cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Corpus Allatum Activity in Last Instar Manduca Sexta Larvae

The corpora allata (CA) , like other endocrine glands, go through phases of activity and inactivity which correspond to well defined physiological changes occurring during post-embryonic development. This cyclic activity is not intrinsically programmed but is instead regulated by factors external to the gland. It is only logical that the secretory activity of the CA which produce juvenile hormone (JH) , a hormone with profound effects on morphogenesis and reproduction, is finely tuned by environmental factors and the internal milieu via the central nervous system. Evidence suggests that the brain (and perhaps other ganglia) controls the activity of the CA by both humoral and nervous mechanisms during the stages preceding metamorphosis (Wigglesworth, 1954; 1970; Scharrer, 1958; Highnam, 1967; Doane, 1973).
Progress and Prospects in Engineering Crops for Osmoprotectant Synthesis

Many plants accumulate organic solutes such as quaternary ammonium and tertiary sulfonium compounds, sugar alcohols and the amino acid proline in response to salinity and drought. There is strong experimental support for the hypothesis that accumulation of organic solutes is of adaptive significance. This is based on their distribution in species that evolved under stress habitats, their protective effects in bioassays, positive correlation between their levels and sap osmotic pressures under stress, their cytoplasmic location and more directly, stress protection of model organisms engineered to overproduce the solute. Since only some taxa accumulate osmoprotectants and many do not, attempts have been made to engineer non-accumulating plant species for osmoprotectant synthesis with the ultimate aim of improving stress tolerance. Synthetic pathways to sugar alcohols, amino acid proline and the quaternary ammonium compound glycine betaine have so far been manipulated in transgenic systems. Progress in this area is summarized with emphasis on engineering synthesis of glycine betaine and other quaternary ammonium compounds. Some stress protection in transgenic plants accumulating even low levels of osmoprotectants suggests that there is potential for achieving better level of stress-tolerance by engineering stress-inducible over-production of the osmoprotectant. Analyses of transgenic plants indicate current metabolic constraints in achieving this and strategies for further rounds of engineering to overcome them. In general, the diversity for osmoprotectants in plants has been under-utilized compared to microbial genes. Diverse osmoprotectants in stress-tolerant plants present unique future opportunities and challenges for metabolic engineering both to improve stress tolerance in crops and to understand plant metabolism.
Engineering Against Evil: The Moral Pragmatism of the Obama Foreign Policy Doctrine

This paper maintains that despite perceptions that the Obama doctrine in foreign policy is a break from the past it is in fact consistent with long-term national trends in the American foreign policy style. This style is one of moral pragmatism, which suggests that morality is the basis for much of America's foreign policy direction and that this morality is underscored by an emphasis in the American national style on pragmatic problem solving of foreign policy problems. Consequently, the paper concludes that the Obama Doctrine is one minor variation on a broad and consistent theme in the US foreign policy process.
Management of Mastitis in Breastfeeding Women

Mastitis occurs in approximately 10 percent of U.S. mothers who are breastfeeding, and it can lead to the cessation of breastfeeding. The risk of mastitis can be reduced by frequent, complete emptying of the breast and by optimizing breastfeeding technique. Sore nipples can precipitate mastitis. The differential diagnosis of sore nipples includes mechanical irritation from a poor latch or infant mouth anomalies, such as cleft palate or bacterial or yeast infection. The diagnosis of mastitis is usually clinical, with patients presenting with focal tenderness in one breast accompanied by fever and malaise. Treatment includes changing breastfeeding technique, often with the assistance of a lactation consultant. When antibiotics are needed, those effective against Staphylococcus aureus (e.g., dicloxacillin, cephalexin) are preferred. As methicillin-resistant S. aureus becomes more common, it is likely to be a more common cause of mastitis, and antibiotics that are effective against this organism may become preferred. Continued breastfeeding should be encouraged in the presence of mastitis and generally does not pose a risk to the infant. Breast abscess is the most common complication of mastitis. It can be prevented by early treatment of mastitis and continued breastfeeding. Once an abscess occurs, surgical drainage or needle aspiration is needed. Breastfeeding can usually continue in the presence of a treated abscess.
Medicaid and receipt of interval postpartum long-acting reversible contraception.

Abstract Objective We sought to evaluate the impact of insurance type on receipt of an interval postpartum LARC, controlling for demographic and clinical factors. Study design This is a retrospective cohort study of 1072 women with a documented plan of LARC for contraception at time of postpartum discharge. This is a secondary analysis of 8654 women who delivered at 20 weeks or beyond from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2014, at an urban teaching hospital in Ohio. LARC receipt within 90 days of delivery, time to receipt, and rate of subsequent pregnancy after non-receipt were compared between women with Medicaid and women with private insurance. Postplacental LARC was not available at the time of study completion. Results One hundred eighty-seven of 822 Medicaid-insured and 43 of 131 privately insured women received a LARC postpartum (22.7% vs 32.8%, P=.02). In multivariable analysis, private insurance status was not significantly associated with LARC receipt (OR 1.29, 95% C.I. 0.83–1.99) though adequate prenatal care was (OR 2.33, 95% C.I. 1.42–4.00). Of women who wanted but did not receive a LARC, 208 of 635 (32.8%) Medicaid patients and 19 of 88 (21.6%) privately insured patients became pregnant within 1 year (P=.02). Conclusion Differences in receipt of interval postpartum LARC were not significant between women with Medicaid insurance versus private insurance after adjusting for clinical and demographic factors. Adequate prenatal care was associated with LARC receipt. Medicaid patients who did not receive a LARC were more likely to become pregnant within one year of delivery than those with private insurance. Implications While insurance-related barriers have been reduced given recent policy changes, access to care remains an important determinant of postpartum LARC provision and subsequent unintended pregnancy.
Review of 400 consecutive oral food challenges to almond.

Abstract Background Diagnosis of almond allergy is complicated by a high rate of false-positive test results. Accurate diagnosis of almond allergy is critical because almond is a source of nutrition and milk products for children with other food allergies. Objective We reviewed the outpatient almond oral food challenges (OFCs) performed at our institution to analyze the pass rate and identify variables that predict OFC outcome. Methods We reviewed all almond OFCs performed at our pediatric, university-based outpatient practice between October 2015 and July 2017. Oral food challenge details, including dosing, reactions, and treatments, as well as demographic, clinical, and laboratory data, were compiled. Statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher's exact and Student's t tests. Results We identified 400 patients who underwent consecutive almond OFCs. Of these, 375 passed (93.8%, median sIgE 1.41 kUA/L, mean skin prick test [SPT] wheal 3.23 mm), 16 failed (4.0%, sIgE 2.54 kUA/L, SPT 5.0 mm), and 9 were indeterminate (2%, sIgE 3.33 kUA/L, SPT 5.0 mm). Among children who reacted, pruritus was the most common symptom. Only 2 children had reactions that required epinephrine. No difference was seen in demographics or allergic comorbidities between those who passed and failed. Conclusion Among patients in our cohort, the probability of passing an almond OFC was 94%. Although increasing almond sIgE level and SPT wheal size correlated with OFC failure, the pass rate remained greater than 95% for patients with sIgE up to 10 kUA/L and SPT wheal size up to 5 mm. Among the patients who had a reaction to almond, anaphylaxis was uncommon. Our data support that performing outpatient OFCs to almond is safe for select patients.
What numbers are the edges of a right triangle

In this chapter we study numbers that appear as the side lengths of primitive right triangles. We use rings of Gaussian integers to prove our main theorems. We give a quick review of the basic properties of the ring of Gaussian integers. For a more thorough exposition we refer the reader to the classical text by Sierpinski [46] or Conrad [69].
The Porphyromonas gingivalis Hybrid Cluster Protein Hcp Is Required for Growth with Nitrite and Survival with Host Cells.

ABSTRACT Although the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis must withstand high levels of nitrosative stress while in the oral cavity, the mechanisms of nitrosative stress defense are not well understood in this organism. Previously we showed that the transcriptional regulator HcpR plays a significant role in defense, and here we further defined its regulon. Our study shows that hcp (PG0893), a putative nitric oxide (NO) reductase, is the only gene significantly upregulated in response to nitrite (NO2) and that this regulation is dependent on HcpR. An isogenic mutant deficient in hcp is not able to grow with 200 μM nitrite, demonstrating that the sensitivity of the HcpR mutant is mediated through Hcp. We further define the molecular mechanisms of HcpR interaction with the hcp promoter through mutational analysis of the inverted repeat present within the promoter. Although other putative nitrosative stress protection mechanisms present on the nrfAH operon are also found in the P. gingivalis genome, we show that their gene products play no role in growth of the bacterium with nitrite. As growth of the hcp-deficient strain was also significantly diminished in the presence of a nitric oxide-producing compound, S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), Hcp appears to be the primary means by which P. gingivalis responds to NO2−-based stress. Finally, we show that Hcp is required for survival with host cells but that loss of Hcp has no effect on association and entry of P. gingivalis into human oral keratinocytes.
Understanding the role of m-health to improve well-being in spouses of patients with bipolar disorder

Abstract Objectives Spouses and partners of individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) experience significant burden. As there are some limitations to standard psychosocial caregiver interventions, mobile health technology (mHealth) may be a way to reduce burden and improve well-being in these caregivers. The purpose of this study was to explore how the well-being of spouses or partners of patients with BD can be improved through mHealth technology. Methods Using a qualitative design, we conducted five focus groups and one in-depth individual interview to collect information from participants about what they would expect from such a device. The sample consists of thirteen participants (eleven spouses and two partners). The age range was 29–65, with eight females and five males. Data were collected using minimally structured interviews and independently analyzed by the authors using content analysis. Results Results indicated that the mHealth device many be helpful in at least six areas: reduction of stressors, decreased social isolation, improving communication in the relationship between the spouses, speaking with children about the illness, managing medications, and providing information on resources. Conclusion Mobile health technology may be a feasible, available, and cost-effective support tool for spouses and partners of individuals with BD, especially in reducing caregiver stress. Future research is needed to develop the application and test its effectiveness on health outcomes in a larger trial.
Monocyte Polarization is Altered by Total-Body Irradiation in Male Rhesus Macaques: Implications for Delayed Effects of Acute Radiation Exposure

Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) is a common delayed effect of acute ionizing radiation exposure (DEARE) affecting diverse tissues including the heart, lungs, liver and skin, leading to reduced tissue function and increased morbidity. Monocytes, which may be classified into classical (CD14++, CD16-), intermediate (CD14++, CD16+) and non-classical (CD14+/low, CD16++) subtypes in humans and non-human primates (NHPs), and monocyte-derived macrophages may play an integral role in the pathogenesis of RIF. We tested the hypothesis that moderate to high levels of total-body exposure to radiation would alter monocyte polarization and produce phenotypes that could promote multi-organ fibrosis in a wellestablished NHP model of DEARE. Subjects were 16 young adult male rhesus macaques, ten of which were exposed to high-energy, 4 Gy X-ray total-body irradiation (TBI) and six that received sham irradiation (control). Total monocytes assessed by complete blood counts were 89% depleted in TBI animals by day 9 postirradiation (P < 0.05), but recovered by day 30 postirradiation and did not differ from control levels thereafter. Monocytes were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and sorted into classical, intermediate and non-classical subsets using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) prior to and at 6 months post-TBI. At 6 months postirradiation, monocyte polarization shifted towards lower classical (92% → 86%) and higher intermediate (7% → 12%) and non-classical monocyte subsets (0.6% → 2%) (all P < 0.05) in TBI animals compared to baseline. No change in monocyte subsets was observed in control animals. Transcriptional profiles in classical and intermediate monocyte subsets were assessed using RNAseq. Classical monocyte gene expression did not change significantly over time or differ cross-sectionally between TBI and control groups. In contrast, significant numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in intermediate monocyte comparisons between the TBI animals and all animals at baseline (304 DEGs), and in the TBI versus control animals at 6 months postirradiation (67 DEGs). Intermediate monocytes also differed between baseline and 6 months in control animals (147 DEGs). Pathway analysis was used to identify genes within significant canonical pathways, yielding 52 DEGs that were specific to irradiated intermediate monocytes. These DEGs and significant canonical pathways were associated with pro-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory signaling pathways that have been noted to induce M2 macrophage polarization. These findings support the hypothesis that TBI may alter monocyte programming and polarization towards a profibrotic phenotype, providing a novel target opportunity for therapies to inhibit or prevent RIF.
Comparing Clinician-Assessed and Patient-Reported Performance Status for Predicting Morbidity and Mortality in Patients With Advanced Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy.

PURPOSE:Performance status (PS) is assessed during cancer treatment to determine clinical trial eligibility, appropriateness for treatment, and need for supportive care. There is rising interest fo...
Crowded organelles, lipid accumulation, and abnormal membrane tubulation in cellular models of enhanced α-synuclein membrane interaction.

Abstract Previous work from our group showed that certain engineered missense mutations to the α-synuclein (αS) KTKEGV repeat motifs abrogate the protein’s ability to form native multimers. The resultant excess monomers accumulate in lipid-membrane-rich inclusions associated with neurotoxicity exceeding that of natural familial Parkinson’s disease mutants such as E46K. We presented an initial characterization of the lipid-rich inclusions and found similarities to the αS- and vesicle-rich inclusions that form in baker’s yeast when αS is expressed. We also discussed, with some caution, a possible role of membrane-rich inclusions as precursors to filamentous Lewy bodies, the widely accepted hallmark pathology of Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies. In the meantime, advances in the microscopic characterization of Lewy bodies have highlighted the presence of crowded organelles and lipid membranes in addition to αS accumulation. This prompted us to revisit the αS inclusions caused by our repeat motif variants in neuroblastoma cells. In addition to our previous characterization, we found that these inclusions can often be seen by brightfield microscopy, overlap with endogenous vesicle markers in immunofluorescence experiments, stain positive for lipid dyes, and can be found to be closely associated with mitochondria. We also observed abnormal tubulation of membranes, which was subtle in inducible lines and pronounced in cells that transiently expressed high amounts of the highly disruptive KTKEGV motif mutant “KLKEGV”. Membrane tubulation had been reported before as an αS activity in reductionist systems. Our in-cellulo demonstration now suggests that this mechanism could possibly be a relevant aspect of aberrant αS behavior in cells.
Measurements of laser-imprint-induced shock velocity nonuniformities in plastic targets with the Nike KrF laser

We report results of direct-drive laser imprint experiments measuring velocity perturbation profiles of shock waves produced by the Nike krypton fluoride laser. A new high-resolution two-dimensional velocimeter system was successfully implemented on the Nike laser facility and used for sensitive optical measurements of the velocity perturbations. Planar polystyrene targets with and without a thin high-Z overcoat (400 A Au or 600 A Pd) were irradiated by four, eight, and sixteen Nike laser beams to examine laser imprint and its mitigation. The results from the uncoated targets showed that the shock velocity perturbations decreased with an increasing number of laser beams overlapped on target, precisely as anticipated by the beam averaging effect on laser imprint. In the experiment on the shocks driven in the high-Z coated targets, the shock velocity perturbations were further reduced by a factor of 2–6 compared to their counterparts in the uncoated experiment, with the amplitude of the velocity fluctuations measured as small as 20 m/s rms for shock velocities of 20 km/s. These experiments allowed more direct measurements of laser imprint effects without relying on the Rayleigh–Taylor hydrodynamic amplification, providing valuable quantitative data for calibrating radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of laser imprint.
Concordance Between Electronic Health Record and Tumor Registry Documentation of Smoking Status Among Patients With Cancer

PURPOSEPatients with cancer who use tobacco experience reduced treatment effectiveness, increased risk of recurrence and mortality, and diminished quality of life. Accurate tobacco use documentatio...
The Case for Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines for Health Care Workers.

Not all health care workers have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and their reasons are multiple and varied. Some additional health care workers might decide to be vaccinated if the argument for vaccination were sufficiently clear. This article attempts to provide that clarity.
Turkish immigrants in Western Europe and North America : immigration and political mobilization

Foreword 1. Introduction: Turkish Identity Formation and Political Mobilization in Western Europe and North America Sebnem Koser Akcapar and Gokce Yurdakul 2. Turkish Organizations in Europe: How National Contexts Provide Different Avenues for Participation Pontus Odmalm 3. Turkish Associations in the United States: Towards Building a Transnational Identity Sebnem Koser Akcapar 4. Immigrant Associations in Canada: Included, Accommodated, or Excluded? Saime Ozcurumez 5. Islam, Conflict, and Integration: Turkish Religious Associations in Germany Gokce Yurdakul and Ahmet Yukleyen 6. "The Light of the Alevi Fire Was Lit in Germany and then Spread to Turkey": A Transnational Debate on the Boundaries of Islam Esra Ozyurek 7. Organizing for Access? The Political Mobilization of Turks in Amsterdam Laure Michon and Floris Vermeulen 8. Towards a Success Story? Turkish Immigrant Organizations in Norway Jon Rogstad 9. The Gulen Movement in Ireland: Civil Society Engagements of a Turkish Religio-cultural Movement Jonathan Lacey 10. Afterword: Beyond a Methodologically Nationalist Perspective on Civil Society Thomas Faist
The organic interlamellar layer in abalone nacre: Formation and mechanical response

Abstract The interlamellar organic layer plays a key role in establishing the tensile mechanical response of nacre, while changing the compressive response in only a marginal manner. We conduct observations on the epithelial layer of the abalone foot in direct contact with the extrapallial layer where the deposition process takes place and identify cilia, microvilli, and secretory cells which determine the deposition of chitin to form the interlamellar organic layer. On the basis of these observations we propose a mechanism for the deposition of interlamellar organic layers. We show that the fraction of pores, as well as their diameter, grow rapidly as the interlamellar layer is extended uniaxially or biaxially, and compare these calculations with the observed values. In the calculations we assume a Poisson's ratio equal to zero in the plane of the lamellae. This assumption is justified by the thickness of the organic layer (20–50 nm) being equal to twice the diameter of the chitin fibrils; consequently the expansion of the membrane occurs at a constant thickness. As an illustration of this effect, an externally applied strain of 0.5 increases the initial pore diameter (typically equal to 20–50 nm) to a value of ten times (0.2–0.5 μm). These calculations explain the observations of large pores reported in the literature and interpret them as the result of externally applied loads.
Aminolysis of oxalate esters in toluene: A model for a carboxylate buried in a hydrophobic environment at an active site

Abstract We have examined the aminolysis of the mono- o -nitrophenyl ester of oxalic acid by piperidine in toluene with the purpose of determining how a carboxylate “buried” at an active site might affect an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The oxalate ester and piperidine form an ion pair ( R 2 NH 2 +− O 2 CCO 2 Ar) even in extremely dilute toluene solutions. This conclusion is supported by the kinetic effects of acidic and basic additives and by a “concentration inversion” experiment. The oxalate ester was found to react more than three orders of magnitude faster than o -nitrophenyl acetate. The neighboring carboxylate in the ion pair apparently accelerates the decomposition of a tetrahedral intermediate by accepting a proton from the amine nitrogen. The implications of this anchimeric assistance to enzymatic systems is discussed briefly.
Board-level optical interconnect using glass

This paper reports ultrafast laser fabrication of waveguide circuits and 45° vertical coupling micromirrors in fused silica for board-level optical interconnect applications. Excellent micromirror surface quality was obtained and 0.24-dB per reflection at λ=632nm was demonstrated.
Cobi: Community-Informed Conference Scheduling

Creating a schedule for a large multi-track conference requires considering the preferences and constraints of organizers, authors, and attendees. Traditionally, a few dedicated organizers manage the size and complexity of the schedule with limited information and coverage. Cobi presents an alternative approach to conference scheduling by engaging the entire community to take active roles in the planning process. It consists of a collection of crowdsourcing applications that elicit preferences and constraints from the community, and software that enable organizers and other community members to take informed actions based on collected information.
Sheaves and Cohomology

Sheaf theory is a basic tool in the study of complex manifolds. We will review its main ideas and the cohomology theory built on it. For details cf. [5] or [2].
Zipper-mediated oligomerization of the mixed lineage kinase SPRK/MLK-3 is not required for its activation by the GTPase cdc 42 but Is necessary for its activation of the JNK pathway. Monomeric SPRK L410P does not catalyze the activating phosphorylation of Thr258 of murine MITOGEN-ACTIVATED protein kinase kinase 4.

Src homology 3 domain-containing proline-rich kinase (SPRK)/mixed lineage kinase-3 is a serine/threonine kinase that has been identified as an upstream activator of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. SPRK is capable of activating MKK4 by phosphorylation of serine and threonine residues, and mutant forms of MKK4 that lack the phosphorylation sites Ser254 and Thr258 block SPRK-induced JNK activation. A region of 63 amino acids following the kinase domain of SPRK is predicted to form a leucine zipper. The leucine zipper domain of SPRK has been shown to be necessary and sufficient for SPRK oligomerization, but its role in regulating activation of SPRK and downstream signaling remains unclear. In this study, we substituted a proposed stabilizing leucine residue in the zipper domain with a helix-disrupting proline to abrogate zipper-mediated SPRK oligomerization. We demonstrate that constitutively activated Cdc42 fully activates this monomeric SPRK mutant in terms of both autophosphorylation and histone phosphorylation activity and induces the same in vivo phosphorylation pattern as wild type SPRK. However, this catalytically active SPRK zipper mutant is unable to activate JNK. Our data show that the monomeric SPRK mutant fails to phosphorylate one of the two activating phosphorylation sites, Thr258, of MKK4. These studies suggest that zipper-mediated SPRK oligomerization is not required for SPRK activation by Cdc42 but instead is critical for proper interaction and phosphorylation of a downstream target, MKK4.
The Swan-Ganz catheter and its application in the gynecologic patient.

Abstract Swan-Ganz catheters were used in the pre-and postoperative management of 22 gynecologic patients admitted to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, University of Miami School of Medicine. Primary indications include preoperative assessment of fluid and volume status, evaluation of patients with severe heart disease, and management of multisystem organ failure. Seventeen patients required ventilatory assistance and 15 patients required vasoactive drugs as determined by Swan-Ganz measurements. With a low complication rate and highly reliable cardiopulmonary data, the Swan-Ganz catheter should be considered routinely in the optimal management of the critically ill or high-risk gynecologic patient.
FTD/ALS-associated poly(GR) protein impairs the Notch pathway and is recruited by poly(GA) into cytoplasmic inclusions

C9ORF72 repeat expansion is the most common genetic mutation in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Abnormal dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) generated from repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of repeat-containing RNAs are thought to be pathogenic; however, the mechanisms are unknown. Here we report that (GR)80 and (PR)80 are toxic in neuronal and non-neuronal cells in Drosophila. In contrast to reported shorter poly(GR) forms, (GR)80 is mostly localized throughout the cytosol without detectable accumulation in the nucleolus, accompanied by suppression of Notch signaling and cell loss in the wing. Some Notch target genes are also downregulated in brains and iPSC-derived cortical neurons of C9ORF72 patients. Increased Notch expression largely suppressed (GR)80-induced cell loss in the wing. When co-expressed in Drosophila, HeLa cells, or human neurons, (GA)80 recruited (GR)80 into cytoplasmic inclusions, partially decreasing the toxicity of (GR)80 and restoring Notch signaling in Drosophila. Thus, different DPRs have opposing roles in cell loss and we identify the Notch pathway as one of the receptor signaling pathways that might be compromised in C9ORF72 FTD/ALS.
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) vaginal gel for cervical ripening

Cervical ripening prior to oxytocin stimulation is highly desirable to ensure a successful induction. Prostaglandin E2 has been administered by intracervical, intravaginal and extra-amniotic routes with successful ripening of the cervix. The dose of PGE2 administered is under investigation. Use of 3 or 4 mg of PGE2, although effective, has been reported to be accompanied by uterine hypertonus or fetal heart changes. Lower dose of PGE2 at 0.2 mg and 0.4 mg do not have the above-mentioned side effects but necessitate multiple applications. This randomized double-blinded study incorporated the use of 2 mg of PGE2 administered by intravaginal route in a hydroxyethyl cellulose gel medium. A significant increase in Bishop score (40% higher) was achieved in patients receiving PGE2 as compared to placebo patients. There were no adverse side effects, indicating application of 2 mg of PGE2 as a safe method of cervical ripening prior to induction of labor.
The structure of the dental profession and the use of auxiliaries in Latin America

Abstract Throughout Latin America, there is widespread dental disease and limited resources andtrained manpower to meet these needs. The structure of the dental profession is examined in an attempt to understand this situation. Lack of standardization in dental educational programs and minimal regulations governing entry to practice are factors which contribute to weak professional identity. In general, the profession has neither provided services nor developed programs in underserved areas. In an attempt to fill the gap in dental manpower, some national governments have taken the lead in establishing dental auxiliary training programs. Those programs which have been most successful in terms of the numbers of auxiliaries being trained and in their utilization are government sponsored programs located in geographical areas where there are relatively few dentists. The pattern of dental services appears to be a two-class system with auxiliaries or indigenous workers serving the rural poor and dentists practicing in urban areas. A fuller understanding of dental manpower programs and utilization requires additional data from the countries of Latin America.
Reducing the Potential for Distortion of Childhood Memories

Abstract In the present research, two studies test the efficacy of an innovative procedure designed to reduce distortion and enhance communication of accurate childhood memories. One hundred two 7-year-olds participated in a staged activity and were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions (Intervention or Control). Two weeks later, half of the children participated in the innovative procedure designed to increase resistance to misleading questions by addressing sociolinguistic and socioemotional factors thought to promote acquiescence to misinformation. The other half of the children participated in control sessions and were given motivating instructions to do their best. Then, memory for the staged activity was tested in an interview with an unfamiliar authority figure. The results of both studies suggest that the children who participated in the innovative procedure made significantly fewer errors in response to misleading questions than children in the control groups, hence diminishing acquiescence. This was accomplished without generating additional errors on the other question types. These findings are interpreted as a promising first step toward reducing the potential for distortion in the recall of childhood memories. Implications for adult recall of childhood trauma are discussed.
Functional Flow Simulation Based Analysis of Protein Interaction Network

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play fundamental roles in nearly all biological processes and differ based on the composition, affinity and lifetime of the association. A vast amount of PPI data for various organisms is avaiable from MIPS, DIP and other sources. The identification of functional modules in PPI network is of great interest because they often reveal unknown functional ties between proteins and hence predict functions for unknown proteins. In this paper, we propose using functional flow simulation and the topology of the network for the functional module detection and function prediction problem. Our approach is based on the functional influence model that quantifies the influence of a biological component on another. We introduce a flow simulation algorithm to generate a functional profile for each component. In addition, a new clustering method FMD (Functional Module Detection) is designed to associate with functional profiles to detect functional modules. We evaluate the proposed technique on three different yeast networks with MIPS functional categories and compare it with several other existing techniques in terms of precision and recall. Our experiments show that our approach achieves better accuracy than other existing methods.
Childhood Obesity: Problems and Solutions.

Abstract Food choices and physical activity, at school and at home, underlie the childhood-obesity problem. What role can schools play in finding a solution?
MICROMORPHOLOGY OF THE PERIPLAST OF CHROOMONAS SP. (CRYPTOPHYCEAE)1,2

SUMMARY An ultrastructural examination of the periplast of Chroomonas sp. revealed a surface pattern composed of rows of plate areas. The plate areas are delineated by a series of ridges, which emanate from a common line at the posterior cell end, and lateral grooves which intersect the anterior-posterior ridges. Small ejectosomes (trichocysts) are generally located at the intersection of the lateral grooves and the ridges. Size of the plate areas varies, being smallest at the posterior and anterior ends and largest in the midregion of the cell. The average plate area is 1 μ in length and 0.7 μ in width. In section the periplast is seen to consist of 3 intimately attached layers of which the middle (plasma membrane) layer is continuous with the gullet region, flagella, and ejectosome chambers. Trypsin digestion resulted in the disappearance of the inner and outer layers, and in the loss of periplast stiffness.
Using Multi-Spectral Imagery To Evaluate Corn Grown Under Nitrogen and Drought Stressed Conditions

Abstract The in-season estimation of crop stresses which have the potential of adversely affecting crop yield and/or quality could allow producers to make in-season management decisions to correct for the particular stress. A field study was conducted to evaluate the use of multi-spectral imagery for estimating corn (Zea mays L.) grain yield, in-season biomass and nitrogen (N) concentration under varying N and drought stresses. The experiment was a split-plot design with three replications using a factorial arrangement of treatments. Three irrigation (whole-plot) treatments included dry land, irrigation based on 0.5, and full evapotranspiration (ET). Sub-plot treatments included five N rates (0, 45, 90, 134, 269 kg N ha−1). Multi-spectral imagery consisted of four wavebands; blue (485 nm ± 35 nm), green (550 nm ± 35 nm), red (660 nm ± 30 nm), and near-infrared (NIR) (830 nm ± 70 nm). Imagery was collected on various dates throughout the growing season; biomass sampling was performed within two days of ima...
RisedronatE and ALendronate Intervention over Three Years (REALITY): minimal differences in fracture risk reduction

Summary The comparative effectiveness of alendronate and risedronate has received limited evaluation. Among 19,063 new users of bisphosphonates, risedronate users had a higher relative rate of hip fracture compared to alendronate users, but the difference in absolute fracture rate was small. We conclude that the agents have comparable efficacy.
E∥B energy-mass spectrograph for measurement of ions and neutral atoms

Real-time measurement of plasma composition and energy is an important diagnostic in fusion experiments. The Thomson parabola spectrograph described here utilizes an electric field parallel to a magnetic field (E∥B) and a two-dimensional imaging detector to uniquely identify the energy-per-charge and mass-per-charge distributions of plasma ions. An ultrathin foil can be inserted in front of the E∥B filter to convert neutral atoms to ions, which are subsequently analyzed using the E∥B filter. Since helium exiting an ultrathin foil does not form a negative ion and hydrogen isotopes do, this spectrograph allows unique identification of tritium ions and neutrals even in the presence of a large background of 3He.
Comparison of a Local Linearization Algorithm with Standard Numerical Integration Methods for Real-Time Simulation

The local linearization algorithm is presented as a possible numerical integration scheme to be used in real-time simulation. A second-order nonlinear example problem is solved using different methods. The local linearization approach is shown to require less computing time and give significant improvement in accuracy over the classical second-order integration methods.
Psychological Distress and Impaired Quality of Life Common among Community-Dwelling Adults with Lower Gastrointestinal Disorders

This study examines the comparison of psychological well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between adults with and without lower gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and between adults with lower GI disorders and those with other common chronic illnesses. Data of adults aged 18 years or older from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (n=29,828) were analyzed. Approximately 5.4% of survey participants reported they had been told by a physician that they had lower GI disorders. Those reporting lower GI disorders were 1.8 times more likely to meet the criteria for serious mental illness (SMI) and were significantly more likely to report impaired HRQOL than those without GI disorders. In addition, those with lower GI disorders were significantly more likely than those with heart disease and diabetes and equally as likely as those with arthritis and asthma to meet the criteria for SMI. Because psychological comorbidity is common among adults with lower GI disorders and may complicate their course and treatment, clinicians should consider screening patients presenting with lower GI disorders for these comorbid conditions.
Hyperextension fracture-dislocation of the thoracic spine

Extension injuries of the thoracolumbar spine are rare and often are not included in classifications of thoracolumbar trauma. Hyperextension fracture-dislocation of the thoracolumbar spine is characterized radiographically by widening of the intervertebral disc space anteriorly. Additional features may include retrolisthesis, impaction fractures of the middle and posterior columns, and anterior inferior endplate corner fractures. Magnetic resonance imaging typically reveals rupture of the anterior longitudinal ligament and hemorrhage into the disc space, and it may demonstrate associated soft tissue or spinal cord injury. We present a case of hyperextension fracture-dislocation of the thoracic spine in a middle-aged female involved in a motor vehicle collision and discuss the salient features of this injury.
The effectiveness of task-level parallelism for production systems

Abstract Large production systems (rule-based systems) continue to suffer from extremely slow execution which limits their utility in practical applications as well as in research settings. Most investigations in speeding up these systems have focused on match parallelism. These investigations have revealed that the total speed-up available from this source is insufficient to alleviate the problem of slow execution in large-scale production system implementations. In this paper, we focus on task-level parallelism, which is obtained by a high-level decomposition of the production system. Speed-ups obtained from task-level parallelism will multiply with the speed-ups obtained from match parallelism. The vehicle for our investigation of task-level parallelism is SPAM, a high-level vision system, implemented as a production system. SPAM is a mature research system with a typical run requiring between 50,000 and 400,000 production firings. We report very encouraging speed-ups from task-level parallelism in SPAM… -our parallel implementation shows near linear speed-ups of over 12-fold using 14 processors and points the way to substantial (50- to 100-fold) speed-ups. We present a characterization of task-level parallelism in production systems and describe our methodology for selecting and applying a particular approach to parallelize SPAM. Additionally, we report the speed-ups obtained from the use of virtual shared memory . Overall, task-level parallelism has not received much attention in the literature. Our experience illustrates that it is potentially a very important tool for speeding up large-scale production systems.
ALTERATIONS IN PULMONARY BLOOD FLOW IN THE LAMB INDUCES CHANGES IN PULMONARY VASCULAR MORPHOLOGY AND GROWTH FACTOR EXPRESSION. • 121

Congenital heart defects are associated with structural abnormalities of the pulmonary circulation, which depend on the amount of pulmonary blood flow. With increased blood flow, there is increased pulmonary artery size, medial smooth muscle hypertrophy, and extension of this muscle into nonmuscular pulmonary arteries. With decreased blood flow, there is decreased number and size of pulmonary arteries, and decreased muscularity. We have developed models of increased (insertion of an aortopulmonary vascular graft) and decreased (unilateral pulmonary artery banding) pulmonary blood flow in fetal lambs. By 4 weeks of age, these lambs demonstrate structural abnormalities of the pulmonary circulation. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these changes are not understood. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have effects on the proliferation of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, and on the formation of new capillaries and larger vessels. To evaluate the role of these growth factors in controlling pulmonary vascular growth, we cloned ovine bFGF and VEGF cDNA fragments. Lung tissues were obtained from 4-week-old lambs with normal, increased or decreased pulmonary blood flow. RNase protection assays,in situ hybridization, and Western blot analyses (using commercial antibodies) were performed. Increased pulmonary blood flow, with resulting increased size and number of pulmonary arteries, is associated with increased gene and protein expression for bFGF (3-fold) and VEGF (5-fold); while decreased pulmonary blood flow, with resulting decreased size and number of pulmonary arteries, is associated with decreased gene and protein expression for bFGF (2-fold) and VEGF (2-fold). A better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling pulmonary vascular growth may lead to new treatment strategies for children with congenital heart defects.
Optical absorption spectra and polarons for three-dimensional trans-polyacetylene

Abstract We study the effects of dimensionality in trans -polyacetylene by developing a three-dimensional (3D) generalization of the one-dimensional (1D) Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model. Our model faithfully reflects the 3D character of the band-edge states as found in ab initio local-density-approximation (LDA) calculations, but is simple enough to be solvable analytically for the dimerized ground state. We examine the optical absorption predicted within this model, paying special attention to the roles of the transverse coupling and polarized pump and probe fields. We also study the intrinsic bond-order defects (corresponding to ‘polarons’) in the idealized crystal.
Focal dermal hypoplasia: abnormal growth characteristics of skin fibroblasts in culture.

Focal dermal hypoplasia is an inherited disease affecting the skin, bones, ocular and dental structures. Histologically, the skin lesions are characterized by a marked decrease in dermal connective tissue. Fibroblast cultures initiated from both the skin lesions and the unaffected skin from a patient with focal dermal hypoplasia were used to assess the growth characteristics of these cells as well as potential abnormalities in the metabolism of collagen, the major extracellular gene product of skin fibroblasts. Cells from affected skin were characterized by a markedly compromised growth potential with a mean population doubling time twice that of the controls and a final saturation density of one-fifth that of control cultures. Phase contrast microscopy revealed that fibroblasts derived from the skin lesions were strikingly abnormal and characterized by a large granular cytoplasm with cytoplasmic vacuoles. Despite these findings, the rate of collagen synthesis, measured as the formation of [ 3 H]hydroxyproline in relation to DNA and cell protein was undisturbed in focal dermal hypoplasia. Furthermore, the relative synthesis of genetically distinct pro-collagens of type I and III, isolated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, was unaltered in the affected cell strains. These findings indicate that, although the synthesis of collagen by individual fibroblasts is normal, an abnormality in cell kinetics may have relevance to the absence of collagen and other connective tissue components of the dermis in focal dermal hypoplasia.
Personality Pathology and Increased Use of Medical Resources in Later Adulthood

Objectives: Personality pathology is associated with many negative health outcomes in young adulthood, including overutilization of healthcare resources. It is unclear, however, what the relation between personality pathology and medical resource utilization is as individuals age and develop new physical health problems. Design: The present study examined whether personality disorder (PD) features were related to greater medical resource utilization in a sample of 1,630 community-dwelling participants, aged 55e64 years. PD features and health status were measured at baseline; medical resource utilization and new physical health problems were measured at four 6-month follow-up assessments. Multilevel modeling analyses tested associations between number of physical health problems and PD features in medical resource use over time. Results: Greater number of physical health problems significantly predicted higher medical resource utilization. The results also showed that many PD features were related to higher reported medical resource utilization in dependent of health status and sociodemographic variables. Schizoid and schizotypal PD features were associated with less reported medical resource utilization. When all PDs were included in the model together, dependent, antisocial, histrionic, and narcissistic PD features remained predictive of higher medical resource utilization. Conclusions: Personality pathology remains a relevant predictor of greater medical resource utilization into later adulthood and should be considered an important risk factor when trying to determine ways to reduce costly overuse of healthcare resources among older adults. (Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2014; 22:1478e1486)
The acting of Edwin Forrest

(1950). The acting of Edwin Forrest. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 483-491.