cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal antibody L/1C2 reactive with a human carcinoma associated antigen

A murine IgG3 monoclonal antibody which defines a human carcinoma associated antigen is described. The antibody, designated L/1C2, was made against a human lung squamous cell carcinoma line designated USCLS-1. It reacts with the surface of 15 of 16 viable human carcinoma cell lines and was detected in 70 of 78 frozen sections of human carcinomas. Melanoma cell lines and frozen sections of melanomas and a lymphoma were unreactive. Normal tissue reactivity included vessels, plus some ducts, glandular structures, and epithelial surfaces. Similar normal tissue reactivity patterns were seen with Rhesus monkey tissue samples. Immunoprecipitation studies indicate that L/1C2 reacts with a glycoprotein doublet which migrates in the range of 110,000 to 140,000 Mr under reducing conditions. Fluorescence analysis suggests this antigen is internalized following reaction with the L/1C2 antibody. Using in vitro human tumor cell growth inhibition assays, it was possible to achieve significant growth inhibition with L/1C2...
Effect of environment and coating on the creep behavior of commercial Ti alloys

Abstract 1. o 2. 1. The creep rates of titanium alloys used in the present study were greatly reduced in a vacuum environment in comparison to air. 3. 2. An ion-plated Pt coating improved the creep resistance of the titanium alloys markedly over the uncoated alloys tested in air, but less than in a vacuum. 4. 3. No improvement in creep resistance was observed if there was a loss of coating continuity. 5. 4. The integrity of ion-plated Pt, its thermal stability and its inertness to oxygen provided an effective barrier against oxygen for the titanium substrate, and simulating to a certain extent, a vacuum environment. 6. 5. It is proposed that in the uncoated material tested in air, the atmospheric oxygen diffuses along the α/β boundaries. Being an α stabilizer element, oxygen enhances the transformation of the residual β into the α phase. The localized transformation stresses increase mobile dislocation densities and thus reduce the creep resistance of the material. 7. 6. Because of high reactivity and solubility of oxygen with titanium and the formation of unstable titanium oxides at the surface, the creep behavior in vacuum represents the intrinsic creep property of titanium alloys. 8. 7. The effectiveness of a coating in terms of creep resistance can be rated in terms of its ability to lower the creep rates as close as possible to that measured in vacuum.
On Holisms: Insular, Inclusivist, and Postmodern

Nancey Murphy's offer to take us “beyond liberalism and fundamentalism” is an exciting one: Who wants to be caught in the clutches of a fruitless theological dispute? She argues that the key to our escape is “Anglo-American postmodernity.” I analyze what Murphy means by this term and why it may turn out to be a more precarious escape route than one might think. Holism or “post-foundationalism” is indeed inescapable for science/religion discussions today, but an inclusivist holism is preferable to Murphy's insular holism
Why aren't managers concerned about occupational stress?

Abstract To explain the rarity of workplace stress management interventions, it is thought that managers are not concerned with the risks of occupational stress to health and job performance. Some writers consider either (1) deficiencies in theory, and/or (2) deficiencies in methodology to be the cause of this apparent lack of concern. The aim of this paper is to illustrate another perspective on this issue; that of risk perception. Two perspectives on risk perception are discussed; the psychometric view and the cultural view. The psychometric view suggests that senior managers may underestimate the risks associated with stress. The cultural view suggests that managers may consider stress management to be inappropriate, since individuals, not organizations, should be responsible for coping with stress. Both perspectives indicate that very few managers may consider stress to be a risk that should be actively managed by the organization. The associated disciplines of risk management and particularly risk co...
Adherence of sputtered titanium carbides

Sputtered coatings of the refractory metal carbides are of great interest for applications where hard wear-resistant materials are desired. The usefulness of sputtered refractory carbides is often limited, in practice, by spalling or interfacial separation. In this work improvements in the adherence of refractory carbides on iron, nickel and titanium based alloys were obtained by using oxidation, reactive sputtering or sputtered interlayers to alter the coating-substrate interfacial region. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and argon ion etching were used to characterize the interfacial regions, and an attempt was made to correlate adherence as measured in wear tests with the chemical nature of the interface.
On the Androgenic Gland of the Ghost Crab Ocypoda platytarsis M. Edwards (Crustacea: Brachyura)

The morphology and structural peculiarities of the androgenic gland in Ocypoda platytarsis are described. Three types of histologically different cells have been noticed. The histological variations have been attributed to the secretory cycle. Evidence is given for the amitotic division of the cells. Evidences are also given for the holocrine activity of the cells. It has been shown that the growth of the male reproductive system parallels that of the androgenic gland.
Engagement without Recognition: A New Strategy toward Abkhazia and Eurasia's Unrecognized States

The Russia–Georgia war of August 2008 had repercussions well beyond the South Caucasus. The war was the culmination of Western tensions with Russia over its influence in the post–Soviet space, whil...
A field study of a visual controllable talk recommender

In this paper, we contribute to the study of recommender systems from a HCI perspective by investigating the effects upon the user experience of a novel interface which uses a Venn diagram to represent the outputs of an interactive talk recommender system. We present the results of a preliminary user study on talk recommendations in the context of a conference with n=37 people that used our system under one of two conditions: a static list of recommendations, or the enhanced visual controllable interface. The user behavioral analysis and the results of a survey that n=17 users answered provide interesting insights for designers and developers of interfaces for recommender systems, especially when the items can have one or more contexts of relevancy as in a hybrid recommender system.
The at-risk health status and technology: A diagnostic invitation and the ‘gift’ of knowing

Abstract In the past two decades, the medical model has extended its jurisdiction to cover a new medical entity—the at-risk health status—which is frequently accompanied by what I call a diagnostic invitation and the ‘gift’ of knowing. In cases, however, where the diagnosis may only reaffirm the risk but can provide no cure, the value of the ‘gift’ of knowing is questioned. The at-risk health status also can: (1) develop a symbiotic relationship with diagnostic technology, (2) become an organizing principle in individual and social behavior and (3) provide new tasks for clinical medicine. The perceived cost effectiveness of preventive measures, combined with the desire to use high-technology medicine, to achieve newly expanded definitions of health make it likely that the concept of the at-risk health status will be integrated into whatever health care plan is finally enacted for the United States. In light of the possible negative, as well as positive, effects of at-risk health labelling, American society needs to establish standards for the diagnostic invitation as a gift of knowing especially when the line between prevention and overuse is not always clear.
Public and private school performance in Nepal: an analysis using the SLC examination.

Using data from the survey of the Ministry of Education, Nepal-2005 for School Leaving Certificate Exam, this paper analyzes public and private school performance in Nepal. The ordinary least square estimates suggest that private school students perform better than public school students. However, the problem of self-selection bias arises, as private school students can fundamentally differ from public school students. This study adopts the propensity score matching technique to account for this problem. The results, even after using the propensity score matching technique, suggest a positive private school effect for the data used in this study.
The Relationship Between Classroom Motivation and Academic Achievement in Elementary-School-Aged Children

The relationship between motivation and academic success has been better established with older children and adults than with younger children. As part of a larger project, the purpose of this study was to examine the relation-ship between classroom motivation and academic achievement in young elementary-school-aged children. The participants were 122 first-grade and 129 third-grade children from a mid-sized city in the southern United States. The findings from the current study were consistent with previous research in that higher levels of mastery motivation and judgment motivation were found to be related to higher math and reading grades in third graders. However, higher levels of mastery motivation, not judgment motivation, were related to higher math and reading grades in first graders.
Use of the air-Q intubating laryngeal airway for rapid-sequence intubation in infants with severe airway obstruction: a case series.

Summary We describe a four-step method for fibreoptic-guided, rapid-sequence tracheal intubation through the air-Q® intubating laryngeal airway in infants with severe airway obstruction. Our step-wise process provides an organised and controlled approach to safely securing the airway.
Age-dependent reduction in maximum electroshock convulsive threshold associated with decreased concentrations of brain monoamines☆

Abstract This study investigated modification of the tonic convulsive threshold to maximum electroshock in 15- and 30 day old rats treated with drugs which reduce steady-state concentrations of monoamines. On postnatal day 15, reduction of central catecholamine concentrations by 6-hydroxydopamine or of central serotonin concentrations by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine or p-chloroamphetamine did not alter the tonic convulsive threshold. However, simultaneous depletion of catecholamines and serotonin by tetrabenazine was associated with a significant decrease in the tonic threshold. This effect could be reversed partially by simultaneous administration of the catecholamine and serotonin precursors, L-dihydroxyphenylalanine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, respectively. On postnatal day 30, reduction of brain serotonin concentration, but not catecholamine concentrations, was associated with a significant decrease of the tonic convulsive threshold. In a previous study, in which 7–8 day old rats were used, a tetrabenazine-induced decrease in the tonic convulsive threshold was prevented by L-dihydroxyphenylalanine bu t not 5-hydroxytryptophan. Furthermore, intracisternal 6-hydroxydopamine, but not 5,7-dihydroxyhyptamine, decreased the threshold on postnatal day 8. Therefore, the results of the present study involving 15- and 30 day old rats, together with the earlier findings in 7–8 day old rats, [28] suggest an apparent developmental transition from catecholaminergic to serotonergic dominance in regulation of the tonic convulsive threshold during the first postnatal month.
The Effects of Incentive Regulation on Retail Telephone Service Quality in the United States

This article provides a review and critique of the empirical literature that examines the effects of incentive regulation on retail telephone service quality in the United States. The literature provides mixed findings. Some dimensions of service quality appear to improve under incentive regulation (relative to rate of return regulation) while others deteriorate. Suggestions for much-needed future research are offered.
Wavelets meet genetic imaging

Genetic image analysis is an interdisciplinary area, which combines microscope image processing techniques with the use of biochemical probes for the detection of genetic aberrations responsible for cancers and genetic diseases. Recent years have witnessed parallel and significant progress in both image processing and genetics. On one hand, revolutionary multiscale wavelet techniques have been developed in signal processing and applied mathematics in the last decade, providing sophisticated tools for genetic image analysis. On the other hand, reaping the fruit of genome sequencing, high resolution genetic probes have been developed to facilitate accurate detection of subtle and cryptic genetic aberrations. In the meantime, however, they bring about computational challenges for image analysis. In this paper, we review the fruitful interaction between wavelets and genetic imaging. We show how wavelets offer a perfect tool to address a variety of chromosome image analysis problems. In fact, the same word "subband" has been used in the nomenclature of cytogenetics to describe the multiresolution banding structure of the chromosome, even before its appearance in the wavelet literature. The application of wavelets to chromosome analysis holds great promise in addressing several computational challenges in genetics. A variety of real world examples such as the chromosome image enhancement, compression, registration and classification will be demonstrated. These examples are drawn from fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and microarray (gene chip) imaging experiments, which indicate the impact of wavelets on the diagnosis, treatments and prognosis of cancers and genetic diseases.
Prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and IQ: Estimated benefit of pollution reduction

Outdoor air pollution, largely from fossil fuel burning, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, costing billions of dollars every year in health care and loss of productivity. The developing fetus and young child are especially vulnerable to neurotoxicants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) released to ambient air by combustion of fossil fuel and other organic material. Low-income populations are disproportionately exposed to air pollution. On the basis of the results of a prospective cohort study in a low-income population in New York City (NYC) that found a significant inverse association between child IQ and prenatal exposure to airborne PAH, we estimated the increase in IQ and related lifetime earnings in a low-income urban population as a result of a hypothesized modest reduction of ambient PAH concentrations in NYC of 0.25 ng/m3. For reference, the current estimated annual mean PAH concentration is ~1 ng/m3. Restricting to NYC Medicaid births and using a 5 per cent discount rate, we estimated the gain in lifetime earnings due to IQ increase for a single year cohort to be US$215 million (best estimate). Using much more conservative assumptions, the estimate was $43 million. This analysis suggests that a modest reduction in ambient concentrations of PAH is associated with substantial economic benefits to children.
Logarithmic expected packet delivery delay in mobile ad hoc wireless networks

Summary It has been shown that in a mobile ad hoc wireless network per node throughput remains constant as the number of nodes approaches infinity, when the nodes lie in a disk of unit area. However, this requires that some packets are delivered indirectly by a relay node. In this paper, we prove, in the same setup, that D(k) 2 � (log k), where D(k )i s the expected delay time of a mobile ad hoc wireless network with k nodes. As consequence, we have concluded that mobile ad hoc wireless networks are not scalable for real-time applications. Copyright # 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sexual differences in regulation of prolactin secretion by two hypothalamic areas.

Two sexually dimorphic areas of the hypothalamus, the dorsomedial-ventromedial nuclei (DMN-VMN) and the medial preoptic area (MPOA) have been shown to be involved in the regulation of rhythmic PRL secretion induced by cervical stimulation. The present study investigated the sexually specific roles played by the DMN-VMN and the MPOA in controlling PRL release. Four groups of rats were used in this study: adult ovariectomized females (OVX-females), adult castrated males (AC-males), females given testosterone propionate at birth (TP-females), and males castrated neonatally (NCmales). In a test of hypothalamic differentiation, OVX-females and NC-males could secrete LH surges after a steroid challenge whereas AC-males and TP-females could not. Electrical stimulation was applied to the DMN-VMN of animals from all four groups. The animals were then sampled on day 2 after stimulation at times appropriate for detection of nocturnal (N) and diurnal (D) surges of PRL similar to those induced by mating in females. OV...
Locoregional Chemoembolic Delivery: Prediction With Transcatheter Intraarterial Perfusion MRI

OBJECTIVE. To our knowledge there is currently no quantitative preprocedural method for predicting the distribution and selectivity of delivery of chemoembolic material during trans–arterial chemoembolization. Transcatheter intraarterial perfusion MRI has been developed as a method of quantifying hepatic arterial perfusion. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether findings at transcatheter intraarterial perfusion MRI before chemoembolization can be used to predict uptake of the chemoembolic material delivered during chemoembolization. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. We compared quantitative prechemoembolization transcatheter intraarterial perfusion MRI parameters with analogous postchemoembolization CT chemoembolic distribution parameters and analyzed correlation using the Pearson correlation coefficient. These MRI and CT parameters included volume of distribution (a metric for volumetric liver perfusion or therapeutic agent delivery) and chemoembolic delivery selectivity factor (a ratio of volume-norma...
Is pelvic plexus nerve documentation feasible during robotic assisted laparoscopic ureteral reimplantation with extravesical approach

Abstract Purpose Urinary retention is a known complication of using an extravesical approach for ureteral reimplantation, especially in bilateral cases. The etiology may be secondary damage to pelvic nerves during ureteral dissection. Recent literature suggests that it is possible to visually identify these nerves during a robotic assisted laparoscopic approach. We performed an exploratory study to identify and document them in pediatric patients by means of electrophysiologic recordings. Material and methods Seven consecutive patients undergoing robotic assisted laparoscopic ureteral reimplantation with extravesical approach were prospectively enrolled in the study. Following dissection of the ureter below the level of vas deferens in male and the uterine artery in female, staying close to the adventitia and approaching the ureterovesical junction, the fibers as described in human cadaveric studies were identified dorsomedial to the ureter and preserved. Stimulating and recording electrodes were passed through to record post-synaptic compound muscle action potentials of the bladder. Results Even though the nerve fibers were visually identified, we were unable to consistently and reproducibly record compound muscle action potentials after stimulation of putative pelvic plexus fibers at the distal ureter, despite modulation in stimulation intensity, pulse characteristics, signal recording sensitivity and stimulator probe variation. Conclusions In this pilot study, the inconsistent findings raise questions about the exact location of the neurovascular bundle, nature of bladder smooth muscle electrophysiology and the appropriate methodology of evaluation. This may provide a reason to reexamine the intraoperatively expected location of pelvic plexus nerve fibers.
When War Brings Peace: A Dynamic Model of the Rivalry Process

This study develops a dynamic model of the rivalry process, explicitly connecting the conflicts that form rivalries. The model demonstrates how these conflicts combine to form an especially conflict‐prone relationship. Using numerical simulations of the model, I deduce and test a hypothesis connecting dyadic conflict and rivalry termination. High‐concentration conflicts increase the probability of rivalry termination by causing a sharp and sustained drop in public support for future military action. Dyadic conflict between rivals can bring peace, under the right circumstances. The article concludes with a discussion of the model's implications for policymakers seeking to limit international violence.
Inequality and Democracy: Why Inequality Harms Consolidation but Does Not Affect Democratization

Under what conditions do democracies emerge and consolidate? Recent theories suggest that inequality is among the leading determinants of both democratization and consolidation. By contrast, this article argues that inequality harms consolidation but has no net effect on democratization. The author shows that the existing theories that link inequality to democratization suffer from serious limitations: (1) they are useful only for understanding transitions from below and thus do not apply to many other transitions (that is, those from above); (2) even for democratization from below, their predictions are unlikely to hold, since inequality actually has two opposite effects; and (3) they ignore collective action problems, which reduces their explanatory power. However, these objections do not affect the relationship between inequality and consolidation. In particular, while inequality has two opposite effects on the probability of transition to democracy, it unambiguously increases the probability of transition away from democracy. This article conducts the most comprehensive empirical test to date of the relationship between inequality and democracy. It finds no support for the main democratization theories. Contrary to what they predict, estimation suggests neither a monotonic negative nor an inverted U-shaped relationship. Yet inequality increases the probability of backsliding from democracy to dictatorship.
Sensory enhancement of foods for the elderly with monosodium glutamate and flavors

Abstract Worldwide, both the number and proportion of elderly persons is increasing dramatically. By 2025, it is predicted that there will be 1.121 billion persons over 60 years of age. Most of these elderly will have sensory losses including impairment of taste and smell perception. Taste and smell losses are serious because they can lead to inadequate dietary intake and impaired nutritional status. Dietary patterns in the elderly can be improved by sensory enhancement of foods using monosodium glutamate (MSG) and/or commercial flavors to compensate for chemosensory losses. Intensification of taste and odor with MSG and flavors can improve food acceptance, increase salivary flow and immunity, and reduce oral complaints.
A reassessment of the role of B7-1 expression in tumor rejection.

Introduction of the B7-1 gene into murine tumor cells can result in rejection of the B7-1 transductants and, in some cases, systemic immunity to subsequent challenge with the nontransduced tumor cells. These effects have been largely attributed to the function of B7-1 as a costimulator in directly activating tumor specific, major histocompatibility class I-restricted CD8+ T cells. We examined the role of B7-1 expression in the direct rejection as well as in the induction of systemic immunity to a nonimmunogenic murine tumor. B-16 melanoma cells with high levels of B7-1 expression did not grow in C57BL/6 recipient mice, while wild-type B-16 cells and cells with low B7-1 expression grew progressively within 21 d. In mixing experiments with B7-1hi and wild-type B-16 cells, tumors grew out in vivo even when a minority of cells were B7-1-. Furthermore, the occasional tumors that grew out after injection of 100% B-16 B7-1hi cells showed markedly decreased B7-1 expression. In vivo antibody depletions showed that NK1.1 and CD8+ T cells, but not CD4+ T cells, were essential for the in vivo rejection of tumors. Animals that rejected B-16 B7-1hi tumors did not develop enhanced systemic immunity against challenge with wild-type B-16 cells. These results suggest that a major role of B7-1 expression by tumors is to mediate direct recognition and killing by natural killer cells. With an intrinsically nonimmunogenic tumor, this direct killing does not lead to enhanced systemic immunity.
Intravenous antidepressants: A review

Antidepressant medications have an onset of action of several weeks and have moderate efficacy. Their mode of administration is oral (p.o.). Some clinicians wondered whether intravenous (i.v.) administration would speed onset of action and increase efficacy. In this article we review controlled studies on i.v. administration of antidepressants. These include clomipramine, citalopram, and other antidepressants. Overall these studies do not support increased efficacy of i.v. over p.o.administration but there are suggestions of a faster onset of action. In one study i.v. citalopram showed superior response rates over p.o. citalopram (79% vs. 63%) in severely depressed patients at 8 weeks.
Volume Reduction in Prefrontal Gray Matter in Unsuccessful Criminal Psychopaths

Background Although studies of neurologic patients have suggested that prefrontal structural impairments may predispose to sociopathy, it is unknown whether there is a relationship between psychopathy and prefrontal volume in individuals from the community and whether any prefrontal structural impairment is specific to "unsuccessful" (caught) psychopaths as opposed to "successful" (uncaught) psychopaths. This study tests the hypothesis that psychopathy is associated with a reduction in prefrontal gray volume but that this abnormality is specific to unsuccessful psychopaths. Method Prefrontal gray and white matter volumes were assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 16 unsuccessful psychopaths, 13 successful psychopaths, and 23 control subjects. Results Higher total as well as subfactor psychopathy scores (arrogant/deceptive, affective, and impulsive/unstable) were all associated with low prefrontal gray volume. Unsuccessful psychopaths, but not successful psychopaths, had a 22.3% reduction in prefrontal gray matter volume compared with control subjects. Conclusions These results demonstrating for the first time a prefrontal structural deficit in community psychopaths provide partial support for a prefrontal theory of psychopathy but highlight an important difference between successful and unsuccessful psychopaths.
Rotavirus vaccine efficacy in African and Asian countries.

Although the absolute proportion of severe diarrhoeal disease prevented is still much higher in the African setting, the relative poor performance of enteric vaccines in these populations deserves further mechanistic study.Two issues deserve consideration in assessing this vaccine in low-income, high-burden countries. First, although use of the endpoint of severe diarrhoea across sites provides standardisation, diﬀ erences in care-seeking behaviour and out-of-pocket payment for paediatric health-care services in some settings could compromise case ascertainment.Second, rotavirus infection is a systemic illness with diarrhoea as the predominant manifestation. There are many reports of extraintestinal mani festations of rotavirus infection in children,
Hospital Financial Performance In The Recent Recession And Implications For Institutions That Remain Financially Weak

The recent recession had a profound effect on all sectors of the US economy, including health care. We examined how private hospitals fared through the recession and considered how changes in their financial health may affect their ability to respond to future industry challenges. We categorized 2,971 private short-term general medical or surgical hospitals (both nonprofit and for-profit) according to their pre-recession financial health and safety-net status, and we examined their operational status changes and operating and total financial margins during 2006–11. We found that hospitals that were financially weak before the recession remained so during and after the recession. The total margins of nonprofit hospitals (both safety-net and other institutions) declined in 2008 but returned to their pre-recession levels by 2011. The recession did not create additional fiscal pressure on hospitals that were previously financially weak or in safety-net roles. However, both groups continue to have notable fina...
A grid workflow-based Monte Carlo simulation environment

Monte Carlo methods provide enormous scope for realistic statistical modeling and simulation. Implementation of large-scale Monte Carlo applications on the grid benefits from state-of-the-art approaches to accessing resources in a computational grid. Workflow techniques allow one to describe and enact his simulation processes in a structured, manageable, and verifiable way. We developed the Grid-Computing Infrastructure for Monte Carlo Applications (GCIMCA) based on the Globus toolkit and SPRNG library. The Globus toolkit facilitates creation and utilization of a computational grid for large distributed computational jobs and the Scalable Parallel Random Number Generators (SPRNG) library is designed to generate practically infinite number of random number streams with favorable statistical properties for distributed Monte Carlo applications. GCIMCA provides services specific to grid-based Monte Carlo simulation applications, including the Monte Carlo subtask schedule service using the N-out-of-M strategy, the facilities of application-level checkpointing, the partial result validation service, and the intermediate value validation service. Taking advantage of grid workflow paradigms and GCIMCA facilities, we implemented a Grid Workflow-based Monte Carlo (GWMC) simulation environment. Workflow management services are implemented to manage the Monte Carlo simulation process. We intend to provide a trustworthy and manageable grid-computing environment for large-scale and high-performance Monte Carlo simulation application.
Overexpression of ARGOS Genes Modifies Plant Sensitivity to Ethylene, Leading to Improved Drought Tolerance in Both Arabidopsis and Maize

Lack of sufficient water is a major limiting factor to crop production worldwide, and the development of drought-tolerant germplasm is needed to improve crop productivity. The phytohormone ethylene modulates plant growth and development as well as plant response to abiotic stress. Recent research has shown that modifying ethylene biosynthesis and signaling can enhance plant drought tolerance. Here, we report novel negative regulators of ethylene signal transduction in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and maize (Zea mays). These regulators are encoded by the ARGOS gene family. In Arabidopsis, overexpression of maize ARGOS1 (ZmARGOS1), ZmARGOS8, Arabidopsis ARGOS homolog ORGAN SIZE RELATED1 (AtOSR1), and AtOSR2 reduced plant sensitivity to ethylene, leading to enhanced drought tolerance. RNA profiling and genetic analysis suggested that the ZmARGOS1 transgene acts between an ethylene receptor and CONSTITUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE1 in the ethylene signaling pathway, affecting ethylene perception or the early stages of ethylene signaling. Overexpressed ZmARGOS1 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi membrane, where the ethylene receptors and the ethylene signaling protein ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE2 and REVERSION-TO-ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY1 reside. In transgenic maize plants, overexpression of ARGOS genes also reduces ethylene sensitivity. Moreover, field testing showed that UBIQUITIN1:ZmARGOS8 maize events had a greater grain yield than nontransgenic controls under both drought stress and well-watered conditions.
An Evaluation of Total Correction of Tetralogy of Fallot

Forty-one consecutive patients, ranging in age from 41/2 to 27 years, were operated upon for complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot without an operative mortality. Postoperative catheterization of 25 patients permitted objective evaluation of the results which were, by the criteria adopted, excellent in 16 patients, good in 5, and poor in 4, including the 2 late deaths. Surgical experience has shown the necessity for extensive resection of the right ventricular outflow tract. Prosthetic patches are considered necessary for closure of most of the ventricular septal defects encountered, but are infrequently needed for reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract. Its use is indicated in certain patients with hypoplasia of the pulmonary annulus or artery. Age has been an important factor in patient selection. It is suggested that symptomatic patients under five years of age may benefit from a systemic-to-pulmonary arterial anastomosis before definitive correction is undertaken later in childhood.
Cold Rydberg atoms and plasmas in strong magnetic fields

We describe our theoretical and experimental efforts to understand cold Rydberg atom gases and plasmas in strong magnetic fields.
Cross‐Sectional and Longitudinal Associations between Body Mass Index and Marriage‐Related Factors

Objective: To assess the relationship between marriage and obesity. Research Methods and Procedures: Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations were examined between participant body mass index (BMI), spouse BMI, and participant diet and exercise habits. Results: Spouse and participant BMI and BMI changes over 2 years were significantly associated. Participant BMI was associated with higher consumption of calorie-dense foods and lower frequency of physical activity. Participants’ eating and exercise habits were only weakly related to spouse BMI. BMI did not predict the likelihood of marriage or divorce. However, marriage was associated with a significant 2-year weight gain and divorce with a significant 2-year weight loss. Discussion: The results suggest that spouse similarity in BMI is at least partly due to shared environment. The observed effects of marriage and divorce on weight may be due to the influence of marriage on inducements to eat (e.g., shared meals) or on motivation for weight control.
Cytology automation: An overview

© The Papanicolaou smear has been the most effective cancer-screening test ever. It has resulted in a 70% decrease in cervical cancer death over the last 50 years. However, its limitations are well recognized with an average false negative rate for a single smear ranging from 20% to 50% and an irreducible false negative rate of 5% in the best of laboratories.1 About one half of these falsely negative smears lack abnormal cells and represent suboptimal sampling of the cervix. Most of the remaining cases usually have a few abnormal cells that have been missed by the human screener. This major limitation of traditional screening is due to the fallibility of the eye-brain axis of the human observer who is subject to fatigue when viewing literally millions of cells per day (50 000/cells/slide × 60 slides/day = 3 000 000 cells/day). Psychologic habituation, the tendency to not perceive a rare abnormal cell after a long sequence of normals, also plays a role.3 It has long been hoped that the application of automated image analysis to cervical smears would result in a tireless screening device whose accuracy and vigilance would markedly reduce, if not, eliminate false negatives due to screening errors. Such a device could also increase productivity and provide a solution to shortages of trained personnel.
Long-term survival of dopamine neurons derived from parthenogenetic primate embryonic stem cells (Cyno-1) after transplantation

Dopamine (DA) neurons can be derived from human and primate embryonic stem (ES) cells in vitro. An ES cell-based replacement therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease requires that in vitro-generated neurons maintain their phenotype in vivo. Other critical issues relate to their proliferative capacity and risk of tumor formation, and the capability of migration and integration in the adult mammalian brain. Neural induction was achieved by coculture of primate parthenogenetic ES cells (Cyno-1) with stromal cells, followed by sequential exposure to midbrain patterning and differentiation factors to favor DA phenotypic specification. Differentiated ES cells were treated with mitomycin C and transplanted into adult immunosuppressed rodents and into a primate (allograft) with out immunosuppression. A small percentage of DA neurons survived in both rodent and primate hosts for the entire term of the study (4 and 7 months, respectively). Other neuronal and glial populations derived from Cyno-1 ES cells showed, in vivo, phenotypic characteristics and growth and migration patterns similar to fetal primate transplants, and a majority of cells (>80%) expressed the forebrain transcription factor brain factor 1. No teratoma formation was observed. In this study, we demonstrate long-term survival of DA neurons obtained in vitro from primate ES cells. Optimization of differentiation, cell selection, and cell transfer is required for functional studies of ES-derived DA neurons for future therapeutic applications.
Salivary Electrolyte Changes During the Normal Menstrual Cycle

Daily samples of parotid and submaxillary saliva were collected from eight females during a complete menstrual cycle. Findings revealed significant electrolyte changes in the submaxillary saliva. Comparison of menstrual and midcycle concentrations of calcium and sodium demonstrated a notable decrease in calcium and sodium at midcycle, whereas potassium levels increased significantly. Changes were attributed to a probable hormonal effect on salivary composition.
Voltage gated sodium ion channels: from phenomena to technology

Electrical activation of the nervous system is about the controlled and targeted release of neurotransmitters. The ability to activate a desired population of nerve fibers, without activating other, unwanted populations, opens opportunities to develop devices that are capable of addressing many of the neurological problems facing the citizens of the world. The fundamental phenomena that underlie the electrical excitability properties of voltage gated ion channels are described. Techniques to utilize the nonlinear, time dependent, properties are presented along with the associated electrode technology that is employed to implement the concepts.
Measuring distance in personal relationships: The Relational Distance Index

This article describes the development of an instrument that measures people's reported use of distancing tactics in personal relationships. Two versions of the Relational Distance Index (RDI) were developed, an 8-itemversion and a 17-item version. Four studies were conducted to examine the instrument's psychometric properties. The index exhibited a stable two-factor structure (unfriendly and withdrawal), had acceptable internaland temporal reliability, and performed well on the tests of convergent and discriminant validity. The data suggested the RDI is suitable for use with both student and nonstudent samples.
Effects of recirculating flow on U-937 cell adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells

We used a sudden-expansion flow chamber to examine U-937 cell adhesion to unactivated and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in recirculating flo...
SPONTANEOUS SEX REVERSALS OF GENOTYPIC MALES IN THE PLATYFISH (XIPHOPHORUS MACULATUS)

HE platyfish, Xiphophorus maculatus, exhibits two types of sex-determining Tmechanisms: the male is heterogametic (XX female, XY male) in those from Mexico, while the female is heterogametic (WY female, YY male) in those from British Honduras and in most domesticated strains (GORDON 1951). A few instances of spontaneous sex reversal (an individual who is functionally one sex, but genotypically the other) have been reported in this well-studied laboratory fish, most of them in domesticated stocks of unknown ancestry which have been bred by hobbyists or dealers. Such stocks usually include interracial or interspecific hybrids and are thus of questionable value in studies of sex determination. Most reported instances have been single exceptions in otherwise normal broods. The instances of sex reversal described in this paper are of interest in that two well-studied strains of known wild ancestry that had been maintained by inbreeding in this laboratory for many years produced a number of sex reversals within a period of one and one half years. All the exceptional fish were females that were genotypic males, which is the opposite from other reported sex reversals in this species. Background of strains 163A and 163B
Effect of Pressurized Water Reactor Environment on Material Parameters of 316 Stainless Steel: A Cyclic Plasticity Based Evolutionary Material Modeling Approach

At present, the fatigue life of nuclear reactor components is estimated based on empirical approaches, such as stress/strain versus life (S∼N) curves and Coffin-Manson type empirical relations. In most cases, the S∼N curves are generated from uniaxial fatigue test data, which may not truly represent the multi-axial stress state at the component level. Also, the S∼N curves are based on the final life of the specimen, which may not accurately represent the mechanistic time-dependent evolution of material behavior. These discrepancies lead to large uncertainties in fatigue life estimations. We propose a modeling approach based on evolutionary cyclic plasticity that can be used for developing finite element models of nuclear reactor components subjected to multi-axial stress states. These models can be used for more accurately predicting the stress-strain evolution over time in reactor components and, in turn, fatigue life. The model parameters were estimated for 316 stainless steel material, which are widely used in U.S. nuclear reactors. The model parameters were estimated for different test conditions to understand their evolution over time and their sensitivity to particular test conditions, such as the pressurized water reactor coolant condition.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Studies of Precipitation, Flooding, and Rainfall Extremes across Disciplines (SPREAD) Workshop: An Interdisciplinary Research and Education Initiative

AbstractFloods and flash floods are, by their nature, a multidisciplinary problem: they result from a convergence of atmospheric conditions, the underlying topography, hydrological processes, and the built environment. Research aimed at addressing various aspects of floods, on the other hand, often follows paths that do not directly address all of these fundamental connections. With this in mind, the NSF-sponsored Studies of Precipitation, Flooding, and Rainfall Extremes Across Disciplines (SPREAD) workshop was organized and held in Colorado during the summers of 2013 and 2014. SPREAD brought together a group of 27 graduate students from a wide variety of academic disciplines, but with the unifying theme being research interests in extreme precipitation or flooding. During the first meeting of the workshop, groups of graduate student participants designed interdisciplinary research projects that they then began work on over the intervening year, with the second meeting providing a venue to present their r...
Potts Shunt for Children With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension

Children with severe pulmonary hypertension have limited therapeutic options. To avert the consequences of right heart failure, the Potts shunt has been proposed as a means to off-load the right ventricle, improving overall cardiac output at the expense of lower saturation and oxygen delivery to lower extremities. In the following, the details of the procedure are described along with a modification (with interposition graft) that could perhaps facilitate the performance of the procedure for patients as an alternative palliative intervention to lung transplantation.
Sexual Trauma and the Spiritual Experience: Rabiʿa al-A’dawiyya and Margery Kempe

Rabiʿa al-Aʿdawiyya (717-801 A.D.) the first female Sufi in the Muslim world, who introduced the concept of ‘love’ into mysticism, was popular for her witticism, sharp reprimands of her contemporary male Sufis and her gender-bending practices. In ʿAttar’s Tadhkirat al-Awliya, Rabiʿa is portrayed as a challenger of the established gender norms of her day. Rabiʿa’s crossing of gender boundaries and her mysticism presented in ʿAttar’s works can be regarded as defense mechanisms employed against her experience of exploitation as a slave and for the sake of necessity to transcend her limited gender identity and feminine sexuality as well as her inability to reach liberation that she longed for. In order to get a more nuanced view of female mystics’ gender transgression, I will also examine similar gender transgression in Rabiʿa’s Christian counterpart, the English Margery Kempe (1373-1438). Margery is known for having written The Book of Margery Kempe. Margery’s public expression of spirituality as a laywoman was unusual compared to the more traditional holy exemplars of her time. Margery’s spiritual career began past her traumatic childbirth experience which resulted in her developing abject feelings about femininity and motherhood. The book shows Margery, like Rabiʿa in her days, crossing gender boundaries of her time and reshaping her identity so as to re-enter the world as a new subject. I argue that the power of divine love and the encounter with the divine Other allowed these two women to transgress gender boundaries, de- and reconstruct their identities through annihilation of their self, rediscover the ultimate Reality, and unite with the divine.
cluster: Searching for Unique Low Energy Minima of Structures Using a Novel Implementation of a Genetic Algorithm

A new flexible implementation of a genetic algorithm for locating unique low energy minima of isomers of clusters is described and tested. The strategy employed can be applied to molecular or atomic clusters and has a flexible input structure so that a system with several different elements can be built up from a set of individual atoms or from fragments made up of groups of atoms. This cluster program is tested on several systems, and the results are compared to computational and experimental data from previous studies. The quality of the algorithm for locating reliably the most competitive low energy structures of an assembly of atoms is examined for strongly bound Si–Li clusters, and ZnF2 clusters, and the more weakly interacting water trimers. The use of the nuclear repulsion energy as a duplication criterion, an increasing population size, and avoiding mutation steps without loss of efficacy are distinguishing features of the program. For the Si–Li clusters, a few new low energy minima are identified...
Post-Traumatic Dancing Epilepsy

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, report a case of “dancing epilepsy” in a 39-year-old, right-handed man who developed refractory complex partial seizures following head trauma at 15 years of age.