cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conceptual Scoring and Classification Accuracy of Vocabulary Testing in Bilingual Children.

Purpose This study examined the effects of single-language and conceptual scoring on the vocabulary performance of bilingual children with and without specific language impairment. We assessed clas...
Cassirer and Dirac on the Symbolic Method in Quantum Mechanics: A Confluence of Opposites

Determinismus und Indeterminismus in der modernen Physik (DI) is one of Cassirer’s least known and studied works, despite his own assessment as “one of his most important achievements” (Gawronsky 1949, 29). A prominent theme locates quantum mechanics as a yet further step of the tendency within physical theory towards the purely functional theory of the concept and functional characterization of objectivity. In this respect DI can be considered an “update”, like the earlier monograph Zur Einsteinschen Relativitatstheorie: Erkenntnistheoretische Betrachtungen (1921), to Substanzbegriff und Funktionsbegriff (1910), a seminal work considering only classical and pre-relativistic physics. But how does DI cohere with the three volumes of The Philosophy of Symbolic Forms (1923–29) providing a systematic survey of symbolic meanings in diverse aspects of culture, each with its own mode of “objectification” via self-created signs and images? Cassirer’s “phenomenology of cognition” via distinct types of symbolic form locates Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics (1930) as an exemplar within physical theory of purely symbolic thought, a realm of pure relations and their correlated meanings. In particular, Dirac’s characterization of the new notion of “physical state” in quantum mechanics by a “symbolic algebra of observables” severed from particular representations points to a limiting pole of the Bedeutungsfunktion, the third and highest mode of symbolic formation.
Wintertime Overnight NOx Removal in a Southeastern United States Coal‐fired Power Plant Plume: A Model for Understanding Winter NOx Processing and its Implications

Nitric oxide (NO) is emitted in large quantities from coal-burning power plants. During the day, the plumes from these sources are efficiently mixed into the boundary layer, while at night, they may remain concentrated due to limited vertical mixing during which they undergo horizontal fanning. At night, the degree to which NO is converted to HNO3 and therefore unable to participate in next-day ozone (O3) formation depends on the mixing rate of the plume, the composition of power plant emissions, and the composition of the background atmosphere. In this study, we use observed plume intercepts from the Wintertime INvestigation of Transport, Emissions and Reactivity (WINTER) campaign to test sensitivity of overnight NOx removal to the N2O5 loss rate constant, plume mixing rate, background O3, and background levels of volatile organic compounds using a 2-D box model of power plant plume transport and chemistry. The factor that exerted the greatest control over NOx removal was the loss rate constant of N2O5. At the lowest observed N2O5 loss rate constant, no other combination of conditions converts more than 10 percent of the initial NOx to HNO3. The other factors did not influence NOx removal to the same degree.
Family and consumer sciences education national curriculum standards: implementation plans for reform

This study documented the implementation of the national teaching and learning standards developed and published in 1998 for family and consumer sciences curricula in secondary schools. Telephone interviews were used to collect data from 44 family and consumer sciences administrators in state departments of education. The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) provided a framework for developing an interview schedule to identify the level and degree of use, concerns, and models of implementation related to the family and consumer sciences national standards. Descriptive statistics were generated to summarize the data pertaining to the number of states using or not using the family and consumer sciences national standards, components of 16 areas of study most/least used, and the attitudes of family and consumer sciences state administrators toward the standards. Data from open-ended questions were analyzed using hand sorting methods to identify common themes related to concerns and models of implementation. The interview results showed that 93% of these state department of education family and consumer sciences administrators were implementing the national standards in their states. The top reasons identified for implementing the
The life and work of James F. Didusch.

This retrospective look at the life and work of James F. Didusch emphasizes the brilliance of his talent and the great value of his contribution to the medical sciences. Didusch was the first student of Max Brodel in the Department of Art As Applied to Medicine at Johns Hopkins University from 1911 to 1913. When the Carnegie Institute of Embryology was established at Johns Hopkins in 1913, Didusch was appointed as its illustrator. He remained the Carnegie Illustrator until his death in 1955. His rich treasury of artwork represents a lifelong pursuit and is a vital contribution to the field of medical illustration.
Does Emotion Regulation Mediate the Relation Between Family-of-Origin Violence and Intimate Partner Violence?

Family-of-origin violence (FOV), including child maltreatment and exposure to interparental violence during childhood, is frequently cited as a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) in ad...
Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Characterization of Tetrahydrocannabinol-Induced Cannabinoid Dependence After Chronic Passive Cannabis Smoke Exposure in Rats.

Introduction: Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the US, and cannabis use among young adults continues to rise. Previous studies have shown that chronic administration of delta 9-tetr...
Population Health Management during Student Pharmacist Introductory Experiential Education to Expand Clinical Pharmacist Impact.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of incorporating pre-advanced pharmacy practice experience (pre-APPE) student pharmacists into three different population health management (PHM) projects. Methods: The prospective quality improvement projects incorporated three third-year student pharmacists who developed and conducted individual PHM projects over the course of three to seven months. The projects included hypoglycemia screening, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus screening, and statin use evaluations for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk reduction. Under the guidance of a clinical pharmacist, students developed project materials, conducted patient chart reviews, and contacted patients to make interventions such as recommendations for therapy, ambulatory patient monitoring, patient education, and arranging provider follow-up. Student impact was evaluated through the number of patients screened, the number of eligible patients contacted, and the total number of interventions or recommendations made. Student time spent was tracked throughout the projects. Results: Out of 244 patients screened, 198 patients met inclusion criteria and 162 patients were contacted or assessed by a student pharmacist. Students made a total of 319 interventions, including patient education (132), patient monitoring (132), pharmacotherapy recommendations (28), and arranging follow-up (27). On average students screened 33 patients per month, and, per patient, required 8.6 minutes for eligibility assessment and approximately 6 minutes for telephone interviews. Conclusion: This report demonstrates that pre-APPE student pharmacists are well-equipped to design and implement PHM projects. Utilization of student pharmacists in similar PHM programs can expand the pharmacist’s impact on patient care in the ambulatory care setting. Article Type: Original Research
Usability of a Wrist-Worn Smartwatch in a Direct-to-Participant Randomized Pragmatic Clinical Trial.

Background: The availability of a wide range of innovative wearable sensor technologies today allows for the ability to capture and collect potentially important health-related data in ways not previously possible. These sensors can be adopted in digitalized clinical trials, i.e., clinical trials conducted outside the clinic to capture data about study participants in their day-to-day life. However, having participants activate, charge, and wear the digital sensors for long hours may prove to be a significant obstacle to the success of these trials. Objective: This study explores a broad question of wrist-wearable sensor effectiveness in terms of data collection as well as data that are analyzable per individual. The individuals who had already consented to be part of an asymptomatic atrial fibrillation screening trial were directly sent a wrist-wearable activity and heart rate tracker device to be activated and used in a home-based setting. Methods: A total of 230 participants with a median age of 71 years were asked to wear the wristband as frequently as possible, night and day, for at least a 4-month monitoring period, especially to track heart rhythm during sleep. Results: Of the individuals who received the device, 43% never transmitted any data. Those who used the device wore it a median of ∼15 weeks (IQR 2–24) and for 5.3 days (IQR 3.2–6.5) per week. For rhythm detection purposes, only 5.6% of all recorded data from individuals were analyzable (with beat-to-beat intervals reported). Conclusions: This study provides some important learnings. It showed that in an older population, despite initial enthusiasm to receive a consumer-quality wrist-based fitness device, a large proportion of individuals never activated the device. However, it also found that for a majority of participants it was possible to successfully collect wearable sensor data without clinical oversight inside a home environment, and that once used, ongoing wear time was high. This suggests that a critical barrier to overcome when incorporating a wearable device into clinical research is making its initiation of use as easy as possible for the participant.
Patient outcomes for the Internal Joint Stabilizer of the Elbow (IJS-E)

Background Recently, the Internal Joint Stabilizer of the Elbow (IJS-E) was developed as an internal dynamic fixator for use in the setting of traumatic elbow instability. This study reviews the patients who had an IJS-E placed at our institution. Specifically, postoperative complications, postoperative functional outcomes, and need for subsequent procedures were reviewed. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients in whom the IJS-E was implanted from June 2016 to July 2018. Indications for use, range of motion at final follow-up, and the need for subsequent procedures were reviewed. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and Broberg-Morrey scores were also obtained. Results Ten IJS-E devices were implanted into 10 patients. Average length of follow-up was 13.4 months. Average flexion-extension and pronation-supination motion arcs at final follow-up were 106° and 141°, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of patients achieved >100° arcs of both flexion-extension and pronation-supination. Average DASH and Broberg-Morrey scores were 28.7 and 68.2, respectively. Four subsequent procedures were required in 4 patients: 2 contracture releases, 1 medial collateral ligament reconstruction, and 1 total elbow arthroplasty. There were no postoperative infections or nerve injuries. Discussion The IJS-E has replaced the use of external hinged fixation at our institution. Final range of motion was consistent with that reported for terrible triad and complex elbow dislocation injuries. The IJS-E is a good option for use in patients with traumatic elbow instability, as it restores motion and function without immediate postoperative complication. However, it does not eliminate the potential for future operative intervention in these complex injuries.
Factors Associated With Residual Kidney Function and Proteinuria After Living Kidney Donation in the United States.

Background Living kidney donors are carefully screened, but despite overall good health, long-term donor outcomes have been shown to vary by predonation demographics. Since 2013, the United Network for Organ Sharing has mandated 2-year postdonation follow-up with measurements of kidney function and proteinuria. Methods Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we sought to analyze donor factors associated with the percent change of kidney function from baseline (predonation) to 2-year postdonation, along with incidence of proteinuria reported within the same follow-up period. Results Older donor age, male gender, black race, and body mass index >25 kg/m2 were independently associated with a greater percent decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Male gender, black race, and higher body mass index were also independently associated with incident proteinuria. In contrast, younger donor age was associated with proteinuria, but proteinuria did not correlate with greater decline in eGFR in the overall cohort. Conclusions Donor factors associated with lower eGFR at 2-year postdonation were similar to those previously found to be associated with long-term risk for end-stage renal disease. Early postdonation assessment of kidney function and proteinuria may help to identify donors who are at greater risk of end-stage renal disease and who may benefit from more intense long-term monitoring.
Alternative flavored and unflavored tobacco product use and cigarette quit attempts among current smokers experiencing homelessness.

Abstract Introduction Alternative tobacco product (ATP) use is common in the general population; however, few studies have explored ATP among individuals experiencing homelessness. We recruited individuals experiencing homelessness who were current cigarette smokers to explore flavored and unflavored ATP use and its association with past-year cigarette quit attempts. Methods Using time-location sampling, we recruited participants from eight service sites in San Francisco, CA between December 2017 and July 2018. We explored type of ATP use and perceptions of product addiction, harm and risk between cigarette-only smokers and those who used cigarettes and ATPs (‘ATP users’). We used logistic regression to examine the association between ATP and past-year quit attempts, adjusting for demographics, substance use disorders, depressive symptoms, and cigarette use characteristics. Results Among the 470 participants, 34.5% were cigarette-only users and 65.5% were ATP users. Among ATP users, 74.0% used cigars and 29.8% used e-cigarettes in the past month, with fruit-flavored products being the most common. ATP users were more likely to perceive cigars, blunts, and smokeless tobacco to be quite to extremely harmful or addictive compared to cigarette-only users. ATP use was not associated with past-year quit attempts, whereas hazardous alcohol use (OR = 2.07; CI 1.07–4.02) was associated with higher odds and and amphetamine use (OR = 0.50; CI 0.26–0.98) was associated with lower odds of past-year attempts. Conclusions High rates of ATP use highlight a need for studies that explore motivations for use, beyond use as a smoking cessation aid, among people experiencing homelessness.
Characteristics of Multiple Myeloma as an Immunodeficiency Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the immunologic deficiencies associated with multiple myeloma and explores certain theories that have been developed to explain the abnormal immune function seen in this disease. Patients with multiple myeloma have a complex series of immunological defects that are dominated by defects in humoral immunity, and especially characterized by reduction in polyclonal immunoglobulin levels with reduced capacity to produce antibodies to antigenic challenge. However, these patients also have disorders of antigen nonspecific host defenses that include disorders of granulocytes and complement function and modest disorders of specific cell-mediated immunity that contribute to the increased incidence of infections associated with multiple myeloma. It was postulated that myeloma cells release specific mitotic inhibitors, so-called chalones, which block the critical expansion of normal B-lymphocyte lines in response to antigenic challenge. In a study described in the chapter, it was found that in plasmacytoma-bearing mice, there was a depressed ability of transplanted normal spleen cells confined within Millipore chambers to produce antibody. These data were initially taken to suggest that the plasmacytoma-related immune suppression was mediated by a tumor-derived circulating factor. However, the humoral suppressive factors that have been identified in several systems appear to be produced by host immunoregulatory cells rather than by the malignant plasma cells as would be required in a chalone theory.
An Approach to Optimize Future Inbound Logistics Processes Using Machine Learning Algorithms

The manufacturing industry is in rapid change due to the increasing amount of market changes. Therefore, the accuracy of planning is critical for the manufacturers since it reflects on the global supply chain network. For inbound logistics, a variety of goods comes from different suppliers and locations to the manufacturing plants. Planning these inbound logistics relies on product readiness, manufacturing plant planning, procurement, and their continually changing information. This paper focuses on machine learning algorithms, such as K-nearest neighbors (KNN), decision trees, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), to improve planning inbound logistics processes. These algorithms that monitor and train on customer preferences, weather, regulations, and other complex planning factors in the planning process. In the planning process, half of the time is consumed on preparing and collecting the information, and the gained knowledge is not used efficiently. Therefore, this paper proposes an approach to optimize future inbound logistics processes using machine learning algorithms such as kNN, decision trees, SVM, and ANN.
Review of Forensic Applications of the MMPI-2-RF by Martin Sellbom & Dustin Wygant (2018). minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota press. 328 pp. $30 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-5179-0352-7

Sellbom and Wygant are in a unique position to write on the forensic applications of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011). Both wer...
Peer-to-peer energy sharing with battery storage: Energy pawn in the smart grid

Abstract This paper proposes a peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading framework, allowing distributed photovoltaic (PV) prosumers and consumers to participate in a community sharing market established by a stakeholder, i.e., an energy pawn (EP). The EP is responsible for installing, connecting, managing, and maintaining the specific P2P sharing network, and possesses a publicly accessible battery energy storage (ES) system that can be used to facilitate the energy sharing within the community. A hierarchical P2P sharing market infrastructure is considered, where the interactions among the EP, prosumers, and consumers are modeled by a leader–follower framework. The EP is responsible for i) optimizing the capacity scheduling of the ES system based on forecasting-based rolling-horizon decision-marking, and ii) determining the selling and buying prices within the market. Meanwhile, prosumers and consumers will adjust their energy consumption as response to different sharing prices for maximizing consumption satisfactions based on their utility functions. With the framework, both PV prosumers and consumers can trade with the EP to balance their excess solar generation or insufficient demand to reduce electricity bills. A dynamic pricing algorithm is proposed for EP to determine the internal buying and selling prices simultaneously, and Q-learning is employed to solve the proposed hierarchical decision-making problem. An energy sharing case with 10 agents is studied to validate the effectiveness in terms of the economic benefits and PV sharing enhancement, as well as the reduction of the negawatt fed back into the grid. This study serves to provide a promising win-win-win solution for the utility grid, EP, and P2P market agents.
A Qualitative Study on How Students Interact with Quizzes and Estimate Confidence on Their Answers

Many prior work from various disciplines, including computing education, investigated how students interact with quizzes and how their interactions impact their learning outcomes. However, most of their results are based on quantitative analysis which does not offer detailed nuances behind the actual behaviors of students. Some prior studies took a qualitative approach but they focused mainly on students' perception on quizzes in general or student behaviors strictly while they work on the quizzes. Thus, our work conducted a qualitative study on how students interact with quizzes in a broader context, by also including their motivation for doing quizzes and the next steps they take after completing a quiz. By investigating observed student behaviors from the interviews with respect to their performance on the midterm exam, our results revealed a variety of student interactions and how they are related to performance. Our findings also provide some suggestions on how instructors should engage students with quizzes for effective learning.
Functionalized carbon nanotube microfibers for chronic neural implants

Abstract Background Much progress has been made at the interface between neural tissue and electrodes for neurophysiology. However, there continues to be a need for novel materials that integrate well with the nervous system and facilitate neural recordings with longer-term sustainability and stability. Such materials have the potential to improve clinical approaches and provide important tools for basic neuroscience research. New method In this paper, we explore the use of dry-spun untreated or functionalized carbon nanotube fibers as implantable electrodes for neural recordings from insects over extended time periods. Results Measurements of fly eyes responding to light flashes illustrate the suitability of these materials for recording both the low- and high-frequency components of neural signals. Repeated recordings show good sustainability, especially with functionalized carbon nanotube fibers. In particular, recordings from the optic lobes of Madagascar hissing cockroaches last for at least 8 weeks. Comparison with existing method(s) Electrophysiological research continues to rely heavily on metal electrodes that are good for short-lived preparations but less suitable for longer-term recordings, as scar tissue formation and cytotoxicity tend to cause a gradual reduction in signals. Conclusions Functionalized carbon nanotubes are a promising novel material that can be used to obtain long-term or repeated stable recordings, which are necessary for longitudinal studies, or to maintain other neural tissue interfaces such as those in insect–machine hybrid robots. The introduced insect preparation can also be used for the relatively rapid and cost-efficient testing of novel electrode materials.
Climate change and mental health: a commentary

Climate change represents a major global challenge. Some hallmarks of climate change that have been connected to human activity include an increase of 0.8–1.2 °C in global temperatures as well as the warming of upper ocean water. Importantly, approximately 500 million people worldwide face the consequences of desertification. Simultaneously, the world population has grown from 1.6 billion in 1900 to 7.7 billion today, greatly exacerbating the human toll of devastating environmental disasters, which result in increasingly larger and more common mass migrations that also fuel human trafficking and modern-day slavery. The mental health outcomes are staggering and include, in the context of chronic stress, addiction, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, major depression, and suicidality. Mental health practitioners, healthcare systems, and governments across the world need to be prepared to address the mental health sequelae of climate change.
Fraudulent Identification and Biography

Deception regarding identity and biography are common but little commented upon features of contemporary life. Consider the following examples: In 1981 Robert Granberg went on a fishing boat with two other men. His companions reported that he fell into the ocean and disappeared. His wife then filed insurance claims for $6 million. In fact, he jumped overboard, swam ashore, and went to England. The four were eventually indicted. An engineer in New Jersey working alone set up a number of fictitious companies, obtained bank loans, and fed false information into a credit card service that one of his “companies” subscribed to. He created records for more than 300 nonexistent people and gave them impeccable credit records. He obtained more than 1,000 creditcards. He was able to operate for 4 years and spent $600,000 before he was stopped. Ferdinand Waldo Demara (whom Tony Curtis, aka Bernard Schwartz, pretended to be in the 1960 film The Great Imposter) passed himself off as a Royal Canadian Navy surgeon, a monk, a teacher, and an assistant warden of a Texas prison.
Un paso de América: Alfonso Reyes, Victoria Ocampo y el cosmopolitismo en la década de 1930 / Un paso de América: Alfonso Reyes, Victoria Ocampo and the Cosmopolitanism in the 1930’s

El articulo trata de las construcciones americanistas del cosmopolitismo (entendido en relacion a la geopolitica imperial) en los textos de Victoria Ocampo y Alfonso Reyes de los anos treinta. Al analizar su relacion con los movimientos de inmigracion y la subsiguiente revalorizacion de la nacion, el articulo postula que en Alfonso Reyes la mediacion cosmopolita es «des-jerarquizada», ubicada casi siempre en una «periferia», a diferencia de Victoria Ocampo cuyas visiones cosmopolitas son mediadas desde un «centro» —ya sea Paris o Buenos Aires— y relacionadas con una jerarquia de valores esteticos y politicos. The article deals with Americanist constructions of cosmopolitanism (understood in relation to the imperial geopolitics) in the texts of Victoria Ocampo and Alfonso Reyes in the 1930’s. Upon analyzing its relationship with immigration movements and the subsequent revaluation of the nation, the article suggests that in Alfonso Reyes cosmopolitan mediation is «dis-hierarchized», almost always located in a periphery, unlike Victoria Ocampo whose cosmopolitan visions are mediated from a «center» —either Paris or Buenos Aires— and related to a hierarchy of aesthetic and political values.
Hysterosalpingography with ethiodol

T HE position of hysterosalpingography in gynecological diagnosis has changed radically during the past 10 years. Most workers, including myself, have come to regard it as an integral part of any sterility investigation, because roentgenograms will give some information on the anatomical structure of the uterus and Fallopian tubes, whereas tubal insufflation merely shows their patency or occlusion. Many gynecologists have begun to take uterosalpingograms in their offices or have been instrumental in having the contrast medium injected at the roentgenologist’s office ; they, therefore, have had to familiarize themselves with the advantages and properties of different opaque media.
Contribution of positioning to work-related musculoskeletal discomfort in diagnostic medical sonographers

Background Musculoskeletal pain and discomfort due to work exposure is experienced by 90% of sonographers. Survey research has provided a wealth of information to document this problem, but few studies have attempted to directly measure and identify the source of these disorders.
Longevity in obese and lean male and female rats of the Zucker strain: prevention of hyperphagia

Zucker obese (fa/fa) and lean (Fa/Fa) rats were fed a soy protein diet ad libitum under barrier conditions from 4 wk of age until death. Obese rats were also pair fed with lean controls to prevent hyperphagia. Time of death was determined and tissues collected at necropsy for histologic examination. Lean rats had longer 10th percentile survivorship (males 966 compared with 667 d, females 983 compared with 620 d) and maximum life spans (males 1067 compared with 803 d, females 1163 compared with 744 d) than did obese rats. Preventing hyperphagia increased maximum life span in both males (1010 d) and females (975 d). Pathologies in lean rats were similar to those reported for other rodent strains. For obese rats fed ad libitum, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was the major cause of mortality (males: 91.1%, females: 93.3%). Prevention of hyperphagia decreased deaths attributable to ESRD (males: 64.4%, females: 51.1%). A smaller restriction in energy intake (8-18%) required to prevent hyperphagia compared with the 35-40% in most other studies produced similar increases in longevity, suggesting that obese Zucker rats are particularly sensitive to energy restriction. Amelioration of early onset of renal disease is a likely explanation. Percentage body fat in food-restricted obese rats did not differ from that of animals fed ad libitum; thus, reduced longevity is not the result of obesity per se, but rather is influenced by other metabolic pathologies occurring in this strain of rats homozygous for the fa gene. Because microalbuminuria with progression to ESRD is a complication in human obesity, the Zucker strain offers the opportunity to investigate initiating mechanisms of this pathology.
Biomarkers of Neuroprogression in Bipolar Disorder

In bipolar disorder (BD), illness progression has been associated with a higher number of mood episodes and hospitalizations, reduced interepisode intervals, poorer response to treatment, and cognitive/functional impairment. The term ‘neuroprogression” has been proposed to describe the pathological rewiring of the brain that takes place when clinical and cognitive deterioration occurs in the context of the progression of BD. Accordingly, neuroprogression would correspond to the biological underpinnings of illness progression and staging in BD. In some cases of BD it is possible to identify an active process of neuroprogression mediated by immune activation which cincludes: a) inflammation, b) changes in growth factors, c) oxidative stress and d) mitochondrial dysfunction. Recent evidence showing neuroinflammation in BD suggest that it may be associated with neuroprogressive changes such as incremental volume loss in brain, cognitive changes, and a declining likelihood of response to pharmacological and psychosocial treatments. Prompt treatment may be potentially neuroprotective and attenuate the volumetric and neurocognitive changes that emerge with chronicity. Accumulating evidence suggest that the assessment of immune activation in BD may be a means to assess illness progression. Interventions aiming at reducing immune activation in BD are currently being tested.
Sustained morphine-mediated pain sensitization and antinociceptive tolerance are blocked by intrathecal treatment with Raf-1-selective siRNA

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Long-term morphine treatment enhances pain neurotransmitter [such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)] levels in the spinal cord. It has been suggested previously that increased spinal CGRP may contribute to sustained morphine-mediated paradoxical pain sensitization and antinociceptive tolerance. Previous in vitro studies from our group indicated that Raf-1 kinase-mediated adenylyl cyclase superactivation played a crucial role in sustained morphine-mediated augmentation of basal and evoked CGRP release from cultured primary sensory neurons. The present study was aimed to evaluate the physiological significance of this molecular mechanism in vivo, in rats.
A Reinvestigation of Southern California Rocky Intertidal Beaches Three and One-Half Years after the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill: A Preliminary Report

ABSTRACT Ten rocky intertidal beaches in southern California, which were surveyed for a 12 month period following the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, were reinvestigated in June and July of 1972. Data from this 1972 survey as well as data collected during the same months on the same beaches in 1969 and 1970 were analyzed by forming beach groupings using cluster analysis. This analysis indicates that sand movement and substrate stability are the two most important factors affecting the presence of marine organisms on these beaches during this period. Overall, the effect of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill on the presence and abundance of rocky intertidal organisms was less important than other environmental factors. Most mortalities reported were localized in tide pools and high intertidal areas.
Pathogenic Escherichia coli

Few microorganisms are as versatile as Escherichia coli. An important member of the normal intestinal microflora of humans and other mammals, E. coli has also been widely exploited as a cloning host in recombinant DNA technology. But E. coli is more than just a laboratory workhorse or harmless intestinal inhabitant; it can also be a highly versatile, and frequently deadly, pathogen. Several different E. coli strains cause diverse intestinal and extraintestinal diseases by means of virulence factors that affect a wide range of cellular processes.
Role of Individual Neurons and Neural Networks in Cognitive Functioning of the Brain: A New Insight

Abstract The prevailing concept in modern neuroscience is that neuron networks play a dominant role in the functioning of the nervous system, whereas the role of individual neurons is rather insignificant. This concept suggests that “individuality” of single neurons is primarily determined by their place in a network rather than their intrinsic properties. Here I argue that individual neurons may play an important, if not decisive, role in performing cognitive functions of the brain. This tentative viewpoint is supported by experimental and clinical insights into disorders of cognitive functions and by genetic studies of cognitive abilities and disabilities. The results obtained in these studies indicate that many specific cognitive functions are carried out by groups of highly specialized neurons whose roles in performing these functions are genetically predetermined and their activity could not be substituted by the activity of other neurons. In this context, the main role of neural networks and intercellular interactions is to form dynamic ensembles of neurons involved in performing a given cognitive function.
High-Touch and Here-to-Stay: Future Skills Demands in US Low Wage Service Occupations:

Interactive service occupations, requiring face-to-face contact, are rapidly growing in the US as they are typically not susceptible to larger trends of off-shoring and computerization. Yet convent...
Tart cherry anthocyanins inhibit tumor development in ApcMin mice and reduce proliferation of human colon cancer cells

Anthocyanins, which are bioactive phytochemicals, are widely distributed in plants and especially enriched in tart cherries. Based on previous observations that tart cherry anthocyanins and their respective aglycone, cyanidin, can inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes, we conducted experiments to test the potential of anthocyanins to inhibit intestinal tumor development in Apc(Min) mice and growth of human colon cancer cell lines. Mice consuming the cherry diet, anthocyanins, or cyanidin had significantly fewer and smaller cecal adenomas than mice consuming the control diet or sulindac. Colonic tumor numbers and volume were not significantly influenced by treatment. Anthocyanins and cyanidin also reduced cell growth of human colon cancer cell lines HT 29 and HCT 116. The IC(50) of anthocyanins and cyanidin was 780 and 63 microM for HT 29 cells, respectively and 285 and 85 microM for HCT 116 cells, respectively. These results suggest that tart cherry anthocyanins and cyanidin may reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Acute pericarditis simulating acute coronary occlusion

Abstract Fourteen cases are presented, together with evidence which we believe justifies a diagnosis of acute infectious pericarditis, rather than acute coronary occlusion. Because of the nature and location of the pain, coronary occlusion had to be considered. In several instances in which a friction rub was heard, the natural inclination was to make a diagnosis of acute pericarditis, until the electrocardiographic changes confused the issue. The clinical and electrocardiographic grounds on which we have concluded that the correct diagnosis in each of these cases was acute infectious pericarditis have been stated. In these cases the disease uniformly ran a benign course, with good recovery and without any evidence of significant impairment of cardiac function. Time alone will tell whether, in any of these cases, the disease will go on to the development of constrictive pericarditis, although we do not believe that it will. We have not found it necessary to impose any restriction on the normal activity of these people after the lapse of the few weeks to two or three months which were required for recovery. The indefinite pain in the chest which was observed occasionally in these persons subsequent to their acute attacks has not been accompanied by any demonstrable cardiac abnormality, has not been productive of any signs of myocardial insufficiency, and does not appear to nullify the good prognosis given to these patients. Although none of these diagnoses was verified by post-mortem studies, the observations on the characteristics of the electrocardiographic changes which are seen in pericarditis are based on the results of investigations on pericarditis in animals and in other cases of pericarditis in man in which post-mortem studies were made. It is our belief that this is an important problem. If our thesis is correct, there must be occasional instances in daily practice in which a lack of appreciation of the distinctions made here results in mistaking acute pericarditis for acute coronary occlusion. It is of the utmost importance that such a mistake be avoided, because the immediate and ultimate prognosis and the program of future restrictions in the two conditions are so utterly different that great injustice to the patient may result from failure to make the correct diagnosis.
Mediating claims to artistry: Social stratification in a local visual arts community

Participant observation was employed to analyze the stratification of artists in the visual art world around a small northeastern American city. Reflecting their art world reputation, artists' strata included naifs, hobbyists, serious amateurs, aspiring preprofessionals, and professionals. The local careers of some artists moved progressively from lower to higher reaches of the system; as they moved upward, their level of professional commitment, art world involvement, knowledge of art, skill, and artistic style tended to change also. Except among professionals, the great majority were women. Overall, certain art styles were selectively favored. The most important selective mechanisms were formal art education, professionalization, artistic style, network centrality, jurying, and sales. With a few recent exceptions, truly naive and imitative traditional styles were excluded from the upper levels in favor of modernist abstraction, innovative figuration, or sophisticated forms ofart brut.
Reflections on parenting practices in urban China today

The present paper includes reflections on parenting practices in urban China today. With the abrupt enactment of the one‐child family policy in China, and the discarding of the traditional cultural philosophy by the Communist Party, young parents in urban China were left with little to rely on in helping them with the parenting of their only‐child. Aspects of the traditional cultural philosophy were combined with the one‐child family policy, creating a unique set of parenting practices that led to reflections about the issues and concerns that have emerged as a result of this coalition in urban China.
Silk protein based hybrid photonic-plasmonic crystal

We propose a biocompatible hybrid photonic platform incorporating a 3D silk inverse opal (SIO) crystal and a 2D plasmonic crystal formed on the top surface of the SIO. This hybrid photonic-plasmonic crystal (HPPC) structure simultaneously exhibits both an extraordinary transmission and a pseudo-photonic band-gap in its transmission spectrum. We demonstrate the use of the HPPC as a refractive index (RI) sensor. By performing a multispectral analysis to analyze the RI value, a sensitivity of 200,000 nm·Δ%T/RIU (refractive index unit) is achieved.
DFT study of metal cation-induced hydrogelation of cellulose nanofibrils

We report a density functional theory study of cation-induced bonding between carboxylated cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). We describe a methodology of using cleaved cellulose crystal unit cells to develop simple surface and molecular models of charged CNFs. We compare bond lengths, binding energies, and displaced solvation volumes for interfibril models intercalated with alkali, alkaline earth, main group, or transition metal cations, surrounded by an implicit solvent. We characterize the type of bonding interactions that occur between metal cations, Mn+ and carboxylated CNF surfaces by calculating the electronic density of states and Mayer bond orders. We find that Mn+–O interactions for alkaline earth metal systems are predominantly electrostatic whereas transition metal cations form stronger, more covalent bonds with enhanced valence orbital overlap. Our results show that multivalent—as opposed to monovalent—ions can create CNF networks by effectively crosslinking multiple fibrils through surface carboxylate anions. Our computational results agree with empirical models of metal–carboxylate binding, while also providing a deeper understanding of the bonding mechanisms for different cations. Our findings help to explain trends in recent CNF hydrogelation experiments, and we also predict the existence of two new hydrogels—CNF-Mg2+ and CNF-Zr4+.
Schistosoma mansoni: factors affecting hatching of eggs

Abstract The effect of light, oxygen tension, reducing conditions and thermal shock on egg hatching in Schistosoma mansoni were examined. Hatching was found to be unaffected by light or dark conditions or aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Cold shock from 15 to 120 sec was also ineffective in stimulating hatching. The reducing agents ascorbic acid and cysteine inhibited egg hatching. However, the oxidized forms of these compounds inhibited hatching as well, indicating that the reducing conditions they provided were not responsible for the inhibition.
Characterization of melanosomes in murine Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome: mechanisms of hypopigmentation.

The Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome is a genetically heterogeneous autosomal recessive disorder affecting mice and humans, which causes oculocutaneous albinism, prolonged bleeding, and in some cases, pulmonary fibrosis or granulomatous colitis. We previously demonstrated that the gene defects causing murine Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome cause blocks in melanosome biogenesis and/or trafficking in 10 Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome strains. Here, we report an in vivo quantitative analysis on five additional murine models of the Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome. We demonstrate that all strains examined here except for ashen have defects in morphogenesis, the most severely affected is sandy, muted, and buff followed by subtle gray. The ashen strain only has a defect in secretion, as indicated by retention of melanosomes in melanocytes. We document three cellular mechanisms contributing to the hypopigmentation seen in the Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome: (1) exocytosis of immature hypopigmented melanosomes from melanocytes with subsequent keratinocyte uptake; (2) decreased intramelanocyte steady-state numbers of melanosomes available for transfer to keratinocytes; and (3) accumulation of melanosomes within melanocytes due to defective exocytosis, as seen in ashen. We also report that melanosomes in the DBA/2J strain, the parental strain of the Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome strain sandy, are abnormal, indicating that aberrant biogenesis of melanosomes may play a part in the pathogenesis of pigmentary glaucoma observed in these mice.
Junction termination extension for near-ideal breakdown voltage in p-n junctions

Extremely high breakdown voltages with very low leakage current have been achieved in plane and planar p-n junctions by using an ion-implanted junction extension for precise control of the depletion region charge in the junction termination. A theory is presented that shows a greatly improved control of both the peak surface and bulk electric fields in reverse biased p-n junctions. Experimental results show breakdown voltages greater than 95 percent of the ideal breakdown voltage with lower leakage currents than corresponding unimplanted devices. As an example, plane-junction moat-etch-terminated diodes with a normal breakdown voltage of 1050 V and a 0.5-mA leakage current become 1400 V (1450 ideal) devices with a 5-µA leakage current. Planar junctions, which broke down at 300 V, blocked as much as 1400 V if JTE terminated. Since planar junctions are of the greatest interest, we incorporated multiple field ring, field plate, and JTE terminations on a mask set and fabricated and tested thousands of devices. The results clearly showed that the ideal breakdown voltage can be achieved with less than 200 µm with JTE, where the same area would lead to 30 to 45 percent of the ideal with field rings and up to 40 to 50 percent of the ideal when used with field rings combined with field plates. Eight rings, even combined with a field plate, yielded less than 80 percent of the ideal breakdown voltage and required about 400 µm of device periphery.
On the denotations of anaphors

In the spirit of generalized quantifier theory, we provide direct interpretations for anaphors such as himself, herself, everyone but himself, no student but himself, both himself and the teacher, etc., as they occur in Ss like: Every worker criticized himself, No student criticized every student but himself, Some student criticized both himself and the teacher, etc. Then we provide a syntax independent definition of “anaphor” which enables us to non-circularly identify anaphors in different languages and to test the validity of claims such as “Anaphors are always locally c-commanded by their antecedents.” We also compute the sense in which anaphors increase logical expressive power by computing the size of the denotation set for anaphors as compared with mere non-anaphoric generalized quantifiers.
Heuristics in Spatial Analysis: A Genetic Algorithm for Coverage Maximization

Many government agencies and corporations face locational decisions, such as where to locate fire stations, postal facilities, nature reserves, computer centers, bank branches, and so on. To reach such location-related decisions, geographical information systems (GIS) are essential for providing access to spatial data and analysis tools. Moreover, geographic insights can be gained from GIS as they enable capabilities for better reflecting problems of interest in location modeling. The resulting models can be complex, however, and hence computationally challenging to solve. This article examines an important model for regional service coverage maximization. This model is solved heuristically using a genetic algorithm. The new heuristic innovatively incorporates problem-specific knowledge by exploring the geographical structure of the problem under study. Comparative application results demonstrate important nuances of the new genetic algorithm, enhancing overall performance.
Thermal behavior of some NiII and FeIII salts

Abstract The intermediate phases and reactions during the thermal decomposition of nitrates and acetates of NiII and FeIII as well as their mixtures were established using thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction. The thermal analyses were conducted in stagnant and flowing air using different heating rates. The results were also compared with those for NiII and FeIII hydroxides.