cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of audio-visual training on non-native English speech production and perception

This Project examines the effectiveness of audio-visual training on non-native English speech perception. Previous research utilizing audio-visual training has been employed in the field of speech pathology, showing positive outcomes on improving speech among dyslexic children. However, few studies to date have examined its use in second language learning, specifically labial and labiodental consonants (i.e., /b, p, m, f, v/), which are known to be challenging for many second language learners. The aim of this project is to explore audio-visual training across 3 native language groups, Mandarin, Japanese, and Arabic, who are all English language learners. Participants undergo a training regimen designed to examine the effects of audio-visual and audio-only training. We hypothesized that perception performance will improve after two days of training and will improve more after audio-visual training and 2) perception improvement will rely heavily on a participants’ language background and known difficulties with specific labial and labiodental sounds. Results from this study showed audio-visual training having no effect on Mandarin and Arabic speakers but an effect on Japanese speakers. Additional results suggest that the effectiveness of audio-visual training may be language-specific, which may have pedagogical implications on its use in second language teaching and learning
AutoAdaptive: A Noise Level-Sensitive Beamformer for MED EL Cochlear Implant Patients.

BACKGROUND When cochlear implant (CI) listeners use a directional microphone or beamformer system to improve speech understanding in noise, the gain in understanding for speech presented from the front of the listener coexists with a decrease in speech understanding from the back. One way to maximize the usefulness of these systems is to keep a microphone in the omnidirectional mode in low noise and then switch to directional mode in high noise. PURPOSE The purpose of this experiment was to assess the levels of speech understanding in noise allowed by a new signal processing algorithm for MED EL CIs, AutoAdaptive, which operates in the manner described previously. RESEARCH DESIGN Seven listeners fit with bilateral CIs were tested in a simulation of a crowded restaurant with speech presented from the front and from the back at three noise levels, 45, 55, and 65 dB SPL. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS The listeners were seated in the middle of an array of eight loudspeakers. Sentences from the AzBio sentence lists were presented from loudspeakers at 0 or 180° azimuth. Restaurant noise at 45, 55, and 65 dB SPL was presented from all eight loudspeakers. The speech understanding scores (words correct) were subjected to a two-factor (speaker location and noise level), repeated measures, analysis of variance with posttests. RESULTS The analysis of variance showed a main effect for level and location and a significant interaction. Posttests showed that speech understanding scores from front and back loudspeakers did not differ significantly at the 45- and 55-dB noise levels but did differ significantly at the 65-dB noise level-with increased scores for signals from the front and decreased scores for signals from the back. CONCLUSIONS The AutoAdaptive feature provides omnidirectional benefit at low noise levels, i.e., similar levels of speech understanding for talkers in front of, and in back of, a listener and beamformer benefit at higher noise levels, i.e., increased speech understanding for signals from in front. The automatic switching feature will be of value to the many patients who prefer not to manually switch programs on their CIs.
Finite-Element Simulations of Elastoplastic Flow during Compression of a Sample in a Diamond Anvil Cell under Extremely High Pressure: Effects of Geometry and Material Properties

Extreme pressures of several megabars are produced during compression of sample and gasket within a diamond anvil cell. This study uses finite-element simulations to analyze the effects of culet geometry, bevel angle, sample thickness, and the sample-gasket system. Multiple experimental phenomena are reproduced and interpreted. These results improve our understanding of material mechanical response under extreme pressure and large elastoplastic deformation, to benefit optimal design of the diamond anvil cells that are key to high-pressure research, and thus the search for and study of $e.g.$ metallic hydrogen.
Management of Simple Anoperineal Fistulas

Patients with anoperineal Crohn’s disease (CD) are often challenging to treat. They frequently require a combination of medical and surgical treatment to control their disease. More than one-third of patients with Crohn’s disease will at some point develop perianal disease, and some patients will have it as their presenting symptom several years before a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease is made. Anal fistulas are particularly difficult to treat in patients with Crohn’s disease due to the pathophysiologic characteristics of the disease, the high likelihood of recurrence, and the potential for surgical complications.
A first-order image denoising model for staircase reduction

In this paper, we consider a total variation–based image denoising model that is able to alleviate the well-known staircasing phenomenon possessed by the Rudin-Osher-Fatemi model (Rudin et al., Phys. D 60, 259–268, 30). To minimize this variational model, we employ augmented Lagrangian method (ALM). Convergence analysis is established for the proposed algorithm. Numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the features of the proposed model and also show the efficiency of the proposed numerical method.
A Top-Down Design Methodology for Synthesizing FPGA Fabrics Using Standard ASIC Flow

Design methodologies for synthesizing FPGA fabrics presented in the literature typically employ a bottom-up approach wherein individual tiles are synthesized in isolation and later stitched together to generate the large FPGA fabric. However, using a bottom-up methodology to ensure fabric-level performance targets is challenging due to the lack of a global timing view across multiple tiles spanning the FPGA fabric. While previous works address this problem with a combination of manual buffering and floorplanning, these additional steps introduce significant deviations from standard push-button ASIC flows. In this paper, a top-down synthesis methodology is proposed, which eliminates the need for floorplanning and manual buffering by providing a global timing view of the FPGA fabric. To evaluate the proposed design methodology, we developed an FPGA fabric generator using the Chisel hardware construction language. The fabric generator reads in the Verilog-to-Routing architecture file, describing the user-defined FPGA fabric, and generates the Verilog netlist and timing exceptions required to automatically place and route the FPGA fabric in any technology node with a standard cell library. Post layout timing analysis of placed and routed FPGA fabrics on a 28nm industrial CMOS process demonstrates that the top-down methodology can place and route fabrics without the need for any manual buffering or floorplanning while providing ~20% average improvement in performance across multiple benchmark designs.
Chapter 16 – Hematopoietic System

Publisher Summary Toxic effects on the hematopoietic system from pharmaceuticals or chemicals may occur from accidental or intentional overexposure, the latter invariably in preclinical safety assessment studies, or through idiosyncrasy. Accidental or occupational exposure may also occur with marketed compounds. Bone marrow toxicity (myelotoxicity), or toxicity of lymphoid organs, may result from the direct action of a drug or chemical on hematopoietic tissues or it may require bioactivation of the agent in the liver, as in the case of cyclophosphamide. Idiosyncratic toxicity is characterized by a sudden, severe decrease in circulating blood cells, and may also involve the marrow. Direct toxicity to leukocytes is typically associated with neutropenia, neutrophils being the most labile and easily depleted leukocyte type. Toxic neutropenia may be immune-mediated or nonimmune-mediated. Immune-mediated neutropenia is difficult to detect and to assess, due to inherent properties of the neutrophil itself, such as nonspecific binding of immunoglobulins and complement via Fc and C3 receptors, respectively, and their tendency to adhere to one another in vitro.
Estimating model-based nonnegative population marginal means in application to medical expenditures covered by different health care policies – A study on Medical Expenditure Panel Survey:

The medical care expenditure is historically an important public health issue, which greatly impacts the government's health policies as well as patients' financial and medical decisions. In population health research, we commonly discretize a numeric attribute to a few ordinal groups to examine population characteristics. Oftentimes, the population marginal mean estimation by the ANOVA approach is inflexible since it uses pre-defined grouping of the covariate. In this paper, we propose a method to estimate the population marginal mean using the B-spline-based regression in a manner of a generalized additive model as an alternative for the ANOVA. Since the medical expenditure is always nonnegative, a Bayesian approach is also implemented for the nonnegative constraint on the marginal mean estimates. The proposed method is flexible to estimate marginal means for user-specified grouping after model fitting in a post-hoc manner, a clear advantage over the ANOVA approach. We show that this method is inferentially superior to the ANOVA through theoretical investigations and an extensive Monte Carlo study. The real data analysis using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data assisted by some visualization tools demonstrates an applicability of the proposed approach and leads us some interesting observations that may be relevant to public health discussions.
The Home-Field Paradox

We consider an apparent paradox that arises from the following puzzle. Baseball teams A and B meet annually and play until one team has won four games and is declared the series winner. The teams are evenly matched except that each team enjoys the same slight advantage when playing at home. If, every year, the first three games are played at the home of team A and all subsequent games at the home of team B, which team has the advantage?
Evaluation of parallel reduction strategies for fusion of sensory information from a robot team

The advantage of using a team of robots to search or to map an area is that by navigating the robots to different parts of the area, searching or mapping can be completed more quickly. A crucial aspect of the problem is the combination, or fusion, of data from team members to generate an integrated model of the search/mapping area. In prior work we looked at the issue of removing mutual robots views from an integrated point cloud model built from laser and stereo sensors, leading to a cleaner and more accurate model. This paper addresses a further challenge: Even with mutual views removed, the stereo data from a team of robots can quickly swamp a WiFi connection. This paper proposes and evaluates a communication and fusion approach based on the parallel reduction operation, where data is combined in a series of steps of increasing subsets of the team. Eight different strategies for selecting the subsets are evaluated for bandwidth requirements using three robot missions, each carried out with teams of four Pioneer 3-AT robots. Our results indicate that selecting groups to combine based on similar pose but distant location yields the best results.
Genomic Applications in Head and Neck Cancers

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a biologically complex disease process with a heterogeneous collection of tumors in which multiple genes and pathways are altered. With the advancements in molecular and genetic research techniques and bioinformatics, there has been an explosion of new discoveries regarding the molecular biology and genetic alterations underpinning the pathogenesis of HNSCC. In this chapter, we review the specific genetic alterations in HNSCC and their clinical implications and future applications. The most common mutations in head and neck cancer, including the TP53, NOTCH1, EGFR, HRAS, PIK3CA, and CDKN2A/p16 genes, are discussed as well as human papillomavirus as the primary etiologic agent in oropharyngeal SCC. The main topics of discussions are focused around three clinical applications of cancer genomics in head and neck cancers—diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications.
Hybrid Asymmetrical Load Modulated Balanced Amplifier With Wide Bandwidth and Three-Way-Doherty Efficiency Enhancement

This letter presents a new active-load-modulation power amplifier (PA) architecture, i.e., hybrid asymmetrical load modulated balanced amplifier (H-ALMBA). It is discovered that the control amplifier (CA) of load modulated balanced amplifier (LMBA) can be set as the carrier amplifier and the balanced amplifier (BA) as the peaking amplifier with different threshold settings for two subamplifiers, BA1 and BA2. Through proper amplitude and phase control and cooperative alignment of the turning-on sequence of BA1 and BA2, the entire H-ALMBA can achieve enhanced efficiency overextended power back-off range, similar to a three-way Doherty PA. More importantly, this hybrid load modulation behavior can be replicated over a nearly unlimited frequency span. The theory is well validated by a prototype developed using GaN technology and commercial quadrature couplers, which experimentally demonstrates a 4:1 RF bandwidth from 0.55 to 2.2 GHz and high efficiency, i.e., 55%–82% at peak power, 51%–69% at 5-dB power back-off and 40%–61% at 10-dB power back-off.
Aging Well as Activism: Advancing the Mexican Social Body through Individually Successful Aging

In contrast to discourses of “successful aging” which pathologize and individualize change in later life, this case study of a retired Mexican couple highlights the pleasurable, political, and collective aspects of aging. Here, I analyze the narratives of a couple who found aging “well” fulfilling in part because it served as an intervention into societal-level problems. I argue that their activist form of aging was enabled by local cultural understandings of the Mexican populace as a biologically and socially interrelated whole. They hoped that the Mexican social body would follow a particular life course – of maturing toward modernity – and they sought to model and promote such maturation in their own later lives. This included promoting a health “culture of prevention,” living out self-consciously modern forms of gender and family, and active community participation. I assert that their happiness in older age, including their ability to cope with local crises of violence and corruption, stemmed partly from their belief that the attributes and activities which enhanced their own lives simultaneously served as activist interventions into the broader populace’s ills. This discussion of the context-specific ways one Mexican couple saw their efforts to live good later lives as contributing meaningfully to societal change over time highlights the need to understand aging and later life as political arenas with collective rather than merely individual import.
Effects of Cough Suppression Therapy on Voice Disorder Severity.

OBJECTIVES//HYPOTHESIS To determine changes in voice severity when treating chronic cough refractory to medical treatment with cough suppression therapy (CST) in patients with chronic cough and voice complaints. Chronic cough has been reported to be refractory to medical treatment and frequently co-occurs with voice disorders. The possible effects of CST on self-assessed changes in chronic cough and voice disorders have not been demonstrated. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of the effects of cough suppression therapy (CST) on self-assessed changes in chronic cough and voice disorder severity in patients with both chronic cough and voice disorders. METHODS Forty-three adult patients with the primary complaint of chronic refractory cough underwent pre- and post-treatment diagnostic examinations, completed pre- and post-treatment Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and Cough Severity Index assessments, and were treated by a licensed speech-language pathologist using CST. Twenty-seven subjects were assigned to the cough (C) group and 16 to the cough-voice (CV) group based on the severity of their VHI-10 scores. RESULTS Post-test analysis showed significant improvement in cough severity for both groups and significant improvement in voice severity for the CV group. The VHI-10 scores for the C group did not change significantly. The median number of treatment sessions was 3, with a range of 1-13 sessions. Correlation between changes in severity and number of treatment sessions was not found to be significant at the tested level. CONCLUSIONS CST represents a unifying approach for treatment of patients with CRC and comorbid voice disorders. CST offered cross-over effects to the voice when subjects were treated for their primary complaint of chronic cough. This treatment of the primary complaint improves function in systems that share a common pathway. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 131:2747-2751, 2021.
Shockwave enhancement from temporally separated filaments interacting with a water droplet

Many applications of filamentation require propagation through aerosol-dense environments. The shockwave produced from a filament–droplet interaction is one mechanism of clearing a path through a dense cloud of aerosols. Here, we show an enhanced shockwave resulting from the interaction of two temporally separated filaments with a single water droplet. The expanding shockwave is imaged with an ultrafast shadowgraphy technique, and Sedov–Taylor analysis determines the energy coupled into the shockwave. For an optimal temporal spacing between the filaments of 400 ps, the shockwave energy increased by 3 times and its radius increased by 1.23 times compared to the shockwave generated by the interaction of a droplet with a single filament.
DOES GEOGRAPHICAL REGION IMPACT PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS YOUTH SPORT SPECIALIZATION?:

Background:Two billion U.S. healthcare dollars are spent on youth sports injuries each year. This staggering figure is projected to increase as athletes are sustaining more sport-related injuries a...
Impact-Echo Defect Detection in Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks without Overlays

AbstractTo effectively manage their inventory, transportation authorities are switching to nondestructive testing methods, such as the impact-echo method, to facilitate locating subsurface defects ...
Retrospective analysis of safety and outcomes of rituximab for myasthenia gravis in patients ≥65 years old.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS Optimal management of myasthenia gravis (MG) in individuals ≥65 y old is unknown and patient factors may limit therapeutic choices. Safety and efficacy of rituximab in older patients with MG has not been well-studied. METHODS This retrospective study examined 40 patients (14 patients ≥65 y old) treated with rituximab for MG. The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients reaching "Improved" or better on Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) Post-Intervention Status (PIS) at 12 mo, compared between younger and older patients. RESULTS Ninety-two percent of patients ≥65 y old achieved MGFA PIS Improved or better at 12 mo compared to 69% of those <65 y old (P = .11). Median prednisone dose for the cohort decreased in the year following rituximab initiation (20 mg [interquartile range, 10-35] to 10 mg [0-13], P = .01). Non-refractory MG was predictive of favorable outcome, whereas age was not. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were similar between older and younger patients (21.4% vs. 30.8%, P = .715). No patients ≥65 y old required discontinuation of rituximab due to SAE. One death occurred in a patient <65 y old due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome. DISCUSSION At 12 mo following initiation of rituximab for MG, patients ≥65 y old experienced similarly high rates of improvement in their myasthenic symptoms as younger patients, without an increased risk of experiencing SAEs. Rituximab should be considered in the treatment paradigm in older patients and in non-refractory MG patients of any age.
A Defasciculating Dose of Nondepolarizing Neuromuscular Blocker

A 44-year-old obese man presented for open reduction and internal fixation of an ankle fracture. To prevent myalgia, a defasciculating dose of vecuronium was given prior to rapid-sequence induction of anesthesia with succinylcholine. The patient developed agitation and profound hypoxemia prior to direct laryngoscopy and placement of an endotracheal tube. Lessons discussed in this chapter include prevention of fasciculation, succinylcholine-related myalgia, and pulmonary effects of obesity.
Emotional Testimonies: An Ethnographic Study of Emotional Suffering Related to Migration from Mexico to Arizona.

It is increasingly argued that social and economic inequity poorly affect overall health. One of the means through which these inequities are translated to the body is via negative emotions, which carry known psychological and physiological responses. This paper examines migration-related psychosocial stressors impacting first generation Mexican immigrants in southern Arizona, and reports on the primary emotional experiences immigrants associate with these stressors. Data were drawn from a qualitative, ethnographic study conducted over the course of 14 months during 2013-2014 with first generation Mexican immigrants (N=40) residing in Tucson Arizona and service providers working directly in the immigrant community (N=32). Results indicate that the primary structural vulnerabilities that cause emotional hardship amongst immigrants are pre-migration stressors and adversity, dangerous border crossings, detention and deportation, undocumented citizenship status, family separation, and extreme poverty. Many of these factors have intensified over the past decade due to increased border security and state level anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona. Immigrants connected these hardships to the emotions of trauma (50%), fear (65%), depression (75%), loneliness (75%), sadness (80%), and stress (85%), and most respondents reported suffering from three or more of these emotions. Given the heavy emotional toll of migration and the direct impact that regional legislation and border security had on well-being, this paper argues that emotion be considered an important mechanism for health declines in the immigrant community. In order to stem the frequency and intensity of emotional stress in the Mexican immigrant community in Tucson, it is imperative to support organizations and policies that promote community building and support networks and also expand access to and availability of mental health services for immigrants regardless of documentation status.
Mechanisms of muscle growth and atrophy in mammals and Drosophila

Background: The loss of skeletal muscle mass (atrophy) that accompanies disuse and systemic diseases is highly debilitating. Although the pathogenesis of this condition has been primarily studied in mammals, Drosophila is emerging as an attractive system to investigate some of the mechanisms involved in muscle growth and atrophy. Results: In this review, we highlight the outstanding unsolved questions that may benefit from a combination of studies in both flies and mammals. In particular, we discuss how different environmental stimuli and signaling pathways influence muscle mass and strength and how a variety of disease states can cause muscle wasting. Conclusions: Studies in Drosophila and mammals should help identify molecular targets for the treatment of muscle wasting in humans. Developmental Dynamics 243:201–215, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regenerator performance in a Vuilleumier refrigerator compared with a third-order numerical model

A 3-stage Vuilleumier refrigerator was used to measure the performance of various third stage regenerators. The refrigerator operates between 2.5 and 5.0 Hz and, depending on the material used in the third stage regenerator, achieves temperatures of 8 to 20 K at the cold end of the third stage. This paper presents a comparison of regenerator performance for four regenerator materials: 229 μm diameter spheres of Pb+5%Sb, 229 μm diameter spheres of brass, 216 μm irregular-shaped GdRh powder, and a mixture of 229 μm and 762 μm diameter spheres of Pb+5%Sb. The experimental results are compared with a first-order model that neglects the void volume within the regenerator and with a third-order model that considers the effect of pressure oscillations in the regenerator void volume. Experimental results indicate that regenerator losses are dominated by the pressure oscillation in the void volume rather than the mass flow through the temperature gradient in the regenerator. These results are consistent with the third-order numerical model. This model shows that the heat capacity of the gas in the void space as well as the heat capacity of the matrix influences the regenerator performance.
The Cell Surface Estrogen Receptor, G Protein- Coupled Receptor 30 (GPR30), is Markedly Down Regulated During Breast Tumorigenesis

BackgroundGPR30 is a cell surface estrogen receptor that has been shown to mediate a number of non-genomic rapid effects of estrogen and appear to balance the signaling of estrogen and growth factors. In addition, progestins appear to use GPR30 for their actions. Therefore, GPR30 could play a critical role in hormonal regulation of breast epithelial cell integrity. Deregulation of the events mediated by GPR30 could contribute to tumorigenesis.MethodsTo understand the role of GPR30 in the deregulation of estrogen signaling processes during breast carcinogenesis, we have undertaken this study to investigate its expression at mRNA levels in tumor tissues and their matched normal tissues. We compared its expression at mRNA levels by RT quantitative real-time PCR relative to GAPDH in ERα”—positive (n = 54) and ERα”—negative (n = 45) breast cancer tissues to their matched normal tissues.ResultsWe report here, for the first time, that GPR30 mRNA levels were significantly down-regulated in cancer tissues in compa...
Severe mitral insufficiency in early infancy associated with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

Abstract The clinical course, diagnostic cineangiocardiographic data and the postmortem findings of an infant with an anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery are presented. Mitral insufficiency and congestive heart failure were present before age 6 weeks, and severe myocardial dysfunction was documented by volume studies showing an elevated left ventricular end-diastolic volume and a depressed ejected fraction (0.36). Despite ligation of the anomalous vessel, the infant died. Postmortem injection of the coronary system with contrast media showed extensive collateral circulation between the right and left coronary arteries. The origin of the anomalous left coronary artery from the distal main pulmonary artery was a distinctly unusual finding. Both the left ventricular myocardium and the mitral valve showed extensive thickening, fibrosis and calcification. Associated mitral insufficiency may contribute significantly not only to the morbidity but also to the mortality in infants with an anomalous left coronary artery.
Aspects of Electronic Configuration Interaction in Molecular Photoionization

Experimental studies have been reported recently of partial-channel photoionization cross sections in diatomic and polyatomic molecules1–3. Many of the measured cross sections can be understood and clarified quantitatively on basis of theoretical studies in the so-called separated-channel static-exchange approximation4. In this approach, Hartree-Fock functions are employed for the electronic portions of target ground states, and corresponding continuum molecular eigenfunctions are constructed in the orbital approximation employing non-central static-exchange potentials. Consequently, the calculated partial-channel cross sections so obtained refer simply to the separate removal of electrons from the individual molecular orbitals of a molecule, and they do not take into account the configuration mixing possible among the various ionization channels. There are important cases, however, in which the effects of electronic configuration interaction do not simply provide small corrections to separated-channel static-exchange results, but, rather, dominate the spectral characteristics of partial-channel cross sections5–7. In these cases it is generally necessary to include initial and final-state configuration-mixing effects, as well as scattering-function coupling, in theoretical studies of molecular partial-channel photoionization cross sections.
Some new linear and quadratic mass formulas for baryons

Two linera and two quadratic mass formulas for baryons are derived in brokenSU3 symmetry. From the linear mass formulas follow the mean-mass version of the Gell-Mann-Okubo formula and the Coleman-Glashow formula. From the two quadratic mass formulas, a quadratic mass formula analogous to the linear Coleman-Glashow formula is derived. The comparison of this formula with experiments shows excellent agreement.
The hydrous component in andradite garnet

Twenty-two andradite samples from a variety of geological environments and two synthetic hydroandradite samples were studied by Fourier transform IR spectroscopy. Their spectra show that H enters andradite in the form of OH-. Amounts up to 6 wt% H_2O occur in these samples; those from low-temperature formations contain the most OH-. Some features in the absorption spectra indicate the hydrogarnet substitution (SiO_4)^(4-)↔(O_4H_4)^(4-) whereas others indicate additional types of OH- incorporation. The complexity of the spectra due to multi-site distribution of OH- increases with increasing complexity of the garnet composition.
The influence of diagnostic labeling on special education placement decisions

The present study investigated the possible bias of diagnostic labeling on special education placement decisions. Two groups of child study team members were given the task of either placing or both labeling and placing ten exceptional children. Results showed that the labeling process did not lead diagnosticians to place children in more restrictive educational programs. A comprehensive assessment-intervention-follow-through model that would minimize some of the potential dangers and abuses of labeling is proposed.
Dialogue at the margins: Women's self-stories and the intersection of identities

Synopsis In this manuscript, we describe an organized effort to move beyond familiar identity connections, particularly those of ethnicity, class, and nation. An exchange of self-stories among African American college women and Dalit Indian women was initiated as a technique to cross-cultural boundaries. The women chosen were considered to be located at the margins of their societies. The experience of the personal dialogues provided a model for inter-group exchanges that might be used in research and educational settings to expand the awareness of women and their issues nationally and internationally. Self-storytelling was the tool for comparing and examining experiences; it is recommended as a useful technique for the development of understanding and shared empathy among women. It proved useful in considering gender, class, and ethnic identity. Major themes from the women's stories were of family support, outside dominance, emotional trauma, and strategies for self-empowerment.
Time-dependent treatment of scattering: Integral equation approaches using the time-dependent amplitude density

The time‐dependent form of the Lippmann–Schwinger integral equation is used as the basis of several new wave packet propagation schemes. These can be formulated in terms of either the time‐dependent wave function or a time‐dependent amplitude density. The latter is nonzero only in the region of configuration space for which the potential is nonzero, thereby in principle obviating the necessity of large grids or the use of complex absorbing potentials when resonances cause long collision times (leading, consequently, to long propagation times). Transition amplitudes are obtained in terms of Fourier transforms of the amplitude density from the time to the energy domain. The approach is illustrated by an application to a standard potential scattering model problem where, as in previous studies, the action of the kinetic energy operator is evaluated by fast Fourier transform (FFT) techniques.
Molecular modeling of heme proteins using MOE: Bio-inorganic and structure-function activity for undergraduates*S.

A biochemical molecular modeling project on heme proteins suitable for an introductory Biochemistry I class has been designed with a 2-fold objective: i) to reinforce the correlation between protein three-dimensional structure and function through a discovery oriented project, and ii) to introduce students to the fields of bioinorganic and coordination chemistry. Students are asked to identify several unknown heme proteins based on a careful analysis of covalent and noncovalent interactions at the active site of each protein, focusing on amino acid reactivity and H-bonding networks. Starting with the three-dimensional crystal structures of four unknown proteins, students isolate and examine the coordination environment of the iron center in order to predict the relative reactivity toward dioxygen (O2) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The central question of the project is to determine how the same iron protoporphyrin IX cofactor can be used by four different proteins to carry out diverse reactions, from electron transfer, to reversible oxygen binding to hydrogen peroxide activation. Pedagogical reasons for implementation of this biomolecular discovery-based activity and student evaluations are discussed. In addition to developing many of the three-dimensional visualization skills needed to successfully learn biochemistry, students also learn to use the versatile MOE molecular modeling program (Molecular Operating Environment), become familiar with metalloprotein reactivity, and are introduced to computational biochemistry research.
Chemical–Biological Fingerprinting: Probing the Properties of DNA Lesions Formed by Peroxynitrite

DNA-damaging agents usually produce a vast collection of lesions within the genome. Analysis of these lesions from the structural and biological viewpoints is often complicated by the reality that some of the lesions are chemically fragile, leading to an even larger set of secondary and tertiary products. In an effort to deconvolute complex DNA-damage spectra, a strategy is presented whereby an oligonucleotide containing a specific target for chemical reaction is allowed to react with a DNA-damaging agent. A large collection of HPLC-resolvable modified oligonucleotides is generated, and chromatographically distinct members of the set are then individually characterized using chemical, spectroscopic, biochemical, and genetic probes. The biological component of this “chemical–biological fingerprinting” tool is the use of polymerase bypass in vivo in cells having defined replication status and quantitative and qualitative patterns of lesion-directed mutagenesis, as key properties that complement physical ana...
Reexpression of HPRT activity following cell fusion with polyethylene glycol.

Polyethylene glycol-1000 (PEG-1000) induced fusion of HPRT (E.C. 2.4.2.8) deficient Chinese hamster cells with α-galactosidase A (E.C. 2.3.1.22) deficient cells from a patient with Fabry's disease yielded hybrids which contained both human and hamster HPRT, G6PD (E.C. 1.1.1.49), and APRT (E.C. 2.4.2.7) and Chinese hamster α-galactosidase B. Thus PEG-1000 mediated somatic cell fusion led to reexpression of Chinese hamster HPRT. It did not restore the expression of human α-galactosidase. Since PEG-1000 treatment of HPRT− Chinese hamster cells in the absence of human cells yielded no HPRT+ cells, it is concluded that the element responsible for the restoration of rodent HPRT was contributed by the human cells and not by the agent employed to promote fusion.
Maintenance and Measurement of Water-Regulatory Variables through Controlled Feeding

Summary.-Daily patterns of drinking were observed in rats under ad libitum feeding conditions and with a 22-hr. food deprivation schedule. It was found that feeding restricted to a specific hour set the daily drinking pattern and allowed a control of daily water-regulatory cycles. The amount of water ingested was found to be greater under the 22-hr. food deprivation than with ad libitum feeding. The nature of daily metabolic cycles of activity may be an important consideration in the accurate zssessment of psychopharmacological experimental effects having to do with drinking and water balance. By use of a placebo control, Singh and Manocha (1966) found that chlorpromazine differentially affected an operant to a water reinforcement depending upon the amount of predrinking allowed, and alcohol diuresis has been found to interact with state of hydration (Crow, 1966). That is to say, when looking at the effects of drugs upon drinking behaviors and water balance, rather subtle underlying physiological states may deserve attention and control. In the case of the typical ad libitum food and water maintenance schedule, control is made difficult over prevailing conditions of stomach contents, state of hydration, and drive depending upon the time of day of the particular experimental observation, and there are individual differences as well in time since eating and drinking. In spice of these difficulties, however, an ad libitum schedule may be preferred to the unknown effects of severe water deprivation regimens. A previously used schedule (Crow, 1967) is described here which produces a daily regularity in physiological conditions relating to water balance while allowing free access to water for 22 hr. per day. A wide range of hydration within the daily period is available to E and can be controlled in terms of time of day of its occurrence by means of feeding. METHOD Subjects
Compartmental Models for Apical Efflux by P-glycoprotein: Part 2—A Theoretical Study on Transporter Kinetic Parameters

The impact of efflux transporters in intracellular concentrations of a drug can be predicted with modeling techniques. In Part 1, several compartmental models were developed and evaluated. The goal of Part 2 was to apply these models to the characterization and interpretation of saturation kinetic data. The compartmental models from Part 1were used to evaluate a previously published dataset from cell lines expressing varying levels of P-glycoprotein. Kinetic parameters for the transporter were estimated and compared across models. Fits and errors for all compartmental models were identical. All compartmental models predicted more consistent parameters than the Michaelis-Menten model. The 5-compartment model with efflux out of the membrane predicted differential impact of P-gp upon apical versus basolateral drug exposure. Finally, the saturable kinetics of active efflux along with a permeability barrier was modeled to delineate a relationship between intracellular concentration with or without active efflux versus donor concentration. This relationship was not a rectangular hyperbola, but instead was shown to be a quadratic function. One approach to estimate an in vivo transporter effect is to first model an intracellular Km value from in vitro data, and use this value along with the appropriate tissue transporter expression levels and relative surface area to calculate the relevant apparent Km (or Ki) values. Together with the results from Part 1, these studies suggest that compartmental models can provide a path forward to better utilize in vitro transporter data for in vivo predictions such as physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling.
Rates and risk factors for suicide, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts in chronic epilepsy

Studies of causes of death among people with epilepsy suggest that the lifetime prevalence rate of suicide is elevated. Although not all of the studies have reported an increased risk for suicide, the collective data yield an average rate of approximately 12% among people with epilepsy, compared with 1.1-1.2% in the general population. The increased risk for suicide appears to affect children and adolescents as well as adults. Rates of suicide attempts have also been reported to be elevated among people with epilepsy. A suicide attempt is a significant risk factor for completed suicide. Certain psychiatric disorders, including primary mood disorders, also increase the risk for suicide. Among people with epilepsy, psychiatric comorbidity is common, and rates of mood disorders, particularly major depression, have consistently been reported to be elevated. Other potential risk factors are family issues, physical health, personality, life stress, previous suicidal behavior, and access to firearms. Assessing severity of risk helps to determine the appropriate level of intervention. The suicidality module of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview is a practical tool to help quantify current suicide risk.
Partner Physical Victimization in a National Sample of American Families Relationship to Psychological Functioning, Psychosocial Factors, and Gender

The present study examined the relationship between degrees of partner physical victimization and a range of psychological and psychosocial functioning in a representative sample of American married and cohabiting couples (N=6,451). The study also explored whether gender interacted with any of these factors to predict degree of physical victimization. Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), this study found that increased levels of physical victimization were associated with greater levels of depressive symptomatology. However, the study found that there were no significant interactions involving gender or any of the variables of interest as predictors of degree of partner physical victimization.
Surgery of tumors invading the cavernous sinus

Abstract Potential injury to neurovascular structures within the cavernous sinus often prohibits total removal of various cranial base tumors. This report discusses the rationale of direct cavernous sinus surgery and describes a surgical technique refinement as evolved from experience in 18 histologically benign operative cases. The nature of tumor extension mandated entry to the sinus, either through the superior or lateral wall or both. The operative microscope facilitated dissecting and preserving the carotid artery and cranial nerves traversing the sinus. Venous bleeding was controlled by packing. There was one death unrelated to cavernous sinus surgery. Five patients, however, had complications related to cavernous sinus surgery, including hemiplegia in one patient and cranial nerve palsy in four.
Artificial diet for the parasitic mitePyemotes tritici (Acari:Pyemotidae)

In previous work,Pyemotes tritici, an ectoparasite of stored-product insects, was induced to probe and pierce a synthetic membrane and feed on a homogenate of cigarette-beetle pupae. Later work with commercially prepared semi-synthetic insect diets, or combinations thereof, were judged to be completely unsatisfactory as few offspring were produced. Subsequently, 150 semi-synthetic diets were formulated and tested, of which one repeatedly produced near-normal numbers of offspring or about 150/female. The improved diet is of an appropriate consistency for feeding and contains comparatively high levels of lipo-proteins thought to be essential for development.
Studies on deciliated sea urchin embryos.

Summary The amount of colchicine binding to material in the polysomal region of a sucrose gradient that had been layered with supernatants from embryos deciliated five times was greater than the controls. Supernatants extracted from repeatedly deciliated embryos exhibit different OD 260 and radioactivity profiles on a sucrose gradient than did supernatants from control embryos.
Development of a turnover model that incorporates a matrix measure of valence-instrumentality-expectancy perceptions

A sample of 365 managers of a full service U.S. restaurant chain was used to test a model incorporating a matrix measure of valence-instrumentality-expectancy (VIE) perceptions leading to the outcomes of job performance and turnover. This study used Hollenback's (1979) method of computing motivational force scores deriving from VIE perceptions. The model hypothesized one path from VIE to pay satisfaction, another from VIE to job performance, and a third set of links from job satisfaction to intentions to leave the organization to voluntary turnover. The results supported a revised model including the major hypothesized path from VIE perceptions to pay satisfaction to job satisfaction to intent to leave to voluntary turnover. In addition, the job performance to turnover paths were supported. The most noteworthy paths not receiving support were from VIE perceptions to job performance; however, there was an unhypothesized, indirect effect of VIE perceptions on job performance through pay satisfaction.
Technical aspects of blood pressure measurement in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND Prolonged hypertension in adults has been associated with end-organ damage, in addition to increased morbidity and mortality. Accurate measurement of blood pressure in pediatric and adult patients is imperative for the appropriate diagnosis of hypertension, so that measures may be instituted to prevent these adverse sequelae. Although intermittent office measurement of blood pressure is practiced in most parts of the world, the technique is fraught with problems. Errors during the actual measurement and difficulties in interpretation of the data are well-studied challenges associated with intermittent blood pressure measurements that have been well studied. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring offers several advantages over intermittent measurement: blood pressure measurements are available over a prolonged period of time (including the sleep period), measurements are not as dependent on observer biases as are intermittent measurements, and in adults the data appear to correlate well to measures of end-organ damage. In children, the ambulatory blood pressure monitor is well tolerated and accurate. This new technology may offer pediatric specialists the opportunity to identify more accurately the child with increased blood pressure, so that preventive measures can be instituted to reduce the well-known morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension. OBJECTIVE To review the technical aspects of blood pressure measurement in children, with special attention to the emerging field of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and its potential use in children.