cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Children's Iconic Realism: Object Versus Property Realism

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the phenomenon of iconic realism in children, which is a real phenomenon; although by 3 years of age it is relatively weak. Nonetheless, in the children who evidence it, the phenomenon appears to be robust and resistant to counterevidence, at least as this knowledge bears on physical properties. The phenomenon appears to be related to knowledge of object properties that is most likely acquired through commerce with the world and by way of instruction. Thus, iconic realism is a type of property realism rather than a kind of object realism. Children at the ages tested appear to distinguish real from represented objects without difficulty, but they apparently do not distinguish between some real and represented properties.
Effect of the D- and L-isomers of Isoamidone on the Permeability of Dog Erythrocytes.

SummaryThe theory that the acetyl-choline-cholinesterase system is concerned with membrane permeability is further substantiated by the finding that the L-isomer of isoamidone which has a greater inhibitory action on cholinesterase than has the D-isomer also changes permeability of dog erythrocytes to a different degree than does the D-isomer.The conditions under which the L has a greater effect than the D-isomer on permeability are a medium containing a high proportion of K ions relative to Na ions.
84 How can we Improve Tissue Perfusion After Cardiac Surgery

Tissue perfusion is the ultimate goal of a functional cardio-circulatory system and its integrity should remain the essential endeavor of all caregivers in charge of hemodynamically compromised patients. The postoperative cardiac patients are not the exception. Optimization of tissue perfusion after cardiac surgery is multifactorial and should be based upon invasive and non-invasive markers. Physiological elements to be considered and supported with medical therapy include: pre and afterload, cardiac contractility, heart rate and rhythm (determining cardiac output), analysis of systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances, evaluation of the systolic but also the diastolic function, and optimization of oxygen content, transport, extraction and consumption. All of the latter are to be managed taking into account elements related to microcirculation, cardiopulmonary and interventricular interactions and the neuro-humoral mechanisms triggered by the shock status. This conference will review decision-making processes, and therapeutic strategies related to general management principles, drugs (inotropic, lusitropic, vasodilator and vasoconstrictor medications), ventilation, and salvage therapies, amongst others.
Nucleotide analysis of attachment protein G gene of respiratory syncytial virus

Aim:To isolate and identify respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) from Henan province.Method: RSV was isolated from swab collected from patients with syndrome of fever, cough in some Henan hospitals in the winter of 2006. The isolated strains identified by RT-PCR, were subjected to sequence the whole region of the G gene, and phylogenetic trees were constructed by comparison with RSV standard strains and reference strains. Results: Four RSV strains were isolated. The identities of the G gene among the four isolated strains were 92%~99%,the identity of the G gene between the isolated strains and the reference A strain was 86%~92%,but with the B strain, the identity was 70%.Conclusion:RSV prevalent in Henan province in the winter of 2006 is type A.
Economic impact of diabetes mellitus in the elderly

Diabetes mellitus, a disease prevalent in Americans of 65 or more years of age, leads to significant morbidity, mortality, and use of health-care services. Among elderly individuals, per-capita expenditures for medical care are 50% higher for people with diabetes. Estimates suggest that health care of elderly diabetic patients costs $ 5.16 billion annually, nearly 80% of which is hospital expenses. Treatment of cardiovascular complications accounts for most of this use of hospital facilities. Intensifying outpatient care of patients with diabetes may both reduce costs and prevent or delay the incidence of morbidity leading to hospitalization.
Antiviral therapy improves overall survival in hepatitis C virus-infected patients who develop diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with increased incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Several studies have demonstrated regression of indolent lymphoma with antiviral therapy (AVT) alone. However, the role of AVT in HCV-infected patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is unclear. We therefore analyzed AVT's impact on oncologic outcomes of HCV-infected patients (cases) who developed DLBCL. Cases seen at our institution (June 2004-May 2014) were matched with uninfected counterparts (controls) and then divided according to prior AVT consisting of interferon-based regimens. We studied 304 patients (76 cases and 228 controls). More cases than controls had extranodal (79% vs. 72%; p = 0.07) and upper gastrointestinal (GI; 42% vs. 24%; p = 0.004) involvement. Cases never given AVT had DLBCL more refractory to first-line chemotherapy than that in the controls (33% vs. 17%; p = 0.05) and exhibited a trend toward more progressive lymphoma at last examination compared to controls (50% vs. 32%; p = 0.09) or cases given AVT (50% vs. 27%; p = 0.06). Cases never given AVT had worse 5-year overall survival (OS) rates than did the controls (HR, 2.3 [95% CI, 1.01-5.3]; p = 0.04). Furthermore, AVT improved 5-year OS rates among cases in both univariate (median [Interquartile range]: 39 [26-56] vs. 16 [6-41] months, p = 0.02) and multivariate analyses (HR = 0.21 [95% CI, 0.06-0.69]; p = 0.01). This study highlights the negative impact of chronic HCV on survival of DLBCL patients and shows that treatment of HCV infection is associated with a better cancer response to chemotherapy and improves 5-year OS.
PET imaging of myocardial blood flow in the stressed mouse heart in vivo

1635 Objectives To measure absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) in mouse heart using 13N-ammonia dynamic PET imaging and test the hypothesis that inhibition of glucose regulated mTOR activity by rapamycin will improve MBF in the pressure overload stressed mouse heart in vivo. Methods MBF was measured at rest and during vasodilator stress by dynamic 13N-ammonia PET imaging. 10 min image acquisition was initiated prior to the administration of 800 µCi 13N-ammonia via tail-vein. 10 min after the rest scan, a bolus of regadenoson (2.5 ug/kg in 50 uL) was injected i.v. 2 min later, when heart rate had increased to ≥ 600 bpm, a second 10 min PET scan was initiated followed by injection of another dose of 13N-ammonia. An improved 3-compartment model was used to compute MBF from the dynamic data sets. Myocardial flow reserve (MFR) was computed as the rest:stress flow ratio. MBF was also measured in 5 C57BL/6 male mice at baseline and on day 1 post transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery, with or without rapamycin treatment, by dynamic PET. Capillary density was calculated in excised hearts by counting the number of CD31pos cells/mm2 and mTOR activity was measured by pS6 staining at baseline and on day 1 post-TAC. Results In control hearts, MBF increased from 4.8 mL/min/g at rest to 8.9 mL/min/g during vasodilator stress (MFR = 1.9). In TAC mice, there was a 8.3-fold increase in mTOR activity on day 1 without rapamycin treatment whereas with treatment this increase was blunted (2.4X baseline) and MBF was higher than in untreated mice (4.9 vs 3.4 mL/min/g, respectively). Capillary density was 114.8/mm2 at baseline and was 91.9/mm2 on day 1 post-TAC. However, consistent with the higher MBF, capillary density was also higher (100.7/mm2) in treated mice. Conclusions An improved tracer kinetic model can quantitatively measure MBF and MFR in mouse heart using 13N-ammonia dynamic PET imaging in vivo. Rapamycin inhibited mTOR activity, increased capillary density and MBF in the pressure overload stressed mouse heart. Research Support NIH R21HL102627 (to BKK)
Abstract IA11: Dissecting cancer through the lens of development

Mammary stem cells (MaSCs) self-renew and generate the different epithelial cell types of the breast. Impressively, a single MaSC can regenerate an entire functional mouse mammary gland when transplanted into a cleared fat pad. Intriguingly, stem-like cells have been identified in some types of breast cancer using bioinformatic strategies. These observations raise a number of important questions: Do some breast cancers arise by mutations occurring in mammary stem cells, as such cells have a high capacity for self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation? Or, do breast cancers arise by de-differentiation of cells to a stem-like state, as such cells may be particularly able to generate the heterogeneity that fuels tumor progression? If stem cells contribute to cancer, what is the nature of such cells, and can we use this information to devise better treatment strategies or prognostic molecular signatures? Finally, cancer cells that seem particularly competent at generating tumors upon xenografting into nude mice have also been suggested to exhibit stem cell characteristics such as multi-lineage differentiation and self-renewal. Are these “cancer stem cells” mutant stem cells, or a different type of cell that is particularly tumorigenic in the xenograft assay? Here, we integrate approaches involving developmental, stem cell, and cancer biology to gain insight into these challenging questions. We took a new direction to isolate and characterize MaSCs during fetal mammogenesis when undifferentiated cells are expected to be enriched. We microdissected and dissociated fetal mammary cells across different stages of development and conducted limiting dilution, orthotopic mammary transplantation analyses to determine fetal MaSC (fMaSC) frequency. We found that the fMaSCs are not measurable until mid-gestation, when an elongating duct that invades through the adjacent mesenchyme is formed. We used flow sorting to significantly enrich fMaSCs, and then used microarray and single cell RNA-seq to begin to interrogate the molecular pathways that drive their proliferation. We find that the pathways they express, and that are expressed by the fetal stroma that surround them, are enriched in several very aggressive types of human breast cancer, as well as in several genetically engineered mouse models. These data and powerful experimental strategies are opening new ways of understanding cancer from a developmental perspective, and for using this knowledge to develop new diagnostic and treatment strategies. Citation Format: Geoffrey Myles Wahl, Christopher Dravis, Claire Johns, Rose Rodewald, Benjamin T. Spike, Christy Trejo. Dissecting cancer through the lens of development. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr IA11.
Breeding apomictic bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) with improved turf traits

The development of a turf-type bahiagrass could have a remarkable impact on the billion-dollar turf industry in the south-eastern United States. The goals of this study were to (i) select bahiagrass genotypes with improved turf attributes and (ii) determine the reproductive mode and seed fertility of selected genotypes. The population included mutants, wild types, hybrids and standard cultivars evaluated at two locations for two years. Morphological variation was observed and clonal repeatability (H2) ranged from 0.27 to 0.90. Flowering was extremely reduced in some mutants, which also exhibited dark green colour, finer texture and reduced canopy height. Cytoembryological observations revealed that diploids reproduced sexually and tetraploids by obligate or facultative apomixis. Genotypes with superior seed fertility were identified, while others were comparable to the standard cultivars. While mutant plants exhibited great morphological variation, the random mutations did not affect their reproductive mode, validating the use of mutagenesis in apomictic species. The high H2 indicated that selection for improved turf attributes could be successfully performed with the advantage of clonal seed propagation.
Comparison of efficiency degradation in polycrystalline-Si and CdTe thin-film PV modules via accelerated lifecycle testing

Thin-film solar cells normally have the shortest energy payback time due to their simpler mass-production process compared to polycrystalline-Si photovoltaic (PV) modules, despite the fact that crystalline-Si-based technology typically has a longer total lifetime and a higher initial power conversion efficiency. For both types of modules, significant aging occurs during the first two years of usage with slower long-term aging over the module lifetime. The PV lifetime and the return-on-investment for local PV system installations rely on long-term device performance. Understanding the efficiency degradation behavior under a given set of environmental conditions is, therefore, a primary goal for experimental research and economic analysis. In the present work, in-situ measurements of key electrical characteristics (J, V, P max , etc.) in polycrystalline-Si and CdTe thin-film PV modules have been analyzed. The modules were subjected to identical environmental conditions, representative of southern Arizona, in a full-scale, industrial-standard, environmental degradation chamber, equipped with a single-sun irradiance source, temperature, and humidity controls, and operating an accelerated lifecycle test (ALT) sequence. Initial results highlight differences in module performance with environmental conditions, including temperature de-rating effects, for the two technologies. Notably, the thin-film CdTe PV module was shown to be approximately 15% less sensitive to ambient temperature variation. After exposure to a seven-month equivalent compressed night-day weather cycling regimen the efficiency degradation rates of both PV technology types were obtained and will be discussed.
Enantioselective semireduction of allenes

Rh-hydride catalysis solves a synthetic challenge by affording the enantioselective reduction of allenes, thereby yielding access to motifs commonly used in medicinal chemistry. A designer Josiphos ligand promotes the generation of chiral benzylic isomers, when combined with a Hantzsch ester as the reductant. This semireduction proceeds chemoselectively in the presence of other functional groups, which are typically reduced using conventional hydrogenations. Isotopic labelling studies support a mechanism where the hydride is delivered to the branched position of a Rh-allyl intermediate. Reduction of allenes poses several challenges in terms of chemo-, regio- and enantio-selectivity. Here, the authors report a rhodium-Josiphos catalytic system that reduces a variety of aryl allenes to chiral benzylic compounds with excellent selectivity and functional group tolerance.
Synthesis and pre-clinical evaluation of a potential radiotracer for PET imaging of the dopamine D3 receptor

There is considerable interest in using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to understand the function of dopamine D3 receptors. Due to high sequence homology with D2 receptors, development of D3-selective PET radiotracers has been challenging. In an effort to overcome this issue, we report the radiosynthesis of a new selective D3 ligand with carbon-11 ([11C]1 ), and its initial preclincial evaluation as a potential PET radiotracer for in vivo imaging of D3 receptors. [11C]1 was prepared via [11C]CO2 fixation in 0.1% non-corrected radiochemical yield, good radiochemical purity (>95%) and high specific activity (>2000 Ci mmol-1). [11C]1 exhibited specific binding to D3 receptors using ex vivo autoradiography experiments with rat brain, but only 14-fold selectivity over D2 receptors which is lower than the 1400-fold value reported previously for cell studies. Rodent PET imaging revealed reasonable uptake of the radiotracer in areas of the brain known to be rich in D3 receptors.
Socioeconomic Reforms and Consequences

The existence of distinct state law codes in ancient Israelite society is only hinted at in biblical passages such as Micah 6:16: “For the statutes of [King] Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of [King] Ahab”.1 However, recent scholarship has not only stressed that several Deuteronomic laws (DLs) as well as laws in Exodus 21–23 (the Covenant Code) are phrased in the manner of Near Eastern case law but has also sought to place these “divine” law codes within the perspective of the great law codes of Near Eastern antiquity.2 Thus, for example, Kaufman (1979, p. 46) concludes: “DL…is unquestionably intended to be a law code in the ancient Near Eastern sense…It is constructed according to the principles of such codes. Just as the Law of Hammurapi is a highly stylized, tightly constructed collection of just rulings of Hammurapi (and his courts?), so DL represents God’s just rulings and instructions for His people.”
Current evolutionary adaptiveness of anxiety: Extreme phenotypes of anxiety predict increased fertility across multiple generations.

Abstract Objective Although recent research has begun to examine the impact of elevated anxiety on evolutionary fitness, no prior research has examined anxiety across a continuum. Such research is important as the effect of traits across a continuum on fertility hold important implications for the levels and distribution of the traits in later generations. Method In a three-generational sample (N = 2657) the linear and quadratic relationship between anxiety and the number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 15 years later was examined. Results The findings suggested that anxiety had a positive quadratic relationship with the number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 15 years later. These relationships were not significantly moderated by sex. Moreover, most of the variance between anxiety and the number of great-grandchildren was explained by anxiety's influence on the number of children and grandchildren, as opposed to anxiety having an independent direct impact on the number of great-grandchildren. Conclusion These findings suggest that extreme values from the mean anxiety are associated with increased evolutionary fitness within the modern environment.
Continuous Compliance: Experiences, Challenges, and Opportunities

IT compliance is an area of increasing attention and capital spend in enterprise IT environments. We present "Continuous Compliance", a framework that allows a managed IT services provider to automate the overall process of keeping IT assets conformant with enterprise policies, regulatory frameworks, and other best practices. Our framework applies to all cloud layers and service models: Infrastructure-, Platform-, and Software-as-a-Service. We describe our framework design, its operation, and the post-process analytics and reporting. We also examine remediation reports gathered from over 2,000 servers for a seven month period, graph the incidence of repeated remediations, and explore some reasons for gradually subsiding remediations.
Acid Leaching of Rare Earth Elements from Coal and Coal Ash: Implications for Using Fluidized Bed Combustion To Assist in the Recovery of Critical Materials

High-temperature pretreatment of coal-based mineral matter in an oxidizing environment significantly enhances the leaching characteristics of rare earth elements (REEs). A research study has found that the temperatures used in fluidized bed combustion (FBC) of coal to produce electricity are near optimum for pretreating the associated mineral matter prior to leaching to maximize the recovery of critical materials. Tests were performed on representative samples collected from preparation plants treating West Kentucky No. 13, Illinois No. 6, and Fire Clay coal seam sources as well as fly ash and bed ash samples from two FBC power plants. Acid leaching tests using 1.2 M HCl at 75 °C were performed on both the coal and the FBC ash samples. Prior to leaching, the coal samples were pretreated at temperatures of 600, 750, and 900 °C in an oxidizing environment to study the effect on leaching characteristics. The results showed that pretreatment at 600 °C for 2 h resulted in a significant increase in REE recovery...
Design patterns in level design: common practices in simulated environment construction

The creation of video game levels is an inexact and often intuitive process. Currently, much of level design focuses on the “how” as opposed to the “why.” That is to say, level designers know how to build a level, but do not know why they built it the way they did. Before more immersive player experiences can occur, an understanding of what levels are, what common functionality exists between them, and a means of consistently reproducing player behaviors is necessary. The author advances the premise that by examining the use of design patterns in architecture, computer science, and interaction design, a foundation can be created to better characterize commonly occurring problems and solutions within level design. When multiple patterns are applied, the group becomes a language. This language can then be used as a means for creating novel levels as well as a lexicon for analyzing existing games.
A Cross-Cultural Neuroethics View on the Language of Disability

The AJOB Neuroscience insight article, “A Cross-Cultural Neuroethics View on the Language of Disability,” gathers social science empirical data detailing the words that structure the human variatio...
OLIG2 is a marker of the fusion protein-driven neurodevelopmental transcriptional signature in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Summary Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is associated with an underlying pathogenic translocation involving either PAX3 or PAX7 and FOXO1. The presence or absence of this fusion defines the biology and clinical behavior of this subtype of RMS and its identification in tumors is relevant to prognostication and treatment planning. To further explore the unique characteristics of fusion-driven RMS, we leveraged a published gene expression data set to perform an unbiased comparison of 33 fusion-positive and 25 fusion-negative RMS cases. Our analyses revealed 1790 expressed loci with more than two-fold differential expression at a threshold of P
Endocrine Disease and Cognition

Diabetes is a common endocrine disease and a common public health concern. Diabetes is associated with vascular burden and morphological brain change, and the increased risk of cerebrovascular disease appears to mediate much of the association, between diabetes and cognitive deficits. Such cognitive deficits appear to have a greater effect on processing speed and executive function than on other cognitive domains. Understanding the cognitive ramifications of diabetes may be important considering findings that cognitive impairment, particularly executive function, predicts diabetes knowledge, the number of appointments kept for diabetes treatment, insulin-adjustment skills, abilities to perform glucose checks and insulin injections, and general treatment compliance. Fortunately, there appears to be some evidence that medical treatment and lifestyle modification may mitigate the cognitive impairments that can be associated with diabetes.
Graduate Engineering Students Changing Labs Due to Experiences of Bias

This WIP research paper describes the experiences of engineering graduate students (EGSs) who changed labs following experiences of bias in graduate engineering education. Experiences of bias may contribute to EGS leaving the field of engineering. As part of a larger multiphase research project to explore the influence of bias on EGS engineering identity (EI), qualitative interviews (n = 30) were conducted exploring EGSs’ experiences of bias. These interviews engaged participants in discussions about their social and personal identities (e.g., sex, race/ethnicity) and explored their perceptions of and experiences with bias. This study focuses on four participants who discussed changing research labs in response to experiences of bias. This paper describes data from these participants as it relates to their experiences of bias, lab change, and differences in their new labs, highlighting the nature of bias experiences and their pervasive effects. Participants described experiences of bias leading them to change their research lab. They reported experiences with advisors, peers, and other faculty that made them feel unwelcome in engineering as a field due to their race or gender. Feelings of not belonging in a lab led this sample of EGS to change labs in an attempt to remain in engineering while removing themselves from negative experiences. We argue that institutions should provide opportunities, understanding, and guidance for students to change labs, and briefly discuss how this might be accomplished. Overall, we offer a perspective that has not been explored in the engineering education literature – specifically, changing labs as an alternative to dropping out or leaving the field in response to experiences of bias.
Social media use and consumer shopping preferences

Abstract We empirically explore the associations between social media use at home and shopping preferences using survey data. We focus on popular retail firms including brick-and-mortar firms such as Walmart, Target, Nordstrom, and Best Buy, and online retailers, such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Social media use of popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Skype and a general category Other Social Media are analyzed. We find that use of LinkedIn, Skype and Other Social Media at home, in the model without control variables, is associated with shopping at Nordstrom, Walmart and Target. Shopping online at Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, without control variables in the model specification, is associated with use of Facebook, Skype, Twitter and Other Social Media at home. We report additional insights using an alternative specification that includes social media use at work. Media Richness Theory (MRT) and Strength of Weak Ties from Social Network Analysis (SNA) and related theories help explain our results. Our results have important implications for social marketing campaigns and social media policies for consumer retail firms.
The Committee: A Study of Policy, Power, Politics and Obama’s Historic Legislative Agenda on Capitol Hill: Marshall, Bryan W., and Bruce C. Wolpe. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2018. 308 pages. $75 (hardcover); $29.95 (softcover).

Marshall and Wolpe’s The Committee provides a unique and fascinating look inside the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee during the 111th Congress. Wolpe served as senior adviso...
How Bad Is It? Perceptions of the Relationship Impact of Different Types of Internet Sexual Activities

Internet sex has become a ubiquitous phenomenon that is affecting couples and families. Eight scenarios (from visiting various adult web sites to having sex) involving a male or female character in a committed relationship were presented in a survey format. Participants (n = 242) rated each scenario in terms of emotional and physical involvement, amount of distraction from the primary relationship, and whether the respondent considered the scenario to be an affair. Results indicate that perceptions of internet activities differed depending on the type of internet sexual activity, although the majority of the internet sexual activities were considered to be highly emotional involving, a distraction to the relationship, and sexual in nature, though no physical contact was involved. The gender of the character in the scenario had no effect on participants' responses. Women tended to see the scenarios as being more serious than men. Clinical implications are discussed.
BMAA and MCLR Interact to Modulate Behavior and Exacerbate Molecular Changes Related to Neurodegeneration in Larval Zebrafish

Exposure to toxins produced by cyanobacteria (ie, cyanotoxins) is an emerging health concern due to their increasing prevalence and previous associations with neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the neurotoxic effects of a mixture of two co-occurring cyanotoxins, β-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) and microcystin leucine and arginine (MCLR), using the larval zebrafish model. We combined high-throughput behavior-based toxicity assays with discovery proteomic techniques to identify behavioral and molecular changes following 6 days of exposure. Although neither toxin caused mortality, morphological defects, nor altered general locomotor behavior in zebrafish larvae, both toxins increased acoustic startle sensitivity in a dose-dependent manner by at least 40% (p < .0001). Furthermore, startle sensitivity was enhanced by an additional 40% in larvae exposed to the BMAA/MCLR mixture relative to those exposed to the individual toxins. Supporting these behavioral results, our proteomic analysis revealed a 4-fold increase in the number of differentially expressed proteins in the mixture-exposed group. Additionally, prediction analysis reveals activation and/or inhibition of 8 enriched canonical pathways (enrichment p-value < .01; z-score≥|2|), including ILK, Rho Family GTPase, RhoGDI, and calcium signaling pathways, which have been implicated in neurodegeneration. We also found that expression of TDP-43, of which cytoplasmic aggregates are a hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathology, was significantly upregulated by 5.7-fold following BMAA/MCLR mixture exposure. Together, our results emphasize the importance of including mixtures of cyanotoxins when investigating the link between environmental cyanotoxins and neurodegeneration as we reveal that BMAA and MCLR interact in vivo to enhance neurotoxicity.
Anti-atheist discrimination, outness, and psychological distress among atheists of colour

Using a Concealable Stigmatized Identity (CSI) framework, the present study explored disclosure and concealment of atheist identity, anti-atheist discrimination, and psychological distress among pa...
Whiteness, medievalism, immigration: rethinking Tolkien through Stuart Hall

This essay rethinks Tolkien’s scholarship and fiction in light of his rejection at Oxford of Stuart Hall, who approached him regarding graduate work on William Langland. I argue that Tolkien’s white medievalism contains his most deeply felt racist formations, which both shaped his fiction and informed his life in a university town populated by West Indian immigrants. After examining Tolkien’s essentialist approach to medieval study, I examine how Tolkien believed that his innate knowledge about his ancestors’ language and myths enabled him to create a national mythology, and how his fiction depicts its heroes’ inheritance of their ancestral tongue and temperament. I then consider how Tolkien’s supposed memory of an Atlantis-like disaster befalling his ancestors may have intersected with his rejection of immigrants like Hall. I conclude by discussing how, while Tolkien’s epic fantasies may be appropriated successfully for various ends, they present unique challenges for a significant component of Tolkien’s readership, medievalists.
Models for Concurrent Constraint Programming

Concurrent constraint programming is a simple but powerful frame-work for computation based on four basic computational ideas: concurrency (multiple agents are simultaneously active), communication (they interact via the monotonic accumulation of constraints on shared variables), coordination (the presence or absence of information can guard evolution of an agent), and localization (each agent has access to only a finite, though dynamically varying, number of variables, and can create new variables on the fly). Unlike other foundational models of concurrency such as CCS, CSP, Petri nets and the π-calculus, such flexibility is already made available within the context of determinate computation. This allows the development of a rich and tractable theory of concurrent processes within the context of which additional computational notion such as indeterminacy, reactivity, instantaneous interrupts and continuous (dense-time) autonomous evolution have been developed.
An analysis of potential risk factors for early complications from fiberoptic bronchoscopy in lung transplant recipients.

Several reviews exist describing the safety of bronchoscopy in lung transplant recipients. However, the incidence of bronchoscopic complications in lung transplant recipients in relation to trainee involvement, and clinical characteristics such as pre-transplant diagnosis and transplant type, has not been described. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all lung transplant recipients undergoing flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (n = 259) at the University of California, San Francisco, between January, 2003, and June, 2009. Complications included bleeding, pneumothorax, aspiration, oversedation, and hypoxemia. From 2003 to 2009, 3734 flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopies were performed, including 2111 (57%) with transbronchial biopsies. Trainees were involved in 2102 bronchoscopies (56%), including 1046 transbronchial biopsies (49.5%). Complications occurred in 27 bronchoscopies [0.7% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.4-1.0)], with 10 involving a trainee (37%). Twenty (74%) occurred during bronchoscopies with transbronchial biopsies. Six of these involved a trainee, while 14 involved an attending alone (P = 0.03). We did not find differences in pre-transplant diagnosis, transplant type, lung, or renal function between subjects who suffered a complication and those who did not (P ≥ 0.30). The involvement of trainees, pre-transplant diagnosis, and transplant type do not significantly impact the rate of bronchoscopic complications in lung transplant recipients.
Evaluating effects of self-reported domestic physical activity on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in "stay at home" military wives

ABSTRACTObjective: To determine if an association exists between daily physical activity, and pregnancy/neonatal outcomes in stay at home military wives. Methods: This is a prospective observational study of pregnant military wives who do not work outside the home. Participants completed a validated questionnaire of their daily activity from which the average energy expenditure per day (kcal/day) was calculated. Participants were grouped, according to their energy expenditure and assessed for antepartum, intrapartum, and neonatal outcomes. Results: There were 55 women (group 1) who expended ≤2,200 kcal/day, 77 expended 2,201 to 3,000 kcal/day, and 58 expended ≥ 3,001 kcal/day. Group 1 had the lowest maternal weight at first visit (p < 0.001) and delivery (p < 0.001) and highest percentage of primigravidas (p = 0.002). After adjusting for key maternal characteristics, women in group 1 were more likely to develop gestational diabetes. Although not significant, the women in group 1 had more intrauterine grow...
Evaluation of an intelligent tutoring system in pathology: effects of external representation on performance gains, metacognition, and acceptance.

Abstract Objective Determine effects of computer-based tutoring on diagnostic performance gains, meta-cognition, and acceptance using two different problem representations. Describe impact of tutoring on spectrum of diagnostic skills required for task performance. Identify key features of student-tutor interaction contributing to learning gains. Design Prospective, between-subjects study, controlled for participant level of training. Resident physicians in two academic pathology programs spent four hours using one of two interfaces which differed mainly in external problem representation. The case-focused representation provided an open-learning environment in which students were free to explore evidence-hypothesis relationships within a case, but could not visualize the entire diagnostic space. The knowledge-focused representation provided an interactive representation of the entire diagnostic space, which more tightly constrained student actions. Measurements Metrics included results of pretest, post-test and retention-test for multiple choice and case diagnosis tests, ratios of performance to student reported certainty, results of participant survey, learning curves, and interaction behaviors during tutoring. Results Students had highly significant learning gains after one tutoring session. Learning was retained at one week. There were no differences between the two interfaces in learning gains on post-test or retention test. Only students in the knowledge-focused interface exhibited significant metacognitive gains from pretest to post-test and pretest to retention test. Students rated the knowledge-focused interface significantly higher than the case-focused interface. Conclusions Cognitive tutoring is associated with improved diagnostic performance in a complex medical domain. The effect is retained at one-week post-training. Knowledge-focused external problem representation shows an advantage over case-focused representation for metacognitive effects and user acceptance.
Metastatic disease to the hip and pelvis: Surgical management

Summary: Metastatic disease to the pelvis and lower extremity is a significant contributor to morbidity in patients with metastatic cancer. When indicated, surgical prevention of pathologic fractures and treatment of established fractures can preserve patient mobility, dramatically increase pain control, and prevent associated co-morbidities. Forty percent of bony metastases occur in the pelvis and 25% in the femur. Because of the limited life expectancy and debilitated nature of patients undergoing palliative surgery for metastatic disease, the surgical construct should allow immediate unrestricted weight bearing. All areas of the bone should be imaged and all significantly involved portions of the bone should be addressed with the reconstruction. Postoperative radiation therapy should be considered. With appropriate technique and implant selection, outcomes of surgical management are generally very good.
Characteristics of the American Polypay: A review

The Polypay sheep breed was developed at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station with a reproductive capacity markedly superior to that of domestic US western range breeds. The Polypay is a four breed composite of Targhee, Rambouillet, Dorset and Finnish Landrace breeds. It is a medium-sized wool sheep (average mature ewe weight of 72 kg) with a smooth body free of excessive skin wrinkles on the neck and body and a poll head. Comparative studies with other US domestic breeds have shown the Polypay to have earlier sexual maturity higher fertility and prolificacy rates. Mature ewes give birth to an average of 2.4 lambs and wean an average total litter weight of 63.8 kg per ewe at 120 days post partum. Lamb survival rates to 21 and 120 days are greater than those of other breeds compared. Average individual lamb weaning weight at 120 days (36.1 kg) exceeded that for Rambouillet and Targhee lambs (34.5 and 33.8 kg, respectively). Polypay carcasses are similar to those of Rambouillet and Targhee for dressing percentage, body wall thickness, kidney and pelvic fat, and ribeye area. Measures of carcass fat are less in the Polypay when compared to the Rambouillet and Targhee while qualitative leg scores for the Polypay were more favorable. Productive longevity under western range herded conditions does not differ among Polypay, Rambouillet, Targhee and Columbia sheep. In a farm flock production system, the average number of productive years for Polypay ewes exceeded that of most crossbred types. Wool characteristics are defined as a coarse to medium grade wool with a fiber diameter ranging from 24 to 33 μm. Fiber staple length ranges from 7.6 to 12.7 cm with a common mean of approximately 10 cm. Raw fleece weights are considered light and range from 2.7 to 4.5 kg. Yield of clean wool is approximately 57 percent. Economic evaluations favored the Polypay in all production systems considered with 15 to 36 percent increase in sales or profits compared to other US domestic breeds. When considering the Polypay breed for importation, some prudence should be exercised because it may not be suitable to all environments and production systems in the world, especially where nutritional and management resources are not sufficient to support lactating ewes rearing twins.
Modification of an endotoxin effect by esters.

Immuntolerante Mause konnen durch Endotoxin in immunologisch reaktive Tiere verwandelt werden. Eine zu wiederholten Malen verabreichte Substanz (Athylstearat) hemmt die Umwandlung.
Influence of Lactogenic Preparations on Mammary Glands and Time of Vaginal Opening in Young Rats.

SummaryLactogenic hormone in doses from 0.5-2.0 mg given subcutaneously daily beginning at day 21 to rats did not delay, but in some cases may have slightly advanced the day of vaginal opening. Continued injection of the same doses of hormone thereafter resulted in continuous vaginal mucification for the duration of experiment (approximately two weeks) and in lobular development of the mammary gland.
SOME TENTATIVE COMMENTS ON JAPANESE AND AMERICAN DECISION MAKING

Ample literature attests to the existence of differential views of causation held by Japanese as compared to Americans. Some new evidence links, in a rather complex manner, these differing causation maps to physiological brain structure. Review of this new evidence somewhat clarifies the nature of the differences in views of causation and preliminarily points toward the developmental phenomena underlying these differences. This, in turn, may help researchers interpret the differences in management practices existent within the two cultures under study.
Microstructural development in reduced activation ferritic alloys irradiated to 200 dpa at 420°C

Abstract Density change and microstructural development are reported for nine reduced activation ferritic steels covering the range 2.3 to 12Cr with varying additions of V and/or W for hardening and up to 6.5 Mn for austenite stability. Specimens were examined following irradiation in FFTF/MOTA at 420°C to a dose exceeding 200 dpa. Void swelling was found, but the swelling remained at 5% or below, with the worst case in an alloy of 9Cr-2Mn-1WV. The carbide structure pinning martensite lath boundaries remained in place.
To treat or to prevent: Are those the issues?

Abstract In the second of two articles on identifying and preventing stuttering, Hamre has argued that stuttering does not evolve from the normal disfluencies of childhood, usually does not persist or worsen after it begins, and cannot, therefore, be prevented. For those children whose stuttering does persist, he recommends early treatment. This paper focuses on the need for more empirical information rather than persuasive arguments to support such critical clinical decisions for children at risk for stuttering.
Cognitive impairment and functional status in elderly institutionalized patients with schizophrenia.

Objective The relationship of cognitive impairment to functional status in older adults with schizophrenia was investigated. Patients Ninety-three psychiatric inpatients with schizophrenia between the ages of 65 and 88 years. Two subsets of this sample, consisting of 48 and 24 patients, were studied with a greater number of assessment instruments. Measures The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used for brief assessment of overall cognitive functioning, and the Psychogeriatric Dependency Rating Scale (PGDRS) was administered to assess functional status. The cognitive test battery from the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) and/or an expanded neuropsychological battery, was given to a subset of the patients. Results In the overall sample, patients with greater global cognitive impairment had higher levels of rated impairment on the individual items that comprised the Orientation and Physical, but not Behavior, subscales of the PGDRS. Furthermore, in the two subsamples, specific neuropsychological measures of problem-solving, word list learning, naming and constructional praxis were related to overall measures of outcome. Conclusions Neuropsychological deficit and psychosocial outcome are multi-dimensional entities that relate to one another in complex ways. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Markedly increased constitutive CYP1A1 mRNA levels in the fertilized ovum of the mouse.

Using a highly sensitive RT-PCR technique that measures mRNA (cDNA)-to-DNA ratios, we are able to detect constitutive CYP1A1 mRNA in adult mouse liver as well as in the oocyte. Twelve hours after fertilization of the ovum, there is a more than 100-fold increase in constitutive CYP1A1 mRNA levels; this dramatic increase completely disappears by the 2-cell stage at gestational day 1.5 (GD1.5), as well as in the blastocyst at GD3.5. The CYP1A1 enzyme has been shown to remove an endogenous ligand for the Ah receptor (AHR), and the AHR is known to play a role in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. We therefore postulate that this striking abundance of constitutive CYP1A1 mRNA in the fertilized ovum at GD0.5 might be important for maintaining sufficient amounts of the CYP1A1 enzyme during the transition from maternal to zygotic control (GD0.5 to GD1.5 embryo); availability of catalytically active CYP1A1 would ensure that any (exogenous or endogenous) AHR ligand be rapidly degraded, so that all undesirable AHR-mediated gene transcription would be prevented during these very critical moments of early mammalian embryogenesis.
Fuzzy Symmetric Functions with Don't‐care Conditions and Applications

Defines and investigates fuzzy symmetric functions with don't‐care conditions and most‐unsymmetric functions. Represents and illustrates by examples algorithms for finding the grade of membership function and the number of most unsymmetric functions. Also presents applications to function representation, data reduction and error correction. The results may have useful applications to fuzzy logics, finding most‐unsymmetric images, fuzzy neural networks and related areas.
Isomer-specific oxidation of nonylphenol by potassium permanganate

Abstract Nonylphenol (NP), the metabolite of non-ionic surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylates, is a well-known environmental endocrine disruptor. Nonylphenol is frequently detected in treated wastewater effluent, impacted surface water and even in drinking water due to its heavy use. Nonylphenol has been treated as a single compound in most studies to date, but in reality it is a mixture of numerous isomers. Recent studies showed that different NP isomers displayed different estrogenicity and biodegradability in the environment. In this study, we examined, for the first time, the potential isomeric selectivity in the oxidation of NP. The reaction kinetics of 19 NP isomers, including 6 diastereoisomers, with potassium permanganate was measured at pH 5, 7 and 9. At pH 7 with 10 mg L −1 of KMnO 4 and 50 μg L −1 technical mixture of NP, the half-lives of 19 isomers varied from 4.8 to 6.3 min. In general, the reaction followed the order: α-dimethyl > α-ethylmethyl ≈ α-methylpropyl ≈ α- iso -propylmethyl. The oxidation rate of NP isomers with KMnO 4 increased with increasing pH and a greater dependence on pH was observed for isomers with α-dimethyl substituents. This study suggested that α-substituents may be the dominant factor regulating the reactivity and persistence of NP isomers during advanced oxidation processes.
The impact of unregulated fertility on maternal and child survival

Abstract Almost all maternal and child deaths represent merely the endpoint of the ‘road to death’ — a combination of factors that include high-risk pregnancy, socioeconomic disadvantage and inadequate health care. Unregulated fertility is the underlying cause of most high-risk pregnancies. They are: unwanted; in mothers younger than 20 or older than 35; closely spaced; and in women who already have several children. The resulting morbidity and mortality create a cycle of further disadvantage, further increases in child mortality and further high-risk pregnancies. Family planning is the single most important exit from the ‘road to death.’ Over the past 40 years it has contributed to the worldwide reduction in child mortality, and for every 100 women provided with family planning, a woman's life is saved.