cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coordinated Voltage Control in Distribution Systems with Distributed Generations

This paper presents a centralized coordinated voltage control algorithm for distribution systems with distributed generations (DGs). The control algorithm coordinates the use of available distributed generation (DG) with the traditional voltage regulation devices, taking into consideration the reactive power limits of the DG inverters to maintain the system voltage within predefined limits. With the help of the developed algorithm the reactive power generation capacity of the DG inverters can be used to cope with the dynamic generation of the DGs without increasing the operations of the traditional voltage regulation devices available.
Accounting for the Placebo Effect and Optimizing Outcomes in Clinical Trials of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

Understand the placebo effect and optimize the design of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) clinical trials. The placebo effect on histologic outcomes and liver fat on MRI-based imaging has been assessed in a systematic review and meta-analysis, and three phase 3 studies have been reported. The placebo effect on improvement in the main histologic outcome was present in ~ 25% of the patients. The placebo effect on components of the NAFLD activity index in trials using the magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction and magnetic resonance spectroscopy as outcomes also was reported. In this review, we discuss factors that led to placebo effects in the reported studies and suggest measures to ameliorate the effects in future NASH trials. The significant placebo response in NASH clinical trials is evidence that investigators should consider this effect in estimating sample size and designing future clinical trials.
Instructor misbehavior and student outcomes: Replication and extension in the online classroom

As online courses gain popularity in higher education, researchers need to examine how problematic communication behaviors like instructor misbehaviors impact instructional learning goals (i.e., af...
Exploring motivations and barriers for long-distance trips of adult women Vermonters

Abstract Available data on long-distance travel, both quantitative and qualitative, are limited, including measures of relative accessibility to intercity destinations and its role in overall well-being. Moreover, existing travel data only include realized travel, not unmet need. Twenty-four original semi-structured interviews were conducted with women aged 25 years or older in Vermont USA to better understand the motivations and barriers of long-distance travel that cannot be fully explored in quantitative surveys. The relationship between travel, well-being, and social networks is also considered. Those interviewed indicated long-distance travel played a significant role in their lives by facilitating visits to friends and family, leisure, breaks from routine, and fulfilling personal obligations. As expected, long-distance travel was limited by cost as well as both household and work obligations. Physical limitations were noted as a barrier but the number of people raising fears about travel, being away from home, and travel logistics was unexpected. The interviews also revealed intercity travel as a symbol of social status which in turn created negative impacts for some. Latent demand for long-distance travel was common and larger than expected among the interviewees. Finally, results pointed to overlap between work and personal travel as well as a sense of obligation. While long-distance travel is often considered discretionary, this study suggests intercity non-discretionary personal trips as well as unmet demand merit future attention in both surveys and qualitative research.
A Small Molecule, UAB126, Reverses Diet-Induced Obesity and its Associated Metabolic Disorders.

Targeting rexinoid X receptor (RXR) has been proposed as one of the therapeutic strategies to treat individuals with metabolic syndrome, because RXR heterodimerizes with multiple nuclear receptors that regulate genes involved in metabolism. Despite numerous efforts, RXR ligands (rexinoids) have not been approved for clinical trials to treat metabolic syndrome due to the serious side effects such as hypertriglyceridemia and altered thyroid hormone axis. Herein, we demonstrate a novel rexinoid-like small molecule, UAB126, which has positive effects on metabolic syndrome without the known side effects of potent rexinoids. Oral administration of UAB126 ameliorated obesity, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and hyperlipidemia without changes in food intake, physical activity, and thyroid hormone levels. RNA-seq analysis revealed that UAB126 regulates the expression of genes in the liver that are modulated by several nuclear receptors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and/or liver X receptor (LXR) in conjunction with retinoid X receptor (RXR). Furthermore, UAB126 not only prevented but also reversed obesity-associated metabolic disorders. The results suggest that optimized modulation of RXR may be a promising strategy to treat metabolic disorders without side effects. Thus, the present study reveals that UAB126 offers as an attractive therapy to treat individuals with obesity and its co-morbidities.
Uncertainty risks and strategic reaction of restaurant firms amid COVID-19: Evidence from China

To contain the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19), social distancing, self-isolation and travel restrictions have been imposed globally. To shed light on how COVID-19 is affecting restaurant industry, this study aims to explore the factors that affect restaurant firms' financial turnaround for their sustainability after the business shutdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. By utilizing a total of 86,507 small- and medium-sized restaurant firms' sales data collected from nine cities in Mainland China, the exploratory approach of this study successfully determines positive impacts of three aspects of operational characteristics (i.e., delivery, discounts, and service type) and brand effects as uncertainty minimizing factors amid distinctive business shutdowns and restrictions. This is the first empirical study in the management realm on the impacts of COVID-19 on restaurant industry. This paper strengthens the extant literature by highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry after the business restrictions are lifted.
ScalaPy: seamless Python interoperability for cross-platform Scala programs

In recent years, Python has become the language of choice for data scientists with its many high-quality scientific libraries and Scala has become the go-to language for big data systems. In this paper, we bridge these languages with ScalaPy, a system for interoperability between Scala and Python. With ScalaPy, developers can use Python libraries in Scala by treating Python values as Scala objects and exposing Scala values to Python. ScalaPy supports both Scala on the JVM and Scala Native, enabling its usage from data experiments in interactive notebook environments to performance-critical production systems. In this paper, we explore the challenges involved with mixing the semantics and implementations of these two disparate languages.
New Evidences which Support Existence of the Forced Heat Exchange Phenomenon

In the paper the forced heat exchange phenomenon is validated based on experimental data shown by different authors in different countries and published in respected scientific journals. Software IQLab and regular thermal condition theory were used for solving inverse problems. The data of silver and copper spherical probes quenching in electrolytes were used. As in previous publication, it was established in the paper that heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) increase versus time during quenching of silver and copper probes in electrolytes. As noted early, all of this contradicts the theory of transient nucleate boiling processes. The problem is solved by periodical replacement of film boiling by shock boiling with the high frequency that takes place during quenching. The new idea can be used in practice for designing new and original quenching technology to save materials, increase service life of machine components and also provide an environmentally friendly solution. The importance of new technologies is widely discussed in the paper.
The paradox of increasing initial oil production but faster decline rates in fracking the Bakken Shale: Implications for long term productivity of tight oil plays

Abstract In the US, tight oil is the largest source of liquid hydrocarbons and has enabled the country to become the world's largest oil producer. The estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) and rate of production decline are key metrics in the evaluation of the future productivity of tight oil wells. We chose the Bakken Shale because of its high quality, publicly available data. Traditionally, well operators have estimated the EUR for each well from the initial production (IP), using empirical type curves to extrapolate to the ultimate production. From 2015 to 2018 the IP of the average Bakken well increased by approximately 50%. This increase resulted in claims by operators and in the academic literature that more intense hydraulic fracturing was increasing the average EUR of the Bakken play. At the same time, other observers claimed the wells declined much more rapidly than previous wells. This faster decline provided evidence for lower ultimate production from newer wells. The aim of this study was to understand the origin of these seemingly conflicting observations. A physics-based, scaling model was used to predict production from horizontal multi-stage fractured wells. The model for oil recovery is based on pressure diffusion through fractured porous media. The model assumes that the rock is incompressible, the permeability and oil saturation are constant, the water is incompressible, and the viscosity is slowly varying with space. The scaling model was applied to 13,444 wells. The EUR and terminal decline rate (TDR) were estimated from fitting production to our scaling model. Our study found that implementation of more intensive hydraulic fracturing resulted in higher IP and steeper terminal-production declines. Recently published results estimating the total production from the Bakken that include increased lifetime production commensurate with observed increases in average IP, significantly overestimate the long-term production potential of tight oil, both in the US and globally.
Subrogation and its consequences for tort litigation

Abstract In the U.S. tort recoveries of personal injury victims are now fully subject to subrogation claims by public and private health insurers who have previously covered the victim's health care expenses. We use an extensive-form game to model decisions that must be made by insurers when their insured party has been injured and sues for damages. If the insurer decides to join the lawsuit, it must decide how much, if anything, it will contribute to the legal expenses of the plaintiff. We find that that with perfect information and risk-neutral parties there is no loss of tort liability and deterrence: the parties’ actions under a subrogation regime will be identical to what they would have been without subrogation. These results are somewhat counterintuitive, and in some instances may have been contradicted by the actual decisions of insurers, but are quite consistent with one remarkable development: many health insurers now take the initiative to contact the plaintiff's lawyer to inform her that they will make a payment for her services.
Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage and Public Schools: Implications, Challenges, and Opportunities

One delimitation of this article is that it focuses specifically on the implications of same sex marriage – defined for the purposes of this article as the recognition of a relationship as having the legal status of marriage by a government official with authority to grant marital status – on schools. As such, the article will not address the impact of all same sex romantic relationships on U.S. public schools, as such discussion is beyond the scope of this inquiry. Same sex couples live all over our country and raise children in every state of the union. This article examines simply whether or to what extent the recognition of those couples in marriage has any impact on public schools.
Limiting Information in the Information Age: The NLRB's Misguided Attempt to Squelch Employer Speech

The central promise of the National Labor Relations Act is freedom of choice to American workers to decide whether they wish to be represented by a labor union. At the same time, studies show that employees’ choices are not always the product of uncoerced freewill. Many attribute employer coercion as hampering employee choice. That choice had traditionally been made through a secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. That election has generally been held approximately six to eight weeks after the petition for an election and after the union and the employer have “campaigned” for employee support. To correct employer coercion problems, the NLRB has altered its representation process to drastically shorten the period from petition to election. That shortened window significantly reduces the time in which an employer can communicate with his or her employees about the choice they are about to make in the soon-to-come election. The article criticizes attempts to shorten the campaign and cut out the employer’s role in the process as contrary to Congressional intent, to the First Amendment, and to the information gathering purpose of the campaign. Those criticisms are based on an examination of the legislative history of the Taft-Hartley Act’s inclusion of “the employer free speech provision” in Section 8(c), the court’s longstanding treatment of employer and union campaign speech as protected by the First Amendment, and studies of political campaigns that show that the information gathered by voters during a campaign is meaningful and helpful to the electorate and that the gathering of information is related to the length of the campaign. The article concludes that (1) the shortened campaign seeks to prevent unlawful coercion by improperly and unwisely limiting this protected and valuable information and (2) offers other means to combat unlawful coercion that respect the employer’s right and the employees’ need for information from both the employer and the union.
Chapter 18 The “other” transformation required for visual–auditory integration: representational format

Abstract Multisensory integration of spatial signals requires not only that stimulus locations be encoded in the same spatial reference frame, but also that stimulus locations be encoded in the same representational format. Previous studies have addressed the issue of spatial reference frame, but representational format, particularly for sound location, has been relatively overlooked. We discuss here our recent findings that sound location in the primate inferior colliculus is encoded using a “rate” code, a format that differs from the place code used for representing visual stimulus locations. Possible mechanisms for transforming signals from rate-to-place or place-to-rate coding formats are considered.
The Effect of a Social Work Intervention to Enhance Advance Care Planning Documentation in the Nursing Home

OBJECTIVESTo assess the effect of a multicomponent advance care planning intervention directed at nursing home social workers on identification and documentation of preferences for medical treatments and on patient outcomes.DESIGNControlled clinical trial.SETTINGNew York City nursing home.PARTICIPAN
The Effect of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the Heavy-Chain Monoclonal-Antibody Production from Plant Suspension-Cultures

A heavy chain monoclonal antibody (HC MAb) was produced by the suspension cultures of genetically modified tobacco cells. Though the HC MAb was secreted to the culture medium by the cells, it was unstable in plant cell media. The addition (0.75 g/L) of polyvinylpyrrolidone (MW 360,000) to the medium stabilized the extracellular HC MAb and increased its production 35 fold to 350 μg/l.
White Dwarfs from the Hamburg Quasar Survey

Results of a search for white dwarfs conducted by automated classification of objective prism spectra from the Hamburg Quasar survey are presented. The automatically selected sample, consisting of 3000 DA in a temperature range of 9000–30000 K, has been further investigated by visual inspection of the spectra, statistical analysis and follow-up observations within the SPY survey and searches for ZZ Ceti variables. The classification program is able to achieve about 75% completeness in the selection of cool DA with a contamination rate of less than 30%.
Anti-Immunoglobulin G Hemagglutination-Inhibition Test for Influenza

The sensitivity of the hemagglutination-inhibition test for influenza was significantly increased by the addition of species-specific anti-immunoglobulin G serum.
Characterization and modeling of multiphase flow in structured microreactors: a post microreactor case study

We study microreactors with internal fields of posts as typical examples of structured microreactors to elucidate flow fields and their implications for mass transfer. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) visualization combined with image analysis is used to systematically quantify key features such as interfacial area, phase holdup and the characteristics of the post-wetting layer. The subsequent mass transport analysis yields insight into how the posts contribute to the overall enhanced mass transfer performance compared to open channels, and provides predictions of mass transfer performance under varying operating conditions. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations of multiphase flow using the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method are in good agreement with experimentally observed multiphase flows.
miR-29c induction contributes to downregulation of vascular extracellular matrix proteins by glucocorticoids.

Maternal undernutrition increases maternal glucocorticoids (GCs) and alters microRNA expression in offspring. Given that the mechanisms of GC action on vascular development are not clear, this study examined the influence of GCs on microRNA 29c (miR-29c) and its predicted targets in primary rat aorta smooth muscle cells (RAOSMCs). Dexamethasone (Dex) and corticosterone (Cor) time-dependently increased miR-29c expression and reduced collagen type III (Col3A1), collagen type IV (Col4A5), elastin (ELN), and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) protein in RAOSMCs. These effects were blocked by mifepristone. These genes were also targeted by miR-29c, as confirmed by a significant decrease in luciferase reporter activity of Col3A1 (34%), Col4A5 (45%), ELN (17%), and MMP2 (28%). In cells transfected with reporter plasmids, including the 3′-untranslated region of genes targeted by miR-29c, treatment with Dex or Cor also resulted in decreases in luciferase activity. Gain or loss of function of miR-29c significantly altered mRNA expression of Col3A1 (26% and 26%, respectively), Col4A5 (28% and 32%, respectively), and MMP2 (24% and 14%, respectively) but did not affect ELN. Gain or loss of function of miR-29c also significantly altered protein levels of Col3A1 (51% and 16%, respectively), Col4A5 (56% and 22%, respectively), ELN (53% and 71%, respectively), and MMP2 (28% and 53%, respectively). Coincubation of anti-miR-29c with Dex or Cor partially attenuated the effects of these steroids on protein expression of Col3A1 (25% and 24%, respectively), Col4A5 (26% and 44%, respectively), ELN (31% and 55%, respectively), and MMP2 (46% and 26%, respectively) in RAOSMCs compared with anti-miR negative controls. Our results demonstrate that GCs regulate the expression of Col3A1, Col4A5, ELN, and MMP2, at least in part, through induction of miR-29c.
Phylogenetic inference to the best explanation and the bad lot argument

I respond to the bad lot argument in the context of biological systematics. The response relies on the historical nature of biological systematics and on the availability of pattern explanations. The basic assumption of common descent enables systematic methodology to naturally generate candidate explanatory hypotheses. However, systematists face a related challenge in the issue of character analysis. Character analysis is the central problem for contemporary systematics, yet the general problem of which it is a case—what counts as evidence?—has not been adequately discussed by proponents of inference to the best explanation. Facing this problem is the price of adopting abductive methods. I sketch an account of how systematists approach the problem of evidence.
Personality and Psychopathology: A Stagnant Field in Need of Development.

A dominant paradigm in psychopathology research proposes that individual differences in personality are centrally involved in the origins and manifestations of psychopathology, and structural model...
A clinical trial studying neuroprotection in low-pressure glaucoma

The Low-Pressure Glaucoma Treatment Study is a double-masked, randomized trial comparing the visual outcomes of 190 low-pressure glaucoma patients randomized to intraocular pressure reduction with brimonidine tartrate or timolol maleate. Baseline characteristics of participants are compared to published studies.
The Relationship Between Internal and External Structure in Gulf Coast Salt Domes: ABSTRACT

Internally, salt stocks consist of isoclinal, attenuated, vertically-plunging, complex folds and resemble a handkerchief drawn vertically through a small ring. They appear to have developed by intermittent and shifting movements which may have been controlled largely by strain hardening of halite crystals and varying rates of sedimentation. These movements must have strongly affected external structures and oil migration. External structures, like grabens and faults, may be related to internal structures like zones of shearing and differential movement (faulting?). Close cooperation among petroleum geologists, geophysicists, and salt-fabric geologists is needed if we are to decipher the origin of salt massifs, salt spines, overhangs, and intermittent salt movements. End_of_Article - Last_Page 347------------
A systematic review of the utility of self-report alcohol screening instruments in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Effective screening instruments are needed for the detection of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in the elderly, in view of the significant physical, psychological and social problems associated with this phenomenon. METHODS: This paper provides details on the different self-report alcohol screening instruments that have been studied in the elderly, describing both the instruments themselves and their effectiveness as screening instruments for AUDs in different elderly populations. RESULTS: The vast majority of studies reviewed were carried out in the US, and a high proportion of these were carried out in Veterans Administrations institutions, thus limiting the generalizability of results. The CAGE was the most widely studied screening instrument, followed by the MAST or variations of the MAST, the AUDIT and variations of the AUDIT, and other screening instruments. Sensitivity and specificity of these instruments varied widely, depending on the prevalence of AUDs in the population being studied, the clinical characteristics of the population and the type of AUD being detected. The CAGE performed poorly in psychiatric populations but a newer instrument, the AUDIT-5, has had promising results to date. No studies focussed on elderly people with cognitive impairment, and there is a need for research in this area. CONCLUSION: Ease of use, patient acceptability, sensitivity and specificity must all be considered when selecting a self-report alcohol screening instrument for use in the elderly. Furthermore, the prevalence of AUDs in the population and the clinical characteristics of that population must also be taken into account.
An integrated efficient solution for computing frequent and top-k elements in data streams

We propose an approximate integrated approach for solving both problems of finding the most popular k elements, and finding frequent elements in a data stream coming from a large domain. Our solution is space efficient and reports both frequent and top-k elements with tight guarantees on errors. For general data distributions, our top-k algorithm returns k elements that have roughly the highest frequencies; and it uses limited space for calculating frequent elements. For realistic Zipfian data, the space requirement of the proposed algorithm for solving the exact frequent elements problem decreases dramatically with the parameter of the distribution; and for top-k queries, the analysis ensures that only the top-k elements, in the correct order, are reported. The experiments, using real and synthetic data sets, show space reductions with hardly any loss in accuracy. Having proved the effectiveness of the proposed approach through both analysis and experiments, we extend it to be able to answer continuous queries about frequent and top-k elements. Although the problems of incremental reporting of frequent and top-k elements are useful in many applications, to the best of our knowledge, no solution has been proposed.
The Viral Genome in Transformed Cells

Polyoma and SV 40-transformed cells carry multiple copies of the entire genome in their chromosomes; the viral DNA sequences appear to be covalently integrated into the host cell's DNA but it is not known whether they are clustered in a reiterated tandem sequence or whether they are distributed singly or in clusters throughout the cell's chromosomes. Some of the viral genes are transcribed into RNA and may code for the virus-specific antigens found in transformed cells. 3T3 cells transformed with a thermosensitive mutant of polyoma (Ts-a) can be induced to produce virus if the cells (Ts-a-3T3) are transferred from 38.5 to 31 degrees C. The data suggest that induction of viral multiplication involves the asynchronous occurrence of a unique event, after which DNA synthesis can continue even under non-permissive conditions. Superhelical closed circular dimers and trimers of polyoma DNA are synthesized as well as monomeric molecules. These oligomers can amount to 40% of the total viral DNA; they are not obligatory precursors of the monomeric form, which is the only type found in mature virions. Oligomers are only infrequently observed (1% or less) after infection of 3T3 cells with either wild type of the Ts-a mutant of polyoma. Several possible models to explain the origin of oligomers, the state of viral DNA in transformed cells and the nature of the activating event are discussed.
A numerical model for prediction of creep fracture

Abstract A numerical model for the prediction of tertiary creep and creep ductility is proposed. The model is based on the Kachanov damage law and a growth law for grain boundary cavities. On the assumptions that all cavities nucleate on loading and that they all grow at the same rate, the creep damage parameter and, ultimately, the creep curve itself can be calculated numerically. Cavity growth is assumed to be controlled by the coupling of power law creep and diffusive processes. By taking the critical damage parameter for creep fracture to be a grain boundary cavitation fraction of 0.8, the time to fracture and the fracture strain can be obtained. The model predictions are compared with experimental data for a class I solid solution alloy, Cu2.7at.%Sn.
Clinical features of urinary incontinence and urogenital prolapse in a black inner-city population

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to describe the clinical features and urodynamic findings of a black female inner-city population with urinary incontinence and uterovaginal prolapse. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of the urogynecoloy records of 159 black female patients was performed. RESULTS: Genital prolapse was common. A cystocele was identified in 116 patients, a rectocele in 88 patients, and uterine or vaginal vault prolapse in 41 patients. Subtracted multichannel cystometry revealed detrusor overactivity in 58 patients, genuine stress incontinence in 44 patients, and mixed incontinence in 30 patients. Sixteen patients had normal urodynamic studies. The presence of a cystocele and the physical sign of stress incontinence at initial examination were found equally in patients with genuine stress incontinence, detrusor instability, and mixed incontinence at cystometry. There was no correlation between other commonly associated clinical factors (such as age, parity, and obesity) and the urodynamic diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the factors commonly assumed to predispose women to the development of incontinence and prolapse may not apply to the black inner-city population. Urodynamic testing to establish the correct diagnosis is required, because the correlation between symptoms, physical examination, and urodynamic findings is relatively poor in this population.
Labeling-in Security

Using exams to create labels for our workforce might sound like a way to get more trustworthy systems, but it's not. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, then there's good reason to believe that it's a duck. But you don't get a duck just by calling something a duck, and you don't get trustworthy systems simply by introducing a labeling scheme for system-builders. You can't label-in security. To have the desired effect, a credential must bestow obligations and responsibilities on practitioners.
Properties and performance of the adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

The adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) combines an ophthalmic adaptive optics system [1] with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope [2]. Adaptive optics (AO) are used to overcome blur in retinal images that is caused by aberrations in the cornea and lens of the eye. By using adaptive optics, microscopic retinal features are visualized [3]. 30 frame-per-second imaging has revealed the flow of individual leukocytes in the smallest retinal capillaries. The increased optical sectioning ability allows for true optical sectioning of retinal layers. The AOSLO uses a 37-channel deformable mirror (Xinetics, Andover MA), combined with a Shack Hartmann wavefront sensor (400 µm lenslets, 24 mm focal length). 512 × 480 pixel images of a 1.5 × 1.4 degree field are captured at 30 frames per second. The imaging wavelength is 660 nm but other wavelength imaging is possible. The AOSLO measures and compensates for the wave aberrations at about 1 Hz simultaneously with image acquisition. Here we describe the latest advances in retinal imaging with the AOSLO instrument.
The role of the liver in catabolism of mouse and human IgA.

The fate of intravascular IgA which is produced in large quantities in humans and many animal species was investigated in vivo and in vitro with emphasis on the monomeric form of IgA. The site(s) of the catabolism of intravenously injected mouse monomeric IgA labeled with a residualizing tracer (dilactitol-125I tyramine) was studied in mice. The greatest in vivo uptake of monomeric IgA was observed in the liver. In contrast to identically labeled IgG, liver accounted for more internal catabolism of monomeric IgA than all other tissues (spleen, muscle, skin, and kidney) combined. Although both parenchymal and nonparenchymal liver cells internalized monomeric IgA, hepatocytes were far more active. The uptake of monomeric IgA was primarily mediated by the asialoglycoprotein receptor. In humans, the particulate fraction of liver homogenates and a human hepatoma cell line (Hep G2) bound human IgA proteins of various molecular forms. Inhibition of the binding by desialylated glycoproteins, requirement for the p...
An integrated medical and psychiatric approach to conversion symptoms in a four-year-old.

Abstract Conversion disorder is a challenging diagnosis in children and adolescents. Medical and psychiatric diagnoses need to be evaluated both separately and in relation to each other. This case highlights both the diagnostic criteria for a conversion disorder in a young child and the need for an integrated medical and psychiatric approach by physicians.
Variability in protein quality used for embryo culture: embryotoxicity of the stabilizer octanoic acid

Objective To screen human serum albumin (HSA) preparations for toxicity and investigate causes of variation. Design Experimental laboratory study. Setting University-based laboratory. Animal(s) FVB and CF1 mice crossed to create embryos used in experiments. Intervention(s) Mouse embryo assay performed with 5% or 15% HSA (100 mg/mL albumin) from three samples from three separate manufacturers (A, B, C). Main Outcome Measure(s) Blastocyst rates calculated at 96 hours of culture (experiments repeated in triplicate). Result(s) The HSA preparations were desalted to remove stabilizers added during HSA processing, then mass spectrometry was used to determine the relative variation in stabilizer concentrations; the effect of the stabilizer octanoic acid on embryo development was tested. At 5% HSA, all samples had blastocyst rates ≥70%; at 15% HSA, the blastocyst rates for samples B and C were Conclusion(s) The stabilizer octanoic acid varies by lot and inhibits embryo development. Because octanoic acid is known to cause disruptions in mitochondrial bioenergetics, reduce intracellular pH, and induce oxidative damage in peripheral tissues, its use in embryo culture should be monitored and limited.
Trisomy-3,4 and Triploidy (3A-ZZZW) in Chick Embryos: Autosomal and Sex Chromosomal Nondisjunction in Meiosis

The first known cases of trisomy-3, trisomy-4, and triploidy (3A-ZZZW) in chickens are reported. The trisomic embryos were near death at 4 days of incubation; the triploid embryo appeared normal and probably could have developed further. Although the triploid (3A-ZZZW) was found after sampling more than 2000 embryos, the trisomic-3 and trisomic-4 embryos were discovered in the first sampling of a line of chickens selected for low egg production. These studies suggest that the sex chromosomes (Z and W), as well as the autosomes, can undergo nondisjunction in meiosis of chickens.
Partial maintenance of testes and accessory organs in blinded hamsters by homoplastic anterior pituitary grafts or exogenous prolactin.

Abstract When blinded, golden Syrian hamsters undergo marked gonadal atrophy. This phenomenon is prevented by pinealectomy. The mechanisms involved in this pineal-mediated response were investigated through either the transplantation of pituitary homografts or treatment of blinded, male hamsters with exogenous prolactin. It was found that anterior pituitary homografts placed beneath the kidney capsule on the day of bilateral optic enucleation partially maintained testicular and accessory organ weights. Serum prolactin levels were reduced in blinded animals below that of intact controls. On the other hand, blinded hamsters bearing anterior pituitary homografts showed serum prolactin levels comparable to those of intact controls. In other experiments, the injection of either 3.2 or 6.4 I.U. of ovine prolactin/hamster/ day for a period up to seven weeks partially inhibited the atrophy of testes and accessory organ weights in blinded hamsters. These data suggest a possible role for prolactin in the pineal-mediated atrophic response to light deprivation.
Listening to Anthony : The case of a disruptive preservice teacher

In this article, the author describes the liberatory and critical classroom she tried to create with preservice teachers. She reflects on how the perceptions of her teaching and of her class by one student led him to feel silenced inside the classroom but liberated to express his views of the community in e-mail dialogues. Anthony’s actions in class—failing to come prepared to class, coming late to class, making derogatory statements toward other students—which disrupted the feelings of safety and community for many class members, contrasted starkly with the well-articulated expressions of oppression written in his e-mail. The article includes some of their written dialogue, which led to a self-study of the author’s teaching practices and the boundaries of safety that she attempted to establish. In listening to Anthony’s voice, the author discovered the need for shared risk taking, constant reflection, and open dialogue with her students.
Solution Schemes for Problems of Nonlinear Structural Dynamics

A number of alternative solution schemes for problems of dynamic structural analysis involving large displacements and plastic deformations are compared. The equations of motion, derived from the finite element approximation, are integrated directly using a number of well-known time integration operators; namely, the Houbolt, Newmark, Wilson, and central difference operators. This latter operator serves as a basis for a comparison of accuracy and economy with all methods. Numerical results for nonlinear systems are used to indicate the true worth of integration operators whose properties have been determined theoretically by studying their behavior with linear systems only.
The MLL partial tandem duplication in adults aged 60 years and older with de novo cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia.

Cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) comprises nearly half of AML diagnoses annually, and historically, patients in this cytogenetic subgroup have been considered as being at intermediate risk for clinical outcomes. However, the outcome of these patients varies considerably based on the presence or absence of non-random genetic aberrations that can be used as risk stratification factors.1
Liver-infiltrating lymphocytes in end-stage hepatitis C virus: Subsets, activation status, and chemokine receptor phenotypes

Abstract Background : Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease, yet little is known about the intrahepatic immune response in end-stage patients. Chemokines and their receptors are important regulators of immunity, particularly in the migration and localization of circulating leukocytes within peripheral tissues. Aims : This report provides a comprehensive comparison of the chemokine receptor and activation phenotype of the major leukocyte subsets present in end-stage HCV-infected and non-HCV infected livers. Methods : Lymphocytes were purified from homogenized explant liver tissue and analyzed by flow cytometry. Results : NK cells are the predominant cell type, followed by T cells, B cells and NK-T cells, independent of HCV status. T cells displayed a memory phenotype and low levels of activation markers. CCR5, CXCR3 and CXCR6 were expressed on a large fraction of activated cells, while moderate to low expression of CCR2, CCR6 and CX 3 CR1 was observed. Several other tissue-specific and inflammatory chemokine receptors were absent from infiltrating lymphocytes. Conclusions : These results identify the chemokine receptors present on infiltrating lymphocytes during end-stage liver disease and suggest that such infiltration is predominantly controlled by non-tissue-specific inflammatory chemokines, a situation that may be distinct from liver homing pathways under normal conditions.
Prognostic significance of nonfatal reinfarction during 3-year follow-up: Results of the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) phase II clinical trial

Objectives. This study sought to assess the independent contribution of nonfatal reinfarction to the risk of subsequent death in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing thrombolytic therapy. Background. A composite of “unsatisfactory outcomes” as an end point has increased statistical power and facilitated evaluation of evolving treatment regimens in acute myocardial infarction. The significance of nonfatal reinfarction as a component of a composite end point has not been evaluated in the thrombolytic era. Methods. Event rate of nonfatal reinfarction over 3-year follow-up was evaluated in patients with acute myocardial infarction entered into the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Phase II trial. The independent risk of nonfatal reinfarction for subsequent death within various time intervals of follow-up was determined. The mortality rate after nonfatal reinfarction was compared with that of a matched control group. Results. During 3-year follow-up, 349 of 3,339 patients had a nonfatal reinfarction. Univariate predictors were history (antedating the index event) of angina (p = 0.01), hypertension (p = 0.01), multivessel disease (p = 0.007) and not a current smoker (p = 0.003); the latter was an independent predictor (relative risk [RR] 1.3, 99% confidence interval [CI]1.0 to 1.8). Forty-three of the 349 patients with a nonfatal reinfarction died: RR for death (vs. patients without a nonfatal reinfarction) was 1.9 (99% CI 1.1 to 3.2) if reinfarction occurred within 42 days of study entry, 6.2 (99% CI 3.0 to 12.9) if reinfarction occurred between 43 and 365 days and 2.9 (99% CI 0.6 to 13.4) if reinfarction occurred between 366 days and 3 years. The cumulative 3-year death rate was 14.1% in patients with a nonfatal reinfarction compared with 7.9% (p Conclusions. Nonfatal reinfarction is a strong and independent predictor for subsequent death. It represents a powerful component for a composite end point in patients who received thrombolytic therapy after acute myocardial infarction.
Haptic Gloves Prototype for Audio-Tactile Web Browsing

Blind people rely on screen readers to interact with the Web. Since screen readers narrate the digital content serially, blind users can only form a one-dimensional mental model of the web page and, hence, cannot enjoy the benefits inherently offered by the 2-D layout; e.g., understanding the spatial relations between objects in a webpage or their locations on the screen helps navigate webpages. Haptic interfaces could provide blind people with a tactile "feel" for the 2-D layout and help them navigate web pages more efficiently. Haptic Displays, capable of high resolution tactile feedback, could render any webpage in a tactile form enabling blind people to exploit the aforementioned spatial relations and focus screen reading on specific parts of the webpage. In this paper, I report on the preliminary work toward the development of FeelX -- a haptic gloves system that will enable tactile web browsing. FeelX will be used alongside regular screen readers, and will provide blind screen-reader users with the ability explore web pages by touch and audio.
Fatty acids of monogalactosyl diglycerides from Citrus

Abstract Fatty acids in vesicular and leaf monogalactosyl diglycerides (MGDG) of citrus were studied. Vesicular MGDG contained front 94.4 to 97.3% C16, C16:1, C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3; whereas leaf MGDG contained ca 90% C18:3, 3% C16 and 1.8 to 9.5% C18:2. Species varied considerably in their percentages of vesicular C18:2, C18:3 and to a lesser degree, C16:1 and C18:1 fatty acids with lemons being the most distinctive. Branched fatty acids were present to the extent of 5.6% in vesicular and to only 0.1% in leaf MGDG.
Utilization of vaccinia virus promoters by fowlpox virus recombinants

Abstract The ability of fowlpox virus (FPV) to recognize vaccinia virus promoters was indicated by the transient expression of s‐galactosidase (s‐gal) when a plasmid containing a vaccinia P11 promoter‐bacterial lacZ gene fusion was transfected into FPV‐infected cells. Based on this apparent utilization of a heterologous poxvirus promoter, FPV recombinants capable of expressing s‐gal were created. For this purpose, plasmids which would direct the insertion of a foreign transcriptional unit into the FPV thymidine kinase (TK) gene were constructed. Following plasmid transfection of FPV‐infected monolayers, the recombinants in the progeny were partially selected due to their TK phenotype and visually identified by screening plaques for the presence of s‐gal. The predicted location of the foreign DNA in the recombinant FPV genome was verified by restriction enzyme analysis and subsequent hybridization studies. A second recombinant, in which the vaccinia late P11 promoter had been replaced by the early‐late P7....
A Test of the Ability to Identify Emotion in Human Standing and Sitting Postures: The Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy-2 Posture Test (DANVA2-POS)

The purpose of the present study was to introduce the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy for Postures (DANVA2-POS), a test that measures an individual's ability to identify emotion in human standing and sitting postures. The authors describe the construction and selection of the test items. Types of standing and sitting postures were generated from a set of dimensions gleaned from a review of relevant theoretical and empirical literature. Two men and 2 women portraying standing and sitting postures were photographed. An empirical norming procedure was used to select 32 high- and low-intensity standing and sitting postures representing happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. Three hypotheses guided the collection of construct validity evidence. Consistent with the hypotheses, data from 243 participants showed that DANVA2-POS scores increased in accuracy with age, were internally consistent and reliable over time, and were related to self-reported loneliness, fear of negative evaluation, and locus of control. The authors report construct validity evidence from 6 additional studies. Future applications of the DANVA2-POS test are described.
Synthesis, Characterization, Photophysical, and Computational Studies of Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl Complexes Containing the Derivatives of Bipyrazine

The chloro and pyridinate derivatives of rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes containing the diimine ligands 2,2'-bipyrazine (bpz) and 5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyrazine (Me2bpz) are reported. Absorption maxima occur in the visible and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum; emission is structureless at room temperature and at 77 K; the infrared spectrum consists of three carbonyl stretches; electrochemically, a reversible reduction, an irreversible reduction, and an irreversible oxidation take place. Some ring protons are shielded and others deshielded in the presence of the methyl substituents attached to the bpz ring. DFT and TDDFT calculations provide insight into interpreting electronic and vibrational properties of the complexes. When compared to similar rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes of 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and 2,2'-bipyrimidine (bpm), the Me2bpz complexes are comparable to bpm derivatives and their properties are intermediate between those of bpy and bpz complexes.
Child Psychiatrists' Perceptions of Timing and Frequency of Consultation Requests

Abstract Child psychiatrists' beliefs about specific aspects of consultation-liaison psychiatry were compared with the realities of their work in their particular institution. Eighty-eight child psychiatrists at seven centers grossly overestimated the proportion of consultation requests that came late in the week or late in the day compared with the actual distribution of 2,071 consultation requests from these centers. Factors that may lead to these misperceptions and the implications of child psychiatrists approaching consultation-liaison working with such attitudes are discussed.
Ligand Binding and Covalent Structure of an Oxygen-Binding Heme Protein from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, a Representative of a New Structural Family of c-Type Cytochromes†

The amino acid sequence of an oxygen-binding heme protein (SHP) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been determined. The cysteines, which bind the single heme group in the 112-residue protein, are located at positions 43 and 46. SHP is similar in size to the large membrane-bound form of the class I cytochrome c5 of Azotobacter vinelandii (116 residues) and in the location of the heme binding site at positions 48 and 51. Two extra cysteines in SHP (residues 89 and 97) are located in positions similar to those of cytochrome c5 (residues 98 and 101) and form a disulfide bridge in both proteins. In total, four regions of α-helix are predicted, covering 46% of the protein, which is comparable to that in other small cytochromes. SHP is thus distantly related to small class I c-type cytochromes but is representative of a distinct family by virtue of its high-spin nature, the lack of a strong sixth ligand, and its capacity to bind oxygen. Potentially, the most important characteristic of SHP is its ability to transi...