cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information and Emotion in Online Health-Related Discussions: Visualizing Connections and Causal Chains

Regardless of one’s condition, coping with a health condition can be a difficult experience. Aside from the flood of emotions one might experience concerning their illness, patients are likely to have numerous questions – what their illness is, how to deal with it, and how to deal with others, and so on. In recent years, people have increasingly sought out online support groups for the answers to these questions. Without question, affect is inextricably tied to the discussion content in online support groups. For example, anxiety is likely to be present in threads about biopsy results, anger might be present in threads that discuss the reaction of others to fibromyalgia, etc. Thus, a system that would support affect-based information retrieval could be helpful for users to identify content of interest. However, health-related discussion forums today do not readily support affect-based search. Thus, an interactive interface was designed in order to facilitate a view of the interrelatedness of topic and emotion in health-related discussion forums. The current version uses a corpus of discussion content for three different conditions: breast cancer, type 1 diabetes, and fibromyalgia. One of the views of the interface employs a timeline to facilitate a granular view of how multiple emotions and topics travel throughout one thread. Emotions are automatically identified using a lexicon generated based on Wordnet-Affect, and topics are automatically identified using Latent Dirichlet Allocation, using the MALLET toolkit. The interface also facilitates a view juxtaposing multiple threads that can be used to examine similarities and differences in emotional flows or topics. This interface might be useful to many different types of users, including patients, forum administrators and researchers. Patients could use the interface to identify posts that resonate with their own thoughts and feelings, or provide alternative views to a topic that they are struggling with. The interface may also be a useful supplement for forum administrators to identify areas in the forum that with particular strong affective content and implement features to support this. As a research tool, the interface may be used to analyze the role of affect in online information exchange. For example, by juxtaposing multiple threads, one could investigate questions such as: "In relation to what topics do anger or fear emerge?" and "To what extent do certain emotions, e.g. anger or sadness, appear in the forums?" The presentation will provide examples of these possible uses, as well as discuss research that is currently in progress. []
...There She is: Mama Africa!

And oh, what a splendid sight to behold. We are elated; indeed we are in rapture over the award of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize to none other than our very own Wangari Maathai. Since the award was announced on the morning of Friday, October 8, the talking drums have been in full beat, the palm wine is flowing, emails are being dispatched, and phones have not stopped ringing, as African women around the world celebrate the recognition of Mama Wangari for her environmental activism: working to secure the living environment across Africa. She founded the Green Belt movement in 1977. Since then the movement has planted tens of millions of trees, she has opposed the imposition of genetically modified crops on the African environment by the all-powerful Monsanto Corporation, and she constantly organizes women to empower themselves and challenge the powers that be.
Perfluorinated Compounds in Food Contact Materials

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) exhibit unique physical characteristics including hydrophobic and oleophobic properties as well as thermal and chemical stability. Due to these characteristics, PFCs are used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer applications, including automotive, electrical, clothing, and household products. PFCs are ubiquitous in the environment and PFCs greater than seven carbons in length have been found to bioaccumulate in wildlife and humans. Furthermore, laboratory animal studies have raised concerns as to the safety of human exposure to these compounds. Although their use in the manufacture of food contact substances (FCSs) constitutes a small segment of the use of PFCs, their use in food packaging and migration to foodstuffs does represent a potential source of oral exposure to humans. This chapter focuses on aspects of human exposure, and potential health risks associated with two types of long-chain PFCs that historically have been found in food packaging: perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and fluorinated telomer alcohols (FTOHs).
Urethral Diverticulum Excision and Placement of Autologous Fascia Lata Sling

Video Objective To show the repair of an uncommon urogynecological pathology, and to illustrate a case where an autologous fascial graft is placed for management of stress urinary incontinence. Setting The patient is a 59-year-old with abdominal pain, urinary incontinence, incomplete bladder emptying, and hematuria. She has a complex past medical and surgical history. Pre-operative urodynamic testing showed genuine stress urinary incontinence, and office cystoscopy was unremarkable. Imaging demonstrated a urethral diverticulum containing multiple stones. The patient proceeded to the operating room for excision of the diverticulum and placement of an autologous sling. Interventions Fascia lata from patient's right thigh was harvested and prepared with polypropylene sutures at each end. Cystourethroscopy identified the diverticulum opening in the posterior mid urethra. The anterior vaginal mucosa was incised and the pubocervical fascia was dissected. The bulge of the urethral diverticulum was identified. Entry into the diverticulum was encountered during the dissection, and multiple stones were removed. The entire diverticular sac was dissected from the posterior urethra and pubocervical fascia. The urethral wall was reapproximated. The periurethral fibromuscularis was closed in a vest-over-pants fashion in order to avoid overlapping suture line with the urethral closure. An abdominal incision was made above the pubic symphysis. Needle trocars were passed vaginally through retropubic space. The polypropylene stitches on the fascial lata graft were threaded through the needles and pulled onto the abdomen, placing the sling in place. The sutures were then sewn through the rectus fascia and tied in the midline. Final cystourethroscopy confirmed patent ureteral orifices, normal bladder mucosa, and intact urethral repair. A Foley catheter was replaced and maintained for 4 weeks. A voiding cystogram showed intact bladder and urethra. Conclusion This case depicts a scenario where autologous sling is preferable over synthetic mesh due to decreased risk of erosion when a urethral diverticulum is repaired.
Adjudication rather than experience of data abstraction matters more in reducing errors in abstracting data in systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND During systematic reviews, "data abstraction" refers to the process of collecting data from reports of studies. The data abstractors' level of experience may affect the accuracy of data abstracted. Using data from a randomized crossover trial in which different data abstraction approaches were compared, we examined the association between abstractors' level of experience and accuracy of data abstraction. METHODS We classified abstractors as "more experienced" if they had authored three or more published systematic reviews, and "less experienced" otherwise. Each abstractor abstracted data related to study design, baseline characteristics, and outcomes/results from six articles. We considered two types of errors: incorrect abstraction and errors of omission. We estimated the proportion of errors by level of experience using a binomial generalized linear mixed model. RESULTS We used data from 25 less experienced and 25 more experienced data abstractors. Overall error proportions were similar for less experienced abstractors (21%) and more experienced abstractors (19%). Compared with less experienced abstractors, more experienced abstractors had a lower odds of errors for data items related to outcomes/results (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34-0.82) and potentially for data items related to study design (adjusted OR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.64-1.09) but a potentially higher odds of errors for items related to baseline characteristics (adjusted OR = 1.42; 95% CI, 0.97-2.06). CONCLUSION Experience of data abstraction matters little. Errors are reduced by adjudication but still remain high for data items related to outcomes/results.
Polysubstance Use Patterns among Justice-Involved Individuals Who Use Opioids

The current study explores pre-incarceration polysubstance use patterns among a justice-involved population who use opioids. Design: Setting: Data from prison and jail substance use programing in t...
Stoking the flame: Subsistence and wood energy in rural Alaska, United States

Abstract Energy costs are large and increasing in rural Alaska communities, so communities are turning to renewable energy. While, many of these communities have a mixed subsistence-cash economy, the relationship between renewable energy and subsistence has not been studied. Tanana, Alaska has a biomass program and we conducted interviews with 61 households in 2017 to understand how residents perceive the program and its association with subsistence activities. We analyzed Alaska Department of Fish & Game subsistence surveys from 89 communities to estimate differences in subsistence harvest between households that harvest wood and those that do not. Interviews indicated that people who harvest wood for the biomass program were six times more likely to engage in subsistence. Subsistence harvests were nearly double (184 kg/per capita) in households that harvested wood for personal use versus those that did not (101 kg/per capita). Equipment used for both activities was similar, and 57% respondents combined wood harvesting with other activities (e.g. subsistence, travel, etc.). Higher household incomes and employment were positively associated with subsistence participation (p
A Novel Approach to Social Media Privacy Education Through Simulated Role Reversal

Abstract As social media grows rapidly in both prevalence and scope, the amount of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) shared online has also grown considerably. Unfortunately, many users lack the relevant privacy education and awareness necessary to avoid a growing number of severe threats on these platforms, including but not limited to identity thefts and phishing messages. In this paper, we further previous research into a novel simulation-based approach to social media privacy education and explore utilizing role reversal techniques to further increase user engagement and privacy awareness. By allowing users to pose as identity “hackers” who must investigate simulated content for sensitive information, we actively demonstrate the potential dangers of social media while subtly guiding users towards a safer privacy framework in their own social media usage. We then propose our own system, Digital-PASS, to fulfill this need, and provide a detailed analysis of the implementation and methods of our simulation’s hacker system.
An Exploration of Reflective Conversations in Early Intervention Caregiver Coaching Sessions

This descriptive study included a systematic examination of provider and caregiver reflective conversations during caregiver coaching sessions focused on embedded intervention. Transcribed videos f...
Response Style and Malingering

Accurate assessment of an individual's mental health is predicated on the acquisition of valid and reliable information. Response styles and malingering are threats to validity and to the evaluation process. Malingering is the intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated symptoms, motivated by external incentives, and it often poses ethical and professional challenges to the clinician. Deception develops fairly early in childhood, at a time when intentionality is questionable. Attempts to deceive are usually not credible until adolescence. Incentives to malinger can be substantial in both criminal and civil courts. Modern malingering detection is multidimensional and specific to the type of malingering in question (e.g., cognitive versus psychiatric). Tremendous gains have been made in the science of detection, but problems and pitfalls remain. Keywords: clinical neuropsychology; forensic psychology; psychometric testing; bias; faking; feigning; illness perceptions; motivation; suggestibility; symptom exaggeration
Abstract P250: Thr715pro Polymorphism in the Platelet Selectin Gene Does Not Modify Effects of Air Pollution Exposure.

Background: Epidemiological and toxicological studies support an adverse effect of air pollution exposure on cardiovascular outcomes, and proposed mechanisms include increased thrombosis and coagulation. Previously, we showed increased plasma levels of soluble platelet selectin (sP-selectin) and increased expression of the platelet selectin gene ( SELP ) in association with higher air pollution exposure; both indicating probable increased platelet activation. A functional polymorphism in SELP , Thr715Pro, decreases circulating levels of sP-selectin and is associated with decreased risk for venous thromboembolism and myocardial infarction. We hypothesized that carriers of the Pro allele would have weaker associations of gene expression and protein level with air pollution exposure versus non-carriers. Methods: We used a cohort-panel design, with repeated measures of exposures and outcomes among 60 elderly, non-smoking subjects with coronary artery disease, living in the Los Angeles air basin. This population is shown to have higher susceptibility to pollutant exposure. We measured plasma sP-selectin levels weekly for all 60 subjects using an ELISA assay. Genotypes were determined using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Whole blood gene expression levels were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reactions, for a subset of 40 subjects. Pollutant exposures measured at subject residences included the following: NO 2 /NO x , O 3 , CO, PM 2.5 organic, elemental and black carbon; particulate matter size fractions (PM 0.25 , PM 0.25-2.5 , PM 2.5-10 ); and organic components and oxidative potential of PM. Primary and secondary organic carbon were estimated from total organic carbon. T-tests and linear mixed effects models were used to analyze the data. Results: We determined that the 12 subjects who were carriers of the protective, Pro715, allele had lower sP-selectin levels versus Thr715 homozygotes (34.78 ng/mL vs 42.03 ng/mL, p SELP expression versus Thr715 homozygotes (p Conclusions: While it appears that both SELP gene and protein expression increases in association with air pollution exposure and these levels are lower in Pro715 carriers, we found no effect modification of these relationships by genotype. Recent data suggests that lower plasma sP-selectin in 715Pro carriers results from decreased N-glycosylation and subsequent sequestration in the Golgi apparatus. To our knowledge, there is no data indicating that N-glycosylation changes as a result of air pollution exposure. We conclude that differences in the soluble protein levels due to the presence of this polymorphism are not altered as a result of changes in air pollution exposure.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as an independent predictor of left main and/or three-vessel disease in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Abstract Background/Purpose Patients with acute coronary syndrome due to left main and/or three-vessel disease (LM/3VD) are at the highest risk of short- and long-term adverse cardiovascular events. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown to predict the severity of coronary artery disease in various clinical settings, but its independent predictive value for LM/3VD has not been investigated in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). We aimed to evaluate the independent predictive value of NLR for LM/3VD in NSTEMI patients. Methods/Materials We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive NSTEMI patients who underwent coronary angiography. NLR was calculated as the ratio of neutrophil to lymphocyte based on the laboratory data on admission. The primary outcome was the presence of LM/3VD. Results In all, 396 patients were included in the final analysis. Median NLR in the entire study population was 3.43 (interquartile range, 2.12–5.51). By receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, the optimal cutoff value of NLR in predicting LM/3VD was 2.80 (area under the curve 0.60, sensitivity 73%, specificity 43%). Of the 396 patients, 244 patients (62%) had NLR ≥ 2.8. Patients with NLR ≥ 2.8 were older and had a higher prevalence of LM/3VD (30 % vs. 18%, p = 0.005). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, NLR ≥ 2.8 was an independent predictor of LM/3VD after adjusting for other clinical variables including ST depression and ST elevation in lead aVR (odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.07–3.21, p = 0.03). Conclusion Our study demonstrates that NLR ≥ 2.8 is an independent predictor of LM/3VD in patients with NSTEMI.
PPARs in Atherosclerosis

Originally published in: Cellular Proteins and Their Fatty Acids in Health and Disease. Edited by Asim K. Duttaroy and Friedrich Spener. Copyright © 2003 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA Weinheim. Print ISBN: 3-527-30437-0 The sections in this article are Atherosclerosis Introduction Atherosclerosis as a Clinical Syndrome Cellular Constituents of Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis as an Inflammatory Disorder Atherosclerosis as a Metabolic Disorder PPAR in the Vasculature PPARs in Vascular Biology and Atherosclerosis Examining Evidence for PPAR in Vascular Responses PPARγ in Vascular Biology and Atherosclerosis In vitro Evidence In vivo Evidence PPARα in Vascular Biology and Atherosclerosis In vitro Evidence In vivo Evidence PPARδ in Vascular Biology and Atherosclerosis Conclusion Keywords: PPARs in atherosclerosis; vasculature
An improved numerical method for the analysis of the fields in a deformed waveguide

An improved method for the analysis of the fields within a section of deformed waveguide is discussed. The method is based on an iterative solution to the Stratton-Chu diffraction formulae and can be used in the synthesis of waveguide mode converters. In particular, it can be efficiently applied to the analysis of the fields in tapered gyrotron launchers.
Membrane capacity measurements suggest a calcium-dependent insertion of synexin into phosphatidylserine bilayers.

Abstract The mechanism by which synexin mediates calcium-dependent aggregation of medullary cell chromaffin granules and fusion of granule ghosts involves specific interactions with the lipid component of the membrane. To study the details of these interactions we measured synexin-induced changes in capacitance of phosphatidylserine bilayers formed at the tip of a patch pipet using the double-dip method. Provided calcium was present in the solution filling the pipet (10–50 mM) stable phosphatidylserine bilayers were easily formed. Addition of synexin (0.1 μg/ml) to an external medium lacking added calcium induced no measurable changes in either bilayer resistance (10–30 GΩ) or displacement current across the membrane. However, addition of calcium (0.1–2.5 mM) in the presence of synexin in the external solution caused a marked increase in the size and time constant of decay of the displacement current. From the steady-state value of the current we calculated a 5-fold decrease in resistance and from the charge displaced during the voltage-clamp pulses we calculated a 10-fold increase in membrane capacitance (from 20 to 200 fF). The size of the synexin-specific charge displacement in one direction during a pulse was always equal to the charge returning to the original configuration after the pulse. The synexin-specific transfer of charge reached saturation when the pipet potential was taken to a sufficient positive or negative value. These properties of the extra charge movement support our view that in the presence of calcium the cytosolic protein synexin penetrates into the bilayer. It is possible that these properties may be related to the mechanism by which synexin promotes membrane fusion in natural membranes.
Coarsening kinetics of coherent γ′ precipitates in ternary Ni-based alloys: The Ni-Al-Si system

AbstractCoarsening of coherent precipitates γ’ in alloys such as Ni-based alloys has been studied extensively not only for its practical significance in the design of engineering alloys but also in an effort to understand the phe omenon of coarsening. However, a complete understanding of the role of the multiple factors that can affect the coarsening kinetics in such systems i still lacking. Although some advances have been made through computer simulations, studying experimentally the influence o the volume fraction of the second phase and that of coherency strains on the kinetics of coarsening has been particularly challenging.This paper will highlight some of the issues that are relevant to the study of coarsening in multi–component alloy systems. Recent results obtained for the kinetics of coarsening of γ’ precipitates in different alloys within the Ni-Al-Si system will be presented. Compositions of these alloys have been chosen so as to vary both the magnitude and the sign of coherency strains betwee...
Does supportive parenting mitigate the longitudinal effects of peer victimization on depressive thoughts and symptoms in children

Cohen and Wills (Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A., 1985, Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 310–357) described two broad models whereby social support could mitigate the deleterious effects of stress on health: a main effect model and stress-buffering model. A specific application of these models was tested in a three-wave, multimethod study of 1888 children to assess ways parental support (social support) mitigates the effects of peer victimization (stress) on children’s depressive symptoms and depression-related cognitions (health-related outcomes). Results revealed that (a) both supportive parenting and peer victimization had main effects on depressive symptoms and cognitions; (b) supportive parenting and peer victimization did not interact in the prediction of depressive thoughts and symptoms; (c) these results generalized across age and gender; and (d) increases in depressive symptoms were related to later reduction of supportive parenting and later increase in peer victimization. Although supportive parenting did not moderate the adverse outcomes associated with peer victimization, results show that its main effect can counterbalance or offset these effects to some degree. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Community Involvement In Schools From Concept to Practice

This article reviews the current theoretical and empirical literature on community involvement in schools to foster greater understanding of the key concepts, themes, and issues in the field. The article describes differing rationales for community involvement. It also discusses four major forms of school-community partnerships and factors that influence their implementation and results. The article concludes with suggestions to increase the capacity of community involvement in schools to positively affect students, professional educators, families, and communities.
Relative Biological Effectiveness of High-Energy Iron Ions for Micronucleus Formation at Low Doses

Abstract Groesser, T., Chun, E. and Rydberg, B. Relative Biological Effectiveness of High-Energy Iron Ions for Micronucleus Formation at Low Doses. Radiat. Res. 168, 675–682 (2007). Dose–response curves for micronucleus (MN) formation were measured in Chinese hamster V79 and xrs6 (Ku80−) cells and in human mammary epithelial MCF10A cells in the dose range of 0.05–1 Gy. The Chinese hamster cells were exposed to 1 GeV/nucleon iron ions, 600 MeV/nucleon iron ions, and 300 MeV/nucleon iron ions (LETs of 151, 176 and 235 keV/μm, respectively) as well as with 320 kVp X rays as reference. Second-order polynomials were fitted to the induction curves, and the initial slopes (the alpha values) were used to calculate RBE. For the repair-proficient V79 cells, the RBE at these low doses increased with LET. The values obtained were 3.1 ± 0.8 (LET = 151 keV/μm), 4.3 ± 0.5 (LET = 176 keV/μm), and 5.7 ± 0.6 (LET = 235 keV/μm), while the RBE was close to 1 for the repair-deficient xrs6 cells regardless of LET. For the MCF1...
A Model-Independent Technique for Eigenvalue Identification and Its Application in Predicting Cardiac Alternans

Predicting cardiac alternans is a crucial step toward detection and prevention of ventricular fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder that kills hundreds of thousands of people in the US each year. According to the theory of dynamical systems, cardiac alternans is mediated by a period-doubling bifurcation, which is associated with variations in a characteristic eigenvalue. Thus, knowing the eigenvalues would allow one to predict the onset of alternans. The existing criteria for alternans either adopt unrealistically simple assumptions and thus produce erroneous predictions or rely on complicated intrinsic functions, which are not possible to measure experimentally. In this work, we present a model-independent technique to estimate a system’s eigenvalues without requirements on the knowledge of the underlying dynamic model. The method is based on principal components analysis of a pseudo-state space; therefore, it allows one to compute the dominant eigenvalues of a system using the time history of a single measurable variable, e.g. the transmembrane voltage or the intracellular calcium concentration in cardiac experiments. Numerical examples based on a cardiac model verify the accuracy of the method. Thus, the technique provides a promising tool for predicting alternans in real-time experiments.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
In Utero Cardiac Gene Transfer via Intraplacental Delivery of Recombinant Adenovirus

Background The relationship among the maternal, placental, and uniquely shunted embryonic circulation was explored to provide access to the embryonic cardiovascular system in utero. Manipulation of gene expression in the developing heart would be particularly useful for studying the effects of altered gene expression on cardiac development and in the etiology of congenital cardiac anomalies. Methods and Results Dye studies demonstrated that intraplacental injection allows direct access to the embryonic cardiac and systemic circulation. To evaluate the efficacy of cardiac gene transfer using this approach, replication-deficient recombinant adenoviral vectors encoding luciferase or β-galactosidase as reporter genes were injected intraplacentally into embryonic day (E)12.5 murine embryos, an age at which the mass of the heart was observed to be large compared with other organs. Embryos were assayed for transgene expression at E15.5 and at birth. Survival rates at these times were similar among vector-injecte...
Chemical methods to study protein-nucleic acid interactions

Accumulation of genetic changes due to the presence of unrepaired DNA lesions can lead to cancer development and other diseases. Nucleic acid modifications also play key roles in many essential life processes. We have developed a series of chemically modified nucleic acid analogues that can be applied to stabilize protein-nucleic acid interactions for structural and proteomic studies. Some of the probes have also been employed to study nucleic acid-nucleic acid interactions.
Structural and molecular determinants of intercellular coupling in cardiac myocytes

Electrical activation of the heart requires intercellular transfer of current through gap junctions connecting individual cardiac myocytes. Using a combination of light and electron microscopic techniques and molecular approaches, we have characterized the number, size, and spatial distribution of intercellular connections at gap junctions in cardiac myocytes and have also cloned, sequenced, and elucidated the subcellular distribution of three physiologically distinct gap junction channel proteins. In this review, we present evidence to suggest that the spatial distribution of myocyte interconnections and the molecular composition of gap junction channels may confer distinct conduction properties on specific tissues of the mammalian heart such as atrial and ventricular myocardium, and the nodes and bundles of the cardiac conduction system. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Patterns of Genetic Variation within and among Species of Chauliognathus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae)

Starch gel electrophoresis was used to study patterns of genetic variation within and among seven species of North American Chauliognathus . All species displayed levels of genetic variation lower than are usually found in insects. Geographic variation in allele frequencies within a species appeared to be limited, whereas differentiation among species was substantial. The differences among species often involved loci monomorphic within populations. Despite the abrupt genetic discontinuities separating species, the sharing by five species of a polymorphism at the PGI locus suggests that variation at PGI might be maintained by some form of diversifying selection. Finally, phylogenetic trees constructed from electrophoretic evidence for the seven species are consistent with phylogenies based on morphology and ecology.
The hubble constant and X-rays from galaxy clusters.

X-RAY measurements and limits on the Coma and Virgo clusters of galaxies have been said to limit the mass of hot gas in them to 2% of the amount required for stabilization according to the virial theorem1. Such a conclusion is strongly dependent on the value of the Hubble constant H0. The linear diameter of the cluster D and the cluster mass M, estimated by the virial theorem, each vary as H0−1. Therefore, the density ρ has the dependence ρ∼H02. The predicted X-ray flux F from this gas is ∼ρM/R2, where R is the distance to the cluster. R varies as H0−1. We therefore have the relation Meekins et al.1 appear to have used the value H0 = 95 km s−1 Mpc−1 found by van den Bergh2, because they took R= 70 Mpc. If Abell's value3H0 = 47 is used, the predicted flux is reduced by a factor of 0.12. A reduction of H0 to a value as low as 20 is not inconceivable. Although clumpiness increases F/M2, the presence of helium as a mass fraction f reduces F for fixed M in the ratio (1–½f).
Impaired T-lymphocyte colony formation by cord blood mononuclear cells

When compared to adult mononuclear cells, cord blood mononuclear cells demonstrated significantly decreased T-lymphocyte colony formation (1351±643 vs 592±862,P<0.01). This diminished colony-forming activity did not appear to be associated with impaired responsiveness to the stimulant phytohemagglutinin or with excessive suppressor-cell activity. Irradiation reduced the colony-forming capacity of cord blood mononuclear cells more than it did that of adult mononuclear cells. Depletion of adherent cells reduced cord blood mononuclear-cell colony-forming capacity by 40%, while similar treatment reduced adult colony formation by 10%. Lymphocyte proliferation in liquid culture of cord and adult cells was minimally affected by these procedures. The colony-forming capacity of cord blood could be enhanced by the addition of irradiated adult cells (284±72 vs 752±78,P<0.01). This enhancement was demonstrated to be due to a soluble factor produced by a population of irradiated adult cells depleted of the OKT8+ subpopulation of lymphocytes. These results indicate that the progenitor cells of T-lymphocyte colonies in cord blood have distinct biologic characteristics when compared to colony progenitors present in adult blood. This assay may prove to be useful in our efforts to understand the differentiation of T-cell function in man.
Effects of teachers' marital status and child's family's marital status on teachers' ratings of a child

The purposes of this study were to assess whether knowledge of a child's family's marital status (divorced home/intact home/family status unknown) and/or teachers' marital status (single/divorced) ...
The Socio‐economic Order and Forensic Economics

With the expanded use of forensic economists by the legal system has come a heightened awareness within the profession of potential and actual unethical behaviour by its members. Examines the arguments explaining unethical behaviour in detail and shows that their descriptive and empirical foundations have been excessively narrow. The market does not consist solely of trial testimony, as the literature would lead one to believe, but in the entire array of uses of forensic economists, especially in writing reports of economic damages. Asserts that the ethical conduct of most forensic economists appears to be unimpeachable. Moreover, there are strong competitive pressures in the market to obtain countervailing opinions which, ultimately, serve to minimize incompetence and unethical behaviour on the part of forensic economists. Recommendations to improve the market further include the provision of additional information about the quality of forensic economists′ work, and promotion of a code of ethics for the ...
Fungal keratitis caused by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis treated successfully with natamycin.

AbstractPurposeTo report a severe case of keratitis caused by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis and its response to treatment with natamycin.MethodsA 28-year-old farmer suffered a corneal perforation with a piece of wire in the right eye. Two months later, he developed severe infectious keratitis in that e
Mechanisms and consequences of macrophage apoptosis in atherosclerosis

Macrophage apoptosis is an important feature of atherosclerotic plaque development. Research directed at understanding the functional consequences of macrophage death in atherosclerosis has revealed opposing roles for apoptosis in atherosclerotic plaque progression. In early lesions, macrophage apoptosis limits lesion cellularity and suppresses plaque progression. In advanced lesions, macrophages apoptosis promotes the development of the necrotic core, a key factor in rendering plaques vulnerable to disruption and in acute lumenal thrombosis. The first section of this review will examine the role of phagocytic clearance of apoptotic macrophages, a process known as efferocytosis, in the dichotomous roles of macrophage apoptosis in early vs. advanced lesions. The second section will focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that are thought to govern macrophage death during atherosclerosis. Of particular interest is the complex and coordinated role that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway and pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) may play in triggering macrophage apoptosis.
The methane abundance and structure of Uranus' cloud bands inferred from spatially resolved 2006 Keck grism spectra ☆

Abstract Grism spectra of Uranus obtained at the Keck Observatory in 2006, using the NIRC2 instrument and adaptive optics, provide new constraints on the vertical structure of Uranus' cloud bands and on the volume mixing ratio of methane. The best model fits to H-band spectra (1.49–1.635 μm) are found for a methane volume mixing ratio of 1.0 ± 0.25% for latitudes near 43° S and 1–1.6% for latitudes of 12° S and 33° N. Analysis of the J-band spectra are confused by discrepancies between short-wave and long-wave sides of the 1.28 μm window region. The short-wave side of the window (1.23–1.30 μm) is best fit with 1.6% CH 4 , but if the fitted spectral range is extended to include the long-wave side of the window (1.2–1.34 μm), the best fit CH 4 mixing ratio is 4% or more, although many small scale spectral features are poorly fit over this range even at high methane mixing ratios, suggesting that models of methane opacity may be inconsistent in this spectral region. Most of the latitudinal variability of the H-band spectra can be fit with clouds near 2–3 and 6–8 bar, with cloud reflectivity of the deeper layer increasing from ∼2% at 33° N to 3–4% in the southern hemisphere. This layer is most likely made of H 2 S particles and appears weakly reflective because it is optically thin and possibly also contaminated by absorbing materials. The reflectivity of the 2–3-bar cloud increases from 0.5% at 33° N to ∼1% at the bright band centered near 43° S, where the upper cloud is a little higher (pressure is 10% lower) and ∼25% more reflective than at nearby latitudes. The bright band is also associated with lowering of the deep cloud pressure, by ∼1.4 bar. The bright band parameters are roughly consistent with those obtained from 1975 disk-averaged spectra, obtained when the southern hemisphere was more exposed to the Sun. The lack of significant cloud particle contributions near 1.2 bar, where occultation results suggested a methane cloud, is confirmed by both spectra and HST imaging observations.
Update on lung volume reduction.

Lung-volume reduction surgery was a forgotten chapter in the history of thoracic surgery until it was reincarnated in a new form in 1994. The first report of 20 patients presented startlingly good results with minimal morbidity and mortality and interest in the procedure rapidly disseminated among the thoracic surgical community [1]. Within 2 years over a dozen additional article appeared from other institutions describing small patient series, all of which corroborated the original report describing benefit from the procedure. Lung-volume reduction surgery (LVRS) appeared to be the answer to the prayers of patients with end-stage emphysema who heretofore had little to look forward to other than a slow inexorable decline toward increased breathlessness and death. Not surprisingly, patients in the hundreds flocked to hospitals seeking this surgical redress. Unfortunately, not all clinical results were as beneficial as those that had been published. Most of the published series had low mortalities and significant clinical improvement, but they had short-term follow-up that was often somewhat incomplete. The only early study of significant size in which there was complete mortality data was the Medicare series of 722 patients operated on between October 1995 and January 1996. The 3-, 12-, and 18-month mortalities were 14, 23, and 28%, respectively [2]. Not only did these exceed the previously reported mortality, the report also noted that the number of hospitalizations actually increased rather than decreased following the LVRS procedures. Within the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) there was a significant concern regarding these results and the potential morbidity from LVRS on a nationwide basis. These factors as well as questions regarding the durability of
Negative selection experiments support the idea that T-T help is required for the H-Y-specific cytotoxic T cell response☆

Abstract Antigen-primed female thoracic duct lymphocyte (TDL) populations (B6, H-2K b I-A b D b ) were depleted of T cells specific for the male H-Y antigen presented in the context of I-A b , by negative selection through irradiated male H-2K b I-A b D b recipients. This ocedure substantially removed the capacity of such TDL to respond to H-Y-H-2D b . The response can be reconstituted by adding either smaller numbers of unfiltered, H-Y-primed, B6 female TDL or anti-Ly-2-treated memory T cells. The results thus support the idea that concurrent presence of helper T cells specific for H-Y-H-2-I-A b is required for the generation of secondary cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to H-Y-H-2D b . This is discussed in the context of similar, though not identical, experiments with the vaccinia virus model.
NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE INHIBITION DECREASES CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW IN RATS INFUSED WITH SICKLE ERYTHROCYTES. † 914

The etiology of stroke, a major form of vaso-occlusion in hemoglobin SS(HgbSS) disease, remains unclear, but may involve red blood cell (RBC)adhesion and altered vascular tone regulation. We hypothesized that nitric oxide (NO) participates in maintaining cerebral blood flow in HgbSS disease and its inhibition would result in vaso-occlusion in an in vivo cerebral microcirculation model. Laser Doppler flow (LDF) probes were inserted into parietal skull holes in anesthetized, splenectomized adult rats to measure cerebral RBC flow. HgbSS or HgbAA-RBCs (3 mls) were infused into rats after pretreatment with either the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-nitroarginine methyl-ester (L-NAME, 40 mg/kg IV), or its inactive isomer D-NAME. Mean arterial blood pressure, end-tidal CO2, and LDF were monitored for 30 minutes after the RBC infusion. The rats treated with L-NAME + HgbSS-RBCs(LN-SS group, n=9) experienced a significant decrease in LDF (p=0.002) as compared to controls at 20 min following the RBC infusion. In addition, 56% of the LN-SS group died prior to completion of the experiment. In the control groups, L-NAME + HgbAA-RBCs (n=6), D-NAME + HgbSS-RBCs (n=5), and D-NAME + HgbAA-RBCs (n=3), all rats completed the experimental protocol with no significant change in LDF and stable hemodynamics. In order to test thelocalized effect of NOS inhibition, three rats received a topical infusion of L-NAME through a cranial window that allowed direct visualization of RBC flow in the rat cerebral microvasculature. In two of these locally treated rats (67%), total cessation of cerebral blood flow was observed following infusion with HgbSS-RBCs while maintaining stable hemodynamics. We conclude that in the presence of HgbSS-RBCs, inhibition of NOS results in cerebral vaso-occlusion (i.e. stroke) in this rat model.
Size- and structure-independence of the thermophoretic transport of an aerosol particle for specular boundary conditions in the free molecule regime

Abstract Early conjectures and recent numerical simulations indicate that the motion of aerosol particles, including multispherule fractal aggregates, established as the result of temperature inhomogeneities in the prevailing gas are, to within a few percent, insensitive to particle size and morphology, especially in the free-molecule limit. Extending these results, we show here that in the limiting case of specular boundary conditions and free-molecular flow, particle thermophoretic velocity is exactly independent of size and structure (shape), and equal to the well-known analytical expression of Waldmann for an isolated, spherical particle in the same local environment. Our result, which applies to particles of any morphology, constitutes perhaps the only available analytical solution of a free molecular transport property for particles which can be locally concave and, more importantly, provides additional rational justification for the principal assumption underlying the widely used technique of thermophoretic sampling. Beyond the theoretical interest of the result as the limiting behavior of Maxwell's model of partial diffusive-specular scattering, our finding is of practical relevance for particles smaller than a few nanometers, for which there is now conclusive evidence that specular scattering adequately describes gas molecules–particle interactions. The result additionally provides a good test case to validate numerical algorithms dealing with complex geometries.
Ultrafast nonlinear mirrors with broad spectral and angular bandwidths in the visible spectral range

A novel nonlinear mirror structure is presented. A 23 nm-thick Au thin film separated from a 100 nm-thick Ag film by a dielectric spacer is used to drive the nonlinear optical response of the mirror. The linear and nonlinear optical properties of the mirror can be tuned by optimizing its layer thickness distribution. A figure-of-merit for the change in reflectance is derived for the nonlinear mirror and the nonlinear refractive index change of the Au layer is shown to be significantly enhanced in the mirror structure. The ultrafast reflectance change of the nonlinear mirror, studied using femtosecond white-light continuum pump-probe experiments, shows an extremely large magnitude and is both spectrally and angularly broad in the visible range.
The edge intersection graphs of paths in a tree

Abstract The class of edge intersection graphs of a collection of paths in a tree (EPT graphs) is investigated, where two paths edge intersect if they share an edge. The cliques of an EPT graph are characterized and shown to have strong Helly number 4. From this it is demonstrated that the problem of finding a maximum clique of an EPT graph can be solved in polynomial time. It is shown that the strong perfect graph conjecture holds for EPT graphs. Further complexity results follow from the observation that every line graph is an EPT graph. The class of EPT graphs is equivalent to the class of fundamental cycle graphs.
Differential effects of septal lesions on attack and defensive-submissive reactions during intraspecies aggression in rats

Abstract The effects of septal lesions on attack, threat, defense and submission were studied in rats without prior fighting experience (Experiment 1) and in rats that were either dominant or subordinate in preoperative aggressive encounters (Experiment 2). A factor analysis showed that the various components of agonistic behavior could be grouped into three factors characterizing attack/submission (Factor 1), threat/defense (Factor 2), grooming and crouching (Factor 3). Septal lesions impaired attack, threat, grooming and crouching in experienced dominant or socially naive animals in encounters with unoperated opponents. But septal lesions in experienced subordinate animals failed to alter significantly submissive-defensive reactions. Surprisingly, the immobile-crouch reaction, predominantly displayed by a subordinate rat in the presence of a dominant rat, remained unchanged after septal lesions. These results suggest that septal lesions affect only specific components of the rat's attack and defense behavior. Several current theories on the behavioral functions of the septum, emphasizing response inhibition, fear reduction, and species-specific dispositions, can only partly accommodate these results.
The interaction of iodine with dimethylsulphoxide

Abstract An ultra-violet and visible absorption study was undertaken to explain the large solubilities of iodine in dimethylsulphoxide. The results showed that, first, a Lewis acid-base complex and triiodide ion are produced, but that these subsequently react, probably to form [(CH 3 )SOH]I. Calculations based upon the solubility measurements substantiate compound formation.
Phytate and tannin content of amaranth

Abstract The phytate and tannin contents of eight varieties of amaranth were determined. The phytate content of amaranth (0·52–0·61%) was higher than that of rice and millet, but lower than that of corn and wheat. Phytate is distributed throughout kernels of amaranth. Phytate content cannot be reduced by removal of the seed coat. Tannin levels of amaranth (0·043–0·116% catechin equivalent) were small in comparison with those in sorghum and millet. Tannin levels in the seed coat of amaranth are higher than those in the starchy perisperm.
Dynamics of flexible spinning satellites with radial wire antennas

A dynamic analysis is presented for a spin stabilized spacecraft employing four radial wire antennas with tip masses, a configuration first employed in the IMP-J spacecraft. The use of wires in place of the usual booms represents the ultimate in weight reduction at the expanse of flexibility. The satellite is modelled as a 14 degree of freedom system, and the linearized equations of motion are found. The lowest order vibrational modes and natural frequencies of the gyroscopically coupled system are then determined. Because the satellite spin rate is decreased by antenna deployment, a spin-up maneuver is needed. The response of the time varying mode equations during spin-up is found, for the planar modes, in terms of Bessel functions and a Struve function of order -1/4. Because tables of the latter are not readily available, the particular solution is expressed in various forms including an infinite series of Bessel functions and a particularly useful asymptotic expansion.