cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aging and Ethnicity: Issues for Clinical Practice

Due to dramatic improvements in life expectancy among Americans from diverse ethnic groups, the “graying of America” is resulting in a particularly marked increase in ethnic diversity in late life. Clinicians must be prepared to address the problems of older ethnic minority patients, who present with distinct problems during late life and may present these problems in culturally prescribed ways. Cultural variations in views about the nature of mental disorders, issues in assessing and treating depression and dementia, and attention to issues of family caregivers are deserving of special attention.
Popular Theatre as Space and Symbol of the Spanish Democratic Revolution

One year after the 2008 financial meltdown ignited the current economic crisis, microteatro was born in an abandoned brothel in Madrid. Spurring the reemergence of popular theatre as a cultural force in Spain, microteatro has transformed the Spanish theatre scene. Despite the dramatic increase in the Value Added Tax on cultural activities levied in 2012 by the Partido Popular, popular theatre has flourished alongside the Spanish democratic revolution, from the 15M to the 2015 municipal elections and beyond. This article highlights how new, non-traditional theatre spaces function as counterhegemonic sites of encounter that share characteristics with the 15M assemblies in terms of their ability to mobilize affect, foster solidarity and encourage the cognitive mapping necessary to contest neoliberalism. Taking Microteatro por dinero and the Teatro del Barrio as examples, I show how popular theatre frequently stages productions critical of dominant Spanish politics and culture, before concluding with an examination of the appropriation of theatre as a symbol of democracy by Podemos.
The generation of CD8+CD103+ tissue resident memory cells is decreased in the brain of B7-H1 knockouts after virus infection

The generation of CD8+ tissue resident memory T-cells (TRM) ensures rapid recognition of viruses after secondary infection and is important for long term defense against tumor formation. We find that intracranial infection with Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) generates a robust CD8+ effector response after acute infection. This response resolves with virus clearance and only CD8+CD103+ brain TRM remain. Much is known about the development of acute T-cell responses to TMEV, however less is known about how TRM are generated and maintained within the brain. Previously, we found that B7-H1 prevents the entry of effector CD8+ T-cells into the memory pool. In the current studies we explore the role of B7-H1 in the development and maintenance of brain TRM. We find that B7-H1 expression within the host tissues is important for maintaining TRM in the brain after TMEV infection. By studying acute and long-term post-infected B7-H1 knockout and wild-type mice we find that B7-H1 contributes to the formation and maintenance of TRM. The expression of B7-H1 is required within the host tissues to promote this memory population as the absence of B7-H1 on T-cells did not alter TRM formation. In addition, we find an increase in CD103 negative antigen non-specific CD8+ PD1+ T-cells in B7-H1 knockout hosts, a population previously identified as CD8+ regulatory T cells. This suggests that B7-H1 may also control this population of tissue resident CD8+ regulatory T cells (TRR). These findings will be important for further understanding the PD1/B7-H1 axis and its role in TRM and TRR development and for understanding how therapies that target these molecules can be optimized to promote T-cell memory formation and maintenance when used as therapy.
Rebroadcast Attacks: Defenses, Reattacks, and Redefenses

A rebroadcast attack, in which an image is manipulated and then re-imaged, is a simple attack against forensic techniques designed to distinguish original from edited images. Various techniques have been developed to detect rebroadcast attacks. These forensic analyses, however, face new threats from sophisticated machine learning techniques that are designed to modify images to circumvent detection. We describe a framework to analyze the resilience of rebroadcast detection to adversarial attacks. We describe the impact of repeated attacks and defenses on the efficacy of detecting rebroadcast content. This basic framework may be applicable to understanding the resilience of a variety of forensic techniques.
Visually Indicated Sound Generation by Perceptually Optimized Classification

Visually indicated sound generation aims to predict visually consistent sound from the video content. Previous methods addressed this problem by creating a single generative model that ignores the distinctive characteristics of various sound categories. Nowadays, state-of-the-art sound classification networks are available to capture semantic-level information in audio modality, which can also serve for the purpose of visually indicated sound generation. In this paper, we explore generating fine-grained sound from a variety of sound classes, and leverage pre-trained sound classification networks to improve the audio generation quality. We propose a novel Perceptually Optimized Classification based Audio generation Network (POCAN), which generates sound conditioned on the sound class predicted from visual information. Additionally, a perceptual loss is calculated via a pre-trained sound classification network to align the semantic information between the generated sound and its ground truth during training. Experiments show that POCAN achieves significantly better results in visually indicated sound generation task on two datasets.
On the “True-False” Memory Syndrome: The Problem of Clinical Evidence

A patient in twice-a-week psychoanalytic psychotherapy began to recover childhood memories of chronic sexual abuse, including oral, anal and genital penetration. These memories sometimes included bizarre content that created skepticism regarding their authenticity. However, this dubious quality was in marked contrast to the internal consistency, continuity, and emotional authenticity of the psychotherapeutic process. Criteria for attempting to distinguish between fantasy and reality are noted. Despite their tenuous nature, these criteria are important because, most frequently, they will be the only data available within the clinical situation.
Misperceptions about the 'opioid epidemic:' exploring the facts

Abstract A plethora of statistics and claims exist concerning the rise in prescription opioid use and the increase in opioid-related deaths. Eleven misperceptions were identified that underlie some of the growing national concern and backlash against opioid use. Misperceptions include the number of opioid overdose deaths, the quality of government-sponsored data and guidelines, the impact of opioid dose escalation on overdose risk, postoperative opioid use associated with long-term use, and the link between prescription opioid use and heroin initiation. Implications for research, practice and education include (a) a call for improvement in data recording, (b) unbiased and clear reporting of information, (c) a call for health care providers to ask critical questions when presented with data, and (d) a call for policymakers to avoid unnecessarily restrictive practices that are founded in fear and may cause unintended harm to patients in pain.
Accelerated Venovenous Hemofiltration as a Transitional Renal Replacement Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit.

Background Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is commonly employed in the intensive care unit (ICU), though there are no guidelines around the transition between CRRT and intermittent hemodialysis (iHD). Accelerated venovenous hemofiltration (AVVH) is a modality utilizing higher hemofiltration rates (4-5 L/h) with shorter session durations (8-10 h) to "accelerate" the clearance and volume removal that normally is spread out over a 24-h period in CRRT. We examined AVVH as a transition therapy between CRRT and iHD, with the aim of decreasing time on CRRT and providing a more graduated transition for hemodynamically unstable patients requiring RRT. Methods Retrospective cohort study describing the clinical outcomes and quality initiative experience of the integration of AVVH into the CRRT program at an academic tertiary care center. Outcomes of interest included mortality, ICU length of stay and readmission rates, and technical characteristics of treatments. Results In total, 97 patients received a total of 298 AVVH treatments (3.1 ± 3.3 treatments per patient). Totally, 271/298 (91%) treatments were completed successfully. During an average treatment time of 9.5 ± 1.6 h with 4.2 ± 0.5 L/h -replacement fluid rate, urea reduction ratio was 23 ± 26% per 10-h treatment, and net ultrafiltration volume was 2.4 ± 1.3 L/treatment. Inpatient mortality was 32%, mean total hospital length of stay was 54 ± 47 days. Sixty-four out of 97 (66%) patients recovered renal function by discharge. Among those who transferred out of the ICU, 7/62 (11%) patients required readmission to the ICU after developing hypotension on iHD. Conclusion AVVH can serve as a transition therapy between CRRT and iHD in the ICU and has the potential to decrease total time on CRRT, improve patient mobility, and sustain low ICU readmission rates. Future study is needed to analyze the implications on resource use and cost of this modality.
Comparative Evaluation of Industrial Hemp Cultivars: Agronomical Practices, Feedstock Characterization, and Potential for Biofuels and Bioproducts

Industrial hemp has gained resurgent interest recently for applications in various sectors. This study evaluated 11 different industrial hemp [6 fiber-only and 5 dual-purpose (fiber and grain)] cul...
Researching While Queer: A Research Note about a Genderqueer Lesbian Conducting Qualitative Research in the Southeastern United States.

In this research note, I use an autoethnographic approach to examine the challenges of qualitative research for queer scholars, and to bring the embodied, interactive, and gendered research experie...
‘It’s About the Way I’m Treated’: Afro-Latina Black Identity Development in the Third Space:

Through an ethnographic study of an afterschool program serving girls of color in the New York City metro area, this study examines how girls who are ethically Latina and racially Black embrace and...
Understanding adolescent cyberbullies: exploring social media addiction and psychological factors

A substantial number of adolescents in various countries have histories of cyberbullying perpetration, cyberbullying victimization, or both. Research examining characteristics of cyberbullies is gr...
Inversion methodology for ultrasonic characterization of polycrystals with clusters of preferentially oriented grains.

Abstract Titanium alloys are widely used in the aerospace industry. However, due to presence of microtexture, which is characterized by preferred crystallographic orientation clustering of thousands of alpha crystallites, cold dwell fatigue may significantly reduce the part life. To satisfy the practical need for nondestructive microtexture characterization, an inverse ultrasonic methodology is proposed to quantify mean parameters of microtexture regions (MTRs) having ellipsoidal shapes. One limitation of previous model-based ultrasonic inversion methods is required knowledge of elastic constants of the crystallites, which are rarely available for engineering alloys. This study overcomes this constraint by adopting the far field attenuation model, JASA, 137 (5), 2655–2669 (2015), and the backscattering model for ultrasonic wave interaction with microtexture. In the methodology developed, all necessary averaged MTR characteristics are obtained solely from directional ultrasonic measurements (backscattering, attenuation, and velocity) without a prior knowledge of material microstructures or elastic properties of different material phases. The inversion method is illustrated by simulations. To support the inversion methodology, the mean MTR sizes, morphology, and elastic scattering factors are determined from the ultrasonic experiment on a Ti-6242 alloy sample. The inversion results are compared with destructive electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis from which the MTRs are segmented using a non-contiguous grouping criteria. Good agreement is found.
Transient Stability Emergency Control Based on Real-time Power Angle Trajectory Fitting

The emergence of wide area measurement system (WAMS) provides an opportunity for online transient stability assessment of power system. Based on the theory of complementary cluster energy barrier criterion (CCEBC), a transient stability control scheme based on real-time power angle trajectory fitting is proposed: The specific instability mode of the system is determined by the composite power angle, the system is transformed into a single machine infinite bus system; The real-time response information of WAMS is used to fit the power-angle trajectory of the disturbed system, and the instability judgment point of the extended phase trajectory is used as the end point of the measured fitting; Combined with extended equal area criterion (EEAC) theory, the tripping capacity of generation is calculated, and the controlled object is determined by the relative kinetic energy of each unit; In order to ensure the transient stability of the disturbed system, at the point of maximum acceleration power point and the point of instability judgment, the tripping control is performed respectively; Finally, a simulation example on Sanhua planning power grid verifies the effectiveness of the proposed emergency control strategy.
The analysis of the reasons of failures in treatment at MDR TB pationts

In the Tomsk region from year 2004 to year 2008 there have been registered 88 cases of treatment failure of MDR TB within the program of Global Fund “Comprehensive strategy for reduction of burden of MDR tuberculosis”. That has made 13,4% of total number of the patients registered for treatment. The given cohort had heavy social composition: 48 patients were unemployed, 5 patients were homeless, 52 persons suffered alcoholism, 7 drug addicts. In 10 patients on an initiation of treatment XDR was found. From 88 patients new cases – 14 persons, repeated – 74 persons. The number of reasons had their input into the lack of treatment success: low adherence to controllable treatment - 48,9% (the number of the missed doses in the intensive phase fluctuated from 19 to 38%), rendering patients some social support didn9t influence their compliance: serious lung damage – 36,3% serious side-effects – 12,5% (owing to accompanying diseases - hepatitis, stomach ulcer, diabetes) refusal to undergo surgical treatment – 2,3%. With the purpose to decrease treatment failures in patients with MDR TB since 2010 additional measures to the existing program have been developed: Expansion of the program “Companion” in rural areas on managing difficult patients. Strengthening of actions for the decrease in alcoholic dependence in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Uninterrupted provision of medicines for side-effect treatment in places of treatment. Wider use of surgical treatment. Optimization of early TB case finding of among the population.
Two distinct lymphocyte populations mediate simian immunodeficiency virus envelope-specific target cell lysis

The relative contributions of the effector lymphocyte responses to the AIDS virus envelope glycoprotein (env) were explored in simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques (SIVmac)-infected rhesus monkeys. CD8+, MHC class I-restricted, env-specific CTL were cloned from PBL of SIVmac-infected monkeys, indicating that such cells constitute a component of the env-specific effector lymphocyte response. A limiting dilution 51Cr release assay was then established for quantitating the frequency of SIVmac-specific effector lymphocytes in PBL of rhesus monkeys. Using this assay we demonstrate that SIVmac env-specific effector lymphocytes are comprised of both CD16-, MHC class I-restricted and CD16+, MHC class I-unrestricted cells. We also demonstrate that the env-specific response is the predominant SIVmac-specific effector lymphocyte response in rhesus monkeys. These studies document the complexity of the effector lymphocyte response to the AIDS virus envelope glycoprotein and establish the role played by two distinct effector cell populations in this response.
Abstract 70: Gender Moderates the Associations between Caregiving and Health Status in Stroke Caregivers

Background: Women who are caregivers report more burden than men in similar caregiving situations. Caregiving is associated with poor health outcomes but there is lack of evidence about whether gender moderates the association. The purpose of this study was to examine whether gender moderates the association between caregiving and health status based on relationship of caregiver with stroke patients (spouse vs. non-spouse) and caregiver being of the same or opposite gender as patient Method: Caregivers (N=277, 74% female, mean age 53 years) of stroke survivors completed questionnaires after the initial 2 months of post-stroke management. Difficulty and time spent with caregiving tasks were assessed using the Oberst Caregiving Burden Scale. Perception of life changes due to caregiving was assessed using the Bakas Caregiving Outcome Scale. Health status was assessed using a visual analog scale of the Euro Quality of Life questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regressions were used with an interaction variable...
Do Firms Use M&A Business to Pay for Analyst Coverage?

We find that acquirers in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions are more likely to hire as advisors investment banks that provided analyst coverage for the acquirer prior to the transaction. We also find that compared to a matched control group of banks, the advisor banks are less likely to terminate and more likely to initiate analyst coverage of the acquirer after the transaction. Finally, the advisor banks that initiate coverage after the transaction collect higher fees. These findings suggest that firms value analyst coverage and use M&A advisor appointments and advisor fees to compensate for it.
Empirical geothermometers and geothermobarometers for spinel peridotite phase assemblages

Experimental synthesis of spinel peridotite phase assemblages for a range of compositions that mimic natural samples is used to derive a set of empirical geothermometers and geothermobarometers represented by multiple linear regression best-fit surfaces that link the variables of temperature, pressure, and composition. The calibrated geothermometers use reactions that govern the solubility of Al and Cr in both pyroxenes and the Mg–Fe exchange between silicates and spinel. Geothermobarometers map the Mg–Fe exchange between coexisting olivine and clinopyroxene and pyroxenes and Ca–Mg exchange between coexisting pyroxenes. Application of the geothermometers and geothermobarometers to suites of naturally occurring samples indicates that while reactions governing the Cr and Al solubility and solvus of orthopyroxene give useful estimates of ‘original’ mantle temperatures and pressures, respectively, comparable reactions for clinopyroxene yield estimates that are variably dependent on the transport phase of the ...
The Genetics of Ovotesticular Disorders of Sex Development

Disorders of sex development (DSD) encompass a very large spectrum of phenotypes, from minor malformations of the genitalia (hypospadias, cryptorchidism, and hypertrophy of the clitoris) to sexual ambiguity. Taken altogether, these anomalies have an estimated frequency of 0.5–1%. Moreover, sexual ambiguity has a major impact on quality of life. Recently, the debate about the management of patients with DSD has intensified over issues of gender assignment and the indication for early genital surgery. Yet the scientific data on patient outcome have remained poor. The main obstacles to the optimal management of patients with DSD have been a combination of the lack of controlled outcome data and the lack of understanding of their pathophysiology, which prevents precise diagnostic categorization of patients. Despite much progress in the past 15 years, the molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian sex determination are still far from understood, and the molecular basis of sex reversal in a large number of patients cannot yet be explained. Apart from XX testicular DSD, mainly caused by an X–Y translocation including SRY, the genetic etiology of XY gonadal dysgenesis and of ovotesticular DSD (OT-DSD) remains unknown for a majority of patients. The genetic causes of the latter, involving the presence of both testicular and ovarian tissues in the same patient, are particularly unappreciated.
Role of Wnt5b in fatty acid synthesis in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes (1037.6)

Wnt proteins are secreted glycoproteins that act in autocrine and paracrine fashions and known to regulate fundamental cellular functions including cell differentiation, cell growth and apoptosis. Emerging evidence indicates that Wnts are also involved in the development of metabolic disorders. Large-scale gene expression analysis of liver of an obesity mouse model fed high fat diets displayed decreased expression of number of genes including Wnt5b. In this study, we investigated the role of Wnt5b in lipid metabolism using RNA interference in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were isolated from C57BL/6J mice and transiently transfected with siRNA targeting mouse Wnt5b or control siRNA. Cells were then maintained in culture medium for 48 hours before assays. For fatty acid synthesis, cells were incubated with 3H2O (0.5 mCi/ml) for 2 hours, followed by saponification. Fatty acids were extracted and the 3H content of fatty acids determined. For fatty acid oxidation, cells were incubated with 22...
Flooding effects on soil microbial communities

Abstract Flooding affects both above- and below-ground ecosystem processes. While the below-ground changes may be less obvious, they are as important as the above-ground changes. Soil microorganisms are sensitive to disturbance, and shifts in soil microbial community structure are expected when anaerobic conditions develop from flooding. The primary objective of these studies was to determine the effect of flooding on soil microbial communities. Simulated floods were established under greenhouse and field conditions. Flood treatments of flowing, intermittent (greenhouse only) or stagnant conditions were compared to a control with no flooding. In addition, residue treatments (incorporation of grass, legume or tree residue) were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Soil samples from these experiments were examined using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and total N (TN), total organic carbon (TOC) and C:N ratio. Stagnant flood conditions in the greenhouse decreased microbial biomass and markers for aerobic bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and mycorrhizal fungi. However, residue treatment, in general, did not affect microbial community structure. Effects of flood treatments in the field varied with depth and flood × depth interaction. The B:F ratio and microbial biomass decreased with stagnant flooding while other measures were not affected by flooding. Microbial biomass and microbial markers decreased with depth. We found some changes in the soil microbial community due to flooding; however, the 5-week time period of our study may not have been long enough to develop measureable changes. Further changes in the microbial community may occur as flood waters remain in a given area.
Poverty and mortality among the elderly : measurement of performance in 33 countries 1960-92

This paper analyses the effect of income and education on life expectancy and mortality rates among the elderly in 33 countries for the period 1960-92 and assesses how that relationship has changed over time as a result of technical progress. Our outcome variables are life expectancy at age 60 and the probability of dying between age 60 and age 80 for both males and females. The data are from vital-registration based life tables published by national statistical offices for several years during this period. We estimate regressions with determinants that include GDP per capita (adjusted for purchasing power), education and time (as a proxy for technical progress). As the available measure of education failed to account for variation in life expectancy or mortality at age 60, our reported analyses focus on a simplified model with only income and time as predictors. The results indicate that, controlling for income, mortality rates among the elderly have declined considerably over the past three decades. We also find that poverty (as measured by low average income levels) explains some of the variation in both life expectancy at age 60 and mortality rates among the elderly across the countries in the sample. The explained amount of variation is more substantial for females than for males. While poverty does adversely affect mortality rates among the elderly (and the strength of this effect is estimated to be increasing over time), technical progress appears far more important in the period following 1960. Predicted female life expectancy (at age 60) in 1960 at the mean income level in 1960 was, for example 18.8 years; income growth to 1992 increased this by an estimated 0.7 years, whereas technical progress increased it by 2.0 years. We then use the estimated regression results to compare country performance on life expectancy of the elderly, controlling for levels of poverty (or income), and to assess how performance has varied over time. High performing countries, on female life expectancy at age 60, for the period around 1990, included Chile (1.0 years longer life expectancy), China (1.7 years longer), France (2.0 years longer), Japan (1.9 years longer), and Switzerland (1.3 years longer). Poorly performing countries included Denmark (1.1 years shorter life expectancy than predicted from income), Hungary (1.4 years shorter), Iceland (1.2 years shorter), Malaysia (1.6 years shorter), and Trinidad and Tobago (3.9 years shorter). Chile and Switzerland registered major improvements in relative performance over this period; Norway, Taiwan and the USA, in contrast showed major declines in performance between 1980 and the early 1990s.
Vps9p Is a Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Involved in Vesicle-mediated Vacuolar Protein Transport

Vacuolar protein sorting (vps) mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae missort and secrete vacuolar hydrolases. The gene affected in one of these mutants, VPS21, encodes a member of the Sec4/Ypt/Rab family of small GTPases. Rab proteins play an essential role in vesicle-mediated protein transport. Using both yeast two-hybrid assays and chemical cross-linking, we have identified another VPS gene product, Vps9p, that preferentially interacts with a mutant form of Vps21p-S21N that binds GDP but not GTP. In vitro purified Vps9p was found to stimulate GDP release from Vps21p in a dose-dependent manner. Vps9p also stimulated GTP association as a result of facilitated GDP release. However, Vps9p did not stimulate guanine nucleotide exchange of GTP-bound Vps21p or GTP hydrolysis. We tested the ability of Vps9p to stimulate the intrinsic guanine nucleotide exchange activity of Rab5, which is a mammalian sequence homologue of Vps21p, and Ypt7p, which is another yeast Rab protein involved in vacuolar protein transport. Rab5, but not Ypt7p was responsive to Vps9p, which indicates that Vps9p recognizes sequence variation among Rab proteins. We conclude that Vps9p is a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is specific for Vps21p/Rab5. Since there are no obvious Vps9p sequence homologues in yeast, Vps9p may also possess unique regulatory functions required for vacuolar protein transport.
COMBINING SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL TASK DEMANDS: EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE, WORKLOAD, AND STRESS

An experiment is described examining the effect of combining spatial and temporal task demands on performance, workload, and stress associated with perceptual discriminations at two levels of difficulty. The effect of intermittent bursts of white noise was also examined. According to the maximal adaptability model, the joint effects of task type, noise exposure, and discrimination difficulty should produce a performance decrement as well as increased perceived workload and stress. Although results conformed to expectation for task manipulation, intermittent white noise and discrimination difficulty did not have the interactive effect predicted according to the maximal adaptability model. Implications for future research are discussed.
Processable high-carbon-yielding polymer for micro- and nanofabrication

Bis-ortho-Diynyl Arene (BODA) monomers polymerize to network polynapthalene by the thermally-driven Bergman cyclization and subsequent radical polymerization via oligomeric intermediates that can be melt or solution processed. Further heating of the network to 1000 °C affords a high-yield glassy carbon structure that retains the approximate size and dimensions of the polymer precursor. The higher carbon-yield for BODA networks (75- 80 % by mass) is significantly greater than that of traditional phenol-formaldehyde resins and other carbon precursor polymers leading to its greater dimensional stability. Phenyl terminated BODA derived polymers were fabricated using microprocessing such as the micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC) technique, direct microtransfer molding, and molding in quartz capillary tubes. Nano-scale fabrication using closed packed silica spheres as templates was demonstrated with an hydroxy-terminated monomer which exhibits greatly enhanced compatibility for silica surfaces. After pyrolysis to glassy carbon, the silica is chemically etched leaving an inverse carbon opal photonic crystal which is electrically conductive. The wavelength of light diffracted is a function of the average refractive index of the carbon/ filler composite, which can be modified for use as sensitive detector elements.
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2: Risk marker or target of therapy?

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk in epidemiologic studies, but whether Lp-PLA2 is a risk marker or a risk factor is unknown. Identification of individuals with elevated Lp-PLA2 may improve assessment for cardiovascular disease risk. Statin therapy has been shown to reduce Lp-PLA2, which circulates primarily bound to low-density lipoprotein, and selective inhibitors of Lp-PLA2 are under development. Additional research is needed to determine the role of Lp-PLA2 in atherogenesis and atherothrombotic events and whether Lp-PLA2 may provide an additional target of therapy.
Does salmeterol facilitate “step-down” therapy in patients with asthma receiving moderate to high doses of inhaled corticosteriods?

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if salmeterol facilitates "step-down" therapy in patients with asthma receiving moderate to high doses of inhaled corticosteriods (ICS). The double-masked, placebo-controlled, 12-month trial comprised 24 adult patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma who required an ICS dosage of at least 1000 μ/d. Patients were randomized to receive either salmeterol 50 μg (2 puffs every 12 hours) or matching placebo (2 puffs every 12 hours) while adhering to their previous maintenance regimen. After 2 weeks of salmeterol therapy or placebo, the ICS dosage was reduced at least 10% every 4 weeks as long as peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1 ), and the requirement of "as-needed" albuterol were constant. Between-group differences were assessed by the percent reduction in ICS dose, PEF, FEV 1 , need for "rescue" albuterol or bursts of prednisone, and an asthma quality-of-life measure. Although the mean percent reduction in ICS dose was not significantly different between groups, patients in the salmeterol group (n = 12) were 2.3 times as likely to have some ICS dosage reductin as those in the placebo group (85% confidence interval, 0.8 to 6.9). At the end of 12 months, FEV 1 was significantly higher in the salmeterol group (81.5% of predicted) versus placebo group (66.4% of predicted). Other secondary measures, including clinical measurement of PEF, albuterol use, and acute exacerbations, were similar between groups. Overall asthma quality of life improved in the salmeterol group versus the placebo group. Although salmeterol did not affect the percent reduction in ICS dose, more patients had some ICS dosage reduction with salmeterol, and FEV 1 was greater at the end of 12 months and quality of life was improved
Eddy energetics in the Faroe-Shetland channel: a model resolution study

Abstract Observations indicate that, perhaps as a result of intense shears produced by the topographic steering of the slope current and merging of the warm North Atlantic water with cold Nordic waters, the Faroe-Shetland Channel is a fertile ground for energetic eddies and meanders. How these meso-scale (∼ 10 km) features are resolved in a three-dimensional numerical model is studied here with grid-nesting, in which the convergence of the simulated energetics is examined as a function of grid sizes Δ =10, 10/3, 10/5 and 10/7 km. Large-scale forcing to the fine-grid nest consists of steady slope-current transport (2 Sv) and north/south climatological density difference only. The mean fields were found to converge at Δ = 10/3 km, but the eddy fields required Δ = 2 km or less. At the finest grids, meso-scale features more in conformity with those observed were found: meanders with amplitudes of O(10 km) and along-slope propagation speeds of about 0.14 m s- 1 cross-channel vacillation of the slope current, with amplitude of about 10 km and periods of 5–10 days, and vertical excursions of isotherms of O(100 m). The meanders were highly ageostrophic (ζ/f> 1, ζ=relative vorticity, f = Coriolis parameter), and developed as a result of conditions favorable to flow instability originated from south of the channel. When adequately resolved, the meander energetics are comparable to those produced by (large-scale) winds, which suggests that a high-resolution grid (Δ
Development of a High Efficiency Dry Powder Inhaler: Effects of Capsule Chamber Design and Inhaler Surface Modifications

Purpose The objective of this study was to explore the performance of a high efficiency dry powder inhaler (DPI) intended for excipient enhanced growth (EEG) aerosol delivery based on changes to the capsule orientation and surface modifications of the capsule and device.
Focus of Attention and Sport Spectators: Beliefs about Causation

Two studies tested the hypothesis that sport spectators' perceptions of cause are a function of their focus of attention. In Study 1, attentional focus was examined from a subject's perspective, i.e., subjects' own attentional preferences were used to predict perceptions of causation. Study 2 examined attentional focus as a true independent variable by assigning subjects to a specific condition manipulating focus of attention. Both studies provided strong support for the hypothesis.
The Psychometric Properties of the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children with At-Risk African American Females

The Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) is one of the most commonly used measures of childhood self-esteem, yet there is little research assessing the psychometric properties of the SPPC for use with an African American population. A sample of 92 African American adolescent females (M age = 12.33) was administered the SPPC in order to assess its suitability for this population in three ways. First, an exploratory factor analysis demonstrated complex components without any factors being identical to the normative factors. The greatest differences were within the behavior and scholastic subscales which had items cross loading on three different factors. Second, the SPPC demonstrated only moderate internal reliability with subscale alpha coefficients ranging from .71 to .82. Third, a comparison with the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale provided evidence of poor convergent validity. These results raise questions about the validity of the SPPC for use with African American adolescent females.
William Cullen Bryant's occasional addresses

Although most people know William Cullen Bryant as one of America's great nineteenth‐century poets, not many think of him as a leading editor of a New York newspaper. And few indeed realize that he was one of the leading public speakers of his time.
Lewis acid-promoted α-hydroxy β-dicarbonyl to α-ketol ester rearrangement

Abstract The decarbomethoxylation reaction of a substituted α-hydroxy-α-carbomethoxy pentacyclic substituted ketone, used as an advanced intermediate in the synthesis of the alkaloid aspidophytine, can be effected by heating with MgI 2 in CH 3 CN. The reaction was shown to proceed by a novel α-hydroxy β-dicarbonyl to α-ketol ester rearrangement. It was possible to isolate a carbonate intermediate in 75% yield, thereby providing support for the proposed pathway.
The non-fuel mineral position of the USA

Abstract In 1978 the USA used non-fuel processed mineral materials valued at over $200 billion (10 9 ). Non-fuel mineral imports caused a trade imbalance of $8 billion. Imports supplied more than half of US supplies of 20 important minerals. The US stockpile of strategic materials is valued at over $11 billion. While world reserves of most minerals are now deemed adequate until 2000, demand for high temperature and special property materials requires careful monitoring and anticipation of disruptions in vulnerable sources.
Image moment-based wavefront sensing for in-situ full-field image quality assessment

A new concept of using focus-diverse point spread functions (PSF) for modal wavefront sensing (WFS) is explored. This concept is based on relatively straightforward image moment analysis of measured PSFs, which differentiates it from other focal-plane WFS techniques. The presented geometric analysis shows that the image moments are nonlinear functions of wave aberration coefficients but notes that focus diversity essentially decouples the coefficients of interest from others, resulting in a set of linear equations whose solution corresponds to modal coefficient estimates. The presented simulations suggest the potential of this method in in-situ full field image quality assessment and deterministic alignment control of wide field imaging systems.
Characteristics and Applications of Radiation from Channeled Particles

Charged particles channeled in crystals traverse nearly periodic trajectories, which produce radiation that has spectral peaks at photon energies determined by the particle energy and the periodicity of the motion. This effect is analogous to the radiation enhancement that occurs when a magnetic undulator is placed in a storage ring. For ?=10 to 100, the period of the motion is several hundred to several thousand lattice sites in the crystal, so that the forward. directed emission is in the soft-to-hard x-ray portion of the spectrum. Channeling radiation can be used to study the channeling phenomenon, to investigate the properties of crystals in which channeling occurs, and as a source of x-rays.
Presence of Surface Vanadium Peroxo-oxo Umbrella Structures in Supported Vanadium Oxide Catalysts: Fact or Fiction?

Recent debates over the active site structure of supported vanadia/silica catalysts have suggested the existence of a surface vanadium peroxo-oxo “umbrella” structure. This study definitively demonstrates with Raman and UV−vis spectroscopy that the surface vanadia peroxo-oxo umbrella-like structure is not present for both hydrated and dehydrated supported vanadia catalysts such as supported vanadia on silica. The vanadia peroxo-oxo umbrella structure, however, is present in vanadium haloperoxidase (VHPOs) enzymes and metal−organic compounds designed to mimic VHPOs.
Numerical models of rotating protostars

The effects of rotation on the internal structure of protostars are examined and the consequences of these effects for evolution are examined using rotating protostar models with various choices of the angular speed of the initial cloud and the mass accretion rate. The temporal order of the onset of convective deuterium burning, attainment of sufficient angular momentum for critical uniform rotation, development of a nearly Keplerian disk through direct infall, and the onset of nonaxisymmetric instability is determined. It is shown that the latter three events always occur in the stated order. Different evolutionary scenarios result depending on when deuterium ignition occurs relative to the other three events.
Collateralization of Projections from the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla to the Rostral and Caudal Thoracic Spinal Cord in Felines

Stimulation of vestibular receptors elicits distinct changes in blood flow to the forelimb and hindlimb, showing that the nervous system has the capacity to produce changes in sympathetic outflow which are specific for a particular region of the body. However, it is unclear whether the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), the primary region of the brainstem that regulates sympathetic outflow to vascular smooth muscle, has the appropriate connectivity with sympathetic preganglionic neurons to generate anatomically patterned responses. To make this determination, the retrograde fluorescent tracer Fast Blue was injected into the T4 spinal cord segment of cats, which regulates upper body blood flow, whereas Fluoro-Ruby was injected into the T10 segment to label projections to a region of the spinal cord that regulates lower body blood flow. More neurons were single-labeled by a particular tracer (92 %) than were double labeled by both tracers (8 %), supporting the notion that the RVLM can regulate sympathetic outflow from a limited number of spinal cord segments. Since a large fraction of RVLM neurons that control sympathetic outflow in rodents contain epinephrine, we additionally determined whether the tracer-labeled cells were immunopositive for the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), which participates in the synthesis of catecholamines. Double labeling by the two tracers injected into the spinal cord was more common for TH-immunopositive neurons than for the general population of RVLM neurons: 19 % of the TH-positive cells contained both Fast Blue and Fluoro-Ruby, 30 % contained one of the tracers, and 51 % were not labeled by either tracer. Furthermore, many spinally projecting neurons in close proximity to the RVLM catecholaminergic neurons (41 % of the population) were not immunopositive for TH, suggesting that feline RVLM is neurochemically heterogeneous.
The temperature effect in sooting diffusion flames

By controlling the temperature of sooting diffusion flames with the addition of inert additives, it was possible to show that the C 4 and C 5 olefins have the greatest tendency to soot of all the aliphatics tested—even acetylene. The results, plotted as the log of the reciprocal of the flow rate at the sooting height versus (1/T), indicate that the sooting height is a good qualitative measure of the fuel poryolysis rate and sooting tendency. By using monoatomic and diatomic inerst, it was possible to show that fuel partial pressure was of secondary importance. Flame temperature and fuel structure appear to be the most significant factors which determine the propensity to soot in diffusion controlled combustion systems.
Siah Regulation of Pard3A Controls Neuronal Cell Adhesion During Germinal Zone Exit

The brain’s circuitry is established by directed migration and synaptogenesis of neurons during development. Although neurons mature and migrate in specific patterns, little is known about how neurons exit their germinal zone niche. We found that cerebellar granule neuron germinal zone exit is regulated by proteasomal degradation of Pard3A by the Seven in Absentia homolog (Siah) E3 ubiquitin ligase. Pard3A gain-of-function and Siah loss-of-function induce precocious radial migration. Time-lapse imaging using a probe to measure neuronal cell contact reveals that Pard3A promotes adhesive interactions needed for germinal zone exit by recruiting the JAM-C epithelial tight junction adhesion molecule to the neuronal cell surface. Our findings define a Siah-Pard3A signaling pathway that controls adhesion-dependent exit of neuronal progenitors or immature neurons from a germinal zone niche.
Methamphetamine induces chronic corticostriatal depression: too much of a bad thing

Leading theories of drug addiction propose that repeated drug exposure produces a long-lasting homeostatic dysregulation in brain reward processing that is normalized by drug readministration. In this issue of Neuron, Bamford and colleagues describe a novel neurobiological substrate that may contribute to this effect.
Rhythmic aspects of estuarine migration of hatchery‐reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts

Seasonal, diel and tidal rhythmic activity of hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts migrating through a large estuary was studied by ultrasonic tracking of 46 individuals during two seasons. Prior to 10 May each year most smolts were inactive and remained near shore in shallow water. After 10 May nearly all smolts moved away from the release point into swift water and made rapid seaward progress. Initiation of migration each year occurred when river and hatchery water temperatures rose above 9°C. Migration in the estuary was largely passive drift, and as a result there were distinct tidal rhythms of ground (‘swimming’) speed and net seaward travel. There were no diel rhythms in ground speed or net seaward travel; smolts drifted seaward on the tides during both day and night. Smolts may be slightly deeper during day than night.
Stretta: an effective, minimally invasive treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease

The Stretta procedure is increasingly offered as first-line therapy before more invasive surgical procedures for selected patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although a new addition to the clinical armamentarium, thus far the Stretta procedure appears to be a safe and effective technology for the treatment of GERD, with well-documented clinical trial data supporting its efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction.
Ammonium chloride exposure inhibits cytokine-mediated eosinophil survival

To study human eosinophils, their efficient purification from peripheral blood is crucial. Although a number of purification procedures, including discontinuous Percoll and metrizamide density gradient centrifugation, have been used, it has been difficult to isolate eosinophils from normal donors with consistently high yields and purities. Recently, a new isolation technique called magnetic cell separation system (MACS) was reported. To evaluate this procedure, we isolated eosinophils from human peripheral blood using either MACS or the standard discontinuous Percoll density methods, and compared cellular viability, morphology, and response to degranulation stimuli. MACS gave a higher yield of eosinophils than Percoll density centrifugation; for example, 6.6 +/- 1.1 x 10(6) eosinophils were isolated from 20 ml of blood by MACS compared to 6.4 +/- 2.4 x 10(6) from 120 ml by Percoll density gradient. Further, the purity of eosinophils isolated by MACS was 97.1 +/- 0.5% (X +/- SEM) compared to 77.8 +/- 2.9% with Percoll. As part of the MACS protocol, erythrocytes are lysed with either 155 mM ammonium chloride or hypotonic lysis. With 155 mM ammonium chloride treatment, the eosinophils showed a striking reduction in cytokine mediated survival due to interleukin (IL)-3, IL-5 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), marked morphologic abnormalities and a reduced degranulation response. With hypotonic lysis, no differences were observed in survival and morphology between eosinophils purified by MACS and Percoll methods; the degranulation responses to stimuli were essentially the same between the two methods. Taken together, these observations suggest that the exposure of eosinophils to 155 mM ammonium chloride results in cellular damage. Therefore, MACS with hypotonic lysis is a useful technique to isolate eosinophils for biological study.