cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Living as a non-Christian in a Christian community: experiences of religious marginalisation amongst young Korean Americans

Christianity is a critical element in the study of Korean Americans. It is estimated that over 70% of all Korean Americans are affiliated with Korean Christian churches. Much of the existing litera...
Does Age Influence the Efficacy of Demineralized Bone Matrix Enriched with Concentrated Bone Marrow Aspirate in Lumbar Fusions

Study design Retrospective study. Objective Evaluate the effect of age on the efficacy of allograft/demineralized bone matrix (DBM) enriched with concentrated bone marrow aspirate (BMA) in posterolateral lumbar fusions (PLFs). Summary of background data Cell-based therapies such as concentrated BMA have been developed as a potential alternative to iliac crest bone graft (ICBG). BMA contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and growth factors that can confer osteogenic and osteoinductive potential to osteoconductive scaffolds such as DBM/allograft. To date, no studies have examined the role of age on fusion outcomes when BMA is utilized despite the well-established deleterious effects of advanced age on bone marrow and MSC potential. Materials and methods Fifty-one patients that underwent PLF were divided into 3 groups. Group A (n=14) composed of patients age 65 years and older who received BMA with DBM. Group B (n=17) consisted of patients younger than 65 years of age who received BMA with DBM. Group C (n=20) composed of patients age 65 years and older who received ICBG. Fusion rates and clinical outcomes were assessed. Results Fusion was significantly lower in group A (35.7%) compared with both groups B (76.4%) and C (80%) (A vs. B, P=0.03; A vs. C, P=0.01). There were no differences in clinical outcomes among all groups except for pseudarthrosis which occurred in 28.6% of patients in group A compared with none and 5% of patients in groups B and C, respectively (A vs. B, P=0.03; A vs. C, P=0.13). Conclusions Elderly patients undergoing PLF using DBM enriched with BMA achieved lower radiographic fusion success compared with their nonelderly counterparts and compared with elderly patients that had fusion with ICBG. This may be partly due to the effect of advanced age on MSC potential.
Expanding the Schulze–Hardy Rule and the Hofmeister Series to Nanometer‐Scaled Hydrophilic Macroions

The Schulze-Hardy rule is a well-established observation in colloid science (can be derived from the DLVO theory) that demonstrates the relationship between the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) of colloids and the valence of extra counterionic electrolytes (z), with a simple mathematical relationship of CCC≈z-6 . Here the Schulze-Hardy Rule is expanded to much smaller, nano-scaled soluble macroions in aqueous solution, by examining the stability of the macroions in the presence of additional electrolytes. The CCC values of the macroions follow the general trend of CCC≈z-n but the n value is significantly dependent on the surface charge density of the macroions, ranging from n=2 at very low surface charge density to n=6 at a high surface charge density. In addition, different cations with the same valence showed clear different impacts on the CCC values, with an interesting trend being connected to the Hofmeister series originally discovered in protein solutions.
Undervaluing Gratitude: Expressers Misunderstand the Consequences of Showing Appreciation

Expressing gratitude improves well-being for both expressers and recipients, but we suggest that an egocentric bias may lead expressers to systematically undervalue its positive impact on recipients in a way that could keep people from expressing gratitude more often in everyday life. Participants in three experiments wrote gratitude letters and then predicted how surprised, happy, and awkward recipients would feel. Recipients then reported how receiving an expression of gratitude actually made them feel. Expressers significantly underestimated how surprised recipients would be about why expressers were grateful, overestimated how awkward recipients would feel, and underestimated how positive recipients would feel. Expected awkwardness and mood were both correlated with participants' willingness to express gratitude. Wise decisions are guided by an accurate assessment of the expected value of action. Underestimating the value of prosocial actions, such as expressing gratitude, may keep people from engaging in behavior that would maximize their own-and others'-well-being.
Discrimination, segregation, and chronic inflammation: Testing the weathering explanation for the poor health of Black Americans

Several studies have reported a relation between race-related stressors and the poor health of Black Americans. Such findings raise questions regarding the mediating biological mechanisms that might account for this link. The present study investigated elevated systemic inflammation, a factor shown to be a strong predictor of chronic illness and mortality in all ethnic populations, as a possible factor. Using 7 waves of data from the Family and Community Health Study, collected over a 20-year period from over 400 Black Americans, we investigated the extent to which exposure to discrimination and segregation at various points in the life course predicted adult inflammation at age 28. Our analyses examined whether cumulative stress, stress generation, or predictive adaptive response (PAR) models best accounted for any associations that existed between these race-related stressors and adult inflammation. At every wave of data collection, assessments of discrimination and segregation were related to adult inflammation. However, multivariate analyses using structure equation modeling indicated that the PAR model best explained the effect of these race-related stressors on inflammation. Exposure to discrimination and segregation during the juvenile years predicted adult inflammation and amplified the inflammatory effect of adult exposure to these race-related stressors. These effects were considerably more robust than that of traditional health risk factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, and low SES. Implications of these findings are discussed, including the limitations of the widely accepted risk factor approach to increasing the health of Black Americans. (PsycINFO Database Record
Constructing a concept of number

Numbers are concepts whose content, structure, and organization are influenced by the material forms used to represent and manipulate them. Indeed, as argued here, it is the inclusion of multiple forms (distributed objects, fingers, single- and two-dimensional forms like pebbles and abaci, and written notations) that is the mechanism of numerical elaboration. Further, variety in employed forms explains at least part of the synchronic and diachronic variability that exists between and within cultural number systems. Material forms also impart characteristics like linearity that may persist in the form of knowledge and behaviors, ultimately yielding numerical concepts that are irreducible to and functionally independent of any particular form. Material devices used to represent and manipulate numbers also interact with language in ways that reinforce or contrast different aspects of numerical cognition. Not only does this interaction potentially explain some of the unique aspects of numerical language, it suggests that the two are complementary but ultimately distinct means of accessing numerical intuitions and insights. The potential inclusion of materiality in contemporary research in numerical cognition is advocated, both for its explanatory power, as well as its influence on psychological, behavioral, and linguistic aspects of numerical cognition.
Falling in Love with the Author in Godwin’s Memoirs of Wollstonecraft

With its strange blend of philosophical argument and intimate revelation, William Godwin’s Memoirs of Mary Wollstonecraft has long occupied a notorious place in literary history. Less attention, ho...
146 Quercetin supplementation during boar semen thawing and incubation improves the in vitro production of pig embryos

Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species in the in vitro environment cause oxidative stress, which leads to membrane damage, decreased fertility, and morphological deformities of spermatozoa. Antioxidants, such as quercetin (a polyphenol flavonoid), are often supplemented to reduce the effects of oxidative stress on spermatozoa. Supplementing frozen-thawed boar semen with quercetin improves sperm forward progressive motility, viability and lipid peroxidation up to 10 h after thawing. However, the effects of fertilizing with quercetin-supplemented sperm are unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplementing quercetin (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 mM) during the thawing and incubation of frozen-thawed boar semen on oocyte fertilization characteristics (n = 400) and subsequent embryonic development (n = 1340) at 48 and 144 h for cleavage and blastocyst formation, respectively. Oocytes from aspired aspirated mature follicles (3-6 mm diameter) were obtained from a local abattoir and matured in medium 199 for 40 to 44 h at 38.5°C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2. Fertilization was performed using pooled frozen-thawed semen from 3 different boars, and co-incubation of the sperm (2 × 105 sperm mL−1) and oocytes (30 oocytes/well) lasted for 6 to 8 h at 38.5°C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2. Data were analysed using ANOVA with the main effects including treatment, well and replicate. Chi-squared analysis was used to determine percentages of embryos reaching the different developmental stages for each treatment. There were no differences in penetration rates and male pronuclear formation between treatment groups; however, supplementation of 0.25 (18.18 ± 10.63%), 0.50 (20.93 ± 9.89%) and 0.75 mM (18.07 ± 12.02%) quercetin significantly decreased (P < 0.05) polyspermic penetration rates compared with no supplementation (40.00 ± 11.34%). Embryos produced from frozen-thawed boar sperm supplemented with 0.25 and 0.50 mM quercetin had a significantly higher percentage (P < 0.05) of embryos reaching the 2-cell stage of development by 48 h after IVF (75.00 ± 7.89%, 68.75 ± 2.23%, respectively) compared with 0.75 mM quercetin supplementation (64.62 ± 3.88%) and no supplementation (62.97 ± 4.11%). Supplementation of 0.25 (44.12 ± 6.23%), 0.50 (43.75 ± 7.02%) and 0.75 mM (43.08 ± 2.98%) quercetin to the sperm significantly increased (P < 0.05) the percentage of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage of development by 144 h after IVF compared with no supplementation (28.27 ± 8.07%). These results indicate that supplementing frozen-thawed boar semen with quercetin decreases the incidence of polyspermic penetration and improves early embryonic development in pigs.
Associations Between Intuitive Eating Behaviors and Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among College Students.

Abstract Objective To assess associations between intuitive eating behaviors and fruit and vegetable intake among college students. Methods Intuitive eating behaviors were measured with the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2), which reports a total and 4 subscale scores. Fruit and vegetable intake was measured with the National Institutes of Health Eating at America's Table Fruit and Vegetable screener. Questionnaires were completed online. Results Median age of participants was 20 years (n = 293; n = 72 male). Total IES-2 score was not correlated with fruit and vegetable intake. Body–Food Choice Congruence and Eating for Physical Rather Than Emotional Reasons subscales were positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake (r = .462, P Conclusions and Implications Correlations between fruit and vegetable intake and intuitive eating behaviors differed by IES-2 subscale scores. If IES-2 is used in nutrition research, education, or counseling with the aim of increasing fruit and vegetable intake, addressing subscale behaviors individually might be considered.
Professionals’ Implicit Attitudes about the Competence of People Who are Blind:

Introduction:The purpose of this study was to measure blindness professionals’ implicit attitudes about the competence of people who are blind, compare implicit attitudes of blindness professionals...
Fixing a Photosensitizer Unlocks and Localizes Its Lethality.

Enzymatic cleavage simultaneously activates and localizes a photosensitizer allowing for cell ablation with high efficiency, low background, and single-cell resolution.
Genetically-produced and bioinspired magnetic nanoparticles as novel photoacoustic contrast agents (Conference Presentation)

Here, we demonstrated that natural magnetic nanoparticles (nMNP) from magnetotactic bacteria can serve as photoacoustic high-contrast agents for single cell analysis. The main benefits of nMNP include biocompatibility and relatively low laser fluence for photoacoustic detection. These features together with safety of photoacoustics provide potential for clinical translation. Further decoration of nMNP with NIR-absorbing gold nanorods provided hybrid nanoparticles with strong NIR absorption and plasmonic effects for cancer cell theranostics. In studies in vivo, we showed that circulating tumor cells labeled with bioinspired hybrids generated transient ultrasharp photoacoustic resonances as the basis for new super-resolution photoacoustic flow cytometry in vivo.
Metasurface Generation of Paired Accelerating and Rotating Optical Beams for Passive Ranging and Scene Reconstruction

Depth measurements are vital for many emerging technologies with applications in augmented reality, robotics, gesture detection, and facial recognition. These applications, however, demand compact ...
Our secret stick-it-to-the-man group: Negotiating whose “support group” within a partnership

Abstract This article articulates specific tensions in discourse between Teacher Educator Researchers (TERs) and Teacher Researchers (TRs) while negotiating shared purpose within a research partnership. We focus on two discursive markers of tension that occured during a community conversation focused on developing shared understanding of partnership work: the use of "we" by TERs and TRs and the use of storytelling by TRs. Having provided a detailed description of these tensions, we yield some considerations to better understand how to navigate the tensions as they are constructed in real time partnership discourse.
Association of Race/Ethnicity-Specific Changes in Antihypertensive Medication Classes Initiated Among Medicare Beneficiaries With the Eighth Joint National Committee Panel Member Report.

Importance In December 2013, the panel members appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC8) published a recommendation that non-Black adults initiate antihypertensive medication with a thiazide-type diuretic, calcium channel blocker, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), whereas Black adults initiate treatment with a thiazide-type diuretic or calcium channel blocker. β-Blockers were not recommended as first-line therapy. Objective To assess changes in antihypertensive medication classes initiated by race/ethnicity from before to after publication of the JNC8 panel member report. Design, Setting, and Participants This serial cross-sectional analysis assessed a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 years or older who initiated antihypertensive medication between 2011 and 2018, were Black (n = 3303 [8.0%]), White (n = 34 943 [84.5%]), or of other (n = 3094 [7.5%]) race/ethnicity, and did not have compelling indications for specific antihypertensive medication classes. Exposures Calendar year and period after vs before publication of the JNC8 panel member report. Main Outcomes and Measures The proportion of beneficiaries initiating ACEIs or ARBs and, separately, β-blockers vs other antihypertensive medication classes. Results In total, 41 340 Medicare beneficiaries (65% women; mean [SD] age, 75.7 [7.6] years) of Black, White, or other races/ethnicities initiated antihypertensive medication and met the inclusion criteria for the present study. In 2011, 25.2% of Black beneficiaries initiating antihypertensive monotherapy did so with an ACEI or ARB compared with 23.7% in 2018 (P = .47 for trend). Among beneficiaries initiating monotherapy, the proportion filling a β-blocker was 20.1% in 2011 and 15.4% in 2018 for White beneficiaries (P .10 for interaction). Conclusions and Relevance A substantial proportion of older US adults who initiate antihypertensive medication do so with non–guideline-recommended classes of medication.
Ebullition dominates methane fluxes from the water surface across different ecohydrological patches in a temperate freshwater marsh at the end of the growing season

Measurements of the spatial heterogeneity of methane fluxes in wetlands are critical to better understand and predict methane emissions at the ecosystem scale. However, the within-wetland spatial heterogeneity of fluxes is rarely assessed. Here, we use a spatially balanced rapid chamber-based survey of methane at different ecohydrological patches within a temperate freshwater marsh. We measured fluxes exclusively from the water surface without including vegetation. We further used the data from chamber measurements to partition diffusive and ebullitive fluxes. Three ecohydrological patches were distinguishable in the marsh, defined by the type and presence/absence of vegetation. These patches were emergent vegetation, floating-leaved, and open water. Net methane fluxes from the water surface (diffusion plus ebullition) in emergent vegetation patches were larger than in the floating-leaved vegetation and open water patches (p < 0.05). Diffusive fluxes, representing a sizable smaller fraction of net fluxes, were larger in vegetated than in unvegetated patches (p < 0.05), while ebullitive fluxes mirrored the magnitude and differences observed in the net fluxes. Moreover, pooled net and ebullitive fluxes across patches (but not diffusive fluxes) were negatively correlated with water levels, the primary variable affecting patch distribution. Altogether, our results indicate that the differences among ecohydrological patches are driven by ebullition, ultimately highlighting challenges faced by scientists and practitioners in the field and modelers seeking to improve the predictability and resolution of wetland biogeochemical models.
Mechanical properties, translucency, and low temperature degradation (LTD) of yttria (3–6 mol%) stabilized zirconia

Abstract The mechanical properties (hardness and biaxial flexural strength), optical properties (translucency and gloss), and low temperature degradation (LTD) of 3–6 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia have been investigated. The specimens were prepared by conventional solid-state sintering at 1400 °C. The mechanical and optical properties were evaluated for sintered and polished specimens. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used, respectively, for structural and microstructural investigation. LTD was determined by XRD analysis of the samples aged in a hydrothermal autoclave at 134 °C for 5–108 h. The mechanical and optical properties are found to be microstructure sensitive. The LTD, due to tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation, decreases with increasing Y2O3 content. The mechanical strength, translucency, and LTD are the lowest for 6 mol% Y2O3 stabilized zirconia.
Activated mast cells in skeletal muscle can be a potential mediator for cancer-associated cachexia.

Background Eighty per cent of United States advanced cancer patients faces a worsened prognosis due to cancer-associated cachexia. Inflammation is one driver of muscle atrophy in cachexia, and skeletal muscle-resident immune cells could be a source of inflammation. This study explores the efficacy of cancer activated skeletal muscle-resident mast cells as a biomarker and mediator of cachexia. Methods Individual gene markers for immune cells were assessed in a publicly available colon carcinoma cohort of normal (n = 3), moderate cachexia (n = 3), and severe cachexia (n = 4) mice. Lewis lung carcinoma (LL/2) cells induced cachexia in C57BL/6 mice, and a combination of toluidine blue staining, immunofluorescence, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blots measured innate immune cell expression in hind limb muscles. In vitro measurements included C2C12 myotube diameter before and after treatment with media from primary murine mast cells activated with LL/2 conditioned media. To assess translational potential in human samples, innate immune cell signatures were assessed for correlation with skeletal muscle atrophy and apoptosis, dietary excess, and cachexia signatures in normal skeletal muscle tissue. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed with innate immune cell signatures in publicly available cohorts for upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients (accession: GSE34111 and GSE130563, respectively). Results Individual innate immunity genes (TPSAB1 and CD68) showed significant increases in severe cachexia (weight loss > 15%) mice in a C26 cohort (GSE24112). Induction of cachexia in C57BL/6 mice with LL/2 subcutaneous injection significantly increased the number of activated skeletal muscle-resident degranulating mast cells. Murine mast cells activated with LL/2 conditioned media decreased C2C12 myotube diameter (P ≤ 0.05). Normal human skeletal muscle showed significant positive correlations between innate immune cell signatures and muscle apoptosis and atrophy, dietary excess, and cachexia signatures. The mast cell signature was up-regulated (positive normalized enrichment score and false discovery rate ≤ 0.1) in upper GI cachectic patients (n = 12) compared with control (n = 6), as well as in cachectic PDAC patients (n = 17) compared with control patients (n = 16). Conclusions Activated skeletal muscle-resident mast cells are enriched in cachectic muscles, suggesting skeletal-muscle resident mast cells may serve as a biomarker and mediator for cachexia development to improve patient diagnosis and prognosis.
Drivers and implications of distance decay differ for ectomycorrhizal and foliar endophytic fungi across an anciently fragmented landscape

Fungal communities associated with plants often decrease in similarity as the distance between sampling sites increases (i.e., they demonstrate distance decay). In the southwestern USA, forests occur in highlands separated from one another by warmer, drier biomes with plant and fungal communities that differ from those at higher elevations. These disjunct forests are broadly similar in climate to one another, offering an opportunity to examine drivers of distance decay in plant-associated fungi across multiple ecologically similar yet geographically disparate landscapes. We examined ectomycorrhizal and foliar endophytic fungi associated with a dominant forest tree (Pinus ponderosa) in forests across ca. 550 km of geographic distance from northwestern to southeastern Arizona (USA). Both guilds of fungi showed distance decay, but drivers differed for each: ectomycorrhizal fungi are constrained primarily by dispersal limitation, whereas foliar endophytes are constrained by specific environmental conditions. Most ectomycorrhizal fungi were found in only a single forested area, as were many endophytic fungi. Such regional-scale perspectives are needed for baseline estimates of fungal diversity associated with forest trees at a landscape scale, with attention to the sensitivity of different guilds of fungal symbionts to decreasing areas of suitable habitat, increasing disturbance, and related impacts of climate change.
A Study Of Insulin Resistance In Multiplesclerosis Subjects And Healthy Controls (P6.171)

OBJECTIVE: Determine incidence of insulin resistance in MS and control subjects using oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). BACKGROUND: Diabetes and cardiovascular co-morbidities are associated with accelerated multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression. Reduced mobility, sedentary lifestyle, and repeat steroid exposure are insulin resistance risk factors common in MS. DESIGN/METHODS: Recruitment ongoing for 50 subjects (25 each): age 18 -64, non-obese, fasting blood glucose (BG) RESULTS: Preliminary analysis of first 28 subjects (14 MS/14 controls) similar in age, gender & BMI. At all OGTT time points MS subjects demonstrate statistically higher mean BG levels; MS subjects 120-min BG compared to controls [mean (25 th , 75 th) , 114 (99, 132) vs. 93 (92, 103), p-value = 0.037]. Within the MS cohort, time from MS-symptom onset was significantly correlated with 2-hr BG (Rho = 0.464, p-value = 0.01). There was statistically significant differences in total daily accelerometer counts, 6-minute and 2-minute test distance between MS and controls; however, there was no significant correlation between these measures and 120-min BG levels. Further analyses are ongoing. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary analyses demonstrate that compared with controls, MS subjects have higher BG level with OGTT at 30, 60, and 120 mins. While MS subjects have reduced measured distance on timed-walk test and in the community, this is not correlated to OGTT results. One interpretation is that subject’s fitness level is not the explanation for OGTT findings, but rather may be MS disease specific. Notably, OGTT results did significantly correlate to time since MS-symptom onset. This work is in progress. Complete enrollment and data analysis will be ready for meeting presentation. Study Supported by: NIH NINDS K23NS062898 and ziMS Foundation. Disclosure: Dr. Goldman has recieved personal compensation for activities with Acorda and Novartis. Dr. Koenig has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yeamans has nothing to disclose. Dr. Johnston has received personal compensation for activities with the National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association, and the Association of University Professors of Neurology. Dr. Johnston has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity from Neurology. Dr. Johnston has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Transcatheter Alcohol Septal Ablation for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

To the Editor: I read with interest the report by Lakkis et al1 on transcatheter alcohol septal ablation for patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). However, 11 (33%) of their 33 patients developed complete heart block and required permanent pacemaker implantation. This high rate, which has not changed significantly from the rate of 40% previously reported by …
Mutation Causing Autosomal Dominant Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy Alters Ca2+ Permeability, Conductance, and Gating of Human α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

A mutation (S247F) in the channel-lining domain (M2) of the α4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunit has previously been linked genetically to autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE). To better understand the functional significance of this mutation, we characterized the properties of mutant and wild-type human α4β2 AChRs expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Both had similar expression levels and EC50 values for ACh and nicotine. Substantial use-dependent functional upregulation was found for mutant α4β2 AChRs, but not for wild type. Mutant AChR responses showed faster desensitization, slower recovery from desensitization, less inward rectification, and virtually no Ca2+permeability as compared with wild-type α4β2 AChRs. Addition of the α5 subunit restored Ca2+ permeability to the mutant α4β2α5 AChRs. At −80 mV, wild-type α4β2 AChR single channel currents exhibited two conductances, each with two mean open times (γ1 = 17 pS, τ1 = 3.7 msec, and τ2 = 23.4 msec; γ2 = 28 pS, τ1 = 1.9 msec, and τ2 = 8.1 msec). In contrast, mutant AChRs exhibited only one conductance of 11 pS, with τ1 = 1.9 msec and τ2 = 4.1 msec. The net effect of the mutation is to reduce AChR function. This could result in the hyperexcitability characteristic of epilepsy if the mutant AChRs were part of an inhibitory circuit, e.g., presynaptically regulating the release of GABA. In the minority of AChRs containing the α5 subunit, the overall functionality of these AChRs could be maintained despite the mutation in the α4 subunit.
On Class-Not-Race

Throughout the civil rights era, strong voices have argued that policy interventions should focus on class or socioeconomic status, not race. Calls for class-not-race interventions are likely to grow stronger over the next few years. The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin — which did not formally change the law governing affirmative action in higher-education admissions but did highlight the vulnerability of the policy with the current Supreme Court — has been read by some commentators as auguring a decisive turn toward class-based affirmative action. This, then, seems an opportune time to examine the class-not-race position that underlies them.This chapter seeks to develop an understanding of what sincere advocates of the class-not-race position mean and offer an initial assessment of whether that position is a sensible one. Sincere advocates of the class-not-race position are making one of two distinct arguments. The first argument is basically a strategic one. That argument accepts that racial inequality is a fundamental problem that we must attack. It argues, however, that for a variety of pragmatic reasons race-targeted approaches are not likely to be the most successful ways of attacking them. There is much to this argument, but it seems to suffer a basic flaw. Problems of race inequality go well beyond problems of economic or class inequality. And there is a lot of reason to believe that efforts to respond to class inequality that don't take race into account will either not help or actually exacerbate race inequality. These points lead to the second distinct argument that advocates of the class-not-race position may be making. That argument is that race inequality is not in fact the fundamental problem that we should attack but is at best an example or a consequence of class or economic inequality. If we have a limited reservoir of enforcement resources, redistributive largesse, or public compassion, the argument implies, we should focus that reservoir on eliminating class-based inequality. Some argument like this explains why many people influenced by traditional Left politics support the class-not-race position. Nonetheless, this chapter contends, that argument is wrongheaded. The problem of racial inequality overlaps with, but is importantly distinct from, economic disadvantage. The chapter concludes by assessing — ultimately pessimistically — the prospects for getting beyond the class-not-race position.
Publication Metrics of Dental Journals - What is the Role of Self Citations in Determining the Impact Factor of Journals?

Abstract Objectives The objectives of the present study are to examine the publication metrics of dental journals and to delineate the role of self citations in determining the impact factor of journals. Materials and Methods The Journal Citation Reports database was used. All dental journals that had an impact factor assigned for year 2013 were selected. The outcomes were Impact Factor (IF), Eigenfactor™ (EF), article influence score (AIS), and proportion of self-citations to total citations. Independent variables were geographic region of journal and ranking of journal (based on IF). Non-parametric tests were used to examine the associations between outcomes and independent variables. Results During the year 2013, 82 journals in dentistry had an IF. Mean IF was 1.489 and mean IF without including self-citations was 1.231. Mean EF scores and AIS were .00458 and .5141 respectively. Mean percentage of self cites to total citations for all dental journals was 12.24%. Higher ranking journals were associated with significantly higher EF and AIS. Journals published in USA/Canada or Europe were associated with higher IF and EF compared to those published in other regions. There were no differences in percentages of self citations to total citations either across journal rankings or geographic region. Conclusions Top ranking journals tend to have higher IFs due to higher EF and AIS rather than by self-citations. Self-citations increase the impact factors of dental journals by 21%. There was no geographic influence in the percentage of self-citations to total citations thus indicating a healthy dental scientific publishing environment.
THE RELATIVE ACCURACIES OF TWO AUTOMATED NONINVASIVE ARTERIAL PRESSURE MEASUREMENT DEVICES

We compared the accuracies of two types of noninvasive blood pressure devices. Thirty-two patients requiring an intraarterial catheter for anesthetic management underwent simultaneous monitoring with Dinamap 1846SX and Ohmeda Finapres 3700 devices. For the first 10 minutes of recording, new Dinamap determinations were performed every 60 seconds; subsequent recordings were made at 3-minute intervals. Data were obtained at the time of new Dinamap readings, and twice between new readings to approximate the real-time performance of the two monitors. We defined superior accuracy as a statistically significant difference in mean absolute error greater than 5 mm Hg. With these criteria, pooled data from all patients revealed no difference in performance, even in real time. Pooled data can be misleading since there was a significant amount of variation in accuracy for both monitors. Therefore, we used nonparametric analysis to determine how many individual patients were monitored better by either device. When we compared only data from new Dinamap readings, the Finapres monitor showed superior performance for systolic readings in 13 patients, versus 6 patients for the Dinamap (P<0.05, chi-square test). Similar analysis for diastolic and mean pressure performance did not reach statistical significance. However, in real time, the Finapres unit monitored more patients more accurately for systolic (14 Finapres versus 3 Dinamap), diastolic (11 Finapres versus 3 Dinamap), and mean (10 Finapres versus 3 Dinamap) pressure determinations. The magnitude of these differences were, however, less dramatic than expected. This was probably due to stabilization of arterial pressure during the anesthetic, which minimized the error due to intermittent sampling. We conclude that continuous Finapres readings and new Dinamap determinations are equally accurate for diastolic and mean arterial pressures. The accuracy of Finapres appears to be slightly superior for systolic pressure. The intermittent sampling of oscillometric devices compromises their performance relative to the Finapres in many, but not all, cases.
Cell culture serum alters the uptake and relative potencies of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons in PLHC-1 cells

Abstract Cell culture serum has been demonstrated to affect Ah receptor (AHR) expression and function in cell culture models of 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) toxicity. Such models are being used with increasing frequency to determine the toxic potencies for these compounds in a variety of species. Accordingly, the ability of serum components to modulate AHR-regulated CYP1A induction was evaluated in the cell line PLHC-1, derived from a hepatocellular carcinoma of the fish Poeciliopsis lucida. PLHC-1 cells grown and treated with TCDD in different media showed differences in the potency of CYP1A induction as measured by the CYP1A-catalyzed ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity. Uptake of 3H-TCDD by cells was 2–3-fold greater in serum-free medium than in 10 or 5% calf serum media, demonstrating that the change in potency was due to differences in uptake of TCDD. A similarly increased level of specific TCDD binding by the AHR reflected the greater uptake of TCDD in cells treated in serum-free medium. Three coplanar PCBs also exhibited a greater potency for EROD and CYP1A protein induction in serum-free medium. The magnitude of the effect was greater for the PCBs, and consequently their potencies of induction relative to TCDD are significantly less when treatment occurs in medium with serum than without serum. These results indicate that serum components affect bioavailability of hydrophobic compounds in cell culture studies and can alter toxic equivalency factors determined in vitro. [Supported in part by EPA Grant R823889.]
The Ensu scoring system in genetic counselling.

SUMMARY As a device for systematically computing the posterior probability that a woman is the carrier of an X -linked recessive disorder, a new scoring system has been devised. The information provided by a woman and her male descendants is condensed into an equivalent number of normal sons. Thus if the likelihood ratio of her and her descendants, supposing her a carrier, to that supposing her wild-type is expressible as (1/2)a, the score is a Equivalent Normal Son Units (Ensu). The method, designed in the first place to deal with strictly recessive disorders, is readily extended to the case where the carrier state can be identified with greater or less certainty and the case where other pertinent probabilistic information such as linkage data is available. Tables and a graph are provided which should allow three-digit accuracy, sufficient for all practical purposes.
Poverty and basic needs fulfilment in Africa during structural change: Evidence from Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract Much attention is given in the literature to the evolution of social indicators during periods of structural adjustment and economic reform. This paper argues that these processes are not distribution-neutral from the point of view of basic needs fulfilment and that hence the focus should not be on aggregate indicators but on the distribution of beneficiaries of social services, and changes in this distribution. Evidence is presented for Cote d'Ivoire during the second half of the 1980s—a period of intense structural change—which shows that the poorest absorbed the bulk of the decline in basic needs fulfilment as a result of structural change. This was the case for almost all aspects of basic needs and occurred regardless of the overall trend in the social indicators.
Disgraced Yet Graced. The Gospel according to 1 Peter in the Key of Honor and Shame

Honor and shame constituted pivotal values of ancient Circum-Mediterranean societies, including the biblical communities. After summarizing relevant research on this phenomenon by both anthropologists and exegetes, this study focuses attention on the honor/shame vocabulary of 1 Peter and its broader semantic field. The thesis is advanced that the author of this letter perceived and interpreted this conflict between the Christians of Asia Minor and their detractors as one over honor denied and honor claimed, and in so doing also transposed the issue of honor and shame, grace and disgrace, into a theological key.
Monoamines in the human neostriatum: Topographic distribution in normals and in Parkinson's disease and their role in akinesia, rigidity, chorea, and tremor

Abstract The topographical distributions of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin were mapped in the human neostriatum in 6 normal brains and in 2 brains from patients with Parkinson's disease. The neostriatum was divided into putamen and four sections of the caudate nucleus: inferior and superior heads and rostral and caudal tails. In normal man, the monoamine occurring in highest concentration is dopamine, which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the entire neostriatum (at a concentration around 3500 ng/g) except for the caudal tail. This region has a concentration of dopamine only 20% of that in the remainder of the neostriatum. Norepinephrine is virtually non-existent in the neostriatum except in the inferior head of the caudate nucleus where a concentration of 262 ng/g is found. Serotonin is evenly distributed throughout the entire neostriatum at a concentration around 800 ng/g. The difference in the distribution of these three monoamines implies a difference in function among the regions of the neostriatum. There is evidence in the literature to support the concept of somatotopic localization in the neostriatum. In Parkinson's disease there is a reduction of all three monoamines, with the greatest loss of dopamine in the putamen. All regions of the caudate also show a reduction of dopamine, although this is less severe than in the putamen. Norepinephrine in the inferior head of the caudate nucleus is significantly reduced. Serotonin is unevenly reduced throughout the entire neostriatum. The uneven reduction of dopamine and serotonin appears to preclude the possibility of a defect in the transport of precursor amino-acids into brain and in the synthesis, storage, and degradation of the monoamines in Parkinson's disease. Rather, it seems that the most likely explanation of these results is a defect of the neuronal cell bodies that contain monoamines and neuromelanin pigment. The etiology of such an unevenness of involvement of this system degeneration is not known, but could involve an infectious, nutritional, toxic, or other unknown factor. An analysis of the results in these patients and of the data in the literature also suggests that: (1) akinesia results from reduction of neostriatal dopamine; (2) rigidity is secondary to reduction of neostriatal dopamine plus some additional unknown factor; (3) chorea may be related to an increased dopamine/receptor ratio in the neostriatum and that serotonin and norepinephrine may also play a role; and (4) tremor at rest may result from reduced neostriatal content of dopamine and serotonin plus some additional factor, perhaps involvement of the rubro-olivo-cerebello-rubral loop or of rubrotegmentospinal fibers.
Role of the hydrophobic effect in stability of site-specific protein-DNA complexes

The site-specific binding interaction of lac repressor with a symmetric operator sequence and of EcoRI endonuclease with its specific recognition site both exhibit a characteristic dependence of equilibrium binding constant (Kobs) on temperature, in which Kobs attains a relative maximum in the physiologically relevant temperature range. This behavior, which appears to be quite general for site-specific protein-DNA interactions, is indicative of a large negative standard heat capacity change (delta C0P,obs) in the association process. By analogy with model compound transfer studies and protein folding data, we propose that this delta C0P,obs results primarily from the removal of non-polar surface from water in the association process. From delta C0P,obs we obtain semiquantitative information regarding the change in water-exposed non-polar surface area (delta Anp) and the corresponding hydrophobic driving force for association (delta G0hyd): delta G0hyd approximately equal to 8(+/- 1) x 10(1) delta C0P,obs approximately equal to -22(+/- 5) delta Anp. We propose that removal of non-polar surface from water (the hydrophobic effect) and release of cations (the polyelectrolyte effect) drive the thermodynamically unfavorable process (e.g. conformational distortions) necessary to achieve mutually complementary recognition surfaces (at a steric and functional-group level) in the specific complex.
Predictive simulation of CDM events to study effects of package, substrate resistivity and placement of ESD protection circuits on reliability of integrated circuits

Power domain crossing circuits, also known as internal I/O's, are susceptible to gate oxide damage during charged device model (CDM) events. Circuit-level simulations of internal I/O circuits along with elements representing the package, electro-static discharge (ESD) circuits and the substrate, elucidate the roles of the package, power clamp placement, back-to-back diode placement and the decoupling capacitors in determining the amount of stress at the internal I/O circuits. This paper presents an internal I/O model that can be used for CDM simulations. The effects of power and ground bus resistance, substrate resistivity, decoupling capacitance, local ESD clamp at the gate of the receiver and the presence of local back-to-back diodes are investigated. The paper further contains design recommendations for preventing CDM failures in the internal I/O circuits.
Influence of Livestock Grazing and Climate on Pinyon Pine (Pinus edulis) Dynamics

Abstract Over the last century there has been marked expansion and infilling of pinyon ( Pinus spp.)–juniper ( Juniperus spp.) woodlands into grassland and shrubland ecosystems across the western United States. Although range expansions in pinyon-juniper populations have been documented with changing climate throughout the Holocene, over the last century, local scale impacts such as livestock grazing, changes in fire regimes, and increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations are thought to be more recent drivers of pinyon-juniper woodland distribution. Our objective was to examine the role of historical livestock grazing relative to past climate in regulating pinyon ( Pinus edulis Engelm.) recruitment and growth over the last century in a persistent pinyon-juniper woodland. We compared pinyon dynamics on a remote mesa site, minimally grazed by domestic livestock, to a nearby historically grazed site in southeastern Utah. The presence of a significant number of old trees (> 200 yr) at both sites suggests that these populations were well established prior to the 20th century. No differences in pinyon density or basal area were observed between grazed and ungrazed sites. Stand age structure data showed that pinyon recruitment across these sites was highly synchronous, with a large recruitment event occurring during the early 1900s; 17% of the pinyons on both sites dated to the 1920s. Climatic conditions during this decade were consistently cool and wet—conditions known to support enhanced recruitment and growth in pinyon pines. Pinyon growth was also strongly synchronous across sites ( r = 0.96). Pinyon growth was significantly correlated with winter/spring precipitation and negatively correlated with June temperature. Taken together, our results suggest that past climate may be more important in structuring pinyon populations than historical land use in these persistent pinyon-juniper woodlands. Given future climate projections of increasing temperature and more extended drought periods, regeneration of pinyon populations following the recent regional-scale dieback may be slow. Moreover, prolonged drought combined with potentially slow regeneration times for pinyon under future climate scenarios could result in substantial declines in pinyon populations across the region, a result that land managers should consider when planning for future restoration treatments in persistent pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Self-assembled alkylsilane monolayers for the preparation of stable and efficient coatings in capillary electrophoresis

The approach of forming self-assembled monolayers on the surface of fused silica capillaries has been evaluated for capillary electrophoresis of proteins. Two polymer matrices (polymerized acrylamide or methacryloyl-Tris) were successfully grafted on the self-assembled monolayers, as evidenced by electroosmotic flow measurements and efficient separations of model proteins.
A Consistent Criterion for Diffuse Necking in Sheet Metals Using Hill’s 1979 Yield Surface

A review of some existing criteria for diffuse necking in sheet metals is given and their limitations are discussed. The introduction into production of new sheet materials whose plastic deformation is impossible to be modeled using Hill’s 1948 anisotropic yield function necessitates improvements of these existing criteria to accurately describe their necking behavior. In this paper, a generalization of the existing diffuse necking criteria for materials describable by Case IV of Hill’s 1979 anisotropic yield function is presented. The proposed criterion is consistent with the previous criteria. It predicts a significant effect of Hill’s 1979 yield surface shape factor on the critical principal strain in the range of negative minor strains while in the range of biaxial tension this influence is small.