cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human blastocysts of normal and abnormal karyotypes display distinct transcriptome profiles

Unveiling the transcriptome of human blastocysts can provide a wealth of important information regarding early embryonic ontology. Comparing the mRNA production of embryos with normal and abnormal karyotypes allows for a deeper understanding of the protein pathways leading to viability and aberrant fetal development. In addition, identifying transcripts specific for normal or abnormal chromosome copy number could aid in the search for secreted substances that could be used to non-invasively identify embryos best suited for IVF embryo transfer. Using RNA-seq, we characterized the transcriptome of 71 normally developing human blastocysts that were karyotypically normal vs. trisomic or monosomic. Every monosomy and trisomy of the autosomal and sex chromosomes were evaluated, mostly in duplicate. We first mapped the transcriptome of three normal embryos and found that a common core of more than 3,000 genes is expressed in all embryos. These genes represent pathways related to actively dividing cells, such as ribosome biogenesis and function, spliceosome, oxidative phosphorylation, cell cycle and metabolic pathways. We then compared transcriptome profiles of aneuploid embryos to those of normal embryos. We observed that non-viable embryos had a large number of dysregulated genes, some showing a hundred-fold difference in expression. On the contrary, sex chromosome abnormalities, XO and XXX displayed transcriptomes more closely mimicking those embryos with 23 normal chromosome pairs. Intriguingly, we identified a set of commonly deregulated genes in the majority of both trisomies and monosomies. This is the first paper demonstrating a comprehensive transcriptome delineation of karyotypic abnormalities found in the human pre-implantation embryo. We believe that this information will contribute to the development of new pre-implantation genetic screening methods as well as a better understanding of the underlying developmental abnormalities of abnormal embryos, fetuses and children.
Animation Programming: A Digital Clock and an Analog Clock

All of the event-driven games support different action-event update-repaint chains that are under the players’ controls to discretely drive the games for dynamically updating and repainting their output scenes. If we can continuously drive the chains, the output scenes can also be continuously changed, which makes an illusion of animation. Java provides a built-in class Thread that can be constructed as a “game loop” that continuously drives an update-repaint chain for realizing the illusion of animation. This chapter goes through a digital clock and an analog clock to discover the “game loop” for introducing the programming on sprite-based animation.
Variability in sleep disturbance, physical activity and quality of life by level of depressive symptoms in women with Type 2 diabetes

Author(s): Danhauer, SC; Brenes, GA; Levine, BJ; Young, L; Tindle, HA; Addington, EL; Wallace, RB; Naughton, MJ; Garcia, L; Safford, M; Kim, MM; LeBlanc, ES; Snively, BM; Snetselaar, LG; Shumaker, S | Abstract: AIMS:To examine (1) the prevalence of depressive symptoms in women with Type 2 diabetes, (2) the associations between depressive symptoms and the following dependent variables: sleep disturbance; physical activity; physical health-related; and global quality of life, and (3) the potential moderating effects of antidepressants and optimism on the relationship between depressive symptoms and dependent variables. METHODS:Participants in the Women's Health Initiative who had Type 2 diabetes and data on depressive symptoms (N=8895) were included in the analyses. In multivariable linear regression models controlling for sociodemographic, medical and psychosocial covariates, we examined the main effect of depressive symptoms, as well as the interactions between depressive symptoms and antidepressant use, and between depressive symptoms and optimism, on sleep disturbance, physical activity, physical health-related quality of life; and global quality of life. RESULTS:In all, 16% of women with Type 2 diabetes reported elevated depressive symptoms. In multivariable analyses, women with depressive symptoms had greater sleep disturbance (Pl0.0001) and lower global quality of life (Pl.0001). We found evidence of significant statistical interaction in the models for quality-of-life outcomes: the increased risk of poor physical health-related quality of life associated with antidepressant use was stronger in women without vs with depressive symptoms, and the association between greater optimism and higher global quality of life was stronger in women with vs without depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS:To improve health behaviours and quality of life in women with Type 2 diabetes, sociodemographic and medical characteristics may identify at-risk populations, while psychosocial factors including depression and optimism may be important targets for non-pharmacological intervention.
'And Then on to the Next School to Mess Things Up': Deconstruction Events in a Preservice Teacher's Field Experience.

In this analysis, events from a preservice teacher’s internship in a seventh-grade literacy classroom are explored using theories of deconstruction. Deconstruction is activated as both a lens throu...
Biological Invasions of Mudflats

Thousands of marine species have been moved around the globe by human activities, at increasing rates over the past century. Many of these species (here termed “alien”) have taken up residence on mudflats. How are mudflats changing as a consequence of this biological reshuffling? The preceding chapters document mudflats as productive environments with strong species interactions, which both shape and are shaped by the physical environment. The same pattern appears when alien species are added to the system. Attributes of the physical environment play strong roles in determining the success of different alien species on mudflats, while many high-impact alien species create biogenic structure and/or modify sediment stability. Above-ground habitat complexity from alien vegetation or reefs can facilitate both alien and native species, but it can also interfere with infauna and birds that depend on an unimpeded sediment interface or particular grain size. Most mudflat aliens, however, simply add to the diversity and linkages of native communities. The biological changes from invasions are occurring within a context of other global changes, all likely to interact because alien species can be promoted by anthropogenic hard structure and warming temperatures.
Use and cost of disease-modifying therapies by Sonya Slifka Study participants: has anything really changed since 2000 and 2009?

BackgroundDisease-modifying therapies benefit individuals with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, but their utility remains unclear for those without relapses.ObjectiveTo determine disease-modi...
Respiratory Therapy and Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Mesothelioma Patients

Oxygen and proper gas exchange is the elemental focal point of respiratory therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a palliative care technique to help provide relief to pleural mesothelioma patients when breathing becomes labored and challenging. In this chapter, the fundamentals of pulmonary rehabilitation are emphasized to help improve quality of life of pleural mesothelioma patients by identifying and assessing breathing challenges, using pulmonary rehabilitation to help alleviate symptoms, and preventing future exacerbation.
The AOSpine thoracolumbar spine injury classification system: A comparative study with the thoracolumbar injury classification system and severity score in children.

Background There is no uniform classification in the pediatric population for thoracolumbar (TL) fractures, nor any operative guidelines. This study evaluates the AOSpine TL spine injury classification in the pediatric population and compares it to the thoracolumbar injury classification system (TLICS), which has previously been validated in pediatric spine trauma. Methods Twenty-eight patients with operative TL injuries were identified from 2006 to 2016. Inclusion criteria included available imaging, operative records, age <18, and posterior approach. Each case was classified by AOSpine TL spine injury classification and TLICS. Each classification was compared to documented intraoperative posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) integrity as well as each other. Results Utilizing the AOSpine TL spine injury classification, 7 patients had type A injuries, 15 patients had type B injuries, and 6 patients had type C injuries; 21 patients had injuries classified as involving the PLC. Using TLICS, 16 patients had burst fractures, 6 patients had distraction injuries, and 6 patients had translation injuries; 21 patients had injuries classified as involving the PLC. Spearman correlation analysis substantiated convergence of AOSpine TL spine injury classification scores to TLICS scores (r = 0.75; 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.51 to 0.98; P < .001). Concordance between PLC integrity by each classification and intraoperative evaluation was 96% (27/28) of cases (k = 0.91; 95% CI = 0.73 to 1.08). Neurologic status was 100% concordant between the AOSpine TL spine injury classification and TLICS. Conclusion There is high statistical correlation between the AOSpine TL spine injury classification and TLICS, and to intraoperative evaluation of the PLC, suggesting that the AOSpine TL spine injury classification is applicable to the pediatric population. Level of evidence III.
Thunberg's Barospirator, a Fully Encasing Predecessor of the Iron Lung.

Abstract Used as a ventilator for assisting victims of polio, the barospirator was described by Swedish physician-scientist Torsten Thunberg in 1924. An immediate predecessor of the iron lung of Philip Drinker, the barospirator fully encased the entire body. Cyclic air-pressure changes within the chamber achieved ventilation during equilibrations of intrapulmonary and ambient pressures. Pulmonary medicine innovator Alvan Leroy Barach used a modified barospirator for lung rest as a treatment of tuberculosis in the 1940s. Adverse effects included damage to patients' tympanic membranes. Despite its limited clinical success, the barospirator was successfully used by one of Drinker's competitors, John H. Emerson, to invalidate Drinker's US patent filings.
La adicción y su proceso de recompensa por medio de polimorfismos del gen del receptor D2 de dopamina: una revisión

Desde 1990, los estudios de asociacion han acumulado solidos datos que implican al gen del receptor D2 de dopamina (DRD2) en el alcoholismo. Especificamente, se ha asociado con el alcoholismo el alelo menor A (Al) Taql del gen del DRD2. Se ha encontrado tambien que el gen del DRD2 esta implicado en otros trastornos por uso de sustancias, incluida la dependencia de cocaina, nicotina y opioides, y la obesidad. Ademas de los estudios de asociacion, los estudios farmacologicos han mostrado un numero reducido de receptores D2 de dopamina cerebrales en los portadores de alelos Al+ (genotipos A1A1 y A1A2), en comparacion con los portadores de alelos Al- (genotipo A2A2). Por medio de varios otros enfoques, se han identificado tambien fenotipos diferentes en los sujetos con los alelos Al+ y Al-. Estos enfoques incluyen estudios metabolicos, neurofisiologicos, neuropsicoogicos, de personalidad, de estres y de tratamiento. Se ha formado la hipotesis de que, en un esfuerzo por compensar las deficiencias en el sistema dopaminergico, las personas que abusan de sustancias pueden tratar de estimular los circuitos mesocorticolimbicos del cerebro, que desde hace mucho tiempo se ha pensado que son importantes en la recompensa y el refuerzo conductuales. En efecto, una forma del gen del DRD2, el alelo Al, hace ineficaz el sistema dopaminergico y recompensa el abuso de sustancias que aumenta los niveles de dopamina en el cerebro.
Mineralogical characterization and macro/microstrain analysis of the Marcellus shales

Abstract Due to the complex structure of the brittle formations like shale, their microcracking and mechanical deformation behavior are not well known. To understand the fundamental factors at the micron scale, Marcellus shales were cored both parallel and perpendicular to the bedding orientation and mechanically tested through triaxial creep test under constant stress. The parallel-bedded shales exhibited higher level of permanent strain in the radial direction, which increased with increasing time. This also confirmed their anisotropic nature due to the bedding. Their advanced characterization via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy techniques before and after the creep tests revealed the mineralogical heterogeneity, and the presence of an organic matter (kerogen) concentrated in the microcrack areas. Besides, the XRD peak shifts and changes in peak shape indicated that there was a certain level of macrostrain and microstrain in the shale. Further investigation of the XRD peak shape (integral breadth) changes using the Williamson-Hall method demonstrated a higher concentration of lattice defects and associated microstrain (inhomogeneous lattice strain) present in the calcite phase compared to the quartz. The parallel-bedded shales also revealed a higher level of microstrain with respect to the perpendicular-bedding. The results proved that the microcracking (initiation and propagation) and associated mechanical deformation of the Marcellus shales were mostly influenced by the presence of organic matter, microstrain level (defect concentration) in the calcite mineral, and the bedding orientation.
Stochastic models for capturing dispersion in particle-laden flows

This study provides a detailed account of stochastic approaches that may be utilized in Eulerian–Lagrangian simulations to account for neighbour-induced drag force fluctuations. The frameworks examined here correspond to Langevin equations for the particle position (PL), particle velocity (VL) and fluctuating drag force (FL). Rigorous derivations of the particle velocity variance (granular temperature) and dispersion resulting from each method are presented. The solutions derived herein provide a basis for comparison with particle-resolved direct numerical simulation. The FL method allows for the most complex behaviour, enabling control of both the granular temperature and dispersion. A Stokes number , the fluctuating drag forces are highly inertial and the FL scheme departs significantly from the VL scheme.
Oocyte spindle assembly depends on multiple interactions between HP1 and the CPC

The chromosomes in the oocytes of many animals appear to promote bipolar spindle assembly. In Drosophila oocytes, spindle assembly requires the chromosome passenger complex (CPC), which consists of INCENP, Borealin, Survivin and Aurora B. To determine what recruits the CPC to the chromosomes and its role in spindle assembly, we developed a strategy to manipulate the function and localization of INCENP, which is critical for recruiting the Aurora B kinase. We found that an interaction between Borealin and the chromatin is crucial for the recruitment of the CPC to the chromosomes and is sufficient to build kinetochores and recruit spindle microtubules. We also found that HP1 moves from the chromosomes to the spindle microtubules along with the CPC. We propose that the interaction with HP1 promotes the movement of the CPC from the chromosomes to the microtubules. In addition, within the central spindle, rather than at the centromeres, the CPC and HP1 are required for homologous chromosome bi-orientation.
Are most low-luminosity active galactic nuclei really obscured?

At low Eddington ratios (?), two effects make it more difficult to detect certain active galactic nuclei (AGN) given a particular set of selection methods. First, even allowing for fixed accretion physics, at low ?AGN become less luminous relative to their hosts, diluting their emission; the magnitude of the dilution depends on host properties and, therefore, on luminosity and redshift. Secondly, low-? systems are expected and observed to transition to a radiatively inefficient state, which changes the spectral energy distribution (SED) shape and dramatically decreases the luminosity at optical through infrared (IR) wavelengths. The effects of dilution are unavoidable, while the precise changes in accretion physics at low ?are somewhat uncertain, but potentially very important for our understanding of AGN. These effects will have different implications for samples with different selection criteria, and generically lead to differences in the AGN populations recovered in observed samples, even at fixed bolometric luminosity and after correction for obscuration. Although the true Eddington ratio distribution may depend strongly on mass/luminosity, this will be seen only in surveys robust to dilution and radiative inefficiency, such as X-ray or narrow-line samples; by contrast, selection effects imply that AGN in optical samples will have uniformly high Eddington ratios, with little dependence on luminosity, even at low L bol where the median 'true' ?≤ 0.01. These same selection effects also imply that different selection criteria pick out systems with different hosts: as a result, the clustering of low-luminosity optical/IR sources will be weaker than that of X-ray sources, and optical/IR Seyferts will reside in more disc-dominated galaxies, while X-ray-selected Seyferts will be preferentially in early-type systems. Taken together, these effects can naturally explain longstanding, apparently contradictory claims in the literature regarding AGN Eddington ratio distributions, host populations and clustering. Finally, we show that if current observed Eddington ratio distributions are correct, a large fraction of low-luminosity AGN currently classified as 'obscured' are in fact radiatively diluted and/or radiatively inefficient, not obscured by gas or dust. This is equally true if X-ray hardness is used as a proxy for obscuration, since radiatively inefficient SEDs near ?~ 0.01 are characteristically X-ray hard. These effects can explain most of the claimed luminosity/redshift dependence in the 'obscured' AGN population, with the true obscured fraction as low as ~20 per cent.
Do low-cost economic incentives motivate healthy behavior?

Abstract We conducted a field experiment to test the effectiveness of a conditional, low-cost, and recurring financial incentive in motivating recreation center visits. Results indicate that the financial incentive did not motivate students’ recreation center visits. However, it was successful in increasing the frequency of recreation center visits for female students who had an established exercise habit. For a payout of $0.50, we estimate an increase of 0.4 visits per week for female students with established exercise habits. This provides modest evidence that the financial incentive structure was able to increase the behavioral response at the intensive margin. Our results show that the design of our financial incentive was not effective on the extensive margin. There was also no effect of the financial incentive on the recreation center visits for male students.
Invited response on: "Does Overfilling Smooth Inflatable Saline-Filled Breast Implants Decrease the Deflation Rate? Experience With 4761 Augmentation Mammaplasty Patients".

Research suggests that overfilling saline inflatable breast implants may decrease their deflation rates. To date, there has been no large-scale study comparing breast implants filled within vs. beyond the manufacturer’s recommended fill volumes. A retrospective comparative study was conducted for 4761 women who underwent aesthetic augmentation mastopexy by the author. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 includes 2960 patients who had breast augmentation between 2002 and 2009 with implants filled within the manufacturer’s recommended fill volumes. Group 2 includes 1801 patients who had breast augmentation between 2011 and 2018. Their implants were overfilled with an average volume between 42 and 50 cc, or 10–13%, respectively. All surgeries were performed with Mentor Style 1600 saline breast implants (smooth, round moderate profile) through an inframammary incision; implants were placed in the subpectoral (dual) plane. Also evaluated was the yearly increase in deflation rates. Group I had 119 deflations, representing a deflation rate of 4.02%. Group 2 had 33 deflations, providing a deflation rate of 1.83%. The author found a protective effect in overfilling the device (p < 0.00001 and Z-score of 4.17). Fold failure was the major reason for deflation in both groups. The implants filled within the manufacturer’s recommended volume had a yearly increase in deflation rate of 0.41%, not 1% as is commonly reported. The overfilled implants did not have a yearly increase in deflation rate. Overfilling Mentor Style 1600 saline breast implants (smooth, round moderate profile) 10–13% significantly reduced the deflation rate. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
DISTANCE FORMS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In the current pandemic period caused by COVID-19, the availability of distance forms of social services is exceedingly important. Crisis intervention performed in a distance format helps a person experiencing an acute crisis via telephone and online form of assistance. The paper's primary aim was to find out the use of distance crisis intervention services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia, to clarify what needs are prioritized for respondents at this time, the type of social problems they turn to crisis intervention and the usability of crisis lines during the pandemic. The quantitative survey was carried out in the form of an anonymous questionnaire, which was available only in electronic form via Google forms, and the respondents were addressed on social networks. The questionnaire was filled in by 291 respondents. Based on the processed data, the distance form of assistance is a little-sought option in solving social problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our recommendation is to support and promote the distance form of assistance more through advertising or financial support – especially considering that many crises could not be dealt with on the part of respondents or the helplines themselves.
Energetics and kinetics of the prebiotic synthesis of simple organic acids and amino acids with the FeS-H2S/FeS2 redox couple as reductant.

The thermodynamics of the FeS-H2S/FeS2 redox couple and a select number of reactions critical to the synthesis of simple carboxylic acids and amino acids have been evaluated as a function of temperature. This thermodynamic evaluation shows that the reducing power of the FeS-H2S/FeS2 redox couple decreases drastically with temperature. By contrast the equilibria describing the reduction of CO2 and the formation of simple carboxylic acids and amino acids require an increasingly higher reducing power with temperature. Given these two opposite trends, the thermodynamic driving force for CO2 reduction and amino acid formation with the FeS-H2S/FeS2 redox couple as reductant diminishes with increasing temperature. An evaluation of the mechanism of CO2 reduction by the FeS-H2S/FeS2 couple suggests that the electron transfer from pyrrhotite to CO2 is hindered by a high activation energy, even though the overall reaction is thermodynamically favorable. By comparison the electron transfer from pyrrhotite to either CS2, CO, or HCOOH are far more facile. This theoretical analysis explains the results of experimental work by Keefe et al. (1995), Heinen and Lauwers (1996) and Huber and Wachtershauser (1997). The implication is that a reaction sequence involving the reduction of CO2 with the FeS-H2S/FeS2 couple as reductant is unlikely to initiate a proposed prebiotic carbon fixation cycle (Wachtershauser, 1988b; 1990b, 1990a, 1992, 1993).
Malaria: A new escape and evasion tactic

Mosquito-bornePlasmodium parasites that cause malaria have developed a variety of strategies to escape the defences put up by their hosts. A new one has been discovered in a Plasmodiumspecies that affects rodents -- the invading parasites each express a different set of proteins to increase their chances of breaking into and occupying red blood cells so that they can continue their life cycle.
Natural killer: dendritic cell activation using anti-CD137 mAb improves cetuximab mediated innate and adaptive immune responses in head and neck cancer (TUM7P.948)

EGFR-specific mAb cetuximab mediated activation of NK by FcγRIIIa cross-linking is important for anti-tumor immunity.Following cetuximab activation,NK express costimulatory receptor CD137, which can be ligated to improve activity of cetuximab-activated NK,which promote DC maturation and CD8+ T-cell priming, leading to tumor antigen spreading and Th1 cytokine release through NK-DC cross-talk. We show that the clinically available CD137 agonist mAb augments cetuximab-mediated ADCC in FcγRIIIa-V/F donors,but not in poor binding FcγRIIIa-F/F.We show that cetuximab-activated NK induce CD137 expression on DC, which can be further stimulated by CD137 mAb, leading to enhanced DC maturation and cross-presentation capacity.In a prospective phase II trial of neoadjuvant cetuximab in stage III/IV HNC patients, intratumoral activated NK cells also upregulated CD137, which was influenced by FcγRIIIa-V/F polymorphism. Moreover, cetuximab treatment induces CD137 expression on intratumoral activated CTL.We show that FcγRIIIaV/F polymorphism on NK cells greatly influences their induction of CD137 expression, as does the EGFR receptor density on HNC.Thus, careful selection of HNC patients in combination immunotherapy using cetuximab plus CD137 mAb may be necessary, using EGFR level of expression and FcgammaRIIIa genotype, to optimize NK:DC priming of tumor antigen specific CTL.Results suggest a beneficial effect of combination of cetuximab and CD137 mAb in currently designed clinical trials.
Afro Reggae: The future

Grupo Cultural Afro Reggae (GCAR) es una organizacion no gubernamental brasilena que les ofrece actividades culturales a los jovenes de las barriadas de Rio de Janeiro como una alternativa distinta a las drogas y al crimen por medio de actividades culturales. Desde su fundacion en 1993 por parte de un grupo de estos jovenes, GCAR ha tenido gran exito en aumentar su oferta de actividades y atraer apoyo financiero y la atencion de la comunidad internacional. Desde sus comienzos, GCAR demostro una gran capacidad para atraer a los jovenes narcotraficantes. La clave consistia en incorporarlos al grupo cultural y ayudarlos a obtener capacitacion profesional dentro del proyecto, apalancando asi esta capacitacion a favor del crecimiento del grupo. GCAR tuvo que romper los prejuicios sociales en contra de los jovenes de las barriadas, sobre todo de aquellos involucrados en el crimen. Para 2007, GCAR tenia 69 proyectos en curso, a lo largo de cuatro barriadas de Rio, entre ellos diez grupos musicales, dos grupos de circo, un grupo teatral y uno de danza. Aun asi, con un impacto directo sobre dos mil personas por ano, y quiza muchas mas en forma indirecta, GCAR estaba muy lejos de llegar al mas de millon y medio de habitantes de las barriadas y otras zonas marginadas de Rio, y a los muchos millones extendidos por todo Brasil. ?Deberia GCAR seguir creciendo y asi tener un mayor impacto en la reduccion de la pobreza, la violencia y el prejuicio racial en Brasil? ?Que riesgos podria conllevar el crecimiento? ?Como deberia crecer? ?De donde saldrian los recursos para crecer? Y si no creciera, ?cual seria el futuro de GCAR?
3He in diamonds: The cosmogenic component

Abstract We have measured 3 He and 4 He concentrations in a number of diamonds received directly from mines as well as in industrial samples. None of our diamonds recovered from underground mining has a 3 He/ 4 He ratio, R , exceeding 3 R A ( R A = atmospheric 3 He / 4 He ratio = 1.40 · 10 −6 ). One of the five diamonds from the Consolidated Diamond mine (CDM-5; an alluvial deposit) has a ratio of 142 R A . Based on a number of facts: (i) the Zaire alluvial diamonds have> 29% cosmogenic 3 He; (ii) some documented high 3 He/ 4 He ratio diamonds are from alluvial mines, and (iii) the apparent diffusion coefficients of 3 He and 4 He in diamonds are ten orders of magnitude too large to preserve diamond helium ratios in the mantle, we conclude that Ozima's hypothesis ( Ozima et al. , 1983) of high primordial 3 He/ 4 He ratios in diamonds exceeding MORB ratios is not required. The present data are readily explainable as the result of cosmogenic and nucleogenic production of 3 He within the diamonds.
A gendered perspective on nutrition rights

GEORGE KENT writes that the best way to obtain adequate nutrition for all is the full achievement of human rights for women. He argues for a rights-based approach to food programmes in which governments would contract out the design and implementation to women's organisations
Theory of Mind and Behavior

The capacity to understand and reason about the unobservable mental states (e.g., thoughts, desires, and beliefs) of oneself and others, known as theory of mind (ToM), is central to human social cognition. Multidisciplinary interest in ToM stems from its potentially unique human nature, the role it plays in our ability to engage in complex social interactions, and its impairment in psychiatric and developmental disorders, such as autism. Through more than 30 years of research, we have learned a great deal about how and when children come to reason about others in terms of their mental states. This essay reviews foundational research on the development of ToM reasoning during childhood; outlines cutting-edge findings on the infant origins and neural correlates of ToM; and finally discusses key issues for future research, including reconciling infant competence with evidence of protracted conceptual development in early childhood, expanding our neuroscientific understanding of ToM and its development, and shedding light on the use and individual variability of ToM in everyday life. Pursuing these goals will address important theoretical questions and provide critical new insight into the origins, development, neural basis, and social and behavioral consequences of ToM. Keywords: theory of mind; social cognition; conceptual development; false belief
A Multi Agent Distributed Sensing Architecture with Application to Planetary Cliff Exploration

Future planetary exploration missions will use cooperative robots to explore and sample rough terrain. To succeed robots will need to cooperatively acquire and share data. Here a cooperative multi-agent sensing architecture is presented and applied to the mapping of a cliff surface. This algorithm efficiently repositions the systems’ sensing agents using an information theoretic approach and fuses sensory information using physical models to yield a geometrically consistent environment map. This map is then distributed among the agents using an information based relevant data reduction scheme. Experimental results for cliff face mapping using the JPL Sample Return Rover (SRR) are presented. The method is shown to significantly improve mapping efficiency over conventional methods.
Time series applications to intelligence analysis: a case study of homicides in Mexico

AbstractThe scale of lethal violence in Mexico seen in the past decade has been a pressing concern for both Mexican and US officials, including law enforcement organizations, intelligence agencies, and policy makers. With much of the homicides being a result of the trafficking of illegal drugs, it has been suggested that the homicides in Mexico follow seasonal patterns tied to the drug trade, specifically to the cultivation of heroin. In this paper, conventional econometric time series methods are applied to test this hypothesis. Results demonstrate that not only do the drug-related homicides in Mexico display evidence of seasonality, but also that seasonality appears empirically related to the heroin trade. The paper makes the larger argument that time series and other statistical methods are an untapped resource that can complement standard intelligence analysis to support defensible judgments based on the scientific method of inquiry. However, a fuller integration of statistics and traditional analysis...
The Inherence Heuristic: Generating Everyday Explanations

The ability to explain enables humans to understand their world and informs much of their behavior. And yet, little is known about the psychological processes by which explanations are generated. Here, I describe a recent proposal on this topic. According to this proposal, people come up with explanations much as they come up with solutions to other complex problems—heuristically. Extensive research on human reasoning has suggested that people answer difficult questions (e.g., how satisfied are you with your life?) by retrieving simple information that comes to mind easily (e.g., I am in a good mood right now) and then using this information to construct an approximate answer. Prompts for an explanation (e.g., why do we eat eggs for breakfast?) are hypothesized to trigger a similar process. This process oversamples highly accessible facts about the entities in the observation to be explained. Owing to the organization of memory, these accessible facts are more often about the inherent features of the relevant entities (e.g., eggs have a lot of protein) than about their history, their relations to other entities, and so on. This skew toward inherence then propagates through to the final product of this heuristic process, which is typically an inherence-based explanatory intuition (hence the name inherence heuristic). The inherence heuristic proposal sheds light on the mechanistic underpinnings of explanation and has implications for our understanding of other cognitive phenomena of societal importance (such as the tendency to explain membership in social groups in terms of deep biological “essences”). Keywords: explanation; heuristics; reasoning; problem solving; memory; essentialism; stereotyping; system justification; scientific explanation
Discussion: “CEO Compensation in a Regulatory Environment: An Analysis of the Electric Utility Industry”

There is considerable evidence indicating that top management compensation is lower—both in terms of levels as well as the sensitivity to performance—in regulated firms, relative to unregulated firms. The question is why. There are two primary explanations. The investment opportunity set view (e.g., Smith and Watts [1992]) argues that the compensation in regulated firms is lower because it is commensurate with the talent and effort required to manage the limited investment opportunities faced by those firms. The political constraints view (e.g., Joskow et al. [1993]) argues that the scrutiny of regulators and consumers limits management compensation. Although the two views are not mutually exclusive, the point of departure is whether or not top management compensation would be lower in regulated firms, after controlling for differences in investment opportunity sets. The political constraints view predicts an affirmative answer, whereas the answer should be no under the first view.
Energetics of Muscle Contraction

The sections in this article are: 1 Historical Perspectives 1.1 Nature of the Muscle Machine 1.2 Chemical Discoveries 1.3 Energetics as an Analytical Tool 1.4 Direct Measurements of Chemical Change 1.5 Summary 2 Chemical Reactions and Metabolic Principles 2.1 Adenosine Triphosphatases 2.2 Creatine Phosphokinase 2.3 Adenylate Kinase 2.4 Adenylate Deaminase and the Purine Nucleotide Cycle 2.5 Glycogenolysis and Glycolysis 2.6 Oxidative Metabolism 3 Basic Energetic Model 4 Thermodynamics 5 Energy Balance 5.1 Myothermic Method 5.2 Biochemical Method 6 Results of Energy Balance Experiments 6.1 Energy Balance Studies in Rana temporaria 6.2 Energy Balance Studies in Rana pipiens 6.3 Amphibian Muscles 6.4 Mammalian Muscles 7 Energetics of Muscles that Shorten or are Stretched 8 New Directions 8.1 Phosphorus Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy 8.2 Use of Single Fibers
Non-Mammalian Infants Requiring Parental Care Elicit Greater Human Caregiving Reactions Than Superprecocial Infants Do

Ethologists proposed the coevolution of pedomorphic characteristics in infants and caregiving responses to these features in parents. Human infants higher in pedomorphic characteristics are more likely to receive baby talk from adults and elicit stronger motivations for caretaking. Neotenous facial characteristics in human adults cue social approach and elicit helping. This study demonstrates generally strong differences in reactions to infants from non-mammalian species requiring parental care (semiprecocial) and superprecocial species within the same class. People perceive semiprecocial infants as more neotenous (cute, immature, and helpless), had greater desires to hold or pet them, thought they would have a greater appreciation of being held or pet, thought they would be less likely to survive on their own, and anticipated being more likely to adopt them compared to superprecocial infants. Both avian and reptilian infants elicited these patterns. There was a moderate degree of sex differences in ratings, women saw the infants as more neotenous and were more willing to adopt them than men.
Factors affecting functional outcome of displaced intra-articular distal radius fractures

Open reduction and internal fixation is often required in comminuted, displaced intra-articular fractures of the distal radius when closed manipulation has failed to restore articular congruity. Results of surgical stabilization and articular reconstruction of these injuries are reviewed in this retrospective study of 49 patients with 52 displaced, intra-articular distal radius fractures. Forty-three patients with a mean age of 37 years (range, 17-79 years) were available for evaluation. The mean follow-up time was 38 months (range, 22-69 months). When rated by the system proposed by the Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (ASIF), 19 were ASIF type C2 and 21 were ASIF type C3. An injury score system based on the initial injury x-ray films was used to classify severely comminuted intra-articular fractures and to identify those associated with carpal injury. Postoperative fracture alignment, articular congruity, and radial length were significantly improved following surgery. Grip strength averaged 69 +/- 22% of the contralateral side, and range of motion averaged 75 +/- 18% of the contralateral side after surgery. A combined outcome rating system that included grip strength, range of motion, and pain relief averaged 76 +/- 19% of the contralateral side. Using regression analysis, a significant decrease was found in the combined rating with more severe fracture patterns as defined by the ASIF system, Malone classification, and the injury score system. The injury score system presented here and, in particular, the number of fracture fragments correlated most closely with the outcome of all classification systems examined. Operative treatment of complex distal radius fractures with reconstruction of articular congruity with internal fixation and/or external fixation can significantly improve functional outcome. The degree to which articular step-off, gap between fragments, and radial shortening are improved by surgery is strongly correlated with improved outcome, even when the results are corrected for severity of initial injury, whereas correction of radial tilt or dorsal tilt did not correlate with improved outcome.
Locating the Political in Political Ecology: An Introduction

Recent debates within political ecology have motivated new field. In the introduction to this special issue, we vital challenges faced today, and present a new set of studies that respond to these concerns. We conceptualize power as a social relation built on the asymmetrical distribution of resources and risks and locate power in the interactions among, and the processes that constitute, people, places, and resources. Politics, then, are found in the practices and mechanisms through which such power is circulated. The focus here is on politics related to the environment, understood as biophysical phenomena, together with human knowledge and practice. To apply these concepts, we promote multiscale research models that articulate selected ecological phenomena and local social processes, together with regional and global forces and ideas. We also advocate methods for research and practice that are sensitive to relations of difference and power among and within social groups. Rather than dilute ecological di...
Development of a selective flocculation process for a complex copper ore

Abstract Problems encountered in developing a selective flocculation process for a complex copper ore and ways of overcoming these difficulties are reported. To obtain a useful enrichment ratio, multiple stages of flocculation and redispersion were found necessary in order to release entrapped, unwanted particles. Particular attention was given to the dispersion process of the ore suspensions, and the importance of mechanical and chemical factors were established. The effects of solids content and quality of water on the performance of selective flocculation have been investigated. The possibility of developing new, selective or more powerful dispersants was confirmed and one such reagent was tested.
Defect behavior in aluminum interconnect lines deformed thermomechanically by cyclic joule heating

Abstract Al–1wt.% Si lines were deformed thermomechanically by cyclic joule heating induced by applying an AC current. Scanning electron microscopy revealed arrays of wavelike surface intrusions/extrusions aligned along low-index crystallographic directions after a few thousand thermal cycles. Transmission electron microscopy observations of cross-sections of selected regions shows that in grains that developed intrusions/extrusions, dislocations nucleated at the film–substrate interface, glided to the surface, and escaped. The densities of dislocations and prismatic loops observed here are similar to those observed in mechanical fatigue experiments on bulk aluminum.
Possibility of generating a high-power self-similar radiation pulse from a free-electron laser.

Using 1D short-wavelength (8 \ensuremath{\mu}m) Compton free-electron-laser (FEL) equations with slippage, we explore propagation of a high-power pulse down a tapered undulator FEL traveling-wave amplifier. For an appropriate taper, a short pulse (\ensuremath{\sim}300 fsec FWHM) with regular features will propagate self-similarly as it grows in power, slipping through a much longer electron pulse. The power spectrum of the pulse is nearly Gaussian with no sidebands. The electron energy is depressed by \ensuremath{\sim}33%, but slippage causes the peak pulse intensity to be about the same as the electron-beam power density, \ensuremath{\sim}10 TW/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.
Complex Stabilization Method for Resonant Phenomena

A technique is presented which can be used to compute the complex poles of the resolvent (defined as resonances) directly by use of a square-integrable basis without a coordinate rotation and without explicitly imposing a boundary condition such as a Siegert resonant boundary condition. Such a technique is directly applicab$\stackrel{\mathrm{`}}{\mathrm{l}}$e to all phenomena which can be put in the form of a resonance such as photoionization, field ionization, and electron resonances in atoms and molecules.
The energizing leader

How leaders at all levels mobilize the energies of people to achieve extraordinary results.
Testing Simulation Design Features using an Insulin Management Simulation in Nursing Education

Abstract This study tested a theory and data-based framework that was used to design, implement, and evaluate a teaching simulation in an introductory nursing medical/surgical course. Concepts in the Simulation Model (Jeffries, 2005) include educational principles, student factors, teacher factors, simulation design features, and outcomes. The study specifically tested the simulation design features and selected outcomes outlined in the model with 60 students from a large Midwest university enrolled in a required medical/surgical course. A 15-minute simulation focused on caring for an insulin-managed patient followed by a 15-minute debriefing time designed and facilitated by the clinical instructor. Students were randomly assigned roles: nurse, student nurse, patient, family member, or observer for the simulation experience. Debriefing was found to be the most important design feature as perceived by the students. There were no significant gains from pretest to post-test on insulin management, however, the students reported that they gained self-confidence in caring for an insulin-managed patient in the clinical setting and overall were very satisfied with the instructional method.
Cyclometalated Platinum Polymers: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, and Photovoltaic Performance

The synthesis and characterization of platinum-containing conjugated polymers in which the platinum atom is attached to the conjugated backbone via a C∧N ligand is presented. The newly designed platinum-containing monomer can be polymerized under both Stille and Suzuki conditions. The polymers exhibit optical bandgaps between 2.1 and 1.65 eV depending on the choice of comonomer. Triplet exciton formation is detected indirectly by measuring photosensitized emission of singlet oxygen in both solution and in film. The ability of the materials to sensitize formation of singlet oxygen varies both with excitation wavelength and with the change from solution to solid state. This study provides design principles for developing conjugated polymers with significant triplet yields in the solid state. The photovoltaic performance of these polymers was also evaluated in preliminary experiments with power conversion efficiencies as high as 1.3% obtained for a bulk heterojunction cell with PCBM.
Analysis of saturated hydrocarbons by using chemical ionization combined with laser-induced acoustic desorption/Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD), combined with chemical ionization by the cyclopentadienyl cobalt radical cation (CpCo•+), is demonstrated to facilitate the analysis of saturated hydrocarbons by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The LIAD/CpCo•+ method produces unique pseudomolecular ions for alkanes from C24H50 to C50H102. These alkanes were tested individually and in artificial mixtures of up to seven components. Only one product ion, [R + CpCo − 2H2]•+, was detected for each alkane (R). The product ions' relative abundances correspond to the relative molar concentration of each alkane in mixtures. These findings provide a solid groundwork for the future application of this method for hydrocarbon polymer analyses.
Resumption of estrogen-induced gonadotropin surges in postpartum monkeys.

To evaluate the functional integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary (H-P) system in postgestational monkeys, peripheral serum concentrations of LH and FSH were determined in postpartum (nursing and nonnursing) and postabortion (midpregnancy) females challenged with estradiol benzoate (EB) at a dose known to be effective in eliciting gonadotropin surges in cycling monkeys. In a longitudinal study of nursing and nonnursing postpartum mothers and postabortion females, EB was administered serially during weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 post delivery. Some nursing monkeys were challenged with EB up to 6 months post partum. In a cross-sectional study of nursing mothers, this response to EB was evaluated during weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 postpartum. H-P responsivity to EB was impaired in nursing monkeys through 180 days post partum, in that FSH or LH surges were not induced by estrogen therapy. In contrast, nonnursing postpartum mothers and postabortion females regained their sensitivity to this positive feedback action...