cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phylogenetic distribution and expression of a penicillin-binding protein homologue, Ear and its significance in virulence of Staphylococcus aureus.

Purpose. Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic human pathogen that can cause serious infections in humans. A plethora of known and putative virulence factors are produced by staphylococci that collectively orchestrate pathogenesis. Ear protein (Escherichia coli ampicillin resistance) in S. aureus is an exoprotein in COL strain, predicted to be a superantigen, and speculated to play roles in antibiotic resistance and virulence. The goal of this study was to determine if expression of ear is modulated by single nucleotide polymorphisms in its promoter and coding sequences and whether this gene plays roles in antibiotic resistance and virulence. Methodology. Promoter, coding sequences and expression of the ear gene in clinical and carriage S. aureus strains with distinct genetic backgrounds were analysed. The JE2 strain and its isogenic ear mutant were used in a systemic infection mouse model to determine the competiveness of the ear mutant. Results/Key findings. The ear gene showed a variable expression, with USA300FPR3757 showing a high-level expression compared to many of the other strains tested including some showing negligible expression. Higher expression was associated with agr type 1 but not correlated with phylogenetic relatedness of the ear gene based upon single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter or coding regions suggesting a complex regulation. An isogenic JE2 (USA300 background) ear mutant showed no significant difference in its growth, antibiotic susceptibility or virulence in a mouse model. Conclusion. Our data suggests that despite being highly expressed in a USA300 genetic background, Ear is not a significant contributor to virulence in that strain.
The CARMA3-Bcl10-MALT1 Signalosome Drives NFκB Activation and Promotes Aggressiveness in Angiotensin II Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

The angiotensin II receptor AGTR1, which mediates vasoconstrictive and inflammatory signaling in vascular disease, is overexpressed aberrantly in some breast cancers. In this study, we established the significance of an AGTR1-responsive NFκB signaling pathway in this breast cancer subset. We documented that AGTR1 overexpression occurred in the luminal A and B subtypes of breast cancer, was mutually exclusive of HER2 expression, and correlated with aggressive features that include increased lymph node metastasis, reduced responsiveness to neoadjuvant therapy, and reduced overall survival. Mechanistically, AGTR1 overexpression directed both ligand-independent and ligand-dependent activation of NFκB, mediated by a signaling pathway that requires the triad of CARMA3, Bcl10, and MALT1 (CBM signalosome). Activation of this pathway drove cancer cell-intrinsic responses that include proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, CBM-dependent activation of NFκB elicited cancer cell-extrinsic effects, impacting endothelial cells of the tumor microenvironment to promote tumor angiogenesis. CBM/NFκB signaling in AGTR1+ breast cancer therefore conspires to promote aggressive behavior through pleiotropic effects. Overall, our results point to the prognostic and therapeutic value of identifying AGTR1 overexpression in a subset of HER2-negative breast cancers, and they provide a mechanistic rationale to explore the repurposing of drugs that target angiotensin II-dependent NFκB signaling pathways to improve the treatment of this breast cancer subset.Significance: These findings offer a mechanistic rationale to explore the repurposing of drugs that target angiotensin action to improve the treatment of AGTR1-expressing breast cancers. Cancer Res; 78(5); 1225-40. ©2017 AACR.
Real-Time Fur

Hair adds compelling richness to computer graphics scenes. This paper describes techniques for lighting and rendering short hair in real-time on current PC graphics hardware. Level-of-detail representations for drawing fur span the viewing distance from close-ups using procedurally generated alpha-blended lines, to mid and far views using volumetric textures, and on to distant views using anisotropic texture map rendering. Real-time lighting with soft-edged shadows is consistent across the level-of-detail representations.
Bio-battery signal predicts myocardial lesion formation and depth in vitro.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine if the bio-battery signal can predict myocardial lesion formation and depth. Methods: Fresh bovine ventricular myocardium was immersed in a temperature-controlled bath of circulating blood. RF energy was delivered with a custom generator to a catheter electrode. RF energy, electrode temperature, bio-battery signal and tissue impedance were displayed and recorded. A copper return plate was placed in the bath. Results: When 50 volts of constant RF energy was terminated at a 20, 40, or 60% decline from the maximum bio-battery signal, the lesion depth was 4±0.4 mm. When RF energy application was terminated later, at a point characterized by a brief change of slope of the bio-battery signal, the lesions measured 7.8±1.4 mm in depth. This “bump” occurred before a rapid impedance rise. Conclusion: The depth of lesions created at the “bump” point was almost two fold deeper than those at the termination points of 20, 40 and 60% bio-battery decrease (p = 0.0001). When RF energy was terminated at the rapid impedance rise the lesions were similar in depth, 8.2±0.9 mm, to those obtained when RF energy was stopped at the “bump” (p = 0.28). The bio-battery signal provides a unique marker that might be useful to obtain maximum lesion depth while avoiding rapid impedance rise.
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: Gastrointestinal Features

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), also known as Osler–Weber–Rendu disease, is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by abnormal blood vessel formation. The incidence is one in 5,000, with five genetic variants currently recognized.
Semi-parametric graphical estimation techniques for long-memory data.

This paper reviews several periodogram-based methods for estimating the long-memory parameter H in time series and suggests a way to robustify them. The high frequencies tend to bias the estimates. Using only low frequencies eliminates the bias but increases the variance. We hence suggest plotting the estimates of H as a function of a parameter which balances bias versus variance and, if the plot flattens in a central region, to use the flat part for estimating H. We apply this technique to the periodogram regression method, the Whittle approximation to maximum likelihood and to the local Whittle method. We investigate its effectiveness on several simulated fractional ARIMA series and also apply it to estimate the long-memory parameter H in computer network traffic.
Age-Dependent Changes in Environmental Influences on Tree Growth and Their Implications for Forest Responses to Climate Change

Dendrochronology has long used tree-rings to better understand ­climate-tree-growth relationships within a site or across a region, with tree age often considered to contribute unwanted noise to the signal in question. Here I demonstrate that strong climate-tree-growth relationships exist across sites, on a global scale, and that these changes are correlated with variation in average net primary productivity. The age-specific tree-ring data analyses used here show that the sensitivity of tree growth to environmental variability changes predictably with tree age. Young trees were found to be particularly sensitive to each of the environmental factors investigated. These results are discussed in the context of climate change and established changes in tree morphology and physiological function with tree age or size. I argue that explicitly treating tree or forest age can yield tangible improvements in the projection of terrestrial carbon sink responses to climate change by increasing the accuracy with which forest to non-forest ecosystem boundaries can be projected.
Altered leukocyte gene expression after traumatic spinal cord injury: clinical implications

In addition to changes in motor and sensory function, individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience immunological changes. These changes are clinically significant, as infections are the leading cause of death for this population. Along with increased infections, inflammation is commonly observed in persons with SCI, where it may promote many common medical consequences. These include elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, impaired wound healing, diabetes and neuropathic pain. It has also been proposed that chronic inflammation dampens neurological recovery. In order to identify therapeutic strategies to improve immune function, we need a greater understanding of the molecular changes that occur in immune cells after SCI. The purpose of this mini-review is to discuss two recent studies that used functional genomics to investigate gene expression in circulating leukocytes isolated from persons with SCI. In the future, the molecular pathways that are altered after SCI may be targeted to improve immunological function, as well as overall health and functional recovery, after SCI.
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Sexual Medicine

This chapter reviews the most relevant male and female sexuality patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and discusses the process of psychometric validation. The constructs of reliability, various forms of validity, sensitivity, and specificity as well as concerns with translating a PRO into a different language are discussed.
Harmful Roles of TLR3 and TLR9 in Cardiac Dysfunction Developing during Polymicrobial Sepsis

We determined the roles of TLR3 and TLR9 in adverse events of polymicrobial sepsis, with a focus on development of septic cardiomyopathy, progression of which we have recently shown to be complement- and histones-dependent. So Wt, TLR3-knocked out (K.O.), and TLR9-K.O. mice were subjected to polymicrobial sepsis following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). In the absence of either TLR3 or TLR9, the intensity of echocardiogram (Echo)-Doppler dysfunction during development of cardiomyopathy was substantially reduced in the K.O. mice. Based on our prior studies emphasizing the adverse effects of plasma C5a and histones in the cardiomyopathy of sepsis, in TLR3- and TLR9-K.O. mice, there were striking reductions in plasma levels of C5a and histones as well as reduced levels of cytokines in plasma and heart tissue after CLP. Since we know that histones cause cardiac dysfunction, rat cardiomyocytes (CMs) were exposed in vitro to the histones (purified from calf thymus), which caused bleb formation on the surfaces of CMs, suggesting histones may perturb the cell membrane of CMs. In vitro, exposure of CMs to the histones for 3 hours caused lactate dehydrogenase release from CMs. These data indicate that sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction requires presence of TLR3 and TLR9 and may be linked to histone-induced damage of CMs.
Influence of the Seagrass, Zostera marina, on Wave Attenuation and Bed Shear Stress Within a Shallow Coastal Bay

Local effects of flow interaction with seagrass structure modify meadow scale hydrodynamics, resulting in lower current velocities and wave heights within a seagrass meadow. This attenuation promotes the deposition of suspended sediment, increasing the light available locally to benthic organisms. To elucidate the relationship between small-scale hydrodynamics that occur at the sea floor and the meadow scale effects of seagrass, high resolution velocity profiles were recorded adjacent to the sediment-water interface within a Zostera marina seagrass meadow in South Bay, Virginia. Additionally, instrumentation was deployed across the meadow to seasonally monitor corresponding changes in wave height across the seagrass meadow. Results show that wave height was reduced by 25 – 49% compared to an adjacent bare site, and by 13 – 38% compared to an analytical model of wave attenuation over an unvegetated seafloor with the same bathymetry. The greatest attenuation of wave height occurred during the spring and summer when seagrass biomass was greatest, while the lowest attenuation occurred in winter, corresponding to periods of minimal seagrass biomass. Significant wave height attenuation coefficients, αw, calculated for the meadow ranged from αw = 0.49 in spring to 0.19 during winter, but were highly dependent on wave conditions, with greater αw for larger wave heights and longer period waves. Within the seagrass meadow during summer, the highest measured bed shear stress was t_bed = 0.034±0.022 Pa, which occurred during peak wave conditions. This suggests that during high biomass conditions, the bed shear stress rarely exceeds the critical bed shear, t_crit = 0.04 Pa necessary to initiate sediment resuspension. This is in contrast to the bare site which showed elevated values of t_bed above the critical threshold across all seasons. These findings suggest the seagrass meadow does exert significant control over both wave heights and the hydrodynamic conditions at the sediment-water interface, and this control is due to the attenuation of wave motion by drag induced from the seagrass over the expanse of the meadow.
Computational Study of Short-Pulse Laser-Induced Generation of Crystal Defects in Ni-Based Single-Phase Binary Solid–Solution Alloys

Single-phase concentrated solid–solution alloys exhibit enhanced mechanical characteristics and radiation damage resistance, making them promising candidate materials for applications involving an ...
The Efficacy of Manual Therapy for Treatment of Dyspareunia in Females: A Systematic Review.

Background Pelvic floor physical therapy is a noninvasive option for relieving pain associated with dyspareunia, genital pain associated with sexual intercourse. Manual therapy is a clinical approach used by physical therapists to mobilize soft tissues, reduce pain, and improve function. To date, the systematic efficacy of manual therapy for treating dyspareunia has not been investigated. Objective To examine the efficacy of manual therapy in reducing pelvic pain among females with dyspareunia. Study Design Systematic review. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases for articles published between June 1997 and June 2018. Articles were reviewed and selected on the basis of defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles were assessed for quality using the PEDro and Modified Downs and Black scales. Results Three observational studies and 1 randomized clinical trial met inclusion criteria. The primary outcome measured was the pain subscale of the Female Sexual Function Index. All studies showed significant improvements in the pain domain of the Female Sexual Function Index (P < .5), corroborating manual therapy as a viable treatment in relieving pain associated with dyspareunia. However, the quality across studies ranged from poor to good. Conclusions Although these findings support the use of manual therapy for alleviating pain with intercourse, few studies exist to authenticate this claim. Moreover, the available studies were characterized by small sample sizes and were variable in methodological quality. More extensive research is needed to establish the efficacy of manual therapy for dyspareunia and the specific mechanisms by which manual therapy is beneficial.
Designing a Molecular Biology Serious Educational Game

In today's society, it is not uncommon for students in the K-12 grade levels to be assigned tablets, laptops, or other mobile devices to assist with their learning. Students are being introduced to the use of cloud-native collaboration and productivity suites, such as G Suite, and learning management systems, such as Canvas, which until recently were only used by higher education. With increased access to technology, there has been increased interest in the use of games in the classroom. However, attempting to use computer games as a learning tool is not something new. In the 1980's and 1990's, Number Munchers and Word Munchers were popular games that allowed students to practice basic math and grammar skills. In The Oregon Trail, students role-played as pioneers during the Western Expansion. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego allowed students to use critical thinking to solve mysteries while learning about geography, as they could travel the world as part of their quest. Today, there are organizations like code.org that use game play to teach students computer science and programming concepts [5]. This study presents the research background as well as the education paradigm on the use of Serious Educational Game (SEG) development in the area of Molecular Biology. A brief description of the game design, the implementation process, and future plans to make it publicly available are provided.
Characterizing groundwater and surface-water interaction using hydrograph-separation techniques and groundwater-level data throughout the Mississippi Delta, USA

The Mississippi Delta, a portion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) located in northwest Mississippi (USA), is an area dense with industrial-level agriculture sustained by groundwater-dependent irrigation supplied by the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer. Observed declines in groundwater-level elevations and streamflow, contemporaneous with increases in irrigation, have raised concerns about future groundwater availability and the effects of groundwater withdrawals on streamflow. To quantify the impacts of groundwater withdrawals on streamflow and increase understanding of groundwater and surface-water interaction in the MAP, hydrograph-separation techniques were used to estimate baseflow and identify statistical streamflow trends. The analysis was conducted using the US Geological Survey Groundwater Toolbox open-source software and daily hydrologic data provided by a spatially distributed network of paired groundwater wells and streamgage sites. This study found that statistically significant reductions in stream baseflow occurred in areas with substantial groundwater-level declines. The use of hydrograph-separation and trend analyses to quantify the impacts of groundwater withdrawals and the use of streamflow as a proxy for changes in groundwater availability may be applicable in other altered environments. Characterizing and defining hydrologic relations between groundwater and surface water will help scientists and water-resource managers refine a regional groundwater-flow model that includes the Mississippi Delta, which will be used to aid water-resource managers in future decisions concerning the alluvial aquifer.
Forensic Analysis of the 1893 “New York City” Hurricane: Implications for the Future

ABSTRACT Coch, N.K., 2019. Forensic analysis of the 1893 “New York City” hurricane: Implications for the future. Journal of Coastal Research, 35(4), 729–736. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208...
Predicting program attendance and weight loss in obesity interventions: Do triggering events help?

Medical events that “trigger” motivation to lose weight may improve treatment outcomes compared to non-medical or no triggering events. However, previous findings include only long-term successful ...
Advances in two-dimensional organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites

Two-dimensional (2D) perovskites have attracted considerable interest for their promising applications for solar cells and other optoelectronics, such as light-emitting diodes, spintronics, and photodetectors. Here, we review the recent achievements of 2D perovskites for various optoelectronic applications. First, we discuss the basic structure and optoelectronic properties of 2D perovskites, including band structure, optical properties, and charge transport. We then highlight recent achievements using 2D perovskites in solar cells and beyond solar cells, including progress on various synthesis strategies and their impact on structural and optoelectronic properties. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future opportunities to further develop 2D perovskites for various applications.
Change of exposure time mid-test in high temperature DIC measurement

Performing digital image correlation (DIC) at extreme temperatures has been greatly challenging due to the radiation which saturates the camera sensor. At such high temperatures, the light intensity emitted from an object is occasionally so powerful that the acquired images are overwhelmingly saturated. This induces data loss, potentially ruining the test, thus requiring the user to restart the test. For this reason, selection of an appropriate camera sensitivity plays a crucial role prior to beginning the test. Exposure time is a factor contributing to camera sensitivity and it is the easiest setting to manipulate during the test since it introduces minimal errors when comparing to other factors, especially in quasi-static tests. This paper examines the influence of changing exposure time mid-test on DIC measurement uncertainty. The investigation was conducted by rigid body motion experiments at room temperature and 1600 °C, respectively. Thereby, some recommendations are given to help DIC users assess their images at room temperature to extrapolate the exposure at extreme temperatures along with accompanying solutions to salvage data at high temperature.
Barriers to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Among Veterans Involved in the Legal System: a Qualitative Study

Veterans involved in the legal system are at high risk for overdose but have lower receipt of medications for opioid use disorder than other veterans. The study aimed to understand barriers to medication access from the perspective of legally involved veterans with opioid use disorder and people who work with these veterans in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the legal system. This national qualitative study interviewed veterans and stakeholders from 14 geographically diverse VHA facilities to explore perceptions of barriers to medications for opioid use disorder. Participants included veterans with a history of opioid use disorder and legal involvement (n = 18), VHA Veterans Justice Programs Specialists (n = 15), VHA and community substance use disorder treatment providers (n = 5), and criminal justice staff (n = 12). We conducted interviews based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a team-based approach. Four key barriers, noted by group, were identified: (1) a preference for counseling along with or instead of medications (veterans, Specialists, treatment providers, criminal justice staff); (2) concerns about veterans using medications without a prescription, selling them, or providing them to others (veterans, Specialists, treatment providers, criminal justice staff); (3) concerns about perceived stigma towards medication use (veterans, Specialists, treatment providers, criminal justice staff); and (4) concerns about medication discontinuation after recurrent opioid use (veterans, criminal justice staff). A fifth theme, education, was noted by all stakeholders except providers as important to facilitating use of medications for opioid use disorder. All five themes mapped to the framework construct of knowledge and beliefs about the intervention. Based on identified barriers, interventions focused on enhancing medication knowledge, reducing stigma towards use of medications, and increasing knowledge that opioid use may recur during treatment may help increase access to medication for veterans with legal involvement.
C‐reactive protein‐induced activated partial thromboplastin time prolongation in heparinized samples is attenuated by elevated factor VIII

Introduction Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and antifactor Xa (anti-Xa) activity are used to monitor unfractionated heparin therapy in children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) can prolong aPTT and cause discrepancy between these two assays. We aimed to evaluate CRP effect on aPTT and anti-Xa assays in the presence of heparin and to determine whether elevated CRP affects laboratory monitoring in pediatric ECMO patients. Materials and methods Citrated normal specimens were spiked with CRP, heparin, and recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) and followed by measurement of aPTT and anti-Xa activity. Additionally, aPTT, anti-Xa activity, FVIII, fibrinogen, and CRP were measured in 18 ECMO specimens. Results Elevated CRP prolonged aPTT in normal specimens with or without heparin, but did not affect anti-Xa assay. In contrast, ECMO specimens showed similar aPTT and anti-Xa values regardless of CRP level. Elevated CRP in specimens was accompanied by increased fibrinogen and FVIII activity. Additional in vitro experiments confirmed that FVIII spiked simultaneously with CRP attenuated CRP-induced aPTT prolongation in heparinized specimens. Conclusion In vitro CRP-induced aPTT prolongation is not observed in pediatric ECMO samples due to concomitant FVIII increase. Discordant changes of CRP and FVIII in plasma could contribute to aPTT/anti-Xa discrepancies observed during heparin therapy in the pediatric population. The anti-Xa assay is preferable for heparin monitoring in pediatric ECMO settings.
A Neonate with an Abnormally Shaped Head

A female newborn has an abnormally shaped head (Figs 1 and 2). Figure 1. Profile of infant. Figure 2. View of top of infant’s head. ### Prenatal and Birth Histories ### Presentation (Day 1) The infant’s respiratory distress resolved 2 hours after birth and she transitioned off CPAP. Dysmorphic features were noted on physical examination at 2 days of age and hence, further evaluation was undertaken. ### Vital Signs ### Physical Examination (Day 2)
On the Power of Preconditioning in Sparse Linear Regression.

Sparse linear regression is a fundamental problem in high-dimensional statistics, but strikingly little is known about how to efficiently solve it without restrictive conditions on the design matrix. We consider the (correlated) random design setting, where the covariates are independently drawn from a multivariate Gaussian $N(0,\Sigma)$ with $\Sigma : n \times n$, and seek estimators $\hat{w}$ minimizing $(\hat{w}-w^*)^T\Sigma(\hat{w}-w^*)$, where $w^*$ is the $k$-sparse ground truth. Information theoretically, one can achieve strong error bounds with $O(k \log n)$ samples for arbitrary $\Sigma$ and $w^*$; however, no efficient algorithms are known to match these guarantees even with $o(n)$ samples, without further assumptions on $\Sigma$ or $w^*$. As far as hardness, computational lower bounds are only known with worst-case design matrices. Random-design instances are known which are hard for the Lasso, but these instances can generally be solved by Lasso after a simple change-of-basis (i.e. preconditioning). In this work, we give upper and lower bounds clarifying the power of preconditioning in sparse linear regression. First, we show that the preconditioned Lasso can solve a large class of sparse linear regression problems nearly optimally: it succeeds whenever the dependency structure of the covariates, in the sense of the Markov property, has low treewidth -- even if $\Sigma$ is highly ill-conditioned. Second, we construct (for the first time) random-design instances which are provably hard for an optimally preconditioned Lasso. In fact, we complete our treewidth classification by proving that for any treewidth-$t$ graph, there exists a Gaussian Markov Random Field on this graph such that the preconditioned Lasso, with any choice of preconditioner, requires $\Omega(t^{1/20})$ samples to recover $O(\log n)$-sparse signals when covariates are drawn from this model.
Rapid separation of Pneumocystis carinii from lung lavage fluids.

A simple, rapid procedure to separate Pneumocystis carinii obtained by lavage of lungs of steroid-treated rats from rat leukocytes is described. Commercially available monoclonal antibody to rat common leukocyte determinants is used to sediment the leukocytes, resulting in supernatant fluid containing P. carinii cells virtually free of intact rat cells. Images
Cushing’s Syndrome

Cushing’s syndrome refers to a spectrum of diseases that result from prolonged exposure to excess glucocorticoids. Symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, irritability, and menstrual irregularities. Signs include obesity, dorsocervical fat pad (“buffalo hump”), supraclavicular fullness, edema, thinning of skin, acne, and hirsutism. The most suggestive features of Cushing’s include easy bruising, facial plethora, proximal muscle weakness, and reddish-purple striae. Associated diseases include diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis.
Developing Motivation and Cognitive Learning Strategies Through an Undergraduate Learning Community

This study describes the effects on student motivation and cognitive learning strategies of an approach involving an undergraduate learner-centered community of learners approach to instruction. Six learning communities were created using the following objectives: integrated courses, active and collaborative learning, and opportunities for learning through information technology and library resources. Instructors attended ten workshops designed to assist them in developing the learning communities according to the objectives of the program. Results indicate significant changes in motivation and cognitive strategy use by the end of participation in the learning community. Within the motivation subscales, students in the learning communities reported significantly higher levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, more internal control of their learning, and self-efficacy, along with significantly lower levels of test anxiety and task value. Within the learning strategies subscales, students reported increases in their use of rehearsal strategies, organization strategies, critical thinking, time management, and the use of peer learning and help-seeking behaviors.
When a kiss is not just a kiss: Relating violations of consent in kissing to rape myth acceptance

This study examined the relationship rape attitudes have to violations of consent in kissing. We found that the association between rape myth acceptance and responses to violations of consent in kissing was significant regardless of whether these violations took place within the context of a first date, long-term dating, or marriage. We also found that male subjects had higher rape myth acceptance than females and were more supportive of a man's right to violate a woman's consent in kissing. Finally, the association between gender and responses to forced kissing was significant independent of the context in which the forced kiss occurred.
Artifacts Interfering with Interpretation of Cone Beam Computed Tomography Images

Artifacts in radiographic imaging are discrepancies between the reconstructed visual image and the content of the subject. In radiographic imaging, this means the grayscale values in the image do not accurately reflect the attenuation values of the subject. Structures may also appear that do not exist in the subject. Whatever the source or appearance of image artifacts, their presence degrades the accuracy of the image in relation to the true characteristics of the subject. One should therefore be aware of the presence of artifacts and be familiar with their characteristic appearances in order to enhance the extraction of diagnostic information.
An Analysis of Farm Household Expenditures on Basic Living Materials in Japan

Using cross‐section data, the demand elasticities for basic living materials were estimated by least‐squares and instrumental variables. Income and own‐ and cross‐price elasticities were derived from time‐series data by ordinary least‐squares and combined technique. It is interesting to compare the estimated parameters using different estimating methods. The order of magnitude of the income elasticities contained few surprises. Most of the price elasticities carried correct signs, but the majority of them were insignificant. Income is much more important than prices in explaining Japanese consumption. Most of the estimates are similar to those obtained by others. Expenditure patterns between the Japanese farm households and the U.S. farm households can be compared.
Physical versus Historical Reality

The quantum theory of modern physics is too rarely made the object of intensive study by the professional philosopher and the social scientist; it is regarded as an enfant terrible, difficult to understand completely yet vaguely amusing because of the odd things it says about the world. In some fundamental respects, however, this theory has an importance far beyond its usefulness in physics, for it develops a methodology applicable, though not yet applied, to phenomena typical in many fields far removed from the physical sciences.
Factors affecting the binding of cyanocobalamin to serum proteins from various animals

Abstract The cyanocobalamin protein complex of animal sera is associated with various protein fractions ranging from α 1 -globulin in chicken serum to β-globulins for human serum. Equilibrium dialysis studies indicate the presence of more than one major binding site in serum from man, dog, rabbit, frog, and chicken. The binding of cyanocobalamin to human, dog, and rabbit serum is eliminated by treatment of serum with 8 M urea. This effect is partially reversible for rabbit serum but is irreversible for human and dog serum. Cyanocobalamin bound to serum prior to urea treatment affords complete protection except for rabbit serum. The cyanocobalamin-binding capacity of frog and chicken serum is not affected by urea treatment. Reduction with hydrogen, catalyzed with palladium, depresses the cyanocobalamin binding in dog serum, while reduction with thioglycolate is ineffective for all sera tested. Oxidation with periodate depresses the binding capacity of human and dog serum more than sera from rabbit, frog, or chicken, while oxidation with copper chloride and hydrogen peroxide yields results opposite to that of periodate. The data are consistent with the concept that the cyanocobalamin-binding phenomena in sera is associated with multiple binding sites that may be different for various animal species and that specific spatial orientation between the protein and cyanocobalamin moieties is necessary for binding to occur.
Do People's Presence More Than Their Presents Makes Children Happy?

Summary.-58 women and 29 men in college indicated what made them happy during childhood. The most frequent source of happiness for 89% involved doing relatively simple things with a specific person or persons. Toys or activities involving toys were mentioned by only 39%. The frequent adult assumption that toys or extraordinary events lead to happiness needs to be reevaluated and simple social interactions explored. Adults frequently assume that children are made most happy by getting presents. They may go to great lengths to buy presents for Christmas, and as a child returns to school and reports getting presents they say, "You had a good Christmas!" Yet when I asked the children what had made them happy they usually replied in terms of social activities, such as making a snowman with dad. When I asked college students immediately after Christmas what made them happy as children, they also replied in terms of things done with people. The research literature did not address the role of toys for childhood happiness. Therefore, in return for sharing the results with the class, I received permission to ask a whole introductory psychology class in January what made them happy during childhood and to indicate the education end occupation of their parents during the students' early childhood. The 58 women had a mean age of 20.0 yc, with a SD of 4.4 and the 29 men had a mean age of 20.3 yr., with a SD of 3.5. They were frequently first-generation college students and were lower-middle or middle-middle socioeconomic class. The most frequent source of happiness, mentioned by 77 (89%), involved a specific person or persons. Activities with one or both parents were mencloned by 52 (60%), with brothers and sisters by 15 (17%), with other family members by 21 (24%), and with friends by 52 (60%). Activities which would be difficult to arrange, such as vacaclonr, were mentioned by only six individuals. Most Frequently mentioned were simple thmgs, such as taking a walk, going on a family picnic, or playing together. The 40 housewives did not differ from the 47 working mothers in frequency of mention (X2<1.00); however, women mentioned mothers, especially housewives, more frequently than men (x2 = 14.32, p< .001). Only 10 persons did not mention othec people as childhood sources of happiness. Most but not all of these indicated competing in sports as a source of childhood happiness. Further, some of these individuals were the only ones to indicate negative behaviors as sources of joy, such as skipping school or setting fires. Toys were mentioned by 34 (39%) and the most frequently mentioned toy was a bicycle. The other most frequent toys were implied in activities such as playing baseball. The most technological toys available were not mentioned, suggesting that technology did not play an important role, for example, dolls that talked or urinated were not mentioned. Clearly we need to explore the role of toys and of simple social interactions for childhood happiness as perceived by the child and to reevaluate some adult assumptions.
Accelerating Universe revisited

THERE is growing evidence that the Hubble constant is of the order of 100 km s−1 Mpc−1, rather than only half as great1. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Friedman models that are consistent with such a large expansion rate, as well as with current estimates of stellar ages and the density of the Universe. If one accepts estimates of at least 100km s−1 Mpc−1 for the Hubble constant, and that globular clusters have ages of the order of 16,000 Myr, then the only possible Friedman models of the Universe are those with a positive cosmological constant and q0 < −1. Various independent tests of this conclusion are suggested.
Preparation of 7,8-Dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline, Facile Route to 7,8-Dioxygenated-3,4-dihydroisoquinolines

Oxidation of 7,8-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline with potassium permanganate in acetone afforded 7,8-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydro-isoquinoline as the primary product. Hence, oxidation of the appropriate secondary nonphenolic 7,8-dioxygenated tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid is thus a facile method for the generation of the corresponding imine. The imine is not easily prepared via the usual synthetic route involving ring closure of N-phenethylamine derivatives.
Interaction of CR6 (GADD45γ) with Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Impedes Negative Growth Control

Abstract GADD45, MyD118, andCR6 (also termed GADD45α, β, and γ) comprise a family of genes that encode for related proteins playing important roles in negative growth control, including growth suppression. Data accumulated suggest that MyD118/GADD45/CR6 serve similar but not identical functions along different apoptotic and growth suppressive pathways. It is also apparent that individual members of the MyD118/GADD45/CR6 family are differentially induced by a variety of genetic and environmental stress agents. The MyD118, CR6, and GADD45 proteins were shown to predominantly localize within the cell nucleus. Recently, we have shown that both MyD118 and GADD45 interact with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a protein that plays a central role in DNA replication, DNA repair, and cell cycle progression, as well as with the universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21. In this work we show that also CR6 interacts with PCNA and p21. Moreover, it is shown that CR6 interacts with PCNA via a domain that also mediates interaction of both GADD45 and MyD118 with PCNA. Importantly, evidence has been obtained that interaction of CR6 with PCNA impedes the function of this protein in negative growth control, similar to observations reported for MyD118 and GADD45 (1).
Is violence toward children increasing? A comparison of 1975 and 1985 National Survey rates

This article compares the rate of violence toward children from a 1975 study with the rates from a 1985 replication. Both studies used nationally representative samples (1,146 families in 1975 and 1,428 in 1985), and both found extremely high incidence of severe violence against children. However, 1985 rates, although high, were substantially lower than 1975 rates; the rate of severe violence weas 47% lower in 1985. Possible reasons for the lower rates in 1985 are examined and evaluated, including (a) increased reluctance to report; (b) differences in the method of study; (c) reductions due to ten years of prevention and treatment efforts; and (d) reductions due to changes in American society and family patterns that would have produced lower rates of violence toward children even without ameliorative programs.
Particle tracking in open simulation laboratories

Particle tracking along streamlines and pathlines is a common scientific analysis technique, which has demanding data, computation and communication requirements. It has been studied in the context of high-performance computing due to the difficulty in its efficient parallelization and its high demands on communication and computational load. In this paper, we study efficient evaluation methods for particle tracking in open simulation laboratories. Simulation laboratories have a fundamentally different architecture from today's supercomputers and provide publicly-available analysis functionality. We focus on the I/O demands of particle tracking for numerical simulation datasets 100s of TBs in size. We compare data-parallel and task-parallel approaches for the advection of particles and show scalability results on data-intensive workloads from a live production environment. We have developed particle tracking capabilities for the Johns Hopkins Turbulence Databases, which store computational fluid dynamics simulation data, including forced isotropic turbulence, magnetohydrodynamics, channel flow turbulence and homogeneous buoyancy-driven turbulence.
A new in vivo microvascular preparation of the hamster ovary.

Ovarian function in the cycling female is intimately related to and dependent upon significant microvascular regulation and restructuring. To enable investigation of the microvascular determinants of ovarian function, we present an in vivopreparation of the golden hamster ovary. The preparation does not compromise the ovarian vascular supply. The viability and responsiveness of the preparation were confirmed by quantifying arteriolar responses to vasoactive agents in 17 hamsters. Small surface arterioles (mean diameter 15–16 µm) responded with statistically significant changes in diameter to adenosine and oxygen and showed significant, dose-dependent constriction in response to norepinephrine and the NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME. Other key findings included extremely high microvascular permeability that varied with the day of the estrous cycle and functionally significant architectural features of the utero–ovarian vascular network. Potential applications of the preparation include elucidation of the role...
A chloride ion contained in a cobalt 'claw': [Co3(DADIT)3]Cl(PF6)2.

A trimeric compound containing CoII is described, namely tris{μ-2-[3-(di­methyl­amino)­propyl­imino]­propane-1-thiol­ato}­tricobalt(II) chloride bis­(hexa­fluoro­phosphate), [Co3(C10H21N2S)3]Cl(PF6)2. Each Co atom is ligated by one 2-[3-(di­methyl­amino)­propyl­imino]­propane-1-thiol­ate ligand, an am­ine group and an imine group. The thiol­ate groups bridge the Co atoms, forming a six-membered ring that encloses the chloride ion in a well defined binding pocket.
A determination of the spin of ΛLi8

Evidence is presented that shows that the decay /sub LAMBDA /Li/sup 8/ min gave no sig rature of the d /sup -/ + He/sup 4/ + He/sup 4/ proceeds almost exclusively through states of Be/sup 8/. The predominance of the 2.9 Mev 2/sup +/ Be/sup 8/ level together with the angular distribution of the decay products for events involving this level suggest that the spin of /sub LAMBDA /Li/sup 8/ is one. (auth)
Metaphase Arrest by Cyclin E-Cdk2 Requires the Spindle-Checkpoint Kinase Mps1

Summary Cytostatic factor (CSF) arrests vertebrate eggs in metaphase of meiosis II through several pathways that inhibit activation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) [1–3]. In Xenopus , the Mos-MEK1-MAPK-p90 Rsk cascade utilizes spindle-assembly-checkpoint components to effect metaphase arrest. Another pathway involves cyclin E-Cdk2, and sustained cyclin E-Cdk2 activity in egg extracts causes metaphase arrest in the absence of Mos; this latter finding suggests that an independent pathway contributes to CSF arrest [4, 5]. Here, we demonstrate that metaphase arrest with cyclin E-Cdk2, but not with Mos, requires the spindle-checkpoint kinase monopolar spindles 1 (Mps1), a cyclin E-Cdk2 target that is also implicated in centrosome duplication [6, 7]. xMps1 is synthesized and activated during oocyte maturation and inactivated upon CSF release. In egg extracts, CSF release by calcium was inhibited by constitutively active cyclin E-Cdk2 and delayed by wild-type xMps1. Ablation of cyclin E by antisense oligonucleotides blocked accumulation of xMps1, suggesting that cyclin E-Cdk2 controls Mps1 levels. During meiosis II, activated cyclin E-Cdk2 significantly inhibited the APC/C even in the absence of the Mos-MAPK pathway, but this inhibition was not sufficient to suppress S phase between meiosis I and II. These results uniquely place xMps1 downstream of cyclin E-Cdk2 in mediating a pathway of APC/C inhibition and metaphase arrest.
The utility of spirometry in diagnosing pulmonary restriction.

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the utility of the spirometric measurements FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC in diagnosing pulmonary restriction. Spirometry and lung volume measurements performed on the same patient visit were analyzed. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of (1) FVC < lower limit of normal (LLN) (NHANES III reference values) and (2) FVC < LLN and FEV1/FVC ≥ LLN were compared to diagnose restriction based on lung volume measurements. In all, 18,282 pulmonary function tests from 8,315 patients were analyzed. Twenty-six percent of the patients (n = 2,213) had restriction based on lung volume measurements. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of FVC < LLN to diagnose restriction based on lung volume measurement criteria were 88.6%, 56.8%, 39.9%, and 93.9%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of FVC < LLN and FEV1/FVC ≥ normal to diagnose restriction based on lung volume criteria were 72.4%, 87.1%, 64.4%, and 90.7%, respectively. Analysis of ROC curves showed that spirometric criteria based on FVC alone performed better (area under the curve = 0.817) than those based on the combined criteria of FVC and FEV1/FVC (area under the curve = 0.584). Consistent with earlier findings, the negative predictive value for a normal FVC (≥ LLN) to exclude pulmonary restriction was high in this series (up to 95.7%). Also, a spirometric diagnosis of “restriction” (FVC < LLN and FEV1/FVC ≥ LLN) had a positive predictive value of 26.3–73.9%. On this basis, normal FVC can be regarded as excluding restriction with high reliability.
Soluble Fas Receptor (sFasR) and Fas Ligand (FasL)in Sepsis-Induced Multiple Organ Failure ♦ 191

Soluble Fas Receptor (sFasR) and Fas Ligand (FasL)in Sepsis-Induced Multiple Organ Failure ♦ 191