cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study on the inhibition of rat myocardium glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase by moniliformin.

In preparations of Wistar rat myocardium, Km values of GSH-Px to the substrates, H2O2 and GSH, as determined by the DTNB method, were 1.9×10−4 mol/L and 2.0×10−3 mol/L respectively. The Km value of GSSG-R to GSSG was 6.0×10−5 mol/L by UV spectrophotometric assay. In vitro, the activity of GSH-Px was inhibited by 1.0, 6.0 and 16.0 mmol/L synthetic moniliformin (MF) with the corresponding activities of 89.4%, 65.2% and 47.9% of control values (n=6). The activities of GSSG-R in the presence of 16.0 and 32.0 mmol/L MF were 74.4% and 61.9% of controls (n=5) respectively. These results revealed that the inhibition of GSH-Px by MF was stonger than that of GSSG-R. As determined by Lineweaver-Burk and of Dixon plots, the inhibition of GSH-Px and GSSG-R by MF was competitive and noncompetitive, respectively. The affinity of GSH-Px to MF was higher than that of GSSG-R because the inhibition constant Ki of the former (6.0 mmol/L) was less than that of the latter (39 mmol/L). We suggest that the mechanism of toxic-damaging effects of MF on myocardium, may be closely related to the failure of remove of free radicals by some enzymes, as GSH-Px and GSSG-R, and that MF may be involved in keshan disease.
Wavelength measurement of n = 3 to n = 3 transitions in highly charged tungsten ions

3s1/2-3p3/2 and 3p1/2-3d3/2 transitions have been studied in potassiumlike W55+ through neonlike W64+ ions at the electron-beam ion trap facility in Livermore. The wavelengths of the lines have been measured in high resolution relative to well known reference lines from oxygen and nitrogen ions. Using the high-energy SuperEBIT electron-beam ion trap and an R = 44.3 m grazing-incidence soft-x-ray spectrometer, the lines were observed with a cryogenic charge-coupled device camera. The wavelength data for the sodiumlike and magnesiumlike tungsten lines are comparedwith theoretical predictions for ions along the isoelectronic sequences.
Hemoglobinuria associated with hemolytic disease of the newborn infant

An infant with ABO incompatibility and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency developed severe intravascular hemolysis leading to hemoglobinuria in the immediate neonatal period. Severe intravascular hemolysis with resultant hemoglobinuria is rare in ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn. In vitro studies of the maternal serum demonstrated a complement dependent antibody which was capable of lysing normal B-positive erythrocytes.
Oxidative stress induced carbonylation in human plasma

The focus of this study was on the assessment of technology that might be of clinical utility in identification, quantification, characterization of carbonylation in human plasma proteins. Carbonylation is widely associated with oxidative stress diseases. Breast cancer patient samples were chosen as a stress positive case based on the fact that oxidative stress has been reported to be elevated in this disease. Measurements of 8-isoprostane in plasma confirmed that breast cancer patients in this study were indeed experiencing significant oxidative stress. Carbonyl groups in proteins from freshly drawn blood were derivatized with biotin hydrazide after which the samples were dialyzed and the biotinylated proteins subsequently selected, digested and labeled with iTRAQ™ heavy isotope coding reagent(s). Four hundred sixty proteins were identified and quantified, 95 of which changed 1.5 fold or more in concentration. Beyond confirming the utility of the analytical method, association of protein carbonylation was examined as well. Nearly one fourth of the selected proteins were of cytoplasmic, nuclear, or membrane origin. Analysis of the data by unbiased knowledge assembly methods indicated the most likely disease associated with the proteins was breast neoplasm. Pathway analysis showed the proteins which changed in carbonylation were strongly associated with Brca1, the breast cancer type-1 susceptibility protein. Pathway analysis indicated the major molecular functions of these proteins are defense, immunity and nucleic acid binding.
Readability applications: Improving reading in a world of information overload

This poster discusses the findings of two focus groups that explored the benefits of an innovative readability application (Safari Reader). This emerging technology allows for the removal of advertising and other peripherals from around the body of the online text, thus presenting online articles in a more readable format. The focus group discussions were centered on exploratory research questions that examined information seeking habits for online news content, online information sharing, the ease of reading an online article in its entirety, and the benefits and drawbacks of using a readability application. The poster will show how the questions prompted answers about how the readability technology affected information seeking behavior, information sharing, human computer interaction, advertising and visualization. The poster will highlight the focus group's findings and the possibilities for future research on this type of technology. Additionally, we will utilize and incorporate a tablet (iPad2) into the poster to provide an interactive experience that will showcase the technology in question.
A Technique for Achieving High Bit Packing Density on Magnetic Tape

A technique is described for achieving very high bit packing densities, with low error rates, on magnetic tape. This technique uses envelope orthogonal signals to encode binary data during the recording process, and matched filters are used to recover these signals during playback. The experimental system constructed to evaluate the technique is described and a discussion of the experimental results is presented.
The electrical nature of corrosion and cathodic protection

Estimates that several billion dollars worth of metal are lost annually due to corrosion underline the great importance of cathodic protection. This study of corrosion from the electrical standpoint is an evaluation of the behavior of galvanic couples in accordance with the laws of electricity.
Vacuum chambers for use in resin impregnation of core samples

The University of Alabama, Office of Archeological Services (OAS), through funding provided by a private corporation, began a research project aimed at a relatively noninvasive investigation of Mound R at Moundville Archaeological Park, Moundville, Alabama (Site 1Tu500). Plans for the project began in June 1997 with field investigations set for the following fall. In cooperation with Energen Corporation of Alabama, funding was developed for a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey of the mound, as well as the recovery of 60 core samples from 12 coring locations on the summit of Mound R. Several of the core samples were selected by OAS for resin impregnation and microanalysis. With this goal in mind, OAS found it necessary to construct a vacuum chamber large enough to incorporate the samples. Its construction may be beneficial to others requiring larger chambers for similar analysis. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Discrimination between two rival models through nonintrinsic parameters

In analyzing data from heterogeneous reactions, it is often necessary to quantitatively compare the relative ability of two rival models to fit the data. For Hougen-Watson models, techniques exist for comparing this degree of fit for low conversion data; a method is suggested here for making quantitative comparisons using high as well as the low conversion data. Once estimates of the parameters in the two models are obtained, the method may be applied by a one-variable regression analysis. An example is presented illustrating the advantages of using all the conversion data in discriminating between two rival models. En analysant les resultats provenant de reactions heterogenes, il faut souvent comparer quantitativement l'aptitude de deux modeles rivaux a y satisfaire. Dans le cas des modeles Hougen-Watson, il y a moyen de comparer leur degre de convenance, lorsqu'il s'agit d'une transformation faible. On suggere un procede pour faire des comparaisons quantitatives, qu'il s'agisse de transformation forte ou faible. Apres avoir evalue les parametres dans le cas des deux modeles, on peut appliquer la methode d'analyse regressive a une variable; un exemple illustre l'avantage d'employer toutes les donnees de transformation pour choisir entre deux modeles rivaux.
Planar Waveguide Biosensors for Nucleic Acid Hybridization Reactions

Oligonucleotide probes derived from (1) the T3 RNA polymerase promoter sequence (T3) and (2) prostate-specific antigen messenger RNA (PSA) were prepared and labeled with a red-emitting fluorescent dye (Cy5). The complimentary oligonucleotides were prepared and labeled with biotin. Initially, a feasibility study was performed in which the hybridization rate of the T3/anti T3 Oligonucleotide pair was examined. Specifically, biotinylated anti T3 was immobilized to a neutravidin-coated waveguide and solutions containing increasing concentrations of Cy5-labeled T3 were injected into the biosensor. Fluorescence emission was detected with an evanescent wave imaging fluorometer. The hybridization reaction proceeded rapidly with a significant amount of binding occurring during the first 5 minutes. A Michaelis-Menton kinetics model was used to analyze hybridization rate data and gave values of 78 nanomolar for the apparent affinity of the hybridization reaction and 1.4 picomolar for the analytical sensitivity of the hybridization assay. In subsequent studies the hybridization rate of the PSA/anti PSA oligonucleotide pair was examined. Biotinylated anti PSA was immobilized to the waveguide and solutions containing increasing concentration of Cy5-labeled PSA were injected into the biosensor. The hybridization rate observed for formation of the PSA/anti PSA pari was comparable to the high rates observed for the T3/anti T3 pari. Lastly, the selectivity of the biosensor was examined using an Oligonucleotide probe derived from human glandular kallikrein, which exhibits a high degree of homology to PSA. The two Oligonucleotide probes only differed in 7 out of 20 positions. Interestingly, the hybridization rate observed for Cy5-labeled hGK was very low - not statistically different from the non-specific binding rate of the hybridization assay.
Is prior cholecystectomy associated with decreased survival in patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma following pancreaticoduodenectomy

Abstract Background Patients with pancreatic cancer who present with biliary symptoms may undergo cholecystectomy and thus delay cancer diagnosis. We hypothesized that prior cholecystectomy leads to decreased overall survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods Retrospective study of hepatobiliary database. Results Three hundred sixty-five patients with a diagnosis of resectable periampullary pancreatic adenocarcinoma were identified. Eighty-seven patients underwent prior cholecystectomy. Median age ( P = .48), body mass index (BMI) ( P = .8), diabetes status ( P = .06), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class ( P = .22), stent placement ( P = .13), operative time ( P = .76), estimated blood loss (EBL) ( P = .24), intraoperative transfusion ( P = .91), portal vein resection ( P = .25), LOS ( P = .09) adjuvant therapy ( P = .2), tumor size ( P = .89), differentiation ( P = .67), angiolymphatic invasion ( P = .69), perineural invasion ( P = 54), nodal metastasis ( P = .43), complication rate ( P = .75), and 30-day mortality ( P = .58) were not statistically different between patients with previous cholecystectomy and those without. Median survival was 14 months for patients with a history of cholecystectomy and 16 months for those without ( P = .25). Previous cholecystectomy was not a predictor of survival on Cox regression analysis. Conclusion There was no difference in overall survival in patients with pancreatic cancer with prior cholecystectomy versus those without.
High-resolution self-diffractive adaptive element for remote displacement sensing

A new conception of adaptive, high resolution, selfdiffractive microsensor for remote displacement measurements is presented. The sensor is sensitive in 3D space and can provide in-plane and out-of-plane displacements simultaneously and separately.
Fecal Hydrogen Sulfide Production in Ulcerative Colitis

Objective: Sulfide, a product of sulfate-reducing bacteria, has been proposed to play an etiologic role in ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis feces have increased numbers and activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria, but only modestly increased sulfide. However, fecal sulfide exists largely in the volatile, highly toxic H2S form that moves rapidly from feces to surrounding gas. Our aim was to quantify the fecal release of H2S and other volatiles (CO2, H2, CH4, methanethiol, and dimethylsulfide). Methods: Fecal samples from 25 subjects with ulcerative colitis and 17 controls were incubated in 4-L containers, and gas release was assessed at intervals over 24 h. Results: H2S release by ulcerative colitis feces was elevated 3–4-fold at every measurement point compared with normal feces (p < 0.003 at 24 h). The only other significant difference was increased CO2 release by ulcerative colitis feces at 1 h. Supplementation of fecal homogenates with sulfur-containing substrates showed that organic compounds (mucin, cysteine, taurocholate) provided more readily utilizable substrate for H2S production than did sulfate. Conclusions: Increased H2S release is a relatively localized metabolic aberration of ulcerative colitis feces. This increased H2S may reflect abnormalities of the fecal bacteria and/or substrate availability.
Pressure overloads within a subducting plate and the density contrast between the plate and mantle: Some geophysical implications

The density of a subducting plate is shown to become greater than the density of the adjacent mantle rock at a subduction depth on the order of 60 km. The density increase results from high pressures generated within the plate during its motion into mantle rock whose long-term strength is much less than the long-term strength of the plate. This positive density contrast between the plate and mantle is in addition to any positive density contrast that may result from the plate not being in thermal equilibrium with the adjacent mantle rock. The effect of this pressure induced density contrast on the overall down-dip stress distribution in the plate is shown to be insignificant on earthquake formation except, possibly, near the upper, near-surface portions of the plate. Implications of this result in terms of the inclusion collapse theory of deep earthquakes are discussed.
Lattice location and dopant behavior of group II and VI elements implanted in silicon

Abstract Channeling and Hall-effect measurements indicated that implanted Se and Te ions in silicon occupied substitutional sites and exhibited donor behavior similar to that found for group V elements. Zn, Cd, and Hg were found on tetrahedral interstitial sites and weak n -type behavior was observed.
Microscopic theory of heavy-ion potentials

Abstract Heavy-ion potentials are calculated from a many-body theory with an effective Skyrme NN interaction. The ground state of the system is described by the two-center shell model. Results are presented for 28 Si + 28 Si, 40 Ca + 40 Ca, 90 Zr + 90 Zr, and compared to other theories.
Identification and characterization of mRNAs regulated by nerve growth factor in PC12 cells

Differential screening of cDNA libraries was used to detect and prepare probes for mRNAs that are regulated in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells by long-term (2-week) treatment with nerve growth factor (NGF). In response to NGF, PC12 cells change from a chromaffin cell-like to a sympathetic-neuron-like phenotype. Thus, one aim of this study was to identify NGF-regulated mRNAs that may be associated with the attainment of neuronal properties. Eight NGF-regulated mRNAs are described. Five of these increase 3- to 10-fold and three decrease 2- to 10-fold after long-term NGF exposure. Each mRNA was characterized with respect to the time course of the NGF response, regulation by agents other than NGF, and rat tissue distribution. Partial sequences of the cDNAs were used to search for homologies to known sequences. Homology analysis revealed that one mRNA (increased 10-fold) encodes the peptide thymosin beta 4 and a second mRNA (decreased 2-fold) encodes tyrosine hydroxylase. Another of the increased mRNAs was very abundant in sympathetic ganglia, barely detectable in brain and adrenals, and undetectable in all other tissues surveyed. One of the decreased mRNAs, by contrast, was very abundant in the adrenals and nearly absent in the sympathetic ganglia. With the exception of fibroblast growth factor, which is the only other agent known to mimic the differentiating effects of NGF on PC12 cells, none of the treatments tested (epidermal growth factor, insulin, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, dexamethasone, phorbol ester, and depolarization) reproduced the regulation observed with NGF. These and additional findings suggest that the NGF-regulated mRNAs may play roles in the establishment of the neuronal phenotype and that the probes described here will be useful to study the mechanism of action of NGF and the development and differentiation of neurons.
West Nile Virus 5′-Cap Structure Is Formed by Sequential Guanine N-7 and Ribose 2′-O Methylations by Nonstructural Protein 5

Many flaviviruses are globally important human pathogens. Their plus-strand RNA genome contains a 5'-cap structure that is methylated at the guanine N-7 and the ribose 2'-OH positions of the first transcribed nucleotide, adenine (m(7)GpppAm). Using West Nile virus (WNV), we demonstrate, for the first time, that the nonstructural protein 5 (NS5) mediates both guanine N-7 and ribose 2'-O methylations and therefore is essential for flavivirus 5'-cap formation. We show that a recombinant full-length and a truncated NS5 protein containing the methyltransferase (MTase) domain methylates GpppA-capped and m(7)GpppA-capped RNAs to m(7)GpppAm-RNA, using S-adenosylmethionine as a methyl donor. Furthermore, methylation of GpppA-capped RNA sequentially yielded m(7)GpppA- and m(7)GpppAm-RNA products, indicating that guanine N-7 precedes ribose 2'-O methylation. Mutagenesis of a K(61)-D(146)-K(182)-E(218) tetrad conserved in other cellular and viral MTases suggests that NS5 requires distinct amino acids for its N-7 and 2'-O MTase activities. The entire K(61)-D(146)-K(182)-E(218) motif is essential for 2'-O MTase activity, whereas N-7 MTase activity requires only D(146). The other three amino acids facilitate, but are not essential for, guanine N-7 methylation. Amino acid substitutions within the K(61)-D(146)-K(182)-E(218) motif in a WNV luciferase-reporting replicon significantly reduced or abolished viral replication in cells. Additionally, the mutant MTase-mediated replication defect could not be trans complemented by a wild-type replicase complex. These findings demonstrate a critical role for the flavivirus MTase in viral reproduction and underscore this domain as a potential target for antiviral therapy.
Forest change on a steep mountain gradient after extended fire exclusion: San Francisco Peaks, Arizona, USA

Summary 1. More than a century of forest management, including fire exclusion, livestock grazing and tree harvesting, may have affected forest structure and composition in south-western USA. Dendroecological techniques were used to reconstruct an 1876 baseline against which modern conditions could be compared. We assessed the magnitude of changes on the San Francisco Peaks in five distinct forest types: ponderosa, mixed conifer, aspen, spruce‐fir and bristlecone. 2. We established a systematic grid of 135 plots, each 0·1 ha in size, over a 1117-m altitudinal band. 3. In the contemporary forest, density was greatest in spruce‐fir and least in bristlecone whereas basal area was greatest in spruce‐fir and lowest in ponderosa. In 1876, all forest types had significantly lower densities and basal areas. 4. The period since 1876 was associated with increased forest density, a shift in species composition as a result of invasion of shade-tolerant conifers, and a trend for mesic species to migrate to lower altitudes. Changes were least evident in the highest altitude forests. Climate and human-caused and natural biotic disturbance factors probably all played a role in forest change, but we argue that the most prominent factor was probably exclusion of the thinning effect of fire, especially on fire-susceptible mesic species. 5. Synthesis and applications. Mesic species have encroached to lower altitudes and forest density has increased since 1876. These changes have created to conditions opposite to those suitable for warmer, drier future climates that will display increased fire risk, setting the stage for sudden and severe change. Management is complex because of heavy fuel loading, administrative constraints and high public visibility. However, ‘sky island’ landscapes such as the Peaks represent protected ecosystems of great importance in arid regions. Testing of wildland fire use and other management interventions to restore composition and fuel structures more resilient to warmer climate should proceed.
Clan Organization in a Nahuatl‐Speaking Village of the State of Tlaxcala, Mexico

MORE than 25 years ago Beals (1932:467) pointed out that "the frequent discussions of Mexican social organization in the past have centered almost entirely about the nature of the calpolli system of the Aztecs. Occasional suggestions of unilaterally organized societies elsewhere have aroused relatively little interest despite the possible light they might shed on the Aztec situation or their perhaps even greater importance in suggesting the type of social organization of pre-Aztec Mexico." Although a few cases of unilateral organization have been reported in the last two decades, the situation today is basically unchanged, and anthropologists continue to speak almost exclusively of the calpulli or barrio as the only important unit of social organization beyond the nuclear and extended families present in Mesoamerica. This undue concern with the calpulli is easy to explain. During the years preceding the Conquest, the Aztec empire extended its sphere of influence and political control throughout most of the area known today as Mesoamerica, and it is quite possible that the calpulli system widespread in the area today was nothing but an Aztec acquisition or imposition. Otherwise it is difficult to explain the presence of the term calpulli and its derivatives or subdivisions (calpul, calpolli, tlaxicalli, chinancalli, altepetl, and so on) among such a wide variety of linguistic groups.1 Furthermore, the early historians, writing about regions as far apart as Guatemala and Michoacan, indiscriminately translated the term calpulli as a territorial division embodied in the old Spanish word "barrio," and the terms (calpulli and barrio) have retained this territorial connotation as their primary meaning. Although we will never know what the early historians were trying to describe when they translated calpulli as barrio, it is highly probable that it meant one thing in Kakchiquel and quite another in Tenochtitlan.2 Thus, the fact remains that the term calpulli, as it is found throughout Mesoamerica today, does not possess a unitary meaning, as several anthropologists seem to have assumed. Calpulli means different things in different regions. It can be either a territorial unit or a kinship unit; it can be endogamous, exogamous, or have no marriage regulatory functions; it can be localized, nonlocalized, or semilocalized; and membership can be hereditary, residential, or by choice (Redfield 1928; De la Fuente 1949; Weitlaner 1951; Guiteras 1947; Villa Rojas 1947; Beals 1945; Monzon 1945). It is important that the student of Mesoamerican social organization be aware that the term does not have the same meaning throughout the area. Of even greater importance is the need for
Adiposity, the Sympathetic Nervous System, and Childhood Primary Hypertension

See related article, pp 782–788 Why is it important to understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying primary hypertension in childhood? Two answers immediately come to mind: first, the number of children and adolescents with primary hypertension seems to be increasing1; and second, hypertensive children are likely to become hypertensive adults who in turn will be at risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes.2 So, despite recent analyses questioning the value of routine assessment of blood pressure in childhood,3 many feel that with better understanding of the pathophysiology of childhood primary hypertension, it could be possible to develop better strategies to prevent adult cardiovascular disease. Thus, the study of Niemirska et al4 in this issue of Hypertension is notable. Using advanced Fourier analysis of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring studies in a small group of adolescent boys with primary hypertension, they demonstrated that abnormalities of cardiovascular rhythms present at the diagnosis of hypertension persisted despite successful blood pressure reduction, and that improvements in blood pressure and heart rate were related to reductions in visceral fat. These findings support the central role of the sympathetic nervous system in the pathophysiology of childhood hypertension and underscore the importance of visceral adiposity …
Updates in paediatric psycho-oncology

Childhood cancer accounts for less than 2% of all cancers diagnosed each year. About 12-14,000 children will be diagnosed in a given year with any type of cancer. Over the past fifty years, treatments and cure rates have improved from 10-20% five-year survival rates to between 80-85% five-year survival rates. Psychosocial support of children with cancer and their families has grown and has been more fully integrated into paediatric care over the past five decades. Increasing acceptance of the importance of addressing mental health has led to oncologists referring patients to specific resources and services. This paper provides updated information on psychosocial issues for those who treat children and adolescents with cancer and focuses on unique challenges for the paediatric psycho-oncologist. PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched from January 2000 through June 2013 using key words: pediatrics, oncology, psychosocial care, family, siblings, cancer, psycho-oncology, psychosocial issues, depression, anxiety, survivorship, and end of life.
Current Perspectives on Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase–Producing Gram-Negative Bacilli

Beta-lactamase enzymes produced by gram-negative bacilli were identified before the first beta-lactam antibiotics were used to treat infections. As these enzymes adapted to available beta-lactam agents, newer beta-lactam agents were developed. Development and widespread use of the oxyimino-cephalosporins led to the emergence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase enzymes that hydrolyze the penicillins, extended-spectrum cephalosporins, and aztreonam. There are now over 200 recognized ESBLs in a variety of gram-negative bacilli conferring resistance to penicillins, cephalosporins, a monobactam, and even carbapenems. The emergence of these enzymes is associated with poor patient outcomes, increased total health care costs, and more carbapenem use. Carbapenems should be selected judiciously to optimize outcomes while preventing further selection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase resistance.
DAMGO and DPDPE facilitation of brain stimulation reward thresholds is blocked by the dopamine antagonist cis-flupenthixol

The role of dopamine neurotransmission in opioid reward was investigated using a rate-independent measure for determining brain stimulation reward (BSR) thresholds. Intra-accumbens infusions of the mu- and delta-specific peptides, D-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly-ol5-Enkephalin and D-Pen2, D-Pen5-Enkephalin caused significant lowering of BSR thresholds. The dopamine D1/D2 antagonist, cis-flupenthixol, blocked these effects at a dose that did not significantly alter thresholds when given alone. These data suggest both mu- and delta-opioid potentiation of BSR is dopamine dependent.
Neuroplasticity-Based Cognitive Training in Schizophrenia: An Interim Report on the Effects 6 Months Later

Background: New cognitive treatments for schizophrenia are needed that drive persistent gains in cognition and functioning. Using an innovative neuroplasticity-based cognitive training approach, we report our interim findings on the effects on cognition and functional outcome at 6 months after treatment. Methods: Thirty-two clinically stable schizophrenia subjects were randomly assigned to either targeted cognitive training (TCT, N 5 22) or a computer games (CGs) control condition (N 5 10). Twelve TCT subjects completed 50 hours of auditory based training; 10 TCT subjects completed an additional 50 hours of training targeting visual and cognitive control processes. Subjects were assessed on neurocognition and functional outcome after training and at 6-month follow-up. Results: Both TCT subject groups showed significant durable gains at 6 months on measures of verbal learning/memory and cognitive control. Only TCT subjects who completed 100 hours of training showed durable gains on processing speed and global cognition, with nonsignificant improvement in functional outcome. Improved cognition was significantly associated with improved functional outcome at 6 months for TCT subjects. Conclusions: A total of 50 hours of neuroplasticity-based computerized cognitive training appears sufficient to drive improvements in verbal learning/memory and cognitive control that endure 6 months beyond the intervention, but a higher ‘‘dose’’ and more ‘‘broadspectrum’’ training may be necessary to drive enduring gains in processing speed and global cognition. Traininginduced cognitive improvement is related to enhanced functioning at 6 months. These data suggest that (1) higher and ‘‘broader’’ doses of cognitive training may confer the most benefits for schizophrenia patients; (2) the posttraining
Direct-Matrix-Converter-Based Drive for a Three-Phase Open-End-Winding AC Machine With Advanced Features

This paper describes how matrix converters (MCs), one at each side of a three-phase open-end-winding ac machine, achieve the following features simultaneously: 1) machine phase voltage up to 1.5 times the input phase voltage in the linear modulation mode, therefore extending the rated torque operation region to 150% of the rated speed of the machine; 2) peak voltage stress across the slot insulation which is limited to the peak of input phase voltage, i.e., a factor of at least √3 lower as compared to the conventional back-to-back converter; 3) controllable grid power factor to be leading, lagging, or unity; and 4) elimination of the instantaneous common-mode voltage at the machine terminals, therefore eliminating the bearing current due to switching common-mode voltage and reduction in the conducted electromagnetic interference. To simultaneously achieve the aforementioned capabilities, a space vector pulsewidth modulation technique is described in which the MCs are modulated using only rotating space vectors. A hardware prototype of the drive system is built. Experimental results from this hardware prototype verify the operation and claims of the drive system.
From Third World to First World: new roles and challenges for development communication:

The terms development and development communication have been, almost always, synonymous with the needs and problems of developing nations or the Third World. In the First World, these terms have not been readily used or easily recognized. The reasoning behind this has been that an industrially advanced country does not have significant problems dealing with development. This may not always be true. An advanced country has pockets of underdevelopment. Second, an industrially advanced country may have other unique problems that have arisen after development. These problems of "overdevelopment" that have occurred during the post-industrial stage may prove to be as dysfunctional as the problems of underdevelopment.This study will review the problems of underdevelopment and overdevelopment in the First World using mostly the United States of America as a case study. The role and challenges for communication will be discussed with specific reference to the above mentioned problems using the knowledge gained fr...
SENTENCING REFORM AND THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM: A Case Study of the Implementation of Minnesota's Determinate Sentencing Law

In recent years, various determinate sentencing models have been proposed to promote equity in sentencing and prisoner release certainty. This article examines the implementation of Minnesota's determinate sentencing law as it relates to prisoners and the state correctional system, It reviews the extent of the reform's success in achieving predictability in prisoner release dates and equity in sentencing. Organizational, political, and transitional problems in the implementation of the determinacy concept are discussed. In particular, resistance to change among parole board and correctional treatment staff members and a prisoner movement for retroactivity are highlighted. Conditions that could lead to replications of Minnesota's experience in other states are reviewed.
Two Decades of Research on Possible Selves and the "Missing Males" Problem in Choral Music

Music education researchers have a lengthy history of examining reasons why individuals seek participation in musical activities. Within that history, however, the concept of ‘possible selves’ (Markus & Nurius, 1986) has received little attention until recently. In the broadest terms, possible selves are a person’s impressions of what they might become, what they would like to become, and what they fear becoming. This view of self-concept moves beyond a simple collection of self-attributed traits to encompass the idea that individuals actively manage their choices and actions in order to promote desirable selves and inhibit less-desirable selves. The focus of this article is a systematic review of research and related literature concerning possible selves with specific attention to potential implications for the participation and persistence of adolescent boys in choral music education.
Di(s)-Secting and Dis(s)-Closing `Whiteness': Two Tales about Psychology

`Whiteness' is di(s)-sected and dis(s)-closed to reveal its privileged position within psychological texts. This allows me to discuss the three ways in which `whiteness' has surfaced. First, `whiteness' is absent. Second, `whiteness' is displaced by synonyms that shift its anxieties on the `other'. And third, `whiteness' is discussed as the predominant epistemological backdrop of psychological texts that e-race, make invisible and token the presence of racial minorities. I will use two instances of psychological practice-e-racing theory and the porno-raced method-to discuss how `whiteness' has manipulated racial minorities to inform, test and construct its own meanings.
Here, There Be Dragons: Considering the Right Tail in Risk Management

The “portfolio effect” is a common designation of a supposed reduction of cost risk achieved by funding multiple projects (the “portfolio”) that are not perfectly correlated with one another. It is often relied upon in setting confidence-level policy for program or organization budgets that are intended to fund multiple projects. The idea of a portfolio effect has its roots in modern finance, as pioneered by 1990 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences recipient Harry Markowitz (1959). On the other hand, in presentations to four recent ISPA-SCEA conferences, 2007–2010, the present author argued that, when applied to Government budgeting, the portfolio effect is more myth than fact. However, current National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Department of Defense policy guidance relies heavily upon this apparently chimerical effect. The objective of the present article is to propose a superior alternative budgeting decision process based on a concept called “conditional tail expectation” that bett...
Global Control of Hepatitis B Through Vaccination: Role of Hepatitis B Vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunization

Hepatitis B is a disease that affects people throughout the world, and over 200 million are persistent carriers of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The chronic sequelae of this infection include chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. The development of safe and highly effective hepatitis B vaccines now provides the means by which HBV infection, including the HBV chronic carrier state, can be prevented and the related mortality significantly reduced. The cost of these vaccines has significantly decreased and will soon approach levels at which the cost-effectiveness (cost per death prevented) of hepatitis B vaccine will be similar to that of other childhood vaccines. Integration of hepatitis B vaccine into the Expanded Programme on Immunization for mass vaccination of infants in areas where HBV infection is endemic and morbidity is high would be the most effective means of providing the coverage necessary for effective control and prevention.
Wide-bandgap hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide prepared from an aromatic carbon source

By utilizing the aromatic molecule xylene, hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide films are prepared for the first time from an aromatic carbon source. Good-quality films are obtained, over a wide range of optical bandgaps from 2.2 to 3.5 eV and carbon content from 0.4 to 0.9 atomic fraction. Infrared measurements indicate that the films contain a large amount of aromatic and olefinic sp/sup 2/ carbon bonding, the extent of which depends strongly on the deposition conditions. This unsaturated carbon imparts an unusual property to the material in that it can be doped with an electron acceptor, which increases the electrical conductivity by several orders of magnitude, in a manner similar to organic semiconductors. >
Keeping Parents in the Driver's Seat

Parents receive social work services (both voluntary and involuntary) in a variety of settings. Although the parents may have come to need social work interventions for different reasons, one reason is constant: They are experiencing some difficulty with their children. Children are likely to benefit when parenting ability is strengthened. In all settings, social workers have a unique opportunity to assist parents in establishing, restoring, or maintaining healthy family dynamics.
Library 2020: Today's Leading Visionaries Describe Tomorrow's Library edited by Joseph Janes

Most people start trying to predict the future as part of their play as children, for example: “What will I be when I grow up?” “Where will I live? This continues as they age: “Who will I marry?” “...
An Improved Technique for Producing Potato Tuber worm Eggs for Mass Production of Natural Enemies

New techniques for producing eggs of Phthorimaea Operculella (Zeller) for the production of exotic parasites for field colonization were developed in the University of California Insectary at Riverside. The methods and equipment are described and the operational procedure used is given. The principal advantages of the techniques are conservation of insectary space and reduction of man hours.
Writing for a Change, Writing for Chip

What does it mean to write for change? How do we negotiate the space between hope and critique? Drawing on Dewey's notion of a common faith, this article contemplates what the author learned from Chip Bruce. It suggests that when we compartmentalize the ideal and the everyday, the hopeful and the critical, we reduce the complexity of human experience.
Charge Transport across Phosphonate Monolayers on Indium Tin Oxide

Transition voltage spectroscopy was used to measure the charge injection properties of monolayers of bithiophene phosphonate, quarterthiophene phosphonate, and decylphosphonate covalently bonded to an indium tin oxide surface. Hysteresis was observed for all three phosphonates, which is possibly explained by charge retention at the phosphonate−ITO interface. Unlike previous work on thiolate-based molecular junctions, there is no significant difference between the charge injection barriers of the three phosphonates, suggesting that the phosphonate moiety dominates the observed charge injection properties.
Interaction of Degradable and Non-degradable Biomaterial with Brain Cells for Tissue Engineering and Cancer Treatment

This research compares interaction of two non-degradable materials: 2 µm fluorescent beads and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and one degradable biomaterial -- High Aspect Ratio Structure (HARS) biocomposites, with microglial brain cells. White light and fluorescence microscopy were used to capture images and were analyzed using Image Pro Plus 7.0 software. Results show interactions between microglial cells and biomaterials which can be carried out for applications in tissue engineering as well as for testing anti-cancer effects.
Exploring Parental Approval and Disapproval for Black and White Interracial Couples

Black and White interracial couples encounter societal and familial assessments that create additional tensions and conflict for their romantic relationship. This study examines parental approval and disapproval messages and their impact on interracial couples. Interdependence Theory and Facework provide the theoretical frameworks guiding this qualitative, interpretive examination. Thirty-eight individuals who represent 19 Black and White romantic pairs were each separately interviewed about their experiences as an interracial couple. Of particular interest is the communication of parental support or disapproval. Data were analyzed using Owen's (1984) thematic analysis procedures. Results reveal that interracial dyads both experience public disapproval and illustrate that not all couples experience parental disapproval. However, couples with dual parental approval were less bothered by negative outside experiences than were one-sided approval couples. Data also reveal the importance of parental approval messages and highlight the destructive nature of disapproval messages with regards to the interracial couple's face needs.
Meaning and Automatic Stereotyping: Advancing an Agenda for Research

Perceived meaning in life positively and significantly correlates with adaptive characteristics such as cognitive flexibility, altruism, self-transcendence, social relatedness, and values-directed behavior. Furthermore, one recent study has evidenced that perceived meaning in life is related to automatic stereotyping—the spontaneous activation of often-negative beliefs about a particular group of people. In this case greater perceived meaning was associated with less automatic stereotyping. Despite the significant implications of these initial findings, there is no systematic research that has been conducted with regard to better understanding how perceived meaning and automatic stereotyping relate to one another. The purpose of the present chapter is to advance a research agenda for the integration of what has up to this point been two separate areas of scientific inquiry. Thus, we argue for the inclusion of perceived meaning in studies of automatic stereotyping, advocating for the potential benefits that perceived meaning in life offers with respect to adaptive social interactions, and with particular regard to less automatic stereotyping. Researchers are encouraged to consider new lines of empirical inquiry that expand the science of perceived meaning, advancing our understanding of the concept as well as potential applications for a broad spectrum of intrapersonal and interpersonal processes.
Bioreactor Technology for Oral and Craniofacial Tissue Engineering

Abstract Tissue engineering approaches hold great promise for the remediation of craniofacial defects to various tissues including bone, cartilage, ligaments, meniscus, blood vessels, and nerves. These strategies include in vitro cultivation of cells with biomaterials to achieve construct maturation prior to implantation into the defect site. However, culturing large, viable three-dimensional constructs is an engineering challenge, since the viability of cells within the construct is heavily dependent on adequate oxygen and nutrient delivery. To prevent the formation of necrotic cores and facilitate uniform tissue growth within the graft, bioreactors have been used to provide convective transfer. Additionally, bioreactors may be used to mimic the physiological stresses imparted to native tissues, which stimulate their functional organization. This chapter discusses the rationale for using bioreactors, the principles underlying various bioreactor designs, and provides case studies to demonstrate how the use of custom-designed bioreactors enhances the functional outcome of engineered tissues.
8-Hydroxyquinolines Are Boosting Agents of Copper-Related Toxicity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Copper (Cu) ions are likely the most important immunological metal-related toxin utilized in controlling bacterial infections. Impairment of bacterial Cu resistance reduces viability within the host. Thus, pharmacological enhancement of Cu-mediated antibacterial toxicity may lead to novel strategies in drug discovery and development. Screening for Cu toxicity-enhancing antibacterial molecules identified 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) to be a potent Cu-dependent bactericidal inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis The MIC of 8HQ in the presence of Cu was 0.16 μM for replicating and nonreplicating M. tuberculosis cells. We found 8HQ's activity to be dependent on the presence of extracellular Cu and to be related to an increase in cell-associated labile Cu ions. Both findings are consistent with 8HQ acting as a Cu ionophore. Accordingly, we identified the 1:1 complex of 8HQ and Cu to be its active form, with Zn, Fe, or Mn neither enhancing nor reducing its Cu-specific action. This is remarkable, considering that the respective metal complexes have nearly identical structures and geometries. Finally, we found 8HQ to kill M. tuberculosis selectively within infected primary macrophages. Given the stark Cu-dependent nature of 8HQ activity, this is the first piece of evidence that Cu ions within macrophages may bestow antibacterial properties to a Cu-dependent inhibitor of M. tuberculosis In conclusion, our findings highlight the metal-binding ability of the 8-hydroxyquinoline scaffold to be a potential focus for future medicinal chemistry and highlight the potential of innate immunity-inspired screening platforms to reveal molecules with novel modes of action against M. tuberculosis.
Two medieval views of election

TIME AND ETERNITY The doctrine of the election of Israel, both as originally presented in Scripture and then developed by the Rabbis, is only philosophically cogent if one assumes that it designates a temporal relation. Real choice involves two or more objects being present to the elector and that one of them is elected at a certain time as distinct from any other time. The freedom that choice presupposes (“unfree” choice being a contradiction in terms) makes choice a practical rather than a theoretical issue. It is the concern of the realm of politics, taken in the broad classical sense that denotes the locus of free and purposeful public action between persons. It is not the concern of the realm of science per se, which describes the necessary behavior of entities. Accordingly, election is historical, that is, it is a humanly remembered temporal event, characterized by freedom rather than by necessity. And, even though I have argued elsewhere that there are natural limits that must be recognized a priori in order for there to be communities in which covenantal history may occur and be sustained, these limits only make that history possible; it itself cannot be reduced to these limits as mere instantations of perpetual natural law. These natural limits are the conditio sine qua non of covenantal history, not its conditio per quam . History as the arena of free personal action involves novelty in a way that nature does not. For in our constitution of nature, we see time as one continuum extending from past to present to future: the realm of causality.