cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rare cause of dysphagia after esophageal variceal banding: A case report.

Background Esophageal varices are a result of progressive liver disease and portal hypertension. Treatment can be performed with band ligation versus non-selective beta blockers depending on the size of varices, ability to tolerate medications and history of variceal bleeding. Band ligation is an effective intervention with rare but serious complications including bleeding, ulcers and rarely obstruction. Few cases of esophageal obstruction and necrosis caused by banding have been reported, each with varied management from conservative treatment to band removal. Case summary An 89 years old woman with a past medical history of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis presented to the hospital with an inability to swallow one day after screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy where band ligation of esophageal varices was performed for primary prophylaxis. The patient was not able to tolerate her oral secretions. Initial blood work revealed a Model of End Organ Liver Disease score of 7. She was treated with sublingual nitroglycerin for esophageal spasm, a known complication after esophageal banding. When she failed to improve, esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed and revealed the mucosa surrounding the banded varix was necrosed and blocking the lumen of the esophagus. The band was purposefully dislodged, revealing distal ulceration and stricturing. Within 72 h after band removal, she was tolerating an oral diet. Endoscopy performed 2 wk later revealed an intrinsic stenosis, measuring 8 mm in diameter by 1 cm in length, which was dilated. Conclusion Esophageal obstruction is a complication of variceal banding that should be considered in patients with inability to tolerate oral diet after banding.
Loneliness and cortisol are associated with social network regulation

This study examines how loneliness and the body's stress response system interact to regulate social connections. We suggest that the drive to reconnect signaled by loneliness can be accompanied physiologically by the production of cortisol, which can offer supportive coping resources. Thus, we investigated how loneliness, cortisol levels, and their interaction predicted changes in network connections in a social organization. Participants (n = 193; 53% female) provided friendship network data at two times. At time 1, participants reported on loneliness and donated saliva (later assayed for cortisol). Results revealed that concurrently, lonely individuals reported fewer friendships, whereas over time, they named more friends. These results support the hypothesis that loneliness is a signal to develop connections. We also explored whom lonely individuals befriended over time. Results showed that cortisol significantly moderated the preference for friends with a similar level of loneliness. Specifically, lonely individuals with higher cortisol befriended those who were less lonely over those who were lonelier. Thus, cortisol levels may serve an adaptive function in mobilizing resources to develop connections that fulfill social belongingness needs. Results supported the theorized signaling function of loneliness and revealed that loneliness and the stress response system interact to shape social connections.
Egg consumption and risk of coronary artery disease in the Million Veteran Program

Summary Background & aims Limited and inconsistent data are available on the relation between egg consumption and risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and it is unclear if adiposity or type 2 diabetes modifies egg-MI relation. We tested the primary hypothesis that egg consumption is positively associated with incidence of MI among veterans. In secondary analyses, we examined potential effect modification of egg-MI relation by adiposity and type 2 diabetes. Methods We analyzed data collected on 188,267 US veterans who were enrolled in the Million Veteran Program (MVP) from 2011 to 2018. Information on egg consumption was obtained via self-administered food frequency questionnaire and we used electronic health records to identify incident MI. Results The mean age was 64.4 (SD = 12.0) years and 9.9% of the population were female. We ascertained 10,260 new cases of non-fatal MI during an average follow up of 3.24 years (range: 0.002 to 7.49 y). Hazard ratio (95% CI) for non-fatal MI were 1.00 (ref), 0.93 (0.85–0.1.02), 0.96 (0.87–1.05), 0.98 (0.89–1.07), 1.08 (0.98–1.19), 1.11 (1.00–1.24), and 1.13 (1.00–1.28) for egg consumption of Conclusions Our data showed no association of infrequent consumption of eggs with non-fatal MI but a slightly elevated risk with intake of 1 or more eggs per day among US veterans.
Prescribed Riemannian symmetries

Given a smooth free action of a compact connected Lie group $G$ on a smooth manifold $M$, we show that the space of $G$-invariant Riemannian metrics on $M$ whose automorphism group is precisely $G$ is open dense in the space of all $G$-invariant metrics, provided the dimension of $M$ is "sufficiently large" compared to that of $G$. As a consequence, it follows that every compact connected Lie group can be realized as the automorphism group of some compact connected Riemannian manifold. Along the way we also show, under less restrictive conditions on both dimensions and actions, that the space of $G$-invariant metrics whose automorphism groups preserve the $G$-orbits is dense $G_{\delta}$ in the space of all $G$-invariant metrics.
VARIATIONS IN PAEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT PRACTICES IN TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY: PAEDIATRIC EVIDENCE IS STILL LACKING

Large variations in paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nursing and medical practices in traumatic brain injury (TBI) continue to exist in the UK.12 This is largely the result of limited paediatric evidence to support therapeutic strategies and the often automatic translation of adult practice into children, without question. Small children are not just “little adults”, however, they vary in their mechanism of injury, response to injury and recovery from brain injury.3 This lecture will present a recent audit showing the variations in UK PICU practices and relate this to previous studies; it will also highlight the differences between children and adults in their response to TBI to highlight why adult evidence may not always translate into paediatrics. In addition, it will provide new evidence for the physiological effects of intensive care nursing interventions in children. Finally, recommendations for practice will be highlighted.
Association of Sleep Disorders With Physician Burnout.

This cross-sectional study evaluates the association between sleep disorders and burnout symptoms among faculty and staff at a large teaching hospital.
Quantification of the Effect of Train Type on Concrete Sleeper Ballast Pressure Using a Support Condition Back-Calculator

Monitoring ballast support condition and improving current sub-structure and ballast maintenance strategies is critical to ensuring safe and efficient railroad operations. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) have developed a ballast support condition back-calculator, a non-destructive instrumentation method and corresponding analysis tool that quantifies ballast pressure distributions under concrete sleepers without interrupting revenue service train operations. This laboratory-validated non-intrusive method uses concrete sleeper bending moment profile and rail seat loads as inputs to back-calculate the reaction distribution using a Simulated Annealing optimization algorithm that incorporates Pareto Distribution as the random variable generator. In order to further understand in-service ballast support conditions, concrete surface strain gauges were installed on concrete sleepers at a revenue service field site to measure their bending moments. This site is on a shared use rail corridor with traffic ranging from high speed passenger to heavy axle load (HAL) freight trains. Rail-mounted strain gauges were used to measure vertical wheel-rail loads to approximate rail seat loads. This paper quantifies the ballast pressure distributions beneath concrete sleepers under different types of rolling stock and evaluates how ballast support condition changes as a function of accumulated tonnage. A wide range of loads were observed at the field site, ranging from 4 to 35 kips (18 kN to 156 kN). Corresponding ballast pressures ranged from 14 psi to 175 psi (97 kPa to 1,207 kPa), with sleeper-ballast contact area corresponding to 60% of the bottom of the sleeper area. The accumulation of 12.24 million gross tons (MGT) did not generate a quantifiable change in ballast pressure values nor did it generate a change in the ballast support condition. The research results presented in this paper demonstrate the potential of the back-calculator to provide a stand-alone non-invasive method to quantify ballast support conditions, sleeper health, and sleeper bearing stress. Back calculator data will aid the rail industry in optimizing tamping cycles, enhancing safety, and developing more representative concrete sleeper flexural designs based on actual support conditions.
N,Nʹ-diarylformamidines: Solid state structural analysis and steric-induced stereochemical exchange in solution

Abstract X-ray crystal structures of four substituted N,Nʹ-diarylformamidines demonstrated that cyclic dimers form in solid state from two formamidines as a tautomeric pair in s-trans configuration facilitated by two hydrogen bonds. NMR studies in various deuterated solvents along with subsequent acid addition indicate that the introduction of sterically demanding substituents at the ortho position seems to destabilize the formamidine dimer formation in solution resulting in the appearance of proton signals indicative of the rare s-cis isomers. When molecules feature significant steric hindrance from the substituents, s-trans isomers coexist with the s-cis isomers in CDCl3, C6D6, and DMSO‑d6. The distribution of the isomers in solution depends on the choice of the solvent, concentration, and also the bulkiness of the alkyl substituents. Addition of acid or coordinating solvent stabilizes the s-trans isomers.
A wild-derived antimutator drives germline mutation spectrum differences in a genetically diverse murine family

Abstract Little is known about the impact of genetic variation on mutation rates within species. We conducted a QTL scan for alleles that influence germline mutagenesis using a panel of recombinant inbred mouse lines descended from the laboratory strains C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2). Mice inheriting D haplotypes at a locus on chromosome 4 accumulate C>A germline mutations at a 50% higher rate than those with B haplotypes. The QTL contains coding variation in Mutyh, a DNA repair gene that underlies C>A-dominated mutational signatures with similar sequence context biases in human cancers. Both B and D Mutyh alleles are present in wild populations of Mus musculus domesticus, and likely represent the first documented example of segregating variation that modulates germline mutation rates in mammals. One-sentence summary The rate of germline C>A mutations in the BXD family of mice is modulated by natural variation at a locus containing Mutyh, a component of the 8-oxoguanine DNA repair pathway.
Coaching and Effective Leaders: An Overview and Recommended Research Agenda

This chapter is about sports coaching and implications for future research, with specific attention being given to the area of leadership in coaching. Foundational information about leadership is provided. The leadership content is connected to the areas of relational exchanges and culture development. A brief overview of these areas and how they connect to leadership in coaching is an important precursor to the identification of limitations present in the coaching research literature. Without first understanding the basics of leadership and how it impacts essential organizational and team processes such as relationship and cultural building, it is difficult to arrive at recommendations for improving the study of sport coaches as organizational (team) leaders. The chapter also focuses on social effectiveness to introduce readers to an understudied yet essential area of scholarly inquiry that would greatly enhance the leadership effectiveness of coaches. Social effectiveness research is summarized before singling out the concept of political skill as a social effectiveness construct that may hold particular significance to the advancement of leadership and coaching research. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of coaching research and the presentation of an agenda for improving the study of social effectiveness and leadership in the sport sciences.
Fundamental gene network rewiring at the second order within and across mammalian systems.

MOTIVATION Genetic or epigenetic events can rewire molecular networks to induce extraordinary phenotypical divergences. Among the many network rewiring approaches, no model-free statistical methods can differentiate gene-gene pattern changes not attributed to marginal changes. This may obscure fundamental rewiring from superficial changes. RESULTS Here we introduce a model-free Sharma-Song test to determine if patterns differ in the second order, meaning that the deviation of the joint distribution from the product of marginal distributions is unequal across conditions. We prove an asymptotic chi-squared null distribution for the test statistic. Simulation studies demonstrate its advantage over alternative methods in detecting second-order differential patterns. Applying the test on three independent mammalian developmental transcriptome datasets, we report a lower frequency of co-expression network rewiring between human and mouse for the same tissue group than the frequency of rewiring between tissue groups within the same species. We also find secondorder differential patterns between microRNA promoters and genes contrasting cerebellum and liver development in mice. These patterns are enriched in the spliceosome pathway regulating tissue specificity. Complementary to previous mammalian comparative studies mostly driven by first-order effects, our findings contribute an understanding of system-wide second-order gene network rewiring within and across mammalian systems. Second-order differential patterns constitute evidence for fundamentally rewired biological circuitry due to evolution, environment, or disease. AVAILABILITY The generic Sharma-Song test is available from the R package 'DiffXTables' at https://cran.rproject.org/package=DiffXTables. Other code and data are described in Methods. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Pledges, Parades and Mandatory Payments: Creating Coherency in Compelled Expression

This Article examines the Supreme Court's treatment of compelled expression cases. It sets forth the speech restraint framework by describing the crucial determinations guiding judicial analysis. It then explains the current results, reasoning, and incoherence of the compelled expression cases. This Article isolates and evaluates the variables that the Court claims are significant to compelled expression analysis. It then adjusts the variables according to the free speech clause values evident in speech restraint analysis to create a coherent doctrine of compelled expression. This doctrine both places past cases within a consistent framework and provides a structure for evaluating future compelled expression cases.
Differentiating suicide decedents who died by firearm verse hanging.

This present study sought to examine how demographics and the availability of means for suicide converge to impact method selection between firearms and hanging, which are the two most lethal and commonly used methods for suicide in the United States. Data were collected as part of a larger online study that gathered information about suicide decedents and the circumstances around their death from family members and friends; the most common sources being parents, friends, and other family members. This study used data from those who died by suicide by firearm or hanging (n = 149); and was restricted to those who identified as male and white. The study examined if age, education, marital status, military affiliation, and firearm ownership impacted method selection. Results indicated that age and owning a firearm were associated with using a firearm in a suicide death. Additionally, those who used a firearm were significantly younger and more likely to own a firearm than those who used another method; and those who died by hanging were significantly younger than those who used another method. Findings from this study can be leveraged to improve the effectiveness of means safety efforts and create more personalised public health messages on firearm safe storage.
Latent profile analysis of toddler parents’ perceptions of early care and education arrangements

Abstract Given an increasing number of young children now attend non-parental early care and education (ECE) programs, more policy and research attention has been paid to understanding how parents make ECE decisions. Parents make child care decisions based on their perceptions of different ECE types. The reauthorization of CCDBG identified families with toddlers as a priority group that requires special attention from states. This study uses latent profile analysis to examine toddler parents’ perceptions of three types of non-parental child care: center-based child care; family child care; and family, friend, and neighbor care. Results suggest that toddlers’ parents are classified into two profiles: “favorable across all settings” and “less favorable towards non-parental care”. Racial-ethnic minority families and families speaking a language other than English are more likely to be in the “less favorable towards non-parental care” profile while parents in the “favorable across all settings” group tend to be single parents and receive financial support. Further, parents’ perceptions of child care are significantly related to their child care choices. Parents in the “favorable across all settings” group are more likely to use non-parental child care for their toddler. Findings reveal parents’ concerns about the quality and price of non-parental care and indicate the need to improve child care quality and provide child care financial support.
Family-Based Drug Abuse Prevention Programs: A Review

Key elements of promising family-based drug abuse prevention strategies include: (1) program content based on proven prevention theory and research; (2) comprehensive approaches that begin early, extend across the life span, address multiple risk and protective factors, and generalize across settings; (3) developmentally appropriate material; (4) sensitivity to the culture and community; (5) sufficient dosage and follow-up; (6) use of interactive teaching techniques; (7) training for prevention program providers; and (8) evaluation to know that the intervention had the desired effect on behavior. In addition, an issue with major implications for prevention is how to reach the broadest possible audience or those who may most benefit from prevention services.
Opportunities and Challenges for Public Libraries to Enhance Community Resilience

This study bridges a gap between public library and emergency management policy versus practice by examining the role of public libraries in the community resource network for disaster recovery. Specifically, this study identifies the opportunities and challenges for public libraries to fulfill their role as a FEMA-designated essential community organization and enhance community resilience. The results indicate there are several opportunities for libraries to enhance community resilience by offering technology resources and assistance; providing office, meeting, and community living room space; serving as the last redundant communication channel and a repository for community information and disaster narratives; and adapting or expanding services already offered to meet the changing needs of the community. However, libraries also face challenges in enhancing community resilience, including the temptation to overcommit library capacity and staff capability beyond the library mission and a lack of long-term disaster plans and collaboration with emergency managers and government officials. Implications for library and emergency management practice and crisis research are discussed.
Ambient Temperature and Driving Cycle Effects on CNG Motor Vehicle Emission

This paper describes an emissions study of two vans powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). One van was relatively new, while the other had been driven more than 120,000 mi. The purpose of the study was to obtain emissions information which could be used to predict the impact of CNG use on ambient air quality and air toxic concentrations, and to develop a better understanding of the effect of ambient temperature variations on CNG emissions. Using four different driving cycles, emission tests were carried out at 20{degree}F, 75{degree}F, and 105{degree}F. Test results agree with previous findings that document low emissions of nonmethane hydrocarbons from CNG vehicles. Results also confirm the expectation that CNG emissions are not significantly affected by ambient temperature variations, although an increase in formaldehyde emission was noted for the 20{degree}F cold-start tests.
The Personal Rover.

In this paper, we summarize a new approach for the dissemination of robotics technologies. In a manner analogous to the personal computer movement of the early 1980’s, we propose that a productive niche for robotic technologies is as a creative outlet for human expression and discovery. This paper describes our ongoing efforts to design, prototype and test a low-cost, highly competent personal rover for the domestic environment.
12 Transformative Relocation in the U.S. Southwest and Mesoamerica

A comparative perspective, drawing from cases in the U.S. Southwest and Northern Mexico, is used to illuminate the iconic Classic Maya “collapse,” and to define the concept of transformative relocation. In some of the cases we discuss—including La Quemada and Classic Mimbres, as well as Maya—the end of a social configuration is not the end of a people. Rather, a broad temporal and regional perspective demonstrates that the dramatic change we see in the archaeological record is best characterized as a transformative relocation in which people relocated themselves and adopted new ways of life. The comparative perspective allows us to identify factors that contribute to this kind of transformation, including a compounding of vulnerabilities and situations of path dependence.
The Spring-Wheat Farmer in a Maturing Economy 1870–1920

The spring-wheat region, stretching from central Minnesota across the X Dakotas and into Montana, has been the seat of much unrest owing to its unbalanced development from 1870 to 1920. It was colonized by seekers of the proverbial â€œfree homeâ€ and fabulous profits to be had by raising wheat. As a result many farmers assumed burdensome economic ties and fell victims to over-optimism. Their difficulties were due to a variety of complex factors, some within and others outside their control; yet, one trend stood out noticeably: the grain growers persisted in a ruinous, anarchistic form competition, whereas among the merchants and their powerful allies competition was closely regulated.
Evaluation of Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies and Practices in Child Care Centers within Rural Communities.

Abstract Background: Although some researchers have examined nutrition and physical activity policies within urban child care centers, little is known about the potentially unique needs of rural communities. Methods: Child care centers serving preschool children located within low-income rural communities (n = 29) from seven states (Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) were assessed to determine current nutrition and physical activity (PA) practices and policies. As part of a large-scale childhood obesity prevention project, the Community Healthy Living Index's previously validated Early Childhood Program Assessment Tool was used to collect data. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to identify high-priority areas. Healthy People 2020 and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' recommendations for nutrition and PA policies in child care centers were used as benchmarks. Results: Reports of not fully implementing (<80% of the time) recommended nutrition-relat...
Digital copyright enforcement measures and their human rights threats

This chapter examines the human rights threats posed by those digital copyright enforcement measures that have been incorporated into both domestic laws and international agreements. It begins by providing an overview of the various human rights that have been implicated by these measures. The chapter then briefly discusses those specific measures that have been deemed highly threatening from a human rights standpoint. Although these measures were drawn largely from international agreements, most notably the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), many of them originate in domestic laws in either the European Union or the United States. This chapter concludes with two case studies. The first study focuses on the so-called "graduated response" system, which has been introduced in Chile, France, Ireland, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States and explored in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This study illustrates the specific challenges brought about by one of the most draconian copyright enforcement measures ever created for the internet. The second study focuses on the active push by copyright holders and their supportive governments for provisions in ACTA that promote greater enforcement of intellectual property rights in the digital environment. This study highlights the systemic human rights challenges posed by non-multilateral trade agreements.
Just-About-Right and ideal scaling provide similar insights into the influence of sensory attributes on liking.

Abstract Just-about-right (JAR) scaling is criticized for measuring attribute intensity and acceptability simultaneously. Using JAR scaling, an attribute is evaluated for its appropriateness relative to one’s hypothetical ideal level that is pre-defined at the middle of a continuum. Alternatively, ideal scaling measures these two constructs separately. Ideal scaling allows participants to rate their ideal freely on the scale (i.e., without assuming the “Too Little” and “Too Much” regions are equal in size). We hypothesized that constraining participants’ ideal to the center point, as is done in the JAR scale, may cause a scaling bias and, thereby, influence the magnitude of “Too Little” and “Too Much”. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the magnitude of “Too Little” and “Too Much” would influence liking to different extents. Coffee-flavored dairy beverages ( n = 20) were formulated using a fractional, constrained-mixture design that varied the ratio of water, milk, coffee extract, and sucrose. Participants tasted 4 of 20 prototypes that were served in a monadic sequential order using a balanced incomplete block design. Data reported here are for participants randomly assigned to one of two research conditions: ideal scaling ( n = 129) or JAR scaling ( n = 132). For both conditions, participants rated overall liking using a 9-point hedonic scale. Four attributes ( sweetness , milk flavor , coffee flavor and thickness ) were evaluated. The reliability of an individual participant’s ideal rating for an attribute was evaluated using the standard deviation of their ideal ratings ( n = 4). All data from a participant were eliminated from further analyses when his/her standard deviation of the ideal ratings for any of the four rated attributes was identified as a statistical outlier. This resulted in the elimination of 15 of 129 (12%) of participants in the ideal scaling group. Multiple linear regression was employed to model liking as a function of “Too Little” or “Too Much” attribute intensities. Mean ideal ratings (averaged across participants) for all four attributes were significantly different from the central point of the scale (i.e., 50). However, coffee flavor was the only attribute for which the mean ideal rating (57.2) fell outside the central 10% (45.0–55.0). Even so, the magnitude of “Too Little” and “Too Much” was not affected by the scaling method. The influence of the magnitude of “Too Little” and “Too Much” on liking was asymmetrical. Both scaling methods agreed that sweetness and coffee flavor were the main sensory attributes affecting liking . Overall, JAR scaling and ideal scaling were comparable for measuring “Too Little” and “Too Much”, and identifying the main factors affecting liking.
Statistical inference in nonstationary markov models with embedded explanatory variables

In this paper, we develop an operational nonstationary Markov process model for use with macro aggregate frequency data. Independent, time-variant factors assumed to affect the process of interest are embedded in the model. Transition probabilities are estimated indirectly from the coefficients on the embedded variables. We previously concluded that either the Marquardt or the simplex, derivative-free nonlinear programming algorithm could be used to estimate such a model. Here, we propose a test for parameter stationarity. By means of designed simulation experiments for the two-state model, we find that our test has acceptable Type I error probabilities, and that power rises with the degree of departure from the null hypothesis. Both validity and power performance can be improved by longer time records of data and a greater number of entities observed.
Halothane uptake by coacervate systems.

Abstract Two aggregated coacervae systems (acacia–gelatin and gelatin–benzalkonium chloride) were analyzed for gas sorption of halothane with a gas chromatograph, using a modified tonometer as an absorption chamber. Similar studies were performed on each system after the coacervate had been broken or "dissolved." Differences in absorption or solubilizing effect between coacervates and dissolved coacervates were noted. A significant halothane gas uptake was observed in the highly structured coacervate system.
193-nm positive-tone bilayer resist based on norbornene-maleic anhydride copolymers

We have designed and developed a high resolution 193 nm bilayer resist system based on alternating copolymers of silane substituted norbornene and maleic anhydride. We have utilized a combination of acid labile silane functionalities and acid stable silicon groups in this resist development.
Sexual imprinting: Variations in the persistence of mate preference due to difference in stimulus quality in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

The persistence of imprinted sexual preference for either the albino or normal Coturnix morph was compared. Male Coturnix that achieved a behavioral criterion of selecting in at least 8 of 10 choice tests the female morph to which they had been originally exposed were then housed for a period of 10 days with two hens of the morph to which they had not been exposed. In a second series of 10 choice tests administered after the cohabitation treatment, shifts in mate selection toward the more recently experienced morph were reliable only for males imprinted to albinos. The data are discussed in terms of the validity of the persistence property of the process instrumental in the development of mate preference in the Coturnix.
Experimental fluid percussion brain injury: vascular disruption and neuronal and glial alterations

Because of the potential relationship between vascular disturbances and secondary tissue damage, we identified areas of brain which exhibited hemorrhage and leakage of protein during the acute stage after experimental brain injury and subsequently studied the development of pathologic changes, including cavity formation, neuronal necrosis, and gliosis within these regions. The development of pathologic changes was evaluated at 1, 6, and 24 h and 1, 2, and 4 weeks after lateral, fluid percussion (FP) brain injury of moderate severity in the rat. Vascular disruption in the acute stages, as evidenced by hemorrhage and leakage of Evans blue albumin, was most prominent 6 h postinjury and was maximal in the parieto-occipital cortex. From 1 to 24 h after injury, regions of the injured hemisphere, including the cortex and hippocampus, exhibited abnormal neurons which stained with acid fuchsin and Alizarin red, histochemical markers for injured neurons and calcium, respectively. These same regions suffered significant neuronal cell loss from 1 to 4 weeks after injury. The distribution of reactive astrocytes was also evaluated by immunocytochemical localization of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). By 2 weeks postinjury, a prominent cavity was present in the frontoparietal and occipital cortices. Although astrogliosis was most pronounced in the cortex surrounding the cavity, prominent reactive astrocytes were widely distributed throughout the injured hemisphere. This study characterized the pathological changes which occur after experimental traumatic brain injury. In particular, we propose that neuronal cell injury in the hippocampus serves as a useful 'window' to assess beneficial efficacy of pharmacological intervention in the treatment of brain injury.
A Bayesian approach to replacement theory using a robust method—a case of small sample

Abstract The equipment replacement theory usually assumes a uniform distribution of the major variables in the model, e.g., salvage values, expected maintenance cost and purchase price of a. replacement item. However, in practice, the assumption of uniform characteristics of the variables is not always valid, furthermore, when the data points are few and the normality assumption is violated, the least squares regression method provides unreliable posterior estimates. In this paper, an attempt was made to derive an optimum decision by employing the robust regression method. It was shown that the optimum decision derived by the least squares method is. in fact, a suboptimum decision when the identical problem is solved via the robust method.
Glyphosate inhibits photosynthesis and allocation of carbon to starch in sugar beet leaves.

Glyphosate [(N-phosphonomethyl) glycine], a non-selective, post-emergence herbicide, affects a number of major processes in plants. At low dose rate, glyphosate affects growth and the partitioning of carbon, without killing the plant. We believe that similar responses occur shortly after application of lethal doses of glyphosate and that these early effects may reveal mechanisms of glyphosate action. Several hours after its application, glyphosate caused a decrease in accumulation of foliar starch, altered partitioning of carbon among sinks but had no observable effects on export (1). The present study was conducted to study details of the action of glyphosate on net carbon exchange (NCE) and on allocation of newly-fixed carbon in source leaves during the first 24 h after application.
Density-gradient molecular weight of T2 deoxyribo-nucleic acid utilizing a continuous-source monochromatic ultraviolet optical system

Abstract A continuous-source, monochromatic ultraviolet optical system for use in the Spinco Model E ultracentrifuge was constructed and its properties described. Utilizing this system, the molecular weight of T 2 DNA was determined by the CsCl gradient-equilibrium method. It was found that the molecular weight of unbroken double-stranded T 2 DNA increased by 60 % when measured at 280 mμ instead of 260 mμ. Similarly the molecular weight of unbroken single-stranded T 2 DNA increased by 40 %. It was concluded that the molecular weight of unbroken double-stranded T 2 DNA was approx. 10 8 Daltons and that unbroken single-stranded T 2 DNA was half this value.
Some connected ramsey numbers

A graph G is co-connected if both G and its complement Ḡ are connected and nontrivial. For two graphs A and B, the connected Ramsey number rc(A, B) is the smallest integer n such that there exists a co-connected graph of order n, and if G is a co-connected graph on at least n vertices, then A ⩽ G or B ⩽ Ḡ. If neither A or B contains a bridge, then it is known that rc(A, B) = r(A, B), where r(A, B) denotes the usual Ramsey number of A and B. In this paper rc(A, B) is calculated for some pairs (A, B) when r(A, B) is known and at least one of the graphs A or B has a bridge. In particular, rc(A, B) is calculated for A a path and B either a cycle, star, or complete graph, and for A a star and B a complete graph.
The function of job analysis in content validation.

Job analysis is invariably mentioned as a part of industrial/organizational activities, but the treatment rarely matches the acknowledged importance. While the amount of research on job analysis methods has increased dramatically in the past decade several critical issues remain unresolved. The EEOC Selection Guidelines have increased the dependence on the process and results of job analysis with respect to personnel selection and especially content validation. In the absence of research which defines the necessary and sufficient job analysis method a multi-method approach using both task-and worker-methods is strongly recommended.
Consistent-handed individuals are more authoritarian

Individuals differ in the consistency with which they use one hand over the other to perform everyday activities. Some individuals are very consistent, habitually using a single hand to perform most tasks. Others are relatively inconsistent, and hence make greater use of both hands. More- versus less-consistent individuals have been shown to differ in numerous aspects of personality and cognition. In several respects consistent-handed individuals resemble authoritarian individuals. For example, both consistent-handedness and authoritarianism have been linked to cognitive inflexibility. Therefore we hypothesised that consistent-handedness is an external marker for authoritarianism. Confirming our hypothesis, we found that consistent-handers scored higher than inconsistent-handers on a measure of submission to authority, were more likely to identify with a conservative political party (Republican), and expressed less-positive attitudes towards out-groups. We propose that authoritarianism may be influenced by the degree of interaction between the left and right brain hemispheres, which has been found to differ between consistent- and inconsistent-handed individuals.
Antiviral efficacy and mechanisms of action of oregano essential oil and its primary component carvacrol against murine norovirus.

Aims To investigate the antiviral efficacy of oregano oil and its primary active component, carvacrol, against the nonenveloped murine norovirus (MNV), a human norovirus surrogate. Methods and Results Along with an observed loss in cell culture infectivity, the antiviral mechanisms of action were determined in side-by-side experiments including a cell-binding assay, an RNase I protection assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both antimicrobials produced statistically significant reductions (P ≤ 0·05) in virus infectivity within 15 min of exposure (c. 1·0-log10). Despite this, the MNV infectivity remained stable with increasing time exposure to oregano oil (1·07-log10 after 24 h), while carvacrol was far more effective, producing up to 3·87-log10 reductions within 1 h. Based on the RNase I protection assay, both antimicrobials appeared to act directly upon the virus capsid and subsequently the RNA. Under TEM, the capsids enlarged from ≤35 nm in diameter to up to 75 nm following treatment with oregano oil and up to 800 nm with carvacrol; with greater expansion, capsid disintegration could be observed. Virus adsorption to host cells did not appear to be affected by either antimicrobial. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that carvacrol is effective in inactivating MNV within 1 h of exposure by acting directly on the viral capsid and subsequently the RNA. Significance and Impact of the Study This study provides novel findings on the antiviral properties of oregano oil and carvacrol against MNV and demonstrates the potential of carvacrol as a natural food and surface (fomite) sanitizer to control human norovirus.
Privatization/Commercialization of State-Owned Enterprises in Nigeria: Strategies for Improving the Performance of the Economy

Nigeria's economic crisis of the 1980s called into question two major aspects of its political economy: its mixed economy development model and state-operated enterprises (SOEs) seen as the embodim...
Influence of Unpaired UCS Presentations on Eyelid Conditioning

Kimble, Mann, and Mort (1955) presented evidence that, following a small number of paired CS-UCS trials, presentations of the UCS alone lead to an increase in eyelid conditioning which is approximately equal to that obtained with continued CS-UCS pairings. Although this phenomenon has been replicated in the laboratory at Duke University (Dufort & Kimble, 1958), other attempts to obtain it (Goodrich, Ross, & Wagner, 1957, 1959; McAllister & McAllister, 1960) have been unsuccessful. These latter experiments have, in fact, routinely obtained a slightly diminished level of conditioning following unpaired UCS presentations. At the present time no adequate explanation for these discrepant results exists. This study was undertaken to determine whether subtle differences in instructions to Ss were responsible. METHOD
Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke : Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation

Part one - Introduction: why anime? anime and global/local identity. Part two - Body, metamorphosis, identity: Akira and Ranma 1/2 - the monstrous adolescent controlling bodies - the body in pornographic anime ghosts and machines - the technological body doll parts - technology and the body in "Ghost in the Shell". Part three - Magical girls and fantasy worlds: the enchantment of estrangement - the Shojo in the world of Miyazaki Hayao carnival and conservatism in romantic comedy. Part four - Remaking master narratives - anime confronts history: no more words - "Barefoot Gen, Grave of Fireflies", and "Victim's History" Princess Mononoke - fantasy, the feminine, and the myth of "Progress" waiting for the end of the world - apocalyptic identity elegies conclusion - a fragmented mirror. Appendix - the fifth look - Western audiences and Japanese animation.
Operational experience with the CMS pixel detectors

Abstract The Pixel Detectors of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment were installed and commissioned in the Summer and Fall of 2008, removed, repaired and reinstalled in the Spring of 2009 and recommissioned in the Summer of 2009 in preparation for beam at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In this note we present pixel detector operating parameters, vertexing performance, and long-lived particle mass reconstruction using data collected during the Fall of 2009 with 450 GeV/ c and 1.18 TeV/ c circulating proton beams.
Personal Views about Aging among Korean American Older Adults: The Role of Physical Health, Social Network, and Acculturation

Given the importance of a positive attitude towards one’s own aging, we examined its predictors in a sample of 230 Korean American older adults (M age = 69.8 years, SD = 7.05). Personal views about aging, measured with a subscale of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS), were regressed on demographic variables, physical health-related factors, and psychosocial attributes (social network and acculturation). Results from the hierarchical regression analysis showed that better physical health conditions (fewer chronic conditions, less functional disability, and better vision) were associated with more positive personal views about aging. Other significant contributors included larger social networks and higher levels of acculturation. Findings suggest that personal views about aging among immigrant elderly populations can be enhanced by promoting physical health, social connectedness, and acculturation. Ways to maintain and improve positive attitudes about personal aging are discussed in a cultural context.
An augmented reduced mechanism for methane oxidation with comprehensive global parametric validation

Using a computer algorithm for automatic generation of reduced chemistry, an augmented reduced mechanism, consisting of 16 species and 12 lumped reaction steps, has been developed for methane oxidation from GRI-Mech 1.2. Because the present mechanism consists of a larger number of non-steady-state intermediates than the conventional four- or five-step reduced mechanisms, it exhibits good to excellent performance in predicting a wide range of combustion phenomena under extensive thermodynamical parametric variations. Specifically, the phenomena tested include perfectly stirred reactor responses, autoignition and shock-tube ignition delay times, laminar flame propagation speeds, and ignition-extinction limits of counterflowing systems, whereas the thermodynamical parametric variations include those of temperature, pressure, and composition. It is recognized that, with the anticipated increase in computing capability in the foreseeable future, use of the present four- to five-step mechanisms will be unnecessarily limiting. Consequently, it is suggested that efforts should be expended toward development of augmented reduced mechanisms for more comprehensive description of combustion phenomena and for their potential implementation in the computational simulation of complex flows and systems.
Molecular interactions between glucocorticoid and catecholamine signaling pathways.

Abstract To study the mechanism underlying glucocorticoid regulation of the β 1 -adrenergic receptor (β 1 AR), we identified a 43-bp region (−1274 to −1232 from the translation start site) that contains a novel glucocorticoid regulatory unit (GRU) that confers glucocorticoid responsiveness. The sequence encompassing the GRU is 5′ TAATTA 3′ , which is a core-binding motif for the homeodomain proteins; an E-box ( 5′ CACGTG 3′ ) binding site for the Myc/Max family proteins, and an overlapping glucocorticoid response element half-site ( 5′ TGTTCT 3′ ). We showed that the half-site is critical for GRU-protein interactions, which also require binding of proteins to the E-box and the homeodomain region. Expression of proteins binding to the GRU was shown to be developmentally regulated, being high in embryonic hearts, reduced in newborn hearts, and undetectable in adult hearts. Overexpression of c- myc antisense significantly reduced glucocorticoid responsiveness of the β 1 AR gene. We further demonstrated that transcriptional regulation of the β 1 AR gene is closely related to that of the c- myc gene and that the β 1 AR may be a potential target of c- myc . We conclude that the ovine β 1 AR gene contains a novel, functional GRU and that the nuclear factors that transactivate through this element may have important developmental implications. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;110:S247-54.)
Acid/base sensitive platinum terpyridyl complex: Switching between metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT), and intraligand charge transfer (ILCT) states

Abstract A platinum(II) 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridyl complex (2) with a hydroxylphenyl substituent on the terpyridyl ligand and a dimethylamino substituent on the phenylacetylide ligand was synthesized and characterized. Complex 2 exhibits a metal-to-ligand charge transfer (1MLCT) absorption band at ca. 410 nm and a ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (1LLCT) band at ca. 536 nm. It exhibits dual emission at ca. 450 nm and ca. 560 nm at room temperature when excited at 334 nm, which originates from the 1π,π* state and the 3MLCT/3π,π* state, respectively. Dramatic color change was observed for 2 with addition of acid and base. Its emission at 560 nm was enhanced in acidic solution and quenched in basic solution. The changes in absorption and emission could be attributed to the variation of the nature of the lowest excited state from LLCT to MLCT in acidic solution and to LLCT/ILCT at basic solution. The drastic color and emission intensity changes in acidic and basic solutions suggest that 2 could potentially be a colorimetric and luminescent acid/base sensor.