cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Editor’s Comments to Löwy

Beginning with an analysis of Ludwik Fleck’s constructionist concepts, Lowy has provided a historical synopsis of immunology’s notions of the Self. The power of Fleck’s argument that a scientific fact derives meaning from multiple sources and context, and is essentially derivative from a “thought collective” of divergent and heterogenous resources, remains a central concern for epistemologists of scientific knowledge. We find it particularly conductive to a “dialectical” sensitivity, which Lowy has illustrated for the case of immunology, a discipline clearly wedged between the thought styles of biological (holistic) and chemical (reductionist) approaches. She concludes that it is the dialogical processes demanded by interaction of these alternate thought styles that has yielded both expansion of each and their ever growing synthesis. It is in the “indeterminacy” of such key concept as organism and the Self that demands interactive investigation and receptivity to various modes of inquiry. Precisely in this refracted vision of the Self is dynamic dialogue demanded. This rationale has served to unite the divergent approaches presented in this anthology under such a constructionist principle.
Cranial Ultrasonography in Term Infants and Stroke: When Is It Useful? (P6.333)

Objective: To report the diagnostic accuracy of cranial ultrasonography in detecting ischemic infarct and intraparenchymal hemorrhage in term infants in a tertiary pediatric center Background: Cranial ultrasonography is an easy, inexpensive and non-invasive tool that has been used in the neonatal population to screen for intracranial abnormalities. It is especially useful in screening and monitoring for intracranial hemorrhage in preterm and term infants. The utility of cranial ultrasonography for detecting ischemic infarcts in a term infant remains unclear. Methods: Term neonates and infants from 2005-2015 with evidence of infarct (arterial or venous) or hemorrhage in brain CT or MRI and preceding cranial ultrasound results were analyzed in a retrospective cross-sectional study. Results: 30 patients were identified in the ischemic infarct group (2 venous, 4 mixed, 24 arterial) with only 5/30 (16[percnt] sensitivity) found to have abnormal cranial ultrasound results prior to confirmatory neuroimaging. Lesion size did not correlate to increased ultrasound findings. Congenital heart disease was present in 12/30 patients (40[percnt]) and 15/30 (50[percnt]) had no significant risk factors for stroke. EEG monitoring was done in all patients and 20/30 (66[percnt]) had abnormalities. There were 11 patients in the hemorrhage group and all except 2 had abnormal cranial ultrasound results (81[percnt] sensitivity). Etiology of intraparenchymal hemorrhage was more variable. Time between cranial ultrasound and confirmatory brain CT or MRI was 4.9 days for ischemic infarct versus 1.8 days for hemorrhage. Conclusion: Cranial ultrasonography has poor sensitivity in detecting ischemic infarcts in term infants. Advanced neuroimaging should be pursued if there is high clinical suspicion for ischemic infarcts in the neonatal period and beyond. Disclosure: Dr. Mondok has nothing to disclose. Dr. Friedman has nothing to disclose.
Student Presentation Based Effective Teaching (SPET) Approach for Advanced Courses

A student activity based effective teaching approach can significantly improve student learning. However, implementing student activity based teaching for the advanced level courses can be very challenging. Incomplete course coverage and the amount of time required by an instructor for designing active teaching strategies are cited as the common inhibiting factors in the adoption of active student teaching. This paper discusses a student presentation based effective teaching (SPET) approach that covers more course material than that covered in the conventional or other student-active teaching methods. Moreover, SPET approach requires less preparation time on instructor behalf. This paper is based on the effective teaching experiments conducted on senior level science and technology courses at University of the District of Columbia. Under the SPET approach, students are given reading assignment to prepare ∼ 10–20 minutes long power point presentation on well-defined conceptual topics, questions, or chapter modules. In every class typically three presentations take place on the same questions or topics. However, non-presenter students are required to generate conceptual questions. These questions were asked during or after the presentation by the designated students. Students’ presentations were graded according to the rubric focusing on coverage of suggested topics, quality of presentation, and questions and answers. Hence, the whole class is engaged in understanding the topic either for making the presentation or for creating conceptual questions. These grades were posted right after the class in the Blackboard’s online grade center to provide quick feedback. The following are key advantages of this approach. (1) Students understand 50–100% about the intended topic during self-reading and while making a presentation or participating in class discussion. (2) Repeating same concepts thrice during a class period and occasionally with instructor’s insights enable deep learning. (3) Students get quick quantitative feedback after each class and qualitative feedback during the class from instructor and peers. (4) This approach allowed coverage of very complex topics. (5) Students improved their communication skills by making coherent presentations and doing class discussion. In the survey, students reflected a higher degree of satisfaction with their learning as compared to instructor’s lecture-based classroom education system. This approach is highly suitable for advanced-level elective courses with small enrollment.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Financial Penalties Under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program: Policy Discourse and Strategies for Reform

Many families did not leave welfare of their own accord but instead were forced off, sanctioned, for failure to conform to new, strict requirements (Bloom & Winstead, 2002). Studies of “leavers” indicate that many of these leavers are among the families that do not receive needed health insurance, food stamps, and child care assistance for which they remain eligible (Loprest, 2001; Zedlewski & Gruber, 2001). Sanctioned families are less likely to do well after leaving welfare compared to other leavers (Goldberg & Schott, 2000). As part of TANF reauthorization, Congress should prohibit states from sanctioning if they have not met certain requirements: conducted an assessment, made accommodations for people with physical/mental impairments or other barriers, and instituted strong pre-sanction and post-sanction procedures.
Vitamin A deficiency in mice results in a hypermetabolic state, dysbiosis and alterations in bacterial metabolism

Vitamin A deficiency (A−) is the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness in developing countries and is associated with decreased ability to fight infection. A− mice are susceptible to Citrobacter rodentium infection and surviving mice fail to clear the infection. To better understand how vitamin A status influences the metabolome and gut microbiota, we systematically analyzed biological samples from vitamin A sufficient (A+, n = 6) and vitamin A deficient (A−, n = 6) mice using 1 H NMR-based metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. 1 H NMR analyses showed that A− mice had disturbances in multiple metabolic pathways including alterations in energy metabolism (hyperglycemia, glycogenesis, TCA cycle, and lipoprotein biosynthesis) and the A− host showed overall signs of a hypermetabolic state. 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that the microbiota in A− mice had phenotypic as well as functional shifts (based on PICRUSt). Evaluation of bacterial metabolism showed enhanced amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, DNA replication and repair, and signal transduction in A− mice. In addition, the A− microbiota had lower amino acid biosynthesis, vitamin metabolism, and cell motility. These findings suggest that vitamin A deficiency is associated with hyperglycemia, liver disease, and dysbiosis of the gut microbial communities. Bacteria do not express receptors for vitamin A and therefore it seems likely that the changes in bacterial communities and bacterial metabolism are indirectly regulated by vitamin A. How these changes might compromise the ability of the A− mice to clear a gastrointestinal infection with C. rodentium is an area of continuing investigation.
Accelerating Appropriate Behaviors of Children in a Head Start Program.

A research and demonstration classroom was established through the cooperative efforts of the University of Washington's Experimental Education Unit and the Head Start Program of the Seattle Public...
Olfactory Dysfunction as an Early Biomarker in Parkinson’s Disease

Olfactory dysfunction is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and often predates the diagnosis by years, reflecting early deposition of Lewy pathology, the histologic hallmark of PD, in the olfactory bulb. Clinical tests are available that allow for the rapid characterization of olfactory dysfunction, including tests of odor identification, discrimination, detection, and recognition thresholds, memory, and tests assessing the build-up of odor intensity across increasing suprathreshold stimulus concentrations. The high prevalence of olfactory impairment, along with the ease and low cost of assessment, has fostered great interest in olfaction as a potential biomarker for PD. Hyposmia may help differentiate PD from other causes of parkinsonism, and may also aid in the identification of “pre-motor” PD due to the early pathologic involvement of olfactory pathways. Olfactory function is also correlated with other non-motor features of PD and may serve as a predictor of cognitive decline. In this article, we summarize the existing literature on olfaction in PD, focusing on the potential for olfaction as a biomarker for early or differential diagnosis and prognosis.
Impact of gestational weight gain and prepregnancy body mass index on the prevalence of large-for-gestational age infants in two cohorts of women with type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes: a cross-sectional population study.

Objectives Despite improvements in treatment modalities, large-for-gestational age (LGA) prevalence has remained between 30% and 40% among infants of mothers with type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (TIDM). Our objective was to estimate LGA prevalence and examine the association between gestational weight gain (GWG) and prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) with LGA among mothers with TIDM. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Regional data in Cincinnati, Ohio, from the Diabetes in Pregnancy Program Project (PPG), a prospective cohort for the period 1978–1993; national data from Consortium on Safe Labor (CSL), a multicentre cross-sectional study for the period 2002–2008. Participants The study included 333 pregnancies in the PPG and 358 pregnancies in the CSL. Pregnancies delivered prior to 23 weeks’ gestation were excluded. Women with TIDM in the PPG were identified according to physician confirmation of ketoacidosis, and/or c-peptide levels, and by International Classification of Diseases, ninth version codes within the CSL. LGA was identified as birth weight >90th percentile according to gestational age, race and sex. Main outcome measures LGA at birth. Results Mean±SD maternal age at delivery was 26.4±5.1 years for PPG women and 27.5±6.0 years for CSL women, p=0.008. LGA prevalence did not significantly differ between cohorts (PPG: 40.2% vs CSL: 36.6%, p=0.32). More women began pregnancy as overweight in the later cohort (PPG (16.8%) vs CSL (27.1%), p Conclusions Normal-weight women with GWG within IOM guidelines experienced a lower LGA prevalence, supporting the importance of adherence to IOM guidelines for GWG to reduce LGA. High BMI and GWG may be hindering a reduction in LGA prevalence.
Dimensions of Depression: The Conflictual Structure of the Depressed State

Interrelationships of the behavioral components of the disorder and derived quantitative measures for each were analyzed through study of 130 severely depressed patients. Patients were drawn from six hospitals in the NIMH Collaborative Study of the Psychobiology of Depression. Most variation among the behavioral elements was accounted for by three dimensions, each derived by combining 2–4 of the 11 constructs; (1) anxiety-agitation-somatization; (2) depressed mood-motor retardation; and (3) hostility-interpersonal sensitivity. High severity in each explain the depressed feeling and turmoil experienced by the severely ill providing a structure for interpreting the major forces that create the condition. The first dimension reflects an aroused central nervous system state; the second, the recognizable “core” aspect of depression and retardation. Depressed mood and anxiety are viewed as emanating from different central nervous system sources. New theory about the nature of depression acknowledges that these central nervous system states are opposed, their conflictual nature helping to explain the simultaneous depression and turmoil experienced by the severely ill. By recognizing the important role of hostility, the analysis exposes neglect of this central emotion in clinical research slowing the development of new treatments. Acceptance of the disorder as “multifaceted,” not a singular state, renders actions of the antidepressants more understandable. Drug profile actions are a function of the different relationships that the critical central neurotransmitter systems have with the various behaviors and moods. New guidelines for research on mechanisms will prevent the same errors of perspective in the new “genetics” era of research.
Death Receptor Signaling in Embryonic Ectodermal Development

The ectodermal dysplasias (EDs) are a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders which are identified by the absent or deficient function of at least two derivatives of ectoderm (e.g., skin, nails, sweat glands, or teeth) (1). More than 150 different types of EDs have been identified, and the combined incidence of these disorders may be as high as 7 per 10,000 births. However, a large number of cases go undetected due to the relatively mild phenotype and the apparent ability of the affected individuals to cover up their disease by application of cosmetics, wigs, or dentures. Although Charles Darwin wrote one of the earliest descriptions of an ED involving “the toothless men of Sind” (2), the diagnosis of these disorders may be extremely difficult, partly because there can be many different permutations of ectodermal defects. EDs have been broadly classified into two major subgroups based on the absence or presence of sweat gland function—hidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (or Clouston syndrome) and hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasias (HEDs). Recent studies suggest an important role of signaling via the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family in the pathogenesis of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasias, and that will be the focus of this discussion.
Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Engagement in Diabetes Self-management Education Among People With Diabetes in the United States.

Objective:Research outside the United States shows that certain subgroups of patients (eg, those who are older, male, of low socioeconomic status, and uninsured) are less likely than others to repo...
Revamping of a Graduate Radiochemistry Course for Nuclear Forensics Applications

Laboratories in traditional radiochemistry courses typically involve basic and fundamental understanding in solvent extraction, ion exchange, precipitation, etc. procedures. With the increased focus on nuclear forensics in pre- and post-detonation scenarios different skill sets are now required for the student to learn. At the University of Texas we have developed two independent graduate courses in gamma-ray spectrometry and radiochemistry. Currently, we have amalgamated these two courses to 1. better serve our nuclear engineering graduate students, many of which are involved in nuclear forensics and 2. to attract both undergraduate and graduate students from the Chemistry Department. We incorporated gamma-ray spectrometry laboratories with several others which are nuclear forensics related. The seven laboratory sessions include half-life measurement of 137mBa (the daughter produce of 137Cs) and secular equilibrium, basic gamma and beta shielding, and gamma-ray spectrometry calibration, resolution and uncertainty in statistics. These labs have been augmented with four others including uranium fission product identification, 137Cs soil profile with Compton suppression, tritium analysis in water with a liquid scintillation counter and double replacement reaction.Copyright © 2018 by ASME
COMPARING BREASTFEEDING AND FEEDING WITH INFANT FORMULA

Global guidelines for infant formula say the ingredients are supposed to be those “which have been proved to be suitable for infant feeding.” “Proven” has not been defined, so there has not been any authoritative proof of suitability. Assessment of infant formula has focused on its ingredients. Globally, the Codex Alimentarius Commission has set out a list of ingredients that should be in all infant formula, while also giving national governments the option to introduce some variations within that framework. As illustrated by the practice in the United States, infant formula that includes the ingredients specified in the global guidelines and in national law is described as nutritionally adequate. This is not good enough. The gold standard against which infant formula should be compared is optimal breastfeeding. The comparison should be based not on examination of formula’s ingredients but on examination of its performance. Does infant formula do what it is supposed to do? Does feeding with any particular type of infant formula protect the health of infants and their mothers as well as breastfeeding? If not, it is not functionally adequate. Some might argue that while infant formula is not quite as good as breastfeeding for protecting infants’ health, it is not much worse. Families might have their own reasons for feeding their infants with formula. There is a need for serious discussion of the gap between breastfeeding and feeding with formula and about the degree to which considerations other than the infant’s health might play a role. New parents should be supported in making wise, well-informed choices about how they will feed their infants.
Review of treatment modalities and outcomes of patients with basal cell adenocarcinoma.

Abstract Purpose This study summarizes the treatment modalities of basal cell adenocarcinoma (BCAC) of the parotid gland and subsequent outcome at a single institution to better define the treatment of this rare tumor. Material and methods A retrospective review of patients treated for BCAC of the parotid gland from 1/01/1996 to 08/1/2018 was performed. Patients were identified using our institution's Cancer Registry. Results A total of thirteen patients (46% female, median age of 56) treated for BCAC of the parotid gland were identified. Eight patients (57%) were staged as T1, four were staged as T2 (29%), and two were stage T4a (14%) due to tumor involvement of the facial nerve. None of the patients had nodal involvement or distant metastases. Three patients (21%) underwent radiation therapy ranging from 60-70Gy for positive margin or facial nerve involvement by tumor. Five patients (36%) underwent a neck dissection (ND) ranging from just a level IIb dissection up to levels IIa, IIb, and III with none of the nodes being positive for disease. The remainder of patients did not undergo a neck dissection. Follow-up was 8.1 ± 6.2 (mean ± SD) years with no local or regional recurrence at time of last follow-up in any patient cohort. Conclusions Our review suggests that elective neck dissections are not necessary following resection of T1/T2N0M0 basal cell adenocarcinoma for the prevention of local or regional recurrence. No longer performing neck dissections for T1/T2N0M0 BCAC would reduce the morbidity associated with the treatment of this rare parotid tumor.
Treatment Options for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Patients With Reduced or Absent Kidney Function.

Coronavirus disease 2019, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus, was first identified in the Hubei Province of China in late 2019. Currently, the only role for therapy is treatment of the disease, as opposed to postexposure prophylaxis, however multiple clinical trials are currently ongoing for both treatment and prophylaxis. Treating coronavirus disease 2019 relies on two components; the first is inhibition of the viral entrance and replication within the body and the second is inhibition of an exacerbated immune response which can be seen in patients with severe disease. Many drugs have shown in vitro antiviral activity; however, clinical trials have not been as promising. This review summarizes the current data for the most commonly used drugs for coronavirus disease 2019 and will cover the unique factors that may affect the dosing of these medications in patients with CKD. While clinical trials are ongoing, most are in patients with normal kidney function. During a pandemic, when patients with CKD are at higher risk of both infection and death, it is imperative to include patients these patients in the clinical trials.
Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are a common cause of chest pain and a common reason for presentation to the emergency department. This teaching script leads the reader through a systematic approach to ACS. We emphasize the differences among ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), high-risk unstable angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI), and low-intermediate risk UA/NSTEMI. We provide succinct guidelines for initial management of ACS. Please see Chap. 10 “Work-up for Chest Pain in the Clinic” for more on approaching undifferentiated chest pain.
Wave propagation in anisotropic elastic materials and curvilinear coordinates using a summation-by-parts finite difference method

We develop a fourth order accurate finite difference method for solving the three-dimensional elastic wave equation in general heterogeneous anisotropic materials on curvilinear grids. The proposed method is an extension of the method for isotropic materials, previously described in the paper by Sjogreen and Petersson (2012) 11. The proposed method discretizes the anisotropic elastic wave equation in second order formulation, using a node centered finite difference method that satisfies the principle of summation by parts. The summation by parts technique results in a provably stable numerical method that is energy conserving. We also generalize and evaluate the super-grid far-field technique for truncating unbounded domains. Unlike the commonly used perfectly matched layers (PML), the super-grid technique is stable for general anisotropic material, because it is based on a coordinate stretching combined with an artificial dissipation. As a result, the discretization satisfies an energy estimate, proving that the numerical approximation is stable. We demonstrate by numerical experiments that sufficiently wide super-grid layers result in very small artificial reflections. Applications of the proposed method are demonstrated by three-dimensional simulations of anisotropic wave propagation in crystals.
Computational approaches to identify regulators of plant stress response using high-throughput gene expression data

Insight into biological stress regulatory pathways can be derived from high-throughput transcriptomic data using computational algorithms. These algorithms can be integrated into a computational approach to provide specific testable predictions that answer biological questions of interest. This review conceptually organizes a wide variety of developed algorithms into a classification system based on desired type of output predictions. This classification is then used as a structure to describe completed approaches in the literature, with a focus on project goals, overall path of implemented algorithms, and biological insight gained. These algorithms and approaches are introduced mainly in the context of research on the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana under stress conditions, though the nature of computational techniques makes these approaches easily applicable to a wide range of species, data types, and conditions.
On generation of two-dimensional data

A distribution invariant algorithm is presented to generate two-dimensional data from one-dimensional data.
A hydrolytic procedure for ribonucleosides and its possible application to the sequential degradation of RNA.

Ribonucleosides are converted quantitatively to the corresponding bases by reacting successively with periodate and cyclohexylamine. The hydrolysis of the glycosidic linkage of the nucleoside is presumably due to the formation of a double Schiff base between the periodate oxidized nucleoside and cyclohexylamine. This method has been also applied to the hydrolysis of the terminal nucleoside of s-RNA. The molar ratios of the free bases (uracil:adenine:cytosine, 1:2.8:6.1) thus obtained from the terminal nucleosides of RNA were found to be the same as those of the terminal nucleosides (uridine:adenosine:cytidine, 1:2.9|6.1) obtained by alkaline hydrolysis of RNA of the same preparation. The phosphoester linkage between the diesterphosphate and the 5′-hydroxyl group of the oxidized terminal nucleoside of RNA was also found to be hydrolyzed during the cyclohexylamine treatment, thus exposing a new terminal 3′-phosphate. It has been shown that, following prostatic phosphomonoesterase treatment, the periodate and cyclohexylamine reactions can be repeated and thus a possible method for the sequential degradation of RNA is provided. An application of this method to the sequential degradation of phenol extracted s-RNA and preliminary results thereof have been discussed.
Alcohol-Induced Neurodegeneration, Suppression of Transforming Growth Factor-β, and Cognitive Impairment in Rats: Prevention by Group II Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Activation

Background Glutamatergic neurotransmission has been implicated in mechanisms of alcohol-induced neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we examined whether the group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist LY379268 prevents neuronal death and learning deficits in a rat model of binge-like exposure to alcohol. Methods Following 4-day binge alcohol exposure concurrent with LY379268 or vehicle treatment, Fluoro-Jade B and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) staining were carried out, and reversal learning in the Morris water maze was assessed. Results Fluoro-Jade B staining indicating neurodegeneration was most extensive in the ventral hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex (EC). LY379268 was potently neuroprotective in the EC but not in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. In parallel, binge alcohol exposure suppressed TGF-β expression in both the EC and dentate gyrus, whereas LY379268 increased TGF-β in the EC only. Finally, neuroprotective effects of LY379268 were accompanied by prevention of deficits in spatial reversal learning. Conclusions Our data support a neuroprotective role for group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists and TGF-β in alcohol-induced neurodegeneration.
Treatment of adolescent depression: frequency of services and impact on functioning in young adulthood.

In this report, we (a) present descriptive information about the extent and the kinds of treatments being provided to depressed adolescents; (b) identify the factors that are related to treatment utilization; and (c) examine whether the provision of treatment during adolescence reduced the risk for the occurrence of depression during young adulthood (19–24 years). The sample consisted of 1,507 randomly selected high school students who were diagnostically assessed on two occasions with an interval of approximately one year; 627 were assessed a third time when they reached the age of 24. The findings may be summarized as follows: 60.7% of those with major depressive disorder were provided with treatment. The modal treatment was outpatient, individual psychotherapy administered by a mental health provider. Inpatient treatment and medications were rare. Factors found to be related to treatment utilization were the severity of the depression, the existence of a comorbid nonaffective disorder, the number of previous episodes of depression, history of suicide attempt, academic problems, lack of intact family, and female gender. Unexpectedly, those who had received treatment were not less likely to relapse into another episode of depression during young adulthood. Depression and Anxiety 7:47–52, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Nonrigid Connectors for Fixed Partial Dentures

Because of physiologic tooth movement, arch position of the abutments, and the retentive capacity of the retainers, a nonrigid connector may be preferred in the fabrication of a five-unit pier-abutment fixed partial denture. In this prosthesis, the movement of the nonrigid connector is enough to prevent the middle abutment from serving as a fulcrum. Tooth preparation and the fabrication of precision and semiprecision attachments are described.
A study on conical spiral antennas for UHF SATCOM terminals

A spiral antenna can be designed to cover the octave bandwidth of 200–400 MHz required for the UHF SATCOM system. To make it easily stowed and deployed on demand, the spiral can be printed on a collapsible conical surface similar to a center-fed-reflector deploying mechanism. This paper studies two different configurations for the conical spiral antenna with different subtended conical angles. The first configuration assumes constant radius for the projected circular aperture with different conical angles, requiring different conical length or height. The second configuration assumes same conical length for different conical angles, resulting in different projected circular apertures. The study provides a trade-off between antenna gain, back lobe level, axial ratio, and stowed size.
STATISTICAL MODELING AND CONTROL OF SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-LIKING

The paper discusses the existing theories and measurement tools of self-esteem and self-liking and analyzes certain non-clinical ways for improving them. Statistical modeling is used to confirm the effect of receiving compliments on self-liking. The experimental part of the paper is based on a questionnaire about self-perceived attractiveness completed by a group of young adults, half of whom received a compliment immediately before. The modeling outcomes demonstrate that compliments lead to increased self-perceived attractiveness in both genders.
Carbonate-ion substitution in francolite: A new equation

Abstract The physical and chemical effects of variable carbonate-ion substitution in francolite (carbonate fluorapatite) are of considerable geochemical interest. A new empirical equation defines the relation between CO32− content and Δ2θ for the (004) and (410) X-ray diffraction (XRD) reflections of francolite. The equation is based on analyses of 37 synthetic samples with a compositional range of 0.0–9.0 wt% CO32−. Reported concentrations of CO32− in the synthetic francolites are accurate to within ±0.30 wt% CO32−, and the standard deviation of the reported values with respect to the empirical equation is ±0.49 wt% CO32−. In contrast, the standard chemical procedure for determining the CO32− content of natural francolite may produce absolute errors of 1–3 wt% CO32−, especially for samples associated with small amounts of dolomite. Within these constraints, data from a variety of natural samples agree closely with the new empirical relation and imply that the new equation can be used to calculate the CO32− content of natural francolites to within ±0.61 wt%, provided that Δ2θ for the (004) and (410) pair of XRD reflections is measured to within ±0.005°2θ.
Heat-shock proteins DnaK and GroEL facilitate export of LacZ hybrid proteins in E. coli.

THE use of lacZ gene fusions, producing a hybrid protein containing an amino terminus specified by a target gene fused to the functional carboxy terminus of β-galactosidase, has facilitated the study of protein targeting in various organisms. One of the best characterized fusions in Eschcrichia coli is Φ(lamB–lacZ)42-l(Hyb), which produces a hybrid protein with the signal sequence and 181 N-terminal amino acids of the exported protein LamB, attached to LacZ1. In common with other LacZ hybrids (reviewed in ref. 2), the LamB–LacZ(42-l) protein is poorly exported from E. coli, conferring a Lac+ phenotype. β-Galactosidase activity decreases markedly when cells producing the LamB–LacZ protein are grown at 42 ° C or when a heat-shock response is induced at lower temperatures by overproducing heat-shock factor RpoH3, indicating the LacZ hybrids are being efficiently targeted to the cell envelope. We now report that the heat-shock proteins DnaK and GroEL can, in sufficient amounts, decrease β-galactosidase activity and facilitate the export of lacZ-hybrid proteins.
Giant vesicles undergoing alkylation reactions observed by optical microscopy

Giant vesicles (GVs) of functionalized, double-chain surfactant 1 (2-hydrazino-N-methyl-N,N-didodecyl-2-oxoethanaminium bromide) were observed by phase-contrast optical microscopy as they underwent chemical reactions with 2 (O-methyl S-benzyl phenylphosphonothioate) in a pH 9.0 borate buffer at 23 °C. The GVs were damaged and ultimately converted into oil-like droplets. Also, GVs of 1 containing fluorescent dye 7 (1-methyl-7-hydroxyquinolinium iodide) were observed by simultaneous optical and epifluorescence microscopy as they underwent reactions with 2. The reactions effected the loss of 7 from the GVs.
Sleep disturbances and lower urinary tract symptoms.

Lee J, Andriole G, Avins A, Crawford ED, Foster H, Kaplan S, et al. Redesigning a large-scale clinical trial in response to negative external trial results: the CAMUS study of phytotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Clin Trials. 2009;6:628–36. Clincaltrials.gov: Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urological Symptoms (CAMUS). http://clinicaltrials.gov/ ct2/show/NCT00603304 (2007). Accessed March 2011.
X-ray diffraction and computer simulation studies on the structure of homophase and heterophase interfaces in metals

We use the Thin Film X-ray Diffraction (TFXD) technique in conjunction with computer simulation methods to obtain detailed information on the structure of complex interfacial systems in metals. Results for three types of interfaces are presented. These are, a C 13 (OOl) twist homophase boundarv in a AuCu 10 at.% allov. a Z 26/29 10011 twist Au-Pd heterophase boundary and finally the Z 4/S (Odl) twist AgCu heterophase'boundary. For ihe homophase boundary in Au<;we demonstrate the utility of the X-ray technique in studying the effects of solute segregation on boundary structure. Calculations predict trends which are in agreement with the experimental observations; however the precise magnitudes of the observed effects are not reproduced by the calculations. For the Au-Pd heterophase boundary semi-quantitative agreement is obtained between the experiments and the calcu- lations (performed using EAM potentials and Molecular Statics). Finally, in the AgCu Z 4/5 system, strong X-ray scattering is observed on the BDL, and is correlated with surprisingly large atomic displacements in this boundary; fairly good agreement is obtained with computer simulated structures. We conclude with speculations on the usefulness of the simple dislocation model in the AgCu (OOI) twist system.
Lethal and sublethal effects of the neem insecticide formulation, ‘Margosan‐O’, on the pea aphid

The effects of ‘Margosan-O’ (MO) on the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), were determined. MO significantly reduced population increase of A. pisum in a concentration-dependent manner. At a concentration equivalent to 100 mg litre−1 of azadirachtin, population increase was c. 3.5 times lower than the control. In more detailed studies, MO significantly reduced the number of molts, longevity, and fecundity of A. pisum that had been reared on treated broad bean. Viciafaba L., plants. MO also reduced the longevity and fecundity of young adult A. pisum exposed to MO-treated broad bean. MO was slow-acting against A. pisum. Mortality caused by MO stabilised seven days after newborn A. pisum were exposed to treated broad bean and 10 days for adults. The seven day LC50 for individuals exposed from birth was 27.50 mg azadirachtin liter−1 while the 10 day LC50 for adults was 53.32 mg liter−1. Contrary to previous studies suggesting that neem insecticides are not contact toxicants, we found that MO applied topically to adult A. pisum caused effects similar to those found in individuals that fed upon treated plants. However, MO was slower-acting when applied topically. Mortality in adult A. pisum caused by topically applied MO stabilised 17 days after treatment with a resultant LD50of 2.91 μg azadirachtin g−1.
Urocortin 2 expression in the rat gastrointestinal tract under basal conditions and in chemical colitis.

It is becoming increasingly evident that the urocortins (Ucns) and their receptors are involved in the initiation and development of inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There has not been a systematic study of the basal expression of Ucns or their receptors in the GI tract. Here, we examined basal expression of Ucn 2 and its high-affinity receptor, CRF-R2 in the rat GI tract. Ucn 2 mRNA was expressed throughout the small and large intestine. Surprisingly, CRF-R2 mRNA expression was detected in only a subset of GI regions that expressed Ucn 2. Immunohistochemical study showed that both Ucn 2 immuno-reactivity (Ucn 2-IR) and CRF-R2-IR were consistently seen in the neurons of the myenteric plexus and the nerve fibers innervating the circular muscle. By and large, Ucn 2-IR was detected in all layers, including the mucosal and the submucosal layers throughout the GI regions. In contrast, CRF-R2-IR was very low or undetectable in the mucosal layers of all regions examined. The role of Ucn 2 and CRF-R2 was then examined in a rat model of chemically-induced colitis. In the early phase of colitis, Ucn 2 mRNA levels peaked, whereas, in striking contrast, CRF-R2 mRNA expression decreased ∼2.5-fold below control levels. At the peptide level, Ucn 2-IR was specifically induced in a large population of immune cells that infiltrated the lamina propria and submucosa of the distal colon, whereas CRFR2-IR was detected in only a small fraction of infiltrated immune cells. CRF-R2-IR was dramatically reduced in the neurons of the myenteric plexus. Thus, we show, for the first time, that in the acute phase of inflammation, Ucn 2 levels are increased whereas expression levels of its only identified receptor, CRF-R2, are decreased. This suggests that Ucn 2 exerts its effects only in part via CRF-R2.
On the coordination properties of Eu3+ bound to tRNA.

Abstract The luminescence properties of Eu 3+ have been used to investigate the binding and coordination properties of the ion with tRNA, as an attempt to resolve the discussion of whether metal ions bind to tRNA in solution only by Debye-Huckel screening, or whether direct coordination to specific sites may occur. Binding studies with Escherichia coli tRNA f met (taking advantage of 4-thiouracil-sensitized Eu 3+ emission) distinguish three classes of binding affinities. Two of these are single sites with affinities approx. 10 4 and approx. 10 3 tighter than the nonspecific affinity of Eu 3+ , for native DNA. Mg 2+ competes for binding at both these sites. Measurement of the lifetime and excitation spectrum of Eu 3+ bound to the highest affinity site shows that the ion has two to five non-phosphate ligands in its inner coordination sphere. The existence of this coordinated site demonstrates that electrostatic screening is not the only mechanism for metal ion interaction with tRNA. The coordination properties of the high-affinity Eu 3+ site do not agree with the properties of any of the metal ion sites found in the two tRNA phe crystal forms. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed; it may be that ions bind differently to isolated molecules in solution than to molecules packed in a crystal lattice.
Effects of age and spectral shaping on perception and neural representation of stop consonant stimuli.

Objective: To determine if (1) aging affects neural representation of a dynamic spectral speech cue and (2) spectrally-shaped gain applied to the cue reduces any aging effects. Methods: Psychometric functions and cortical evoked responses were compared in young and older listeners with normal hearing. Stimuli were consonant-vowels along a /bdg/ place-of-articulation continuum in an unshaped and shaped condition. Shaped stimuli enhanced audibility of the F2 formant transition relative to the rest of the stimulus. Results: Compared with younger listeners, older listeners had larger /d/ categories, longer P2 latencies, and larger N1 amplitudes to unshaped stimuli. To shaped stimuli, older listeners had /d/ categories and P2 latencies more similar to those measured from younger listeners, while N1 amplitudes were larger. Conclusions: Aging significantly affects the processing of dynamic spectral information. For some measures, differences due to aging were minimized with spectrally-shaped stimuli. Significance: Aging reduces neural responsiveness to dynamic spectral cues. If the cue is enhanced, neural responsiveness is increased and perceptual measures are more like those from the younger listeners for some stimuli. This suggests that aging may decrease responsiveness of intact neurons as opposed to destroying neurons and/or distorting spectral coding.
Total Laparoscopic Creation of a Novel Stapled Orthotopic Neobladder in the Porcine Model

Purpose. Laparoscopic urinary diversion remains difficult and time consuming even when performed by experienced laparoscopists. Here we describe a novel procedure that quickly creates an ileal orthotopic neobladder with an afferent tubular segment using a laparoscopic stapling device. Materials and Methods. Laparoscopic cystectomy and stapled ileal neobladder were performed in five domestic juvenile pigs. Following cystectomy, 30 to 40 cm of terminal ileum was harvested, and ileal continuity restored. The harvested ileum was made into a J configuration, and three to seven laparoscopic staple firings were used to create a spherical pouch with an afferent limb modeled after the Studer-type neobladder. An aperture was created in the dependent portion of the neobladder, and urethral anastomosis was performed using six interrupted absorbable sutures. Ureterointestinal anastomosis was performed using a Wallace technique. Postoperative cystography and intravenous pyelography were performed. A 1-month survival st...
Long wave dynamics of the interannual variability in a numerical hindcast of the equatorial Pacific Ocean circulation during the 1990s

[1] A numerical hindcast of the Pacific Ocean circulation for the period of 1988–1998 is conducted to study the dynamics of interannual variations in the 1990s. The Poseidon quasi-isopycnal ocean model is forced with an SSMI-derived wind stress product and sea surface heat flux from an atmospheric mixed layer model. On the basis of a good comparison of the hindcast results with TAO mooring observations, the roles of the propagation and reflection of the equatorial Kelvin and Rossby waves in the evolution of El Nino and La Nina events in the 1990s are investigated. The linear waves are extracted from the nonlinear model in such a way as to preserve model nonlinearity so that the validity of linear theory of the wave propagation and reflection at the western and eastern boundaries can be examined. It is found that the reflection of the Kelvin waves at the eastern boundary is in very good agreement with a linear reflection at a straight meridional wall. In contrast, the reflection of the Rossby waves at the Pacific western boundary is significantly different from linear theory. Besides the validation of linear theory, the decomposition also shows marked differences from altimetry data analyses. Since the hindcast solution is dynamically consistent and close to observations, a significant part of the differences is attributed to errors associated with the incomplete (least squares fit) wave decomposition from the altimetry data. On the basis of the wave decomposition, the dynamics of the simulated El Nino and La Nina events in the 1990s are compared with three ENSO paradigms. The investigation shows that precursive Rossby waves, important in the Delayed Oscillator paradigm, played an important role in the termination of the 1991–1993 and the 1997–1998 El Nino events. Reflected Rossby waves from the Pacific eastern boundary, the primary negative feedback in the Advective-Reflective paradigm, were present during the termination of the 1994–1995 and the 1997–1998 El Nino. The Western Pacific Oscillator is at best at work during the decay of the 1997–1998 El Nino; however, it played a minor role compared with the other paradigms. None of the three paradigms appears to describe the termination of the 1988–1989 and the 1995–1996 La Nina events and the onset of the 1997–1998 El Nino event well.
FOCUS ON MATERNAL BEHAVIOR IN INFANT INTERVENTION

A six-stage maternal behavior progression is outlined, and its use as a schema for the assessment of parental behavior in parent-infant interaction is described. This approach focuses on parent-infant interaction, rather than the teaching of infant skills, as a basis for enhancing cognitive and affective development of the child. Use of the schema is illustrated in two cases from an intervention program for high-risk infants.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Preliminary Biological Study of Poly(3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)

Poly(3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) has been synthesized and characterized by gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. The polymer is a chemically amplified photoresist. Arrays of lines with 25 μm width and 25 μm spacing were successfully patterned with this polymer by photolithography. Rat fibroblast cells were seeded on these patterned surfaces as well as the smooth glass surface. Phase contrast microscopy showed that cells on the patterned surfaces were strongly aligned and elongated along the grooves as compared to randomly spreading on the smooth surface. Since controlling cell orientation is critical for the development of advanced forms of tissue repair and cell engineering therapies, for example, peripheral nerve repair, production of tendon and ligament substitutes in vitro, and control of microvascular repair, the described polymer may be useful for applications in tissue reconstruction.