cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controlling nucleation, growth, and orientation of metal halide perovskite thin films with rationally selected additives

Accelerating the progress toward realizing metal halide perovskite solar cells with improved efficiency, stability and reliability requires a deeper understanding of the thin film formation processes. This paper investigates the impact of rationally selected chemical additives in precursor solutions on the nucleation and growth of metal halide perovskite thin films. Computational screening was performed to guide the selection of tetrahydrothiophene oxide as an additive with stronger solvation efficacy than all other commonly used solvents. In situ grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements show that the additives suppress the formation of homogeneous nuclei as well as crystalline intermediate structures. Instead, heterogeneous nucleation on the substrate surface and growth of a thin film with a strongly preferential crystallographic orientation occur directly from the precursor solution. Density functional theory calculations show that the crystallographic orientation of the thin films can be tuned by altering the surface energies with the chemical additives. The crystallographic orientation of the thin films is found to have a significant impact on the open circuit voltage of solar cell devices, highlighting the importance of controlling the metal halide perovskite thin film orientation for improved solar cell efficiency.
A Role for Interleukin-1 in Septic Shock

Therapies that can reduce the morbidity and mortality of Gram negative septic shock offer great potential for treatment of the critically-ill patient. Septic shock secondary to Gram negative bacteremia or endotoxemia is characterized by hemodynamic collapse, hypercoagulopathy, multisystem organ failure and death. Despite supportive therapy, mortality still approximates 50%.
Yoga Program for High-Grade Glioma Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy and Their Family Caregivers

Background: Despite their high symptom burden and poor prognosis, evidence-based supportive care interventions for adults with high-grade glioma (HGG) and their caregivers are lacking. Thus, we aimed to establish feasibility of a patient-caregiver dyadic yoga program (DYP) for newly diagnosed HGG patients and their family caregivers targeting quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes. Method: In this single-arm pilot trial, dyads participated in a 12-session DYP program across the course of patients’ radiotherapy. The intervention focused on breathing exercises, gentle movements, and guided meditations. We tracked feasibility data and assessed levels of cancer-related symptoms (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory [MDASI]), depressive symptoms (Centers for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale), fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory), sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]), and overall mental and physical QOL (36-item Short-Form Survey [SF-36]) at baseline and post-DYP, which was at the end of radiotherap...
Recklessness, Willful Ignorance, and Exculpation

In Ignorance of Law, Douglas Husak’s main thesis is that ignorance of the law typically provides an excuse for breaking the law, but in the case of recklessness he claims that the excuse it provides is only a partial one, and in the case of willful ignorance he claims that it provides no excuse at all. In this paper I argue that, given the general principle to which Husak appeals in order to support his main thesis, he should revise his position on the exculpatory significance of both recklessness and willful ignorance.
Assessing Psychiatric Symptoms in Youth Affected by HIV: Comparing a Brief Self-Administered Rating Scale with a Structured Diagnostic Interview

Brief psychiatric assessment tools are needed for evaluating children affected by HIV for emotional and behavioral problems. We compared a self-administered symptom rating scale (CASI-4R) to a semi-structured diagnostic interview (DICA-P) in 136 U.S. children affected by HIV. Agreement and performance measures for the two instruments were computed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, and disruptive behavior. Correlations and regression analyses were conducted to compare the two instruments, and to evaluate their associations with social, academic, and global function. Higher CASI-4R symptom severity scores were associated with DICA diagnoses (p < 0.02 for all disorders). Agreement (κ) between DICA diagnoses and CASI-4R Clinical Cutoffs (which incorporated symptoms and impairment) was low to moderate (0.19–0.40 for all disorders). Thirty-two percent of cases with a DICA diagnosis were identified by the CASI-4R Clinical Cutoff (sensitivity), yet over 90% of DICA-negative cases were negative by the CASI-4R (specificity). Sensitivity was higher using CASI-4R Severity Score thresholds based on median scores compared to the DICA diagnoses. The presence and severity of psychiatric symptoms and impairment were associated with poorer academic, social, and global function. The CASI-4R symptom checklist can be used to inexpensively screen youth affected by HIV for emotional and behavioral problems, although it is important that there be appropriate mental health evaluation follow-up.
Validation of water-borne steroid hormones in a tropical frog (Physalaemus pustulosus).

Abstract Minimally invasive methods for estimating hormone concentrations in wild vertebrates offer the opportunity to repeatedly measure behavior and hormone concentrations within individuals while minimizing experimenter interference during sample collection. We examined three steroid hormones (corticosterone, CORT; 17-β estradiol, E 2 ; progesterone, PROG) in tungara frogs ( Physalaemus pustulosus ) using non-invasive water-borne methods. Using solid-phase extraction of water samples and liquid extraction of plasma and homogenate samples, coupled with enzyme immunoassays, we complimented the conventional validation approaches (parallelism, recovery determination) with dose-response assays that incorporated pharmacological challenges with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). We also compared steroid concentrations in water to those observed in plasma and whole body homogenates. Lastly, we identified the constituent steroids in each sample type with a panel targeting 30 steroid species using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). We found that a 60-min water-bath captures physiologically relevant changes in concentrations of CORT, E 2 and PROG. Peak levels of water-borne CORT were found at approximately 2 h after ACTH injection. Water-borne CORT and E 2 concentrations were positively correlated with their plasma and homogenate equivalents, while water-borne PROG was uncorrelated with homogenate PROG concentrations but negatively correlated with homogenate E 2 concentrations. Together, our findings indicate that sampling water-borne hormones presents a non-invasive and biologically informative approach that will be useful for behavioral endocrinologists and conservation physiologists.
System design considerations for laser angioplasty

Laser angioplasty, or the use of laser radiation to vaporize or remove obstructure atherosclerotic plaque, has been an active area of research for the past several years. This article reviews current design considerations for developing a safe, effective clinical laser angioplasty system. The choice of laser, fiber, and catheter determines the performance characteristics of such a system. The laser provides the power source for ablative radiation, the fiber furnishes a means of transmitting the laser radiation, and the catheter provides a way of directing the fiber at the target tissue. Other considerations, such as the need for feedback control of laser ablation and the planned application of the system in the coronary or peripheral circulation, also determine the ultimate design.
Jud, Jakob (1882–1952)

This article surveys the career and work of the Zurich Romanist Jakob Jud. Jud brought a dynamic and historical perspective to Romance dialect geography and lexicology. In addition, he was coeditor (with Karl Jaberg) of the monumental Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Sudschweiz (1928–1940).
Shared Decision Making In School Age Children with Asthma

Shared decision making in health care is a mutual partnership between the health care provider and the patient. Traditionally, children have had little involvement during their medical care visits or in decisions regarding their health care. Shared decision making in children with asthma may enhance their self-confidence as well as improve their self-management skills. Allowing the child to participate during the visit requires assessing the child's competence at different ages and abilities. Specific communication techniques to use with children during medical encounters include visual aids, turn-taking, clarifying communication, and role modeling. Providers additionally can offer strategies to parents on how to provide general information about asthma and treatments based on the child's questions and interest. The goal for school age children with asthma is to change dyadic interactions between the provider and parent into triadic interactions to improve the child's asthma management.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions: Thinking Inside and Outside the Box

At present, less than half of all acute health care facilities have antimicrobial stewardship programs. By targeting areas that are vulnerable to inappropriate antimicrobial use and by using novel strategies to increase the reach of stewardship interventions, providers can make antimicrobial stewardship a universal practice in all health care settings. This review discusses how stewardship can make large impacts in areas where it has traditionally been absent in facilities both with and without formal antimicrobial stewardship programs. Keywords:
On the Incompressible Limit of Compressible Fluid Flow

Some of the standard formulations of compressible fluid flow simulations are not valid when the Mach number approaches zero. Since, there is no physical singularity at zero Mach number, unified formulations for both compressible and incompressible flows can be found using non-dimensionalizetion and dependent variables different from the standard ones. Potential and Boundary layer equations are examined first and the calculations of the pressure and skin friction coefficients are discussed in the limit of zero Mach number for compressible fluids. For Euler and Navier-Stokes equations, two sets of variables describing the fluid motion are considered the first using temperature, pressure and velocities, and the second using velocities, entropy and total enthalpy. The incompressible isothermal flow limit is recovered as Mach number vanishes in both cases. Flows with heat transfer are also examined. The present formulations can be viewed as preconditioning the standard formulations at the differential level.
Anti-racist pedagogy: challenges faced by faculty of color in predominantly white schools of nursing.

AbStRACt Despite the significant effects of systems of oppression on health, nursing education tends not to include anti-rac-ist pedagogy in its curricula, preferring instead to focus more narrowly on culture. This narrow focus allows nurs-es to depoliticize discussions of race and other social dif-ferences, largely ignoring the influence that systems of op-pression, imperialism, and historical trauma have had on health in marginalized populations. In contrast, anti-racist pedagogy educates students in ways that make racialized power relations explicit, deconstruct the social construc-tion of race, and analyze interlocking systems of oppres-sion that serve to marginalize and exclude some groups while privileging others. This article describes anti-rac-ist pedagogy from the perspective of a faculty member of color, drawing on personal experience and a review of the anti-racist pedagogical literature. Specifically, this article highlights some of the personal and professional challeng-es faced by faculty of color when engaged in anti-racist pedagogy in predominantly white schools of nursing.
Ellipsometry in Studies of Metallic Corrosion and Oxidation

The sensitivity and the in-situ applicability of ellipsometry have led to its widespread use in corrosion research. This article introduces the fundamental principles and measurement techniques involved in ellipsometry. A critical evaluation of the advantages and shortcomings of the technique is presented. The generic nature of the information obtained, and a detailed account of some of the studies reported in literature are discussed. The latter is subdivided into the various forms of corrosion to which ellipsometry has been applied. Studies on characterization of passive films have been classified with respect to the metal. A section on the use of ellipsometry to characterize the oxidation behavior of materials exposed to oxygen is also presented.
Recent High Resolution Measurements of the Specific Heat and Isothermal Compressibility Near the 3He Liquid-Gas Critical Point

Measurements of the specific heat at constant volume and isothermal compressibility have been made along a near critical isochore in the liquid-gas critical region of 3 He. The critical density was determined to within 0.1% from pressure-density measurements along a near critical isotherm in the single phase region. The specific heat was measured in the gravity affected region in the reduced temperature range |T/T c − 1| ≤ 3 × 10−4 using a slow cooling drift technique. A new electrostriction technique was developed to measure the isothermal compressibility along isochores and isotherms near the critical point. Initial measurements that validate this new technique will also be presented.
Ligand modulation of allosteric networks in an ancestral steroid receptor

Understanding the evolution of binding specificity, a heavily studied area of research, is key for determining how protein sequence changes alter function. Ligand-activation in the steroid receptor subfamily of transcription factors operates via a common allosteric mechanism which permits extant receptors to respond specifically to their cognate hormones. Here, we combine atomistic simulations with graph theory-based modeling of the inter-residue interactions within protein complexes to gain insight into how allostery drove selectivity in an ancestral receptor. An inactive ligand complex displays weakened allosteric communication, as quantified by suboptimal paths linking two functional surfaces. When function-switching mutations are incorporated, responses in allosteric networks are consistent with ligand activation status. Further analysis reveals residues that modulate features distinguishing active and inactive complexes, identifying a key, conserved residue that is crucial for activation in steroid receptors. We have identified a computational method using dynamic network analysis to probe the allosteric mechanisms driving the evolution of ligand specificity in hormone receptors, determining how residue substitutions altered allosteric networks to permit gain or loss of ligand response. These results may have general utility in elucidating how modern steroid receptors are activated by endogenous and xenobiotic molecules.
Assessing soil organic carbon stock of Wisconsin, USA and its fate under future land use and climate change

Abstract Carbon stored in soils contributes to a variety of soil functions, including biomass production, water storage and filtering, biodiversity maintenance, and many other ecosystem services. Understanding soil organic carbon (SOC) spatial distribution and projection of its future condition is essential for future CO2 emission estimates and management options for storing carbon. However, modeling SOC spatiotemporal dynamics is challenging due to the inherent spatial heterogeneity and data limitation. The present study developed a spatially explicit prediction model in which the spatial relationship between SOC observation and seventeen environmental variables was established using the Cubist regression tree algorithm. The model was used to compile a baseline SOC stock map for the top 30 cm soil depth in the State of Wisconsin (WI) at a 90 m × 90 m grid resolution. Temporal SOC trend was assessed by comparing baseline and future SOC stock maps based on the space-for-time substitution model. SOC prediction for future considers land use, precipitation and temperature for the year 2050 at medium (A1B) CO2 emissions scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Field soil observations were related to factors that are known to influence SOC distribution using the digital soil mapping framework. The model was validated on 25% test profiles (R2: 0.38; RMSE: 0.64; ME: −0.03) that were not used during model training that used the remaining 75% of the data (R2: 0.76; RMSE: 0.40; ME: −0.006). In addition, maps of the model error, and areal extent of Cubist prediction rules were reported. The model identified soil parent material and land use as key drivers of SOC distribution including temperature and precipitation. Among the terrain attributes, elevation, mass-balance index, mid-slope position, slope-length factor and wind effect were important. Results showed that Wisconsin soils had an average baseline SOC stock of 90 Mg ha−1 and the distribution was highly variable (CV: 64%). It was estimated that WI soils would have an additional 20 Mg ha−1 SOC by the year 2050 under changing land use and climate. Histosols and Spodosols were expected to lose 19 Mg ha−1 and 4 Mg ha−1, respectively, while Mollisols were expected to accumulate the largest SOC stock (62 Mg ha−1). All land-use types would be accumulating SOC by 2050 except for wetlands (−34 Mg C ha−1). This study found that Wisconsin soils will continue to sequester more carbon in the coming decades and most of the Driftless Area will be sequestering the greatest SOC (+63 Mg C ha−1). Most of the SOC would be lost from the Northern Lakes and Forests ecological zone (−12 Mg C ha−1). The study highlighted areas of potential C sequestration and areas under threat of C loss. The maps generated in this study would be highly useful in farm management and environmental policy decisions at different spatial levels in Wisconsin.
The U.S. Misunderstanding of India During the 1971 South Asia Crisis

This paper is interdisciplinary in nature, dealing with the issues of history, international relations, and cognitive psychology. Its purpose is to use these intersections to highlight the flaws in the Nixon administration’s approach to the South Asian region during the Crisis of 1971. The South Asia Crisis of 1971 created a humanitarian crisis which required India’s intervention in the Pakistani Civil War for regional stability. Due to Pakistan’s role in aiding the Nixon administration’s opening of relations with China, there was a United States (U.S.) tilt towards Pakistan that was based not only off self-interest, but also an incorrect assessment of India’s intentions which ultimately created a discrepancy between desired policy outcome and result. Two key cognitive psychological paradigms will be used in this paper. Theory of Fundamental Attribution Error underscores the Nixon administration’s framework for selecting facts and processing information to feed their preconceived notions of the countries in South Asia. Similarly, Theory of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy explains how the foreign policy actors enforced a Pygmalion Effect where the beliefs of the U.S. and India influenced their actions towards each other, reinforcing an endless cycle of preconceived ideas and contributing to an escalation of tensions during the crisis. The U.S. misunderstood India’s intentions in the South Asia Crisis and incorrectly aligned with Pakistan based on flawed intelligence, despite human rights’ violations and outcry from dissenters of the State Department who held regional expertise. This brought their relationship to its nadir.
The Accuracy of Respiratory Calibration Methods for Estimating Lung Volume During Speech Breathing: A Comparison of Four Methods Across Three Adult Cohorts.

Purpose This study evaluated the accuracy of respiratory calibration methods for estimating lung volume during speech breathing. Method Respiratory kinematic data were acquired via inductance pleth...
A Conserved Regulatory Circuit Controls Large Adhesins in Vibrio cholerae

ABSTRACT The dinucleotide second messenger c-di-GMP has emerged as a central regulator of reversible cell attachment during bacterial biofilm formation. A prominent cell adhesion mechanism first identified in pseudomonads combines two c-di-GMP-mediated processes: transcription of a large adhesin and its cell surface display via posttranslational proteolytic control. Here, we characterize an orthologous c-di-GMP effector system and show that it is operational in Vibrio cholerae, where it regulates two distinct classes of adhesins. Through structural analyses, we reveal a conserved autoinhibition mechanism of the c-di-GMP receptor that controls adhesin proteolysis and present a structure of a c-di-GMP-bound receptor module. We further establish functionality of the periplasmic protease controlled by the receptor against the two adhesins. Finally, transcription and functional assays identify physiological roles of both c-di-GMP-regulated adhesins in surface attachment and biofilm formation. Together, our studies highlight the conservation of a highly efficient signaling effector circuit for the control of cell surface adhesin expression and its versatility by revealing strain-specific variations. IMPORTANCEVibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, benefits from a sessile biofilm lifestyle that enhances survival outside the host but also contributes to host colonization and infectivity. The bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP has been identified as a central regulator of biofilm formation, including in V. cholerae; however, our understanding of the pathways that contribute to this process is incomplete. Here, we define a conserved signaling system that controls the stability of large adhesion proteins at the cell surface of V. cholerae, which are important for cell attachment and biofilm formation. Insight into the regulatory circuit underlying biofilm formation may inform targeted strategies to interfere with a process that renders this bacterium remarkably adaptable to changing environments.
Improving Railway Operational Efficiency with Moving Blocks, Train Fleeting, and Alternative Single-Track Configurations:

With installation of positive train control (PTC) on many U.S. rail corridors, Class I railroads may soon leverage these investments in communications network infrastructure to implement “advanced ...
How Mighty Are the Mitochondria in Causing Individual Differences in Intelligence?-Some Questions for David Geary.

David Geary (2019) has written a summary of his fascinating Psychological Review article on the purported role of the mitochondria in the development of intelligence (Geary 2018) [...]
Staged mandibular lip flap for closure of a large palatal defect after maxillectomy in a dog.

Objective To report closure of an oronasal defect secondary to maxillectomy with a staged mandibular lip flap. Study design Case report ANIMALS: One 9-year-old female spayed golden retriever. Methods A combined dorsolateral and intraoral approach was used to perform a central maxillectomy to excise a 2.4- × 2- × 2.7-cm oral osteosarcoma with 1-cm margins. A buccal mucosal flap was used to close the palatal defect but the site subsequently dehisced. A staged mandibular lip flap was performed to close the defect. An incision was made on the mandible at the intersection of the buccal mucosa and gingiva from the mandibular canine to the level of the commissure. A second incision was made 3 cm ventral to the lip margin. The flap pedicle was based at the commissure. The flap was rotated to cover the palatal defect from rostral to the canine tooth to the fourth premolar. A second procedure was performed 4 weeks after flap placement to desquamate the haired skin and transect the flap pedicle. Results Partial dehiscence at the caudal aspect of the flap occurred after the first revision. The defect was closed after pedicle transection on day 41, with acceptable cosmesis. The dog was eating canned food with no evidence of discomfort 159 days after the maxillectomy. Recurrence was noted on day 270 postoperatively. Conclusion Closure of a large palatal defect with a staged mandibular lip flap led to good cosmesis and function.
Energy transitions in a time of intersecting precarities: From reductive environmentalism to antiracist praxis

Abstract Drawing from ethnographic research on solar energy campaigns in low-income Black communities, this article explores the unlikely intersections of three developments in early 2020: Covid-19, the Movement for Black Lives, and the YouTube re-release of “Planet of the Humans,” a documentary that disparages renewable energy. While the film is misleading and inaccurate, “Planet” provides fodder for reimagining renewable energy initiatives in ways that advance this moment’s antiracist activism and reinvigorate communities of color reeling from Covid-19’s disruptions. Specifically, I explore how solar energy campaigns in these communities unwittingly contribute to some of the environmental problems sensationalized by “Planet,” (e.g. mining, toxic waste, occupational hazards). In the process, these antiracist campaigns paradoxically reinforce the white supremacist hierarchies that shape commodity production. This paradox emerges when campaigns focus on what I call “the means of reduction” as opposed to the means of production. “The means of reduction” refers to the practices that render commodities as capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and electricity bills. In response, I offer a pragmatic praxis for aligning community solar campaigns with antiracist principles—linkages that can help communities of color address intersecting precarities. This praxis shifts the focus from reduction to production so as to ensure that community solar efforts are working toward antiracist values. The praxis’ “theoretical” component repurposes the concept of “co-pollutants” to illuminate environmental injustices throughout solar supply chains. Its “practice” component operationalizes this theoretical component, addressing solar’s co-pollutants by shifting the focus of community solar campaigns from consumer power to people power.
Urologic Emergency Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Summary The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented strain on health care systems throughout the world, requiring a delicate balance of providing appropriate and necessary health care while emphasizing public health preventative measures to minimize virus transmission. This chapter reviews the initial response of urologists from a variety of settings, the impact on care delivery at several academic settings, as well as predications on the long-range impact of care deferral on population health. Telemedicine evolved as an important means to sustain essential patient care during the pandemic, with additional benefits of protecting patients and healthcare providers and their staff from potential exposure. Further research is needed on vulnerable populations that may have experienced greater impact from COVID-19 illness, access to telemedicine, as well as a larger burden of deferred care of non-emergent urologic conditions.
Impaired T lymphocyte responses during childhood Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Background Staphylococcus aureus infections are common throughout the lifespan, with recurrent infections occuring in nearly half of infected children. There is no licensed vaccine, underscoring the need to better understand how S. aureus evades protective immunity. Despite much study, the relative contributions of antibodies and T cells to protection against S. aureus infections in humans are not fully understood. Methods We prospectively quantified S. aureus-specific antibody levels by ELISA and T cell responses by ELISpot in S. aureus-infected and healthy children. Results S. aureus-specific antibody levels and T cell responses increased with age in healthy children, suggesting a coordinated development of anti-staphylococcal immunity. Antibody levels against leukotoxin E (LukE) and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (LukS-PV), but not α-hemolysin (Hla), were higher in younger infected children, compared with healthy children; these differences disappeared in older children. We observed a striking impairment of global and S. aureus-specific T cell function in children with invasive and non-invasive infection, suggesting that S. aureus-specific immune responses are dysregulated during childhood infection regardless of the infection phenotype. Conclusions These findings identify a potential mechanism by which S. aureus infection actively evades adaptive immune responses, thereby preventing the development of protective immunty and maintaining susceptibility to recurrent infection.
On the critical $p$-Kirchhoff equation

We study a nonlocal elliptic equation of $p$-Kirchhoff type involving the critical Sobolev exponent. First we give sufficient conditions for the (PS) condition to hold. Then we prove some existence and multiplicity results using tools from Morse theory, in particular, the notion of a cohomological local splitting and eigenvalues based on the Fadell-Rabinowitz cohomological index.
A Markov random field approach to group-wise registration/mosaicing with application to ultrasound

In this paper we present a group-wise non-rigid registration/mosaicing algorithm based on block-matching, which is developed within a probabilistic framework. The discrete form of its energy functional is linked to a Markov Random Field (MRF) containing double and triple cliques, which can be effectively optimized using modern MRF optimization algorithms popular in computer vision. Also, the registration problem is simplified by introducing a mosaicing function which partitions the composite volume into regions filled with data from unique, partially overlapping source volumes. Ultrasound confidence maps are incorporated into the registration framework in order to give accurate results in the presence of image artifacts. The algorithm is initially tested on simulated images where shadows have been generated. Also, validation results for the group-wise registration algorithm using real ultrasound data from an abdominal phantom are presented. Finally, composite obstetrics image volumes are constructed using clinical scans of pregnant subjects, where fetal movement makes registration/mosaicing especially difficult. In addition, results are presented suggesting that a fusion approach to MRF registration can produce accurate displacement fields much faster than standard approaches.
Joining the Legal Significance of Adolescent Development Capacities with the Legal Rights Provided by In re Gault

Almost forty years after the United States Supreme Court decided In re Gault, the Court in Roper v. Simmons ruled that the death penalty is a disproportionate punishment for persons under the age of eighteen, in violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Perhaps the most compelling reasons the Roper Court offered for its decision were those that drew upon recent scientific insights into the bio-psychosocial aspects of adolescent development to corroborate the view that juveniles are less culpable for their crimes than adults. The Court made three bold findings in distinguishing juveniles from adults: 1) "A lack of maturity and an underdeveloped sense of responsibility are found in youth more often than in adults...These qualities often result in impetuous and ill-considered actions and decisions"; 2) "Juveniles are more vulnerable or susceptible to negative influences and outside pressures, including peer pressure....Youth is....a time and condition of life when a person may be most susceptible to influence and to psychological damage"; and 3) "The character of a juvenile is not as well formed as that of an adult. The personality traits of juveniles are more transitory, less fixed." Although Roper will always be best known as the case that abolished the juvenile death penalty in America, the decision is at least equally noteworthy for its endorsement and application of scientific findings relating to adolescent developmental immaturity. This article considers the implications of Roper's findings for the application of the Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights extended to juveniles in Gault.
The Multiple Forms of Mushroom Tyrosinase ASSOCIATION-DISSOCIATION PHENOMENA

Abstract The β-isozyme of mushroom tyrosinase is composed of an equilibrium mixture of polymeric forms with the tetramer predominating. What appears to be a similar equilibrium mixture is also present in fresh mushroom juice. In the purified β-isozyme, under moderate conditions of ionic strength, temperature, and protein concentration, the interconversion among the forms is slow. The equilibrium is shifted toward association to the higher polymers by increasing protein concentration. Dissociation is facilitated by elevated temperature (50°), increased ionic strength (0.2), and the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.25%). Dissociation of the tetramer is also brought about by 1 mm EDTA and is completely reversed by the presence of 1 mm Ca++. Certain chemical modifications of the enzyme such as succinylation, acetylation, or iodination are accompanied by dissociation. Band III of gel electrophoresis is identified with the tetramer, and the other prominent bands, I-Ia, II, and V, are tentatively identified as monomer, dimer, and octamer, respectively.
Susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus—from genes to prevention

Knowledge of the genetics of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has evolved tremendously over the past few years. Following advances in technology and analytical approaches, collaborative case-control genome-wide association studies have revealed up to 65 loci credibly associated with T2DM. Prospective population studies have demonstrated that aggregated genetic risk scores, so-called because they sum the genetic risk attributed to each locus, can predict incident T2DM among individuals of various age ranges and diverse ethnic backgrounds. With each set of T2DM loci discovered, increasing the number of loci in these scores has improved their predictive ability, although a prediction plateau may already have been reached. The current literature shows that intensive lifestyle interventions are effective for preventing T2DM at any level of genetic risk and might be particularly efficacious among individuals with high genetic susceptibility. By contrast, counselling to inform patients about their personal T2DM genetic risk profiles does not seem to improve motivation or attitudes that lead to positive lifestyle behaviour changes. Future studies should investigate the role of genetics for both T2DM prediction and prevention in young populations in the hope of reducing disease burden for future generations.
Reasons behind the technological gap between advanced and developing countries-case study

Summary form only given. The author has considered some of the reasons behind the technological gap between advanced and developing countries. He has analyzed the data of more than 100 students who were sent to advanced countries to study and the impact they had on their country's technological development upon completion of their training. Finally, he highlights the reasons behind the widening technological gap and suggests ways to close it. >
Effect of administration of EDTA by various routes on dental caries in the rat: Possible role of coprophagy

Abstract A significant increase in experimental rat caries has been demonstrated due to the administration of EDTA in the diet and by intubation, a slight but not significant increase when given by injection. It is pointed out that the effect of coprophagy and different eating habits must be considered in the interpretation of the results.
THE IMPACT OF LOW INTEREST RATES ON THE ECONOMY

As YOUR CHAIRMAN HAS stated, this paper will deal with "The Impact of Low Interest Rates on the Economy." Since it is impossible to treat all aspects of this broad subject exhaustively in forty-five minutes or less, my remarks will be confined to the most important aspects of the problem. I shall deal with the liberal monetary policy which has assured a highly generous supply of money as well as the maintenance of low interest rates since World War II. I shall discuss only those effects of easy money which appear to have exerted the greatest influence on Federal Reserve and Treasury policies during the postwar period. Even some of these topics will have to be treated quite briefly. To this audience it is unnecessary to describe at length the nature of the postwar easy-money policy or to analyze in detail the various methods employed to effectuate that policy. It will, however, be useful to recall briefly, as a background for our analysis, certain characteristics of that policy. The following facts are basic for this purpose. i. Interest rates were not kept down through legislative or administrative fiat limiting the rates that might be paid or charged. They were kept down by permitting an easy expansibility of the money supply to offset increases in the demand schedules for money and credit. 2. Open-market operations by the Federal Reserve constituted the principal method employed to prevent yields on Governments from rising above the levels set by the Treasury and the Federal Reserve. In effect, the Federal Reserve passively purchased all federal securities that others were unwilling to hold at the officially determined yield structure. To the extent that it was committed to an inflexible yield structure, the Federal Reserve surrendered control over the volume of bank reserves. This is not to say that Federal Reserve purchases of Governments were the only active factors tending toward easy money in the postwar period. Also important were the immense accumulation of idle balances carried over from the war period, and the sizable gold inflows. Yet it is still true that the policy of maintaining low interest rates prevented the Federal Reserve from taking more positive actions to limit the money supply.
The use of periodic abstinence for family planning.

This review of periodic abstinence for family planning emphasizes terminology and distinctions between the prevalent methods and issues that will enable the health practitioner to be informed about this family planning choice. Periodic abstinence developed in the 1930s when Ogino and Knaus independently discovered the timing of ovulation and consequently the calendar-based rhythm method became sanctioned by the church. Philippine surveys find a 40/100 woman-year pregnancy rate with rhythm. The cervical mucus method is also known as the ovulation Billings or mucus method. Coitus is permitted by the 4th night after the peak day. Symptoms may be obscured by vaginal or seminal fluids infections allergies or drugs. The symptothermal method employs mucus symptoms and basal body temperature. Coitus is allowed on the 3rd night after the temperature rise. It has the lowest failure rate ranging from 11.2-19.8. Some family planning groups also use other symptoms such as midcycle spotting or pain cervical position dilation or texture moods or libido. Various teaching groups have published charts that facilitate charting symptoms such as temperature graphs with wide scales to make it easier to read the temperature rise. Measuring efficacy rates is difficult and different definitions are used for several types of failures. The most important factor in success with natural family planning is the motivation of the couple. The most common cause of failure is conscious departure from the rules. Some current issues regarding abstinence are possible risks of birth defects from aged gametes the difficulty of predicting ovulation in women with irregular cycles the effects of vaginal infection and illness on the mucus signs the potential for sex selection through the use of timing of intercourse and development of tests and devices to predict ovulation.
Epidemiological survey of idiopathic scoliosis and sequence alignment analysis of multiple candidate genes

To investigate the effects of genetic factors on idiopathic scoliosis (IS) and genetic modes through genetic epidemiological survey on IS in Chongqing City, China, and to determine whether SH3GL1, GADD45B, and FGF22 in the chromosome 19p13.3 are the pathogenic genes of IS through genetic sequence analysis. 214 nuclear families were investigated to analyse the age incidence, familial aggregation, and heritability. SH3GL1, GADD45B, and FGF22 were chosen as candidate genes for mutation screening in 56 IS patients of 214 families. The sequence alignment analysis was performed to determine mutations and predict the protein structure. The average age of onset of 10.8 years suggests that IS is a early onset disease. Incidences of IS in first-, second-, third-degree relatives and the overall incidence in families (5.68%) were also significantly higher than that of the general population (1.04%). The U test indicated a significant difference, suggesting that IS has a familial aggregation. The heritability of first-degree relatives (77.68 ±10.39%), second-degree relatives (69.89 ±3.14%), and third-degree relatives (62.14 ±11.92%) illustrated that genetic factors play an important role in IS pathogenesis. The incidence of first-degree relatives (10.01%), second-degree relatives (2.55%) and third-degree relatives (1.76%) illustrated that IS is not in simple accord with monogenic Mendel’s law but manifests as traits of multifactorial hereditary diseases. Sequence alignment of exons of SH3GL1, GADD45B, and FGF22 showed 17 base mutations, of which 16 mutations do not induce open reading frame (ORF) shift or amino acid changes whereas one mutation (C→T)occurred in SH3GL1 results in formation of the termination codon, which induces variation of protein reading frame. Prediction analysis of protein sequence showed that the SH3GL1 mutant encoded a truncated protein, thus affecting the protein structure. IS is a multifactorial genetic disease and SH3GL1 may be one of the pathogenic genes for IS.
E-Cadherin-Mediated Cell Coupling Is Required for Apoptotic Cell Extrusion

Apoptotic extrusion is a multicellular process utilized by live cells to remove neighboring apoptotic cells. In epithelial tissues, this process has been shown to be critical for the preservation of tissue integrity and barrier function. Here we demonstrate that extrusion is driven by the retraction of the apoptotic cell, which, in turn, triggers a transient and coordinated elongation of the neighboring cells. The coordination of cell elongation requires E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion. Accordingly, cells that express low levels of E-cadherin are compromised in elongation and apoptotic extrusion, and furthermore, display loss of barrier function in response to apoptotic stimuli. These findings indicate that the maintenance of adhesive forces during apoptotic cell turnover might play an essential role in controlling tissue homeostasis.
Catalytic Diversity of Extended Hammerhead Ribozymes

Chimeras of the well characterized minimal hammerhead 16 and nine extended hammerheads derived from natural viroids and satellite RNAs were constructed with the goal of assessing whether their very different peripheral tertiary interactions modulate their catalytic properties. For each chimera, three different assays were used to determine the rate of cleavage and the fraction of full length hammerhead at equilibrium and thereby deduce the elemental cleavage (k2) and ligation (k-2) rate constants. The nine chimeras were all more active than minimal hammerheads and showed a very broad range of catalytic properties, with values of k2 varying by 750-fold and k-2 by 100-fold. At least two of the hammerheads showed an altered dependence of kobs on magnesium concentration. Since much less catalytic diversity is observed among minimal hammerheads that lack the tertiary interactions, a possible role for the different tertiary interaction is to modulate the hammerhead cleavage properties in viroids. For example, differing hammerhead cleavage and ligation rates could affect the steady state concentrations of linear, circular, and polymeric genomes in infected cells.
New perspectives on long-range electron transfer in conformationally organized peptides and electron-transfer proteins: an experimental approach

Abstract Intramolecular electron-transfer studies across a series of peptides ranging from dipeptides to longer peptides with secondary structure (such as polyproline II and a 17-amino acid α helix) have been carried out. Metal ammine and bipyridine complexes have been used as donors and acceptors in these studies. These studies show that the rate of electron transfer is sensitive to the peptide structure and conformation, even for dipeptide bridges. For peptides with secondary structure, the connectivity of the donor and acceptor to the peptide is also important for the observation of long-range electron transfer. For example, for (bpy)2RuIIL(Pro)n-apyRuIII(NH3)5 (n = 9) (bpy2,2′ bipyridine, L4-carboxy-4′-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine, apy-4-aminopyridine), an electron transfer rate 2 × 104 s−1 was observed, while intramolecular electron transfer could not be observed for the α helix bridge in (bpy)2RuIIL[α-helical peptide]-(His)2RuIII(NH3)4 (α-helical peptide  Ala-Glu-(Ala)3Lys-Glu(Ala) 3Lys-His(Ala)3His-Ala). Comparative intramolecular electron-transfer experiments were also conducted with two cytochrome c derivatives: one modified at His 33 by [-Ru(NH3)4isn] and one modified at Met 65 by [-Fe(CN)5]. Although the His 33 and Met 65 sites are located at similar distances from the heme, and the two metal complexes possess similar reorganization energies and driving force, different rates of electron transfer varying by about 1000 were observed for the electron transfer from the heme to the metal complex. The experiments presented show that the shortest through-space distance is not always the most important determinent of the rate of electron transfer, and other factors such as the peptide structure and conformation and the connectivity of the donor and acceptor to the peptide bridge are very important.
Differing prevalence estimates of elevated blood pressure in ED patients using 4 methods of categorization

Abstract Objective This study examined the variability of blood pressure measurements and prevalence estimates of elevated blood pressure in emergency department (ED) patients using 4 different methods of categorization. Methods A prospective, observational study was conducted on adult ED patients with elevated triage blood pressures (systolic ≥140 or diastolic ≥90 mm Hg). Three blood pressure measurements were obtained on all subjects and categorized as follows: (1) triage measurement only, (2) the mean of the triage and second measurement, (3) the mean of the 3 measurements, and (4) the mean of the second and third measurements. Results Of 2192 screened patients, 326 were included in the final analysis with mean triage systolic and diastolic blood pressures of 160 and 90 mm Hg, respectively. Prevalence estimates of elevated blood pressure in this sample ranged from 100% (reference standard: mean triage blood pressure) to the most conservative estimate of 67% (fourth method). Conclusion Determination of elevated blood pressure in ED patients is largely dependent on the method of blood pressure categorization.