cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic PET and SPECT imaging with radioiodinated, amyloid-reactive peptide p5 in mice: A positive role for peptide dehalogenation

Dynamic molecular imaging provides bio-kinetic data that is used to characterize novel radiolabeled tracers for the detection of disease. Amyloidosis is a rare protein misfolding disease that can affect many organs. It is characterized by extracellular deposits composed principally of fibrillar proteins and hypersulfated proteoglycans. We have previously described a peptide, p5, which binds preferentially to amyloid deposits in a murine model of reactive (AA) amyloidosis. We have determined the whole body distribution of amyloid by molecular imaging techniques using radioiodinated p5. The loss of radioiodide from imaging probes due to enzymatic reaction has plagued the use of radioiodinated peptides and antibodies. Therefore, we studied iodine-124-labeled p5 by using dynamic PET imaging of both amyloid-laden and healthy mice to assess the rates of amyloid binding, the relevance of dehalogenation and the fate of the radiolabeled peptide. Rates of blood pool clearance, tissue accumulation and dehalogenation of the peptide were estimated from the images. Comparisons of these properties between the amyloid-laden and healthy mice provided kinetic profiles whose differences may prove to be indicative of the disease state. Additionally, we performed longitudinal SPECT/CT imaging with iodine-125-labeled p5 up to 72h post injection to determine the stability of the radioiodinated peptide when bound to the extracellular amyloid. Our data show that amyloid-associated peptide, in contrast to the unbound peptide, is resistant to dehalogenation resulting in enhanced amyloid-specific imaging. These data further support the utility of this peptide for detecting amyloidosis and monitoring potential therapeutic strategies in patients.
Comment on ``Cluster Formation of Transmembrane Proteins Due to Hydrophobic Mismatching""

Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-200804doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.219801 URL: http://scitation.aip.org/getpdf/servlet/GetPDFServlet?filetype=pdf&id=PRLTAO000102000021219801000001&idtype=cvips&prog=normal URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v102/e219801 Record created on 2014-08-14, modified on 2017-05-12
Investigation of short-time particle dynamics near an interface in the presence of nonadsorbed macro-ions.

The optical technique of total internal reflection microscopy was used to study the normal Brownian motion of a single colloidal particle near an interface. The measurements were made using a recently developed technique in which the diffusion coefficient was determined by the variance of the short-time (Δt → 0) motion of the particle. Experiments were performed in solutions containing either silica nanospheres or clay platelets (Laponite RD) to investigate the effect of nonadsorbed material on the dynamics of near-contact particle motion. The change in the diffusion coefficient with separation distance between the particle and plate in solutions containing nonadsorbed macro-ions was well-described by the theory developed for simple fluids. These results suggest that, in dilute solutions of nonadsorbed material in which the bulk rheological properties remain similar to those of the pure fluid, the mobility and diffusion coefficient correction factors developed for simple fluids remain valid.
GGAing ubiquitin to the endosome

Delivery of transmembrane proteins to the lumen of the lysosome is mediated by their ubiquitination, and subsequent recognition and sorting at the endosome. A new group of ubiquitin-binding proteins has now been identified that seem to function in the delivery of ubiquitinated cargo both from the cell surface and the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the lysosome.
Determination of the time course of capacitation in mouse spermatozoa using a chlortetracycline fluorescence assay.

The heads of mouse spermatozoa obtained 5 min after release from the excised caudae epididymides showed a characteristic fluorescence pattern in the presence of the fluorophore chlortetracycline (CTC). There was uniform fluorescence over the entire head with about half the sperm population showing a brighter line of fluorescence across the equatorial segment; this fluorescence pattern was designated “F.” After 90-min incubation in culture medium (CM) containing 2% (w/v) bovine serum albumin, most of the sperm heads showed a dark band of nonfluorescence over the equatorial and postequatorial segment, while the anterior portion of the head showed bright fluorescence. This fluorescence pattern was designated “B.” The time course for the disappearance of pattern F matched the time course of the appearance of pattern B, with a half-time of 30 min. The transformation was complete in 90 min. At longer times of incubation in CM, the percentage of spermatozoa showing pattern B declined; fluorescence over the entire head was lost, characteristic of the pattern for acrosome-reacted sperm (P. M. Saling and B. T. Storey (1979). J. Cell Biol. 83, 544–555). Mouse sperm showing pattern B were able to undergo the acrosome reaction, either spontaneously or by induction with acid-solubilized zonae pellucidae from mouse eggs (H. M. Florman and B. T. Storey (1982). Dev. Biol. 91, 121–130). The latter reaction was blocked by its specific inhibitor 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB). Mouse sperm showing pattern F could not be induced to undergo the acrosome reaction by exposure to solubilized zonae. This implies that the change from fluorescence pattern F to fluorescence pattern B corresponds with changes in the sperm which make them susceptible to undergo the acrosome reaction. This change occurs during the time interval previously determined to be needed for capacitation of mouse sperm in vitro in CM (M. Inoue and D. P. Wolf (1975). Biol. Reprod. 13, 340–346). These results imply that spermatozoa showing CTC fluorescence pattern B can be considered to be capacitated and that a functional definition for capacitation is the acquired ability to undergo the acrosome reaction rapidly when treated with acid-solubilized zonae pellucidae. The CTC fluorescence assay provides for the first time a means to monitor the time course of epididymal mouse sperm capacitation in vitro.
Learning new words from spontaneous speech

The authors describe the design of a system to learn new words from spontaneous speech input, and present an initial experiment on detecting the new words to be learned. Learning a new word involves detecting an out-of-vocabulary word in the input, determining its meaning, and adding the word to the system lexicon and grammars. Such learning would enable later recognition, parsing, and interpretation of the new words. >
Welfare Reform in Persistent Rural Poverty: Dreams, Disenchantments, and Diversity

Welfare Reform in Persistent Rural Poverty: Dreams, Disenchantments, and Diversity. Kathleen Pickering, Mark H. Harvey, Gene F. Summers, and David Mushinski. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006. 243 pp.
Hindu and Christian fertility in India: A test of three hypotheses

Three hypotheses interpret differences in human fertility among religious groups. The Particularistic Theology Hypothesis stresses the pronatalist influence of doctrines forbidding artificial contraception and emphasizing the importance of sons, while the Characteristics Hypothesis focuses on the antinatalist effect of urban residence, higher education, and late age at marriage. But the Minority Status Hypothesis argues that such antinatalist effects may be stronger for a minority than a majority, since better-educated, late-marrying urbanites have greater chances for upward mobility. Minority groups with these advantages may have much lower fertility than similar people in the majority group if antinatalism is seen as a way to counter prejudice and move up. I tested these three hypotheses with data from the 1981 Census of India, from which I calculated mean numbers of children ever born per wife aged 35-44. I standardized the mean for differences between Hindu and Christian women by urban residence, education, age, and length of marriage. The standardized fertility rates of Hindus and Christians were similar in 25 states/union territories. Only in Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland did the Hindu religious minority have a lower standardized birth rate than the Christian majority; but the Muslim minority had one like the Christians'. This pattern was most consistent with the Characteristics Hypothesis.
strategic and Functional Orientation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Professional Services: An Analysis of Public Accountancy

This study examines how SMEs in public accountancy remain competitive, promote and deliver their services. The association among strategic planning, functional diversification (services and markets), methods of promotion and delivery is also examined. These SMEs face considerable difficulty in overcoming both in-house and external barriers in accessing clients requiring non-traditional services (e.g. management consulting), and clients involved in international business (broadly defined). The results show that the proactive, functionally diversified, and/or internationally oriented firms outperform the reactive, functionally concentrated, and local market oriented firms. The competitive advantage for the former categories is based on flexible specialisation such as customisation of services for specific groups of clients, speed of delivery collaboration with other producer service firms, and specialised skills. These firms utilise informal networks to promote their services with minimal investments in spo...
Input-Series Two-Stage DC-DC Converter with Inductor Coupling

This paper presents an input-series and inductor- coupled two-stage scheme to DC-DC converter. Discussions of the circuit in Discontinuous Conduction Mode (DCM) are provided both when inversely coupled interleaving and when directly coupled without phase shift. According to detailed analysis, inverse coupling is more beneficial for current ripple reduction when the windings are not so tightly coupled. The reason to avoid tight coupling is that current spikes and resonance due to voltage mismatch can be suppressed, since the two coupled windings have a large leakage inductance. A prototype with 500-700 V input and 5 V/30 A output is built. Experimental results verify the principle and performance of the proposed approach.
On False Blocking in RTS/CTS-Based Multihop Wireless Networks

The request-to-send/clear-to-send (RTS/CTS) mechanism is widely used in wireless networks in order to avoid packet collisions and, thus, achieve high network throughput. In multihop settings, however, current implementations of the RTS/CTS mechanism may lead to interdependencies that unnecessarily prohibit nodes from transmitting over long periods of time. We refer to this problem as "false blocking." In this paper, we describe and analyze the false blocking problem in detail. We show that false blocking can lead to a significant performance degradation in a variety of topologies and, possibly, to network-wide congestion as well. We propose a backward-compatible solution to the false blocking problem, called the RTS validation. We model and analyze the performance of RTS validation under general traffic and topology settings and show that it achieves a considerable reduction in the probability of false blocking. Furthermore, we carry out extensive simulations that validate our analysis and show that the RTS validation stabilizes the throughput at high load and increases its peak value, sometimes by as much as 50%
Terahertz local oscillator for the Microwave Limb Sounder on the Aura satellite

The Microwave Limb Sounder on the Aura satellite has a radiometer at 2.5 THz to perform global mapping of OH in the atmosphere. The OH radiometer utilizes two Schottky-diode mixers pumped by an optically pumped THz gas laser local oscillator. The laser was first turned on in space on July 22, 2004, and has performed without issue for more than 30 months. The specifications, design, and modeling of this 2.5 THz laser local oscillator are presented here, along with some of the important design validation and test results.
Sonographic appearance of testicular adrenal rest tissue in congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Benign intratesticular lesions are rare, but recognition is important to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention. 1 Testicular adrenal rest tissue, a subtype of the benign intratesticular lesion, occurs in up to 29% of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). 2 The presence of adrenal rest tissue in testes usually appears as a testicular mass and is often mistaken for a malignant intratesticular lesion, thereby resulting in radical orchiectomy. 3 It is important to recognize this association of adrenal rest tissue in patients with CAH to avoid unnecessary orchiectomies. 4 We present the sonographic findings of CAH with testicular adrenal rest tissue in a patient with a testicular mass.
Preparing teachers for culturally diverse schools : Research and the overwhelming presence of whiteness

This article reviews data-based research studies on preservice teacher preparation for multicultural schools, particularly schools that serve historically underserved communities. In this article, the author reviews 80 studies of effects of various preservice teacher education strategies, including recruiting and selecting students, cross-cultural immersion experiences, multicultural education coursework, and program restructuring. Although there is a large quantity of research, very little of it actually examines which strategies prepare strong teachers. Most of the research focuses on addressing the attitudes and lack of knowledge of White preservice students. This review argues that although this is a very important problem that does need to be addressed, it is not the same as figuring out how to populate the teaching profession with excellent multicultural and culturally responsive teachers.
Solving the Stock Reduction Problem with the Genetic Linear Programming Algorithm

Both Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Linear Programming (LP) are effective optimization algorithms. LP is very efficient for optimizing linear problems. GA can attain very good solutions for integer non-linear problems, but it takes more time. To solve the very complex nested optimization problems, we propose a hybrid algorithm to combine the merits from both LP and GA algorithms in this paper. We use GA to optimize the parent problem, and LP/GA hybrid algorithm to solve the sub problem. The Stock Reduction Problem (SRP) is a typical example of complex nested optimization problems. Our experiments have shown that our new hybrid algorithm can solve the SRP very fast with excellent results.
Surgical management of trigeminal schwannomas: defining the role for endoscopic endonasal approaches.

Object Because multiple anatomical compartments are involved, the surgical management of trigeminal schwannomas requires a spectrum of cranial base approaches. The endoscopic endonasal approach to Meckel's cave provides a minimal access corridor for surgery, but few reports have assessed outcomes of the procedure or provided guidelines for case selection. Methods A prospectively acquired database of 680 endoscopic endonasal cases was queried for trigeminal schwannoma cases. Clinical charts, radiographic images, and long-term outcomes were reviewed to determine outcome and success in removing tumor from each compartment traversed by the trigeminal nerve. Results Four patients had undergone endoscopic resection of trigeminal schwannomas via the transpterygoid approach (mean follow-up 37 months). All patients had disease within Meckel's cave, and 1 patient had extension into the posterior fossa. Gross-total resection was achieved in 3 patients whose tumors were purely extracranial. One patient with combined ...
Psychological Distress and Health Insurance Coverage among Formerly Incarcerated Young Adults in the United States

The United States incarcerates more people per capita than any other nation. Studies have consistently demonstrated higher prevalence of serious mental illness among the incarcerated. Although health care may be available to individuals while incarcerated, research is needed to understand the context of health care coverage and mental health after incarceration. The purpose of this study is to estimate the point prevalence of psychological distress (PD) among young adults with incarceration experience, while comparing the prevalence to that of young adults in the general population. Additionally, this study characterizes the relationship between incarceration experience and PD, while also examining this association given an individual's health insurance coverage status among young adults. Lastly, we examine if other individual, contextual, and behavioral factors influences the relationship between incarceration experience and PD, in addition to their health insurance coverage status. This study utilizes data from the 2008 panel of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97, a population based survey dataset from the U.S. Department of Labor. Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use provided the conceptual framework for the study. The Mental Health Index 5 (MHI-5) was used to determine PD or normal mental health. Chi-square testing and multivariate logistic regression were performed to examine incarceration experience in association to PD. The sample with incarceration experience reported almost double the proportion of PD (21%) compared to those without an incarceration experience (11%). Young adults who have been incarcerated reported greater odds of PD than those with no incarceration experience (COR 2.18; 95% CI, 1.68-2.83) and the association was diminished in the presence of health insurance status and model covariates. Future health prevention and health management efforts should consider the impact of health insurance coverage status, health behaviors, and life satisfaction on mental health status among young adults with incarceration experience.
A study of the effect of consumer trust on consumer expectations and satisfaction: the Korean experience

This study proposes a framework regarding the relationship between consumer trust, satisfaction, and expectation in the context of electronic commerce. In particular, the framework draws together two theories: expectation-confirmation theory and social exchange theory. Following the longitudinal pre-purchase and post-purchase stages, this study provides a theoretical framework combining trust, expectation and satisfaction, and tests the proposed models empirically using Internet consumer behavior data collected via two rounds of Web surveys conducted in two major Korean universities. In accordance with existing literature of traditional commerce, the empirical findings suggest that both consumer's trust and expectation have positive influences on consumer's satisfaction. The study also provides a framework explaining the subsequent relationships of trust and satisfaction (trust → satisfaction → post-trust → long-term trust) following the pre-purchase and post-purchase stages. In addition, a significant and positive relationship is detected between consumer's trust and expectation.
The New Patient in San Francisco

This paper describes an increasingly prevalent type of patient seen in San Francisco, a city which is often regarded as a social trend-setter. Such patients are characterized by social and material success, diffusion or reversal of traditional sex roles, acceptance of any sexual behaviour and instability of all relationships. The resultant insecurity leads to heavy reliance on self-help books and pseudo-therapies, often with disastrous results. Conventional therapeutic methods seem inapplicable, the task being apparently more one of education than therapy.
Interaction of phonons with iron-group ions

The interaction of phonons with paramagnetic spin systems is best characterized by coupling constants which relate the energy shift in the spin system to the strain introduced into the lattice. The theory of spin-phonon interactions is reviewed, and the coupling constants, as experimentally obtained, are compared to those which are most conveniently calculated. Generally, the results calculated on the basis of the point-charge theory are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. A number of special topics involving spinophonon interactions are discussed, including double quantum detection of phonons, propagation in a dispersive medium, and the phonon maser.
Intervention-related Bias in Reporting of Food Intake by Fifth-Grade Children Participating in an Obesity Prevention Study

Data collected as part of Pathways, a school-based trial for the primary prevention of obesity in American Indian children conducted between 1997 and 2000, were analyzed to examine possible intervention-related bias in food reporting. The authors hypothesized that children in the intervention schools may have systematically underreported their dietary intake relative to children in the control schools. Nutrient intake estimates for lunch derived from record-assisted 24-hour dietary recalls were compared with intake estimates from observed lunch intakes. Reported nutrient intakes were included in regression analyses as the dependent variables; observed intake, intervention condition, and age were included as independent variables. Results indicated that, among females, intervention condition was a significant predictor of reported energy, fat, and saturated fatty acid intakes. Independently of observed intake, reported lunch energy intake among females in the intervention schools was 66.8 calories lower than reported intake among females in the control schools (p = 0.03). These findings suggest that investigators should consider bias in reporting of dietary intake by intervention condition when conducting diet-focused intervention studies. Specifically, enhancing measures that rely on self-reports with objective measures of dietary intake would help investigators to evaluate whether differential reporting by treatment group has occurred. bias (epidemiology); intervention studies; nutrition assessment
Behavior of the Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes pugio and its Response to the Presence of the Predatory Fish Fundulus heteroclitus

The grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio, a common inhabitant of brackish water marshes, is often used in experimental studies. To support studies concerned with the behavior of P. pugio in controlled laboratory conditions, a behavior catalog (or ethogram) was developed. Twelve grass shrimp activities, six moving and six stationary, were observed and described. The most frequently observed activities included hovering in the water column, walking and three types of swimming. Activities observed less often included backward thrusting, jabbing with the rostrum tip and taking cover. The value of the ethogram was assessed using a predator-prey experiment in which the frequency of grass shrimp behaviors in response the predatory fish Fundulus heteroclitus was examined. In the presence of a fish, grass shrimp decreased the frequency of swimming and increased the frequency of covered and motionless behaviors. We also noted a significant increase in the occurrence of two active antipredator defenses: backward thrust and jabbing with the rostrum tip. Backward thrust quickly propelled shrimp away from a fish. Jabbing with the rostrum tip was directed toward an advancing fish and usually caused the fish to swim off in the opposite direction. These observations provide clues as to the levels and types of interactions that occur between the grass shrimp and their fish predators in the wild. The catalog of recorded activities may be of value in future studies designed to examine the effect of different experimental conditions on grass shrimp behavior.
Ab initio thermodynamic approach to identify mixed solid sorbents for CO2 capture technology

Because the current technologies for capturing CO2 are still too energy intensive, new materials must be developed that can capture CO2 reversibly with acceptable energy costs. At a given CO2 pressure, the turnover temperature (Tt) of the reaction of an individual solid that can capture CO2 is fixed. Such Tt may be outside the operating temperature range (ΔTo) for a practical capture technology. To adjust Tt to fit the practical ΔTo, in this study, three scenarios of mixing schemes are explored by combining thermodynamic database mining with first principles density functional theory and phonon lattice dynamics calculations. Our calculated results demonstrate that by mixing different types of solids, it’s possible to shift Tt to the range of practical operating temperature conditions. According to the requirements imposed by the pre- and post- combustion technologies and based on our calculated thermodynamic properties for the CO2 capture reactions by the mixed solids of interest, we were able to identify the mixing ratios of two or more solids to form new sorbent materials for which lower capture energy costs are expected at the desired pressure and temperature conditions.
Interior pycnocline flow from the subtropical to the Equatorial Pacific Ocean

Abstract Interior circulation pathways from the subtropics to the equator are markedly different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres of the Pacific Ocean. In the North Pacific the pycnocline shoals and strengthens dramatically under the intertropical convergence zone, separating the North Equatorial Current from the North Equatorial Countercurrent. While the high potential vorticity between these currents would intuitively seem to inhibit meridional water-property exchange between the subtopics and the equator, transient tracer analyses and some modeling studies have suggested an interior pathway from the subtropics to the equator in the pycnocline of the central North Pacific. This study delineates this pathway and estimates an upper bound for its magnitude at 5 (±1) × 109 kg s−1. In contrast, the southern branch of the South Equatorial Current clearly brings pycnocline water estimated at 15 (±1) × 109 kg s−1 from the southern subtropics directly to the equator in the South Pacific through an interi...
HIV/AIDS education and prevention for Asian and Pacific Islander communities: toward the development of general guidelines.

A multidisciplinary forum was held in California in the US to discuss "Cultural Factors in HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention for Asians and Pacific Islanders." Sponsored by the Asian Pacific Health Care Venture Inc. one of the main goals of the forum was to develop guidelines for HIV education in these communities. As a result participants formulated a 7-step approach involving 1) a field assessment to determine needs by questioning the target audience; 2) curriculum development through community involvement; 3) development of culturally-appropriate strategies which are practical nonthreatening and tailored to the clients lifestyle (examples currently in use include distribution of a fortune cookie which includes an HIV antibodies testing message and phone number); 4) implementation which should be carried out by members of the community; 5) program stabilization; 6) evaluation; and 7) outcome monitoring and follow-up. Efforts to teach safer sex practices should take advantage of indigenous models such as the nonpenetrative simulated intercourse which is practiced in Java. These models can be taught as culturally appropriate behaviors and can be used to develop a nonthreatening vocabulary with which to discuss safer sex behavior. The ideas generated by this forum are intended to be preliminary to be tested by research and to provide guidelines for the development of culturally-appropriate HIV/AIDS interventions.
Implementing 12345 Fit-Tastic A Tool for Combating Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is epidemic in the United States. School nurses are in a unique position to address weight with the students they serve. This article provides tools for school nurses to be able to conduct an obesity screening, demonstrate the basic skills of motivational interviewing in treatment of obesity in a school age child, and utilize the 12345 Fit-Tastic program in their practice. This article is the seventh and final article in a series on the topic of childhood obesity and the accompanying comorbidities.
Integration of Zinc Oxide Thin Films with Polyimide-based Structures

Zinc oxide (ZnO) films were deposited on polyimide-based substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The ZnO films and the underlying polymer layers were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. FTIR measurements in structurally well-characterized samples exhibiting all X-ray reflections of crystalline hexagonal ZnO show absorbance bands around 405 cm-1(Zn-O stretching vibration) and 1110 cm-1 (in-plane C-H vibrations on aromatic rings of polyimide). Observed shifts in both absorption features as a function of deposition temperatures can probably be attributed to thermal stress in the layers. PL measurements showed broad spectra centered around 3.35 eV from ZnO excitonic emission and a broader PL band from 2.7 to 3.1 eV defect complex emissions. The appearance of these peaks was consistent for depositions of ZnO on non-organic substrates, which indicates that the integration of ZnO thin films on polymer based substrate preserved the characteristic optical properties of ZnO.
The Incidence of the AAA Processing Tax on Hogs

The incidence of the AAA processing tax on hogs of $2.25 per hundred pounds has been the subject of some controversy during the past year. I believe, however, that most of the difference of opinion arises from the different interpretations of what is meant by the question, "Who pays the tax?" There are several different senses in which the question might be asked. One might ask, for example, whose prices or margins are increased or decreased directly by the tax itself-the farmer's, the packer's, the retailer's, or the consumer's? Or he might ask, whose total receipts or total outlays are affected? Or, whose net receipts or net outlays are affected ? And then he could start all over again, asking whose prices or margins, whose total receipts or outlays, and whose net receipts or outlays are affected, not directly by the tax itself, but indirectly through the effects of the tax on production and consumption, after those effects have had time to work themselves out. These are some of the different senses in which the question, "Who pays the processing tax on hogs ?" may be asked and answered. The different senses are really so many different questions, rather than different senses of the same question. In order to cover the subject comprehensively, I am going to deal separately with all of these questions, taking up each one in its turn.
Metabolic Staging in Human Heart Failure: Circulating Acylcarnitines and the Failing Heart’s Energetic Signature∗

In this issue of the Journal , Ahmad et al. [(1)][1] report on an important novel metabolic phenotype assayed in peripheral blood that is associated with human heart failure (HF). Their study identified circulating metabolites that hold prognostic and potentially mechanistic insights toward a more
Native Evangelism in Central Mexico by Hugo G. Nutini and Jean F. Nutini, Austin: University of Texas Press, 2014, vii + 197 vii pp., ISBN 978 0 292 74412 7, US$36.85 (hardback); 978 1 4773 0761 8, US$16.75 (paperback)

The product of decades of research in Mexico's Cordoba-Orizaba region and Tlaxcala-Pueblan Valley, Native Evangelism in Central Mexico explores the pragmatic reasons Mexicans convert to ‘native eva...
Observations on the Morphology of the Corn Seed Beetle (Agonoderus Pallipes Fab., Carabidae)

The writers became interested in the external morphological features of Agonoderus pallipes Fab. while conducting investigations pertaining to the habits, ecology, and biology of the species at Manhattan, Kansas. Forbes (1905) presented an illustration of the adult which has been standard in the literature.
Disc electrophoresis-immunodiffusion of serum proteins in normal human gallbladder bile.

SummaryImmunodiffusion of bile against specific antisera revealed 17 serum proteins in 10 normal gallbladder bile samples. Seven were common to all 10 samples. Five others were present in at least 50% of the biles. Analytical disc electrophoresis gave a mean of 12 bands staining with amido-schwarz with a range of 8-20. Because of the variability of bile patterns no uniform DEP pattern for normal gallbladder bile could be established, although relative relationships of major bands usually were recognizable. By use of DEP-immunodiffusion it was possible to identify and locate 12 specific serum proteins in the polyacrylamide electrophoretic patterns of bile.
Tailoring Crystallization Behavior of PEO-Based Liquid Crystalline Block Copolymers through Variation in Liquid Crystalline Content

A series of liquid crystalline–semicrystalline–liquid crystalline triblock copolymers, with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as the semicrystalline central block and polymethacrylate bearing side-chain cholesteryl mesogens as the liquid crystalline (LC) end blocks, are prepared using reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Starting with 20 kg/mol PEO, the weight fractions of the LC blocks in the triblock copolymers are varied from 21 to 86 wt %. The wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS and SAXS) as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies show that with the increased LC content in the triblock copolymers different hierarchical structures including “LC lamellae in PEO lamellae” and “PEO cylinders in LC matrix” are observed sequentially. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study shows that the triblock copolymers with “LC lamellae in PEO lamellae” crystallize at normal undercooling conditions (crystallization temperature Tc observed at 31.0–36.4 °C, w...
Transitional probability in anagram solution in a group setting: a replication.

Summary.-An earlier srudy comparing the solubiliry of anagrams with high and low digrarn frequeccy counts was replicated. Results indicated no significant differences in Ss' ability to solve the two types of anagrams. These negative findings were discussed in light of the dependent variables used in the present and previous studies. Mayzner and Tresselr ( 1959) have shown that transitional probability is an important antecedent condition of anagram soli~tion time. They have pointed out that there is a digram frequency count associated with each sequential pair of letters in the anagram and that the sequential pairs of letters may be manipulated in such a way as to give a high or low summed frequency count for the total pairs of letters. This total frequency count for all pairs in the anagram is offered as an operational definition of tr~nsitional probability. Mayzner and Tresselt hypothesized thar, if an anagram is presented in two forms, one in which the digram frequency count has been maximized and one in which it has been minimized, the array with the high transition total should be more difficult to solve. This wo~~ld be due to the fact that Ss should have more difficulty breaking up the Ietter pairs in such an anagram. Their results support this hypothesis. Stachnik (1963) artenlpted to replicate the Mayzner and Tresselt work in a group setting. In the original work the anagrams were presented to Ss one at a time on index cards, with the dependent variable being [he time required for solution. In the Stachnik study all the anagrams were presented on a single sheet of paper, the dependent variable being the number of solutions reached in 20 min. Stachnik found no significant differences between the number of high and low transitional probability anagrams solved. He attributed a major portion of the negative results to the fact that Ss in the group experiment were able to make overt trial-and-error atcempts to solve directly on the paper given them. These overt attempts, he claimed, involved rearrangement of the sequential pairs of letters and thus changed the total frequency count for the anagram. In the earlier Mayzner and Tresselt srudy Ss co~~ld make only covert atcempts at solutions, since no paper or pencils were provided. If such an attempt failed, S had to return to the original anagram on the index card and therefore the frequency count was not altered. The present investigation was designed to replicate the Stachnik group study, adding controls to prevent Ss from making overt trial-and-error attempts to solve.
On the Site of Action of NQNO in the Cytochrome b6-f Complex and the Question of Interheme Transfer

The increase in amplitude of cytochrome b 6 photoreduction and inhibition of the slow electrochromic phase by the compound NQNO was an important observation with regard to the understanding of function of the cytochrome b 6 -f complex (1). The inferred analogy to the action of antimycin A provided support for a Q cycle mechanism. The basis of this analogy and the evidence supporting interheme transfer associated with the Q cycle is examined in this study.
Effect of Nano-α-Linolenic Acid on Expression of Cathepsin B in Mice with Viral Myocarditis

Objective To investigate the effect of nano-α-linolenic acid on the expression of cathepsin B(CB) in mice with viral myocarditis(VM).Methods Eighty male Balb/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:control group,myocarditis group,low-dose intervention group and high-dose intervention group,each group had 20 mice.Mice in control group were inoculated introperitoneally with eagle′s solution,every mouse in the last 3 groups was treated with 0.1 mL Coxsackie B3 virus(CVB3) intraperitoneally.Then,mice in low-dose intervention group and high-dose intervention group were treated with 60 mg·kg-1and 180 mg·kg-1 nano-α-linolenic acid solution for 7 days,respectively.Mice in control group and myocarditis group were treated with 9 g·L-1 saline for 7 days.All mice were killed on the 15th day,and the specimens of hearts and serum were conserved.Myocardial histopathology was determined with hematoxylin and eosin stain.The expression levels of myocardial CB mRNA were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.Serum CB concentration was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results The mortality rate was 0,45%,30% and 20% in control group,myocarditis group,low-dose intervention group and high-dose intervention group,respectively;the mortality rate was significantly lower in high-dose intervention group compared with myocarditis group(P0.05),but there was no difference between low-dose intervention group and myocarditis group(P0.05).The expression level of CB mRNA and serum CB concentration were markedly higher in myocarditis group than those in control group(Pa0.01).After nano-α-linolenic acid intervented therapy,CB mRNA and serum CB levels and myocardial histopathological scores were decreased significantly(Pa0.05,0.01).Conclusion Nano-α-linolenic acid may play a pivotal role in protecting the heart injury by suppressing excessive expression of CB in Balb/c mice with CVB3 myocarditis.
Evaluating Research: Research Designs in Evidence-Based Medicine/Evidence-Based Practice

Once you have located some research reports that can help answer your practice question, Step 3 in the evidence-based medicine (EBM) and evidence-based practice (EBP) decision-making model is to appraise the quality and relevance of this research. An initial inspection of materials should help differentiate those that are relevant for your purposes from those that are not. Relevance may often be determined by examining the research question that each study addresses. Studies should have clear and relevant research questions, fitting your practice needs. That is, the topics should fit your clinical question, and the sample should be similar in age and other background criteria. Once these ‘apparently relevant’ studies are identified, the appraisal shifts to issues of research methodology. Even studies that appear be quite relevant initially may later on prove to have important limitations as the details of their methods are explored.
Genetic Variation in Calcium Channel Gene in Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsies

Researchers at Women's And Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, and other centers in Australia and Canada screened 240 individuals from 167 families with idiopathic generalized epilepsy and generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS + ) and 95 controls for variants in the CACNA1H gene.
Racial Discrimination and Jury Selection

In an effort to eliminate a long history of racial discrimination in jury selection, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986), that jurors cannot be excluded on the basis of race through a prosecutor’s use of peremptory challenges. Despite that ruling, racial discrimination in jury selection has remained a persistent problem. In May 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court decided yet another case, Foster v. Chatman, finding that prosecutors’ use of peremptory challenges to exclude all eligible potential African American jurors to achieve an all-white jury in Georgia violated Batson. That jury sentenced 18-year-old Timothy Foster, an African American man, to death for the murder of an elderly white woman. Nearly 30 years later, the Court concluded that the prosecutors were motivated in substantial part by race when they struck two potential jurors from the jury. Emphasizing the seriousness of racial discrimination in jury selection, the Court admonished: “Two peremptory strikes on the basis of race are two more than the Constitution allows.” The Supreme Court may have granted Foster a new trial based on Batson, but that is unlikely to stop racial discrimination in jury selection. Since the Court decided Batson 40 years ago, issues of racially motivated use of peremptory challenges frequently arise. In that time, several cases have reached the Court, and countless more have gone to state and federal courts of appeals. In view of the intractable problem presented by the use of peremptory challenges, commentators have recommended a variety of solutions to eliminate racial discrimination in jury selection and achieve more inclusive and representative juries. In this ethics column, we explore the problems with Batson as a constitutional rule as well as the legal ethics of racial discrimination in jury selection. We also consider alternatives to peremptory challenges, and conclude by endorsing alternatives to the current system of peremptory challenges as the best alternatives to curb racial discrimination in jury selection.
Energy Transfer High Frequency Chest Compression

High frequency chest compression (HFCC) supplies a sequence of air pulses to an inflatable vest-like garment that covers the thorax. The pulses produce oscillatory airflow within the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD). The energy produced from the machine and transferred from the vest to the patient’s lungs assists in opening airways and increases air volume flow rate to remove mucus for clearance by expectoration or swallowing. Evaluation of relative efficacy for such a system requires an estimate of the pressure and frequency of the vibration energy transferred from vest to body over the operating range of the system. The purpose of this study is to measure the spatial energy distribution of acceleration applied to the vest/chest wall using a 3-D accelerometer. This study is of two waveforms, sinus and triangle, with two different vests, two pulse pressures, and two frequencies to observe the distribution of energy. The results of energy transfer are presented for three protocols: vest on mannequin, vest on control subject and vest on a CF patient. For both a normal subject and a CF patient, volume airflow and pressure at the mouth are reported as an index of energy coupled to the lungs. Our results show significant differences in the both intra-vest and thoracic energy distribution patterns between the machine-vest systems. The products of estimated energy from the normal subject and CF patient vary with machine settings. The premise that all HFCC machines deliver comparable therapy is called into question. Further studies are needed to analyze machine differences and define optimal performance characteristics.
Long-Term Equity Investing with Leveraged Exchange-Traded Funds

Under conditions of upward-trending stock prices in the broad market, bull (long) leveraged exchange-traded funds (LETFs) benchmarked to the S&P 500 Index produce significant rates of return, in excess of their leverage factors and over long periods. A seven-year, eight-month test of upward-trending stock prices found that relative to a return on the S&P 500 of 158.93%, the 3x UPRO, 3x SPXL, and 2x SSO LETFs—all benchmarked to the S&P 500—generated returns of 1,262.24% (about 8 times that of the S&P 500), 1,046.68% (about 6.6 times the S&P 500), and 560.14% (3.5 times the S&P 500), respectively. UPRO, SPXL, and SSO delivered their stated leveraged returns, plus correspondingly significant excess returns of 785.45%, 569.89%, and 242.28%, respectively. The excess returns were attributable to advantageous tracking error. The first period included two major reversals, 9.7% and 13%, along with a number of smaller price dips. A second period, which began with four months of downward-trending stock prices followed by eight years of upward-trending prices, also produced significant rates of return, including excess rates of return well beyond their leverage factors. An even longer third test period also generated positive returns. These results are particularly astonishing, given the dire warnings from academicians, the SEC, and FINRA that using LETFs beyond a single day or very short time periods would lead to value destruction.
Composable network stacks and remote monads

Monads and applicative functors are two ways that Haskell programmers bundle effectful primitives into effectful program fragments. In this paper, we investigate using monads and applicative functors to bundle remote effectful primitives, specifically aiming to amortize the cost of remote communications using bundling. We look at several ways of maximizing the bundling of primitives, drawing from the remote monad design pattern and Haxl system, and provide a taxonomy of mechanism for amortization, with examples. The result of this investigation is that monadic fragments can be efficiently bundled into packets, almost for free, when given a user-supplied packet transportation mechanism, and the primitives obey some simple pre- and post-conditions.
The association between habitual walking speed and medial femoral cartilage deformation following 30 minutes of walking

Abstract Habitual walking speed is a key functional outcome that has implications for knee biomechanics that occur during gait. Lower extremity biomechanics during walking affects the loading of the femoral cartilage. Ultrasonography (US) can be used to assess resting femoral cartilage thickness and acute cartilage deformation in response to walking. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between habitual walking speed and both resting femoral cartilage thickness and deformation. Twenty-four healthy participants with no history of knee injury volunteered for this study. Habitual walking speed was assessed with a 20-m walk test. Femoral cartilage thickness was assessed with US in the medial condyle, lateral condyle, and intercondylar regions prior to and immediately following 30 min of walking. Femoral cartilage deformation was calculated as the percent change in cartilage thickness acutely following the walking protocol. Separate Pearson product moment correlations were used to assess the association between habitual walking speed and each US cartilage variable. Slower habitual walking speed was significantly associated with greater medial femoral cartilage deformation (r = 0.48, P = 0.018), but not with lateral and intercondylar deformation. Habitual walking speed was not significantly associated with the resting cartilage thickness in any cartilage region. These findings highlight the in vivo association between walking speed and medial femoral cartilage deformation. When controlling for body mass index, the association between walking speed and medial cartilage deformation was weakened (Δr = −0.12). Future studies are needed to determine the extent to which BMI influences the association between walking speed and cartilage deformation.