cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrieving the Virtues in Psychotherapy: Thick and Thin Discourse

This article considers the possibility that democratic liberalism is a virtue tradition. Given the centrality of the liberal tradition in American psychotherapy, the clinician risks imposing a particular set of virtues on the ethnic or religious client. A review of the historical and philosophical foundations of liberalism suggests that psychotherapy is a moral encounter based on its handling of virtue language. Liberal psychotherapy may, when it displaces the client’s tradition, contribute to a departicularized self. Drawing on the thought of Alasdair MacIntyre and Michael Walzer, an argument is developed that the meaning and cultivation of virtue is context dependent. Suggestions are offered for a tradition-sensitive psychotherapy that functions emically within the client’s own virtue grammar. A concluding case study illustrates tradition-sensitive, virtue psychotherapy with a conservative Jewish seminary student.
A distributed control architecture for an autonomous mobile robot

Abstract This paper describes a Distributed Control Architecture for an autonomous mobile robot. We start by characterizing the Conceptual Levels into which the various problem-solving activities of a mobile robot can be classified. In sequence, we discuss a Distributed Control System that provides scheduling and coordination of multiple concurrent activities on a mobile robot. Multiple Expert Modules are responsible for the various tasks and communicate through messages and over a Blackboard. As a testbed, the architecture of a specific system for Sonar-Based Mapping and Navigation is presented, and a distributed implementation is described.
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: What the Otolaryngologist Should Know:

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) or Rendu-Osler-Weber disease is a systemic autosomal dominant disorder involving blood vessels. Phenotypically, the disease presents with telangiectases that involve all areas of the body. Ninety percent of patients experience epistaxis and are referred to the otolaryngologist for evaluation. Because otolaryngologists may be the primary physicians caring for these patients, it is critical they be knowledgeable about high risk groups, screening protocols for arteriovenous malformations, antibiotic prophylaxis, and genetic screening. It is important that they be aware of the many therapeutic modalities available for the treatment of epistaxis. In this article, the diagnosis, screening, treatment, and molecular genetics of HHT will be discussed. In addition, our experience with 20 patients treated with the Nd:YAG laser for recurrent epistaxis will be reviewed.
Context‐Conscious Portraits and Context‐Blind Policy

The intent of Brown v. Board of Education was to dismantle the system of apartheid that had structured U.S. schools. The BroLwn decision supported a race-conscious vision that students of color would have access to high quality education equal to that of white students, and that integrated schooling would build cross-racial communication and respect needed for a multiracial democracy. But 40 years after Bro7wn, while students of color had made significant achievement gains as measured by high school completion rates, some achievement tests, and college-going rates, huge challenges remained. Based on a detailed review of evidence of black progress in education since Browln, Garibaldi (1997) showed achievement gaps that were closing and those remaining to be closed; he emphasized that African American students need to be offered a rigorous curriculum and high academic expectations. Fifty years after Brown, the goals of equal access to high quality education, and of cross-racial communication and respect, are still compelling but elusive. Schools increasingly are segregated by both race and class; many people, especially people of color, are trapped in communities that are resource poor and job poor. At the policy level, No Child Left Behind has been offered as the latest solution. According to its executive summary, its stated intent is to: "improve the performance of America's elementary and secondary schools while at the same time ensuring that no child is trapped in a failing school" (U.S. Department of Education 2003a). Schools are now to be held accountable for student achievement by using standardized testing, parents are to be invited to transfer their children from failing schools, and schools that do not meet achievement targets ultimately are to be reconstituted or closed. School improvement plans are to be based on practices that have been validated through "scientifically based research," which the federal government has defined largely as experimental research. No Child Left Behind uses race as one variable when judging schools on test score performance, but otherwise is silent about race and school contexts. The assumption seems to be that requiring teachers to teach everyone to the same standards will address racism. In this regard, the new federal policy encourages a colorblind and context-blind approach to
Thermal conductivity of superconductive Y-Ba-Cu-O

We have measured the thermal conductivity of a superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O compound as a function of temperature. We find that the thermal conductivity is nearly temperature independent as temperature is lowered below 140 K, but increases sharply at the transition temperature, which is about 85-90 K for our sample. These results can be accounted for by a reduction in phonon-electron scattering below ${T}_{c}$ in this material.
Examination of Casein Micelle Structure by a Method for Reversible Covalent Immobilization

Abstract Proteins on the surface of native casein micelles were examined by a reversible method for covalent attachment. Accordingly, native micelles and various sized fractions were immobilized covalently by exposure to thioester-derivatized glass beads. Following dissociation of the micelle in 4-M urea and removal of unbound monomers from the glass, the covalently bound monomers were released with hydroxylamine, identified, and quantitated by a micro method for ion exchange chromatography. Each of the major caseins (α s -, β-, and κ-caseins) was accessible for covalent reaction with the glass surface; however, the percent of κ-casein was increased substantially relative to composition of whole casein. Moreover, the relative amount of κ-casein that became attached covalently appeared to be greater when smaller micelles were immobilized. Consequently, these results argue against those micellar models that require a) an inside location for κ-casein, b) exposure of only κ-casein on the surface, c) a uniform distribution of casein monomers in the micelle, or d) a uniform composition for all casein submicelles. Likewise, results are consistent with models that require a preference for κ-casein on the micellar surface but allow for access to α s - and β-caseins and which require a variable composition of the submicelles.
Corticosteroids in the Management of Prostate Cancer: A Critical Review

Corticosteroids have been used in the management of prostate cancer for over 30 years. Although daily oral corticosteroids have frequently used in conjunction with chemotherapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, their independent impact on survival is unclear. However, corticosteroids confer palliative benefits and are associated with objective responses and circulating tumor cell (CTC) and PSA declines in a small minority of patients, although toxicities such as osteoporosis and immunosuppression complicate long-term use. Following the demonstration of a palliative benefit for mitoxantrone combined with corticosteroids compared with corticosteroids alone, subsequent trials that demonstrated a benefit for first-line docetaxel over mitoxantrone, and second-line cabazitaxel over mitoxantrone, administered concurrent daily oral corticosteroids with all of these agents to maintain uniformity. Conversely, improved outcomes were demonstrated with docetaxel without corticosteroids for metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. Daily oral corticosteroids are routinely combined with abiraterone to mitigate symptoms of mineralocorticoid excess. In contrast daily corticosteroids are not essential when administering enzalutamide or radium-223, and there is a concern of deleterious immune effects concurrently with sipuleucel-T. Given emerging evidence for promotion of resistance mechanisms, routine administration of daily oral corticosteroids in settings other than abiraterone administration and palliation of symptoms is probably not required.
THE DISTRIBUTIONAL EFFECTS OF THE 1969–75 INFLATION ON HOLDINGS OF HOUSEHOLD WEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES

Using a simple simulation model, this paper assesses the impact of relative movements in asset prices on the distribution of wealth during the 1969–75 period. Because of the strong negative correlation between wealth level and the ratio of debt to wealth, this particular inflation induced a substantial drop in the overall level of wealth inequality. Moreover, comparing the portfolios of different demographic groups, we found that middle-aged households gained relatively to younger and older ones, married couples gained relatively to singles, whites gained relatively to non-whites, and home-owners gained relatively to renters. The biggest gainers from this inflation were home-owners with large mortgages and the biggest losers the large stock holders.
Delivery Style Moderates Study Habits in an Online Nutrition Class

Abstract Objective To report how the design of an online class affected student ability to stay on task, find critical resources, and communicate with the instructor via e-mail. Methods Audiorecorded focus group meetings at a United States university featured a structured approach to discussions among undergraduate students enrolled in an Internet nutrition class. Meeting transcripts were read and reread by a trained investigator, who coded concepts until themes coalesced, which were authenticated by college students taking online classes. Results Three themes emerged that described factors moderating study habits in an Internet nutrition course: keeping up , e-mail fatigue , and wayfinding. Conclusions and Implications A well-designed online course plans for productive study habits by posting a schedule of events and maintaining a predictable pattern, supporting navigation that stimulates exploration and return visits to critical information, and constructing e-mail messages that convey a concise message and maximize “open and read.”
Exploring Head Start Teachers’ Early Language and Literacy Knowledge: Lessons from the ExCELL Professional Development Intervention

This study unpacks the effective Exceptional Coaching for Early Language and Literacy (ExCELL) professional development intervention to understand how the language and literacy coaching that teachers receive is linked to changes in their knowledge and then how this knowledge is related to classroom practice. In total, 17 lead teachers participated in the intervention and 10 lead teachers participated in the control condition; all were recruited from 3 Head Start centers in a major urban area in the northeast. Results showed that teachers varied in their knowledge about language and literacy—as measured by the ExCELL Teacher Knowledge Measure—at the start of the intervention, and teachers with more years of education had higher average levels of knowledge. The ExCELL intervention was linked to significant increases in teacher knowledge, particularly in the areas of writing and book reading. Finally, higher levels of teacher knowledge were related to stronger classroom instructional quality, albeit marginally.
A Process for Increasing the Free Fat Content of Spray‐dried Whole Milk Powder

Exposing spray-dried whole milk powder to high shear and elevated temperature in a twin-screw continuous mixer increased the free fat content. The effects of operating conditions (powder feed rate, processor screw speed, and process temperature) on lactose crystallinity, particle size distribution, color, and moisture content of spray-dried whole milk powder were investigated using response surface methodology. Exposure to elevated temperatures and high shear: (a) increased the free fat to more than 80%, (b) crystallized the lactose, (c) reduced the average volume-based particle size, and (d) broadened the particle size distribution. The raw whole milk powder with creamy-white color turned into an oily paste with bright-yellow color. Processing enhanced the functional properties of spray-dried whole milk powder for milk chocolate manufacture.
Collapse of cooperation in evolving games

Game theory provides a quantitative framework for analyzing the behavior of rational agents. The Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma in particular has become a standard model for studying cooperation and cheating, with cooperation often emerging as a robust outcome in evolving populations. Here we extend evolutionary game theory by allowing players’ payoffs as well as their strategies to evolve in response to selection on heritable mutations. In nature, many organisms engage in mutually beneficial interactions and individuals may seek to change the ratio of risk to reward for cooperation by altering the resources they commit to cooperative interactions. To study this, we construct a general framework for the coevolution of strategies and payoffs in arbitrary iterated games. We show that, when there is a tradeoff between the benefits and costs of cooperation, coevolution often leads to a dramatic loss of cooperation in the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma. The collapse of cooperation is so extreme that the average payoff in a population can decline even as the potential reward for mutual cooperation increases. Depending upon the form of tradeoffs, evolution may even move away from the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma game altogether. Our work offers a new perspective on the Prisoner’s Dilemma and its predictions for cooperation in natural populations; and it provides a general framework to understand the coevolution of strategies and payoffs in iterated interactions.
Safety of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator administration with computed tomography evidence of prior infarction

Background Prior stroke within 3 months excludes patients from thrombolysis; however, patients may have computed tomography (CT) evidence of prior infarct, often of unknown time of origin. We aimed to determine if the presence of a previous infarct on pretreatment CT is a predictor of hemorrhagic complications and functional outcomes after the administration of intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Methods We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients treated with IV tPA at our institution from 2009-2011. Pretreatment CTs were reviewed for evidence of any prior infarct. Further review determined if any hemorrhagic transformation (HT) or symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) were present on repeat CT or magnetic resonance imaging. Outcomes included sICH, any HT, poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 4-6), and discharge disposition. Results Of 212 IV tPA-treated patients, 84 (40%) had evidence of prior infarct on pretreatment CT. Patients with prior infarcts on CT were older (median age, 72 versus 65 years; P = .001) and had higher pretreatment National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores (median, 10 versus 7; P = .023). Patients with prior infarcts on CT did not experience more sICH (4% versus 2%; P = .221) or any HT (18% versus 14%; P = .471). These patients did have a higher frequency of poor functional outcome at discharge (82% versus 50%; P P = .065). Conclusions Visualization of prior infarcts on pretreatment CT did not predict an increased risk of sICH in our study and should not be viewed as a reason to withhold systemic tPA treatment after clinically evident strokes within 3 months were excluded.
Plasma catecholamine and cardiovascular reactivity during an acute high ropes course event.

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to describe physiological responses to an acute high ropes course stress. The selected dependent variables were epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), heart rate (HR), systolic/diastolic blood pressure (BPs and BPd) and self-reported anxiety. A secondary purpose was to explore possible relationships between the observed physiological responses and physical fitness. College-age males were recruited for preliminary V o 2 max testing to identify a high-fit and low-fit subject pool. Eleven were identified as eligible participants and gave informed consent. Six participants were in the high-fit category (V o 2 max>60 ml/kg) and five in the low-fit category (V o 2 max
An Empirical Analysis of Team Coordination Behaviors and Action Planning With Application to Human–Robot Teaming:

Human teams in many safety-critical domains must coordinate to perform complex tasks under stress induced by uncertainty, ambiguity, and time pressure. As robots increasingly are introduced into these domains, it is important to understand effective human-team coordination in order to inform natural and effective human-robot coordination. This paper describes an empirical analysis of human teamwork that was conducted to investigate the ways teammates incorporate coordination behaviors, including verbal and nonverbal cues, into their action planning. Teamwork experiments were conducted in which teams of two people performed a complex task, involving ordering, timing, and resource constraints. Half the teams performed under time pressure, and half performed without time pressure. The authors cataloged the coordination behaviors used by each team and analyzed the speed of response and specificity of each coordination behavior. Results show that teammates respond to explicit cues, including commands meant to control actions, more quickly than implicit cues, which include short verbal and gestural attention getters and status updates. Most explicit cues and implicit gestural cues were used to refer to one specific action, while about half of implicit cues did not often refer to one specific action. These findings suggest that explicit cues demand immediate response, but implicit cues offer flexibility on when to perform the indicated action. These findings can be applied to the design of human-robot teams in industries such as space, military, aviation and medicine.
The persistence of T cell memory

T cell memory is a crucial feature of the adaptive immune system in the defense against pathogens. During the last years, numerous studies have focused their efforts on uncovering the signals, inflammatory cues, and extracellular factors that support memory differentiation. This research is beginning to decipher the complex gene network that controls memory programming. However, how the different signals, that a T cell receives during the process of differentiation, interplay to trigger memory programming is still poorly defined. In this review, we focus on the most recent advances in the field and discuss how T cell receptor signaling and inflammation control CD8 memory differentiation.
Antiangiogenic effects of a novel synthetic curcumin analogue in pancreatic cancer

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and NF-κB play essential roles in cancer cell growth and metastasis by promoting angiogenesis. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) serves as a regulator of HIF-1α and NF-κB protein. We hypothesized that curcumin and its analogues EF31 and UBS109 would disrupt angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer (PC) through modulation of HIF-1α and NF-κB. Conditioned medium from MIA PaCa-2 or PANC-1 cells exposed to curcumin and its analogues in vitro significantly impaired angiogenesis in an egg CAM assay and blocked HUVEC tube assembly in comparison to untreated cell medium. In vivo, EF31 and UBS109 blocked the vascularization of subcutaneous matrigel plugs developed by MIA PaCa-2 in mice. Significant inhibition of VEGF, angiopoietin 1, angiopoietin 2, platelet derived growth factor, COX-2, and TGFβ secretion was observed in PC cell lines treated with UBS109, EF31 or curcumin. Treatment with UBS109, EF31 or curcumin inhibited HSP90, NF-κB, and HIF-1α transcription in PC cell lines. UBS109 and EF31 inhibited HSP90 and HIF-1α expression even when elevated due to NF-κB (p65) overexpression. Finally, we demonstrate for the first time that curcumin analogues EF31 and UBS109 induce the downregulation of HIF-1α, Hsp90, COX-2 and VEGF in tumor samples from xenograft models compared to untreated xenografts. Altogether, these results suggest that UBS109 and EF31 are potent curcumin analogues with antiangiogenic activities.
Optimal estimators of mean areal precipitation in regions of orographic influence

Abstract This paper proposes the application of kriging to estimate the mean areal precipitation (MAP) of mountainous regions under two different assumptions of the drift and spatial dependency of precipitation influenced by orographic effects. The “detrending” method assumes a linear relationship between the drift and the ground elevation. The variogram is computed from the residuals resulting after subtraction of this linear relationship from the original data. The generalized covariance (GC) procedure, on the other hand, assumes a polynomial drift with unknown coefficients and a generalized covariance estimated directly from the raw data. The automatic structure identification procedures under GC assumptions performed by the program BLUEPACK on the data from nine storms in the San Juan Mountains, northwestern Colorado, identified only one case of a nonstationary drift. Kriging with the GC's identified produced MAP estimates which were consistently lower than the “detrending” estimates and agreeing closely to Thiessen polygon estimates. Point kriging tests indicate that the “detrending” procedure performs better than the GC method in terms of providing accurate kriged estimates but are less successful in representing the kriging estimation error variance. The test results from the one case of a nonstationary drift identified by the GC procedures also show inconsistency between actual errors and the kriging estimation variance. Both methods, “detrending” and the procedure assuming generalized covariances of order k, are feasible practical methods of estimating the MAP of mountainous areas, the “detrending” procedure performing better in terms of providing accurate MAP estimates. The results presented show again that the kriging estimation error variance is dependent on the structural model adopted for the drift and variogram. In general, caution is warranted in using the kriging variance because of this fact. In particular, the “detrending” kriging estimation variance has been shown to be of doubtful consistency in several cases and similary for the one GC of order 1 studied in this work.
Oronasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in an African Hedgehog (Erinaceidae albiventris)

Oronasal squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed in an adult African hedgehog (Erinaceidae albiventris). Clinically, the carcinoma presented as a firm right maxillary swelling with deviation of the nose to the left. The carcinoma was attached to the hard palate and protruded into the oral cavity. At necropsy, the carcinoma appeared centered in the right maxillary sinus, and had replaced the maxilla and extended into the nasal cavity. Metastatic foci were not found.
Statistical glottal segmentation of videoendoscopic images using geodesic active contours

The use of high-speed videoendoscopy aims at facilitating a diagnosis of voice pathologies. In this work, the challenge is to track the motion of the vocal folds to detect a possible paralysis. To this end, locating the glottis in each image by a suitable segmentation turns out to be a crucial step. In this respect, we propose a segmentation method based on geodesic active contours. The novelty of our approach lies on the use of a geodesic metric that controls the evolution of the active contour according to the statistical distributions of the image regions. Experimental simulations carried out on glottal images taken at different stages of the glottis cycle indicate the outperformance of the proposed approach over several reported glottal segmentation techniques.
Renormalizeability of massive non-Abelian gauge fields: A functional integral approach

Abstract The renormalizeability of massive non-Abelian vector gauge fields is discussed using a functional integral technique. The ideas are first developed for the case of a neutral vector meson coupled to a conserved current, where the renormalizeability holds. The non-Abelian vector field is written as the gauge transform of a four-dimensionally transverse field, and the transverse and gauge variables are then treated separately. It is shown that the renormalizeability depends solely on that of the gauge variables, which are found to be non-renormalizeable; hence, neither is the field theory. The gauge variables alone provide a representation of the σ-model and of Sugawara's theory of currents, which are thus shown to be non renormalizeable theories.
Electron exchange polymers. XIV. Steric hindrance in the chemical modification of high polymers

Linear polyvinyl methyl ketone, a linear copolymer with styrene, and crosslinked copolymers with styrene all proved completely unreactive in the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley-Oppenauer reaction with aluminium alkoxides, but both a linear and a crosslinked polymer were reduced by lithium aluminum hydride. A linear and a crosslinked polyalcohol were unreactive toward aluminum alkoxide plus methyl ethyl ketone. The unreactivity of the polymers is laid to the stringent spatial reaquirements for the formation of the pseudo-cyclic six-membered transition state which is hindered from forming by the polymer chain.
Transmission of injected DNA sequences to multiple eggs of Metaseiulus occidentalis and Amblyseius finlandicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) following maternal microinjection

The persistence of DNA injected into two species of adult female phytoseiids and its transmission to serial eggs deposited by them was assessed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The effect of DNA concentration on persistence and transmission was examined in Metaseiulus occidentalis. M. occidentalis females were microinjected with plasmid DNA at three different concentrations (250, 500, 750 ng μL−1) and allowed to deposit one to five eggs before the females and their last eggs were analyzed. Plasmid DNA was found in 82% of the females assayed and in 70% of all the eggs analyzed (including the fifth eggs produced after microinjection). Transmission of DNA to multiple eggs was also examined in Amblyseius finlandicus. Females of this species are less traumatized by microinjection allowing analysis of transmission over a more extended number of eggs. Females were microinjected and allowed to deposit eggs until their death. DNA from every fifth egg was analyzed by the PCR. PCR products were amplified from 51% of the eggs and from all egg classes except the 30th egg. The persistence and presence of plasmid DNA in both eggs and females suggests that (1) maternal microinjection is a more efficient method for DNA delivery than traditional egg microinjection, (2) it may be possible to isolate transformants from fewer maternally-microinjected females than originally expected, and (3) maternal microinjection could be useful as a DNA delivery system in other phytoseiids.
Insulin, glucagon and somatostatin secretion by cultured islets from normal and diabetic hamsters

The interhormonal relationship within the pancreatic islets have been studied by previous investigators, but the cellular interplay and the sequence of events in the islet cell's response to stimulators has remained unclear. In the present study, pancreatic islets were isolated by collagenase digestion from normal and streptozotocin-diabetic hamsters the latter being maintained with insulin treatment. The diabetic animals were used to provide A- and B-cell enriched islets. The islets from normal and diabetic hamsters were cultured in medium 199 plus 10% fetal calf serum with 0.8 or 5 mg/ml glucose. The cultures were maintained for up to seven days with medium changes every third day. At specified intervals, media were collected and assayed for insulin, glucagon and somatostatin. Our results showed the expected increased insulin secretion by the B-cells in response to high glucose. However, after two days of culture accumulative insulin secretory response was reduced and at the end of seven days was less than the insulin produced in low glucose medium. Glucagon secretion by the A-cells was similar for low and high glucose media for the entire culture period. Somatostatin secretion by D-cells was stimulated by high glucose but was attenuated after 2 days. No correlation could be found between the concentration of hormone in the media and a possible effect on a specific islet secretion. However, the fact that insulin secretion by islets cultured in high glucose was decreased after two days may indicate a refractoriness produced by persistent hyperglycemia. Islets isolated from diabetic animals secreted more glucagon and less insulin than control islets. Somatostatin secretion was the same in both groups. It was concluded that paracrine relationships were relatively insignificant in the regulation of islet secretion in a prolonged culture environment and persistent high glucose reduced the B-cell response to glucose stimulation.
The self-attention-induced feedback loop and social facilitation.

Abstract It has been proposed that self-directed attention leads to the engagement of a cybernetic feedback loop, by which discrepancies between present behavior and a standard of comparison are reduced. This analysis is applied to performance facilitation effects, which are more typically explained in terms of drive theories. Though these two approaches to motivation make similar behavioral predictions in this context, they assume different mediating states. Support is noted for the assumptions that mirror presence and audience presence induce self-focus, and that they lead to comparison with salient behavioral standards. Support for the assumption that these manipulations increase arousal is also reviewed, and is challenged on methodological grounds. The attentional analysis is used to derive predictions regarding changes in physiological state over the course of a typical social facilitation procedure. An experiment is reported which confirmed these predictions. Discussion centers on how to interpret physiological changes in terms that are compatible with control theory, how to account for social impairment phenomena in terms of the present model, and the conceptual relationship between mirror presence and audience presence as experimental manipulations.
Aberration compensation in aplanatic solid immersion lens microscopy

The imaging quality of an aplanatic SIL microscope is shown to be significantly degraded by aberrations, especially when the samples have thicknesses that are more than a few micrometers thicker or thinner than the design thickness. Aberration due to the sample thickness error is modeled and compared with measurements obtained in a high numerical aperture (NA ~3.5) microscope. A technique to recover near-ideal imaging quality by compensating aberrations using a MEMS deformable mirror is described and demonstrated.
Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate and adrenal tumor cell morphology.

Cultured adrenal tumor cells respond to adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), cholera enterotoxin (CT), andEscherichia coli enterotoxin with increased steroidogenesis and a reversible alteration of monolayer morphology. The morphological response is not due specifically to the interaction of ACTH or CT with a membrane receptor site, because both cAMP and theophylline, which work intracellularly, also stimulated steroidogenesis and rounding of adrenal cells. The morphological alteration appears to be unrelated to stimulation of steroido-genesis or protein synthesis, inasmuch as CT in the presence of aminoglutethimide or cycloheximide still caused rounding and cAMP accumulation without increased steroid production. These results suggest that increased intracellular cAMP concentration may be related to the observed change of flattened adrenal cells to a spherical shape in monolayer cultures.
Multitasking behaviors of osteopathic medical students.

CONTEXT To the authors' knowledge, few studies have investigated the relationship between electronic media multitasking by undergraduate and graduate students during lecture and their academic performance, and reports that have looked into this behavior have neglected to investigate factors that may influence students' multitasking during lecture. OBJECTIVE To determine the extent to which medical students multitask during lecture; the types of multitasking; the frequency of multitasking and factors that influence frequency; and the correlation between multitasking and knowledge acquisition as assessed by a postlecture quiz. METHODS A 1-page survey assessing students' multitasking behavior was administered to 125 second-year students at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and collected at the onset of a standard 50-minute lecture. On completion of the 50-minute lecture, an unannounced 10-question multiple-choice quiz was given to assess knowledge acquisition during those lectures. On a separate date, after a standard 50-minute lecture, a second quiz was administered. RESULTS The 1-page survey revealed that 98% of students check e-mail, 81% use social media, and 74% study for another class. Students spent the most time studying for another class (23 minutes) followed by using social media (13 minutes) and checking e-mail (7 minutes). The most influential factors behind multitasking were examination schedule (91%), lecturer (90%), and the number of lectures in the day (65%). The mean score for quiz 1 (the day after an examination) was 75%, and the mean score for quiz 2 (the day before an examination) was 60%. CONCLUSION Multitasking during lecture is prominent among medical students, and examination schedule is the most influential factor. Although a robust drop in mean score on a lecture-based, unannounced quiz was identified 1 day before a scheduled examination, the effect from multitasking on this process remains unclear.
From words to meaning: A semantic illusion

How are the meanings of individual words combined to form a more global description of meaning? This paper describes a phenomenon which sheds some light on one aspects of this process. Consider the following question: How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark? Most people answer “two” even though they know quite well that it was Noah and not Moses who sailed the Ark. This illusion occurs even when time pressure is eliminated and subjects are told that questions may be “wrong” and given an example of a question with an inconsistent name in it. Two explanations of this illusion—that people are skipping over the name or that the focus of the question is leading them astry—are eliminated. Results indicate that it is important that the inconsistent name share semantic featuers with the correct name. An explanation of the illusion is developed.
Boredom, Drugs, and Schools: Protecting Children in Gentrifying Communities:

Gentrification beings a host of economic and social changes. Changes in community culture do not directly impact residents’ livelihoods or homes, but these differences in lifestyles shape peoples’ ...
Tribological characteristics of DLC films and duplex plasma nitriding/DLC coating treatments

Abstract An innovative approach to improving tribological behavior of surfaces and meeting long-term durability requirements of engineering devices is to design and develop novel systems incorporating multilayers and/or duplex diffusion/plasma coating treatments. In the present work, the wear and friction characteristics of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films and composite surface layers were studied by conducting pin-on-disc experiments. M 50 steel and Ti-6A1-4V alloy were used as substrate materials. The composite layers consisted of a N-diffusion zone obtained by ion nitriding, followed by a 500 A vapor-deposited Si bond layer and a 0.4 µm DLC film. The purpose of the bond layer was to enhance adhesion between the substrate and the DLC films. An ion-beam method was used for the deposition of the DLC films. The pin-on-disc results showed that for both materials the DLC coating produced a reduction in the coefficient of friction of about one order of magnitude. The reduction in the coefficient of friction was found to be consistent with the formation of a carbon-rich transfer film on the contact surfaces. Wear scar profiling and weight loss calculations showed that the wear resistance of the DLC-coated materials was dramatically improved. Comparisons between duplex N-diffusion layer/DLC coating and single DLC coating on Ti-6A1-4V alloy substrates showed that the duplex treatments possessed a significantly higher wear resistance. Nitriding was found to cause substrate hardening that reduces subsurface deformation, thus improving coating support and extending considerably DLC film lifetime.
Ozone Formation in Air Exposed to Cobalt-60 Gamma Radiation

The amount of ozone formed in air exposed to a 4000-curie cobalt-60 radiation source was determined. In closed glass containers exposed to about I Mrad of gamma radiation, ozone concentrations up to 18 parts per million (by volume) were recorded. In air flowing through a glass structure placed near the source, ozone contents up to 0.1 parts per million were observed. It is suggested that ozone formation might be a factor in the reported germicidal effects of ionizing radiations and that damage to plant tissues, ascribed to radiation, might have resulted from exposure to ozone. The possible health hazards from the ozone produced during irradiation should not be overlooked.
A cholesterol-esterifying enzyme in rat central nervous system myelin.

Aontrary to our earlier finding (Eto & Suzuki, 1971), the myelin fraction purified from young adult rat brain consistently showed cholesterol-esterifying activity. The specific activity in myelin was the highest among subcellular fractions. Extensive washing wiih various aqueous salt solutions failed to remove the activity from myelin. The enzyme was evenly distributed among the arbitrarily defined light, medium and heavy myelin subfractions. The myelin-localized activity showed the pH optimum and heat stability identical to the microsome-bound activity. Although there were minor differences in the effect of detergents or exogenous lipids added to the reaction mixture, no firm evidence was obtained to indicate that the myelin-bound cholesterol-esterifying enzyme is different from that in other subcellular fractions. On the other hand, the distribution among the myelin subfractions and heat stability of the myelin-bound cholesterol-esterifying activity were different from those of the myelin-specific cholesterol ester hydrolase. Therefore, the esterification does not appear to be a mere reverse reaction catalyzed by the previously known myelin-specific hydrolase. The rat brain myelin, therefore, is capable of both synthesizing and hydrolyzing cholesterol esters.
Teachers Closing the Discipline Gap in an Urban Middle School

This study focuses on student discipline as related to the perceptions, work, and backgrounds of effective Black and White teachers. The article expands current knowledge by reporting findings from a case study of 4 teachers (2 African Americans and 2 Whites) employed in an urban, predominately African American middle school. Interviews, field visits, and documents were analyzed according to guidelines created by Miles and Huberman (1994) and collectively point to four themes: (a) learning-based perceptions of student behavior, (b) the role of preservice teacher preparation, (c) the influence of remembered teachers and teacher mentors, and (d) outreach efforts to students' parents and families. The study's implications for future scholarship and practice are considered.
Numerical recovery of Robin boundary from boundary measurements for the Laplace equation

Based on an integral equation formulation, we present numerical methods for the inverse problem of recovering part of the domain boundary from boundary measurements of solutions to the Laplace equation on an accessible part of the boundary.
Ryegrass–Bermudagrass Production and Nutrient Uptake when Combining Nitrogen Fertilizer with Broiler Litter

A common problem when broiler litter is applied to pastures in the southeastern USA is the buildup of soil P because of the difference in N-P-K ratio of the broiler litter and forage crop requirements. A study was conducted to test the theory that if the N requirement of the forage crop is only partially met by the broiler litter, application of commercial N fertilizer would stimulate plant growth to remove excess soil P and K. A small-plot study was conducted for 2 yr combining 9 Mg ha -1 broiler litter applied in October with various combinations of 56 kg N ha -1 applied in December, March, May, and July to an annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.)-'Coastal' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] pasture system. Yield increased from 8.9 to a maximum of 13.4 Mg ha -1 when 56 kg N ha -1 was applied up to three times a year. Nitrogen uptake was directly related to the amount of N fertilizer applied, with a maximum of 285 kg N ha -1 removed following four applications. The most P and K was removed when N was applied in December and March or March and May. These treatments removed 23% more P and 43% more K than when no commercial N was applied. Ryegrass removed twice as much P and K as bermudagrass. Combining broiler litter with commercial N fertilizer as a nutrient source for pastures was an effective method to increase P and K uptake from an annual ryegrass-bermudagrass pasture.
Broadly Available Broadband

Should broadband be treated as a public utility or be left solely to the private sector? Should state or municipal governments provide basic services, act as anchor tenants, or simply monitor progress? Whichever side of the debate you stand on, there is a growing consensus on the importance of high-quality broadband connections for everyone to ensure sustainable social and economic growth. Policy makers, legal scholars, and CEOs have shared their perspective. It's time for computer scientists to join the conversation.
The Laser Propagation Demonstration: a STEM-based outreach project

Investment in laser technology has led to significant advances in remote sensing, astronomy, industrial processing, and medical technology. To celebrate this rich heritage and promote public awareness in optics and photonics, the SPIE Student Chapter at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) developed the Laser Propagation Demonstration (LPD). This interactive demonstration serves as one of AFIT’s legacy outreach projects for events involving education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Initially developed with funding from a LaserFest grant awarded by SPIE in 2010, the goal was to develop a simple hands-on demonstration to highlight the optical effects of diffraction, refraction, and attenuation on laser propagation. Since then, the LPD has undergone several upgrades (thanks to the continued support from a 2012 SPIE Education Outreach Grant) to better highlight these optical phenomena and make it more engaging for a wider range of audiences. This paper celebrates the continued success of the LPD and shares the knowledge gained with an overview of its design and use in STEM-based outreach events.
Odd gods : new religions & the cult controversy

Lewis analyses the characteristics of truly dangerous groups compared to those of the merely unusual but innocuous, and he discusses what people find attractive about membership in minority religions, as well as community suspicions and media hype that lead to misunderstandings. The bulk of the book is devoted to a broad-based survey of unusual religious groups. Included are minority religious sects stemming from Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh tradition, as well as unrelated groups such as the Moonies, Wiccans, Satanists, Spiritualists, Channellers, Scientologists, the Heaven's Gate cult, a host of New Age and UFO groups, and many others. This is the definitive sourcebook for understanding and researching the crazy-quilt landscape of free religious expression in America.
Post-processing phase noise mitigation performance comparison in a coherent distributed passive radar system

Phase noise in a radar system propagates through processing algorithms and affects the quality of the output radar data products by making targets harder to detect from noise and potentially confounding multiple targets. Usually referred to as autofocus algorithms, techniques for mitigating the effects of phase noise in these images have been proposed and studied in other applications including terrestrial telescope imaging and synthetic-aperture radar. We examine the effectiveness of autofocus algorithms as they attempt to mitigate phase noise in a coherent distributed passive radar system. We also propose an alternate technique based on deconvolution of power spectral densities, which has produced better results as well as requiring far less computation since no optimization problem exists within this method.
Resistance of Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells to Nur77- Induced Apoptosis Promotes Allograft Survival

The NR4A nuclear receptor family member Nur77 (NR4A1) promotes thymocyte apoptosis during negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes, but may also function in mature extrathymic T cells. We studied the effects of over-expression of Nur77 on the apoptosis of murine peripheral T cells, including thymic-derived Foxp3+ regulatory (Treg) cells. Overexpression of Nur77 in the T cell lineage decreased numbers of peripheral CD4 and CD8 T cells by ∼80% compared to wild-type (WT) mice. However, the proportions of Treg cells were markedly increased in the thymus (61% of CD4+Foxp3+ singly positive thymocytes vs. 8% in WT) and secondary lymphoid organs (40–50% of CD4+Foxp3+ T cells vs. 7–8% in WT) of Nur77 transgenic (Nur77Tg) mice, and immunoprecipitation studies showed Nur77 was associated with a recently identified HDAC7/Foxp3 transcriptional complex. Upon activation through the T cell receptor in vitro or in vivo, Nur77Tg T cells showed only marginally decreased proliferation but significantly increased apoptosis. Fully allogeneic cardiac grafts transplanted to Nur77Tg mice survived long-term with well-preserved structure, and recipient splenocytes showed markedly enhanced apoptosis and greatly reduced anti-donor recall responses. Allografts in Nur77Tg recipients had significantly increased expression of multiple Treg-associated genes, including Foxp3, Foxp1, Tip60 and HDAC9. Allograft rejection was restored by CD25 monoclonal antibody therapy, indicating that allograft acceptance was dependent upon Treg function in Nur77Tg recipients. These data show that compared to conventional CD4 and CD8 T cells, Foxp3+ Tregs are relatively resistant to Nur77-mediated apoptosis, and that tipping the balance between the numbers of Tregs and responder T cells in the early period post-transplantation can determine the fate of the allograft. Hence, induced expression of Nur77 might be a novel means to achieve long-term allograft survival.
Video-rate imaging of microcirculation with single-exposure oblique back-illumination microscopy

Oblique back-illumination microscopy (OBM) is a new technique for simultaneous, independent measurements of phase gradients and absorption in thick scattering tissues based on widefield imaging. To date, OBM has been used with sequential camera exposures, which reduces temporal resolution, and can produce motion artifacts in dynamic samples. Here, a variation of OBM that allows single-exposure operation with wavelength multiplexing and image splitting with a Wollaston prism is introduced. Asymmetric anamorphic distortion induced by the prism is characterized and corrected in real time using a graphics-processing unit. To demonstrate the capacity of single-exposure OBM to perform artifact-free imaging of blood flow, video-rate movies of microcirculation in ovo in the chorioallantoic membrane of the developing chick are presented. Imaging is performed with a high-resolution rigid Hopkins lens suitable for endoscopy.