42%) squamous cell carcinoma. Before reconstruction, 71% of patients had undergone surgery, radiotherapy, or both. There were 67 circumferential and 47 near-circumferential defects. RESULTS: Mean intensive care unit stay was 1.9 ± 2.2 days, and mean hospital stay was 9.0 ± 4.7 days. Two patients experienced total flap loss, and 1 patient had partial flap necrosis. Pharyngocutaneous fistulas and strictures occurred in 9% and 6% of patients, respectively. Ninety-one percent of patients tolerated an oral diet without the need for tube feeding. Tracheoesophageal puncture was performed for speech rehabilitation in 51 patients. Eight-one percent of patients with a secondary tracheoesophageal puncture achieved fluent speech versus 41% of patients with a primary tracheoesophageal puncture. CONCLUSIONS: This series demonstrates that excellent clinical and functional outcomes, with minimal donor site morbidity and quick recovery, are possible with pharyngoesophageal reconstruction using an anterolateral thigh flap. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
When an Egg Is Not an Egg: Compromised Maternal mRNA Storage and Stabilization

Commentary on Medvedev et al., “Absence of MSY2 in mouse oocytes perturbs oocyte growth and maturation, RNA stability, and the transcriptome.”
Principal leadership and school performance: An integration of transformational and instructional leadership

Focusing on school leadership relations between principals and teachers, this study examines the potential of their active collaboration around instructional matters to enhance the quality of teaching and student performance. The analysis is grounded in two conceptions of leadership—transformational and instructional. The sample comprises 24 nationally selected restructured schools—8elementary, 8middle, and 8high schools. In keeping with the multilevel structure of the data, the primary analytic technique is hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). The study finds that transformational leadership is a necessary but insufficient condition for instructional leadership. When transformational and shared instructional leadership coexist in an integrated form of leadership, the influence on school performance, measured by the quality of its pedagogy and the achievement of its students, is substantial.
Discriminative MR Image Feature Analysis for Automatic Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's Disease Classification

We construct a computational framework for automatic cen- tral nervous system (CNS) disease discrimination using high resolution Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) of human brains. More than 3000 MR image features are extracted, forming a high dimensional coarse- to-fine hierarchical image description that quantifies brain asymmetry, texture and statistical properties in corresponding local regions of the brain. Discriminative image feature subspaces are computed, evaluated and selected automatically. Our initial experimental results show 100% and 90% separability between chronicle schizophrenia (SZ) and first episode SZ versus their respective matched controls. Under the same computational framework, we also find higher than 95% separability among Alzheimer's Disease, mild cognitive impairment patients, and their matched controls. An average of 88% classification success rate is achieved using leave-one-out cross validation on five different well-chosen patient-control image sets of sizes from 15 to 27 subjects per disease class.
Principles for authentic population health.

While there is broad agreement regarding the need to teach population health to all health professional students, and even substantial consensus about the content that should be included, the manner in which we engage student interest in this area of study is less than obvious. For the past 5 academic years, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) has committed the first 5 weeks of medical education to innovative instruction in population health. In order to engage the students in this educational block, we undertake a detailed introduction to the social demographics and health characteristics of the population of patients from the Cleveland metropolitan area that they will both learn from and serve during their medical school tenure. Components of the presentation include national health rankings; national hospital ranking (pointing out the discrepancy between the two); and GIS mapping of characteristics such as poverty, mortality, crime, births to unwed mothers, and life expectancy. In addition, medical students are introduced to principles for authentic population health, a set of guidelines that cross boundaries between public health and medicine and seek to engage student interest in these population issues early in their careers. These principles, also provided to all public health students in the CWRU MPH handbook, are detailed here.
Self-regulatory depletion increases emotional reactivity in the amygdala

The ability to self-regulate can become impaired when people are required to engage in successive acts of effortful self-control, even when self-control occurs in different domains. Here, we used functional neuroimaging to test whether engaging in effortful inhibition in the cognitive domain would lead to putative dysfunction in the emotional domain. Forty-eight participants viewed images of emotional scenes during functional magnetic resonance imaging in two sessions that were separated by a challenging attention control task that required effortful inhibition (depletion group) or not (control group). Compared to the control group, depleted participants showed increased activity in the left amygdala to negative but not to positive or neutral scenes. Moreover, whereas the control group showed reduced amygdala activity to all scene types (i.e. habituation), the depletion group showed increased amygdala activity relative to their pre-depletion baseline; however this was only significant for negative scenes. Finally, depleted participants showed reduced functional connectivity between the left amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex during negative scene processing. These findings demonstrate that consuming self-regulatory resources leads to an exaggerated neural response to emotional material that appears specific to negatively valenced stimuli and further suggests a failure to recruit top–down prefrontal regions involved in emotion regulation.
Virus infections of the eye.

In reviewing the clinical features, diagnostic evaluations and therapies of the most common ocular viral infections we attempt to whet your appetite for attacking the numerous challenges in diagnosis and treatment of viral eye disease. The herpes viruses, HSV, VZV and CMV are the cause of significant ocular morbidity. HSV most commonly affects the cornea producing keratitis that can be recurrent and may lead to corneal clouding and neovascularisation. Manifestations can be purely infectious or immunological and treatment options must be tailored to the underlying pathophysiology. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus, caused by VZV infection of the first branch of the trigeminal nerve, produces a characteristic rash and can progress to keratitis and uveitis. HSV and VZV can cause retinitis in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. There has been a significant increase in the incidence of CMV retinitis since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. We review the numerous new treatments, diagnostic tests and treatment strategies which have been developed in response to this potentially blinding retinal infection. Adenovirus produces an epidemic conjunctivitis and epidemic keratoconjunctivitis which are severe and extremely contagious conjunctival infections. HIV, molluscum contagiosum, EBV and rubeola also cause ocular diseases which are described.Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solution-Focused Strategies for Effective Sexual Health Communication among African American Parents and Their Adolescents

The high rates of sexual risk behaviors, particularly among African American youths who may not be aware of their HIV status, provide indication that, unless prevention efforts are enhanced, this vulnerable group of youths will remain at greater risk for negative health status outcomes. Parents are important in efforts to reduce risk among youths and often have a willingness to be sexuality educators for their children; however, communication barriers often impede their ability to provide preventive sexual health knowledge to their youths. Social workers are often presented with opportunities to help parents develop effective sexual health communication skills in informal settings when formal interventions are not feasible. The present effort considers solution-focused strategies social workers can use to help parents overcome barriers and communicate more positively with their youths about sexual health.
Changes in control of renin release in congestive heart failure in dogs: response to acute and chronic vasodilator therapy.

Neural control of renin secretion is an important physiologic mechanism, but alterations in the central nervous system feedback and control of renin release in heart failure have not been investigated. Accordingly we studied conscious dogs after volume overload (arteriovenous fistula) or chronic myocardial infarction. Acute infusion of nitroprusside was used to test the renin response to arterial hypotension and decreased central blood volume. Hydralazine and prazosin administration were used to test the response to chronic vasodilator administration. After 4 weeks of volume overload or 3 weeks after myocardial infarction, the renin response to a graded hypotensive stimulus was blunted. After 7 days of hydralazine or prazosin administration, plasma renin activity remained elevated and blood volume increased from baseline values. Our results indicate a decrease in the neural feedback control of renin release after chronic volume overload or myocardial infarction. However, chronic vasodilator administration...
Associations of Mindfulness with Glucose Regulation and Diabetes.

Objective To evaluate whether dispositional mindfulness is associated with glucose regulation and type 2 diabetes. Methods Study participants (N = 399) were from the New England Family Study, a prospective birth cohort, with median age 47 years. Dispositional mindfulness was assessed using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Type 2 diabetes and "normal plasma glucose" were defined using American Diabetes Association criteria. Results Multivariable-adjusted regression analyses demonstrated that participants with high versus low MAAS scores were significantly more likely to have normal plasma glucose levels (prevalence ratio = 1.35 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08,1.87)), and were not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes (prevalence ratio = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.38,1.79), adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, family history of diabetes and childhood socioeconomic status. Mediation analyses provided evidence of mediation via obesity and sense of control, where indirect effects were prevalence ratios (95% CI) of 1.03 (1.00,1.10) and 1.08 (1.00,1.21), respectively. Conclusions Dispositional mindfulness may be associated with better glucose regulation, in part because of a lower likelihood of obesity and greater sense of control among participants with higher levels of mindfulness. These findings need to be replicated by prospective studies to establish causality and to evaluate potential implications for mindfulness-based interventions to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes.
Breakers, benders, and obeyers: Inquiring into teacher educators’ mediation of edTPA

This article reflects a qualitative exploratory inquiry into the lived experiences of faculty members working within a system of urban schools of education as they supported diverse teacher candidates in completing the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) during its first semesters of high-stakes implementation. Drawing upon questionnaire responses and semi-structured interviews, our findings demonstrate the disparity and variation in the level and kind of support offered to teacher candidates. We discuss the ways that the policy, stance, and the ethical, pedagogical, and logistical dilemmas teacher educators faced as they supported candidates intersected to shape the supports provided. Implications focus on utilization of such test scores for evaluating teacher preparation institutions, faculty relations, and the diversification of the teacher workforce.
Computational Study of the Impact of Chevrons on Noise Characteristics of Imperfectly Expanded Jet Flows

The impact of chevrons on flow field and noise characteristics at an underexpanded jet condition with three jet temperatures has been studied by using large-eddy simulations. It is found that chevrons reduce shock-cell size and shock-cell strength, and also produce additional shock waves with a wavelength almost half the original shock cell size. Increasing the jet temperature reduces the vorticity of induced vortices. In addition, chevrons increase shear-layer thickness, reduce turbulence level in the jet wake region, but have little impact on the jet core length. Double broadband peaks of shock-associated noise are observed in both the nearand far-field sound pressure level distributions. In addition, a large increase of high-frequency components is found near the nozzle exit, and this high-frequency increase is elevated by the heating effect. In the far field, this high-frequency increase is found at both upstream and downstream shallow radiation angles. Chevrons are effective in reducing the broadband shock-associated noise at this underexpanded jet condition, but the effectiveness is reduced as the jet temperature increases, and the least effective region is at the downstream shallow radiation angles, which are upstream of the peak radiation direction. On the other hand, chevrons show a more consistent effectiveness in reducing the peak mixing noise level at those three heating conditions.
The right to infrastructure: a struggle for sanitation in Fresno, California homeless encampments

In 2013, Fresno, California was home to more than 5,000 homeless people, many of whom took refuge in sprawling downtown encampments. Citing unsanitary conditions, Fresno officials implemented a policy of bulldozing the encampments while providing housing vouchers to a small number of residents. Yet homeless Fresnans by and large demanded the provision of sanitation in the encampments as an alternative to eviction. In doing so, they invoked their right to urban infrastructure. Drawing from literature on informal housing in the Global South, this paper argues that individual housing rights present a limited framework through which to understand homeless people’s right to the city, and that a truly radical right to the city should reflect the demand for sanitation infrastructure emerging from the streets.
Haplomys and Its Bearing on the Origin of the Aplodontoid Rodents

Recently discovered mandibular teeth of Haplomys , a late Oligocene aplodontid rodent, more strongly resemble the dental patterns in the Prosciurinae than those of Eohaplomys , an Eocene genus generally regarded as ancestral to the aplodontids. Eohaplomys is dentally more specialized than the Prosciurinae and therefore did not likely give rise to them. An origin of the aplodontids from the prosciurines, which now seems probable, eliminates the Oligocene discontinuity of the succession under the older interpretation. To make the classification consistent with this relationship, the Prosciurinae are transferred from the Ischyromyidae or Paramyidae of authors to the Aplodontidae, and the aplodontid taxa, which fall into three equally distinct groups, are segregated as the Prosciurinae (an early to middle Oligocene radiation), the Allomyinae (an Oligo-Miocene radiation), and the Aplodontinae (a later Miocene radiation).
Superplastic creep of AuSn eutectic solder alloy

Abstract The large-strain tensile creep behavior of Au 80 Sn 20 wt.% eutectic was studied at temperatures between 125 °C and 200 °C. Constant load creep experiments were performed and a power law relationship was created from this data to predict creep as a function of stress and temperature with a best-fit stress exponent n = 2.1 and activation energy for creep of Q = 148.4 kJ/mol. Results show that the favorable creep resistance of AuSn reduces considerably at temperatures above 125 °C, having 1000 × higher creep rate at 200 °C than 125 °C. Of particular note is the observation of superplasticity in AuSn, with failure strains reaching 740% at 200 °C.
Characteristics of a Lipid-transfer Protein Gene GmLTP3 in Glycine max

In this study,a gene which have 94% identity with the SiLTP3 was cloned and named as GmLTP3.GmLTP3 encodes a lipid-transfer protein(LTP)that have 99% identity with the known Glycine max lipid transfer protein.The transcriptional level of GmLTP3 was quantitatively determined using realtime-PCR,it was expressed in almost all the tissues,such as root,stem,leave,flower and seed.It was highly expressed in alabastrum,7-days old stem and 3-days germinating seed,while it was lowly expressed in root and leave.When treated by abiotic stress,such as IAA,ABA,PEG and NaCl,the expression level was down-regulated after treated 2 hours,but was up-regulated after treated 12 hours,while it was down-regulated consistently after treated by cold stress.
MICROSTRUCTURE TRANSFORMATION AND BRIT- TLEMENT OF A ULTRA-LOW CARBON QT STEEL DURING DOUBLE WELDING THERMAL CYCLE

The relationship between microstructure and toughness of the welding heat-affected zone (HAZ) in a ultra-low carbon QT steel (HSLA-100) was investigated using welding thermal simulation experiment and TEM. The experimental results show that the toughness of coarse grained HAZ decreases due to the formation of coarse austenite grain and the appearence of the untempered martensite in the first welding thermal cycle. During the second welding thermal cycle of multi-pass welding, the experimental steel shows no local brittlement in the iotercritically reheated coarse-grained HAZ, but a local brittlement appears in subcritically reheated coarse-grained HAZ. This phenomenon is caused by the precipitation of carbide and thermal decomposition of retained austenite.
Determination of vitamins B_1,B_2,B_6 and nicotinamide in multivitamin tablets by ion-pair reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Separation and determination of thiamine HCl(vitamin B_1),riboflavin(vitamin B_2),pyridoxine HCl(vitamin B_6) and nicotinamide in multivitamin tablets were reported by ion-pair reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.Powdered tablets were dissolved in water-acetonitrile-glacial acetic acid(940 mL∶50 mL∶10 mL) and the mixtures were filtered.Aliquots(20 micro L) of the filtrates were analysed on a column(30 cm×3.9 mm) packed with NovaPak C_(18)(10 μm),using the mobile phase of water-methanol-glacial acetic acid-sodium heptanes sulphonate(730 mL∶270 mL∶5 mL∶400 mg) at 280 nm detection. The recoveries of the four compounds were between 96.8% and 102.0% with RSD from 0.4% to 1.2%(n=5).The detection limits were 39,4.2,4.7,10 ng,respectively.The method was applied to the analysis of multivitamin tablets.
Experimental Research of Dynamic Hydrocyclone's Influence Factor Based on Uniform Design

Using uniform design method influence of some factors on de-watering performance of dynamic hydrocyclone was studied.The factors were water concentration of crude oil,flow rate of inlet,the rotation speed of rotor and the fractional flow rate.The test data were fitted by regression analysis method with mathematical model.The quantitative relations among the properties and the filler can be well described by the optimum regression equations.The performance of the dynamic hydrocyclone was predicted and verified in the test range.The calculated value approached the experimental result very well.
Micronucleus formation in lymphocytes of patients with fraXq27 syndrome

Human chromosome carry different fragile sites, but the most interesting one is the fragile X chromosome, especially in relation to mental retardation. In this report we present micronucleus formation in 5 individuals with the fragile X syndrome and 11 control subjects whose lymphocytes were cultured under 1) hydroxyurea treatment condition suitable for the increasing expression of the fraXq27, 2) control conditions. It has been found that hydroxyurea (HU) added to the final concentration 1.3 X 10(-5)M increases the frequency of the fraXq and micronucleus formation in comparison with culture without HU. The same concentration of HU has induced neither "nonspecific" "spontaneous" chromosomal breakage nor micronucleus formation in the control subjects.
Increasing self-knowledge: Utilizing tele-coaching for patients with congestive heart failure

ABSTRACTThe objective was to assess self-care knowledge changes with dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF), who received a telecoaching protocol integrating symptom monitoring with face-to-face video chat with a social worker. We recruited 45 patients with CHF from a regional managed care organization. Sessions via a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant tablet-based platform focused on educational information designed to improve patient self-care. Social workers administered the 13-item Member Confidence Measure (MCM) at baseline and at a 30-day follow-up period. Scores were recorded to measure differences in patients’ understanding of CHF and related symptoms, their knowledge of the disease, and the behaviors necessary to prevent their symptoms from getting worse. Over the 30-day period, scores significantly (p < .01) increased on the total scale score and specific confidence measure subscales (symptom recognition, medication...
Preview: A Preliminary Survey of Issues Raised by Martinez v. Ryan

The Court’s 2012 decision in Martinez v. Ryan raises numerous issues for litigants and courts. Those issues as well as developing case law as of September 2012 are included in the discussion posted here, forthcoming as part of the 2012-2013 updates to the comprehensive treatise on criminal procedure coauthored by Professors Wayne LaFave, Jerold Israel, Nancy King, and Orin Kerr (database CRIMPROC on Westlaw). Topics addressed include the rationale for the Martinez decision; what constitutes an “initial review collateral proceeding”; the effect of the decision on Edwards v. Carpenter; measuring the effectiveness of post-conviction counsel after Martinez; what is a “substantial” claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness; and the application of Martinez to defaults during proceedings after the “initial review collateral proceeding. ” The discussion also includes arguments regarding extending Martinez to petitioners who decline representation in initial review collateral proceedings; to petitioners who retain counsel for those proceedings; and to petitioners who do not initiate such proceedings. Also examined are the possible adoption of a Martinez-like exception for the evidentiary limitations in Pinholster, the statute of limitations bar, or the successive petitions bar, as well as the possible extension of Martinez as an exception to the limitation on successive § 2255 applications and similar procedural barriers in state post-conviction proceedings.
Vector-Borne Diseases in the 21st Century: Counting Up or Counting Down?

Medical entomology has undergone significant change during the past fifty years of Mir Mulla’s service and leadership in the field. Significant advances have been made on a number of fronts, both in the field and in the lab leading to ongoing efforts to rein in vector-borne disease. These are discussed along with the identification of areas in which new research directions and synergies are needed.
Time Matters: Framing Antismoking Messages Using Current Smokers' Preexisting Perceptions of Temporal Distance to Smoking-Related Health Risks.

ABSTRACTThis study examined the effects of temporal framing used in messages about the future likelihood of developing smoking-related diseases on intention to quit smoking. Based on construal level theory (CLT), a causal model delineating the relationships among four variables—perceived temporal distance, personal relevance, perceived susceptibility, and behavioral intention—was proposed. The model was validated by an online experiment with a sample of 222 current smokers, revealing the effects of perceived temporal distance on behavioral intention via personal relevance and perceived susceptibility. Following the CLT-grounded model, the effects of different temporal frames (near future vs. distant future) on the four variables were tested. The near-future frame featured a risk perceived to be more temporally proximal (i.e., heart attack), and the distant-future frame featured a risk perceived to be more temporally distant (i.e., larynx cancer) among current smokers. Participants exposed to the near-futu...
Dataflow to Hardware Synthesis Framework on FPGAs

We present a dataflow based performance estimation and synthesis framework that will help hardware designers quantify the algorithm performance and synthesize their HW designs onto Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Typically, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) systems are designed by making gradual architectural choices in HW refinement steps. These decisions are based on performance quantification by high level DSP algorithm developers and HW implementation engineers. The main obstacle to this refinement is the provision of reasonably correct performance estimations to guide HW designers in Design Space Exploration (DSE) at an early stage. HW designers face challenges when they need to quantify the performance of their designs, especially when resources are limited. We use dataflow models by describing their hardware detail only as necessary. Dataflow based performance estimation achieves the efficient generation of qualitative and quantitative parameters for the assessment of HW candidates. Reconfigurable logic can be used to off-load the primary computational kernel onto a custom computing machine in order to reduce execution time by an order of magnitude as compared to kernel execution on a general purpose processor. Specifically, FPGAs can be used to accelerate these kernels using hardware-based custom logic implementations. In this paper, we demonstrate a framework for algorithm acceleration from the dataflow to synthesized HDL design. Experimental results show a linear speedup by adding reasonably small processing elements in FPGA as opposed to using a software implementation running on a typical general purpose processor.