cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Neural Crest Stem Cells Derived from Human ESCs and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Induction, Maintenance, and Differentiation into Functional Schwann Cells

The neural crest (NC) is a transient, multipotent, migratory cell population unique to vertebrates that gives rise to diverse cell lineages. Much of our knowledge of NC development comes from studies of organisms such as chicken and zebrafish because human NC is difficult to obtain because of its transient nature and the limited availability of human fetal cells. Here we examined the process of NC induction from human pluripotent stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We showed that NC cells could be efficiently induced from hESCs by a combination of growth factors in medium conditioned on stromal cells and that NC stem cells (NCSCs) could be purified by p75 using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). FACS-isolated NCSCs could be propagated in vitro in five passages and cryopreserved while maintaining NCSC identity characterized by the expression of a panel of NC markers such as p75, Sox9, Sox10, CD44, and HNK1. In vitro-expanded NCSCs were able to differentiate into neurons and glia (Schwann cells) of the peripheral nervous system, as well as mesenchymal derivatives. hESC-derived NCSCs appeared to behave similarly to endogenous embryonic NC cells when injected in chicken embryos. Using a defined medium, we were able to generate and propagate a nearly pure population of Schwann cells that uniformly expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100, and p75. Schwann cells generated by our protocol myelinated rat dorsal root ganglia neurons in vitro. To our knowledge, this is the first report on myelination by hESC- or iPSC-derived Schwann cells.
The combined use of chlorhexidine and fluoride therapy can reduce the risk for dental caries.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information A randomized clinical trial of anticaries therapies targeted according to risk assessment (caries management by risk assessment). Featherstone JDB, White JM, Hoover CI, Rapozo-Hilo M, Weintraub JA, Wilson RS, Zhan L, Gansky SA. Caries Res 2012;46(2):118-29. Reviewer Marcelle M. Nascimento, DDS, MS, PhD Purpose/Question The study sought to determine whether the use of preventive and restorative therapies based on individual caries risk for 2 years could reduce caries increment compared to traditional dental care provided at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry (UCSF) Source of Funding The main research support was provided by NIH/NIDCR and the oral products used in the study were provided by Proctor and Gamble, Omnii Oral Pharmaceuticals and Oral B Type of Study/Design Randomized controlled trial Level of Evidence Level 1: Good-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
MicroRNA-223 Regulates Cyclin E Activity by Modulating Expression of F-box and WD-40 Domain Protein 7

F-box and WD-40 domain protein 7 (Fbw7) provides substrate specificity for the Skp1-Cullin1-F-box protein (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complex that targets multiple oncoproteins for degradation, including cyclin E, c-Myc, c-Jun, Notch, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Fbw7 is a bona fide tumor suppressor, and loss-of-function mutations in FBXW7 have been identified in diverse human tumors. Although much is known about targets of the Fbw7 ubiquitin ligase pathway, relatively little is known about the regulation of Fbw7 expression. We identified a panel of candidate microRNA regulators of Fbw7 expression within a study of gene expression alterations in primary erythroblasts obtained from cyclin ET74A T393A knock-in mice, which have markedly dysregulated cyclin E expression. We found that overexpression of miR-223, in particular, significantly reduces FBXW7 mRNA levels, increases endogenous cyclin E protein and activity levels, and increases genomic instability. We next confirmed that miR-223 targets the FBXW7 3′-untranslated region. We then found that reduced miR-223 expression in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts leads to increased Fbw7 expression and decreased cyclin E activity. Finally, we found that miR-223 expression is responsive to acute alterations in cyclin E regulation by the Fbw7 pathway. Together, our data indicate that miR-223 regulates Fbw7 expression and provide the first evidence that activity of the SCFFbw7 ubiquitin ligase can be modulated directly by the microRNA pathway.
Mouse Macrophage Derived Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-3: cDNA Cloning and Identification as MARC/FIC

Abstract When the mouse macrophage cell line WEHI-3 is triggered with LPS it produces proteases and secondary cytokines including interleukin-6 and chemokines. In an attempt to isolate the mouse homologue of the human monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3), a cDNA library from LPS-stimulated WEHI-3 cells was screened with the full-size human MCP-3 cDNA. The longest cDNA out of several positive clones was sequenced and encoded a protein of 97 residues. Except for a third codon letter mismatch it was identical to the mouse MARC cDNA and encoded the MARC protein. The murine Fic cDNA, which encodes a Marc-mutant protein with an arginine substition for alanine, was not identified in the other sequenced homologous isolates. Similar to the human system, in which MCP-3 is most related to MCP-1, MURINE MCP-3 was found to be more homologous to mouse MCP-1/JE than to other murine C-C chemokines. We therefore postulate that MARC/FIC is the mouse MCP-3.
Managing external risks to health technology assessment programs.

Objectives The aim of this study was to develop a guide to identifying and managing risks for health technology assessment (HTA) programs and to obtain opinions on this topic from HTA agencies. Methods The risks and approaches to their management were compiled, drawing on experiences from HTA programs and the risk assessment literature. Opinion on this classification was obtained from members of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA). Results Twenty-one risks for HTA programs were identified under the categories Formulation of HTA Questions, Preparation of the HTA Product, Dissemination, and Contracting. For each risk area, potential consequences and suggested management approaches were outlined. Responses from ten HTA programs indicated substantial agreement regarding the risks that had been identified and on the importance of risk management for their own operations. Conclusions Prudent management of HTA programs should take into account the risks related to external factors.
A prominence account of syllable reduction in early speech development: the child's prosodic phonology of tiger and giraffe.

When young children produce multiword utterances and words that are polysyllabic in adult speech, they are most likely to omit unstressed syllables. Because unstressed syllables are omitted more of...
Description of Prenoceratops pieganensis gen. et sp. nov. (Dinosauria: Neoceratopsia) from the Two Medicine Formation of Montana

ABSTRACT A new basal neoceratopsian genus and species, Prenoceratops pieganensis, is described from the Two Medicine Formation of Montana. This material represents the only bone-bed deposition of a basal neoceratopsian currently known, and in addition is almost entirely disarticulated allowing for a more thorough understanding of basal neoceratopsian cranial morphology. The new taxon is characterized by a lower, more sloping head than in Leptoceratops, with a nasal that is pinched caudally, a wide, triangular jugal, extremely gracile surangular, and reduced articular among other autapomorphies. A preliminary cladistic analysis unites Prenoceratops firmly with the other North American basal neoceratopsians (and one Asian taxon) in the clade Leptoceratopsidae.
Lipidomics reveals that adiposomes store ether lipids and mediate phospholipid traffic.

Lipid droplets are accumulations of neutral lipids surrounded by a monolayer of phospholipids and associated proteins. Recent proteomic analysis of isolated droplets suggests that they are part of a dynamic organelle system that is involved in membrane traffic as well as packaging and distributing lipids in the cell. To gain a better insight into the function of droplets, we used a combination of mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy to characterize the lipid composition of this compartment. In addition to cholesteryl esters and triacylglycerols with mixed fatty acid composition, we found that ∼10–20% of the neutral lipids were the ether lipid monoalk(en)yl diacylglycerol. Although lipid droplets contain only 1–2% phospholipids by weight, >160 molecular species were identified and quantified. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) was the most abundant class, followed by phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol, and ether-linked phosphatidylcholine (ePC). Relative to total membrane, droplet phospholipids were enriched in lysoPE, lysoPC, and PC but deficient in sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidic acid. These results suggest that droplets play a central role in ether lipid metabolism and intracellular lipid traffic.
The k -ball l -path branch weight centroid

Abstract If x is a vertex of a tree T of radius r, if k and l are integers, if 0 ⩽ k ⩽ r, 0⩽ l ⩽ r, and if P is an l-path with one end at x, then define β(x; k, P) to be the number of vertices of T that are reachable from x via the l-path P and that are outside of the k-ball about x. That is, β(x;k,P) = ∣{yϵV(T):y is reachable from x via P,d(x,y) > k}∣. Define the k-ball l-path branch weight of x, denoted β(x;k,l), to be max {β(x;k,P):P an l-path with one end at x}, and define the k-balll-path branch weight centroid of T, denoted B(T;k,l), to be the set xϵV(T): β(x;k,l) ⩽ β(y;k,l), yϵV(T). This two-parameter family of central sets in T includes the one-parameter family of central sets called the k-nuclei introduced by Slater (1981) which has been shown to be the one parameter family of central sets called the k-branch weight centroids by Zaw Win (1993). It also includes the one-parameter family of central sets called the k-ball branch weight centroid introduced by Reid (1991). In particular, this new family contains the classical central sets, the center and the median (which Zelinka (1968) showed is the ordinary branch weight centroid). The sets obtained for particular values of k and l are examined, and it is shown that for many values they consist of one vertex or two adjacent vertices.
A METHOD FOR PARALLEL SEARCH UNDER HIGHER-ORDER CONSTRAINTS

There is a relation between the old hill-climbing method and the optimization which is performed by neural nets. This view gives rise to a parallel search method which is presented in this paper. The search mechanism is guided by the optimization of a function which is inspired by the electrostatic field. It is also shown here that this mechanism can naturally accommodate higher-order constraints which the result of the search must satisfy. It is also shown how such constraints can be systematically accommodated by simply expanding the function whose optimization guides the search. This mechanism simulates a dynamic transformation of a cue in which constraints and observational background knowledge compete to influence the transformation.
Predicting HIV drug resistance with neural networks.

Motivation: Drug resistance is a very important factor influencing the failure of current HIV therapies. The ability to predict the drug resistance of HIV protease mutants may be useful in developing more effective and longer lasting treatment regimens. Methods: The HIV resistance is predicted to two current protease inhibitors, Indinavir and Saquinavir. The problem was approached from two perspectives. First, a predictor was constructed based on the structural features of the HIV protease‐drug inhibitor complex. A particular structure was represented by its list of contacts between the inhibitor and the protease. Next, a classifier was constructed based on the sequence data of various drug resistant mutants. In both cases, self-organizing maps were first used to extract the important features and cluster the patterns in an unsupervised manner. This was followed by subsequent labelling based on the known patterns in the training set. Results: The prediction performance of the classifiers wa sm easured by cross-validation. The classifier using the structure information correctly classified previously unseen mutants with an accuracy of between 60 and 70%. Several architectures were tested on the more abundant sequence data. The best single classifier provided an accuracy of 68% and a coverage of 69%. Multiple networks were then combined into various majority voting schemes. The best combination yielded an average of 85% coverage and 78% accuracy on previously unseen data. This is more than two times better than the 33% accuracy expected from a random classifier. Contact: Sorin Dr˘
Diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers: predicting which ones will not heal.

Abstract Purpose Neuropathic foot ulcers are a serious complication of diabetes. The purpose of this study was to develop a clinically useful prognostic model for identifying ulcers that are not likely to heal. Methods Using an administrative and medical records database from a large wound care system, we designed a cohort study of patients with diabetic neuropathic foot ulcer. Clinicians followed a standard algorithm of good wound care, wound debridement, and wound offloading. The outcome was a healed wound by week 20 of care. For patients with more than one wound, we investigate the wound labeled as the primary wound. We evaluated several prognostic models of varying mathematical complexity. Results We studied 27,630 patients with a diabetic neuropathic foot ulcer, of whom 12,983 (47%) healed by week 20 of care. The simplest model counted 1 point each if the wound was older than 2 months, larger than 2 cm 2 , or had a grade ≥3 (on a 6-point scale). The likelihood that a wound would not heal was 0.35 for a count of 0, 0.47 for a count of 1, 0.66 for a count of 2, and 0.81 for a count of 3 in the validation data set. Conclusion A simple prognostic model can be developed using prognostic factors that are already part of the wound care examination. Applications of this model could include determining who will do well with standard care and as an aid in the design of clinical trials.
Genome wide analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression changes in the mouse lung following subchronic arsenate exposure

Alterations in DNA methylation have been proposed as a mechanism for the complex toxicological effects of arsenic. In this study, whole-genome DNA methylation and gene expression changes were evaluated in lungs from female mice exposed for 90 days to 50 ppm arsenate (As) in drinking water. DNA methylation changes were measured using reduced representation bisulfite deep sequencing. Differential methylation was observed in approximately 700 and 1900 start and transcribed regions, respectively. The start regions showed bias toward decreased methylation. No bias was observed in the transcribed region. A comparison of absolute methylation levels in the control animals with treatment-related changes in methylation showed that baseline methylation levels play a role in determining which genes are methylated. Genes with low absolute methylation levels in the start region showed a trend toward increased As-related methylation and decreased expression. Genes with high levels of methylation in the transcribed region showed at rend toward decreased As-related methylation, but no change in expression. No overall correlation between treatment-related changes in methylation and expression was identified. Among genes showing differential methylation in the start region and differential expression, only 57% showed an inverse correlation. The results suggest that differential methylation following As treatment may only play a permissive role in regulating expression. Despite the low correlation, the subset of 17 genes that showed an inverse relationship between As-related methylation and expression included a substantial number that has been demonstrated to play a functional role in cancer-related processes and other effects consistent with arsenic exposure.
A Combinatorial Approach for Classification of Patterns with Missing Information and Random Orientation

A maximum likelihood approach is developed for a pattern recognition problem where the patterns are described by configurations of simple easily recognized parts called primitives. The approach is capable of dealing with three types of noise: measurement noise in the location and shape of observed primitives, undetected or missing primitives (leakage), and the unexpected appearance of extra primitives (false alarms). The approach is called combinatorial because the likelihood function dictates that observed primitives must be assigned to known primitives in all possible combinations. Due to the complexity of the likelihood function, practical classifiers must be based on likelihood function approximations. Several are proposed, and most of these are simple enough to be used in a gradient search strategy for recognizing distorted patterns with random orientations. Examples are included to show the characteristics of combinatorial classifier performance.
What Makes Events Extreme

More than two decades ago, I participated in the launch of two journals with my colleague James K. Mitchell: Global Environmental Change (as founding book review editor) in 1990 and Environmental Hazards (as founding co-editor) in 1999. Global Environmental Change focused on the policy dimensions of socioecological systems at a time when much of the research was limited to natural science perspectives. Environmental Hazards aimed at the dynamic and enduring nature of human engagement with risky environments, incorporating both natural and social science research. Today, both journals continue to publish cutting-edge integrated research on human-environment interactions and are among the premier outlets for social science global change and hazards research. As the complexity of human-environment interactions becomes more apparent and our methods and models advance understanding of such complex systems, uncertainties in the patterns, processes, and impacts of change remain, whether these originate in human systems, environmental systems, or their intersection. It is the burgeoning concerns about weather and climate extremes and surprises in human-environmental systems prompted the launch of this new journal. The publication of Journal of Extreme Events provides an opportunity for reflection on how we have come to understand the interactions between human and natural systems functioning not only in the past, but at present, and into the future. There have always been extreme events and extreme consequences that impaired or altered the operation of natural systems, human systems, or both. One can easily think of the 1930s Dust Bowl as an example (Worster 2004). The meteorological drought in the Great Plains began in 1930 and lasted until 1939, when the rains returned. Pre-existing human conditions magnified the drought’s impact not only during the 1930s but long afterward. Rapid settlement and agricultural development during previous decades (which were wetter) led to unsustainable practices J Extreme Events, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2014) 1402001 (4 pages) © World Scientific Publishing Company DOI: 10.1142/S2345737614020011
Making Your Case: Ten Questions for Departments and Individuals Building an Argument for Work in Discipline-Centered Education

Introduction In our chapter, "Is the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning New to Chemistry?," Dennis Jacobs and I outlined the different ways in which education-focused faculty members have been represented in departments of chemistry (Coppola & Jacobs, 2002). Briefly, these include (a) a long-standing tradition of chemistry professors publishing in the 86-year-old Journal of Chemical Education, (b) the rise of the “chemical educators,” as a division of the American Chemical Society, (c) the growth of the Chemical Education Research community (similar to the disciplinary education research communities in physics and biology), and (d) those who have been exploring their students’ experience through the scholarship of teaching and learning. Our reply to the titular question (“perhaps”) is as true today as it was then. In the meantime, the American Chemical Society has issued an updated statement on scholarship in chemistry (ACS, 2007), and a task force on hiring and promotion in chemical education has published guidance to faculty candidates who are seeking education-related positions (Bauer, et al., 2008). I support strongly the nonseparatist tenet of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) conversation, that is, where all professors are, by definition, collectively responsible for advancing teaching and learning in more intentional and less haphazard way than most currently are (Coppola, 2007). In this essay, however, I wish to take up a related issue, namely, the integration of education-focused faculty positions within the traditional disciplinary unit.
53.3: New Color Filter Structures for Transflective TFT - LCD

We have developed the novel color filter structure suitable for our transflective ‘Advanced TFT-LCD’. In this paper, characteristics of the CF and display performance of improved ‘Advanced TFT-LCD’ with high display-quality are discussed.
Guide for Shear-Wave-Based Liquefaction Potential Evaluation:

Abstract Small-strain shear-wave velocity measurements provide a promising approach to liquefaction potential evaluation. In some cases, where only seismic measurements are possible, it may be the only alternative to the penetration-based approach. Various investigators have developed relationships between shear wave velocity and liquefaction resistance. Successful application of any liquefaction evaluation method requires that procedures used in their development also be used in their application. This paper presents detailed guidelines for applying the procedure described in Andrus and Stokoe that was developed using suggestions from two workshops and following the general format of the Seed-Idriss simplified procedure. Correction factors to velocity and liquefaction resistance for soil aging are suggested. Based on the work by Juang et. al., factors of safety of 1.0, 1.2, and 1.5 correspond to probabilities of liquefaction of about 0.26, 0.16, and 0.08, respectively. Additional field performance data a...
Identifying influential agents for advertising in multi-agent markets

The question of how to influence people in a large social system is a perennial problem in marketing, politics, and publishing. It differs from more personal inter-agent interactions that occur in negotiation and argumentation since network structure and group membership often pay a more significant role than the content of what is being said, making the messenger more important than the message. In this paper, we propose a new method for propagating information through a social system and demonstrate how it can be used to develop a product advertisement strategy in a simulated market. We consider the desire of agents toward purchasing an item as a random variable and solve the influence maximization problem in steady state using an optimization method to assign the advertisement of available products to appropriate messenger agents. Our market simulation accounts for the 1) effects of group membership on agent attitudes 2) has a network structure that is similar to realistic human systems 3) models inter-product preference correlations that can be learned from market data. The results show that our method is significantly better than network analysis methods based on centrality measures.
Pattern-based Hybrid Intelligent Control for Rotary Kiln Process

Rotary kiln process is a strongly coupled multivariable nonlinear system with large lag. It has complex control target with less manipulate variables than controlled variables, and the boundary conditions vary frequently and severely during operation. Most rotary kilns are still under manual control such that the burning status cannot be maintained stable, the product quality is hard to be kept consistent and energy consumption remains at high level. To deal with this problem, this paper presents a pattern-based hybrid intelligent control strategy. Because of the vital importance of the burning zone temperature, several patterns representing kiln operation conditions are distinguished through burning zone temperature pattern recognition. A MIMO supervisory fuzzy controller is designed to address qualitative decoupling among controlled variables in the normal regulation phase, and a human mimic controller is employed to avoid overshoot when process large disturbance happens in the abnormal regulation phase. The two controllers are switched by the pattern recognition model, with their parameters tuned also by the pattern recognition model. This pattern-based hybrid intelligent control approach has been implemented in DCS and successfully applied in an alumina rotary kiln. Satisfactory results have shown that the adaptability and performances of the control system have been improved effectively, and remarkable benefit has been obtained.
Cyclone-cyclone Interactions through the Ocean Pathway

The intense sea surface temperature cooling caused by tropical cyclone-induced mixing lasts several weeks and may thus influence a later cyclone passing over it. Using a 28 year analysis spanning the North Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and Northwest Pacific, we systematically demonstrate that, on average, when tropical cyclones encounter lingering wakes, they experience sea surface temperatures that are ∼0.25-0.5 ◦ C colder. Consequently, the intensification rates are ∼0.4-0.7 ms −1 36 h lower for cyclones when they interact with wakes, consistent with the maximum potential intensity theory. The probability for cyclones to encounter lingering wakes varies positively with cyclone frequency, is ∼10% on average, and has been as high as 27%-37% in the past. These large interaction probabilities reduce the mean intensification rates for cyclones by 3%-6% on average and by ∼12%-15% during the most active years. "Cyclone-cyclone interactions" may therefore represent a mechanism through which tropical cyclones self-regulate their activity to an extent on intraseasonal time scales.
The Physical/Chemical Closed-Loop Life Support Research Project

The various elements of the Physical/Chemical Closed-Loop Life Support Research Project (P/C CLLS) are described including both those currently funded and those planned for implementation at ARC and other participating NASA field centers. The plan addresses the entire range of regenerative life support for Space Exploration Initiative mission needs, and focuses initially on achieving technology readiness for the Initial Lunar Outpost by 1995-97. Project elements include water reclamation, air revitalization, solid waste management, thermal and systems control, and systems integration. Current analysis estimates that each occupant of a space habitat will require a total of 32 kg/day of supplies to live and operate comfortably, while an ideal P/C CLLS system capable of 100 percent reclamation of air and water, but excluding recycling of solid wastes or foods, will reduce this requirement to 3.4 kg/day.
Hyperthyroidism decreases thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene expression in the caudal raphe nuclei and the parapyramidal regions in rats.

Altered thyroid statuses are associated with autonomic disorders. Medullary thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and substance P (SP) regulate autonomic nervous activity. The influences of thyroid statuses on TRH and SP gene expressions in the caudal raphe nuclei and the parapyramidal regions were studied using quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry. In male rats thyroidectomized (Tx) for 30 days, the serum T4 levels decreased by 64% and the medullary pro-TRH mRNA signals (silver grains per neuron) significantly increased by 32–45%. These changes were prevented by daily i.p. T4 (2 μg/100 g) injection in Tx rats. In sham operated/T4 (20 μg/100 g, daily) injected rats, T4 levels significantly increased by 88% and the silver grains decreased by 38–40%. Medullary SP mRNA signals were not significantly changed by altering thyroid status. These results support the concept that thyroid hormone regulates medullary TRH gene expression by negative feedback.
Comprehending Conceptual Anaphors

Abstract English pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number. But in some situations, pronouns violate this constraint, as in “I think I'll order a frozen margarita. I just love them.” Three situations are identified in which such violations occur: (1) Plural (and technically illegal) pronouns are used to refer to frequently or multiply occurring items or events (as opposed to a unique item/event); (2) plural pronouns are used to refer to generic types (as opposed to a specific token); and (3) plural pronouns are used to refer to animate members of a collective set (as opposed to an individual member of a set). When sentences contained illegal, plural pronouns that referred to multiple items/events, generic types or collective sets, they were rated more natural (Experiment 1) and comprehended more rapidly (Experimcnt 2) than when the same sentences contained legal, singular pronouns. But when the sentences contained legal, singular pronouns and referred to unique items/events, specific tokens or ...
Enhancing the effectiveness of utilizing an instruction register file

This paper describes the outcomes of the NSF Grant CNS-0615085: CSR-EHS: enhancing the effectiveness of utilizing an instruction register file. We improved promoting instructions to reside in the IRF and adapted compiler optimizations to better utilize an IRF. We show that an IRF can decrease the execution time penalty of using an LO/filter cache while further reducing energy consumption. Finally, we introduce a tagless hit instruction cache that significantly reduces energy consumption without increasing execution time.
Reward currency modulates human risk preferences

Abstract Monetary and biological rewards differ in many ways. Yet studies of human decision-making typically involve money, whereas nonhuman studies involve food. We therefore examined how context shifts human risk preferences to illuminate the evolution of decision-making. First, we assessed peoples' risk preferences across food, prizes, and money in a task where individuals received real rewards and learned about payoffs through experience. We found that people were relatively more risk-seeking for both food and prizes compared to money—indicating that people may treat abstract reward markers differently from concrete rewards. Second, we compared human risk preferences for food with that of our closest phylogenetic relatives, chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) and bonobos ( Pan paniscus ), in order to illuminate the evolutionary origins of human decision-making strategies. In fact, human and chimpanzees were both relatively more risk-seeking compared to bonobos. Finally, we investigated why people respond differently to money versus concrete rewards when making decisions. We found that people were more risk-prone when making decisions about money that was constrained as a store of value, compared to money that could be freely exchanged. This shows that people are sensitive to money's usefulness as a store of value that can be used to acquire other types of rewards. Our results indicate that humans exhibit different preferences when making risky decisions about money versus food, an important consideration for comparative research. Furthermore, different psychological processes may underpin decisions about abstract rewards compared to concrete rewards.
How heavy can the fermions in split supersymmetry be? A study on the gravitino and the extradimensional lightest supersymmetric partner

In recently introduced split supersymmetry (SUSY) theories, in which the scale of SUSY breaking is very high, the requirement that the relic abundance of the lightest superpartner (LSP) provides the dark matter of the Universe leads to the prediction of fermionic superpartners around the weak scale. This is no longer obviously the case if the LSP is a hidden sector field, such as a gravitino or another hidden sector fermion, so it is interesting to study this scenario. We consider the case in which the next-lightest superpartner (NLSP) freezes out with its thermal relic abundance, and then it decays to the LSP. We use the constraints from big bang nucleosynthesis and cosmic microwave background, together with the requirement of attaining gauge coupling unification and that the LSP abundance provides the dark matter of the Universe, to infer the allowed superpartner spectrum. As very good news for detection of split SUSY at LHC, we find that if the gravitino is the LSP, then the only allowed NLSP has to be very purely photinolike. In this case, a photino from 700 GeV to 5 TeV is allowed, which is difficult to test at LHC. We also study the case where the LSPmore » is given by a light fermion in the hidden sector which is naturally present in SUSY breaking in extra dimensions. We find that, in this case, a generic NLSP is allowed to be in the range 1-20 TeV, while a bino NLSP can be as light as tens of GeV.« less
Nutrition and Growth

One of the major criteria utilized in establishing a nutrient as essential is the failure of an animal to grow normally when that nutrient is removed from an otherwise well-balanced diet, followed by a resumption of normal growth upon its restoration. It is no wonder then that the relationship between nutrition and growth is an intimate one, directed by millions of years of evolutionary adaptation reflecting interrelationships among habitat, morphology, physiology, and behavior. The growth pattern which leads the individual to the mature state is provided by the genotype, while the processes of metabolism and regulation which actualize that pattern utilize, as raw material, the nutrients provided by the diet. A wide variety of nutrients have been shown to be essential for human growth, maintenance, and function, as seen in Table 1. While this list reflects the current state of nutritional knowledge, it may very well be incomplete. Nevertheless, it indicates the broad range of substances that is necessary for normal human existence which must be supplied by the diet.
Demanding an ‘adequate solution:’ the American Legion, the Immigration Act of 1924, and the politics of exclusion

AbstractThis article analyses the American Legion’s role in developing a discourse of exclusion surrounding the Immigration Act of 1924. The Legion strategically used the political rhetoric of states’ rights and federalism in addition to racist and nativist language to emphasise the need for increased federal restrictions on immigration. The arguments found in the Legion’s resolutions, pamphlets and testimony to Congress place the organisation’s emphasis on the political disruptions caused by Japanese migrants within the context of evolving immigration reform. The Legion’s activism in exclusion contributes to an understanding of the history of states’ rights and federalism tropes in anti-immigrant arguments during the twentieth century.
Genetic variation in photoperiodism among naturally photoperiodic rat strains.

Rattus norvegicus has been considered nonphotoperiodic, but Fischer 344 (F344) rats are inhibited in growth and reproductive development by short photoperiod (SD). We tested photoresponsiveness of ...
Evidence-Based Health Promotion in Nursing Homes: A Pilot Intervention to Improve Oral Health.

ABSTRACTNursing home residents over the age of 65 years are at high risk for poor oral health and related complications such as pneumonia and adverse diabetes outcomes. A preliminary study found that Massachusetts’ nursing homes generally lack the training and resources needed to provide adequate oral health care to residents. In this study, an intervention targeting Certified Nurses’ Aides (CNAs) was developed and tested. We hypothesized that following the training, CNAs would have increased knowledge and self-efficacy toward providing oral health care to the residents in their charge.This pilot study used a one-group pretest-posttest design to test the effectiveness of a psycho-educational training intervention. Utilizing the constructs of knowledge and self-efficacy from the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Social Cognitive Theory, we framed the content of a training intervention and administered a 21-item instrument. The survey was distributed to the CNA staff of a single midsize nursing home immedi...
The War Within: A Fractal Analysis of Double Consciousness

In The Souls of Black Folks (1903), W. E. B. Du Bois poses a critical question that has withstood the test of time: “How does it feel to be a problem?” Being treated as an outsider cultivates a “twoness,” an internal struggle to reconcile “two warring ideals”: one side as an American, and the other side as an African/Black American. While there are numerous qualitative studies that have examined this issue, there is no quantitative or triangulative work on it. This paper therefore seeks to fill this void by demonstrating the fractal complexities of racism and its role in the formation of Black political attitudes and behavior based on Du Bois’ seminal work. The paper argues that a "double consciousness" exists amongst African Americans as members of a marginalized group in America. Systematically testing this postulate called for the utilization of the pluridisciplinary approach that allowed for the mixture of linguistics and mathematical approaches — more precisely, Linguistic Presupposition and Fractal Methodology. The results yielded, after the MATLAB computer runs, suggest that the combination of negative and positive feedback loops, which form the basis of several African knowledge systems, also form a key mechanism of the general self-organizing systems discussed in The Souls of Black Folks. In essence, although faced with insurmountable odds, gnoseology (i.e. “positive intuitive thinking”) is present in Du Bois’ text, which indicates a duality within Black political thought.
A Review of the Genus Neogonatopus for North America (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae)

The genus Neogonatopus Perkins is redescribed. Keys are included to separate genera in the Gonatopodinae and species of Neogonatopus . Seven species are included in the genus as follows: ombrodes Perkins [= punctatus (Fenton)]; contortulus (Patton) ; pallidiceps Perkins; agropyrus (Fenton); niger (Fenton) ; fentoni , n. sp.; and grandis , n. sp. Other species previously placed in Neogonatopus are removed as follows: brunnescens Perkins, erythrodes Perkins and obscurissimus Perkins all transferred to Gonatopus; mimus Perkins transferred to Agonatopus; mimoides Perkins transferred to Epigonatopus; and longitarsus (Ashmead) transferred to either Pseudogonatopus or Haplogonatopus . Illustrations are included for most known males and females of all species. Present distributions and some rearing information are also given.
A Spectral Analysis of the Frequency of Supermarket Visits

This article reports the results of a study which examined a very simple phenomenon, the incidence of trips to supermarkets by consumers. Shopping trips were chosen because they are basic to the description of consumer behavior and because there is a growing interest in this area. Several store choice studies [1, 3, 4, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17] using methodologies other than the one employed here have recently appeared. Supermarkets were selected because they are the major recipient of the consumer's available shopping time and shopping dollar. A priori expectations were that the incidence of trips to supermarkets by consumers should be related to consumers' demand for supermarket products and to consumers' available time for shopping, i.e., disposable time. Shopping frequency was believed to be positively related to both. It was also expected that families with little disposable time should display more consistent shopping patterns than families with more disposable time. These expectations stem from empirical evidence and from a simulation analysis of consumer movement [10].
Biochemical Variation and Systematics of Peromyscus pectoralis

The genetic structure of 21 populations of P. pectoralis has been analyzed through electrophoretically demonstrable variation in proteins encoded by 17 to 21 structural loci. A wide range in levels of heterozygosity, 0.0 to 0.178, with a mean of 0.05, and levels of genetic similarity, 0.691 to 0.991, with a mean of 0.829, were exhibited among populations of P. pectoralis . This variation in levels of heterozygosity and genetic similarity is thought to be the result of colonization and, hence, genetic contribution from populations from three Pleistocene refugia with differentiated gene pools. With the removal of the primary isolation barriers, gene exchange between populations derived from different refugia have produced populations with high levels of heterozygosity. Because individual populations of P. pectoralis have received their genetic makeup from one to three different gene pools, they exhibit lower levels of genetic similarity than observed among most conspecific populations of this genus.
ACTH effects on aldosterone, cortisol, and other steroids.

The role of ACTH in the regulation of mineralocorticoid synthesis and secretion is complex. In zona glomerulosa cells, its effect is powerful but transient and ultimately negative. Its inhibitory effect on aldosterone may be mediated indirectly by its positive effect on cortisol synthesis. In zona fasciculata cells, ACTH is a major regulator of mineralocorticoid biosynthesis.
Improved accuracy of sperm motility assessment using a modified Micro-Cell * sperm counting chamber

Objective To assess the effect of modifications made in the Micro-Cell sperm counting chamber on the motility of washed human spermatozoa. Design In a 2×2 experimental design, human sperm samples were washed with or without protein supplementation, loaded into modified or unmodified Micro-Cell chambers, and assessed by automated semen analysis for changes associated with sperm adhesion to the glass chamber surfaces. Participants Twenty-one men who were undergoing semen analysis and presented with ≥50% motile sperm, or normal donors. Main Outcome Measures Reduced motility and elevated lateral head displacement associated with sperm adhesion to glass surfaces were compared using a doubly repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Addition of protein to the sperm washing solution partially reversed the adhesion of spermatozoa to the glass of unmodified Micro-Cell chambers. Chambers manufactured to reduce cell adhesion to glass surfaces yielded the highest motility and lowest lateral head displacement, whether the sperm were washed in a solution supplemented with or without protein. Conclusion These findings indicate that, as in raw semen, kinematics of washed sperm can be measured reliably in the modified Micro-Cell chamber.
Heparin binding to resting and activated platelets.

Heparin inhibits platelet function and can cause thrombocytopenia. In an effort to understand these phenomena, we have measured the binding of (3H)-heparin to resting and stimulated platelets. In platelet-rich plasma, a single class of saturable heparin binding sites was observed (apparent dissociation constant [kd] approximately 0.55 microgram/mL, R approximately 0.059 microgram/10(9) cells). In gel-filtered platelets, a similar class of sites was present but with a greater binding capacity (apparent kd approximately 0.56 microgram/mL, R approximately 0.44 microgram/10(9) cells). Gel-filtered platelets that had been stimulated with thrombin displayed two classes of binding sites: a high- affinity class (apparent kd1 approximately 1.1 microgram/mL, R1 approximately 0.39 microgram/10(9) cells) corresponding to that of the unstimulated cells, and a low-affinity class (apparent kd2 approximately 13 micrograms/mL, R2 approximately 2.2 micrograms/10(9) cells). Heparin binding was also increased in platelet-rich plasma when the cells had been stimulated by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to release, but not when ADP caused primary aggregation without release. Binding was not dependent on extracellular calcium, nor was it reduced by monoclonal antibodies to platelet membrane glycoproteins Ia/IIa, Ib, IIb/IIIa, or IV. Because the apparent dissociation constant of the high- affinity sites (approximately 0.55 microgram/mL) falls in the range of heparin concentrations achieved clinically, these binding sites may be involved in the platelet dysfunction and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia associated with therapeutic heparin. The low-affinity, high-capacity class of sites, which appears after cell stimulation, may participate in the process of platelet adhesion.
Priorities for the Priority Review Voucher

Abstract The U.S. Congress created the priority review voucher program in 2007 to encourage development of drugs for neglected diseases. Under the voucher program, the developer of a drug for a neglected or rare pediatric disease that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration receives a bonus priority review voucher for another drug. As of 2016, four vouchers have sold for an average price of $200 million. Recent experience with the voucher program indicates strengths and weaknesses of the program, as well as a need for legislative changes.
The Apex of Kant Studies

The first decade of the twentieth century saw a marked interest in Kant, much of which was stimulated by Russian students studying for a period in Germany, where neo-Kantianism was the ubiquitous philosophical movement. The interests of these Russian students often mirrored the dominant concerns of the German neo-Kantian school they had attended. Even female students, barred from Russian universities and forced to study elsewhere in Europe, returned to Russia and discussed Kant’s thought.
Effect of catalytically active Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 coating on the heterogeneous combustion of methane within MgO stabilized ZrO2 porous ceramics

Abstract Within this work, a MgO stabilized ZrO2 (MSZ) porous media with and without a gadolinia doped ceria (Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9, GDC) catalyst coating has been evaluated in heterogeneous combustion of mixtures of methane and air at different equivalence ratios inside of a porous combustor. The temperature distribution within the combustion chamber along with optical and acoustic emissions profiles from the exhaust side of the combustion chamber has been analyzed to characterize performance of the combustor. It was shown that enhancement of MgO–ZrO2 ceramic surfaces with up to 5 wt% GDC ceramic coating provides a significant enhancement to the chemical reactions occurring during heterogeneous combustion. The placement of the GDC catalyst enables (i) higher temperatures through the combustion chamber; (ii) increases in maximum heating rates for fixed reactant flow rates; as well as (iii) extending the operating limits of the combustor.
Blending Cultures via Computer: New Media Artists of China

The digital studio is used as a kind of culture blender, and then the Internet itself is used to disperse the cultural cocktails to the far ends of the globe. Contemporary Chinese artists have recently appropriated imagery and ideas from European high art and popular culture, blending them with modern Chinese political concerns, and propagating these amalgamations over the Internet to an international audience. The European and American receptors of these artworks are eager to interpret the commentaries within the works from their own political perspective. By drawing upon imagery and ideas from two or more cultures, artists can reach a broader international audience through their art. Whether the blending of cultural imagery and compositions in the work of contemporary Chinese artists is a conscious mutilation of traditional art or not, the fact that it grabs the attention of an international audience gives it strength and makes it a powerful medium for communication. Recognizable imagery attracts viewers by allowing them to grasp a known image and contemplate the unknown in a familiar context. By mixing cultural concepts, international ideas are spawned and disseminated.