cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validation and repeatability of a short questionnaire for dry eye syndrome.

Purpose To clinically validate and ascertain the repeatability of a short questionnaire for dry eye syndrome (DES), consisting of two questions pertaining to symptoms (dryness and irritation) and one question regarding previous history of clinically diagnosed DES. Design Clinical validation study with repeated assessments. Methods A short questionnaire for DES was administered to participants of two large cohort studies, the Women's Health Study (WHS) and the Physicians' Health Study (PHS). A supplementary questionnaire comprising 16 questions pertaining to symptoms was mailed to a subset of 450 WHS and 240 PHS participants, selected so that a third of these subjects had DES based on their response to the short questionnaire. Repeatability of the dryness and irritation symptom questions was ascertained using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Standardized ophthalmologic examination was performed on 53 subjects. Sensitivity and specificity of the short questionnaire was determined using a combination of clinical tests to define clinical DES. Results An ICC of 0.75 for dryness and 0.65 for irritation was found between subsequent measurements. Participants' responses to the dryness and irritation questions were highly correlated ( r = 0.75) with a score derived from responses to the longer 16-symptom questionnaire. The short questionnaire for DES had a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 83% when cutoff point for clinical DES was Schirmer 1 value ≤10 mm or tear breakup time Conclusion The short questionnaire for DES is a sensitive and repeatable tool that is easy to administer in large epidemiologic research studies as well as clinical research.
Phase transitions in bosonic superconducting strings

Abstract The breakdown of superconductivity in bosonic superconducting cosmic strings is investigated. It is shown that the superconducting state can be metastable and can decay via “bubble” nucleation in a first-order phase transition. The decay current is typically less than twice that for which the superconducting state becomes energetically unfavorable. We discuss the dynamics of the phase transition, the relationship of superconducting strings to thin laboratory superconductors and the observable consequences of the metastable phase and current-quenching transition.
The fate of SV40 DNA in infected cells after treatment with benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide.

Abstract Treatment of SV40-infected monkey kidney cells with anti -benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide results in the alkylation of viral DNA. The specific infectivity of viral DNA isolated from diol epoxide-treated cells is markedly lower than that of viral DNA from untreated cells. Within 5–6 hours following treatment, approximately half of the alkylated viral DNA disappears; during this same period, single-stranded regions in SV40 DNA are detected. These data indicate that, in infected cells, a significant amount of the alkylated viral DNA is removed from the cellular DNA pool while the remainder stays intact. Whether BP-modified SV40 DNA undergoes repair is still uncertain.
Postnatal Changes in Protein Metabolism of Brain. II. Effects of Alteration of Ambient Temperature and Gaseous Composition of Inspired Air

Extract: A number of environmental factors affecting the incorporation of L-leucine-14C into brain proteins of newborn rats and guinea pigs under in vivo conditions have been investigated. Reduction of ambient temperature from 35 to 22° results in a 35% decrease in the incorporation of leucine into brain proteins in the newborn rat. Similar alterations do not affect incorporation rates in the newborn guinea pig. Graded reductions of the oxygen concentration of inspired air do not affect incorporation rates into brain proteins of the newborn rat until total anoxia is achieved. In contrast, reduction of incorporation of leucine into liver proteins occurs at O2 concentrations below 10% in inspired air. Anoxia does not affect the entry of an inert amino acid, 14C-α-aminoisobutyric acid, into brain substance under in vivo conditions. It is concluded that alteration of levels of radioactivity in free amino acid pools under similar circumstances is not attributable to structural damage of the vascular bed. Speculation: These data indicate that reduction of ambient temperature alters protein biosynthetic processes in the brain of the newborn animal. The effect appears to be produced by direct alteration of body temperature rather than by energy depletion accompanying thermogenesis. This finding leads to the consideration that prolonged neonatal hypothermia may decelerate brain development with resulting cerebral deficits at a later time. By contrast, the lack of effect of severe hypoxia upon incorporation of amino acids into brain proteins suggests that hypoxic episodes in the neonate may have relatively little effect upon growth of the brain during the newborn period.
Thermodynamics, kinetics, and photochemistry of β-strand association and dissociation in a split-GFP system.

Truncated green fluorescent protein (GFP) that is refolded after removing the 10th β-strand can readily bind to a synthetic strand to recover the absorbance and fluorescence of the whole protein. This allows rigorous experimental determination of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the split system including the equilibrium constant and the association/dissociation rates, which enables residue-specific analysis of peptide–protein interactions. The dissociation rate of the noncovalently bound strand is observed by strand exchange that is accompanied by a color change, and surprisingly, the rate is greatly enhanced by light irradiation. This peptide–protein photodissociation is a very unusual phenomenon and can potentially be useful for introducing spatially and temporally well-defined perturbations to biological systems as a genetically encoded caged protein.
Furnishing the Fascist interior: Giuseppe Terragni, Mario Radice and the Casa del Fascio

Building, furniture design and the decorative arts collaborate to embody Fascist political values and mass identity in an icon of modern architecture.
Navigating the boundaries of active global citizenship

This paper informs the active global citizenship debate by assessing whether returned international volunteers with a strong belief in the need for global governance also believe that participation in national political and civic spaces can drive global change. Regression models use survey responses from 245 returned international volunteers at three points in time. Findings indicate no significant difference in volunteers' conceptions of global citizenship before and after international service. However, volunteers who hold cosmopolitan views about the need for global governance have a higher sense of efficacy that participation in national spaces may affect global change. In addition, they are more likely to engage internationally but not locally. Findings suggest that global citizens may maintain an active civic identity rooted in overlapping locations. In addition, heightened notions of global citizenship appear to have a significant effect on returned volunteers' interest in international affairs and active engagement across national borders.
Smoking and reverse causation create an obesity paradox in cardiovascular disease

Objective Many studies find that excess weight is associated with better survival among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Investigations were carried out to see whether this “obesity paradox” can be explained by biases. Methods The association between weight status and mortality in the US population ages 35 and above with CVD was investigated. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-2010, linked to mortality records through 2011. To minimize biases resulting from illness-induced weight loss, a reference category consisting of individuals who have always maintained normal weight was used. Age-standardized mortality rates and Cox models were estimated, comparing overweight/obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥25.0 kg m−2) to normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg m−2). Results The paradox was present among those with overweight/obesity at the time of survey (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78-1.01). However, when the reference category was limited to the always-normal-weight, the paradox disappeared (HR = 1.16; 95% CI 0.95-1.41). When analysis was additionally confined to never-smokers, mortality risks were significantly higher in the overweight/obesity group (HR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.07-2.15; P = 0.021). Conclusions The findings provide support for the hypothesis that lower mortality among individuals with CVD and overweight/obesity is a product of biases involving reverse causation and confounding by smoking.
Effects of Amplitude Modulation on the Coding of Interaural Time Differences of Low-Frequency Sounds in the Inferior Colliculus. II. Neural Mechanisms

In our companion paper, we reported on interaural time difference (ITD)-sensitive neurons that enhanced, suppressed, or did not change their response when identical AM was added to both ears. Here, we first examined physical factors such as the difference in the interaural correlation, spectrum, or energy between the modulated and unmodulated signals. These were insufficient to explain the observed enhancement and suppression. We then examined neural mechanisms by selectively modulating the signal to each ear, varying modulation depth, and adding background noise to the unmodulated signal. These experiments implicated excitatory and inhibitory monaural inputs to the inferior colliculus (IC). These monaural inputs are postulated to adapt to an unmodulated signal and adapt less to a modulated signal. Thus enhancement or suppression is created by the convergence of these excitatory or inhibitory inputs with the inputs from the binaural comparators. Under modulation, the role of the monaural input is to shift the threshold of the IC neuron. Consistent with this role, background noise mimicked the effect of modulation. Functionally, enhancement and suppression may serve in detecting the degree of modulation in a sound source while preserving ITD information.
TE characterization of resistive strip gratings on a dielectric slab using a single edge-mode expansion

The authors present an efficient analysis and characterization of narrow resistive strip arrays residing on a dielectric substrate. Simple closed-form formulas for mode reflection and transmission coefficients of the resistive grating on a substrate are presented. This is accomplished by employing a single physical basis or edge mode to represent the strip current. The periodic Green's function is derived using the procedure employed by K. Sarabandi (1990), and the resulting series has a relatively fast convergence. A careful study is done to establish the accuracy bounds of the physical basis expansion and the resulting mode coefficients. From the derived closed-form formulas, equivalent sheet boundary conditions and equivalent circuit parameters are given for a complete characterization of the grating. >
A 10-bit 8.3MS/s switched-current successive approximation ADC for column-parallel imagers

This paper describes a switched-current successive approximation ADC for high resolution current mode imagers. The ADC is suitable to be integrated at the column level and operate in parallel. Designed in a 0.25 mum CMOS process, its core occupies only 24 mum x 200 mum and consumes 930 muW. Having a low input impedance of 0.6 Omega, it can connect directly to the imaging array while providing a stable bias voltage on the input line. The ADC is built around a single current comparator and an 11-bit sub-binary current DAC. It has no sampling stages. The output is digitally calibrated in order to compensate for component mismatch. Simulation results on both static and dynamic performance are presented. With calibration, the ADC achieves an effective resolution of 10 bits at 8.3 MS/s.
Direct Calculations of Cavitating Flows by the Space-Time CE/SE Method

This paper reports oneand two-dimensional simulations of cavitating flows by the Space-Time Conservation Element and Solution Element (CE/SE) method. A continuum cavitation model based on specifying the speed of sound of two-phase flows is employed. The CE/SE method is a viable CFD method for flows at wide range of Mach numbers. The method is explicit and is suitable for time accurate simulations. Moreover, without using a Riemann solver or a reconstruction procedure, the logic and operation count is simple and efficient for sharp resolution of evolving liquid/vapor interfaces. To validate the present model, three cavitating flows are simulated: the onedimensional simulation of the water-hammer effect, flows over a hydrofoil, and flows through a highpressure fuel injector. Numerical results show salient features of cavitations commonly observed in experiments, including, reentrant jet, hydraulic flip, and cyclical cavitations. The numerical results compare favorably with previously reported data.
Discharge against medical advice: How often do we intervene?

BACKGROUND Discharges against medical advice (AMA) occur in 1% to 2% of hospital stays and are associated with increased morbidity, readmission rates, and 30-day mortality. Risk factors associated with AMA have been investigated, but interventions at the time of discharge have not been carefully examined. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of adult patients discharged AMA over a 2-year period from the general medical service of a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital. We assessed for presence of documentation addressing informed consent, patient decision-making capacity, health literacy, follow-up plans, whether medications were prescribed, and whether any warning indicators of impending AMA were apparent. RESULTS Two hundred ninety-one records were reviewed. AMA notes were present in 276 (94.8%) charts. Notes were authored by physicians in 163 (59.1%) and nurses in 110 (37.8%) encounters. Informed consent was present in 88 (30.2%) charts, mentioned in the note but not present in the chart in 111 (38.1%), and not signed in 92 (31.6%) charts. Decision-making capacity and health literacy were documented in 108 (37.1%) and 75 (25.8%) records, respectively. Warning of impending AMA was present in 217 (74.6%) charts. Medications prescribed and follow-up plans were documented in 71 (24.4%) and 91 (31.3%) charts, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Advance warning of impending AMA is often present, yet only a minority of cases have prescription of medications or development of follow-up plans. Medical documentation of AMA dispositions is frequently inadequate, suggesting missed opportunities to intervene as well as suboptimal medicolegal scenarios. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:574–577. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
Automation of fiber optic polished coupler fabrication

An electromechanical system which manufactures polished fiber-optic couplers is described. A stand-alone microprocessor-based control unit places the fiber for polishing onto a polishing wheel. The control unit then monitors the optical power output of the fiber and terminates polishing when the desired amount of fiber has been removed. Microprocessor hardware and software are discussed. Experimental results show that this system produces very precise fiber couplers. >
Investigating “Sense of Belonging” in First-Year College Students

A great deal of emphasis in higher education is centered on questions such as, “Why do students leave college and how can we get them to stay?” Although researchers have pointed to the import of “sense of belonging” in departure decisions, a measure of students' subjective sense of affiliation and identification with the university community has not been developed. The following is an empirical measure of “sense of belonging” which sheds light on factors that contribute to retention. Gaining greater clarity regarding factors important to the development of “sense of belonging” can help institutional policy planners evaluate the effectiveness of retention programs on their campuses, design more effective intervention strategies, and identify students at risk for departure.
Injury to the isolated, perfused lung by exposure in vitro to monocrotaline pyrrole.

Monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP) is a reactive metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline. It causes pulmonary lesions associated with pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy. Conditions of exposure to MCTP that result in early lung injury were examined in isolated rat lungs perfused with buffered medium containing 4% bovine serum albumin. When a high, acutely lethal dose (8.1 mg) of chemically synthesized MCTP was added to the 50-ml perfusion medium reservoir, no effects on the perfused lung occurred. However, when the same quantity of MCTP was injected directly into the pulmonary arterial (PA) cannula, the lungs accumulated considerable fluid within 1 h, and this was accompanied by elevated perfusion pressure and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the perfusion medium. A lower dose (1.2 mg) of MCTP that is pulmonary hypertensive in vivo also produced edema and elevated perfusion pressure when injected into the PA cannula. Removal of perfused 5-hydroxytryptamine, a ...
CO2 and sulfuric acid controls of weathering and river water composition

Reactions of CO2 with carbonate and silicate minerals in continental sediments and upper part of the crystalline crust produce HCO3 in river and ground waters. H2SO4 formed by the oxidation of pyrite and reacting with carbonates may produce CO2 or HCO3 . The ratio, w, of atmospheric or soil CO2 consumed in weathering to HCO3 � produced depends on the mix of CO2 and H2SO4, and the proportions of the carbonates and silicates in the source rock. An average sediment has a CO2 uptake potential of w=0.61. The potential increases by inclusion of the crystalline crust in the weathering source rock. A mineral dissolution model for an average river gives w=0.68 to 0.72 that is within the range of w=0.63 to 0.75, reported by other investigators using other methods. These results translate into the CO2 weathering flux of 20 to 24 � 10 12 mol/yr.
Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Marine Bacterium Halobacillus salinus That Inhibit Quorum Sensing-Controlled Phenotypes in Gram-Negative Bacteria

Certain bacteria use cell-to-cell chemical communication to coordinate community-wide phenotypic expression, including swarming motility, antibiotic biosynthesis, and biofilm production. Here we present a marine gram-positive bacterium that secretes secondary metabolites capable of quenching quorum sensing-controlled behaviors in several gram-negative reporter strains. Isolate C42, a Halobacillus salinus strain obtained from a sea grass sample, inhibits bioluminescence production by Vibrio harveyi in cocultivation experiments. With the use of bioassay-guided fractionation, two phenethylamide metabolites were identified as the active agents. The compounds additionally inhibit quorum sensing-regulated violacein biosynthesis by Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and green fluorescent protein production by Escherichia coli JB525. Bacterial growth was unaffected at concentrations below 200 μg/ml. Evidence is presented that these nontoxic metabolites may act as antagonists of bacterial quorum sensing by competing with N-acyl homoserine lactones for receptor binding.
Major heat shock protein Hsp72 controls oncogene-induced senescence

Various heat shock proteins, including Hsp72, are strongly upregulated in cancers, but their significance for tumor emergence and growth is poorly understood. Here we review recent data from several labs to indicate that Hsps, including Hsp72, are critical for growth of transformed but not normal cells. By manipulating expression and activity of Hsp72 and several oncogenes, it was shown that Hsp72 suppresses oncogene-induced senescence, thus allowing proliferation of cancer cells. Importantly, Hsp72 is able to suppress both p53-dependent and p53-independent senescence pathways. We propose that targeting Hsp72 may be a promising approach toward development of novel cancer therapies.
REVISED DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS

New clinical criteria have been developed for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis that have incorporated precise echocardiographic parameters into the schema. Direct comparisons with the older criteria have now confirmed that the newer criteria are substantially more sensitive than the older criteria in suspected cases of infective endocarditis, while retaining a high specificity and negative predictive value.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging of cognitive processing in young adults with Down syndrome.

Abstract The authors used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate neural activation during a semantic-classification/object-recognition task in 13 persons with Down syndrome and 12 typically developing control participants (age range = 12–26 years). A comparison between groups suggested atypical patterns of brain activation for the individuals with Down syndrome. Correlation analyses between an index of visual spatial ability and brain activation depicted a positive relationship between (a) this index and brain activation in regions of the occipital and parietal lobes for the typically developing individuals and (b) the middle and dorsal frontal gyri in the individuals with Down syndrome. These findings supported the authors' hypothesis that persons with Down syndrome demonstrate atypical neural activation compared with typically developing individuals matched for chronological age.
A general method of finding a minimax estimator of a distribution function when no equalizer rule is available

We propose a feasible general method for finding a minimax estimator of an unknown distribution function F in the nonparametric problem. As an application, some minimax estimators are proposed. Furthermore, some minimax binomial parametric problems are studied. Nous proposons une methode generate afin de trouver, dans un contexte non-parametrique, un estimateur minimax pour une fonction de distribution inconnue. Plusieurs exemples illustrent comment cette methode peut ětre mise en application. Un lien est fait avec certains problemes de type minimax dans le contexte binomial.
Performance and design of an off-resonant continuous-wave Raman laser

A steady-state theory that describes the performance of a cw off-resonant Raman laser is presented. The cw Raman laser is constructed in a nonconfocal high-finesse cavity that allows for high Raman gain with low pump powers. Threshold values of the pump laser used to pump the cw Raman laser are predicted to be as low as 1 mW. The maximum photon-conversion efficiency for the cw Raman laser is predicted to be 50%. The theory is compared with experimental results from a cw Raman laser that operates with a pump wavelength of 532 nm and a Stokes-shifted wavelength of 683 nm. A threshold pump power of 2 mW and a maximum photon-conversion efficiency of 34%±6% was measured. With the mirrors used in the experiment, these values correspond to the predictions from the steady-state cw Raman laser theory. The theoretical model is then used to design cw Raman lasers operate near the maximum conversion efficiency in the 1–4-μm wavelength region.
Nitric oxide synthase-inhibition hypertension is associated with altered endothelial cyclooxygenase function

We reported previously that endothelium-intact superior mesenteric arteries (SMA) from Nω-nitro-l-arginine (l-NNA)-treated hypertensive rats (LHR) contract more to norepinephrine (NE) than SMA from...
Pseudostenosagola, A New Genus from New Zealand (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Faronitae)

A new genus and three new species of New Zealand endemic pselaphine staphylinid beetles belonging to the supertribe Faronitae are described as follows: Pseudostenosagola Park and Carlton, gen. nov.; Pseudostenosagola coromandelensis Park and Carlton, sp. nov.; Pseudostenosagola wellingtonensis Park and Carlton, sp. nov.; and Pseudostenosagola solodovnikovi Park and Carlton, sp. nov. In total, 30 specimens were available for study. Illustrations of habitus and major diagnostic characters, distributional maps, and an identification key of all species are provided.
Temperature-Dependent Gentamicin Resistance of Francisella tularensis is Mediated by Uptake Modulation

Gentamicin (Gm) is an aminoglycoside commonly used to treat bacterial infections such as tularemia – the disease caused by Francisella tularensis. In addition to being pathogenic, F. tularensis is found in environmental niches such as soil where this bacterium likely encounters Gm producers (Micromonospora sp.). Here we show that F. tularensis exhibits increased resistance to Gm at ambient temperature (26°C) compared to mammalian body temperature (37°C). To evaluate whether F. tularensis was less permeable to Gm at 26°C, a fluorescent marker [Texas Red (Tr)] was conjugated with Gm, yielding Tr-Gm. Bacteria incubated at 26°C showed reduced fluorescence compared to those at 37°C when exposed to Tr-Gm suggesting that uptake of Gm was reduced at 26°C. Unconjugated Gm competitively inhibited uptake of Tr-Gm, demonstrating that this fluorescent compound was taken up similarly to unconjugated Gm. Lysates of F. tularensis bacteria incubated with Gm at 37°C inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli significantly more than lysates from bacteria incubated at 26°C, further indicating reduced uptake at this lower temperature. Other facultative pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae) exhibited increased resistance to Gm at 26°C suggesting that the results generated using F. tularensis may be generalizable to diverse bacteria. Regulation of the uptake of antibiotics provides a mechanism by which facultative pathogens survive alongside antibiotic-producing microbes in nature.
Influence of prior atrial arrhythmias on the effects of innovative programming in reducing inappropriate therapy and death in MADIT-RIT

Background: The impact of prior atrial arrhythmias on the effects of innovative programming and subsequent outcome has not yet been evaluated. Methods: The MADIT-RIT trial randomized ICD patients to three programming arms: conventional programming with a VT zone ≥170 bpm (Arm A), high-rate cut-off with a VT zone ≥200 bpm (Arm B), or 60-sec delayed therapy in the VT zone 170-199 bpm (Arm C). The effects of programming on inappropriate therapy and death were assessed in multivariate Cox models stratified by prior atrial arrhythmias (atrial arrhythmia prior to enrollment). Results: In patients with prior atrial arrhythmias (n=203, 14%) there was a significantly higher risk of inappropriate therapy (HR=2.10, 95% CI: 1.38-3.20, p 0.10) (Figure). High-rate cut-off programming (Arm B) was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality in patients without prior atrial arrhythmias (HR=0.48, 95% CI: 0.25-0.93, p=0.03), and similar, but not significant reduction in those with prior atrial arrhythmias (HR=0.33, 95% CI: 0.08-1.34, p=0.12, interaction p-value=0.645). ![Figure][1] Figure Conclusion: Novel ICD programming reduces inappropriate therapy in those with or without prior atrial arrhythmias. There was a beneficial reduction in all-cause mortality in those programmed to high-rate therapy (Arm B), particularly in those with a history of prior atrial arrhythmias. [1]: pending:yes
I-E locus of control, selected Edwards Personal Preference Scales and task persistence.

Summa~y.-This study assessed scores of the Internal-External scale, and Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) order, endurance, and autonomy scales in relation to subjects' willingness to persist through a two-part experimental design. Convergent validation of the Janis-Hovland self-esteem scale with the EPPS abasement scale was also attempted. Data showed EPPS order, endurance, and autonomy scales differentiated between "persistors" and "nonpersistors" whereas Internal-External scale scores did not. Also Janis-Hovland self-esteem scores correltted significantly and inversely with EPPS abasement scale scores.
Perioperative Desensitization Improves Outcomes Among Crossmatch Positive Recipients of Deceased Donor Renal Transplants.

Context:Graft failure due to chronic rejection is greater among renal transplant patients with donor-specific antibody (DSA) than among DSA-free patients. For patients dependent on deceased donor transplantation, preoperative desensitization to eliminate DSAs may be impractical. We speculated that perioperative desensitization might eliminate preexisting DSAs and prevent de novo DSAs and improve graft outcomes. We report that brief perioperative desensitization using either intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or plasmapheresis/IVIG (PP/IVIG) treatment improves clinical outcomes among patients with positive crossmatches.Design:Immediately following deceased donor transplantation, 235 renal recipients were assigned points for PRA and flow crossmatches (FCXM): delayed graft function (DGF) ≤ 1 point received standard therapy; 2 points received high-dose IVIG; and ≥3 points received PP/IVIG. The DSAs were serially monitored by single antigen bead luminex for 1 year. Five-year clinical outcomes were determined fr...
Effects of corticosterone and microgravity on inflammatory cell production of superoxide.

In this investigation we studied the effects of corticosterone and microgravity on Propionibacterium acnes-induced inflammatory cells ability to produce superoxide (02). We found in vitro and in vivo exposure of murine peritoneal inflammatory cells to corticosterone did not inhibit the 02 response. We also found that in microgravity P. acnes.induced inflammatory cells were capable of producing four times as much 02 as at 1g. Therefore, neither corticosterone nor microgravity experienced during parabolic flight prevents an 02 response by inflammatory cells.
Interpretation of central venous pressure.

Patients with major infection, intestinal necrosis, massive body burns, and myocardial contusion have been chosen to illustrate the many variables that are at play in various states of shock and how the central venous pressure can be an important guide in restoring the circulation to normal.
Police Responses to Persons With Mental Illness: Going Beyond CIT Training

Since 1988, a major development to reduce lethal encounters between police and persons displaying signs of mental illness has been the adoption by many police departments of crisis intervention teams (CITs). Created in Memphis, Tennessee, CIT programs incorporate deescalation training, police-friendly drop-off centers, and linkage to community treatment programs. The authors summarize issues discussed at a recent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration workshop at which participants highlighted the importance of going beyond CIT training to most effectively include police in a crisis care continuum model. Such an approach focuses on how police can be engaged as partners with behavioral health providers who are designing and implementing services in the crisis care continuum. Reframing the approach to police responses to persons in mental health crises offers the prospect of improving both public health and public safety goals.
c-Abl inhibits breast cancer tumorigenesis through reactivation of p53-mediated p21 expression

We previously reported that constitutive c-Abl activity (CST-Abl) abrogates the tumorigenicity of triple-negative breast cancer cells through the combined actions of two cellular events: downregulated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and upregulated p21Waf1/Cip1 expression. We now find decreased c-Abl expression to be significantly associated with diminished relapse-fee survival in breast cancer patients, particularly those exhibiting invasive and basal phenotypes. Moreover, CST-Abl expression enabled 4T1 cells to persist innocuously in the mammary glands of mice, doing so by exhausting their supply of cancer stem cells. Restoring MMP-9 expression and activity in CST-Abl-expressing 4T1 cells failed to rescue their malignant phenotypes; however, rendering these same cells deficient in p21 expression not only delayed their acquisition of senescent phenotypes, but also partially restored their tumorigenicity in mice. Although 4T1 cells lacked detectable expression of p53, those engineered to express CST-Abl exhibited robust production and secretion of TGF-β1 that engendered the reactivated expression of p53. Mechanistically, TGF-β-mediated p53 expression transpired through the combined actions of Smad1/5/8 and Smad2, leading to the dramatic upregulation of p21 and its stimulation of TNBC senescence. Collectively, we identified a novel c-Abl:p53:p21 signaling axis that functions as a powerful suppressor of mammary tumorigenesis and metastatic progression.
Dimensions of Russia's Industrial Transformation, 1992 to 1998: An Overview

A prominent Western authority on economic affairs in the former Soviet Union examines major dimensions of Russia's industrial transformation since 1991, focusing on changes in production volume, structure, and organization (e.g., property ownership). An initial section analyzes the dynamics of output, employment, and investment in major industrial branches and presents estimates of factor productivity, followed by an assessment of organizational change (e.g., privatization, joint-venture activity). Coverage then focuses on regional differences in industrial transformation as reflected in such indices as growth in number of enterprises, public-private shares of ownership, and growth in number of foreign-participant firms. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: L60, L70, O40, O50. 7 tables, 56 references.
Eunotogramma litorale sp. nov., a marine epipsammic diatom from Southern California, USA

Eunotogramma litorale sp. nov. is described from marine littoral epipsammic assemblages collected from San Diego County, Southern California, USA. The valves of this common species are semi-elliptical in outline with a curved dorsal margin and a more or less straight ventral margin. Each valve has 1–6 transapical costae. Areolae are absent on the valve face; a small rimoportula is usually present on the valve face or uppermost mantle near each pole. One or more rimoportulae are usually found in a row along the dorsal mantle between the costae. Small areolae, visible only with SEM, are typically found between costae on the ventral mantle and along the ventral portion of the pars exterior of the valvocopulae. E. litorale can be distinguished from three other Eunotogramma species with hyaline valve faces by the semi-elliptical shape of its valve outline. The similarity of the internal openings of the rimoportuale of E. litorale and some Aulacodiscus species suggests that E. litorale may be allied with Aulaco...
Photoinitiated treatment of Mycobacterium using Ru(II) isoniazid complexes

Abstract New photoactive ruthenium(II) complexes of the type [Ru(tpy)(LL)(INH)]2+, where tpy = 2,2′;6′,2″-terpyridine, INH = isoniazid, and LL = 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy, 1) and 6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (Me2bpy, 2) were synthesized. Upon irradiation with visible light, INH substituted with solvent water molecule to produce [Ru(tpy)(LL)(H2O)]2+ (LL = bpy, Me2bpy) with quantum yields, ϕ 450, of 0.0004(2) for 1 and 0.14(2) for 2. The increase in quantum yield of 2 compared to 1 is due to the introduction of steric bulk in the bidentate ligand, however, this causes 2 to be unstable in the dark over long periods of time (t1/2 = 7.8 × 10−6 s−1). When 1 is incubated with M. kansasii the complex demonstrated a minimum inhibitory concentration of >112 μM in the dark and 14 μM when irradiated with visible light.
Analytical Performance Modeling and Validation of Intel's Xeon Phi Architecture

Modeling the performance of scientific applications on emerging hardware plays a central role in achieving extreme-scale computing goals. Analytical models that capture the interaction between applications and hardware characteristics are attractive because even a reasonably accurate model can be useful for performance tuning before the hardware is made available. In this paper, we develop a hardware model for Intel's second-generation Xeon Phi architecture code-named Knights Landing (KNL) for the SKOPE framework. We validate the KNL hardware model by projecting the performance of minibenchmarks and application kernels. The results show that our KNL model can project the performance with prediction errors of 10% to 20%. The hardware model also provides informative recommendations for code transformations and tuning.
Reality and rumour: the grey areas of international development in Guatemala

AbstractIn Guatemala, development projects and practitioners are frequently associated with rumours. These rumours, often related to suspicions of ulterior motives, have a high degree of potency and endurance. This paper investigates this relationship between development and rumour, focusing on some of the more prevalent rumours including robaninos (baby-stealers), religious rumours regarding the Antichrist and rumours related to vaccinations and sterilisation. As a counter to perspectives which essentialise a lack of education in the perpetuation of rumours, I explore how they become devices through which one can understand power imbalances and everyday violence(s) inherent in many development projects and processes.
Regulation and the Fate of Personalized Medicine

Future innovation in personalized medicine in the United States depends largely upon the regulatory and legal climate and actions taken by the FDA.
Students’ Application of Concavity and Inflection Points to Real-World Contexts

The calculus concepts of concavity and inflection points are critical for a complete understanding of quantities’ behavior, making them important topics of research for those interested in the intersections of STEM disciplines. This study seeks to provide insight into this area by reporting on trends in students’ concept projections of these concepts in a range of real-world contexts, including temperature, economics, human height, and the universe’s expansion. While the students mostly thought of concavity and inflection points in pure mathematics as shapes associated with graphs, the projections with the real-world contexts were based much more on changing rates of change. Pedagogically important student confusions were also evident in their attempts at applying concavity and inflection points to the real-world contexts, and this paper uses the concept projection perspective to identify possible sources of these confusions.
Enhancement of Ebola virus infection by seminal amyloid fibrils

The 2014 western Africa Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic was unprecedented in magnitude, infecting over 28,000 and causing over 11,000 deaths. During this outbreak, multiple instances of EBOV sexual transmission were reported, including cases where the infectious individual had recovered from EBOV disease months before transmission. Potential human host factors in EBOV sexual transmission remain unstudied. Several basic seminal amyloids, most notably semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI), enhance in vitro infection by HIV and several other viruses. To test the ability of these peptides to enhance EBOV infection, viruses bearing the EBOV glycoprotein (EboGP) were preincubated with physiological concentrations of SEVI before infection of physiologically relevant cell lines and primary cells. Preincubation with SEVI significantly increased EboGP-mediated infectivity and replication in epithelium- and monocyte-derived cell lines. This enhancement was dependent upon amyloidogenesis and positive charge, and infection results were observed with both viruses carrying EboGP and authentic EBOV as well as with semen. SEVI enhanced binding of virus to cells and markedly increased its subsequent internalization. SEVI also stimulated uptake of a fluid phase marker by macropinocytosis, a critical mechanism by which cells internalize EBOV. We report a previously unrecognized ability of SEVI and semen to significantly alter viral physical properties critical for transmissibility by increasing the stability of EboGP-bearing recombinant viruses during incubation at elevated temperature and providing resistance to desiccation. Given the potential for EBOV sexual transmission to spark new transmission chains, these findings represent an important interrogation of factors potentially important for this EBOV transmission route.
Economics and the Family

It has only been in the last 30 years that modern economic analysis has been brought to bear on the family. The pioneering work in this area was done by Nobel laureate Gary Becker in the 1960s and 1970s as has since been consolidated into his monograph, A Treatise on the Family (1981, 1991). Since that time some of the primary areas of interest for economists have been: (1) factors influencing marriage formation and dissolution; (2) economic consequences of divorce and separation; (3) time allocation within the family, including changing patterns of labor supply for married women and time devoted to household tasks by married men and women; (4) trends in earnings inequality; (5) trends in wage inequality between women and men; (6) poverty, welfare reform, and the interactions between income maintenance, dependency, and family stability; (7) altruism and intergenerational transfers of wealth and human capital (educational and learning abilities); (8) the economic status of the elderly; and (9) the economic status of children. All of these issues are addressed in this chapter, but time allocation and issues relating to poverty and welfare receive disproportionate weight.
Trampling Athletes' Due Process Rights

This op-ed piece highlights the government's partnership with the United States Anti-Doping Agency to fight performance-enhancing drug use in sport. This piece argues that using government power to develop evidence against athletes and ultimately ban them from competition may be what is needed to clean up sport, but "cleaning up" sport in this way entitles athletes to constitutional-level due process protections.
Theoretical study of the Λ-doubling parameters for X2Π OH

Abstract Theoretical Λ-doubling parameters (pv and qv) and centrifugal distortion parameters (pDv and qDv) are computed for all vibrational levels (v ≤ 15) of the X2Π ground state of OH. All calculations were carried out using extended basis sets of Slater-type orbitals and rather large configuration-interaction wave functions. The contributions of five perturbing 2Σ states, namely A2Σ+, (1)2Σ−, B2Σ+, C2Σ+, and D2Σ− are explicitly included. Although agreement with the available experimental data is excellent (within several percent), the inherent inaccuracies in computing off-diagonal matrix elements involving the L+ and H50 operators preclude the prediction of Λ-doubling transitions with sufficient accuracy (a few Mhz) to reliably aid radioastronomers. The unique perturber or pure precession approximation breaks down as the OH molecule is dissociated, but the infinite second-order sums do appear converged with the inclusion of several 2Σ states.
Allocating Resources within Health Care: Critical Care vs. Prevention

This is the strong response of Dr. Louis Del Guercio to the prospect of cutbacks in federal support for critical care, taken from his 1977 presidental address to the Society For Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Del Guercio’s remarks illustrate one side of a continuing controversy about how much society ought to invest in critical care medicine, the care of patients with severe, life-threatening illness or injury. This paper will be devoted to an examination of that controversy. First, however, I would like to place the controversy within the broader context of concern about the cost of health care.
Coincidence and Absorption Measurements on Cs 134 , I 124 , Au 199 , and Ca 45

The beta-ray spectrum of ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{134}$ was investigated by absorption and beta-gamma-coincidence measurements. Beta-rays of 0.60 Mev and about 90 kev were observed. In ${\mathrm{I}}^{124}$, the maximum energy of the beta-rays was found to be 2.30 Mev and beta-gamma-coincidences showed the beta-spectrum to be simple. A maximum gamma-ray energy of 2.24 Mev was observed with several lower energy gamma-rays indicated. Gamma-gamma-coincidences were found, but coincidences between beta-particles and internal conversion electrons could not be detected. ${\mathrm{Au}}^{199}$ exhibited a beta-ray of 0.32 Mev, and the beta-gamma-coincidence rate per beta-ray was independent of absorber thickness. A maximum gamma-ray energy of about 0.21 Mev was found by coincidence absorption of photoelectrons and coincidences between beta-particles and internal conversion electrons. Gamma-gamma-coincidences were obtained. The 43-minute isomeric state of Hg sometimes attributed to ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{199}$ was not observed to grow from ${\mathrm{Au}}^{199}$. ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{45}$ was found to have a single beta-ray of 0.22 Mev and no gamma-rays.
Association of occupational exposures with cardiovascular disease among US Hispanics/Latinos

Objective Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the USA. The role of occupational exposures to chemicals in the development of CVD has rarely been studied even though many agents possess cardiotoxic properties. We therefore evaluated associations of self-reported exposures to organic solvents, metals and pesticides in relation to CVD prevalence among diverse Hispanic/Latino workers. Methods Cross-sectional data from 7404 employed individuals, aged 18–74 years, enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) were analysed. Participants from four US cities provided questionnaire data and underwent clinical examinations, including ECGs. CVD was defined as the presence of at least one of the following: coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure or cerebrovascular disease. Prevalence ratios reflecting the relationship between each occupational exposure and CVD as well as CVD subtypes were calculated using Poisson regression models. Results Hispanic/Latino workers reported exposures to organic solvents (6.5%), metals (8.5%) and pesticides (4.7%) at their current jobs. Overall, 6.1% of participants had some form of CVD, with coronary heart disease as the most common (4.3%) followed by cerebrovascular disease (1.0%), heart failure (0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (0.7%). For individuals who reported working with pesticides, the prevalence ratios for any CVD were 2.18 (95% CI 1.34 to 3.55), coronary heart disease 2.20 (95% CI 1.31 to 3.71), cerebrovascular disease 1.38 (95% CI 0.62 3.03), heart failure 0.91 (95% CI 0.23 to 3.54) and atrial fibrillation 5.92 (95% CI 1.89 to 18.61) after adjustment for sociodemographic, acculturation, lifestyle and occupational characteristics. Metal exposures were associated with an almost fourfold (3.78, 95% CI 1.24 to 11.46) greater prevalence of atrial fibrillation. Null associations were observed for organic solvent exposures. Conclusions Our results suggest that working with metals and pesticides could be risk factors for CVD among Hispanic/Latino workers. Further work is needed to evaluate these relationships prospectively.
The Molecular Biology Database Collection: 2006 update

The NAR Molecular Biology Database Collection is a public online resource that contains links to all databases described in this issue of Nucleic Acids Research. In addition, this collection lists databases that have been featured in previous issues of NAR, as well as selected other databases that are freely available to the public and may be useful to the molecular biologist. The 2006 update includes 858 databases, 139 more than the previous one. The databases come with brief summaries, many of which have been updated recently. Each database is assigned a stable accession number that does not change if the database moves to a new location and its URL, authors' names or the contact person address are updated. The complete database list and summaries are available online at the Nucleic Acids Research website http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/.