cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practical considerations for conducting client-centered process research

ABSTRACTProcess research is important in the marriage and family therapy field, specifically process research with client participants. Process research is typically conducted in treatment-as-usual conditions. Clinically applicable research has been identified to narrow the gap between research and practice. In the present conceptual paper, we provide specific recommendations to beginning process researchers for collaborating with community agencies to sample therapy clients. We present practical strategies for reducing participant and researcher burden and fostering collaboration among clinicians and researchers that are specific to conducting process research in community agency settings with client participants. Finally, we discuss implications for narrowing the research practice gap.
Association of Biomarker Clusters With Cardiac Phenotypes and Mortality in Patients With HIV Infection.

Background:Although individual cardiac biomarkers are associated with heart failure risk and all-cause mortality in HIV-infected individuals, their combined use for prediction has not been well stu...
Adiposity and risk for hypertension: does location matter?

Obesity is a threat to global health, especially as a precursor and risk factor for fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease [(1,2)][1]. The evidence for this conclusion can be presented in many ways, but perhaps the most dramatic expression is found in an extrapolation from the longitudinal
Modelling Mixed Valence Systems Using the Generalized Anderson Model

With the aid of a generalized version of the infinite U Anderson model the strong coupling properties of mixed valence systems may be modelled by means of an expansion in 1/degeneracy about a broken symmetry state. The technique leads to new conceptual picture where the strong coupling divergence of the Kondo coupling constant is a direct consequence of Goldstone mode fluctuations about the broken symmetry state. The crossover to strong coupling is a vestage of the broken symmetry phase transition and we are able to relate the interactions and the charge and spin correlations of the heavy Fermi liquid to the fluctuations about this broken symmetry state.
Generalizing inconsistency learning for constraint satisfaction

Constraint satisfaction problems, where values are sought for problem variables subject to restrictions on which combinations of values are acceptable, have many applications in artificial intelligence. Conventional learning methods acquire individual tuples of inconsistent values. These learning experiences can be generalized. We propose a model of generalized learning, based on inconsistency preserving mappings, which is sufficiently focused so as to be computationally cost effective. Rather than recording an individual inconsistency that led to a failure, and looking for that specific inconsistency to recur, we observe the context of a failure, and then look for a related context in which to apply our experience opportunistically. As a result we leverage our learning power. This model is implemented, extended and evaluated using two simple but important classes of constraint problems.
Land suitability and land use analysis

The primary purpose of the Georgia Transportation Planning Land Use Model is to estimate the impact of proposed changes in the transportation system on selected socioeconomic variables.1 To accomplish this goal, a series of submodels estimate future population, housing, employment, and land use under different transportation configurations.2 Within each submodel, a combination of techniques is utilized, thereby permitting the investigator to evaluate the projections subjectively in order to determine their feasibility. The semi-independent modular structure and the combination of techniques, including the non-mathematical Delphi approach, should provide enough cross-checks so as to avoid the dangers inherent in the one-step macro-model format.
2D perovskite stabilized phase-pure formamidinium perovskite solar cells

Compositional engineering has been used to overcome difficulties in fabricating high-quality phase-pure formamidinium perovskite films together with its ambient instability. However, this comes alongside an undesirable increase in bandgap that sacrifices the device photocurrent. Here we report the fabrication of phase-pure formamidinium-lead tri-iodide perovskite films with excellent optoelectronic quality and stability. Incorporation of 1.67 mol% of 2D phenylethylammonium lead iodide into the precursor solution enables the formation of phase-pure formamidinium perovskite with an order of magnitude enhanced photoluminescence lifetime. The 2D perovskite spontaneously forms at grain boundaries to protect the formamidinium perovskite from moisture and suppress ion migration. A stabilized power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.64% (certified stabilized PCE of 19.77%) is achieved with a short-circuit current density exceeding 24 mA cm-2 and an open-circuit voltage of 1.130 V, corresponding to a loss-in-potential of 0.35 V, and significantly enhanced operational stability.
Crystal Growth and Magnetic Properties of Pr3Co2+xGe7 and the Sn-Stabilized Ln3Co2+xGe7–ySny (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm)

Single crystals of the ternary Pr3Co2+xGe7 and Ln3Co2+xGe7–ySny (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm) adopting a disordered version of the La3Co2Sn7 structure type have been prepared via flux-growth methods and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure consists of two lanthanide crystallographic sites with one occupying a cuboctahedral coordination environment and a second in a trigonal prismatic environment. The structure can also be described as an intergrowth of AuCu3 and CeNiSi2 structure types, and the stability of the germanide analogues requires Sn incorporation and Co site preferences. Magnetic properties of the Pr3Co2+xGe7–ySny series are highlighted with the Sn-substituted Pr3Co2.514(5)Ge6.66(7)Sn0.360(2) orders magnetically near 5.8 K, while the germanide Pr3Co2.3376(5)Ge7.056(7) exhibits magnetic transitions at 5.3 and 9.3 K, arising from the magnetic sublattices with field-dependent magnetization revealing three metamagnetic transitions at 0.46, 0.80, and 2.1 T.
Positive modulation of mGluR5 attenuates seizures and reduces TNF-α+ macrophages and microglia in the brain in a murine model of virus-induced temporal lobe epilepsy.

Abstract Viral encephalitis markedly increases the risk for the development of epilepsy. The Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced model of seizures/epilepsy is a murine model of both viral-induced seizures/epilepsy and human Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. The inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α have been shown to play a role in seizure development in the TMEV-induced model of seizures/epilepsy, and infiltrating macrophages along with microglia have been shown to be major producers of these cytokines. The metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) is a G-protein coupled receptor that has been shown to reduce IL-6 and TNF-α and to provide neuroprotection in other disease models. Therefore, we hypothesized that stimulation of mGluR5 would not only reduce seizures but attenuate IL-6 and TNF-α production in microglia and macrophages in the TMEV model. We found that pharmacological stimulation of mGluR5 with the selective positive allosteric modulator VU0360172 not only reduced acute seizure outcomes, but also reduced the percent of microglia and macrophages producing TNF-α 3 days post infection. Furthermore, treatment with VU0360172 did not alter the level of viral antigen, compared to controls, showing that this treatment does not compromise viral clearance. These results establish that mGluR5 may represent a therapeutic target in the TMEV-induced model of seizures/epilepsy.
Vinylogous acyl triflates as an entry point to α,β-disubstituted cyclic enones via Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling

An alternative protocol for the B-alkyl Suzuki–Miyaura reaction to produce cyclic α,β-disubstituted enones is reported. The use of β-triflyl enones as coupling partners in lieu of their halogenated analogs provides enhanced substrate stability to light and chromatography without adversely affecting reactivity. This protocol allows efficient access to the synthetically challenging α,β-disubstituted enone motif under mild conditions.
The Role of pH and Oxidation-Reduction Potentials in the Mobilization of Heavy Metals

The effect of pH and standard reduction potential (E°) is discussed in terms of the kinetics and mechanisms for the bio-methylation of a number of toxic metals. In the aerobic environment, conditions have been delineated to explain the methylation of HgII, PbIV and SeVI compounds.
The Tejas Sequence: Tertiary—Recent

At the end of the Maestrichtian Age, seas withdrew from North America and virtually every other continent. The Tejas episode began, as did others before, with high-standing continents; but unlike past times, the seas remained outside of the cratonic interior except for a brief transgression in the Paleocene which probably came from the Arctic Ocean and reached south as far as the Dakotas. The Tejas Sequence name derives from the site of the best-studied Cenozoic units, those of the Texas coastal plain, which feature a rich record of marine and marginal-marine strata (along with the Atlantic, Pacific, and adjacent Gulf coasts). In contrast, the cratonic interior also contains a very sizable Tejas record; but almost all units involved are nonmarine. In addition, substantial areas of the northern craton and Cordillera feature surficial Quaternary glacial deposits, which may obscure uppermost preglacial Tejas depositional events.
AMG 458, a potent small molecule c-Met inhibitor, has significant anti-tumor activity in vivo

4976 c-Met is a receptor tyrosine kinase that signals through its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), to mediate multiple biological activities including proliferation, survival, motility and migration. In cancer, HGF/c-Met signaling is often deregulated. Overexpression of c-Met occurs frequently in numerous types of tumors. Gene amplification and activating mutations leading to constitutive receptor activation have also been described in patient tumors. In addition, altered expression of this axis in several mouse models has implicated c-Met in tumorigenesis. Therefore, targeting c-Met has promise as an approach to treating patients with tumors harboring activated c-Met. AMG 458 was identified as a selective, orally bioavailable, ATP-competitive small molecule c-Met inhibitor. AMG 458 potently inhibited c-Met enzymatic activity with an IC50 of 2 nM and blocked c-Met phosphorylation in PC3 cells with an IC50 of 60 nM. AMG 458 inhibited signaling in a dose-dependent manner in vitro in NIH-3T3 cells stably expressing TPR-Met, a constitutively active form of c-Met. Consistent with its activity in vitro, AMG 458 significantly inhibited HGF-mediated c-Met phosphorylation in the mouse liver at 30 mg/kg PO (p
Effect of wax/anti-agglomerant interactions on hydrate depositing systems

Abstract Hydrates and waxes are two of the biggest flow assurance challenges during subsea oil production. They are both depositing species which can cause stenosis of the pipeline, reducing the available area for flow and increasing the pressure load for production. In extreme scenarios, the pipe can become completely blocked by either of these species. However, little is known about the interaction between waxes and hydrates and less still is known about how treatments for hydrates may affect waxes or vice versa. Hydrate deposition in a waxy pipeline may follow significantly different mechanisms from a bare steel pipeline due to a shift from a typically hydrophilic steel surface to a hydrophobic wax-coated surface. This study utilized a micromechanical force measurement apparatus in order to explore some of the interactions between waxes, both surface-deposited and dissolved in the bulk phase, and hydrates which have been treated with anti-agglomerant chemicals. It was found that waxes can significantly alter both the cohesive and adhesive forces caused by hydrate particles, but that the effect when anti-agglomerants are present may vary based on the composition of the anti-agglomerant. This incompatibility is important for operators to understand better, because the ineffectiveness of an anti-agglomerant when waxes are present could result in hydrate agglomeration and potential plug formation.
Fuel Cells: A Challenging History

Professional and popular journals present fuel cells as the salvation of transportation and electric power infrastructures; the ultimate rechargeable battery. Engineers and investors alike find them attractive as a modern and elegant alternative to other electrical generators. On three occasions since W. R. Grove’s initial research around 1840, widespread adoption of fuel cells seemed imminent. Each time, technical challenges in materials and systems integration, along with advances in other electrical technologies frustrated advocates’ hopes. Despite successful development of several different types, commercialization remains limited to niche applications. After 180 years fuel cells remain outside the mainstream of power generation technology. This paper presents an overview of that history. The author discusses basic challenges that have faced developers, and suggests how present research may benefit from past experience.
State of Professional Practice for Water Infrastructure Project Delivery

AbstractUtilities now have a wider selection of project delivery methods to select from based on their project’s unique characteristics and constraints. The objective of this paper is to study alte...
The Neurological Implications of Forced Migration

The high prevalence of PTSD and depression among refugees represents a significant public health concern for a growing portion of the population of developed countries. These neurological implications vary in severity and are often caused by a multitude of factors before, during, and after migration that compound upon one another to cause mental health issues that may prevent a refugee from successfully integrating into their new host country. The prevalence of PTSD and depression varies among groups of refugees, and these kinds of mental health issues generally occur more often among women and children. Post-migrational trauma and challenges upon arrival in a new country can contribute to the severity of these neurological implications of migration, but they can be mitigated by various types of social support provided to them by the government, the immigrant community, medical and mental health resources, and refugee resettlement agencies.
High-Speed Hydroxyl and Methylidyne Chemiluminescence Imaging Diagnostics in Spherically Expanding Flames

Fundamental understanding of chemical kinetics pathways involved in ignition and flame propagation in hydrocarbon flames is essential for designing efficient and clean combustion devices for aerosp...
Platelet lysate converts M (IFNγ+LPS) macrophages in CD206+ TGF-β+ arginase+ M2-like macrophages that affect fibroblast activity and T lymphocyte migration

Macrophages, thanks to their extreme plasticity, exert critical roles in wound healing by orchestrating tissue defenses in the early inflammatory phase, and by promoting tissue regeneration and angiogenesis at a later time point. In parallel, platelets release a large number of preformed molecules that could affect immunocyte functions. Platelet-rich plasma and platelet lysate (PL) have been widely used as a therapeutic preside for ulcers, although little is known about the effects of platelet-derived biomolecules on macrophage functions during wound healing. In this study, we analyze the effects of PL on macrophages phenotype and functions. Monocyte-derived macrophages were cultured in the presence of interferon-γ and lipopolysaccharides to induce the M1 polarization and were further exposed to 10% PL. PL treatment reduced CD80, CD86, and PDL-1 and enhanced CD206 and CD200R expression on macrophages analyzed by cytofluorimetry. Additionally, macrophage cultures show reduced TNF-α and CXCL10, while increased arginase protein, PPAR, TGF-β, and VEGF. TGF-β secretion was paralleled by the decrease of NFkB and increase of STAT3, STAT6, and SMAD2 and SMAD4. Supernatants of PL-treated macrophages induced a significant increase of type-I collagen and to a lesser extent of type-III collagen production by fibroblasts. Finally, the supernatant of PL-treated macrophages showed significantly reduced capacity to induce the in vitro migration of T lymphocytes. Our results demonstrate that PL dampens the macrophage secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and induces the release of arginase, TGF-β, and VEGF that may affect angiogenesis and tissue regeneration, thus facilitating the wound healing process.
From Colony to Nationhood in Mexico: Laying the Foundations, 1560–1840

In an age of revolution, Mexico's creole leaders held aloft the Virgin of Guadalupe and brandished an Aztec eagle perched upon a European tricolor. Their new constitution proclaimed 'the Mexican nation is forever free and independent'. Yet the genealogy of this new nation is not easy to trace. Colonial Mexico was a patchwork state whose new-world vassals served the crown, extended the empire's frontiers and lived out their civic lives in parallel Spanish and Indian republics. Theirs was a world of complex intercultural alliances, interlocking corporate structures and shared spiritual and temporal ambitions. Sean F. McEnroe describes this history at the greatest and smallest geographical scales, reconsidering what it meant to be an Indian vassal, nobleman, soldier or citizen over three centuries in northeastern Mexico. He argues that the Mexican municipality, state and citizen were not so much the sudden creations of a revolutionary age as the progeny of a mature multiethnic empire.
The century of the dragon : advertising in Asia - from dependence to convergence

The rapid economic growth in Asia over the past few decades has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in advertising. Today, billions of dollars (US) are spent on mass media advertising in the region all aimed at enticing the burgeoning middle class to consume everything from perfumes to Pentiums. The gradual build-up of multinational business activity has resulted in ideological debates about the role of advertising in development. On the one hand, dependency theorists charge that advertising promotes the consumption of non- essential products, concentrates economic power into the hands of a few large transnational corporations and creates a consumer culture that is damaging to indigenous values. Convergence theorists argue that advertising fuels economic growth and thus helps to diminish the distance between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. The purpose of this paper is to examine the criticisms of advertising that have accompanied economic growth over the past few decades and to discuss how current trends in economic development in the region are shaping the practice of advertising in Asia. 21 ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library
Tumor Necrosis Factor as a Mediator of Sepsis

Few recent interfaces between basic biology and clinical therapeutics have evolved as rapidly as those pertaining to the role of cytokine mediators during sepsis and injury. The perceived need for such therapies remains intense, inasmuch as 35–50% of patients with shock attending gram negative or polymicrobial sepsis ultimately succumb to the acute or chronic sequelae of this process.1 While such infections are amenable to anti-microbial chemotherapy, these agents, in addition to advances in systemic hemodynamic and organ system support, have provided only marginal improvements in patient outcome. Current clinical research efforts are now focused upon other recombinant therapeutic agents that might further benefit the septic patient.2
Modeling and Querying E-Commerce Data in Hybrid Relational-XML DBMSs

Data in many industrial application systems are often neither completely structured nor unstructured. Consequently semi-structured data models such as XML have become popular as a lowest common denominator to manage such data. The problem is that although XML is adequate to represent the flexible portion of the data, it fails to exploit the highly structured portion of the data. XML normalization theory could be used to factor out the structured portion of the data at the schema level, however, queries written against the original schema no longer run on the normalized XML data. In this paper, we propose a new approach called eXtricate that stores XML documents in a space-efficient decomposed way while supporting efficient processing on the original queries. Our method exploits the fact that considerable amount of information is shared among similar XML documents, and by regarding each document as consisting of a shared framework and a small diff script, we can leverage the strengths of both the relational and XML data models at the same time to handle such data effectively. We prototyped our approach on top of DB2 9 pureXML (a commercial hybrid relational-XML DBMS). Our experiments validate the amount of redundancy in real e-catalog data and show the effectiveness of our method.
Comparison of animal sera for suitability in coagulase testing.

The sera of several animals were examined for suitability in coagulase testing. The assay for coagulase-reacting factor (CRF) activities of the whole sera indicated the following relative concentrations of CRF: human > pig > rabbit > horse > bovine, chicken, and lamb. Human, pig, and rabbit sera had adequate amounts of CRF for coagulase testing. The plasmin activities of the different sera, arranged from the strongest to the weakest, were as follows: rabbit > human > lamb > horse > bovine, chicken, and pig. Fibrinolysis was observed when rabbit, human, lamb, or horse sera were incorporated into coagulase test agars. Pig serum was superior to the other sera for use in the plate test for coagulase since it had adequate amounts of CRF and the plasminogen-plasmin system was not activated by staphylokinase or staphylococcal Muller factor. Heparinized pig plasma was more suitable than citrated pig plasma since citrate interfered with the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, and the use of heparinized plasma prevented false-positive coagulase reactions due to citrate utilization.
POLYMER-IMPREGNATED CONCRETE: LABORATORY STUDIES

It was shown that: (1) stress-strain behavior could be varied over a wide range, from ductile to brittle, by using combinations of a plasticizing or crosslinking comonomer with methyl methacrylate, or both; (2) the presence of a realistic level of salt (up to 1 percent) in concrete has little effect on polymer loading and mechanical properties, but requires more rigorous drying; (3) while high temperatures (750 deg F or 400 deg C) accelerate drying but decrease strength, subsequent polymer impregnation essentially yields a polymer impregnated concrete (PIC) with properties similar to a conventionally dried material; and (4) salt penetration (short-time, static) in mortars is reduced an order of magnitude by polymer impregnation, regardless of whether the polymer is glassy or rubbery. Thus, a strong PIC can be prepared under a variety of drying and salt contamination conditions and the mechanical behavior of PIC can be tailored to various specifications. /ASCE/
Lemma and cut strategies for propositional model elimination

This paper describes new “lemma” and “cut” strategies that are efficient to apply in the setting of propositional Model Elimination. Previous strategies for managing lemmas and Cdliterals in Model Elimination were oriented toward firstdorder theorem proving. The original “cumulative” strategy remembers lemmas forever, and was found to be too inefficient. The previously reported Cdliteral and unitdlemma strategies, such as “strong regularity”, forget them unnecessarily soon in the propositional domain. An intermediate strategy, called “quasidpersistent” lemmas, is introduced. Supplementing this strategy, methods for “eager” lemmas and two forms of controlled “cut” provide further efficiencies. The techniques have been incorporated into “Modoc”, which is an implementation of Model Elimination, extended with a new pruning method that is designed to eliminate certain refutation attempts that cannot succeed. Experimental data show that on random 3CNF formulas at the “hard” ratio of 4.27 clauses per variable, Modoc is not as effective as recently reported modeldsearching methods. However, on more structured formulas from applications, such as circuitdfault detection, it is superior.
Mood, behavior, testosterone, cortisol, and interleukin‐6 in adults during immune activation: A pilot study to assess sickness behaviors in humans

Objectives: Sickness behavior, a suite of behavioral changes subsequent to infection that includes depression, decreased social behaviors, and sleep disturbances, has been well described in model organisms. The phenomenon is relatively unexplored in humans due to methodological difficulties, and hormonal correlates of sickness behavior have not been studied. We therefore attempted to use a vaccine to elicit sickness behaviors outside of a clinical setting and uncover any correlations among testosterone, cortisol, and sickness behavior. Methods: Eleven participants (five male, six female, mean age 22.8 years) na€ive to the rabies vaccine were recruited from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University. Participants provided daily saliva and urine samples and completed questionnaires to assess mood and social behaviors for a period of 6 weeks. Saliva samples were assayed for cortisol and testosterone. Urine samples were assayed for interleukin-6 and creatinine. Results: Analysis revealed an expected decrease in testosterone and an increase in cortisol. While mood did not dif- fer, other behaviors, such as physical activity and hours slept, showed expected changes following vaccination. How- ever, none of these results achieved statistical significance. Conclusion: Our results, while generally confirming previous research on sickness behavior and hormone changes during infection, are suggestive, but not statistically significant and so neither confirm nor contradict our hypotheses. We attribute this lack of significance to both the small sample size, as well as possible confounding factors, including the psy- chosocial stress of entering an intensive study program. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 00:000-000, 2014. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sickness behavior is defined as an organized, adaptive suite of behavioral changes that occurs during infection in human and nonhuman animals (Hart, 1988). These behavioral changes include lethargy, decreased intake of food and water, anhedonia, decreased exploration, cogni- tive and sleep disturbances, and decreased libido and social behavior (Larson, 2002). It is believed that sickness
Cloning, sequencing, and regulation of expression of an extracellular esterase gene from the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies.

Abstract The gene that encodes the extracellular esterase produced by Streptomyces scabies has been cloned and sequenced. The gene was identified by hybridization to a synthetic oligonucleotide that corresponds to the amino-terminal amino acid sequence determined for the secreted form of the esterase. Nucleotide sequence analysis predicted a 345-amino-acid open reading frame, a putative ribosome-binding site, and 39 amino acids at the amino terminus of the sequence that is not found in the secreted protein. This 39-amino-acid sequence has many of the characteristics common to known signal peptides. End mapping the esterase transcript revealed a single 5' end of the mRNA located 51 nucleotides upstream from the start point for translation. Northern (RNA) hybridization analysis of the esterase message by using the cloned esterase gene as a probe indicated that the esterase mRNA is about 1,440 nucleotides in length and was detected only when the cells were grown in the presence of zinc. These results suggest that the level of esterase mRNA detected in the cells is regulated by zinc.
Towards design-for-testability for digital microfluidics

This paper makes a case for design-for-testability (DFT) for microfluidic biochips, and presents a DFT method that incorporates a test plan into the fluidic operations of a target bioassay protocol. By using the testability-aware bioassay protocol as an input to the biochip design tool, the proposed DFT method ensures a high level of testability, defined as the percentage of the electrodes or functional units on the synthesized chip that can be effectively tested.
Motivational interviewing: a tool to improve medication adherence?

Nonadherence to prescribed medications threatens the health and well-being of patients and has costly financial implications. Medication nonadherence causes the death of nearly 125,000 Americans every year and has been linked to an estimated 10% of hospital and 23% of nursing-home admissions.[1][1]
Mexico's financial crisis of 1994-1995

This chapter explains the causes leading to the Mexican crisis of 1994–95 (known as ‘The Tequila Crisis’), and its short- and long-term consequences. It argues that excessive enthusiasm on the part of foreign investors, not based on Mexico's fundamentals, and weak regulation of the banking system led to build the vulnerabilities that left Mexico exposed to a sudden change in investor appetite to invest in the country. Political violence in Mexico and changes in monetary policy in the United States then led to radical changes in investor perceptions of the future of the country and to a balance-of-payments and banking crisis. The chapter then explains how the crisis unraveled and describes the US bailout of the Mexican government in 1995. The chapter concludes examining the subsequent development of the Mexican banking system.
Phosphorylation of rabphilin-3A by Ca2+/calmodulin- and cAMP-dependent protein kinases in vitro

Regulation of neurotransmitter release is thought to involve modulation of the release probability by protein phosphorylation. In order to identify novel targets for such regulatory processes, we have studied the phosphorylation of rabphilin-3A in vitro. Rabphilin-3A is a synaptic vesicle protein that interacts with rab3A in a GTP-dependent manner and binds Ca2+ in a phospholipid-dependent manner. Here we show that rabphilin-3A is an efficient substrate for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, which phosphorylates rat rabphilin-3A at residue 234 and 274, and for cAMP-dependent protein kinase, which phosphorylates rat rabphilin-3A at residue 234. This identifies the middle region of rabphilin-3A situated between the N-terminal rab3A-binding sequences and the C-terminal C2-domains involved in Ca2+/phospholipid binding as a regulatory domain. Thus, rabphilin-3A is a second phosphoprotein on synaptic vesicles that, similar to synapsin I, may integrate phosphorylation signals from multiple protein kinase signaling pathways in the cell.
Policies and Practices for Maternal Support Options during Childbirth and Breastfeeding Initiation After Cesarean in Southeastern Hospitals

Objective To describe policies, practices, and associated rationales of hospital obstetric units regarding mothers’ support person options during childbirth and to explore practices concerning support of breastfeeding initiation after cesarean delivery. Design Descriptive telephone survey. Setting Hospitals in the southeastern region of the United States. Participants Convenience sample of 154 obstetric nurse manager and nurse representatives employed by the participating hospitals. Main Outcome Measures Types of policies regarding mothers’ support person options during childbirth and immediate postpartum stage, initiation of breastfeeding after cesarean birth, and attitudes about policies. Results All hospitals allowed two or more support persons during vaginal births, 89% permitted only one support person during nonemergent cesareans, and 58.0% of the nurse representatives believed that mothers should be allowed a second support person. Less than one third (31.2%) of the hospitals considered a mother’s request to breastfeed in the operating room, and most (78.6%) allowed mothers to breastfeed in the recovery room. Conclusions Overall, maternal support policies, practices, and nurse representatives’ attitudes were mother and family friendly, particularly related to vaginal births. Though breastfeeding initiation after cesarean birth was encouraging, support person options during nonemergent cesarean births and related rationales warrant further examination. JOGNN, 35, 634‐643; 2006. DOI: 10.1111/J.1552‐6909.2006.00078.x
Preformulation Studies of a Prodrug of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol

Preformulation studies were performed on a hemiglutarate ester prodrug of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-HG), to facilitate the development of stable formulations by hot-melt methods. The various studies performed included solid-state thermal characterization, pKa, logP, aqueous and pH dependent solubility, pH stability and effect of moisture, temperature and oxygen on solid-state stability. A hot-melt method was utilized to fabricate THC-HG incorporated poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) matrices and the bioadhesive properties, release profiles and post-processing stability of these matrices were assessed as a function of the polymer molecular weight. The prodrug exhibited a Tg close to 0°C, indicating its amorphous nature. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed a rapid weight loss after 170°C. The prodrug exhibited a seven-fold higher aqueous solubility as compared to the parent drug (THC). Also, the solubility of the compound increased with increasing pH, being maximum at pH 8. The prodrug exhibited a v-shaped pH-rate profile, with the degradation rate minimum between pH 3 and 4. The moisture uptake and drug degradation increased with an increase in relative humidity. Solid-state stability indicated that the prodrug was stable at −18°C but demonstrated higher degradation at 4°C, 25°C and 40°C (51.6%, 74.5% and 90.1%, respectively) at the end of 3-months. THC-HG was found to be sensitive to the presence of oxygen. The release of the active from the polymeric matrices decreased, while bioadhesion increased, with an increase in molecular weight of PEO.
Reliability of woodframe residential construction subjected to earthquakes

Most housing in the United States is light-frame wood construction (90% nationally, and 99% in California). Residential construction in the United States typically has received little or no structural engineering. The performance of wood residential construction to earthquake effects was apparent in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, and underlines the need for new approaches to enhance building performance through improved prediction, evaluation and design methods. In this paper, methods of stochastic nonlinear dynamic analysis are used to simulate the behavior of lateral force-resisting shear wall systems typically found in residential construction subjected to earthquakes. The probability that shear wall drift limits are exceeded for uniform hazard earthquake ground motions with various return periods and intensities can be estimated from this analysis and can be related to performance levels for residential occupancy that have been suggested in concurrent research on performance-based engineering. The probability of failure under a spectrum of possible earthquakes is determined by convolving the structural fragility derived from the above analysis with the seismic hazard specified by the US Geological Survey.
Malignant Uterine Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumor: A Case Report

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are mesenchymalneoplasms that comprise angiomyolipoma, lymphangioleiomyoma-tosis, clear cell “sugar” tumor of the lung, and similar tumors arisingin visceral sites, bones, and soft tissues termed PEComas not other-wise speciﬁed (PEComas-NOS). Many are related to the inheritedsyndrome of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), which is caused bymutationsineitherof2tumorsuppressorgenes,
Extending effects of salience and payoffs on stimulus discrimination: an experimental simulation of prescription checking.

This study applied specific aspects of signal detection theory (target salience and decision payoffs) to examine the associations among measured attention and accuracy on a stimulus discrimination ...
Sexually Transmitted Disease Care in Managed Care Organizations

Most STD cases in the United States are managed in health sectors dominated by commercial and Medicaid MCOs. To sustain the recent declines in bacterial STD incidence in the United States and to control expansion of the prevalent viral STD, MCOs will need to contribute substantially to control efforts. Applied researchers and quality improvement specialists must work with clinicians, patients, and health systems to develop and scale-up interventions to improve STD prevention and control.
The Floating Ball Paradox

In capillary theory there are two kinds of surface tension. There is the surface tension at the interface between two immiscible fluids. Thomas Young [9] also allowed for there to be a surface tension associated with a liquid-solid interface. He proceeded to use a balance of forces argument to derive the well-known contact angle condition along a liquid-liquid-solid intersection. The validity of this argument has recently been called into question by R. Finn [6]. A floating ball experiment discussed in that paper leads to an apparent paradox. We address this issue.
Goddard earth models for oceanographic applications (GEM 10B and IOC)

Abstract Some important oceanographic results have been obtained with Goddard Earth Models using satellite altimetry. GEM 9 and GEM 10 have been extended through the addition of worldwide GEOS‐3 altimetry to give new solutions, GEM 10B and IOC, fields that are complete in harmonics to degree 36 and 180, respectively. GEM 9 is a field derived solely from satellite tracking observations, whereas GEM 10 is a combination solution containing surface gravimetry. The accuracy of the oceanic geoid for these models has been estimated by using independent altimeter tracks of GEOS‐3. After empirically removing long wavelength orbital errors, residuals of 1.8 m (rms) were obtained for GEM 10, 0.94 m for GEM 10B, while GEM IOC gave 0.75 m. Large discrepancies, as much as 60 mgals, were found when ocean gravimetry anomalies (5° blocks) were compared to altimetry‐derived values. Altimeter values were verified through comparison with anomalies from GEM‐9, yielding an rms difference of only 5 mgals. An estimate of the lon...
The role of Toll-like receptors in immunity against mycobacterial infection

Recent work implicates Toll-like receptor (TLR) proteins as regulators of innate immune cell activation induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which continues to ravage nearly one-third of the world's population. Novel insights into how TLR proteins may dictate the nature and extent of cellular immune responses against this pathogen will be discussed.
A transmission and scanning electron microscopical study of the rectal ridge of Biomphalaria glabrata (Mollusca: Pulmonata.

The rectal ridge of Biomphalaria glabrata is covered by a single layer of epithelium which includes cells with microvilli, ciliated cells, and goblet cells. Based on their ultrastructure, it is postulated that the cells bearing microvilli are involved in the transport of materials into and out of the organism. The underlying loose vascular connective tissue contains, among other components, large pigment cells which contain microtubule-like structures within cisternae of granular endoplasmic reticulum. These microtubule-like structures occur in either a dispersed or a condensed configuration. The two configurations may represent different stages of protein synthesis or they may be entirely different organelles.
A new model for drug discovery--meeting our societal obligation.

Abstract The development of new models that will enable and encourage drug discovery in disease areas that are neglected by the industry is urgently needed. Here, one model is described that has been established to find treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Evaluating Direct Benefit Estimation Procedures for Irrigation Projects: a Simplified Approach

: An integral part of evaluating the net benefits generated by an existing or proposed irrigation project is the assessment of the associated impacts in commodity markets. Traditionally, these impacts have been measured by either assuming no change in commodity prices and calculating net returns to project farmers, or by allowing commodity prices to fall in accordance with a given elasticity of demand and subtracting commodity production costs from the associated area under the commodity demand curve. In either case, it is implicitly assumed that supply is perfectly inelastic. This article establishes that traditional approaches to measuring direct benefits are biased. Formulae are presented for calculating the maximum absolute and relative error which may result from using these techniques as a function of project size. Direct benefit estimates are then evaluated for three irrigation projects in Nebraska, illustrating how these results can be used to improve project evaluation procedures.
Generation of a directed mono-energetic neutrino beam and measurement of the neutrino mass

We study generation of a directional mono-energetic neutrino beam in electron capture beta-decay and analyze the recoil force exerted by neutrinos. We consider the influence of the neutrino rest mass on the recoil force and discuss the opportunity for neutrino mass measurement using an atomic force microscopy (AFM). We compute the enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio due to signal accumulation (averaging), find the optimal time for signal accumulation and formulate conditions for measurement of neutrino mass with AFM.
Virtual Heat Flux Measurements from a Boundary-Layer Profiler-RASS Compared to Aircraft Measurements.

Abstract Measurements of the turbulent virtual heat flux in the convective atmospheric boundary layer made with a 915-MHz boundary-layer wind profiler-radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) are compared to flux measurements from a King Air aircraft. The profiler-RASS flux was calculated by a refined eddy correlation technique. The measurements were made during the Rural Oxidants in the Southern Environment II experiment in June 1992. The area over which the measurements were made is primarily pine forest, and the dominant weather conditions were hot with light winds. The profiler-RASS measurements and the aircraft measurements agree well. Even under these light wind conditions, a 2-h-average profiler-RASS measurement may be sufficiently accurate to be useful. The instrumental error is estimated to be less than the uncertainty due to sampling of the turbulence.
ASSESSMENT OF CARDIAC CHAMBER SIZE USING ANATOMIC M‐MODE

Anatomic M-mode (AMM) is an echocardiographic technique that is capable of generating M-mode studies from two-dimensional (2D) cine loops. Unlike conventional M-mode (CMM) whose scan line must lie along the axis of the ultrasound signal, AMM produces M-mode studies independent of the orientation of the ultrasound beam. We sought to determine the ability of AMM to measure cardiac dimensions in normal dogs and to assess the accuracy and variability of AMM and CMM vs. 2D measurements. Thirty-eight healthy dogs underwent physical exam and 2D, CMM, and AMM echocardiographic studies. The end-diastolic and end-systolic dimension of the left ventricle and the diameter of the left atrium (LAD) and aortic root were evaluated from the right parasternal short- and long-axis views. Results of the AMM and CMM study were compared with the 2D study via linear regression and calculation of a coefficient of correlation. AMM increased the level of correlation with both the left ventricular dimensions and LAD. Bland-Altman analysis revealed that AMM increased the level of agreement with 2D measurements and CMM greatly underestimated LAD vs. AMM. In healthy dogs, cardiac AMM measurements are associated with greater accuracy and less variability than CMM. AMM has the potential to improve quantification of cardiac dimensions.
Expression of allograft inflammatory factor 1 in tissues from patients with systemic sclerosis and in vitro differential expression of its isoforms in response to transforming growth factor beta.

Objective Allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF-1), a protein initially identified in chronically rejected rat cardiac allografts, is involved in the immune response and proliferative vasculopathy that occurs during allograft rejection. Three well-characterized isoforms of AIF-1 result from alternative messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing. We previously identified a strong association of systemic sclerosis (SSc) with a polymorphism in AIF-1 isoform 2. The purpose of this study was to investigate AIF-1 expression in affected tissues from patients with SSc and to examine the regulation of its isoforms by transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). Methods AIF-1 in the skin and lung tissues of patients with SSc was analyzed by immunochemistry. AIF-1 isoform expression in response to TGFβ and interferon-γ stimulation was examined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results AIF-1 protein was present in affected vessels of the lung and skin lesions of patients with SSc. Quantitative PCR showed an average of 14-fold higher mRNA levels in affected SSc skin than in normal skin. Double-label immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that T cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells in affected tissues expressed AIF-1. Stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with TGFβ caused a specific and significant increase in the expression of AIF-1 isoform 2 transcripts (P < 0.005), which was due to stabilization of AIF-1 isoform 2 mRNA. Conclusion These data suggest that AIF-1 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of SSc owing to its increased expression in affected tissues and to the specific stimulation of AIF-1 isoform 2 by TGFβ.
The relative importance of waterborne and dietborne arsenic exposure on survival and growth of juvenile rainbow trout.

Previous work demonstrated reduced growth of rainbow trout receiving diets containing environmentally relevant concentrations of arsenic, but did not address the relative and combined potency of waterborne and dietborne exposures. In the current study, juvenile rainbow trout were exposed for 28 d to a range of arsenic concentrations in water and in a live oligochaete diet, separately and in combination. In clean water, fish fed worms previously exposed to arsenate at 4 or 8 mg As/L showed pronounced reductions in growth, but fish exposed to these same water concentrations and a clean diet experienced less or no effect. Increasing waterborne arsenate to 16 or 32 mg As/L had substantial effects on both growth and survival, and simultaneous exposure via both routes intensified growth effects, but not mortality. Growth reduction was strongly correlated to total arsenic accumulation in the fish tissue, regardless of the route of exposure, but mortality was better correlated to waterborne arsenic concentration. The relative concentration of total arsenic in fish viscera and in the remaining carcass was not a useful indicator of exposure route. Speciation analysis showed that most arsenate was converted to arsenite within the worms, but organoarsenic species were not found. The greater toxicity of dietborne exposure when fish and prey were exposed to the same waterborne arsenate concentration emphasizes the need to address dietborne exposure when assessing the aquatic risks of arsenic contamination. This is of particular concern because risk from dietary exposure may occur at even lower water concentrations than used here when prey organisms are exposed for longer periods and via multiple routes.