cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a Training Curriculum for Hospital Security About Autism Spectrum Disorder.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether a newly developed autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-training curriculum for hospital security officers improves comfort, knowledge, and practice. METHODS Participants were security officers. The ASD-training curriculum was a 45-minute interactive session, adapted from trainings developed for other types of hospital providers. The curriculum included information regarding the presentation of, and challenges faced by, children with ASD in the hospital setting. Officers completed surveys before (T1), immediately after (T2), and 3 months after (T3) the training to assess comfort, knowledge, and practice. Comfort (Likert scale 1-5; 5 = highest) and knowledge (11 yes/no questions) questions were adapted from previous measures. Application of skills was assessed using case scenarios (at T1, T2, and T3) and with officers' report of using various strategies (at T1 and T3; Likert scale 1-5; 5 = always). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and a series of paired contrast. RESULTS For the 114 officers who completed surveys, mean comfort scores significantly increased from T1 to T2 (3.48 vs 3.9; p < 0.05), and these gains were maintained at T3 (4.1). Mean percent correct on knowledge questions significantly increased from T1 to T2 (74.6% vs 84.0%; p < 0.05) and was maintained at T3 (82.9%). Officers reported using 2 ASD-supportive strategies significantly more between T1 and T3: using pictures and written communication and asking the caregivers for advice. CONCLUSION This newly developed ASD-training curriculum for hospital security officers resulted in an immediate increase of self-reported comfort and demonstrated knowledge with continued gains 3 months after training.
From Portraits to Role Models — Why We Need Black Physicians in Academic Medicine

From Portraits to Role Models To become something, you must see it first — whether in the faces of those who have gone before you or in your own mind. The importance of role models is one reason wh...
The Upper Limit of Vulnerability and Critical Points for Defibrillation

Electrical shocks delivered during the repolarization phase of the cardiac cycle can initiate ventricular fibrillation. However, shocks delivered above a certain threshold, called the upper limit of vulnerability, will no longer induce arrhythmias. The upper limit of vulnerability is tied closely to the defibrillation threshold, which is the minimum energy which can be delivered to terminate ventricular fibrillation. Induction of and termination of fibrillation is determined by the creation of critical points, the intersection of a critical level of refractoriness with a critical level of extracellular potential gradient. Virtual electrode critical points may also be created by large changes in transmembrane potential over a short distance, which can form new activation wavefronts and reinitiate arrhythmias.
Comorbidities and Susceptibility to COVID-19: A Generalized Gene Set Data Mining Approach

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to over 2.26 million deaths for almost 104 million confirmed cases worldwide, as of 4 February 2021 (WHO). Risk factors include pre-existing conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Although several vaccines have been deployed, there are few alternative anti-viral treatments available in the case of reduced or non-existent vaccine protection. Adopting a long-term holistic approach to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic appears critical with the emergence of novel and more infectious SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our objective was to identify comorbidity-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), potentially conferring increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection using a computational meta-analysis approach. SNP datasets were downloaded from a publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) catalog for 141 of 258 candidate COVID-19 comorbidities. Gene-level SNP analysis was performed to identify significant pathways by using the program MAGMA. An SNP annotation program was used to analyze MAGMA-identified genes. Differential gene expression was determined for significant genes across 30 general tissue types using the Functional and Annotation Mapping of GWAS online tool GENE2FUNC. COVID-19 comorbidities (n = 22) from six disease categories were found to have significant associated pathways, validated by Q-Q plots (p < 0.05). Protein-protein interactions of significant (p < 0.05) differentially expressed genes were visualized with the STRING program. Gene interaction networks were found to be relevant to SARS and influenza pathogenesis. In conclusion, we were able to identify the pathways potentially affected by or affecting SARS-CoV-2 infection in underlying medical conditions likely to confer susceptibility and/or the severity of COVID-19. Our findings have implications in future COVID-19 experimental research and treatment development.
Healthcare provider cultural competency and receptivity to colorectal cancer screening among African Americans.

African Americans suffer disproportionately from colorectal cancer (CRC), due in part to disparities in CRC screening. Better understanding culturally relevant psychosocial factors that impact CRC screening is therefore critical. This study examined how African Americans' perceived cultural competency of their physician is associated with receptivity to take-home stool-based CRC screening. CRC screening deficient African Americans (N = 457) completed a patient-focused measure of perceived cultural competency and watched a brief video about CRC risks, prevention, and screening. Receptivity to stool-based CRC screening was measured using Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs . Participants were also given an opportunity to receive a no-cost at-home Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit, and we measured acceptance of this offer as a behavioral outcome (yes-no). Results showed that perceived cultural competency was associated with higher receptive attitudes, more favorable norms, greater perceived behavioral control towards stool-based screening, and also greater intentions to engage in FIT Kit screening (p < 0.001). We also found significant indirect effects of perceived cultural competency on FIT kit uptake through intention-mediated pathways. This study provides crucial evidence that participants' perceived cultural competency may play an important role in preventive health behavior among racial minorities, including CRC screening uptake among African Americans.
A role for abdominal ultrasound in discriminating suspected necrotizing enterocolitis in congenital heart disease patients

We evaluated the diagnostic utility of abdominal ultrasound (AUS), an adjunct to abdominal X-ray (AXR), for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in congenital heart disease (CHD) patients. 86 patients with suspected NEC from 2009 to 2018 were classified as with CHD (n = 18) if they required cardiac intervention versus without CHD (n = 68). Clinical and radiological data were collected, including AXR and AUS concordance. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Fisher’s exact test were performed. CHD patients had higher birth weights (p < 0.001) and gestational ages (p < 0.001) than non-CHD patients. CHD patients presented more frequently with hypotension (p = 0.041) and less frequently with bilious emesis (p < 0.001). Overall, CHD patients were less likely to have AUS findings of pneumatosis (33.3 vs. 72.1%; p = 0.005) and decreased mural flow (0 vs. 20.6%; p = 0.035) compared to non-CHD patients. On concordance analysis, CHD patients had 3.9-fold more discordant studies with pneumatosis on AXR but not on AUS (33.3 vs. 8.8%; p = 0.016) compared to non-CHD patients. Urgent surgery was required in 5.6% of CHD patients versus 16.2% of non-CHD patients. CHD patients with suspected NEC represent a distinct clinical population. AUS has particular utility in assessing findings of bowel viability in the CHD NEC population, reflecting reduced rates of surgical NEC.
Attitudes towards Non-compliance and the Demand for External Finance

We study the link between the individual propensity to violate moral principles and the demand for finance based on two data sets: the World Values Survey and a data set with the legal records of U.S. chief executive officers (CEOs).We find that individuals who are more tolerant of moral principle violations are more likely to borrow. Corporate executives with legal records are also associated with larger mortgages. Reverse causality and attitudes toward risk are unlikely explanations for our findings. We contend that noncompliance relaxes participation constraints in capital markets by lowering the psychological costs of entering and breaking a contract.
Scalability! but at what cost?

We offer a new metric for big data platforms, COST, or the Configuration that Outperforms a Single Thread. The COST of a given platform for a given problem is the hardware configuration required before the platform outperforms a competent single-threaded implementation. COST weighs a system's scalability against the overheads introduced by the system, and indicates the actual performance gains of the system, without rewarding systems that bring substantial but parallelizable overheads. We survey measurements of data-parallel systems recently reported in SOSP and OSDI, and find that many systems have either a surprisingly large COST, often hundreds of cores, or simply underperform one thread for all of their reported configurations.
Calculating the hydrophone response of piezoceramic-rod/piezopolymer-matrix composites

A simple physical model of rod composite piezoelectrics is extended to the case where both the polymer matrix and the ceramic rods are piezoelectric. This model incorporates the physical picture that strains and electric field are equal in both materials along the direction of the rods, while the stresses are equal in the plane perpendicular to the rods. If one switches to a coordinate system in which strain and electric field along the rods and the stresses in the perpendicular plane are the independent coordinates, the material properties of the composite are a simple volume fraction weighted average over the constituents' properties. The hydrophone figure of merit is presented for a PZT5-rod/PVDF-matrix composite. The bulk of the piezoelectric response is provided by the piezoceramic; the anisotropic elastic properties of PVDF make it particularly suitable for the composite; and the fact that the piezoelectric constants of PZT and PVDF differ in sign would cause the two phases to act against each other if they were poled by the same bias field. >
Molecular dynamics with weighted time-averaged restraints for a DNA octamer. Dynamic interpretation of nuclear magnetic resonance data.

Abstract For conformationally flexible molecules in solution, NMR-derived distance restraints are time-averaged. In contrast to deriving structures from NMR distance constraints via conventional restrained molecular dynamics (rMD), the range of conformational flexibility may be better represented by MD simulations using weighted time-averaged restraints (MD-tar). This approach has been utilized for dynamic structure refinement of the DNA octamer [d(GTATAATG] · [d(CATATTAC)] which contains the Pribnow box consensus sequence. An improved set of distance restraints was calculated via complete relaxation matrix analysis utilizing the solution structure of the octamer which was determined previously by rMD as a starting model. MD-tar calculations were performed with the program AMBER4 under various conditions, some including explicit solvent. All trajectories generated via MD-tar exhibited reduced constraint energies and average deviations for the distances compared to standard rMD. Quantitative comparison with experimental data, i.e. two-dimensional NOE intensities and COSY-derived coupling constants yielded a significant improvement for MD-tar simulated structures relative to rMD-derived structures. The conformational envelope of the MD-tar structures is wider than that from rMD and even unrestrained MD. Explicit solvent force-fields tightened the conformational envelope, leading to even better agreement with experimental data. All MD-tar simulations exhibit sugar repuckering for basically all residues, yielding a minor population in the low N-region and one or more S-conformers. For most backbone torsion angles, one or more minor conformers were found, while the major conformations generally coincided with those obtained in standard rMD. Distributions of helical parameters for MD tar trajectories are rather symmetric but slightly broader than those for rMD. Average values and associated standard deviations are discussed with respect to sequence-dependent variations. All trajectories obtained with an explicit solvent force field exhibited a narrower minor groove compared to in vacuo calculations.
Verification of general relativity: tests in the Solar System

In 1900, Isaac Newton’s worldview of gravity, space, and time still prevailed — that the gravitational force was a universal, direct, and instantaneous action-at-a-distance between the masses of the Universe, that bodies and light rays moved through an “absolute space, in its own nature, without anything external” whose geometric structure was rigidly Euclidean without end, and that the dynamics of physical law unfolded with respect to an “absolute, true, and mathematical time (flowing) equably without relation to anything external” (Newton 1687). Through the twentieth century that edifice was overthrown and replaced by Albert Einstein’s general relativity (GR) perspective – that gravity is an interaction transmitted by a causal and dynamic field whose sources are all forms of energy, including its own contributions, and which then acts elsewhere upon the same; and that the metrical relations between the clocks, rulers, and signals throughout the cosmos are dynamic, non-Euclidean, locationally dependent, and established by the fields of gravity. The detailed structure of metric gravitational field components in the Solar System has in all cases been found to match the predictions of GR in a variety of experiments which primarily employed radar and laser ranging between Earth and other planets or spacecraft.
Tattooing (puncturation) with mercury sulfide for the treatment of intractable pruritus caused by leucoplakia-kraurosis vulvae

Abstract A patient with intractable pruritus caused by leucoplakia-kraurosis was successfully treated with the intracutaneous deposit of mercury sulfide by tattoo, after a partial vulvectomy and four subsequent surgical procedures for the removal of involved or recurrent areas of skin had failed to control the distressing pruritus.
A UHF proximity micro-transceiver for Mars exploration

A UHF half-duplex micro-transceiver for future Mars exploration missions is described. The transceiver target specifications include a volume of less than 1 cm/sup 3/, mass of less than 10 grams, and power consumption of <40 mW on receive and 50 mW, 300 mW, or 3 W on transmit. It is compatible with a subset of Prox-1 protocols and supports transmission rates from 1 to 4096 ksps, depending on RF link parameters, in BPSK or QPSK format. Command and control instructions can be received at 1 or 8 ksps. In addition to its low mass/power features, temperature compensation to -100 C and radiation tolerance to 100 krad allow operation outside of large, thermally controlled, shielded enclosures, further reducing the mass and complexity of exploration vehicles. Although designed around Mars missions and environmental constraints, the transceiver is expected to be useful as well in other proximity links where a small/low-power radio compatible with Prox-1 protocols is desired.
Entanglement and spin squeezing of Bose-Einstein-condensed atoms

We propose a direct, coherent coupling scheme that can create massively entangled states of Bose-Einstein-condensed atoms. Our idea is based on an effective interaction between two atoms from coherent Raman processes through a (two-atom) molecular intermediate state. We compare our scheme with other recent proposals for generation of massive entanglement of Bose-Einstein-condensed atoms. We also present explicit calculations that support the possibility of detecting maximally entangled states without requiring single-atom resolved measurements.
Accumulation of Soybean Lectin-Binding Polysaccharide During Growth of Rhizobium japonicum as Determined by Hemagglutination Inhibition Assay.

Abstract A hemagglutination inhibition assay was used to estimate the presence of soybean lectin-binding polysaccharide in whole culture, culture supernatant, and isolated exopolysaccharide of Rhizobium japonicum USDA 138. The occurrence of 0.1 to 0.2 μg of lectin-binding polysaccharide could be detected within 2 h with a 0.5-ml total sample. Lectin-binding polysaccharide was detected in all preparations during both exponential and stationary growth phases. The formation of lectin-binding polysaccharide was not, whereas that of total exopolysaccharide was, markedly affected by culture conditions.
A class of power network reliability problems via colored noise modeling

The stochastic model of a two-dimensional system represented by a synchronous machine connected to an infinite bus and perturbed by a colored noise is described. The solution of the model determines the mean first passage time of the system from the domain of attraction of its equilibrium point as a function of the magnitude of the perturbation as well as its bandwidth. Based on the type and the size of a perturbation, the approach can be used in a power network to reduce the level of uncertainty which inherently exists in stability studies due to the random variation of system parameters. >
Care of Adult Refugees with Chronic Conditions

Refugees share a common experience of displacement from their country of origin, migration, and resettlement in an unfamiliar country. More than 17 million people have fled their home countries due to war, generalized violence, and persecution. US primary care physicians must care for their immediate and long-term medical needs. Challenges include (1) language and cultural barriers, (2) high rates of mental health disorders, (3) higher prevalence of latent infections, and (4) different explanatory models for chronic diseases. This article discusses management strategies for common challenges that arise in the primary care of refugees.
An Approach to the Stepwise Management of Severe Mitral Regurgitation with Optimal Cardiac Pacemaker Function

Right ventricular apical pacing may cause or worsen mitral regurgitation (MR). Potential mechanisms for this adverse sequelae include intraventricular dyssynchrony, altered papillary muscle function, pacing-induced cardiomyopathy with left ventricular dilation, and annular dilation. In contrast, biventricular (BiV) pacing may improve MR presumably by opposing the negative effects. Whether or not left ventricular lead location is important in treating mitral regurgitation in patients with pacemakers is unknown. We report a case of severe MR and left ventricular (LV) systolic failure in a patient with right ventricular pacing. Multiple potential etiologies for the worsening valve function were noted, and a stepwise iterative optimizing scheme that included basal lateral LV pacing improved mitral valve function and ameliorated heart failure symptoms.
New Approaches for Bacteriotherapy: Prebiotics, New-Generation Probiotics, and Synbiotics

The gut microbiota has a significant role in human health and disease. Dysbiosis of the intestinal ecosystem contributes to the development of certain illnesses that can be reversed by favorable alterations by probiotics. The published literature was reviewed to identify scientific data showing a relationship between imbalance of gut bacteria and development of diseases that can be improved by biologic products. The medical conditions vary from infectious and antibiotic-associated diarrhea to obesity to chronic neurologic disorders. A number of controlled clinical trials have been performed to show important biologic effects in a number of these conditions through administration of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics. Controlled clinical trials have identified a limited number of prebiotics, probiotic strains, and synbiotics that favorably prevent or improve the symptoms of various disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, infectious and antibiotic-associated diarrhea, diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants, and hepatic encephalopathy. Studies have shown that probiotics alter gut flora and lead to elaboration of flora metabolites that influence health through 1 of 3 general mechanisms: direct antimicrobial effects, enhancement of mucosal barrier integrity, and immune modulation. Restoring the balance of intestinal flora by introducing probiotics for disease prevention and treatment could be beneficial to human health. It is also clear that significant differences exist between different probiotic species. Metagenomics and metatranscriptomics together with bioinformatics have allowed us to study the cross-talk between the gut microbiota and the host, furthering insight into the next generation of biologic products.
Identification and Functional Expression of HAH1, a Novel Human Gene Involved in Copper Homeostasis

To search for a mammalian homologue of ATX1, a human liver cDNA library was screened and a cDNA clone was isolated, which encodes a protein with 47% amino acid identity to Atx1p including conservation of the MTCXGC copper-binding domain. RNA blot analysis using this cDNA identified an abundant 0.5-kilobase mRNA in all human tissues and cell lines examined. Southern blot analysis using this same clone indicated that the corresponding gene exists as a single copy in the haploid genome, and chromosomal localization by fluorescence in situ hybridization detected this locus at the interface between bands 5q32 and 5q33. Yeast strains lacking copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) are sensitive to redox cycling agents and dioxygen and are auxotrophic for lysine when grown in air, and expression of this human ATX1 homologue (HAH1) in these strains restored growth on lysine-deficient media. Yeast strains lacking ATX1 are deficient in high affinity iron uptake and expression of HAH1 in these strains permits growth on iron-depleted media and results in restoration of copper incorporation into newly synthesized Fet3p. These results identify HAH1 as a novel ubiquitously expressed protein, which may play an essential role in antioxidant defense and copper homeostasis in humans.
A Faint Rattling: A Research Note on Marx’s Theory of Value

Harvey makes two notable errors: on the one hand, he misrepresents the structure of Marx’s value concept and, secondly, he misconstrues the specific, synthetic-transformative function of the exchange relation itself (note the phrase ‘passed on’ as if value may have already ‘been there’ and may even persist somehow in a post-exchange ‘afterlife’) such that value is hypostatized. Additionally, as we will see later, Harvey also misplaces the price concept as a social representation of value. The above problems are worth considering, if only briefly, because when we examine the standard interpretations of Marx we find that Harvey is far from alone in spinning this familiar yarn and the consequence of doing so is the difference between ‘social science’ and critical sociology.
Proposal for measuring the entanglement of nearby spins by multiphoton interference

We propose a method to measure the entanglement of nearby spins by means of multiphoton correlation interference patterns generated by the scattering of two perpendicular pulsed laser beams with opposite circular polarization. As this method is based on optical read-out only, it provides the possibility to monitor with minimal intrusion the evolution and the decoherence of many-spin entanglement. This method is capable of retrieving all the amplitudes of a general many-spin state of arbitrary dimension. Explicit calculations are presented for a quantum dot spin system.
Studies on the absorption, residues and metabolism of cyromazine in tomatoes

The residues and metabolism of radio-labeled cyromazine (N-cyclopropyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine) formulated as a 750 g kg -1 WP ('Trigard' 75WP)® was studied in greenhouse tomatoes. Residues of cyromazine and its metabolites were remarkably persistent, with only a slight loss occurring within a 30-day period. Findings with tomatoes were similar to those with glass plates when exposed to cyromazine. Little volatilization occurred from either tomato or glass surfaces kept under greenhouse conditions. The only metabolite identified was melamine on both glass plates and tomatoes. Two other metabolites were found but were not identified.
Mobile health: a synopsis and comment on "Increasing physical activity with mobile devices: a meta-analysis".

We offer a synopsis and commentary on J. Fanning and colleagues’ article “Increasing Physical Activity with Mobile Devices: A Meta-Analysis” published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Although regular physical activity has a range of benefits, very few adults in the USA meet recommended guidelines for daily physical activity. The meta-analysis of Fanning et al. (2012) aimed to synthesize the results of research using mobile devices to increase physical activity. Their review identified 11 studies that used mobile technologies, including short message service (SMS), apps, or personal digital assistant (PDA) to improve physical activity behaviors among participants. Fanning et al. conclude that while literature in this area is limited to date, there is initial support for the efficacy of mobile-based interventions for improving physical activity. Included studies varied greatly, and the majority used only SMS to influence physical behaviors, meaning generalization of results to other forms of mobile technologies may be premature. This review does, however, provide a foundation for understanding how mobile-based interventions may be used efficaciously for the development of future interventions to improve health behaviors.
Model-Driven Safety Analysis of Closed-Loop Medical Systems

In modern hospitals, patients are treated using a wide array of medical devices that are increasingly interacting with each other over the network, thus offering a perfect example of a cyber-physical system. We study the safety of a medical device system for the physiologic closed-loop control of drug infusion. The main contribution of the paper is the verification approach for the safety properties of closed-loop medical device systems. We demonstrate, using a case study, that the approach can be applied to a system of clinical importance. Our method combines simulation-based analysis of a detailed model of the system that contains continuous patient dynamics with model checking of a more abstract timed automata model. We show that the relationship between the two models preserves the crucial aspect of the timing behavior that ensures the conservativeness of the safety analysis. We also describe system design that can provide open-loop safety under network failure.
Effect of dietary genistein on antioxidant enzyme activities in SENCAR mice

Dietary administration of the soybean isoflavone genistein (50 and 250 ppm) for 30 days significantly increases the activities of antioxidant enzymes in various organs of SENCAR mice. Feeding a 250-ppm genistein diet to SENCAR mice significantly increases the activities of catalase in small intestine, liver, and kidney, the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in skin, and the activity of glutathione reductase in skin and small intestine. Feeding 50 ppm genistein to SENCAR mice results in elevated catalase activity in the small intestine and increases glutathione-S-transferase activities in skin, small intestine, liver, kidney, and lung. Dietary genistein's greatest enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activities occurred in skin and small intestine. Our results suggest that dietary genistein enhances the activities of antioxidant enzymes in various organs, which may be a mechanism(s) of genistein's chemopreventive action.
Differential sensitivity of the RV6:RV5 voltage ratio by pathogenesis of left ventricular hypertrophy and diagnostic cutpoint.

Abstract The ratio of R-wave voltage between leads V 6 and V 5 was shown, in a consecutively measured echocardiographic-Doppler laboratory population, to be linearly related to left ventricular mass. The regression equation was: y = 0.00123x + 0.683 (r = 0.607, p 1 Earlier studies showed that a ratio >1.0 (RV 6 > RV 5 ) was a highly specific, although not very sensitive, sign of left ventricular hypertrophy when applied to electrocardiographic tracings with QR configurations in these leads. 2 The recent investigation measuring left ventricular mass was performed with any QRS configuration. The same cutoff ratio, >1.0, performed effectively. Results were as good or better than 3 sets of voltage criteria in this population with a high disease prevalence. 1 Moreover, the ratio is independent of absolute voltages, which is a potential advantage because of voltage decreases associated with advanced illness. 3 Recently, the RV 6 :RV 5 ratio was shown to vary significantly with mass in a large, epidemiologic, community population although, as expected, with lower correlation coefficients (D. Levy, personal communication). We therefore analyzed 102 consecutively studied patients by individual lesions and, because of the ratio's significant linear relation to mass, we used additional cutpoints
Effect of drugs and temperature on biosynthesis and transport of glycosphingolipids in cultured neurotumor cells

Neuroblastoma and glioma cells were grown in the presence of [3H]galactose, and the incorporation of 3H into gangliosides and the transport of newly synthesized gangliosides to the cell surface were examined under different experimental conditions. A variety of drugs, including inhibitors of protein synthesis and energy metabolism, modulators of the cytoskeleton and the ionophore monensin, had no effect on the transport of newly synthesized GD1a in neuroblastoma cells. Only low temperature effectively blocked translocation to the plasma membrane. Monensin, however, had marked effects on the biosynthesis of gangliosides and neutral glycosphingolipids. Whereas incorporation of 3H into complex glycosphingolipids was reduced, labeling of glucosylceramide was increased in cells exposed to monensin. In addition, biosynthesis of the latter glycolipid was less susceptible to low temperatures than that of more complex ones. Previous studies have implicated the Golgi apparatus as the predominant site of glycosylation of gangliosides. As monensin has been reported to interfere with the Golgi apparatus, our results indicate that glucosylceramide may be synthesized at a site that is separate from the site where further glycosylation occurs. Once synthesis of a ganglioside is completed, transport of the molecule to the cell surface proceeds under conditions of cytoskeletal disruption, energy depletion and ionic inbalance , but not low temperature.
Use of Anti-Skid Material and Patient-Positioning To Prevent Patient Shifting during Robotic-Assisted Gynecologic Procedures

Abstract Study Objective To estimate patient shifting with the current practice of use of an antiskid material and patient positioning during robotic procedures in gynecology. Design Pilot observational study (Canadian Task Force classification). Setting Tertiary referral center. Patients Twenty-two women undergoing robotic-assisted gynecologic procedures. Intervention Antiskid material (egg-crate pink foam) was placed beneath patients and patient positioning was used during robotic-assisted procedures. Measurements and Main Results Patient position was marked before and after surgery. Measurements of shift distance before and after surgery were determined for each patient. Median (range) shift distance was 1.3 (0–7.5) cm. There was no significant association between shift in position and either body mass index or duration of the Trendelenburg position. No shoulder neuropathic injuries were observed during the study. Conclusion Minimal patient shifting is observed with the use of an antiskid material and patient positioning described, without the use of shoulder braces and straps.
A further study of melodic channeling.

Subjects listened to repetitive presentations of C major scale patterns and simple two-part contrapuntal specimens, both dichotically and in a stereophonic free sound field. All scalar and melodic patterns were presented so that successive tones alternated from ear to ear: when a component of one scale or melody was routed through one speaker or headphone, the concurrent member of the other scale or melodic pattern was routed through the other speaker or headphone, and vice versa. The stimulus parameters of spectral contour and envelope characteristics, duration, melodic pattern, and loudness were varied, and a testing procedure was designed to minimize any bias in responses which might be produced by learning, immediate memory, or vocal Limitations of subjects. Virtually all responses (95.2% to scalar stimuli, 99.1% to melodic stimuli) indicated that the subjects channeled stimuli by pitch range, and not by ear of input. When spectral contours routed through the separate headphones or speakers were noticeably dissimilar, no subject perceived that this timbral inequality switched from ear to ear: all subjects heard an overall change in tone quality which pervaded both scalar or melodic sequences, and which apparently emanated from both headphones or speakers.
Recovered Transient Load Analysis for Payload Structural Systems

A recovered transient analysis technique is proposed wherein the results of a previous launch vehicle/payload system can be used to obtain the information on a new payload structure to be launched by an identical launch vehicle. The advantage of the proposed method is that the complete analysis can be performed within the payload organization with the same accuracy as that of a full scale, multiorganizational loads analysis. Also, the flight measured interface accelerations can be used as the forcing functions for more realistic representations of the dynamic environments.
Cellular and molecular analysis of associative learning and memory in Hermissenda

Abstract A classical conditioning procedure produces longlasting changes in the behavior of the marine mollusc Hermissenda . Cellular correlates (enhanced neuronal excitability) produced by conditioning have been identified in the primary sensory neurons (photoreceptors) of the neural pathway activated by the conditioned stimulus (CS). The biophysical mechanism responsible for these changes in photoreceptors after conditioning may involve reductions in K + currents mediated by neuromodulator-activated intracellular second-messenger systems. Thus, associative learning and memory in Hermissenda may involve second-messenger systems.
Early childbearing patterns and women's labor force behavior in later life.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to evaluate the consequences of early childbearing decisions for women's labor force activity in later life. Within a life course framework, women's early child-bearing activities may be linked to later life decisions. Women between ages 55 and 64 are evaluated from the 1984 Survey of Income and Program Participation. Two measures of early family roles are considered: total fertility (number of children ever born) and timing of first-birth (childless, prior to age 30, and 30+). Results provide some limited support that early childbearing roles do in fact have a long-term impact on the employment decisions of women. Women who delay childbearing are somewhat more likely to remain in the labor force during their later years whereas women who remain childless are more likely to have exited the labor force.
Inhibition of stem growth and flower formation in Pharbitis nil with N, N-dimethylaminosuccinamic acid (B 995).

In the short-day plant Pharbitis nil, strain “Violet”, flower formation is inhibited by application of the growth retardant N,N-dimethylaminosuccinamic acid (B 995) via the roots for a period of 24 hours prior to one inductive long night. Terminal flower bud formation is suppressed by a B 995 concentration of 100 mg/l, but for complete suppression of all axillary flower buds 2000 mg/l is required. Inhibition of flower formation is also caused by B 995 application via plumules or cotyledons, even if made at the end of the inductive night. B 995 treatment always results in short, thick internodes and dark-green leaves.
RNF170 Protein, an Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Ubiquitin Ligase, Mediates Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Ubiquitination and Degradation

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptors are endoplasmic reticulum membrane calcium channels that, upon activation, are degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. While searching for novel mediators of IP3 receptor processing, we discovered that RNF170, an uncharacterized RING domain-containing protein, associates rapidly with activated IP3 receptors. RNF170 is predicted to have three membrane-spanning helices, is localized to the ER membrane, and possesses ubiquitin ligase activity. Depletion of endogenous RNF170 by RNA interference inhibited stimulus-induced IP3 receptor ubiquitination, and degradation and overexpression of a catalytically inactive RNF170 mutant suppressed stimulus-induced IP3 receptor processing. A substantial proportion of RNF170 is constitutively associated with the erlin1/2 (SPFH1/2) complex, which has been shown previously to bind to IP3 receptors immediately after their activation. Depletion of RNF170 did not affect the binding of the erlin1/2 complex to stimulated IP3 receptors, whereas erlin1/2 complex depletion inhibited RNF170 binding. These results suggest a model in which the erlin1/2 complex recruits RNF170 to activated IP3 receptors where it mediates IP3 receptor ubiquitination. Thus, RNF170 plays an essential role in IP3 receptor processing via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.
Diastereomeric phosphonate ester adducts of chymotrypsin: 31P‐NMR measurements

Generation of diastereomeric phosphonate ester adducts of chymotrypsin was evidenced for the first time by 31P NMR and spectrophotometric kinetic measurements. 31P NMR signals were recorded for 4-nitrophenyl 2-propyl methylphosphonate (IMN) at 32.2 ppm and for its hydrolysis product at 26.3 ppm downfield from phosphoric acid. The inhibition of alpha-chymotrypsin at pH > 8.0 by the faster reacting enantiomer of IMN or 2-propyl methylphosphonochloridate (IMCL), or other phosphonate ester analogs of these compounds, all caused a approximately 6.0 ppm downfield shift of the 31P signal to the 39-40 ppm region. IMN, when applied below the stoichiometric amount of chymotrypsin, under the same conditions, generated two signals, at 39.0 and at 37.4 ppm. Scans accumulated in hourly intervals showed the decomposition of both diastereomers, with approximate half-lives of 12 h at pH 8.0 and 22 degrees C, into a species with a resonance at 35.5 ppm. The most likely reaction to account for the appearance of this new peak is the enzymic dealkylation of the isopropyl group from the covalently bound phosphonate ester. We base this conclusion mostly on the similarity of the upfield shift to the hydrolysis of phosphonate esters. Contrary to experience with phosphate ester adducts of serine proteases, no signal was detected higher than 25.0 ppm downfield from phosphoric acid for several phosphonate ester adducts of chymotrypsin and in no case did the resonance for the adduct shift further downfield in the course of the experiments.
Second-Order Sufficient Conditions in Nonsmooth Optimization

Second-order conditions are given which are sufficient to guarantee that a given point be a local solution to certain types of finite-dimensional nonsmooth nonlinear programming problems. Both unconstrained and constrained problems are considered. The conditions of the sufficiency theorems presented here are expressed in terms of the generalized gradients of nonsmooth analysis and with one exception certain second-order directional derivatives. These sufficiency theorems are complementary to some necessity theorems, which are proved elsewhere.
Interactions of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease

Since cardiovascular disease accounts for more than 50 percent of all deaths in the United States today, researchers in a number of major clinical studies have attempted to determine whether this epidemic of cardiovascular deaths can be controlled by reducing the primary risk factors for coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. Treatment of one of these risk factors, hypertension, has clearly been proven beneficial in reducing the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease. These positive effects are seen at the three levels of hypertension: mild, moderate, or severe. Another risk factor, cigarette smoking, is generally accepted to be the single most preventable cause of death from coronary heart disease in the United States. The mortality rate for coronary heart disease is two to three times greater in those who are heavy smokers, representing a substantial independent risk factor, and the risk is even higher when smokers are also hypertensive and hypercholesterolemic. A third risk factor, hypercholesterolemia, has come under renewed scrutiny, and several recent studies have shown that lowering cholesterol through the use of diet or drugs can reduce the progression of atherosclerotic plaque. Based on the results of various intervention trials over the years, it appears that methods of preventing cardiovascular disease in the general population, such as emphasizing the importance of diet and exercise, should be promoted. The American Heart Association recommendations, if adopted, could effect changes in attitudes of those in the medical community, at work sites, and even in schools. In addition to prophylactic measures, an intensive effort to identify and treat persons at high risk should be undertaken.
Using Assessment to Inform Instruction in Cherokee Language Revitalisation

Language loss is a concern for the Cherokee Nation in northeastern Oklahoma. As part of language revitalisation efforts, in 2001 Cherokee Nation opened the Cherokee Immersion Preschool in which teachers use only Cherokee throughout the day with their monolingual English-speaking students. Based on a study of the Immersion Preschool that spanned six months, this paper describes the positive backwash effects of assessment on practices of teachers in the programme. Specifically, we examine the role that classroom observation coupled with a formal language assessment – the Cherokee Preschool Immersion Language Assessment – played in identifying undeveloped aspects of the children's Cherokee language skills and targeting specific techniques teachers could use to encourage children to communicate more effectively in Cherokee. The findings suggest that beneficial backwash produced by meaningful and well designed assessments has the potential to positively inform teachers toward improving classroom instructional ...
RABBIT: Rapid alignment of brains by building intermediate templates

A brain image registration algorithm, referred to as RABBIT, is proposed to achieve fast and accurate image registration with the help of an intermediate template generated by a statistical deformation model. The statistical deformation model is built by principal component analysis (PCA) on a set of training samples of brain deformation fields that warp a selected template image to the individual brain samples. The statistical deformation model is capable of characterizing individual brain deformations by a small number of parameters, which is used to rapidly estimate the brain deformation between the template and a new individual brain image. The estimated deformation is then used to warp the template, thus generating an intermediate template close to the individual brain image. Finally, the shape difference between the intermediate template and the individual brain is estimated by an image registration algorithm, e.g., HAMMER. The overall registration between the template and the individual brain image can be achieved by directly combining the deformation fields that warp the template to the intermediate template, and the intermediate template to the individual brain image. The algorithm has been validated for spatial normalization of both simulated and real magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain images. Compared with HAMMER, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can achieve over five times speedup, with similar registration accuracy and statistical power in detecting brain atrophy.
Modular evolution of the purine biosynthetic pathway.

Abstract Structural studies, sequence alignments, and biochemistry have provided new insights into the evolution of the purine biosynthetic pathway. The importance of chemistry, the binding of ribose 5-phosphate (common to all purine biosynthetic intermediates), and transient protein–protein interactions in channeling of chemically unstable intermediates have all been examined in the past few years.
Inhibitory avoidance impairments induced by intra-amygdala propranolol are reversed by glutamate but not glucose.'

Both systemic and central injections of glucose can enhance memory. For example, glucose reverses impairments on inhibitory avoidance resulting from intra-amygdala injections of morphine. The present experiment investigated the ability of glucose to reverse memory impairments resulting from intra-amygdala injections of propranolol, a beta-noradrenergic antagonist. Pretraining administration of 10 microg propranolol significantly reduced inhibitory avoidance retention latencies but had no effect on performance in a spontaneous alternation task. Coadministration of glucose into the amygdala at 3 doses (1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 microg) did not reverse the propranolol-induced inhibitory avoidance deficits. However, coadministration of 2.5 microg of glutamate with the propranolol did reverse these deficits. The ability of glucose to reverse impairments following intra-amygdala injections of morphine but not propranolol may reflect the neurotransmitter system or systems through which glucose exerts its effects.
Description of a New Species of Uvitellina Witenberg, 1923 (Cyclocoelidae: Haematotrephinae), from the Black-Winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus (Charadriiformes: Recurvirostidae) from the Ukraine

ABSTRACT: Five specimens of a new species of Uvitellina Witenberg collected from the air sacs of a black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus, collected from the Kherson Region of the Ukraine, were described. Of the 9 species in the genus, Uvitellina himantopi n. sp. differs from all other species in the ratio of the width to the length of eggs (1∶1.8 [1∶1.6–1∶1.9] compared to a low of 1∶2.2 in Uvitellina adephis and a high of 1∶3.6 in Uvitellina teesae). Uvitellina himantopi n. sp. is most similar to Uvitellina iraquensis because, unlike the other 4 species in the genus with a rudimentary oral sucker (Uvitellina indica, Uvitellina kaniharensis, Uvitellina macroisophaga, and U. teesae), these 2 species have an oral sucker that is typically wider than the pharynx (1∶1.0–1∶1.2 oral sucker width/pharynx width compared to 1∶0.8–1∶0.9 in the other 4 species) and a similar cirrus sac length (370–400 long [3–4% of body length] compared to 300–490 [3–5%]). Uvitellina himantopi n. sp. has a larger body than U. iraq...