cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The international postpartum depression: action towards causes and treatment (PACT) consortium

The International Postpartum depression: Action towards Causes and Treatment (PACT) Consortium was founded with the overarching goal of creating an international perinatal psychiatry consortium to conduct novel investigations with large sample sizes to understand the genetic signature of perinatal mood disorders. PACT uses a collaborative and team science approach that includes investigators across 19 institutions and seven continents. The large sample sizes allow for statistically rigorous analyses to investigate perinatal psychiatric disorders, with an initial focus on postpartum depression (PPD). Our current aims are to identify clinical sub-types of PPD that contribute diagnostic heterogeneity, and to elucidate the genetic basis of PPD by conducting the first large genome-wide association study of PPD. To accomplish the latter aim, we are partnering with the Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. To date, our consortium members have recruited 17,912 participants and 11,344 participants have been identified using the PPD ACT mobile app, of which 8,432 are PPD cases. Ultimately, we hope this approach will improve detection, diagnosis, and treatment of women who suffer from perinatal psychiatric disorders.
Supersymmetric S U ( 5 ) × U ( 1 ) χ and the weak gravity conjecture

The gauge symmetry $SU(5)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1{)}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}$ is the unique maximal subgroup of SO(10) which retains manifest unification at ${M}_{GUT}$ of the Standard Model gauge couplings, especially if low scale supersymmetry is present. The spontaneous breaking of $U(1{)}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}$ at some intermediate scale leaves unbroken a ${Z}_{2}$ symmetry which is precisely ``matter'' parity. This yields a stable supersymmetric dark matter particle as well as topologically stable cosmic strings. Motivated by the weak gravity conjecture we impose unification of $SU(5)$ and $U(1{)}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}$ at an ultraviolet cutoff $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}^{1/2}{M}_{P}\ensuremath{\approx}5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{17}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$, where ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}$ denotes the $SU(5)$ gauge coupling at $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ and ${M}_{P}\ensuremath{\approx}2.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ is the reduced Planck scale. The impact of dimension five operators suppressed by $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ on gauge coupling unification, proton lifetime estimates and $b\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\tau}$ Yukawa unification is discussed. In particular, the modified proton lifetime estimate for decay into ${e}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ can be tested at Hyper-Kamiokande. We also discuss how the intermediate scale strings may survive inflation while the $SU(5)$ monopoles are inflated away. The unbroken ${Z}_{2}$ symmetry provides an intriguing link between dark matter, black holes carrying ``quantum hair'' and cosmic strings.
Psychological Differences between Athletes and Nonparticipants in Athletics at Three Educational Levels

Abstract The California Psychological Inventory was administered to 334 ninth grade, twelfth grade, and college team sport athletes and nonparticipants in athletics. Statistically significant differences between the means of the athletes and the nonparticipants were found on eight of the CPI scales of the ninth grade subjects, on four scales of the twelfth grade subjects, and on nine scales of the college subjects. At the ninth and twelfth grade levels all the significant differences involved scales on which the athletes had the higher means with the exception of two scales at the twelfth grade level. At the college level eight of the nine significant differences involved scales on which the nonparticipants had the higher means.
The Impact of Educational Interventions by Socio-Demographic Attribute

Abstract : Past work with the Construct simulation tool has asked questions at the population level: what percentage of the total population knew a fact, held a belief, or performed an action. Since several cognitive and access mechanisms have been added to Construct, and these attributes have been tied to socio-demographic sub-populations, it is now possible to examine the effects of educational interventions on sub-populations. This technical report presents a virtual experiment which analyzes a simulated population by various socio-demographic attributes. It specifies the experimental design, describes parameters used, presents a series of results which explore the effect of literacy and information access on societal sub-populations, and identifies educational interventions which may and may not be effective.
Fluid-driven transition from damage to fracture in anisotropic porous media: a multi-scale XFEM approach

In this paper, a numerical method is proposed to simulate multi-scale fracture propagation driven by fluid injection in transversely isotropic porous media. Intrinsic anisotropy is accounted for at the continuum scale, by using a damage model in which two equivalent strains are defined to distinguish mechanical behavior in the direction parallel and perpendicular to the layer. Nonlocal equivalent strains are calculated by integration and are directly introduced in the damage evolution law. When the weighted damage exceeds a certain threshold, the transition from continuum damage to cohesive fracture is performed by dynamically inserting cohesive segments. Diffusion equations are used to model fluid flow inside the porous matrix and within the macro-fracture, in which conductivity is obtained by Darcy’s law and the cubic law, respectively. In the fractured elements, the displacement and pore pressure fields are discretized by using the XFEM technique. Interpolation on fracture elements is enriched with jump functions for displacements and with level set-based distance functions for fluid pressure, which ensures that displacements are discontinuous across the fracture, but that the pressure field remains continuous. After spatial and temporal discretization, the model is implemented in a Matlab code. Simulations are carried out in plane strain. The results validate the formulation and implementation of the proposed model and further demonstrate that it can account for material and stress anisotropy.
Assessing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention for tinnitus using behavioural measures and structural MRI: a pilot study

Objective: We used a minimally-modified version of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to treat symptoms of distress associated with tinnitus.Design: Audiological screening (establishing a baseline) was conducted prior to treatment and at three time-points: pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up, 8 weeks after completion of training. MRI tests were also conducted at these three time-points.Study sample: Twenty-one participants were enrolled in the study, of whom 15 completed training and audiological testing and eight completed the MRI portion of the study.Results: Scores on tinnitus-related questionnaires showed a significant decline either from pre- to post-intervention or from pre-intervention to follow-up, despite no significant change during baseline. Voxel-based morphometric analysis of the structural MRI scans revealed clusters in bilateral superior frontal gyrus that exhibited significant increases in grey matter volume over the period of intervention and follow-up. Further, grey matter changes in occipital and cingulate regions correlated with declines in tinnitus handicap.Conclusions: This pilot study supports MBCT as an adequate approach for treating distressing tinnitus and suggests that neuroanatomical changes may reflect reductions in tinnitus-related severity. Although our small sample size precludes drawing strong conclusions, there is potential for assessing neuroanatomical changes due to mindfulness-based interventions in tinnitus.
Examining the relationship of teacher perception of accountability and assessment policies on teacher turnover during NCLB

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between teachers’ perception of their work, their intent to leave their current position, and their realized turnover at the height of the federal accountability policy era in the United States. The study uses a framework of teacher de-professionalization and demoralization operationalized by teacher responses to the Schools and Staffing Surveys and Teacher Follow-up Surveys from the National Center for Education Statistics. We tested the relationship of de-professionalization and demoralization to turnover with two competing structural equation models for teachers who cited accountability policies as a factor in their employment decision, and those who did not. We find that teacher worry and stress associated with demoralization is a significant predictor of intent to leave in both groups of teachers. However, teacher worry and stress is only a significant predictor of teachers leaving the profession and moving schools in teachers who cite accountability policies as a factor in their employment decision. These findings demonstrate a relationship between teachers’ perceptions of accountability policies, perception of their working conditions, and turnover. These results have important implications for policy makers and educational leaders as the U.S. transitions from the No Child Left Behind era to the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Survey Reveals a Broad Range of Fungal Pathogens and an Oomycete on Peonies in the United States

Peonies, Paeonia lactiflora and hybrids, are popular ornamental plants grown in landscapes and as cut flowers. As with many ornamental plants, the information on the etiology of peony diseases is i...
Posterior Alpha and Gamma Oscillations Index Divergent and Superadditive Effects of Cognitive Interference.

Conflicts at various stages of cognition can cause interference effects on behavior. Two well-studied forms of cognitive interference are stimulus-stimulus (e.g., Flanker), where the conflict arises from incongruence between the task-relevant stimulus and simultaneously presented irrelevant stimulus information, and stimulus-response (e.g., Simon), where interference is the result of an incompatibility between the spatial location of the task-relevant stimulus and a prepotent motor mapping of the expected response. Despite substantial interest in the neural and behavioral underpinnings of cognitive interference, it remains uncertain how differing sources of cognitive conflict might interact, and the spectrally specific neural dynamics that index this phenomenon are poorly understood. Herein, we used an adapted version of the multisource interference task and magnetoencephalography to investigate the spectral, temporal, and spatial dynamics of conflict processing in healthy adults (N = 23). We found a double-dissociation such that, in isolation, stimulus-stimulus interference was indexed by alpha (8-14 Hz), but not gamma-frequency (64-76 Hz) oscillations in the lateral occipital regions, while stimulus-response interference was indexed by gamma oscillations in nearby cortices, but not by alpha oscillations. Surprisingly, we also observed a superadditive effect of simultaneously presented interference types (multisource) on task performance and gamma oscillations in superior parietal cortex.
Accurate detection of short and long active ORFs using Ribo-seq data.

Motivation Ribo-seq, a technique for deep-sequencing ribosome-protected mRNA fragments, has enabled transcriptome-wide monitoring of translation in vivo. It has opened avenues for re-evaluating the coding potential of open reading frames (ORFs), including many short ORFs that were previously presumed to be non-translating. However, the detection of translating ORFs, specifically short ORFs, from Ribo-seq data, remains challenging due to its high heterogeneity and noise. Results We present ribotricer, a method for detecting actively translating ORFs by directly leveraging the three-nucleotide periodicity of Ribo-seq data. Ribotricer demonstrates higher accuracy and robustness compared with other methods at detecting actively translating ORFs including short ORFs on multiple published datasets across species inclusive of Arabidopsis, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, human, mouse, rat, yeast and zebrafish. Availability and implementation Ribotricer is available at https://github.com/smithlabcode/ribotricer. All analysis scripts and results are available at https://github.com/smithlabcode/ribotricer-results. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Discretionary spending priorities of unemployed, job-seeking adults who smoke cigarettes

Abstract Objective Tobacco use is detrimental to physical and financial wellbeing. Smoking is associated with unemployment and a harder time finding re-employment. The current study examined job-seekers’ prioritization of smoking over other discretionary items. Methods Adult, unemployed job-seekers smoking daily ranked items from 1 (highest) to 13 (lowest) for prioritization of their discretionary spending. The online survey randomly ordered the presentation of items. The Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI, time to first cigarette and cigarettes per day) assessed severity of nicotine addiction. Results The sample (N = 290) was 70% men, 42% African American and 30% non-Hispanic Caucasian, with mean age of 43 (SD = 11), smoking an average of 12 cigarettes per day (SD = 6), and 67% smoking within 30 min of waking. Overall, cigarettes (M = 4.7, SD = 3.1) ranked second in importance behind only food (M = 2.5, SD = 2.7); 45% of the sample ranked tobacco in their top 3 spending priorities, and 26% ranked cigarettes as a higher priority than food. Cellular charges, transportation, grooming, and clothing ranked third through sixth, respectively. Higher HSI scores significantly correlated with greater prioritization of cigarettes (r = −0.25), and lower prioritization of food (r = 0.16) and transportation (r = 0.13), p’s Conclusions Findings indicate cigarettes were highly prioritized, second only to food among job-seekers who smoke. Cigarettes were prioritized over job-seeking resources and health care, particularly among those who were more heavily addicted. Tobacco addiction can preempt basic life needs and reduce resources for finding re-employment.
Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in ESKD

There is an urgent need for interventions that reduce cardiovascular risks in patients with ESKD. Recently there has been considerable interest in whether blocking the effects of the mineralocorticoid aldosterone could be such an intervention. Since the 1980s, we have known that plasma aldosterone
Multifractality in postural sway supports quiet eye training in aiming tasks: A study of golf putting

The "quiet eye" (QE) approach to visually-guided aiming behavior invests fully in perceptual information9s potential to organize coordinated action. Sports psychologists refer to QE as the stillness of the eyes during aiming tasks and increasingly into self- and externally-paced tasks. Amidst the "noisy" fluctuations of the body, quiet eyes might leave fewer saccadic interruptions to the coupling between postural sway and optic flow. Postural sway exhibits fluctuations whose multifractal structure serves as a robust predictor of both visual and haptic perceptual responses. Postural sway generates optic flow centered on eye height. We predicted that perturbing the eye height by attaching wooden blocks below the feet would perturb the putting more so in QE-trained participants than in those trained technically. We also predicted that the efficacy of QE and responses to this perturbation would depend on multifractality in postural sway. Specifically, we predicted that less multifractality would predict more adaptive responses to the perturbation and higher putting accuracy. Results showed that lower multifractality led to more frequent successful putts, and the perturbation of eye height led to less frequent successful putts, particularly for QE-trained participants. Models of radial error (i.e., the distance between the final ball position and the hole) indicated that lower estimates of multifractality due to nonlinearity coincided with a more adaptive response to the perturbation. These results suggest that reduced multifractality may act in a context-sensitive manner to restrain motoric degrees of freedom to achieve the task goal.
Imaging Features of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 in the Abdomen and Pelvis

OBJECTIVE. Loss of the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) tumor suppressor protein causes uninhibited activation of the RAS oncogene, which leads to tumorigenesis in patients with NF1. This case-based review discusses imaging manifestations of NF1 in the abdomen and pelvis, highlighting key genetic associations and management to elucidate features different from the general population. CONCLUSION. The spectrum of pathologic findings includes gastrointestinal tumors such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors, genitourinary lesions including urogenital neurofibromas, vascular entities such as renal artery stenosis, and less common associations like lymphoma.
Self-assembled Pt nanowires on Ge(001): Relaxation effects

Absorption of Pt on the Ge(001) surface results in stable self-organized Pt nanowires, extending over some hundred nanometers. Based on band structure calculations within density functional theory and the generalized gradient approximation, the structural relaxation of the Ge–Pt surface is investigated. The surface reconstruction pattern obtained agrees well with findings from scanning tunneling microscopy. In particular, strong Pt–Pt dimerization is characteristical for the nanowires. The surface electronic structure is significantly perturbed due to Ge–Pt interaction, which induces remarkable shifts of Ge states towards the Fermi energy. As a consequence, the topmost Ge layers are subject to a metal-insulator transition.
Evidence for microbiome-dependent chilling tolerance in Sorghum

Early season chilling stress is a major constraint on sorghum production in temperate climates. Chilling-tolerant sorghum is an active area of development, but the potential for early season microbial-enhanced chilling tolerance in sorghum has not yet been explored. In this study, we characterized traits of field-grown sorghum accessions in response to chilling and non-chilling temperatures, then we characterized the effects of chilling temperatures and microbial inoculation on sorghum accession traits in a growth chamber experiment. By comparing sorghum trait responses under chilling stress with and without soil microbial inoculation, we were able to detect a potential microbe-dependent sorghum response to chilling stress. Four sorghum genotypes show a negative response to chilling stress with vs. without microbial inoculation, while five sorghum accessions show increased shoot biomass or/ and leaf area under chilling stress when inoculated with a soil microbiome.
Supercurrent-controlled kinetic inductance superconducting memory element

We report a superconducting kinetic inductance memory (SKIM) element, which can be controlled exclusively by the bias supercurrent, without involving magnetic fields and heating elements. The SKIM is nonvolatile memory. The device is made of two Nb Dayem bridges, and it can operate reliably up to 2.8 K. The achieved error rate is as low as one in 105 operations.
Heartbeat: improved diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia

Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is the most common autosomal dominant genetic condition, affecting about 1 in 250 people, caused by a pathogenic variant in one of several genes involved in lipoprotein cholesterol catabolism. Treatment of elevated serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in people with FH substantially reduces the risk of ischaemic heart disease and cardiovascular mortality. Yet, the vast majority of FH cases are undiagnosed and, thus, untreated. Diagnosis is challenging because patients typically are asymptomatic, may not know their family history, are unaware of the seriousness of the diagnosis and may not even be seeing a physician regularly. In addition, the phenotypic diagnosis requires more than just serum cholesterol levels. In this issue of Heart , Carvalho and colleagues1 demonstrated the feasibility of the FH Case Ascertainment Tool (FAMCAT) for identifying patients likely to have FH in a cohort of 777 128 primary care patients in London. The FAMCAT score is based on systematic screening of routine primary care records for cholesterol measurements, age, triglycerides, family history, diabetes, kidney disease and current use of lipid-lowering drugs (figure 1). The use of FAMCAT to identify patients likely to have FH could ensure more accurate and rapid diagnosis (and subsequent treatment) for this group of patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Figure 1 Risk …
Modules, Diagrams, and Functors

Homology theory deals repeatedly with the formal properties of functions and their composites. The functions concerned are usually homomorphisms of modules or of related algebraic systems. The formal properties are subsumed in the statement that the homomorphisms constitute a category. This chapter will examine the notions of module and category.
Preventing the “Worst Case Scenario:” Combating the Lost Laptop Epidemic with RFID Technology

This paper examines the most frequent cause of data breach today – that of stolen or lost laptops. Over one million laptops go missing each year in the U.S., creating tremendous problems and exposure for American companies, universities, government agencies, and individuals. This paper first looks at the size and scope of the laptop theft problem and the ramifications of the loss of the hardware and data contained on the device. Then, the paper examines new developments in the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology as a potential deterrent and detection device for laptop security. It concludes with an analysis of the impact of the application of RFID in this area, looking at the legal, IT, and financial aspects of the issues involved in enhancing laptop security. With laptop sales far-outpacing those of PCs and with form-factors shrinking, the issues involved with laptop security will only increase in coming years.
Pain assessment: the cornerstone to optimal pain management.

Pain assessment is critical to optimal pain management interventions. While pain is a highly subjective experience, its management necessitates objective standards of care. The WILDA approach to pain assessment—focusing on words to describe pain, intensity, location, duration, and aggravating or alleviating factors—offers a concise template for assessment in patients with acute and chronic pain.
Relevance of GPCR functional selectivity/biased signaling to drugs of abuse (468.1)

We now understand that GPCRs can signal not only through activation of G proteins but also through the ability of β-arrestins to scaffold intracellular signaling molecules with distinct temporal an...
Acute effects of ethanol on hepatic protein synthesis and secretion in the rat.

Abstract In isolated hepatocytes, 6–50 mM ethanol inhibited the incorporation of amino acids into protein. These in vitro effects of ethanol were associated with greater increases in lactate/pyruvate ratios, slower rates of ethanol oxidation, and smaller acetaldehyde concentrations than those found in vivo. When the redox changes produced by ethanol were decreased by the addition of 4-methylpyrazole (an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase), methylene blue (a scavenger of reducing equivalents) or a combination of aspartate and α-ketoglutarate (which provides substrates for the translocation of reducing equivalents from the cytosol into the mitochondria), the ethanol-induced inhibition of protein synthesis was prevented. This effect took place despite marked elevations of the acetaldehyde concentration after the addition of either methylene blue or aspartate plus α-ketoglutarate. When hepatocytes were isolated from rats fed alcohol-containing diets and incubated with ethanol, the redox changes were attenuated and ethanol failed to inhibit protein synthesis. Acute ethanol administration to rats decreased secretion of newly synthesized albumin with retention of albumin in the liver. This acute effect of ethanol on secretion was not associated with impairment of the synthesis of either albumin or total liver protein, as determined in vivo by the incorporation of [ 14 C]leucine into proteins and the specific activity of leucyl-tRNA. Thus, acute ethanol administration inhibits hepatic protein secretion rather than protein synthesis. The inhibitory effect on protein synthesis produced by ethanol in vitro reflects the inability of isolated liver preparations to handle the excess of reducing equivalents generated by ethanol oxidation and does not correlate with acetaldehyde concentrations. The in vivo relevance of these in vitro effects remains to be determined.
Ocular Drug Delivery Using Ultrasound

Our goal was to evaluate ultrasound (US) enhancement of drug delivery through the cornea, and the histological appearance of the cornea, up to 24 h after treatment. The aqueous humor concentration of topically applied sodium fluorescein was determined quantitatively in US‐treated and sham rabbit eyes in vivo. Gross and light microscopic examinations were used to observe structural changes in the cornea 0–24 h after US exposure. The increase in the dye concentration in aqueous humor, after the simultaneous application of 880 kHz US and the dye solution (for 5 min), was 2.4 times at 0.19 W/cm2, 3.8 times at 0.34 W/cm2, and 10.6 times at 0.56 W/m2 (p<0.05). The dye delivery was found to increase with increasing US intensity, which corresponded with an increase in cavitation activity. After the separate application of US and the dye solution, the increase in the dye concentration was 3.8 times at 0.56 W/cm2 (p<0.01), while no increase was achieved at 0.19–0.34 W/cm2. The majority of damaged cells were present...
The Ontogeny of Chimpanzee Gestural Signals: A Comparison Across Groups and Generations

Observations of the gestural communication of two groups of captive chimpanzees are reported. For one group the observations represent a fourth longitudinal time point over a 12 year period; the other group was observed for the first time. There were two main questions. The first concerned how young chimpanzees use their gestures, with special foci on the flexibility displayed in signal use and on the sensitivity to audience displayed in signal choice. It was found that chimpanzees are very flexible in their signal use (different signals for same goal, same signal for different goals) and somewhat sensitive to audience (signal choice based on attentional state of recipient). The second question was how chimpanzees acquire their gestural signals. Comparisons between the two groups showed much individual variability both within and between groups. In addition, when each of the two contemporary groups was compared with the previous longitudinal time points for one of the groups, no differences in concordance were found. It was concluded that youngsters were not imitatively learning their communicatory gestures from conspecifics, but rather that they were individually ritualizing them with one another in social interaction. An experimental study in which two individuals were taught new gestures and returned to their groups — with no subsequent signs of imitation — corroborated this conclusion. Implications of the current findings for the understanding of chimpanzee communication and social learning are discussed.
UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF IONS IN A COLLODION CELL

The properties of dry collodion membranes previously described allow the prediction that cells of these membranes will concentrate solutes under certain conditions. Three such cases have been studied experimentally. 1. A membrane containing thiosulphate and immersed in a solution of iodine concentrates iodide ion. 2. A membrane containing sodium chromate and immersed in mercury chloride concentrates chloride ion. 3. A membrane containing calcium carbonate and immersed in acetic acid concentrates acetate ions.
Gender and venture capital decision-making: The effects of technical background and social capital on entrepreneurial evaluations

Abstract Research on gender and workplace decision-making tends to address either supply-side disparities between men’s and women’s human and social capital, or demand-side differences in the status expectations of women and men workers. In addition, this work often relies on causal inferences drawn from empirical data collected on worker characteristics and their workplace outcomes. In this study, we demonstrate how tangible education and work history credentials – typically associated with supply-side characteristics – work in tandem with cultural beliefs about gender to influence the evaluative process that underlies venture capital decisions made in high-growth, high-tech entrepreneurship. Using an experimental design, we simulate funding decisions by venture capitalists (VCs) for men and women entrepreneurs that differ in technical background and the presence of important social ties. We demonstrate the presence of two distinct aspects of VCs’ evaluation: that of the venture and that of the entrepreneur, and find that the gender of the entrepreneur influences evaluations most when the person, rather than the venture, is the target of evaluation. Technical background qualifications moderate the influence of gendered expectations, and women receive more of a payoff than men from having a close contact to the evaluating VC. We discuss the implications for future research on gender and work.
Design of a Domestic Weighing Device for Wheelchair Users

This design effort is the result of the capstone senior design project to create an affordable weighing device for wheelchair users. There are 3.3 million individuals in the Unites States that require a wheelchair for mobility aid.1 Wheelchair use is associated with a number of health problems that are related to weight gain such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke; however, few wheelchair users can afford currently available home-use wheelchair scales to monitor their weight.2 Most wheelchair users must go to clinics, hospitals, or other healthcare facilities equipped with expensive wheelchair scales to monitor their weight. Previous studies have shown that consistent self-monitoring of weight is critical in preventing weight gain.3 There exists a need for a way to measure wheelchair user weight in a home setting in an accurate manner that is user-friendly, portable, and affordable.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Degree of redundancy between time, importance, and frequency task ratings.

Examen des redondances entre echelles d'evaluation du temps relatif de l'importance et de la frequence de la tâche. 117 dirigeants de la recherche et du developpement, issus de 9 organisations, ont complete un inventaire de tâches sur les 3 echelles
Structural Basis for the Mechanism and Regulation of Sir2 Enzymes

Sir2 proteins form a family of NAD + -dependent protein deacetylases required for diverse biological processes, including transcriptional silencing, suppression of rDNA recombination, control of p53 activity, regulation of acetyl-CoA synthetase, and aging. Although structures of Sir2 enzymes in the presence and absence of peptide substrate or NAD + have been determined, the role of the enzyme in the mechanism of deacetylation and NAD + cleavage is still unclear. Here, we present additional structures of Sir2Af2 in several differently complexed states: in a productive complex with NAD + , in a nonproductive NAD + complex with bound ADP-ribose, and in the unliganded state. We observe a new mode of NAD + binding that seems to depend on acetyl-lysine binding, in which the nicotinamide ring of NAD + is buried in the highly conserved "C" pocket of the enzyme. We propose a detailed structure-based mechanism for deacetylation and nicotinamide inhibition of Sir2 consistent with mutagenesis and enzymatic studies.
Three NF-χB sites in the IχB-α promoter are required for induction of gene expression by TNFα

NF-kappa B was first identified as a postive regulator which bound to a 10 bp sequence in the first intron of the Ig kappa light chain gene. Further characterization of this transcription factor has revealed that NF-kappa B is kept from binding to its consensus sequence by its inhibitor, IkB-alpha, which retains NF-kappa B in the cytoplasm. Upon receiving various extra- and intracellular signals, I kappa B-alpha is rapidly degraded and NF-kappa B is induced to translocate into the nucleus. This process precedes the rapid induction of I kappa B-alpha mRNA and protein. To understand how I kappa B-alpha is replenished, we have cloned and sequenced the 5' flanking region of the I kappa B-alpha gene and have identified the transcription start site and three NF-kappa B sites in this region. Further characterization of these NF-kappa B sites show that they have different affinities for three specific protein complexes which we identify here to consist of various members of the Rel family. In transient assays, cotransfection with a p65 expression vector is able to activate an I kappa B-alpha promoter-CAT reporter construct and all three NF-kappa B sites are required for full activation of the I kappa B-alpha gene following stimulation with TNF-alpha. Our data confirm a transcriptional autoregulatory loop involved in maintaining appropriate NF-kappa B and I kappa B-alpha levels in the cell.
The Radical Enlightenments of Benjamin Franklin

Examining the intellectual roots of Benjamin Franklin, this work begins by tracing the evolution of young Franklin's theology of works between the letters of Silence Dogood (1722) and his impassioned defence of the heterdox Irish clergyman Samuel Hemphill in 1735. The author places the 25 year production of "Poor Richard's" almanac in the context of the early 18th-century moral and educational psychology. He examines the broad intellectual continuities uniting Franklin's 1726 journal of his return voyage to Philadelphia with successive editions of his "Experiments and Observations on Electricity", first published in 1751. The book also offers an examination of Franklin's seminal, and controversial, 1751 essay "Observations concerning the Increase of Mankind".
Characterization of the radish mitochondrial orfB locus: possible relationship with male sterility in Ogura radish

The orfB locus of the normal (fertile) and Ogura (male-sterile) radish mitochondrial genomes has been characterized in order to determine if this region, which has previously been correlated with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in Brassica napus cybrids (Bonhomme et al. 1991; Temple et al. 1992), could also be involved in radish CMS. In normal radish, orfB is expressed as a 600-nucleotide (nt) transcript. In Ogura radish, orfB is present as the second gene of a 1200-nt transcript that also contains a 138-codon open reading frame (orf138). Sequences showing similarity to orf138 are present in normal radish, but are not expressed.
Elevated calcium phosphate product after renal transplantation is a risk factor for graft failure.

: Background: Abnormal mineral metabolism is not uncommon after renal transplant (TXP). In dialysis patients, elevated serum phosphorous (P), calcium (Ca), CaP product, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The effect of these abnormalities on recipient and graft survival after renal transplantation is unknown. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 422 kidney-only transplants performed between June 1996 and June 2003. Cases with graft or recipient survival less than three months, pre-TXP parathyroidectomy (PTX), cinacalcet therapy and incomplete records were excluded, leaving 303 cases for analysis using Cox models that included post-TXP PTX, levels of albumin-adjusted Ca(Caadj), P, CaadjP product and PTH. Results: There was an 11–25% prevalence of abnormal serum Caadj, P or CaadjP product within the first year post-TXP. At least 24% of recipients not undergoing PTX with an equation estimated GFR of 40–60 mL/min had PTH levels >130 pg/mL at one yr post-TXP. This is above levels recommended by the U.S National Kidney Foundation kidney disease quality initiative for patients with stages I–IV chronic kidney disease. Adjusted Ca > 10.5 mg/dL at three months post-TXP was an independent risk for recipient death (OR 3.0; 95% CI: 1.2–7.4). A CaadjP product >35 mg2/dL2 at six months (OR 4.0; 95% CI: 1.2–13.1), and Ca >10.5 mg/dL at 12 months post-TXP (OR 4.0; 95% CI: 1.2–14) were independent risks for death-censored graft loss. Twenty-two recipients underwent PTX for severe hyperparathyroidism. Conclusion: Abnormalities of mineral metabolism are common early after renal TXP. An elevated serum Caadj at three months post-TXP increases the risk for recipient death, while an elevated CaadjP and Caadj later in the first post-TXP year increases the risk of long-term death-censored graft loss.
Expression of constitutive and metal-inducible metallothioneins in oyster embryos (Crassostrea virginica)

Abstract 1. 1. Putative Zn and CuZn metallothioneins (MTs) were identified from control oyster embryos ( Crassostrea virginica ). These constitutive MT isoforms are probably involved in Zn and Cu homeostasis during development. 2. 2. During single metal exposures (Cd or Cu), additional MT isoforms (Cd MT and CuCd MT) were induced that probably function in detoxification and sequestration. 3. 3. When embryos were exposed to Cd and Cu simultaneously, inhibition of Cd MT expression suggests that there are complex competitive interactions that affect metal-specific regulation of transcription.
Future management research directions in nanotechnology: A case study

Leading experts believe that advances in nanotechnology will lead to dramatic changes in the way materials, devices and systems are understood and created. Generalizations about nanotechnology-based innovations abound in technical circles and in the media, where they are typically described as radical, their anticipated impact on firms as disruptive, and their effect on society as transformative. To-date, no articles have been published in peer-reviewed technology management research journals on the subject. This paper suggests that nanotechnology is a general purpose technology and that, as such, its applications will spread through many economic sectors with varying magnitudes and forms of impact on existing firms and industries. This paper also demonstrates how the innovation management literature can be used to guide further research aimed at anticipating the magnitude and nature of the impact of specific nanotechnology-based innovations.
Role of the HIV gp120 conserved domain 5 in processing and viral entry.

The importance of the HIV gp 120 conserved domain 5 (gp120-C5) to envelope function has been examined by alanine scanning mutagenesis and subsequent characterization of the mutagenic effects on viral entry and envelope expression, processing, and incorporation, as well as gp120 association with gp41. With respect to the wild-type gpl20, mutational effects on viral entry fall into three classes: (1) functional (V489A, E492A, P493A, T499A, K500A, K502A, R503A, R504A, V505A, and V506A; (2) nonfunctional (I491A, L494A, V496A, and P498A); (3) enhanced (K490A, G495A, and Q507A). The nonfunctionality of the mutants is attributed to a combination of deleterious effects on processing, gp120-gp41 association, and membrane fusion. In the case of the nonfunctional mutant P498A, the introduction of the SOS mutation (A501C/T601C) results in substantially increased envelope processing and a gain of function. The effects of the mutants are interpreted with respect to the structures of gp41 and gp120. The extent of sensitivity of gp120-C5 to alanine substitutions underscores the importance of this domain to envelope function and suggests that gpl20-C5 is an attractive and novel target for future drug discovery efforts.
Cell cycle-dependent surface changes in Chinese hamster cells grown in suspension culture.

Abstract The cell surface appears to play an important part in the control of cell replication. It has been demonstrated that the cell membrane undergoes cyclic changes in appearance which bear a relation to the cell cycle phase, irrespective of close intercellular contact. The surface of Chinese hamster (CHO) cells was investigated using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The cells were synchronized in suspension culture and were sampled at frequent intervals during the cell cycle. During mitosis, the cells showed microvilli and few blebs. In early G 1 phase, profuse microvilli were seen. In late G 1 phase, blebs appeared and persisted in great numbers. During the synthesis of DNA in the S phase, blebs were observed in the early stages and then declined in number; in G 2 phase, the blebs appeared to be larger (1–2 μm) and more sparsely distributed than in late S phase. Some of these blebs were pedunculated and, in some instances, the diameter of the pedicles approximated the diameter of microvilli. Since the reasons for these changes are not understood, our long-range goal is to correlate the observed surface changes with internal biochemical events during the cell cycle.
Modeling plague persistence in host-vector communities in California

Plague is an enzootic disease in the western United States, even though long-term persistent infections do not seem to occur. Enzootic persistence may occur as a function of dynamic interactions between flea vectors and transiently infected hosts, but the specific levels of vector competence, host competence, and transmission and recovery rates that would promote persistence and emergence among wild hosts and vectors are not known. We developed a mathematical model of enzootic plague in the western United States and implemented the model with the following objectives: 1) to use matrix manipulation within a classic susceptible→infective→resistant→susceptible (SIRS) model framework to describe transmission of the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis among rodents and fleas in California, 2) to perform sensitivity analysis with model parameters and variables to indicate which values tended to dominate model output, and 3) to determine whether enzootic maintenance would be predicted with realistic parameter value...
Systemic systolic hypertension in the elderly: correlation of hemodynamics, plasma volume, renin, aldosterone, urinary metanephrines and response to thiazide therapy.

Twenty-four men, mean age 63 ± 1.7 years, with systemic systolic hypertension were studied before and after 1 month of therapy with oral hydrochlorothiazide, 50 mg/day. The control mean plasma volume was 2,664 ± 96 ml, cardiac index 3.9 ± 0.2 liters/min/m 2 , stroke volume index 52 ± 2 ml/beat/m 2 , systemic vascular resistance 1,351 ± 80 dynes s cm −5 , plasma aldosterone 8.6 ± 1.0 ng/dl and 24-hour urinary excretion of metanephrines 0.371 ± 0.044 mg. On renin-sodium profiling in 23 patients, 12 were classified into a normal group and 11 into a low-renin group; none had high renin values. Based on multiple regression analysis, the 24-hour urinary excretion of total metanephrines appeared to be the single most important factor explaining 28% of the variability in systolic blood pressure (BP). After therapy with oral hydrochlorothiazide, the elevated systolic BP decreased (p
Free subgroups of the homeomorphism group of the circle

Abstract Tits alternative says that a finitely generated linear group either contains a non-commutative free subgroup or is virtually solvable. It is known ( see [2]) that an analogue of Tits alternative is not true for subgroups of the group Homeo(S 1 ) of all homeomorphisms of the circle S 1 and even for subgroups of the group of C ∞ -diffeomorphisms of S 1 . The main purpose of this Note is to prove a conjecture of E. Ghys which can be viewed as a replacement of Tits alternative for Homeo(S 1 ) and which says that if G is a subgroup of Homeo(S 1 ) containing no free non-commutative subgroup then there is a G -invariant probability measure on S 1 .
Scientific Expert Testimony in CSA Cases: Legal, Ethical, and Scientific Considerations

We strongly agree with Sbraga and O'Donohue (2003, this issue) that the science and ethics of clinical psychology, as well as the legal standards of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1993), prohibit testifying that a child has been sexually abused based on the child's postabuse psychological functioning. Moreover, based on a review of the literature, we argue that it is highly unlikely that a symptom marker of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) will ever emerge that could be used in court to prove a history of childhood abuse. In light of the current status of literature on CSA, we offer some practical suggestions and guidelines for practitioners who accept the role of expert witness in this area.
Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Sickle-Cell Disease: An Option for Everyone?

There have been vast improvements in the care of patients with sickle-cell disease (SCD) such that patients are now surviving four times longer today than in the 1970s. This is largely due to improvements in supportive care therapies such as infection prophylaxis, vaccinations, and better pain management strategies. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) affords patients with SCD the only curative treatment and is usually reserved only for the most symptomatic of patients who have matched sibling donors. As more is learned about the natural progression of this disease, there has been a push toward modifying conditioning regimens to decrease regimen-related toxicities such that all patients with matched sibling donors can be offered this option. In this article, we review the current state of HCT in patients with SCD and the progress that has been made in an attempt to render this treatment as an option for all patients afflicted with this condition.
Purification, properties, and specificity of hog thyroid proteinase.

Summary 1. A proteinase has been purified from hog thyroids by NaCl extraction, precipitation at pH 3.5, fractionation with 80% acetone, and sequential chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose, and Sephadex G-75 columns. 2. This preparation sedimented as a single peak in the ultracentrifuge with an s 20,b = 3.20 S. The molecular weight measured by approach to sedimentation equilibrium was 50 30o±18oo. 3. The proteinase digested globin optimally at pH 4.0. It was stable between pH 4.5 and 7.5, and was unaffected by the presence of Mn 2+ , Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ca 2+ , Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , Hg 2+ , diisopropylphosphorofluoridate, p -chloromercuribenzoate, or cysteine. 4. The specificity of attack of the proteinase on the oxidized B chain of insulin was determined using 1-fhioro-2,4-dinitrobenzene analysis, peptide mapping, and column chromatography of the digestion products. The proteinase cleaved the bonds Phe−Val, Glu−Ala, Ala−Leu, Leu−Tyr, Tyr−Leu, Phe−Phe, and Phe−Tyr. 5. The purified preparation did not digest N -acetyl- L -phenylalanyl- L -tyrosine, N -acetyl- L -tyrosine ethyl ester, glycyl- L -tyrosine amide, or leucine amide.
Perceived psychosocial stress and glucose intolerance among pregnant Hispanic women

Aim Prior literature suggests a positive association between psychosocial stress and the risk of diabetes in non-pregnant populations, but studies during pregnancy are sparse. We evaluated the relationship between stress and glucose intolerance among 1115 Hispanic (predominantly Puerto Rican) prenatal care patients in Proyecto Buena Salud, a prospective cohort study in Western Massachusetts (2006–2011).
Type I interferon and autoimmune disease.

(2003). IntroductionType I Interferon and Autoimmune Disease. Autoimmunity: Vol. 36, No. 8, pp. 445-446.