cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of aerobic fitness improves social functioning in individuals with schizophrenia

Individuals with schizophrenia display substantial deficits in social functioning (SF), characterized by chronic, lifelong presentations. Yet, at present there are few effective interventions to enhance SF in this population. Emerging evidence from studies of clinical populations that display similar SF deficits suggests that aerobic exercise (AE) may improve social skills. However, this putative impact has not been investigated in schizophrenia. Employing a single-blind, randomized clinical trial design, 33 individuals with schizophrenia were randomized to receive 12 weeks of Treatment-As-Usual (TAU; n = 17) or TAU + AE (n = 16) utilizing active-play video games (Xbox 360 Kinect) and traditional AE equipment. Participants completed an evaluation of aerobic fitness (VO2max) as well as self-, informant-, and clinician-reported SF measures at baseline and after 12 weeks. Twenty-six participants completed the study (79%; TAU = 13; AE = 13). At follow-up, the AE participants improved their VO2max by 18.0% versus − 0.5% in the controls (group x time interaction, F1,24 = 12.88; p = .002). Hierarchical stepwise regression analyses indicated improvements in VO2max significantly predicted enhancement in SF as indexed by self-, informant-, and clinician-reported measures, predicting 47%, 33%, and 25% of the variance, respectively (controlling for baseline demographics, medications, mood symptoms, and social networks). Compared to the TAU group, AE participants reported significant improvement in SF (23.0% vs. − 4.2%; group × time interaction, F1,24 = 7.48, p = .012). The results indicate that VO2max enhancement leads to improvements in SF in people with schizophrenia. Furthermore, low VO2max represents a modifiable risk factor of SF in people with schizophrenia, for which AE training offers a safe, non-stigmatizing, and nearly side-effect-free intervention.
Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Myomectomy

Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) are the most common tumor of the female genital tract, with a lifetime risk of approximate 70–80% [1]. Uterine fibroids are the most common indication for hysterectomy, accounting for approximately 40% of the 600,000 hysterectomies in the USA each year [2]. Earlier detection and longer delays in childbearing have increased the need for uterine-sparing techniques in the surgical treatment of fibroids [3]. The development and advancement of robot-assisted gynecologic surgery has improved surgical technique, optimizing a surgeon’s hand motions especially when operating in limited spaces. 1. Day Baird D, Dunson DB, Hill MC, Cousins D, Schectman JM. High cumulative incidence of uterine leiomyoma in black and white women: ultrasound evidence. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003;188:100–7. 2. Whiteman MK, Hillis SD, Jamieson DJ, et al. Inpatient hysterectomy surveillance in the United States, 2000–2004. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;198:34 e1–7. 3. Manyonda I, Sinthamoney E, Belli AM. Controversies and challenges in the modern management of uterine fibroids. Br J Obstet Gynecol. 2004;111:95–102.
Evaluating Medicaid Expansion Benefits for Patients with Cancer: National Cancer Database Analysis and Systematic Review.

Abstract Background Insurance status modifies healthcare access and inequities. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid coverage for people with low incomes in the United States. This study assessed the consequences of this policy change for cancer care after expansion in 2014. Methods National Cancer Database (NCDB) public benchmark reports were queried for each malignancy in 2013 and 2016. Furthermore, a systematic search [PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane] was performed. Data on insurance status, access to cancer screening and treatment, and socioeconomic disparities in these metrics was collected. Results Two-tailed analysis of the NCDB revealed that 14 out of 18 eligible states had a statistically significant increase in Medicaid-insured patients with cancer after expansion. The average percentage increase was 51 % (13.2–204 %). From the systematic review, 229 studies were identified, 26 met inclusion. All 21 relevant articles reported lower uninsured rates. The average increase of Medicaid-insured patients was 77 % (9.5–230 %) and the average decrease of uninsured rates was 55 % (13.4–73 %). 15 out of 21 articles reported increased access to care. 16 out of 17 articles reported reductions in inequities. Conclusion Medicaid expansion in 2014 increased the number of insured patients with cancer. Expansion also improved access to screening and treatment in most oncologic care, and reduced socioeconomic disparities. Further studies evaluating correlative survival outcomes are needed. Policy Summary This study informs debates on expansion of Medicaid in state governments and electorates in the United States, and on health insurance reform broadly, by providing insight into how health insurance can benefit people with cancer while revealing how less insurance coverage could harm patients with cancer before and after their diagnosis. This study also contributes to discussions of health insurance mandates, subsidized coverage for people with low incomes, and covered healthcare services determinations by public and private health insurance providers in other countries.
Better public decisions on COVID-19: A thought experiment in metrics.

Abstract Objectives Poor decision-making is a hallmark of the COVID-19 pandemic. Better metrics would help improve decision-makers' understanding of the scope of the pandemic and allow for better public understanding/review of these decisions. Study design Two novel metrics of disease impact were compared with more commonly used standard metrics. Methods A multi-criteria decision analysis technique, used previously to support metric selection in solid waste planning, was adapted to compare number of deaths, hospitalisations, positive test results and positivity rates (standard COVID-19 impact metrics) with a simple model that estimates the total number of potentially infectious people in an area and an associated odds ratio for infectious people. Results The odds ratio and total infectious population estimate metrics scored better in a comparison analysis than number of deaths, hospitalisations, positive test results and positivity rates (in that order). Conclusions The novel metrics provide a more effective means of communication than other more common measures of the outbreak. These superior metrics should support decision-making processes and result in a more informed population.
Thermal Physics: Energy and Entropy

1. The basic ideas of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics 2. The care and feeding of thermodynamic variables 3. Gases and other matters 4. The laws of thermodynamics 5. The Boltzmann factor and the density of states 6. Thermodynamic functions 7. Statistical mechanics for fixed and variable N 8. More advanced topics 9. Solutions Index.
A simulation tool to validate and compare satellite TDMA access schemes

This paper proposes an architecture design for a tool suitable for emulating DA?TDMA (demand?assignment?time division multiple access) satellite access schemes. The tool presented, named FRACAS, is particularly suitable for comparing the performance of different satellite channel allocation policies. Using FRACAS, a service provider can choose from different policies for sharing a satellite channel among a number of users. Some allocation policies, selected from those available in the literature, are built?in, while others can be designed from scratch and added without much effort. The parameters of the built?in allocation policies can easily be changed in order to exploit the full potential of the allocation schemes. FRACAS's features permit the optimisation of satellite resource usage in accordance with the traffic pattern supported. FRACAS enables research teams and students to explore and compare different multiple access schemes, and to develop simulation runs for various kinds of service?induced traffic, including aggregate traffic, which is typical in a local area network (LAN) interconnection environment.
The association between race and gender, treatment attitudes, and antidepressant treatment adherence

Objectives We examined the associations between treatment attitudes and beliefs with race–gender differences in antidepressant adherence. Methods Subjects (n = 186) were African-American and White subjects aged ≥60 years, diagnosed with clinically significant depression, and had a new outpatient primary care recommendation for antidepressant treatment. Antidepressant adherence was assessed using the Brief Medication Questionnaire. Attitudes and beliefs were assessed using the Patients Attitudes Toward and Ratings of Care for Depression, two items rating perceived medication importance, and a modified version of the Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help. Results African-American men and women had significantly greater concerns about antidepressants and significantly less understanding about treatment than White women. African-American men had significantly more negative attitudes toward healthcare providers than African-American and White women. African-American women were more likely than White men and women to endorse a medication other than their antidepressant as most important. Whereas some race–gender differences were found in personal spirituality, no group differences were found in perceived stigma. In a logistic regression model adjusted for key baseline variables, White women were significantly more adherent to antidepressants than African-American women (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.06–8.81). Fewer concerns about antidepressants and indicating the antidepressant as the most important medication were both significantly associated with adherence. After including either of these two variables, the adherence difference between White women and African-American women was no longer significant (OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 0.84–7.80). Conclusions Concerns about antidepressants and the importance of antidepressant medication are associated with adherence and are potentially modifiable through improved patient–provider communication, psycho-education, and therapeutic interventions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sonar fetal cephalometry: Comparison of bistable with gray scale and real-time techniques

Abstract The fetal biparietal diameter was measured simultaneously with B-scan bistable and gray scale techniques and subsequently with real-time ultrasonography. Measurements were made from outer table to outer table with the bistable technique, which has been proven to be accurate and reliable. With the gray scale and real-time modalities, distances were measured between several landmarks from the same image. Of all measurements taken from gray scale and realtime images, those between the centers of each band outlining the fetal skull showed the best correlation and the closest values to measurements using the standard bistable technique. Discrepancies exceeded 2 mm in only 5% with the gray scale and in 2% with the real-time technique. Using the measurement between outer and inner aspects of the cephalic band, the percentages of discrepancies exceeding 2 mm were 7% with gray scale and 6% with real time.
Imaging of Articular Cartilage

Imaging plays a crucial role in the evaluation of articular cartilage and cartilage repair procedures. Imaging helps guide therapeutic interventions and also assessment of new pharmacologic and surgical treatments. There have been many exciting developments in imaging of articular cartilage, especially using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently, MRI is the best imaging modality for assessment of normal articular cartilage, cartilage lesions, and cartilage repair. The MRI of articular cartilage provides accurate assessment of changes of cartilage surface, thickness, and signal as well as changes of subchondral bone and bone marrow. Following cartilage repair surgery, MRI provides thorough evaluation of the repair tissue and associated complications if they occur.
Field-Based Analysis of Organic Vapors in Air

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exist in the vapor phase in ambient air at partial pressures ranging from less than 1 part per billion to a few parts per million. Some of them are toxic and potentially harmful to the environment and to human health. The threshold concentrations at which individual compounds become harmful is often not well defined, and less is known about mixtures. Accurate assessment of health risk requires analytical methods that are accurate, affordable, convenient, fast, and sensitive enough to detect each compound at a concentration below the threshold of harmful effect. The usual approach to identification and quantitation of them has been to collect samples and submit them to laboratory analysis. United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method TO-14 is a standard procedure for analyzing a group of 41 potentially harmful nonpolar and semipolar organic compounds, which is in widespread use and has been found to detect and measure target compounds reliably under most conditions. However, more rapid delivery of data is often needed, and samples can deteriorate during storage pending analysis. Alternative analytical methods that produce immediate data are needed. Analysis of samples at the time and place of collection has seldom been done because of the lack of suitable equipment and the vicissitudes of operating it under field conditions. Portable or field-deployable gas chromatographs (PGCs) have, with cause, been regarded as less accurate than laboratory equipment, and a perception remains that analyses done in the field are less useful than those done in the laboratory. In fact, laboratory- and field-based analyses each have inherent advantages and disadvantages, and using them together can finesse the disadvantages of both. A high-speed gas chromatograph (GC) using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) detector can mitigate the problem of delayed data.
Update on the Biophysics and Thermodynamics of Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency (RF) energy is a form of electromagnetic energy that has been used for a variety of medical applications. The standard RF generator used in catheter ablation produces an unmodulated sine wave alternating current at frequencies of 500 to 1000 kHz. This frequency range is high enough to prevent induction of ventricular fibrillation when current is applied within the heart. RF energy usually is delivered in a unipolar fashion between the distal electrode of the RF ablation catheter and a dispersive electrode applied to the patient’s skin. During RF delivery, alternating current traverses from the ablation electrode through the intervening tissue to the dispersive electrode. The passage of current through the tissue causes heating of the tissue that is termed resistive or ohmic heating. Resistive heating is proportional to the power density of the electrode surface. Power density, in turn, is proportional to the square of the current density. According to Ohm’s Law, the amount of current (I) flowing in a circuit is proportional to voltage (V) and inversely proportional to the total impedance of the circuit (R): I = V/R. In addition, because current density decreases in proportion to the square of the distance from the ablation electrode, power density, and hence, the magnitude of resistive heating decreases with distance from the ablation electrode to the fourth power. This results in a very narrow rim of tissue ( 100 [2].
The ICRF computer control and monitoring system

The ICRF (ion cyclotron range of frequencies) software system is described. It monitors and controls the ion cyclotron resonance heating hardware on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) experiment. The main ICRF hardware consists of four RF sources connected through four transmission lines to two antennas inside the TFTR torus. RF power is injected into the TFTR torus in two different modes: conditioning, and high-power pulse (HPP). Each transmission line is serviced by its own line stretcher and stub tuner. There are software components on three computer systems, a SEL/GOULD system, a MicroVAX-II, and the PPL VAX cluster, although most of the processing is done on the MicroVAX. Data collected from the three equipment stations are stored temporarily on the MicroVAX and then archived on the VAX cluster. Selected waveforms are plotted at the end of each HPP shot cycle. Archived data can be plotted and otherwise analyzed on the MicroVAX and the VAX cluster. Waveforms are stored in a file on the VAX cluster for use by other diagnostics. >
Effect of Hypokalemia on the Reductive Amination of α-Ketoglutarate by Mitochondria from Normal and Cirrhotic Rat Liver

The reductive amination of α-ketoglutarate by glutamic dehydrogenase with malate as the hydrogen donor has been studied under anaerobic conditions, with added adenosine triphosphate, in normal and cirrhotic rat liver mitochondria isolated from normokalemic and hypokalemic animals. The formation of glutamate and aspartate, the products of the reductive amination of α-ketoglutarate, was measured as an index of the amount of ammonia incorporated. There was no difference in the amount of ammonia incorporated by normal and cirrhotic rat liver mitochondria. Hypokalemia lowered the ability of liver mitochondria to incorporate ammonia by the reductive amination of α-ketoglutarate in normal animals, and more strikingly in cirrhotic animals, although the concentration of potassium in the ,.mitochondria was unchanged. Incubation of mitochondria from hypokalemic animals with potassium partially restored the ability to incorporate ammonia, but without a significant change in the total mitochondrial potassium concentration.
Erect Penile Length and Circumference Dimensions of 1,661 Sexually Active Men in the United States

Introduction Penile size continues to receive popular and empirical attention. Little is known about the process of self-measurement and whether the behaviors a man engages in to become erect for self-measurement are associated with his erect penile dimensions. Aims The article aims to assess men's erect penile dimensions in a study in which the men would presumably be motivated to report accurate information about their penis size; and to explore associations between men's erect penile dimensions, their method of measurement, and their demographics. Methods Data are from an Internet-based baseline phase of a large prospective daily diary study that compared men's use of a standard-sized condom to men's use of a condom sized to fit their erect penis. Main outcome measures The main outcomes are participant characteristics, activities engaged in during self-measurement process, and self-reported erect penile length and circumference. Results For this sample of 1,661 men, the mean erect penile length was 14.15 cm (SD = 2.66; range = 4 to 26 cm), and the mean erect penile circumference was 12.23 cm (SD = 2.23; range = 3 to 19). Participant characteristics were not associated with measured length or circumference. Most men measured their penis while alone, using hand stimulation to become erect. Conclusions In this sample of men who measured their erect penile length and circumference for the purposes of receiving a condom sized to fit their erect penis, we found a mean erect penile length of 14.15 cm and a mean erect penile circumference of 12.23 cm. The self-reported erect penile dimensions in this study are consistent with other penile dimension research. Also, findings suggest that mode of getting an erection may influence erect penile dimensions. Additionally, how a man becomes erect for self-measurement may be associated with his erect penile length and/or circumference.
Interactions of lectins with embryonic cell surfaces.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the interactions of lectins with embryonic cell surfaces. It summarizes the information on various lectins and their sugar-binding specificity deals with the information gained through the study of the interactions of lectins with gametes. The chapter describes how lectins are being used to examine the cell surface changes that occur during development in a variety of systems. The cell surface plays an important role in morphogenesis and malignancy. Carbohydrate-containing molecules make up a part of the surface of the cells. The oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and polysaccharides reach away from the cell surface. These sugar chains, therefore, are likely the candidates for mediating initial cell-cell surface interactions. Lectins, which are proteins or glycoproteins, usually isolated from the seeds of plants and other material bind to the cell surface sugar chains. Each lectin preferentially binds to certain terminal sugars or groups of sugars on these chains. Lectins, therefore, are useful tools for studying the surfaces of adult, embryonic, and malignant cells.
Evidence for a functional vasodilatatory role for hydrogen sulphide in the human cutaneous microvasculature

Key points Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is vasoprotective, attenuates inflammation and modulates blood pressure in animal models; however, its specific mechanistic role in the human vasculature remains unclear. In the present study, we report the novel finding that the enzymes responsible for endogenous H2S production, cystathionine-γ-lyase and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulphurtransferase, are expressed in the human cutaneous circulation. Functionally, we show that H2S-induced cutaneous vasodilatation is mediated, in part, by tetraethylammonium-sensitive calcium-dependent potassium channels and not by ATP-sensitive potassium channels. In addition, nitric oxide and cyclo-oxygenase-derived byproducts are required for full expression of exogenous H2S-mediated cutaneous vasodilatation. Future investigations of the potential role for H2S with respect to modulating vascular function in humans may have important clinical implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction characteristic of multiple cardiovascular pathologies. Abstract The present study aimed to identify the presence of cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulphurtransferase (3-MST), which endogenously produce hydrogen sulphide (H2S), and to functionally examine the mechanisms of H2S-induced vasodilatation in the human cutaneous microcirculation. CSE and 3-MST were quantified in forearm skin samples from 5 healthy adults (24 ± 3 years) using western blot analysis. For functional studies, microdialysis fibres were placed in the forearm skin of 12 healthy adults (25 ± 3 years) for graded infusions (0.01–100 mm) of sodium sulphide (Na2S) and sodium hydrogen sulphide (NaHS). To define the mechanisms mediating H2S-induced vasodilatation, microdialysis fibres were perfused with Ringer solution (control), a ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) inhibitor, an intermediate calcium-dependent potassium channel (KCa) inhibitor, a non-specific KCa channel inhibitor or triple blockade. To determine the interaction of H2S-mediated vasodilatation with nitric oxide (NO) and cyclo-oxygenase (COX) signalling pathways, microdialysis fibres were perfused with Ringer solution (control), a non-specific NO synthase inhibitor, a non-selective COX inhibitor or combined inhibition during perfusion of increasing doses of Na2S. CSE and 3-MST were expressed in all skin samples. Na2S and NaHS elicited dose-dependent vasodilatation. Non-specific KCa channel inhibition and triple blockade blunted Na2S-induced vasodilatation (P 0.05). Separate and combined inhibition of NO and COX attenuated H2S-induced vasodilatation (all P < 0.05). CSE and 3-MST are expressed in the human microvasculature. Exogenous H2S elicits cutaneous vasodilatation mediated by KCa channels and has a functional interaction with both NO and COX vasodilatatory signalling pathways.
A brief, but repeated, swimming protocol is sufficient to overcome amyloid β-protein inhibition of hippocampal long-term potentiation

Alzheimer's disease starts as an almost imperceptible malady, first observed clinically as a mild memory problem. Accumulating genetic and biochemical data have suggested that amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) plays an important role in this memory loss, and Abeta has been shown to suppress long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular model for memory and learning. Here we show that a very brief (3 min) swimming, twice daily for 2 weeks, rescues LTP inhibition in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices caused by Abeta(42) or Abeta(40) carrying the Arctic mutation using a theta burst stimulation (TBS) protocol. Whereas the input-output curve was not affected, the paired-pulse ratio was reduced in mice receiving our repeated swimming protocol, suggesting a possible involvement of presynaptic facilitation. Similar to swimming, Abeta's inhibition of LTP could be rescued with the adenylyl cyclase, forskolin. Interestingly, this swimming protocol produced conditions in which a weak-TBS could invoke LTP not observed in naive mice, which again was mimicked by forskolin. In contrast, the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, H89, blocked both the forskolin and swimming potentiation of LTP; these data implicate cAMP/PKA signaling in the protective effect of swimming and mediating Abeta' detrimental effects. Our data add a new simple behavior paradigm that shows the importance of an environmental factor in reversing the pathophysiological effects of Abeta, and suggest new therapeutic avenues.
Interaction of DDT and pyrethroids with calmodulin and its significance in the expression of enzyme activities of phosphodiesterase.

Abstract To understand the significance of the inhibitory action of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and pyrethroid insecticides on calmodulin, a universal Ca2+ binding protein, a bovine heart phosphodiesterase-calmodulin system was studied. It was found that, at concentrations of less than 10−5M, the inhibitory action of DDT of the phosphodiesterase was due entirely to its action on calmodulin alone. Cypermethrin was less potent than DDT, but it also affected only calmodulin. Permethrin was the most potent inhibitor affecting calmodulin and, to a lesser extent, phosphodiesterase. The inhibitory action of these insecticides on calmodulin raises a possibility that many unsuspected Ca2+-related systems are being affected by these insecticidal chemicals, as calmodulin is known to play vital roles in many biological reactions dependent upon Ca2+. These include modulation of phosphodiesterase, neurotransmitter release, adenylate cyclase, Ca2+-dependent protein kinase, myosine light chain kinase and various membrane phosphorylation systems.
Regulatory T cells in many flavors control asthma.

That regulatory T cells (Tregs) have a crucial role in controlling allergic diseases such as asthma is now undisputed. The cytokines most commonly implicated in Treg-mediated suppression of allergic asthma are transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and interleukin (IL)-10). In addition to naturally occurring Tregs, adaptive Tregs, induced in response to foreign antigens, have been shown in recent studies. The concept of inducible/adaptive Tregs (iTregs) has considerable significance in preventing asthma if generated early enough in life. This is because cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-6 inhibit Foxp3 induction in naive CD4+ T cells and therefore de novo generation of Tregs can be expected to be less efficient when it is concomitant with effector cell development in response to an allergen. However, if iTregs can be induced, the process of infectious tolerance would facilitate expansion of the iTreg pool as suggested in the recent literature. It is tempting to speculate that there is a window of opportunity in early life in the context of a relatively immature immune system that is permissive for the generation of iTregs specific to a spectrum of allergens that would regulate asthma for lifelong. The focus of this review is the relevance of nTregs and iTregs in controlling asthma from early life into adulthood, the mechanisms underlying Treg function, and the prospects for using our current concepts to harness the full potential of Tregs to limit disease development and progression.
Recruiting Families of Color from the Inner City: Insights from the Recruiters.

Abstract Family interviewers hired to recruit families of color from low-income communities into a health promotion/prevention research project participated in a focus group to describe their experiences. The family interviewers described (1) recruitment techniques, (2) personal attributes they thought made a difference in their recruitment and retention efforts, (3) barriers they faced during recruitment, and (4) the experience of working for a white researcher. Nurs Outlook 2000;48:230-7.
Endogenous carbohydrate status affects postharvest ethylene sensitivity in relation to leaf senescence and adventitious root formation in Pelargonium cuttings

Abstract This study investigated the role of ethylene action in postharvest leaf senescence of two cultivars of pelargonium ( Pelargonium × hortorum L. H. Bailey ‘Patriot Bright Red’ and ‘Patriot White’) cuttings to determine whether endogenous carbohydrate status interacts with ethylene action in relation to leaf senescence and adventitious root formation. In the first experiment, ethylene or receptor-directed ethylene-action blocker, 1-MCP, was applied to cuttings harvested early in the morning, when carbohydrate status is relatively low. Cuttings were stored in sealed bags at 20 ± 1 °C for 3 days in darkness. Ethylene promoted chlorophyll breakdown and leaf senescence during propagation, whilst application of 1-MCP decreased those responses. In the second experiment, application of ethylene had no significant effect on the leaf senescence of cuttings that were harvested at the end of the day, when carbohydrate status was relatively high. In contrast, ethylene application to cuttings with low carbohydrate status (harvested from stock plants kept in darkness for 9 h) resulted in substantially higher leaf senescence. Highly significant positive correlations were calculated between the total chlorophyll content of the oldest leaf after 4 days of initial propagation and sucrose, total sugars, and total non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in the whole cutting, irrespective of postharvest ethylene concentration during storage. Adventitious root formation was inhibited by 1-MCP, whereas it was promoted by exogenous ethylene only when applied to cuttings with a higher carbohydrate status. For those cuttings, ethylene concentration was positively correlated with final root number. These results indicate that ethylene action is involved in postharvest leaf senescence, and that ethylene sensitivity decreases with the increase in preharvest endogenous carbohydrate status of the cuttings. In addition, when the endogenous carbohydrate status is high, ethylene sensitivity promotes adventitious root formation without triggering rapid leaf senescence. These results collectively suggest that preharvest endogenous carbohydrate status interacts with postharvest ethylene action to regulate leaf senescence and adventitious root formation in pelargonium cuttings.
Ultra-high sensitivity in a photonic crystal superprism due to the curvature singularity of a dispersion surface

A superprism structure is shown to achieve refractive index sensitivity 3×104deg/RIU with low optical loss. The sensitivity is drastically larger than previously reported values and is not due to slow light effect at a bandedge.
Electrochemical measurement of effective diffusivity in Hall‐Heroult electrolyte

Forced-convection mass transfer at the metal/bath interface during aluminum reduction from cryolitic melts was studied under reproducible convective conditions. A film of molten aluminum on a rotating molybdenum cylinder was the cathode. Concentration overpotential measured as a function of rotation rate, current density, and bath composition was converted to concentration differences between the bulk and the metal surface. Chosen as the basis for calculation of a mass transfer coefficient was the concentration of aluminum fluoride given by: where the amounts of indicated compounds are in weight percent, IMP designates impurities, M is molecular weight, ρ is the density of the melt, and CR is the cryolite ratio, the ratio of moles NaF to moles AlF3. Agreement with a correlation for mass transfer to a rotating cylinder allowed the calculation of effective diffusivities for aluminum fluoride species, in alumina-saturated melts, of: 11.1 ± 1.1 × 10−5 cm2/s at 1.8 CR; 11.4 ± 1.7 × 10−5 cm2/s at 2.3 CR; 5.4 ± 0.8 × 10−5 cm2/s at 3.0 CR; and 4.4 ± 0.9 × 10−5 cm2/s at 4.0 CR.
Phase equilibria in the Co-Cr-W system with special emphasis on the R-phase

Abstract The equilibrium phases at 1350°C were studied in twenty-one ternary or binary alloys in the Co-Cr-W system. Three topologically close-packed phases were found, one of which is a new phase which is isomorphous with the prototype R-phase in the Co-Cr-Mo system. The crystallographic verification of the Co-Cr-W R-phase is given, including comparisons of observed and calculated d-spacings and line intensities. Also, certain metallographic characteristics of the R, μ, σ, and α-Co phases are described, with special emphasis on the response of these phases to potentiostatic electrolytic etching. A ternary phase diagram for the Co-rich region at 1350°C is proposed which is consistent with the data obtained in this study and with most other published work relating to this system.
Review: The Political Mind by George Lakoff

If winning elections is a matter of manipulating brains, that must make George Bush and his team experts in neuroscience – but Owen Flanagan isn't convinced
Cardiac Sarcoidosis: Clinical Manifestations, Imaging Characteristics, and Therapeutic Approach

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system disease pathologically characterized by the accumulation of T-lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes into the sine qua non pathologic structure of the noncaseating granuloma. Cardiac involvement remains a key source of morbidity and mortality in sarcoidosis. Definitive diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis, particularly early enough in the disease course to provide maximal therapeutic impact, has proven a particularly difficult challenge. However, major advancements in imaging techniques have been made in the last decade. Advancements in imaging modalities including echocardiography, nuclear spectroscopy, positron emission tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging all have improved our ability to diagnose cardiac sarcoidosis, and in many cases to provide a more accurate prognosis and thus targeted therapy. Likewise, therapy for cardiac sarcoidosis is beginning to advance past a “steroids-only” approach, as novel immunosuppressant agents provide effective steroid-sparing options. The following focused review will provide a brief discussion of the epidemiology and clinical presentation of cardiac sarcoidosis followed by a discussion of up-to-date imaging modalities employed in its assessment and therapeutic approaches.
Thermal thresholds for teratogenicity, reproduction, and development.

The human embryo and foetus may be especially vulnerable to chemical and physical insults during defined stages of development. In particular, the scheduled processes of cell proliferation, cell migration, cell differentiation, and apoptosis that occur at different times for different organ structures can be susceptible to elevated temperatures. With limited ability to regulate temperature on its own, the developing embryo and foetus is entirely dependent upon the mother's thermoregulatory capacity. As a general rule, maternal core body temperature increases of ∼2°C above normal for extended periods of time, 2–2.5°C above normal for 0.5–1 h, or ≥4°C above normal for 15 min have resulted in developmental abnormalities in animal models. Significant differences in thermoregulation and thermoneutral ambient temperatures make direct extrapolation of animal data to humans challenging, and the above temperatures may or may not be reasonable threshold predictions for adverse developmental effects in humans. Corre...
Newspapers commemorate 11 September: A cross-cultural investigation

On 12 September 2001, as Hans-Peter Feldmann documented in his 2002 installation 9/12 Front Page, the front pages of newspapers from 151 countries showed similar photographs of a plane crashing int...
Circadian Modulation of Acute Alcohol Sensitivity But Not Acute Tolerance in Drosophila

An increased understanding of the factors affecting behavioral and neurological responses to alcohol and alcohol physiology is necessary given the tremendous toll alcohol abuse and alcoholism exert on individuals and society. At the behavioral and molecular levels, the response to alcohol appears remarkably conserved from Drosophila to humans, suggesting that investigations across model species can provide insight into the identification of common modulatory factors. We investigated the interaction between the circadian clock and alcohol sensitivity, alcohol tolerance, and alcohol absorbance in Drosophila melanogaster. Using a loss-of-righting reflex (LoRR) assay, we found that flies exhibit a circadian rhythm in the LoRR, with the greatest sensitivity to alcohol occurring from mid to late night, corresponding to the flies' inactive phase. As predicted, a circadian rhythm in the LoRR was absent in circadian mutant flies and under conditions in which the circadian clock was nonfunctional. Circadian modulat...
Electrophoretic separation of linear and supercoiled DNA in uncoated capillaries

We report electrophoretic separation of supercoiled plasmids (2-16 kilo base pairs) and linear double-stranded DNA (0.6-23 kilo base pairs) in uncoated capillaries filled with dilute hydroxyethylcellulose. Because electroosmotic flow reverses the order of elution, long plasmids spend less time in the capillary and their bandwidths are narrower than observed in coated capillaries. However, resolution is similar to that obtained in coated capillaries, because it is governed by the distribution of unresolved topoisomers. In the presence of electroosmotic flow migration of supercoiled plasmids does not follow the elastic rod model that has been observed in coated capillaries.
Striving for Self-Sufficient Families: Urban and Rural Experiences for Women in Welfare-To-Work Programs

The creation of welfare-to-work programs across the country has led to a number of questions about the effectiveness of this reform effort and the experiences of welfare recipients. This study of seventeen welfare recipients in the state of Oregon reports on what the welfare-to-work experience is like for women in two types of communities, one rural and one urban. Our findings suggest that women in both communities share similar frustrations, but overall assess the welfare-to-work program ideology positively. Women in the rural community do report more personal challenges in finding and keeping a job based on the lack of public transportation, limited job prospects in the rural area, and dissatisfaction with the education and job skill training available to them.
Predictors of clinical pain in fibromyalgia: examining the role of sleep.

Understanding individual differences in the variability of fibromyalgia pain can help elucidate etiological mechanisms and treatment targets. Past research has shown that spatial extent of pain, negative mood, and aftersensation (pain ratings taken after experimental induction of pain) accounts for 40 to 50% of the variance in clinical pain. Poor sleep is hypothesized to have a reciprocal relationship with pain, and over 75% of individuals with fibromyalgia report disturbed sleep. We hypothesized that measures of sleep would increase the predictive ability of the clinical pain model. Measures of usual pain, spatial extent of pain, negative mood, and pain aftersensation were taken from 74 adults with fibromyalgia. Objective (actigraph) and subjective (diary) measures of sleep duration and nightly wake time were also obtained from the participants over 14 days. Hierarchical regression indicated that greater spatial extent (R2 = .26), higher aftersensation ratings (R2 = .06), and higher negative mood (R2 = .04) accounted for 36% of the variance in clinical pain (average of 14 daily pain ratings). None of the sleep variables were significant predictors of clinical pain. Results replicate previous research and suggest that spatial extent of pain, pain aftersensation, and negative mood play important roles in clinical pain, but sleep disturbance did not aid in its prediction.
Natural variation in early parental care correlates with social behaviors in adolescent prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

Natural variation in early parental care may contribute to long-term changes in behavior in the offspring. Here we investigate the role of variable early care in biparental prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Total amounts of parental care were initially quantified for 24 breeder pairs and pairs were ranked in relation to one another based on total contact. Consistency in key components of care suggested a trait-like quality to parental care. Based on this ranking, breeder pairs from the top (high-contact) and bottom (low-contact) quartiles were selected to produce high- and low-contact offspring to investigate adolescent behavior after varying early care. Parental care of subject offspring was again observed postnatally. Offspring of high-contact parents spent more time passively nursing and received more paternal non-huddling contact while low-contact offspring spent more time actively nursing and received more paternal huddling and pseudohuddling in the first postnatal days (PNDs). Low-contact offspring also displayed faster rates of development on a number of physical markers. Post-weaning, offspring were evaluated on anxiety-like behavior, social behavior and pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) to a tactile and an acoustic startle. High-contact offspring spent more time sniffing a juvenile and less time autogrooming. With an infant, high-contact offspring spent more time in non-huddling contact and less time autogrooming and retrieving than did low-contact offspring. Considering sexes separately, high-contact females spent more time sniffing a novel juvenile than low-contact females. High-contact males spent more time in non-huddling contact with an infant than low-contact males; while low-contact females retrieved infants more than high-contact females. In both measures of social behavior, high-contact males spent less time autogrooming than low-contact males. These results suggest a relationship between early-life care and differences in social behavior in adolescence.
Switching fat from the periphery to bone marrow: why in Type I diabetes?

Type I (T1) diabetes is characterized by hypoinsulinemia and hyperglycemia as a consequence of decreased glucose uptake by insulin-sensitive cells. When T1 diabe-tes is poorly controlled, weight loss occurs and is manifested by a decrease in both muscle and peripheral fat mass. This sug-gests that anabolic, tissue-building proc-esses are suppressed. Correspondingly, bone formation is decreased and can lead to bone loss in T1 diabetic humans and rodent models
Representations of (M, R)-systems by categories of automata

Arbib in a paper entitled ‘Categories of (M, R)-Systems’ represents both simple (M, R)-systems and those with varying genome as subcategories of the category of automata. An alternative characterisation of general (M, R)-systems as automata is proposed and two theorems on (M, R)-automata are proved. The two categories of automata, namely Arbib in a paper entitled ‘Categories of (M,R)-Systems’ represents both simple (M, R)-systems with variable genetic structure, are compared.
Future Therapies for the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Ever since their description as “myeloproliferative syndromes” by William Dameshek in 1951, the myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) have been managed by the selective use of rather mundane, nonspecific therapies that rely on either antiplatelet effects or myelosuppression. The year 2005 ushered in a new era of drug development and discovery for the MPNs after the description of the JAK2 V617F mutation and the role this constitutively active tyrosine kinase has in MPN pathogenesis. Subsequently, multiple pharmacologic agents have begun (or are about to begin) testing for the inhibition of JAK2 in an attempt to improve the treatment of MPNs. Both primary myelofibrosis and myelofibrosis following essential thrombocythemia or polycythemia vera have been the targets of the most extensive testing of these agents to date. Responses to these oral JAK2 inhibitors have been primarily intended to reduce splenomegaly and meaningfully improve symptoms; effects on the JAK2 V617F allele burden or marrow histology are limited. Toxicities have ranged from myelosuppression to significant diarrhea. Additional agents with other mechanisms of action are also targeting JAK2, including histone deacetylase inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors. The results of preliminary trials of JAK2 inhibitors in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia have been mixed but are premature. Many questions remain as to the optimal JAK2 inhibitory strategy and the full extent of the benefit of single-agent JAK2 inhibition.
Program schemes, recursion schemes, and formal languages

This paper presents general methods for studying the problems of translatability between classes of schemes and equivalence of schemes in a given class. There are four methods: applying the theory of formal languages, programming, measuring the complexity of a computation, and ''cutting and pasting''. These methods are used to answer several questions of translatability and equivalence for classes of program schemes, program schemes augmented with counters, and recursively defined schemes. In particular, it is shown that (i) the quasirational recursion schemes are translatable into strongly equivalent program schemes, (ii) monadic recursion schemes are translatable into strongly equivalent program schemes with two counters, (iii) there is a monadic recursion scheme not strongly equivalent to any program scheme with one counter.
Distribution and covalent interactions of [1-14C]acrylonitrile in the rat

The tissue distribution, elimination and covalent binding of [1-14C]-acrylonitrile (VCN) have been investigated in the rat. Rats, given an oral dose of 46.5 mg/kg (0.5 LD50) VCN, excreted 40% of the 14C in urine, 2% in feces, 9% in expired air as 14CO2, 0.5% as H14CN and 4.8% as unchanged VCN in 24 h. Bile flow increased 3 times after the administration of VCN and over a period of 6 h, 27% of the 14C was recovered in bile. The red blood cells retained significant amounts of radioactivity for more than 10 days after treatment, whereas the 14C activity declined sharply in plasma. Initially, the highest levels of radioactivity were found in the stomach and stomach content followed by the intestine. In liver, kidney, brain, spleen, adrenal, lung and heart tissues the radioactivity of the acid soluble fractions declined while covalent binding to macromolecules remained unchanged. In subcellular fractions of liver, kidney, spleen, brain, lung, and heart, 20-40% of the total radioactivity was bound to nuclear, mitochondrial and microsomal fractions whereas in cytosol only 6-14% was bound over a period of 6 h.