cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Youth-Targeted E-cigarette Marketing in the US.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this project was to explore the extent to which e-cigarette advertisements use youth-appealing content. METHODS A sample of e-cigarette video ads (N = 154) were coded by 3 independent coders using the content appealing to youth (CAY) index, which measures over 40 youth-appealing features. To calculate a total CAY score for each ad, scores were normalized and summed such that a higher score represented the presence of more youth-appealing elements. RESULTS All ads included some youth-appealing content, with frequent use of emotional appeals, including happiness (68%), friendship (41%), sex (24%), and success (24%). Over half featured animation. However, product appeals, known to be disliked by youth, were also prevalent. Eighty-seven percent used a direct appeal to e-cigarettes' value over tobacco cigarettes; 66% mentioned product composition; and 40% mentioned health. CONCLUSIONS Given the unregulated context in the US, e-cigarette marketing currently contains many features that may be particularly appealing to youth.
Acute motor paralytic bladder in renal transplant patients with anogenital herpes infection.

AbstractWe report on 2 renal transplant patients in whom acute urinary retention developed after anogenital herpes infections. In 1 case a reversible bladder motor and sensory neuropathy occurred secondary to herpes simplex virus infections. In the other case a motor paralytic bladder developed secondary to an anogenital varicella-zoster infection. Documentation was by carbon dioxide cystometrography and denervation hypersensitivity testing. Both cases were reversible without alteration of the immunosuppressive regimens.
Marine salinity sensing using long-period fiber gratings enabled by stimuli-responsive polyelectrolyte multilayers

Abstract A highly sensitive fiber-optic salinity sensor synergistically combining long-period gratings (LPG) and stimuli-responsive polyelectrolyte multilayers is demonstrated. The LPG coupled with LP0,10 cladding mode was coated with ionic-strength-responsive chitosan (CHI)/poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) polyelectrolyte multilayers via the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique. This LbL-coated LPG was exposed to NaCl solutions with varying concentrations for salinity measurement. The LPG resonance wavelength underwent a change from red shift to blue shift at the salt concentration of 0.5 M over the 0.1–0.8 M range at pH 7.5. A significant blue shift with a sensing response of 36 nm/M was observed from 0.5 to 0.8 M, relevant to that of seawater. This sensitivity is one order of magnitude higher than that obtained using as fabricated LPG without the stimuli-responsive LbL multilayers as well as documented studies. The mechanism associated with the salinity response of the LbL multilayers is discussed.
Online and out of synch: Using discussion roles in online asynchronous discussions

We completed a qualitative study focusing on our students’ use of Discussion Roles in our general and entry level online classes and presented the information at a Brown Bag presentation for Univer...
Analyse dynamique non-linéaire et tridimensionnelle d’un barrage en terre

Les resultats numeriques presentes illustrent les effets de la non-linearite et de la tridimensionnalite sur le comportement dynamique d'un barrage en terre soumis a des effets sismiques. L’analyse est basee sur une modelisation numerique du barrage par la methode des elements finis. Les comportements non-lineaires et hysteretiques des materiaux sont modelises a l'aide d’un modele elasto-plastique a surfaces d'ecrouissage multiples. L'integration numerique dans le temps des equations non-lineaires est effectuee pas a pas. Deux tremblements de terre ont ete consideres : l'un modere (0,22g, duree : 35s), l'autre fort (1,2g, duree : 15s), avec des caracteristiques dynamiques (en frequences) tres differentes. Des etudes comparatives ont ete effectuees :i.entre les analyses non-lineaires bidimensionnelles et tridimensionnelles ;ii.entre les analyses lineaires (modele visqueux) et non-lineaires (elasto-plastiques) ;iii.entre les reponses mesurees et calculees du barrage soumis a un tremblement de terre.
Rasch analysis: A primer for school psychology researchers and practitioners

In order to progress as a field, school psychology research must be informed by effective measurement techniques. One approach to address the need for careful measurement is Rasch analysis. This te...
Child Behavioral Dysregulation as a Mediator between Destructive Marital Conflict and Children’s Symptoms of Psychopathology

Parents’ frequent destructive conflicts may lead children to respond to these disputes in maladaptive ways and these distressing and maladaptive responses, in turn, may lead to psychopathology in children. Child behavioral dysregulation was examined as a mediator between marital conflict and child internalizing and externalizing symptoms as well as parents’ future conflicts in a sample of 235 children and their parents. Parents reported on study variables over three annual measurement occasions beginning when their children were 6 years old and autoregressive controls were included for destructive marital conflict and initial levels of children’s symptoms of psychopathology. Results based on structural equation modeling showed that behavioral dysregulation mediated the relationship between destructive marital conflict and children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In addition, children’s behavioral dysregulation mediated the relationship between parents’ initial levels of destructive conflict and their later conflicts, indicating that children’s responses did not serve to reduce parents’ future conflicts, but were in fact related to an increase in destructive disputes over time. Findings of the current study suggest that children’s behavioral dysregulation is a maladaptive response to marital conflict, associated with risk for children’s development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and heightened destructive marital conflict. Discussion makes suggestions for future research regarding children’s responses to marital conflict.
A Mutational Approach to the Study of Photorespiration

The ideal situation for applying a somatic cell genetics approach to a pathway present in cells of higher plants is the study of a pathway well defined in terms of the biochemistry of synthesis and regulation. This condition has been most nearly approached where bacterial and fungal systems have provided a model, as in selections for overproduction of aspartate-derived amino acids in rice (1) [ also proposed for corn (2) ] and for tryptophan pathway studies (3). However, the area of photosynthesis and photorespiration presents special problems (and opportunities) for a microbial genetics approach. The genetically best known microorganisms do not photosynthesize, and photosynthetic bacteria or even algae do not provide a high-fidelity model for the biochemical and genetic study of photorespiration in plants. In plants, we have not reached an understanding of some of the fundamental aspects of the pathway of photorespiration. Under these circumstances we are dependent on the plant mutants which we can obtain, rather than microbial mutants, to elucidate the pathway as well as eventually to provide a new means of regulation.
In vivo models for ureteral stents

Abstract Animal models have long been used as a surrogate for human testing for the creation of innovative new medical therapies, from chemotherapies to new surgical instruments. The field of endourology is no exception with rats, rabbits, dogs, and pigs having been used most commonly to investigate new devices, procedures, or materials. This chapter will explore the history of in vivo studies of ureteral stents, compare the benefits of the in vivo model with the in vitro model, examine each animal's particular role and contribution to the study of ureteral stents, and finally provide some perspective on future studies utilizing in vivo animal models.
Biomechanics of Abnormal Gait

The most common abnormal gait patterns are described in this article. These patterns are due to structural, neuromuscular, and central nervous system abnormalities. The deviation from normal is described as a compensatory pattern. The correction of these abnormalities through walking aids is also included in this article.
Hypertension Caused by Renal Artery Stenosis: Goldblatt Hypertension

Renal artery stenosis in conjunction with contralateral nephrectomy rapidly and predictably creates a stable hypertension. The renin-angiotensin system is initially activated but renin levels soon return to normal. In many instances body fluids and cardiac output are initially increased but they also return to normal in time. The eventual hemodynamic picture is one of a persistent hypertension with vasoconstriction and normal blood flow. One explanation is that renal artery stenosis initially impairs renal excretion, but that the situation is redressed by fluid retention, increased flows, autoregulatory vasoconstriction, and reestablishment of normal renal perfusion pressure and excretory capability.
A Convolutional Neural Network-Based Sensor Fusion System for Monitoring Transition Movements in Healthcare Applications

This paper presents a convolutional neural network-based sensor fusion system to monitor six transition movements as well as falls in healthcare applications by simultaneously using a depth camera and a wearable inertial sensor. Weighted depth motion map images and inertial signal images are fed as inputs into two convolutional neural networks running in parallel, one for each sensing modality. Detection and thus monitoring of the transition movements and falls are achieved by fusing the movement scores generated by the two convolutional neural networks. The results obtained for both subject-generic and subject-specific testing indicate the effectiveness of this sensor fusion system for monitoring these transition movements and falls.
Memristive fingerprints prove key destruction

The physical fingerprinting of a memristor crossbar array can be used to prove whether a digital key stored in the array is securely destroyed.
Extractive Summary as Discrete Latent Variables.

In this paper, we compare various methods to compress a text using a neural model. We find that extracting tokens as latent variables significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art discrete latent variable models such as VQ-VAE. Furthermore, we compare various extractive compression schemes. There are two best-performing methods that perform equally. One method is to simply choose the tokens with the highest tf-idf scores. Another is to train a bidirectional language model similar to ELMo and choose the tokens with the highest loss. If we consider any subsequence of a text to be a text in a broader sense, we conclude that language is a strong compression code of itself. Our finding justifies the high quality of generation achieved with hierarchical method, as their latent variables are nothing but natural language summary. We also conclude that there is a hierarchy in language such that an entire text can be predicted much more easily based on a sequence of a small number of keywords, which can be easily found by classical methods as tf-idf. We speculate that this extraction process may be useful for unsupervised hierarchical text generation.
UNIT A8.6 Spinal Trauma

This unit presents a basic protocol for conventional and fast spin echo imaging of spine for detecting spinal trauma. MR demonstrates traumatic change quite well within the spinal cord and epidural tissues. An alternate protocol is presented based on contrast enhanced acquisitions where MRI scan that has findings that do not match the clinical findings.
Abstract 2705: Differential stromal macrophagic profiles precede ER+ and ER- breast carcinogenesis

Background: Macrophages are well-established components of the inflammatory repertoire in breast cancer (BC) progression. The role of macrophages in early breast carcinogenesis is less understood. Macrophages adopt microenvironment-driven pro- or anti-inflammatory phenotypes. We evaluated macrophagic subsets in benign breast stroma to evaluate their association with future or concurrent BC. Methods: With institutional approval, FFPE tissues were identified from age-matched subjects, [with index benign breast biopsies and (a subset) interval-matched second benign tissues taken at the time of one of three events: ER+ BC, ER- BC or no cancer event (Controls) (index N=32, 26 and 30 respectively)]. Tissues were immunostained (CD68 or CD163) and stromal CD68+ and CD163+ macrophagic cell densities (MCD) (cells/mm2 stromal fibroadipose area) were digitally quantified. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for univariate analysis and conditional logistic regression models to adjust for BMI. Results: In the index age-matched biopsies (median age 54y), within subjects in all groups, the median CD163+ MCD (54.5; range: 13.9-371.3) was significantly higher than CD68+ MCD (19.6, range: 3.5-78.5) but the two were strongly correlated (r = 0.76); neither correlated with BMI (r Conclusion: Benign breast tissues have higher stromal CD163+ MCD than CD68+ MCD irrespective of future BC events and independent of BMI. However, between index and second biopsies/excisions, the stromal CD68+ MCD differentially increased in all groups, lowering CD163+:CD68+ MCD ratios, and likely shifting pro- and anti-inflammatory stromal macrophage functionality. Across groups, ER- BC index biopsies had significantly lower stromal MCD of both types compared to ER+ BC, and were the only group to increase stromal CD163+ MCD between index biopsy and cancer event. These data suggest that ER+ and ER- BC may have different pre-carcinogenic stromal inflammatory microenvironments. Citation Format: Jodi M. Carter, Ethan P. Heinzen, Tanya L. Hoskin, Stacey J. Winham, Derek C. Radisky, Daniel W. Visscher, Amy C. Degnim. Differential stromal macrophagic profiles precede ER+ and ER- breast carcinogenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2705.
Characteristics of BAW Modes Harmonically Generated (f-2f-3f) in LiNO3 SAW Devices

The characteristics of nonlinear harmonic generation of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) modes in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices were studied and presented. Specifically the BAW modes were nonlinearly generated ($f$-2$f$-3$f$) by the fundamental SAW mode in a 128° YX LiNO 3 temperature compensated SAW (TC-SAW) resonator. These BAW modes interfered with the desired SAW mode of the TC-SAW resonator. The method and formulation of nonlinear frequency response of piezoelectric BAW and SAW was presented, and FEM was used to solve three sets of coupled nonlinear equations in the frequency domain. For SAW devices, nonlinearly excited BAW waves in 128° YX LiNO 3 TC-SAW devices had been observed experimentally and reported [1]. We demonstrated our formulation/method for this nonlinear harmonic generation problem, and we obtained good, consistent simulation results. The 2nd harmonic (H2) generation was due to a nonlinearly excited bulk wave mode polarized and travelling along the thickness direction of substrate. The mode was almost normal to the top and bottom surfaces of substrate, forming a standing wave between top and bottom surfaces. Therefore, the substrate thickness, and bottom surface roughness had effects on the H2 response. The H3 response was due to a similar type of nonlinearly excited BAW wave.
Intentionalism, the Founders, and Constitutional Interpretation

Book Review of ORIGINAL MEANINGS: POLITICS AND IDEAS IN THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION, by JACK N. RAKOVE, NEW YORK, ALFRED A. KNOPF, 1996.
Evolving Role for Pharmacotherapy in NAFLD/NASH.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent, dynamic disease that occurs across the age spectrum and can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There are currently no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatments for NAFLD; however, this is a field of active research. This review summarizes emerging pharmacotherapies for the treatment of adult and pediatric NAFLD. Investigated pharmacotherapies predominantly target bile acid signaling, insulin resistance, and lipid handling within the liver. Three drugs have gone on to phase III trials for which results are available. Of those, obeticholic acid is the single agent that demonstrates promise according to the interim analyses of the REGENERATE trial. Obeticholic acid showed reduction of fibrosis in adults with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) taking 25 mg daily for 18 months (n = 931, reduction in fibrosis in 25% vs. 12% placebo, P < 0.01). Ongoing phase III trials include REGENERATE and MAESTRO-NASH, which investigates thyroid hormone receptor-β agonist MGL-3196. Outcomes of promising phase II trials in adults with NASH are also available and those have investigated agents, including the fibroblast growth factor (FGF)19 analogue NGM282, the GLP1 agonist liraglutide, the FGF21 analogue Pegbelfermin, the sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor Empagliflozin, the ketohexokinase inhibitor PF-06835919, the acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase inhibitor GS-0976, and the chemokine receptor antagonist Cenicriviroc. Completed and ongoing clinical trials emphasize the need for a more nuanced understanding of the phenotypes of subgroups within NAFLD that may respond to an individualized approach to pharmacotherapy.
Model and integrate medical resource availability into verifiably correct executable medical guidelines

Improving effectiveness and safety of patient care is an ultimate objective for medical cyber-physical systems. A recent study shows that the patients' death rate can be reduced by computerizing medical guidelines [20]. Most existing medical guideline models are validated and/or verified based on the assumption that all necessary medical resources needed for a patient care are always available. However, the reality is that some medical resources, such as special medical equipment or medical specialists, can be temporarily unavailable for an individual patient. In such cases, safety properties validated and/or verified in existing medical guideline models without considering medical resource availability may not hold any more.The paper argues that considering medical resource availability is essential in building verifiably correct executable medical guidelines. We present an approach to explicitly and separately model medical resource availability and automatically integrate resource availability models into an existing statechart-based computerized medical guideline model. This approach requires minimal change in existing medical guideline models to take into consideration of medical resource availability in validating and verifying medical guideline models. A simplified stroke scenario is used as a case study to investigate the effectiveness and validity of our approach.
Passive Control of Vortex Shedding and Drag Reduction in Laminar Flow across Circular Cylinder Using Wavy Wall Channel

Numerical simulations of incompressible laminar flow past a circular cylinder using wavy wall confinement are performed in order to study drag reduction and vortex shedding suppression for Reynolds numbers (50 ≤ Re ≤ 280) and blockage ratios (0.5 ≤ D/H ≤ 0.9), where D is the cylinder diameter and H is the channel height. The optimum configuration of wavy wall confinement is identified to have an amplitude of 0.2D and wavelength of 4D which manifests the minimum drag coefficient and complete vortex shedding suppression (zero lift coefficient). The flow over the cylinder with optimized wavy wall confinement produces a stable vortex pair in the wake of the cylinder. The length of vortex pair in the wake increases by increasing the Reynolds number and decreasing the blockage ratio. The drag on the cylinder reduces when the length of vortex pair increases due to early flow separation and reduction in pressure drag. The drag coefficient decreases by 36% in comparison to the plane wall confinement at D/H = 0.5. The drag coefficient decreases for wavy wall configuration by about 67% for D/H = 0.7 and 94% for D/H = 0.9. The lift coefficient remains zero at all Reynolds numbers and blockage ratios which indicates complete suppression of vortex shedding.
Sustainable adaptation: Social equity and local climate adaptation planning in U.S. cities

Abstract Civic leaders have increasingly relied upon local climate adaptation plans to identify vulnerabilities, prioritize goals, and implement actions to prepare cities for the present and projected effects of global climate change. The concept of sustainability is central to these efforts, as climate adaptation discussions are often framed within the context of economic resilience, environmental protection, and social vulnerability. For urban centers, the climate change issue presents unique challenges for each of these dimensions; however, its potential impacts on marginalized populations are extensive. This study draws from the ‘just sustainabilities’ (Agyeman, Bullard, and Evans 2003) framework and applies the concepts of distributive and procedural justice to examine whether, and to what extent, U.S. cities prioritize social equity concerns in adaptation plans. We perform a qualitative analysis of climate adaptation plans prepared by 22 of the 100 largest U.S. cities. We find that social equity concerns are particularly prominent in local-level climate adaptation discussions relative to those concerning environmental quality and economic development.
Color-evasive free speech ideology: a conceptual analysis of free speech as racial oppression in U.S. higher education

In this essay, I draw on the socio-historical context of free speech and hate speech in U.S. public higher education and the concepts of color-evasiveness and free speech ideology to conceptualize ...
Semiconducting Photoactive Bilayer Lipid Membranes

One approach to the problem of understanding photosynthesis quantum conversion is to investigate the manner in which the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts achieves many of its physicochemical processes. Ideally, a great deal of information may be obtained from electrical measurements by placing of electrodes across the membrane. However, such an approach is not yet feasible for the thylakoid membrane owing to its small size. Alternatively, pigmented lipid membranes (BLMs and liposomes) are very suited for studying light transduction. This paper is concerned with certain photoeffects observed in pigmented membranes. The results are discussed in terms similar to those that occur at semiconductor/metal interfaces (Schottky barriers). General principles for electron transfer processes across the BLM are discussed. The conversion of light into electrical energy by pigmented BLM are demonstrated, and proposed schemes for the understanding of green plant photosynthesis via the thylakoid membrane are described.
Epigenetic Regulation in Autism

The exploration of brain epigenomes, including DNA methylation and covalent histone modifications, has provided novel insights into the mechanisms of normal and diseased brain development, and furthermore, deleterious mutations and rare structural variants in more than 50 genes encoding various types of chromatin regulators have been linked to autism spectrum disorders. In this book chapter, we will provide a general introduction on the basic principles of epigenetic regulation, and then discuss matters of epigenetic heritability as it pertains to autism spectrum disorders, highlight monogenic forms of the disorder associated with disordered chromatin structure and function, summarize the current knowledge base as it pertains to epigenetic regulation during normal aging and development, including the alterations that were reported in postmortem brain studies in autism spectrum disorders. We conclude the chapter with a brief discussion on novel epigenetic therapies for neurodevelopmental disease.
Determination of Glucose Utilization Rates in Cultured Astrocytes and Neurons with [14C]deoxyglucose: Progress, Pitfalls, and Discovery of Intracellular Glucose Compartmentation

2-Deoxy-d-[14C]glucose ([14C]DG) is commonly used to determine local glucose utilization rates (CMRglc) in living brain and to estimate CMRglc in cultured brain cells as rates of [14C]DG phosphorylation. Phosphorylation rates of [14C]DG and its metabolizable fluorescent analog, 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose (2-NBDG), however, do not take into account differences in the kinetics of transport and metabolism of [14C]DG or 2-NBDG and glucose in neuronal and astrocytic cells in cultures or in single cells in brain tissue, and conclusions drawn from these data may, therefore, not be correct. As a first step toward the goal of quantitative determination of CMRglc in astrocytes and neurons in cultures, the steady-state intracellular-to-extracellular concentration ratios (distribution spaces) for glucose and [14C]DG were determined in cultured striatal neurons and astrocytes as functions of extracellular glucose concentration. Unexpectedly, the glucose distribution spaces rose during extreme hypoglycemia, exceeding 1.0 in astrocytes, whereas the [14C]DG distribution space fell at the lowest glucose levels. Calculated CMRglc was greatly overestimated in hypoglycemic and normoglycemic cells because the intracellular glucose concentrations were too high. Determination of the distribution space for [14C]glucose revealed compartmentation of intracellular glucose in astrocytes, and probably, also in neurons. A smaller metabolic pool is readily accessible to hexokinase and communicates with extracellular glucose, whereas the larger pool is sequestered from hexokinase activity. A new experimental approach using double-labeled assays with DG and glucose is suggested to avoid the limitations imposed by glucose compartmentation on metabolic assays.
Space robotics in the '90s.

The use of telerobots and rovers in space missions is examined. The functioning of the telerobots and rovers and their proposed applications are described. Research developments needed to design robots for specific environments and functions are described. Examples of NASA robotics projects are presented.
The accumulation of argininosuccinate in Neurospora crassa: II. Inhibition of arginyl-tRNA synthesis by argininosuccinate

Abstract The attachment of radioactive arginine to tRNA as catalyzed by extracts of Neurospora crassa , is inhibited by argininosuccinate. The arginine acceptor capacity of tRNA was determined in samples isolated from the arg-10 mutant and the wild-type. The increase in acceptor capacity found when an aliquot of the sample was pre-incubated at pH 8.9 (a treatment which cleaves off amino acids) gave an indication of the degree of charging of tRNA with arginine. The lowest increase was found in tRNA of the arg-10 mutant grown under conditions which results in enhanced accumulation of argininosuccinate. These results allow an interpretation of the behavior of the arg-10 mutant. The interpretation is based on (and is consistent with) the assumption that arginyl-tRNA formation is essential for repression or the arginine biosynthetic enzymes and for protein synthesis.
Parasitology: CRISPR for Cryptosporidium

Study of the diarrhoea-causing pathogen Cryptosporidium has been hindered by a lack of genetic-modification and culture tools. A description of genome editing and propagation methods for the parasite changes this picture. See Letter p.477 The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is a major cause of diarrhoeal disease in young children but until now it has been difficult to study and there is currently no vaccine and only a single drug (nitazoxanide) available to counter the infection. Here Boris Striepen and colleagues describe a robust genetic system for cryptosporidiosis. They genetically modify Cryptosporidium parvum by optimizing transfection of sporozoites using a CRISPR/Cas9 system, to generate stable transgenic lines suitable for in vitro and in vivo drug screening. Using this system they knockout the gene encoding thymidine kinase which increases susceptibility to trimethoprim, an antimalarial drug to which wild-type Cryptosporidium is resistant.
Model Spaces: a Survey

This is a brief and gentle introduction, aimed at graduate students, to the subject of model subspaces of the Hardy space.
Working Memory Training is Associated with Long Term Attainments in Math and Reading.

Training working memory (WM) using computerized programs has been shown to improve functions directly linked to WM such as following instructions and attention. These functions influence academic performance, which leads to the question of whether WM training can transfer to improved academic performance. We followed the academic performance of two age-matched groups during two years. As part of the curriculum in grade 4 (age 9-10), all students in one classroom (n = 20) completed Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT) whereas children in the other classroom (n = 22) received education as usual. Performance on nationally standardized tests in math and reading comprehension was used as outcome measures at baseline and two years later. At baseline both classes were normal/high performing according to national standards. At grade 6, reading comprehension had improved to a significantly greater extent for the training group compared to the control group (medium effect size, Cohen’s d = 0.66, p = 0.045). For math performance the same pattern was observed with a medium effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.58) reaching statistical trend levels (p = 0.091). Moreover, the academic attainments were found to correlate with the degree of improvements during training (p-values 1 year) effects of WM training on academic performance. We found performance on both reading and math to be positively impacted after completion of CWMT. Since there were no baseline differences between the groups, the results may reflect an influence on learning capacity, with improved WM leading to a boost in students’ capacity to learn. This study is also the first to investigate the effects of CWMT on academic performance in typical or high achieving students. The results suggest that WM training can help optimize the academic potential of high performers.
Towards understanding the schizophrenia code: An expanded convergent functional genomics approach

Identifying genes for schizophrenia through classical genetic approaches has proven arduous. Here, we present a comprehensive convergent analysis that translationally integrates brain gene expression data from a relevant pharmacogenomic mouse model (involving treatments with a psychomimetic agent - phencyclidine (PCP), and an anti-psychotic - clozapine), with human genetic linkage data and human postmortem brain data, as a Bayesian strategy of cross validating findings. Topping the list of candidate genes, we have three genes involved in GABA neurotransmission (GABRA1, GABBR1, and GAD2), one gene involved in glutamate neurotransmission (GRIA2), one gene involved in neuropeptide signaling (TAC1), two genes involved in synaptic function (SYN2 and KCNJ4), six genes involved in myelin/glial function (CNP, MAL, MBP, PLP1, MOBP and GFAP), and one gene involved in lipid metabolism (LPL). These data suggest that schizophrenia is primarily a disorder of brain functional and structural connectivity, with GABA neurotransmission playing a prominent role. These findings may explain the EEG gamma band abnormalities detected in schizophrenia. The analysis also revealed other high probability candidates genes (neurotransmitter signaling, other structural proteins, ion channels, signal transduction, regulatory enzymes, neuronal migration/neurite outgrowth, clock genes, transcription factors, RNA regulatory genes), pathways and mechanisms of likely importance in pathophysiology. Some of the pathways identified suggest possible avenues for augmentation pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia with other existing agents, such as benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants and lipid modulating agents. Other pathways are new potential targets for drug development. Lastly, a comparison with our earlier work on bipolar disorder illuminates the significant molecular overlap between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Simplified HPLC Method with Spectrophotometric Detection for the Assay of Clofibric Acid in Rat Plasma

Abstract A simple and rapid reversed-phase HPLC method for the assay of clofibric acid in rat plasma is presented. After a simultaneous deproteinization-extraction step of a 200 μL plasma sample with a solution of propyl paraben in acetonitrile, the clear extract was injected onto a Microsorb-MV C18 chromatographic column and eluted with 1% acetic acid in acetonitrilewater (45:55) at the rate of 0.8 mL/min. At the detection wavelength of 230 nm, clofibric acid and propyl paraben, the internal standard, eluted at 7.0 min and 5.5 min, respectively. Peak responses were linearly related to concentrations of clofibric acid in the range 1.5–30 μg/mL, with a minimum detectable concentration of analyte of 75 ng on-column. Recoveries of clofibric acid from plasma samples spiked at 1.5–30 μg/mL levels of analyte were >94% (range 94.6–99%). The proposed method was easily applied to the determination of the plasma plasma levels of clofibric acid derived from the oral and intraperitoneal administrations of clofibrate ...
The retinoid signaling pathway inhibits hematopoiesis and uncouples from the Hox genes during hematopoietic development.

Retinoic acid (RA) is a well-established inducer of Hox genes during development of neurectoderm, however effects of RA on Hox expression are poorly defined in mesoderm and not defined in the hematopoietic compartment. Both Hox genes and retinoid signaling have been suggested to modulate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal, supporting the notion that RA signaling might drive HSC self-renewal through Hox gene induction. Here, we investigate this possibility by comprehensively evaluating Hox gene expression using mouse embryonic stem cells differentiated in vitro. In unspecified mesoderm, we find that RA coordinately upregulates anterior 3′ Hox genes from clusters A, B, and C, and downregulates posterior 5′ Hox genes from clusters A–D. However, hematopoietic development of mesoderm was inhibited by RA, and we find further that retinoids are entirely dispensable for hematopoiesis in vitro. More surprisingly, in fully specified hematopoietic progenitors, Hox genes are refractory to regulation by RA, although other RA targets are normally regulated. Pulses of RA exposure demonstrate that the Hox complexes are decoupled from RA regulation progressively in lateral plate mesoderm as it undergoes hematopoietic specification. Thus, Hox genes are targets of the RA pathway only in selected cell types, and are clearly not regulated by RA in the earliest hematopoietic progenitors. We propose that the developmental uncoupling of the Hox complexes protects the Hox code from potential RA signaling centers as HSCs migrate or circulate during development. STEM CELLS 2010; 28:1518–1529.
A comparison of tests for multivariate normality that are based on measures of multivariate skewness and kurtosis

The examination of coefficients of multivariate skewness and kurtosis is one of the more commonly used techniques for assessing multivariate normality (MVN). In this article, several tests for MVN based on these coefficients are compared via Monte Carlo simulation. The tests considered here include those based on Mardia's affine-invariant measures of multivariate skewness and kurtosis and an omnibus procedure that combines the two. Also included are Small's tests, which are based on combinations of the marginal skewness and kurtosis coefficients and are coordinate-dependent. These tests are compared in terms of their power against a wide variety of non-MVN distributions; included in these alternatives are distributions with iid components, as well as distributions with positively-correlated components. Among the alternatives considered are non-MVN distributions with skewed components, symmetric components, univariate normal components, and MVN values of skewness and kurtosis. The tests considered here per...
Women's Changing Economic Roles With Pastoral Sedentarization: Varying Strategies in Alternate Rendille Communities

The trend of pastoral sedentarization in Africa presents new economic opportunities to women through the sale of dairy products, agricultural produce, and labor. This study of Rendille of northern Kenya shows a variety of economic strategies pursued by women in nomadic pastoral, settled agro-pastoral, and town communities. Results of household budgets and interviews with married women indicate that urban centers attract both wealthier Rendille women selling milk and poorer women engaged in wage-labor and petty commodity trade; time allocation data shows that women living in towns work as strenuously as those in pastoral communities, while men in towns work less than in pastoral communities and less than women in both communities; and anthropometric data of women and children suggest that increases in women's income may have a beneficial effect on the nutrition and well-being of their children.
Developmental Follow-up of Breast Fed Term Infants with Bilirubin Brain Injury: Resolution of Clinical Signs • 1267

Developmental Follow-up of Breast Fed Term Infants with Bilirubin Brain Injury: Resolution of Clinical Signs • 1267
A bibliography of botanical cladistics. I. 1981.

A listing of papers and dissertations either using some type of cladistic analysis on a plant group or dealing with theoretical cladistics and written by a botanist. In addition, to facilitate studies in vicariance biogeography, this list includes the distribution of the taxa treated in the various papers.
Universal behavior of3He-4He mixture films near the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition

We report measurements of the convective thermal conductance of3He-4He mixture films near the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition. The thickness of our4He films is 14.7 and 19.1 A above the inert layer and the3He concentration ranged from 0.033 to almost 2%. The thermal response is tested for the critical behavior as observed in pure films, and it is found to be preserved in the mixture films case. However, the parametersb, D/a2 andTc exhibit a strong dependence on the concentration. The mixture film conductance at fixedT-Tc is found to decrease upon addition of3He implying a decrease in the 2D correlation length. Mixture films thus exhibit 2D behavior over a narrower temperature range than pure films. Further, for temperaturesT<Tc, the largest measurable conductance decreases sharply with the addition of3He. We attribute this behavior to a3He-4He scattering mechanism and a3He induced free-vortex density.
Is the Category Woman the Same as the Category Frau

This article attempts to complicate rather than answer this question using feminist theories and examples from popular culture, history, literature and politics. First, the idea of ‘category’ is interrogated. Subsequently, some of the similarities uniting ‘woman’ and ‘ Frau’ are investigated, particularly around common historical forces and contemporary issues, such as abortion rights. Then, the divisions in these categories are explored, with attention to history and national contexts. The article concludes with a speculation about how, given the complexities involved, women can negotiate a disordered coherence.
Personal and professional growth in a user services career

The commitment one makes to become part of a user services staff tends to be long term. This paper will examine what avenues are available for both career advancement and personal growth. A number of user related jobs in Private Industry have been created in the past years. A portion of this paper will look at parallel and new industry jobs and the differences in salaries and responsibilities those jobs have compared to University Positions. Also, personal growth can be a very attractive “perk” from a job. Which environment is more likely to provide and foster that personal growth will also be discussed.
The intrinsically disordered membrane protein selenoprotein S is a reductase in vitro.

Selenoprotein S (SelS or VIMP) is an intrinsically disordered membrane enzyme that provides protection against reactive oxidative species. SelS is a member of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation pathway, but its precise enzymatic function is unknown. Because it contains the rare amino acid selenocysteine, it belongs to the family of selenoproteins, which are typically oxidoreductases. Its exact enzymatic function is key to understanding how the cell regulates the response to oxidative stress and thus influences human health and aging. To identify its enzymatic function, we have isolated the selenocysteine-containing enzyme by relying on the aggregation of forms that do not have this reactive residue. That allows us to establish that SelS is primarily a thioredoxin-dependent reductase. It is capable of reducing hydrogen peroxide but is not an efficient or broad-spectrum peroxidase. Only the selenocysteine-containing enzyme is active. In addition, the reduction potential of SelS was det...
Canavanine assay of some alfalfa varieties (Medicago sativa) by fluorescence: Practical procedure for canavanine preparation

Abstract Canavanine is extracted with 0.3 M H2SO4. Protein is removed by adding CHCl3 and centrifugation. SO4t- is removed as BaSO4. The canavanine is adsorbed to Dowex 50 (NH4+ form) and eluted with 0.16 M NH4OH. It is isolated by lyophilization and recrystallization from 90% ethanol. It is assayed, when present in high concentration, by weighing after lyophilization, and by the pentacyanoferrate reagent. For low concentrations, an improved fluorometric procedure is described. To 2 ml of an extract, 0.25 ml of 0.2 mM phenanthrenequinone in ethanol is added followed by 0.2 ml 0.5 M NaOH. After incubation at 37 °C for 1 hr, the cooled solution is acidified with 4 M HCl. The blank is minimized by extraction with 1 ml heptane. Excitation is at 305–308 nm, and emission is at 395–400 nm. Canavanine reduces with Pd-BaSO4 to guanidine and homoserine. In the fluorometric procedure, guanidine has a sensitivity, 4.8 times that of canavanine on a molar basis, and 14.3 times per weight. Increase of fluorescence after reduction ascertains that canavanine is being assayed. The methods were applied to 7 varieties of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) seeds, leaves, and stems, 3 of clover seed (Trifolium repens and pratense), and the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis). The values found for the seeds in grams/kilogram were 26 for the jack bean, from 8 to 15 for the alfalfa varieties, and from 4.1 to 4.25 for the clover. Alfalfa leaves contained 0.9-1.2 g/kg and stems 0.6-0.9 g/kg.
TraY DNA Recognition of Its Two F Factor Binding Sites

Abstract F factor TraY, a ribbon-helix-helix DNA-binding protein, performs two roles in bacterial conjugation. TraY binds the F origin of transfer ( oriT ) to promote nicking of plasmid DNA prior to conjugative transfer. TraY also binds the P Y promoter to up-regulate tra gene expression. The two plasmid regions bound by TraY share limited sequence identity, yet TraY binds them with similar affinities. TraY recognition of the two sites was first probed using in vitro footprinting methods. Hydroxyl radical footprinting at both oriT and P Y sites indicated that bound TraY protected the DNA backbone bordering three adjacent DNA subsites. Analytical ultracentrifugation results for TraY:oligonucleotide complexes were consistent with two of these subsites being bound cooperatively, and the third being occupied at higher TraY concentrations. Methylation protection and interference footprinting identified several guanine bases contacted by or proximal to bound TraY, most located within these subsites. TraY affinity for variant oriT sequences with base substitutions at or near these guanine bases suggested that two of the three subsites correspond to high-affinity, cooperatively bound imperfect inverted GA(G/T)A repeats. Altering the spacing or orientation of these sites reduced binding. TraY mutant R73A failed to protect two symmetry-related oriT guanine bases in these repeats from methylation, identifying possible direct TraY-DNA contacts. The third subsite appears to be oriented as an imperfect direct repeat with its adjacent subsite, although base substitutions at this subsite did not reduce binding. Although unusual for ribbon-helix-helix proteins, this binding site arrangement occurs at both F TraY sites, consistent with it being functionally relevant.
Economic analysis of the use of facemasks during pandemic (H1N1) 2009

A large-scale pandemic could cause severe health, social, and economic impacts. The recent 2009 H1N1 pandemic confirmed the need for mitigation strategies that are cost-effective and easy to implement. Typically, in the early stages of a pandemic, as seen with pandemic (H1N1) 2009, vaccines and antivirals may be limited or non-existent, resulting in the need for non-pharmaceutical strategies to reduce the spread of disease and the economic impact. We construct and analyze a mathematical model for a population comprised of three different age groups and assume that some individuals wear facemasks. We then quantify the impact facemasks could have had on the spread of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and examine their cost effectiveness. Our analyses show that an unmitigated pandemic could result in losses of nearly $832 billion in the United States during the length of the pandemic. Based on present value of future earnings, hospital costs, and lost income estimates due to illness, this study estimates that the use of facemasks by 10%, 25%, and 50% of the population could reduce economic losses by $478 billion, $570 billion, and $573 billion, respectively. The results show that facemasks can significantly reduce the number of influenza cases as well as the economic losses due to a pandemic.
Historicism and Critique

This paper argues that historicism can provide substantive philosophical grounds for critical theory and various modes of critique. Unlike the developmental historicism that dominated the nineteent...
Does Ownership Form Matter for Corporate Social Responsibility? A Longitudinal Comparison of Environmental Performance between Public, Private, and Joint-venture Firms

This study examines whether a firm's ownership form has any influence on its social performance. Conventional wisdom suggests that public (publicly traded) corporations are more susceptible to corruption and socially irresponsible behavior than privately owned corporations because of the intense short-term profit maximization pressure from shareholders and the lack of sufficient monitoring mechanisms. This study introduces an alternate perspective in thinking about the relationship between ownership form and corporate social responsibility. This study reasons that public corporations are more likely to become socially responsible because of their greater exposure to external influence and greater dependence on external actors with diverse interests. Using a panel data on the pollution management practices of 118 industrial facilities over a 13-year period, this study shows that public corporations were indeed subject to greater external pressure to reduce pollution, and the pressure led to consistently stronger environmental performance.
An Electricity and Value-Added Gases Co-Generation via Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

In this study, an electricity and value-added chemicals cogeneration system using methane-fueled single chamber solid oxide fuel cells (SC-SOFCs) was successfully developed and investigated. The SC-SOFCs, which operated on methane/oxygen gas mixture with a ratio of 2:1, achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.0 V and a maximum peak power density of ∼ 840 mW.cm-2 at 700 °C. By passing the exhaust gas of the fuel cell through a Ru/Al2O3 catalyst at 700 °C, the synthesis gas is obtained with a methane conversion of higher than 95%, while CO and H2 selectivity is higher than 92%. This study provides a novel strategy for energy conversion which is one of the major concerns in energy field and a new frontier for improving the energy efficiency of SOFCs.Copyright © 2013 by ASME