cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recommendations From Cognitive Psychology for Enhancing the Teaching of Natural-Science Categories:

Because of their complex structures, many natural-science categories are difficult to learn. Yet achieving accuracy in classification is crucial to scientific inference and reasoning. Thus, an emer...
Biological and Targeted Therapies

Biotherapy and molecular targeted therapies are innovative methods of treatment for cancer and have recently become standard modalities for pediatric oncology, both alone and as adjuvants to other modalities such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Bio-therapy uses the body's immune system, either directly or indirectly, to attack malignant cells or to minimize the side effects caused by traditional cancer treatments. Biotherapy is designed to repair, stimulate, or enhance the immune response.
Association Between Estimated Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Predictions of Efficacy and Observed Clinical Outcomes in Obese and Nonobese Patients With Enterobacteriaceae Bloodstream Infections

Background Evidence on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) alterations and clinical outcomes in obese patients with serious infections remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate predicted PK/PD indices of efficacy and observed clinical outcomes between obese and nonobese patients receiving cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam for Enterobacteriaceae bacteremia. Methods This was a retrospective study of adult inpatients from 1/2012 to 9/2015 with Enterobacteriaceae bacteremia who received empiric cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam. The primary outcome was clinical cure. First-dose free-drug exposure was estimated via predicted concentrations generated from population PK analyses and used to assess PD target attainment (>50% fT > minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC]) for the specific Enterobacteriaceae isolate. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to identify independent predictors of clinical cure. Results One hundred forty-two patients were included, 57 obese and 85 nonobese. Clinical cure was achieved in 68.4% of obese and 62.4% of nonobese patients (P = .458). No significant difference in outcomes was observed when evaluated by World Health Organization (WHO) obesity classes. The PK/PD target was achieved in 98.2% of obese and 91.8% of nonobese patients (P = .144). Independent predictors of clinical cure were immunosuppression and a shorter duration of bacteremia. Obesity was not identified as a significant predictor of clinical outcomes. Conclusions Neither predicted PK/PD parameters nor clinical outcomes differed significantly between obese and nonobese patients treated with piperacillin-tazobactam or cefepime. As the majority of patients received extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam for bacteremia due to pathogens with low MICs, the potentially detrimental pathophysiologic derangements caused by obesity may not have been realized. Further studies are warranted to establish the optimal treatment of serious infections in obese patients.
Evolution, the ‘Mechanism’ of Big History, Predicts the Near Singularity

Big History traces the cosmologic arc from the Singularity/Big Bang to the present. Similarly, Evolutionary Biology, as ‘all of biology,’ represents the arc of life from its origins, without which there would be no history ‘to speak of.’ There is mechanistic consilience between Quantum Mechanics, The First Principles of Physiology and Evolutionary Biology that is perpetually centered on the unicellular level. The phenotypic adaptations in reaction to geophysical and geochemical changes that culminate in culture are forged at the level of the recapitulating unicellular zygote. This perspective offers a synthesis for the animate and inanimate alike as Big History. And since evolution is always striving to recapitulate the Singularity, it predicts the self-realization of our origin herein as the basis for the short-term Singularity described by David LePoire and other contributors to this collective monograph. The cell as the mechanistic basis for both evolution and Big History offers a novel synthesis for the long-sought Humanism with Science.
Interested, Disinterested, or Neutral: Exploring STEM Interest Profiles and Pathways in a Low-Income Urban Community.

To better understand STEM interest development during adolescence in an urban community, we examined how “STEM Interested” youth differed from disinterested youth and how interest changed over time from age 11/12 to 12/13. We surveyed youth to measure interest in four components of STEM, used cluster analysis to categorize youth based on STEM interest, and examined how interest profiles and pathways differed for several explanatory factors (e.g., parental support, gender). Three STEM interest profiles emerged from the analysis: Stem Interested, Math Disinterested, and STEM Disinterested. Only STEM Disinterested youth lost interest in science, technology/engineering, and mathematics while the remaining 76% of youth remained at least somewhat interested in science and technology/engineering. Girls were just as likely as boys to identify as STEM Interested. Participation in out-of-school STEM activities and positive parental attitudes toward science were significant predictors of persistent STEM interest. Decreases in STEM interest were associated with declines in science self-concept and perceived parental attitudes toward science. Results suggested that declining STEM interest may not be the norm for urban youth. The findings also revealed factors that may influence declining STEM interest and reinforced the importance of out-of-school factors in developing and sustaining STEM interest during adolescence.
Adherence to American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Clinical Practice Guidelines: A Systematic Review

ObjectiveClinical practice guidelines synthesize and disseminate the best available evidence to guide clinical decisions and increase high-quality care. Since 2004, the American Academy of Otolaryn...
Pediatric Distraction on Induction of Anesthesia With Virtual Reality and Perioperative Anxiolysis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Perioperative pediatric anxiety is common and can have a negative psychological impact on children undergoing surgery and anesthesia. Studies have shown an incidence of anxiety at induction of up to 50%. Audiovisual distraction, including virtual reality (VR), is a noninvasive, nonpharmacological modality that may reduce perioperative anxiety. The goal of this study was to determine whether immersive audiovisual distraction with a VR headset during induction of general anesthesia (GA) in pediatric patients reduced preoperative anxiety. METHODS In this randomized-controlled, parallel-group study, 71 children 5-12 years of age scheduled for elective surgery with GA were randomly allocated to a VR group or a non-VR (No VR) control group. VR group patients underwent audiovisual distraction with a VR headset during induction in the operating room, whereas the control group received no audiovisual distraction. The primary outcome was the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS), which was measured at 3 time points to assess patient anxiety: in the preoperative holding area before randomization, on entering the operating room, and during induction of GA. The primary outcome was analyzed using univariate analysis and a linear mixed-effects model. Secondary outcomes included postinduction parental anxiety measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, pediatric induction compliance, and parental satisfaction. RESULTS Average patient age was 8.0 ± 2.3 years (mean ± standard deviation [SD]), and 51.4% of patients were female. Baseline variables were not substantially different between the VR group (33 patients) and the No VR group (37 patients). No patients received preoperative anxiolytic medication. Baseline mYPAS scores were not different between the groups, with scores of 28.3 (23.3-28.3) (median [interquartile range {IQR}]) in both. The change in mYPAS scores from baseline to time of induction was significantly lower in the VR group versus control group (0.0 [0.0-5.0] vs 13.3 [5.0-26.7]; P < .0001). In the mixed-effects model, the VR group had an estimated 6.0-point lower mYPAS score (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7-11.3; P = .03) at room entry than the No VR group, and 14.5-point lower score (95% CI, 9.3-19.8; P < .0001) at induction versus control. Randomization to VR did not alter parental anxiety (0 [-2 to 2]), pediatric induction compliance (0 [0-0]), or parental satisfaction (-3 [-8 to 2]) (difference in medians [95% CI]). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates a reduction in pediatric preoperative anxiety with the use of VR. Preoperative VR may be an effective noninvasive modality for anxiolysis during induction of anesthesia in children.
In Experimental Dilated Cardiomyopathy Heart Failure and Survival Are Adversely Affected by a Lack of Sexual Interactions

Nearly one in three people in the U.S. will develop heart failure (HF), characterized by fluid retention (edema) in the lungs and elsewhere. This leads to difficult breathing, deterioration of physical capacity, restriction of normal activities and death. There is little data about the safety and effects of sexual interactions in patients with HF. We tested whether a lack of sexual interactions affected pathophysiological outcomes in a pre-clinical mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy that recapitulates the progressive stages of human HF. Male mice were randomly given access to, or deprived from, sexual interactions with female mice, which were confirmed by videography and generation of offspring. Cohousing with access to sexual interactions markedly prolonged survival, while cohousing without access to sexual activity did not. Sexual interactions improved systolic function, reduced HF-associated edema, altered transcription of heart contractile protein genes and decreased plasma testosterone levels. To determine whether testosterone levels contributed to survival, testosterone levels were experimentally reduced. Reduction of testosterone levels significantly prolonged survival. Taken together, in mice with dilated cardiomyopathy, sexual activity altered cardiac contractile gene transcription, improved systolic function, reduced edema and prolonged survival which may be in part due to lower testosterone levels.
Therapeutic Genome Editing and In Vivo Delivery

Improvements in the understanding of human genetics and its roles in disease development and prevention have led to an increased interest in therapeutic genome editing via the use of engineered nucleases. Various approaches have been explored in the past focusing on the development of an effective and safe system for sequence-specific editing. Compared to earlier nucleases such as zinc finger nuclease and transcription activator-like effector nuclease, the relatively low cost and ease of producing clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) systems have made therapeutic genome editing significantly more feasible. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has shown great potential to correct genetic mutations implicated in monogenic diseases and to eradicate latent or chronic viral infections in preclinical studies. Several CRISPR/Cas9-based therapeutics have reached the clinical stage, including treatments for inherited red blood cell disorders and Leber Congenital Amaurosis 10, as well as CRISPR/Cas9-edited T cells designed to target and destroy cancer cells. Further advances in therapeutic genome editing will rely on a safe and more efficient method of in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 delivery and improved efficiency of homology-directed repair for site-specific gene insertion or replacement. While other reviews have focused on one or two aspects of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, this review aims to provide a summary of the mechanisms of genome editing, the reasons for the emerging interest in CRISPR/Cas9 compared to other engineered nucleases, the current progress in developing CRISPR/Cas9 delivery systems, and the current preclinical and clinical applications of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.
EMBRACING THE SPIRIT: THE IGNATIAN PNEUMATOLOGY OF LOUIS LALLEMANT

The Pneumatology of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola is famously discreet. However, other Ignatian authors give the Holy Spirit a central place in their spirituality. This article analyzes the Pneumatological contribution of Louis Lallemant’s Spiritual Doctrine to Ignatian spirituality, in dialogue with the Spiritual Exercises. Anchored in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this spiritual teaching advocates a docility to the Spirit nurtured by the “guard over the heart” and an on-going responsiveness to the Spirit’s promptings. The “second conversion” promoted by Lallemant to his hearers is revealed as a Pneumatological event. It nonetheless conforms the believer to Christ, acknowledging the Christological focus of Ignatian Spirituality, while expanding its Pneumatological dimension. KEYWORDS: Spiritual Exercises. Pneumatological. Louis Lallemant. Spiritual Doctrine.
31 – Maternal Mortality and Morbidity

A maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration or site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes. A maternal death may be classified as direct or indirect. Direct obstetric deaths are due to complications of the pregnant state from interventions, omissions, incorrect treatment, or from a chain of events resulting from any of the above. Indirect obstetric deaths result from previous existing disease. As is true of maternal death, maternal morbidity is also a much more serious problem in developing than in developed countries. The study of maternal morbidity is still a relatively new field and there are methodological and definitional issues to be resolved, but it is clear that the problem is large. Maternal morbidity may have direct, indirect, or psychological causes. Direct maternal morbidity results from obstetric complications during pregnancy, labor, or the postpartum period from interventions, omissions, or incorrect treatment. This includes temporary conditions that occur during pregnancy or within 42 days of delivery, and chronic conditions that result from pregnancy, abortion, or childbirth. Indirect maternal morbidity results from previously existing conditions or disease aggravated by the pregnancy. Such morbidity may occur at any time and continue beyond the reproductive years. Psychological maternal morbidity can result from obstetric complications, interventions, cultural practices, or coercion.
Biosynthesis of reovirus-specified polypeptides: Molecular cDNA cloning and nucleotide sequence of the reovirus serotype 1 Lang strain bicistronic s1 mRNA which encodes the minor capsid polypeptide σ1a and the nonstructural polypeptide σ1bNS

Human reovirus serotype 1 Lang strain s1 mRNA, which encodes the minor capsid cell attachment protein sigma 1a and the nonstructural protein sigma 1bNS, was cloned as a cDNA:mRNA heteroduplex in Eschericiacoli using phage M13. The Lang strain s1 mRNA is 1462 nucleotides in length and possesses two open reading frames. The first begins at nt 14 and has a coding capacity of 418 amino acids, sufficient to account for sigma 1a; the second begins at nt 75 and has a coding capacity of 119 amino acids, sufficient to account for sigma 1bNS. Comparison of the Lang serotype s1 sequence derived from cDNA clones of s1 mRNA with the Lang S1 sequence derived from cDNA clones of the S1 dsRNA genome segment definitively establishes that reovirus plus-strand mRNA is structurally equivalent to the plus-strand of the dsRNA genome segment.
La expresión gráfica en las psicosis infantiles

Se estudian los caracteres mas importantes del dibujo libre realizado por ninos psicoticos, valorandose principalmente los siguientes aspectos: el dibujo tipo garabato en el autismo precoz, los periodos de gran produccion patologica, la proyeccion de alteraciones de la imagen del propio cuerpo (alteraciones de tamano y proporciones de la figura humana, figuras mutiladas o distorsionadas), la existencia de figuras espiroideas y de contornos de doble trazo, la expresion de dificultades de comunicacion en forma de ausencia de extremidades o de ojos, la aparicion de esterotipias, los signos que traducen una situacion de angustia o la agresividad, los fenomenos de regresion. Se insiste en que la interpretacion de esta produccion grafica debe realizarse siempre de modo global, valorando el conjunto de los dibujos y las circunstancias en que se producen
Educational Television: "Let's Explore Science"

This study provides a historical overview of the development of the instructional television as a tool within the context of science education. The technology was traced from its beginning as experiments in public service broadcasting by universities and television networks, though closed circuit, cable, and commercially produced science-related programming. The use of the technology as a teaching tool is examined in terms of the concept of scientific literacy and the means by which instructional television helped to accomplish the goals of scientific literacy.
An ethical analysis of the case for robotic weapons arms control

While the use of telerobotic and semi-autonomous weapons systems has been enthusiastically embraced by politicians and militaries around the world, their deployment has not gone without criticism. Strong critics such as Asaro (2008), Sharkey (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012) and Sparrow (2007, 2009a, 2009b, 2011) argue that these technologies have multiple moral failings and their deployment on principle must be severely limited or perhaps even eliminated. These authors and researchers along with a growing list of others have founded the International Committee for Robot Arms Control as a means for advancing their arguments and advocating for future talks and treaties that might limit the use of these weapons. Others such as Arkin (2010), Brooks (2012), Lin, Abney and Bekey (2008, 2012), Strawser (2010), have argued that there are some compelling reasons to believe that, at least in some cases, deployment of telerobotic and semi-autonomous weapons systems can contribute to marginal improvements to the state of ethical and just outcomes in armed combat. This presentation will trace the main arguments posed by both sides of the issue. Additionally this paper will suggest certain considerations motivated by the philosophy of technology that might be worthy of addition to future robotic arms control treaties. This position argues that these technologies through the process of reverse adaptation can change our notions of just war theory to the point that caution in their use is recommended until further analysis of these effects can be accomplished. A realistic stance towards robotic weapons arms control will be argued for without losing sight of the positive role these technologies can play in resolving armed conflict in the most just and ethical manner possible.
Taste Sensitivity of Insect Herbivores to Deterrents is Greater in Specialists Than in Generalists: A Behavioral Test of the Hypothesis with Two Closely Related Caterpillars

Sensitivity of caterpillars of Heliothis virescens, a generalist, and H. subflexa, a specialist, to eight different plant secondary compounds was examined behaviorally. The compounds were nicotine hydrogen tartrate, hordenine, caffeine, sinigrin, linamarin, arbutin, chlorogenic acid, and salicin. All compounds deterred feeding, at least at the higher concentrations, but the generalist was less affected than the specialist. Thus the hypothesis that specialists have greater sensitivity to deterrents than generalists was supported. In most cases deterrence occurred on first encounter, indicating that the response was sensory; in some cases short-term postingestive effects also appeared to play a role. The larger quantities of deterrent-containing food ingested by H. virescens sometimes resulted in measurable postingestive effects during the second control test. This did not occur in H. subflexa, which more commonly rejected the deterrent-containing food on first contact. The contrast between the species is discussed in relation to tradeoffs involved in different diet breadths.
An examination of the relationship between childhood abuse, anger and violent behavior among a sample of sex offenders

Increasing attention has focused on the emotional dysregulation that can result from adverse childhood experiences among those who commit sexually violent crimes. While studies confirm a relationship between child maltreatment and anger the research is limited and it is unclear how anger and child maltreatment effect the use of violence during the commission of the sex crime. This study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment, anger and violent behavior by reviewing the records of 571 adult male offenders convicted of sexual assault or child molestation. The aims of the present study were to 1) examine differences in anger levels between those offenders who engaged in verbal or physical violence or used a weapon during the commission of their crime; 2) explore differences in anger levels for those sex offenders who experienced childhood abuse (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect) and those who were not; 3) examine whether there were differences in anger between rapists and child molesters and 4) assess whether anger either mediated or moderated the relationship between childhood abuse and the use of violence in the commission of the crime. Overall we found that sex offenders who were rated as being angrier were more likely to have used violence in the commission of their crime and were more likely to be abused as children. Further, while these relationships held for both rapists and child molesters independently, rapists were found to be angrier than child molesters. Finally, anger neither mediated nor moderated the relationship between an offender’s adverse childhood and committing a violent sex crime. These results suggest that anger should be target in intervention and prevention programs with violent sex offenders.
A granulosa cell tumor of the ovary with observations on radiosensitivity

Abstract An additional case of granulosa cell tumor of the ovary is described. The postmenopausal bleeding produced by this tumor was arrested for a period of thirty-one months by the employment of 1,200 mg. hours of radium. The tumor again made itself manifest after this period and on removal, was found to be associated with an early adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. Recurrence of symptoms was not noted over a period of seven years of postoperative observation.
Review of Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents

Chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents pose a serious at because of the physiological harm they may cause; the relative case of which they can be deployed; the diverse types and ces of CBW agents which exist; and the difficulty of identifying and classifying the agent (a factor aggravated by the large number of different agents that exist). This last point is particularly important when the CBW agent is encountered by a public safety or emergency services official who may be suspicious of a substance, but lacks the technical training to identify and safely handle the agent. To deal with these eventualities, this book is an invaluable resource which should be in the office of every emergency management official because of the potential of encountering these substances.
Development and usage of concept inventories in an optical engineering program

Education in optics has evolved in the last decade into an application and enabling technology field and it is emerging as an engineering field in the last couple of years. Therefore, as a newly evolving program, the emphasis is placed on the overall learning outcomes of the students. In that regard we have developed concept inventory questions in optical engineering to monitor and assess improvements in student learning. The concept inventory questions are given to students twice during a course, one at first day of class and the same questionnaire is given to them during the last day of class. The pre-class test is used to assess prior knowledge of the students and the second test is used to measure the learning experience of the students. The results of the test are used to monitor and improve overall education experience of the students.
The integration of logic synthesis and high-level synthesis

The relationship between high-level synthesis and logic synthesis is investigated and the factors that influence the interface between them are discussed. It is contended that there must be close integration of the two synthesis processes if automatic synthesis of efficient designs from behavioral specifications is to be useful. Results from several experiments that show some basic tradeoffs are given. >
Investigation of body image as a mediator of the effects of bowel and GI symptoms on psychological distress in female survivors of rectal and anal cancer

Treatment for rectal and anal cancer (RACa) can result in persistent bowel and gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. Body image problems may develop over time and exacerbate symptom-related distress. RACa survivors are an understudied group, however, and factors contributing to post-treatment well-being are not well understood. This study examined whether poorer body image explained the relation between symptom severity and psychological distress. Participants (N = 70) completed the baseline assessment of a sexual health intervention study. Bootstrap methods tested body image as a mediator between bowel and GI symptom severity and two indicators of psychological distress (depressive and anxiety symptoms), controlling for relevant covariates. Measures included the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-CR38) Diarrhea, GI Symptoms, and Body Image subscales and Brief Symptom Index Depression and Anxiety subscales. Women averaged 55 years old (SD = 11.6), White (79 %), and were 4 years post-treatment. Greater Depression was related to poorer Body Image (r = −.61) and worse Diarrhea (r = .35) and GI Symptoms (r = .48). Greater Anxiety was related to poorer Body Image (r = −.42) and worse GI Symptoms (r = .45), but not Diarrhea (r = .20). Body Image mediated the effects of bowel and GI symptoms on Depression, but not on Anxiety. Long-term bowel and GI dysfunction are distressing and affect how women perceive and relate to their bodies, exacerbating survivorship difficulties. Interventions to improve adjustment post-treatment should address treatment side effects, but also target body image problems to alleviate depressive symptoms. Reducing anxiety may require other strategies. Body image may be a key modifiable factor to improve well-being in this understudied population. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm findings.
Thermodynamics and Living Systems: Problems and Paradigms

The utility of thermodynamic laws in biological systems is reviewed. The joint historical development of thermodynamics and of respiratory physiology in the 19th century is surveyed. From first principles of thermodynamics, problems are noted in their application to physiological calorimetry.
GPCR deorphanizations: the novel, the known and the unexpected transmitters

Pairing orphan G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to potential ligands found in tissue extracts or in libraries of synthetic compounds has identified an ever-increasing number of transmitters, some of which are novel, some of which were previously known and, more recently, some of which are unexpected. These discoveries raise questions about the nature of transmitters and the specificity of GPCRs. In this article, several aspects of the impact of orphan GPCR research on our understanding of the diversity of transmitters will be discussed.
Missed and/or Misinterpreted Lesions in Breast Ultrasound: Reasons and Solutions

Understanding the many variables that affect the efficacy of breast US and the skills required for problem solving are important elements for successful performance of this technique.
Deformation-induced cold-welding for self-healing of super-durable flexible transparent electrodes

Abstract Flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) are key elements in flexible photoelectronics. The durability of FTEs is determined by two effects caused by deformations: the damage effect, and the recovery effect. The damage effect, that under how much strain and how many cycles an FTE can be destroyed, has been investigated in a few existing works. However, people did not perform any systematic studies on the recovery effect of FTEs and has not yet realized its importance. Herein, we demonstrate that metallic nanowires may recover with strain cycling. Pre-damaged Au nanomesh FTEs can recover under cyclic strains due to the spontaneous cold-welding of fractured nanowires by natural relaxing, or cyclic compressing, or cyclic stretching (with a strain up to 70%), or random deformations within modest strain ranges. Under small tensile strains (
The theory of interacting local automata

Local automata are defined as labeled monadic algebras that interact and accept or reject each other. The relationship between deterministic and non-deterministic local automata is established. Then the algebraic closure properties of acceptable classes of structures in terms of homomorphisms, direct products, and reduced products are studied. It is shown that multiinput local automata accept precisely those classes of structures that are models of sentences in first-order monadic logic without equality. Equality can be introduced with an extension of the theory. A finite local automaton may, in general, accept the models of an infinite sentence that is not equivalent to any finite sentence.
Ecohydrological controls on snowmelt partitioning in mixed‐conifer sub‐alpine forests

We used co-located observations of snow depth, soil temperature, and moisture and energy fluxes to monitor variability in snowmelt infiltration and vegetation water use at mixed-conifer sub-alpine forest sites in the Valles Caldera, New Mexico (3020 m) and on Niwot Ridge, Colorado (3050 m). At both sites, vegetation structure largely controlled the distribution of snow accumulation with 29% greater accumulation in open versus under-canopy locations. Snow ablation rates were diminished by 39% in under-canopy locations, indicating increases in vegetation density act to extend the duration of the snowmelt season. Similarly, differences in climate altered snow-season duration, snowmelt infiltration and evapotranspiration. Commencement of the growing season was coincident with melt-water input to the soil and lagged behind springtime increases in air temperature by 12 days on average, ranging from 2 to 33 days under warmer and colder conditions, respectively. Similarly, the timing of peak soil moisture was highly variable, lagging behind springtime increases in air temperature by 42 and 31 days on average at the Colorado and New Mexico sites, respectively. Latent heat flux and associated evaporative loss to the atmosphere was 28% greater for the year with earlier onset of snowmelt infiltration. Given the large and variable fraction of precipitation that was partitioned into water vapour loss, the combined effects of changes in vegetation structure, climate and associated changes to the timing and magnitude of snowmelt may have large effects on the partitioning of snowmelt into evapotranspiration, surface runoff and ground water recharge. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aeroallergen patch testing for patients presenting to contact dermatitis clinics

Abstract Background: The role of aeroallergens in the production of allergic contact dermatitis or "allergic contact dermatitis-like" atopic dermatitis is controversial. Although techniques and allergens lack standardization, most studies find positive patch test results in 30% to 40% of patients with atopic dermatitis. Objective: Our purpose was to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of positive aeroallergen patch tests in patients undergoing standard patch testing for suspected "nonaeroallergen" allergic contact dermatitis. Methods: One hundred three consecutive patients referred to three university patch test clinics for patch testing were also patch tested with six common aeroallergens in glycerine—dust, mold, cat epithelium, tree, grass, and weed—as well as with a glycerine control. Patches were removed at 48 hours. Readings were performed at this time and at 3 to 7 days after initial application. Results: As determined by history, these 103 patients included 16 patients with both atopic dermatitis and mucosal atopy, 10 patients with atopic dermatitis only, 22 patients with mucosal atopy only, and 55 patients with neither atopic dermatitis nor mucosal atopy. Allergic reactions were seen to one aeroallergen in five patients (three with atopic dermatitis and mucosal allergy, and two with no history of atopy). The prevalence (3 of 16 [18.8%]) of reactions in patients with both atopic dermatitis and mucosal allergy was significantly greater than the prevalence (2 of 87 [2.3%]) in patients with only one or neither of these two atopic disorders ( p = 0.02). None of these aeroallergen contact hypersensitivities were deemed significant in the patients' current dermatitis. However, reactions were of past relevance in two of the three patients with atopic dermatitis and mucosal allergy. Conclusion: In this referral group, none of the six common aeroallergens tested was relevant in the origin of suspected "nonaeroallergen" allergic contact dermatitis. This study suggests that aeroallergen patch testing is of little use in the evaluation of patients referred for routine patch testing for suspected "nonaeroallergen" allergic contact dermatitis. Similar but larger studies inclusive of the assessment of relevance, as well as masked controlled clinical trials assessing the effect of aeroallergen exposure and avoidance, are needed to evaluate this issue more fully.
Analysis of a WAIS R Old-Age Normative Sample in Terms of Gender, Years of Education, and Preretirement Occupation

The relationship of gender, educational level, and past occupation to the Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs was evaluated for a Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) old-age normative sample. Gender differences did not meaningfully influence the WAIS-R scores of persons 75 years of age and older, but differences due to education and past occupation were marked. Persons with? 12 years of education earned Full Scale IQs that were 17 points higher than the composite score for individuals with < 11 years of education. Those with a history of professional/managerial employment outscored retired operatives/laborers on the Full Scale IQ by approximately 16 points.
Model-based iterative reconstruction for synchrotron X-ray tomography

Synchrotron based X-ray tomography is widely used for three dimensional imaging of materials at the micron scale. Tomographic data collected from a synchrotron is often affected by non-idealities in the measurement system and sudden “blinding” of detector pixels during the acquisition. Typically, reconstructions are done using analytical reconstruction techniques combined with pre/post-processing steps to correct for the non-idealities, resulting in loss of detail while still producing noisy reconstructions with some artifacts. In this paper, we present a model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) algorithm for synchrotron X-ray tomography that can automatically handle the non-idealities as a part of the reconstruction. First, we develop a forward model that accounts for the non-idealities in the measurement system and for the occurrence of outliers in the measurement. Next, we combine the forward model with a prior model of the object to formulate the MBIR cost function and propose an algorithm to minimize the cost. Results on a real data set show that the MBIR reconstructions are superior to the analytical reconstructions effectively suppressing noise as well as other artifacts.
Mullerian‐inhibiting substance secretion is delayed in XX sex‐reversed dog embryos

Sertoli cell secretion of Mullerian-inhibiting substance (MIS) begins shortly after testis differentiation. Mullerian ducts regress following MIS exposure during an embryonic critical period. In dogs with XX sex reversal, Mullerian ducts persist in the presence of testicular tissue. This study was conducted to determine whether MIS is present in ovotestes of XX sex-reversed embryos during the period for Mullerian duct regression in normal males. XX sex-reversed embryos and normal littermates were identified by a combination of karyotype and gonadal histology. The degree of regression in the adjacent Mullerian duct was scored. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect MIS in the contralateral gonad. Testicular differentiation and MIS secretion were identified in XY embryos at all ages studied (35–46 days). Seminiferous tubules were not observed in gonads of embryos at risk of XX sex reversal between 35–38 days (n = 15), but were observed at 40 and 46 days (n = 3). Although positive staining for MIS was observed in ovotestes, adjacent Mullerian ducts persisted. The degree of seminiferous tubule development was reduced and MIS secretion was delayed in ovotestes, compared to normal testes. Mullerian duct persistence in this model is apparently due to an abnormality in the quantity and timing of MIS secretion during embryonic development.© 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Paleolimnology of Lake Tubutulik, an iron-meromictic Eocene Lake, eastern Seward Peninsula, Alaska

Abstract Sideritic lacustrine mudstone was found in drill core from a uranium deposit in the Death Valley area in the eastern part of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. The precursor sediments for this rock were deposited in an unusual “iron-meromictic” Eocene lake, herein named Lake Tubutulik, which occupied part of the Boulder Creek basin, a structural graben that is probably a southern extension of the larger Death Valley basin. The Boulder Creek basin is bounded on the west by granite of the Late Cretaceous Darby Pluton, on the east by Precambrian to Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks. The lake basin was formed by basaltic flows that dammed the river valley of the ancestral Tubutulik River in early Eocene time. Lake Tubutulik contained a nearshore facies of fine-grained organic mud and an offshore facies of laminated sideritic mud. The offshore (profundal) laminated mudstone consists of alternating layers of authigenic siderite and detrital layers containing mostly quartz and clay minerals. Both lacustrine facies contain turbidities. The lacustrine sediments graded laterally into an onshore facies of colluvial and fluvial sandstone, paludal mudstone, and coal. The ancient lake apparently occupied a small deep basin in a tectonically active area of high relief. Meromixus was probably stabilized by reduced iron and bicarbonate dissolved in the monimolimnion. The intensity of meromixus decreased as the lake became shallower from sediment filling. The source of the iron, abundant in the monimolimnion of Lake Tubutulik, was probably the Eocene basalt. Based on carbon isotope analysis of the siderite, the dissolved bicarbonate in the profundal facies was largely inorganic. Sideritic carbon in one sample from the onshore paludal facies has an isotopic signature ( δ 13 C = +16.9) consistent with residual carbon formed during methanogenic fermentation.
Modal amplification in active waveguides with hyperbolic dispersion at telecommunication frequencies

We present a method for studying amplification of electromagnetic modes in active, circularly symmetric waveguides with hyperbolic dispersion. Using this method, we obtain a closed-form expression for the modal threshold condition. We find that modal amplification is possible in a region of the radius-wavelength phase-space with small enough radius so that propagation of the mode is permitted while modal energy and phase counter-propagate. At telecommunication frequencies, such a situation is achievable only when the absolute value of the real metal permittivity exceeds that of the active dielectric. We validate our theoretical conclusions with numerical simulations that explain the threshold condition in terms of an energy balance between the longitudinal and radial components of the electric field.
Sex and the Self The Impact of Early Sexual Onset on the Self-Concept and Subsequent Risky Behavior of African American Adolescents

A 5-year longitudinal study of African American adolescents, aged 10 to 12 at Time 1, used the prototype/willingness (prototype) model to examine the (social) cognitive effects of the onset of sexual behavior on self-concept. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that becoming sexually active was related to favorable changes in adolescents' self-concepts and that this effect was moderated by gender. The effect was more pronounced among boys than girls. Positive self-concept, in turn, was related to subsequent risky sexual behavior. Sexual onset was also associated with positive changes in adolescents' images of the typical adolescent who has sex (i.e., sex prototype). This increase in prototype favorability marginally predicted subsequent willingness to have risky sex. In sum, sexual debut was related to increases in adolescents' self-concepts and risk cognitions, both of which predicted risky sexual behavior.
Potato quality X. Post harvest treatment to prevent after cooking darkening

Results of these preliminary experiments indicate that after cooking darkening can be reduced or prevented by treating whole unpeeled potatoes with several chemicals after harvest. Concentrations, length of treatment and temperature during treatment need to be worked out more completely.
The Secret Life of Archives: Sally Siddons, Sir Thomas Lawrence, and The Material of Memory

This essay is in two parts, in the first I attempt to map out strategies for considering archival materials through the lens of performance, and in the second I enact or perform some of those strategies through a close reading of a letter from Sally Siddons, daughter of the famous actress Sarah Siddons, to the renown portrait painter and rakish bad boy, Sir Thomas Lawrence. I present a methodology that considers archival researchers as tourists who approach archival objects and images as material for curating a virtual exhibition. I argue that this strategy allows us to recognize and attempt to envision the interdisciplinary relationship amongst archival materials in order to imagine them in spatial, theatrical, and visual proximity to one another. In this way as researchers we are performing a kind of re-enactment, an animation, of the secret life of archives, which attempts to account the embodied traces of the past by providing an accessible thought provoking map for audiences.
On the Role of Group Membership in Stereotype‐Based Performance Effects

Group memberships serve an important function in our lives. They help define who we are; thus, they are intimately involved in our daily functioning. But in certain situations, our group memberships may have a particularly profound influence on the way we behave, such as in situations where stereotypes apply. In this article, I examine the role group membership plays in distinguishing between different performance effects that are based on stereotypes associated with our group memberships. Knowing the role that group memberships play in such effects can refine existing theory and research while also providing insight into methods for combating the adverse effects of stereotypes on behavior. Accordingly, I review a number of stereotype-based performance effects that involve both negative and positive stereotypes as well as describe how group membership moderates these effects. I then discuss how stereotyped concerns associated with our group memberships can clarify the distinction between stereotype threat and priming effects. In the final portion of this article, I highlight how learning about a counter-stereotypic person from one's group can serve to reduce the negative effects of stereotypes on performance.
Water (H2O and D2O) molar absorptivity in the 1000-4000 cm-1 range and quantitative infrared spectroscopy of aqueous solutions

Water (H2O and D2O) molar absorptivity was measured by Fourier transform infrared transmission spectroscopy in the 1000-4000 cm-1 range at 25 degrees C. A series of assembled cells with path lengths from 1.2 to 120.5 microns was used for these measurements. The optimal path length (the path length of aqueous solution at which the IR spectrum of solute, corrected for water absorbance, has the highest signal-to-noise ratio) was calculated for all water absorbance bands. The results presented here show that the optimal path length does not depend on solute properties and is inversely proportional to the solvent (water) molar absorptivity. The maximal signal-to-noise ratio for measurements of IR spectra of aqueous solution in the 1650 cm-1 spectral region, of primary interest in biological applications, can be obtained at an optimal cell path lengths of 3-4 microns (H2O) and 40-60 microns (D2O). As an example, the signal-to-noise ratio was calculated as a function of the cell path length for the amide I (H2O) and amide I' (D2O) bands of an aqueous lysozyme solution. The molar absorptivities of water bands are several orders of magnitude weaker than those of the strongest bands of biological macromolecules in the same spectral regions. High net water absorbance in aqueous solutions is due simply to the very high molar concentration of water. A method is proposed for the quantitative measuring of the path length of the cell which exploits the molar absorptivity of the strongest water bands (stretching vibrations) or of bands which do not overlap with solute absorbance. A path length in the range from approximately 0.01 micron to approximately 1.0 mm can be determined with high precision using this technique for a samples of known concentration. Problems involved in the proper correction of strong water absorbance in IR spectra of aqueous solutions of biomolecules are discussed, including multiple reflections within the cell, the effects of pH, temperature, and perturbation of water spectral properties by polar solutes, as well as the selection of optimal spectral regions in which one may obtain the most precise absorbance corrections.
Identification of a new EF-hand superfamily member from Trypanosoma brucei

We identified several open reading frames between the regions encoding calmodulin and ubiquitin-EP52/1 in the genome of Trypanosoma brucei. One of these, EFH5, encodes a protein 192 amino acids long. The EFH5 transcript is present in poly(A)+ mRNA and is present at similar levels in the mammalian bloodstream form and the insect procyclic form. EFH5 contains four EF-hand homolog domains, two of which are inferred to bind Ca2+ ions. We expressed EFH5 as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli and demonstrated calcium-binding activity of the fusion protein using the 45Ca-overlay technique. The function of EFH5 remains unknown; however, as the fourth EF-hand homolog identified in trypanosomes, it attests to the broad range of functions assumed by calcium functioning as a second messenger. EFH5, which is most closely related to LAV1-2 from Physarum, represents a distinct subfamily among the EF-hand-containing proteins.
The Roots of Japanese Educational Achievement: Helping Children Develop Bonds to School

This article argues that Japanese schools succeed in promoting students' academic achievement because they meet children's human needs, thereby promoting strong, positive, emotional bonds between c...