cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavioural and biochemical adaptations to nicotine in rats: influence of MK801, an NMDA receptor antagonist.

Chronic exposure of rats to nicotine can result in sensitization to the stimulant effects of nicotine on locomotor activity. At a biochemical level, chronic exposure to nicotine increases the number of CNS nicotinic binding sites, and this has been suggested as the basis for sensitization to nicotine. The present experiment was conducted to examine the effects of MK801, an NMDA receptor antagonist, on sensitization to nicotine. In addition, the hypothesis that MK801 may block behavioural sensitization by preventing the up-regulation of nicotinic receptors was tested by measuring receptor numbers in the same individuals using quantitative autoradiography with [3H]-cytisine and [3H]-MK801. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were chronically treated with nicotine (0.4 mg/kg SC) or saline daily for 7 days. Over the next 2 days, in a counterbalanced order, rats were challenged with nicotine (0.4 mg/kg SC) or saline and locomotor activity was monitored. In saline-pretreated rats, nicotine produced a small increase in activity. Nicotine-pretreated rats exhibited higher levels of activity following a nicotine challenge. This sensitized response was attenuated in rats administered MK801 (0.3 mg/kg IP) 30 min before each daily nicotine injection. Rats pretreated with MK801 alone showed activity scores no different from saline pretreated control groups. Biochemical studies revealed increased [3H]-cytisine binding following chronic nicotine treatment; however, receptor increases were significantly attenuated by MK801 pretreatment. Binding of [3H]-MK801 remained unchanged across the four groups. The results suggest that MK801 prevents behavioural sensitization to nicotine via the prevention of receptor up-regulation. Although the findings support the notion that receptor up-regulation may be the basis for the increased responsiveness to nicotine, other interpretations are possible.
The Role Institutional Research Plays in Navigating the Current Economic Uncertainty.

This concluding chapter focuses on issues of the current economic market that are affecting college and university sources of revenue, as well their ability to hire and retain quality faculty.
Role of activated processes and boundary conditions in the domain growth of the Potts model.

We discuss the kinetics of ordering in systems with many degenerate ground states. We make use of the shape of ordered domains which minimizes their interfacial free energy at a given temperature to interpret the dynamical behavior which is observed in Monte Carlo simulations of domain growth. In particular, we argue that the underlying lattice in the simulations can cause different behavior for the kinetics at temperature T=0 versus T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0+. This behavior is analyzed in detail in the Potts model and implies that the zero-temperature freezing fixed point in this model is unstable with respect to finite-temperature quenches. We also argue that the choice of boundary conditions can cause subtle finite-size effects which become important much more rapidly in simulations than other sources of finite-size effects.
Infrared Observations of Late Type Stars

Substantive mass loss resulting in appreciable circumstellar dust envelopes is common in late-type stars. The evolutionary history and physical state of a cool star determine the chemistry within the outer stellar atmosphere mirrored by the molecular and particulate material present in the envelope. The observational consequences of this debris determined by moderate spectral resolution infrared spectrophotometry are reviewed. Significant information is provided by observations of the emergent energy flux of both the cool stellar photosphere and of the circumstellar dust envelope. The observation suggests that mass-loss occurs to some degree throughout late stellar evolutionary phases and that occasional periods of high mass loss are not uncommon.
Pseudospectral method based on prolate spheroidal wave functions for frequency-domain electromagnetic simulations

We apply prolate spheroidal wave functions of order zero as basis functions in the pseudospectral method for frequency-domain electromagnetic simulation problems. Like the traditional pseudospectral frequency-domain (PSFD) methods based on Chebyshev and Legendre polynomial series, the prolate PSFD method yields exponential order of accuracy. In terms of the number of samples utilized per wavelength, the prolate expansion is superior to the Chebyshev and Legendre polynomial series by a factor of /spl pi//2. In addition, the prolate PSFD method employs a more uniform spatial grid, achieving better resolution near the center of the domain.
Aspiring Law and Business Professionals' Orientations to Work and Family Life

Findings are presented from a study of 43 advanced professional school students in law and business using in-depth interviews to investigate their orientations to work and family life. Thematic types are developed that identify the orientations of segments within the sample. These types draw on respondents' implicit and explicit definitions of the situation, paying special attention to key assumptions about gender-based work and family roles. Interestingly, the findings indicate a certain degree of asymmetry between the men and the women with respect to how they plan to construct work and family life. The dominant segment of men identified strongly with a modified form of providing, whereas others identified with either a strong or a weak form of egalitarianism. The dominant segment of women were oriented toward a strong form of egalitarianism, with others oriented toward a weak form of egalitarianism, and still others considered remaining single a realistic possibility.
Mutations arising during repair of chromosome breaks.

Mutations stimulate evolutionary change and lead to birth defects and cancer in humans as well as to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. According to the classic view, most mutations arise in dividing cells and result from uncorrected errors of S-phase DNA replication, which is highly accurate because of the involvement of selective DNA polymerases and efficient error-correcting mechanisms. In contrast, studies in bacteria and yeast reveal that DNA synthesis associated with repair of double-strand chromosomal breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination is highly inaccurate, thus making DSBs and their repair an important source of mutations. Different error-prone mechanisms appear to operate in different repair scenarios. In the filling in of single-stranded DNA regions, error-prone translesion DNA polymerases appear to produce most errors. In contrast, in gene conversion gap repair and in break-induced replication, errors are independent of translesion polymerases, and many mutations have the signatures of t...
Biochemical analysis of interactions between outer membrane proteins that contribute to starch utilization by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.

An early step in the utilization of starch by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron is the binding of starch to the bacterial surface. Four starch-associated outer membrane proteins of B. thetaiotaomicron that have no starch-degrading activity have been identified. Two of these, SusC and SusD, have been shown by genetic analysis to be required for starch binding. In this study, we provide the first biochemical evidence that these two proteins interact physically with each other. Both formaldehyde cross-linking and nondenaturing gel electrophoresis experiments showed that SusC and SusD interact to form a complex. Two other proteins encoded by genes in the same operon, SusE and SusF, proved not to be essential for starch utilization and actually decreased starch binding when they were present along with SusC and SusD. Consistent with this, nondenaturing gel analysis revealed that in a strain producing SusC, SusD, and SusE, the SusCD complex was partially destabilized. The strain producing SusC, SusD, and SusE also grew more slowly on starch than a strain producing SusC, SusD, SusE, and SusF (μmax, 0.29 and 0.37/h, respectively). Thus, SusE appears to interact with the SusCD complex. SusE also interacts with SusF, because SusE was less susceptible to proteinase K digestion when SusF was present, and nondenaturing gel analysis detected a complex formed by these two proteins. Our results indicate that SusC, SusD, SusE, and SusF form a protein complex in the outer membrane but that SusE and SusF are dispensable members of this complex.
CMGRN: A web server for constructing multilevel gene regulatory networks using ChIP-seq and gene expression data

Summary: ChIP-seq technology provides an accurate characterization of transcription or epigenetic factors binding on genomic sequences. With integration of such ChIP-based and other highthroughput information, it would be dedicated to dissecting crossinteractions among multilevel regulators, genes and biological functions. Here, we devised an integrative web server CMGRN (constructing multilevel gene regulatory networks), to unravel hierarchical interactive networks at different regulatory levels. The newly developed method used the Bayesian network modeling to infer causal interrelationships among transcription factors or epigenetic modifications by using ChIP-seq data. Moreover, it used Bayesian hierarchical model with Gibbs sampling to incorporate binding signals of these regulators and gene expression profile together for reconstructing gene regulatory networks. The example applications indicate that CMGRN provides an effective web-based framework that is able to integrate heterogeneous high-throughput data and to reveal hierarchical ‘regulome’ and the associated gene expression programs. Availability: http://bioinfo.icts.hkbu.edu.hk/cmgrn; http://www.byan bioinfo.org/cmgrn.
Biodiversity may regulate the temporal variability of ecological systems

The effect of biodiversity on natural communities has recently emerged as a topic of considerable ecological interest. We review studies that explicitly test whether the number of species in a community (species richness) regulates the temporal variability of aggregate community (total biomass, productivity, nutrient cycling) and population (density, biomass) properties. Theoretical studies predict that community variability should decline with increasing species richness, while population variability should increase. Many, but not all, empirical studies support these expectations. However, a closer look reveals that several empirical studies have either imperfect experimental designs or biased methods of calculating variability. Furthermore, most theoretical studies rely on highly unrealistic assumptions. We conclude that evidence to support the claim that biodiversity regulates temporal variability is accumulating, but not unequivocal. More research, in a broader array of ecosystem types and with careful attention to methodological considerations, is needed before we can make definitive statements regarding richness-variability relationships.
MRI of Geometric and Compositional Features of Vulnerable Carotid Plaque

Noninvasive imaging of atherosclerotic disease provides a powerful opportunity to gain insight into the complex chain of events underlying atherogenesis, plaque progression, and ultimately those processes that result in atherothrombosis with accompanying clinical symptoms. MRI is particularly attractive because it is noninvasive and is capable of providing a rich array of information on vascular disease. MR methods have been demonstrated to provide information on important features of vascular disease, including the geometric morphology of the flow lumen and the vessel wall, the composition of atheroma, measurement of flow velocities through vessels independent of overlying structures, and more recently insights into the presence and activity of specific molecules that are considered to be important participants in the inflammatory processes and that might differentiate the stable plaque from the vulnerable plaque.
The Wakefield First and Second Shepherds Plays as Complements in Psychology and Parody

All the medieval shepherds plays cover essentially the same Nativity material the angel announcing the birth of the Christ-child to the shepherds in the field, the star, the journey to the manger, and praise of the Child but alone among the four English Corpus Christi cycles, the Towneley Cycle has two shepherds plays. The question "Why?" naturally arises. Were both shepherds plays performed in the cycle? Or were they alternatives, either one performed as the civic authorities happened to choose? Or was one a draft and the other a finished work (and if so, which was the draft, which the finished work)? In short, what is their relationship? Several theories have been advanced. E. K. Chambers and Arnold Williams considered them "alternative versions"; apparently the producer could "take his choice."' Martial Rose, who produced an abbreviated version of the cycle in 1958 (twenty of the thirty-two plays), suggested instead that both were performed; that the cycle was produced over a three-day period, the First Shepherds Play ending the first day's performances, the Second Shepherds Play beginning the performances of the second day.2 Rosemary Woolf, on the other hand, concluded that ordinarily only the first would have been performed, that the second was an alternative for special, more sophisticated audiences capable of grasping the "religious orientation" behind its farce.3 Most critics, however, on the basis of artistic merit, consider the Secunda pastorum to be a revision and replacement of the Prima: the second play is in many respects a masterpiece, while the first does not make much sense as a whole and is theatrically uninspired. At the end of one of the very few studies of the Prima pastorum, for example, A. C. Cawley concluded:
Association between carotid atherosclerosis and markers of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy subjects

Objective To examine the relationship between markers of systemic inflammation and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy controls. Methods Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaque were measured using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound in 204 patients with RA, ages 40–85, and 102 age- and sex-matched healthy persons. No subject in either group had ever smoked cigarettes. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used to measure systemic inflammation. The relationship of the carotid artery IMT and carotid plaque to inflammation markers was examined, adjusting for age, sex, RA versus control status, and the cardiovascular (CV) risk factors hypercholesterolemia, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and body mass index (BMI). Results A significant linear trend for increased carotid artery IMT was associated with increasing ESR and CRP categories (r = 0.16, P = 0.004 for ESR, and r = 0.13, P = 0.02 for CRP). These trends did not differ among RA cases and controls, and were independent of age, sex, and CV risk factors. The difference in carotid artery IMT between the lowest and highest categories of ESR was 0.221 mm (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.767–1.020, P = 0.02). The difference between extreme CRP categories was 0.275 mm (95% CI 0.039–0.509, P = 0.02). Both remained significant after CV risk factor adjustment. Carotid plaque displayed a similar relationship to markers of inflammation. Conclusion Increased carotid artery IMT and the presence of carotid plaque are associated with markers of systemic inflammation in patients with RA and in healthy subjects. This observation is consistent with hypotheses that assign a role to systemic inflammation in atherosclerosis, and may have implications regarding RA and other chronic inflammatory diseases.
Yawning as a Brain Cooling Mechanism: Nasal Breathing and Forehead Cooling Diminish the Incidence of Contagious Yawning

We conducted two experiments that implicate yawning as a thermoregulatory mechanism. The first experiment demonstrates that different patterns of breathing influence susceptibility to contagious yawning. When participants were not directed how to breathe or were instructed to breathe orally (inhaling and exhaling through their mouth), the incidence of contagious yawning in response to seeing videotapes of people yawning was about 48%. When instructed to breathe nasally (inhaling and exhaling through their nose), no participants exhibited contagious yawning. In a second experiment, applying temperature packs to the forehead also influenced the incidence of contagious yawning. When participants held a warm pack (46 0 C) or a pack at room temperature to their forehead while watching people yawn, contagious yawning occurred 41% of the time. When participants held a cold pack (4 0 C) to their forehead, contagious yawning dropped to 9%. These findings suggest that yawning has an adaptive/functional component that it is not merely the derivative of selection for other forms of behavior.
An Extended Kalman Filter Based Method for Fast In-Situ Etch Rate Measurements

The goal of this paper is the presentation of a new algorithm for determining etch rate from single or multiple wavelength reflectometry data. This algorithm is based on techniques from recursive nonlinear estimation theory — Extended Kaiman Filtering. A major advantage of our algorithm is extremely high speed. Consequently, it can be used in real-time feedback control applications. The speed advantage also makes it a suitable candidate for full wafer high speed etch rate measurement.
Can "Withitness Skills" Be Applied To Teaching With Laptops?

It may amaze those in education that in this age of technology and computers, how basic concepts of classroom teaching are similar or even more important than they were 40 years ago when Kounin first defined withitness elements. New challenges, related to laptop Internet instruction, require instructors to develop withitness skills and situational awareness as they compete with computers for students attention and class participation. "Withitness" skills may be needed when teaching students in classrooms with laptops connected to the Internet.
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 and Voluntarism: Logistic Regression Analysis of Pharmacist Responsibility

OBJECTIVE:To examine the relationship between pharmacists' willingness to assume further professional responsibilities, as measured by attitudes to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA '90) requirements, and their attitudes toward voluntarism as their responsibility to society and their level of interest in their jobs.DESIGN:A survey was distributed to a convenience sample of 443 pharmacists who were asked to indicate their responses on a number of items.SETTING:Surveys were distributed to participants in an annual pharmacy continuing education program.PARTICIPANTS:The response rate was 65 percent with completed surveys from 290 Florida pharmacists who were typically male (73 percent) and practicing in the community setting (39 percent) for over 25 years (33 percent).MAIN OUTCOMES:Questions were aimed at gathering the following information: (1) demographics; (2) attitudes concerning the benefits of the three OBRA '90 requirements: Patient counseling, prospective drug-use review (DUR), and i...
Structure-Property Relationships in Organic Nonlinear Optical Materials

Tuning the degree of bond-length alternation in organic nonlinear optical materials is a powerful paradigm for the design of organic materials with large molecular hyperpolarizabilities (β). Several research groups have employed this paradigm in the design and synthesis of NLO materials incorporating donor-acceptor polyenes. Increased bond-length alternation in polyenes leads to decreased barriers to rotation about C=C bonds and, hence, increased conformational flexibility. Since the degree of bond-length alternation is solvent dependent, so is the degree of conformational flexibility. In an effort to probe the influence of conformational flexibility on NLO response, we synthesized a series of simple donor-acceptor polyenes that are either conformationally flexible (la, 2a, 3a) or rigid (1b, 2b, 3b). For each pair of molecules ZINDO sum-over-states calculations predict a larger value of β μ , for the conformationally flexible isomer, but EFISH measurements (CHCl 3 ) display mixed results. Various explanations for this behavior will be considered.
How Distinct are American Jews

The cumulative General Social Surveys (GSS, 1972–2014) are used to examine an advantaged group, American Jews, while controlling on structure. The method is to compare Jewish respondents (n = 1,266) with a “control group” of non-Jews who are similar educationally, geographically, and demographically (n = 2,275), and also with the remaining sample (n = 55,942). Many “Jewish” characteristics barely differ from those of the control group. Still, Jews are unusual in ways best explained as culturally learned, including minimal religiosity, Democratic politics, and emphasis on education. The metaphor of “melting pot” fails here because Jews are not converging on modal American values.
Sustained activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) is required for the continued expression of cyclin D1 in G1 phase

In Chinese hamster embryo fibroblasts (IIC9 cells), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (MAP kinase/ERK) activity, but not that of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and induced G1 phase progression. ERK1 activation was biphasic and was sustained throughout the G1 phase of the cell cycle. PDGF induced cyclin D1 protein and mRNA levels in a time-dependent manner. Inhibition of PDGF-induced ERK1 activity by the addition of a selective inhibitor of MEK1 (MAP kinase kinase/ERK kinase 1) activation, PD98059, or transfection with a dominant-negative ERK1 (dnERK-) was correlated with growth arrest. In contrast, growth was unaffected by expression of dominant-negative JNK (dnJNK-). Interestingly, addition of PD98059 or dnERK-, but not dnJNK-, resulted in a dramatic decrease in cyclin D1 protein and mRNA levels, concomitant with a decrease in cyclin D1-cyclin-dependent kinase activity. To investigate the importance of sustained ERK1 activation, ERK1 activity was blocked by the addition of PD98059 throughout G1. Addition of PD98059 up to 4 h after PDGF treatment decreased ERK1 activity to the levels found in growth-arrested IIC9 cells. Loss of cyclin D1 mRNA and protein expression was observed within 1 h after inhibition of the second sustained phase of ERK1 activity. Disruption of sustained ERK1 activity also resulted in G1 growth arrest. These data provide evidence for a role for sustained ERK activity in controlling G1 progression through positive regulation of the continued expression of cyclin D1, a protein known to positively regulate G1 progression.
Research of Compatibility between Rapeseed Insulating Oil and Insulting Materials in Transformer

Based on the insulating oil refined from rapeseed oil, the compatibility between insulating oil and magnet wire, insulating pressboard and silicon steel sheet was analyzed. Then three kinds of insulated combination were aged for 3 d, 6 d, 12 d, 24 d and 35 d respectively at 100 ℃ under vacuum, and the dielectric loss and acid value of the aged insulating oil were tested. The results show that the compatibility between insulating oil and the experimental materials are good.
Late postoperative clinical and hemodynamic assessment of the early cloth-covered Starr-Edwards mitral valve prosthesis.

Despite large gradients at rest and exercise across the Model 6300 Starr-Edwards valve, patients in whom it has been inserted have generally had an improvement in functional class and a decrease in heart size; in addition, the heart usually has been successfully maintained in sinus rhythm. The clinical improvement observed in patients with mitral stenosis most probably is a result of an increase in orifice area to above the critically obstructive range, producing a rise in cardiac output. In patients with mitral insufficiency a relatively competent valve is provided; this also may engender an increase in cardiac output. Nevertheless, the calculated orifice area of this prosthetic valve indicates that it may produce a moderate-to-severe degree of obstruction to blood flow. Therefore, in significantly symptomatic patients, replacement of this less than ideal prosthesis should be considered.
Steht ein Strategiewechsel bevor

GnRH-Analoga werden seit Jahren erfolgreich in der Therapie des fortgeschrittenen Prostatakarzinoms eingesetzt. Eine interessante Alternative sind die GnRH-Antagonisten, deren Wirkung schneller eintritt und die dadurch moglicherweise die Zeit bis zum Tumorprogress verlaern.
Effects of sample size and distributional assumptions on competing models of the factor structure of the PANSS and BPRS

Factor analytic work on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) has yielded varied and conflicting results. The current study explored potential causes of these discrepancies. Prior research has been limited by small sample sizes and an incorrect assumption that the items are normally distributed when in practice responses are highly skewed ordinal variables. Using simulation methodology, we examined the effects of sample size, (in)correctly specifying item distributions, collapsing rarely endorsed response categories, and four factor analytic models. The first is the model of Van Dorn et al., developed using a large integrated data set, specified the item distributions as multinomial, and used cross-validation. The remaining models were developed specifying item distributions as normal: the commonly used pentagonal model of White et al.; the model of Van der Gaag et al. developed using extensive cross-validation methods; and the model of Shafer developed through meta-analysis. Our simulation results indicated that incorrectly assuming normality led to biases in model fit and factor structure, especially for small sample size. Collapsing rarely used response options had negligible effects.
Dynamics of Heme Proteins

The interior of heme proteins is an excellent and nearly unique laboratory for the investigation of biomolecular dynamics. The investigation of ligand binding to heme proteins by flash pho tolysis over a wide range of time, temperature and pressure has yielded information on many features of proteins dynamics and has led to a deeper understanding of the relation between structure and function. The thrust of the studies is not a specific description of the binding process, but elucidation of the general features that underly protein reactions. In the present review I will try to briefly describe some of the main ideas. Details, specific results, and proofs can be found in the references.
Urologic Complications of Neonatal Umbilical Arterial Catheterization

AbstractTwo cases are presented illustrating the emergent and potentially lethal complications of neonatal umbilical artery catheterization that may confront the pediatric urologist. Immediate aortography via the umbilical artery catheter usually will be diagnostic. Prompt surgical intervention is advocated if uncontrollable renovascular hypertension or a false aneurysm is found.
The Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core State Standards, and English language learners: A framework for pre-service secondary science teacher education

This paper presents a rationale and framework for preparing pre-service secondary science teachers to more effectively teach the rapidly growing population of English Language Learners, specifically through four interrelated practices: (1) scientific sense-making, (2) scientific discourse, (3) English language and literacy development, and (4) contextualized science activity. The framework responds to the upcoming release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and adoption of Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which both recognize the critical role of academic language and literacy in learning academic subjects. The authors articulate the need for explicit models of secondary science and language integration in teacher education programs and provide exemplars of how this integration would translate to various program components.
Making a President: Performance, Public Opinion, and the (Temporary) Transmutation of Donald J. Trump

Presidents routinely issue appeals to the American public. These appeals, however, are a great deal more than words on a page. They are embedded in public performances that are replete with symbolism and ritual. We show that such performances can systematically alter how the public views the president. Members of the public randomly encouraged to watch Trump's Inaugural Address and his first appearance before Congress were more likely to subsequently say that he fulfills the obligations, expectations, and norms of his office. Effects were particularly pronounced for people who initially reported lower thermometer ratings of Trump. We also find that the visual elements of political performances, not the content of speeches, leave the largest impressions. We find no evidence that these performances changed people’s policy views. These findings point toward new ways of assessing the character and significance of public appeals, beyond what is found in the existing empirical literature.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia: Effects on Daytime Symptoms and Cognitive-Emotional Arousal

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have been shown to improve sleep quality among people with insomnia. However, much less is known about the effects of MBIs on other aspects of insomnia such as daytime symptoms and cognitive-emotional arousal. The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment effects on these domains for adults with chronic insomnia disorder who were randomized to mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia (MBTI), or a delayed-treatment control consisting of sleep diary self-monitoring (SM) followed by behavior therapy (BT). Analyses were conducted on baseline to post-treatment changes with superiority comparisons for each MBI to SM followed by non-inferiority comparisons for each MBI to BT. The results revealed significant reductions from baseline in the MBTI group with large effect sizes on sleep effort, maladaptive sleep-related cognitions, and hyperarousal which were superior to the SM control (p < 0.05) and non-inferior to BT (p < 0.025). MBSR demonstrated a significant increase in positive affect with a large effect size which was non-inferior to BT (p < 0.025) but not statistically significant compared to SM. These findings indicate that MBTI, a new MBI which combines mindfulness practices with behavioral sleep components, can be effective at reducing cognitive-emotional arousal related to insomnia while MBSR, a general MBI, can increase positive affect at a level similar to a standard behavioral treatment for insomnia.
Two-stream theory of light propagation in amplifying media

The two-stream approximation to the radiative transport equation (RTE) is a convenient exactly solvable model that allows one to analyze propagation of light in amplifying media. In spite of neglecting the phase and the interference effects, this model describes the same phenomena as Maxwell’s equation: electromagnetic resonances, onset of lasing, and onset of instabilities. An important added bonus of the RTE description is that it provides for a simple and unambiguous test of physicality of stationary solutions. In the case of Maxwell’s equations, it is not always obvious or easy to determine whether certain stationary (in particular, monochromatic) solutions are physical. In the case of RTE, the specific intensity of unphysical stationary solutions becomes negative for some subset of its arguments. In the paper, stationary and time-dependent solutions to the two-stream model are analyzed. It is shown that the conditions for stationary lasing and for emergence of instabilities depend only on the geometry of the sample and the strength of amplification but not on the intensity of incident light.
Book Review: Collaborative, participatory, and empowerment evaluation

This article reviews the book “Collaborative, Participatory, and Empowerment Evaluation: Stakeholders Involvement Approaches” by David M. Fetterman, Liliana Rodriguez-Campos, and Ann P. Zukoski and their contributors
Chemical Species in Seawater and Marine Particulates

In recent years analytical techniques have become available which make it possible to identify individual chemical species in seawater and marine particulates, or at least to obtain operational information on the structural environment of some elements. These methods include various extraction and chromatographic techniques, mass spectrometry, hydride generation, and electrochemical techniques.
How is Empathy Related to Understanding

A close link between empathy and understanding has often been attributed to Dilthey, but in fact one seldom finds the German word for empathy—Einfuhlung— in his writings. For this and other reasons one should be reluctant to reduce Dilthey’s theory of Verstehen to a form of empathy.1 The relation between Einfuhlung and Verstehen is much more explicit in Husserl. By working out what this relation is for Husserl in Book Two of Ideen zu einer reinen Phanomenologie und phanomenologischen Philosophie and in some other late writings, we can see how phenomenology transformed the aesthetic meaning of Einfuhlung, which had been originally established by the psychologist Theodor Lipps. In addition to distinguishing several senses of empathy, I will compare them to a range of related phenomena such as sympathy and pity, divination and transposition, appreciative understanding and critical understanding.
Expedient Synthesis of syn-β-Hydroxy-α-amino acid derivatives: Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Histidine and Tryptophan

An expedient synthesis of enantiomerically pure threo-β-hydroxy-α-amino acid derivatives of phenylalanine, tyrosine, histidine and tryptophan is described. The NBS-mediated radical bromination of the N,N-di-tert-butoxycarbonyl protected α-amino acids and subsequent treatment with silver nitrate in acetone provided the trans-oxazolidinones predominantly. The cesium carbonate catalyzed hydrolysis then generated the β-hydroxy amino acid derivatives in excellent overall yield from the amino acids themselves.
Big R, Easy M: Fracas Improvements with Robust Stakeholder Involvement

Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System (FRACAS) implementation has always had the potential to be a stumbling block. While FRACAS makes sense for Reliability engineering, the case for action is not always as clear to our customers (other engineering leaders, program managers, and external customers). An effective FRACAS pays close attention to the voice of its customers. All facets of a program benefit from a FRACAS with focus aligned with that of our customers by avoiding common mistakes. This paper documents a process for FRACAS implementation that helps solve these problems by integrating customers into FRACAS through upfront Key Performance Indicator (KPI) development and by ensuring continuous implementation and alignment of KPIs over time.
HDL mimetic peptides affect apolipoprotein E metabolism: equal supplement or functional enhancer?: An Editorial for 'High-density lipoprotein mimetic peptide 4F mitigates amyloid-β-induced inhibition of apolipoprotein E secretion and lipidation in primary astrocytes and microglia' on page 647.

e4 allele of ApoE is the strongest genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Supplementation of ApoE proteins or mimetics has been pursued for drug developments against AD. A very low-density lipoprotein (HDL) mimetic peptide 4F was shown to alleviate AD-related deficits in APP transgenic mice, and this editorial highlights a study by Chernick et al. who use both mouse and human neuroglial cells to explore the mechanism underlying beneficial effects of this peptide. The authors demonstrate that 4F peptide significantly increased the secretion and lipidation of ApoE in the absence and presence of Aβ independent of de novo transcription/translation, but requiring ABCA1 and the integrity of the secretory pathway between ER and Golgi. This study reveals a novel mechanism of HDL mimetic peptide as a functional ApoE enhancer and support further development of ApoA-I 4F peptide as effective ApoE modulating agents against AD.
Role of Heparan Sulfate in Entry and Exit of Ross River Virus Glycoprotein-Pseudotyped Retroviral Vectors

Variants of Ross River virus (RRV) that bind to heparan sulfate (HS) were previously selected by serial passaging in cell culture. To explore the effects of mutations that convey HS utilization, we pseudotyped Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV), with the RRV envelope. We substituted amino-acid residues 216 and 218 on RRV-E2-envelope glycoprotein with basic amino-acid residues, because these mutations confer affinity for HS upon RRV. However, T216R-RRV- and N218R-RRV-pseudotyped viruses possessed lower transduction titers, and we demonstrated that HS-affinity impeded release of pseudotyped virus from producer cells. Addition of heparinase to HS-expressing target cells reduces the transduction efficiency of the T216R-RRV- and N218R-RRV-pseudotyped viruses, whereas no such effect is seen in cells lacking HS. Under appropriate conditions, these T216R-RRV- and N218R-RRV-pseudotyped viruses have enhanced capacities for transducing HS-expressing cells. General principles concerning viral adaptation to the use of attachment factors and design of pseudotyped viral vectors are discussed.
Evaluation of Opportunistic Contact Graph Routing in Random Mobility Environments

Routing in networks where nodes move randomly is particularly challenging due their potentially unpredictable, and rapidly changing topology. Several routing algorithms have been presented in the literature to address the needs of such networks, most of them implementing variants of controlled network flooding in the hope of successful data delivery.In this note, we compare the results of previous routing algorithms with Opportunistic Contact Graph Routing (OCGR), an enhanced version of Contact Graph Routing (CGR) that is suitable for networks where contacts cannot always be scheduled ahead of time. To perform the benchmark, we simulate a network of nodes moving in a certain space according to the Random Waypoint Mobility Model, and then take measurements of bundle delivery probabilty and overhead ratio as metrics of performance and cost respectively. Through this exercise, we demonstrate that the performance of OCGR is highly dependent on the type of network under consideration (e.g. very sparse vs. densely connected) and the assumed mobility model.
Saving “Little Sister”: A Test of the Effectiveness of Kinship Appeals in Conservation Marketing

Conservation problems are increasing in number and severity worldwide, as is the need for contributions to fund potential remedies. For this reason, the use of marketing techniques that appeal to d...
Neurotensin receptor 1 deletion decreases methamphetamine self-administration and the associated reduction in dopamine cell firing.

We previously reported that a non-selective pharmacological blockade of neurotensin receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) decreases methamphetamine (METH) self-administration in mice. Here, we explored the consequences of genetic deletion of neurotensin receptor 1 (NtsR1) on METH self-administration and VTA dopamine neuron firing activity. We implanted mice with an indwelling jugular catheter and trained them to nose-poke for intravenous infusions of METH. Mice with NtsR1 deletion (KO) acquired self-administration similar to wildtype (WT) and heterozygous (HET) littermates. However, in NtsR1 KO and HET mice, METH intake and motivated METH seeking decreased when the response requirement was increased to a fixed ratio 3 and when mice were tested on a progressive ratio protocol. After completion of METH self-administration, single cell in vivo extracellular recordings of dopamine firing activity in the VTA were obtained in anesthetized mice. Non-bursting dopamine neurons from KO mice fired at slower rates than those from WT mice, supporting an excitatory role for NtsR1 on VTA dopamine neuronal activity. In WT mice, a history of METH self-administration decreased dopamine cell firing frequency compared with cells from drug-naive controls. NtsR1 KO and HET mice did not exhibit this decline in dopamine cell firing activity after METH experience. We also observed an increase in population activity following METH self-administration that was strongest in the WT group. Our results suggest a role for NtsR1 in METH-seeking behavior and indicate that ablation of NtsR1 prevents the detrimental effects of prolonged METH self-administration on VTA dopamine cell firing frequency.
Time-Restricted Eating Effects on Body Composition and Metabolic Measures in Humans who are Overweight: A Feasibility Study.

Objective In contrast to intentionally restricting energy intake, restricting the eating window may be an option for treating obesity. By comparing time-restricted eating (TRE) with an unrestricted (non-TRE) control, it was hypothesized that TRE facilitates weight loss, alters body composition, and improves metabolic measures. Methods Participants (17 women and 3 men; mean [SD]: 45.5 [12.1] years; BMI 34.1 [7.5] kg/m2 ) with a prolonged eating window (15.4 [0.9] hours) were randomized to TRE (n = 11: 8-hour window, unrestricted eating within window) versus non-TRE (n = 9: unrestricted eating) for 12 weeks. Weight, body composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry), lipids, blood pressure, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance, 2-week continuous glucose monitoring, and 2-week physical activity (actigraphy assessed) were measured during the pre- and end-intervention periods. Results The TRE group significantly reduced the eating window (end-intervention window: 9.9 [2.0] hours) compared with the non-TRE group (end-intervention window: 15.1 [1.1] hours) (P Conclusions In the setting of a randomized trial, TRE presents a simplified view of food intake that reduces weight.
A Long-Term Study of Persistent Sézary Syndrome: Evidence for Antigen Shift by Multiparameter Flow Cytometry and Its Significance in Overall Survival.

Sezary syndrome (SS) is a peripheral T-cell lymphoma characterized by erythroderma, diffuse lymphadenopathy, and circulating neoplastic T cells, which classically show a helper T-cell immunophenotype with loss of CD7 and CD26. Flow cytometry is often used to identify and enumerate populations of Sezary cells in the peripheral blood; however, the significance and frequency of antigen shift over time is unclear. In this article, we follow the immunophenotype of the neoplastic T-cell population from 28 patients with SS across 415 flow cytometry studies. Antigen shift for each patient was assigned as none, minimal = 1-2 markers by 1°, moderate = up to 3 markers, or marked ≥ 4 markers. Sixty-four percent (18/28) of patients showed antigen shift, and among those with antigen shift, the majority showed minimal (8/18) or moderate antigen shift (7/18) with fewer demonstrating marked shift (3/18). Patients without antigen shift showed a trend toward improved overall survival in comparison with patients demonstrating any degree of antigen shift. Antigen shift is seen in a significant proportion of cases of SS with long-term follow-up and may be a marker of more aggressive disease.
Minecraft as a Generative Platform for Analyzing and Practicing Spatial Reasoning

As excitement for Minecraft continues to grow, we consider its potential to function as an engaging environment for practicing and studying spatial reasoning. To support this exposition, we describe a glimpse of our current analysis of spatial reasoning skills in Minecraft. Twenty university students participated in a laboratory study that asked them to recreate three existing buildings in Minecraft. Screen captures of user actions, together with eye tracking data, helped us identify ways that students utilize perspective taking, constructing mental representations, building and place-marking, and error checking. These findings provide an initial impetus for further studies of the types of spatial skills that students may exhibit while playing Minecraft. It also introduces questions about how the design of Minecraft activities may promote, or inhibit, the use of certain spatial skills.
Deriving the Traveler Behavior Information from Social Media: A Case Study in Manhattan with Twitter

Social media platforms, such as Twitter, provide a totally new perspective in dealing with the traffic problems and is anticipated to complement the traditional methods. The geo-tagged tweets can provide the Twitter users' location information and is being applied in traveler behavior analysis. This paper explores the full potentials of Twitter in deriving travel behavior information and conducts a case study in Manhattan Area. A systematic method is proposed to extract displacement information from Twitter locations. Our study shows that Twitter has a unique demographics which combine not only local residents but also the tourists or passengers. For individual user, Twitter can uncover his/her travel behavior features including the time-of-day and location distributions on both weekdays and weekends. For all Twitter users, the aggregated travel behavior results also show that the time-of-day travel patterns in Manhattan Island resemble that of the traffic flow; the identification of OD pattern is also promising by comparing with the results of travel survey.
The impact of online synchronous simulated clinical immersions on nursing students' pharmacology self-efficacy: A pre-test post-test intervention pilot study.

Abstract Background Medication errors are fatally significant, posing considerable threats to patient safety. To date, there is a lack of literature and no consistent recommended nursing pharmacology curriculum design to improve nursing students' pharmacology self-efficacy. Purpose The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the effects of nursing pharmacology synchronous online scrabbling active learning classroom design with simulated clinical immersion experiences on the students' self-efficacy and perceived pharmacology knowledge acquisition. Methods A pretest-posttest intervention design was used with a convenience sample of (n = 34) accelerated nursing students. The intervention included an online synchronous scrabbling active learning classroom design with simulated clinical immersion experiences for eight weeks. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Self-Efficacy Subscale (MSLQ-SE) questionnaire was applied before and after the intervention. The Survey for Knowledge Acquisition and Application (SKAA) was used post-intervention. The students also provided narrative, open-ended responses regarding their perceptions of the synchronous simulated clinical experiences. Results The results of the simulated clinical immersions presented an improvement in self-efficacy scores. A one tailed paired t-test presented a significant increase from MSLQ-SE pre-test scores (M = 31.2, SD = 4.8) to MSLQ-SE post-test scores (M = 32.9, SD = 4.3); (t(33) = −2.1, p = .02). The SKAA results presented that the students perceived that simulated clinical immersions were promoting authentic learning and confidence. Conclusion The finding of this study is significant to nursing pharmacology education. The online synchronous simulated clinical immersion experiences improved overall self-efficacy scores and provide an authentic teaching approach to connect pharmacology theory to the clinical practice.