cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of lithium carbonate on lymphocyte, granulocyte, and platelet function

Lithium affects an increase in granulocyte counts in humans and has been promoted in the treatment of granulocytopenia and as adjuvant cancer chemotherapy to reduce the incidence of bacterial infections. In this study, eight healthy volunteers were studied by means of a panel of quantitative and cellular function tests before and after a seven-day course of lithium carbonate. Granulocyte, lymphocyte, and platelet function was assessed by the test panel. This panel included T cell and B cell enumeration, lymphocyte transformation to a number of mitogens and antigens, phagocytic and bactericidal activities of peripheral leukocytes, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction, chemotaxis, chemiliminescence, platelet aggregation studies, and Ivy bleeding time. The was a significant reduction in bactericidal capacity (p less than 0.005) and a significant reduction in lymphocyte response to PPD (p less than 0.01). Although lithium increase the granulocyte count, the reduction in bactericidal capacity of granulocytes may reduce the beneficial effect of the granulocytosis. Prospective clinical studies are indicated to assess the clinical efficacy of the drug.
Ca-induced K transport in human red cells: localization of the Ca-sensitive site to the inside of the membrane.

Summary The differential effects of internal and external Ca on increasing the membrane permeability to K (but not to Na) have been studied in ghosts made from energy depleted red cells. All changes in K transport induced by Ca were found to be oligomycin-sensitive. Internal Ca was found to be much more effective than external Ca in stimulating K transport. External EGTA was more effective in reversing the action of external Ca than in reversing the action of internal Ca. In contrast, internal EGTA made the ghost completely refractory to external Ca. Thus it appears that internal Ca is necessary for activation of K transport in energy depleted cells.
Fluorescent-tilmanocept for tumor margin analysis in the mouse model.

Abstract Background Dendritic cells (DC) are localized in close proximity to cancer cells in many well-known tumors, and thus maybe a useful target for tumor margin assessment. Materials and methods [ 99m Tc]- cyanine 7 (Cy7)-tilmanocept was synthesized and in vitro binding assays to bone marrow-derived DC were performed. Fifteen mice, implanted with either 4T1 mouse mammary or K1735 mouse melanoma tumors, were administered 1.0 nmol of [ 99m Tc]-Cy7-tilmanocept via tail vein injection. After fluorescence imaging 1 or 2 h after injection, the tumor, muscle, and blood were assayed for radioactivity to calculate percent-injected dose. Digital images of the tumors after immunohistochemical staining for DC were analyzed to determine DC density. Results In vitro binding demonstrated subnanomolar affinity of [ 99m Tc]-Cy7-tilmanocept to DC (K A = 0.31 ± 0.11 nM). After administration of [ 99m Tc]-Cy7-tilmanocept, fluorescence imaging showed a 5.5-fold increase in tumor signal as compared with preinjection images and a 3.3-fold difference in fluorescence activity when comparing the tumor with the surgical bed after tumor excision. Immunohistochemical staining analysis demonstrated that DC density positively correlated with tumor percent of injected dose per gram ( r = 0.672, P = 0.03), and higher DC density was observed at the periphery versus center of the tumor (186 ± 54 K versus 64 ± 16 K arbitrary units, P = 0.001). Conclusions [ 99m Tc]-Cy7-tilmanocept exhibits in vitro and in vivo tumor-specific binding to DC and maybe useful as a tumor margin targeting agent.
The Journey from Telling to Being: Narrative Ways of Understanding Applied to South African Children’s Hero Stories

Children are raised hearing stories of local and mythic heroes in every society (Campbell, 1968). Parents and teachers have used tales surrounding the lives of heroes to teach children about courage, honor, and integrity for thousands of years. Yet, in spite of this rich history, there is astonishingly little research about the impact of hero stories on the lives of children. In this study, data were obtained from children in a South African primary school exploring the uses of hero stories in the social construction of the self as hero. Implications for counseling children are discussed.
ES/3090: a realization of ESA/370 system architecture in IBM's most powerful mainframe computer through a balance of technology and system innovations

The author describes how IBM's most powerful system achieved significant growth through a balance of technology use and systems design. Selective use of a novel advanced transistor technology combined with innovative processor-design techniques solved many system design limitations. The author examines several system design problems and the solutions. He describes how a broad spectrum of systems architecture environments were enhanced and how significant data path improvements resulted in very high throughput and fast response time. Issues discussed are the writable control store, active address spaces, and the improvement of data-sharing performance. >
Using decision tree confidence factors for multi-agent control

Although Decision Trees are widely used for classification tasks, they are typically not used for agent control. This paper presents a novel technique for agent control in a complex multiagent domain based on the confidence factors provided by the C4.5 Decision Tree algorithm. Using Robotic Soccer as an example of such a domain, this paper incorporates a previously-trained Decision Tree into a full multiagent behavior that is capable of controlling agents throughout an entire game. Along with using Decision Trees for control, this behavior also makes use of the ability to reason about action-execution time to eliminate options that would not have adequate time to be executed successfully. This multiagent behavior represents a bridge between low-level and high-level learning in the Layered Learning paradigm. The newly created behavior is tested empirically in game situations.
The role of frequency of experience with a product category and temporal orientation in self-referent advertising

Previous research conceptualized consumers' evaluations of self-referent advertisements as discrete episodic processing instances requiring the ad-hoc matching of ad and personal knowledge detail. The present research proposes that consumers with frequent (infrequent) experiences in a product category are primarily semantic (episodic) processors. Consequently, consumers with frequent experiences have an illusion of detail matching in retrospective self-referencing resulting from schema-driven memory intrusions induced by highly detailed ads. Alternatively, consumers with infrequent experiences exhibit intrusions in anticipatory self-referencing due to imagination inflation prompted by these ads. Two experiments demonstrate how consumer knowledge-based details interact with message details in retrospective and anticipatory self-referencing situations to alter ad evaluations depending on the extent of prior experience.
Methods for computing nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shielding in large systems. Multiple cluster and charge field approaches

Abstract Ab initio calculations show that additivity of the intermolecular shielding exists in a model system consisting of fluorobenzene interacting with hydrogen fluoride molecules, C 6 H 5 F(HF) n , where n =1–5. These results indicate that it should be possible to perform chemical shielding calculations on large system by dividing it into a series of smaller clusters. For M atoms divided into M/N clusters of N atoms, the time savings for large M is on the order of M 3 /16 N 3 , a time savings of ≈ 60 for M = 100, N = 10. We demonstrate the feasibility of using point charges to model long-range electrostatic field effects on shielding by comparing the results of full ab initio calculations with those obtained by using point charges to represent the HF molecules in the C 6 H 5 F—(HF) n clusters. This comparison shows generally good agreement between the two approaches so long as the point charges are > 2.5 A from all the atoms in the molecule to which the nucleus belongs, a situation which should pertain for many macromolecules. Addition of 1000 point charges to the C 6 H 5 F system increased computational time by only 50% and appears to offer promise for investigations of chemical shielding in proteins and nucleic acids, where both short-large (electronic) and longer-range (electrostatic field) effects may be important.
Aggregation of linguistic labels when semantics is based on antonyms

In this work, we introduce aggregation operators for linguistic labels (this is, ordinal scales) when different experts (or information sources) use different domains to express their knowledge. The aggregated value is computed (i) building first a unified framework, (ii) transforming all the initial values into this new framework, (iii) aggregating the transformed values, and (iv) finally applying a reversal transformation. Transformations and all the constructions are based on assuming an existing semantics for all the domains. In this work, we consider the semantics based on the existence of an antonym (or a set of them) for each element in the domain. This is equivalent to a semantics based on negation functions. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The dynamic nature of collective turnover and unit performance: : The impact of time, quality, and replacements

This study builds from context-emergent turnover theory to examine the dynamic properties of turnover rates, including: (a) the changing quality and quantity of the human capital resources that depart, (b) the changing turnover dispersion (i.e., how distributed turnover events are over time), and (c) the changing quality and quantity of replacement hires. We examine these properties using data drawn from a sample of retail employees nested within stores of a prominent U.S. retail chain over five quarters, and show that the turnover rate (level) is conceptually and empirically distinct from turnover rate change, and that the two interact with each other to influence changes in unit performance. We also find that the relationship between turnover rate change and change in unit performance is moderated by both the quality of those who leave as well as turnover dispersion. Overall, we contribute to turnover rate, staffing, and human capital resource literatures by testing core context-emergent turnover theory propositions to show when, why, and how turnover rate change and replacement hires, as part of a holistic human capital resource system, influence unit performance
Dispersion and Sequential Sampling Plan for Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Infesting Hawaii Coffee Plantations

The black twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is a serious pest of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in the Kona region of the island of Hawaii, the center of the largest area of coffee production within the state of Hawaii. This study indirectly characterizes the spatial distribution of X. compactus in coffee plantations through assessment of twig borer damage, and presents a sequential sampling plan for monitoring X. compactus population densities. Taylor's Power Law (TPL) and Iwao's mean crowding index showed that X. compactus infestations were highly aggregated within plantations, with b and s values significantly larger than 1. The TPL linear regression of log variance against log mean (R2 = 0.92) provided a better fit to the data than the linear regression of mean crowding on the mean (R2 = 0.68). Subsequently, Taylor's power law parameters were used to develop the Green's sequential plan to estimate densities of X. compactus at the 90 and 75% precision levels.
On resolving 2M-1 narrow-band signals with an M sensor uniform linear array

The problem of determining the maximum number of narrowband signals whose parameters can be estimated with a linear array of M equally spaced sensors is examined. While this number previously has been taken to be M-1 when the signals are mutually uncorrelated, it is shown how to estimate directions and amplitudes for as many as 2M-1 signals. This over twofold increase is accomplished by retaining snapshot-to-snapshot phase information usually lost in algorithms based on spatial correlation matrices. The approach uses length 2M real signal vectors rather than the usual M complex vectors. It is shown that 2M of these real vectors are linearly independent with probability one, and, thus, in the presence of additive white noise, the parameters of 2M-1 signals can be estimated. An algorithm for determining directions and amplitudes is presented. Because of the algorithm's computational complexity, its application is limited to small M and low time-bandwidth products. >
A direct approach for representing nonstationary signals using mixed transforms

Recently, a mixed transform technique was suggested for representing nonstationary signals efficiently by superimposing two subsets of transform components in the Fourier and Walsh domains. An iterative method was used to obtain the dominant components from the two domains, to reproduce the signal. The authors describe an exact formulation of the residual error after partially extracting the weighted transform components from each domain. In addition, a computationally efficient implementation is proposed that employs direct transformation from the Fourier to the Walsh domain. Also, a gradient algorithm is developed to minimize the error by adaptively adjusting the weights associated with the selected subsets of the transform components. Computer simulations are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique. >
Chicana/o Ethnic Identity Research Lessons for Researchers and Counselors

Although Chicana/o ethnic identity has been studied extensively, the process of ethnic identity development and the relationship between ethnic identity and other aspects of social identity (such as racial identity) are still not well understood. This article presents a review of the research on Chicana/o ethnic identity, focusing on the early work on the National Chicano Survey, as well as more recent research with Chicana/o children, adolescents, and young adults. Important advances and shortcomings of this work are identified. The findings are discussed in the context of implications for researchers and counselors.
Quality of life after rectal resection and multimodality therapy

Modern management of locally advanced rectal cancer requires a multimodality approach. This includes radical surgery, pelvic radiotherapy, and systemic chemotherapy. It can require a permanent colostomy and result in significant bowel, sexual, and urinary dysfunction. In order to determine the effectiveness of various multimodality regimens it is important to not only assess conventional oncologic outcomes but also the impact on patient's quality of life. J. Surg. Oncol. 2007;96:684–692. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Primary Reason for Women's Underrepresentation? Reevaluating the Conventional Wisdom

When women run in general elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, they win at approximately the same rates as their male counterparts. With the exception of studies of selected congressional districts in particular years, however, scholars have virtually ignored the gender dynamics of the congressional primary process. In this paper, we fill this void, analyzing data from 1958 to 2004 to test hypotheses about women's victory rates and levels of primary competition. Our analysis results in an additional explanation for women's underrepresentation: the congressional primary process. Although women generally do not win primaries at lower rates than their male counterparts, women in both parties face more primary competition than do men. Gender neutral victory rates, then, are not the result of a gender neutral primary process. Women have to be “better” than their male counterparts in order to fare equally well.
Response to Interleukin-6 Antagonists for the Management of Hypertension

Our study tested the hypothesis that angiotensin II induced inflammation, and particularly interleukin-6 production, in humans through a mineralocorticoid receptor–dependent mechanism.1,2 …
HIV Coreceptors and Their Roles in Leukocyte Trafficking During Neuroinflammatory Diseases

Due to the increasing resistance of HIV-1 to antiretroviral therapies, there has been much emphasis on the discovery and development of alternative therapeutics for HIV-1-infected individuals. The chemokine receptors CXCR4 (Bleul et al. 1996a; Feng et al. 1996; Nagasawa et al. 1996; Oberlin et al. 1996) and CCR5 (Alkhatib et al. 1996; Deng et al. 1996; Dragic et al. 1996) were identified as target molecules from the time their role as coreceptors for HIV-1 entry into leukocytes was first discovered 10 years ago. Initial studies focused on the use of the chemokine ligands, or altered derivatives, of CXCR4 and CCR5 to prevent the entrance of HIV-1 into immune cells (Schols 2006). While these studies showed some initial promise, there was evidence of significant caveats to their use, including selection of alternative coreceptor utilizing strains (Marechal et al. 1999; Mosier et al. 1999) and the potential to cause inflammatory side effects. These data prompted the development and study of small molecule inhibitors of CXCR4 and CCR5, which have also been used to examine the roles of these molecules in a variety of inflammatory and infectious diseases.
HOW SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS SUPPRESS EVIDENCE

This 13-page 2010 CLE (continuing legal education) brochure is titled “How Successful Criminal Defense Attorneys Suppress Evidence.” It examines, from the defense perspective, how to successfully suppress evidence that was obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures and/or in violation of the Fifth Amendment privilege against compelled self-incrimination.
Central Autonomic System

Abstract The central autonomic system is defined by the cell groups that receive direct or disynaptically relayed input from the nucleus of the solitary tract, or that contribute projections to autonomic preganglionic neurons or their presynaptic inputs. The cell groups identified by these properties also project extensively among themselves, forming a true network. In this chapter, we identify the cell groups from the medulla and spinal cord through the brainstem, hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala, and cortex that contribute to the central autonomic system. We then review the connections within the central autonomic network; the pathways that provide visceral sensory input to, and visceral motor output from the network; and the connections of the central autonomic system with cognitive, endocrine, and behavioral systems that must be integrated with autonomic responses. We also consider the neurotransmitters used by this network, and how they contribute to its functions.
Liquidity Shocks in the Financial Sector and the Real Economy

This paper studies how liquidity shocks that affect financial intermediaries are propagated to the real economy. Loans made to firms by financial intermediaries reflect their current and future anticipated borrowing constraints. As a result firms face a higher borrowing costs not only when their productivity is low (i.e. credit risk premium) but also when financial intermediaries face tight borrowing constraints (i.e. liquidity risk premium). This liquidity risk faced by financial intermediaries can contribute to a reduction of real investment made by firms. A model calibrated to aggregate data shows that this additional channel can amplify the magnitude of a recession and slow down the recovery, as observed during the 2007-2009 financial crisis.
Temperature and Seasonal Effects on Expression of Acremonium Endophyte-Enhanced Resistance to Schizaphis graminum (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Temperature and seasonal changes affected endophyte concentration, peramine concentration, and antixenosis to greenbug in perennial ryegrass infected with Acremonium lolii Latch, Christensen & Samuels. Endophyte and peramine concentrations and degree of greenbug antixenosis to endophyte-infected tillers were lower at 7 and 28%C compared with 14 and 21%C in three genotypes of perennial ryegrass; antixenosis was related to peramine and to endophyte concentration. Genotype differences were greater than differences associated with temperature. Field data collected every 3–6 wk indicated highest endophyte concentrations in spring and fall, when mean daily temperatures averaged 15%C in the previous 4 wk. These data suggest that it is possible to produce cultivars with low or high endophyte concentrations as needed for pastures or turf.
Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease)

Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is a nonatherosclerotic segmental inflammatory obliterative disease that most commonly affects the small- and medium-sized arteries and veins in both upper and lower extremities. In the past, TAO was exclusively a disease confined to men; however, recently more women have been diagnosed with TAO. Most patients are heavy users of tobacco, and usually cigarette smokers.
Multichannel Analysis of Passive Surface Waves – Modeling and Processing Schemes

Characteristics of phase velocity and incoming angle (azimuth) of passive surface waves as they are observed with a multichannel processing scheme are studied through both synthetic modeling and field experiments. They are analyzed specifically in association with the case of multiple sources and multiple modes of dispersion. The features of artifacts and disturbances in phasevelocity estimation and how they can be alleviated in a processing scheme are described. First, a modeling scheme is introduced to simulate multiple sources at different locations as well as multiple modes of dispersion. With such known characteristics as phase velocity, azimuth, strength, and modes of dispersion, these features are illustrated and explained by using a set of modeled data. Then, the scheme to process passive surface waves is briefly described. It transforms wavefields of horizontal plane-wave propgation, measured with receiver spreads along the two orthogonal axes (x and y), into dispersion images. The scheme first transforms the measured wavefields of a particular frequency (ω) into the energy in phase velocity (c)-azimuth (θ) space where multiple sources and modes of surface waves are represented as energy peaks at different azimuths and phase velocities, respectively. The scheme, then, stacks all the energy through the azimuth axis to produce an energy distribution along the phase-velocity (c) axis only. A final image is then created by repeating these steps for different frequencies and displaying the energy in frequency (ω)-phase velocity (c) space. This process greatly alleviates general complications with the passive method such as disturbance of phase velocities due to multiple sources and modes as well as the spatial aliasing.
A Parametric Investigation of Gelled Propellant Spray Characteristics Utilizing Impinging Jet Geometry

Phase Doppler anemometry is used to experimentally measure and compare the drop size and drop velocity of two gel propellant simulants – 1.0 wt.-% Agar and 1.0 wt.-% Kappa Carrageenan with deionized water. A parametric study is conducted to observe the influence of geometry on the drop characteristics. A like-on-like impinging jet doublet is used with varying impingement angles, free jet length-to-orifice diameter ratios, and internal lengthto-orifice diameter ratios. The impingement angle and free jet length-to-orifice diameter ratio are not observed to show strong drop characteristics correlations. Increasing the internal length-to-orifice diameter ratio is observed to produce larger drop diameters.
Enhanced Mechanical Hardness in Compositionally Modulated Fe/Pt and Fe/Cr Epitaxial Thin Films

The hardnesses and elastic moduli of sputter-deposited Fe/Pt and Fe/Cr multilayers grown on MgO(001) are evaluated as a function of composition wavelength, ?. Structural determination by x-ray diffraction showed these films to be oriented in the plane as well as out of the plane. The mechanical behavior of these films was evaluated by nanoindentation. The combination of nanoindentation and x-ray diffraction is an attempt to determine the structural underpinnings of the mechanical behavior of these metal multilayer systems. For both systems there is no observed enhancement in the elastic modulus (the so-called supermodulus effect) across a wide range of bilayer spacings. Nanoindentation results show that for Fe/Pt multilayers, the hardness is enhanced over that expected from a simple rule of mixtures by a factor of approximately 2.5, with a maximum enhancement of 2.8 times this value at a wavelength of 25 i This enhancement in hardness occurs for bilayer spacings from 20 A to 100 A and is not a strong function of ? over this range. Results for Fe/Cr multilayers show a hardness enhancement over a similar wavelength range of approximately two times the rule of mixtures value, with a maximum enhancement of 2.2 times this value at a wavelength of 40 i The larger hardness enhancement in the Fe/Pt system may be due to the structural barrier (FCC/BCC) to dislocation motion between the two materials. The dominant mechanism responsible for the hardness enhancement in Fe/Pt and Fe/Cr multilayers is not yet known, however three models for dislocation interactions which could account for the hardness enhancement in these multilayers are discussed.
Force Spectroscopy of Interactions of the Integrin AlphaIIbbeta3 with Fibrin and Fibrinogen

We compared the probability, strength, and specificity of the interactions of integrin alphaIIbbeta3 with fibrin versus fibrinogen. Briefly, a bead coated with purified alphaIIbbeta3 was trapped by a laser beam and repeatedly brought into contact with surface-attached fibrinogen, monomeric fibrin, or a naturally-formed hydrated fibrin fiber. When alphaIIbbeta3-ligand complexes were detected, the rupture forces were measured. Force histograms for alphaIIbbeta3-fibrinogen interactions could be segregated into moderate (20-60 pN) and strong (>60 pN) interactions. Monomeric fibrin displayed a higher cumulative probability of interacting with alphaIIbbeta3 and a greater binding strength. alphaIIbbeta3-fibrin interactions were also less sensitive to inhibition by alphaIIbbeta3 antagonists, suggesting that they had different binding specificity. Both fibrinogen and fibrin interactions with alphaIIbbeta3 were partially inhibited by RGD-containing peptides, suggesting the existence of common RGD-containing binding motifs. This assumption was supported using the fibrin variants alphaD97E or alphaD574E whose mutated RGD motifs were less reactive with alphaIIbbeta3 than those of wild type fibrin. Monomeric fibrin made from a fibrinogen lacking the gammaC alphaIIbbeta3-binding motif was more reactive with alphaIIbbeta3 than the parent fibrinogen, suggesting that this binding motif is less important in fibrin. Polymeric fibrin displayed a rupture force profile similar to fibrinogen and monomeric fibrin with moderate (20-60 pN) and strong (>60 pN) forces that peaked at 70-80 pN. alphaIIbbeta3 antagonists, cycloRGD-peptide, and the gammaC-dodecapeptide each produced a sharp drop in the medium-to-high force range. These results demonstrate that surface-bound fibrinogen and monomeric, as well as polymeric, fibrin are highly reactive with the platelet receptor alphaIIbbeta3. Fibrin is more reactive than fibrinogen in terms of its binding probability and it has greater binding strength. Fibrin binding to alphaIIbbeta3 was also less sensitive to alphaIIbbeta3 inhibitors, suggesting that fibrin and fibrinogen have distinct binding specificity.
Radiated EMI Measurements in Shielded Enclosures

Current standards and specifications require that most case and cable radiation and susceptibility measurements be made in shielded enclosures. However, it is well known that there are a number of serious problems associated with performing these measurements in a shielded enclosure. This paper presents the results from a comprehensive effort to better define the problems associated with field intensity measurements in shielded enclosures and to develop measurement techniques for making satisfactory measurements. Extensive experimental data are presented to show (1) the magnitude of error that can be expected using present measurement techniques, (2) the field distribution in a shielded enclosure as a function of frequency, and (3) the coupling between a source and a probe antenna in a shielded enclosure as a function of frequency and spacing.
250 nm deep UV LED using GaN/AlN heterostructures on bulk AlN substrates

A 250 nm deep UV LED is realized on the bulk AlN substrate. Leakage current is reduced significantly. Polarization doping is used for the p-region and GaN active region to enhance the light extraction.
Linked data scientometrics in semantic e-Science

The Semantic Web is inherently multi-disciplinary and many domains have taken advantage of semantic technologies. Yet, the geosciences are one of the fields leading the way in Semantic Web adoption and validation. Astronomy, Earth science, hydrology, and solar-terrestrial physics have seen a noteworthy amount of semantic integration. The geoscience community has been willing early adopters of semantic technologies and have provided essential feedback to the broader semantic web community. Yet, there has been no systematic study of the community as a whole and there exists no quantitative data on the impact and status of semantic technologies in the geosciences. We explore the applicability of Linked Data to scientometrics in the geosciences. In doing so, we gain an initial understanding of the breadth and depth of the Semantic Web in the geosciences. We identify what appears to be a transitionary period in the applicability of these technologies. Extend the reach of scientometrics to quantify the progress of semantic e-science.Overlap of AGU (geoscience) and ISWC (broader Semantic Web community) is minimal.Semantic geoscience community is focused on lightweight semantics and integration.Linked Data reuse and quality issues are prevalent leading to challenges.Reusable patterns (Ontology Design Patterns) would be beneficial.
Index for Measurement of Pectus Excavatum

The severity of pectus excavatum is quantified by the use if index measurements. The clinical standard has historically been the Haller index (HI), which was initially described in 1987. This metric was defined as the ratio of the distance between the anterior spine and posterior sternum to the widest transverse diameter of the chest. In general, the deep point at the bottom of the sternum is chosen as the location to measure the denominator. In other words, the number means the number times the chest is wider than it is deep at the deepest point of the sternal depression. Recent evidence demonstrates that the impact of width in the equation results in tremendous overlap in HI between normal controls and pectus patients. The more recent pectus correction index firmly separates normal patients from pectus patients by providing an accurate assessment of sternal depth relative to the anterior chest wall. The equation utilizes the minimum distance between posterior sternum and anterior spine and the maximum distance between anterior spine most anterior portion of the chest. The difference between the 2 is divided by the latter (× 100) to give the percentage of chest depth the defect represents.
Linking riparian shade and the legacies of forest management to fish and vertebrate biomass in forested streams

Determining the factors that limit abundance and biomass of fish is fundamental to effective fisheries management. In streams, pool availability, cover, and habitat complexity often limit fish—particularly salmonids—and many restoration efforts are directed toward addressing physical habitat factors. However, the availability of prey, and the factors that influence prey abundance, can also influence the abundance, biomass, and growth of fish and other consumers. Both habitat and prey availability can be influenced by characteristics of the riparian forest in headwaters. In this study, we evaluate how variables associated with stream habitat, primary production, and macroinvertebrate biomass account for variability in the biomass of cutthroat trout and total vertebrates (fish and salamanders) across a series of paired stream reaches with contrasting forest structure. Each of nine stream pairs consisted of an old-growth reach and a reach bordered by 40- to 60-yr-old second-growth riparian forest. We evaluated relationships between response and explanatory variables for each forest structure type using correlation analysis, regression analysis, and AICc model comparison analyses. We also conducted correlation and regression analyses on within-stream reach pair differences across the nine study streams. Canopy openness, nitrate concentration, periphyton chlorophyll a accrual, total invertebrate biomass, predatory invertebrate biomass, cutthroat trout biomass, and total vertebrate biomass were all positively correlated with each other, while temperature was negatively correlated with biotic variables. Within reach pairs, canopy openness emerged as the strongest correlate with top predators, with differences in canopy openness explaining 84% of the variation in vertebrate biomass differences in the paired analysis. Other habitat metrics were poorly correlated with invertebrate, fish, and salamander biomass for all analyses. Overall, these results suggest that for the stream reaches surveyed here, resource availability—as regulated through bottom-up, autotrophic pathways—is a dominant control on fish and other consumers. This highlights the importance of food resource limitation for fish and top predators in headwater streams, and illustrates how differences in canopy structure can affect bottom-up drivers of stream food webs.
Antagonizing the GABAA receptor during behavioral training improves spatial memory at different doses in control and chronically stressed rats

Abstract Chronic stress leads to a dysregulated inhibitory tone that could impact hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and memory. The present study examined whether spatial memory deficits resulting from chronic stress could be overcome by antagonizing the GABAA receptor, a prominent inhibitory receptor of GABA in the hippocampus. Young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were chronically stressed (STR, wire mesh restraint, 6 h/d/21 d) or placed in a no-stress control group (CON). When chronic restraint ended, rats were tested on a 2-trial object placement (OP) task at a delay (3 h) that would result in chance performance without intervention and then on novel object recognition (NOR) and the elevated plus maze (EPM) to assess non-spatial memory and anxiety profile. In CON rats, Bicuculline (BIC, 0, 0.25, 0.5 mg/kg), a GABAA antagonist, injected 30 min prior to training led to facilitated OP performance with 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg doses. In contrast, STR rats required BIC at the highest dose (0.5 mg/kg) to improve OP performance. While overall object exploration was decreased by chronic stress, motivation or anxiety profile were unlikely to explain these results. These findings reveal two different dose response functions for BIC in control and chronically stressed rats, with the dose response function of BIC being shifted to the right for chronically stressed rats compared to controls in order to improve spatial memory. While the literature demonstrates that chronic stress disrupts hippocampal inhibitory tone, the current study reveals that a single injection to antagonize the GABAA receptor can restore hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in chronically stressed subjects.
An LC-MS Approach to Quantitative Measurement of Ammonia Isotopologues

Ammonia is a fundamental aspect of metabolism spanning all of phylogeny. Metabolomics, including metabolic tracing studies, are an integral part of elucidating the role of ammonia in these systems. However, current methods for measurement of ammonia are spectrophotometric, and cannot distinguish isotopologues of ammonia, significantly limiting metabolic tracing studies. Here, we describe a novel LC-MS-based method that quantitatively assesses both 14N-and 15N-isotopologues of ammonia in polar metabolite extracts. This assay (1) quantitatively measures the concentration of ammonia in polar metabolite isolates used for metabolomic studies, and (2) accurately determines the percent isotope abundance of 15N-ammonia in a cell lysate for 15N-isotope tracing studies. We apply this assay to quantitatively measure glutamine-derived ammonia in lung cancer cell lines with differential expression of glutaminase.
Difference FTIR Studies of Substrate Distribution in Triosephosphate Isomerase.

Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) catalyzes the interconversion between dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and d-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GAP), via an enediol(ate) intermediate. Determination of substrate population distribution in the TIM/substrate reaction mixture at equilibrium and characterization of the substrate–enzyme interactions in the Michaelis complex are ongoing efforts toward the understanding of the TIM reaction mechanism. By using isotope-edited difference Fourier transform infrared studies with unlabeled and 13C-labeled substrates at specific carbon(s), we are able to show that in the reaction mixture at equilibrium the keto DHAP is the dominant species and the populations of aldehyde GAP and enediol(ate) are very low, consistent with the results from previous X-ray structural and 13C NMR studies. Furthermore, within the DHAP side of the Michaelis complex, there is a set of conformational substates that can be characterized by the different C2═O stretch frequencies. The C2═O frequency diff...
Tweeting rape culture: Examining portrayals of victim blaming in discussions of sexual assault cases on Twitter:

Social media has become an important aspect of contemporary culture and cultural change; it has accordingly become a valuable resource for informing feminist theory. Social media is a digitized soc...
The Cultural Revolution. A People's History 1962–1976. By Frank Dikötter. (New York, NY: Bloomsbury Press, 2016. Pp. xxii, 382. $30.00.)

For historians of the People's Republic of China, the last decade has been characterized by an unprecedented (and probably only temporary) abundance of previously unavailable new sources on state f...
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Efficiency and Safety Improvements With Progressive Experience and Improved Technology

ObjectiveTranscatheter aortic valve replacement is now commercially available for intermediate-risk, high-risk, or inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis. In this study, we investigated ch...
Implementation of survivorship care plans in the pediatric oncology clinic.

55Background: Quality survivorship care and follow up have been well described in the pediatric oncology population to improve overall health of cancer survivors. Typically, a key component is the ...
Intranasal Oxytocin Does Not Modulate Responses to Alcohol in Social Drinkers.

Background Preclinical and clinical evidence suggest that the neuropeptide oxytocin may be of value in treating alcohol use disorder, by either reducing the rewarding effects of alcohol or reducing negative affect induced by alcohol withdrawal. However, the effect of a single dose of oxytocin on subjective and psychomotor responses to alcohol in social drinkers is not known. Methods This study examined the effect of intranasal oxytocin on subjective, behavioral, and physiological responses to a moderate dose of alcohol (0.8 g/kg) in young adult social drinkers. Participants (N = 35) completed 2 study sessions at which they consumed beverages containing alcohol (ALC; N = 20) or placebo (NoALC; N = 15) in combination with intranasal oxytocin (40 IU with a 20 IU booster) or placebo. They received oxytocin at one session and placebo at the other session (order counterbalanced) 20 minutes before consuming beverages. Subjective mood and drug effects ratings, heart rate and blood pressure, and 4 behavioral tasks (flanker task, digit span, go/no-go, and pursuit rotor) were the primary outcome measures. Results ALC produced its expected subjective and behavioral effects; including feeling intoxicated and impaired performance on the digit span and go/no-go tasks. Oxytocin alone had no significant subjective or physiological effects, and it did not affect responses to alcohol on any measure. Conclusions We can conclude that, under these conditions, a single dose of intranasal oxytocin does not alter the effects of acute alcohol in healthy young adult social drinkers. Further research is needed to determine whether oxytocin alters responses to alcohol under different conditions, and to determine its potential as an aid in treatment for substance use disorders.
Characterization of the human MDR1 gene.

P-glycoprotein (Pgp), an ATP-dependent efflux transporter that protects the body from environmental toxins and xenobiotics, is encoded by the humanMDR1 gene. HumanMDR1 is located on chromosomal region 7q21. Although several different single nucleotide polymorphisms were shown to influence Pgp expression and activity, the reported length of theMDR1 gene in Genbank and other databases continues to evolve and varies between 6.3 kilobases (kb) and 210 kb. With DNA derived from human cell lines and tissues, we have characterized theMDR1 genomic sequence to be 209 kb.
PRECLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS: A PHARMACOLOGIST'S POINT OF VIEW

Abstract Considering both the complexity of mental illness and the impact of psychopharmacological agents on therapy and hypotheses of mental disorders, the ideal institutional setting for research, training and education in psychopharmacology is a center with an integrated program of basic pharmacological and clinical pharmacological research. Comprehensive pharmacological information on the mode of action of psychotropic drugs will guide therapeutics in the clinic and astute observations in the clinic are essential in providing a relevant basis for the research strategy of the pharmacologist. The synergistic interaction between disciplines in preclinical and clinical psychopharmacology will generate information for a better under standing of the mode of action of psychotropic drugs, provide the necessary stimulating milieu for education (graduate programs, residency programs) and pave the way for new approaches to investigate problems concerning the psychobiology of mental disorders.
Coastal Jets, Fronts, and Phytoplankton Patchiness

Abstract A frontal system has been discovered in Long Island Sound, forming the inshore boundary of a strong tidally induced coastal jet. Regenerated each ebb tide, the front extends for several kilometers around a local promontory, and adjacent to a highly productive shallow embayment. Chlorophyll-a concentrations measured in April within the jet were typically twice background, and suggest that the system may be an effective mechanism for the periodic injection at tidal frequencies of high concentration phytoplankton patches from the inshore embayment into the interior of the Sound.
Time Dependent Aspects of Solidification

This work focuses on time dependent aspects of solidification from the melt. Starting from the basic thermodiffusion model, we review recent findings using both analytical and fully numerical approaches. It is demonstrated that omission of the inherent time dependency of the problem in the static approach and in the quasistauonary approximation can lead to serious shortcomings. Time dependent linear stability analyses for a sphere results in a power law growth of small perturbations, and for a needle crystal in a wave propagation along the parabolic interface. The nonlinear development of a plane interface initially perturbed with stochastic perturbations, results in the generation of solitary waves propagating away from cell tip regions along the interface with increasing amplitudes, terminating in the valleys between adjacent cells. The developing morphologies are sensitive to localized perturbations, revealing the existance of long range interaction in the growing structure.
Confronting settler colonialism: Theoretical and methodological questions about social studies research

In this conceptual piece, we situate settler colonial theory and qualitative inquiry in a discussion about the research(ing) of social studies education. The context for this article includes our v...
Development of a rate law for arsenite oxidation by manganese oxides

Abstract Arsenite (As(III)), may be rapidly oxidized to arsenate (As(V)) by manganese oxides over a wide range of pH. Interestingly, pseudo-first order rate constants for Mn(IV) oxides (MnO2) reported in the literature differ by orders of magnitude, mainly due to the fact that experimental conditions have not been normalized and surface passivation may hinder the reaction rate. As a result, a formal kinetic rate law for the oxidation of As(III) by MnO2 does not exist. In this study, a comprehensive rate law that describes the abiotic oxidation of As(III) by vernadite (δ-MnO2) was developed by systematically varying pH and the concentrations of δ-MnO2 and As(III). Experiments were performed with excess δ-MnO2 compared to As(III) in buffered solutions with an ionic strength typical of freshwater environments to reflect the geochemical conditions of most environments. The half-life of the pseudo-first order reaction is less than three minutes in all experiments. Results show the initial reaction rate is proportional to the concentrations of δ-MnO2 and As(III) and independent of pH in the pH range 4–9. However, below pH 6 and above pH 8 the pseudo-first order rate constant is slightly lower due to the protonation of the surface δ-MnO2 and the deprotonation of As(III). Overall, the reaction follows a first order rate law with respect to As(III) and effective surface sites of δ-MnO2 and zeroth order with respect to pH. The overall second order rate constant, k, was calculated to be 0.36 ± 0.11 L h−1 m−2. This rate constant is comparable to the vast majority of rate constants derived from previously published data when using the effective surface sites of MnO2 as reactive species only, indicating the most influential factors of As(III) oxidation by MnO2 are constrained in the developed rate law. Based on the present experiments, the oxidation of As(III) by MnO2 is proposed to proceed as one two-electron transfer reaction between As(III) and Mn(IV) to eventually form As(V) and Mn2+ species. Two steps of one-electron transfer, however, may be possible though it is likely that both Mn(IV) and Mn(III) species are ultimately reduced to Mn2+. Comproportionation of Mn2+ and Mn(IV) to Mn(III) does not seem to be important on the time scale of these experiments.