cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating subjective cognitive impairment in the adult epilepsy clinic: Effects of depression, number of antiepileptic medications, and seizure frequency.

Abstract Objective Subjective cognitive complaints are a frequent concern of patients with epilepsy. The Aldenkamp–Baker Neuropsychological Assessment Schedule (ABNAS) is a patient-reported scale validated to measure adverse cognitive effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The goals of this study were to identify predictors of patient-reported cognitive dysfunction and to assess the relationship between subjective and objective cognitive impairment. Methods The Cleveland Clinic Knowledge Program Data Registry was used to identify adult patients seen in outpatient epilepsy clinic from January to May 2015 and who completed the following scales: ABNAS for subjective cognitive impairment, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, Quality of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE-10), and EuroQOL five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) for health-related quality of life. Topiramate (TPM) was considered a high-risk medication for cognitive impairment. Patients were categorized into groups based on total ABNAS score: subjective cognitive impairment (ABNAS > 15; N = 270) and no subjective cognitive impairment (ABNAS ≤ 15; N = 400). Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to identify independent predictors of subjective cognitive impairment. In a subset of patients who had neuropsychological testing within 6 months of completing the ABNAS (N = 60), Pearson correlations and multivariable logistic regression models, controlling for number of AEDs, depression, and anxiety, assessed the relationship between subjective cognitive impairment and objective cognitive performance on measures of intelligence, attention/working memory, verbal fluency, naming, processing speed, manual dexterity, visuomotor processing, and verbal memory. Results Forty percent of patients in the overall sample (N = 270/670) reported cognitive impairment. The variables most strongly associated with subjective cognitive impairment were PHQ-9 score, number of AEDs, and seizure frequency. In the subset of patients with neuropsychological testing, ABNAS score was correlated with anxiety (r = 0.44), depression (r = 0.38), and attention/working memory (r = − 0.31). After adjusting for depression and anxiety, patients who endorsed subjective cognitive impairment scored significantly lower on measures of nonverbal intelligence and attention/working memory, but not on other cognitive measures. Conclusions Subjective cognitive impairment as reported on the ABNAS is most strongly associated with depressive symptomatology, number of AEDs, and seizure frequency, but not with most objective cognitive measures. Identifying these three predictors provides a clear framework to understand and address subjective cognitive complaints in adult patients with epilepsy.
Benthic assemblages of mega epifauna on the Oregon continental margin

Abstract Environmental assessment studies are usually required by a country's administration before issuing permits for any industrial activities. One of the goals of such environmental assessment studies is to highlight species assemblages and habitat composition that could make the targeted area unique. A section of the Oregon continental slope that had not been previously explored was targeted for the deployment of floating wind turbines. We carried out an underwater video survey, using a towed camera sled, to describe its benthic assemblages. Organisms were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible and assemblages described related to the nature of the seafloor and the depth. We highlighted six invertebrate assemblages and three fish assemblages. For the invertebrates within flat soft sediments areas we defined three different assemblages based on primarily depth: a broad mid-depth (98–315 m) assemblage dominated by red octopus, sea pens and pink shrimps; a narrower mid-depth (250–270 m) assemblage dominated by box crabs and various other invertebrates; and a deeper (310–600 m) assemblage dominated by sea urchins, sea anemones, various snails and zoroasterid sea stars. The invertebrates on mixed sediments also were divided into three different assemblages: a shallow (~100 m deep) assemblage dominated by plumose sea anemones, broad mid-depth (170–370 m) assemblage dominated by sea cucumbers and various other invertebrates; and, again, a narrower mid-depth (230–270 m) assemblage, dominated by crinoids and encrusting invertebrates. For the fish, we identified a rockfish assemblage on coarse mixed sediments at 170–370 m and another fish assemblage on smaller mixed sediments within that depth range (250–370 m) dominated by thornyheads, poachers and flatfishes; and we identified a wide depth-range (98–600 m) fish assemblage on flat soft sediments dominated by flatfishes, eelpouts and thornyheads. Three of these assemblages (the two broad fish assemblages and the deep flat soft sediments invertebrate assemblage) seem to represent deeper examples of assemblages already known on the Oregon continental shelf, especially on soft sediments, while the assemblages in the pockmarks habitat (the narrower depth ranges) might be unique to the area. This diversity of assemblages in a relatively small section of the Oregon continental upper slope and shelf shows the importance of environmental assessment studies in helping limit future impacts of industrial activities on benthic communities.
Estimated Impact of US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations on Use and Cost of Statins for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Background US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released new recommendations on statin use for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates USPSTF recommendations with an "A" or "B" grade receive insurance coverage without copayment. We assessed the potential impact of these recommendations. Objective To assess the US population meeting criteria for statin use and factors associated with use, and calculate associated costs. Design and measures We estimated 10-year ASCVD event risk scores from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data using Pooled Cohort Equations from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and applied them to Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. We estimated the population meeting USPSTF criteria and calculated the number of statin prescription fills and out-of-pocket and total costs. We assessed associations between statin use and sociodemographic and health characteristics and national trends in use from 1996 to 2014. Participants A nationally representative sample of people aged ≥ 40 years, representing 150 million people living in the USA. Key results Of 26.8 million adults recommended for statins, only 41.8% were taking them. Female sex, Hispanic ethnicity, uninsured status, or living in the South was associated with lower odds of using statins. Under ACA, people with private insurance would avoid out-of-pocket cost of $9 for each generic prescription, resulting in savings of approximately $44 in annual costs. ACA's mandate for insurance coverage would result in a $193 million shift in out-of-pocket cost for statins from patients to private insurers. Conclusions New USPSTF recommendations may result in decreased out-of-pocket costs and expanded access to statins. Previous research has shown that eliminating copayments increased adherence and decreased rates of ASCVD events without increasing overall healthcare costs. Future research will determine whether the USPSTF's recommendations will result in similar findings.
Material heterogeneity, microstructure, and microcracks demonstrate differential influence on crack initiation and propagation in cortical bone

The recent studies have shown that long-term bisphosphonate use may result in a number of mechanical alterations in the bone tissue including a reduction in compositional heterogeneity and an increase in microcrack density. There are limited number of experimental and computational studies in the literature that evaluated how these modifications affect crack initiation and propagation in cortical bone. Therefore, in this study, the entire crack growth process including initiation and propagation was simulated at the microscale by using the cohesive extended finite element method. Models with homogeneous and heterogeneous material properties (represented at the microscale capturing the variability in material property values and their distribution) as well as different microcrack density and microstructure were compared. The results showed that initiation fracture resistance was higher in models with homogeneous material properties compared to heterogeneous ones, whereas an opposite trend was observed in propagation fracture resistance. The increase in material heterogeneity level up to 10 different material property sets increased the propagation fracture resistance beyond which a decrease was observed while still remaining higher than the homogeneous material distribution. The simulation results also showed that the total osteonal area influenced crack propagation and the local osteonal area near the initial crack affected the crack initiation behavior. In addition, the initiation fracture resistance was higher in models representing bisphosphonate treated bone (low material heterogeneity, high microcrack density) compared to untreated bone models (high material heterogeneity, low microcrack density), whereas an opposite trend was observed at later stages of crack growth. In summary, the results demonstrated that tissue material heterogeneity, microstructure, and microcrack density influenced crack initiation and propagation differently. The findings also elucidate how possible modifications in material heterogeneity and microcrack density due to bisphosphonate treatment may influence the initiation and propagation fracture resistance of cortical bone.
Challenging the assumptions in estimating protein fractional synthesis rate using a model of rodent protein turnover

Understanding the effects of physiological changes on protein synthesis and degrada-tion is limited by our ability to quantify protein metabolism. Current methods for estimating the rate of protein synthesis, such as the flooding dose, continuous infusion, and pulse dose, are based on measuring the rate of incorporation of a radiolabeled amino acid into protein in a particular tissue or in the whole body. Each method is limited by approximations and assumptions that must be made in order to summarize radioactivity data into a single rate estimate. In the flooding dose method, a large bolus of unlabeled amino acid is injected with the radiolabeled amino acid to expand free amino acid pools (extracellular and intracellular tRNA pools) so that their specific radioactivities (µCi/µmol) are equivalent (Garlick et al., 1980). In the continuous infusion method, a constant amount of radiolabeled amino acid is continuously infused so that specific radioactivities of plasma and free amino acid pools reach a plateau or become equal (Waterlow et al., 1978). The pulse dose method involves injection of a small amount of radiolabeled amino acid and collection of blood for determination of free amino acid specific radioactivities over a specified period of time (Peters and Peters, 1972). In all three methods, when free amino acid pool specific radioactivities reach a plateau or a predesignated time, specific radioactivity of the protein is measured. Then the ratio of free amino acid specific radioactivity to protein specific radioactivity is calculated to estimate protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR).
Cancer, reproductive abnormalities, and diabetes in Micronesia: the effect of nuclear testing.

Many suggest that cancer and other diseases in Micronesia have been caused by nuclear testing in the Pacific. The 50-year commemoration of the March 1, 1954 Bravo thermonuclear test has rekindled interest in this area. This paper explores the documentation for, and the plausibility of, claims for disease causation by nuclear testing. Given the sheer volume of testing that the US conducted in the Pacific, it appears plausible that excess cancer would have occurred in areas of Micronesia other than the Marshall Islands. An excess of birth abnormalities in the Marshall Islands has been documented. While diabetes is not a radiogenic disease, and other cancers are generally less radiogenic than leukemia or thyroid cancer, the social and cultural effects of nuclear testing specifically, and the strategic uses to which Micronesia has been put generally, have had roles in the social production of disease. Integration into a globalized, cosmopolitan economy-with attendant phenomena such as the importation of tobacco, alcohol, foods of poor nutritional value, and new cultural mores-are also factors.
The relationship between Negative Contrast, Positive Contrast, and the Frustration Effect in a modified double-alley runway

vi IHTRODUCTION 1 NCE and the Frustration Hypothesis 3 Evidence for PCE 6 The Frustration Effect g The Relationship Between NCE, PCE, and FE 10 METHOD 15 Subjects 15 Apparatus I5 Procedure I7 RESULTS 21 Start Data 22 Run Data 26 Goal Data 29 Activity 1 Data 29 Activity 2 Data 37 Activity 3 Data 40 Hurdle-jump Data 42
Extremal Vectors for a Class of Linear Operators

We prove a qualitative result characterizing the behavior of backward minimal vectors introduced in [1].
Histochemistry and Cytochemistry of Glycoproteins and Glycosaminoglycans

One of the most intriguing areas of research in neurobiology is the role of carbohydrates in cell structure and function. Carbohydrates on macromolecules of neurons and glia are expected to play a role in cellular “recognition” and sorting out into histological arrangements (Barondes, 1970, 1975; Barbera et al., 1973; Hughes, 1973; Moscona, 1974; Roseman, 1974), synaptogenesis (Barondes, 1970; Vaughn et al., 1976, McLaughlin and Wood, 1977; Cotman and Taylor, 1974), myelination (Brady and Quarles, 1973; Wood and Engel, 1976), cell permeability (Rambourg, 1971), and cell immunity (Rambourg, 1971; Winzler, 1970). There is much interest and considerable research in each of these areas, but direct evidence linking carbohydrates in cellular macromolecules to specific functions of the nervous system is fragmented and incomplete. It may be that the serotonin receptor in brain is a carbohydrate (Wooley and Gommi, 1965; Vaccari et al., 1971), and there is evidence that the cholera toxin receptor involves a ganglioside (Cuatrecasas, 1973; Holmgren et al., 1973; Van Heyningen W. E., et al., 1971; Van Heyningen, S., 1974). The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor also contains carbohydrate (Meunier et al, 1974; Raftery et al., 1976; Salvaterra et al, 1977), as does acetylcholinesterase (Carlsen and Svensmark, 1970; Taylor et al, 1974; Wiedmer et al, 1974). The major glycoprotein of peripheral nerve myelin and a minor glycoprotein associated with central myelin are glyco-sylated (Quarles et al., 1973; Everly et al., 1973; Wood and Dawson, 1973). Several of the proteins of the isolated synaptic membrane are glycoproteins that may be isolated by adsorption onto lectin-matrix columns followed by elution with appropriate sugars (Gurd and Mahler, 1974; Zanetta etal., 1975).
North American Regional Economic Integration: Recent Trends and Developments

Recent years have witnessed a series of initiatives to expand and enhance economic integration across North America.1 This chapter reviews the most important of these integration efforts, including the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas; the North American Free Trade Agreement; the Dominican Republic – Central America – United States Free Trade Agreement; the Central American Common Market; the CARICOM Single Market; and efforts to create an Economic Union under the auspices of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. In each instance, I provide a brief overview of the agreement; describe recent political, economic and legal developments; and review dispute settlement activity. A brief conclusion follows.
On the Moduli of Todorov Surfaces

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the moduli spaces of Todorov surfaces. It is possible for a Todorov surface to have deformations which are not Todorov surfaces. The chapter explains double covers of surfaces in the presence of rational double points and presents a modification of the classical canonical resolution process for desingularizing the double cover of a smooth surface branched along a singular curve, which has the advantage of producing the minimal desingularization of the double cover.
A Biology Course for the Less-Than-Prepared Prospective Biology Major

Many undergraduate institutions are dealing with less-than-prepared students entering the biology major. When the biology department at College of Notre Dame of Maryland analyzed data from five past cohorts of prospective biology majors, it was evident that there was a significant correlation between their success in the introductory course in the major and their math SAT score (Spearman's rho = 0.058; p< 0.001). Based on these results, the biology department developed a preparatory course for students whose MSAT score was below a prescribed cutoff value and stipulated that a student must pass this preparatory course with a grade of at least C+ to take the introductory course. For the first four cohorts (n=93), 95.9% of those who enrolled in the introductory course in the semester following the preparatory course received a grade of at least C. For these students, there was no correlation between their grade in the introductory course and their MSAT score. This paper describes how the department determines which students take the preparatory course, explains the design of the course curriculum and assessment within the course, and presents an analysis of the first four cohorts of students to progress through the course.
The application of temperature-composition phase diagrams for hot melt extrusion processing of amorphous solid dispersions to prevent residual crystallinity

Hot melt extrusion (HME) can be used to produce amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) at temperatures below the drug's melting point if the drug and polymer exhibit melting point depression. However, the risk of residual crystallinity becomes significant. The purpose of this study was to apply the temperature-composition phase diagram to the HME process, correlating process conditions to ASD residual crystallinity, and identifying the formulation critical temperature, which defines the theoretical minimum processing temperature. The phase diagram of indomethacin (IDM) and polyvinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer (PVPVA) was generated using melting point depression measurements coupled with Flory-Huggins theory. Extrudates were manufactured above, at, and below the formulation critical temperature (Tc) as identified from the phase diagram, with a range of residence times, and characterized for crystallinity. Below the Tc, a fully amorphous sample could not be prepared. Above Tc, sufficient residence time led to amorphous samples. A processing operating design space diagram with three regimes was generated to correlate temperature and residence time factors with process outcome. In conclusion, phase diagrams provide a rational basis for designing hot melt extrusion processes of amorphous solid dispersions to minimize residual crystalline content, delineating the minimum processing temperature based on thermodynamic considerations.
Evasion of phagotrophic predation by protist hosts and innate immunity of metazoan hosts by Legionella pneumophila.

Legionella pneumophila is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium that has evolved to infect and proliferate within amoebae and other protists. It is thought that accidental inhalation of contaminated water particles by humans is what has enabled this pathogen to proliferate within alveolar macrophages and cause pneumonia. However, the highly evolved macrophages are equipped with more sophisticated innate defence mechanisms than are protists, such as the evolution of phagotrophic feeding into phagocytosis with more evolved innate defence processes. Not surprisingly, the majority of proteins involved in phagosome biogenesis (~80%) have origins in the phagotrophy stage of evolution. There are a plethora of highly evolved cellular and innate metazoan processes, not represented in protist biology, that are modulated by L. pneumophila, including TLR2 signalling, NF-κB, apoptotic and inflammatory processes, histone modification, caspases, and the NLRC-Naip5 inflammasomes. Importantly, L. pneumophila infects haemocytes of the invertebrate Galleria mellonella, kill G. mellonella larvae, and proliferate in and kill Drosophila adult flies and Caenorhabditis elegans. Although coevolution with protist hosts has provided a substantial blueprint for L. pneumophila to infect macrophages, we discuss the further evolutionary aspects of coevolution of L. pneumophila and its adaptation to modulate various highly evolved innate metazoan processes prior to becoming a human pathogen.
Exploring Tensions of Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in a Domain with Conflicting Cultural Practices

The philosophical foundations of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)—phenomenology, hermeneutics, and idiography—guide its practice and use. However, this foundation is often at odds wit...
Redesign of an in House Electronic Data Capture System to Streamline Hematopoietic Stem Cell Informatics Needs: Safeguarding over 40 Years of Data

The CRDB (Clinical Research Database) at MSKCC (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) has over 40 years of transplant data in its repository. From the inception of the database in the early 1990s, the CRDB has captured data for patients on IRB approved studies as well as for patients that have passed through the bone marrow transplant (BMT) services. Historically, the CRDB has utilized mostly institution wide, generic forms for capturing data. This included topic-based forms for disease, pathology, infusion, treatment, GVHD, etc. This created difficulty with training new staff, maintaining accurate and timely data entry, and querying data out in an easily useable format. It also made mapping the data to FormsNet through AGNIS problematic, requiring duplicate data entry. With the BMT program growing at an exponential pace, we needed a solution to streamline data entry to enable a successful AGNIS implementation as well as reduce the time and complexity of data entry. Such solution would also reduce data entry errors and quality assurance time. We embarked on a 2 year-long journey of reviewing options for in-house solutions versus vendor-based solutions and ultimately reorganizing the CRDB BMT interface utilizing our existing data structure to maintain the historical data. We developed a ‘study calendar' specific to the BMT along with our ‘Dynamic forms' (data points once in static forms) now mapped by activity and segment in the calendar, similar to the timepoints in FormsNet. We went from about 24 standalone forms to about 40 timepoint based Dynamic forms specific to the BMT schedules. Data was broken down in the dynamic forms by the type of data collected at specific timepoints. This enables research staff to clearly locate where to enter data and how it should be entered. Since the roll out in January of this year, we have noticed an improvement in training new staff members and a reduction in data entry errors.
Creation of Well-Defined "Mid-Sized" Micropores in Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes

Carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes are candidates for the separation of organic molecules due to their stability, ability to be scaled at practical form factors, and the avoidance of expensive supports or complex multi-step fabrication processes. A critical challenge is the creation of "mid-range" (e.g., 5-9 A) microstructures that allow for facile permeation of organic solvents and selection between similarly-sized guest molecules. Here, we create these microstructures via the pyrolysis of a microporous polymer (PIM-1) under low concentrations of hydrogen gas. The introduction of H2 inhibits aromatization of the decomposing polymer and ultimately results in the creation of a well-defined bimodal pore network that exhibits an ultramicropore size of 5.1 A. The H2 assisted CMS dense membranes show a dramatic increase in p-xylene ideal permeability (≈15 times), with little loss in p-xylene/o-xylene selectivity (18.8 vs. 25.0) when compared to PIM-1 membranes pyrolyzed under a pure argon atmosphere. This approach is successfully extended to hollow fiber membranes operating in organic solvent reverse osmosis mode, highlighting the potential of this approach to be translated from the laboratory to the field.
Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Imaging of Molecular Orientation using a Tri-Spot Point Spread Function

We demonstrate the use of an engineered Tri-spot point-spread function and a joint sparse deconvolution algorithm for imaging the positions and 3D orientations of single molecules. Our images reveal nanoscale order and disorder in DNA strands.
Thyroid Dysfunction in Patients with Pulmonary Artery Hypertension (PAH): The Effect of Therapies Affecting the Prostanoid Pathway.

Epoprostenol, a synthetic prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) analog, has been the mainstay of treatment for severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) for the last two decades. Treprostinil, another synthetic prostaglandin analog, and selexipag, an oral selective Inositol Phosphate (IP) prostacyclin receptor agonist, have also been approved for treatment of PAH. Prostacyclin and its analogs cause a variety of side effects in patients with PAH; however, thyroid dysfunction is rarely reported. After treating an index case of thyroid dysfunction occurring after initiation of epoprostenol, we reviewed our databases of PAH patients treated with epoprostenol, treprostinil or selexipag to identify the occurrence of this association. We identified six cases of thyroid dysfunction in our cohort: five after initiation of an intravenous prostacyclin (epoprostenol) and one after initiation of an oral prostacyclin receptor agonist (selexipag). Four of the patients presented with hyperthyroidism and two with a large autoimmune goiter. Graves’ disease was seen in three patients, Hashimoto’s disease in two patients and thyrotoxicosis in one patient. Therapy with medications targeting the prostacyclin pathway is a potential risk factor for the development of symptomatic thyroid disease.
The Invisible Contract

The metaphors of the “social contract” and the “indivisible hand” loom large in the history of political economy and political philosophy. Nevertheless, the two ideas are typically held to be in conflict. Social contracts are based on rational agreement, while invisible hand processes are not. The tension between these two ideas, I argue, creates a disequilibrium between politics and economics in modern thought: either the market or the political order must be supreme. I argue that this tension can be dissolved if we understand social contracts as dynamic processes of micro-agreement that are explained as macro emergent or spontaneous orders. This understanding of a social contract is more consistent with political economy and better suited for the open society. This approach also helps to clarify some puzzles about invisible hand processes. In so doing, I argue, that the insights of Adam Smith, Hayek, and the social contract theorists are best understood as different aspects of a unified approach to social theory.
Annual Research Review: Ecological momentary assessment studies in child psychology and psychiatry.

Background Enhancements in mobile phone technology allow the study of children and adolescents' everyday lives like never before. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) uses these advancements to allow in-depth measurements of links between context, behavior, and physiology in youths' everyday lives. Findings A large and diverse literature now exists on using EMA to study mental and behavioral health among youth. Modern EMA methods are built on a rich tradition of idiographic inquiry focused on the intensive study of individuals. Studies of child and adolescent mental and behavioral health have used EMA to characterize lived experience, document naturalistic within-person processes and individual differences in these processes, measure familiar constructs in novel ways, and examine temporal order and dynamics in youths' everyday lives. Conclusions Ecological momentary assessment is feasible and reliable for studying the daily lives of youth. EMA can inform the development and augmentation of traditional and momentary intervention. Continued research and technological development in mobile intervention design and implementation, EMA-sensor integration, and complex real-time data analysis are needed to realize the potential of just-in-time adaptive intervention, which may allow researchers to reach high-risk youth with intervention content when and where it is needed most.
CHAPTER 13 – Sphingolipids

Publisher Summary Sphingolipids are found in all animals, plants, and fungi, and in some prokaryotic organisms and viruses. They are composed of an sphingoid base backbone to which a fatty acid may be attached through an amide bond and a head group at the primary hydroxyl. The head groups range from a simple hydrogen to more complex species, such as the phosphocholine moiety of sphingomyelin (SM) and the simple to complex glycans of glycosphingolipids. Sphingolipids function as structural components of membranes, lipoproteins, skin, and other biomaterials, and as cell signaling modulators and mediators. Sphingolipids tend to associate with each other as well as with cholesterol and certain categories of proteins, such as those attached to the membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. The aggregates are genetically referred to as “rafts” unless they can be more specifically defined by co-localization with a marker for a distinct membrane structure, such as caveolin for caveolae. Rafts are envisioned to be relatively small, distinct, and liquid-ordered subdomains of the plasma membrane that form and disperse rapidly due to the highly saturated alkyl chains and intermolecular hydrogen bonding of sphingolipids.
Assessment of attention in biological mothers using the attention network test - revised

Previous research has evaluated the cognitive effects of pregnancy, yet only a handful of studies have specifically evaluated maternal attention. This will be the first study to investigate the effects of biological motherhood (M = 3.5 years postpartum) on attention network functioning. The Attention Network Test – Revised was selected to investigate mothers’ attentional network functioning during the years following childbirth. The current study examined alerting, orienting, and executive control attention scores in mothers and non-mothers. Self-report measures were also used to investigate the relationships between behaviorally tested attention and perceived stress and attentiveness. Findings indicated that mothers and non-mothers have similar alerting and orienting attention, but mothers had better executive control attention. Perceived attentiveness predicted orienting scores, with an inverse relationship between explicit feelings of attentiveness and the orienting attention response times indicates that subjective inattentiveness is related to slower orienting.
In-situ testing of organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules to examine modes of degradation in an arid-hot climate

The AzRISE-TEP Solar Test Yard is a 600-module capacity test bed that provides the environment for in-situ testing of PV module performance, with real-time data collection of module power production and local weather conditions. This work involves the examination of flexible, semi-transparent, organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules in an outdoor testing environment to study degradation in the hot, arid, Tucson, AZ climate. The work reports on changes in the I-V performance and efficiency of a string of two OPV modules in order to estimate degradation experienced by the OPV modules. The study finds that the module string under test dropped to below 80% of its initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) after 54.58 days, and predicts that the PCE will drop below 50% of its initial state after 114.53 days from deployment.
Disruption of Cav1.2-mediated signaling is a pathway for ketamine-induced pathology

The general anesthetic ketamine has been repurposed by physicians as an anti-depressant and by the public as a recreational drug. However, ketamine use can cause extensive pathological changes, including ketamine cystitis. The mechanisms of ketamine's anti-depressant and adverse effects remain poorly understood. Here we present evidence that ketamine is an effective L-type Ca2+ channel (Cav1.2) antagonist that directly inhibits calcium influx and smooth muscle contractility, leading to voiding dysfunction. Ketamine prevents Cav1.2-mediated induction of immediate early genes and transcription factors, and inactivation of Cav1.2 in smooth muscle mimics the ketamine cystitis phenotype. Our results demonstrate that ketamine inhibition of Cav1.2 signaling is an important pathway mediating ketamine cystitis. In contrast, Cav1.2 agonist Bay k8644 abrogates ketamine-induced smooth muscle dysfunction. Indeed, Cav1.2 activation by Bay k8644 decreases voiding frequency while increasing void volume, indicating Cav1.2 agonists might be effective drugs for treatment of bladder dysfunction.
Assessing and Diagnosing Eating Disorders in Boys and Men: An Overview

Diagnosis provides means of communication, may serve to validate a person’s experience, and can inform treatment. It is imperative for clinicians to utilize appropriate diagnostic tools and best practices when diagnosing eating disorders. There are several considerations to take into account when assessing and diagnosing eating disorders in boys and men. Recent years have seen an increase in studies examining eating disorder symptoms among boys and men, and the notion that these issues do not affect this population has been unequivocally dismissed. However, the effects of this historical gender disparity in the eating disorder field persist, and researchers are just beginning to more fully understand the sometimes distinct nature of eating disorders among boys and men.
Whitewashing Narratives: Israeli Media and the Framing of the Kidnapped Yemenite Babies Affair

This essay offers a review of ongoing media analysis of the kidnapped Yemenite Babies Affair in light of recent changes in public awareness since the emergence of social media and the more recent formal governmental recognition. It argues that the government’s efforts to silence this affair over decades would not have been possible without the media’s full cooperation. Moreover, the public denial of this affair contributes to the ongoing intra-Jewish rift and racism in Israeli society today. Questions regarding the reconciliation and remembrance of this affair in the public sphere will strongly influence the identity formation of Yemenite and Mizrahi children of future generations.
Pointlike Sets and Separation: A Personal Perspective

This is a personal survey about pointlike sets since their inception to roughly the present. Personal means that I make no attempt to be exhaustive, but rather to highlight things that have affected my research in the area or that I consider fundamental to the area. Pointlike sets, in the language of separation and covering problems, have become very popular now in Computer Science because of the truly amazing work of Place and Zeitoun on dot-depth and related hierarchies. I believe revisiting some of the older results will revive interest and provide perspective.
Sensing for Health, Vigour and Disease Detection in Row and Grain Crops

Maximum genetically possible crop growth and yield are inhibited by abiotic and or biotic stresses. Biotic stresses may include pests, insects or disease infestations whereas abiotic stress includes nutritional deficiencies. Sensors have been developed and are being developed to detect stresses and to assist in crop stress management. Decision support systems are being developed to help manage structured and unstructured crop stress issues. Weather prediction of disease and insect outbreaks help to assess the risk of these stresses over an area, but do not address the spatial variation of stress outbreak within a field. Most commercially developed sensors are remote sensing sensor technologies that use some form of normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) to address nitrogen (N) sufficiency or deficiency in crops. Sensors for detection of disease and insect infestations are still under development, and include ‘nose’ sensors to detect stress-specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs), digital imagery of individual leaves, fluorescence imagery and thermography. Effective remotely sensed strategies need to be easy to implement for general adoption by farmers and crop consultants.
The Military and the State in Central Asia: From Red Army to Independence

1: Central Asian Military during the Soviet Regime 2: "We Won the War": Competing Memories of the Soviet War in Afghanistan 3: Military Institutions as Part of State-Building during Independence 4: Russian Bear vs. Asian Tiger: Competing Regional Security Quasi-Regimes 5: NATO and the West in Central Asia 6: From Internationalist to Post-Soviet Nationalist Military Conclusions: What lies ahead?
Exponential Dichotomy of Nonlinear Systems of Ordinary Differential Equations

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses exponential dichotomy of nonlinear systems of ordinary differential equations. A dichotomy, exponential or ordinary, is a type of conditional stability. A linear differential equation possesses a dichotomy if there exists an invariant splitting or a continuous decomposition of the Euclidean space into stable and unstable subspaces. The concept of dichotomy was first formulated by Massera and Schaffer who demonstrated its effectiveness in dealing with the problems of asymptoticity, boundedness, and admissability in linear differential equations. Martin and Muldowney, respectively, introduced a generalized dichotomy that incorporates both exponential and ordinary dichotomies. It has been shown that the property of exponential dichotomy is rough in the sense that it is not destroyed by small perturbations of the coefficient matrix. The chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is a survey of known results on exponential dichotomies of linear systems. The second part consists of new results on exponential dichotomies of nonlinear systems.
Hope, Defense Mechanisms, and Adjustment: Implications for False Hope and Defensive Hopelessness

Two studies replicated and expanded an earlier finding that defense style plays a crucial role in the relation between hope and dysphoria (Kwon, 2000). Lower hope and higher defense style immaturity were each associated with greater dysphoria, depression proneness, and maladjustment. Individuals with low hope and low defense immaturity did not have poor outcomes, supporting the existence of a subtype of low hope (defensive hopelessness) that may have adaptive value. The combination of high hope and high defense immaturity was not associated with maladaptive outcomes, arguing against the false hope construct. Additionally, the findings remained after controlling for levels of anxiety. Thus, it appears that the results are not attributable to general distress or negative affectivity. Finally, domain-specific hope was shown to correlate most strongly with matching areas of adjustment, providing evidence for the validity of the construct.
The rhetorical strategy governing Aristotle's political teaching

Recent scholars (e.g., Bodeus 1993; Mara 2000; Smith 2001; Tessitore 1996) have fruitfully proposed that we must strive to understand Aristotle’s distinctive didactic strategy as a writer. By attending more to the interrelationship between the Ethics and the Politics, and to the contrast with modern liberal theorizing on the issue of educative strategy, I show how Aristotle’s rhetorical strategy is at once a reaction to, and thereby a revelation of, his most profound reflections on the fraught relation between theorizing and its political context. The upshot is threefold: a new, more satisfactory comprehension of Aristotle’s manifold educational aims in writing for his diverse intended audience; a deeper insight into Aristotle’s conception of the relation between theory and practice (including publication)—in profound contrast to our Enlightenment liberal conception; and a new guide for how Aristotle’s political treatises ought to be studied and appreciated.
Fine Structure of the Bacillus thuringiensis Spore

The thin-sectioned spore of Bacillus thuringiensis resembles that of Bacillus cereus in fine structure. Planar inclusions occur between the exosporium and spore coat and are structured differently from the parasporal crystal outside the exosporium.
Understanding the Theoretical and Empirical Content of Critiques of U.S. Job Creation Research

Although the hypothesis that small firms create the majority of net new jobs is widely believed, a number of researchers have attacked this using empirical data. Since these attacks have been presented as corrections of past methodological errors, their authors may influence policy makers. This paper argues that the substance of these attacks is a difference in theoretical perspectives even though the researchers claim to focus on methodological differences. This paper explains the two underlying economic theories and then reviews the job creation research to demonstrate the relationship between theory and methodology.
Breaking the ice! Predictors about communication between nonresident African American fathers and sons about sex

Background and purpose Research on communication between resident and nonresident African American fathers and their sons about sex has been understudied. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of parenting variables, specifically, racial socialization and father involvement on nonresident African American father–son communication about sex. Methods Data for this study are from the Fathers and Sons Project. This intervention study is designed to enhance relationships between nonresident African American fathers and their 8–12 year old sons and to prevent risky health behaviors among sons. The present study is based on 345 African American boys who completed baseline face-to-face interviews. The average age of the sons was 10.2 years old (SD = 1.4), with an average of two siblings (SD = 1.53). Results Age and sons’ perceptions of more parental monitoring by their fathers were predictive of increased communication about sex. Racial socialization messages explained additional variance in communication about sex above other parenting variables and controls. Implications for practice Findings suggest when working with African American families, providers who counsel parents, and in particular provide outreach to fathers regarding communication about sex, are in a unique position to enhance parenting communication skills about sexuality.
Interests and values in the Recommended Dietary Allowances and nutritional guidelines for Americans.

Evidence is provided showing that interests, values and belief systems have affected the development of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and nutrition guidelines for Americans in the past and can be expected to do so in the future. The conflicts of the 1980s relative to the nutritional guidelines for Americans and the RDAs illustrate the tension among values that can parallel a conflict of interests. In the conflicts of the 1980s, we saw an apparent conflict between those policies that attempt to optimize outcomes for a large class of affected parties and those policies that attempt to establish constraints on actions which appear to threaten individual autonomy and freedom of choice. The former approach derives from utilitarian, consequential moral philosophy which evaluates policies by evaluating costs and harms, and weighing them against benefits to all parties. The latter has its strongest advocates in contemporary libertarianism which takes individual freedom to be the bottom line. Ethical vegetarianism, a belief system which would limit RDAs and guidelines to those that can be translated to vegan and other vegetarian diets, has been a more recent entry into the discussions. Such human value issues suggest that a set of RDAs or of nutrition guidelines is analogous to and may be considered to be an ethic. An ethic is a theory reached via the method of reflective equilibrium that is a coherent ordered triple set of beliefs : a set of considered moral judgments, a set of moral principles, and a set of relevant scientific background theories. The reasoning, however, can become circular and unsound when the considered moral judgments, moral principles and relevant background are not independent sources of information. If they are mixed or, for example, an intuition is mistaken for a scientific conclusion, the reasoning can be flawed.
Cross-Talk in the Innate Immune System: Neutrophils Instruct Recruitment and Activation of Dendritic Cells during Microbial Infection

Type I inflammatory cytokines are essential for immunity to many microbial pathogens, including Toxoplasma gondii. Dendritic cells (DC) are key to initiating type 1 immunity, but neutrophils are also a source of chemokines and cytokines involved in Th1 response ignition. We found that T. gondii triggered neutrophil synthesis of CC chemokine ligand (CCL)3, CCL4, CCL5, and CCL20, chemokines that were strongly chemotactic for immature DC. Moreover, supernatants obtained from parasite-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes induced DC IL-12(p40) and TNF-alpha production. Parasite-triggered neutrophils also released factors that induced DC CD40 and CD86 up-regulation, and this response was dependent upon parasite-triggered neutrophil TNF-alpha production. In vivo evidence that polymorphonuclear leukocytes exert an important influence on DC activation was obtained by examining splenic DC cytokine production following infection of neutrophil-depleted mice. These animals displayed severely curtailed splenic DC IL-12 and TNF-alpha production, as revealed by ex vivo flow cytometric analysis and in vitro culture assay. Our results reveal a previously unrecognized regulatory role for neutrophils in DC function during microbial infection, and suggest that cross-talk between these cell populations is an important component of the innate immune response to infection.
Mate choice by wild and mass‐reared females of the Mediterranean fruit fly

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is used to control Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), but its effectiveness is limited by low sexual competitiveness of mass-reared males. This study investigated whether wild and mass-reared [from a temperature sensitive lethal (tsl) genetic sexing strain] females display similar mate preferences and thus exert similar selective forces on the evolution of male courtship behaviour. Wild females preferred wild males over tsl males, whereas tsl females mated indiscriminately. The probability that mounting resulted in copulation was related to the duration of pre-mount courtship for wild females, and wild males performed longer courtships than tsl males. Copulation occurred independently of courtship duration in tsl females. Counter to the aim of the SIT, female choice by tsl females appears to promote the evolution of male behaviour disfavoured by wild females.