cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlates of high fat/calorie food intake in a worksite population: the healthy worker project

Behavioral and sociodemographic correlates of high fat/calorie food consumption were examined in a population-based sample of working adults (N = 2038 men; N = 2335 women). Relative weight, dieting history, and cigarette smoking were significantly related to total energy intake from high fat/calorie foods. Relative weight was positively related to the intake of meat, eggs, fried potatoes, and fats. Current dieting to lose weight was associated with a lower intake of all foods, except alcohol and fats. These foods were unrelated to dieting status in men and positively related to dieting status in women. Physical activity and smoking were related to higher intake of high fat/calorie foods. Smokers consumed fewer sweet foods than nonsmokers, however. These results underscore the importance of controlling for dieting status, as well as other behavioral and demographic variables, in population studies of dietary intake. They also suggest factors that may be important in the etiology of unhealthy eating patterns and potential targets for dietary intervention.
Mucosal immune system in neonatal period and early infancy

The major mechanisms of mucosal defense in the neonate consist of a variety of nonspecific barriers, and innate and specific adaptive immune responses. The functions of innate immunity in the mucosal surfaces are mediated by host-specific microbial–pathogen recognition receptors, designed to recognize unique microbial-associated molecular patterns integral to the structure of most microorganisms. Other mechanisms include many antimicrobial peptides, macrophages, dendritic cells, complement components and host-derived cellular and soluble products. The important elements of neonatal mucosal adaptive immunity include the inductive sites, such as the Peyer’s patches and other lymphoid structures in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, the nasopharyngeal and sublingual tissues, the subepithelial and intraepithelial sites in most external mucosal surfaces, including the genital tract and the mammary glands. These sites contain lymphoid cells derived by the homing of antigen-activated cells from the ind...
L1551 NE or L1551 IRS 5: Which Source Drives HH 28/29?

We have obtained deep high-resolution interference filter images of the HH objects in the L1551 molecular cloud in 1990 and 1997, and we suggest that the well-known and well-studied objects HH 28 and 29 are driven by the deeply embedded class 0 source L1551 NE, not by the well-known IRS 5 source. We find a new, small bipolar HH flow, HH 454, surrounding L1551 NE. This new HH flow is aligned along the axis of a highly collimated infrared jet from this source, is blueshifted by 110 km s-1 southwest of the source, and is redshifted by 100–130 km s-1 northeast of L1551 NE. A line through the L1551 NE source and along this well-defined flow axis passes straight through HH 29 and within parts of the more distant HH 259 and HH 28. The proper motion of HH 29 exhibits a complex flow pattern with some knots appearing to move away from the nearby source IRS 5 while other parts are moving away from L1551 NE. The HH 29 object encompasses several bright, stationary knots that have faded between the two epoch images. When these stationary knots are excluded from the proper-motion analysis, the resulting overall flow vector points away from L1551 NE, not from IRS 5. Most components of HH 259 and some parts of HH 28 also appear to be moving in a direction pointing away from L1551 NE rather than from IRS 5. In the opposite, redshifted lobe, we find a new, distant HH object, HH 286, but it is unclear whether L1551 NE or IRS 5 is the driving source. Altogether, it appears that L1551 NE plays a much more prominent role than hitherto anticipated in the outflow activity of this highly complex and confused region.
Cannabis bliss? Perhaps not?

The effectiveness of cannabis use in treating multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms has been mixed. On the one hand, it has been shown to be effective in treating lower urinary tract symptoms1 as well as pain2 in these patients. In addition, significant numbers of patients with MS support the use of cannabis for symptom management.3,4 In contrast, other research has shown that cannabis use does not positively impact symptoms of spasticity.5 Two common MS sequelae for which the impact of cannabis use has not been systematically examined are cognitive and psychiatric problems. Such exploration is especially important given the known psychoactive properties of cannabis and its possible effect on cognition. In this issue of Neurology ®, Ghaffar and Feinstein6 report their evaluation of the cognitive and psychiatric consequences of cannabis use in patients with MS. The study presents interesting findings that make an important contribution to the MS literature. Specifically, the authors compared 10 patients with MS who reported smoking cannabis regularly (at least once per month) to …
The role of emotional health in functional outcomes after orthopaedic surgery: extending the biopsychosocial model to orthopaedics: AOA critical issues

Orthopaedic surgery successfully restores physical function and relieves pain in millions of Americans each year. In fact, orthopaedic surgery to treat arthritis of the knee and hip and lumbar spine conditions is among the top five surgical procedures by cost and volume in the United States. Despite the overwhelming success of orthopaedic procedures, functional improvement after surgery varies widely. Poor functional outcomes have been correlated with poor emotional health, such as anxiety, depression, poor coping skills, and poor social support1,2. The variation in functional outcomes exists despite state-of-the-art surgical techniques and is independent of postoperative complications. Furthermore, suboptimal functional outcomes associated with poor emotional health have been reported in a variety of orthopaedic specialties, including spine surgery, trauma care and/or fracture repair, rotator cuff repair, sports-related surgery (e.g., anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] reconstruction), total hip replacement, total knee replacement, and hand and upper extremities surgery. It is well established that the emotional health of the patient influences the outcome of many common orthopaedic surgeries.
Mutations causing pattern deficiencies and duplications in the imaginal wing disk of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Pattern deficiencies and duplications are produced in derivatives of the imaginal wing disk by the mutations sd UCI , vg , tet , and wg 1 in Drosophila melanogaster . In sd UCI and vg the majority of adults show a simple wing emargination phenotype, but some of them show almost complete wing deficiency accompanied by duplication of the remaining thoracic structures. In tet and wg 1 the latter class of phenotype is seen in some of the animals, but the remainder are normal and the simple deficiency phenotype is not observed. Serial sections of sd UCI and vg disks revealed extensive cell death throughout the third larval instar in locations corresponding to presumptive wing blade. A small amount of scattered cell death was also found in early third instar wild-type disks, and it is suggested that the mutations sd UCI and vg affect wing shape by exaggerating the extent of normal cell death. The types of duplications seen in sd UCI and vg mutant adults are consistent with the known regulative behavior of cultured fragments of imaginal wing disks, and we therefore propose that the duplications are a secondary response to degeneration of a large part of the disk. Little cell death was seen in tet and wg 1 during the third larval instar, so these mutations may cause pattern duplication by a different mechanism.
The role of playfulness in the leisure stress-coping process among emerging adults: an SEM analysis

A benefit of playfulness is facilitating stress coping, and leisure has been identified as a coping strategy. However, no research has examined whether playfulness facilitates using leisure to cope with stress. The process theory of stress coping shows that using leisure to cope with stress is a process involving not only coping strategies, but also emotional response and comprehensive coping outcomes. However, no study has used the process theory to examine the role of playfulness in the leisure stress-coping process. This study surveyed 195 university students about their psychological stress, playfulness, emotions and quality of life. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. Results suggest that being more playful leads university students to seek companionship through social leisure and to enhance mood through leisure pursuits but not use leisure to escape from stress. Results also support the process theory of stress coping by showing that personal factors like playfulness as well ...
A novel spectroscopic titration method for determining the dissociation constant and stoichiometry of protein-ligand complex.

We offer a new titration protocol for determining the dissociation constant and binding stoichiometry of protein-ligand complex, detectable by spectroscopic methods. This approach neither is limited to the range of protein or ligand concentrations employed during titration experiment nor relies on precise determinations of the titration "endpoint," i.e., the maximal signal changes upon saturation of protein by ligand (or vice versa). In this procedure, a fixed concentration of protein (or ligand) is titrated by increasing volumes of a stock ligand (or protein) solution, and the changes in the spectroscopic signal are recorded after each addition of the titrant. The signal for interaction between protein and ligand first increases, reaches a maximum value, and then starts decreasing due to dilution effect. The volume of the titrant required to achieve the maximum signal changes is utilized to calculate the dissociation constant and the binding stoichiometry of the protein-ligand complex according to the theoretical relationships developed herein. This procedure has been tested for the interaction of avidin with a chromophoric biotin analogue, 2-(4'-hydroxyazobenzene)benzoic acid by following the absorption signal of their interaction at 500 nm. The widespread applicability of this procedure to protein-ligand complexes detected by other spectroscopic techniques and its advantages over conventional methods are discussed.
Recycling Pd colloidal catalysts using polymeric phosphine ligands and polyethylene as a solvent

Polyisobutylene (PIB)-bound azo dyes were prepared from aryl amine terminated polyisobutylene oligomers and used to form palladacycle precatalysts that can be used for catalytic carbon–carbon cross coupling reactions. The catalysts so formed were recyclable using thermomorphic heptane–DMF solutions that are monophasic at 80 °C and biphasic at room temperature. Under these conditions, the Pd catalyst can be recycled but some Pd leaches into the product solution. Using a low melting polyethylene oligomer as a solvent in place of the volatile heptane solvent reduces this leaching by roughly an order of magnitude. Further modification that involves using a second polyisobutylene (PIB)-bound phosphine ligand both increases the activity of the colloidal Pd catalyst and decreases the total Pd leaching by almost two orders of magnitude with 99.88% of the Pd being recovered. In this case, the Pd content in the solution of the product was ca. 0.3 ppm. These two modifications together lead to a much more sustainable strategy for the use of Pd colloidal catalysts in catalytic cross coupling chemistry.
Experimental confirmation of the two-source interference model for the fine structure of distortion product otoacoustic emissions

High-resolution measurements of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) from three different experimental paradigms are shown to be in agreement with the implications of a realistic “two-source” cochlear model of DPOAE fine structure. The measurements of DPOAE amplitude and phase imply an interference phenomenon involving one source in the region of strong nonlinear interaction of the primary waves (the strong “overlap” or generation region), and the other source region around the DPOAE tonotopic place. The component from the DPOAE place can be larger than the one from the generator region. These findings are supported by the analysis of the onset and offset of the DPOAE when the higher-frequency primary is pulsed on and off. The two-source hypothesis was further tested by adding a third tone closer in frequency to the DPOAE which modifies the amplitude of the component from the DPOAE place and leaves the one from the generator region unchanged. The results agree well with the model prediction that the variation with frequency, and implied latency, of the phase of the DPOAE tonotopic-place component are greater than the corresponding quantities for the component from the generation region.
Equivalency of Bayesian multisensor information fusion and neural networks

This paper proposes a Bayesian multi-sensor object localization approach that keeps track of the observability of the sensors in order to maximize the accuracy of the final decision. This is accomplished by adaptively monitoring the mean-square-error of the results of the localization system. Knowledge of this error and the distribution of the system's object localization estimates allow the result of each sensor to be scaled and combined in an optimal Bayesian sense. It is shown that under conditions of normality, the Bayesian sensor fusion approach is directly equivalent to a single layer neural network with a sigmoidal non-linearity. Furthermore, spatial and temporal feedback in the neural networks can be used to compensate for practical difficulties such as the spatial dependencies of adjacent positions. Experimental results using 10 binary microphone arrays yield an order of magnitude improvement in localization error for the proposed approach when compared to previous techniques.
A Nondimensional Number to Classify Composite Compressive Failure

A new nondimensional number (η) to predict the dominant failure mechanism of fiber reinforced composites under compression loading is presented. Results from previous experimental investigations on the failure of glass fiber reinforced and carbon fiber reinforced vinylester matrix composites, respectively, were used to motivate and develop η. Experimental results available in the open literature are used to compare the predictions of η. This number can be used as a design tool to develop new composite materials with a preferred failure mode. The exercise of developing such a number provides insight into parameters that control the compressive strength of fiber reinforced composite materials.
Bridging risk management perceptions and processes: the case of the National Mall and Memorial Parks

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze two studies pertaining to the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington DC, to gain a better understanding of risk management perceptions and processes as applied to urban cores that consistently host tourists and special events.Design/methodology/approach – The first study is a qualitative analysis of open‐ended commentary that addresses issues pertaining to safety and security to garner an overarching sense of risk management perceptions that National Mall visitors have when considering these parklands. The second study involves participant observation, quantitative documentation and analysis of specific risk management processes utilized during the 2007 National Independence Day Celebration.Findings – The findings of the first study suggest that personal safety is viewed as paramount and that visitors are not overly worried about the threat of terrorist activity, as illustrated by the strong feelings of displeasure towards access obstructions and b...
Anti-pentylenetetrazol effect of intranigral 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoate attenuated by muscimol.

Abstract Bilateral injection of 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoate (2-APH), a selective N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, into substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) significantly and dose-dependently tonic pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizures (100 mg/kg, i.p.). The results confirm the anticonvulsant effectiveness of 2-APH and the capacity of SNpr to modulate PTZ seizure activity. The anti-PTZ effect of 2-APH was significantly attenuated by muscimol, co-infused into SNpr. This result supports the hypothesis, drawn from earlier studies, that intranigral muscimol can interfere with the anti-PTZ actions of other intranigral treatments.
Sensitive detection of a novel class of toluene-degrading denitrifiers, Azoarcus tolulyticus, with small-subunit rRNA primers and probes

Azoarcus tolulyticus is a new class of widely distributed toluene-degrading denitrifiers of potential importance in remediating benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX)-contaminated environments. To detect these organisms in the environment, 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic probes were developed. Two sets of specific PCR amplification primers and two oligonucleotide hybridization probes were designed and tested against both closely and distantly related environmental isolates. All of these primers and probes were specific to the species A. tolulyticus. The sensitivity of the PCR amplification primer sets was evaluated with DNA isolated from A. tolulyticus Tol-4 pure culture and from sterile soils seeded with a known number of Tol-4 and Escherichia coli cells. These primer sets were able to detect 1 fg to 1 pg of template DNA from the pure culture and 1.11 x 10(2) to 1.1 x 10(8) Tol-4 cells per g of soil in the presence of 1.56 x 10(10) E. coli cells. These two PCR amplification primers were also successfully tested at two field sites. The primers identified the A. tolulyticus strains among the toluene-degrading bacteria isolated from a low-O2-high-NO(3)- aquifer at Moffett Field, Calif. Also, the presence of A. tolulyticus was detected in the groundwater samples from a BTEX-contaminated aquifer at an industrial site in Detroit, Mich., which showed anaerobic toluene degradation.
When Right Makes Might: How Prussia Overturned the European Balance of Power

From 1864 to 1871, Prussia mounted a series of wars that fundamentally altered the balance of power in Europe. Yet no coalition emerged to check Prussia's rise. Rather than balance against Prussian expansion, the great powers sat on the sidelines and allowed the transformation of European politics. Traditionally, scholars have emphasized structural variables, such as mulitpolarity, or domestic politics as the cause of this “underbalancing.” It was Prussia's legitimation strategies, however—the way Prussia justified its expansion—that undermined a potential balancing coalition. As Prussia expanded, it appealed to shared rules and norms, strategically choosing rhetoric that would resonate with each of the great powers. These legitimation strategies undermined balancing coalitions through three mechanisms: by signaling constraint, laying rhetorical traps (i.e., framing territorial expansion in a way that deprived others states grounds on which to resist), and increasing ontological security (i.e., demonstrat...
Selective harmonic control: a general problem formulation and selected solutions

Selective harmonic elimination/control has been a widely researched alternative to traditional pulse-width modulation techniques. Previous and current work has made fundamental assumptions that enforce output waveform quarter-wave symmetry, presumably in order to reduce the complexity of the resulting equations. However, the quarter-wave symmetric assumption is not strictly necessary. It restricts the solution space, which can result in sub-optimal solutions with regards to the uncontrolled harmonic distribution. A more general formulation is proposed, removing the quarter-wave symmetry constraint for two classes of the m-level, n-harmonic harmonic control problem. The special cases of two- and three-level harmonic elimination are presented in detail along with representative solutions for each harmonic control problem. New solutions previously unattainable based on quarter-wave symmetric techniques are identified.
The Role of Self-Efficacy in Achieving Health Behavior Change

The concept of self-efficacy is receiving increasing recognition as a predictor of health behavior change and maintenance. The purpose of this article is to facilitate a clearer understanding of both the concept and its relevance for health education research and practice. Self-efficacy is first defined and distinguished from other related concepts. Next, studies of the self-efficacy concept as it relates to health practices are examined. This review focuses on cigarette smoking, weight control, contraception, alcohol abuse and exercise behaviors. The studies reviewed suggest strong relationships between self-efficacy and health behavior change and maintenance. Experimental manipulations of self-efficacy suggest that efficacy can be enhanced and that this enhancement is related to subsequent health behavior change. The findings from these studies also suggest methods for modifying health practices. These methods diverge from many of the current, traditional methods for changing health practices. Recommend...
Labetalol facilitates GABAergic transmission to rat periaqueductal gray neurons via antagonizing β1- adrenergic receptors - a possible mechanism underlying labetalol- induced analgesia

Labetalol, a combined alpha1, beta1, and beta2 adrenoceptor-blocking drug, has been shown to have analgesic properties in vivo. To determine the underlying mechanisms, we examined its effects on GABAA receptor-mediated spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) and spontaneous firings of rat ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (PAG) neurons, either mechanically dissociated, or in acute brain slices. These PAG neurons mediate opioid-mediated analgesia and pain transmission and are under tonic control of GABAergic interneurons. An increase in GABAergic transmission to these neurons yields an inhibitory hyperpolarized state and may interrupt pain signal transmission. Using patch clamp techniques, we found that labetalol reversibly increases the frequency of sIPSCs without changing their mean amplitude. This indicates that labetalol enhances GABAergic synaptic transmission by a presynaptic mechanism. Metoprolol, a specific beta1-adrenoceptor antagonist, also reversibly enhanced sIPSC frequency. In the presence of metoprolol, labetalol-induced increase in sIPSC frequency was significantly attenuated or even abolished. These results suggest that labetalol shares the same pathway as metoprolol in enhancing GABAergic transmission via an inhibition of presynaptic beta1-adrenoceptors. We further showed that labetalol reversibly reduced the firing rate of PAG neurons. This reduction was significantly attenuated in the presence of bicuculline, a selective antagonist of GABAA receptors. These data indicate that labetalol-induced inhibition of PAG cell firing is attributable to its potentiation of GABAergic transmission. Based on these data, we postulate that labetalol-induced analgesia is at least in part ascribed to its antagonistic effects on presynaptic beta1-adrenoceptors.
The Post-War Reorganization of the German Banking System

I. Basic purposes, 322. — II. Attempts at quadripartite agreement, 325. — III. Reorganization in the U. S. Zone, 325. — IV. Reorganization in the French and British Zones, 328. — V. The new Central Bank in the Western Zones, 330. — VI. Reorganization in the Soviet Zone, 333. — VII. The situation in Berlin, 337. — VIII. Conclusion, 339.
Synergy between visual and olfactory cues in nectar feeding by naı̈ve hawkmoths, Manduca sexta

We performed field experiments to measure the relative importance of olfactory and visual cues in nectar foraging by wild tobacco hornworm moths, Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, U.S.A. We manipulated flowers of sacred Datura (Datura wrightii; Solanaceae) to experimentally decouple floral scent from visual display and presented these cues to free-flying moths in mixed and homogeneous arrays. Moths did not feed from cloth-bagged fragrant flowers lacking strong visual contrast, nor did they feed from paper model flowers lacking plant odours. Unexpectedly, moths fed from paper model flowers that were associated solely with vegetative odours, albeit at lower levels than when floral scent was present. Subsequent experiments revealed that the combination of floral and vegetative odours did not incrementally increase nectar feeding and that floral scent without vegetation was sufficient to elicit feeding when paper flowers were present. Thus, wild M. sexta in our study did not show generalized feeding responses to natural or artificial flowers with single sensory stimuli; like naive laboratory-reared moths, they required a combination of visual and olfactory cues. However, given the prior foraging experience of our study population on Datura flowers, their lack of generalized feeding responses may reflect a learned preference for the full complement of floral cues, rather than the persistence of innate sensory constraints. Future efforts to distinguish between these hypotheses should focus on whether M. sexta can be conditioned to associate nectar with visual cues alone, and whether moths that feed ad libitum from nectar-rich plants learn floral attributes as a search image or generalize to single-modality stimuli.
MODEL FOR THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ANIONIC DENDRIMERS AND CATIONIC SURFACTANTS BY MEANS OF THE SPIN PROBE METHOD

The supramolecular structures formed when anionic polyamidoamine starburst dendrimers, in the presence of low concentrations of spin probe surfactants, are added to aqueous solutions of nonlabeled ...
KGBassembler: a karyotype-based genome assembler for Brassicaceae species

Motivation: The Brassicaceae family includes the most important plant model Arabidopsis thaliana and many cruciferous vegetable crops. A number of close relatives of Arabidopsis and economically important Brassica species are being sequenced with whole-genome shotgun sequencing technologies. However, de novo assembly of full chromosomes is difficult, since many non-model Brassicaceae species are lacking genetic and/or physical maps. As a unique feature for Brassicaceae, the genome of each member is composed of 24 conserved chromosomal blocks, and the arrangement of the 24 blocks can be obtained from karyotype analysis via comparative chromosome painting experiments. Taking this advantage, we developed a bioinformatic tool named KGBassembler to automatically finalize assembly of full chromosomes from contigs and/or scaffolds based on available karyotypes of Brassicaceae species. Availability: KGBassembler was implemented in Cþþ with a graphical user interface. It is freely available to academic users at http://
Revisiting Strain-Related Differences in Radiation Sensitivity of the Mouse Lung: Recognizing and Avoiding the Confounding Effects of Pleural Effusions

The mouse has been used extensively to model radiation injury to the lung, a major dose-limiting organ for radiotherapy. Substantial differences in the timing and sensitivity of this tissue between mouse strains have been reported, with some strains, including C57BL/6, being designated as "fibrosis-prone". Pleural effusions have also been reported to be a prominent problem in many mouse strains, but it remains unclear how this affects the lung function and survival of the standard C57BL/6 mouse. The purpose of this investigation was to re-evaluate this strain in comparison with C57L and CBA mice after whole-thorax irradiation at doses ranging from 10 to 15 Gy. Breathing rate measurements, micro-computerized tomography, lung tissue weight, pleural fluid weight and histopathology showed that the most prominent features were an early phase of pneumonitis (C57L and CBA) followed by a late incidence of massive pleural effusions (CBA and C57BL/6). A remarkable difference was seen between the C57 strains: The C57L mice were exquisitely sensitive to early pneumonitis at 3 to 4 months while C57BL/6 mice showed a delayed response, with most mice presenting with large accumulations of pleural fluid at 6 to 9 months. These results therefore caution against the routine use of C57BL/6 mice in radiation lung experiments because pleural effusions are rarely observed in patients as a consequence of radiotherapy. Future experiments designed to investigate genetic determinants of radiation lung damage should focus on the high sensitivity of the C57L strain (in comparison with CBA or C3H mice) and the possibility that they are more susceptible to pulmonary fibrosis as well as pneumonitis.
Récents développements en technologie de radioprotection aux Etats-Unis

The implementation of technology to control radiation fields at U.S. nuclear power plants is occurring at a rapid pace and has helped utilities achieve signifi­ cant reductions in occupational exposures in recent years. Recent studies to replace cobalt, develop BWR zinc injection and PWR elevated pH chemistry pro­ grams, demonstrate preconditioning methods for replacement of components, and qualify chemical decontamination have provided utilities with cost-effective methods for minimizing exposures.
Dying of Boredom: An Exploratory Case Study of Time Use, Apparent Affect, and Routine Activity Situations on Two Alzheimer's Special Care Units

The objective of this instrumental case study was to explore interrelationships among routine activity situations on 2 Alzheimer's special care units (SCUs) and 2 resident quality-of-life (QoL) indicators: daily time use and emotional well-being. Fourteen residents participated. We collected data across four 12-hr days using computer-assisted direct observations and computed associations of activity situations with QoL indicators and mean durations of QoL indicators in activity situations and daily by facility. We compared mean durations of QoL indicators across facilities and analyzed time-use profiles of 2 residents. We found that participants' capacities for activity engagement and emotional vitality were infrequently expressed at both SCUs. Diminished QoL was attributable to participants' dementia-related impairments coupled with insufficient attention to their occupational needs, initiatives, and capacities. Findings call for occupational therapists' involvement as educators, mentors, and consultants to enhance the effectiveness of routine activity situations in promoting QoL through everyday occupations.
Pre-emptive analgesia with pregabalin and celecoxib decreases postsurgical pain following maxillomandibular advancement surgery: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of pre-emptive analgesia with pregabalin and celecoxib on narcotic consumption and perceived pain in adult patients undergoing maxillomandibular advancement surgery for obstructive sleep apnea. Patients and Methods This was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of adult patients undergoing elective maxillomandibular advancement surgery for obstructive sleep apnea. The groups received a masked 1-time preoperative oral dose of pregabalin 150 mg and celecoxib 400 mg (experimental group) or lactose powder 2 g (placebo group). In the postoperative period, pain management consisted of intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia and oral oxycodone 5 mg and acetaminophen 325 mg. Patients completed a daily pain and narcotic log. Statistical significance between group means was determined by the 2-tailed independent t test. Results There were statistically significant differences between the pregabalin plus celecoxib and placebo groups in average intravenous morphine consumption per 4-hour interval (6.0 ± 5.9 vs 9.3 ± 7.9 mg; P Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, a 1-time preoperative oral dose of pregabalin and celecoxib before adult maxillomandibular advancement surgery for obstructive sleep apnea decreased mean intravenous morphine consumption, mean daily narcotic pill consumption, and mean patient perceived pain.
Hepatocyte growth factor is a mitogen for Schwann cells and is present in neurofibromas

To characterize mitogens that might contribute to Schwann cell proliferation during development or in tumors, we tested the ability of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to stimulate Schwann cell division in vitro. HGF is a potent mitogen for purified rat Schwann cells; DNA synthesis in rat Schwann cells was stimulated 20-40-fold by 3-10 ng/ml HGF. Rat Schwann cells express c-met mRNA, encoding the HGF receptor, but not HGF mRNA, implying that HGF might act as a paracrine Schwann cell growth factor. HGF-stimulated Schwann cell proliferation differs from that of previously described Schwann cell mitogens in that its activity is abolished by forskolin and is not inhibited or potentiated by addition of transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) or fibroblast growth factor (FGF). HGF is probably not a component of the axonal signal thought to cause Schwann cell division during development, as anti-HGF neutralizing antibodies failed to block neuron-stimulated Schwann cell proliferation. In contrast, mitogenic activity present in normal human adult nerves and in neurofibromas from patients with type 1 neurofibromatosis analyzed in the absence of forskolin is largely inhibitable by anti-HGF. Thus, HGF is a novel mitogen for Schwann cells in vitro and it is present in Schwann cell tumors, suggesting a potential role for HGF after wounding of peripheral nerves or in tumor growth.
Containers: a new hierarchical model for browser interfaces

The development of a low bandwidth, high error tolerant neural browser, called the BrainBrowser, has raised new navigational issues. With this paradigm shift of two-dimensional spatial organization and navigation, one possible solution is to serialize the interface.Due to the inherent complexity of this paradigm, new methods of hierarchical spatial organization can help to relieve the sense of a labyrinthine structural organization that a user must overcome when using this method of browser navigation. This issue has created the opportunity to explore the possibility of incorporating "containers" as an additional navigational capability that will allow the resulting serial interface to be organized hierarchically. This ultimately will increase the user's navigational "sense of place" as well as minimizing the user's cognitive burden.
Evaluation of bone regeneration potential of dental follicle stem cells for treatment of craniofacial defects

Abstract Background aims Stem cell–based tissue regeneration offers potential for treatment of craniofacial bone defects. The dental follicle, a loose connective tissue surrounding the unerupted tooth, has been shown to contain progenitor/stem cells. Dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) have strong osteogenesis capability, which makes them suitable for repairing skeletal defects. The objective of this study was to evaluate bone regeneration capability of DFSCs loaded into polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold for treatment of craniofacial defects. Methods DFSCs were isolated from the first mandibular molars of postnatal Sprague-Dawley rats and seeded into the PCL scaffold. Cell attachment and cell viability on the scaffold were examined with the use of scanning electron microscopy and alamar blue reduction assay. For in vivo transplantation, critical-size defects were created on the skulls of 5-month-old immunocompetent rats, and the cell-scaffold constructs were transplanted into the defects. Results Skulls were collected at 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation, and bone regeneration in the defects was evaluated with the use of micro–computed tomography and histological analysis. Scanning electron microscopy and Alamar blue assay demonstrated attachment and proliferation of DFSCs in the PCL scaffold. Bone regeneration was observed in the defects treated with DFSC transplantation but not in the controls without DFSC transplant. Transplanting DFSC-PCL with or without osteogenic induction before transplantation achieved approximately 50% bone regeneration at 8 weeks. Formation of woven bone was observed in the DFSC-PCL treatment group. Similar results were seen when osteogenic-induced DFSC-PCL was transplanted to the critical-size defects. Conclusions This study demonstrated that transplantation of DFSCs seeded into PCL scaffolds can be used to repair craniofacial defects.
Nanomanipulation using silicon nitride photonic crystal resonators

Silicon nitride photonic crystal resonators are designed for manipulating nanomaterials in water using 1064-nm laser. The material of the resonator and the operating wavelength were chosen to minimize thermal heating in the cavity.
Capturing intelligence as a reusable framework for manufacturing decision processes

A reusable framework consisting of hierarchical knowledge representation, preliminary design, iterative modification, four information flow and reasoning paths, and solution validation is conceived as a common substrate for addressing multiple components in manufacturing decision processes. The problems are represented in a state-space framework. An investment is made to design a rich representational scheme and to discriminate the promising solution states by utilizing its many implicit constraints in contrast to investing in heuristics operating on a more simplified representation of the problem. Although isolated segments of the described framework (e.g. hierarchical problem solving, abstraction) have been previously mentioned in knowledge-based problem solving, the framework distinguishes itself by exploring the nature of the interaction of these concepts in actually obtaining end results for manufacturing problems. Although hard to quantify, it is stated that the involved ‘intelligence’ from the manu...
Morphing Metal and Elastomer Bicontinuous Foams for Reversible Stiffness, Shape Memory, and Self-Healing Soft Machines

A metal-elastomer-foam composite that varies in stiffness, that can change shape and store shape memory, that self-heals, and that welds into monolithic structures from smaller components is presented.
Movement distributions of stroke survivors exhibit distinct patterns that evolve with training

While clinical assessments provide tools for characterizing abilities in motor-impaired individuals, concerns remain over their repeatability and reliability. Typical robot-assisted training studies focus on repetition of prescribed actions, yet such movement data provides an incomplete account of abnormal patterns of coordination. Recent studies have shown positive effects from self-directed movement, yet such a training paradigm leads to challenges in how to quantify and interpret performance. With data from chronic stroke survivors (n = 10, practicing for 3 days), we tabulated histograms of the displacement, velocity, and acceleration for planar motion, and examined whether modeling of distributions could reveal changes in available movement patterns. We contrasted these results with scalar measures of the range of motion. We performed linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classification with selected histogram features to compare predictions versus actual subject identifiers. As a basis of comparison, we also present an age-matched control group of healthy individuals (n = 10, practicing for 1 day). Analysis of range of motion did not show improvement from self-directed movement training for the stroke survivors in this study. However, examination of distributions indicated that increased multivariate normal components were needed to accurately model the patterns of movement after training. Stroke survivors generally exhibited more complex distributions of motor exploration compared to the age-matched control group. Classification using linear discriminant analysis revealed that movement patterns were identifiable by individual. Individuals in the control group were more difficult to identify using classification methods, consistent with the idea that motor deficits contribute significantly to unique movement signatures. Distribution analysis revealed individual patterns of abnormal coordination in stroke survivors and changes in these patterns with training. These findings were not apparent from scalar metrics that simply summarized properties of motor exploration. Our results suggest new methods for characterizing motor capabilities, and could provide the basis for powerful tools for designing customized therapy.
Longitudinal Control: The Demerits of the Present System with Suggestions for Improvement

THE function of the longitudinal control in an aeroplane is to provide at the will of the pilot a pitching moment of the necessary magnitude and the proper sign, to maintain (a) equilibrium throughout the range of angles of attack at which it is desired to fly the aeroplane; (b) a given angular velocity in pitch.
Paramitotic effects of colchicine: further studies of the mast-cell assay.

ConclusionsThe paramitotic cytomorphological effects of colchicine are transient and probably reversible. For assay purposes, the drug can be administered either subcutaneously or intraperitoneally. The latter route increases the sensitivity of the assay by about 20 times. A single sampling at 3-4 1/2 hours is justifiable and, within reason, the choice of solvent for the drug appears of secondary importance—at least for subcutaneous injection.It is postulated that colchicine does not act alone at the cellular level, but that it must act in concert with some extracellular (perhaps systemic) factor or factors. Some implications of this hypothesis are mentioned.
Does He Mean What He Says? (Mis)Understanding Rawls’ Practical Turn

This chapter continues the analysis of Rawls’ practical turn as expressed in his post-A Theory of Justice writings. Here, however, the focus shifts to Rawls’ distinctive, and often perplexing, views in regard to the role of political philosophy and the political philosopher within a democratic society.
FACTOR VALIDATION AND REFINEMENT OF THE SEX-ROLE QUESTIONNAIRE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN SCALE

Sr~mmary.-Separate factor analytic studies of the 82-item Sex-role Questionnaire and of its original 38 stereotypic items were performed to evaluate and extend previous structural analyses. The 82-item questionnaire and the 55item Attitudes Toward Women Scale were administered to 208 female and 243 male tennis players. Results yielded three orthogonal Sex-role Questionnaire factors accounting for 33% of the total variance. This structure also held for the 38 stereotypic items. Loadings on an unrotated first principal axis yielded a description of Social Desirability. After rotation, variance spread to an Assertiveness Factor ( lo%), a Sensitivity Factor (12% ) , and a Rationality Factor (11%). From these factors were derived three highly reliable 15-item scales. The three scales combined to produce a refined 45item Sex-role Questionnaire with an over-all reliability alpha of .83. The correlation between the 82-item instrument total score and the 55-item attitude scale total score was a low .25. The common variance was primarily attributable to the relationship between the Attitudes Toward Women Scale and the Sensitivity Factor. This relationship was enhanced little by refinement of the Sex-role Questionnaire.
NDT Applied to the Detection of Defects in Oil and Gas Pipes: A Simulation-Based Study

This research investigates the application of microwave nondestructive testing (NDT) to oil and gas pipe wall reductions (PWR) in manufacturing that are less than full-circumferential in extent. Pipes were modeled using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) simulation software, CST Microwave Studio holding pipe length, wall thickness, depth of PWR and configuration constant. The study looks at 32 models in order to determine sweeping frequency limitations for full-circumferential, half-circumferential, three-quarter-circumferential and quarter-circumferential extents of PWR with 8 widths ranging from 6.35mm to 50.8mm. The limitations were determined to be between the extremes. The 6.35mm width did not cause a resonance peak even with a full-circumferential PWR. The 50.8mm width produced a detectible resonance peak, but it is within the range established by the six middle widths.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Effects of cycloheximide on DNA and protein synthesis in rat liver.

SummaryCycloheximide markedly decreases protein synthesis (68%) at a time when RNA synthesis is only slightly inhibited. The DNA content of the liver increases with increasing dosage of the drug; animals treated with cycloheximide and having 1.5 times as many nuclei had twice as much DNA-P in their liver as control animals. The abrupt inhibition of protein synthesis contrasts with a gradual, dose-dependent rise in DNA-P and suggests a separation of these two effects of cycloheximide.
Denver’s Romero Theater Troupe: Welcoming Working-Class Voices in Higher Education and Revitalizing Class-Based Activism through Organic Theater

This article traces the development, method, and mission of Denver’s Romero Theater Troupe, beginning with its origins at the University of Colorado Denver. The article also connects the troupe’s p...
Expression of Oncogenic Alleles Induces Multiple Blocks to Human Cytomegalovirus Infection

UNLABELLED In contrast to many viruses, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is unable to productively infect most cancer-derived cell lines. The mechanisms of this restriction are unclear. To explore this issue, we tested whether defined oncogenic alleles, including the simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen (TAg) and oncogenic H-Ras, inhibit HCMV infection. We found that expression of SV40 TAg blocks HCMV infection in human fibroblasts, whereas the replication of a related herpesvirus, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), was not impacted. The earliest restriction of HCMV infection involves a block of viral entry, as TAg expression prevented the nuclear delivery of viral DNA and pp65. Subsequently, we found that TAg expression reduces the abundance of platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα), a host protein important for HCMV entry. Viral entry into TAg-immortalized fibroblasts could largely be rescued by PDGFRα overexpression. Similarly, PDGFRα overexpression in HeLa cells markedly increased the levels of HCMV gene expression and DNA replication. However, the robust production of viral progeny was not restored by PDGFRα overexpression in either HeLa cells or TAg-immortalized fibroblasts, suggesting additional restrictions associated with transformation and TAg expression. In TAg-expressing fibroblasts, expression of the immediate early 2 (IE2) protein was not rescued to the same extent as that of the immediate early 1 (IE1) protein, suggesting that TAg expression impacts the accumulation of major immediate early (MIE) transcripts. Transduction of IE2 largely rescued HCMV gene expression in TAg-expressing fibroblasts but did not rescue the production of infectious virions. Collectively, our data indicate that oncogenic alleles induce multiple restrictions to HCMV replication. IMPORTANCE HCMV cannot replicate in most cancerous cells, yet the causes of this restriction are not clear. The mechanisms that restrict viral replication in cancerous cells represent viral vulnerabilities that can potentially be exploited therapeutically in other contexts. Here we found that SV40 T antigen-mediated transformation inhibits HCMV infection at multiple points in the viral life cycle, including through inhibition of proper viral entry, normal expression of immediate early genes, and viral DNA replication. Our results suggest that the SV40 T antigen could be a valuable tool to dissect cellular activities that are important for successful infection, thereby potentially informing novel antiviral development strategies. This is an important consideration, given that HCMV is a leading cause of birth defects and causes severe infection in immunocompromised individuals.