cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The pregnane xenobiotic receptor, a prominent liver factor, has actions in the midbrain for neurosteroid synthesis and behavioral/neural plasticity of female rats.

A novel factor of interest for growth/plasticity in the brain is pregnane xenobiotic receptor (PXR). PXR is a liver factor known for its role in xenobiotic clearance and cholesterol metabolism. It is expressed in the brain, suggesting a potential role for plasticity, particularly involving cholesterol-based steroids and neurosteroids. Mating induces synthesis of neurosteroids in the midbrain Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) of female rodents, as well as other ‘plastic’ regions of the brain, including the hippocampus, that may be involved in the consolidation of the mating experience. Reducing PXR in the VTA attenuates mating-induced biosynthesis of the neurosteroid, 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (3α,5α-THP). The 18kDA translocator protein (TSPO) is one rate-limiting factor for 3α,5α-THP neurosteroidogenesis. The hypothesis tested was that PXR is an upstream factor of TSPO for neurosteroidogenesis of 3α,5α-THP in the VTA for lordosis, independent of peripheral glands. First, proestrous rats were administered a TSPO blocker (PK11195) and/or 3α,5α-THP following infusions of PXR antisense oligonucleotides (AS-ODNs) or vehicle to the VTA. Inhibiting TSPO with PK11195 reduced 3α,5α-THP levels in the midbrain and lordosis, an effect that could be reversed with 3α,5α-THP administration, but not AS-ODN+3α,5α-THP. Second, proestrous, ovariectomized (OVX), or ovariectomized/adrenalectomized (OVX/ADX) rats were infused with a TSPO enhancer (FGIN 1-27) subsequent to AS-ODNs or vehicle to the VTA. PXR AS-ODNs blocked actions of FGIN 1-27 for lordosis and 3α,5α-THP levels among proestrous> OVX> OVX/ADX rats. Thus, PXR may be upstream of TSPO, involved in neurosteroidogenesis of 3α,5α-THP in the brain for plasticity. This novel finding of a liver factor involved in behavioral/neural plasticity substantiates future studies investigating factors known for their prominent actions in the peripheral organs, such as the liver, for modulating brain function and its augmentation.
First detection of the C2 symmetric isomer of carbon pentaoxide (CO5) at 10 K

Abstract Carbon oxides of the form CO n ( n = 2–8) have long been known as important molecules in atmospheric and solid state chemical reactions. These higher order carbon oxides have been theoretically predicted to be stable, however, their detection has been difficult. Here, we report on the first spectroscopic detection of the cyclic (C 2 ) isomer of carbon pentaoxide ( 12 C 16 O 5 ) via its ν 1 vibrational mode centered around 1912 cm −1 under matrix isolation conditions; the identification of the 12 C 18 O 5 , 13 C 16 O 5 , and 13 C 18 O 5 , isotopologues supported by ab initio calculations confirms the assignments. We also discuss possible formation routes of this molecule.
Images of oligomeric Kvβ2, a modulatory subunit of potassium channels

The Shaker type voltage-gated potassium (K+) channel consists of four pore-forming Kvα subunits. The channel expression and kinetic properties can be modulated by auxiliary hydrophilic Kvβ subunits via formation of heteromultimeric Kvα-Kvβ complexes. Because each (Kvα)4 could recruit more than one Kvβ subunit and different Kvβ subunits could potentially interact, the stoichiometry of α-β and β-β complexes is therefore critical for understanding the functional regulation of Shaker type potassium channels. We expressed and purified Kvβ2 subunit in Sf9 insect cells. The purified Kvβ2, examined by atomic force and electron microscopy techniques, is found predominately as a square-shaped tetrameric complex with side dimensions of 100×100 A2 and height of 51 A. Thus, Kvβ2 is capable of forming a tetramer in the absence of pore-forming α subunits. The center of the Kvβ2 complex was observed to be the most heavily stained region, suggesting that this region could be part of an extended tubular structure connecting the inner mouth of the ion permeation pathway to the cytoplasmic environment.
High-priority research and development needs for maintaining the safety and mobility of older drivers

Abstract The increase in the number of older drivers has resulted, in the last two decades, in a series of conferences and workshops that have outlined the magnitude of the “older driver problem.” More than 150 research and development recommendations generated by these conferences were rated by a task force of the Transportation Research Board in terms of their relative importance. On the basis of this rating, six major categories of high-priority research and development needs were identified: highway design, vehicle design, licensing and rehabilitation, vision and visual assessment, biomedical issues, and general issues. The current status of research in each of the categories is reviewed, and the most important avenues for future inquiry are outlined.
2-Mercaptoethanol is a survival factor for olfactory, cortical and hippocampal neurons in short-term dissociated cell culture

A medium originally designed for lymphocyte growth promoted robust survival of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in short-term (4-day), dissociated cell culture. The key ingredient for survival of neurons in both serum and serum-free conditions was 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). Enhancement of survival may be thiol-mediated because two other thiol compounds, 2-mercaptoethylamine and monothioglycerol, also increased ORN survival. Addition of 2-ME also significantly increased survival of embryonic cortical and hippocampal neurons in a serum-free medium, and embryonic cortical neurons in a serum-containing medium. After plating and growth in a serum-free medium containing 2-ME, survival of all three types of neurons was equivalent to, or greater than, survival in serum-containing media. Thus, thiols such as 2-ME promote the survival of multiple types of neurons in short-term cell culture.
Navigating role forces and the aesthetic|authentic caring dialectic: a novice urban science teacher’s developmental trajectory

Examining role forces and resources available to new teachers is crucial to understanding how teachers use and expand cultural, social, and symbolic resources and how they engage teaching for social justice and caring in urban science education. This critical narrative inquiry explores three levels of story. First, the narratives explore my role as a district science staff developer and my efforts to leverage district resources to improve students’ opportunities to learn science. Second, the narratives explore the ways in which a novice science teacher, Tina, navigated role forces and the aesthetic|authentic caring dialectic in a high poverty, urban school. A third level of narrative draws on sociological theories of human interaction to explore role forces and how they shaped Tina’s developmental trajectory. I describe how Tina expanded cultural, social, and symbolic resources to enact her teaching role.
Anisotropic Diffusive Transport in Annulus Fibrosus: Experimental Determination of the Diffusion Tensor by FRAP Technique

The annulus fibrosus (AF) of the intervertebral disc (IVD) exhibits a fiber-organized structure which is responsible for anisotropic and inhomogeneous mechanical and transport properties. Due to its particular morphology, nutrient transport within AF is regulated by complex transport kinetics. This work investigates the diffusive transport of a small solute in the posterior and anterior regions of AF since diffusion is the major transport mechanism for low molecular weight nutrients (e.g., oxygen and glucose) in IVD. Diffusion coefficient (D) of fluorescein (332 Da) in bovine coccygeal AF was measured in the three major (axial, circumferential, and radial) directions of the IVD by means of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique. It was found that the diffusion coefficient was anisotropic and inhomogeneous. In both anterior and posterior regions, the diffusion coefficient in the radial direction was found to be the lowest. Circumferential and axial diffusion coefficients were not significantly different in both posterior and anterior regions and their values were about 130% and 150% the value of the radial diffusion coefficient, respectively. The values of diffusion coefficients in the anterior region were in general higher than those of corresponding diffusion coefficients in the posterior region. This study represents the first quantitative analysis of anisotropic diffusion transport in AF by means of FRAP technique and provides additional knowledge on understanding the pathways of nutritional supply into IVD.
Maximizing sum rate and minimizing MSE on multiuser downlink: Optimality, fast algorithms and equivalence via max-min SIR

Maximizing the minimum weighted SIR, minimizing the weighted sum MSE and maximizing the weighted sum rate in a multiuser downlink system are three important performance objectives in joint transceiver and power optimization, where all the users have a total power constraint. We show that, through connections with the nonlinear Perron-Frobenius theory, jointly optimizing power and beamformers in the max-min weighted SIR problem can be solved optimally in a distributed fashion. Then, connecting these three performance objectives through the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality and nonnegative matrix theory, we solve the weighted sum MSE minimization and weighted sum rate maximization in the low to moderate interference regimes using fast algorithms.
A bait station for survey and detection of honey bees.

Presentation d'une methode de piegeage des abeilles africanisees basee sur l'utilisation de miel, de composants de la glande de Nasonov et sur une solution de saccharose. Evaluation de l'efficacite de ce piege en fonction de la quantite de nectar disponible dans le milieu
Stress-related variation in the articulation of coda alveolar stops: flapping revisited

Abstract The present paper examines the plausibility of two models of flapping in American English: (1) a traditional model of flapping as a categorical switch from stop to flap production in a specified linguistic environment, and (2) a model of flapping in which flapping arises as a by-product of articulatory changes associated with the general implementation of prosodic structure. These models are tested against a corpus of X-ray microbeam records of English speakers producing utterances with word-final coronal consonants in the appropriate segmental context for flapping, but in varied prosodic locations. Tokens were submitted to perceptual, acoustic, and articulatory analyses. Results show that listeners consistently transcribe the presence of flaps according to acoustic differences in the presence of voicing during closure and a release burst. Transcriptions and lingual measurements, however, suggest that the difference between flaps and [d] is associated with gradient differences in lingual positioning. Some articulatory correlates of perceived flapping correspond to predictions of a model of increased co-production of vowels and consonants yielding lenited stops heard as flaps, but others do not. Problems raised by these results for both traditional and prosodic by-product models are discussed.
Characterization of the thermal tolerances of forest ants of New England

Characterization of thermal tolerances of ants, which are both abundant and important in most terrestrial ecosystems, is needed since thermal constraints can inform how a species may respond to local climatic change. Here we identified the thermal tolerances of 16 common ant species of the Northeastern United States and determined relationships between body size, desiccation, and thermal tolerance among species. We hypothesized that maximum heat tolerances of these species would differ and be related to body size and capacity to resist desiccation. We identified four distinct groups of species belonging to one of three subfamilies, Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, or Myrmicinae, with different maximum thermal tolerances. Group “a” had a mean thermal tolerance of approximately 43°C (±1°C), group “b” had a mean thermal tolerance of 40°C (±1°C), group “c” had a mean thermal tolerance of 38°C (±0°C), and group “d” had a mean thermal tolerance of 36°C (±0°C). Groups “a” and “d” consisted of a single species (in the subfamilies Myrmicinae and Formicinae, respectively), while groups “b” and “c” were a mix of species in the subfamilies Myrmicinae, Formicinae, and Dolichoderinae. In the subfamily Formicinae, thermal tolerance increased with body size and critical water content, a metric of desiccation tolerance. In contrast, in the subfamily Myrmicinae, higher thermal tolerance was correlated with intermediate body size and lower critical water content. These findings suggest that the two dominant subfamilies in Northeastern deciduous forests have different relationships between body size, capacity to tolerate desiccation, and thermal tolerances across species. This variation in thermal tolerance suggests that climatic change may impact species differently.
Frazil ice formation and ice cover development in interior Alaska streams

Abstract A number of photographs are presented which illustrate selected aspects of frazil ice formation in turbulent streams in interior Alaska. These include the various forms of frazil ice found in turbulent streams and the processes involved in the development of an ice cover on the streams. All of the photographs depict frazil ice under field conditions. They include photographs of cooling conditions, frazil discs (both in situ and removed from the stream), anchor ice, edge ice, frazil flocs, frazil pans, snow slush, and frazil floes. Photographs of hydrological conditions that lead to the production of large frazil ice floes and of different types of frazil ice jams are also included. These photographs provide visual documentation of the key role that frazil ice plays in ice cover development on turbulent streams in interior Alaska.
Knowledge Surveys in General Chemistry: Confidence, Overconfidence, and Performance

Knowledge surveys have been used in a number of fields to assess changes in students’ understanding of their own learning and to assist students in review. This study compares metacognitive confidence ratings of students faced with problems on the surveys with their actual knowledge as shown on the final exams in two courses of general chemistry (Chem 110A and Chem 110B). The surveys were administered at the start and end of the course and correlated with the final exam scores. The surveys and final exams were found to be reliable, and the relatively high correlations between them suggested that students’ confidence ratings on knowledge surveys were valid reflections of their actual knowledge. Students scoring high on the exams estimated their knowledge with greater accuracy than the lower-scoring students, who overestimated their knowledge (see figure). This phenomenon reflected the Dunning–Kruger effect, and the methodology of knowledge surveys isolated students’ efficacy expectations, not outcome expectations, as the likely origin of the effect. Finding remedial interventions to improve metacognitive skills for lower-scoring, overconfident students poses a continuing problem.
The Latest Casualty of War: Catholic Relief Services, Humanitarianism, and the War in Vietnam, 1967–1968

The large humanitarian presence of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in South Vietnam came under attack from antiwar activists after Michael Novak published a series of articles in the National Catholic Reporter. CRS could no longer claim that its work was nonpolitical, argued Novak, because the bulk of its foodstuff went to feed the Popular Forces militia, a village-level civil defense force created by the government of South Vietnam. The implicit morality of charity was the “latest casualty” of an immoral war, he concluded. CRS defended itself by stating that its mission to the poor and homeless could only be carried out with the cooperation of the U.S. military and the South Vietnamese government. Not to help the needy was immoral, CRS argued. The resulting debate exposed a growing rift among Catholics concerning the Vietnam War, challenged the theological and pragmatic basis on which CRS operated the world’s largest international humanitarian organization, and signaled the end of a close partnership between church and state in the delivery of international humanitarian services.
Effect of plasma lipoproteins and lecithin-cholesterol dispersions on the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase of isolated rat hepatocytes.

Abstract Incubation of rat hepatocytes for 3 h in a medium containing amino acids, salts and albumin resulted in a 2-fold increase in the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. Inclusion of 10% human plasma, rat serum or dialysed rat serum in the medium resulted in an approximate 7-fold increase in reductase activity. These increases were specific since there was little change in the rate of fatty acid synthesis or in the activity of tyrosine aminotransferase. Reductase levels were increased above control values when high density lipoproteins or lecithin dispersions were added to the cells. Lecithin dispersions were also shown to increase the rate of efflux of cell cholesterol to the medium. In contrast, reductase levels were reduced when cells were incubated with low density lipoproteins or cholesterol added as an equimolar cholesterollecithin dispersion. This inhibition of the reductase by cholesterol dispersions was dependent on the continued de novo protein synthesis. Our data indicate that in normal rat hepatocytes the relative rates of efflux and influx of cholesterol may be critical to the regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity and cholesterogenesis.
Increasing intake of essential fatty acids from milk replacer benefits performance, immune responses, and health of preweaned Holstein calves

The objective was to evaluate the effect of feeding increasing amounts of essential fatty acids (FA) in milk replacer (MR) during the first 60 d of life on growth, health, and immunity of Holstein calves. Calves were born from dams fed low concentrations of total and essential FA during the lasT2 mo of pregnancy. Newborn calves were blocked by sex and parity of the dam and assigned randomly to receive 1 of 4 MR treatments (T). Hydrogenated coconut oil and soybean oil were mixed with emulsifier and commercial MR powder to prepare the following 4 MR containing 0.119 and 0.007 (T1), 0.187 and 0.017 (T2), 0.321 and 0.036 (T3), and 0.593 and 0.076 (T4) g of intake per kg of metabolic body weight (BW(0.75)) of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid, respectively. At 30 d of life, concentrations of essential FA (linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid) in liver increased, whereas concentrations of C12:0, C14:0, C16:0, and C20:3n-9 decreased linearly with increasing intake of essential FA. Body weight gain and feed efficiency were optimized when male calves consumed T2, whereas gain by female calves tended to increase linearly with increasing intake of essential FA during the first 30 d of age. However, these responses to treatment were not maintained after initiation of concentrate feeding at 31 d of life. Over the 60-d preweaning period, wither and hip heights were improved in both sexes as intake of essential FA increased up to T3. Some measures of health and immunity were affected by replacing some coconut oil with soybean oil. Severity of diarrhea tended to decrease linearly; plasma concentrations of haptoglobin during diarrhea were lower in T2, T3, and T4; phagocytosis by blood neutrophils tended to peak for calves fed T2; in vitro proliferation of stimulated blood lymphocytes was greater for calves fed T2; in vitro stimulated blood cells produced more IFN-γ (up to T3 for males and T2 for females), concentrations of serum IgG against ovalbumin injections were increased in males fed T2 or T3; and skin-fold thickness increased in response to an intradermal antigen injection of all calves fed up to T4. Across sex and under the conditions of the present study, mean daily intakes of linoleic acid between 3 to 5g/d and intakes of α-linolenic acid between 0.3 and 0.6g/d during the first 30 d of life promoted growth of preweaned Holstein calves, possibly by improving their immune status.
The Efficacy of Using Prelay and Early-Lay Rations for Brown-Egg Pullets

Experiments were conducted using two brown-egg strains to determine whether additional calcium or CP is required by these pullets prior to sexual maturity (prelay) and whether increased CP during the early part of production (early lay) would improve overall performance. In Experiment 1, the prelay treatments were arranged at a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement with two levels of CP (15 or 17%) and three levels of calcium (.9, 1.8, or 3.5%) and given to the pullets from 18 to 20 wk of age. From 20 to 26 wk of age, pullets were given either a 17 or 19% CP ration with 3.5% calcium, resulting in a total of 12 treatments. There were no significant effects of the prelay or early-lay rations on eggs per hen housed, hen-day percentage production (HDP), or feed efficiency. Egg weight was significantly improved using the 17% prelay ration at 26, 28, and 31 wk of age, but adversely affected by the higher levels of CP in the early-lay ration at 28 and 31 wk of age. Increasing calcium in the prelay ration had only minimal effects on egg size distribution. Experiment 2 consisted of a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with three levels of prelay CP (15, 17, or 19%) and two levels of early-lay CP (17 or 19%) and given to the pullets from 18 to 20 to 41 wk of age, respectively. There was a significant improvement in HDP from 30 to 41 wk of age using the 19% CP prelay ration. Egg size distribution was not significantly affected by either the prelay or the early-lay rations at 35 wk of age.
Parametric testing procedures for type II censorkd data sets based on the qtantile function

A procedure, based on the quantile function, is developed for testing the null hypothesis for continuous univariate distributions depending upon a finite parameter vector , for type II censored data sets. The statistic is obtained from a regression point of view by applying discrete time regression techniques to the sample quantile function. The resulting test statistic is computationally quite simple. Further, under both the null and local sequences of alternatives, it is asymptotically equivalent in distribution to the likelihood ratio statistic. A simulation study indicates that the statistic converges rapidly in distribution to a chi-squared random variable.
Empirical bond polarizability model for fullerenes

The static polarizability properties and the Raman-scattering intensities in molecular ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and ${\mathrm{C}}_{70}$ are found to be well reproduced by a bond polarizability model with parameters similar to those obtained from studies of hydrocarbons. For the Raman spectrum of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ with off-resonance infrared laser excitation, a fit using first-principles vibrational eigenvectors yields ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$-${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$=2.30 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{2}$, 2${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$+${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$=2.30 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{2}$, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$-${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}$=1.28 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{3}$ for single bonds and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$-${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$=2.60 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{2}$, 2${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$+${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$=7.55 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{2}$, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$-${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}$=0.32 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{3}$ for double bonds, with (${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$-${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}$) for the single bond arbitrarily set equal to its value in ethane, namely, 1.28 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{3}$. The transferability of these parameters to ${\mathrm{C}}_{70}$ is discussed in detail. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Method for decomposing observed line shapes resulting from multiple causes - Application to plasma charge-exchange-neutral spectra

A method is given for decomposing the widths of observed spectral lines resulting from unresolved line splitting, additive kinetic processes of different types, instrumental broadening (slit function), Doppler broadening, etc. all superimposed. The second moments are used as measures of the various widths involved. The method is not applicable if dispersion type (Lorentz) broadening occurs. Application is made to plasma charge-exchange-neutral spectra of hydrogen, deuterium, and helium.
HIV and chemoprophylaxis, the importance of considering social structures alongside biomedical and behavioral intervention.

Abstract This manuscript draws connections between chemoprophylaxis and the biomedical model of disease that emphasizes individual behavior. We argue that chemoprophylactic HIV interventions have limited utility at the population-level, and that structural interventions need to be prioritized. We use the recent CAPRISA 004 and iPrEx trials to (a) critique the utility of these trials from a public health perspective by highlighting the difference between efficacy and effectiveness, (b) apply an alternative theory of health behavior as a way to reorient the field toward the discussion of the need to employ structural interventions, and (c) examine two aspects of HIV prevention efforts – funding structures and iatrogenic effects of biomedical approaches – as a means of overcoming obstacles to more widespread adoption of structural interventions.
Nephrotoxic potential of N-(3,5-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)succinimide and N-(3,5-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)succinamic acid in Fischer-344 rats.

Abstract The ultimate nephrotoxicant species following administration of the agricultural fungicide N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) has yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to examine the nephrotoxic potential of two potential metabolites of NDPS, N-(3,5-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)succinimide (NDHPS) and N-(3,5-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)succinamic acid (NDHPSA). Male Fischer-344 rats (4 rats group ) were administered a single intraperitoneal injection of NDHPS or NDHPSA (0.2 or 0.4 mmol kg ) or vehicle and renal function was monitored at 24 and 48 h. Neither compound induced marked changes in renal function or morphology. These results suggest that NDHPS and NDHPSA do not contribute significantly to NDPS-induced nephrotoxicity.
A cross-sectional analysis of work-related outcomes in adults with asthma.

Background Asthma is a disease with physical symptoms that can impair a person's functioning to the point of interfering with school, work, and social activities. Objective Describe how disease (asthma) and patient characteristics affect perceived work performance and absenteeism. Methods Using a cross-sectional study design, 369 adults with asthma from a managed care organization responded to a mailed questionnaire which included a perceived work performance scale (WPS) and an item assessing absenteeism. Analysis consisted of psychometric testing of the scale (internal consistency and construct validity); trend observation of influence of perceived and symptom-derived severity on WPS and absenteeism distribution; and regression analysis to examine the relationship between patient/disease characteristics and the work-related outcomes. Results The mean WPS score was 88.0 ± 16.2 (of a possible 100), with a Cronbach's α of 0.79. Most respondents (84.7%) did not miss any work in the previous 4 weeks. WPS scores declined and the percentage of respondent absenteeism increased as perceived and symptom-derived severity worsened. The regression model for WPS produced an adjusted R 2 of 0.32 and included the number of other illnesses, health beliefs, race, income, and perceived and symptom-derived asthma severity. The regression model for absenteeism included number of other illnesses, race, health beliefs, and symptom-derived severity. Perceived work performance and absenteeism are outcomes measures that are distinctive and complementary. Conclusions Disease severity, race, income, and health beliefs also contribute and should be considered in health services research related to asthma.
Federal drug abuse policy and minority group issues--reflections of a participant-observer.

(1985). Federal Drug Abuse Policy and Minority Group Issues–Reflections of a Participant-Observer. International Journal of the Addictions: Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 203-215.
US government deficits and debt amid the great recession: what the evidence shows

This paper examines three sets of major questions regarding the current U.S. government's fiscal defi- cit and outstanding debt, tied to the 2009 economic stimulus program, the American Recovery and Reinvest- ment Act (ARRA). First, I consider the claim that high levels of government borrowing drives up interest rates. These high rates then produce a heavy burden of government debt as well as heavy inflationary pressures. The evidence we review regarding each of these concerns demonstrates that none have emerged as serious matters since the enactment of the ARRA. Given this conclusion, the paper then questions why the ARRA did not then succeed in generating a strong economic recovery. I first consider the possible impact of 'Ricardian Equivalence,'—the position that government stimulus programs, by their nature, are self-defeating. After argu- ing against this position, I advance three reasons for the failure of the ARRA to achieve a strong recovery: 1) The ARRA relied too heavily on tax cuts as a means of bolstering private spending; 2) Household wealth de- clined dramatically during the recession, tied to the collapse of the financial bubble. This in turn weakened the willingness of households to increase spending; and 3) Credit markets were locked up, especially for smaller businesses, despite the highly expansionary monetary policy stance adopted by the Federal Reserve. Building on these findings, I then develop a series of policy proposals aimed at promoting both a strong recovery in the short term and at reducing any remaining structural deficit issues in the longer term. The short-term program focuses on extending loan guarantees, especially to small businesses; and taxing the excess reserves held by commercial banks. The longer-term agenda focuses on reducing government costs for health care and the military, and on increasing revenue through establishing taxes on financial market transactions.
Effect of H and He irradiation on cavity formation and blistering in ceramics

Abstract Single- or poly-crystalline specimens of SiC, Si3N4, MgO, Al2O3 and MgAl2O4 were implanted with 0.4–1 MeV H+ or He+ ion beams at room temperature and 650 °C up to fluences of ∼1 × 1022/m2. This produced peak implanted gas and displacement damage levels as high as ∼50 at.% and 34 displacements per atom (dpa). The specimens were subsequently examined optically, and in cross-section using transmission electron microscopy. Subsurface blistering occurred for specimens irradiated to H or He fluences greater than about 3 × 1021/m2 (∼15 at.% peak implanted gas concentration), and surface exfoliation occurred for fluences above ∼1 × 1022/m2 (∼40 at.% implanted gas). Both helium and hydrogen had comparable effectiveness for inducing blistering and exfoliation on an atomic basis. The threshold blistering and exfoliation fluences for both ions were weakly dependent on temperature between 25 and 650 °C. Both H and He were found to be very effective in inducing matrix cavity formation, due to their low solubility in these ceramics. The implanted gas concentrations that resulted in visible cavity formation generally ranged from 1 to 5 at.%. Visible cavity formation was readily induced during room temperature irradiation despite the limited vacancy mobility in these ceramics at room temperature. Three general types of cavity morphologies were observed: isolated cavities, clusters of small cavities (typically associated with dislocation loops), and two-dimensional platelets. Cavity formation was observed to initiate at the periphery of dislocation loops in some cases. During elevated temperature irradiation, cavity formation was often observed to be preferentially associated with certain low-index habit planes, particularly if the habit plane was oriented nearly parallel to the irradiated surface: (0 0 0 1) and { 1 1 ¯ 0 0 } for Al2O3, (0 0 0 1) for α–SiC, {0 0 1} and {1 1 0} for MgO, and {1 1 0} and {1 1 1} for MgAl2O4. The bubble formation and blistering behavior of the ceramics was similar to that observed in other studies of metals irradiated at comparable homologous temperatures. Ionization-induced diffusion effects associated with dual-beam light ion irradiation appeared to exert only a weak effect on cavity and dislocation loop growth compared to the single ion irradiation conditions.
An appreciation of William H. Orme-Johnson III

This short memoir of personal and professional interactions with Bill Orme-Johnson covers a period of more than 35 years. Included are reflections on the early history of copper oxidases, iron-sulfur proteins and nitrogenase.
Could erlotinib be used in EGF receptor wild-type non-small-cell lung cancer?

333 ISSN 1758-1966 10.2217/LMT.13.39 © 2013 Future Medicine Ltd Lung Cancer Manage. (2013) 2(5), 333–336 The development of EGF receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has shifted our treatment paradigm in nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Erlotinib is an orally administered, first-generation, reversible EGFR TKI. The activating mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR are considered to be the most important biomarkers to predict responses to erlotinib because these mutations are the oncologic drivers of some NSCLC by stimulating downstream signaling, such as the RAS–RAF–MEK–ERK, PI3K–AKT and STAT pathways. In the USA, erlotinib is the preferred front-line therapy in advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC, with superior response rates and progression-free survival (PFS) in comparison to standard chemotherapy. On the other hand, the majority of patients with NSCLC do not harbor EGFR mutations and are considered as EGFR wild-type, although EGFR signaling may still be activated through protein over expression or increased gene copy numbers. Indeed, erlotinib is currently approved for the treatment of unselected chemorefractory advanced lung cancer patients, as well as maintenance therapy after first-line chemotherapy. Its activity is clinically relevant, but usually modest in NSCLC with EGFR wild-type. Thus, when and in which setting could we consider erlotinib in the treatment of EGFR wild-type lung cancer?
Associations between valve repair and reduced operative mortality in 21 056 mitral/tricuspid double valve procedures

OBJECTIVES: Repair of either the mitral (M) or tricuspid (T) valve in single valve surgery is associated with reduced operative mortality. It is unclear, however, how valve repair influences mortality in combined MT procedures. This topic was evaluated in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. METHODS: From 1993 through 2007, 21 056 patients underwent concomitant MT valve surgery. Group I had M&T replacement (n= 1130), Group II had M repair and T replacement (n= 216), Group III had M replacement and T repair (n= 11 448) and Group IV had both M&T repair (n= 8262). Unadjusted operative mortalities (UOMs) and morbidities of Groups I–IV were assessed, and logistic regression analysis adjusted for differences in baseline patient profiles. Surgical outcomes were expressed as UOMs, and also adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for mortality. RESULTS: Group IV was older with more coronary artery bypass grafting and generally less comorbidity, and Group I had more endocarditis, mitral stenosis and reoperation. UOM values were: Group I = 16.8, Group II = 10.2, Group III = 10.3 and Group IV = 8.0%. In the multivariable model, factors influencing mortality included: age (per 5-year increase, OR = 1.15), renal failure with dialysis (OR = 3.22), emergency status (OR = 3.14), second or more reoperations (OR = 1.92) and later surgical date (OR = 0.63). Both M and T repair were independently associated with lower operative mortalities vs prosthetic valve replacement (OR = 0.83 and 0.60, respectively, P< 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In MT double valve surgery, repair of either valve is associated with lower risk-adjusted mortality when compared with replacement and, when feasible, multiple valve repair should be considered the optimal treatment. Within the limitations of observational analysis, these data support continued efforts to increase M&T repair rates.
A Thermodynamic History of the Solar Constitution - II: The Theory of a Gaseous Sun and Jeans’ Failed Liquid Alternative

In this work, the development of solar theory is followed from the concept that the Sun was an ethereal nuclear body with a partially condensed photosphere to the creation of a fully gaseous object. An overview will be presented of the liquid Sun. A powerful lineage has brought us the gaseous Sun and two of its main authors were the direct scientific descendants of Gustav Robert Kirchhoff: Franz Arthur Friedrich Schuster and Arthur Stanley Eddington. It will be discovered that the seminal ideas of Father Secchi and Herve Faye were not abandoned by astronomy until the beginning of 20th century. The central role of carbon in early solar physics will also be highlighted by revisiting George Johnstone Stoney. The evolution of the gaseous models will be outlined, along with the contributions of Johann Karl Friedrich Zollner, James Clerk Maxwell, Jonathan Homer Lane, August Ritter, William Thomson, William Huggins, William Edward Wilson, George Francis FitzGerald, Jacob Robert Emden, Frank Washington Very, Karl Schwarzschild, and Edward Arthur Milne. Finally, with the aid of Edward Arthur Milne, the work of James Hopwood Jeans, the last modern advocate of a liquid Sun, will be rediscovered. Jeans was a staunch advocate of the condensed phase, but deprived of a proper building block, he would eventually abandon his non-gaseous stars. For his part, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar would spend nine years of his life studying homogeneous liquid masses. These were precisely the kind of objects which Jeans had considered for his liquid stars.
Analysis of ectopic pregnancies resulting from in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

The purpose of this study was to analyse the risk factors, stimulation characteristics, site and outcome of pregnancy and future fecundity of patients who develop ectopic pregnancies after in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Of 3145 transfer cycles between January 1981 and July 1989, 27 (3.3%) of the resulting 825 pregnancies were ectopic. There was a significantly greater incidence of a prior ectopic pregnancy in the study group compared to the controls. Compared to matched controls with intrauterine pregnancies, the study group had significantly higher peak oestradiol levels. Twenty-one ectopic pregnancies were ampullary, two were interstitial, one was abdominal, one was cervical and two were heterotopic. Sixteen of the patients subsequently underwent 40 IVF attempts with a pregnancy rate of 28% per transfer. We conclude that patients with a prior ectopic pregnancy are at risk for an IVF ectopic pregnancy. The subsequent IVF outcome of those who develop ectopic pregnancies after IVF is encouraging.
Pharmacologic treatment of heart failure with standard drugs

During 1993 the indications for the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors were expanded to include patients with left ventricular dysfunction and acute myocardial infarction. The role and use of ACE inhibitors in patients with chronic systolic ventricular dysfunction, established in earlier trials, has been further clarified. Increasing attention is being focused on ACE inhibitors, specifically the mechanisms by which they improve mortality, their side effects, and the possibility of further increasing their use by avoiding renal dysfunction and first-dose hypotension. Although most of the interest has centered on ACE inhibitors, the importance of diuretics and their use in combination with ACE inhibitors is being clarified. Most important has been the demonstration over the past year of the effectiveness of digoxin in preventing cardiac deterioration in patients with systolic left ventricular dysfunction and sinus rhythm. The increased understanding of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, its modification by ACE inhibitors, and the interaction of ACE inhibition with other drugs provides the basis for a further improvement in morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure.
Capturing bottom-up information technology use processes: a complex adaptive systems model

Although information systems researchers have long recognized the possibility for collective- level information technology use patterns and outcomes to emerge from individual-level IT use behaviors, few have explored the key properties and mechanisms involved in this bottom-up IT use process. This paper seeks to build a theoretical framework drawing on the concepts and the analytical tool of complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory. The paper presents a CAS model of IT use that encodes a bottom-up IT use process into three interrelated elements: agents that consist of the basic entities of actions in an IT use process, interactions that refer to the mutually adaptive behaviors of agents, and an environment that represents the social organizational contexts of IT use. Agent-based modeling is introduced as the analytical tool for computationally representing and examining the CAS model of IT use. The operationability of the CAS model and the analytical tool are demonstrated through a theory-building exercise translating an interpretive case study of IT use to a specific version of the CAS model. While Orlikowski (1996) raised questions regarding the impacts of employee learning, IT flexibility, and workplace rigidity on IT-based organization transformation, the CAS model indicates that these factors in individual-level actions do not have a direct causal linkage with organizational- level IT use patterns and outcomes. This theory-building exercise manifests the intriguing nature of the bottom-up IT use process: collective-level IT use patterns and outcomes are the logical and yet often unintended or unforeseeable consequences of individual-level behaviors. The CAS model of IT use offers opportunities for expanding the theoretical and methodological scope of the IT use literature.
Political party affiliation, political ideology and mortality

Background Ecological and cross-sectional studies have indicated that conservative political ideology is associated with better health. Longitudinal analyses of mortality are needed because subjective assessments of ideology may confound subjective assessments of health, particularly in cross-sectional analyses. Methods Data were derived from the 2008 General Social Survey-National Death Index data set. Cox proportional analysis models were used to determine whether political party affiliation or political ideology was associated with time to death. Also, we attempted to identify whether self-reported happiness and self-rated health acted as mediators between political beliefs and time to death. Results In this analysis of 32 830 participants and a total follow-up time of 498 845 person-years, we find that political party affiliation and political ideology are associated with mortality. However, with the exception of independents (adjusted HR (AHR)=0.93, 95% CI 0.90 to 0.97), political party differences are explained by the participants’ underlying sociodemographic characteristics. With respect to ideology, conservatives (AHR=1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.12) and moderates (AHR=1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11) are at greater risk for mortality during follow-up than liberals. Conclusions Political party affiliation and political ideology appear to be different predictors of mortality.
Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection Induces Differentiation of Monocytes into Macrophages

Migration and differentiation of monocytes to the intima of blood vessels may be a crucial first step in the development of atherosclerosis associated with Chlamydia (Chlamydophila) pneumoniae. However, the involvement of C. pneumoniae infection in such steps is not clear. In the present study, therefore, the differentiation-inducing activity of C. pneumoniae to monocytes was examined. Human THP-1 monocytic cell line cells were infected with C. pneumoniae, and the differentiation of monocytes to macrophages was assessed by cell morphology, phagocytic activity, and expression of a cell surface adhesion molecule. The monocytic cells infected with viable bacteria markedly differentiated into macrophages associated with diffused cell morphology, increased uptake of polystyrene beads and increased ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) expression on the cell surfaces. Heat-killed bacteria did not induce any morphological changes or increase of phagocytosis, but they did induce an increase of cell surface ICAM-1 expressions in THP-1 monocytic cells. The antibiotic minocycline treatment of infected cells resulted in marked inhibition of the cell differentiation as well as C. pneumoniae growth in the cells, but not ICAM-1 expression. In addition, the experiments with human peripheral blood monocytes infected with C. pneumoniae also showed the differentiation of macrophages assessed by morphological change and phagocytic activity. These results indicate that C. pneumoniae infection may directly induce the differentiation of monocytes to macrophages. However, antigenic stimulation of monocytes with bacteria may not be sufficient for a full macrophage differentiation.
An Active Learning Approach to Knowledge Transfer for Hyperspectral Data Analysis

Obtaining ground truth for classification of remotely sensed data is time consuming and expensive. In addition, a number of factors cause the spectral signatures of the same class to vary spatially. Therefore, successful adaptation of a classifier designed from available labeled data to classify new images acquired over other geographic locations is difficult but invaluable to the remote sensing community. In this paper we propose an active learning technique for rapidly updating existing classifiers using very few labeled data points from the new image. We also show empirically that our updated classifier exhibits better learning rates than classifiers trained via other active learning and semi-supervised methods.
Media framing through stages of a political discourse: International news agencies’ coverage of Kosovo’s status negotiations

This study investigates the persistence of news frames cross-nationally and over time by analyzing the international news agencies’ coverage of Kosovo’s status negotiations over a period of two years. The results suggest a congruency in international news agencies reporting, who mainly employ the ‘episodic frame’ and emphasize the ‘conflict’ nature of the issue. However, a major difference in frame choice emerged between western and non-western agencies, while news frames over the two-year period appeared to be static rather than dynamic. Overall, this study implies that event-oriented factors, such as professional norms, tend to drive the framing of international news. Yet these norms are embedded in the journalistic culture of the country where the news-people originate from, and this culture is becoming more homogeneous along with the process of globalization.