cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of physician communications skills on patient satisfaction; Recall, and adherence

An understanding of means to improve patient adherence to the therapeutic regimen is a subject of increasing concern in medical care. This study examined the effects of physician interpersonal skills and teaching on patient satisfaction, recall, and adherence to the regimen. We studied the ambulatory visits of 63 patients to five medical residents at a teaching hospital in Baltimore. It was found that quality of interpersonal skills influenced patient outcomes more than quantity of teaching and instruction. Secondary analyses found that all the effects of physician communication skills on patient adherence are mediated by patient satisfaction and recall. These findings indicate that the physician might pay particular attention to these two variables in trying to improve patient adherence, and that enhancing patient satisfaction may be pivotal to the care of patients with chronic illness.
Effect of thyroid replacement therapy on the frequency of benign atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

Abstract Whether thyroid replacement therapy can trigger cardiac arrhythmias in patients with hypothyroidism is not known. In this prospective study, 24 h ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring was used to assess the frequency of atrial and ventricular premature beats in 25 patients with hypothyroidism (5 men and 20 women, aged 56 ± 3 years) before and 3.5 ± 0.5 months (mean ± SEM) after thyroid replacement therapy. Plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone was 73.6 ± 12.3 and 3.1 ± 0.6 γUlml and free thyroxine index was 2.4 ± 0.4 and 9.8 ± 0.9 μg/100 ml at baseline and after thyroid replacement therapy, respectively. The frequency of ventricular premature beats was not affected by thyroid replacement therapy (from 273 ± 221 at baseline to 352 ± 235 beats/24 h after therapy), even in patients with frequent baseline arrhythmias. In contrast, the frequency of atrial premature beats was slightly increased after thyroid replacement therapy (from 47 ± 17 to 279 ± 197 beats/24 h), largely as a result of changes seen in three patients. No patient developed new onset of sustained ventricular or supraventricular arrhythmias. Average, basal and maximal heart rates during ECG monitoring increased significantly after thyroid replacement therapy (average 72 ± 2 to 80 ± 2; basal 64 ± 2 to 70 ± 2; maximal 114 ± 3 to 130 ± 3 beats/min, respectively, p In conclusion, thyroid replacement therapy is safe in patients with common benign cardiac arrhythmias, and does not trigger an increase in arrhythmia frequency except in rare patients with baseline atrial premature beats. It is, however, associated with an increase in basal, average and maximal heart rates.
Trans-sexually grafted antennae alter pheromone-directed behaviour in a moth

When tobacco hornworm moths (Manduca sexta) are tested in a wind tunnel with a source of female pheromones upwind, males but not normal females show pheromone-modulated anemotaxis and a characteristic mate-seeking behavioural sequence1–7. These behaviours are produced by stimulation of sensory neurones found only in male antennae8–10. These neurones project axons only to dendrites of pheromone-specific interneurones11,12 in the macroglomerular complex, a region of neuropil in the antennal lobe characteristic of males but not present in normal females13–15. Some interneurones in the antennal lobes of female moths that have received grafts of male antennae (gynandromorphs) respond postsynaptically to stimulation with bombykal, a major component of the pheromone16. They branch into a region resembling the macroglomerular complex16, like their counterparts in normal males. We show here that gynandromorphic females respond to pheromonal stimulation with anemotaxis. We also find that normal females display a similar sequence in response to the odour of their egg-laying site, the tobacco plant. It is likely that a common motor path is used either by pheromone-specific interneurones in the antennal lobes of males or by tobacco-specific interneurones in females. We assume that the interneurones in gynandromorphic females that branch into the macroglomerular complex induced by a grafted male antenna can activate this pathway.
115 The rate of hOGG1-mediated 8-oxoG removal from nucleosomal DNA

When left unrepaired, DNA damage can lead to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Organisms have evolved to repair DNA damage through several pathways, including the removal and replacement of damaged DNA bases via base excision repair (BER). This pathway involves an enzymatic cascade: following removal of the damaged base by a glycosylase, the damage site is treated by an apurinic/apyrimidinic lyase, and then patched by a polymerase. Much is known about the BER pathway and the enzymes involved in it (Brooks et al., 2013); however, studies of BER in the context of eukaryotic DNA have only recently begun (Odell, Wallace, & Pederson, 2013). In eukaryotic cells, short stretches (146 base pairs) of genomic DNA are wrapped around octameric clusters of histone proteins, forming macromolecular structures called nucleosomes (Eickbush & Moudrianakis, 1978). The nucleosome presents a particular challenge to BER enzymes: the rate and efficiency of repair at a particular lesion site are expected to depend on the relative ...
Small phytoplankton and carbon export from the surface ocean

Autotrophic picoplankton dominate primary production over large oceanic regions but are believed to contribute relatively little to carbon export from surface layers. Using analyses of data from the equatorial Pacific Ocean and Arabian Sea, we show that the relative direct and indirect contribution of picoplankton to export is proportional to their total net primary production, despite their small size. We suggest that all primary producers, not just the large cells, can contribute to export from the surface layer of the ocean at rates proportional to their production rates.
The Challenge of Making Performance-Based Pay Systems Work in the Public Sector:

The federal government has successfully experimented with a variety of performance-based pay (PBP) systems for more than 30 years. However, the first large-scale expansion of PBP to civilians in th...
Comparison of Estimated and Measured Long-Term I Concentrations from a Continuous Elevated Source

Abstract The continuous release of very small, but detectable amounts of 131I from the Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor has provided an unusual opportunity for verification of dispersion estimates based on meteorological parameters. Analysis of an entire year's data shows the prediction system to be reliable within a factor of 2, and contains valuable information about such factors as effective stack height, the effectiveness of simplified dispersion models, and the variation of dispersion parameters with season and trajectory.
Interactions of nicotinamide with dopamine receptors in vivo

Abstract [ 3 H]-Spiperone (20 μCi/kg, 0.0003 mg/kg, SC) was administered to mice. Relative decreases in the 2-hr ratio of accumulation of this dopamine receptor radioligand in the dopaminergic corpus striatum (ldspecific” plus “nonspecific binding”) and the nondopaminergic cerebellum (“nonspecific binding” only) were used to evaluate nicotinamide for possible effects on the dopamine receptor. The nicotinamide-treated animals were also observed for signs of catalepsy. Pretreatment for 30 min with IP doses of 200 and 500 mg/kg reduced accumulation in both areas approximately the same as judged from striatum:cerebellum ratios, which did not differ significantly from controls. However, at 100 mg/kg, although nicotinamide decreased [ 3 H]-spiperone accumulation in both striatum and cerebellum, “specific binding” was affected more than “nonspecific binding”, as judged from a statistically significant decrease in the striatum:cerebellum ratio. This dose also produced a cataleptic state. Nicotinamide at high doses might have some antagonistic effect on dopamine receptors in mice as judged from the greater effect on accumulation of [ 3 H]-spiperone in striatum (“specific binding”) than in cerebellum (“nonspecific binding”) which appeared to correlate somewhat with the production of a cataleptic state.
Mnemonic devices and natural memory

An attempt was made to make a mnemonic device, the method of loci, function more like natural memory. This was done by using familiar loci provided by the subject and by making learning incidental. After comparing the three conditions used in the experiment, it was concluded that recall of the verbal material presented to the subjects depended on the associa- tion of the loci with the words presented and also depended on the retrieval of the loci so that they could act as recall cues. The operation of natural memory seems to be similar to the method of loci for the following reasons: (1) The routine of people’s lives automatically provides loci that are associated with less predictable events. (2) Perception rather than imagery associates loci with these events. (3) The accessibility in memory of familiar loci allows them to be used as retrieval cues for recent, but less predictable, episodic events.
Elastic stiffness of straight‐sided triangular finite elements by analytical and numerical integration

Most finite element (FE) software uses numerical integration to compute FE stiffness matrices. In the case of straight-sided isoparametric triangular elements, numerical integration is exact, provided a sufficient number of integration points are used. In this paper, the same integrations are performed analytically in closed form with the help of computer algebra software for 3-, 6-, 10- and 15-noded triangles. The resulting analytical expressions have been converted into Fortran 95 subroutines and compared with the conventional numerical integration methods. The analytical routines produce exactly the same results as their numerical counterparts, but run significantly faster. All Fortran 95 code developed in this study is available on the first author's Web site. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel process for figuring and polishing diamond surfaces

A novel method for figuring and polishing diamond surfaces is described. It is a three step process, consisting of (1) a diffusion smoothing step using carbon reaction with certain materials at elevated temperatures (such as hot iron, molten rare earth metals, etc.), (2) a laser polishing and figuring step where UV laser ablation actively coupled with in situ interferometry provides the desired diamond figure and (3) an ion beam assisted superpolishing step, where ion beam technology is used to provide the final surface finish.
Heat treatment effects on toughness of 9Cr-1MoVNb and 12Cr-1MoVW steels irradiated at 365°C☆

Abstract The 9Cr-1MoVNb and 12Cr-1MoVW steels were austenitized at 1040 and 1100°C to produce different prior austenite grain sizes, after which they were given different tempering treatments (1 h at 760°C or 2.5 h at 780°C). Subsize Charpy impact specimens from these materials were irradiated at 365°C up to 5 dpa. For 9Cr-1MoVNb steel in the unirradiated condition, the smaller the prior austenite grain size and the higher the tempering temperature, the lower the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT). Regardless of the DBTT in the unirradiated condition, however, the DBTT shift for 9Cr-1MoVNb steel due to irradiation was the same for all heat treatments. This means heat treatment can be used to ensure a lower DBTT before and after irradiation. The 12Cr-1MoVW steel showed little effect of heat treatment on DBTT in the unirradiated condition, and the shift in DBTT was relatively constant. Thus, it appears that heat treatment cannot be used to reduce the effect of irradiation on DBTT for this steel.
Production of Massive Muon Pairs in π − -Nucleus Collisions

We present measurements of the differential cross section for the production of massive muon pairs in 225-GeV/c ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-nucleus collisions. We have used the data between the $\ensuremath{\psi}$ and $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}$ resonances in the framework of the Drell-Yan quark-antiquark annihilation model to predict the behavior of the cross section in the high-mass (${m}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\mu}}g11$ GeV/${\mathit{c}}^{2}$) region. The data are consistent with this extrapolation provided that a QCD leading-logarithmic evolution is included in the structure functions.
Conditional inference given partial information in contingency tables using Markov bases

In this article, we review a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm for performing conditional inference in contingency tables in the presence of partial information using Markov bases, a key tool arising from the area known as algebraic statistics. We review applications of this algorithm to the problems of conditional exact tests, ecological inference, and disclosure limitation and illustrate how these problems fall naturally in the setting of inference with partial information. We also discuss some issues associated with computing Markov bases which are needed as an input to the algorithm. WIREs Comput Stat 2013, 5:207–218. doi: 10.1002/wics.1256 Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
Theoretical aspects of energy confinement in spheromaks

Despite the poor global energy confinement observed in spheromak experiments to date, the long-term prospects may be favorable as spheromaks are scaled to larger size and higher temperatures. The present performance is traced to excessive magnetic energy loss at the edge compared to tokamaks and heat transport due to magnetic fluctuations, both of which should scale away as the temperature increases. 12 refs., 2 figs.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor promotes cochlear spiral ganglion cell survival and function in deafened, developing cats.

In BDNF-treated cochleae SG cells grew to normal size and were significantly larger than cells on the contralateral side. However, their morphology was not completely normal and many neurons lacked or had thinned perikaryl myelin. Unbiased stereology was employed to estimate SG cell density, independent of cell size. BDNF was effective in promoting significantly improved survival of SG neurons in these developing animals. BDNF treatment also resulted in higher density and larger size of myelinated radial nerve fibers, sprouting of fibers into the scala tympani, and improvement in electrically-evoked auditory brainstem response thresholds. Although BDNF may have potential therapeutic value in the developing auditory system, many serious obstacles currently preclude clinical application.
Intergenerational Neighborhood-Type Mobility: Examining Differences between Blacks and Whites

Using sibling data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics linked with US Census data, this paper examines the intergenerational nature of neighborhood quality. It is hypothesized that the quality of where one resides as an adult is a function of one's childhood neighborhood through the conditioning and constraining of adult residential choice. Further, it is posited that this relationship varies by race and is stronger for those living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, especially blacks. Descriptively, the study finds that childhood neighborhood conditions of black and white children are vastly different. Few whites live in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, and few blacks live in the most advantaged neighborhoods. The sibling fixed effect regression results confirm the hypothesis that childhood neighborhood disadvantage has negative effects on adult neighborhood quality for those living in the lowest quality, race-specific neighborhoods.
Machine Translation Using Probabilistic Synchronous Dependency Insertion Grammars

Syntax-based statistical machine translation (MT) aims at applying statistical models to structured data. In this paper, we present a syntax-based statistical machine translation system based on a probabilistic synchronous dependency insertion grammar. Synchronous dependency insertion grammars are a version of synchronous grammars defined on dependency trees. We first introduce our approach to inducing such a grammar from parallel corpora. Second, we describe the graphical model for the machine translation task, which can also be viewed as a stochastic tree-to-tree transducer. We introduce a polynomial time decoding algorithm for the model. We evaluate the outputs of our MT system using the NIST and Bleu automatic MT evaluation software. The result shows that our system outperforms the baseline system based on the IBM models in both translation speed and quality.
Basic principles in the optical design of imaging multiple aperature systems

We discuss the basic concepts that have been useful in our work designing multiple aperture telescopes with wide fields of view. We examine combining errors at zero field and errors that are linear as a function of field. An easy optimization for satisfying the sine condition to eliminate linear piston errors is given. Methods for estimating the RMS wavefront errors for the lower-order combining errors are given.
Nutritional hepatic necrosis in beef cattle. "Sawdust liver".

A histologic examination of spontaneous cases of sawdust livers in cattle indicated that the focal liver necrosis was an expression of vitamin E-selenium deficiency. The condition was reproduced in Hereford steers by feeding a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and poor in protein, vitamin E. and selenium. Lesions also occurred in the kidney, heart, skeletal muscled and pylorus. Addition of dictary protein or injection of selenium partially prevented the condition.Cellular anoxia with formation of hyalinc bodies in the liver and kidney was considered to be the common denominator of the degenerative changes. Due to the relatively mild tissue changes, plasma GOT and OCT determinations were found to be of no diagnostic value.
TEACHING COURSES ONLINE A Challenge for the Field

This paper examined 68 published papers and drew a number of interesting conclusions, many of which will be of no surprise to distance education researchers. First, they identified the bane of reviewers—the failure of authors to use standardized terms and to clarify the definitions of key ideas, in this case the types of courses taught—traditional, blended, and online. Tallent-Runnels and her co-authors suggest that these three terms be used when research is conducted and reported. The review also found that there did not seem to be a comprehensive theory guiding the design of courses taught online and used when research is conducted. This is a critical weakness of the field. The paper goes on to identify conceptual and methodological problems with the research dealing with online teaching and learning. Apparently the problems of early research on distance education have not yet been corrected—problems related to lack of a theory base, the ad-hoc nature of studies, and the difficulty of generalizing results from one study to other similar situations. One important conclusion reported in this paper is the research that found that students have positive attitudes about online learning, and that computer anxiety is not a problem for most students. Well-designed online courses were reported to produce more positive learning outcomes and to be related to overall student satisfaction. Design and quality are important. After reading this paper, one arrives at the conclusion that online education is working and is widely accepted, but that if members of the field had to “prove” this conclusion to skeptics, it would be difficult to do so. More and better theory-based research is needed. Distance educators should pay heed to the advice of Campbell and Stanley (1963), who wrote:
Holistic Approach to Decision Making in the Formulation and Selection of Anti-Icing Products

AbstractTo effectively fight snow storms in the challenging funding environment, many maintenance agencies in North America have started to produce their own anti-icing liquids, instead of procuring commercial anti-icers. This work demonstrates a systematic approach to collaborative, data-driven, and multicriteria decision making by conducting a set of laboratory tests to assess twenty blended chloride-based anti-icing formulations. The laboratory data were then used to establish predictive models correlating the multiple design parameters with the anti-icer performance and effects or with an anti-icer composite index. The authors used artificial neural networks for modeling and examined anti-icer performance (characteristic temperature and ice-melting capacity at 30 and 15°F (-1.1 and −9.4°C), respectively) and effects (splitting tensile strength of concrete after ten freeze-thaw cycles and corrosivity to mild steel) as a function of the formulation design. The anti-icer composite index was calculated fo...
Penalizing success: is comprehensive HIV care sustainable?

At the outset of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s, the initial contact of many patients with the health care system was their hospitalization for life-threatening opportunistic infections. Death rates were unacceptably high, but so were the inordinate expenses for costly and recurrent inpatient stays, the need for frequently invasive diagnostic procedures, and polypharmacy with expensive antimicrobial agents [1]. The advent of HAART led to marked reductions in morbidity, mortality, and inpatient hospitalizations for people living with HIV infection, but as people have lived longer, new costs for optimal care have emerged [2, 3]. HIV care has increasingly become subspecialized, necessitating a cadre of well-trained providers who understand the optimal combinations of the >20 antiretrovirals now available for treatment, their side effects, and the complex interactions with the many other medications patients with HIV infection receive, ranging from cholesterol-lowering medications to antidepressants. HIV care providers also need to be specialists in strategies to optimize medication adherence and deal with com-
Sulfate conjugation of dopamine in rat brain: regional distribution of activity and evidence for neuronal localization

Brain tissue contains at least two forms of phenolsulfotransferase that are involved in the sulfate conjugation of biogenic amines and their metabolites. Two apparent Km values were obtained for p-nitrophenol at pH 7.4 (0.6 microM and 0.3 mM) but only one enzyme had the capacity to conjugate dopamine (Km = 130 microM). Dopamine sulfotransferase activity was found to vary 17-fold in different brain regions, with the highest levels in diencephalon, hippocampus, and striatum. To determine the cellular localization of the enzymes, phenolsulfotransferase activity was measured in striatum following selective destruction of striatal neurons by stereotaxic injection of 2 micrograms kainic acid. Fourteen days after injection the catecholamine sulfotransferase activity in the lesioned striatum was reduced to approximately 40-50% of that in the control contralateral striatum. There was a statistically significant correlation between the ratio of lesioned to control activity for the sulfotransferase and the neuronal marker enzymes glutamate decarboxylase and neuron-specific enolase. p-Nitrophenol sulfotransferase activity was also decreased in the lesioned striatum. These results suggest that PST activity is present within the kainic acid-sensitive neurons of the striatum. The regional variation in activity, together with the results of the kainic acid studies, suggest that sulfate conjugation of biogenic amines and their metabolites in brain may take place within specific types of neurons.
Continuous bacterial coal desulfurization employing Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.

The leaching of pyrite sulfur from coal employing Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans was studied in a continuous stirred tank reactor at a variety of dilution rates (0.02–0.11 h−1) and coal surface areas (0.25–1.0 m2/mL). The bacterial leaching rate was found to increase with increasing coal surface area concentration and increasing dilution rate. The bacterial concentration on the coal surface was related to the bacterial concentration in solution by a irreversible second-order (of the second kind) kinetic equation. The concentration of bacteria on the coal in all experiments was the concentration at saturation. Step changes in the coal concentration were observed to result in dramatic declines in bacterial concentration in solution. A bacterial mass balance model was employed to calculate the specific growth rate on the solid which was observed to increase with increasing dilution rate.
Muscarinic regulation of pacemaker frequency in murine gastric interstitial cells of Cajal

Peristaltic contractions in the stomach are regulated by the spread of electrical slow waves from the corpus to the pylorus. Gastric slow waves are generated and propagated by the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). All regions distal to the dominant pacemaker area in the corpus are capable of generating slow waves, but orderly gastric peristalsis depends upon a frequency gradient in which the corpus pacemaker frequency exceeds the antral frequency. Cholinergic, muscarinic stimulation enhances pacemaker frequency. We investigated this phenomenon using intact murine gastric muscles and cultured ICC. Acetylcholine (ACh) increased the frequency of slow waves in antrum and corpus muscles. The increase was significantly greater in the antrum. ACh and carbachol (CCh) increased the pacemaker currents in cultured ICC. At high doses of CCh, transient pacemaker currents fused into sustained inward currents that persisted for the duration of stimulation. The effects of CCh were blocked by low doses of the M3 receptor antagonist 1-dimethyl-4-diphenylacetoxypiperidinium. Frequency enhancement by CCh was not affected by forskolin, but the phospholipase C inhibitor U-73122 inhibited both the increase in frequency and the development of tonic inward currents. 2-Aminoethyldiphenyl borate also blocked the chronotropic responses to CCh. Inhibitors of protein kinase C did not block responses to CCh. These studies show that mice are an excellent model for studying mechanisms that regulate gastric slow-wave frequency. CCh, apparently via production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, accelerates the frequency of pacemaker activity. High concentrations of CCh may block the entrainment of pacemaker currents, resulting in a tonic inward current.
Congenital anomalies of the female reproductive tract in a patient with Goltz syndrome.

Abstract Background Goltz syndrome, or focal dermal hypoplasia, is a rare congenital mesoectodermal syndrome. It is characterized primarily by extensive cutaneous and musculoskeletal defects. Case We report on a 17-year-old menarchal girl diagnosed with a severe form of Goltz syndrome who was referred to the Gynecology Division at the Children's Hospital Boston. A complete evaluation revealed a septate hymen, a normal vagina with a single cervix, a bicornuate uterus, and a unilateral kidney. To our knowledge, there have been no documented cases of congenital anomalies of the female reproductive tract in patients with Goltz syndrome. Conclusions The development of the female reproductive tract is a complex process involving all three embryonic cell layers. Female patients with multiple abnormalities of ectodermal and mesodermal origin warrant complete evaluations of their reproductive tracts.
Requirement of Both the Second and Third BIR Domains for the Relief of X-linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (XIAP)-mediated Caspase Inhibition by Smac

The inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP) are endogenous caspase inhibitors in the metazoan and characterized by the presence of baculoviral IAP repeats (BIR). X-linked IAP (XIAP) contains three BIR domains and directly inhibits effector caspases such as caspase-7 via a linker_BIR2 fragment and initiator caspases such as caspase-9 via the BIR3 domain. A mitochondrial protein Smac/DIABLO, which is released during apoptosis, antagonizes XIAP-mediated caspase inhibition by interacting directly with XIAP. Here, using glutathione S-transferase pulldown and caspase activity assay, we show that Smac is ineffective in relieving either caspase-7 or caspase-9 inhibition by XIAP domain fragments. In addition, Smac forms a ternary complex with caspase-7 and linker_BIR2, suggesting that Smac/linker_BIR2 interaction does not sterically exclude linker_BIR2/caspase-7 interaction. However, Smac is effective in removing caspase-7 and caspase-9 inhibition by XIAP fragments containing both the BIR2 and BIR3 domains. Surface plasmon resonance measurements show that Smac interacts with the BIR2 or BIR3 domain in micromolar dissociation constants. On the other hand, Smac interacts with an XIAP construct containing both BIR2 and BIR3 domains in a subnanomolar dissociation constant by the simultaneous interaction of the Smac dimer with the BIR2 and BIR3 domains of a single XIAP molecule. This 2:1 Smac/XIAP interaction not only possesses enhanced affinity but also sterically excludes XIAP/caspase-7 interaction, demonstrating the requirement of both BIR2 and BIR3 domains for Smac to relieve XIAP-mediated caspase inhibition.
Structural Analysis of a Viral Ovarian Tumor Domain Protease from the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Complex with Covalently Bonded Ubiquitin

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus is a tick-borne, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA [ssRNA(−)] nairovirus that produces fever, prostration, and severe hemorrhages in humans. With fatality rates for CCHF ranging up to 70% based on several factors, CCHF is considered a dangerous emerging disease. Originally identified in the former Soviet Union and the Congo, CCHF has rapidly spread across large sections of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Recent reports have identified a viral homologue of the ovarian tumor protease superfamily (vOTU) within its L protein. This protease has subsequently been implicated in downregulation of the type I interferon immune response through cleavage of posttranslational modifying proteins ubiquitin (Ub) and the Ub-like interferon-simulated gene 15 (ISG15). Additionally, homologues of vOTU have been suggested to perform similar roles in the positive-sense, single-stranded RNA [ssRNA(+)] arteriviruses. By utilizing X-ray crystallographic techniques, the structure of vOTU covalently bound to ubiquitin propylamine, a suicide substrate of the enzyme, was elucidated to 1.7 A, revealing unique structural elements that define this new subclass of the OTU superfamily. In addition, kinetic studies were carried out with aminomethylcoumarin (AMC) conjugates of monomeric Ub, ISG15, and NEDD8 (neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally downregulated 8) substrates in order to provide quantitative insights into vOTU's preference for Ub and Ub-like substrates.
Clinical evaluation and research in occupational therapy: Single system designs

In this paper the authors present single system designs as a framework for the collecting, organising and analysing of information to evaluate programme impact. The steps involved in evaluation and research using single system designs are discussed and advantages and disadvantages of the design for occupational therapists are briefly presented. The authors conclude that single system designs are suitable for occupational therapists to use in research and clinical evaluation because of their flexibility and their emphasis on clinical significance.
Experimental Psychologist as Advocate or Impartial Educator

An important ethical issue surrounds the role of experimental psychologists as experts, namely, whether the expert psychologist should assume the role of advocate or impartial educator. In actual practice, a number of concrete dilemmas arise. These concern the external validity of the studies, the omission of information, and the conducting of special purpose studies, among others. Problems arise whether one plays the role of an advocate or an educator, for which the APA Ethical Principles provide little guidance. A Darwinian (survival of the fittest expert) approach is suggested as a temporary remedy.
Radionuclide demonstration of ventriculoatrial shunt-cutaneous fistula with cerebrospinal fluid leak.

Radionuclide techniques have commonly been used to assess ventriculovenous shunt funtion, cerebrospinal fluid dynamics, and for the diagnosis of cerebrospinal fluid leaks. All of these techniques were utilized in this unusual case of retrograde migration of a ventriculoatrial catheter into the neck, with cutaneous fistulization and CSF leak.
Constitutional Constraints, Organizational Preferences, and Qualitative Methods: A Replication and Reassessment of North and Weingast

Douglass North and Barry Weingast’s 1989 article, “Constitutions and Commitment” (“N&W”) is a landmark contribution to a plethora of social science literatures. The authors’ broad argument, namely that the balanced constitutional settlement following the 1688 Glorious Revolution in England was the primary cause of the Financial Revolution that followed, is a staple of countless comparative politics, economics, and legal studies courses. Yet despite the substantial attention that the study has garnered, to this author’s knowledge there exists no study that assesses the validity of N&W’s claims on their own empirical terms: namely, through a qualitative replication and examination of the sources upon which their contribution is based. Given recent drives to improve the transparency and replicability of qualitative research, particularly on the part of the American Political Science Association Council, this paper replicates, assesses, and extends N&W, and constructs a transparency appendix in accordance with the “Active Citation” standard to encourage independent engagement and assessment of the arguments made here. Part II provides an overview of N&W’s argument. Part III discusses alternative approaches/critiques of N&W, and argues that the most relevant alternative accounts emphasize the organizational preferences of Parliamentary interests following the Glorious Revolution over the constitutional constraints that play a more central role in N&W. Part IV details the results of this replication, discusses the potential problems of relying exclusively on secondary source evidence (as N&W do), and concludes that N&W correctly interpreted the evidence they extract. However, I find that no more than a couple of citations clearly speak to the causal mechanism underlying N&W’s constitutional constraints thesis. Part V uncovers further evidence, exclusively drawn from the very same secondary sources, to adjudicate between N&W’s hypothesis and the organizational preferences hypothesis introduced in Part III. I find that N&W’s sources more strongly support the organizational preferences theory, and thus conclude that while N&W do not commit errors of misinterpretation, they do engage in sins of omission. Finally, Part VI concludes.
A Point Mutation in an F-Box Domain-Containing Protein Is Responsible for Brown Hull Phenotype in Rice

Abstract The accumulation of pigments affects the color of rice hulls while only limited information is known about its underlying mechanisms. In the present study, a rice brown hull 6 (bh6) mutant was isolated from an ethane methyl sulfonate (EMS)-induced IR64 mutant bank. Brown pigments started to accumulate in bh6 rice hulls after heading and reached a higher level in mature seeds. Some major agronomic traits including panicle length and 1000-grain weight in bh6 were significantly lower than those in its corresponding wild type IR64, while other agronomic traits such as plant height, growth duration and seed-setting rate were largely similar between the two genotypes. The analysis of pigment content showed that the contents of total flavonoids and anthocyanin in bh6 hulls were significantly higher than those in IR64 hulls. Our results showed that the brown hull phenotype in bh6 was controlled by a single recessive gene which locates on the long arm of chromosome 9. Sequencing analysis detected a single base substitution (G/A) at position 1013 of the candidate gene (LOC_Os09g12150) encoding an F-box domain-containing protein (FBX310). Functional complementation experiment using the wild type allele can rescue the phenotype in bh6. Thus, we named this mutated gene as OsFBX310bh6, an allele of OsFBX310 functioning as an inhibitor of brown hull. The isolation of OsFBX310bh6 and its wild type allele can provide useful experimental materials and will facilitate the studies on revealing the mechanisms of flavonoid metabolism in monocot plants.
Bridge Deck Assessment using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

GPR data were acquired across two bridge decks: one with a hot bituminous wearing surface and a second with a bare concrete slab. The acquired GPR data were interpreted, and two plan view maps were generated: one depicts the magnitude of the reflections from the uppermost mat of rebar; the second depicts the arrival time of these reflections.
Mechanisms of bicarbonate transport by cultured rabbit inner medullary collecting duct cells

The inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) is the final portion of the mammalian renal tubule that is able to significantly regulate systemic acid-base balance. Although the H+ transporters of this...
Mechanisms involved in the transport of mercuric ions in target tissues

Mercury exists in the environment in various forms, all of which pose a risk to human health. Despite guidelines regulating the industrial release of mercury into the environment, humans continue to be exposed regularly to various forms of this metal via inhalation or ingestion. Following exposure, mercuric ions are taken up by and accumulate in numerous organs, including brain, intestine, kidney, liver, and placenta. In order to understand the toxicological effects of exposure to mercury, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that facilitate entry of mercuric ions into target cells must first be obtained. A number of mechanisms for the transport of mercuric ions into target cells and organs have been proposed in recent years. However, the ability of these mechanisms to transport mercuric ions and the regulatory features of these carriers have not been characterized completely. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current findings related to the mechanisms that may be involved in the transport of inorganic and organic forms of mercury in target tissues and organs. This review will describe mechanisms known to be involved in the transport of mercury and will also propose additional mechanisms that may potentially be involved in the transport of mercuric ions into target cells.
Comparison of benzene adsorption on nickel(111) and nickel(100)

The adsorption of benzene on the Ni(100) and the Ni(111) crystal faces was compared in order to investigate the effect of crystallographic orientation on the interaction of benzene with nickel. Temperature programmed reaction (TPR) was used to characterize adsorption bond strengths and determine product distributions. Benzene was found to adsorb 44 kJ/mol less strongly on the Ni(111) plane than on the Ni(100) surface. Di-hydrogen evolution formed after decomposition of benzene was similar for both surfaces. Benzene chemisorption was modeled by using extended Hueckel theory (EHT), a semiempirical molecular orbital method. The calculations predict bonding of benzene over a threefold hollow site on Ni(111). Multicenter bonding of the benzene carbon atoms with the nickel atoms is indicated by the calculations. The binding strength of benzene is controlled by the degree of overlap of the carbon ..pi.. orbitals with the nickel atom orbitals. Benzene binds more strongly to the Ni(100) surface because the carbon ..pi.. orbitals can overlap with four nickel atoms on the fourfold hollow site, whereas on Ni(111) the carbon atoms are closely associated with only three nickel atoms on the threefold hollow site.
Doppler-Free and Ultra-High Resolution Spectroscopy

We will report on recent progress in the development and improvement of laser methods which can overcome the Doppler broadening of spectral lines of atoms and molecules.
Usury and the Ethics of Interest-Taking

In October 1819 an Irish parish priest in Ross Carberry, Cork, Father Jeremiah O’Callaghan, rediscovered the traditional Catholic hostility to interest-taking or usury.’ That he had to rediscover it is significant in itself. It was not that the Church had officially (or even publicly) recanted its traditional hostility to usury; rather it had — as Father O’Callaghan found out to his cost — purposefully allowed the traditional position to fall from view. In effect, it was swept under the carpet. But O’Callaghan was made of sterner stuff; and, taking the doctrine seriously, he refused the Last Sacraments to a dying merchant who had: retailed his goods, that is, flax seed, worth not more than nine shillings, to the poor, in the Spring, for sowing, and obliged them to pay in Autumn twelve shillings and sixpence; gaining therefore three shillings and sixpence, upon every nine shillings, for six months; or more than 27% per annum. Though the seed would be certainly of less value at the time of making the payment: for it would not sell at all in the autumn.2
Theory and performance of a subroutine for solving Volterra Integral Equations

The author considers Volterra Integral Equations of either of the two forms $$u(x) = f(x) + \int\limits_a^x {k(x - t)g(u(t))dt, a \leqslant } x \leqslant b,$$ wheref, k, andg are continuous andg satisfies a local Lipschitz condition, or $$u(x) = f(x) + \int\limits_a^x {\sum\limits_{j = 1}^m {c_j (x)g_j (t,u(t))dt} ,} $$ wheref,c j , andg j ,j=1,2,...,m, are continuous and eachg j satisfies a local Lipschitz condition in its second variable. It is shown that in each case the respective integral equation can be solved by conversion to a system of ordinary differential equations which can be solved by referring to a described FORTRAN subroutine. Subroutine VE1. In the case of the convolution equation, it is shown how VE1 converts the equation via a Chebyshev expansion, and a theorem is proved, and implemented in VE1, wherein the solution error due to truncation of the expansion can be simultaneously computed at the discretion of the user. Some performance data are supplied and a comparison with other standard schemes is made. Detailed performance data and a program listing are available from the author.
Cigar/cigarillo surveillance: limitations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture system.

Background The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports data on cigar sales in two categories: little cigars (weighing less than 3 lbs. per thousand) and large cigars and cigarillos (weighing more than 10 lbs. per thousand). A rise in the sales of little cigars in recent years is a cause for concern. The capacious second category could be obscuring the growth of sales in cigarillos. Methods Trends in cigar use were analyzed in May 2007 using (1) the standard USDA two-level system and (2) data from the Maxwell Report that provides information on cigarillos as a separate category. The intercorrelations among cigar use trends in the three areas were also explored. Results From 1993 to 2006, unit sales of little cigars increased from 37% to 47% of the cigar market, cigarillos increased from 25% to 32%, and large cigars dropped from 37% to 22%. From 1976 to 2006, cigarillo sales were strongly related to sales of little cigars (r=0.93; 95% CI=0.86–0.97), while sales of large cigars and cigarillos were modestly related (r=0.42; 95% CI=0.08–0.57). Conclusions Analyses show strong correlations between cigarillo and little cigar sales and argue for more detailed reporting of cigar sales as a function of cigar size. Tobacco surveillance should at minimum be watching the same trends as the tobacco industry. The sales of little cigars, cigarillos, and large cigars should be monitored, and the measuring of cigarillo sales in 3–5 subcategories according to size is encouraged.
Preliminary Evidence for How the Behavioral Immune System Predicts Juror Decision-Making

The behavioral immune system (BIS) is comprised of a variety of psychological and behavioral defenses designed to protect against pathogenic threats. These processes predict various affective and behavioral responses in myriad human contexts, including putative decisions to mitigate exposure to environmental pathogens. We investigated whether the strength of BIS responses predicted jurors’ verdicts in a sexual assault trial, wherein strength of the evidence against the defendant was manipulated (ambiguous vs. strong) to determine the extent to which chronic activation of BIS predicted derogation of the defendant. Subsequent mediation analyses indicated that dispositionally activated BIS (as indexed by perceived vulnerability to disease) predicted greater likelihood of conviction by way of affective experiences of disgust, which in turn influenced participants’ cognitive appraisals of diagnostic evidence. Furthermore, such responses also elicited greater desire for social distance with the defendant. Evidence strength, however, did not moderate these effects. Findings provide preliminary evidence for how BIS responses may influence legal proceedings.
Movement in the Social Studies Classroom

This chapter is about some of the benefits of incorporating movement into the Social Studies curriculum. The authors offer several movement activities organized around a traditional content-based approach to the discrete Social Studies, while the activities have also been aligned to the new C3 framework for ease of implementation. The Social Studies content areas included in this chapter are: history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; global connections; and self and society.
Optimizing Treatment for Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy in the Era of Gene Therapy

Adrenoleukodystrophy is a peroxisomal metabolic disorder that can be manifested by rapidly progressive cerebral demyelination (known as cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy) in affected boys and men.1 Untreated cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy causes severe disability or death approximately 2 years after its onset.1 During the 1990s, it was established that stabilization of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy lesions may occur 6 to 12 months after successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, and this is currently the only effective treatment.2,3 Only patients who have early-stage cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy at the time of diagnosis (with early-stage disease defined as a Loes score4 of 9 or less, with scores ranging from 0 to . . .
Managing congenital heart disease in the obstetric patient.

Abstract Objective: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of pregnancy-related maternal mortality in the United States, and congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common form of structural heart disease affecting women of childbearing age. Most females born with CHD will reach childbearing age and consider pregnancy. Adult CHD and maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists managing women with CHD should provide preconception counseling, cardiovascular risk assessment prior to pregnancy that estimates maternal and fetal risk, management during pregnancy, and in the peripartum period and also know the potential complications and special circumstances that may occur in the post-partum period. This chapter will review the population at risk, patient risk prior to pregnancy, management during pregnancy, management in the peripartum and post-partum periods, and outline specific cardiovascular complications. The chapter will also briefly review some common or high-risk congenital cardiovascular lesions commonly encountered. Conclusion Management of patients with most forms of CHD encountered during pregnancy requires a multidisciplinary approach and careful team-based care to facilitate safe and appropriate management and pregnancy success.
Advancing the Discussion: Reflections on the Study of Christian Spiritual Life

A new journal invites reflection on the nature and purpose for such a publication. This article exegetes the ‘call for papers’ of the Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care in order to cast a v...