cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secondary dispersal of forest herb seeds from raccoon dung: contrasting service by multiple vectors

Secondary movement of seeds deposited in dung potentially improves their chances of seedling establishment but has rarely been documented in temperate-zone deciduous forest. We followed mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) seeds after deposition in raccoon (Procyon lotor) dung to test for secondary dispersal in a long-established deciduous forest in southeastern Ohio, USA. Marked seeds were incorporated into raccoon dung, placed in natural forest sites, and observed at regular intervals until the subsequent Spring. Abiotic seed movement was monitored during natural and simulated rain events. To identify animal vectors and describe their interaction with seeds, motion-triggered wildlife cameras were trained on dung with embedded mayapple seeds. Seed movement was initially limited by adhesion in the viscid dung matrix, but 15% of seeds eventually moved >20 cm from the point of placement, a minimal estimate of a shoot’s competitive neighborhood (maximum movement distance = 130 cm). Significantly greater movement occurred on slopes and in the absence of leaf litter. Rainfall moved seeds as far as 51 cm. White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and chipmunks (Tamias striatus) began removing seeds within 24 h of dung placement, presumably caching a portion of them outside the 1.5-m radius of observation. At least four other animal species interacted with dung in ways unrelated to seed presence, which nevertheless resulted in seed movement on a scale of centimeters. Thus, multiple secondary processes caused seed movement, each resulting in a distinctive seed distribution. The forest herb potentially benefits through reduction in seed density and distribution to a variety of microsites.
Aqueous‐Containing Precursor Solutions for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite semiconductors have emerged as competitive candidates for photovoltaic applications due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties. However, the impact of moisture instability on perovskite films is still a key challenge for perovskite devices. While substantial effort is focused on preventing moisture interaction during the fabrication process, it is demonstrated that low moisture sensitivity, enhanced crystallization, and high performance can actually be achieved by exposure to high water content (up to 25 vol%) during fabrication with an aqueous-containing perovskite precursor. The perovskite solar cells fabricated by this aqueous method show good reproducibility of high efficiency with average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.7% and champion PCE of 20.1% under solar simulation. This study shows that water-perovskite interactions do not necessarily negatively impact the perovskite film preparation process even at the highest efficiencies and that exposure to high contents of water can actually enable humidity tolerance during fabrication in air.
The utility of KRAS mutation analysis in differentiating a lung primary mucinous carcinoma from a metastatic colorectal mucinous carcinoma

A 58-year old male has a past medical history of a rectal low-grade mucinous adenocarcinoma with a KRAS codon 12/13 mutation (GGT>GAT), for which he received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. Five months after diagnosis, the patient underwent a low anterior resection showing persistent tumor with the pathological staging being (ypT3, ypN0, ypMx). Six months after surgery, follow-up PET scan showed two right upper lung nodules measuring 1.0 and 1.8 cm. Subsequent video-assisted thoracic surgery with a lung wedge resection revealed two tumors: a mucinous adenocarcinoma and an acinar-predominant adenocarcinoma. The mucinous adenocarcinoma showed similar cytologic features as the rectal tumor; however, it showed more of a lepidic pattern. The immunohictochemical profile of the lung mucinous adenocarcinoma was positive CK7 (cytoplasmic), negative CK20, TTF1, napsin-A, and CDX2. KRAS codon 12/13 analysis also showed a mutation in the lung, however it was different compared to the previous rectal tumor and showed a GGT>AGT mutation. The acinar adenocarcinoma had a wild-type KRAS. In this case, we favored a primary lung mucinous carcinoma over a metastasis from the rectum based on the lepidic morphology, CK20 negativity and differing KRAS codon 12 mutations. A year after the resection of the lung adenocarcinomas, the patient presented with dyspnea and abnormal liver functions. Abdominal US and MRI revealed multiple liver lesions (up to 1.9 cm). Core liver biopsies showed a poorly-differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma with positive CK7 (cytoplasmic) and negative CK20, TTF-1, napsin-A, CDX2 and HSA. KRAS codon 12/13 analysis also showed a mutation GGT>AGT, similar to that of the lung mucinous adenocarcinoma. The immunohistochemical profile and the KRAS mutation sequence of the hepatic tumor suggests a metastasis from the lung primary and corroborates the earlier premise that the lung tumor is distinct from the rectal one. In conclusion, in the unusual circumstance of a lung mucinous adenocarcinoma in a patient with established gastrointestinal mucinous primary, KRAS mutation analysis sequencing could help distinguish whether the lung mucinous is a primary tumor or metastasis from colorectal origin.
To What Extent and Under Which Circumstances Are Growth Mind-Sets Important to Academic Achievement? Two Meta-Analyses:

Mind-sets (aka implicit theories) are beliefs about the nature of human attributes (e.g., intelligence). The theory holds that individuals with growth mind-sets (beliefs that attributes are malleable with effort) enjoy many positive outcomes-including higher academic achievement-while their peers who have fixed mind-sets experience negative outcomes. Given this relationship, interventions designed to increase students' growth mind-sets-thereby increasing their academic achievement-have been implemented in schools around the world. In our first meta-analysis ( k = 273, N = 365,915), we examined the strength of the relationship between mind-set and academic achievement and potential moderating factors. In our second meta-analysis ( k = 43, N = 57,155), we examined the effectiveness of mind-set interventions on academic achievement and potential moderating factors. Overall effects were weak for both meta-analyses. However, some results supported specific tenets of the theory, namely, that students with low socioeconomic status or who are academically at risk might benefit from mind-set interventions.
Opioid Misuse as a Predictor of Alcohol Treatment Outcomes in the COMBINE Study: Mediation by Medication Adherence.

Background Alcohol is often consumed with opioids and alcohol misuse interferes with treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Drug misuse is associated with worse alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment outcomes, yet no studies have investigated the role of opioid misuse in AUD treatment outcomes. Methods We conducted secondary analyses of the medication conditions of the COMBINE study (n = 1,226), a randomized clinical trial of medications (acamprosate and/or naltrexone) and behavioral interventions (medication management and/or behavioral intervention) for alcohol dependence. We examined associations between baseline opioid misuse and the use of cannabis and other drugs with time to first drinking day, time to first heavy drinking day, and the frequency and intensity of drinking during treatment and 1 year following treatment, based on latent profile analysis. Opioid misuse was defined as use of illicit or prescription opioids without a prescription or not as directed in the previous 6 months, in the absence of OUD. Self-reported cannabis and other drug use were also examined. Seventy individuals (5.7%) met the opioid misuse definition and 542 (44.2%) reported use of cannabis or other drugs without opioid misuse. We also examined medication adherence as a potential mediator. Results Baseline opioid misuse significantly predicted the time to first heavy drinking day (OR = 1.38 [95% CI: 1.13, 1.64], p = 0.001) and a higher probability of being in a heavier and more frequent drinking profile at the end of treatment (OR = 2.90 [95% CI: 1.43, 5.90], p = 0.003), and at 1 year following treatment (OR = 2.66 [95% CI: 1.26, 5.59], p = 0.01). Cannabis and other drug use also predicted outcomes. Medication adherence partially mediated the association between opioid misuse, cannabis use, other drug use, and treatment outcomes. Conclusions Opioid misuse and other drug use were associated with poorer AUD treatment outcomes, which was partially mediated by medication adherence. Clinicians and researchers should assess opioid misuse and other drug use in patients undergoing AUD treatment.
Psychological Problems that Present as Academic Difficulties

This article reviews psychiatric disorders in DSM-IV that might result in a child or adolescent being unavailable for learning. General issues in assessment and principles of comprehensive diagnosis are described. The flexible application of these principles is illustrated in relation to specific disorders: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety disorders, Tourette syndrome, and mood disorders.
Exploring medical cyberlearning for work at the human/technology frontier with the mixed-reality emotive virtual human system platform

This paper describes the Mixed-Reality Emotive Virtual Human System Platform — a machine for cyberlearning at the human/technology frontier. Our initial use case is for medical school students practicing patient interviewing in preparation for Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs). The work is deliberately focused on a futures environment where students can seamlessly enter a virtual learning experience and return to the face-to-face. For the context of our work, we define mixed reality as the ability to traverse real and synthetic learning experiences utilizing a variety of technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality in a dynamic, emergent environment. Much of the work is based on the Emotive Virtual-Reality Patient research sponsored by the Southwestern Medical Foundation and exploration of the US Ignite ultra-high speed network, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. We use the US Ignite network to facilitate the development of virtual humans and the overall platform. We also explore evolving learning theory that supports the development of this knowledge system which blends real and synthetic roles of professors, mentors, and standardized patients in an emergent artificial intelligence and machine learning driven environment. Future applications of the model are also discussed.
NMR Methods Involving Oxygen Isotopes in Biophosphates

Biophosphate is an important class of biomolecules. It includes inorganic orthophosphate (P i ), small phosphomonoesters and phosphodiesters (nucleotides, sugar phosphates, coenzymes, etc.), nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), phospholipids, and others. These biophosphates are involved in many important biological processes such as energy storage and utilization, membrane transport, and genetic control.
Dynamic Trust Management: Network Profiling for High Assurance Resilience

Trust Management (TM) systems are infrastructures that support efficient and secure access to resources in large decentralized systems. They provide a language for expressing authorizations and access control policies as well as a trust management engine that processes requests, to automatically address access requests. Traditionally, the enforcement of Trust Management decisions is static and involves the use of appropriate cryptographic mechanisms. However, recently two TM systems were proposed for which the enforcement is dynamic. Dynamic TM systems expand, (i) the expressibility of a system language to capture anomaly-triggered access control policies, and (ii) the enforcement capabilities via graduated response mechanisms such as Rollback Access control. These mechanisms are proactively triggered under the perceived potential of an attack: they selectively disrupt the TM-granted access to a resource temporarily, to mitigate the system threat. In this Chapter we discuss the use of real-time stochastic analyzers and graduated response security mechanisms to detect/prevent anomalies in TM systems, and propose an architecture for dynamic Trust Management that tolerates 0-day attacks and insider attacks.
Mining of Video Database

As a result of decreasing cost of storage devices, increasing network bandwidth capacities, and improved compression techniques, digital videos are more accessable than ever. To help users find and retrieve relevant video effectively and facilitate new and better ways of entertainment, advanced technologies need to be developed for indexing, filtering, searching, and mining the vast amount of videos available on webs.
Measuring the Flattening of the Outer F-corona Using STEREO-A/HI-1 Images

The white-light Fraunhofer-corona (F-corona) arises from light scattered by the circumsolar dust. Using weekly minimum background models of ST-A/HI-1 observations, we characterized the flattening of the F-corona between 5° and 24° elongation by measuring the radii of constant-intensity contours along, and at a 25° angle to, the photometric axis. The ratio of these quantities (the pseudo-flattening index ) is analogous to the definition of the flattening index (). Measurements of the pseudo-flattening in the north and south hemispheres reveal a periodic asymmetry in the appearance of the F-corona (attributable to changes in polar brightness due to the elevation of the spacecraft from the dust symmetry surface), as well as a north/south asymmetry possibly introduced by the warped dust symmetry surface. The north/south averaged pseudo-flattening was used to infer the flattening for each weekly model. We found that the inferred flattening index (1) varies periodically with spacecraft position, reaching a maximum in the range 262° λ 290° due to a brightening along the photometric axis when the spacecraft passes through the surface of maximum dust density, and a minimum at λ ≈ 200°, and (2) slightly varies as a function of time (at least partially due to the displacement of the circumsolar dust with respect to the Sun). Comparison of the flattening index with previous works suggests a cubic dependence of the flattening index with log elongation for .
Hub relay network design for daily driver routes

Hub-based relay networks for long haul trucking offer an opportunity to improve the work–life balance of drivers while simultaneously supporting faster delivery through near-continuous flow of cont...
Response to: 'Comment on: 'Anti-Ro52 autoantibodies are associated with interstitial lung disease and more severe disease in patients with juvenile myositis' by Sabbagh S et al' by Yang et al.

We are grateful for the interest in our work1 shown by Drs Yang and Liang. In their correspondence regarding this work,2 they raise concerns about (1) the association between anti-Ro52 autoantibodies and interstitial lung disease (ILD) in juvenile polymyositis (JPM) and juvenile connective tissue disease–myositis (JCTM), (2) the appropriateness of adjusting for duration of follow-up instead of length …
Preoperative Weight Loss for Morbidly Obese Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty: Determining the Necessary Amount

Background:Many surgeons require or request weight loss among morbidly obese patients (those with a body mass index [BMI] of ≥40 kg/m2) before undergoing total knee arthroplasty. We sought to determine how much weight reduction was necessary to improve operative time, length of stay, discharge to a
Wounded Warriors: Corrective Castings in Male Activism

This chapter extends the focus on the rescued by analyzing casting in performances of suffering by and about some Honduran men in the Association of Returned Migrants with Disabilities who embarked on a collective journey back through Mexico and the United States to demand meetings with the presidents of both countries, highlight violations of the rights of migrants, and press for an end to what they view as a forced migration. We contrast the casting of the men by Univision in a news series as feminized father-victims unable to properly provide for their families in accordance with traditional masculine norms, with the men’s own self-casting as wounded soldiers in a war against the poor waged by the governments of Honduras, Mexico, and the United States. Though it continues to trade in displays of pain, their performance breaks out of melodrama in certain respects, reappropriates the stigma of “mutilation,” and casts the men in a dignified collective masculine subjectivity that resists conformity with neoliberal ideals of individual striving in competitive isolation.
Increased hospital volume is associated with reduced mortality after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Objective Contemporary data on outcomes in open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair are limited to reports from major aortic referral centers showing excellent outcomes. This study aimed to characterize the national experience of open TAAA repair using national outcomes data, with a primary focus on the association of hospital volume with mortality and morbidity. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried from 1998 to 2011, and all patients with a diagnosis of TAAA who underwent open operative repair were included. These patients were further stratified into tertiles based on the operative volume of the institution that performed the operation: low volume (LV), Results Overall operative mortality was 21% for the entire cohort. Operative mortality was higher at LV (26%) and MV (21%) centers compared with HV centers (15%; P Conclusions Patients with TAAA in the United States operated on at HV centers have significantly lower mortality and morbidity compared with patients operated on at lower volume centers. Consideration of referral to HV centers may be warranted, but further research is required to justify this conclusion.
Bioinformatics-Driven Discovery of Novel Clostridioides difficile Lysins and Experimental Comparison with Highly Active Benchmarks.

Clostridioides difficile is the single most deadly bacterial pathogen in the United States, and its global prevalence and outsized health impacts underscore the need for more effective therapeutic options. Towards this goal, a novel group of modified peptidoglycan hydrolases with significant in vitro bactericidal activity have emerged as potential candidates for treating C. difficile infections (CDI). To date, discovery and development efforts directed at these CDI-specific lysins have been limited, and in particular there has been no systematic comparison of known or newly discovered lysin candidates. Here, we detail bioinformatics-driven discovery of six new anti-C. difficile lysins belonging to the amidase-3 family of enzymes, and we describe experimental comparison of their respective catalytic domains (CATs) with highly active CATs from the literature. Our quantitative analyses include metrics for expression level, inherent antibacterial activity, breadth of strain selectivity, killing of germinating spores, and structural and functional measures of thermal stability. Importantly, prior studies have not examined stability as a performance metric, and our results show that the panel of eight enzymes possess widely variable thermal denaturation temperatures and resistance to heat inactivation, including some enzymes that exhibit marginal stability at body temperature. Ultimately, no single enzyme dominated with respect to all performance measures, suggesting the need for a balanced assessment of lysin properties during efforts to find, engineer, and develop candidates with true clinical potential.
Myosins generate contractile force and maintain organization in the cytokinetic contractile ring

During cytokinesis, cells assemble an actomyosin contractile ring whose tension constricts and divides cells, but the ring tension was rarely measured. Actomyosin force generation is well understood for the regular sarcomeric architecture of striated muscle, but recent super-resolution studies of fission yeast contractile rings revealed organizational building blocks that are not sarcomeres but irregularly positioned plasma membrane-anchored protein complexes called nodes. Here, we measured contractile ring tensions in fission yeast protoplast cells. The myosin II isoforms Myo2 and Myp2 generated the tension, with a ~2-fold greater contribution from Myo2. Simulations of a molecularly detailed ring model revealed a sliding node mechanism for tension, where nodes hosting tense actin filaments were pulled bidirectionally around the ring. Myo2 and Myp2 chaperoned self-assembling components into the ring organization, and anchored the ring against bridging instabilities. Thus, beyond force production, Myo2 and Myp2 are the principal organizers, bundlers and anchors of the contractile ring.
La justicia restaurativa en la ejecución penitenciaria

The participation of the victim in the execution phase of the criminal process in our legal order is a novel fact that, beyond civil reparation, stems from the 2015 Statute of the victim, and introduces Restorative Justice within that procedural moment. This instrument may become an important alternative or complement to traditional Justice in order to achieve a better satisfaction of the interests of the victim. A Program dealing with inmates subject to conditional parole, convicts classified in third degree and sentenced to community services has been developed in the CIS «Maximo Carrera» of Valladolid since 2019, with the aim of drawing up an action protocol that may be extended to other prisons.
No Place Like Home: Organizing Home-Based Labor in the Era of Structural Adjustment

Introduction: The Invisible Threads of Homeworker Organizing 1. The Turbulent World of Home-based Work 2. `No Place Like Home': Marxist and Feminist Topographies of House and Homework 3. Homeworker Organizing: Child-care Workers Under Welfare Reform in the United States 4. Child-care Workers In and Against the State 5. The Biopolitics of Homework 6. Political Economy and the Unpredictable Politics of Women's Home-Based Work
Consolidation of Cu and Amorphous ZR-Based Powders by Severe Plastic Deformation

Consolidation of amorphous Zr-based and Cu nanoparticles is achieved by multipass equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE). Experimental results for four different materials are reported: wrought Cu, microcrystalline Cu, nanocrystalline Cu and Zr-based amorphous metal alloy. Results show that route 2B provides better consolidation characteristics than other routes. The consolidated microcrystalline Cu showed mechanical properties comparable to deformed wrought material while the nanocrystalline Cu demonstrated high tensile strengths, but only limited ductility. The Zr-based amorphous metal consolidate retains amorphous character after consolidation to near full density with one extrusion pass. The resulting mechanical properties are comparable to those of a similar cast Zr-based amorphous alloy. These results show that ECAE possesses interesting benefits and significant challenges for the effective consolidation of particulate into materials with high structural efficiency, and may be a viable method for fabrication of bulk nanostructured materials.
Font Comparisons for 5 × 7 Dot Matrix Characters:

Two newly designed fonts and the Lincoln/Mitre font are compared for legibility using tachistoscopic presentation and forced identification. All three fonts were constructed with a matrix of 5 × 7 dots and were presented with a computer-generated display. The results were analyzed parametrically in terms of total identification errors and by conventional confusion matrices. The analysis showed significantly fewer errors with the font utilizing the largest number of dots per symbol than with either of the other two fonts. The confusion matrices revealed that the most severe confusions occur for different characters in different fonts.
Probabilistic hurricane surge forecasting using parameterized surge response functions

[1] A method is proposed for rapidly determining probabilistic maximum hurricane surge forecasts based on surge response functions, available meteorological information, and joint probability statistics. In using this method for Hurricane Ike, surge forecasts prior to landfall were computed in a matter of seconds. From a theoretical standpoint, surge response functions are scaling laws derived from high-resolution numerical simulations. Surge response functions allow rapid algebraic surge calculation while guaranteeing accuracy and detail by incorporating high-resolution computational results into their formulation. The Hurricane Ike example presented here shows that this method has the potential to improve evacuation planning and public early warning of hurricane flooding by providing rapid and accurate probabilistic projections of maximum surge.
Partitioning boolean lattices into chains of subsets

We prove that the Boolean lattice of all subsets of an n-set can be partitioned into chains of size four if and only if n≥9.
Siderophore production and DNA hybridization groups of Aeromonas spp.

A correlation between the genospecies (DNA-DNA hybridization group) and the type of siderophore produced by 118 isolates of the genus Aeromonas was established. Organisms in hybridization groups 1 through 5 (including 5A, 5B, and 5AB) and group 12 predominantly produced the siderophore amonabactin, while an enterobactinlike siderophore was prevalent in groups 8/10 and 9. The siderophore produced by strains in group 6 may be an as-yet-unidentified nonphenolate, nonhydroxamate compound, and group 7 isolates synthesized no siderophores. Determination of the indigeneous siderophore (or the absence of one) produced by an isolate of the genus Aeromonas may assist in identification of the organism9s genetic species and may suggest the presence of certain virulence properties.
Development of high-pressure Xe ionization detectors for hard X-ray and low energy gamma-ray astronomy

A purification system, purity and density monitors, and the design of a high-pressure Xe cylindrical ionization chamber have been tested as apart of a development of high-pressure Xe detectors for X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy. Preliminary results from the high-pressure Xe cylindrical ionization chamber confirms advantages of such detectors for hard X-rays and low energy gamma-rays.
A Voltage Efficient PMOS Charge Pump Architecture

In this paper a charge pump circuit is presented: it is based on PMOS pass transistors with dynamic control of the gate and body voltages. By controlling the gate and the bulk of each PMOS pass transistor, the voltage loss due to the device threshold is removed and the charge is pumped from one stage to the other with negligible voltage drop. Furthermore, the overdrive voltage of the pass transistors grows progressively from the first to the last stage. Hence, a larger output voltage can be achieved compared to conventional charge pumps, still retaining a simple two-phase clocking scheme, along with the Dickson basic architecture. The prototype was fabricated using the STMicroelectronics T10 90nm CMOS process. Measurements results are also presented confirming the validity of the design.
Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase from Human Erythrocytes: II. KINETIC ANALYSIS AND SUBSTRATE-BINDING STUDIES

Abstract Purified purine nucleoside phosphorylase (purine riboside: orthophosphate ribosyltransferase, EC 2.4.2.1) from human erythrocytes has been subjected to a kinetic analysis, including initial velocity and product inhibition studies. No evidence was seen for a "ping-pong," or shuttle, mechanism, which indicates that a ribosylated or phosphorylated enzyme is not an obligatory intermediate in the reaction mechanism. The results of the kinetic analysis are consistent with the predominant mechanism being an "ordered Bi-Bi reaction," with the nucleoside the first substrate to add to, and the purine base the last product to leave, the enzyme surface. The binding of isotopically labeled substrates to the enzyme has been examined. No evidence was obtained to indicate the formation of a ribosylated enzyme or the formation of a tight complex of orthophosphate or of ribose 1-phosphate with the enzyme.
Imperial Outpost in the Gulf: The Airfield at Sharjah (UAE), 1932–1952

Airports are now considered gateways to cities, even though they emerged as airfields on the outskirts of urban areas. Historians of aviation argue for the primacy of commercial air travel to the s...
Local-to-global topological methods in data analysis and applications to fMRI of human brain

Pattern recognition and feature extraction tasks in massive and noisy data sets are often plagued by a formidable amount of necessary computations. A common remedy is the application of techniques such as PCA to reduce the dimensionality of data and therefore the amount of computation. While PCA is a useful and popular method, its strict linearity drastically limits its domain of applicability. A number of approaches such as nonlinear formulations of PCA as well as alternatives such as independent component analysis has been proposed. We propose non-linear methods that generalize the PCA and ICA, and lead to the same answer for the cases in which the nonlinearity in the data set is negligible. The main contribution of our research is to develop the nonlinear algorithms based on the geometric ideas in the theory of Riemannian Foliations in differential topology.
Structure-based design, synthesis, and study of pyrazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazine derivatives as potent inhibitors of protein kinase CK2.

The structure-based design, synthesis, and anticancer activity of novel inhibitors of protein kinase CK2 are described. Using pyrazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazine as the core scaffold, a structure-guided series of modifications provided pM inhibitors with μM-level cytotoxic activity in cell-based assays with prostate and colon cancer cell lines.
The Impact of Family Preservation Services on Child and Family Well-Being

Using a logic model as a conceptual framework, a family preservation program is described and evaluated. The current study explores the relationship between family characteristics, services provided, and three outcomes: successful case closure, child well-being, and family well-being. The methodology included an associational design, an availability sample, and hierarchical logistic and multiple regression. It was found that services have minimal effects on outcomes and, at times, families appear to get worse, depending on their family circumstances. This study sought to contribute to the family preservation knowledge base by examining the effect of both client and process level data on multiple child and family outcomes.
Selection of temperature-sensitive CHL asparagyl-tRNA synthetase mutants using the toxic lysine analog, S-2-aminoethyl-L-cysteine

We developed a procedure, using the toxic lysine analog S-2-aminoethyl-L-cysteine (thialysine) as the selective agent, to obtain mutant Chinese hamster lung (CHL) fibroblasts with temperature-sensitive defects affecting protein synthesis. The procedure is efficient, rapid, and simple. Using this selective system, we isolated six temperature-sensitive mutants that fail to grow (plating efficiencies less than 10-5) and synthesize protein at 39 degrees C. The temperature-sensitive phenotype of five of the six mutants is suppressed in vivo by exogenous asparagine. In the mutant studied in the greatest detail, asparagyl-tRNA synthetase activity is extremely thermolabile in vitro. Asparagine-suppressible, temperature-sensitive mutants are induced at a high frequency by the mutagen ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS), and they can be efficiently recovered using the proper selective conditions. Our results suggest that CHL cells have only one functional copy of the gene encoding for asparagyl-tRNA synthetase.
Mode of estrogen action on cell proliferation in CAMA‐1 cells: II. Sensitivity of G1 phase population

The mammary cancer cell line CAMA-1 synchronized at the G1/S boundary by thymidine block or at the G1/M boundary by nocodazole was used to evaluate 1) the sensitivity of a specific cell cycle phase or phases to 17 beta-estradiol (E2), 2) the effect of E2 on cell cycle kinetics, and 3) the resultant E2 effect on cell proliferation. In synchronized G1/S cells, E2-induced 3H-thymidine uptake, which indicated a newly formed S population, was observed only when E2 was added during, but not after, thymidine synchronization. Synchronized G2/M cells, enriched by Percoll gradient centrifugation to approximately 90% mitotic cells, responded to E2 added immediately following selection; the total E2-treated population traversed the cycle faster and reached S phase approximately 4 hr earlier than cells not exposed to E2. When E2 was added during the last hour of synchronization (ie, at late G2 or G2/M), or for 1 hr during mitotic cell enrichment, a mixed response occurred: a small portion had an accelerated G1 exit, while the majority of cells behaved the same as controls not incubated with E2. When E2 addition was delayed until 2 hr, 7 hr, or 12 hr following cell selection, to allow many early G1 phase cells to miss E2 exposure, the response to E2 was again mixed. When E2 was added during the 16 hr of nocodazole synchronization, when cells were largely at S or possibly at early G2, it inhibited entry into S phase. The E2-induced increase or decrease of S phase cells in the nocodazole experiments also showed corresponding changes in mitotic index and cell number. These results showed that the early G1 phase and possibly the G2/M phase are sensitive to E2 stimulation, late G1, G1/S, or G2 are refractory; the E2 stimualtion of cell proliferation is due primarily to an increased proportion of G1 cells that traverse the cell cycle and a shortened G1 period, E2 does not facilitate faster cell division; and estrogen-induced cell proliferation or G1/S transition occurs only when very early G1 phase cells are exposed to estrogen. These results are consistent with the constant transition probability hypothesis, that is, E2 alters the probability of cells entering into DNA synthesis without significantly affecting the duration of other cell cycle phases. Results from this study provide new information for further studies aimed at elucidating E2-modulated G1 events related to tumor growth.
A Study of Pairing Behavior of Three Paracentric Inversions in Mouse Pachytene Oocytes

A light and electron microscopy examination of the pairing behavior of the mouse oocytes carrying paracentric inversions In (X) 1H, In (1) Rk, and In (5) 2Rk revealed loop formation, synaptic adjustment and significant asynapsis of the inversion segments.
052 Redox Control of Dermal Wound Healing

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generally thought to be deleterious to biologic systems. The phagocyte NADPH oxidase provides a classical example of deliberate ROS generation. High amounts of ROS are generated in transient bursts to kill pathogens. The recent discovery of another family of NADPH oxidases, the Nox/Duox family, provides additional examples of deliberate generation of ROS by non-phagocytic cells present at the wound site. Our working hypothesis is that ROS generated by wound-related cells (low-ROS by Nox; and residual ROS in the aftermath of phagocyte respiratory burst) support early-phase acute wound healing by inducing redox-sensitive signal transduction pathways especially those related to wound angiogenesis. We have observed that ROS-sensitive redox signaling pathways drive wound angiogenesis. Genetic as well as pharmacological approaches to deliver low concentrations of ROS promote dermal wound angiogenesis, contraction and closure. While at such low levels ROS do not serve as a potent disinfectant, they may act as modulators of cellular response facilitating the healing process. Strategies to decompose ROS at the wound site impaired healing. Congenital defect in human NADPH oxidase results in impaired wound healing as well as increased susceptibility to infection. We have observed that NADPH oxidase deficient transgenic mice suffer from impaired healing even under super sterile conditions; the impairment is corrected by low-dose ROS delivery. Dermal wound healing is subject to tight redox control. The state of wound tissue oxygenation is a key factor that enables such control.
Mechanical response of elastomers not too far from equilibrium

Abstract For any polymer, the mechanical response can be conveniently represented in terms of the three variables stress, σ, strain, ϵ, and time, t. It is shown that under fairly general conditions, crosslinked elastomers which display weak or moderate viscoelastic character, i.e., are not too far from equilibrium conditions, will yield mechanical response curves including the rupture response that can be superposed onto master curves provided the plotting variables are properly chosen. It is shown that these variables should be: (1) the reduced stress, σT 0 v e T , where T0 and T are an arbitrarily chosen reference temperature and the test temperature respectively, and ve is the network chain concentration or some other quantity proportional to it; (2) the strain; and (3) the reduced time, t a T a x , where aT is the time-temperature shift factor and ax is a shift factor which accounts for the effect of ve on the time scale.
Gene flow and variation in stature and craniofacial dimensions among indigenous populations of Southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras

Populations with histories of outbreeding tend to be taller even in the face of seemingly unchanged health and nutritional circumstances, while inbreeding generally results in a negative correlation between body dimensions and level of inbreeding. Populations that have experienced a positive secular trend in stature and maturation typically have histories of higher outbreeding rates in combination with improved nutritional, health, and economic conditions, suggesting a genetic-environment interaction. In general, Middle American Indians have not experienced a secular trend in stature, nor a substantial increase in their standard of living, but they have experienced varying degrees of admixture with Spanish and African populations since the Spanish Conquest. The relationship between estimated gene flow and variation in several anthropometric dimensions is thus considered in indigenous Mesoamerican populations. Available data on height, sitting height, craniofacial dimensions, and admixture rate of Indian populations from southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras were assembled from the literature. The population mean data on 3,371 adults from 23 populations for males and 18 for females were analyzed by regression with anthropometry as the dependent variable, and log10 of admixture as the independent variable. Admixture was less than or equal to 28.9% in this study and is suggestive of a primarily traditional Indian cultural and economic base. The results suggest that populations with higher admixture tend to be taller, and that the increase in stature is due to greater subischial length in both sexes. A decrease in nasion-menton height, and an increase in nasal breadth, nasal height, and the nasal index is suggested for the dimensions of the craniofacial complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
On the distinction between density and crowding: some implications for future research.

Author(s): Stokols, D | Abstract: Identifies a distinction between the physical condition, density, defined purely in terms of spatial parameters, and the experience of crowding, a motivational state aroused through the interaction of spatial, social, and personal factors, and directed toward the alleviation of perceived spatial restriction. Future studies pertaining to augmentation of space, subjective reports of restriction, observational indexes of tension, and physiological indicators of strain are suggested. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1972 American Psychological Association.
An Ethical Discussion Analysis Model for STS

Many science teachers, especially those engaging in the science-technology-society approach, are finding it difficult to deal with issues having a strong ethical component. It would be useful to forecast the variety of positions that may be held by students when dealing with these issues. The Ethics Decision and Analysis Model provides a mechanism for this purpose. Building on the work of Kohlburg, the model identifies four decision-making orientations: a) normative order, b) utility consequences, c) justice/fairness, and d) ideal-self. Issues are analyzed using both the proponent and opponent outlooks in each of the four orientations above within each of the three component areas of science-technology-society. Using this model to analyze issues that are to be presented, and allowing for each, the science teacher is more likely to ensure that students are not left out of discussions or role plays due to their ethical decision-making framework.
Prologue: agricultural occupational and environmental health: policy strategies for the future

The conference "Agricultural Occupational and Environmental Health: Policy Strategies for the Future" documented for the public record the epidemic of occupational and environmental deaths, diseases, and injuries experienced by America's farm families and agricultural workers. The conference also gave life to a process aimed at reducing those hazards. The outcome of long-range objectives of lowering death, injury, and disease rates in our agricultural population will not be known for several years. However, there was unanimous consensus that the major short-range objectives were achieved. Extensive regional and national media coverage helped meet the goal of facilitating public awareness of the issues. In addition, a prioritized policy agenda, soundly based on recent scientific information, was produced. This agenda was the product of collaboration between the scientific community, farm constituency groups, farm equipment and chemical manufacturers, and representatives from state and federal governments. Primary changes resulting from the conference include an increase in general awareness and a sense of urgency that agricultural health problems must be addressed. In addition, the conference spawned a new organization called the National Coalition for Agricultural Safety and Health (N-CASH) to help assure a vibrant continuation of conference issues. This coalition will live on to help disseminate the spirit, information, and specific policy recommendations of the conference to the public sector and private institutions. Two years of planning and work by 18 individuals occurred even before the start of the conference. During the conference, 176 individuals put in an equivalent of three and a half person years of work. However, the work is just beginning. This effort is justified if it results in one less death or serious injury in a farm family. Language: en
PCNA-binding to DNA at the G1/S transition in proliferating cells of the developing cerebral wall.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen is a nuclear protein essential to DNA synthesis in eukaryotic cells. It is known to form part of a multi-protein complex which binds to DNA from the outset of S-phase of the cell cycle. We define in this analysis the interval of proliferating cell nuclear antigen binding to DNA (strictly speaking, the interval through which proliferating cell nuclear antigen is stained immunohistochemically after ethanol fixation) with respect to the stages of the cell cycle in the intact mammalian brain. The epithelium of the developing cerebral wall is favourable for such an analysis because nuclei at the same stage of the cell division cycle are spatially aligned with each other at the same depth of the epithelium. Therefore spatial location of a nucleus within the epithelium is a reliable indicator of the stage of the cell cycle for that nucleus. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen-DNA binding in this epithelium is initiated in the final 5% (26 min) of G1-phase and continues through the initial 35% (1.3 h) of S-phase. This phasic pattern of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-DNA binding, as revealed for the first time in the intact cerebral wall, approximates closely the phasic pattern as it has been characterized until now onlyin vitro in vertebrate cell lines. This analysis illustrates the potential of the cerebral proliferative epithelium for study of the molecular events of the cell cycle underin vivo conditions of histogenetic regulation.
Preparation, optical, and laser properties of Nd-doped sol-gel silica

A novel sol-gel process has been used to prepare homogeneous, fully dense, cylindrical samples of neodymium-doped silica and neodymium-aluminum-doped silica. The absorption and emission spectra, fluorescent lifetimes and quantum yields of all samples were measured. The quantum yields of Nd 2 O 3 -SiO 2 samples were very low due to clustering of the Nd in the silica matrix. The incorporation of alumina eliminated the clustering and quantum yields up to 55% were obtained. We showed that these quantum yields of less than unity were caused by residual OH quenching of the Nd fluorescence. The fluorescent properties were unchanged when the OH was replaced with OD. One sample was demonstrated to laser under laser pumping.
Improving H.263+ scalability performance for very low bit-rate applications

In this paper, we discuss the coding efficiency of the SNR enhancement layer scalability as supported by H.263+. We show that for the typical Internet connections, sub-56 Kbps channels, a significant amount of overhead is imposed by the H.263+ layered approach. This overhead precludes the efficient use of H.263+ SNR and spatial scalability in very low data rates. We provide a detailed analysis of the overhead in layered bitstreams and propose coding modifications that significantly reduce the overhead.
A 25-Year Epidemiologic Study of Medical Malpractice Claims in Radiation Oncology

Conclusions: The number of thermal neutrons measured at the upper left thorax varied by less than an order of magnitude for the three different treatment sites. These results suggest that the risks of cardiac device memory resets does not vary substantially by treatment site and that proton centers should apply uniform strategies to manage the neutron risks for cardiac device patients treatment with PSPT. Author Disclosure: K. Delaney: A. Employee; University of Pennsylvania. S. Avery: A. Employee; University of Pennsylvania. J. Christodouleas: A. Employee; University of Pennsylvania.
Amino acid residues Tyr-67, Asn-72, and Asp-73 of the TVB receptor are important for subgroup E avian sarcoma and leukosis virus interaction

The chicken TVB(S1) protein serves as the cellular receptor for the cytopathic subgroups B and D avian sarcoma and leukosis viruses (ASLVs) as well as for the non-cytopathic subgroup E ASLV. Previous studies had mapped the subgroup B viral interaction determinants to a region that was located between residues 32 and 46 of TVB(S1) [J. Virol. 76 (2002) 5404]. To gain a greater insight into ASLV Env-receptor interactions and the possible role of these interactions in viral cytopathic effects, we employed a homolog-scanning mutagenesis approach to identify amino acid residues important for subgroup E viral receptor function by exchanging amino acid residues between TVB(S1) and its human homolog, DR5. These studies identified residues Tyr-67, Asn-72, and Asp-73 of TVB(S1) as important subgroup E viral interaction determinants. Intriguingly, these three residues are conserved between TVB(S1) and DR5, demonstrating that the human protein contains critical subgroup E viral interaction determinants, but in this context, they cannot support viral entry. These data confirm that the molecular determinants of the TVB receptor required for subgroup E viral entry are completely distinct from those used by subgroup B viruses.