cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolving Korean Parenting Foundations Revealed through Children's Perspectives of East Asian Parenting Beliefs, Styles and Practices.

Research on parenting styles and children’s developmental outcomes have been prominent in the parenting and achievement literature for decades and research shows that parenting style is not consistent across families from diverse backgrounds (Baumrind, 1971; Chao, 1994; Grusec, Goodnow, & Kuzcynski, 2000). Building on this research, this study examines Korean parenting and its influence on Korean-American achievement by examining the common factors across East Asian parenting ideologies, styles, and practices through the East Asian Parenting Model (EAPM) (Chao, 1994; Choi, Kim, Pekelnicky, & Kim, 2013; Darling & Steinberg, 1993). Perceptions about child development and learning and the changing and evolving mother-child relationship are patterns particularly explored in this study. Overall, this study purports important findings regarding evolving Korean parenting foundations affecting Korean-American achievement which add to the field of Asian-American achievement literature. These findings may help inform educators working within school settings about ways in which Korean parenting foundations influence the education of these children.
Maintenance of Genome Integrity by Mi2 Homologs CHD-3 and LET-418 in Caenorhabditis elegans

Meiotic recombination depends upon the tightly coordinated regulation of chromosome dynamics and is essential for the production of haploid gametes. Central to this process is the formation and repair of meiotic double-stranded breaks (DSBs), which must take place within the constraints of a specialized chromatin architecture. Here, we demonstrate a role for the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex in orchestrating meiotic chromosome dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans Our data reveal that the conserved Mi2 homologs Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein (CHD-3) and its paralog LET-418 facilitate meiotic progression by ensuring faithful repair of DSBs through homologous recombination. We discovered that loss of either CHD-3 or LET-418 results in elevated p53-dependent germ line apoptosis, which relies on the activation of the conserved checkpoint kinase CHK-1 Consistent with these findings, chd-3 and let-418 mutants produce a reduced number of offspring, indicating a role for Mi2 in forming viable gametes. When Mi2 function is compromised, persisting recombination intermediates are detected in late pachytene nuclei, indicating a failure in the timely repair of DSBs. Intriguingly, our data indicate that in Mi2 mutant germ lines, a subset of DSBs are repaired by nonhomologous end joining, which manifests as chromosomal fusions. We find that meiotic defects are exacerbated in Mi2 mutants lacking CKU-80, as evidenced by increased recombination intermediates, corpses, and defects in chromosomal integrity. Taken together, our findings support a model wherein the C. elegans Mi2 complex maintains genomic integrity through reinforcement of a chromatin landscape suitable for homology-driven repair mechanisms.
The Use of Geocaching as a Form of Physical Activity in Youth

ABSTRACTBackground: In order to promote physical activity among youth, it is critical that communities offer options beyond sports that still provide similar health benefits. Purpose: Given the appeal of technology among today’s youth, the purpose of our study was to evaluate geocaching as a technology-based platform for promoting physical activity in youth. Methods: High school youth (N = 31) participated in 2 separate activity sessions, walking and geocaching. Accelerometers were worn and questions concerning perceived exertion and enjoyment were addressed at both sessions. Results: Although repeated measures t tests (P < .05) revealed no significant differences between activity sessions, each session yielded approximately 60 minutes of physical activity in a relatively inactive sample of youth. Additionally, the youth from the study reported that both walking and geocaching were enjoyable and relatively easy activities. Discussion: Results from this study do not suggest that geocaching would lead to gr...
Care of the Transgender Adolescent with Type 1 Diabetes

Approximately 1% of high school aged youth identify as transgender and recent increased societal acceptance of gender dysphoria (GD) has resulted in higher utilization of gender affirming medical interventions. Given that type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic disease in childhood, it is expected that pediatric diabetes providers will encounter adolescents with both T1D and GD. Pioneering studies from the Netherlands in 1998 described the first use of pubertal suppression with a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) in adolescents and the addition of gender affirming sex hormone, testosterone or estrogen, to transition the person to the true gender identity. The Pediatric Endocrine Society, Endocrine Society, and World Professional Association for Transgender Health have published guidelines and standards of care for gender affirming providers. However, very little has been published about the specific considerations in the treatment of these adolescents who have T1D and GD. We report on our experience (n=5) of the unique challenges of managing the T1D during gender transition. There is risk for infection, diabetic ketoacidosis, poor adherence, diabulimia, anxiety and depression in these adolescents. Close monitoring and open conversations between the pediatric diabetes provider and the adolescent with T1D and GD are essential. Disclosure J. Avila: None. T. Aye: None.
Fetal Chemical Sympathectomy: Circulatory and Hormonal Responses to Hypoxemia

Delivery of an adequate supply of oxygen to the fetus is essential for normal growth and development. When oxygen delivery to the fetus is reduced moderately, adjustments in the circulation and metabolism, mediated by various neural, hormonal, and reflex mechanisms, occur to ensure survival. The purpose of this presentation is to consider the role of the sympathetic nervous system in the fetal response to hypoxemia. Because most of the currently available information relating to this topic has been obtained from sheep fetuses, this discussion will be largely confined to these studies.
EDM Visualization Tool: Watching Students Learn.

This poster describes a visualization tool for educators that allows the exploration of educational data. We display an entire classes sequence of actions to the user using a tree-graph. Our preliminary results suggest that EDM visualization tools are a promising area for future research in EDM.
Psychological Models of Health

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of recognized models of health (Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Health Locus of Control, Transtheoretical Model of Health Behavior Change) and psychological intervention originating from South Asian culture (mindfulness meditation, yoga, transcendental meditation, prayer) with the exception of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Given the increasing population of South Asian Americans and cultural differences in their health beliefs and behavior, it becomes imperative to discuss the suitability of implementing Western-influenced models and intervention among ethnic populations. Indeed, research emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity when assessing and treating either physical and/or mental health issues among South Asian American patients. Overall, through increasing awareness of the existing models of health and their weaknesses in application to South Asian Americans, identifying biopsychosocial factors unique to this population’s culture, and examining the existing forms of intervention and therapy indigenous to South Asians, researchers and practitioners can begin to create culturally adaptive and individualized treatments and models targeted towards the improvement of South Asian American health. This chapter aims to support the contention that the biopsychosocial approach to health may be especially useful among ethnic populations and improving the trajectory of health (studies, treatment, etc.). Research findings and descriptions regarding the mentioned models of health and intervention are discussed.
Sustained-release ruxolitinib: Findings from a phase 1 study in healthy subjects and a phase 2 study in patients with myelofibrosis.

Ruxolitinib is the first Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor approved for the treatment of myelofibrosis, where its efficacy is often associated with cytopenia. It is possible that the severity of cytopenia is in part driven by C max. A once‐daily sustained‐release (SR) formulation of ruxolitinib was therefore developed to decrease the C max/C min ratio relative to twice‐daily immediate‐release (IR) ruxolitinib. An SR formulation was identified based on pharmacokinetic evaluation in a phase 1 study in healthy adults (N = 9). This was followed by an open‐label phase 2 study in patients with myelofibrosis (N = 41). Ruxolitinib SR treatment was well tolerated with blood cell counts relatively unchanged through week 16. In terms of efficacy, 7 patients (17.1%) had clinical improvement and 33 (80.5%) had stable disease. While this study has raised the possibility of an increased therapeutic index for ruxolitinib via an SR formulation, further studies are required to validate the hypothesis.
Effects of spin on magnetized binary neutron star mergers and jet launching

National Science Foundation (NSF) [PHY-1662211]; NASA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [80NSSC17K0070]; National Science Foundation [TG-MCA99S008, OCI-0725070, ACI-1238993]; State of Illinois
The spatiotemporal forming of a state of exception: repurposing hot-spot analysis to map bare-life in Southern Arizona’s borderlands

Through the use of Hot-Spot analysis, typically reserved for local analysis of crime and law enforcement, I document the dispersal and clustering of migrant mortalities on a temporal scale in the Ajo valley of Southern Arizona in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands. The study maps the influence of border enforcement by time and documents the forming of a state of exception, by finding whether and where migrants had taken other more-remote routes in relation to the constructing of and policing by a Border Patrol checkpoint, The spatiotemporal nature of ‘Hot’ and ‘Cold-Spots’ plus an analysis of migrant mortality locations before and after the establishment of a checkpoint serves as a novel approach to spatial analysis in border studies. It creates a type of remote forensics for verifying the ‘funnel effect’ and the condition of Bare Life it produces where law has taken migrant’s political power and left them with their biological existence (Agamben in Homo sacer: sovereign power and bare life. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1998). I show a widening of the state and a receding of the migrant into a rugged and remote isolation. Until now, the defining of the borderlands as a State of Exception (Doty in Int Political Sociol 1(2):113–137, 2007) has been theoretical and qualitative. This paper doesn’t retract from that but rather adds quantitative data and interpretation to theory, making it a needed clarification of biopolitics in a time of growing use of militarization at the U.S.–Mexico border and worldwide.
Changes in Membrane Phosphoproteins Associated with the ATP Modulation of the Delayed Rectifier K+ Channel in the Squid Giant Axon

Potassium channels are still among the most misterious of all membrane proteins, and practically no biochemistry is known of the most diverse and at the same time selective group of ion channels. This lack of information is due to the lack of a specific marker or toxin that could be used to identify and isolate most of the members of this family.
Role of Medical Anthropology in Understanding Cultural Differences in Sexuality

Here we explain how practitioners can use insights from anthropological studies of medicine, gender, and sexuality to provide more responsive sexual health care. Anthropology is the study of human behavior and biology in relationship to changing time and place. Anthropologists think holistically and comparatively in order to understand the context-dependent development of human practices and problems which might otherwise appear universal. In this chapter, we demonstrate how a medical anthropological approach can be useful for understanding and treating sexual health problems. We present findings from a study of older men’s experiences of decreasing erectile function in Mexico, and a study of women’s treatment for vulvar pain in the USA, to illustrate the ways that contexts, including norms of sexuality and gender, economic setting, and medical practice, influence how people define and treat sexual problems. Through this analysis, we (1) demonstrate that medical norms for sexual function and behavior are context-specific rather than reflecting a universal or natural state of health and (2) show clinicians how they can incorporate this kind of inquiry into their practice in order to meet patients’ needs without doing harm. Based on these studies, we offer several guidelines for appreciating context-specific variation in people’s sexual norms and desires that can then lead to improved clinical practice.
Catalytic Carbon–Carbon Bond Activation of Saturated and Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds via Chelate-Assisted Coupling Reaction with Indoles

The chelate assistance strategy was devised to promote a highly regioselective catalytic C–C bond activation reaction of saturated and unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The cationic Ru–H complex 1 wa...
A diatribe in quantum chemistry

The MP2/TZVP geometries and the standard heats of formation at 0 and 298.15K of 1,2and 1,3-silatitanacyclobutanes and a number of smaller Ti and/or Si containing alkanes are calculated using the G2-model. The G2-procedure was suitably modified to allow for treatment of first row transition elements and was directly q)plied to the reference compounds, which were subsequently connected to the two rings via the ^ropriate homodesmic reactions. The expected accuracy should be on the order of 3 kcal molK Bonding and structural characteristics are discussed in terms of Boys localized orbitals and Bader density analysis.
A health care workers mental health crisis line in the age of COVID-19.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a health care crisis of unparalleled devastation. A mental health crisis as a second wave has begun to emerge in our front-line health care workers. Objective To address these needs, The Healthcare Worker Mental Health COVID-19 Hotline, based on crisis intervention principles, was developed and launched in 2 weeks. Methods Upon reflection of why this worked, we decided it might be useful to describe what we now recognize as 13-steps which led to our success. The process included the following: (1) anticipate mental health needs; (2) use leadership capable of mobilizing the systems and resources; (3) convene a multidisciplinary team; (4) delegate tasks and set timelines; (5) choose a clinical service model; (6) motivate staff as a workforce of volunteers; (7) develop training and educational materials; (8) develop personal, local, and national resources; (9) develop marketing plans; (10) deliver the training; (11) launch a 24 hr/7days per week Healthcare Worker Mental Health COVID-19 Hotline, and launch follow-up sessions for staff; (12) structure data collection to determine effectiveness and outcomes; and (13) obtain funding (not required). Discussion We believe the process we used is specifically useful for others who may want to develop a COVID-19 hotline services for health care workers and generally useful for the development of other mental health services. Conclusion We hope that this process may serve as a guide for other heath care systems.
Word Learning in First Grade: Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Technology-Based and an Extended Vocabulary Intervention

In this study we examine the effectiveness of a technology-based vocabulary intervention compared to an extended vocabulary intervention that has been validated in previous studies. At-risk first g...
STEM Characterization of Dislocation Loops in Irradiated FCC Alloys

Abstract In this study, we demonstrate the methodology systematically developed for dislocation loop (perfect and faulted loops) imaging and analysis in irradiated face-centered-cubic (FCC) alloys using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). On-zone [001] STEM imaging was identified as the preferred choice for its accuracy and effectiveness based on the comparison with other dislocation loop imaging techniques including: (i) on-zone STEM imaging using other major low-index zone axes, (ii) kinematic two-beam conditions bright field imaging near the [001] zone axis in conventional TEM (CTEM) mode, and (iii) Rel-Rod CTEM dark-field (DF) imaging near the [011] zone axis. The effect of STEM collection angle on the contrast formation of dislocation loops was also investigated. The developed method was confirmed by imaging all populations of perfect and faulted loops of types a/2〈110〉{110} and a/3〈111〉{111} found in an ion irradiated Ni40Fe40Cr20 alloy. The proposed STEM-based technique can easily identify said loops with a size greater than 10 nm without any assumptions such as those commonly made using the conventional Rel-Rod CTEM-DF technique. The recommended methodology in this study is developed as a quick and convenient tool that can be generally applied to irradiated FCC-based materials due to their common crystallography.
The Stem of Meaningful Learning

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education on academic achievement in the science classroom. Methodology: This study is a quasi-experimental using non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Fifty-one Grade 8 students, taught by the same teacher, constituted the participants of this study. The study consisted of an experimental group that followed a STEM approach to education and a control group that was taught the usual way. Results: The findings showed an encouraging improvement in the science achievement of the experimental group as compared to that of the control one. Students belonging to the experimental group demonstrated conceptual understanding of the topics covered by the assigned problems. Practical Implications: An initial implication is that STEM education is a promising approach that, if properly implemented, facilitates meaningful learning. Originality/Value: The problem/project-based way of teaching and learning allows students to appreciate the relevance of their school work to their own lives and the world around them. Besides the positive impact of STEM education on science achievement, the findings of this study revealed that a STEM approach is a promising approach in terms of developing conceptual understanding and promoting transfer of learning.
Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability of the magnetospheric boundary in a three‐dimensional global MHD simulation during northward IMF conditions

[1] We present results of a global, fully three-dimensional, high-resolution magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the magnetosphere during steady northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. We investigate the stability of the magnetospheric boundary with respect to the growth of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) driven by the velocity shear between the nearly stagnant magnetospheric plasma and the magnetosheath flow past it. We find the magnetospheric boundary to be globally unstable, including the high-latitude boundary layer (meridional plane), where magnetic tension is not sufficient to stabilize the growth of oscillations. Roughly beyond the terminator, global modes coupled into the surface modes become most apparent, so that the entire body of the magnetosphere is engaged in an oscillatory motion. The wave vector of the surface oscillations has a component perpendicular to the background flow and tangential to the shear layer (in the equatorial plane, kz component of the wave vector), which is consistent with the generation of field-aligned currents that flow on closed field lines between the inner portion of the boundary layer and the ionosphere. The distribution of wave power in the equatorial plane is consistent with the existence of a double-vortex sheet, with vortex trains propagating along the inner and outer edges of the boundary layer. The double-vortex sheet is most apparent in the simulation past the terminator plane but is transient and appears to be unstable and is most likely a consequence of nonlinear development of the velocity shear layer with a finite width. For the simulation with the solar wind velocity of 600 km/s, we find the width of the layer to be Δ≈1 RE at the terminator and the phase speed there to be similar to half of the total velocity drop across the layer (∼440 km/s), which is expected for a shear layer with uniform background density. We calculate the spatial growth rate for the dominant frequency mode in this region (∼4.4 mHz) to be ∼0.19RE−1, which is in excellent agreement with linear theory. For this mode, we find kΔ≈0.9, where k is the wave number, which corresponds to the fastest growing mode predicted by the linear theory. Finally, we find that the plasma compressibility is a key factor in controlling the growth rate of the KHI at the magnetosphere flanks in our simulation.
Ecoregions of the Continents: The Polar Ecoregions

Polar and Arctic air masses chiefly control climates of the polar domain, located at high latitudes. With the exception of the ice cap climates, they lie entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. In general, climates in the polar domain have low temperatures, severe winters, and small amounts of precipitation, most of which falls in summer. Polar systems are dominated by a periodic fluctuation of solar energy and temperature, in which the annual range is far greater than the diurnal range (see Fig. 4.2, p. 29). This contrasts with the tropics where the major periodic fluctuation is the diurnal one, and the mid-latitude systems, as we will see, are subject to fluctuations in both annual and diurnal energy patterns.
Drained Strength Characteristics of Sands

Drained triaxial compression tests with volume change measurements were performed on samples of two sands at confining pressures up to 140 kg per sq cm to clarify the components contributing to the shearing strength and to determine the strength characteristics under essentially constant volume conditions. Three components of shearing strength were identified as follows: sliding friction, which was almost independent of confining pressure; dilation, which was significant for dense sand at low pressures but decreased and made a negative contribution at high pressures; and particle crushing and rearranging, which increased from an insignificant value at low pressures to make a substantial contribution to the overall shearing resistence at high pressures. Because undrained tests in which cavitation does not occur are similar in many ways to constant volume drained tests, the study was extended to determine the envelope of failure when shear deformation occurs at essentially constant volume by testing at the appropriate critical confining pressure corresponding to that density. The constant volume envelope of failure determined by such tests was shown to be in reasonably good agreement with that obtained for drained tests if dilatancy effects are deducted using the Taylor-Bishop or Rowe dilatancy formulas.
Input-to-State Stabilization with Quantized Output Feedback

We study control systems where the output subspace is covered by a finite set of quantization regions, and the only information available to a controller is which of the quantization regions currently contains the system's output. We assume the dimension of the output subspace is strictly less than the dimension of the state space. The number of quantization regions can be as small as 3 per dimension of the output subspace. We show how to design a controller that stabilizes such a system, and makes the system robust to an external unknown disturbance in the sense that the closed-loop system has the Input-to-State Stability property. No information about the disturbance is required to design the controller. Achieving the ISS property for continuous-time systems with quantized measurements requires a hybrid approach, and indeed our controller consists of a dynamic, discrete-time observer, a continuous-time state-feedback stabilizer, and a switching logic that switches between several modes of operation. Except for some properties that the observer and the stabilizer must possess, our approach is general and not restricted to a specific observer or stabilizer. Examples of specific observers that possess these properties are included.
Low daily sperm output per ml of testis as a diagnostic criteria for testicular degeneration in stallions

SUMMARY Testicular degeneration is a major cause of poor fertility in stallions. Palpation and measurement of the testes are common methods used to diagnose testicular degeneration. When small testes of abnormal consistency (usually soft) are detected, a diagnosis of testicular degeneration can be confirmed. However, since testicular degeneration varies greatly in severity, many stallions with testicular degeneration will not have small, soft testes. In fact, less severe cases of testicular degeneration cannot be detected by palpation and measurement of testes, and require histologic confirmation (e.g., testicular biopsy) of the diagnosis. Since testicular degeneration results in fewer sperm being produced during spermatogenesis, non-invasive procedures for estimating spermatogenic efficiency (i.e., number of sperm produced per unit of testis) can be used to diagnose testicular degeneration. Specifically, we propose that once extragonadal sperm reserves are stabilized, the number of sperm in ejaculates per ml of testis is a useful non-invasive method for the practitioner to determine whether testicular degeneration is present. To support our contention that a non-invasive method of estimating spermatogenic efficiency (i.e., calculation of daily sperm output per ml of testis) is a useful criteria for diagnosing testicular degeneration, we used data from 3 trials to characterize the relationship between degeneration of germ cells, spermatogenic efficiency and output of normal sperm in ejaculates. In the first trial, the relationship between testicular germ cell degeneration rates and efficiency of sperm production was investigated by performing histomorphometric analyses on testes obtained from 88 mature stallions during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. A negative correlation existed between germ cell degeneration rate and spermatogenic efficiency at the level of the testes (expressed as daily sperm production per ml of testis; DSP/ml) (r = - 0.87; P
Participation as Capacity-Building for Active Citizenship

Within the framework of the “capability approach” to human rights, this paper argues that adults who facilitate participatory planning and design with children and youth have an ethical obligation to foster young people’s capacities for active democratic citizenship. Practitioners often worry, justifiably, that if young people fail to see their ideas realized, they may become disillusioned and alienated from political life. Based on the experience of the Growing Up in Cities program of UNESCO, four rules of good practice are distilled which can help promote young people’s belief in the value of collective action, regardless of the challenges that the full implementation of their ideas may face.
The informativeness of pro forma and street earnings: an examination of information asymmetry around earnings announcements

Using adverse-selection cost as a proxy for information asymmetry, we find evidence that non-GAAP earnings numbers issued by management (pro forma earnings) and analysts (street earnings) improve price discovery. First, information asymmetry before an earnings announcement is positively associated with the probability of a non-GAAP earnings number at the forthcoming earnings announcement. Second, the post-announcement reduction in information asymmetry is greater when managers or analysts issue non-GAAP earnings at the earnings announcement and when the magnitude of the non-GAAP earnings adjustment is larger. Our results suggest that earnings adjustments by analysts and managers increase the amount and precision of earnings information and help to narrow information asymmetry between informed and uninformed traders following earnings announcements. Alternatively, the findings may be attributable to characteristics of non-GAAP firms and overall better reporting quality for those firms rather than non-GAAP earnings disclosure per se.
Compiling knowledge into decomposable negation normal form

We propose a method for compiling propositional theories into a new tractable form that we refer to as decomposable negation normal form (DNNF). We show a number of results about our compilation approach. First, we show that every propositional theory can be compiled into DNNF and present an algorithm to this effect. Second, we show that if a clausal form has a bounded treewidth, then its DNNF compilation has a linear size and can be computed in linear time - treewidth is a graphtheoretic parameter which measures the connectivity of the clausal form. Third, we show that once a propositional theory is compiled into DNNF, a number of reasoning tasks, such as satisfiability and forgetting, can be performed in linear time. Finally, we propose two techniques for approximating the DNNF compilation of a theory when the size of such compilation is too large to be practical. One of the techniques generates a sound but incomplete compilation, while the other generates a complete but unsound compilation. Together, these approximations bound the exact compilation from below and above in terms for their ability to answer queries.
Toward a More Anatomically Complete Model of Literacy Instruction: A Focus on African American Male Adolescents and Texts

In this article, Alfred Tatum argues that the current framing of the adolescent literacy crisis fails to take into account the in-school and out-of-school challenges confronting many African American male adolescents today, particularly those growing up in high-poverty communities. Using the metaphor of literacy instruction as a human body, he argues that in the absence of sound theory about the importance of texts for African American male adolescents, even the best instructional methods will fall flat, like a body without a head. He offers a more anatomically complete model in which instructional methods are governed by theories about how literacy can help young men of color respond to their immediate contexts, and in which professional development gives legs to these methods by preparing teachers to engage all students. Finally, in a case study of one Chicago youth, Tatum illustrates both the power that relevant texts can hold for young men of color and the missed opportunities that result when student...
A functional glycogen biosynthesis pathway in Lactobacillus acidophilus: expression and analysis of the glg operon.

Summary Glycogen metabolism contributes to energy storage and various physiological functions in some prokaryotes, including colonization persistence. A role for glycogen metabolism is proposed on the survival and fitness of Lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic microbe, in the human gastrointestinal environment. L. acidophilus NCFM possesses a glycogen metabolism (glg) operon consisting of glgBCDAP-amy-pgm genes. Expression of the glg operon and glycogen accumulation were carbon source- and growth phase-dependent, and were repressed by glucose. The highest intracellular glycogen content was observed in early log-phase cells grown on trehalose, which was followed by a drastic decrease of glycogen content prior to entering stationary phase. In raffinose-grown cells, however, glycogen accumulation gradually declined following early log phase and was maintained at stable levels throughout stationary phase. Raffinose also induced an overall higher temporal glg expression throughout growth compared with trehalose. Isogenic ΔglgA (glycogen synthase) and ΔglgB (glycogen-branching enzyme) mutants are glycogen-deficient and exhibited growth defects on raffinose. The latter observation suggests a reciprocal relationship between glycogen synthesis and raffinose metabolism. Deletion of glgB or glgP (glycogen phosphorylase) resulted in defective growth and increased bile sensitivity. The data indicate that glycogen metabolism is involved in growth maintenance, bile tolerance and complex carbohydrate utilization in L. acidophilus.
Prevention and Control of Iron Deficiency: Policy and Strategy Issues

Substantial efforts have been made in the past several decades to implement programs to reduce iron deficiency. Yet, compared with other micronutrients such as vitamin A and iodine, overall progress in reducing iron deficiency has been limited. Such limited progress is not attributed to a lack of scientific knowledge about the prevalence, causes or consequences of iron deficiency, but to limited implementation of effective interventions and ineffective communication tools. The challenge is to coordinate and balance research efforts more constructively with the implementation of practical and effective intervention programs. More attention must be paid to evaluating the operational feasibility of various intervention strategies to demonstrate their effectiveness under normal field conditions. Moreover, intervention efforts must be supported by substantially increased attention to communications to achieve effective advocacy for policy support and resource mobilization, foster partnerships and alliances, clarify priority target groups, including infants and young children, and support behavioral change. Through collaboration, researchers, program implementers and communicators can achieve substantial progress in reducing iron deficiency.
Searching for the best price: An experimental look at consumer search effort

Certain factors may influence the extent to which consumers are willing to expend effort bargaining with retailers in order to gain additional pre-purchase information. One factor could be the consumer's favorable or unfavorable orientation toward the bargaining process itself. Another factor could be consumer expectation as to whether bargaining is permitted by retailers. A third factor might be whether a consumer's actual participation in bargaining encourages, or discourages, additional search activity. This research reports the results of a shopping simulation experiment which suggests that greater search effort is associated with individuals who are favorably predisposed toward retail bargaining and/or expect bargaining to be appropriate in a given situation.
Generalizations and optimal solutions for coin sorting puzzles

This paper generalizes a class of coin puzzles previously known for small and fixed numbers of coins. In these puzzles, the challenge is to sort coins with theoretically smallest possible number of moves. This paper presents two algorithms that solve two different versions of coin sorting puzzles in optimal number of steps, also pointing out two other versions which cannot be solved in any number of steps. Small versions of these puzzles have appeared in several books and we b sites but a general solution has never been presented. Algorithms presented in this paper make enhanced features possible for software implementations, and increase their potential for appreciation by puzzle enthusiasts.
Phonon properties of A-15 superconductors obtained from heat-capacity measurements

The heat capacities of ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{3}$Al, ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{3}$Sn, and ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{3}$Sb were measured between 2 and 400 K. Their superconducting transition temperatures ${T}_{c}$ are 18.5, 17.9, and 0.2 K, respectively. The higher-temperature entropy was analyzed, and it was found that phonon-mode softening occurs on cooling for the two high-${T}_{c}$ compounds, but not for ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{3}$Sb. Geometric mean phonon frequencies ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{g}$ are also evaluated for these compounds and for ${\mathrm{V}}_{3}X$, where $X=\mathrm{Si},\mathrm{Ga},{\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{0.5}, \mathrm{and} \mathrm{Sn}$. As is shown, ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{g}$ is an appropriate phonon average for evaluating McMillan's expression for the electron-phonon mass enhancement. Average phonon properties cannot reliably be used to calculate ${T}_{c}$ values for these $A\ensuremath{-}15$ materials. It is suggested that, for the higher electronic density-of-states materials, select phonon modes strongly couple to the electronic system and influence the magnitude of ${T}_{c}$ to a greater extent than average-phonon correlations would indicate. This view is supported by the observation that the higher-density-of-states materials exhibit the more pronounced phonon-mode softening on cooling.
Toxicity of Spinal Agents

Because of recent concerns over the suspected neurotoxicity of 5% hyperbaric lidocaine, the expanding use of nontraditional spinal drugs in the operating room and for the treatment of chronic malignant and nonmalignant pain, a review of the potential neurotoxicity of spinal agents is appropriate. This report discusses current information from both laboratory and clinical models concerning the potential neurotoxicity of local anesthetics used for spinal anesthesia. This article also reviews basic information about spinal cord neurotransmitters, how new pharmacologic agents act at the spinal cord, and the potential neurotoxicity of these agents.
Film Cooling With Steam Injection Through Three Staggered Rows of Inclined Holes Over a Straight Airfoil

Experiments have been performed to investigate the film cooling characteristics of steam injection through three staggered rows of 60 degree inclined holes over a straight aluminum airfoil with a circular leading edge. The axial distance between cooling hole rows is five hole diameters. The lateral distance is four hole diameters. Data have been taken for the local film cooling effectiveness of steam and air with blowing rates varying from 0.3 to 1.8. It shows that at small blowing rates, steam has an effectiveness up to 2.5 times greater than air; but, as the blowing rates are increased, the difference between the steam and air effectiveness is gradually decreased. It also shows that the steam effectiveness is less dependent upon the blowing rates than is the air effectiveness. The results generally support the previous analytical prediction.Copyright © 1983 by ASME
Comparison and integration of spaceborne optical and radar data for mapping in Sudan

The purpose of this study was to determine how different procedures and data, such as multiple wavelengths of radar imagery and radar texture measures, independently and in combination with optical imagery influence land-cover/use classification accuracies for a study site in Sudan. Radarsat-2 C-band and phased array L-band synthetic aperture radar PALSAR L-band quad-polarized radar were registered with ASTER Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer optical data. Spectral signatures were obtained for multiple landscape features, classified using a maximum-likelihood decision rule, and thematic accuracies were obtained using separate validation data. There were surprising differences between the thematic accuracies of the two radar data sets, with Radarsat-2 only having a 51% accuracy and PALSAR 73%. In contrast, the optical ASTER overall accuracy was 81%. Combining the original radar and a variance texture measure increased the Radarsat-2 to 78% and PALSAR to 80%, whereas the two original radar bands together had an accuracy of 87%. Sensor fusion of optical and radar obtained an accuracy of 93%. Based on these results, the use of multiwavelength quad-polarized radar imagery combined or integrated with optical imagery has great potential in improving the accuracy of land-cover/use classifications. In tropical and high-latitude regions of the world, where persistent cloud cover hinders the use of optical satellite systems, land management programmes may find this research promising.
Superior human leukocyte reconstitution and susceptibility to vaginal HIV transmission in humanized NOD-scid IL-2Rγ(-/-) (NSG) BLT mice.

Humanized Bone marrow/Liver/Thymus (BLT) mice recapitulate the mucosal transmission of HIV, permitting study of early events in HIV pathogenesis and evaluation of preexposure prophylaxis methods to inhibit HIV transmission. Human hematopoiesis is reconstituted in NOD-scid mice by implantation of human fetal liver and thymus tissue to generate human T cells plus intravenous injection of autologous liver-derived CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells to engraft the mouse bone marrow. In side-by-side comparisons, we show that NOD-scid mice homozygous for a deletion of the IL-2Rγ-chain (NOD-scid IL-2Rγ−/−) are far superior to NOD-scid mice in both their peripheral blood reconstitution with multiple classes of human leukocytes (e.g., a mean of 182 versus 14 CD4+ T cells per μl 12 weeks after CD34+ injection) and their susceptibility to intravaginal HIV exposure (84% versus 11% viremic mice at 4 weeks). These results should speed efforts to obtain preclinical animal efficacy data for new HIV drugs and microbicides.
Understanding the neural control of ingestive behaviors: helping to separate cause from effect with dehydration-associated anorexia.

Eating and drinking are motivated behaviors that are made up of coordinated sets of neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral motor events. Although the spinal cord, hindbrain, and hypothalamus contain the motor neurons and circuitry sufficient to maintain the reflex parts of these motor events, inputs from the telencephalon are required to furnish the behavioral components with a motivated (goal-directed) character. Each of these motor events derives from the complex interaction of a variety of sensory inputs with groups of neural networks whose components are distributed throughout the brain and collectively support motor expression and coordination. At a first approximation based on a variety of data, these networks can be divided into three groups: networks that stimulate, those that inhibit, and those that disinhibit motor functions. A fourth contributor is the circadian timing signal that originates in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus and provides the temporal anchor for the expression of all behaviors. This article discusses the nature of these networks using neuroanatomical (tract-tracing and neuropeptide in situ hybridization), endocrine, and behavioral evidence from a variety of experimental models. A persistent problem when studying the control of food intake from a neural systems perspective has been the difficulty in separating those neuronal changes that result in hunger from those that are as a consequence of eating. To address this problem, dehydration-associated anorexia is presented as a particularly useful experimental model because it can be used to distinguish between neural mechanisms underlying anorexia and those changes that occur as a consequence of anorexia. The article concludes by highlighting the potential role of neuropeptidergic action in the operation of these networks, using forebrain neuropeptidergic innervation of the parabrachial nucleus as an example.
The ethology of empathy: a taxonomy of real-world targets of need and their effect on observers

Empathy is inherently interpersonal, but the majority of research has only examined observers. Targets of need have been largely held constant through hypothetical and fictionalized depictions of sympathetic distress and need. In the real world, people’s response to life stressors varies widely—from stoicism to resilience to complete breakdown—variations that should profoundly influence the prosocial exchange. The current study examined naturally-varying affect in real hospital patients with serious chronic or terminal illness during videotaped interviews about quality of life. Participants viewed each video while psychophysiological data were recorded and then rated each patient’s and their own emotion. Patients displayed three major emotion factors (disturbed, softhearted, and amused) that were used to classify them into five basic types (distraught, resilient, sanguine, reticent, wistful). These types elicited four major emotions in observers (personal distress, empathic concern, horror, pleasure), two of which were never discovered previously with fictionalized targets. Across studies and measures, distraught targets usually received the greatest aid, but approximately as many observers preferred the positive and likeable resilient patients or the quietly sad wistful targets, with multiple observers even giving their greatest aid to sanguine or reticent targets who did not display distress or need. Trait empathy motivated aid towards more emotive targets while perspective taking motivated aid for those who did not overtly display distress. A second study replicated key results without even providing the content of patients’ speech. Through an ecological examination of real need we discovered variation and commonality in the emotional response to need that interacts strongly with the preferences of observers. Social interactions need to be studied in ethological contexts that retain the complex interplay between senders and receivers.
Characterization of the cDNA encoding human nucleophosmin and studies of its role in normal and abnormal growth.

A cDNA encoding human nucleophosmin (protein B23) was obtained by screening a human placental cDNA library in {delta}gtll first with monoclonal antibody to rat nucleophosmin and then with confirmed partial cDNA of human nucleophosmin as probes. The cDNA had 1,311 bp with a coding sequence encoding a protein of 294 amino acids. The identity of the cDNA was confirmed by the presence of encoded amino acid sequences identical with those determined by sequencing pure rat nucleophosmin (a total of 138 amino acids). The most striking feature of the sequence is an acidic cluster located in the middle of the molecule. The cluster consists of 26 Asp/Glu and 1 Phe and Ala. Comparison of human nucleophosmin and Xenopus nucleolar protein NO38 shows 64.3% sequence identity. The N-terminal 130 amino acids of human nucleophosmin also bear 50% identity with that of Xenopus nucleoplasmin. Northern blot analysis of rat liver total RNA with a partial nucleophosmin cDNA as probe demonstrated a homogeneous mRNA band of about 1.6 kb. Similar observations were made in hypertrophic rat liver and Novikoff hepatoma. When the protein levels were compared with Western blot immunoassays, Navikoff hepatoma showed 20 times more nucleophosmin, while only about 5 times more nucleophosminmore » was observed in hypertrophic rat liver than in unstimulated normal liver.« less
Transcription of a mitochondrial plasmid during senescence in Podospora anserina

In the ascomycete fungus Podospora anserina, cellular senescence is characterized by the excision, circularization, and amplification of specific segments of the non-senescent mitochondrial genome. During senescence, various plasmids can be found in the mitochondria, and different senescent events produce different plasmid populations. In this paper we have examined the transcriptional activity of one mitochondrial plasmid (α-sen DNA) and have contrasted this with the non-senescent mitochondrial genome of rapidly (A+) and slowly (s+) senescing races. In non-senescent and senescent mitochondria we observe two RNAs which are homologous to α-sen DNA and to the parental locus on the native genome. These are 2.4 and 2.5 kb long and have different 5′ ends while overlapping throughout most of their lengths. They may represent different transcripts for α-sen DNA and the parental genome and indicate that excision of the plasmid begins 450 bp from the 5′ end of the genomic coding sequence. Transcription of the α-sen DNA plasmid appears to be active in both senescent and in non-senescent mycelia.
School-Parish Financial Linkages and the Viability of Urban Catholic Elementary Schools.

The issue of Catholic elementary-school survival is complex. This study found in general that astute management is more important than overall wealth. Major contributors to survival include integra...