cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On-line monitoring of a pilot flotation rougher circuit by using PCA models

Abstract Flotation is a very complex process, described by a large number of input and operating variables, frequently high correlated and collinear. Therefore, it is a great challenge to find out which combination of those variables are driving the process out of its target, given by concentrate grade and process recovery. Since most variables are measured with significant error, the on-line identification of which measurement need to be recalibrate is an issue, in order to assure good control decisions. Multivariate statistical projection method, and particularly Principal Component Analysis, can be effectively used to obtain linear models between latent variables directly from operating data. In this work, PCA models have been obtained and used to develop an on-line monitoring system on a pilot rougher circuit. The main experimental results and work to be done are discussed here.
CHAPTER 14 – Voltage-Dependent K+ Channels

This chapter focuses on voltage-dependent K + currents, which play an essential role in repolarization of cardiac myocytes. The role played by the various K + currents in cardiac repolarization has been derived from the identification and biophysical characterization of native K + currents in isolated cardiac myocytes using a combination of the patch-clamp and pharmacological techniques applied to enzymatically isolated cardiac myocytes. The molecular basis of the various K + currents in the heart is progressing rapidly, and has significantly advanced the understanding of the electrophysiology and biophysics of native cardiac K + currents, and the molecular basis of the cardiac action potential. An additional variable that has to be addressed is the nonuniform distribution of channel proteins and their modulators. The heterogeneity of channel protein is greater than what was originally anticipated, and the distribution patterns, and their underlying mechanisms, are just beginning to be addressed. Immunolocalization data from the ferret heart shows that the variability of channel expression results from a combination of variability among cells and regional sublocalization also. Determination of the patterns of localization of K + channel proteins within the human heart have important implications for the understanding of the molecular basis of normal and abnormal function and for anti-arrhythmic therapy also.
Preimplant Hearing Aid Fittings and Aided Audibility for Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients.

Background Audibility of speech for children with hearing loss (HL) depends on the degree of HL and the fitting of the hearing aids (HAs) themselves. Many studies on cochlear implant (CI) users have demonstrated that preimplant hearing is associated with postimplant outcomes, but there have been very few reports on the fitting of HAs before surgery. Purpose The aims of this study were to characterize HA fittings and aided audibility of speech for pediatric HA users with severe to profound HL and to examine the relation between preimplant aided audibility and postimplant speech perception. Research design A descriptive/observational and correlational study. Audiologic records of pediatric CI participants involved in a larger study examining the effects of early acoustic hearing were analyzed retrospectively; when available, these records included HA verification and speech recognition performance. Study sample The CI participants were enrolled in audiology centers and oral schools for the deaf across the United States. Data collection and analysis To determine whether deviations from prescribed DSL target were significantly greater than zero, 95% confidence intervals of the mean deviation were calculated for each frequency (250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz). Correlational analyses were used to examine the relationship between preimplant aided Speech Intelligibility Indices (SIIs) and postimplant speech perception in noise. Correlational analyses were also used to explore the relationship between preimplant aided SIIs and demographic data. T-tests were used to compare preimplant-aided SIIs of HAs of listeners who later became users of either sequential CIs, simultaneous CIs, or bimodal devices. Results Preimplant fittings of HAs were generally very close to prescriptive targets, except at 4000 Hz for those HAs with active frequency-lowering processing, and preimplant SIIs, albeit low, were correlated with postimplant speech recognition performance in noise. These results suggest that aided audibility should be maximized throughout the HA trial for later speech recognition purposes. Conclusions It is recommended that HA fittings be optimized to support speech audibility even when considering implantation. In addition to the age at which HA use begins, the aided audibility itself is important in determining CI candidacy and decisions regarding bimodal HA use.
The impact of underinsurance on bladder cancer diagnosis, survival, and care delivery for individuals under the age of 65 years

BACKGROUND Health insurance is a key mediator of health care disparities. Outcomes in bladder cancer, one of the costliest diseases to treat, may be especially sensitive to a patient's insurance status. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry and the National Cancer Data Base were used to identify individuals younger than 65 years who were diagnosed with bladder cancer from 2007 to 2014. The associations between the insurance status (privately insured, insured by Medicaid, or uninsured) and the following outcomes were evaluated: diagnosis with advanced disease, cancer-specific survival, delay in treatment longer than 90 days, treatment in a high-volume hospital, and receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). RESULTS Compared with those with private insurance, uninsured and Medicaid-insured individuals were nearly twice as likely to receive a diagnosis of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (odds ratio [OR] for uninsured individuals, 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70-2.12; OR for Medicaid-insured individuals, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.87-2.20). They were also more likely to die of bladder cancer (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] for uninsured individuals, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.31-1.71; AHR for Medicaid-insured individuals, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.46-1.79). Delays in treatment longer than 90 days were more likely for uninsured (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.12-1.65) and Medicaid-insured individuals (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.03-1.44) in comparison with the privately insured. Uninsured patients had lower odds of treatment at a high-volume facility, and Medicaid-insured patients had lower odds of receiving NAC (P < .001 for both). CONCLUSIONS Compared with privately insured individuals, uninsured and Medicaid-insured individuals experience worse prognoses and poorer care quality. Expanding high-quality insurance coverage to marginalized populations may help to reduce the burden of this disease.
Understanding Doctor Decision Making: The Case of Depression Treatment

Treatment for depression is complex, requiring decisions that may involve trade-offs between exploiting treatments with the highest expected value and experimenting with treatments with higher possible payoffs. Using patient claims data, we show that among skilled doctors, using a broader portfolio of drugs predicts better patient outcomes, except in cases where doctors' decisions violate loose professional guidelines. We introduce a behavioral model of decision making guided by our empirical observations. The model's novel feature is that the trade-off between exploitation and experimentation depends on the doctor's diagnostic skill. The model predicts that higher diagnostic skill leads to greater diversity in drug choice and better matching of drugs to patients even among doctors with the same initial beliefs regarding drug effectiveness. Consistent with the finding that guideline violations predict poorer patient outcomes, simulations of the model suggest that increasing the number of possible drug choices can lower performance.
Analysis of melanotic Plasmodium spp. capsules in mosquitoes reveal eumelanin-pheomelanin composition and identify AgMesh as a modulator of parasite infection

Melanins are structurally complex pigments produced by organisms in all domains of life from bacteria to animals, including humans. In insects, melanins are essential for survival and have key roles in cuticle sclerotization, wound healing and innate immunity. In this study, we used a diverse set of molecular, biochemical, and imaging approaches to characterize mosquito melanin involved in innate immune defense (melanotic capsules ). We observed that melanotic capsules enclosing Plasmodium berghei ookinetes were composed of an acid-resistant and highly hydrophobic material with granular appearance, which are characteristic properties of melanins. Spectroscopical analyses reveal chemical signatures of eumelanins and pheomelanin. Furthermore, using an enrichment approach for the proteomic analysis, we identified a set of 14 of acid-resistant mosquito proteins embedded within the melanin matrix possibly related to an anti- Plasmodium response. Among these, Ag Mesh, a highly conserved protein among insect species that contains domains suggesting a role in immune recognition and function. We targeted Ag Mesh for further study using a RNAi-based gene silencing approach in mosquitos and challenged them with two Plasmodium spp. Surprisingly, Ag Mesh gene silencing in mosquitos was associated with reduced parasite infection, implying an important role in facilitating vector infection by Plasmodium spp. Our results provide a new approach to study aspects of insect melanogenesis that revealed proteins associated with melanotic capsule, one of which was strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of Plasmodium spp. mosquito infection. Given the conservation of Ag Mesh among disease-transmitting insect vector species, future analysis of this protein could provide fertile ground for the identification of strategies that block transmission of disease to humans.
All the Sovereign's Agents: The Constitutional Credentials of Administration

At a time when citizens must rely on administration to tackle the urgent threats of global warming, a pandemic, and destabilizing inequality, critics both left and right would tear it down. Libertarian opponents denounce agency discretion as obnoxious to the rule of law and its norms of generality and neutrality. They argue that regulatory agencies violate the separation of powers and defy the principle of limited government. But their favored solution, a strict application of the non-delegation doctrine, would create a new, undemocratic separation of powers problem: ascribing to unelected judges responsibility for economic and social regulation. On the other hand, conservatives with a more authoritarian inflection would rescue agencies from their constitutional exile by placing them under more direct executive control. Bootstrapping agencies to the president’s electoral credentials, their solution carries Schmittian implications. Administration fares little better in the hands of the left. They blame it for a variety of ailments: the reification of social differences and the juridification of human nature; regulatory capture; depoliticization of the economy and the subsidization of financial capitalism; and, ultimately, populist politics. This paper will put administration on firm constitutional footing. It argues that critiques of the administrative state rely upon mistaken notions of popular sovereignty and the rule of law. First, they posit the law as the “will” of an organ-body democratic sovereign that is transcribed (however ham-handedly) by elected officials. Yet, as recent theory shows, there is no exogenous democratic will to transcribe. Second, they posit that this law can be uncontroversially applied by neutral judges and administrators. For them, the rule of law protects political equality through the unwavering application of abstract, general legislation. Critical theorists show, however, that the application of abstract law to concrete cases may only exacerbate inequality. Legal realists demonstrate that law is underdeterminate; unelected judges and administrators will inevitably find themselves smuggling outside values into their decision-making. By treating administration as part of representative government, however, agencies can gain constitutional credentials. If democracy aspires not to universal consent and a formalist understanding of law, but instead to democratic autonomy (Urbinati & Warren, 2008), then administration can be legitimate. Indeed, agencies already serve as fora for representative politics as citizens organize around rulemaking. They also act as representatives themselves. By providing points of entry into policymaking, independent agencies help constitutional democracies ensure that power can respond effectively to popular demands while always remaining an empty place.
Diffusion MRI detects basal forebrain cholinergic abnormalities in the 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Degeneration of the basal forebrain (BF) is detected early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Reduction in the number of BF cholinergic (ChAT) neurons associated with age-related hippocampal cholinergic neuritic dystrophy is described in the 3xTg-AD mouse model; however, no prior diffusion MRI (dMRI) study has explored the presence of BF alterations in this model. Here we investigated the ability of diffusion MRI (dMRI) to detect abnormalities in BF microstructure for the 3xTg-AD mouse model, along with related pathology in the hippocampus (HP) and white matter (WM) tracks comprising the septo-hippocampal pathway. 3xTg-AD and normal control (NC) mice were imaged in vivo using the specific dMRI technique known as diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) at 2, 8, and 15 months of age, and 8 dMRI parameters were measured at each time point. Our results revealed significant lower dMRI values in the BF of 2 months-old 3xTg-AD mice compared with NC mice, most likely related to the increased number of ChAT neurons seen in this AD mouse model at this age. They also showed significant age-related dMRI changes in the BF of both groups between 2 and 8 months of age, mainly a decrease in fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity, and an increase in radial kurtosis. These dMRI changes in the BF may be reflecting the complex aging and pathological microstructural changes described in this region. Group differences and age-related changes were also observed in the HP, fimbria (Fi) and fornix (Fx). In the HP, diffusivity values were significantly higher in the 2 months-old 3xTg-AD mice, and the HP of NC mice showed a significant increase in axial kurtosis after 8 months, reflecting a normal pattern of increased fiber density complexity, which was not seen in the 3xTg-AD mice. In the Fi, mean and radial diffusivity values were significantly higher, and fractional anisotropy, radial kurtosis and kurtosis fractional anisotropy were significantly lower in the 2 months-old 3xTg-AD mice. The age trajectories for both NC and TG mice in the Fi and Fx were similar between 2 and 8 months, but after 8 months there was a significant decrease in diffusivity metrics associated with an increase in kurtosis metrics in the 3xTg-AD mice. These later HP, Fi and Fx dMRI changes probably reflect the growing number of dystrophic neurites and AD pathology progression in the HP, accompanied by WM disruption in the septo-hippocampal pathway. Our results demonstrate that dMRI can detect early cytoarchitectural abnormalities in the BF, as well as related aging and neurodegenerative changes in the HP, Fi and Fx of the 3xTg-AD mice. Since DKI is widely available on clinical scanners, these results also support the potential of the considered dMRI parameters as in vivo biomarkers for AD disease progression.
Ag-clad Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O wires. II, Important factors in supersolidus phase studies

Abstract We studied the effect the quench rate has on the phase assemblage observed at room temperature in the Bi:Sr:Ca:Cu oxide system for Ag-clad 2:2:1:2 wire that had been quenced from above the solidus. Ag, which dissolved into the melt from the cladding, and “2201” precipitated out of the melt in samples quenched in liquid nitrogen or air due to the relatively slow quenching rate. In contrast, the quench rate in oil was rapid enough to prevent these phase from forming. In oil-quenched samples, “2201” was not observed indicating that “2201” is not a precursor phase to “2212”. These wire samples contained several minor phases that were difficult to identify in the multiphase X-ray diffraction patterns. We examined the X-ray diffraction pattern for (Sr1−xCax)CuO2 (x=0.4), a phase found in the wire that has a wide range of solid solution and whose X-ray pattern is quite different than the end member SrCuO2. Identifying and indexing the diffraction peaks due to this phase were aided by the quantitative chemical data we collected on each phase present in the wire.
Linking social--environmental risk factors with aggression in suburban adolescents: the role of social--cognitive mediators

Previous research suggests that social--cognitive factors mediate the association between social--environmental risk and aggression in high-risk samples, but less is known about the relation among these factors in suburban youth. The present study examined whether such an association occurred for suburban youth exposed to low levels of social rejection and community violence. Using data from 184 adolescents (mean age = 14.97 years, "SD" = 0.84) and their homeroom teachers, analyses with structural equation modeling revealed a significant relation between relatively mild levels of social--environmental risk and aggression. This association was partially mediated by negatively biased social--cognitive factors (i.e., general knowledge structures and social information processing). FINDINGS suggest that even relatively low levels of social rejection and community violence exposure characterizing suburban youth (in contrast to urban youth) put them at an increased risk for problems with aggression. Language: en
Abstract 2552: T cell apoptosis signaling biomarker of PD-1 engagement in cancer patients

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Targeting membrane PD-1 molecules expressed by tumor-reactive T cells is gaining acceptance as a potentially effective anti-tumor immunotherapy. PD-1 blockade mediated by monoclonal antibodies has yielded promising therapeutic effects in treatment of melanoma, lung cancer and kidney cancers. Although detecting PD-1 expression by T cells is relatively straightforward, a simple and reliable method for determining whether PD-1 on T cells has engaged its ligand B7-H1 (PD-L1) is wanting. Our previous studies have revealed that engagement of PD-1 or B7-1 by B7-H1 results in alternations of apoptosis signaling pathway by up-regulating pro-apoptotic molecules among activated T cells and are correlated with B7-H1-mediated T cell death. Those observations suggest that intracellular levels of apoptosis-related Bcl2 family molecules among PD-1 positive CD8 T cells may be barometers of the extent to which PD-1 has been triggered by B7-H1. Using PD-1 and B7-H1 deficient animal models, we found that lower levels of intracellular pro-apoptosis molecules identify those activated T cells whose PD-1 molecules have not yet been extensively engaged, thus T cell function might be restored to their normal function once PD-1 signals from B7-H1 are blocked. Similarly, human PD-1 positive CD8 T cells engaged by B7-H1 also expressed higher levels of pro-apoptosis molecules during antigen stimulation. Our clinical data demonstrated that pro-apoptosis molecule expression by tumor-reactive T cell levels are higher among advanced melanoma and prostate cancers than healthy controls, reflecting chronic engagement with B7-H1. Thus, using pro-apoptosis status as signaling biomarkers for T cell PD-1 engagement, it may be possible to select patients who are most likely to have strong benefit from PD-1 or B7-H1 (PD-L1) blockade therapy. Citation Format: Wei Zhao, Haidong Dong. T cell apoptosis signaling biomarker of PD-1 engagement in cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2552. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2552
Constraints on the Nature of Interstellar Dust

At present, the main challenge to understanding the nature of interstellar dust is the reference abundance (dust + gas) of the interstellar medium. Reasons why it is probably ~ 0.7 solar are reviewed. The absorption features shown by dust are considered, and my best-guess at the correct model of dust is given.
Abstract 1652: Immune infiltration of normal and benign breast lobules varies in breast tissues based on cancer risk

Introduction: Histologic characteristics of nonmalignant breast tissues (epithelial proliferation and involution) are associated with future breast cancer (BC) risk. We evaluated immune infiltration (lobulitis) in benign breast lobules and its association with features of BC risk. Methods: We analyzed archived nonmalignant breast tissue samples from 81 women in age-matched groups of varying cancer risk: 27 with benign breast disease (BBD) who later developed BC (cases), 27 with BBD without subsequent BC (controls), and 27 normal women without clinical breast disease from the Komen Tissue Bank at Indiana University (KTB). Up to 10 lobules in each sample were characterized by HE among women Conclusion: Lobulitis is common in normal and benign breast tissue lobules but varies with age, involution status, and epithelial abnormality. Further work is needed to understand the role of immune infiltrates in breast cancer risk. Citation Format: Rushin D. Brahmbhatt, Daniel W. Visscher, Tanya L. Hoskin, Derek C. Radisky, Linda M. Murphy, Melody L. Stallings Mann, Erin Miller, Vernon S. Pankratz, Lynn C. Hartmann, Marlene H. Frost, Amy C. Degnim. Immune infiltration of normal and benign breast lobules varies in breast tissues based on cancer risk. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1652. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1652
Muscle dynamics in skipjack tuna: timing of red muscle shortening in relation to activation and body curvature during steady swimming.

Cyclic length changes in the internal red muscle of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) were measured using sonomicrometry while the fish swam in a water tunnel at steady speeds of 1.1-2.3 L s(−)(1), where L is fork length. These data were coupled with simultaneous electromyographic (EMG) recordings. The onset of EMG activity occurred at virtually the same phase of the strain cycle for muscle at axial locations between approximately 0.4L and 0.74L, where the majority of the internal red muscle is located. Furthermore, EMG activity always began during muscle lengthening, 40–50 prior to peak length, suggesting that force enhancement by stretching and net positive work probably occur in red muscle all along the body. Our results support the idea that positive contractile power is derived from all the aerobic swimming muscle in tunas, while force transmission is provided primarily by connective tissue structures, such as skin and tendons, rather than by muscles performing negative work. We also compared measured muscle length changes with midline curvature (as a potential index of muscle strain) calculated from synchronised video image analysis. Unlike contraction of the superficial red muscle in other fish, the shortening of internal red muscle in skipjack tuna substantially lags behind changes in the local midline curvature. The temporal separation of red muscle shortening and local curvature is so pronounced that, in the mid-body region, muscle shortening at each location is synchronous with midline curvature at locations that are 7–8 cm (i.e. 8–10 vertebral segments) more posterior. These results suggest that contraction of the internal red muscle causes deformation of the body at more posterior locations, rather than locally. This situation represents a unique departure from the model of a homogeneous bending beam, which describes red muscle strain in other fish during steady swimming, but is consistent with the idea that tunas produce thrust by motion of the caudal fin rather than by undulation of segments along the body.
Modulation of intercellular calcium signaling in astrocytes by extracellular calcium and magnesium.

The extracellular concentrations of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) are well known to play important roles in the function of the central nervous system. We examined the effects of extracellular Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) on ATP release and intercellular signaling in astrocytes. The extent of propagation of intercellular Ca(2+) waves evoked by mechanical stimulation was increased by reduction of extracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](o)) or Mg(2+) concentration ([Mg(2+)](o)) and was decreased by elevated [Mg(2+)](o). Reduction of extracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)) evokes intercellular Ca(2+) signaling in astrocytes; a similar effect was observed in response to change from 5 mM [Mg(2+)](o) to 0 [Mg(2+)](o). Release of low-molecular-weight dyes and ATP was also activated by low [Ca(2+)](o) or [Mg(2+)](o) and inhibited by high [Ca(2+)](o) or [Mg(2+)](o). Astrocytes showed low [Ca(2+)](o)-activated whole cell currents consistent with currents through connexin hemichannels. These currents were inhibited by extracellular Mg(2+). We conclude that extracellular divalent cations modulate intercellular Ca(2+) signaling in astrocytes by modulating the release of ATP, possibly via connexin hemichannels.
Sucrose to polycose preference shifts in rats: the role of taste, osmolality and the fructose moiety.

Abstract Rats given continuous access to 32% sucrose and Polycose solutions initially preferred sucrose but over days reversed their preference and drank more Polycose than sucrose. The role of taste and postingestive factors in this preference shift were investigated in several experiments. A strong and persistent preference for saccharin-sweetened Polycose over unsweetened Polycose was eliminated by intervening experience with a sucrose vs. Polycose choice test, suggesting that the postingestive effects modify the attractiveness of sweet taste. Osmolality differences between sucrose and Polycose were ruled out as an important factor; increasing the osmolality of Polycose by addition of glucose did not prevent the sucrose to Polycose preference shift. Rather, the shift in preference appears to result from some postingestive consequence of the fructose moiety contained in sucrose. This is indicated by the findings that rats did not reliably prefer a fructose-Polycose mixture to a sucrose solution in long-term tests, but developed preferences for maltose over sucrose solutions, and for glucose + Polycose over fructose + Polycose mixtures. Also, a 32% glucose solution was strongly preferred to a 32% fructose solution. Other studies examined the parameters of the sucrose to Polycose preference shift. The Polycose preference was accomplished by increases in both Polycose meal size and frequency. It occurred only with relatively concentrated solutions (16 and 32%) and was incomplete when the carbohydrates were presented in powered form. Preexposure to Polycose enhanced the preference shift, whereas preexposure to sucrose retarded the development of the preference, suggesting that the shift occurs because Polycose is more rewarding, rather than because sucrose is more aversive. Polycose preference was lost after several days without the solutions but redeveloped in subsequent sucrose vs. Polycose choice tests. Thus the preference shift appears to be due to taste-postingestive consequence conditioning but its expression is dependent upon the nutritional state of the animal.
Comparison of a gonadotropin releasing-hormone antagonist plus testosterone (T) versus T alone as potential male contraceptive regimens.

Efforts to develop a hormonal contraceptive regimen for men have focused on administration of testosterone (T), alone or together with other agents. Previous regimens have successfully induced azoospermia in only 50-70% of subjects, however. GnRH antagonists, alone or in combination with T, have been shown to induce azoospermia in a very high percentage of nonhuman primates. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of a GnRH antagonist to a high-dose T regimen would lead to a higher percentage of men developing azoospermia than would T alone. We administered the GnRH antagonist, Nal-Glu (100 micrograms/kg.day sc), plus T enanthate, 200 mg im weekly or placebo sc injections daily plus T enanthate, 200 mg im weekly, to separate groups of healthy men for 16-20 weeks. Seven of 10 men who received Nal-Glu plus T and 6 of 9 men who received T alone became azoospermic; gonadotropin levels were suppressed and T levels were increased similarly in both groups. There was a trend toward higher pretreatment gonadotropin levels and lower sperm counts in men who became azoospermic. Weight gain, development of acne, and increases in hematocrit and hemoglobin were similar in the two groups. In the majority of the men, sperm counts returned to the baseline levels within 4-5 months after treatment ended. We conclude that with the dosages of Nal-Glu and T we used in this study, the addition of GnRH antagonist to a high-dose T regimen does not increase the ability of T to suppress spermatogenesis in healthy men. Use of a higher dose of Nal-Glu, a lower dose of T, delaying the start of T replacement until several weeks after Nal-Glu injections are initiated, or prolonged hormonal administration might lead to a combination regimen that will suppress spermatogenesis more fully than does T alone.
Framing Pictorial Cigarette Warning Labels to Motivate Young Smokers to Quit

Introduction The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act requires new pictorial warnings for U.S. cigarette packs, but enactment has been delayed by tobacco industry lawsuits. Research can inform implementation of the pictorial warning requirement and identify ways to optimize their public health impact post-implementation. This study investigated the impact of warning label message framing on young smokers' motivation to quit, examining cessation self-efficacy, and perceived risks as moderators of message framing impact. Methods Smokers ages 18-30 (n = 740) completed baseline measures and were randomized to view 4 images of cigarette packs with pictorial health warnings featuring gain- or loss-framed messages. Motivation to quit was assessed after participants viewed the pack images. Linear models accounting for repeated measures and adjusting for baseline covariates examined the impact of message framing and interactions with baseline self-efficacy to quit and perceived risks of smoking. Results Loss-framed warnings prompted significantly greater motivation to quit among smokers with high self-efficacy compared with smokers with low self-efficacy. Among smokers with low self-efficacy, gain-framed messages were superior to loss-framed messages. Gain-framed warnings generated significantly greater motivation to quit among smokers with high perceived risks compared with smokers with low perceived risks. Among smokers with high perceived risks, gain-framed messages were superior to loss-framed messages. Conclusions A combination of pictorial warnings featuring risk-based (i.e., loss-framed) and efficacy-enhancing (i.e., gain-framed) information may promote better public health outcomes. Research is needed to investigate how strategically framed warning messages impact smokers' behaviors based on their pre-existing attitudes and beliefs in real-world settings.
Perpetuities and asymptotic change-point analysis

The distribution of stochastically discounted sums (perpetuities) is studied. For Bernoulli-type variables a canonical representation of this distribution is obtained, and it is proven to be singular continuous. In the asymptotic setting of the change-point estimation problem the limiting behavior of the posterior distribution is shown to be given by two independent perpetuities.
Drawing to Learn Science: Legacies of Agassiz.

The use of visual representation to learn science can be traced to Louis Agassiz, Harvard Professor of Zoology, in the mid-19th century. In Agassiz’s approach, students were to study nature through carefully observing, drawing and then thinking about what the observations might add up to. However, implementation of Agassiz’s student-centered approach has struggled with the conflict between science as a form of developing “mental discipline” in which mastery of scientific facts is the goal and science learning as a socially situated activity with an emphasis on the process of learning, not merely its products. Present-day attempts to have students draw to learn science often succumb to these same conflicts, limiting their full realization.
Flying Squirrel Demography Varies Between Island Communities with and without Red Squirrels

Recent studies in Southeast Alaska suggest the ecology of Glaucomys sabrinus differs from populations in the Pacific Northwest. In Southeast Alaska, densities were the highest reported for the species, populations were not as closely linked to old-forest attributes, and individuals had a more diverse diet that was less dependent on mycophagy. Pacific Northwest communities are comprised of several arboreal rodents; Southeast Alaska has a depauperate mammal fauna. I hypothesized that Southeast Alaska populations had a broader realized niche because of competitive release. The red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is the only other arboreal squirrel and it is absent from the southern outer islands of Southeast Alaska’s Alexander Archipelago. I compared demography and body mass of G. sabrinus on Prince of Wales Island to a population in sympatry with T. hudsonicus on a separate island (Mitkof). Home ranges were larger and population density, breeding female density, and juvenile recruitment of G. sabrinus were all lower in sympatry with T. hudsonicus. In a companion study, G. sabrinus on Prince of Wales Island used cavities for denning relatively more frequently than in sympatry with T. hudsonicus on Mitkof Island. Female G. sabrinus depend on cavities for natal dens, and breeding female and population densities are positively correlated with large snag or tree density. The presence of T. hudsonicus may influence G. sabrinus populations by limiting availability of cavities. Furthermore, variation in vertebrate assemblages among islands may influence realized niches of resident species, which manifest unique demographic profiles compared to populations of different ecological communities.
Risk of malignancy in bilateral streak gonads: the role of the Y chromosome

Although girls with Turner's syndrome (45,X) are not at risk for malignancy, patients with feminizing testicular syndrome with XY chromosome composition and patients with "mixed gonadal dysgenesis" are at risk for malignancy, and bilateral gonadectomy is performed. We have treated seven girls with "Turner-like" syndrome, who we believe are also "at risk" for development of malignancy and in whom gonadectomy should be performed. We present seven cases of phenotypically typical females, without sexual ambiguity, who presented with primary amenorrhea and short stature (5) and/or minor dysmorphic features (2). Chromosome analysis showed 45,X karyotype plus a fragment that we could not rule out as being part of a Y chromosome (in one patient a complete Y chromosome). In two patients, the fragment was subsequently positively identified as a Y, using a DNA probe. In view of the known high incidence of development of gonadoblastoma in the dysgenetic gonads of phenotypic females with a Y chromosome, bilateral gonadectomy was performed in these girls. Bilateral genital streaks with normal uterus and Fallopian tubes were found in all patients. In two patients unsuspected gonadoblastoma, without metastases, was found. In five cases, Leydig cells and tubular structures resembling rete testes were found, cells that are associated with Y-chromosomal tissue. We stress the need for complete chromosomal evaluation of phenotypically female patients with primary amenorrhea or features of Turner's syndrome. If a Y chromosome or the possibility of a Y chromosome cannot be excluded, gonadectomy should be performed because of the risk of malignancy.
Mode of Action of a Supernatant Activity from T-Cell Cultures that Nonspecifically Stimulates the Humoral Immune Response

The mode of action of "allogeneic supernatant" (the culture supernatant of a 24-hr mixedlymphocyte reaction), has been studied. This factor stimulates the response of spleen cell cultures depleted in thymus-derived lymphoid cells (T-cells) to antigens that elicit a thymus-dependent response. We used a limiting dilution analysis, in which the frequency and size of response of individual bone-marrow-derived lymphoid cells (B-cells) could be measured. In confirmation of other reports, the occurrence of B-cells responding to antigen under different conditions was shown to follow a Poisson distribution in mouse spleen cell suspensions. Allogeneic supernatant increased responses to thymus-dependent antigens, both by increasing the frequency of B-cells whose response is initiated and by increasing the numbers of antibody-forming cells obtained from each responding B-cell. Two fractions were obtained by dialysis of the supernatant. The nondialyzable fraction contained factors able to increase both the frequency of B-cells responding to sheep erythrocytes, and the size of the responding unit. The dialysate contained factors that were only able to increase the numbers of antibody-forming cells obtained per responding B-cell from B-cells whose response had already been initiated by antigen-specific T-cells. Since the nondialyzable factors were active in the absence of detectable functional T-cells, it was concluded that these factors, produced by T-cells, might represent one mechanism whereby T-cells cooperate with B-cells in the initiation or development of a humoral immune response.
Phospholipase A2 inhibitors p-bromophenacyl bromide and arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone suppressed interleukin-2 (IL-2) expression in murine primary splenocytes.

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) has been postulated to play a role in the regulation of cytokine expression. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of PLA2 inhibitors p-bromophenacyl bromide (BPB) and arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3) on interleukin-2 (IL-2) expression in murine primary splenocytes. Pretreatment of the splenocytes with both BPB and AACOCF3 suppressed phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus ionomycin-induced IL-2 secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. Inhibition >90% of IL-2 secretion was observed at 1 μM BPB and 10 μM AACOCF3 compared to the respective vehicle control. Likewise, IL-2 steady-state mRNA expression was inhibited by both PLA2 inhibitors in a concentration-dependent fashion with >90% inhibition at 1 μM BPB and 20 μM AACOCF3. Taken together, these data demonstrated that PLA2 inhibitors BPB and AACOCF3 are robust inhibitors of IL-2 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels in murine splenocytes. Moreover, these findings suggest that drugs and chemicals which inhibit PLA2 may have marked effects on T-cell function.
Hemodynamic effects of long-term morphological changes in the human carotid sinus

Previous investigations of morphology for human carotid artery bifurcation from infancy to young adulthood found substantial growth of the internal carotid artery with advancing age, and the development of the carotid sinus at the root of the internal carotid artery during teenage years. Although the reasons for the appearance of the carotid sinus are not clearly understood yet, it has been hypothesized that the dilation of the carotid sinus serves to support pressure sensing, and slows the blood flow to reduce pulsatility to protect the brain. In order to understand this interesting evolvement at the carotid bifurcation in the aspects of fluid mechanics, we performed in vitro phase-contrast MR flow experiments using compliant silicone replicas of age-dependent carotid artery bifurcations. The silicone models in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood were fabricated using a rapid prototyping technique, and incorporated with a bench-top flow mock circulation loop using a computer-controlled piston pump. The results of the in vitro flow study showed highly complex flow characteristics at the bifurcation in all age-dependent models. However, the highest magnitude of kinetic energy was found at the internal carotid artery in the child model. The high kinetic energy in the internal carotid artery during childhood might be one of the local hemodynamic forces that initiate morphological long-term development of the carotid sinus in the human carotid bifurcation.
Basic blue 75: a new stain for erythroblasts.

C.I. basic blue 75 in an aqueous alkaline solution stains the nuclei of mature anc immature erythroblasts bright red. Simultane ously, the stain colors the cytoplasm of erythro blasts blue in immature cells and purple in ma ture cells. Colors of the type described were noi found in other normal and abnormal hemato poietic cells.
A chromatographic determination of nitrate with amperometric detection at a copperized cadmium electrode

Abstract A copperized cadmium flow-through electrode is applied for cathodic detection of nitrate in the effluent stream of a liquid chromatograph. The nitrate is separated from dissolved oxygen in a small (10 cm) column of strong-base, anion-exchange resin (Dowex 1-X8) with 5 mM perchloric acid as the eluent. The effluent stream is buffered to pH 8 by mixing with a stream of buffer prior to detection. A large excess of chloride added to the sample dramatically improves the separation of nitrate from dissolved oxygen in the sample.
Unified treatment of slow atom-atom and ion-atom collisions. II. Applications to H++H and C6++H collisions.

A unified treatment of ion-atom collisions proposed earlier [Phys. Rev. A 31, 590 (1985)] is applied to study excitation and charge transfer in ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$+H and ${\mathrm{C}}^{6+}$+H collisions. This method expands the time-dependent electronic wave function in terms of traveling atomic orbitals of the two collision centers at large internuclear separations which is matched to the solution in the inner region where it is expanded in terms of molecular orbitals without translational factors. The results for ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$+H are shown to agree with recent elaborate close-coupling calculations and with experiments. For ${\mathrm{C}}^{6+}$+H collisions, the partial cross sections for capture to n=5 of ${\mathrm{C}}^{5+}$ are in better agreement with the atomic expansion calculation of Fritsch and Lin than with the molecular orbital expansion of Green et al.
Hypothesis of leprosy, tuberculosis and urbanization in Africa.

Abstract Leprosy today is a problem of global magnitude affecting possibly up to 15 million people. Its rise and fall in medieval Europe is an historically fascinating enigma. Partial cross-immunization by epidemic tuberculosis, reinforced by the growth of cities, has been proposed as a mechanism in leprosy's European disappearance, but evidence is lacking. In the case of Africa in recent decades, analysis of leprosy and tuberculosis rates, and of levels of urbanization, albeit with imperfect data, suggests a possible environmental hearth for leprosy, the existence of some cross-interference between tuberculosis and the milder, paucibacillary form of leprosy, and a negative correlation between leprosy and urbanization. It is argued that the rise of the city in Africa, acting through a combination of influences, including tuberculosis, is leading to a decline of leprosy.
(n, He 3 ) Reactions of Medium Weight Nuclei Induced by 14.8-Mev Neutrons

Activation of the following pure monoisotopic elements with 14.8-Mev neutrons gives rise to $n$, ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$) reactions as observed by measuring the radioactive products having the following measured half-lives and formation cross sections: ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{55}(n, {\mathrm{He}}^{3}){\mathrm{V}}^{53}$, 2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3 min, 2-6 mb; ${\mathrm{Co}}^{59}(n, {\mathrm{He}}^{3}){\mathrm{Mn}}^{57}$, 1.75\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 min, 1-3 mb; ${\mathrm{As}}^{75}(n, {\mathrm{He}}^{3}){\mathrm{Ga}}^{73}$, 5.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3 hours, 3-7 mb; and ${\mathrm{Rh}}^{103}(n, {\mathrm{He}}^{3}){\mathrm{Tc}}^{101}$, 15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3 min, 1.5-3.5 mb. A qualitative discussion is presented concerning the possible mechanisms for these reactions. Work is being continued to observe other ($n$, ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$) reactions.
ADULT'S PRESENCE: EFFECTS OF AN ADULT AS THE SITE AND THE MEDIATOR OF REINFORCEMENT

The present study investigated two variables that may control institutionalized, retarded children's behavior under a schedule of contingent reinforcement for a simple motor response. The distance between the adult and the site at which reinforcers were administered (locus of reinforcement) and the extent to which the adult mediated the dispensement of reinforcers (mediation of reinforcement) were varied. A Setting main effect and a Setting × Time interaction were observed.
Search and discovery across collections: The IMLS digital collections and content project

In the fall of 2002, the University of Illinois Library at Urbana‐Champaign received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to implement a collection registry and item‐level metadata repository for digital collections and content created by or associated with projects funded under the IMLS National Leadership Grant (NLG) program. When built, the registry and metadata repository will facilitate retrieval of information about digital content related to past and present NLG projects. The process of creating these services also is allowing us to research and gain insight into the many issues associated with implementing such services and the magnitude of the potential benefit and utility of such services as a way to connect, bring together, and make more visible a broad range of heterogeneous digital content. This paper describes the genesis of the project, the rationale for architectural design decisions, challenges faced, and our progress to date.
Diffusion and Effects of Cyber-Crime in Developing Economies

Cyber-crime's footprints across the developing world are getting bigger. The aim of this article is to examine the structure of cyber-crimes in developing economies. Its central idea is that economic and institutional factors facing cyber-criminals and potential victims in the developing world are different from those in the developed world. In economies characterised by low internet penetration rates and few resources devoted to fighting cyber-crimes, formal institutions related to such crimes tend to be thin and dysfunctional. A cyber-criminal is less likely to be stigmatised in such economies. Moreover, organisations' and individuals' technological and behavioural defence mechanisms are likely to be weaker. Many people in developing economies are also attracted into cyber-crime because of high unemployment and low wages.
Results of the 2001 National Home Health Social Worker Survey: Did Social work Practice Change under PPS?

Home health care socialwork is a vitalcompo nent of interdisciplinary home care services delivered in the United States today. Home health socialworkers provide expert assessment, inter vention, and consultation services to individual patients and to home health agencies at many different levels. The results of the 2001 National Survey of the American Network of Home Health Care SocialWorkers reinforce the need for professionalsocialworkers to deliver high-quality patient care. Under the Prospective Payment System, the home health social work role has expanded to include increased intake and predischarge activities, increased office consultation activities, and participation in ethical forums. The findings of the survey support the continued use of highly trained home health socialworkers.