cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mental well-being in the religious and the non-religious: evidence for a curvilinear relationship

Previous studies demonstrating a positive relationship between religiosity and mental health have sampled from a highly religious general population with little differentiation between weak religiosity and non-religiosity. Church members are typically compared with non-religious unaffiliated individuals, thus confounding belief with group effects (e.g. social support). The present study examined mental well-being, utilising the full range of certainty of belief or non-belief in God. In the first study, we compared church and secular group members on measures of life satisfaction and emotional stability. The second study used a large survey of the non-religious. A curvilinear relationship was found such that those with higher belief certainty (both confidently religious and atheists) have greater well-being relative to those with low certainty (unsure and agnostics). Multiple regressions controlling for social and demographic variables reduced, but did not eliminate this curvilinear relationship. Mechanism...
Persistence and Residual Effectiveness of Various Formulations of Baygon (Bayer 39007) against the House Fly.

Tests were conducted to compare the chemical persistence of Baygon® ( o -isopropoxyphenyl methylcarbamate) formulated as a 1% oil spray, 13.9% spray concentrate, and as a 75% wettable powder with its residual effectiveness against the house fly, Musca domestica L. House fly bioassay of plywood panels treated at 100 mg/square foot indicated a half-life of approximately 4 days; colorimetric analysis showed that the actual half-life of Baygon was almost 15 days. The lack of residual effectiveness appeared to be caused by a loss of the formulating materials necessary for transfer of the toxicant from the treated surface to the house fly. Maximum mortality, with minimum exposure time, was obtained with Baygon formulated as a 1% oil spray.
MAPD: a probe design suite for multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assays.

Background: Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was originally described as an efficient and reliable technique for gene dosage or DNA copy number variation (CNV) analysis. Due to its low cost, reliability, sensitivity, and relative simplicity, MLPA has rapidly gained acceptance in research and diagnostic laboratories, and fills the gap between genome-wide analysis and single gene analysis. A number of new applications have been developed shortly after the introduction of MLPA, including methylation-specific MLPA (MS-MLPA), the use of MLPA in SNP genotyping, copy number analysis in segmentally duplicated regions, etc. However, probe design is time consuming and error prone. Recently software has been developed to help human genomic MLPA probe selection and optimization. For other genomes and MS-MLPA, probe design remains a challenge. Findings: This paper describes a number of new features added to the previous H-MAPD software, which include: 1) probe selection for MS-MLPA; 2) support of mouse and rat genomes; 3) a set of new stuffer sequences. In addition, a physical-chemical property verification tool was implemented to verify user defined probes. Conclusions: MAPD is a web-based tool which is freely available to non-commercial users. The previous H-MAPD software has been used by about 200 users from more than 30 countries. With the new features, the author hopes MAPD will bring more convenience to the MLPA community.
Meaning Through Syntax: Language Comprehension and the Reduced Relative Clause Construction

A new explanation is proposed for a long standing question in psycholinguistics: Why are some reduced relative clauses so difficult to comprehend? It is proposed that the meanings of some verbs like race are incompatible with the meaning of the reduced relative clause and that this incompatibility makes sentences like The horse raced past the barn fell unacceptable. In support of their hypotheses, the authors show that reduced relatives of The horse raced past the barn fell type occur in naturally produced sentences with a near-zero probability, whereas reduced relatives with other verbs occur with a probability of about 1 in 20. The authors also support the hypotheses with a number of psycholinguistic experiments and corpus studies.
Lateral Phage Transfer in Obligate Intracellular Bacteria (Wolbachia): Verification from Natural Populations

Lateral transfer of mobile DNA is a hallmark of bacteria with a free-living replicative stage; however, its significance in obligate intracellular bacteria and other heritable endosymbionts remains controversial. Comparative sequence analyses from laboratory stocks infected with Wolbachia pipientis provide some of the most compelling evidence that bacteriophage WO-B transfers laterally between infections of the same insect host. Lateral transfer between coinfections, however, has been evaluated neither in natural populations nor between closely related Wolbachia strains. Here, we analyze bacterial and phage genes from two pairs of natural sympatric field isolates, of Gryllus pennsylvanicus field crickets and of Neochlamisus bebbianae leaf beetles, to demonstrate WO-B transfers between supergroup B Wolbachia. N. bebbianae revealed the highest number of phage haplotypes yet recorded, hinting that lab lines could underestimate phage haplotype variation and lateral transfer. Finally, using the approximate age of insect host species as the maximum available time for phage transfer between host-associated bacteria, we very conservatively estimate phage WO-B transfer to occur at least once every 0-5.4 My within a host species. Increasing discoveries of mobile elements, intragenic recombination, and bacterial coinfections in host-switching obligate intracellular bacteria specify that mobile element transfer is common in these species.
Using HCI techniques to design a more usable programming system

A programming system is the user interface between the programmer and the computer. Programming is a notoriously difficult activity, and some of this difficulty can be attributed to the user interface as opposed to other factors. Historically, the designs of programming languages and tools have not emphasized usability. This paper describes the process we used to design HANDS, a new programming system for children that focuses on usability, where HCI knowledge, principles, and methods guided all design decisions. The features of HANDS are presented along with their motivations from prior empirical research on programmers and new studies conducted by the authors. HANDS is an event-based language that features a concrete model for computation, provides operators that match the way non-programmers express problem solutions, and includes domain-specific features for the creation of interactive animations and simulations. In user tests, children using HANDS performed significantly better than children using a reduced-feature version of the system where more traditional methods were required to solve tasks.
Transcaval embolization as an alternative technique for the treatment of type II endoleak after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair

The purpose of this report is to highlight our experience with transcaval embolization (TCE) for the management of type II endoleaks (T2Es) as well as to provide a technical description of how to improve procedural safety and success. All patients underwent transfemoral venous access with transcaval puncture into the excluded aneurysm sac with coil placement and selective thrombin injection. Six patients (100% male; mean age [standard deviation] 72.7 [10.8] years) underwent TCE. Technical success was 100% with no postoperative complications. At median follow-up of 8.1 months (range, 2-22 months), two patients had persistent T2Es, with one requiring repeat TCE and the other having cessation of aneurysm growth. The TCE provides a practical alternative to transarterial or translumbar access for the management of T2E, with high degrees of technical and clinical success in this small case series. Larger patient numbers and longer-term follow-up are needed to define procedural efficacy and durability.
Enhanced acyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity is associated with improved mitochondrial and contractile function in heart failure

Aims Heart failure is associated with decreased myocardial fatty acid oxidation capacity and has been likened to energy starvation. Increased fatty acid availability results in an induction of genes promoting fatty acid oxidation. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible mechanisms by which high fat feeding improved mitochondrial and contractile function in heart failure. Methods and results Male Wistar rats underwent coronary artery ligation (HF) or sham surgery and were immediately fed either a normal (14% kcal fat) (SHAM, HF) or high-fat diet (60% kcal saturated fat) (SHAM+FAT, HF+FAT) for 8 weeks. Mitochondrial respiration and gene expression and enzyme activities of fatty acid-regulated mitochondrial genes and proteins were assessed. Subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar mitochondria were isolated from the left ventricle. State 3 respiration using lipid substrates octanoylcarnitine and palmitoylcarnitine increased in the SSM of HF+FAT compared with SHAM+FAT and HF, respectively (242 ± 21, 246 ± 21 vs. 183 ± 8, 181 ± 6 and 193 ± 17, 185 ± 16 nAO min−1 mg−1). Despite decreased medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) mRNA in HF and HF+FAT, MCAD protein was not altered, and MCAD activity increased in HF+FAT (HF, 65.1 ± 2.7 vs. HF+FAT, 81.5 ± 5.4 nmoles min−1 mg−1). Activities of short- and long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase also were elevated and correlated to increased state 3 respiration. This was associated with an improvement in myocardial contractility as assessed by left ventricular +d P /d t max. Conclusion Administration of a high-fat diet increased state 3 respiration and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities, but did not normalize mRNA or protein levels of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases in coronary artery ligation-induced heart failure rats.
Managed Competition and Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care

preauthorizing treatment before it is actually delivered. While gatekeeping may be an effective cost management method, it affects physicians and patients in several ways. First, it may deter patients from seeking care and discourage physicians from offering it (3). Second, gatekeeping may be perceived as a barrier to treatment, resulting in high levels of patient dissatisfaction over time (4). Third, and most worrisome, the requirement that all treatment be preauthorized may have detrimental consequences in an emergency (5). Rapoport and colleagues (6) recently examined the relationship between managed care and intensive care. They found that even when treatment was provided in an intensive care unit(ICU), patients enrolled in managed care plans had shorter 1W and hospital stays, lower costs, and less use of mechanical ventilation compared with patients who had traditional insurance. There was no apparent difference in mortality or rate of ICU readmission between the groups. Nevertheless, managed care clearly influenced the utilization of resources in a setting where lifethreatening conditions are common and significant discretion in making decisions about treatment would not be expected.
Control system analysis and design upon the Lyapunov method

The objectives of the present paper are analysis of stability of the nonlinear continuous-time systems and application of the second method to the optimization problem. Based on Lyapunov's method and the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman theory we outline procedures which can be used to unify results in stability analysis and system design. For nonlinear time-varying dynamical systems we show how the nonlinear optimization problem can be solved. Four illustrative examples are considered in details to demonstrate the advantages of the given analysis and control methodologies.
Herpesvirus Chemokine-Binding Glycoprotein G (gG) Efficiently Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro and In Vivo

Glycoprotein G (gG) of alphaherpesviruses has been described to function as a viral chemokine-binding protein (vCKBP). More recently, mutant viruses devoid of gG have been shown to result in increased virulence, but it remained unclear whether the potential of gG to serve as a vCKBP is responsible for this observation. In this study, we used equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) as a model to study the pathophysiological importance of vCKBP activity. First, in vitro chemotaxis assays studying migration of immune cells, an important function of chemokines, were established. In such assays, supernatants of EHV-1-infected cells significantly inhibited IL-8-induced chemotaxis of equine neutrophils. Identification of gG as the responsible vCKBP was achieved by repeating similar experiments with supernatants from cells infected with a gG-negative mutant, which were unable to alter IL-8-induced equine neutrophil migration. Furthermore, rEHV-1 gG was able to significantly reduce neutrophil migration, establishing gG as a bona fide vCKBP. Second, and importantly, in vivo analyses in a murine model of EHV-1 infection showed that neutrophil migration in the target organ lung was significantly reduced in the presence of gG. In summary, we demonstrate for the first time that EHV-1 gG not only binds to chemokines but is also capable of inhibiting their chemotactic function both in vitro and in vivo, thereby contributing to viral pathogenesis and virulence.
Environmental and social influences on enclosure use and activity patterns of captive sloth bears (Ursus ursinus)

Four adult sloth bears (Ursus ursinus) at the Los Angeles Zoo were studied for 13 months to quantify the influence of environmental and social variables on enclosure use and activity. Observations were conducted in 1-hr samples, using 1-min scans, for a total of 150 hr distributed across two seasons and three time periods. Data were then subjected to chi-square and log-linear analyses. These showed that the bears' enclosure use and activity patterns were conditional on variations in the physical and social environments. Individual rearing history also influenced activity, as hand-reared bears showed significantly higher frequencies of self-directed and stereotyped behaviors than did mother-reared animals. Changes in group composition significantly affected the behavior patterns of the two females, which were most social when exhibited with a familiar male. Social behavior and nonsocial activity also decreased in the presence of an unfamiliar male. Further evaluations of exhibit design and management practices are encouraged to identify variables that increase the reproductive success, physical well-being, and educational value of captive sloth bears. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assessing the Academic Literature Regarding the Impact of Media Piracy on Sales

The goal of this paper is to provide a “non­‐technical” discussion of what the academic literatures in economics, marketing, and information systems can tell us about how piracy impacts sales of media products. Within these literatures, we have chosen to focus on empirical studies of the impact of piracy because, while there are a variety of analytic models proposing theories of how piracy might impact sales, we believe that the true test of these theories starts with data.Based on our review of the empirical literature we conclude that, while some papers in the literature find no evidence of harm, the vast majority of the literature (particularly the literature published in top peer reviewed journals) finds evidence that piracy harms media sales.
R5X4 Viruses Are Evolutionary, Functional, and Antigenic Intermediates in the Pathway of a Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coreceptor Switch

To examine the pathway of the coreceptor switching of CCR5-using (R5) virus to CXCR4-using (X4) virus in simian-human immunodeficiency virus SHIVSF162P3N-infected rhesus macaque BR24, analysis was performed on variants present at 20 weeks postinfection, the time when the signature gp120 V3 loop sequence of the X4 switch variant was first detected by PCR. Unexpectedly, circulating and tissue variants with His/Ile instead of the signature X4 V3 His/Arg insertions predominated at this time point. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences of the C2 conserved region to the V5 variable loop of the envelope (Env) protein showed that viruses bearing HI insertions represented evolutionary intermediates between the parental SHIVSF162P3N and the final X4 HR switch variant. Functional analyses demonstrated that the HI variants were phenotypic intermediates as well, capable of using both CCR5 and CXCR4 for entry. However, the R5X4 intermediate virus entered CCR5-expressing target cells less efficiently than the parental R5 strain and was more sensitive to both CCR5 and CXCR4 inhibitors than either the parental R5 or the final X4 virus. It was also more sensitive than the parental R5 virus to antibody neutralization, especially to agents directed against the CD4 binding site, but not as sensitive as the late X4 virus. Significantly, the V3 loop sequence that determined CXCR4 use also conferred soluble CD4 neutralization sensitivity. Collectively, the data illustrate that, similar to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in individuals, the evolution from CCR5 to CXCR4 usage in BR24 transitions through an intermediate phase with reduced virus entry and coreceptor usage efficiencies. The data further support a model linking an open envelope gp120 conformation, better CD4 binding, and expansion to CXCR4 usage.
Delivery of hatching larvae to estuaries by an amphidromous river shrimp: tests of hypotheses based on larval moulting and distribution

SUMMARY 1. Amphidromous shrimps live and breed in freshwater rivers and streams, but their larvae require development in sea water. Larvae may hatch upstream and then drift to the sea, although in some species females have been reported to migrate to the coast before larvae are released. Here, we tested the relative importance of larval drift and female migration in Macrobrachium ohione (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) in a distributary of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, U.S.A. 2. Newly hatched (stage-1) larvae are nonfeeding and will not moult to stage 2 (first feeding stage) without encountering salt water. A factorial experiment was conducted in the laboratory to test the effects on moulting to stage 2 of (i) time spent by stage-1 larvae in fresh water before (ii) exposure to and maintenance in water of different salinity. Larvae kept in fresh water for 1 or 3 days before a change to saline water at 6 or 10 ppt showed a greater frequency of moulting than those kept for longer (5 days) in fresh water or changed to less saline water (2 ppt). Non-moulting larvae died or were moribund within 11 days of hatching. 3. The relative abundance of stage-1 larvae was measured with plankton tows at two locations in the river c. 150 km apart, one near the sea and one upstream. Larval abundances near the sea were significantly greater than those upstream. 4. The results indicate that hatched larvae of M. ohione have a limited period in which to drift in fresh water before reaching water sufficiently saline to stimulate moulting to the first feeding stage. Female migrations may play an important role in delivering larvae of amphidromous species from large continental river systems in which distances to the sea are great, while larval drift alone may be sufficient in species living in short streams, like those found in many small mountainous tropical islands.
Dislocation processes that affect kinetics of fatigue crack growth

Fatigue damage involves an irreversible plastic flow, and requires two load parameters for its unique description. We have examined the dislocation processes at the crack tip due to cyclic loads and showed that the two-parameter requirement naturally follows from the analysis. Hence, there are two fatigue thresholds, K max,th and ΔK th, instead of just ΔK th, as is normally assumed. Examination of dislocation behaviour reveals that the K max threshold can be related to the stress necessary to nucleate additional slip needed for crack growth. Similarly, ΔK th can be related to the stress to overcome reversible slip. The value of K max,th is always greater than or equal to ΔK th. The two-parameter requirement can be related to the presence of monotonic and cyclic plastic zones characteristic of a fatigue crack. The size of monotonic plastic zone is always larger than that of the cyclic plastic zone. The former moves the crack tip forward while the latter re-sharpens it. The analysis also shows that the effe...
Effect of human adrenomedullin on a canine tibial perfusion model in the absence of vascular endothelium

The effect of human adrenomedullin was investigated using an ex vivo perfused canine tibial model in the absence of vascular endothelium. Adrenomedullin is a novel peptide with known vasodilator properties. In this model, a 0.1 ml bolus injection of 10(-5) M of either acetylcholine or adrenomedullin decreased vascular resistance in tibial preparations precontracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha by 88.3 +/- 3.0% and 92.8 +/- 2.8%, respectively, in the presence of vascular endothelium. Conversely, a 0.1 ml bolus injection of 10(-5) M acetylcholine produced a constrictor response after removal of vascular endothelium. A 0.1 ml bolus injection of 10(-5) M adrenomedullin decreased the baseline perfusion pressure in a dose-dependent manner for a duration of 20 minutes and also attenuated the pressor response to exogenous norepinephrine injection for at least 10 minutes compared with the control study (p < 0.05) in the absence of vascular endothelium. These data suggest that human adrenomedullin relaxes blood vessels in bone by a direct action on vascular smooth-muscle cells. In addition, the attenuation effect of human adrenomedullin on pressor responses to exogenous norepinephrine injection is independent of vascular endothelium.
Impact of C-Peptide Preservation on Metabolic and Clinical Outcomes in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial

The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial established that a stimulated C-peptide concentration ≥0.2 nmol/L at study entry among subjects with up to a 5-year diabetes duration is associated with favorable metabolic and clinical outcomes over the subsequent 7 years of follow-up. Herein we further examine the association of both fasting and stimulated C-peptide numerical values with outcomes. In the intensive treatment group, for a 50% higher stimulated C-peptide on entry, such as from 0.10 to 0.15 nmol/L, HbA 1c decreased by 0.07% (0.8 mmol/mol; P = 0.0003), insulin dose decreased by 0.0276 units/kg/day ( P P P = 0.0010), all in unadjusted analyses. Other than HbA 1c , these effects remained significant after adjusting for the HbA 1c on entry. While C-peptide was not significantly associated with the incidence of nephropathy, it was strongly associated with the albumin excretion rate. The fasting C-peptide had weaker associations with outcomes. As C-peptide decreased to nonmeasurable concentrations, the outcomes changed in a nearly linear manner, with no threshold or breakpoint. While preservation of stimulated C-peptide at ≥0.2 nmol/L has clinically beneficial outcomes, so also does an increase in the concentration of C-peptide across the range of values.
Foraging Patterns of Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Shrub–Steppe Ecosystem: The Roles of Temperature, Trunk Trails, and Seed Resources

The spatial and temporal foraging dynamics of western harvester ant colonies, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Cresson), in a shrub–steppe ecosystem in southwestern Wyoming were studied. Ant foraging was spatially organized by permanent trunk trails that were formed by workers traveling in corridors between shrubs. An exponential decline was observed in forager flows with distance along trails, a pattern which changed when foragers were recruited to experimental seed patches. Trails also differed in seasonal forager activity and the seed species returned by ants. Soil surface temperature was a significant contributor to variation in forager departure rates in 70% of the 48 samples taken across months and colonies during the 2-yr study. Densities of soil seeds in the foraging areas of P. occidentalis colonies were significantly correlated with seasonal ant activity levels. The composition of forage returned by ants differed seasonally and according to daily changes in surface temperature.
Ultrastructure of early stages of infections in mice fed Toxoplasma gondii oocysts.

Transmission electron microscopy was used to study Toxoplasma gondii infections in the small intestines of Swiss-Webster mice at 2-48 h post-feeding of oocysts (p.f.). Sporozoites passed through intestinal epithelial cells (enterocytes and goblet cells) and infected all cells except red blood cells in the lamina propria. Parasites in intestinal epithelial cells or in cells in the lamina propria were located within a single type of parasitophorous vacuole, which contained exocytosed electron-dense material and well-developed tubulovesicular membranous networks. Sporozoites did not infect intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), but at 48 h p.f. IELs had become infected with tachyzoites arising from those that had developed in the lamina propria. At 48 h p.f., the lamina propria contained numerous tachyzoites, much cellular debris, and few intact cells. The intestinal epithelium exhibited limited cytopathological changes except for villar fusion, slight vacuolation, and cell separation at the bases of enterocytes.
The Sr1 gene that controls diversity of the anti-inulin antibody response maps to mouse chromosome 14

Previous studies demonstrated that the diversity of the antibody response of mice to the inulin (In) determinant of bacterial levan is regulated by the gene Spectrotype Regulation 1 (Sr1). BALB/c mice produce a monoclonal anti-In response as shown by isoelectric focusing analysis. In contrast, the anti-In antibody response of (BALB/c×C57BL/6)F1 mice is significantly more heterogeneous. We performed a backcross and a genome-wide scan with microsatellite markers and found that Sr1 is tightly linked to D14Mit121 on chromosome (Chr) 14. This location for Sr1 was supported by analysis of CXB Recombinant Inbred strains. We further confirmed this by finding that the Chr 14 congenic mouse strain B6.C-H8 lacks the C57BL/6 allele of the Sr1 gene, indicating that Sr1 is located in the segment of Chr 14 replaced with BALB/c donor DNA. These data place Sr1 near to or coincident with the Tcra/Tcrd T-cell receptor gene complex and suggest a role for T cells in diversifying the anti-In response.
Elastic and inelastic scattering of 800 MeV protons by 58Ni

Abstract Differential cross sections for elastic and inelastic scattering of 800 MeV protons from 58 Ni have been measured to momentum transfers of 4 fm −1 . The elastic scattering data were fit using a phenomenological optical model potential. The inelastic scattering was analyzed in the distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) to obtain deformation lengths.
Sudden Gains in Depressed Cancer Patients Treated With Behavioral Activation Therapy

Many patients who receive cognitive-behavioral therapy experience sudden gains that are associated with improved treatment response and decreased risk of relapse. Extending prior research, this study examined sudden gains among depressed cancer patients receiving brief (9-session) behavioral activation therapy. Fifty percent of patients experienced sudden gains of large magnitude (M=11.8 BDI-II points), with sudden gains associated with improved treatment response and maintenance of gains at 3-month follow-up. Relative to those without sudden gains, at pretreatment assessment, cancer patients with sudden gains were more likely to present with less severe depression, less somatic anxiety, fewer coexistent anxiety disorders, as well as less bodily pain, better overall physical functioning, and fewer problems with daily activities as a result of emotional problems. These findings provide increasing support for behavioral activation with a difficult-to-treat population but raise important questions regarding mechanism of change. Clinical implications for treating depressed cancer patients are discussed.
Tests for Rabbit Sperm Surface Iron-Binding Protein and Hyaluronidase Using the "Exchange Agglutination" Reaction

“Exchange agglutination,” a new test for detecting mammalian sperm surface antigens, is described. This test is based on two facts: (1) that univalent (Fab) antibody fragments prevent the spontaneous agglutination frequently observed in sperm suspensions of many mammalian species and (2) that multivalent antibody will compete favorably and apparently exchange with the univalent antibody producing specific agglutination with high precision and sensitivity. Using this method, rabbit sperm agglutinated with iSoantisera to purified rabbit sperm hyaluronidase but failed to do so with antisera to the lactoferrin-like iron binding protein of rabbit seminal plasma. Natural rabbit sperm agglutinins were found in normal goat globulin by this exchange agglutination test. Sperm agglutination by antibodies and
ENDF/B-VII data testing with ICSBEP benchmarks

Continuous energy Monte Carlo eigenvalue calculations have been performed for several hundred critical benchmarks described in the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments. These calculations were performed with MCNP5 using either ENDF/B-VI.8 or ENDF/B-VII.0 cross sections. ENDF/B-VII cross section data files yield significantly more accurate calculated eigenvalues than those obtained with ENDF/B- VI.8 cross sections for moderated, low-enriched uranium fuel rod lattice configurations and for unmoderated, bare or reflected, critical benchmark assemblies. Accurate calculated eigenvalues were previously obtained with ENDF/B-VI.8 cross sections for both highly-enriched and low-enriched uranium solution assemblies. These accurate eigenvalues are retained with ENDF/B-VII.0 cross sections.
Characterization of cDNA Encoding Human Pregnancy-Specific β1-Glycoprotein from Placenta and Extraplacental Tissues and Their Comparison with Carcinoembryonic Antigen

ABSTRACT Human pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein (SP1) is one of the early pregnancy proteins produced in large quantity by the placenta during pregnancy. The nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding human placental SP1 isolated from a term placental cDNA library was determined. This cDNA contains 1,958 nucleotides with a 5′ noncoding sequence of 73 bp, a sequence of 1,257 bp encoding a protein of 419 amino acids with calculated molecular mass of 47.2 kD, a TGA stop codon, and 625 bp of 3′ noncoding sequence. Two internal repeat domains, each of 93 amino acids, can be identified within the coding sequence. The positions of two cysteine residues within each repeat are conserved. A cDNA of 489 bp identical to the sequence from nucleotides 422-910 of placenta! SP1 cDNA was isolated from a human testis cDNA library. Screening of a HeLa cell library with SP1 cDNA probe yielded 10 positive clones. Sequence determination of one of the cloned cDNA inserts revealed a partial cDNA of 773 bp which is 94% homologous a...
Simple Robust Testing of Regression Hypotheses

IN THIS PAPER WE CONSIDER the problem of hypothesis testing in models with errors that have serial correlation or heteroskedasticity of unknown form. This situation is often encountered in regression models applied to economic time series data. It is a classic textbook result that while ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates of regression parameters remain consistent and asymptotically normal when errors are heteroskedastic or autocorrelated (provided usual regularity conditions hold and no lagged dependent variables are in the model), standard tests are no longer valid. If the true form of serial correlation/heteroskedasticity were known, then generalized least squares (GLS) provides efficient estimates and standard inference can be conducted on the GLS transformed model. But, in practice the form of serial correlation/heteroskedasticity is often unknown, and this has led to the development of techniques that permit valid asymptotic inference without having to specify a model of the serial correlation or heteroskedasticity. The most common approach is to estimate the variance-covariance matrix of the OLS estimates nonparametrically using spectral methods (heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent (HAC) estimators) and construct standard tests using the asymptotic normality of the OLS estimates. HAC estimators have been extensively analyzed in the econometrics literature and important contributions are given by Andrews (1991), Andrews and Monahan (1992), Gallant (1987), Hansen (1992), Newey and West (1987), Robinson (1991, 1998), and White (1984) among others. The benefit of HAC estimator tests is asymptotically valid inference that is robust to general forms of serial correlation/heteroskedasticity in the errors. We propose an alternative method of constructing robust test statistics. We apply a nonsingular data dependent stochastic transformation to the OLS estimates. The asymptotic distribution of the transformed estimates does not depend on nuisance parameters. Then, test statistics that are asymptotically invariant to nuisance parameters (asymptotic pivotal statistics) are constructed. The resulting test statistics have nonstandard asymptotic distributions that only depend on the number of restrictions being tested, and critical values are easy to simulate using standard techniques. The main advantage of our approach compared to standard approaches is that estimates of the variance-covariance matrix are not explicitly required to construct the tests. This is potentially important for two reasons. First, with the exception of the estimator proposed by Robinson (1998),2 consistent nonparametric estimates of variance-covariance matrices in models with serial
Publicly Available Data: Crowd Sourcing to Identify and Reduce Disparities.

Health care delivery is changing rapidly. The Norman Rockwell era of a single town doctor with his black bag and home visits is no more. This image is being replaced by large health care systems with integrated provider networks and, more importantly, integrated information networks. Each patient
Snatching Hope from the Jaws of Epistemic Defeat

Reflection on the history of skepticism shows that philosophers have often conjoined as a single doctrine various theses that are best kept apart. Some of these theses are incredible—literally almost impossible to accept—whereas others seem quite plausible and even verge on the platitudinous. Mixing them together, one arrives at a view—skepticism—that is as a whole indefensible. My aim is to pull these different elements apart and focus on one particular strand of skepticism that deserves sustained and respectful attention, which I will refer to as epistemic defeatism. Roughly, in its most global form, this is the view that, in the final analysis, we have no good evidence for the truth of any proposition. I do not attempt to argue for the truth of epistemic defeatism, but only to untangle it from neighboring views and in particular to establish its independence from questions about knowledge. Having thus established the view's autonomy, I turn to considering the options for self-consciously accepting defeat. One may despair or one may have faith. But I will ultimately propose that the most attractive option—the option that preserves the most of our epistemic integrity—is to have hope.
How the Father Might Epigenetically Program the Risk for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Effects in His Offspring

In addition to DNA, the sperm provides epigenetic factors to the embryo upon fertilization. DNA methylation, histone modifications, and small noncoding RNAs are critical for spermatogenesis and are present in mature sperm. Recent evidence suggests that a subset of these epigenetic modifications have roles beyond sperm function, providing transcriptional cues for early embryonic development. Numerous associations have been observed between paternal age, lifestyle, or chemical exposures and offspring health, with alterations seen in sperm epigenetic marks. These studies implicate epigenetic mechanisms in paternally inherited offspring phenotype. In this chapter, we outline the major epigenetic modifications established in sperm and explore possible modes of epigenetic inheritance from the sperm to the fertilized embryo. In addition, we provide evidence of environmental effects on the epigenetic state of paternal germ line and transmission of epigenetic alterations to offspring.
The Relationship Between Sleep Time, Sleepiness, and Psychological Functioning in Adolescents

Normative biological, psychological, and social changes that occur during adolescence contribute to insufficient sleep time, irregular sleep schedules, and sleepiness in teenagers. Such negative changes in sleep may lead to psychosocial consequences such as depressed mood and behavior problems, and in fact this has been demonstrated in adults and in school age children. Although there are few empirical studies of the effects of poor sleep or sleepiness on psychological functioning in adolescents; the number of teens reporting sleep problems and the potential impact of those problems suggest that research is warranted. The current study investigated whether an association between sleep time, sleepiness, and specific aspects of psychological functioning was present in adolescents. This study had several methodological advantages over previous investigations of adolescent sleep including the use of actigraphy (an objective measure of sleep time), multiple measures and reporters of adolescent psychological functioning, the use of Tanner staging to determine pubertal status, and the use of path analysis. The 208 study participants were part of a larger population-based cohort study of sleep and health, the Cleveland Children s Sleep and Health Study (CCSHS), and were between the ages of 13-16. Based on prior research, it was hypothesized that pubertal status, minority status, sex, body mass index (BMI), preterm status, parent income, and parent education would relate to mean total sleep time, variability in sleep time, and sleepiness. It was also hypothesized that less mean total sleep time, more variability in sleep time, and more sleepiness would be associated with higher scores on measures of anxiety, depression, externalizing behaviors, and perceptions of poor health. Results were that higher BMI (pamp;lt;.001), minority status (pamp;lt;.05), and male sex (pamp;lt;.005) predicted less total sleep time. Higher BMI (pamp;lt;.001), minority status (pamp;lt;.005), and older age (pamp;lt;.001) predicted more variability in sleep time and higher BMI (pamp;lt;.01) and minority status (pamp;lt;.001) also predicted more sleepiness. Higher self-reported sleepiness scores predicted higher scores on measures of anxiety (pamp;lt;.001), depression (pamp;lt;.01), and perceived health (pamp;lt;.001); however other relationships between sleep variables and psychological variables were not found.
Interactions of cocaine and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol with the hypothalamic-hypophysial axis of the female rat*

The acute effects of cocaine and/or Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were studied in ovariectomized female rats. Intermediate doses of cocaine (10 or 20 mg/kg) caused an increase in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and a decrease in serum prolactin levels, whereas a higher dose (40 mg/kg) caused a decrease in serum LH. THC (10 mg/kg) attenuated serum LH and prolactin levels. The THC effect on LH was blocked by cocaine. Neither drug alone or in combination affected serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels. The cocaine-induced changes in LH levels were closely paralleled by changes in hypothalamic norepinephrine content, suggesting a neurochemical basis for cocaine's action on LH release.
Probing the Bose glass-superfluid transition using quantum quenches of disorder

Aspects of the disordered Bose–Hubbard model, such as the Bose glass–superfluid transition, are still incompletely understood, but this can now be probed in an ultracold atomic gas in an optical lattice using controlled quantum quenches of disorder.
Correlation between overexpression of YY1 and downregulation of DR5 in prostate tumor arrays: novel mechanism of escape from immune surveillance

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 2400 Several mechanisms have been reported on tumor escape from immune surveillance. One such mechanism is the development of anti-apoptotic mechanisms to resist therapeutic apoptotic stimuli induced by cytotoxic immune leukocytes. Cytotoxic effector cells mediate their cytotoxic activities via death ligands (eg TNF-α, FasL, TRAIL) following interaction with their cognate receptors on the tumor cells. TRAIL is a member of the TNF-α superfamily and has been shown to be selectively cytotoxic to sensitive tumor cells, but not to the majority of normal tissues. TRAIL or agonist antibodies against DR4 or DR5 are in clinical trials. However, most tumors are resistant to TRAIL and need to be sensitized to undergo apoptosis. Several studies indicated that sensitization correlated with upregulation of DR5 expression. We have recently found that DR5 transcriptional regulation is under the control of the transcription repressor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) and inhibition of YY1 upregulates DR5 expression and sensitizes the tumor cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. YY1 has been shown by us to be of prognostic significance in prostate cancer (Seligson, et al., 2005, Int. J Oncol. 27(1):131-41). Therefore, based on our in vitro findings with tumor cell lines, we hypothesized that overexpression of YY1 in prostate tumors may correlate inversely with DR5 expression and regulate sensitivity to TRAIL. In order to corroborate this hypothesis, we have performed experiments to evaluate the expression of both the transcription factor YY1 and DR5 in prostate cancer tissue arrays containing formalin fixed, paraffin embedded sections obtained from the General Hospital No 25 from IMSS (Mexico, City). These arrays consisted of 30 untreated prostate carcinoma patients. Immunohistochemistry was performed using specific antibodies against of YY1 and DR5 and control IgGs. The arrays were scored, the intensity was recorded and the data were analyzed statistically. In contrast to adjacent normal tissues, the findings revealed that YY1 was overexpressed and in contrast DR5 expression was very low in the majority of prostate carcinoma patient specimens. The expression of YY1 was primarily in the nucleus and DR5 expression was in the cytoplasm. There was a significant inverse correlation between YY1 and DR5 expression ( p = 0.0001) in the same patient specimen. These findings suggest that the inverse relationship between YY1 and DR5 expression may be indicative of tumor escape from immune surveillance and may be of prognostic/diagnostic significance. In addition, the findings suggest that inhibitors of YY1 or inducers of DR5 may be new targets in prostate cancer when used in combination with immunotherapeutics.
Sources and propagation of errors in quantitative phase imaging techniques using optical interferometry

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) has many applications in a broad range of disciplines from astronomy to microbiology. QPI is often performed by optical interferometry, where two coherent beams of light are used to produce interference patterns at a detector plane. Many algorithms exist to calculate the phase of the incident light from these recorded interference patterns as well as enhance their quality by various de-noising methods. Many of these de-noising algorithms, however, corrupt the quantitative aspect of the measurement, resulting in phase contrast images. Among these phase calculation techniques and de-noising algorithms, none approach the optimization of phase measurements by theoretically addressing the various sources of error in its measurement, as well as how these errors propagate to the phase calculations. In this work, we investigate the various sources of error in the measurements required for QPI, as well as theoretically derive the influence of each source of error on the overall phase calculation for three common phase calculation techniques: the four bucket/step method, three bucket/step method, and the Carre method. The noise characteristics of each of these techniques are discussed and compared using error parameters of a readily available CCD sensor array. Additionally, experimental analysis is conducted on interferograms to investigate the influence of speckle noise on the phase measurements of the three algorithms discussed.
Abstract 398: Angiotensin-[1-7] Infusion Reduces Skeletal Muscle Fibrosis and Restores Locomotor Activity and Sympathovagal Balance in a Mouse Model of Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy is a catastrophic, fatal neuromuscular disease in need of new therapies. Angiotensin II binding to AT 1 receptors (AT 1 R) contributes to fibrosis in dystrophic skeletal muscle and AT 1 R blockers are currently being tested in clinical trials. Recently, we reported that autonomic dysregulation precedes and predicts development of cardiomyopathy in sarcoglycan delta deficient (Sgcd-/-) mice with muscular dystrophy (Clin Auton Res, 2010 ). We hypothesized that infusion of the angiotensin peptide Ang-[1-7] will rescue skeletal muscle, locomotor, and autonomic nervous system phenotypes in young Sgcd-/- mice. Control and Sgcd-/- mice were infused with Ang-[1-7] (300 ng/kg/min) for 8 wks beginning at 3 wks of age. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and activity were recorded by telemetry in treated and untreated mice. Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS, sequence technique) and resting cardiac vagal and sympathetic tone (HR responses to atropine and propranolol) were measured. BP, activity, BRS and vagal tone were lower in Sgcd-/- vs. control mice, whereas sympathetic tone was higher (Table). Ang-[1-7] normalized activity, BRS, and sympathovagal balance in Sgcd-/- mice without affecting BP, and did not influence any variable in control mice. Skeletal muscle fibrosis present in Sgcd-/- mice (18±1%, n=9) was markedly reduced by Ang-[1-7] (3±1%, n=5). We conclude that Ang-[1-7] reduces skeletal muscle fibrosis and restores locomotor activity and sympathovagal balance in Sgcd-/- mice, without lowering BP. Ang-[1-7] and/or enhancement of its endogenous production may provide a novel therapeutic approach to muscular dystrophy.
External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for the Acute Treatment of Migraine: Open‐Label Trial on Safety and Efficacy

Objective The aim of the current study is to assess the safety and efficacy of external trigeminal nerve stimulation (e-TNS) via a transcutaneous supraorbital stimulator as an acute treatment for migraine attacks. Materials and Methods This was a prospective, open-labeled clinical trial conducted at the Columbia University Headache Center (NY, USA). Thirty patients who were experiencing an acute migraine attack with or without aura were treated with a one-hour session of e-TNS (CEFALY Technology) at the clinic. Pain intensity was scored using a visual analogue scale (VAS) before the treatment, after the one-hour treatment session, and at two hours after treatment initiation. Rescue migraine medication intake was recorded at 2 and 24 hours. Results Thirty patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Mean pain intensity was significantly reduced by 57.1% after the one-hour e-TNS treatment (−3.22 ± 2.40; p < 0.001) and by 52.8% at two hours (−2.98 ± 2.31; p < 0.001). No patients took rescue medication within the two-hour observation phase. Within the 24-hour follow-up, 34.6% of patients used a rescue medication. No adverse events or subjective complaints were reported. Conclusions The findings from this open-labeled study suggest that transcutaneous supraorbital neurostimulation may be a safe and effective acute treatment for migraine attacks, and merits further study with a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial.