cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age- and dose-dependent effects of neonatal monosodium glutamate (MSG) administration to female rats.

The age- and dose-dependent effects of neonatal MSG were evaluated in pre- and postpubertal female rats. The neurotoxic action of MSG was assessed by examining monoamine content in microdissected regions of the mediobasal hypothalamus. MSG was administered at a dose of 4 mg/g on postnatal days 2 and 4 (MSG-Lo) or on postnatal days 2, 4, 6 and 8 (MSG-Hi). MSG-Hi treatment significantly reduced dopamine (DA) content in the arcuate nucleus (ANH) and lateral median eminence (LME) on postnatal day 21 when compared to NaCl-injected controls. DA content relative to controls was not altered in the ANH or LME postnatal or postnatal day 60 in MSG-Hi, however, norepinephrine (NE) was significantly (p<0.05) decreased on both postnatal day 21 and 60 in the LME. MSG-Lo treatment significantly (p<0.05) reduced ANH NE content on postnatal day 60 compared to controls. Both MSG-Hi and MSG-Lo treatment increased 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid content in the preoptic area (POA) on postnatal day 60 relative to the controls. Developmental changes independent of MSG treatment were noted in the hypothalamus. DA and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) content in the POA were 2-3-fold higher on postnatal day 21 compared to postnatal day 60. In contrast, DA content increased with age in the ANH, LME and medial ME. NE content in the ANH increased as a function of age in controls, but not in MSG-treated rats. The effects of MSG treatment on the postnatal development and maturation of neurons in the mediobasal hypothalamus were discussed in relation to the direct neurotoxicity of MSG.
Comparing Romantic Partners' Perceptions of Hurtful Communication During Conflict Conversations

Romantic partners discussed an issue of conflict in their relationship and then a modified stimulated recall methodology was used to examine partners’ perceptions of hurtful messages. Individuals attributed more hurtful statements to their partners than to themselves and interactants often did not agree upon which comments were potentially hurt eliciting. The volume of hurtful statements and the extent to which partners matched when identifying hurtful communication were associated with relational quality—for males only. This study provides a methodological expansion that supports and provides nuance to prior hurtful-message research. It further underscores the importance of gleaning perceptions of hurt from both parties on the same hurt-evoking interaction soon after it occurs.
Non-linear feature identifications based on self-sensing impedance measurements for structural health assessment

This paper presents the application of a non-linear feature identification technique for structural damage detection. This method is coupled with the impedance-based structural health monitoring (SHM) method, which utilises electromechanical coupling properties of piezoelectric materials. The non-linear feature examined in this study is in the form of autoregressive coefficients in the frequency domain autoregressive model with exogenous (ARX) inputs, which explicitly considers non-linear system input/output relationships. The applicability of this non-linear feature for damage identification is investigated in various frequency ranges using impedance signals measured from a laboratory-test structure. The performance of the non-linear feature is also compared with those of linear features typically used in impedance methods. This paper reinforces the utility of non-linear features in SHM and suggests that their sensitivity in different frequency ranges may be leveraged for certain applications.
Electrostatic interactions of two dielectric dust particles in the presence of plasma

Abstract The dynamics of dusty plasmas control the creation and destruction of dust particles throughout the solar system. Dusty plasmas are found in the ring systems of the larger planets, in cometary nuclei and in the interstellar medium. To understand the collective phenomena of a dusty plasma it is important to understand the basics of the dynamics of a small number of dust grains embedded in a plasma. We build on previous work completed by Young et al. /1/ in modeling the charging characteristics of dust grains. We consider the case of two dust grains in a particle-in-cell (PIC) model with a variable separation and investigate the force relationship between the charged grains after equilibrium is reached. We demonstrate that the intergrain force is reduced by the shielding associated with the plasma.
Menstrual expressions and menstrual attitudes

Women's responses to a questionnaire survey in a Northeastern U.S. college community are examined to determine whether usage preferences in menstrual expressions are systematically related to reported attitudes towards menstruation. While those women who use expressions with negative connotations tend to report negative attitudes, the converse is not true. A striking contrast is noted between familiarity and use of menstrual expressions and, in general, menstrual expressions are not consistently associated with or reflective of menstrual attitudes.
Mass fatality preparedness in the death care sector

Objective: To characterize mass fatality preparedness of the death care sector (ie, funeral industry organizations) and to determine the workforce’s ability and willingness to report to duty during a hypothetical high fatality pandemic event. Methods: Anonymous, Web-based, cross-sectional survey of a national funeral industry sample. Preparedness was characterized using descriptive statistics. Factors significantly associated with ability and willingness were identified using chi-squared bivariate analysis. Results: Respondents (N = 492) generally rated their organizational preparedness planning as suboptimal; only six of thirteen preparedness checklist items were typically in place. In contrast, response intentions were uniformly high; more than 80% of the respondents were willing to report to work, although high prevalence of secondary obligations might hinder this. Conclusions: Preparedness strategies that address interorganizational, surge capacity, and personal emergency planning are likely to be most efficacious. Statement of Clinical Significance: Occupational medicine plays an important role in emergency preparedness and response. Funeral industry organizations could benefit from skills and resources of occupational medicine, including training, fit testing, development of plans, and coordination and hosting of planning exercises.
POSTURAL SWAY CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE LEG STANCE IN MEN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION

This study examined the postural sway characteristics of 10 men with mental retardation and 10 each normal men and women during the one-legged stance test. Significant differences between the men with mental retardation and the other two groups were found on measures of lateral sway and on the sagittal sway:lateral sway ratio.
Validation of FD-TD modeling of the radar cross section of three-dimensional structures spanning up to nine wavelengths

The first experimental validation is reported of the finite-difference time-domain (FD-TD) method for modeling the monostatic radar cross section (RCS) of three-dimensional conducting structures. The structures modeled and tested span up to nine free-space wavelengths ( k_{0}s =57 ). This represents a thirty-fold increase in electrical size over the previous analytically validated case of FD-TD modeling of radar cross section. It appears that the cases studied represent the largest detailed three-dimensional numerical scattering models of any type ever verified wherein a uniformly fine spatial resolution and the ability to treat nonmetallic composition is incorporated in the model. It was found that FD-TD provided a high modeling accuracy of 1 dB (with respect to the measurements) over at least a 40-dB dynamic range of radar cross section values for the nine-wavelength size objects, which exhibited such scattering physics as edge and corner diffraction, corner reflection (double bounce), and cavity penetration.
Sensor Network Optimization for a Passive Sensing Impact Detection Technique

An investigation was performed to develop a sensor placement method to maximize the performance of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system with a minimal number of sensors for detection of impact in structures, particularly for structures made of fiber-reinforced composite materials. The performance of the SHM system is evaluated based on the probability of detection (POD). This optimization problem was formulated to maximize the POD through selection of optimal sensor locations for a given sensor network. A genetic algorithm was adopted and integrated with the SHM system to perform the optimization process. Numerical simulations on two composite panels showed that the selection of sensor network configuration is crucial for the performance of the SHM system. For a targeted POD, the proposed method can be used to configure an SHM system with a minimal number of sensors to identify impact forces that are greater than a pre-defined critical value.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors inhibit [3H]quinpirole binding in rat striatal membranes.

Abstract This study describes interactions of monoamine oxidase inhibitors at binding sites labeled by [3H]quinpirole, a putatively selective ligand for dopamine D2-like receptors, in in vitro binding assays in rat brain. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors potently and competitively inhibited equilibrium binding of [3H]quinpirole in homogenate binding assays with the following rank order of potencies: clorgyline ⩾ Ro 41-1049 > pargyline > (−)-deprenyl > (+)-deprenyl > Ro 16-6491 > iproniazid. This rank order of potencies does not correlate with the potencies of these drugs at monoamine oxidase-A or monoamine oxidase-B, σ site(s) or dopamine receptors. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors did not alter the ability of quinpirole to compete for [3H]spiperone binding. Quinpirole did not inhibit monoamine oxidase-A or monoamine oxidase-B activity and had low affinity (200 nM) for σ site(s). These data suggest a potential novel binding site for [3H]quinpirole in rat brain and/or an alternative site of action for the antidepressant effects of monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
The dynamics of turbo-flow

Ausgehend von der Tatsache, dass eine Schaufelreihe aquivalent ist einem Kraft- und damit auch einem Wirbelfeld, wird der Begriff der Potential-Kraft-Stromung erweitert. Diese schliesst den «von Mises-Fall» ein, wenn das Euler-Integral im ganzen Feld konstant ist.
Limited expected value comparison tests

Abstract Currently, no asymptotic distribution theory exists for test statistics based on the empirical limited expected value function. Using the theory of U-statistics we show that the asymptotic distribution of several test statistics can be characterized as a linear function of independent chi-squared random variables.
Iodopeptides from rat thyroglobulin.

Essentially identical autoradiographs of peptide fingerprints were obtained with tryptic digests of pulse labeled m I rat thyroglobulin and its alkylated derivatives, as well as with 125I-thyroglobulin that was approaching isotopic equilibrium. After trypsin digestion of thyroglobulin, nearly 37% of the radioiodine remained at the origin as a core material. Some material that contained 20 % of the radioactivity streaked from the origin to the solvent front and was considered to be primarily in the form of artifacts. Another 40 % of the isotope reproducibly appeared in 19 definitive peptides that migrated during electrophoresis and chromatography. The remainder (3 %) of the radioactivity appeared in sporadic peptides that were probably derived from small amounts of iodoprotein or iodopeptide contaminants in the purified thyroglobulin. Hydrolysis of each of the 19 peptides revealed that 4 of them contained only MIT, 8 had only DIT, 6 contained MIT plus DIT and one had T4 plus DIT. Because the number of tryp...
Study of resonant χ(3) processes in a double-ladder system

We study resonant Χ (3) processes in a double-ladder system. We obtain general analytical solutions for the atomic polarizations corresponding to the two circular polarization components of the probe fields. From the analytical results we identify and numerically demonstrate various parameter domains where effects resulting from Χ (3) can be obtained. The theoretical prediction of large gain due to Χ (3) is experimentally verified in Cs vapor.
Topological mapping of unknown environments using an unlocalized robotic swarm

Mapping and exploration are essential tasks for swarm robotic systems. These tasks become extremely challenging when localization information is not available. In this paper, we explore how stochastic motion models and weak encounter information can be exploited to learn topological information about an unknown environment. Our system behavior mimics a probabilistic motion model of cockroaches, as it is inspired by current biobotic (cyborg insect) systems. We employ tools from algebraic topology to extract spatial information of the environment based on neighbor to neighbor interactions among the biologically inspired agents with no need for localization data. This information is used to build a map of persistent topological features of the environment. We analyze the performance of our estimation and propose a switching control mechanism for the motion models to extract features of complex environments in an effective way.
Selectivity of Recombinant Human Leukotriene D4, Leukotriene B4, and Lipoxin A4 Receptors with Aspirin-Triggered 15-epi-LXA4 and Regulation of Vascular and Inflammatory Responses

Aspirin-triggered lipoxin A 4 (ATL, 15-epi-LXA 4 ) and leukotriene D 4 (LTD 4 ) possess opposing vascular actions mediated via receptors distinct from the LXA 4 receptor (ALX) that is involved in leukocyte trafficking. Here, we identified these receptors by nucleotide sequencing and demonstrate that LTD 4 receptor (CysLT 1 ) is induced in human vascular endothelia by interleukin-1β. Recombinant CysLT 1 receptor gave stereospecific binding with both [ 3 H]-LTD 4 and a novel labeled mimetic of ATL ([ 3 H]-ATLa) that was displaced with LTD 4 and ATLa (∼IC 50 0.2 to 0.9 nmol/L), but not with a bioinactive ATL isomer. The clinically used CysLT 1 receptor antagonist, Singulair, showed a lower rank order for competition with [ 3 H]-ATLa (IC 50 ≈ 8.3 nmol/L). In contrast, LTD 4 was an ineffective competitive ligand for recombinant ALX receptor with [ 3 H]-ATLa, and ATLa did not compete for [ 3 H]-LTB 4 binding with recombinant LTB 4 receptor. Endogenous murine CysLT 1 receptors also gave specific [ 3 H]-ATLa binding that was displaced with essentially equal affinity by LTD 4 or ATLa. Systemic ATLa proved to be a potent inhibitor (>50%) of CysLT 1 -mediated vascular leakage in murine skin (200 μg/kg) in addition to its ability to block polymorphonuclear leukocyte recruitment to dorsal air pouch (4 μg/kg). These results indicate that ATL and LTD 4 bind and compete with equal affinity at CysLT 1 , providing a molecular basis for aspirin-triggered LXs serving as a local damper of both vascular CysLT 1 signals as well as ALX receptor-regulated polymorphonuclear leukocyte traffic.
Treatment of ALS with pleconaril

Enteroviral RNA sequences were identified in spinal cords from 15 of 17 patients with ALS using reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR).1 PCR products were localized in neuronal cell bodies within the gray matter by direct RT in situ PCR.1 A previous study reported enteroviral RNA sequences in spinal cords from 8 of 11 patients with ALS.2 We report a patient with ALS treated with pleconaril, an antienteroviral drug.3 A 76-year-old man noticed dyspnea and exercise limitation in October 1996. He had polio at age 3 affecting the right leg. Chest x-rays and CT showed atelectasis. Cardiac evaluation was negative. He had carbon dioxide retention (pCO2 50 mm Hg). Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV1), maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), and total lung capacity were reduced, whereas FEV1/FVC was normal. Negative inspiratory pressure was 30 cm H2O standing and sitting and 15 cm H2O when lying flat. Expiratory pressure was 60 cm H2O. He was started on albuterol and home bilevel …
Technetium scanning in Kaposi's sarcoma and its simulators

The clinical picture of ulcerated purple plaques on the legs often suggests several diagnoses: Kaposi's sarcoma, stasis dermatitis, atrophic blanche (livedoid vasculitis), and a poorly understood condition called acroangiodermatitis of Favre-Chaix (pseudo-Kaposi's sarcoma). Even the skin biopsy may not always be conclusive. We describe our experience with three patients with pseudo-Kaposi's sarcoma, one with "true" Kaposi's sarcoma and two with atrophic blanche. Clinical and histopathologic similarities among these three conditions pointed up the need for additional confirmatory studies, i.e., isotope scanning. The technetium scan was positive in both Kaposi's sarcoma and pseudo-Kaposi's sarcoma but negative in atrophic blanche.
Segregation of the fragile X mutation from a male with a full mutation: Unusual somatic instability in the FMR-1 locus

Fragile X syndrome is associated with an unstable CGG-repeat in the FMR-1 gene. There are few reports of affected males transmitting the FMR-1 gene to offspring. We report on a family in which the propositus and his twin sister each had a full mutation with abnormal methylation. Their mother had an FMR-1 allele in the normal range and a large premutation, with normal methylation. The maternal grandmother had two normal FMR-1 alleles. The maternal grandfather had an unusual somatic FMR-1 pattern, with allele size ranging from premutation to full mutation. No allele was detectable by PCR analysis. Multiple Southern blot analyses identified a hybridization pattern that originated at a distinct premutation band and extended into the full mutation range. Methylation studies revealed a mosaic pattern with both unmethylated premutations and methylated full mutations. This individual declined formal evaluation but did not finish high school and has difficulty in reading and writing. The size of the premutation FMR-1 allele passed to his daughter is larger than his most prominent premutation allele. This is most likely due to gonadal mosaicism similar to that in his peripheral lymphocytes. Alternatively, this expansion event may have occurred during his daughter's early embryonic development and this large premutation allele is mitotically unstable. This pattern of FMR-1 alleles in a presumably mildly affected male is highly unusual. These findings are consistent with the absence of transmission of a full fragile X mutation through an expressing male. Studies of tissue specific FMR-1 allele expansion and FMR-1 protein expression on this individual should help to determine the correlation of the molecular findings with the phenotypic effects.
Work in progress: wiser distributed file system for heterogeneous sensor platforms

Pervasive computing is on the horizon with ever shrinking device form factors and increasing computation power. Sensor devices such as those used to monitor temperature, pressure, humidity, flow, audio, video etc. allow acquisition of information regarding the physical environments, which can be utilized in actuation and visualization. Traditionally, sensing data is either stored locally or transported to a centralized location at the perimeter of the network. We argue that the information producers and consumers in a cyber physical system are likely to be distributed and with different capabilities. This necessitates a uniform abstraction that can hide device/platform dependent characteristics, intricacies of communication and networks, and utilize distributed heterogeneous storage among different devices. A distributed storage solution also has the benefit of fault tolerance in events of disasters, such as infrastructure failure or natural calamities, wherein remnants of information stored over the distributed storage system from the destroyed devices can be invaluable. In this paper, we propose a Distributed File System that is agnostic to platforms and operating systems of deeply embedded devices.
Changes in chiral selectivity with temperature for an ovomucoid protein-based column

The effect of temperature on the direct HPLC separation of drug enantiomers was studied for the commercially available ovomucoid protein chiral stationary phase. We confirm that temperature is a valuable experimental parameter for optimizing separations of racemic drugs. The resolution of certain acidic and basic drugs responds differently with temperature change. However, these resolution changes involve more than the effect of temperature on mobile phase viscosity that influences column plate numbers. A simple strategy involving the selection of pH, organic modifier and temperature is presented for optimizing separations of drug enantiomers with this column.
Understanding 802.11 performance in heterogeneous environments

The availability of unlicensed spectrum coupled with the increasing popularity of wireless communication has given rise to a diverse range of wireless technologies that compete for spectrum. In particular, 802.11 devices face a host of problems such as interference with other 802.11 devices (hidden terminals) as well as with technologies like Bluetooth and ZigBee. Understanding how the medium is utilized and inferring the cause of interference, based on observations from a single wireless node, is hard. Past work has used monitoring infrastructures to detect interference between 802.11 nodes in enterprise networks. In this paper, we try to answer the question: "how can we enable users to reason about wireless performance variations without requiring elaborate instrumentation and infrastructure support?". We propose WiMed, a tool that uses only local measurements from commodity 802.11 NICs (at the node being diagnosed) to construct a time map of how the medium is utilized. We have implemented a WiMed prototype using the MadWifi driver for Atheros NICs. Early results show that WiMed is useful and can characterize non-802.11 interference better than existing systems.
On the security of polling protocols in peer-to-peer systems

The peer-to-peer (P2P) network model differs from the well established client-server model in that all members of the network are assigned an equal role. P2P networks are recently gaining increasing popularity. Providing security in distributed content sharing in P2P networks is an important challenge. This paper identifies security vulnerabilities in the protocols for sharing servants' reputations in the Gnutella P2P system, proposed recently. It demonstrates attacks on the protocols that allow an attacker to alter the results of the voting procedure. The paper then presents a protocol that is resilient to the attacks described. In the proposed protocol, enhanced security against various attacks is achieved using smart design and a combination of various techniques such as the use of digital signatures for message integrity and random numbers for message freshness.
Mouse models of holoprosencephaly

Purpose of reviewHoloprosencephaly (HPE) is the most common anomaly of forebrain development in humans. The pathogenesis of HPE results in a failure of the brain hemispheres to separate during early development. Here we review experimental models of HPE in which some of the genes known to cause HPE
Rotten to the core: Neuroticism and implicit evaluations of the self

Neuroticism, from both clinical and trait-based perspectives, should be associated with non-conscious, as well as conscious, forms of negativity. We sought to validate this insight by examining relations between negative affectivity and implicit evaluations of the self. In two studies involving 104 undergraduates, neuroticism correlated significantly with both explicit and implicit self-esteem, despite the lack of correlation among the latter measures. In addition, we found that implicit self-esteem predicted experimenter-reported (Study 1) and informant-reported (Study 2) negative affect. Our findings converge on two ideas, namely: (1) that neuroticism is associated with both conscious and non-conscious evaluations of the self; and (2) that implicit self-esteem shares an intimate relation with negative affectivity, whether self-reported or observer-reported. Such results validate clinical insights concerning neuroticism as well as further the case that implicit self-esteem has implications for one's expe...
Effects of organic matter and season on leaf litter colonisation and breakdown in cave streams

Summary 1. Low organic matter availability is thought to be a primary factor influencing evolutionary and ecological processes in cave ecosystems. We examined links among organic matter abundance, macroinvertebrate community structure and breakdown rates of red maple (Acer rubrum) and corn litter (Zea mays) in coarse- (10 × 8 mm) and fine-mesh (500-μm) litter bags over two seasonal periods in four cave streams in the south-eastern U.S.A. 2. Organic matter abundance differed among cave streams, averaging from near zero to 850 g ash-free dry mass m−2. Each cave system harboured a different macroinvertebrate community. However, trophic structure was similar among caves, with low shredder biomass (2–17% of total biomass). 3. Corn litter breakdown rates (mean k = 0.005 day−1) were faster than red maple (mean k = 0.003 day−1). Breakdown rates in coarse-mesh bags (k = 0.001–0.012 day−1) were up to three times faster than in fine-mesh bags (k = 0.001–0.004 day−1). Neither invertebrate biomass in litter bags nor breakdown rates were correlated with the ambient abundance of organic matter. Litter breakdown rates showed no significant temporal variation. Epigean (surface-adapted) invertebrates dominated biomass in litter bags, suggesting that their effects on cave ecosystem processes may be greater than hypogean (cave-adapted) taxa, the traditional focus of cave studies. 4. The functional diversity of our cave communities and litter breakdown rates are comparable to those found in previous litter breakdown studies in cave streams, suggesting that the factors that control organic matter processing (e.g. trophic structure of communities) may be broadly similar across geographically diverse areas.
Hospitalizations and Skilled Nursing Facility Admissions Before and After the Implementation of a Home‐Based Primary Care Program

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of an urban housecalls program (HCP) on healthcare utilization.DESIGN: Retrospective chart review with pre/post analysis.SETTING: Urban home-based primary care program.PARTICIPANTS: All participants (N5179) in a capitatedinsurance program enrolled in a HCP between October2004 and August 2006.INTERVENTION: Enrollment into HCP.MEASUREMENTS: Hospitalizations and skilled nursingfacility (SNF) admissions before and after enrollment.Patients with at least one hospitalization or SNF admis-sion before and after enrollment were compared using theMcNemar test. Median number of hospitalizations andSNF placements before and after HCP enrollment werecompared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test.RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of patients had one or morehospitalizations before enrollment, whereas only 38% hadone or more hospitalizations after enrollment (Po.001).Thirty-eight percent of patients had at least one SNF place-ment before enrollment, compared with 18% after enroll-ment (P5.001). The median hospitalization rate decreasedfrom 1 to 0; the median SNF placement rate was 0 (inter-quartile range 0–1) before enrollment and 0 (interquartilerange 0–0) after enrollment (Po.001).CONCLUSION: A HCP may be associated with fewerhospitalizations and SNF placements. Models of care thatreduce morbidity and preserve quality of life are critical tohelp homebound older adults remain in their communities.J Am Geriatr Soc 58:1144–1147, 2010.Key words: house calls; healthcare utilization; home-bound
Performance analysis of a McClellan transformation-based 2-D adaptive digital filter

A two-dimensional (2-D) adaptive filter structure based on the McClellan transformation design technique for 2-D finite impulse response (FIR) filters is capable of achieving improved convergence rates and reduced computational efficiency in 2-D adaptive filters. It has been shown experimentally that if the transformation structure is constrained by prior knowledge of contour shapes in the frequency domain, the 2-D adaptive algorithm greatly reduces computational requirements and produces more rapid learning characteristics, as compared to the 2-D direct form. The authors present an analysis of the McClellan transformation 2-D adaptive filter to illustrate that the learning characteristics are similar to those of a 1-D last mean square (LMS) adaptive filter. >
FOR BAYESIAN WANNABES, ARE DISAGREEMENTS NOT ABOUT INFORMATION?

Consider two agents who want to be Bayesians with a common prior, but who cannot due to computational limitations. If these agents agree that their estimates are consistent with certain easy-to-compute consistency constraints, then they can agree to disagree about any random variable only if they also agree to disagree, to a similar degree and in a stronger sense, about an average error. Yet average error is a state-independent random variable, and one agent's estimate of it is also agreed to be state-independent. Thus suggests that disagreements are not fundamentally due to differing information about the state of the world.
Attachment, Social Competencies, Social Support, and Psychological Distress

In this survey study of 430 undergraduates, elements of the social competencies and interpersonal processes model (B. Mallinckrodt, 2000) were tested. Two social competencies were hypothesized to mediate the direct effects of 2 independent variables, attachment anxiety and avoidance, on 2 outcomes, psychological distress and perceived social support. Social self-efficacy was expected to be a significant mediator only for attachment anxiety. Emotional awareness, construed as low levels of alexithymia, was expected to be a significant mediator only for attachment avoidance. A bootstrap method was used to estimate the significance of indirect effects. Structural equation analyses suggested that, instead of specialized significant parings of one mediator with one independent variable, both social self-efficacy and emotional awareness served as significant mediators for both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance.
Templated hydrogels for combination devices: Therapeutic contact lenses

Molecular imprinting provides a rational design strategy for the development of controlled release drug delivery systems. We demonstrate that imprinting a network results in macromolecular memory for the template molecule, indicated by the two or more times greater partitioning into these networks as compared to non-imprinted networks. Partitioning of drug into networks synthesized from multiple functional monomers was 8 times greater than networks synthesized from single monomers. One-dimensional permeation studies showed that the gel with maximum incorporated chemical functionality had the lowest diffusion coefficient, which was at least an order of magnitude lower than all other gels studied. All imprinted networks had significantly lower diffusion coefficients than non-imprinted networks, in spite of comparable mesh sizes and equilibrium polymer volume fractions in the swollen state. This work also demonstrates molecular imprinting using a “living/controlled” polymerization strategy to enhance template loading/affinity and delay release in weakly crosslinked gels. Recognition studies revealed more than a 50% increase in template loading and dynamic template release studies showed that imprinting via “living” polymerization extends or delays the template release profile by two-fold over that of imprinting via conventional free-radical polymerization techniques and four-fold over the control network. The imprinted gel and imprinted gel prepared via “living/controlled” polymerization release profiles were less Fickian and moved toward zero-order release with profile coefficients of 0.68 and 0.70, respectively.
Putting work and family experiences in context: Differences by family life stage:

This study explores how individuals across six family life stages (before children, transition to parenthood, youngest child preschool-age, youngest child school-age, youngest child adolescent, and empty nest) differ in their experience of the work—family interface. Data come from a global IBM work and life issues survey (N = 41,769). Structural equation modeling was used to compare employees from six family life stages on work role factors (job hours, job responsibility, job flexibility) and family role factors (household work hours, marital status), and their relationships to work—family conflict, family—work conflict, work—family fit and four personal success measures. Meaningful differences in the means and size of the relationships among variables across family life stages provided empirical evidence of a ‘life course’ for the work—family interface influenced by differential exposure and differential effects of work and family role demands.
Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis presenting as liver failure following Epstein-Barr and prior hepatitis A infections.

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is associated with high mortality even after prompt diagnosis. We present a young man with HLH triggered by two common viral diseases, infectious mononucleosis and hepatitis A. This patient presented with fever, rapidly progressive liver failure, anasarca and cholestasis, followed by anaemia and neutropenia. His carbohydrate antigen 19-9 reached over 9000 U/mL. Initial bone marrow and liver biopsies did not show histological features of malignancy or HLH. The patient was finally diagnosed and treated almost 1 year after the initial symptoms started, and had an excellent response with etoposide and dexamethasone. This case is unusual because it was triggered following mononucleosis in a patient with positive total antibodies against hepatitis A, with rapidly developing liver failure, and also because the patient9s response was excellent despite the delay in treatment. It underscores the importance of suspecting HLH when severe systemic illness develops after a viral infection, even in the absence of clear histological features.
Effects of Adiponectin on Calcium Handling Proteins in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background— Despite the increasing prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in humans, there remains no therapeutic options for HFpEF. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived cytokine, exerts cardioprotective actions, and its deficiency is implicated in the development of hypertension and HF with reduced ejection fraction. Similarly, adiponectin deficiency in HFpEF exacerbates left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and HF. However, the therapeutic effects of adiponectin in HFpEF remain unknown. We sought to test the hypothesis that chronic adiponectin overexpression protects against the progression of HF in a murine model of HFpEF. Methods and Results— Adiponectin transgenic and wild-type mice underwent uninephrectomy, a continuous saline or d-aldosterone infusion and given 1.0% sodium chloride drinking water for 4 weeks. Aldosterone-infused wild-type mice developed HFpEF with hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and diastolic dysfunction. Aldosterone infusion increased myocardial oxidative stress and decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase protein expression in HFpEF. Although total phospholamban protein expression was unchanged, there was a decreased expression of protein kinase A–dependent phospholamban phosphorylation at Ser16 and CaMKII (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II)-dependent phospholamban phosphorylation at Thr17. Adiponectin overexpression in aldosterone-infused mice ameliorated left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, lung congestion, and myocardial oxidative stress without affecting blood pressure and left ventricular EF. This improvement in diastolic dysfunction parameters in aldosterone-infused adiponectin transgenic mice was accompanied by the preserved protein expression of protein kinase A–dependent phosphorylation of phospholamban at Ser16. Adiponectin replacement prevented the progression of aldosterone-induced HFpEF, independent of blood pressure, by improving diastolic dysfunction and by modulating cardiac hypertrophy. Conclusions— These findings suggest that adiponectin may have therapeutic effects in patients with HFpEF.
Tactical scheduling of rail operations: a Petri net approach

In this paper, we present Petri net models for the tactical scheduling of railroad operations. The notion of schedule feasibility is explained, notions of various kinds of rail operations-meeting, overtaking, following, and double-track section operations-are briefly reviewed; then the corresponding Petri net models are constructed and fully discussed. Topics on how to use these models to analyze the schedule feasibility are also covered.
Robust hydrogen peroxide enhanced plasma effluent for the clinical setting

In recent years there have been a significant number of experiments illustrating the bacterialcidal properties of non-thermal plasma produced under various conditions. A large class of these devices are based on either dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) argon plasmas or DBD air plasmas where the negative electrode is the surface to be disinfected. Although setups where the discharge is in close proximity to pathogens can have the advantage of utilizing short lived species induced in the plasma, such discharges are restricted by sensitivity to surface geometry. Likewise, the requirement of pressurized argon is severely limiting for practical applications.
The Relationship of Client‐Directed Aggressive and Nonclient‐Directed Aggressive Work Behavior With Self‐Control1

Employees (N= 121) participated in this study of aggressive work behavior. Employees completed a performance-based test of self-control. Aggressive work behavior data were then collected over a 4-year period. Self-control was related to client directed physically aggressive and nonclient-directed aggressive behavior. Findings of this study provide evidence on the usefulness of self-control in understanding aggressive work behavior.
Chapter 4. Body and Soul among the Maya: Keeping the Spirits in Place

The prehispanic Maya are known to have commonly interred their dead beneath the floors or within the platforms of domestic structures. This custom has been interpreted as part of a larger complex of rituals and beliefs associated with ancestor veneration. By continually curating the bones of deceased family members within their own domestic space, the surviving members of the household may have strengthened their rights to material property believed to have been acquired by these ancestors. Maya residences have thus been considered domestic mausolea: “places of death.” However, archaeological interpretations of burial practices should take into account the likelihood of customs and beliefs regarding the proper disposition of the nontangible components of deceased persons along with their physical remains. These components include names and souls, which may have been the property of specific corporate groups who transferred them from the dead to the newly born as an expression of group continuity. Archaeological, historical, and ethnographic evidence from Maya peoples is examined here to suggest that residential interments may have served to ensure control over the souls of the dead. Ancestral spirits were important nontangible property belonging to prehispanic Maya corporate kin groups, known as “houses.” They were carefully safeguarded for reincarnation in subsequent generations, thereby perpetuating the kin group. Rather than a place of death, Maya domestic space is therefore better considered a place of curation, transformation, and regeneration of enduring social personae.
Phase-type distributions: open problems and a few properties

A phase-type distribution is the distribution of a killing time in a finite-state Markov chain. This paper describes some conjectures concerning these distributions. Some partial proofs and other evidence are offered in support of the conjectures. Some of the conjectures concern the geometry of the set of phase-type distributions, while others concern the properties of their densities
Modeling preference of commercial toasted white corn tortilla chips using proportional odds models

Abstract Eleven commercial toasted white corn tortilla chip products from the United States were evaluated by a group of 80 consumers of age 18–35 and by a trained sensory panel. Proportional odds models in conjunction with principal components were used for internal and external preference modeling of tortilla chip consumer overall acceptance. The internal preference modeling showed that flavor was the most important attribute to consumer overall acceptance followed by the interaction of appearance by flavor and texture. The external preference modeling showed that one flavor attribute (salt aftertaste) and one texture attribute (crispness) contributed significantly to increase consumer overall acceptance, whereas one appearance attribute (instrumental color a ∗ ) significantly lowered consumer overall acceptance. The information reported in this study is important to the tortilla chip industry to produce tortilla chips with greater consumer acceptability. This study implies that proportional odds model using principal components is an alternative tool for consumer preference modeling.
Indicator Dilution in an Atrioventricular System with Competent or Incompetent Valves

A mathematical analysis of the pumping action of a two-chambered system has been used to develop formulas describing the changes with time in the mass and concentration of an indicator in either chamber of such a system analogous to the atrium and ventricle with either competent or incompetent valves. Such formulas show how the parameters of a system control the shape of an indicator-dilution curve. From these formulas expressions were developed which permit the analysis of the system from an indicator-dilution curve. The theory was then used to analyze dilution curves produced by a model of known parameters.
The effects of four acidifying sprays, vinegar, and water on canine cutaneous pH levels.

This study determined the extent and duration of cutaneous acidification caused by a single application of four acidifying sprays, vinegar, and water. Multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between the six sprays (F=15.3; P≤0.001). Linear contrast tests showed that the effects of the acidifying sprays were significantly different from vinegar and water (F=6.0; P≤0.001), and vinegar was significantly different from water (F=13.8; P≤0.001). The acidifying sprays decreased cutaneous pH to <6.0 for a mean range of 50 to 65 hours, while vinegar did so for a mean of 12 hours.
Value Addition of Greek Yogurt Whey Using Magnetic Fluid and Sepiolite Treatments

Magnetic fluid treatment (MFT) and the addition of a magnesium hydrosilicate clay mineral, sepiolite, were evaluated as physical cost-effective methods to add value to Greek yogurt whey (GYW), a co-product of Greek yogurt manufacturing. Three separate batches of GYW were obtained from two US Greek yogurt manufacturers. A GYW sample was collected from each batch, adjusted to a pH of 7.2, and re-circulated for 5 min through a pumping system at a rate of 7.5 L/min with or without exposure to a 0.6 Tesla permanent magnetic field. The sample was split into thirds, heated to 80 °C, and then sepiolite was added at one of three levels: 0, 2, or 4 g of sepiolite per 100 g GYW. After centrifugation at 1000g for 5 min, samples formed a top aqueous and a bottom sediment layer. Top aqueous layers were analyzed for total solids, ash, lactose, protein, calcium, phosphates, and sodium contents along with color. MFT did not feasibly affect the analyzed GYW components from both manufacturers. Protein within the top aqueous layers compared to GYW significantly decreased about 60 % for manufacturer 1 and 45 % for manufacturer 2 with either amount of sepiolite treatment. The color values b* and a* in the GYW from both manufacturers significantly decreased with the addition of sepiolite by about 70 and 90 %, respectively. MFT in the present study was not a practical treatment method for de-mineralizing GYW. However, sepiolite was found to have possible applications in the removal of proteins, phosphates, and natural color pigments in GYW.
Modeling and validation of nonlinear feedback systems

Model validation provides a useful means of assessing the ability of a model to account for a specific experimental observation, and has application to modeling, identification and fault detection. Prior theoretical and application work in the area of model validation for robust control models focussed on linear fractional models. In this paper we discuss the extension of these methods to certain classes of nonlinear models. The Moore-Greitzer model of rotating stall is used as a simple example to illustrate the underlying ideas.
You’ll never watch alone: media and community in the sports bar

This paper positions itself within the ongoing debate about the impact of media on community generated by Robert Putnam’s research. Accordingly, the increasing availability of sophisticated means of communication has led the progressive substitution of indirect interactions for direct interactions in shared space, thereby eroding an essential basis of community. In contrast, other theoretical perspectives have presented communication technologies as either enhancing community by altering the field of possible social interactions or incapable of replacing direct interactions. This debate is addressed through an ethnography of fans who gathered at a sports bar to watch the World Cup. Observations revealed that while televised broadcasts served as a primary motivation for attendance and a centrepiece of subsequent interactions, patrons did not watch alone; they watched with each other.
Mapping Immigrant Student Attrition from Higher Education Through a Deictic Conceptual Model

This chapter offers a novel approach to immigrant student attrition issues across several countries. It follows Paulstonian’s (1998) recommendations for scholars to become social cartographers and comparativists to help create multiple perspectives on social and education issues. Unlike previous studies, the present research attempts to understand reasons for immigrant students’ departure from education institutions through conceptualizing their thought processes, by analyzing their attitudes about their local environments, and by mapping their ideas about how they orient themselves on campus relative to academic staff and other students.
DNA damage signals inhibit neutrophil function.

In this issue of Blood, Harbort et al identify a novel role for DNA damage responses in the regulation of cytokine production and cell death of activated neutrophils. They show that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by stimulated neutrophils trigger DNA damage signaling, which suppresses proinflammatory functions (see figure). Their work reveals new insights into the control of innate immunity and inflammation.