cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organoid-derived adult human colonic epithelium responds to co-culture with a probiotic strain of Bifidobacterium longum

Abstract In germ-free animals the lack of microbes within the gut results in a propensity to mucosal inflammation among other immune deficits. This suggests microbes are essential for the healthy function of the human gut, but we have lacked a reproducible mechanistic model of interactions between human colonic epithelium and the anaerobic microbes within the gut. To establish the physiological effect of a common anaerobe in the human gut, we co-cultured a probiotic strain of Bifidobacterium longum (35624) with organoid-derived adult human colonic epithelium in asymmetric gas conditions (anoxic apically, 5% oxygen basolaterally) and compared to axenic (‘germ-free’) epithelium. Bacteria proliferated and retained their normal cellular morphology in the presence of the human colonic epithelium. The human colonic mucosa retained trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) consistent with an intact epithelium but lower than in axenic conditions. Changes in TEER corresponded to changes in Claudin-family gene expression. Inflammation was repressed in co-culture as compared to axenic, with reduced expression of executor and pyroptosis caspases; reduced expression of activators and increased expression of inhibitors of NFKB; reduced expression of toll-like-receptors (TLRs) and increased expression of TOLLIP (a negative regulator of TLRs). Consistent with the presence of actively fermenting bacteria that produce lactate and acetate but do not produce butyrate, PPARA expression was increased while PPARG expression was reduced. As in germ-free animal experiments, axenic human colonic mucosa is poised for inflammation. Co-culture with Bifidobacterium longum resolved the pro-inflammatory state while modulating barrier function (via Claudin genes) and cellular energetics (via PPARA and PPARG genes). Importance Experiments in animals demonstrate the importance of microbes with the gut for the health of the gut. Many of the microbes within the healthy gut are strictly anaerobic and cannot grow in the presence of oxygen; human tissues require some oxygen to live. Here we observe the effect of growing an anaerobic bacterium - Bifidobacterium longum - typically found in the human gut with human colonic tissue. We observed that the human tissue responded favorably to being cultivated with the microbe as compared to being alone. This experiment confirms human colonic tissues reduce their inflammation in the presence of a bacteria typically found in the gut.
Intrinsic helical twist and chirality in ultrathin tellurium nanowires

Robust atomic-to-meso-scale chirality is now observed in the one-dimensional form of tellurium. This enables a large and counter-intuitive circular-polarization dependent second harmonic generation response above 0.2 which is not present in two-dimensional tellurium. Orientation variations in 1D tellurium nanowires obtained by four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) and their correlation with unconventional non-linear optical properties by second harmonic generation circular dichroism (SHG-CD) uncovers an unexpected circular-polarization dependent SHG response from 1D nanowire bundles – an order-of-magnitude higher than in single-crystal two-dimensional tellurium structures – suggesting the atomic- and meso-scale crystalline structure of the 1D material possesses an inherent chirality not present in its 2D form; and which is strong enough to manifest even in the aggregate non-linear optical (NLO) properties of aggregates.
Digital pathology in academia: Implementation and impact.

Yava Jones-Hall discusses the promise and pain points of setting up a digital pathology program at a new academic institution.
A protein bridging the gap between sea urchin generations.

In the second half of the 1800s biologists began to investigate the cellular basis of development. Sea urchins became a favorite material for this endeavor because their gametes can be obtained in vast numbers and fertilization and development are external to the adult body. The first research on fertilization centered on watching sperm interact with eggs. In most invertebrates such as sea urchins the sperm bind to the eggs before the two very different cells fuse. The paper by Wessel et al. (1) focuses on Bindin, the sea urchin sperm protein binding sperm to the egg receptor EBR1 (2⇓–4). CRISPR-Cas9 methods knocked out (KO) Bindin synthesis as demonstrated by Western blots and immunofluorescence. Sperm from KO males could not bind or fuse with eggs. These results prove that sperm Bindin is required for sea urchin fertilization. The initial translation product is a PreproBindin of ∼460 to 485 amino acids. The Prepro portion is ∼244 to 254 amino acids with a Furin site at its C terminus. Furin cleavage creates a mature Bindin of ∼218 to 284 amino acids, which is packaged into the acrosomal secretory vesicle. When sperm contact eggs, glycoconjugates trigger acrosomal exocytosis, exposing Bindin on the sperm membrane. The sperm bind to the egg EBR1 receptor and fusion of both cells occurs and the egg draws the sperm into its cytoplasm. The central region of mature Bindin contains the B18 peptide, which does not vary among species. A second Bindin peptide, B55, is a potent membrane-perturbing agent and is used to unload endosomal vesicles containing dextrans, antibodies, RNase, and plasmid DNA into the cytoplasm of cultured cells (5). An unproven hypothesis is that B18 and B55 fuse sperm and egg membranes. All of B18 and most of B55 are present in starfish Bindin with one … [↵][1]1Email: vvacquier{at}ucsd.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Behavior in the Time of Cholera: Evidence from the 2008-2009 Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe

Despite the potential benefits of investments in water and sanitation, individual level water treatment remains low in many developing countries. This paper explores the dynamic relationship between water transmitted infectious disease and water treatment behavior. Using evolutionary game theory, I endogenize water treatment decisions in a mathematical model of cholera. I calibrate the model for the ’08-’09 cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe. I show that prevalence dependent water treatment behavior is a factor contributing to endemic cholera. Additionally, I find that in absence of WHO interventions in Zimbabwe, the share of the population treating their water would have converged to a level that would have enabled cholera to persist in the population.
How Adopting the Lex Originis Rule Can Impede the Flow of Illicit Cultural Property

The International trade and transfer of art and antiquities faces problems because nations have erected very different rules with respect to movable property. All nations forbid theft, however most cultural property disputes involve an original owner and a subsequent good faith possessor. Different jurisdictions have chosen to allocate rights and responsibilities between these two relative innocents in very different ways. Disharmony in the law is seldom a good thing, but in the realm of cultural property it can be particularly damaging to the interests of nations, museums, individuals, and our collective cultural heritage. The lack of harmony ensures no overarching policy choices will be furthered, which prevents parties from anticipating legal outcomes and giving substance to policies. This article explores the default conflict of law rules which are applied to cultural property, and shows how the lex situs rule exploits the various legal rules which apply to art and antiquities. It challenges the lofty position enjoyed by the lex situs rule and proposes a radical reform of the default choice of law analysis. By employing the law of the Nation of Origin or lex originis courts can ensure the jurisdiction with the most tangible connection to an object enjoys the benefit of applying its legal rules to a given dispute. This will not only ensure the security of art and antiquities transactions, but impart much-needed transparency into the cultural property trade, and finally will decrease the theft and illegal excavation of art and antiquities. The article begins by presenting some examples of recent disputes, and the problems they present for the law and cultural heritage policy. Section II describes the fundamental difficulty of adjudicating claims between two relative innocents, and the disharmony which has resulted as different jurisdictions have resolved this conundrum in very different ways. Section III lays out the ways in which private international law impacts art and antiquities disputes. Section IV analyzes the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention, the most recent attempt to harmonize the law affecting cultural property. Section V proposes a radical reform of the choice of law enquiry taken by courts.
Percutaneous absorption and the surface area of occluded skin. A scanning electron microscopic study.

SUMMARY Scanning electron microscopy of samples of human skin occluded for 72 h, revealed that the hydrated stratum corneum not only swells, but develops multiple folds. Surface area estimations of such stratum corneum, utilizing stereo pairs of the photomicrographs, indicated a 37% increase over the normal, non-occluded horny layer values. It is speculated that the increase in absorptive area contributes to the increased skin permeability following occlusion.
Distribution Functions and Characteristic Functions

Distribution functions are mathematical artifacts with properties that are independent of any probabilistic setting. Notwithstanding, most of the theorems of interest are geared to d.f.s of r.v.s and the majority of proofs are simpler and more intuitive when couched in terms of r.v.s having, or probability measures determined by, the given d.f.s. Since r.v.s possessing preassigned d.f.s can always be defined on some probability space, the language of r.v.s and probability will be utilized in many of the proofs without further ado.
Relation of mitral valve closure to the first heart sound in man

With use of simultaneously recorded echocardiograms and phonocardiograms the relation of the first heart sound to mitral valve closure was studied in 34 normal subjects. Only those cardiac cycles that showed unbroken anterior leaflet echos with clearly defined initial points of systolic coaptation with the posterior leaflet (C points) were measured. The intervals analyzed were the Q-C interval (Q wave of the electrocardiogram to C point) and the Q-S1 interval (Q wave to first high frequency or "mitral" component of the first heart sound). The mean value for the Q-C interval was 44.2 msec ± 2.4 (standard error of the mean), and the mean value for the Q-S1 interval was 63.2 msec ± 1.8. The paired t test showed these values to be significantly different ( P r = −0.61, P r = −0.36, P This study shows that in human subjects the mitral component of the first heart sound is not coincident with the initial coaptation of the mitral valve leaflets; some later event or events are responsible for generation of the first heart sound.
Precision Pulsar Timing in the Presence of Interstellar Weather – PSR B1937+21 and the Crab Pulsar

We report on six months of dual-frequency, precision timing of PSR B1937+21 and the Crab pulsar. Variations in the column density of electrons – interstellar weather – are studied. The column is not unique in the presence of frequency-dependent multipath scattering, and this may explain the non-square law dependence of systematic timing residuals on B1937+21. The electron column density variations of the Crab pulsar are summarized in a structure function that ranges from 10 12 cm to 10 15 cm. These density fluctuations are located in the thermal shell surrounding the synchrotron nebula.
The impact of gender roles on verdicts and sentences in cases of filicide

Although mothers and fathers are equally likely to kill their children, maternal filicide cases tend to draw more media coverage and community outrage. While traditional gender role expectations appear to contribute to the community response that follows a report of filicide – and influence media representations – little is known about the offenders’ treatment in the criminal justice system. Drawing on theorizing within gender studies, this article examines relationships between traditional gender role expectations and court case outcomes in cases of maternal and paternal filicide. Findings indicate that both verdicts and sentences in these cases vary by gender and that, for female offenders, the differential treatment is related to how well they appear to fit traditional gender roles.
A review of Patient Tales: Case Histories and the Uses of Narrative in Psychiatry, by Carol Berkenkotter

Carol Berkenkotter's Patient Tales sits at the intersection of at least two burgeoning areas of the medical humanities. It offers both a multimodal genre studies exemplar for scholars in the interd...
Using tamped exploding wires to generate strongly coupled plasmas

Summary form only given. Plasmas become strongly coupled (SCP) when the coulomb interaction energy between particles is comparable or greater than the thermal kinetic energy. This occurs at low temperatures (T/spl sim/1 eV) and high densities (n/sub c//spl sim/10/sup 21/ cm/sup -3/). SCPs are found in the interior of gas planets and white dwarf stars, as well as in high energy density physics experiments. We present a pulsed power and plasma shaping system designed to generate an aluminum SCP with a rectangular column profile. A 3.5 kJ, 4-stage Marx has been constructed to explode 200-micron aluminum wires fused in lead glass (/spl rho//spl sim/5.4 g/cm/sup 3/). The glass tamper restricts the exploding wires radial expansion, while axial expansion is permitted. The central region of the expanding plasma passes through a 100-micron square aperture assembly creating a plasma column. Above the aperture, the plasma plume is expected to have a density of one-tenth solid (/spl rho//spl sim/0.27 g/cm/sup 3/) and a temperature of the order I eV. Absorption of magnesium K-shell x-rays from a laser-produced backlighter is used to measure the density of the plasma. An optical pyrometer is used to estimate the plasma surface temperature based on a blackbody approximation with constant emissivity. Raven and Crunch were used to simulate the behavior inside the tamped region using conductivity tables generated by Desjarlais. The simulations predict fairly uniform density and temperature conditions in the central 100-microns of the tamped exploding wire. The plasma plume above the aperture will be used for equation of state studies of SCP matter.
Assessment of Fluid Intelligence Utilizing a Computer Simulated Game

Measurement of General Mental Ability GMA using computer mediated simulations CMS may provide a new method of assessment. CMS used for assessments of GMA may be strongly affected by a participant's prior experience, and the predictive utility of CMS for assessment of GMA is largely unexplored. In this experiment, an existing computer video game was modified to function as an assessment of Fluid Intelligence Gf while controlling for participants' prior experience with CMS. Results indicated a positive relationship between tests of Fluid Intelligence Gf and game performance r =.44-46, a weaker relationship between game performance and Crystallized Intelligence Gc r =.27, no significant relationship to g, and no significant moderating effect for participants' prior experience upon any of these relationships. Based on these findings, CMS appear to hold promise as a new assessment tool for factors of GMA.
Experimental demonstration of adaptive frequency-domain equalization for mode-division multiplexed transmission

We experimentally demonstrate adaptive frequency-domain equalization with low algorithmic complexity for a 6×6 coherent MIMO transmission system in a few-mode fiber. Master-slave carrier recovery is also proposed and demonstrated for further reduction of algorithmic complexity.
Is there a period of listing effect or a post‐listing performance puzzle?

Purpose – Barry and Brown find that returns are higher for securities that have been listed for shorter periods of time after controlling for firm size and a January effect. The purpose of this paper is to examine the robustness of this period of listing effect and test for a post‐listing effect.Design/methodology/approach – By extending the sample and including additional risk measures using both the Fama and Macbeth approach and the Fama and French approach, the author is able to conduct a stronger test of the period of listing effect and jointly test for a post‐listing effect.Findings – The results indicate that there is a period of listing effect but that the effect is driven not by the higher returns of the newly listed firms but by the lower returns of the longest listed firms. The paper also provides additional support for a post‐listing effect in the sample.Originality/value – While the results support a period of listing effect, they invite the larger question of why longer listed firms underperf...
A Role-Theoretic Perspective on Reputation Formation: Who Gets Ahead in the Film Industry?

We develop a theoretical framework to conceptualize and analyze reputation formation by integrating economic reputation theory sociological role theory. Our framework emphasizes that reputation for...
Microstructure and mechanical properties of multiphase NiAl-based alloys

The effect of the gamma-prime phase on the deformation behavior and fracture resistance of melt-spun ribbons and consolidated bulk specimens of a series of Nial-based alloys with Co and Hf additions has been examined. The morphology, location, and volume fraction of the gamma-prime phase are significant factors in enhancing the fracture resistance of the normally brittle NiAl-based alloys. In particular, the results indicate that a continuous-grain-boundary film of gamma-prime can impart limited room-temperature ductility regardless of whether B2 or L10 NiAl is present. Guidelines for microstructure control in multiphase NiAl-based alloys are also presented.
Climate-related cyclic deposition of carbonate and organic matter in Holocene lacustrine sediment, Lower Michigan, USA

Records from lake sediment cores are critical for assessing the relative stability of climate and ecosystems over the Holocene. Duck Lake in south-central Lower Michigan, USA, was the focus of a study that identified how changes in the geochemical variables in lake sediments relate to variations in regional climate and local land use during the Holocene. More than 8.5 m of lacustrine sediment were recovered using Livingston and freeze corers and analyzed for organic carbon, inorganic (carbonate) carbon, total nitrogen, and trace metals. Repeating packages of sediment (1–10 cm thick) that grade from light (inorganic carbon-rich) to dark (organic carbon-rich) were found from the surface to a depth of about 8 m. Variations in the high-resolution gray scale data from core X-radiographs are highly correlated to the relative amount of inorganic carbon. Geochemical analyses of the upper 8.5 m of sediment revealed a wide range of values: 0.05–10.6% for inorganic carbon (i.e. 0.5–89% calcium carbonate) and 1.1–28% for organic carbon (i.e. 2.7–70% organic matter). Organic carbon to nitrogen ratios indicate that most of the sediment organic matter is produced within the lake. A core chronology based on eight AMS radiocarbon dates shows low sediment accumulation rates (0.05 cm/year) from 10,000 to 3,800 cal year BP and higher sediment accumulation rates (0.1–0.3 cm/year) from 3,800 cal year BP to present. We suggest that carbonate accumulates during relatively dry times, whereas organic matter accumulation dominates when nutrient input to the lake is enhanced by wetter climate. The Duck Lake core records a distinct low point in inorganic carbon deposition that may be related to the 8.2 ka cooling event now documented from several sites in North America. Spectral analysis of gray scale values shows significant ~200-year periodicities over the past 8,000 years, hypothesized to result from climate changes induced by solar forcing. Concentrations of trace metals (e.g. lead, iron, copper, zinc) indicate the onset of regional anthropogenic influence about 150 cal year BP.
Effect of gallic acid on the aroma constituents of soymilk and soy protein isolates

Volatile compounds from soymilk were analyzed by gas chromatography/olfactometry/mass spectrometry (GCO/MS) with direct injection of various volumes of static headspaces. The most powerful odorants, determined by the minimum headspace volume required to detect by olfactometry, were (i) hexanal, (ii) acetaldehyde, (iii) methanethiol, (iv) dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), and (v) 2-pentyl furan. Analyses of soymilk prepared with the addition of 100 ppm gallic acid revealed that the only two detectable odorants were hexanal and acetaldehyde. Sensory analyses of the soymilk treated with 100 ppm gallic acid produced a significantly lower score (P=0.0006) for overall odor intensity compared with the control soymilk. Aqueous slurries of soy protein isolates (SPI) prepared with the addition of 100 ppm gallic acid also had lower odor intensities than the control SPI (P<0.0001). GCO/MS analyses of headspace volatiles revealed that the gallic acid treatment had removed all detectable levels of methanethiol and DMTS while having no significant effect on the level of hexanal (P=0.81).
Development of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in inbred strains of mice: identification of receptor heterogeneity and relation to audiogenic seizure susceptibility.

Abstract The concentrations and biochemical properties of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the brains of two highly inbred strains of mice, DBA/2J and C57BL/6J, have been studied using [ 3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB), a potent and specific receptor antagonist. As is the case with rat brain, murine muscarinic receptors exist in at least two forms, which differ in their affinities for receptor agonists but which have the same high affinity for receptor antagonists. Carbamylcholine binding to mouse neural membranes can be resolved into two components with K D s of 5.2 × 10 −7 and 7.9 × 10 −5 M . There is a regional heterogeneity of brain receptors with respect to their distribution between these high and low agonist affinity forms. Brain stem and hypothalamus receptors display binding properties that would be expected if over 60% of their receptors were in the high affinity state, while only 30–40% of cortex, striatum and thalamus receptors appear to be in the high affinity form. Hippocampal receptors display the least amount of high agonist affinity character. Saturation curves and Scatchard plots of QNB binding at 2, 14, 21 and 42 days postnatal age in both strains indicate no differences or changes in the affinity or nature of the binding with age. Significant increases in QNB binding per mg membrane protein were observed between 14 and 42 days in the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, thalamus and hypothalamus, but not in the midbrain-pons-medulla region. In the hippocampus the DBA mice had significantly more QNB bindin. In the hypothalamus decreases with age in total binding were noted in DBA, while slight increases were noted in C57. Compared to C57, hippocampal receptors in DBA displayed lower agonist affinity at 14 and 21 days, a trait which was not apparent when DBA had outgrown their audiogenic seizure sensitivity at 42 days. The differences in receptor density and agonist state distribution between the two strains may be related to audiogenic seizure sensitivity.
Mandible Fractures and Dental Trauma

Appropriate and timely management of traumatic injury to the teeth and their supporting structures plays an important role in determining long-term outcome. This article reviews the relevant anatomy and describes the initial diagnosis and treatment approach to dentoalveolar traumatic injury and fractures of the mandible. Procedures for initial stabilization and appropriate referral are also discussed.
The Autodigestion Hypothesis for Shock and Multi-organ Failure

An important medical problem with high mortality is shock, sepsis and multi-organ failure. They have currently no treatments other than alleviation of symptoms. Shock is accompanied by strong markers for inflammation and involves a cascade of events that leads to failure in organs even if they are not involved in the initial insult. Recent evidence indicates that pancreatic digestive enzymes carried in the small intestine after mixing with ingested food are a major cause for multi-organ failure. These concentrated and relatively non-specific enzymes are usually compartmentalized inside the intestinal lumen as requirement for normal digestion. But after breakdown of the mucosal barrier they leak into the wall of the intestine and start an autodigestion process that includes destruction of villi in the intestine. Digestive enzymes also generate cytotoxic mediators, which together are transported into the systemic circulation via the portal venous system, the intestinal lymphatics and via the peritoneum. They cause various degrees of cell and organ dysfunction that can reach the point of complete organ failure. Blockade of digestive enzymes in the lumen of the intestine in experimental forms of shock serves to reduce breakdown of the mucosal barrier and autodigestion of the intestine, organ dysfunctions and mortality.
Parametric analysis of thermal swing cycles for multicomponent adsorption

A study was made of the effect of design and operating parameters on the regeneration of a fixed bed of activated carbon. Two adsorbed species were removed by a hot gas purge, making the study relevant to thermal swing cycles used commercially. The analysis utilized direct experimental results as well as simulated results using a model described earlier by the authors (Huang and Fair, 1988). Regeneration parameters studied were: type of purge gas, purge gas contact time and velocity, regeneration temperature, initial bed loading, and bed pressure. These were related to certain parameters influencing the adsorption step: type of carrier gas, feed concentration, contact time and velocity, pressure, and initial bed temperature. The results are summarized in the form of guidelines for optimal regeneration cycle specification.
POLICYMAKERS’ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT PEASANT SOCIETY: MYTH OR REALITY?

Referring to studies of peasant society and behavior and utilizing information from field research conducted in Turkey, this article examines assumptions national administrators make about rural areas and peasants in the formulation and the implementation of rural development programs. It is observed that national administrators tend to: 1) think of villages in terms of stereotypes which may bear little relationship to those which are targets of policies; 2) treat villages as undifferentiated clusters whereas many programs may produce different consequences for different segments of village society; 3) formulate programs without substantive familiarity w i t h the field; 4) be concerned with only those consequences of policies in which they are interested, whereas others may in fact determine the chances of success or failure of projects; 5) explain failure of peasants to behave in expected directions as being irrational, whereas the lattersl behavior may serve their purposes quite well. It is argued that the modification of these assumptions, which necessitate greater familiarity with peasant thinking, behavior, and the characteristics of village society on the part of administrators, would serve to improve the chance of success of rural development programs.
Imaging Caste: Photography, the Housing Question and the Making of Sociology in Colonial Bombay, 1900–1939

This paper studies photographs of Bombay's built environment, especially Dalit and working-class houses, taken by two social scientists in the 1920s and 1930s. The photographs are situated at the intersection of four discursive temporalities: (a) social reforms initiated by Indian nationalists of the late nineteenth to twentieth centuries; (b) sanitary reforms and urban restructuring undertaken by city administrators and the colonial state, which reappeared vigorously after the plague epidemic of 1896; (c) colonial knowledge production, including census, labour and housing reports that informed academic social–scientific knowledge; and (d) Dalit and working-class social movements that aspired to transgressing the limits of reform in order to re-define self and the collective, and demand the redistribution of material resources.
Life-cycle seismic loss estimation and global sensitivity analysis based on stochastic ground motion modeling

Abstract The assessment of seismic losses for structural systems through adoption of stochastic ground motion models for characterization of the seismic hazard is the focus of this study. An assembly-based vulnerability methodology is adopted for earthquake loss estimation that uses the nonlinear time–history response of the structure under a given excitation to estimate damages in a detailed, component level. Description of the earthquake acceleration time–history through stochastic ground motion models is considered in this context. The parameters of these models are connected to the regional seismicity characteristics (such as moment magnitude and rupture distance) through predictive relationships. Description of the uncertainty for these characteristics and for the predictive relationships, by appropriate probability distributions, leads then to quantification of the life-cycle seismic losses by its expected value. Because of the complexity of the adopted models, estimation of this expected value through stochastic simulation is suggested and techniques for improvement of computational efficiency are discussed. An innovative global sensitivity analysis is also reviewed, based on advanced stochastic sampling concepts. This analysis aims to identify the importance of each of the uncertain parameters, within the seismic hazard description, towards the overall seismic risk (life-cycle cost). The benefits in terms of detailed, versatile description of seismic risk and the computational challenges of the overall simulation-based, probabilistic framework are extensively discussed. The methodology is illustrated through application to a four-storey moment-frame concrete building for estimation of life-cycle repair cost. Emphasis is placed on the results from the sensitivity analysis for investigating the impact on the estimated repair cost of the ground motion model characteristics and of the fragility features of the different assemblies.
The Aging Process as Forward Movement and the Case for Detours and Backward Steps

This article focuses on Pruyser’s (Pastor Psychol 24:102–118, 1975) view presented in his article titled “Aging: Downward, Upward, or Forword?” that the later stages of aging are not a downward movement from a higher peak but the continuation of a forward movement, and that manifestations of gains as well as losses in older adulthood support this view. While expressing agreement with this view I draw on Sigmund Freud’s discussion of the death instinct in Beyond the Pleasure Principle (Freud 1920/1959) to suggest that the later stages of the aging process may involve an increase in detours and backward movements. Suggesting that these detours and backward steps are potentially beneficial, I conclude that Freud provides guidelines for how we may view and evaluate the losses and gains that Pruyser identifies as characteristic of the later stages of the aging process.
A Bioactive Peptide Grafted Scaffold for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

Despite this innate regenerative potential of the peripheral nervous system, functional recovery often remains incomplete, especially as the severity of injury increases. This has been attributed to a number of sources including the ingrowth of fibrous scar tissue, lack of mechanical support for emerging neurites, and the malrouted reinnervation of neurites towards inappropriate targets. While research in the field is broad, it is generally accepted that an optimal nerve guidance conduit to encourage regeneration should include both biological and mechanical support for emerging neurites and glia.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Sustainable new towns

Abstract Over the past 50 years, Stockholm has been transformed from a pre-war monocentric city to a planned post-war multi-centred metropolis. To maintain central Stockholm's vitality, regional planners built an extensive rail network that links satellite new towns with downtown Stockholm. The combination of a multi-centred settlement pattern and a superb rail network has produced a tremendous amount of cross-haul commuting in the Stockholm region. Compared to other ‘natural’ suburbs in greater Stockholm and UK new towns, relatively few Stockholm new town residents work locally. Likewise, most new town workers are imported from the outside. The external commuting that takes place, however, is overwhelmingly by rail transit. Stockholm's sustainability lies in the strong rail orientation of its new towns, rather than in any kind of balanced growth or self-containment.
Some Bodily and Medical Correlates of Mathematical Giftedness and Commensurate Levels of Socioeconomic Status.

Abstract Four groups of 10th-grade students were selected from the upper tails of four distributions based on a stratified random sample of the nation's high schools (N = 95,650): Two groups consisted of mathematically gifted subjects (boys n = 497, girls n = 508); the remaining two groups comprised environmentally privileged students (boys n = 647, girls n = 485). The former represented approximately the top 1% on a standard measure of quantitative ability, whereas the latter represented approximately the upper 1% of a conventional SES index. These four gifted/privileged groups were then compared to one another, by gender, and to their gender equivalent normative cohorts on 43 indices of medical and physical well-being. Although higher levels of physical health are found in both gifted and privileged groups (relative to the norm), medical and physical well-being appears to be more highly associated with mathematical giftedness than extreme levels of socioeconomic privilege. To the extent that these findings may be linked to the construct general intelligence, they confirm and extend the view that the nomothetic span (network of correlates) of general intelligence permeates a variety of important and valued nonintellectual domains (cf. Brand, 1987).
Pt(IV) complexes as prodrugs for cisplatin

The antitumor effects of platinum(IV) complexes, considered prodrugs for cisplatin, are believed to be due to biological reduction of Pt(IV) to Pt(II), with the reduction products binding to DNA and other cellular targets. In this work we used pBR322 DNA to capture the products of reduction of oxoplatin, c,t,c-[PtCl(2)(OH)(2)(NH(3))(2)], 3, and a carboxylate-modified analog, c,t,c-[PtCl(2)(OH)(O(2)CCH(2)CH(2)CO(2)H)(NH(3))(2)], 4, by ascorbic acid (AsA) or glutathione (GSH). Since carbonate plays a significant role in the speciation of platinum complexes in solution, we also investigated the effects of carbonate on the reduction/DNA-binding process. In pH 7.4 buffer in the absence of carbonate, both 3 and 4 are reduced by AsA to cisplatin (confirmed using ((195))Pt NMR), which binds to and unwinds closed circular DNA in a manner consistent with the formation of the well-known 1, 2 intrastrand DNA crosslink. However, when GSH is used as the reducing agent for 3 and 4, ((195))Pt NMR shows that cisplatin is not produced in the reaction medium. Although the Pt(II) products bind to closed circular DNA, their effect on the mobility of Form I DNA is different from that produced by cisplatin. When physiological carbonate is present in the reduction medium, ((13))C NMR shows that Pt(II) carbonato complexes form which block or impede platinum binding to DNA. The results of the study vis-a-vis the ability of the Pt(IV) complexes to act as prodrugs for cisplatin are discussed.
Lipid and lipoprotein measurements in a normal adult American population.

From a parent population of 774, a subpopulation of 160 normal adults ages 27–66 was randomly selected, 20 from each decade and sex. A detailed comparison was made by analytic ultracentrifugation and complete agarose gel electrophoresis on serum and the 1.006 g/ml top and bottom preparative ultracentrifuge lipoprotein fractions. The latter was internally standardized by total lipid and plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride determinations giving normal reference lipoprotein values. The reading procedure allowed the identification and quantification of floating β and sinking pre-β. In the subpopulation, there were two of the former and 13 of the latter. For large scale clinical application of such quantitative lipoprotein electrophoresis full automation of the microdensitometry and calculations will be required.
Dielectric analyses of a series of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacylate) copolymers

Abstract The dielectric spectra of a series of copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and 2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate (DHPMA) were investigated. Recently, the full range dielectric spectrum of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) was reported. This study looks at the effects on the dielectric behavior as a result of 2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate addition. The dielectric permittivity, e′, and the loss factor, e″, were measured using a dielectric analyzer in the frequency range of 0.6 Hz to 100 kHz and between the temperature range of −150 and 275 °C. The electric modulus formalism was used to reveal the viscoelastic and conductivity relaxations present in the polymers. Several notable changes were observed as 2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate concentration increased. It was observed through DSC and DEA that the glass transition temperature decreased as DHPMA content increased. The secondary dielectric relaxations were also affected as it was recorded that the activation energy for the γ transition increased and the β relaxation decreased with DHPMA content. Ionic conductivity data prove that DHPMA facilitates ionic mobility more efficiently than HEMA.
LINKING ENGLISH‐LANGUAGE TEST SCORES ONTO THE COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK OF REFERENCE: AN APPLICATION OF STANDARD‐SETTING METHODOLOGY

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) describes language proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening on a 6-level scale. In this study, English-language experts from across Europe linked CEFR levels to scores on three tests: the TOEFL® iBT test, the TOEIC® assessment, and the TOEIC Bridge™ test. Standard-setting methodology (a modified Angoff approach and a modified examinee paper selection approach) was used to construct the linkages. Linkages were established for TOEFL iBT at levels B1, B2, and C1. Linkages were established for TOEIC at levels A1 through C1, with the exception of Reading at the C1 level. The TOEIC Bridge test was linked to its three targeted levels of the CEFR. The report details the methods, procedures, and results of the study.
Compressed dictionary learning for detecting activations in fMRI using double sparsity

This paper focuses on detecting activated voxels in fMRI data by exploiting the sparsity of the BOLD signal. Due to the large volume of the data, we propose to learn a dictionary from the compressed measurements of the BOLD signal. The solution to the inverse problem induced by the General Linear Model is then sought through sparse coding using the double sparsity model, where sparsity is imposed on both the learnt dictionary and the generated coefficients. The estimated sparse coefficients are then used to decide whether or not a stimulus is presented in the observed BOLD signal. Experimental results on real fMRI data demonstrate that the proposed method leads to similar activated regions as compared to those activated by the Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) software but with much less samples needed.
Finite-dimensional representations of a shock algebra

The algebra describing a shock measure in the asymmetric simple exclusion model, seen from a second class particle, has finite-dimensional representations if and only if the asymmetry parameterp of the model and the left and right asymptotic densitiesp ± of the shock satisfy [(1−p)/p] r =p −(1−p +)/p +(1−p −) for some integerr≥1; the minimal dimension of the representation is then 2r. These representations can be used to calculate correlation functions in the model.
The first intron of human c-fms proto-oncogene contains a processed pseudogene (RPL7P) for ribosomal protein L7.

During sequence analysis of the first intron of the human c-fms oncogene, we identified an open reading frame encoding the ribosomal protein L7 (RPL7). The presence of this sequence within intron 1 of the c-fms gene was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization and by sequence analysis of two independent cosmid clones (cos2-e and cos1-22) that span the human genomic c-fms locus. The RPL7 sequence was detected in a region of sequence overlapped by the cos2-e and cos1-22 cosmid clones but oriented opposite to the c-fms gene. We demonstrate that the sequence is identical to the full-length RPL7 cDNA sequence, but lacks any recognizable introns, has a 30-bp poly(A) tail, and is bracketed by two perfect direct repeats of 14 bp. We also showed that despite the fact that the 5{prime} flanking region of the RPL7 sequence contains a potential TATA box upstream of an intact open reading frame, this pseudogene (RPL7P) is not actively transcribed. 28 refs., 4 figs.
Radiation dose to the lungs from ventilation studies with 133Xe.

The radiation dose to the lungs from 133Xe in lung air is directly proportional to the time integral of 133Xe concentration; i.e., the cumulated concentration in the lungs. Using kinetic models developed to fit clinical observations, we have studied the effect of retention on cumulated concentration in lung air. The models studied were (1) equal exponential washin and washout rate constants, (2) unequal exponential washin and washout rate constants, and (3) single‐compartment washin and two‐compartment washout. Our results show that the radiation dose varies greatly with the model chosen. A simplified method for calculating the average dose to the lungs from activity in lung air is presented. Although we have applied this method only to studies where xenon is rebreathed at constant volume and then washed out, the technique can be adapted to other protocols.
Concerns about Rehabilitation of Oiled Wildlife

The Exxon Valdez oil spill was a precedent-setting event because of the seemingly limitless resources invested in environmental cleanup, rehabilitation of oiled wildlife, and a host of related post-spill activities. Sea otters were the centerpiece of rehabilitation efforts, in large part because of their vulnerability, local abundance, and public appeal. In an earlier commentary I questioned whether this effort was in the best interest of conservation (Estes 1991). Eight years have passed since the Exxon Valdez spill, during which time concern over marine oil spills has grown to the point of creating its own culture. Our society's need for cheap energy has made spill prevention an elusive goal, thereby elevating rehabilitation to a position of considerable importance in spill response programs. But just what are the benefits of rehabilitation and what are its likely costs? The developing polarity of views on wildlife rehabilitation makes this a timely issue. There are several reasons to question the wisdom of rehabilitating oiled wildlife. The majority of marine birds and mammals that came in contact with oil following the Exxon Valdez spill went untreated, not so much because facilities were unavailable but because these animals
GLOMERULOTROPIC ACTIVITY OF AN ACETONE EXTRACT OF PINEAL TISSUE

A crude acetone-soluble fraction of beef pineal tissue was assayed for steroidogenic activity in the decerebrate dog. Aldosterone secretion was markedly stimulated without a significant effect on cortisol output. When the material was partitioned between water and hexane, the hexane fraction was found to contain the activity. The finding is taken as additional evidence for the existence of glomerulotropin, a specific hormone for aldosterone secretion, in pineal tissue or an adjacent structure.
Chronic HIV disease and activation of the coagulation system

With current effective antiretroviral treatment, the spectrum of morbidity and mortality during chronic HIV disease has shifted away from AIDS defining clinical events. Persistent abnormalities in coagulation appear to contribute to excess risk for a broad spectrum of non-AIDS defining complications, including, but not limited to, venous and arterial thrombotic disease. Mechanisms specific to HIV disease, antiretroviral therapy, and lifestyle or behavioral factors contribute to a pro-coagulant state, in part, through increased tissue factor activity coupled with a paradoxical decline in the anti-coagulant response. Alterations in coagulation biology in the context of HIV disease appear to be largely a consequence of persistent systemic immune activation, micro- and macro-vascular disease, and, potentially, impaired hepatic synthesis of coagulation factors. The clinical consequences of HIV-related changes in coagulation biology, the degree to which they are unique to HIV disease, and whether they can be mitigated through adjunct treatments, remains a focus of current research.
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Panic Attacks

Anxiety affects approximately 30 million Americans at some point in their lives. The most common treatment modalities used to treat the continuum are the administration of psychotropic medications and the application of behavioral therapy. The following case details an adult female who suffered from severe panic attacks for a period of 10 years wherein numerous interventions, including psychotropic medications, had failed to ameliorate her suffering. The patient was treated using the Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic protocol. Prior to treatment, the patient reported that she experienced an average of seven panic attacks per week, her Beck Anxiety Inventory score was 58, and her Beck Depression Inventory was 23. At the completion of treatment, the patient reported that the number of panic attacks was reduced to one per week. At 4-week, 6-week, and 16-week follow-up, the patient had not experienced any panic attacks.
Magnitude and selectivity as independent factors in semantic generalization

Four experiments investigated the effect of modifying the arousal of implicit associative responses (IARs) during training on producing subsequent changes in the magnitude and selectivity of IAR-mediated generalization. Results indicated that training procedures which require the S to focus on the critical stimuli (CSs) increase correct CS recognition, but decrease the overall magnitude of mediated generalization. Selectivity of the generalization effect, on the other hand, was shown to be a function of time allowed for IAR occurrence during training. In all conditions, priming was effective in modifying specific IAR arousal. The results were replicated in a fifth experiment.
The Ideal Culture Profile for Total Quality Management: A Competing Values Perspective

ABSTRACTMany researchers view organizational culture as a potentially powerful explanatory variable in total quality management (TQM) implementation. Despite the high level of interest in the subject, there is no effective means of assessing an organization in terms of its cultural characteristics. In this article, a promising technique, the competing value framework of culture, is introduced. This framework is used to conduct an exploratory study of cultural characteristics that support the TQM philosophy. Research questions are posed through a review of the related literature, and the research method is described. It is shown that the perceived cultural characteristics in the context of TQM can be profiled as a combination of a set of unique values. Recommendation for further research is also proposed.