cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Green tea polyphenols and its consituent epigallocatechin gallate inhibits proliferation of human breast cancer in vitro and in vivo

2292 Tea [Camellia sinensis (Theaceae)] intake is second only to water in terms of worldwide popularity as a beverage. Consumption of tea has been associated with many health benefits including the prevention of cancer and heart disease. Green tea is rich in polyphenols, which are antioxidants in nature, and antioxidants are found to be anti tumorogenic. In this study, we report the effectiveness of Green Tea Polyphenols (GTP) and its constituent Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) in tumor regression using both in vitro and in vivo models. GTP and EGCG were found to be effective anti-proliferative agent by MTT assay. A significant increase in the G1 phase proportion in the cell cycle was found by flow cytometry after treatment with GTP and EGCG. Western blot analysis for cell cycle proteins corroborates the G1 block. Quantitative Fluorescence labeling resulted in demonstrating a 24-28 % reduction in the invasion through matrigel by EGCG and 15-23 % reduction by GTP in a dose dependent fashion. Furthermore, using MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma xenograft in athymic nude mice, we have shown that GTP and EGCG are capable of delaying the tumor incidence as well as reducing the tumor burden in vivo. Our results indicate that both GTP and EGCG are potent inhibitor of cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo and have the ability to decrease the invasive property of the highly metastatic MDA-MB-231. All together, these data sustain our contention that Green Tea Polyphenol and EGCG have anti-tumor properties.
High Voltage Vertical GaN p-n Diodes With Hydrogen-Plasma Based Guard Rings

This letter demonstrates novel hydrogen-plasma based guard rings (GRs) for high voltage vertical GaN p-n diodes grown on bulk GaN substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The GR structure can significantly improve breakdown voltages ( BV ) and critical electric fields ( ${E}_{c}$ ) of the devices. Not having field plates or passivation, the p-n diodes with a $9~\mu \text{m}$ drift layer and 10 GRs showed BV /on-resistance ( ${R}_{\textit {on}}$ ) of 1.70 kV/0.65 $\text{m}\Omega \cdot $ cm2, which are close to the GaN theoretical limit. Moreover, the device also exhibited good rectifying behaviors with an on-current of ~ 2.6 kA/cm2, an on/off ratio of ~ 1010, and a turn-on voltage of 3.56 V. This work represents one of the first effective GR techniques for high performance kV-class GaN p-n diodes.
Time-Variation in the International Diversification Benefits

Does the economic value of internationally diversified portfolios shrink over time in an increasingly integrated global market? How do the dynamics of global economy and financial markets affect the benefits of international diversification? What is a proper measure of diversification benefits? In contrast to previous research, this paper specifically models the investment constraints associated with liquidity and portfolio feasibility. We find that, although the world market is more integrated, the time-varying benefits of global diversification remain positive. The addition of weighting bounds decreases a portion of diversification benefits, but this addition also decreases the uncertainty of gains and asset allocation and induces diversity in the diversified portfolio. Correlation is not associated with the potential diversification benefits but adjusted R-squared from a multifactor model is. Inflation risk, default risk premium, liquidity and size of equity market are associated with the diversification benefits.
Missing oxycodone metabolites confirm suspected drug diversion

Abstract The 36-year-old male patient was on 30 mg per day oxycodone prescription for chronic, nonmalignant pain but was found negative on the opiate urine drug screen by an immunoassay. Because of the low cross-reactivity of the opiate screening assay for oxycodone a confirmation test by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was ordered that showed negative result as well. Drug diversion was suspected, and he was advised that his prescription oxycodone would be discontinued if he were found negative again. His next urine opiate immunoassay screen was strongly positive and the clinician suspected spiking of his urine. After consultation with the laboratory the opiate positive urine sample was tested for oxycodone and its metabolites by LC–MS/MS. The results showed oxycodone concentration >2000 ng/mL but undetectable noroxycodone and oxymorphone (both less than 20 ng/mL). While the initial negative opiate screening assay results could be explained by the poor cross-reactivity of the opiate assay with oxycodone, the more specific LC–MS/MS assay results confirmed diversion and sample spiking.
Endoscopic extraction of large foreign bodies utilizing a novel push-pull extraction technique

Abstract Background and Aims While endoscopic removal of large (2-2.5 cm) objects can be accomplished utilizing a combination of endoscopic accessories, very large (>2.5 cm) foreign bodies are often referred for surgical management. We developed a novel, safe, and effective technique for the removal of very large solid foreign bodies utilizing commercially available endoscopes, dilation balloons, and accessories. Methods Three consecutive patients who presented with acute foreign body ingestion of very large objects (>2.5 cm × >2.5 cm) underwent a novel push-pull extraction technique employing endotracheal intubation, paralysis, esophageal dilation, and extraction with a double-channel therapeutic endoscope with a combination of balloon-assisted traction (push) and snare guidance (pull). One patient presented after ingestion of a C-type battery (50 mm × 26.2 mm) retained in the gastric antrum. Two patients presented after the ingestion of bundled illicit narcotic packets (46 mm × 43 mm and 36 mm × 26 mm), impacted in the esophagus and the antrum, respectively. Results Successful endoscopic removal of the very large foreign bodies was safely achieved in all cases (3/3) without surgical assistance. Patients recovered without any reported adverse events and were discharged within 1 hour of the procedure. The procedure times and recovery times were not outside that expected for complex foreign body retrievals. There was no disruption of the plastic packages containing illicit narcotics in the 2 patients who ingested these objects. Conclusions Endoscopic extraction of very large (>25 mm × >25 mm) foreign bodies is safe and possible utilizing a novel push-pull technique with currently available endoscopes and accessories.
α-Lipoic acid blocks the GMCSF induced protease/protease inhibitor spectrum associated with fetal membrane weakening in-vitro.

Abstract Introduction We use an in-vitro human fetal membrane (FM) explant-based model to study inflammation-induced FM weakening, a prerequisite for PPROM. In this system, GMCSF is a critical intermediate, both necessary and sufficient for TNFα and thrombin induced FM weakening. α-Lipoic-acid (LA) blocks TNFα and thrombin, as well as GMCSF-induced weakening. Recently, we reported LA concomitantly blocks GMCSF-induction of MMPs 2, 9 and 10 and inhibition of TIMPs 1–3. The aim of this study was to show that LA blocks GMCSF-induced increases in additional proteases and reductions in additional protease inhibitors. Methods FM fragments were cultured±LA and then±GMCSF. In other experiments, weak versus strong, fresh FM were cultured without additions. Fragments were strength tested and media analyzed by multiplex protein ELISA for proteases and protease inhibitors. Results GMCSF induced FM weakening and concomitantly increased several Proteases (Cathepsin-S, Proteinase-3, Elastase-2) and decreased several protease inhibitors (NGAL, Cystatin-C, HE4 and Thrombospondin1). LA inhibited GMCSF-induced FM weakening and all enzymatic changes. Untreated weaker versus stronger regions of fresh FM showed comparable differences in proteases and protease inhibitor patterns to GMCSF-stimulated versus controls. Conclusion LA blocks GMCSF-induced human FM weakening and associated protease increases and inhibitor decreases. The GMCSF-induced spectrum of protease/protease-inhibitor changes is similar to that in the natural weak FM fragments. In concert with previously reported GMCSF-induced changes in MMPs & TIMPs, these other protease and protease-inhibitor changes presumably facilitate FM weakening and rupture. LA blocks these GMCSF effects and therefore may be a useful agent to prevent PPROM.
Elective robotic-assisted bariatric surgery: Is it worth the money? A national database analysis.

Abstract Background This study sought to evaluate surgical outcomes, cost, and opiate utilization between patients who underwent either laparoscopic or robotic-assisted bariatric procedures, including sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Methods The Vizient administrative database was queried for patients admitted with mild to moderate severity of illness scores who underwent elective laparoscopic (L) and robotic-assisted (R) SG or RYGB from October 2015 through December 2018. Patients were grouped according to surgical approach for each bariatric procedure. Rates of overall complications, mortality, 30-day readmission, LOS, total direct cost, and opiate utilization were collected. Comparisons were performed within each bariatric procedure, between laparoscopic and robotic approaches, using IBM SPSS v.25.0, α = 0.05. Results For SG, a total of 84,034 patients were included (LSG:N = 78,405; RSG:N = 5639). There was no significant difference in rates of overall complications (LSG:0.5%, RSG:0.4%; p = 0.872), mortality (LSG: 0.05). For RYGB, 36,039 patients met the inclusion criteria (LRYGB:N = 33,053; RRYGB:N = 2986). There was no significant difference in rates of overall complications (LRYGB: 1.4%, RRYGB:1.3%; p = 0.414) or mortality (LRGYB: Conclusion Our study found the direct cost of RSG to be significantly higher than LSG with no added clinical benefit, therefore, universal use of the robotic platform for routine SG cases remains difficult to justify. While the direct cost of RRYGB was also higher than LRYGB, the significantly lower readmission rate associated with robotic approach may help to offset the financial discrepancy and warrant its use.
Racial and ethnic diversity in the social ecology of online harassment and cybervictimization: the adolescent–school context

Abstract Using the ecological perspective to bullying as a guiding framework, this chapter focuses on the constellation of factors that characterize school environments as the immediate and focal contexts (i.e., the microsystem) for understanding the landscape of cyberbullying victimization risk among students of color. More specifically, we examine the risk and protective factors occurring in the microsystem (i.e., parents, peers, school, and community), exosystem (parental stress), and macrosystem levels (gender role beliefs and stereotypes). We then discuss the implications for research and school-based practice. A review of research will in turn examine the critical dimensions of cyberbullying in relation to hate speech and online harassment, connecting it with (1) broader school factors, including the constellation of actors and roles that involve cyberbullying incidents and which frame the adolescent–school context; (2) characteristics of the microsystem participants—adolescents and schools; (3) factors that influence the quality of the adolescent–school relationship; (4) policy contexts that influence adolescent experiences beyond the adolescent–school microsystem. The latter includes research connecting cyberbullying to the broader system of structural inequality in school policy and practice as well as the developmental assets (e.g., individual characteristics and connection to external supports, including the family and community resources), frequently associated with positive youth development.
Congressional Oversight Disputes as Political Questions, Part I

In Part II, I argue that the Mazars dispute currently before the Supreme Court raises political question doctrine concerns and that under a novel framework for evaluating congressional inquiries, the accommodation doctrine can be a tool the courts use for determining that congressional investigations of the private sphere are not tainted by prior investigations of political officials.
Change theory in STEM higher education: a systematic review

This article systematically reviews how change theory has been used in STEM higher educational change between 1995 and 2019. Researchers are increasingly turning to theory to inform the design, implementation, and investigation of educational improvement efforts. Yet, efforts are often siloed by discipline and relevant change theory comes from diverse fields outside of STEM. Thus, there is a need to bring together work across disciplines to investigate which change theories are used and how they inform change efforts. This review is based on 97 peer-reviewed articles. We provide an overview of change theories used in the sample and describe how theory informed the rationale and assumptions of projects, conceptualizations of context, indicators used to determine if goals were met, and intervention design. This review points toward three main findings. Change research in STEM higher education almost always draws on theory about individual change, rather than theory that also attends to the system in which change takes place. Additionally, research in this domain often draws on theory in a superficial fashion, instead of using theory as a lens or guide to directly inform interventions, research questions, measurement and evaluation, data analysis, and data interpretation. Lastly, change researchers are not often drawing on, nor building upon, theories used in other studies. This review identified 40 distinct change theories in 97 papers. This lack of theoretical coherence in a relatively limited domain substantially limits our ability to build collective knowledge about how to achieve change. These findings call for more synthetic theoretical work; greater focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion; and more formal opportunities for scholars to learn about change and change theory.
The stochastic-volatility, jump-diffusion optimal portfolio problem with jumps in returns and volatility

This paper treats the risk-averse optimal portfolio problem with consumption in continuous time for a stochastic-jump-volatility, jump-diffusion (SJVJD) model of the underlying risky asset and the volatility. The new developments are the use of the SJVJD model with logtruncated-double-exponential jump-amplitude distribution in returns and exponential jumpamplitude distribution in volatility for the optimal portfolio problem. Although unlimited borrowing and short-selling play an important role in pure diffusion models, it is shown that borrowing and short-selling are unrealistically constrained for infinite-range jump-amplitudes. Finite-range jump-amplitude models can allow constraints to be very large in contrast to infinite range models which severely restrict the optimal instantaneous stock-fraction to [0,1]. The reasonable constraints in the optimal stock-fraction due to jumps in the wealth argument for stochastic dynamic programming jump integrals remove a singularity in the stock-fraction due to vanishing volatility. Main modifications for the usual constant relative risk aversion (CRRA) power utility model are for handling the partial integro-differential equation (PIDE) resulting from the additional variance independent variable, instead of the ordinary integro-differential equation (OIDE) found for the pure jump-diffusion model of the wealth process. In addition to natural constraints due to jumps when enforcing the positivity of wealth condition, other constraints are considered for all practical purposes under finite market conditions. Computational results are presented for optimal portfolio values, stock fraction and consumption policies.
Pregnane X Receptor: Understanding Its Function and Activity at the Molecular Level

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a ligand-activated nuclear receptor recognized as an important player in xenobiotic detoxification because it regulates the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters. Because of its notorious role in drug metabolism and disposition, PXR’s activity may result in unintended drug-drug interactions, decreasing drug efficacy, inducing resistance, and causing toxicity. As such, PXR has become an attractive target for the development of PXR antagonists that can be used as co-drugs. However, PXR agonists have emerged as potential therapeutics against certain diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease. This book chapter describes the molecular basis of PXR activity, correlating biochemical and structural elements to describe the promiscuous nature of PXR in recognizing a wide array of chemicals and the challenges in developing PXR modulators.
The Cytopathology of Soft Tissue Mxyomas

We studied the practicality of issuing a cytologic diagnosis of myxoma/juxta-articular myxoid lesion/ganglion (MJG) by reviewing all fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy specimens of soft tissue masses in our files with diagnoses of myxoma, myxoid cyst, myxoid lesion, ganglion, or ganglion cyst. The control group was soft tissue aspirates with abundant myxoid stroma. Of 39 cases with a cytologic diagnosis of soft tissue MJG, 15 had subsequent tissue biopsy or complete resection of the mass; 24 had clinicoradiologic follow-up. All cases except 1 (fat necrosis) were diagnosed correctly as benign myxoid lesions. We grouped MJG aspirates into 3 subtypes based on clinicoradiologic features: soft tissue ganglion/ganglion cyst (12 cases), juxta-articular myxoid lesion (16 cases), and intramuscular myxoma (11 cases). MJG aspirates showed few, subtle cytopathologic differences among subtypes. They characteristically had a viscous, gelatinous quality when expressed from the needle onto the glass slide. The typical smear contained a film of paucicellular, often finely granular, myxoid stroma that contained few cells, usually macrophages or bland spindle cells. Control group aspirates always contained cellular components that allowed distinction from MJGs. The cytopathologic diagnosis of MJG lesions is accurate; FNA biopsy can be used to subtype MJGs into 3 categories when clinicoradiologic features are known.
Outlier Events in Major Cryptocurrency Markets: Is There Evidence of Overreaction?

The three largest cryptocurrencies by market value are examined for overreaction to positive and negative outlier return events. Bitcoin and Ethereum show significant reversals in value following outlier negative events suggesting overreaction. For positive events, significant cumulative gains (not reversals) followed outlier positive events for Ethereum and Tether showed a significant reversal in value after the positive events. Evidence is, therefore, mixed among the three main cryptocurrencies when it comes to how revaluations occur after outlier positive events.
Preliminary Results From the Certain Site: a Late Archaic Bison Kill In Western Oklahoma

Five separate arroyos with bone bed deposits along the north bank of a canyon, a secondary processing area, and the recovery of additional bison bone in an arroyo on its south side, make the Certai...
Tumor Oxygenation and Radiosensitivity

Oxygen is the most potent and thoroughly authenticated modifier of radiation response studied. This pertains to all mammalian cells, tissues and organisms investigated; further, it obtains for all endpoints assessed. The enhancement ratio for oxygen (OER) is 2.5–3.3. This is the ratio of radiation dose administered under hypoxic conditions to that administered under aerobic conditions to produce a defined response. Hypoxia in this context means a PO2 less than 1 mm Hg and aerobic conditions means a PO2 ≥20 mm Hg. The radiation sensitizing action of molecular oxygen has been of great interest to radiation oncology and radiation biology as it is maximally sensitizing at physiological concentrations. Further, there is convincing evidence that in some tumors there is a fraction of cells which are hypoxic and viable. This would mean that such cells could be a factor in the failure of radiation to achieve local control in a proportion of such tumors. The central point is that under normal conditions there is a differential PO2 distribution which favors the tumor relative to the normal tissue with respect to surviving radiation treatments. In reaction to this understanding of tumor biology, there has been extensive and sustained research to devise methods to: measure tissue PO2, increase tumor PO2 at irradiation and, hopefully, improve the cure rate of radiation treated patients.
Physician Practice of Addictions in Medical Practice

Publisher Summary The public and managed care organizations are increasingly looking to physicians for leadership and advocacy for patients who have drug and alcohol addictions. Despite the presence and effects of alcohol related disorders, medical schools and residency programs fail to teach such disorders to their students competently. Alcohol and drug dependence are among the most prevalent illnesses in American society. The Epidemiological Catchment Area study found a 13.5% lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse or dependence and 7% drug dependence in adult Americans. This kind of addiction is associated with a wide range of problems, including pancreatitis, liver disease, accidents, suicide, depression, and anxiety. Alcoholism is a major cause of family dysfunction, including domestic violence and child abuse, and it is also a major contributor to poor job performance and loss of productivity. Physicians seeing patients in high-risk populations, such as emergency departments, prisons, and trauma units must have an especially high index of suspicion. A family history is the best predictor of addiction in patients and in addition, patients with chief or presenting complaints such as sleep disorders, stress, chronic dyspepsia, recurrent peptic ulcers, or recurrent trauma should also raise a physician's index of suspicion. Controlled studies have found significant results in treatment outcomes in abstinence-based programs, particularly when combined with referral to alcoholics anonymous (AA). The abstinence-based treatment is significantly more involving, supportive, encouraging to spontaneity, and oriented to personal problems than the traditional-type treatment.
The statistics of detecting positional fluctuating asymmetry

The detection of asymmetry can be difficult because the signals indicating right–left differences are frequently weak. When bilaterally symmetric organisms can be further inspected for positional asymmetry (differences between body sides in the placement of meristic traits) anterior–posterior allocation may provide additional evidence for fluctuating asymmetry. Statistical power comparisons were made for indices used to measure fluctuating (FA) and positional fluctuating asymmetry (PFA) in meristic traits. Monte Carlo simulations of developmental and random processes were used to generate null and alternative distributions of a hypothetical meristic trait (such as bristle counts). The counts were used to calculate the corresponding distributions of six indices used to detect fluctuating and positional fluctuating asymmetry. Power comparisons show that there is no single best index. If positional deviations are strong relative to bilateral errors then pfa1 is generally the most powerful, while fa, the G-statistic, and in some instances the procrustes-distance measure do best when there is little positional deviation relative to side-to-side deviations. The decision on what index is best is thus influenced by knowledge of the likely sources of error. As a consequence, all three indices (fa, G and pfa1) should be explored when little a priori knowledge is available. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 77, 491–498.
Risk assessment models for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in cancer patients, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Several factors, including procoagulant agents secreted by tumor cells, immobilization, surgery, indwelling catheters, and systemic treatment (including chemotherapy), contribute to an increased risk of VTE in cancer patients. There is growing interest in instituting primary prophylaxis in high-risk patients to prevent incident (first-time) VTE events. The identification of patients at sufficiently high risk of VTE to warrant primary thromboprophylaxis is essential, as anticoagulation may be associated with a higher risk of bleeding. Current guidelines recommend the use of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in postoperative and hospitalized cancer patients, as well as ambulatory cancer patients receiving thalidomide or lenalidomide in combination with high-dose dexamethasone or chemotherapy, in the absence of contraindications to anticoagulation. However, the majority of cancer patients are ambulatory, and currently primary thromboprophylaxis is not recommended for these patients, even those considered at very high risk. In this concise review, the authors discuss risk stratification models that have been specifically developed to identify cancer patients at high risk for VTE, and thus might be useful in future studies designed to determine the potential benefit of primary thromboprophylaxis.
In vitro requirements for N4 RNA polymerase II-specific initiation.

Abstract The synthesis of coliphage N4 middle RNAs requires the activity of three phage-coded proteins, P7, P4, and P17, of molecular weights 40,000, 30,000, and 15,000, respectively. P4 and P7 constitute a heterodimeric RNA polymerase, N4 RNA polymerase II, which cannot transcribe or bind to native N4 DNA. Denatured templates are transcribed but without specificity. We present the development of an in vitro transcription system, composed of purified N4 RNA polymerase II and solubilized P17, which accurately utilizes in vivo sites of transcription initiation. Possible mechanisms for P17 action are discussed.
Static and Dynamic Factors Promoting Resilience following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Brief Review

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the greatest contributing cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the United States. The current paper briefly summarizes contemporary literature on factors that can improve outcomes (i.e., promote resilience) for children and adults following TBI. For the purpose of this paper, the authors divided these factors into static or unmodifiable factors (i.e., age, sex, intellectual abilities/education, and preinjury psychiatric history) and dynamic or modifiable factors (i.e., socioeconomic status, family functioning/social support, nutrition, and exercise). Drawing on human and animal studies, the research reviewed indicated that these various factors can improve outcomes in multiple domains of functioning (e.g., cognition, emotion regulation, health and wellness, behavior, etc.) following a TBI. However, many of these factors have not been studied across populations, have been limited to preclinical investigations, have been limited in their scope or follow-up, or have not involved a thorough evaluation of outcomes. Thus, although promising, continued research is vital in the area of factors promoting resilience following TBI in children and adults.
Cost of Dividing Attention Moderated by Contrast Level

Previous research shows that dividing attention between multiple targets in the visual field occurs frequently in everyday activities. The cost of dividing attention has been found to be affected by various environmental factors. One such factor is the contrast of the targets from their background (Plummer & Ni, 2014), which has important applications for activities such as nighttime driving. In the current study, contrast was manipulated to examine its effect on the cost of dividing attention. Eighteen younger adults participated in the study, whose contrast sensitivity thresholds were first measured on a contrast detection task. They then completed a modified version of the UFOV test (Richards, Bennett, & Sekuler, 2006), which consisted of measures of peripheral-focused attention and divided attention thresholds at three eccentricity locations (4, 12, and 20 degrees) from the center of the screen. These measures were carried out at 5 different contrast levels, with the high set at.3 Michelson contrast, the low at each participant's contrast detection threshold, and the other three intermediate levels evenly distributed along a logarithmic scale. The threshold of display duration was derived using the best PEST procedure for each eccentricity under each contrast level. Attention cost was calculated by subtracting the threshold scores of the peripheral-focused attention from those of the divided attention task. The results showed that, for both tasks, thresholds increased with increased eccentricity and decreased contrast. The interaction between contrast and eccentricity was significant for the peripheral-attention task, but not for the divided attention task. Consistent with previous research, the current study found increased cost of dividing attention under low contrast conditions. Our results might explain the increased accident risks associated with driving under low visibility conditions, such as at night or in fog. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015. Language: en
‘To fill in the missing piece of the Middletown puzzle’: lessons from re‐studying Middletown

This paper revisits The Other Side of Middletown, a collaborative ethnography written by a group of faculty, students and African Americans living in Muncie, Indiana – the town made famous by Robert and Helen Lynd in their 1929 original study, Middletown, and its 1937 follow-up, Middletown in Transition. Our re-study (published in 2004) addressed the lack of African American history and experience in the Lynds' works and in the Middletown literature that has materialized since then. Employing a collaborative approach to research and writing, the lines between researchers and research participants were considerably blurred: community members, students and faculty collaborated on research design, cooperatively lined out the study's overall questions, and together wrote and edited the final manuscript. Thus, working at the nexus between community and university, the study prompted multiple opportunities to complicate research methods, expand public scholarship and, importantly, augment teaching and learning between and among faculty, students and local communities. Reflections written by project participants in the book itself and in various published venues since its completion, for example, share an emphasis on how the partnership changed views of and experiences with race relations, community and university. With this in mind, I describe the particular social and relational contexts in which The Other Side of Middletown project first developed; elaborate its connections to the Lynds' original Middletown studies; summarize our study's approach and findings; and offer a few of the more salient lessons that materialized from our work: especially those that attend to issues of collaborative research, community engagement and shared pedagogies.
Direct Method for the Estimation of Modeling Perturbations in the Simulation of Fusion Blankets

Student's t-distribution is used for the direct estimation of the modeling and geometrical perturbations in the Monte Carlo simulation of fusion blankets. A test of hypothesis is carried out for the equivalence of the means for the reference and perturbed systems at different confidence levels. If the test is failed, intervals for the difference of means or perturbation can be directly deduced. No variance reduction is attempted in the application of this methodology. Application of the methodology to the neutronic and photonic analysis of the conceptual HYFIRE high-temperature process heat fusion reactor blanket is carried out. The use of a two-dimensional model for the analysis versus one-dimensional models leads to differences in the estimated system parameters (e.g., breeding ratio) ranging from 1.5 to 7% at the 70% confidence level. Accounting for the penetrations, using three- versus two-dimensional models, affects those system parameters in the range of 12.8 to 20.9% at the same confidence level. These uncertainties are judged significantly large and need to be accounted for in future reactor designs.
Parental beliefs on children's play: comparison among mainland Chinese, Chinese immigrants in the USA, and European-Americans

The current study surveyed parental play beliefs among the three groups of parents: the mainland Chinese, Chinese immigrants in the USA, and European-Americans. Limited comparison studies on parental play beliefs were previously reported for these three populations in the literature. Two measures, the Chinese child-rearing ideology and parental play beliefs scale, were used in this study. Responses from 144 responses were collected. The mainland Chinese parents reported similar scores both in the Chinese child-rearing ideology and in play beliefs as to the European-American parents. Surprisingly, the Chinese immigrant parents reported the highest scores in the Chinese child-rearing ideology and the lowest scores in the parental play beliefs among the three groups. This indicated that the surveyed Chinese immigrant parents held more traditional Chinese child-rearing ideology and were less positive towards children's play.
Factor M as a correlate of physical fitness: imagination or just more energy.

Determined whether 16PF scale scores could contribute significantly to the prediction of a measure of fitness. Sixty-three firemen from a large metropolitan area in the Southeast were Ss. Factor M contributed significantly to the prediction of one measure of fitness (i.e., treadmill time). The assumption cited in the literature that Factor M reflects "imagination" in individuals who score high on fitness measures was questioned. The article concluded that Cattell's earlier work relating high Factor M to high energy and endurance suggests a more logical interpretation of Factor M vis a vis measures of fitness.
Initial results from the Advanced-Concepts Laboratory for adaptive optics and tracking

In this paper we present an overview of the laboratory configuration and provide details of the adaptive-optics and tracking hardware. Experimental results obtained using a variety of propagation scenarios are presented and compared with results from wave-optics simulations. In addition, we present results illustrating the impact of increasing beacon size and active illumination on system performance.
Effect of Learning on Hemispheric Dominance and Free Recall

In verification of an earlier study with a single S, the results of the present multi-S experiment indicated for tachistoscopic recognition of letters that the well-known superior performance of th...
A comparison of the wear of polymers and metal alloys in laboratory and field slurries

Abstract A portable slurry wear apparatus, developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, was used to study slurry erosion in the laboratory and in situ at a gold ore processing plant. The wear cell of the apparatus was identical with an earlier laboratory model. It used an impeller running at tip speeds of less than 22 m s −1 to drive a continuous flow of fresh slurry past 16 specimens. Laboratory experiments run in an aqueous slurry of silica sand showed that ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) wore less than any metal alloy or other polymers evaluated at 8 or 12 m s −1 , and at 16 m s −1 several polymers wore less than two steels. However, in gold ore slurries from an industrial float cell and rod mill, high chromium white cast irons wore less than UHMWPE at 8 and 12 m s −1 ; and in the rod mill slurry at 16 m s −1 the polymers wore no better than the steels. The same trends were observed previously in an industrial slurry containing a lead-zinc sulfide ore. In all cases the wear rate varied roughly as the fourth power of the impeller tip velocity. When particle shape was held constant, the wear rate always increased with particle size. The effect of particle shape was more complex: angular particles were more detrimental to polymers and rounded ones were more detrimental to alloys. Pitting corrosion also removed material from the alloys. For high chromium white cast irons, corrosion and erosion varied with microstructure.
A security-centric ring-based software architecture

Software architectures that are centered on security historically contain layers to implement security controls, with the layered structure tending towards a series of rings. John Warden devised a five-ring model to assess enemy systems for strategic warfare attacks. We propose applying this same model to the domain of software in order to create a security-centric ring-based software architecture. This architecture would provide a foundation for software systems that would be highly resistant to malicious software.
Osteoblastoma of the nasal septum.

Objectives:To present a case of, and to review the literature concerning, osteoblastoma of the nasal cavity, and to demonstrate the importance of considering this rare entity when assessing patients presenting with a nasal septum lesion.Case report:Benign osteoblastoma is a rare tumour, constituting 1 per cent of all bone tumours. Most cases occur in the long bones. Osteoblastoma involving the nasal cavity is rare, with only 10 reported cases in the English-language literature. Most nasal cavity cases originate from the ethmoid sinus and spread to involve the nasal cavity. There are only four reported cases of osteoblastoma originating from the bones of the nasal cavity. We report a case of osteoblastoma originating from the bony nasal septum in a 45-year-old man with a history of recurrent, right-sided epistaxis and nasal obstruction.Conclusion:This is the second report in the English-language literature of osteoblastoma originating from the bony nasal septum.
Trial-by-trial estimation of amplitude and latency variability in neuronal spike trains

The rate function underlying single-trial spike trains can vary from trial to trial. We propose to estimate the amplitude and latency variability in single-trial neuronal spike trains on a trial-by-trial basis. The firing rate over a trial is modeled by a family of rate profiles with trial-invariant waveform and trial-dependent amplitude scaling factors and latency shifts. Using a Bayesian inference framework we derive an iterative fixed-point algorithm from which the single-trial amplitude scaling factors and latency shifts are estimated. We test the performance of the algorithm on simulated data and then apply it to actual neuronal recordings from the sensorimotor cortex of the monkey.
Prehistoric Pile Dwellers within an Emergent Ecosystem: An Archaeological Case of Hunters and Gatherers at the Mouth of the Savannah River during the Mid-Holocene

Evidence of a pile-dwelling community and seral environmental conditions during the late Mid-Holocene (ca 4,000–3,000 years b.p.) is explored through archaeological data and paleoecological information from the Bilbo Site at the mouth of the Savannah River along the Georgia coast, U.S.A. It is argued that pile dwellings were a central feature of the cultural adaptive system, allowing settlements to be located in wetlands that provided optimal access to the evolving food resources of multiple, dynamic environments. It also is suggested that the adaptive strategy included residential stability and a more complex organizational structure than that exhibited by modern hunter-gatherers living in marginal environments.
Differential distribution of cAMP receptors cAR2 and cAR3 during Dictyostelium development.

Signal transduction via a family of cAMP receptor subtypes (cARs) is critical for proper development in the cellular slime moldDictyostelium.Genes encoding four related subtypes have been cloned and their expression, based on RNA accumulation, has been previously reported. Here we report the differential spatial and temporal distribution of cAR2 and cAR3 proteins, based on indirect double immunofluorescence. Cells were transformed with acarB::lacZconstruct, and an antibody against β-galactosidase was used to visualize cAR2 expression. Simultaneously, a cAR3-specific antibody was used to identify cAR3-expressing cells. Results indicate that by the time of tip formation (12–14 hr) both receptors are expressed and distribute in a virtually nonoverlapping pattern, with cAR2 being expressed on anterior, prestalk cells and cAR3 present in the rest of the organism. Differential distribution of these two receptor subtypes may result in distinct cAMP signaling mechanisms in the two major regions of the organism.
DIFFERENT MODES OF INHIBITION OF HUMAN ADENOVIRUS PROTEINASE, PROBABLY A CYSTEINE PROTEINASE, BY BOVINE PANCREATIC TRYPSIN INHIBITOR

The type of proteinase and the nature of the active site of the human adenovirus proteinase are unknown. For these reasons we produced an inhibitor prof'de of the enzyme. Enzyme activity in disrupted virions was inhibited by several serine- specific as well as cysteine-specific proteinase inhibitors. Of the inhibitors that worked, the most useful potentially in illuminating the nature of the active site was bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), and for this reason we extensively character- ized the interaction with BPTI. In disrupted virions, the enzyme is irreversibly inhibited by BPTI with a Ki of 35 nM and a ki of 6.2×10 _4 s -1. One reason enzyme activity is inhibited is that BPTI, a basic protein, precipitates the viral DNA, a cofactor of enzyme activity. In vitro with purified components, BPTI acts as a competitive inhibitor (Ki 2 IJNI) of the recombinant proteinase complexed with its l 1-amino-acid cofactor pVIc. The recombi- nant endoproteinase is heat labile whereas its ll-amino-acid cofactor is heat stable. We estimate there are about 50 molecules of proteinase per virus particle.
Adenylyl and guanylyl cyclase activity in the choroid.

The choroid, a low-resistance vascular structure provides nourishment to and removal of potential toxic waste products from the adjacent non-vascularized outer layers of the retina, macula, and optic disc region and may be involved in the pathology of normal tension glaucoma. This study is aimed at delineating the biochemical pharmacology of vascular tone control in this tissue. By using a procedure to harvest fresh choroidal tissue, we studied some basic characteristics of the adenylyl (AC) and guanylyl cyclase (GC) enzyme systems in this tissue using the 3H-cAMP/32P-ATP tracer method. Compared to respective baseline measurements (100±SEM%), AC activity was stimulated (p<0·05) by forskolin (FSK, 477±59%), fluoroaluminate (AlF4, 360±10·3%), isoproterenol (ISO, 129±5·5%), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP, 132±6·1%), calmodulin (CAM)+Mn2+ (196±69%), and dose-dependently by prostaglandin (PG) E2 (up to 162±3·6%). The antagonist drug calmidazolium inhibited the CAM-dependent increase but also blocked basal activity (47±2·0%) without affecting the FSK response. Other CAM blockers (TFP, W5) produced similar results but were not completely selective for CAM-activated cyclase. GDPβS, a blocker of G-protein coupling to AC did not affect AC responses to FSK, ISO, and AlF4, but decreased the response to PGE2. N-ethyl-carboxamido adenosine (NECA), which activates adenosine A2 receptors, did not synergize with FSK or add to ISO responses and did not activate AC by itself. In the GC system activity was stimulated (p<0·05) by CAM+Mn2+ (239±27%), by atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP, up to 143±1·4%) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, up to 179±1·6%). These results show that choroidal tissue has significant activities of the adenylyl and guanylyl cyclase second messenger systems potentially responsive to hormones/neurotransmitters that may control the degree of relaxation in this vascular tissue.
Molecular mechanisms of activity-dependent changes in dendritic morphology: role of RGK proteins

The nervous system has the amazing capacity to transform sensory experience from the environment into changes in neuronal activity that, in turn, cause long-lasting alterations in neuronal morphology. Recent findings indicate that, surprisingly, sensory experience concurrently activates molecular signaling pathways that both promote and inhibit dendritic complexity. Historically, a number of positive regulators of activity-dependent dendritic complexity have been described, whereas the list of identified negative regulators of this process is much shorter. In recent years, there has been an emerging appreciation of the importance of the Rad/Rem/Rem2/Gem/Kir (RGK) GTPases as mediators of activity-dependent structural plasticity. In the following review, we discuss the traditional view of RGK proteins, as well as our evolving understanding of the role of these proteins in instructing structural plasticity.
Diastolic and systolic heart failure are distinct phenotypes within the heart failure spectrum.

Heart failure (HF) is a major worldwide public health problem. One in 5 people aged 40 years in the United States will develop HF during his or her lifetime,1 and HF remains the leading cause for hospitalization among the elderly.2 Although age- and sex-specific HF incidence is not increasing,3 overall HF survival has improved, and the number of people aged >65 years is increasing rapidly. Thus, the absolute number of patients with HF will continue to increase. Half of the patients with HF have a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and the remainder display reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).4,–,6 The proportion of patients with normal ejection fraction (EF) is increasing steadily because of increased incidence and/or increasing physician recognition of the syndrome.4 Resource utilization associated with HF is high in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, regardless of EF. Response by De Keulenaer and Brutsaert on p 2014 Heart failure is a syndrome that can be defined clinically by a collection of symptoms (dyspnea, fatigue, exertional intolerance) and signs (edema, gallop, rales) that are attributable to a cardiac disorder.2 Heart failure may also be defined hemodynamically by an inability to provide adequate cardiac output to the body at rest or with exertion, or to do so only in the setting of elevated cardiac filling pressures. The cardiovascular system responds to a wide variety of insults (eg, myocardial disease, ischemia, valvular or pericardial disease) in a finite number of ways, both hemodynamically (elevated filling pressures, depressed output) and symptomatically (dyspnea, fatigue, angina). However, these similarities in clinical expression do not indicate that the underlying mechanisms of disease are the same or that treatment will be similar. For example, a headache may be noted with a migraine or brain tumor; dyspnea may be reported …