cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-cultural equivalence of feeding beliefs and practices: The psychometric properties of the child feeding questionnaire among Blacks and Hispanics

Abstract Background Psychometrically sound measures are considered a necessary condition for valid research. This study used structural equation modeling to examine the cross-cultural equivalence of a widely used measure of parental beliefs and practices regarding child feeding, the Child Feeding Questionnaire [Birch L.L., Fisher J.O., Grimm-Thomas K., Markey C.N., Sawyer R., Johnson S.L. Confirmatory factor analysis of the child feeding questionnaire: a measure of parental attitudes, beliefs and practices about child feeding and obesity proneness. Appetite 2001;36:201–10]. Methods Low-income parents of 101 Black and 130 Hispanic pre-school children (126 girls, 105 boys) completed a reduced version of the CFQ. Results Confirmatory factor analyses using LISREL 8.51 supported the hypothesized factor structure but revealed cross-cultural conceptual problems on the perceived child weight factor and problematic items on the restriction factor that were addressed in a modified model. Invariance analyses demonstrated invariance of factor structure, loadings, and covariances in the modified model across ethnic groups. MANCOVA, that controlled for parent BMI and marital status, revealed ethnic differences on the child feeding responsibility, child weight concern, and perceived weight of child factors that were moderated by parent education and child BMI. Conclusions Results supported the use of a modified version of the CFQ among Blacks and Hispanics and revealed no ethnic differences on factor scores, except on interactions with parent education and overweight status of child.
Choice of Procedure: Enucleation, Evisceration, or Prosthetic Fitting Over Globes

Enucleation is more likely to be associated with certain intraoperative and postoperative complications but remains the procedure of choice in cases where detailed histopathologic examination of the globe is required, in many cases of intraocular neoplasm, and in selected cases of ocular trauma with visual loss. In many patients, evisceration results in enhanced cosmesis compared to enucleation and is a technically simpler and faster operation. Evisceration may be indicated in patients with blind and unsightly or painful eyes and in selected instances of ocular trauma following discussion of the risk of sympathetic ophthalmia with the patient. It is contraindicated in patients with possible intraocular malignancy. In appropriate cases, a cosmetic shell or contact lens may constitute an alternative to enucleation or evisceration, and may provide superior cosmesis. Management of patients requiring these procedures should be tailored to the particular clinical situation with consideration of the wishes of the well-informed patient.
Effects of aggregation on feeding and survival in a communal wren

Foraging by a social wren, Campylorhynchus nuchalis (Troglodytidae), in a tropical savanna habitat is not enhanced by aggregation. Data for marked individuals show that solitary foraging results in a higher capture rate than foraging near others. We find no evidence of imitative foraging, as individuals actively avoid successful foragers following a capture and successful foragers do not restrict their search to recently productive stations or techniques. Captures are seldom temporally clumped, and clumping is probably not pronounced enough to favor imitation. Juveniles show no greater tendency to respond to captures of others, or to succeed in foraging in a group, than do adults. Aggregation is probably disadvantageous for foraging because of dispersed, scarce, cryptic, and noneruptive prey and because of the searching technique of these foliage-gleaning insectivores. If predator avoidance is enhanced by aggregation, it does not result in either increased survival or increased foraging efficiency in large groups, even by juveniles.
Competition Policy and Innovation in Developing Countries: Empirical Evidence

Firms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that feel their competitors pressure them to innovate are more likely to innovate than firms do not. But price competition also reduces rents—and therefore the resources that firms have to invest. This paper assesses how competition policy affects these two different aspects of competition and how each affect innovation. It finds that enforcing competition law and cutting tariffs increases pressure to innovate and price competition. Because these affect innovation in opposite directions, it is not clear what competition policy’s net impact will be. The empirical results in this paper suggest that stricter competition laws increase the likelihood that firms will introduce new products but decrease the likelihood that they will introduce new production processes. In contrast, lower tariffs modestly reduce new product and new process development.
Osteocalcin : Genetic and physical mapping of the human gene BGLAP and its potential role in postmenopausal osteoporosis

Abstract Osteocalcin is an abundant, highly conserved bone-specific protein that is synthesized by osteoblasts. Temporally, osteocalcin appears in embryonic bone at the time of mineral deposition, where it binds to hydroxyapatite in a calcium-dependent manner. A role for osteocalcin in bone resorption has been suggested because of its ability to influence recruitment and differentiation of osteoclasts at the bone surface. The human osteocalcin gene has been mapped to 1q25–1q31 by somatic cell hybridization. In this paper, we refine both the genetic map and the physical map of osteocalcin and describe a new microsatellite (CA) marker, D1S3737, which is tightly linked to the gene. This marker and two other closely linked markers were used to identify alleles of the osteocalcin gene in case and control samples of postmenopausal white Iowans with low and high bone mineral density (BMD), respectively. A significant difference ( P = 0.007) was observed between allele frequency distributions of case and control women with one of the markers, D1S3737. Further, logistic regression analysis determined one allele of D1S3737 as associated with BMD status in this population ( P = 0.03). Our data suggest that genetic variation at the osteocalcin locus impacts BMD levels in the postmenopausal period and may predispose some women to osteoporosis.
Sample-based cross-frequency coupling analysis with CFAR detection

In this paper, we introduce a new approach for cross-frequency coupling analysis as applied to electroencephalograph (EEG) signals. Our approach consists of a low-complexity signal analysis block which is well-suited to implementation as an integrated circuit followed by constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection — a strategy borrowed from the digital communications field. In addition to being very low in complexity, we demonstrate here that the proposed framework provides good detection performance while effectively rejecting false alarms. Compared to more conventional detection procedures that rely on the formation of surrogate distributions, the proposed approach is both lower in complexity and allows detection decisions to be accurately made using smaller time windows.
Observation of alkali catalyst particles during gasification of carbonaceous materials in CO2 and steam

Results of a microscopical examination of catalysed carbon gasification are reported. Both in CO2 and steam, alkali catalysts show evidence of mobility. In the steam gasification of coal chars, the catalysts irreversibly combine with indigenous mineral matter. This is less pronounced in C02. The catalysed CO2 gasification was observed by hot stage microscopy, where alkali carbonate catalysts achieve an apparently molten state during incipient gasification. For single crystal graphite, circular pitting, hexagonal pitting and channelling were observed. For coal chars, irregular morphologies tend to obscure direct observation of surface/catalyst interactions, though subsequent scanning electron micrographs reveal the consequences of extensive catalyst mobility.
Localization of NADPH diaphorase in bladder afferent and postganglionic efferent neurons of the rat.

Abstract NADPH diaphorase histochemistry was used in combination with axonal labelling techniques to determine if NADPH diaphorase is present in afferent and postganglionic efferent pathways to the urinary bladder of the rat. In the L6 and S1 dorsal root ganglia, 80.9 and 78.5%, respectively, of bladder afferent neurons labelled with fluroescent dyes were NADPH diaphorase positive. In the major pelvic ganglion (MPG), many non-labelled neurons and fibers were intensely stained for NADPH diaphorase. Intensely stained cells were clustered near the exit of the penile nerve although stained cells were also scattered throughout the ganglion. Only a small percentage (3.5%) of bladder postganglionic neurons in the MPG were NADPH diaphorase positive. Since NADPH diaphorase activity commonly reflects the presence of nitric oxide synthase, the present findings raise the possibility that nitric oxide may have a role as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator in afferent pathways from the urinary bladder.
On the Gricean program about meaning

Grice and those philosophers who accept Grice's overall program about meaning have published only a small number of books and papers on that subject. Still they have had, despite continual criticisms from several fronts, wide influence (especially among philosophers and theoretical linguists). Because I think that the Gricean program really is fundamentally mistaken, and because I think I can bring out the nature of the mistakes in a perspicuous way-a way which, though obviously indebted to previous critiques,' differs from them in important respects I propose now to offer yet another critical examination of the Gricean program about meaning. To avoid excessive complications, particularly those which in my judgment are not germane to the issues I am raising, I shall in general not be concerned with differences in opinion among Griceans about detailed points nor with extreme refinements in their formulations.
Refugee Women's Reproductive Health in Early Resettlement

Abstract Objective To describe reproductive health needs and screening rates for breast and cervical cancer for newly arrived (less than 90 days) refugee women in the United States. Design A retrospective study of existing medical charts from 1996 to 2000. Setting Refugee health screening clinic, central Texas. Patients Refugee women (n = 283) newly arrived in the United States from Cuba (31.1%), Bosnia (26.1%), Vietnam (24.7%), and other countries (18.0%); age range=18 to 74 years, mean age=34.4 years. Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of reproductive health problems and breast and cervical cancer screening rates. Results Twenty-five percent of women in the sample were pregnant or had a reproductive health problem. A significant percentage older than 40 (86%) had never had a mammogram when compared to American women of the same age (33%). Only 24% reported having had a Pap test within the previous 3 years. Conclusions The risk of not receiving adequate reproductive health care is higher among newly arrived refugee women compared to nonrefugee women in the United States. For refugee women to enjoy optimum health, their individual needs and health care system issues must be addressed.
The dose-dependent inhibition of rat renal translation elongation seen after in vivo cyclosporin A is not caused by cyclosporin metabolites.

Abstract Cyclosporin A (CsA) given to Sprague-Dawley rats in vivo produced a tissue-specific, dose-dependent inhibition of translation elongation in renal microsomes. CsA at an oral dose of 50 mg/kg/day for 6 days reduced renal microsomal translation by 70.5%. Renal cytoplasm from rats treated in vivo with CsA inhibited translation by 55% when added to renal microsomes isolated from tissues of control animals. In contrast, CsA added to renal microsomes in vitro did not inhibit translation. Renal cytoplasm from CsA-treated rats containing translation inhibitory factor was found by HPLC to contain CsA and CsA metabolites M1 and M17. CsA metabolites M1, M17, M18 and M21 were isolated from human bile and tested in vitro for translation elongation inhibitory activity in renal microsomes. CsA, M18 and M21 did not inhibit translation elongation at concentrations of up to 2500 ng/ml. M17 inhibited translation elongation, but only by 8.4% at the highest concentration tested (2500 ng/ml), a level 20-fold higher than that measured in renal cytoplasm (125 ng/ml). Ml produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of translation elongation, beginning at 500 ng/ml, or approximately 2-fold higher than that found in renal cytoplasm (260 ng/ml). M1 at 2500 ng/ml or approximately 10-fold higher than the concentration measured in renal cytoplasm, inhibited translation elongation by 23.8%, only 1 3 that observed upon addition of renal cytoplasm containing translation inhibitory factor. We conclude from these findings that the dose-dependent inhibition of renal translation elongation following in vivo CsA cannot be explained by the renal formation or uptake of known CsA metabolites.
Accommodating death penalty legislation: Personal and professional views of assistant district attorneys toward capital punishment

Reinstatement of the death penalty in New York in 1995 forced an entire generation of prosecutors to confront capital punishment for the first time in their professional capacities. A total of 191 assistant district attorneys (ADAs) from 44 of New York’s 62 county prosecutors’ offices responded to a written survey. The results show ADAs hold widely divergent views about capital punishments, although most respondents fail to recognize their colleagues maintain differing viewpoints. The return of the death penalty appears to have both personal and professional implications for New York ADAs, and has precipitated potentially significant changes in their work environments.
Choice Awareness Systems: Helping Students Make More Effective Major, Minor Decisions:

Young people need help in recognizing that they have choices in the smaller issues if they are to see themselves as decision makers in life's larger issues. This is known as choice aware ness, and counselors have an imporant role in developing it.
Deficits in attentional orienting following damage to the perirhinal or postrhinal cortices.

The authors used an associative learning paradigm to assess the effects of perirhinal or postrhinal damage on attentional orienting. Control rats and rats with lesions of either the perirhinal or postrhinal cortex initially displayed high levels of orienting behavior (rearing) to presentations of a light cue. Continued nonreinforced presentations resulted in normal habituation of the response. In addition, orienting reemerged in control rats, indicating increased attentional processing of the cue. This conditioned orienting did not reemerge in rats with either perirhinal or postrhinal lesions, providing direct evidence that the rat perirhinal and postrhinal cortices each play a role in attention. These results are consistent with an emerging view that some structures within the medial temporal lobe have nonmnemonic functions. A growing body of evidence indicates that medial temporal lobe structures, including the hippocampus and surrounding cortical regions, have distinct roles in learning and memory (reviewed in Aggleton & Brown, 1999; Eichenbaum, 2000; Squire & ZolaMorgan, 1991). A related issue is how relevant features of an object or scene are selected from all the available stimuli for further processing by the medial temporal lobe (e.g., for learning or memory). It is likely that associated brain structures are involved in the monitoring of available stimuli for possible relevance to ongoing behavior. Within the medial temporal lobe of the rat, the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices are reasonable candidates for supporting such a function.
Better data needed from pregnancy registries

This article is a consensus position statement from the Research Committee of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS). The Committee believes that more specific information on the timing and dose of drug exposures from pregnancy birth defect registries sponsored by pharmaceutical companies (herein called pregnancy registries) would improve the estimation of risk for developmental toxicity (i.e., growth alteration, structural anomalies, functional/neurobehavioral deficits, or death). Specifically, the Committee believes that the exposure timing should be stated in gestational weeks and days rather than simply weeks. In addition, the Committee believes that the exposure dose should be stated in patient-specific terms, such as body weight (mg/kg) or body surface area (mg/m2) rather than simply dose strength. Although the focus of this position is pregnancy registries, it also is applicable to any source of medication-induced embryo-fetal toxicity. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Random antiferromagnetic quantum spin chains

The properties of spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic chains with various types of random exchange coupling are studied via an asymptotically exact decimation renormalization-group transformation, which is a generalization of that introduced by Dasgupta and Ma. Random-singlet phases occur in which each spin is paired with one other spin that may be very far away; more exotic phases also occur. The behavior of typical and mean correlation functions is analyzed and found to be very different, with very small sets of spins dominating the latter at long distances as well as the low-temperature thermodynamics. Some of the phase transitions that occur between antiferromagnetically ordered phases and random singlet or other antiferromagnetic phases are also analyzed. For example, if a small uniaxial anisotropy perturbation is added to a random Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain, a transition occurs from a random-singlet phase to an Ising antiferromagnetic phase, as the anisotropy changes sign from easy plane to easy axis. The staggered magnetization vanishes at the transition with critical exponent \ensuremath{\beta}=8/(1+ \ensuremath{\surd}7 ). Possible implications for the properties of random quantum magnetic systems in higher dimensions are briefly discussed.
The introducer technique is the optimal method for placing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes in head and neck cancer patients

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes are often placed in head and neck cancer patients to provide nutritional support, but studies have found the complication rates to be higher than other subsets of patients who undergo PEG placement. Complication rates as high as 50% have been reported, with the bulk of these complications being PEG site issues (i.e., cellulitis, abscess, fascitis, and tumor implantation). Because the pull technique has been the primary technique used, the theory is that the transoral tube passage is the source of the complications in these patients. Alternatively, the introducer technique uses a transabdominal approach to place the device, avoiding any tube contamination by upper aerodigestive organisms or tumor cells. At our institution, this technique has been used exclusively for head and neck cancer patients and this article reports our experience. One hundred forty-nine head and neck cancer patients who had a prophylactic PEG tube placed were reviewed from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2003. The rates of placement success, morbidity, and complications were determined. Successful placement was achieved in 148 (99%) patients without any PEG-related deaths. Overall, 17 complications (11%) occurred, with only one major complication (0.7%) identified. PEG site infections were uncommon with only five cases (3.4%) and all were mild cellulitis. The introducer technique is the safest method for PEG tube placement in head and neck cancer patients. The overall rate of complications is low and PEG site infectious complications are rare. The introducer technique should be the method of choice for PEG tubes in head and neck cancer patients.
Is Academic Engagement the Panacea for Achievement in Mathematics across Racial/Ethnic Groups? Assessing the Role of Teacher Culture

tudent engagement with school symbolizes efforts toward learning and is one of the strongest predictors of academic success. However, returns to engagement vary across racial and ethnic groups. Scholars have established that human agency is constrained by organizational environments, but they have not adequately assessed whether the advantages associated with engagement and the disadvan- tages associated with disengagement accrue evenly to groups of students depending on the educational environment. Using ECLS-K data, we examine how one aspect of schools' organizational culture-Collective Pedagogical Teacher Culture-moderates the relationship between engagement and mathematics achievement for students of different racial/ethnic groups in elementary school. Our study suggests that exhibiting the attributes that are valued in American society, i.e., academic engagement or, more abstractly, a strong ethic toward working academically, is not sufficient for the math- ematics achievement of many students—especially minority youth. Students must study in environments that nourish and capitalize upon those attributes so that diverse students can enhance their academic trajectories. Teachers are critical for student learning, and when teachers perceive the presence of Collective Pedagogical Teacher Cultures, returns to student engagement are higher.
Personality, Stress, Disease, and Bias in Epidemiologic Research

between the two factors, x2(5) = 0.76, p = .979. Unfortunately, Table 11 is incomplete, so a full reevaluation cannot be carried out, but the evidence for synergism is again less than conclusive. Having himself stated that "it is certainly completely inadmissible to use simple univariate analyses for risk-factor studies . . . multivariate analyses are an absolute must," the analyses presented are an enigma. Not only are all the evaluations essentially univariate, they are all based on a false premise. Consequently, they have led to totally incorrect conclusions about the interactions between the risk factors investigated. No evidence of statistical synergism exists in the data reported. The implications deduced for prophylaxis and prevention are, therefore, indefensible, although intuitively attractive. This is particularly serious with respect to smoking. The data, when analyzed correctly, show that the risks due to smoking increase significantly with consumption level and that this phenomenon is true for all personality types (not just for "stressed" individuals, as Professor Eysenck erroneously concludes). Note
Flight effects on subsonic jet noise

Experimental results obtained by a combination of fluid mechanics and radiated noise measurements associated with subsonic jets over a range of simulated flight speeds between 25 m/s and 110 m/s indicate that noise reduction in flight is predominantly a result of the reduced noise producing volume. These results do not support the generally accepted notion that noise reduction from jets in motion results primarily from the reduced strength of the noise producing eddies. These eddies, in flight, have previously been assumed to scale with the relative velocity V(J)-Vo where V(J) is the mean nozzle exit velocity and Vo is the flight velocity.
Rapid diffusion of the lipid phosphorus of phosphatidylglycerol liposomes through polycarbonate membranes is caused by the oxidation of the unsaturated fatty acids.

Abstract The lipid phosphorus of phosphatidylglycerol liposomes was found to diffuse extensively, after a lag time of 1 to 2 days, through a 0.1 μm pore size polycarbonate membrane in a two compartment system. Diffusion occurred when either multilamellar or large unilamellar vesicles were studied, even if they were sedimented to eliminate any smaller particles. The lipid of liposomes prepared under sterile conditions also diffused extensively. Diffusion appeared to be related to the age of the vesicles, and could be eliminated by incorporating antioxidants into the liposomes, or by using liposomes prepared from saturated phospholipids (C14 or larger). This indicated that diffusion was caused by phospholipid oxidation, which was confirmed by HPLC analysis. Phospholipid phosphorus that diffused through a membrane appeared more polar, as indicated by its capacity to distribute into the upper phase of a two phase extraction. Phospholipid phosphorus diffusion was preceded by the complete loss of liposomes contents, indicated by the complete diffusion of encapsulated carboxyfluorescein through the membrane. Oxidation of the lipid could be prevented by inclusion of either butylated hydroxytoluene or α-tocopherol in the membrane. The best retention of liposomal contents was achieved when both antioxidants and cholesterol were included in the liposome preparation. The antioxidant incorporated in the liposomes remained effective in protecting the phospholipids upon storage at 4°C for 2 months. The inclusion of EDTA in the suspension medium retarded the rapid oxidation, suggesting that the presence of trace amounts of heavy metal ions in the buffer catalyzed the oxidation. Phospholipid oxidation was most effectively inhibited by the presence of serum or chemically defined medium, suggesting that oxidation of liposomal lipids in a biological environment may be minimized if appropriate steps are taken.
The mammal type specimens at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway.

A catalog of mammalian type specimens in the collections of Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway, is presented. All type specimens in the Museum’s mammal collection were revisited and the respective label information was compared with the data provided in the original descriptions. Most taxa were described from type series with no specimen particularly assigned to holotype. The compiled catalog of the type specimens is not intended as a taxonomic revision of the respective taxa, which is why we have not designated lectotypes from the collection’s type series. Specimens that were clearly marked as “the type” in the original description were considered holotypes. The catalog consists of 19 taxa, with the year of authority corrected for three taxa.
Spreads, Depths, and the Impact of Earnings Information: An Intraday Analysis

For a sample of NYSE firms, we show that wide spreads are accompanied by low depths, and that spreads widen and depths fall in response to higher volume. Spreads widen and depths fall in anticipation of earnings announcements; these effects are more pronounced for announcements with larger subsequent price changes. Spreads are also wider following earnings announcements, but this effect dissipates quickly after controlling for volume. Collectively, our results suggest liquidity providers are sensitive to changes in information asymmetry risk and use both spreads and depths to actively manage this risk.
The strainrange partitioning behavior of an advanced gas turbine disk alloy, AF2-1DA

The low-cycle, creep-fatigue characteristics of the advanced gas turbine disk alloy, AF2-1DA have been determined at 1400 F and are presented in terms of the method of strainrange partitioning (SRP). The mean stresses which develop in the PC and CP type SRP cycles at the lowest inelastic strainrange were observed to influence the cyclic lives to a greater extent than the creep effects and hence interfered with a conventional interpretation of the results by SRP. A procedure is proposed for dealing with the mean stress effects on life which is compatible with SRP.
The composite method: an improved method for stream-water solute load estimation

The composite method is an alternative method for estimating stream-water solute loads, combining aspects of two commonly used methods: the regression-model method (which is used by the composite method to predict variations in concentrations between collected samples) and a period-weighted approach (which is used by the composite method to apply the residual concentrations from the regression model over time). The extensive dataset collected at the outlet of the Panola Mountain Research Watershed (PMRW) near Atlanta, Georgia, USA, was used in data analyses for illustrative purposes. A bootstrap (subsampling) experiment (using the composite method and the PMRW dataset along with various fixed-interval and large storm sampling schemes) obtained load estimates for the 8-year study period with a magnitude of the bias of less than 1%, even for estimates that included the fewest number of samples. Precisions were always <2% on a study period and annual basis, and <2% precisions were obtained for quarterly and monthly time intervals for estimates that had better sampling. The bias and precision of composite-method load estimates varies depending on the variability in the regression-model residuals, how residuals systematically deviated from the regression model over time, sampling design, and the time interval of the load estimate. The regression-model method did not estimate loads precisely during shorter time intervals, from annually to monthly, because the model could not explain short-term patterns in the observed concentrations. Load estimates using the period-weighted approach typically are biased as a result of sampling distribution and are accurate only with extensive sampling. The formulation of the composite method facilitates exploration of patterns (trends) contained in the unmodelled portion of the load. Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Potentiated Hsp104 Variants Antagonize Diverse Proteotoxic Misfolding Events

There are no therapies that reverse the proteotoxic misfolding events that underpin fatal neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Hsp104, a conserved hexameric AAA+ protein from yeast, solubilizes disordered aggregates and amyloid but has no metazoan homolog and only limited activity against human neurodegenerative disease proteins. Here, we reprogram Hsp104 to rescue TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein proteotoxicity by mutating single residues in helix 1, 2, or 3 of the middle domain or the small domain of nucleotide-binding domain 1. Potentiated Hsp104 variants enhance aggregate dissolution, restore proper protein localization, suppress proteotoxicity, and in a C. elegans PD model attenuate dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Potentiating mutations reconfigure how Hsp104 subunits collaborate, desensitize Hsp104 to inhibition, obviate any requirement for Hsp70, and enhance ATPase, translocation, and unfoldase activity. Our work establishes that disease-associated aggregates and amyloid are tractable targets and that enhanced disaggregases can restore proteostasis and mitigate neurodegeneration.
Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis: Prompt diagnosis preserves organ function

Prompt diagnosis of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis improves chances of preserving renal function, preventing involvement of other organs, and relieving symptoms. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging helps to exclude secondary causes, but open biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Management typically includes surgery (ureterolysis, stent placement), and drug treatment (corticosteroids), or a combination of both. However, no surgical or medical therapy has been tested in a randomized, controlled trial.
Pitch ranking, electrode discrimination, and physiological spread of excitation using current steering in cochlear implants

The first objective of this study was to determine whether adaptive pitch-ranking and electrode-discrimination tasks with cochlear-implant (CI) recipients produce similar results for perceiving intermediate “virtual-channel” pitch percepts using current steering. Previous studies have not examined both behavioral tasks in the same subjects with current steering. A second objective was to determine whether a physiological metric of spatial separation using the electrically evoked compound action potential spread-of-excitation (ECAP SOE) function could predict performance in the behavioral tasks. The metric was the separation index (Σ), defined as the difference in normalized amplitudes between two adjacent ECAP SOE functions, summed across all masker electrodes. Eleven CII or 90 K Advanced Bionics (Valencia, CA) recipients were tested using pairs of electrodes from the basal, middle, and apical portions of the electrode array. The behavioral results, expressed as d′, showed no significant differences across tasks. There was also no significant effect of electrode region for either task. ECAP Σ was not significantly correlated with pitch ranking or electrode discrimination for any of the electrode regions. Therefore, the ECAP separation index is not sensitive enough to predict perceptual resolution of virtual channels.
Ultrastructure of conidiogenesis and mature conidia in the plant pathogenic Entomosporium mespili.

Acervuli of E. mespili developed subcuticularly on both surfaces of infected Photinia leaves. Acervuli developed as single or aggregated, confluent structures. Conidium initials arose from hyphae which developed between the cuticle and epidermis. As conidia developed the cuticle was displaced and eventually ruptured. Development of the first conidium from a conidiogenous cell was holoblastic. Subsequent conidia developed in an enteroblastic, annellidic fashion. Three to four conidia arose from a single conidiogenous cell. A mature conidium consisted of four to six cells including an apical cell and a basal cell which developed first. These were separated by a septum with a plugged pore. A similar septum separated the basal cell from the conidiogenous cell. A long, slender, enucleate appendage then arose from the tip of the apical cell. During this time the basal cell gave rise to two to four small lateral cells, separated by septa from the basal cell. An appendage then developed from each lateral cell. Each cell of a mature conidium contained a single nucleus and a complement of cytoplasmic organelles and inclusions, many of which were more prominent in freeze substituted conidia than in chemically fixed conidia. The conidium wall labelled for chitin using wheat germ agglutin-gold conjugate. Its outer surface was coated with fibrillar material.
Salt-induced ANG II suppression impairs the response of cerebral artery smooth muscle cells to prostacyclin

Recent studies have demonstrated that cerebral arteries from rats fed a high-salt (HS) diet exhibit impaired vasodilation and altered electrophysiological response to reduction in Po2. The present ...
Heavy quarks on the lattice

Abstract A method of treating heavy quarks is applied to lattice Q.C.D. for heavy quar masses (mH) and lattice spacing (a) satisfying the condition mHa > 1. Explicit applications to the measurement of heavy-light meson masses, decay constants, and mixing parameters are presented. Numerical results for B mesons are obtained on a 82 × 16 × 24 lattice with β = 5.7.
Electron Beam Fluorescence Imaging for Hypersonic Research

The electron-beam fluorescence technique was developed as an experimental diagnostic for rarefied gas dynamic research over twenty years ago. In addition to extensive laboratory research, flight-research using electron-beam fluorescence has been successful in providing measurements of nitrogen rotational and vibrational temperature, and the density of nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere at altitudes above 80 km. Using advanced imaging detectors and improved electron beam technology, both flight research at altitudes down to 50 km and wind tunnel experiments at equivalent densities can be conducted to study hypersonic flows. In this paper we review previous flight research experience with the electron-beam technique and discuss the use of an imaging spectrograph for hypersonic flow field measurements.
Frontal brain potentials during recognition are modulated by requirements to retrieve perceptual detail.

Abstract To assess the role of prefrontal cortex in retrieval and address the controversy about whether prefrontal retrieval operations are engaged only following successful retrieval, we recorded event-related brain potentials during two recognition tests with differing demands on retrieval effort. Both tests included object drawings that were (1) identical to those studied, (2) the same but with altered aspect ratios, and (3) previously unseen. Instructions were to respond "old" only if drawings were not modified (specific test) or regardless of modifications (general test). Frontal potentials were enhanced during the specific relative to the general test for all three types of drawings. We conclude that these potentials reflected differential engagement of strategic retrieval, that this function relied on left prefrontal cortex, and that it was not contingent on successful retrieval.
Identification of residues defining phospholipid flippase substrate specificity of type IV P-type ATPases

Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) catalyze translocation of phospholipid across a membrane to establish an asymmetric bilayer structure with phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) restricted to the cytosolic leaflet. The mechanism for how P4-ATPases recognize and flip phospholipid is unknown, and is described as the “giant substrate problem” because the canonical substrate binding pockets of homologous cation pumps are too small to accommodate a bulky phospholipid. Here, we identify residues that confer differences in substrate specificity between Drs2 and Dnf1, Saccharomyces cerevisiae P4-ATPases that preferentially flip PS and phosphatidylcholine (PC), respectively. Transplanting transmembrane segments 3 and 4 (TM3-4) of Drs2 into Dnf1 alters the substrate preference of Dnf1 from PC to PS. Acquisition of the PS substrate maps to a Tyr618Phe substitution in TM4 of Dnf1, representing the loss of a single hydroxyl group. The reciprocal Phe511Tyr substitution in Drs2 specifically abrogates PS recognition by this flippase causing PS exposure on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane without disrupting PE asymmetry. TM3 and the adjoining lumenal loop contribute residues important for Dnf1 PC preference, including Phe587. Modeling of residues involved in substrate selection suggests a novel P-type ATPase transport pathway at the protein/lipid interface and a potential solution to the giant substrate problem.
Effect of chronic poisoning by emetine on oxidative process in rat heart III. Effects on oxidation of pyruvate and lactate

The effect of chronic emetine poisoning on the oxidation of pyruvate and lactate by rat heart and liver homogenates was investigated. Oxygen consumption by heart homogenates was lower in the emetine-poisoned animals when compared to sham-injected controls. No significant difference was noted in liver homogenates. Heart slices from emetine-poisoned rats consumed less oxygen than slices from sham-injected controls. When diaphragm sections were employed, this difference was not noted.
Effects of Separation Processes on Minor Uranium Isotopes in Enrichment Cascades

In natural uranium, there are trace amounts of the “minor isotope” 234U in addition to the more abundant 235U and 238U. Uranium irradiated in a reactor and separated from the spent reactor fuel by reprocessing will contain additional minor isotopes. In uranium enrichment, cascades of separating units are tuned to produce the desired level of the isotope 235U, but the levels of other isotopes will also change. Measurement of the assays of the 235U in the feed, product and withdrawal streams of each stage allow the calculation of the stage separation factor for the 235U. The separation factors for the other isotopes may be calculated. In this aritcle, two methods of modeling the separation factors in a way that represents the physics of two enrichment processes, gas centrifuge and gaseous diffusion, are explored. This technique could be a valuable tool in nuclear forensics. For example, it could be important to know the origin of a sample of highly enriched uranium, found either in intercepted material or i...
Protecting the Next Generation: Elaborating the Health Belief Model to Increase HPV Vaccination Among College-Age Women

This study guides social marketing campaigns to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among young women by elaborating the health belief model (HBM). A self-administered, anonymous, web-b...
Estimating Generalization Error on Two-Class Datasets Using Out-of-Bag Estimates

For two-class datasets, we provide a method for estimating the generalization error of a bag using out-of-bag estimates. In bagging, each predictor (single hypothesis) is learned from a bootstrap sample of the training exampless the output of a bag (a set of predictors) on an example is determined by voting. The out-of-bag estimate is based on recording the votes of each predictor on those training examples omitted from its bootstrap sample. Because no additional predictors are generated, the out-of-bag estimate requires considerably less time than 10-fold cross-validation. We address the question of how to use the out-of-bag estimate to estimate generalization error on two-class datasets. Our experiments on several datasets show that the out-of-bag estimate and 10-fold cross-validation have similar performance, but are both biased. We can eliminate most of the bias in the out-of-bag estimate and increase accuracy by incorporating a correction based on the distribution of the out-of-bag votes.
Risk factors for unplanned transfer to intensive care within 24 hours of admission from the emergency department in an integrated healthcare system

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) ward admissions subsequently transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) within 24 hours have higher mortality than direct ICU admissions. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS: Describe risk factors for unplanned ICU transfer within 24 hours of ward arrival from the ED. METHODS: Evaluation of 178,315 ED non-ICU admissions to 13 US community hospitals. We tabulated the outcome of unplanned ICU transfer by patient characteristics and hospital volume. We present factors associated with unplanned ICU transfer after adjusting for patient and hospital differences in a hierarchical logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 4,252 (2.4%) non-ICU admissions transferred to the ICU within 24 hours. Admitting diagnoses most associated with unplanned transfer, listed by descending prevalence were: pneumonia (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–1.9), myocardial infarction (MI) (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–2.0), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1–1.9), sepsis (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.9–3.3), and catastrophic conditions (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.7–3.0). Other significant predictors included: male sex, Comorbidity Points Score >145, Laboratory Acute Physiology Score ≥7, arriving on the ward between 11 PM and 7 AM. Decreased risk was found with admission to monitored transitional care units (OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.77–0.90) and to higher volume hospitals (OR 0.94 per 1,000 additional annual ED inpatient admissions; 95% CI 0.91–0.98). CONCLUSIONS: ED patients admitted with respiratory conditions, MI, or sepsis are at modestly increased risk for unplanned ICU transfer and may benefit from better triage from the ED, earlier intervention, or closer monitoring to prevent acute decompensation. More research is needed to determine how intermediate care units, hospital volume, time of day, and sex affect unplanned ICU transfer. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013. © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine
Historical review: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of opiate and cocaine addiction

The National Institute on Drug Abuse was founded in 1974, and since that time there have been significant advances in understanding the processes by which drugs of abuse cause addiction. The initial protein targets for almost all drugs of abuse are now known. Animal models that replicate key features of addiction are available, and these models have made it possible to characterize the brain regions that are important for addiction and other drug effects, such as physical dependence. A large number of drug-induced changes at the molecular and cellular levels have been identified in these brain areas and rapid progress is being made in relating individual changes to specific behavioral abnormalities in animal models of addiction. The current challenges are to translate this increasingly impressive knowledge of the basic neurobiology of addiction to human addicts, and to identify the specific genes that make some individuals either particularly vulnerable or resistant to addiction. In this article, I present a historical review of basic research on opiate and cocaine addiction.
The Logic of Private and Collective Action

Since Mancur Olson’s Logic of Collective Action (1965), it is impossible for political scientists to conceive of political participation without reference to his powerful argument linking numbers of participants, public goods, and participatory outcomes. What is puzzling is the poor empirical support for this argument in the domain where it should work best, namely explaining business political activity. Olson thought his arguments principally applicable to economic groups, and for the empirical development of his arguments Olson drew heavily on business interests, the most active segment of the interest group community. We explore these arguments with business political activities data by examining the statistical performance of various measures of market structure in determining business political activity, and find little empirical support. We do offer an alternative basis for business behavior lodged in both private and collective goods that preserves business rationality and also helps explain not only the amount of business political participation but the modes of business participation. W hen we think about the paradox of participation, one of the formative puzzles of modern political science, we tend to think first of voting and citizen participation. We think of the large numbers involved, the small probability that an individual vote will be decisive, and we conclude that no one will vote. The puzzle then becomes why so many people do vote. To find a solution we tend to plead some sort of “diminished rationality,” such as the costs of voting are too low even to consider carefully or that they are outweighed by the norm of civic duty. In this article, we examine the paradox of participation in the principal context that Olson (1965) considered it. For the empirical development of his arguments Olson drew heavily on business interests. He observed that business was the most active segment of the interest group community and noted that for large numbers of participants seeking pubic goods, the dominant choice is to do nothing. He argued that business activity derived from multiple markets and related industries segmenting the larger business community into small groups. In an oligopolistic market it is rational for the individual firm to participate in association with others or on its own: “A