cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strategies for surveillance and prevention

Foodbome diseases continue to move newspapers and bowels around the world. A century ago, concern about cholera, typhoid fever, and other enteric diseases led to the sanitary revolution, which controlled these diseases in the industrialised world. Now, newer pathogens have emerged, and they are delivered fresh to our dinner plates by the increasingly centralised and global production of food. Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Cyclospora cayetanensis, calicivirUses, and Salmonella lyphimurium DTI04 are all part of the growing list of pathogens that may lurk in the stools of the patient with diarrhoea, taxing the diagnostic laboratory. E coli 0157:H7, a Shiga toxin-producing E coli, is a good example of this new breed of pathogen. Unheard of before 1982, it is now of major concern in Europe, North and South America, and Japan. The toxins cause the illness, which can include renal failure and death. The illness is essentially untreamble, although the organism is susceptible to antibiotics. It has'even been suggested that antibiotic use, which increases toxin production in vitro, could harm the patient. The Organism lives in cattle. Contamination of meat could be reduced by cleaner slaughter practices, as being implemented throughout the USA; even better control will be possible if carefully slaughtered meat is then irradiated. However, illness traced to vegetables contaminated with manure or to direct contact with animals illustrates the need for control at the farm level. The organism finds maize-fed cattle, a specialty of North America, particularly hospitable. New farm-level prevention strategies, such as modification of the bovine diet, might reduce colonisation and thus prevent human disease. The practice of public health is changing as new surveillance strategies develop to detect foodborne pathogens. In the USA, an active surveillance system called FoodNet tracks the frequency of specific infections, to better determine their sources and the burden they pose (figure). A molecular subtyping network called PulseNet now permits DNA "fingerprints" of strains tested in many different locations to be compared rapidly over the intemet, and identifies potential links that would not otherwise have been suspected. A similar method is under development in Japan. In Europe, EnterNet combines surveillance information across countries, so that international events can be identified and investigated more quickly. With these new tools, epidemiologists and microbiologists can identify Sources of infection and guide prevention strategies more precisely than ever. Increasing antibiotic resistance is another challenge. The impact of antibiotics used in agriculture on public health is being felt as resistant organisms flow into the food supply. The spread of multi-resistant Campylobacter and Salmonella has veterinarians and physicians reaching for similar powerful antimicrobial agents to treat
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Regulation of 1,25-Dihydroxy vitamin D Production by Human Keratinocytes*

The keratinocyte has receptors for, responds to, and produces both tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D]. Both TNF and 1,25-(OH)2D facilitate the differentiation of keratinocytes. To explore the possibility that TNF stimulates keratinocyte differentiation at least in part by regulating 1,25-(OH)2D production we examined the effect of TNF on both 1,25-(OH)2D production and differentiation (transglutaminase activity, cornified envelope formation) at different stages of differentiation. 1,25-(OH)2D production, transglutaminase activity, and cornified envelope formation are sequentially increased during differentiation such that 1,25-(OH)2D production occurs first, followed by transglutaminase activity and, finally, cornified envelope formation. In preconfluent cells, TNF stimulated 1,25-(OH)2D production. Interferon-γ also stimulated 1,25-(OH)2D production at low concentrations, but this was not additive to that by TNF. The stimulatory effect of TNF was maximal after 1–2 day...
Determination of defocus values using ‘Fourier images’ for high resolution electron microscopy

SUMMARY The phenomenon of Fourier images is used to calibrate defocus steps of a high resolution transmission electron microscope. Results compare well with measurements from an optical diffractogram.
Force Modeling for Laser Assisted Micro-Grooving

Laser Assisted Mechanical Micro-machining (LAMM) is a process that utilizes highly localized thermal softening of the material by continuous wave laser irradiation applied simultaneously and directly in front of a miniature cutting tool in order to produce micron scale three dimensional features in difficult-to-machine materials. This process can produce lower cutting forces and deflections, prevent catastrophic tool failure and potentially increase the material removal rate. The miniature machine-tool system used to implement this process has a finite stiffness and therefore deflects under the cutting forces. The deflections may be of the same order of magnitude as the depth of cut in some cases, thereby having an effect on the dimensional accuracy of the micro-machined feature. As a result, selection of the laser and cutting parameters that will yield the desired reduction in cutting forces and deflection, and consequently an improvement in the dimensional accuracy of the micro-machined feature requires a reliable cutting force model. This paper describes a cutting force model for a laser-assisted mechanical micro-grooving process. The model combines an existing slip-line field based force model with a finite element based thermal model of laser heating and a constitutive model of the material flow stress to predict the cutting and thrust forces. Experiments are carried out on H-13 steel (42 HRC) to validate the force model with and without laser heating. The effects of LAMM parameters such as laser power, cutting speed and laser beam mode — Gaussian versus Uniform — on the forces are also analyzed. The predictions from the force model are within 10–20% of the experimental values with most below 15%.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Projection optics for reflective light valves

Reflective x-Si backplanes allow projection displays to evolve toward higher pixel count and greater miniaturization, extending the range of competitive application. As light valve area A is reduced, projector output into solid angle S equalsV (pi) NA2 can in many cases be considered to decrease roughly as approximately (A*S)0.5, with the 0.5 exponent representing typical microdisplay operating in a regime that is neither purely brightness-limited nor purely power-limited. Polarization modulation entails a modified scaling approximately (A*S/2)0.5; color sequential operation, approximately (1/3)*(A*S)0.5; spatially divided single-light-valve RGB projection, approximately (A*S/3)0.5. Projection lenses for three-light-valve system must provide an increased working distance to accommodate a color recombiner. Zoom lens are often required in front projectors, and rear projection usually entails a short lens-to-screen distance. It has become cost-effective to use plastic aspherical elements to meet these requirements. Periodic strip-PBS arrays have been widely adopted for polarization recycling, but aperiodic homogenizers are sometimes used to correct the uneven magnification and symmetry limitations of conic reflectors. Bright-state and dark-state beams must occupy distinct etendues in the half space above a reflective light valve, creating a vulnerability to crosstalk. Crosstalk from a polarizing beamsplitter gives rise to a residual background intensity approximately 0.3*NA2, unless a quarterwave corrector is used. Crosstalk can also arise from stress birefringence in prism substrates. Stray light makes an indirect contribution to background, but can sometimes be corrected by filtering.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
MIGRATING VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS POLARIZE CELL SURFACE UROKINASE RECEPTORS AFTER INJURY IN VITRO

The localization of proteases to cell surfaces via receptors may facilitate cell migration, invasion, and matrix degradation. Since vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration may be an important event in atherosclerosis and in intimal thickening after vascular injury, we studied the cell surface expression of a receptor for urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PAR) in cultured human vascular SMC. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, we demonstrated several staining patterns of SMC u-PAR: at the periphery of the cell membrane, at the leading edge, and at cell-cell contact sites. When migration experiments were performed using a wound assay, one-third of the SMC at the wound edge demonstrated polarization of cell surface u-PAR toward the leading edge of the cell membrane (32 +/- 2%, +/- SEM, n = 7). A similar pattern was seen with an antibody to caveolin, a transmembrane protein found in caveolae, but not with an antibody to 5'-nucleotidase, another cell surface glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored protein, which was homogeneously expressed on the cell surface. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein, which mediates internalization of u-PAR bound ligands, was distributed in a diffuse punctate pattern, not polarized to the leading edge. Double immunofluorescent studies demonstrated codistribution of SMC u-PAR with vinculin and caveolin in migrating SMC at the leading edge in a wound assay. Polarization of cell surface u-PAR was not observed in either nonwounded or subconfluent cultures, despite random migratory behavior. These studies suggest that in response to wounding, human vascular SMC polarize and concentrate cell surface u-PAR to their leading edge, perhaps facilitating directional migration.
Magnetism and spin liquid behavior in a two layer Hubbard model

In this paper we report the results of Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations of a tight binding, correlated electron model consisting of two 2D Hubbard sheets hybridized by an intersheet hopping t⊥. As t⊥ increases, a ground state with long range antiferromagnetic order gives way to a spin liquid phase.
Autonomic drugs and the accommodative system in rhesus monkeys.

Accommodation and pupil constriction result from parasympathetic stimulation from the Edinger-Westphal (EW) nucleus of the midbrain resulting in release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junctions of the ciliary muscle and iris. Cholinergic and adrenergic drugs can be applied topically to evaluate the effects on the pupil and accommodative system without input from the EW nucleus. This study is directed at characterizing how topical low dose echothiophate, an anti-cholinesterase inhibitor (i.e., an indirect cholinergic agonist), epinephrine, an adrenergic agonist, and timolol maleate, a beta adrenergic antagonist, affect pupil diameter, resting refraction and accommodative amplitude and dynamics in rhesus monkeys. The effects of 0.015% echothiophate, 2% epinephrine, 0.5% timolol maleate and saline on pupil diameter and resting refraction were measured in one eye each of four normal rhesus monkeys for 60-90 minutes following topical instillation. Pupil diameter was measured with infrared videography and refraction was measured with a Hartinger coincidence refractometer. Effects on static and dynamic EW stimulated accommodation were studied in three iridectomized monkeys (ages 5, 6 and 12 years) with permanent indwelling stimulating electrodes in the EW nucleus. Dynamic accommodative responses were measured with infrared photorefraction for increasing current amplitudes before and during the course of action of the pharmacological agents. Echothiophate caused a significant decrease in pupil diameter of 3.07 ± 0.65 mm (mean ± SEM, p < 0.01), and a myopic shift in resting refraction of 1.30 ± 0.39 D (p < 0.05) 90 minutes after instillation. Epinephrine caused a 2.76±0.38 mm (p < 0.01) increase in pupil diameter with no change in resting refraction 60 minutes after instillation. Timolol maleate resulted in no significant change in either pupil diameter or resting refraction 60 minutes after instillation. There was no significant change in maximum EW stimulated accommodative amplitude after any agent tested. The amplitude vs. peak velocity relationship for accommodation was significantly different after echothiophate and timolol maleate, and for disaccommodation after echothiophate, epinephrine and timolol maleate. In conclusion, when tested objectively in anesthetized monkeys, epinephrine and timolol maleate did not alter resting refraction or accommodative amplitude, but did have small, significant affects on accommodative dynamics. This suggests that there is an adrenergic component to the accommodative system. Low dose echothiophate had significant effects on pupil diameter and resting refraction, with only small effects on the dynamics of the accommodative response.
Structure and physical properties of starch/poly vinyl alcohol/sodium montmorillonite nanocomposite films.

Nanocomposites of starch, poly vinyl alcohol (PVOH), and sodium montmorillonite (Na+MMT) were produced by solution mixing and cast into films. Tensile strength (TS) and elongation at the break (E%) of the films ranged from 11.60 to 22.35 MPa and 28.93–211.40%, respectively, while water vapor permeability (WVP) ranged from 0.718 to 1.430 g·mm/kPa·h·m2. In general, an increase in Na+MMT content (0–20%) enhanced TS and decreased E% and WVP. Use of higher molecular weight PVOH increased both TS and E% and also decreased WVP. Mechanical properties were negatively affected, but water vapor barrier properties improved with increasing starch content (0–80%). X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze the nanostructure, and molecular conformations and interactions in the multicomponent nanocomposites were inferred from glass transition behavior. Interactions between starch and PVOH were strongest, followed by polymer/clay interactions. On the basis of this insight, a conceptual mod...
KAI1, a putative marker for metastatic potential in human breast cancer

Abstract The KAI1 gene maps to chromosome 11p11.2, is a metastasis-suppressor gene for human prostate cancer and also is involved in the progression of human pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer. Recently, we showed that introduction of a single copy of normal, neomycin-tagged human chromosome 11 into highly metastatic MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells suppressed breast cancer metastasis. Concomitantly, KAI 1 levels were higher in chromosome 11/MDA-MB-435 cell clones. The purpose of this study was to test whether KAI 1 expression is indicative of breast cancer metastasis using a panel of immortalized breast epithelial and breast cancer cell lines that represent multiple stages of breast cancer progression. Metastatic cell clones isolated from the parental mixed, wild-type population of MDA-MB-435 cells expressed the lowest levels of KAI 1 mRNA and chromosome 11 containing MDA-MB-435 (neol1/MDA-MB-435.A3 and neol1/MDA-MB-435.B1) cells had approximately twice as much KAI 1 mRNA than the parental clones. MCF-10A, an immortalized normal-like non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cell line, had the highest level of KAI 1 mRNA. We compared the metastatic propensity and invasive ability of a continuum of breast cancer cells with varying degrees of progression toward malignancy and found that these parameters tended to correlate inversely with KAI 1 mRNA expression. These data suggest that, in addition to its role in human prostate, pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer, KAI 1 may also be a useful marker for staging human breast disease.
Categorization and Reasoning among Tree Experts: Do All Roads Lead to Rome?☆

To what degree do conceptual systems reflect universal patterns of featural covariation in the world (similarity) or universal organizing principles of mind, and to what degree do they reflect specific goals, theories, and beliefs of the categorizer? This question was addressed in experiments concerned with categorization and reasoning among different types of tree experts (e.g., taxonomists, landscape workers, parks maintenance personnel). The results show an intriguing pattern of similarities and differences. Differences in sorting between taxonomists and maintenance workers reflect differences in weighting of morphological features. Landscape workers, in contrast, sort trees into goal-derived categories based on utilitarian concerns. These sorting patterns carry over into category-based reasoning for the taxonomists and maintenance personnel but not the landscape workers. These generalizations interact with taxonomic rank and suggest that the genus (or folk generic) level is relatively and in some cases absolutely privileged. Implications of these findings for theories of categorization are discussed.
Multiobjective flow-shop scheduling

Previous research on the scheduling of multimachine systems has generally focused on the optimization of individual performance measures. This article considers the sequencing of jobs through a multimachine flow shop, where the quality of the resulting schedule is evaluated according to the associated levels of two scheduling criteria, schedule makespan (Cmax) and maximum job tardiness (Tmax). We present constructive procedures that quantify the trade-off between Cmax and Tmax. The significance of this trade-off is that the optimal solution for any preference function involving only Cmax and Tmax must be contained among the set of efficient schedules that comprise the trade-off curve. For the special case of two-machine flow shops, we present an algorithm that identifies the exact set of efficient schedules. Heruistic procedures for approximating the efficient set are also provided for problems involving many jobs or larger flow shops. Computational results are reported for the procedures which indicate that both the number of efficient schedules and the error incurred by heuristically approximating the efficient set are quite small.
LHRH - Induced ovulation and fertility of anestrous goats.

Abstract Seventeen female mature anestrous does were used to study the effect of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) on ovulation (Experiment I) and on fertility rate and blood estrogen/progesterone concentrations (Experiment II). Laparotomy after day 8 of treatment with a single injection of LHRH (300 ug) and estradiol cypionate (0.2 mg/kg) revealed evidence of ovulation in two out of three and a developed follicle in the third. Similar treatment to six does in Experiment II, when followed by natural mating with a fertile buck, produced pregnancy in two does, pseudopregnancy in two and no effect (nonpregnancy) in the remaining two animals. The pregnant does had normal parturition after 148 to 150 days of gestation. In pregnant does, blood progesterone levels first showed a gradual increase until day 130 (10.07 ng/ml) and then declined sharply at 48 hours before parturition. Estrogen concentration, on the other hand, failed to increase until day 80, and thereafter it reached a peak (1800 pg/ml) at 24 hours prior to parturition; the level declined sharply at 24 hours after parturition. In pseudopregnant does, progesterone levels remained in close proximity with those of pregnant does until day 90, when they started to decline.
Quantitative analysis of components of unresolved gas chromatographic peaks by electron-capture detection with oxygen sensitization

Abstract A method for the quantitative analysis of unresolved gas chromatographic peaks is described which should be useful in manny instances for the trace analysis of structural isomers which are sensed by the electron-capture detector (ECD). A determination of unseparated isomeric components of a peak is made by obtaining a chromatogram of the sample without and with added oxygen in the ECD. The method is shown to be successful if the magnitude of the response enhancement caused by oxygen is dependent on the structural differences within the set of isomers. The method is applied here to mixtures of the three isomers of chloroanthracene.
Mesotocin and Nonapeptide Receptors Promote Estrildid Flocking Behavior

Proximate neural mechanisms that influence preferences for groups of a given size are almost wholly unknown. In the highly gregarious zebra finch (Estrildidae: Taeniopygia guttata), blockade of nonapeptide receptors by an oxytocin (OT) antagonist significantly reduced time spent with large groups and familiar social partners independent of time spent in social contact. Opposing effects were produced by central infusions of mesotocin (MT, avian homolog of OT). Most drug effects appeared to be female-specific. Across five estrildid finch species, species-typical group size correlates with nonapeptide receptor distributions in the lateral septum, and sociality in female zebra finches was reduced by OT antagonist infusions into the septum but not a control area. We propose that titration of sociality by MT represents a phylogenetically deep framework for the evolution of OT's female-specific roles in pair bonding and maternal functions.
Allee effects and pulsed invasion by the gypsy moth

Biological invasions pose considerable threats to the world's ecosystems and cause substantial economic losses. A prime example is the invasion of the gypsy moth in the United States, for which more than $194 million was spent on management and monitoring between 1985 and 2004 alone. The spread of the gypsy moth across eastern North America is, perhaps, the most thoroughly studied biological invasion in the world, providing a unique opportunity to explore spatiotemporal variability in rates of spread. Here we describe evidence for periodic pulsed invasions, defined as regularly punctuated range expansions interspersed among periods of range stasis. We use a theoretical model with parameter values estimated from long-term monitoring data to show how an interaction between strong Allee effects (negative population growth at low densities) and stratified diffusion (most individuals disperse locally, but a few seed new colonies by long-range movement) can explain the invasion pulses. Our results indicate that suppressing population peaks along range borders might greatly slow invasion.
Predicting the Future: Incarcerated Women's Views of Reentry Success

Research reveals that most incarcerated adults are optimistic about their chances of success after release and believe they will be less likely to reoffend than other prisoners. Moreover, studies suggest that optimism shapes desistance. This raises the interesting question of how and why female inmates maintain an optimistic outlook about their postrelease. The current study uses in-depth interviews with 26 incarcerated women to assess inductively their perceptions of life after prison and the self-enhancing schemas they draw from in this process. Results highlight the utility of examining incarcerated women's outlook about their future and have import for policy.
Observations of ice‐sheet motion in Greenland using satellite radar interferometry

We present interferometric observations of ice-sheet motion in western Greenland based on pairs of ERS-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. These observations provide the first detailed regional view of ice motion associated with dynamically supported topography near the margin of an ice sheet. The interferograms of this area are much more complicated than other interferograms of ice sheets presented to date. We devote the largest part of this paper to explaining the source of the complexity in these interferograms. A synthetic interferogram based on a simple model helps to illustrate the effects of different components of the ice velocity field in interferometric data and suggests a method for estimating the large-scale ice velocity field from such data.
Binding of chloroform to mouse and rat hemoglobin

Abstract The covalent binding of chemical carcinogens and mutagens to hemoglobin has been proposed as a dose monitor for environmental exposure. The binding of chloroform to hemoglobin in rats was demonstrated to result from the formation of addition adducts to amino acids in the globin. The altered amino acids were isolated with an amino acid analyzer employing ion exchange chromatography. The covalent binding of orally-administered [14C]chloroform to rat hemoglobin reached a peak within 10 h. Afterwards, the amount of chloroform bound decreased slowly with half remaining at 7 weeks. The extent of chloroform binding was linearly dependent upon dose between 0.1 and 100 μmol/kg. Above 100 μmol/kg chloroform the binding to hemoglobin increased at a reduced rate. The extent of [14C]chloroform binding resulting from either 10 daily doses of 0.1 μmol/kg or a single 1.0 μmol/kg was similar. The binding to hemoglobin in three strains of mice and rats varied from 85 ± 7 μmol/g Hb for Swiss (CFN) mice to 152 ± 14 for Fisher-344 rats. We have demonstrated that the binding of chloroform to hemoglobin appears to have the following attributes of a dose monitor: (1) easily accessible from laboratory animals (and humans); (2) dose dependent; (3) stability, so that exposure can be determined weeks after it has ceased; (4) integration of low exposures which individually would be undetectable.
Asymptotic solutions for helical wavenumbers of waves in fluid-loaded cylindrical shells

Abstract This paper derives asymptotic solutions for the helical wavenumbers of elastic waves in fluid-loaded cylindrical shells, by solving the dispersion equation through a high frequency asymptotic method. Examples are given for shear, compressional and flexural waves, which are known to be the dominant components in acoustic radiation and scattering problems in a wide range of frequencies. The asymptotic solutions are compared with results of numerical solutions, which shows very good accuracy.
The descent of a man's testosterone

In work presented in PNAS, Gettler and colleagues (1) make an important contribution to our understanding of men's physiology. They find that, in a community-based sample from the Philippines, men with higher testosterone level are more likely to marry than men with lower testosterone; that men who marry and become fathers experience declines in testosterone; and that men who provide more paternal care have lower testosterone levels than fathers who provide less care. This is not the first study that has investigated the social dimensions to male testosterone levels. However, it represents perhaps the most rigorous study of its kind conducted on humans, and clearly demonstrates through a longitudinal design that fatherhood causes testosterone decreases in men. These findings merit attention from several angles.
Association of optimism with cardiometabolic risk in adolescents.

Abstract Purpose Dispositional optimism is a psychological trait associated with cardiovascular disease outcomes in adults. However, it is not known whether these associations are present in adolescents. We attempted to determine whether an association exits between optimism and 9 biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk during adolescence. Because cardiometabolic risk differs by race and ethnicity, we also explored whether race and ethnicity moderated the optimism–cardiometabolic risk relationship. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 529 non-Hispanic white and 421 non-Hispanic black seventh through 12th graders living in greater Cincinnati in 2001–2002. We measured dispositional optimism with the Life-Orientation Test–Revised as a single continuum and as separate optimism and pessimism dimensions. Multivariable regression analyses tested for associations between optimism and nine biomarkers of risk (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, lipids, insulin, glucose, and fibrinogen), adjusting for age, gender, parent education, body mass index, smoking, and pubertal stage. Results Dispositional optimism with the Life-Orientation Test–Revised as a single continuum was inversely associated with two risks (interleukin-6, β = −.03, p = .02; insulin, β = −.02, p = .01), but only among blacks. Optimism and pessimism were inversely related (R = −.27, p p p = .03), and among blacks (β = .74, p = .02) but not whites. Among blacks, optimism was also inversely associated with interleukin-6 (β = −.07, p = .001) and triglycerides (β = −.02, p = .04). Pessimism was inversely associated with glucose, but only in whites (β = −.38, p = .03). Conclusions Associations between dispositional optimism and cardiometabolic risks are present in adolescence and vary by race and ethnicity. A better understanding of the natural history of these associations over the lifespan may help decrease disparities and prevent cardiometabolic disease.
Feeling one's emotions and knowing oneself

L'A. defend la these selon laquelle le ressenti errone d'une emotion releve d'une perception erronee de cette emotion qui peut etre corrigee au meme titre que toutes les perceptions sensibles, selon les criteres de verite/erreur ou justification/information. L'A. dresse une typologie des erreurs emotionnelles dues a la mauvaise representation de l'objet (sa situation, son importance) et a la mauvaise interpretation de l'emotion (son ressenti)
Pig-Breeding, Shiksas, and Other Goyish Themes in Soviet Yiddish Literature and Life

(2003). Pig-Breeding, Shiksas, and Other Goyish Themes in Soviet Yiddish Literature and Life. Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures: Vol. 57, No. 3, pp. 157-174.
The mentor’s guide: Facilitating effective learning relationships

by Lois Zachary. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass, 2011, 288 pp., $27.52 (paperback), ISBN 10 - N047090772X, ISBN 13-978-0470907726 Mentoring has become a “hot topic” in organizations. From colleges ...
Role of Self-Care in Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract Self-care is an important aspect of managing a chronic disease. In sickle cell disease (SCD), home self-care contributes to individual pain management and thus pain crisis prevention. A better understanding of self-care can help health care providers equip patients with the resources and skills necessary to participate in their disease management. The aim of this study was to examine factors that influence self-care among young adults with SCD. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data analysis. Participants were recruited from two SCD clinics in the southeastern United States. The sample consisted of 103 young adults, ages 18 to 30 years, with SCD. Bivariate correlations and regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationships among SCD self-efficacy, social support, sociodemographics, self-care, and hospital visits for pain crises. Study participants were primarily women (61.2%), unemployed or disabled (68%), lived with family (73.8%), and had an annual average of three hospital visits for pain crises. Participants, on average, had 12 years of education, an annual household income of $35,724, and were 24 years old. Social support ( p = .001), SCD self-efficacy ( p = .002), and years of education ( p = .043) were significantly related to self-care. Of the hypothesized variables, only income was significantly associated with hospital visits for pain crises ( r = −0.219, p = .05). Individuals with SCD may benefit from self-care interventions that enhance social support, SCD self-efficacy, and access to education. To inform intervention development, further investigation is needed regarding daily self-care behaviors used by young adults with SCD.
Density functional theory study of the relative energies and structures of the chair, twist, and boat conformations of stannacyclohexane, 1‐methylstannacyclohexane, and 1,1‐dimethylstannacyclohexane

The relative energies and structures of the chair, twist, and boat conformations of stannacyclohexane, 1-methylstannacyclohexane, and 1,1-dimethylstannacyclohexane have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) (BLYP, B3LYP, B3P86, B3PW91) and hybrid Hartree–Fock/DFT (BH and HLYP) methods with the SDD basis set. The five levels of theory predicted similar energy differences (Erel) among the respective conformations of the stannacyclohexanes. Similar equilibrium geometries were also predicted at the five theoretical levels, with BLYP giving the longest bonds and BH and HLYP giving the shortest bonds. B3LYP predicted the chair conformer of stannacyclohexane to be 3.09, 3.47, and 4.27 kcal/mol, respectively, more stable than the 1,4-twist and 2,5-twist conformers and the 2,5-boat transition state. The chair conformer of axial 1-methylstannacyclohexane is 2.85, 3.40, and 4.46 kcal/mol, respectively, more stable than the 1,4-twist and 2,5-twist conformers and the 2,5-boat transition state and the chair conformer of equatorial 1-methylstannacyclohexane is 3.05, 3.52, and 4.56 kcal/mol, respectively, more stable than the 1,4-twist and 2,5-twist conformers and the 2,5-boat transition state. The chair conformer of axial 1-methylstannacyclohexane is 0.19 kcal/mol less stable than the equatorial chair conformer, and the chair conformer of 1,1-dimethylstannacyclohexane is 2.94, 3.49, and 4.21 kcal/mol, respectively, more stable than the 1,4-twist and 2,5-twist conformers and the 2,5-boat transition state. The relative energies (Erel) of the conformers of the stannacyclohexanes are also compared with the available experimental and theoretical relative energies of the corresponding cyclohexanes and silacyclohexanes. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005
THE LOCALIZATION OF IN VIVO BOUND COMPLEMENT IN TISSUE SECTIONS

A technique has been described for the demonstration of a human complement component by an immunofluorescent method. The component detected is beta(1C)-globulin, a moiety of the third complement component, which has previously been obtained in pure form and to which a specific antiserum has been prepared. It has been shown in a model system that the binding of beta(1C)-globulin as shown by immunofluorescence is strictly equivalent to complement fixation as assessed by standard serological methods. This technique has been applied to the detection of in vivo bound complement in pathological human tissues. It was found that in vivo complement binding occurs in the lesions of several human diseases, but not elsewhere in the same tissues. In a rather limited survey of diseases that has been carried out, in vivo complement binding was found particularly in systemic L.E., various nephritides, and amyloidosis, as well as in single cases of some other diseases. The spectrum of in vivo complement binding has been compared with that of gamma-globulin binding (7S and 19S types) and with the demonstration of in vitro complement fixation and rheumatoid factor fixation. It was distinct from each of these. Rheumatoid factor fixation, detected by anti-19S antiserum showed promise as a method for the detection of antigen-antibody complexes and aggregated gamma-globulin in tissue sections. The interpretation of these findings in regard to the nature of the binding sites, and their possible significance in regard to pathogenic mechanisms have been discussed.
Further Studies on the Linoleic Acid Requirement of the Hen Using Purified and Practical Type Diets

Abstract MENGE (1968) reported that the Leghorn hen fed a purified diet required approximately 2% dietary linoleic acid (18:2), supplied by corn oil, for egg production and maximum egg size, and 1% for hatchability of fertile eggs. Since no direct comparisons between purified and practical type diets were made, the present study was initiated to investigate this aspect. PROCEDURE Four hundred fifty Leghorn pullets were placed in batteries and fed a practical type starter from hatch until 2 weeks of age and then a linoleic acid deficient grower diet (Calvert, 1967) from 2 weeks until 22 weeks of age. The results of previous studies (Menge et al., 1965; and Menge, 1968) have shown that this depletion period was effective in depleting the chicken of 18:2. At 22 weeks of age, the 18:2-deficient pullets were divided into 12 groups of 30 birds each on the basis of body weight and placed into…
Evolutionary ideas and ‘empirical’ methods: the analogy between language and species in works by Lyell and Schleicher

In the Origin of Species , Charles Darwin (1809–82) briefly drew an analogy between languages and species, suggesting that the genealogical relationships between languages provide a model for discussing the descent and modification of species. Further, he suggested that just as languages often contain some vestige of earlier speech, for example silent, unpronounced letters, so the rudimentary organs of animals can provide clues about genealogy and descent.
Vertebrobasilar Dissection in a Duplicated Cervical Vertebral Artery: A Possible Pathoetiologic Association? A Case Report

A thirty-eight-year-old man with extensive spontaneous vertebrobasilar dissection in asso ciation with duplication of the ipsilateral proximal vertebral artery is described. He had no relevant medical history. The development of a spontaneous arterial dissection in a duplicated arterial system suggests a pathoetiologic association that may further expand the list of cerebrovascular pathology occurring with fenestration/duplications.
Gamma-Ray Spectrometry for Calorimetric Assay of Plutonium Fuels

High resolution gamma-ray measurements of plutonium isotopic and americium-241 concentrations are being used with a calorimetric measurement of heat from radioactive decay for a precise and accurate nondestructive assay of plutonium. The technique and results of measurements are presented. Requirements for Ge(Li) detectors, data acquisition and reduction systems are described.
The Old English Formula in Context

As is well known, the concept of the formula in Old English poetry is indebted to Milman Parry's classic definition: "The formula in the Homeric poems may be defined as a group of words which is regularly employed under the same metrical conditions to express a given essential idea."1 The history of Old English formulaic studies has been long and controversial,2 but the efforts of scholars to isolate the characteristics of the formula within the Old English, rather than the Homeric, poetic tradition still continues.3 This paper extends that effort by examining the meanings of traditional thematic formulas in context.4 In the process it proposes some new defini-
The Feminization of International Migration and its Effects on the Children Left Behind: Evidence from the Philippines

Summary This paper explores the effects of a mother’s migration on her children’s well-being. I use children with migrant fathers as the main control group to separately identify the effects coming from remittances from those resulting from parental absence. Exploiting demand shocks as an exogenous source of variation in the probability that the mother migrates, I find suggestive evidence that children of migrant mothers are more likely to lag behind in school compared to children with migrant fathers. Controlling for remittances does not change this result, supporting the hypothesis that a mother’s absence has a stronger detrimental effect than a father’s.
Matrix isolation studies of Lewis acid complexes of pyridine

Abstract The matrix isolation technique has been employed in conjunction with infrared spectroscopy for the formation, isolation and characterization of the intermediate 1:1 complexes of pyridine with SiF4 and GeF4. A high yield of product was observed, at dilutions as high as 4000/1/1, in twin jet experiments. At the same time, no evidence was detected for the known 2:1 complex. The product complexes were characterized by intense absorptions due to the perturbed acid subunit; the magnitude of shift from free acid was indicative of the formation of a very strong complex. Numerous vibrational modes of the complexed pyridine were observed, with shifts comparable to those noted for pyridine in transition metal complexes. Shifts were, as in previous studies, greater for the GeF4 complex than for the SiF4 complex, confirming the greater acidity of GeF4 relative to SiF4.
Mothers' beliefs about knowledge and mother—adolescent conflict

Efforts to understand parent—adolescent conflict have largely ignored the broad adult cognitive frameworks that guide parent behavior. Mothers (n = 56) and their adolescents (n = 52) individually completed multiple measures regarding the nature of their parent—adolescent conflict. Mothers also completed interviews regarding their beliefs about knowledge. As hypothesized, mothers' epistemological beliefs predicted mothers' and adolescents' descriptions of conflict patterns. Mothers with more complex epistemologies reported engaging in less intense conflict and experiencing less negative conflict behavior and their adolescents reported more positive communication. These mothers and adolescents also described a conflict pattern that emphasized collaboration and an openness to multiple opinions. Promoting mothers' own understanding of knowledge may be an important strategy for supporting more constructive parent—adolescent interactions.
Metric Learning Using Iwasawa Decomposition

Finding a good metric over the input space plays a fundamental role in machine learning. Most existing techniques use the Mahalanobis metric without incorporating the geometry of positive matrices and experience difficulties in the optimization procedure. In this paper we introduce the use of Iwasawa decomposition, a unique and effective parametrization of symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices, for performing metric learning tasks. Unlike other previously employed factorizations, the use of the Iwasawa decomposition is able to reformulate the semidefinite programming (SDP) problems as smooth convex nonlinear programming (NLP) problems with much simpler constraints. We also introduce a modified Iwasawa coordinates for rank-deficient positive semidefinite (PSD) matrices which enables the unifying of the metric learning and linear dimensionality reduction. We show that the Iwasawa decomposition can be easily used in most recent proposed metric learning algorithms and have applied it to the Neighbourhood Components Analysis (NCA). The experimental results on several public domain datasets are also presented.
Bacterial expression and purification of the amyloidogenic peptide PAPf39 for multidimensional NMR spectroscopy

PAPf39 is a 39 residue peptide fragment from human prostatic acidic phosphatase that forms amyloid fibrils in semen. These fibrils have been implicated in facilitating HIV transmission. To enable structural studies of PAPf39 by NMR spectroscopy, efficient methods allowing the production of milligram quantities of isotopically labeled peptide are essential. Here, we report the high-yield expression and purification of uniformly (13)C- and (15)N-labeled PAPf39 peptide, through expression as a fusion to ubiquitin at the N-terminus and an intein at the C-terminus. This allows the study of the PAPf39 monomer conformational ensemble by NMR spectroscopy. To this end, we performed the NMR chemical shift assignment of the PAPf39 peptide in the monomeric state at low pH.
Media, Social Networking, and Pediatric Obesity

The 5 years leading up to 2011 witnessed unprecedented transformations in the technology and media available to American consumers. These changes have led to major paradigmatic shifts in the way people think about media, how they use it, and the role they expect it to play in their lives. This article discusses the new media landscape and summarizes the evidence regarding media influences on pediatric obesity. Various effects on pediatric obesity are discussed and some conclusions and implications are provided, including possibilities and future directions for clinical practice and research.
Retrieval of Select Sar Images without Any Phase Information

For a select type of SAR image data, it is possible to generate an image that is visibly comparable to a fully focused image even when the motion errors are so severe that they render the phase data useless. This is possible if a large portion of the image consists of essentially no return areas (water being the primary example), which allows techniques derived from phase retrieval analysis to be applied to the SAR data. Examples from actual SAR image data demonstrate the power of the technique.
Parametric study of warpage of PWB assemblies and PWB assembly warpage minimization by component layout optimization

Out-of-plane displacement (warpage) has been a major concern for board-level electronic packaging. Warpage occurred during surface-mount assembly processes and normal operation causes many failures such as misregistration, delamination, die cracks, solder fatigue, and solder opening. Warpage results from a combination of material, geometry, and process effects. In the case of printed wiring board assembly (PWBA), component layout plays a crucial role. Many material, geometry, and process related parameters contribute to PWBA warpage. In this paper, a systematic design of experiments (DOE) is conducted so that the modeling results incorporate all relevant individual and interacting parametric effects, and so that the subsequent data analysis is computationally efficient. Subsequently, the parameters are optimized within practical range to achieve the minimum warpage. Component layout effect on PWBA warpage is also investigated. It is assumed that the materials and dimensions of the printed wiring board (PWB) as well as the components are fixed. The objective is to identify component layouts on the PWB so that it suffers minimal warpage. Evolutionary structural optimization (ESO) is used where the design domain is meshed to fine finite elements and materials at element locations are removed or grown iteratively according to a preset criterion. In conclusion, PWBA warpage can be minimized by carefully levering material, geometry, and process parameters, as well as component layout design.
Real-Time Detection of Virus Particles and Viral Protein Expression with Two-Color Nanoparticle Probes

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) mediates serious lower respiratory tract illness in infants and young children and is a significant pathogen of the elderly and immune compromised. Rapid and sensitive RSV diagnosis is important to infection control and efforts to develop antiviral drugs. Current RSV detection methods are limited by sensitivity and/or time required for detection. In this study, we show that antibody-conjugated nanoparticles rapidly and sensitively detect RSV and estimate relative levels of surface protein expression. A major development is use of dual-color quantum dots or fluorescence energy transfer nanobeads that can be simultaneously excited with a single light source.
Equations of motion for general constrained systems in Lagrangian mechanics

This paper develops a new, simple, explicit equation of motion for general constrained mechanical systems that may have positive semi-definite mass matrices. This is done through the creation of an auxiliary mechanical system (derived from the actual system) that has a positive definite mass matrix and is subjected to the same set of constraints as the actual system. The acceleration of the actual system and the constraint force acting on it are then directly provided in closed form by the acceleration and the constraint force acting on the auxiliary system, which thus gives the equation of motion of the actual system. The results provide deeper insights into the fundamental character of constrained motion in general mechanical systems. The use of this new equation is illustrated through its application to the important and practical problem of finding the equation of motion for the rotational dynamics of a rigid body in terms of quaternions. This leads to a form for the equation describing rotational dynamics that has hereto been unavailable.
Writing Space: The Computer, Hypertext, and the History of Writing

Contents: Introduction. Part I: The Visual Writing Space. The Computer as a New Writing Space. Writing as Technology. The Elements of Writing. Seeing and Writing. Part II: The Conceptual Writing Space. The Electronic Book. The New Dialogue. Interactive Fiction. Critical Theory and the New Writing Space. Part III: The Mind as a Writing Space. Artificial Intelligence. Electronic Signs. Writing the Mind. Writing Culture. Conclusion.