cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Hillbillies,” “Welfare Queens,” and “Teen Moms”: American Media’s Class Distinctions

Diana Owen focuses on the US media’s framing of social class in an historical context. After discussing the theoretical concept of media frames and its relevance for the analysis of media depictions of class, she addresses US-Americans’ self-identification with social class. The middle class, and the values associated with it, remains the central reference point of social respectability. Owen focuses her analyses on three negative stereotypes of the poor: The welfare queen, the teen mom, and the hillbilly. With a keen eye for the function of these stereotypes, Owen builds on the framing class approach to expound on its political portend. Such images, she reminds us, no matter how constructed they are, inexorably impact the social realities of the USA’s precariat.
Pathways to software engineering courses

This paper examines project-based software engineering courses in several contexts in several countries and makes observations regarding the success of the various pathways to the courses relative to the educa-tional context. The countries examined include Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the US. The approaches considered include a semester-long project-based delivery, compressed delivery over three 3-day sessions, and articulation into a program from another country. The different backgrounds and performance of the students are examined.
Future Directions for Hypothermia following Severe Traumatic Brian Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious health care problem on both individual and public health levels. As a major cause of death and disability in the United States, it is associated with a significant economic and public health burden. Although the evidence to support the use of induced hypothermia on neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest is well established, its use in treating TBI remains controversial. Hypothermia has the potential to mitigate some of the destructive processes that occur as part of secondary brain injury after TBI. Hypothermia can be helpful in lowering intracranial pressure, for example, but its influence on functional outcome is unclear. There is insufficient evidence to support the broad use of prophylactic hypothermia for neuroprotection after TBI. Investigators are beginning to more carefully select patients for temperature modulating therapies, in a more personalized approach. Examples include targeting immunomodulation and scaling hypothermia to achieve metabolic targets. This review will summarize the clinical evidence for the use of hypothermia to limit secondary brain injury following acute TBI.
Conclusion: Challenging the Narrative

The contributions to this volume explore the boundaries of bioarchaeology, challenging narratives that have influenced our discipline – the role and position of women in the past, how we communicate our results, our engagement with political/social issues, the nature of the relationship between researcher and research subject/object, and the structural inequality in the discipline itself. In their contributions, the authors provide examples of new ways of investigating and discussing the past grounded in a critical and self-reflective perspective.
Methane fluxes from tree stems and soils along a habitat gradient

Forests are major sources of terrestrial CH4 and CO2 fluxes but not all surfaces within forests have been measured and accounted for. Stem respiration is a well-known source of CO2, but more recently tree stems have been shown to be sources of CH4 in wetlands and upland habitats. A study transect was established along a natural moisture gradient, with one end anchored in a forested wetland, the other in an upland forest and a transitional zone at the midpoint. Stem and soil fluxes of CH4 and CO2 were measured using static chambers during the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons, from May to October. Mean stem CH4 emissions were 68.8 ± 13.0 (mean ± standard error), 180.7 ± 55.2 and 567.9 ± 174.5 µg m−2 h−1 for the upland, transitional and wetland habitats, respectively. Mean soil methane fluxes in the upland, transitional and wetland were − 64.8 ± 6.2, 7.4 ± 25.0 and 190.0 ± 123.0 µg m−2 h−1, respectively. Measureable CH4 fluxes from tree stems were not always observed, but every individual tree in our experiment released measureable CH4 flux at some point during the study period. These results indicate that tree stems represent overlooked sources of CH4 in forested habitats and warrant investigation to further refine CH4 budgets and inventories.
Nonlinear effects of phenological shifts link interannual variation to species interactions

The vast majority of species interactions are seasonally structured and depend on species' relative phenologies. However, differences in the phenologies of species naturally vary across years and are altered by ongoing climate change around the world. By combining experiments that shifted the relative hatching of two competing tadpole species across a productivity gradient with simulations of inter-annual variation in arrival times I tested how phenological variation across years can alter the strength and outcome of interspecific competition. Shifting the relative timing of hatching (phenology) of a species fundamentally altered interspecific competition, and the effect of shifting the timing on competition was highly non-linear for most demographic rates. Furthemore, this relationship varied with productivity of the system. As a consequence, (a) shifts in relative timing of phenologies had small or large effects depending on the average natural timing of interactions, and (b) changes in the inter-annual variation in onset of interaction alone can alter species interactions in simulations even when mean phenologies (timing) remain unchanged across years. Studies on phenologies traditionally focus on directional shifts in the mean of phenologies, but these results suggest that we also need to consider inter-annual variation in phenologies of interacting species to predict dynamics of natural communities and how they will be modified by climate change.
Unanticipated hospital admission in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease undergoing ambulatory noncardiac surgical procedures.

BACKGROUND An increasing number of surgical and nonsurgical procedures are being performed on an ambulatory basis in children. Analysis of a large group of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease undergoing ambulatory procedures has not been undertaken. AIMS The objective of this study was to characterize the profile of children with congenital heart disease who underwent noncardiac procedures on an ambulatory basis at our institution, to determine the incidence of adverse cardiovascular and respiratory adverse events, and to determine the risk factors for unscheduled hospital admission. METHODS This is a retrospective study of children with congenital heart disease who underwent noncardiac procedures on an ambulatory basis in a single center. Using the electronic preoperative anesthesia evaluation form, we identified 3010 patients with congenital heart disease who underwent noncardiac procedures of which 1028 (34.1%) were scheduled to occur on an ambulatory basis. Demographic, echocardiographic and functional status data, cardiovascular and respiratory adverse events, and reasons for postprocedure admission were recorded. Univariable analysis was conducted. RESULTS The unplanned hospital admission was 2.7% and univariable analysis demonstrated that performance of an echocardiogram within 6 mo of the procedure and procedures performed in radiology were associated with postoperative admission. Cardiovascular adverse event incidence was 3.9%. Respiratory adverse event incidence was 1.8%. CONCLUSION Ambulatory, noncomplex procedures can be performed in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease and good functional status with a relatively low unanticipated hospital admission rate.
Anticipated impact of the capability maturity model integration (CMMI ® ) V2.0 on aerospace systems safety and security

Many aerospace programs use the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI®) V1.3 as the model for development. The CMMI Institute is preparing to release V2.0 that will be a major update to the model. The CMMI has been criticized for not directly addressing reliability concerns. Will the updated model address these deficiencies? We will describe what is known about the model update and discuss the possible impact each will have on reliability concerns. In addition, we will look broadly at the model and revisit the prior criticisms to determine their relevance in light of the updated model. Given the close coherence between the CMMI and NASA NPR 7150.2 [6] we will also examine how the model updates relate to the NPR, especially in light of reliability concerns.
Acquisition of Energy by Teleosts: Adaptive Mechanisms and Evolutionary Patterns

Organisms are self-regulating highly integrated systems capable of autoduplication (Waterman, 1967). As such they must acquire energy from the environment permitting growth, locomotion, reproduction, and all other biological processes. Although acquisition, transfer and utilization of energy in fishes have been studied rather extensively, more emphasis has been placed on the latter two. Because environmental physiologists are mainly concerned with the physiological adaptations to various environmental parameters, it seems appropriate to focus on the proximate interactions between the fish and trophic resources at the level of acquisition. Transfer and utilization of energy are beyond the scope of this A.S.I. and will not be discussed.
Impact of Case-Specific Education and Face-to-Face Feedback to Prescribers and Nurses in the Management of Hospitalized Patients With a Positive Clostridium difficile Test.

Background Approaches to changing providers' behavior around Clostridium difficile (CD) management are needed. We hypothesized that case-specific teaching points and face-to-face discussions with prescribers and nurses would improve management of patients with a positive CD test. Methods Charts of patients age ≥18 years with positive CD tests hospitalized July 2016 to May 2017 were prospectively reviewed to assess CD practices and generate management recommendations. The study had 4 periods: baseline (pre-intervention), intervention #1, observation, and intervention #2. Both interventions consisted of an in-person, real-time, case-based discussion and education by a CD Action Team (CDAT). Assessment occurred within 24 hours of a positive CD test for all periods; during the intervention periods, management was also assessed within 48 hours after CDAT-delivered recommendations. Outcomes included proportion of patients receiving optimized treatment and incidence rate ratios of practice changes (both CDAT-prompted and CDAT-independent). Results Overall, the CDAT made recommendations to 84 of 96 CD cases during intervention periods, and providers accepted 43% of CDAT recommendations. The implementation of the CDAT led to significant improvement in bowel movement (BM) documentation, use of proton pump inhibitors, and antibiotic selection for non-CD infections. Selection of CD-specific therapy improved only in the first intervention period. Laxative use and treatment of CD colonization cases remained unchanged. Only BM documentation, a nurse-driven task, was sustained independent of CDAT prompting. Conclusions A behavioral approach to changing the management of positive CD tests led to self-sustained practice changes among nurses but not physicians. Better understanding of prescribers' decision-making is needed to devise enduring interventions.
Inhibition of mTORC1 activity is required for the IL-12p40 response of classical CD16neg CD14+ primary human monocytes to Toxoplasma gondii

Primary human monocytes produce IL-12 and TNF in response to live Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoytes by a mechanism requiring parasite phagocytosis. Interestingly, in contrast to the patrolling CD16 + CD14 + subset, monocytes belonging to the major CD16 neg CD14 + subset fail to secrete IL-12 and TNF following T. gondii exposure. Here we show that the CD16 neg CD14 + subset, nevertheless, upregulates Il12b mRNA and thus is able to sense the parasite. In addition, we demonstrate that priming with IFNg, but not IFNa, enables CD16 neg CD14 + monocytes to produce IL-12 protein in response to T. gondii . This effect of IFNg priming was not due to augmented phagocytosis and was not associated with altered rates of glycolysis, oxygen consumption, or increased Il12b mRNA expression. To test the possible role of IFNγ on cytokine translation, we evaluated the requirement for mTOR (mTORC1/2) pathway, a key regulator of protein synthesis. The T. gondii -induced IL-12 response of IFNγ primed CD16 neg monocytes was inhibited by Torin, an inhibitor of mTORC2, but surprisingly not by the classical mTORC1 inhibitor Rapamycin. Because mTORC2 has been shown to downregulate mTORC1 activity, we hypothesized that the priming effect of IFNg might result from the upregulation of mTORC2 resulting in suppressed mTORC1. Indeed, in the absence of IFNγ, suppression of mTORC1 in CD16 neg monocytes with Rapamycin enhanced IL-12 secretion. Taken together, our results suggest that classical CD16 neg CD14 + monocytes fail to secrete IL-12 in response to T. gondii due to increased mTORC1 activity, which can be reversed directly by Rapamycin or indirectly through stimulation of mTORC2 by IFNγ priming.
The Moral Sense of Education in William James’ Philosophy

William James made it very clear to the teachers to whom he addressed his famous Talks to Teachers on Psychology that they would not find the primary sense of education in psychology but in the moral sense. He wrote that “the teacher’s attitude toward the child, being concrete and ethical, is positively opposed to the psychological observer’s, which is abstract and analytic.”1
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuroectodermal epithelial cells mistaken for blood-brain barrier-forming endothelial cells

Abstract Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) possess unique properties underlying the blood-brain-barrier (BBB), that are crucial for homeostatic brain functions and interactions with the immune system. Modulation of BBB function is essential for treatment of neurological diseases and effective tumor targeting. Studies to-date have been hampered by the lack of physiological models using cultivated human BMECs that sustain BBB properties. Recently, differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into cells with BBB-like properties has been reported, providing a robust in vitro model for drug screening and mechanistic understanding of neurological diseases. However, the precise identity of these iBMECs remains unclear. Employing single-cell RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analysis and immunofluorescence for several pathways, transcription factors (TFs), and surface markers, we examined the molecular and functional properties of iBMECs differentiated either in the absence or presence of retinoic acid. We found that iBMECs lack both endothelial-lineage genes and ETS TFs that are essential for the establishment and maintenance of EC identity. Moreover, iBMECs fail to respond to angiogenic stimuli and form lumenized vessels in vivo. We demonstrate that human iBMECs are not barrier-forming ECs but rather EpCAM+ neuroectodermal epithelial cells (NE-EpiCs) that form tight junctions resembling those present in BBB-forming BMECs. Finally, overexpression of ETS TFs (ETV2, FLI1, and ERG) reprograms NE-EpiCs to become more like the BBB-forming ECs. Thus, although directed differentiation of human iBMECs primarily gives rise to epithelial cells, overexpression of several ETS TFs can divert them toward a vascular BBB in vitro.
Introduction to Selfie Biometrics

Traditional password-based solutions are being predominantly replaced by biometric technology for mobile user authentication. Since the inception of smartphones, smartphone cameras have made substantial progress in image resolution, aperture size, and sensor size. These advances facilitate the use of selfie biometrics such as the self-acquired face, fingerphoto, and ocular region for mobile user authentication. This chapter introduces the topic of selfie biometrics to the readers. Overview of the methods for different selfie biometrics modalities is provided. Liveness detection, soft-biometrics prediction, and cloud-based infrastructure for selfie biometrics are also discussed. Open issues and research directions are included to provide the path forward. The overall aim is to improve the understanding and advance the state-of-the-art in this field.
Cytological and Morphological Investigations on Gynodimorphic and Normal Forms of RANUNCULUS ACRIS L.

Page 60, lines 16 and 24, for "Velenovsky" read "Velonovsky." Page 82, Literature Cited, for "Baranow" read "Baranov." Page 83, line 45, for "Velenovsky" read "Velonovsky." Page 83, Literature Cited, for "Tischler, J." read "Tischler, G
'Home is where the health is': Housing quality and adult health outcomes in the Survey of Income and Program Participation.

Abstract Nearly a quarter of the homes in the United States were considered unhealthy or inadequate, but whether these housing characteristics have direct effects on health or whether they are driven by other contextual housing and neighborhood characteristics remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to quantify the independent associations between poor housing quality and adult health outcomes, adjusting for socioeconomic factors (e.g. income to poverty ratio, food insecurity) and other contextual housing characteristics (e.g. rental status, number of people per household, unsafe neighborhood). Using in-person household interview data from wave 1 of the 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a secondary analysis was performed using a series of logistic regression models. The 2014 SIPP sample is a multistage stratified sample of 53,070 housing units designed to represent the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States (N = 55,281 adults ages 18 and older). Our results indicate that each additional poor housing characteristic was associated with poorer health status (OR: 1.17, CI [1.11, 1.23]), higher medical utilization (OR: 1.11 CI: [1.06, 1.16]), and a higher likelihood of hospitalization (OR: 1.07, CI [1.02, 1.12]). Non-housing-related government assistance, food security, and safe neighborhoods only partially explained associations between housing quality and health outcomes. Evaluating current local, state, and federal policy on housing quality standards may help determine if these standards decrease the number of Americans residing in inadequate homes or result in improvements in health and reductions in healthcare costs. Simply put, the home is where [we suggest] the health is.
Community School Leadership: Identifying Qualities Necessary for Developing and Supporting Equity-Centered Principals

This study determined what principals need to successfully lead community schools and the extent principals are prepared to lead them. The authors of this qualitative study collected data from a br...
Proteomic Signatures of Heart Failure in Relation to Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

Abstract Background There is a growing recognition of the inherent limitations of the use of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to accurately phenotype patients with heart failure (HF). ...
Follow the money: Investigating gender disparity in industry payments among senior academics and leaders in plastic surgery.

INTRODUCTION Differences in academic qualifications are cited as the reason behind the documented gender gap in industry sponsorship to academic plastic surgeons. Gendered imbalances in academic metrics narrow among senior academic plastic surgeons. However, it is unknown whether this gender parity translates to industry payments. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of industry payments disbursed to plastic surgeons in 2018. Inclusion criteria encompassed (i) faculty with the rank of professor or a departmental leadership position. Exclusion criteria included faculty (i) who belonged to a speciality besides plastic surgery; (ii) whose gender could not be determined; or (iii) whose name could not be located on the Open Payment Database. Faculty and title were identified using departmental listings of ACGME plastic surgery residency programs. We extracted industry payment data through the Open Payment Database. We also collected details on H-index and time in practice. Statistical analysis included odds ratios (OR) and Pearson's correlation coefficient (R). RESULTS We identified 316 senior academic plastic surgeons. The cohort was predominately male (88%) and 91% held a leadership role. Among departmental leaders, women were more likely to be an assistant professor (OR 3.9, p = 0.0003) and heads of subdivision (OR 2.1, p = 0.0382) than men. Industry payments were distributed equally to male and female senior plastic surgeons except for speakerships where women received smaller amounts compared to their male counterparts (median payments of $3,675 vs $7,134 for women and men respectively, p<0.0001). Career length and H-index were positively associated with dollar value of total industry payments (R = 0.17, p = 0.0291, and R = 0.14, p = 0.0405, respectively). CONCLUSION Disparity in industry funding narrows at senior levels in academic plastic surgery. At higher academic levels, industry sponsorship may preferentially fund individuals based on academic productivity and career length. Increased transparency in selection criteria for speakerships is warranted.
Feature Selection for Multivariate Time Series via Network Pruning.

In recent years, there has been an ever increasing amount of multivariate time series (MTS) data in various domains, typically generated by a large family of sensors such as wearable devices. This has led to the development of novel learning methods on MTS data, with deep learning models dominating the most recent advancements. Prior literature has primarily focused on designing new network architectures for modeling temporal dependencies within MTS. However, a less studied challenge is associated with high dimensionality of MTS data. In this paper, we propose a novel neural component, namely Neural Feature Se-lector (NFS), as an end-2-end solution for feature selection in MTS data. Specifically, NFS is based on decomposed convolution design and includes two modules: firstly each feature stream within MTS is processed by a temporal CNN independently; then an aggregating CNN combines the processed streams to produce input for other downstream networks. We evaluated the proposed NFS model on four real-world MTS datasets and found that it achieves comparable results with state-of-the-art methods while providing the benefit of feature selection. Our paper also highlights the robustness and effectiveness of feature selection with NFS compared to using recent autoencoder-based methods.
Whole body measurements using near-infrared spectroscopy in a rat spinal cord contusion injury model.

Spinal cord injuries cause great damage to the central nervous system as well as the peripheral vasculature. While treatments for spinal cord injury typically focus on the spine itself, improvement...
Dairy advisory teams

Dairy Advisory Teams (DATs) improve farm management success when producers and advisors have the skills and attitude to make them work effectively. Basic team concepts are taught during team training workshops and in follow-up communications. Teams learn to recognize individual farm values, objectives and constraints before identifying areas in which improvements could be made. Teams are selected from people with skills and abilities that complement farm goals. An advisor who is not part of the owner/management group organizes and runs the team meetings in consultation with the owner. Advisors with team facilitation skills and experience make the best coordinators. Teams formulate action plans that are critical to success. Regular team meetings (monthly or bi-monthly with experience) increase the ability of farm advisors to monitor and make midcourse adjustment to farm plans. Farm owners make all decisions while benefiting from timely diverse advice from multiple professionals. Our study confirms that veterinarians are one of three critical team advisors and provide essential advice for teams when health information is integrated into the farm decision-making processes. Further, this study suggests that certain elements are key to success of a dairy advisory team. Teams most likely to continue after the first year tended to advise larger, better-managed herds. They had producers dedicated to the team process, experienced coordinators or new coordinators that adhered to the team process. Successful advisory teams functioned for multiple years, had larger teams and had goals that were more strategic (long term) than tactical (immediate). Smaller herds with DATs made faster progress on several indicators than larger herds, primarily because they were further behind initially Therefore, DATs can target smaller herds and make significant progress. Four to five team members appears to be the practical size for herds up to 150 cows, and six to seven team members for herds milking over 200. Team size is not as critical to success as the dedication of the producer and the leadership ability of the coordinator. Although herds with production challenges made greater progress, producer attitudes and coordinator effectiveness contributed most to sustainability. The financial and professional rewards for consultants may be greater when working with larger farms and dedicated producers.
Severe Perampanel Toxicity in a Pediatric Patient With Prolonged Symptoms.

Abstract Background Perampanel is a new antiepileptic used to treat partial-onset seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures in people older than 12 years old. Perampanel is a selective, non-competitive α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, with a prolonged half-life of approximately 105 hours. Few cases of significant toxicity have been reported, and effects in overdose are poorly understood. Case Report This case describes a 20-month-old healthy female who ingested 8 mg of perampanel. She presented to a pediatric emergency department 1 hour after ingestion with ataxia, irritability, and somnolence. Vital signs were: heart rate 130 beats per minute, blood pressure 112/97 mmHg, temperature 99°F, respiratory rate 30 breaths per minute. She was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. During the hospitalization, she developed hypotension and bradycardia which improved with stimulation and fluid resuscitation. Intermittent bradycardia persisted for 32 hours after ingestion. Physical examination was notable for somnolence and truncal ataxia with irritability when aroused, all of which improved throughout the hospitalization. A quantitative level obtained on hospital day 3 (HD) was 750ng/ml. On HD 3 the patient was noted to be ataxic but otherwise had an age-appropriate neurologic examination. She was discharged on HD 4 with normal vital signs, return to baseline mental status, and baseline gait. The patient's cardiovascular, neurologic, and behavioral symptoms were attributed to perampanel toxicity. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this ? Toxicity from a perampanel overdose is poorly understood both in adults and pediatric patients with significant cardiovascular, behavioral, and central nervous system abnormalities.
Health Insurance and Managed Care

Health insurance is a fundamental component of the health care industry. Its structure influences the quantity of health care that will be provided, who will receive that care, and which inputs will be used in the production of that care. Efficiency in the health insurance sector is, therefore, critical to the value of the industry as a whole. Information technologies, in particular the Internet, are discussed as the means to achieve substantial improvements, not only in the efficiency of the administration of health insurance, but also in the effectiveness of health care. Fragmentation within the industry and security of information are identified as important obstacles to system-wide implementation of Web-based, or other electronic applications. Nonetheless, the electronic transformation of the industry is well on its way in key areas, such as health plan selection and benefits management, network development, claims management, health education, and medical management. Keywords: administration of health insurance; benefits management; claims management; effectiveness of health care; health care industry; health education; health plan selection; security of information
Discussion of a statistical channel

This paper deals with a new type of covert channel problem that arose when we designed a multilevel secure computer (MLS) system, using a quasi-secure, asynchronous, communication device called the Pump. We call this new type of covert channel a statistical channel. It is our hope to get feedback from experts who work in the intersection of information theory and statistics.
Rawls and Intuitionism

(1977). Rawls and Intuitionism. Canadian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 7, Supplementary Volume 3: New Essays on Contract Theory, pp. 163-178.
Optimal interpolation in helical scan 3D computerized tomography

A data acquisition scheme combining the axial translation of the object with rotation of the imaging gantry is introduced for three-dimensional computerized tomography (CT), and a reconstruction algorithm for its implementation is explored. A computationally attractive interpolation scheme that converts the data to standard CT format and permits reconstruction by existing algorithms is proposed. The approach is to convert by interpolation the helical-scan projection data into standard planar scan format and then use a standard 2-D reconstruction technique, such as convolution backprojection, on each slice. Optimum interpolation coefficients are derived, minimizing a worst case normalized maximum error magnitude criterion. The theoretical predictions are illustrated by simulation results. >
The Evolution of Planetary Nebulae, their Precursors and their Progeny — A Commentary

There appears to exist in the minds of most of the participants of this conference a highly stylized picture of how the majority of all stars evolve after reaching the asymptotic giant branch. This is a fascinating development as, just three decades ago, no one understood what an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star is or does, either theoretically or observationally, and, just two decades ago, no one understood the nature of the transition from AGB to planetary nebula, other than that it happened. And, yet, today, the evolution from AGB to planetary nebula and to white dwarf is described by a very beguiling picture whose outlines have become substantially fixed.
Complexity in structure-directed prebiotic chemistry. Effect of a defective competing reactant in tetrapyrrole formation

Chemical reactions in prebiotic environments likely entailed complex combinatorial processes with mixtures of reactants. As a case study, the effect of a defective reactant has been examined in a chemical model for the prebiogenesis of tetrapyrrole macrocycles (uroporphyrins). The latter are formed by a multistep process that includes (1) condensation of a β-diketone and an α-aminoketone to form a pyrrole, (2) self-condensation of the pyrrole to form a bilane (tetrapyrromethane), (3) cyclization of the bilane to form a porphyrinogen, and (4) oxidation of the porphyrinogen to form the porphyrin. A defective β-diketone (acetylacetone) affords a pyrrole that can react with nascent oligopyrromethane chains and in so doing terminate chain growth. Quantitative studies show that the porphyrin yield decreases with the fourth power of the mole fraction of the non-defective reactant. Mass spectral examination of the reaction mixture revealed the presence of the pyrrole and of end-capped oligomers derived from the defective diketone. Taken together, the results show the poisoning effect of a small amount of defective reactant in repetitive, irreversible structure-directed reactions, which have been a mainstay in thinking about chemistry leading to the origin of life.
Hopfield Neural Networks

Hopfield neural networks comprise a rich and varied realm of the overall field of artificial neural networks. Applications can be found in many areas of engineering. Continuing investigation into the theoretical and practical considerations governing the convergence properties of the networks provides a firm foundation for the use of Hopfield models and their extension to more generalized settings. Work continues on differences in performance that may occur when the networks are implemented with fully parallel (asynchronous) updating of the activations. Keywords: artificial neural networks; John Hopfield
Men’s and Women’s Change and Individual Differences in Change in Femininity from Age 33 to 85: Results from the Intergenerational Studies

This investigation illustrates men’s and women’s change in femininity, and individual differences in change in femininity from early (age 33 or 35) to late (age 78 or 85) adulthood. Members of three long-term longitudinal samples (total N = 327) provided California Psychological Inventory (CPI) Femininity scale scores, collected a maximum of five times. Application of longitudinal hierarchical linear modeling indicates: (1) both men and women show significant variability in initial level and change in femininity, (2) gender predicts both individuals’ initial level and change in femininity—the average man, initially low in femininity, becomes significantly higher in femininity across the lifespan; the average woman, initially high in femininity, becomes significantly lower in femininity across the lifespan, (3) change in femininity is unconnected to marital or parental status, and (4) change in femininity is connected to psychological health level for women only—more psychologically healthy women show a decline in femininity, while less healthy women increase their femininity level. Overall, results support Jung’s androgyny hypothesis of a cross-over of gender roles in men and women, but do not support Gutmann’s hypothesis that such cross-over is tied to “parental emergency.” Additional exploration of the data indicates Gough and Bradley’s (1996) CPI-derived personality types also predict femininity initial level for women and femininity change for men.
Interleukin-8 increases vascular endothelial growth factor and neuropilin expression and stimulates ERK activation in human pancreatic cancer.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is associated with tumorigenesis by promoting angiogenesis and metastasis. Although up-regulation of IL-8 is indicated in many cancers, its function in pancreatic cancer has not been well characterized. In this study we examined the expression of IL-8 on pancreatic cancer cells and clinical tissue specimens, and investigated the effect of exogenous IL-8 on gene expression, and signaling in human pancreatic cancer cells. We found that pancreatic cancer cells expressed higher amount of IL-8 mRNA than normal human pancreatic ductal epithelium cells. IL-8 mRNA was also substantially overexpressed in 11 of 14 (79%) clinical pancreatic-adenocarcinoma samples compared with that in their surrounding normal tissues. Exogenous IL-8 up-regulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor165, and neuropilin (NRP)-2 in BxPC-3 cells, one of human pancreatic cancer cell lines. IL-8 expression was inducible by hypoxia mimicking reagent cobalt chloride. In addition, IL-8 activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 signaling pathway in BxPC-3 cells. Our studies suggest that IL-8 might be a malignant factor in human pancreatic cancer by induction of vascular endothelial growth factor and NRP-2 expression and ERK activation. Targeting IL-8 along with other antiangiogenesis therapy could be an effective treatment for this malignancy. (Cancer Sci 2008, 99: 733–737)
Application of 6,7-indole aryne cycloaddition and Pd(0)-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura and Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reactions for the preparation of annulated indole libraries.

The construction of an unprecedented class of an indole-based library, namely, a 6,7-annulated-4-substituted 93-member indole library, using a strategic combination of 6,7-indolyne cycloaddition and cross-coupling reactions under both Suzuki–Miyaura and Buchwald–Hartwig conditions is described. This work represents the first example of library development that employs the indole aryne methodology. Annulated indoles, with the exception of only a few biologically active natural products (i.e., the trikentrins, herbindoles, teleocidins, and nodulisporic acids), have no representation in the PubChem or MLSMR databases. These structural entities are therefore predicted to have unique chemical property space characteristics and a high probability of exhibiting interesting biological activity.
[1‐(Benzyl­sulfon­yl)‐3‐(4‐nitro­phen­yl)‐1,2,3,4‐tetra­hydro­quinoxalin‐2‐yl](4‐bromo­phen­yl)methanone 2‐methyl­propanol hemisolvate

In the title compound, C28H22BrN3O5S·0.5C4H10O, the tetra­hydro­pyrazine ring adopts a distorted half-chair conformation. The bromo­benzaldehyde substituent has an axial orientation, while the 4-nitro­phenyl group is in an equatorial position. The benzene rings of these substituents are not parallel, but are partially involved in intra­molecular π–π stacking. In the crystal structure, the methanone mol­ecules form a centrosymmetric dimer via inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.
A Computational Study of Nano-Scale Contact and Friction

A simulation is undertaken to consider the effects of the scale of surface roughness on elastic contact and friction. In the simulation, a cylindrical rigid indenter of a prescribed profile is brought into contact with an elastic half-space. Interaction between the indenter and the half-space occurs through an assumed surface potential derived from the 6-12 Lennard-Jones intermolecular potential. The hypothesis under investigation is that by assuming the frictional stress is proportional to the magnitude of the normal stress, irrespective of sign, one can account for the enhanced frictional stress at the nano-scale vs. the micro-scale that has been observed experimentally. Results of the simulations indicate qualitative agreement with recent experimental findings.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Activation of Protein-tyrosine Kinase Pyk2 Is Downstream of Syk in FcεRI Signaling

Abstract Aggregation of the FceRI, a member of the immune receptor family, induces the activation of proteintyrosine kinases and results in tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins that are involved in downstream signaling pathways. Here we report that Pyk2, another member of the focal adhesion kinase family, was present in the RBL-2H3 mast cell line and was rapidly tyrosine-phosphorylated and activated after FceRI aggregation. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2 was also induced by the calcium ionophore A23187, by phorbol myristate acetate, or by stimulation of G-protein-coupled receptors. Adherence of cells to fibronectin dramatically enhanced the induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2. Although Src family kinases are activated by FceRI stimulation and tyrosine-phosphorylate the receptor subunits, the activation and tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2 were downstream of Syk. In contrast, tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2 by stimulation of G-protein-coupled receptors was independent of Syk. Therefore, the FceRI-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2 is downstream of Syk and may play a role in cell secretion.
Negative temperature dependence of vibrational energy transfer in H2OH2O collisions

Abstract This study on the vibrational relaxation processes H 2 O(000)+H 2 O(001)→H 2 O(000)+H 2 O(020), H 2 O(000)+H 2 O(020)→H 2 O(000)+H 2 O(010), and H 2 O(000)+H 2 O(010)→H 2 O(000)+H 2 O(000) over 300–1000 K is based on a model in which an excited molecule and its collision partner undergo a long-lived collision. In the model, relaxation occurs intramolecularly, and the transfer of the energy mismatch to the large-amplitude OO vibration in the complex is found to be very efficient. The participation of hindered rotation in removing a part of the energy mismatch through oscillatory-to-rotational transitions is found to be unimportant. The study shows that efficient energy transfer to the weak mode OO motion in the complex formed in large-impact parameter collisions is responsible for the negative temperature dependence of the VV probability.
Understanding the Effects of Periodontal Therapy Plus Azithromycin on Glycemic Control in Patients With Diabetes Remains Elusive

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Effects of periodontal nonsurgical therapy plus azithromycin on glycemic control in patients with diabetes: a randomized clinical trial. Botero JE, Yepes FL, Ochoa SP, Hincapie JP, Roldan N, Ospina CA, Castrillon CA, Becerra MA. J Periodont Res 2013;48:706–12. Reviewer Thomas W. Oates, DMD, PhD Purpose/Question The study examined the effects of the adjunctive use of azithromycin with non-surgical periodontal therapy on glycated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c). Source of Funding Industry and academic: Colgate-Palmolive, Tecnoquimicas (Cali, Colombia), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia) Type of Study/Design Randomized clinical trial; Clinical Trial identifier NCT01271231 Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited quality patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
Acknowledging the Religious Beliefs Students Bring Into the Science Classroom: Using the Bounded Nature of Science

Scientific knowledge often appears to contradict many students' religious beliefs. Indeed, the assumptions of science appear contradictory to the metaphysical claims of many religions. This conflict is most evident in discussions of biological evolution. Teachers, in attempts to limit the controversy, often avoid this topic or teach it superficially. Recently, there has been a political effort to teach to the controversy—which some see as a way of introducing religious explanations for biological diversity into science classrooms. Many science educators reject this approach, insisting that teachers limit classroom discussions to science alone. This science only approach leaves the negotiation of alternative knowledge frameworks to students, who are often ill-prepared for such epistemological comparisons. To support students' understanding of science while maintaining their religious commitments, this article explores the utility of emphasizing the boundaries of scientific knowledge and the need to support...
Naturalistic Study of Evaluation Utilization.

Despite protestations about the lack of usefulness of evaluation, evaluation utilization does indeed occur. However, its forms as well as the forces which lead to utilization are complex. In this chapter, naturalistic research is suggested as an appropriate methodology for use in the study of utilization and some findings of initial research of this type are presented.
Equivalent circuit model extraction for interconnects in 3D ICs

Parasitic RC behavior of VLSI interconnects has been the major bottleneck in terms of latency and power consumption of ICs. Recent 3D ICs promise to reduce the parasitic RC effect by making use of through silicon vias (TSVs). It is therefore essential to extract the RC model of TSVs to assess their promise. Unlike interconnects on metal layers, TSVs exhibit slow-wave and dielectric quasi-transverse-electromagnetic (TEM) modes due to the coupling to the semiconducting substrate. This TSV behavior can be simulated using analytical methods, 2D electrostatic simulators, or 3D full-wave electromagnetic simulators. In this paper, we describe a methodology to extract parasitic RC models from such simulation data for interconnects in a 3D IC.
Structural Remodeling of the Synapse in Response to Physiological Activity

Synaptic actin has now been shown to change shape in response to stimulation. The cytoskeleton may therefore be pivotal in integrating molecular and morphological changes associated with synaptic plasticity and coordinating such changes across pre- and postsynaptic compartments.
Cognitive activity shifts the attractors of bimanual rhythmic coordination.

Abstract The attractors of bimanual rhythmic coordination are given as the solutions of a motion equation in relative phase. How are those attractors affected by cognitive activity? In 3 experiments, participants (N = 10 in Experiments 1 and 2; N = 5 in Experiment 3) were required to produce in-phase or antiphase coordination while they either did or did not perform an information-reduction task. The average absolute deviation from in-phase (0°) and antiphase (180°) satisfying a particular parameterization of the motion equation was amplified by cognitive activity. That amplification of absolute phase shift was the same for both in-phase and antiphase coordination. Furthermore, the amplification (in degrees) increased linearly with the magnitude of cognitive activity (in bits). Cognitive activity had limited influence on the variability of relative phase and did not affect its average signed deviation. Collectively, the results suggest that cognitive activity produces a shift in the attractors of bimanual...
The Risk for Systemic Vascular Diseases and Mortals Yin Patents with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

Abstract In this cross-sectional study, the authors evaluated 197 patients diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute between 1980 and 1985 to determine the risk of systemic disease and mortality. Complete follow-up information for mortality was obtained in 191 (97%). National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) patients and Wilmer cataract patients formed two comparison groups. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly elevated in the CRVO cases when compared with both comparison groups ( P P
A tumor cell model for the determination of drug schedules and drug effect in tumor reduction.

A tumor cell model is proposed to determine the required number of drug administrations, the total time to reduce the tumor to a particular size, and the minimum initial immediate kill effect of therapies to insure tumor regression. Generally, this model assumes that tumor cells are similar to normal cells in that their developments in various phases of the life cycle are completed with uniform speed. Specifically, the model assumes that the tumor size, in terms of the number of cells, has an exponential birth and death process and the proportions of cells in the various phases of the life cycle remain approximately the same at any time by mutual exchange of cells from phase to phase, in spite of growth and kill under natural growth. An immediate kill effect which usually decreases with repeated doses and a delayed kill effect are taken into account. Methods of estimating and determining the parameters of the model and a graphical example utilizing this model, in conjunction with a toxicity function, are included in this paper.
DVT Prevention: What Is Happening in the “Real World”?

Pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) remain major problems in medicine that receive less attention from healthcare professionals and the public than either coronary artery disease or acute myocardial infarction. Furthermore, strategies proven to minimize the frequency of PE and DVT are not widely employed on a consistent and effective basis. The problem is widespread and affects patients in acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities, as well as high-risk individuals at home. Internists, general practitioners, and family doctors confront the greatest challenges in implementing appropriate prophylaxis. Models for effective change exist in cardiovascular and surgical practices where the imperative for prevention of further disease is insisted upon and ingrained in the culture of clinicians. We will review the epidemiology of venous thromboembolism, strategies for the primary and secondary prevention of PE and DVT, "real world" use of prophylaxis, barriers to change that exist in the "real world," and initiatives to improve day-to-day practice. We will conclude by posing 10 questions for future research on this topic.