cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Androgen Biosynthesis Inhibitors and Androgen Receptor Antagonists

The androgens testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) play a central role in a number of disease states, including the progression of prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, male pattern baldness, hirsutism, acne, and virilizing syndromes in women. In adults, most of the undesirable effects of androgens are mediated specifically by DHT. This article discusses the use of drugs that produce anti-androgenic effects by the following mechanisms of action: (1) androgen receptor antagonism, (2) inhibition of the conversion of testosterone to DHT, and (3) inhibition of testosterone synthesis.
Encouraging Parenting Behaviors That Promote Early Childhood Development Among Caregivers From Low-Income Urban Communities: A Randomized Static Group Comparison Trial of a Primary Care-Based Parenting Program.

Objectives Encouraging key parenting behaviors in early infancy may help decrease income-related developmental disparities. In this study we assessed whether a brief, primary care-based program (Sit Down and Play; SDP) could be successful in impacting key parenting behaviors that promote early childhood development. Methods An ethnically diverse group of predominantly low-income caregivers of children 2–6 months of age were enrolled, interviewed, and randomized to intervention (n = 20) or control (n = 20) groups. Intervention families received SDP at recruitment and the subsequent well-child visit. Control families were provided handouts regarding developmental milestones. One month after the second well-child visit, all families were reinterviewed (n = 34; 85% retention rate). Using open-ended questions and standardized measures (i.e., StimQ), parents were asked about parenting behaviors central to children’s development: (1) participation in cognitively stimulating activities, (2) provision of learning materials, and (3) the quality of parent–child verbal interactions. Potential impact on perceived parenting confidence was also explored utilizing The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale. Analyses were conducted using chi square tests and analysis of variance. Results A significant main effect of time, and as hypothesized, an interaction between time and condition emerged that favored SDP on play behaviors (p = 0.03). Post-intervention, SDP families had significantly higher levels of interactional activities between a parent and child that promote cognitive development (p = 0.02). Conclusions for Practice Results appear promising for an accessible, low-intensity program delivered in the primary care setting. Further studies to determine the effectiveness of SDP on parenting behaviors and subsequent developmental outcomes are warranted.
A novel system for the treatment of wastewater from a tomato processing plant with UV light.

Author(s): Mahoney, L; Younis, BA; Simmons, CW | Abstract: In tomato processing plants, the production of paste involves the use of heat to evaporate water to concentrate the tomato juice. The hot water isolated from the juice is then passed through cooling towers to cool it sufficiently before discharge. Recovery of excess and blowdown water from the cooling towers would decrease the net water demand of the plant and improve water efficiency. However, since this water has been exposed to the open air, it must be disinfected before reuse. This research investigated the use of a novel ultraviolet (UV) system to disinfect water from the cooling tower basins located at an industrial tomato processing facility. The objective was to assess, in situ, the disinfection system’s performance with regards to its utility, and its ability and to treat wastewater generated in an operational, industrial-scale setting. Beyond typical wastewater microbial assays, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to understand the bacterial communities present in the wastewater, and to screen for microorganisms that may pose a risk for water reuse in food processing facilities.
Substance Use Comorbidities

This case illustrates key principles of treating patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and comorbid substance use. Chief among these is to consider whether substance use occurs within the BPD framework of interpersonal hypersensitivity. Patients who meet the diagnostic threshold for an independent substance use disorder may require concurrent substance treatment. Effective techniques to address substance use, such as motivational interviewing and referral to 12-step programs, can readily be integrated into treatment for BPD. Sustained sobriety, or engagement in substance treatment, are not prerequisites for participation in treatment for BPD but is often necessary to its success. Another key principle is to ensure that treatment is guided by the patient’s goals and values. This will maximize initial motivation, and if motivation wanes, knowing the patient’s goals and values gives the therapist a ready-made intervention. A further key principle is that you can expect risky or reckless behaviors, once treated, to resurface in different forms, until the underlying interpersonal hypersensitivity is better managed.
Intra-annual variation and landscape composition interactively affect aphid community composition

Agricultural intensiﬁcation impacts local arthropod communities. The temporal and spatial variation of agricultural environments can have a signiﬁcant impact on insect pest populations, yet little work has been done to date on the effect of intra-annual variation (within season) or spatiotemporal effects on arthropod functional community composition. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of intra-annual variation and landscape composition on the aphid community. To that end, we investigated the following research question: How do intra-annual variation and landscape composition affect aphid abun- dance, species richness, and functional community composition? In this study, we quantiﬁed landscape com- position as percent cropland, intra-annual variation as sampling week measured throughout the growing season, and aphid functional community composition as crop virus transmission—or vectoring—ability. We collected data in two agricultural regions: a diversiﬁed agricultural region in New York State (NY) and an agriculturally intense potato-growing region in Wisconsin (WI). We found that the interactive effect of land- scape composition and intra-annual variation signiﬁcantly affected aphid abundance and species richness in both study regions, and functional community composition in NY. These results indicate that spatiotempo- ral shifts in agroecosystems have signiﬁcant implications for aphid functional community composition.
An integrative U method for joint analysis of multi-level omic data

The advance of high-throughput technologies has made it cost-effective to collect diverse types of omic data in large-scale clinical and biological studies. While the collection of the vast amounts of multi-level omic data from these studies provides a great opportunity for genetic research, the high dimensionality of omic data and complex relationships among multi-level omic data bring tremendous analytic challenges. To address these challenges, we develop an integrative U (IU) method for the design and analysis of multi-level omic data. While non-parametric methods make less model assumptions and are flexible for analyzing different types of phenotypes and omic data, they have been less developed for association analysis of omic data. The IU method is a nonparametric method that can accommodate various types of omic and phenotype data, and consider interactive relationship among different levels of omic data. Through simulations and a real data application, we compare the IU test with commonly used variance component tests. Results show that the proposed test attains more robust type I error performance and higher empirical power than variance component tests under various types of phenotypes and different underlying interaction effects.
Energy Efficient Navigation for Running Legged Robots

Energy-efficient navigation is an important technology for mobile robots because of its potential to increase the operation time of the robot. In particular, when coupled with a dynamic legged quadruped, the need for energy savings is made more apparent as payloads are limited. Due to the complexity in modeling motion and power models of these robots, a new approach is necessary to effectively motion plan for these complex robots. We accomplish this by using Sampling-Based Model Predictive optimization (SBMPO) which was extended for use on the LLAMA quadrupedal platform in simulation. SBMPO allows for direct generation of trajectories while using a heuristic-based search to speed up computations. This approach is shown to effectively motion plan while optimizing for energy consumption and maintaining the natural dynamics of the robot in a simulated environment.
The perceptual assimilation and discrimination of 20 Hindi consonants by native speakers of English

Hindi consonant contrasts are known to pose difficulties for native English speakers (e.g., Polka, 1991; Werker and Tees, 2002; and Cibelli, 2015). While a limited set of Hindi consonants have received a great deal of attention (i.e., the coronal stops), we do not yet know how learners perceive other segments from Hindi’s relatively large consonant inventory. To address this gap, we conducted a perceptual assimilation study modeled after Faris et al. (2018) to investigate the perceptual assimilation of twenty Hindi consonants (tʃ, tʃʰ, dʒ, dʒʰ, t, tʰ, d, dʰ, ʈ, ʈʰ, ɖ, ɖʰ, ʃ, ʂ, s, z, l, r, ɽ, ɽʰ) by native English speakers with no prior Hindi language learning experience. We later examined the discrimination of 46 pairs from the same set of phones in a new group of participants from the same population using an AX discrimination task. Participants exhibited patterns of perceptual assimilation and discrimination of Hindi phonemes that suggest that native English speakers will experience difficulty across the Hindi consonant inventory. We consider the findings in the context of the Perceptual Assimilation Model (Best, 1994 and Best and Tyler, 2007), providing a fuller account of the difficulty posed by the Hindi consonant inventory for second-language learners.Hindi consonant contrasts are known to pose difficulties for native English speakers (e.g., Polka, 1991; Werker and Tees, 2002; and Cibelli, 2015). While a limited set of Hindi consonants have received a great deal of attention (i.e., the coronal stops), we do not yet know how learners perceive other segments from Hindi’s relatively large consonant inventory. To address this gap, we conducted a perceptual assimilation study modeled after Faris et al. (2018) to investigate the perceptual assimilation of twenty Hindi consonants (tʃ, tʃʰ, dʒ, dʒʰ, t, tʰ, d, dʰ, ʈ, ʈʰ, ɖ, ɖʰ, ʃ, ʂ, s, z, l, r, ɽ, ɽʰ) by native English speakers with no prior Hindi language learning experience. We later examined the discrimination of 46 pairs from the same set of phones in a new group of participants from the same population using an AX discrimination task. Participants exhibited patterns of perceptual assimilation and discrimination of Hindi phonemes that suggest that native English speakers will experience difficulty acro...
Monitoring transitions between dispersed and school modes of sardines and anchovies with Bioacoustic Absorption Spectroscopy (BAS) measurements

BAS measurements at a biologically intense site in the Santa Barbara Channel permitted monitoring the temporal variation of absorption lines associated with fish in dispersed and school modes. Transmission Loss (TL) was measured at frequencies between 0.25 and 5 kHz between a fixed source and fixed receiver array separated by 3.7 km for 20 hours. Echo-sounder measurements: the average depth of fish at night was about 13 m. Trawls: 16 cm sardines and 10.5 cm anchovies dominated. The frequency dependence of bio-attenuation was derived through comparison of TL measurements and calculations. The latter were based on a normal mode code recently extended for broadband calculations (Porter, 2019). Bio-attenuation at 1.1 kHz, the resonance frequency of dispersed sardines, was 35 dB at 2200 l, 15 dB at 0100 l and 35 dB at 0400 l. When bio-attenuation at 1.1 kHz was minimum, bio-attenuation 0.4 kHz, attributed to schools of sardines, was maximum. The absorption line at 0.4 kHz is consistent with previously reported measurements and theoretical calculations of the resonance frequency of schools of 16 cm sardines (Diachok, 1999). Bio-attenuation at 1.8 and 0.6 kHz, attributed to 10.5 cm anchovies in dispersed and school modes respectively, were also anti-correlated. [Research supported by ONR.]BAS measurements at a biologically intense site in the Santa Barbara Channel permitted monitoring the temporal variation of absorption lines associated with fish in dispersed and school modes. Transmission Loss (TL) was measured at frequencies between 0.25 and 5 kHz between a fixed source and fixed receiver array separated by 3.7 km for 20 hours. Echo-sounder measurements: the average depth of fish at night was about 13 m. Trawls: 16 cm sardines and 10.5 cm anchovies dominated. The frequency dependence of bio-attenuation was derived through comparison of TL measurements and calculations. The latter were based on a normal mode code recently extended for broadband calculations (Porter, 2019). Bio-attenuation at 1.1 kHz, the resonance frequency of dispersed sardines, was 35 dB at 2200 l, 15 dB at 0100 l and 35 dB at 0400 l. When bio-attenuation at 1.1 kHz was minimum, bio-attenuation 0.4 kHz, attributed to schools of sardines, was maximum. The absorption line at 0.4 kHz is consistent with previously reported...
Conflict-related Sexual Violence and Rebel Group Fragmentation:

To what extent does sexual violence influence rebel group fragmentation? A substantial body of research explores wartime rape as a cohesion-building mechanism following forced recruitment. However,...
Mental health and body image in polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and likely cardiovascular disease. Recently, there are increasing data for increased prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders in this population of patients with PCOS. Although body weight, hirsutism, acne, and negative body image have been implicated as underlying risk factors, they do not explain the entire association between PCOS and these disorders. A few studies show that first-line treatments for PCOS such as lifestyle interventions and use of hormonal contraceptives may improve depressive and anxiety symptoms. Screening for both depressive and anxiety symptoms is recommended to provide timely treatment to this high-risk population.
When Corporate Social Responsibility Backfires: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment

This paper uses a natural field experiment to connect corporate social responsibility (CSR) to an important but often neglected behavior: employee misconduct and shirking. Through employing more th...
The Central Role of Taxonomy in the Study of Neotropical Biodiversity

The Neotropics are the most species-rich area of the planet. Understanding the origin and maintenance of this diversity is an important goal of ecology and evolutionary biology. Success in this endeavor relies heavily on the past work of taxonomists who have collected specimens and produced the floras and monographs that constitute the foundation for the study of plant diversity. To illustrate this, we visualize collecting efforts through time and identify the importance of past taxonomic and collection efforts in generating the bulk of specimen data that broad-scale analyses rely on today. To demonstrate the importance of taxonomy for the study of Neotropical biodiversity, we showcase selected plant groups in which in-depth taxonomic understanding has facilitated exciting evolutionary and ecological research and highlight the teams of scientists who have built on the legacy of Alwyn Gentry, one of the most prolific taxonomists of the late 20th century. We also discuss challenges faced by taxonomists, including perceived subjectivity, difficulty in measuring impact, and the need to become more interdisciplinary. We end with potential solutions going forward, including integration of taxonomists in interdisciplinary research, advocacy for continued collection efforts, increased funding for alpha taxonomic research that is performed with increasingly replicable methodology, and explicit decolonization efforts to increase inclusivity and equity in the field of taxonomy. Acknowledging the central role of taxonomy and taxonomists is essential to accurately and completely describe Neotropical biodiversity patterns in an age of unprecedented extinction risk and conservation need.
Molecular and Cellular Pathogenesis of Ellis-van Creveld Syndrome: Lessons from Targeted and Natural Mutations in Animal Models

Ellis-van Creveld syndrome (EVC; MIM ID #225500) is a rare congenital disease with an occurrence of 1 in 60,000. It is characterized by remarkable skeletal dysplasia, such as short limbs, ribs and polydactyly, and orofacial anomalies. With two of three patients first noted as being offspring of consanguineous marriage, this autosomal recessive disease results from mutations in one of two causative genes: EVC or EVC2/LIMBIN. The recent identification and manipulation of genetic homologs in animals has deepened our understanding beyond human case studies and provided critical insight into disease pathogenesis. This review highlights the utility of animal-based studies of EVC by summarizing: (1) molecular biology of EVC and EVC2/LIMBIN, (2) human disease signs, (3) dysplastic limb development, (4) craniofacial anomalies, (5) tooth anomalies, (6) tracheal cartilage abnormalities, and (7) EVC-like disorders in non-human species.
REVAMP 2 T: Real-Time Edge Video Analytics for Multicamera Privacy-Aware Pedestrian Tracking

This article presents real-time edge video analytics for multicamera privacy-aware pedestrian tracking (REVAMP2T), as an integrated end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) system for privacy built-in decentralized situational awareness. REVAMP2T presents novel algorithmic and system constructs to push deep learning and video analytics next to IoT devices (i.e., video cameras). On the algorithm side, REVAMP2T proposes a unified integrated computer vision pipeline for detection, reidentification, and tracking across multiple cameras without the need for storing the streaming data. At the same time, it avoids facial recognition and tracks and reidentifies the pedestrians based on their key features at runtime. On the IoT system side, REVAMP2T provides an infrastructure to maximize the hardware utilization on the edge, orchestrates global communications, and provides system-wide reidentification, without the use of personally identifiable information, for a distributed IoT network. For the results and evaluation, this article also proposes a new metric, accuracy ${\cdot}$ efficiency (AE), for holistic evaluation of IoT systems for real-time video analytics based on accuracy, performance, and power efficiency. REVAMP2T outperforms the current state of the art by as much as 13-fold AE improvement.
A nonplanar Peierls-Nabarro model and its applications to dislocation cross-slip

A novel semidiscrete Peierls-Nabarro model is introduced which can be used to study dislocation spreading at more than one slip planes, such as dislocation cross-slip and junctions. The strength of the model, when combined with ab initio calculations for the energetics, is that it produces essentiallyan atomistic simulation for dislocation core properties without suffering from the uncertainties associated with empirical potentials. Therefore, this method is particularly useful in providing insight into alloy design when empirical potentials are not available or not reliable for such multi-element systems. As an example, we study dislocation cross-slip and constriction process in two contrasting fcc metals, Al and Ag. We find that the screw dislocation in Al can cross-slip spontaneously in contrast with that in Ag, where the screw dislocation splits into two partials, which cannot cross-slip without first being constricted. The response of the dislocation to an external stress is examined in detail. The dislocation constriction energy and the critical stress for cross-slip are determined, and from the latter, we estimate the cross-slip energy barrier for straight screw dislocations.
The Demand for Cocaine by Young Adults: A Rational Addiction Approach

Abstract This paper applies the rational addiction model to the demand for cocaine by young adults in the Monitoring the Future panel. The price of cocaine is added to this survey from the Drug Enforcement Administration's System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence. Results suggest that annual participation and frequency of use given participation are negatively related to the price of cocaine. In addition, current participation (frequency) is positively related to past and future participation (frequency). The long-run price elasticity of total consumption (participation multiplied by frequency given participation) of −1.35 is substantial.
Response of terrestrial net primary productivity to precipitation extremes: Patterns, mechanisms, and uncertainties

Abstract Climate change forecasts include intensified precipitation (PPT) extremes at both inter and intraannual timescales. Terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) is sensitive to water availability generally and, presumably, PPT extremes especially. Evidence suggests NPP in dry regions to be especially sensitive to PPT extremes. However, evidence also suggests that PPT extremes often do not produce large impacts to NPP; related to ecological contingencies, such as vegetation dynamics and characteristics of PPT extremes, which mediate PPT-NPP interactions. Understanding emergent consequences of these contingencies for NPP requires innovation in studying ecosystem responses to PPT extremes. Cross-site and long-term experimental networks with experimental designs that impose broad PPT gradients—especially those with PPT extremes—are recommended. Having the design of these experiments be codeveloped and guided by uncertainties and needs in process-based modeling can accelerate model improvements by constraining model parameters and assumptions with empirical observations. The fusion of these different research approaches into one can guide the next generation of research on ecosystem responses to PPT extremes.
Gas phase microdialysis and chemiluminescence detection: A small, fast, selective, and sensitive method to monitor aqueous nitric oxide.

Abstract A method using a gas-phase microdialysis probe interfaced with a modified commercially available nitric oxide (NO) detector is shown to selectively measure aqueous NO at low μM levels with high selectivity. The detector measures chemiluminescence resulting from the gas-phase reaction of NO with ozone. The microdialysis probe is small enough (3 mm × 200 μm) to be used in vivo. Because the processes of extraction across the microdialysis membrane and transport from the probe to the detector are both very fast, the response time is shorter than 5 s. The method was verified using two different quantifiable sources of NO: nitrite and methylamine hexamethylene methylamine (MAHMA) NONOates. To demonstrate ruggedness and to show the impact of matrix on NO generation, the method was used to measure NO in a cell culture matrix. The continuous extraction, fast response time, and rugged nature make the method useful for monitoring NO in biological applications. Our results also show that predicting NO concentration for in vitro experiments based on NONOate concentration may be a poor assumption due to the pH dependence of NO formation and the rapid decline in NO concentration.
Dietary Considerations for the Prevention and Treatment of Arrhythmia

Diet is an important modifiable risk factor with multiple implications in the management of patients with arrhythmia. In this chapter, we will discuss several relevant topics pertaining to dietary considerations in caring for patients with rhythm disturbances. First, we focus on the association of obesity with incidence, progression, and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and obesity is also a growing epidemic, affecting more than one-third of the population currently. Given the strong association between obesity and AF, targeting obesity has a great potential to reduce the global burden of AF. Second, we discuss the association between caffeine and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). While studies do not suggest a distinct association between caffeine intake and SVT, the recommendation of caffeine reduction is common practice among practitioners caring for patients suffering from palpitations. Finally, we draw attention to the role of dietary electrolytes in the care of patients with arrhythmia. Although studies suggest an association between serum electrolyte levels and the development of certain arrhythmias, further studies are needed to elucidate the role of dietary electrolyte intake and supplementation for the management of these patients.
Developmental Journeys from Teaching Experiences to the Teaching Profession:Cases of New Secondary Science Teachers

Although there are initiatives to attract individuals with STEM degrees and experiences into teaching, little is known about the characteristics and development of qualified professional scientists...
Voice and Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production

Acknowledgments Introduction PART I: DEVELOPING YOUR FILM ON PAPER From Idea to Cinematic Story The Screenplay The Visual Language and Aesthetics of Cinema Organizing Time and Space From Screenplay to Visual Plan PART II: PREPARING FOR PRODUCTION Preparing for Production The Cast and Crew PART III: TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES: PRODUCTION The Film System The Digital Video System The Lens Camera Support Basics of Exposure Basic Lighting for Film and DV Advanced Lighting and Exposure Sound for Production Production Sound Tools Sound Recording Technique On Set! PART IV: TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES: POST-PRODUCTION Post-Production Overview and Workflow Principles and Process of Digital Editing The Art and Technique of Editing The Sound Design in Film Cutting Sound and Working with Multiple Tracks Finishing, Mastering and Distribution Appendix Bibliography Glossary
The Linguistic Legacy of Spanish and Portuguese: Chinese Coolie Spanish in nineteenth-century Cuba

Introduction During the first half of the nineteenth century, the African slave trade in Cuba became illegal and the laws prohibiting it were increasingly enforced, a topic touched upon in chapter 4. Alarmed by the slave revolts of the 1790s in Haiti, movements began in Cuba with the purpose of settling whites on farms and in villages in Cuba not only to infuse the labour force with new manpower, but also in part to counterbalance the large black population and thereby diminish the possibility of revolt. As we saw in chapter 4, the black population in Cuba began to outnumber the whites around 1791 and according to Kiple (1976) this situation lasted up until 1846. Corbitt (1971:2) notes that in 1841 in Cuba there were 589,333 blacks (58 per cent) (436,495 slaves and 152,838 free coloureds) and 418,211 whites (42 per cent). This situation made Cuban plantation-owners uncomfortable and as a consequence incentives were offered to planters to hire workers from Spain, but with little success. The Spanish government then agreed to a plan drawn up by the Junta de Fomento (Promotion Committee) to introduce Chinese coolies (indentured labourers) into Cuba, following an idea the British had used in their colonies. From 3 June 1847 – the arrival date of the first Chinese coolies from China – onwards, nearly 500,000 of them came to the island (Corbitt 1971:6). In this chapter, I discuss some details of the ecology of the Chinese in Cuba between 1847 and the late twentieth century, focusing on the relations among the Chinese, the Africans, and the Afro-Cubans, and the development of the Chinese variety of Spanish.
Purification and characterization of sialidase L, a NeuAc alpha 2-->3Gal-specific sialidase.

Abstract Sialidase L releases 2,7-anhydro-NeuAc from sialoglycoconjugates (Li, Y.-T., Nakagawa, H., Ross, S. A., Hansson, G., and Li, S.-C. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 21629-21633). This enzyme has been purified more than 10,000-fold from Macrobdella leech. The final preparation gives a single protein band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with the molecular mass of 84 kDa. The pI is determined to be 6.0 using isoelectric focusing. With 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-NeuAc as substrate, the pH optimum is between pH 5.5-7.0. Unlike regular sialidases, sialidase L is not inhibited by 2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro-NeuAc. Two of the seven tryptic peptides derived from sialidase L contain the consensus repeat S-X-D-X-G-X-T-W that has been found in the regular sialidases. Among various sialoglycoconjugates tested, sialidase L cleaves only the NeuAc alpha 2-->3Gal linkage. NeuAc alpha 2-->6Gal, NeuAc alpha 2-->6GalNAc, NeuAc alpha 2-->6GlcNAc, NeuAc alpha 2-->8-NeuAc, and NeuAc alpha 2-->9NeuAc linkages are not hydrolyzed. At pH 7.0, sialidase L and Clostridial sialidase release 46 and 92% of sialic acid, respectively, from bovine fetuin, indicating that sialidase L selectively cleaves NeuAc alpha 2-->3Gal linkages in fetuin. Sialidase L is the first sialidase found to exhibit a strict specificity toward the hydrolysis of the NeuAc alpha 2-->3Gal linkage, and it should become useful for the selective cleavage of NeuAc alpha 2-->3Gal linkages in sialoglycoconjugates without destroying other sialosyl linkages.
Hypothalamic-immune interactions

Abstract Electrolyte destruction of certain nuclei of the brain cause specific structural and functional changes in the immune system. Lesions in the preoptic-anterior hypothalamic area result in thymic involution and a decrease in the number and blastogenic reactivity of splenocytes. In contrast, lesions in the hippocampus increase thymic and splenic mitogenic responsiveness and cellularity. Hypophysectomy abrogates all changes in splenocyte number and function induced by hypothalamic and limbic lesions. The effects of ablating the hippocampus and amygdaloid complex on thymocyte number and function also are abolished. Hypothalamic lesions in hypophysectomized animals result in an increase in the number of thymocytes but suppressed mitogenic activity. These data indicate that neuroimmunomodulation is mediated predominantly but not exclusively by the pituitary gland.
Multimodal optical imaging can reveal changes in microcirculation and tissue oxygenation during skin wound healing

Background and Objective Faster and better wound healing is a longstanding goal. Blood flow, angiogenesis, and tissue oxygenation are important parameters in evaluating the healing process. Optical microangiography (OMAG) allows 3D imaging of tissue vasculature and can provide quantitative blood flow information down to the capillary level of resolution. Dual wavelength laser speckle imaging (DW-LSI) can measure tissue oxygenation status. Materials and Methods Cutaneous wound healing of a mouse ear model using a multimodal imaging system that combines OMAG with DWLSI was studied. Results A complete microvasculature map of the ear in vivo was obtained. The imaging system revealed both hemodynamic and metabolic changes during acute stage wound healing. Blood flow velocity, blood flow direction, as well as changes in concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (ΔHbO) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (ΔHb) were measured and quantified. In addition, capillary recruitment and angiogenesis were visualized during the chronic stage of repairing. Conclusions The combination of DW-LSI and OMAG imaging technique may be a powerful tool to visualize and understand microvascular, hemodynamic, and metabolic changes during cutaneous wound healing. Lasers Surg. Med. 46:470–478, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Numerical solution of nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations by a generalized conjugate gradient method

We have studied previously a generallized conjugate gradient method for solving sparse positive-definite systems of linear equations arising from the discretization of ellilptic partial-differential boundary-value problems. Here, extensions to the nonlinear case are considered. We split the original discretized operator into the sum of two operators, one of which corresponds to a more easily solvable system of equations, and accelerate the associated iteration based on this splitting by (nonlinear) conjugate gradients. The behavior of the method is illustrated for the minimal surface equation with splittings corresponding to nonlinear SSOR, to approximate factorization of the Jacobian matrix, and to elliptic operators suitable for use with fast direct methods. The results of numerical experiments are given as well for a mildly nonlinear example, for which, in the corresponding linear case, the finite termination property of the conjugate gradient algorithm is crucial.
Liberty of the Press in the Restoration

A remarkable paradox in this age of conservative and authoritarian politics was the rise of a relatively free press under the Charter of 1814. Although Ultra governments hounded and attacked this freedom, they failed to destroy it. The principle of press liberty, an ideal in the Old Regime, capricious in the Revolution, and a sham under Napoleon, became firmly rooted in the Restoration. A brief discussion of Restoration laws concerning periodicals is essential to understand the legal limits of journalistic expression.
The Stratigraphy of Forgetting: The Great Mosque of Cordoba and Its Contested Legacy

As with any major monument that figures prominently in architectural history, the Great Mosque of Cordoba has a classic architectural “story” that explains it. This story attracts little attention in the USA, where the medieval past is of little interest because our national narrative does not depend on it. But in Europe, where a recent exhibition catalogue on Islamic art concluded with the question, “Que representa hoy al-Andalus para nosotros?” (“What does al-Andalus represent for us today?”) (Cheddadi 2000:270), medieval history plays a powerful role in modern heritage politics. Especially in Spain, the interpretation of the medieval Iberian past, with its intertwining threads of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish culture, is a deeply political act.
Analysis of Co-Worker Involvement in Relation to Level of Disability versus Placement Approach among Supported Employees.

This study describes patterns of co-worker involvement among 264 supported employees in relation to level of disability versus placement approach (i.e., individual, clustered, crew). Results indica...
Methodological improvements in voxel-based analysis of diffusion tensor images: applications to study the impact of apolipoprotein E on white matter integrity.

Purpose To identify regional differences in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) using customized preprocessing before voxel-based analysis (VBA) in 14 normal subjects with the specific genes that decrease (apolipoprotein [APO] E e2) and that increase (APOE e4) the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Materials and Methods Diffusion tensor images (DTI) acquired at 1.5 Tesla were denoised with a total variation tensor regularization algorithm before affine and nonlinear registration to generate a common reference frame for the image volumes of all subjects. Anisotropic and isotropic smoothing with varying kernel sizes was applied to the aligned data before VBA to determine regional differences between cohorts segregated by allele status. Results VBA on the denoised tensor data identified regions of reduced FA in APOE e4 compared with the APOE e2 healthy older carriers. The most consistent results were obtained using the denoised tensor and anisotropic smoothing before statistical testing. In contrast, isotropic smoothing identified regional differences for small filter sizes alone, emphasizing that this method introduces bias in FA values for higher kernel sizes. Conclusion Voxel-based DTI analysis can be performed on low signal to noise ratio images to detect subtle regional differences in cohorts using the proposed preprocessing techniques. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:387–397. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Holding on to Our Standing Place: Waala Interactions with the 'Dagaaba' in Northwestern Ghana from 1880 to 1950

Many Akan-speaking people I converse with in Akan often giggle at my northern accent. Those speaking with me for the first time ask where I come from. When I answer that Wa, in the Upper West Region is my hometown. Their response is always a rhetorical question: “north” and “Muslim”? Most Ghanaians from the region, widely known as southern Ghana erroneously refer to the three northern regions of Ghana “north” and think that the locals there are Muslims. How this stereotype emerged, is the focus of my presentation. / The Islamic character of the northern regions in Ghana started taking shape before the 17th century. Muslim traders from Mandeland (further north of Ghana) and Hausaland (northern Nigeria) influenced the Islamic character. By focusing on the Upper West Region of Ghana, I will show how Islamic elements dominated the culture of locals and I will attempt to explain why people further south of Ghana held the idea that northerners were Muslims. I will argue that Muslims in northern Ghana adopted Islamic elements for a host of reason, which were both local and transnational.
Information systems in policy making: Computer technology and organizational arrangements

Abstract Automated information systems as a tool in public policy making sometimes prove inappropriate in view of the use made of them by policy makers. The author suggests a coupling of selected organizational rearrangements and automated information systems, using competitive analyses to ensure that political decisions are sensitive to the values of different interests.
STUDIES OF $\Xi^0_c$ PRODUCTION AND DECAYS AT BABAR

The production of 's from continuum and from B decays is studied using 116 fb-1 of data collected by the BABAR detector. A measurement of the ratio of the branching fractions of the decaying into Ξ-π+ and Ω-K+ final states is presented.
Electromagnetically induced transparency in rubidium vapor prepared by comb of short optical pulses

We studied a propagation of comb of optical pulses produced by a mode-locked diode laser in rubidium vapor. EIT was observed when pulse repetition rate is subharmonic of the hyperfine splitting of the ground state.
Conformal Geometry and Brain Flattening

In this paper, using certain conformal mappings from complex function theory, we give an explicit method for flattening the brain surface in a way which is bijective and which preserves angles. The conformal equivalence arises as the solution of a certain elliptic equation on the surface. Then from a triangulated surface representation of the cortex, we indicate how the procedure may be implemented using finite elements. Further, we show how the geometry of the cortical surface and gray/white matter boundary may be studied using this approach. Hence the mapping can be used to obtain an atlas of the brain surface in a natural manner.
Locating cylindrical objects from perspective projections

The authors address the problem of finding the 3D position and orientation of a circular cylinder using one view and known values of its radius and height. Elliptical projections of the circular ends and straight line projections of the cylinder sides can be used to calculate the cylinder position up to 5 degrees of freedom. It is shown that the viewpoint can be independently computed based on either the elliptical projection of the circular top or the straight line projection of the cylinder sides. There are two solutions (one in a degenerate case) using the elliptical projection. With the side projections, one can obtain unique solutions. If one has only the line positions but no terminal points due to occlusion or imperfect image segmentation, one can still compute a partial solution that has a degree of translational freedom along the cylinder axis. A vision recognition program is implemented for recognizing and locating a cylinder to test the solution methods, based on detection of elliptical features in the image which guides the search for side edges. >
Unilateral cervical facet dislocation: a biomechanical study of several constructs including unilateral lateral mass fixation supplemented by an interspinous cable

Object Both ventral and dorsal operative approaches have been used to treat unilateral cervical facet injuries. The gold standard ventral approach is anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. There is, however, no clear gold standard dorsal operation. In this study, the authors tested the stability of multiple posterior constructs, including unilateral lateral mass fixation supplemented by an interspinous cable. Methods Six fresh human cervical spine specimens (C3–T1) were tested by applying pure moments to the C-3 vertebral body in increments of 0.5 Nm from 0 Nm to 2.0 Nm. Each specimen was tested in the following 8 conditions (in the order shown): 1) intact; 2) after destabilization via injury to the C5–6 facet; 3) with bilateral C5–6 lateral mass screws and rods; 4) after further destabilization by creating a right unilateral lateral mass fracture of C-5 (which rendered secure screw placement into the right C-5 lateral mass impossible); 5) with unilateral left C5–6 lateral mass screws and rod; 6) with u...
Rotational and vibrational temperatures in a 77 K collisionally cooled cell

Abstract The rotational and vibrational temperatures of CH3F and SO2 in a collisionally cooled cell have been investigated. This cell, which uses liquid nitrogen as the cryogen and has an injector whose temperature can be varied between ∼200 and 1300 K, is a variant of liquid helium based systems which we have previously described. The work reported in this paper shows that the rotational temperature is equal to that of the buffer gas, which in turn is variable from 77 K up to the trapping temperature of the spectroscopically active gas by adjustment of the wall temperature of the cell. The vibrational temperature is determined by the vibrational temperature with which the gas is injected, the number of collisions with the buffer gas, and the vibrational deactivation probability of these collisions. Thus, it is shown that the vibrational and rotational temperatures of spectroscopic samples can be separately adjusted over a wide range of temperature with a very simple experimental device. Applications are discussed.
Demographic biases found in scoring instruments of total hip arthroplasty

Four hip scoring systems were used in evaluating 200 adult subjects who had no prior history of injury, pathologic condition, or treatment of the hips, knees, lower extremities, or spine. All subjects were in the age range typical of a total hip arthroplasty candidate (average age, 65 years; range, 50-100 years). In addition to a physical examination, complete demographic data were collected on each subject. Data were recorded on standardized flow sheets so that hip scores could be calculated; scores were normalized by dividing the observed scores by the maximum possible score. The average normalized total hip scores were Harris hip score, 90.8%; modified Harris hip score, 91.9%; Merle D'Aubigne score, 93.9%; and Hospital for Special Surgery hip rating 87.5%. Demographic variables that had a significant negative correlation with hip scores included advanced age (particularly past age 85), an income below the poverty level, and the presence of two or more major medical conditions. Differences in hip scores between different study groups that have not been matched for various clinically relevant factors ("case mix") are at least as likely to represent differences in the patient populations as differences in surgical technique or implant design. Hip scores may decline over the course of a 10- to 20-year follow-up period due to the change in a patient's age and/or medical condition rather than any factor relating to the hip arthroplasty.
Response-based therapy for ruptured appendicitis reduces resource utilization.

Abstract Purpose We examined the effectiveness of a postoperative ruptured appendicitis protocol that eliminated Pseudomonas coverage and based the duration of IV antibiotic treatment and length of hospital stay on the patient's clinical response. Methods In our new protocol, IV antibiotics were administered until the patient met discharge criteria: adequate oral intake, pain control with oral medications, and afebrile for 24h. We collected data on all patients with ruptured appendicitis at our institution following protocol implementation (May 1, 2012, to April 30, 2013) and compared them to a control group. Results 306 patients were treated (154 prior protocol, 152 new protocol). The new clinical response-based protocol led to a decrease in hospital stay from 134h (SD 66.1) to 94.5h (SD 61.7) (p Conclusion Our clinical response-based protocol for pediatric patients with ruptured appendicitis decreased LOS, cost, and IV antibiotics use without significant changes in adverse events.
Analysis of the bubbly/slug flow regime transition

Abstract An extended two-fluid model that includes the dynamics of bubble cluster formation and breakup was developed and used successfully to predict the bubbly/slug flow regime transition. In particular, a linear void wave stability analysis of the extended two-fluid model was performed and it was found that an instability of the void wave associated with the bubble clusters triggers a bubbly/slug flow regime transition. The predictions obtained for the change in sign of the void wave damping coefficient of this model, and thus for the onset of flow regime transition, agreed very well with the available experimental data. Another important result of this work is that it provides a mechanistic transport model for the prediction of interfacial area density, bubble number density, and mean bubble radius, parameters which are required for closure of two-fluid models.