cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Not So Cold-blooded: Narcissistic and Borderline Personality Traits Predict Attachment to Traditional and Non-traditional Pets

ABSTRACTA growing number of studies have assessed the personality of pet owners. However, although there is a large number of people who own exotic pets, their personalities have seldom been examined. Furthermore, studies of personality of pet owners have focused almost exclusively on typical personality traits, ignoring associations with “dark” traits. Here, we assessed both traditional and some dark personality features in association with pet ownership and attachment in 325 pet owners via an online survey. We predicted that individuals scoring higher on narcissism and borderline personality features would be a) more likely to own exotic pets, and b) less attached to their pets compared with people scoring lower on narcissism and traditional pet owners. Additionally, we theorized that neurotic pet owners would be more attached to their pets compared with less neurotic pet owners. We did not find an association between personality and exotic pet ownership but we found that those high in grandiose narciss...
611. Alpha-Dystrobrevin-3 Prevents Myopathy and Restores Diaphragm Function in the Alpha-Dystrobrevin Null Mouse

The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) primarily functions as a structural element enabling a linkage between the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Alpha-dystrobrevin (α-Db), a dystrophin subfamily member, is a component of the DGC within striated muscles. Decreasing amounts of α-Db from the sarcolemma contributes to severity of disease in several muscular dystrophies including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The functional roles of α-Db1 and α-Db2 in muscle have been well studied. However, the role of a-Db3 has largely been ignored because it lacks many of the known functional domains present in α-Db1 and α-Db2. Importantly, we demonstrate by whole-body adeno-associated viral vector gene transfer into α-dystrobrevin-null mice, that α-DB3 becomes integrated within the DGC, localizes to costameres, prevents muscle degeneration, synapse fragmentation, myotendinous junction defects and corrects diaphragm functional capacity. Further, we demonstrate α-Db3 can bind the sarcoglycan complex in vitro. Thus, the association of α-Db3 within the DGC appears essential for its function, providing a direct link similar to dystrophin, with transmembrane and cytoplasmic DGC components whose absence likely contributes to sarcolemma fragility and/or disruption of signaling pathways in multiple muscular dystrophies. View Large Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Achievement versus Experience: Predicting Students' Choices during Gameplay.

This study investigates how we can effectively predict what type of game a user will choose within the game-based environment iSTART-2. Seventy-seven college students interacted freely with the system for approximately 2 hours. Two models (a baseline and a full model) are compared that include as features the type of games played, previous game achievements (i.e., trophies won, points earned), and actions (i.e., iBucks/points spent, time spent on games, total games played). Using decision tree analyses, the resulting best-performing model indicates that students’ choices within game-based environments are not solely driven by their recent achievement. Instead a more holistic view is needed to predict students’ choices in complex systems.
City Personifications and Consular Diptychs.

This paper takes as its point of departure two much discussed fifth-century artifacts, an uninscribed and undated consular diptych in Halberstadt (Fig. 9), and the inscribed and (on the face of it) exactly dated consular missorium of Ardabur Aspar in Florence (Fig. 15), both hitherto presumed issued by western consuls and manufactured in western workshops. After calling into question the established criteria for distinguishing western from eastern diptychs, I propose a new set of criteria and a new date and interpretation of both objects, mainly in the light of a more comprehensive examination of the iconography of city personifications, in literature as well as art.
Exposure to di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate in a convenience sample of U.S. adults from 2000 to 2016.

Di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DEHTP), a structural isomer of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is a plasticizer used in a variety of commercial applications, but data on Americans’ exposure to DEHTP do not exist. We investigated the exposure to DEHTP in a convenience group of U.S. adults by analyzing urine collected anonymously in 2000 (N = 44), 2009 (N = 61), 2011 (N = 81), 2013 (N = 92), and 2016 (N = 149) for two major DEHTP oxidative metabolites: mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate (MECPTP) and mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate (MEHHTP). For comparison, we also quantified the analogous DEHP metabolites mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP) and mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate (MECPP). We detected MECPTP, MEHHP, and MECPP in all samples collected in 2016 with geometric means of 13.1, 4.1, and 6.7 ng/mL, respectively; we detected MEHHTP in 91% of the samples (geometric mean = 3.1 ng/mL). Concentrations of MECPTP correlated well with those of MEHHTP (R 2 = 0.8, p 0.05) suggesting different sources of exposure to DEHP and DEHTP. We also evaluated the fraction of the metabolites eliminated in their free (i.e., unconjugated) form. The median percent of unconjugated species was lower for the DEHP metabolites (MECPP [45.5%], MEHHP [1.9%]) compared to the DEHTP metabolites (MECPTP [98.8%], MEHHTP [21.2%]). Contrary to the downward trend from 2000 to 2016 in urinary concentrations of MEHHP and MECPP, we observed an upward trend for MEHHTP and MECPTP. These preliminary data suggest that exposure to DEHTP may be on the rise. Nevertheless, general population exposure data using MEHHTP and MECPTP as exposure biomarkers would increase our understanding of exposure to DEHTP, one of the known DEHP alternatives.
Experimental Modal Analysis of an Aircraft Fuselage Panel

Hypersonic aircraft structures must operate in complex loading conditions and very high temperatures, making the design of a robust and reusable platform very challenging. An analytical and experimental test program was developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and industry. The objective of the program is to review the design process of a thin skinned aircraft panel subjected to combined thermal-acoustic-mechanical loading, through a series of laboratory experiments at the AFRL’s Structural Dynamics Laboratory.
Interferon-γ Drives Treg Fragility to Promote Anti-tumor Immunity

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a barrier to anti-tumor immunity. Neuropilin-1 (Nrp1) is required to maintain intratumoral Treg stability and function but is dispensable for peripheral immune tolerance. Treg-restricted Nrp1 deletion results in profound tumor resistance due to Treg functional fragility. Thus, identifying the basis for Nrp1 dependency and the key drivers of Treg fragility could help to improve immunotherapy for human cancer. We show that a high percentage of intratumoral NRP1+ Tregs correlates with poor prognosis in melanoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Using a mouse model of melanoma where Nrp1-deficient (Nrp1–/–) and wild-type (Nrp1+/+) Tregs can be assessed in a competitive environment, we find that a high proportion of intratumoral Nrp1–/– Tregs produce interferon-γ (IFNγ), which drives the fragility of surrounding wild-type Tregs, boosts anti-tumor immunity, and facilitates tumor clearance. We also show that IFNγ-induced Treg fragility is required for response to anti-PD1, suggesting that cancer therapies promoting Treg fragility may be efficacious.
Phosphorus Enhances Uptake of Dissolved Organic Matter in Boreal Streams

Retention of carbon (C), either by physical mechanisms or microbial uptake, is a key driver of the transformation and storage of C and nutrients within ecosystems. Both the molecular composition and nutrient content of organic matter influence the rate at which it is retained in streams, but the relative influence of these characteristics remains unclear. We estimated the effects of nutrient content and molecular composition of dissolved organic C (DOC) on uptake in boreal streams by measuring rates of C retention, in situ, following introduction of leachates derived from alder, poplar, and spruce trees subject to long-term fertilization with nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P). Leachate C:N varied approximately twofold, and C:P varied nearly 20-fold across species and nutrient treatments. Uptake of DOC was greatest for leachates derived from trees that had been fertilized with P, a finding consistent with P-limitation of uptake and/or preferential sorption of P-containing molecules. Optical measures indicated that leachates derived from the three tree species varied in molecular composition, but uptake of DOC did not differ across species, suggesting weak constraints on retention imposed by molecular composition relative to nutrient limitation. Observed coupling between P and C cycles highlights the potential for increased P availability to enhance DOC retention in headwater streams.
Animal Rights and the Distorting Power of Anthropocentric Prejudice

In his chapter, Gary Steiner notes how traditional arguments about the moral status of nonhuman animals have exhibited a strongly anthropocentric tendency that is evident in philosophical discussions of personhood, rights, and the question of specific duties toward nonhuman animals. Steiner thus aims to highlight anthropocentric prejudice in the arguments of thinkers such as the Stoics, Bentham, Kant, Peter Singer, and John Rawls, and to show how an adequate acknowledgment of the moral status of nonhuman animals requires an affirmation of nonanimal personhood and rights, as well as a specification of clear duties on the part of human beings toward nonhuman animals.
Grigorii Aleksandrov’s Spring: the last musical hurrah

This article explores the production history of Grigorii Aleksandrov’s most underrated musical film, Spring (Vesna, 1947), and situates the film in the context of the era, as well as within Aleksan...
Design and Implementation of an Interactive Website for Pediatric Voice Therapy-The Concept of In-Between Care: A Telehealth Model.

Abstract Purpose: This article describes the design and implementation of a web-based portal developed to provide supported home practice between weekly voice therapy sessions delivered through tel...
The role of CAE in product development at Ford Motor Company

Publisher Summary Computer aided engineering (CAE) has advanced within the automotive industry rapidly enough that it is an indispensable part of the product development (PD) process. Ford Motor Company is among the leaders in the large-scale application of CAE in every phase of PD. In fact, the timing of the PD phase has been shrinking continuously since the early nineties largely because of the confidence that CAE has gained as a dependable tool for engineering decision-making for all major attributes be it noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH); safety (crashworthiness); vehicle dynamics; durability; thermal effects; aerodynamic systems; or electrical/electronics applications.
Natural gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC) systems

Abstract: A combined cycle combines two power cycles in series to obtain a high overall thermal efficiency, significantly higher than the individual efficiencies. This chapter discusses utilization of a Brayton cycle or gas turbine for the topping cycle and a steam Rankine cycle for the bottoming cycle. The size of a combined cycle may range from less than 10 MW to in excess of 500 MW while using a single gas turbine. In addition to having thermal efficiencies exceeding 60% natural gas lower heating value (LHV) basis with a ‘J class’ gas turbine with a nominal 1600 °C turbine inlet temperature ( Ito et al., 2010 ), outstanding environmental performance, easy start-up and shutdown and low cooling water requirements, combined cycles require significantly lower staffing, capital cost and construction time than boiler-based power plants. However, the clean fuels required, such as natural gas, synthesis gas or distillate, are significantly more expensive than fuels such as coal and biomass that can be directly combusted in a boiler. This chapter focuses on control technologies for criteria pollutants and CO2 emissions. Future trends for improvements in performance and emissions are also discussed.
Genetic counseling (GC) and germline (GL) testing rates after adoption of an integrated clinical cancer genetics (CCG) approach to genomics tumor board (GTB).

1511Background: The clinical impact of addressing potentially GL alterations (PGA) from somatic next-generation sequencing (NGS) is not well characterized. We hypothesize that the addition of scree...
“If only I had” versus “If only I had not”: Mental deletions, mental additions, and perceptions of meaning in life events

The present research investigated the relationship between meaning perceptions and the structure of counterfactual thoughts. In Study 1, participants reflected on how turning points in their lives ...
Dynamics of DNA replication in a eukaryotic cell

Each genomic locus in a eukaryotic cell has a distinct average time of replication during S phase that depends on the spatial and temporal pattern of replication initiation events. Replication timing can affect genomic integrity because late replication is associated with an increased mutation rate. For most eukaryotes, the features of the genome that specify the location and timing of initiation events are unknown. To investigate these features for the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we developed an integrative model to analyze large single-molecule and global genomic datasets. The model provides an accurate description of the complex dynamics of S. pombe DNA replication at high resolution. We present evidence that there are many more potential initiation sites in the S. pombe genome than previously identified and that the distribution of these sites is primarily determined by two factors: the sequence preferences of the origin recognition complex (ORC), and the interference of transcription with the assembly or stability of prereplication complexes (pre-RCs). We suggest that in addition to directly interfering with initiation, transcription has driven the evolution of the binding properties of ORC in S. pombe and other eukaryotic species to target pre-RC assembly to regions of the genome that are less likely to be transcribed.
MPTGs: Thioglycoside Donors for Acid-Catalyzed O-Glycosylation and Latent-Active Synthetic Strategies.

4-(p-Methoxyphenyl)-4-pentenylthioglycosides (MPTGs) undergo acid-catalyzed O-glycosylation with a range of alcohol acceptors in the presence of 10 mol % of triflic acid at room temperature. Particularly encouraging is the reactivity of MPTGs toward unreactive acceptors. MPTGs can be synthesized from the requisite vinyl bromides using the Suzuki reaction, and this chemistry can be leveraged toward a “latent-active” strategy for oligosaccharide synthesis.
Concentrations of Some Lipophilic Chemicals in Fresh Water May Be Underestimated by Conventional Dichloromethane Extraction

A re-analysis of water samples collected to determine the occurrence of lipophilic organochlorine chemicals, total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in six tributaries to Lake Ontario in 1997 to 1998 has shown relatively high concentrations of some of those chemicals in extracts of chromic acid-digested water after the water had been extracted at neutral pH. For organochlorine chemicals and PCBs the effect was dramatic-for some tributaries the sums of concentrations of the chemicals in the acidic extracts over all sampling dates were larger than the sums of concentrations of the chemicals in the (neutral) water plus suspended solids fraction that had been determined previously. In addition, some chemicals were found in the acidic extracts that were not found in the prior extracts of (neutral) water plus suspended solids. Although some individual PAHs were found at relatively high concentrations in the acidic extracts compared to extracts of (neutral) water plus suspended solids, in general the phenomenon was not significant for total PAHs. The implication of our finding is that conventional dichloromethane extraction of neutral (filtered) water and the suspended solids phases can significantly underestimate the concentrations of some lipophilic chemicals such as chlorinated hydrocarbons and PCBs in fresh water, leading to an underestimation of their loadings to aquatic ecosystems. However, it should be noted that the biological availability of chemicals that are only extractable after rigorous extraction of the water may be doubtful.
Septins Coordinate with Microtubules and Actin to Initiate Cell Morphogenesis

Abstract Many organs are formed by a process of branching morphogenesis, which begins with the formation of cytoplasmic extensions from the basal surface of polarized cells in an epithelial sheet. To study this process, we used a system of polarized epithelial spheroids, which emit cytoplasmic extensions in response to treatment with hepatocyte growth factor. We found that these extensions contain both actin and microtubules, but also septins, which are localized to microtubule bundles and appear to be important in maintaining microtubule organization. We found that these extensions are highly dynamic and form at a non-linear rate. We also demonstrated that the coordinated activity of microtubules, actin, and septins is necessary for the formation and dynamic behavior of extensions. Each cytoskeletal system plays a district role in this process, with microtubules enabling persistent growth of the extensions, actin enabling extension dynamics, and septins organizing microtubules in the extensions and supporting the extension formation. Together, our data offer insights into the dynamics of early morphogenic extensions and the distinct, but coordinated, roles of cytoskeleton in early morphogenesis.
Sonia Sotomayor: Role Model of Empathy and Purposeful Ambition

This book review essay discusses U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's 2013 memoir, My Beloved World. In her memoir, Justice Sotomayor expressly acknowledges that she is a public role model and embraces this responsibility by making herself accessible to a broad audience. As a public figure, she sees an opportunity to connect with others through an account of her life journey, with details of initial challenges and lessons learned along the way, to show that one’s beginnings need not constrain one’s aspirations. Although her memoir ends at the point she begins her judicial career, twenty years ago, her experiences and reflections provide a sense of how she may approach her work on the Supreme Court, including the importance she attaches to perspective-taking — or empathy — in relating to others and viewing the larger world. Her empathic skill, as well as her understanding of public purpose as a Justice and role model, all serve to strengthen the judicial function and present a hopeful picture of further important contributions to come as she continues her work on the bench.
The economics of aquifer protection plans under climate water stress: New insights from hydroeconomic modeling

Abstract Where surface and groundwater are managed conjunctively, the stress on water supplies from climate change can significantly influence water use patterns as well as the economic value and sustainability of those uses. However, aquifer protection can be an expensive proposition because water uses that currently rely on aquifer pumping may produce considerable economic value that would be lost if protection measures are carried out. Evidence from climate-stressed regions has attracted research addressing the costs and benefits of aquifer protection plans. Despite these efforts, few peer-reviewed papers have examined water use patterns that minimize the economic costs of aquifer protection. This work presents an original approach to address that gap by developing and applying a basin scale hydroeconomic optimization model of North America’s Middle Rio Grande Basin to explore impacts of new policies not yet implemented supporting aquifer protection. It also gives model access to readers or stakeholders to experiment with their own scenarios to assess impacts of alternative aquifer protection plans. The model accounts for surface and groundwater storage, irrigation, urban, environmental, and recreational demands, surface water inflows under various climate scenarios, groundwater pumping and recharge, substitute water prices, crop water use, evaporation, as well as institutional constraints governing water use. The objective is implemented by finding the optimized discounted net present value of economic benefits summed over uses, sectors, and regions from use of surface water and connected aquifers. Results are shown for each of six water supply scenarios, two substitute water prices, and two system operation rules. To address impacts of aquifer protection targets, groundwater sustainability targets are specified and enforced as constraints for each of the region’s two major aquifers. We assess total and marginal cost of achieving two targeted aquifer protection levels by identifying optimized surface use and groundwater pumping for each of 24 scenarios. Results show that climate change, in the form of reduced and highly variable inflows, considerably drives up the cost of protecting aquifer sustainability, amplified by the conjunctive nature of the system. Future work points to a need to assess economic performance of various water conservation measures as well as reducing costs of substitute water through measures such as technical advance in desalination, recycling and reuse, substitution of other resources for water, better characterization of existing aquifers, and development of new groundwater supplies.
What Does it Mean to be a Common Factors Informed Family Therapist

The common factors paradigm in couple and family therapy has gained popularity over the past several decades, leading many therapists to refer to themselves as common factors family therapists. Despite this, no consensus exists on what it means to be a common factors family therapist, or if such a designation even makes sense given that the common factors paradigm is not a model. Synthesizing the existing common factors literature, a case is made for the designation "common factors informed family therapist," and the following six core principles are outlined that characterize this designation: (1) sees overlap among theories; (2) passionate about theory, not a theory; (3) client centered; (4) monitors hope and the therapeutic alliance; (5) views clients as people rather than objects; and (6) prioritizes healing over therapy. Each of the concepts is discussed in depth, and clinical implications are provided.
Proximity of Gun Stores to High Schools and Student Gun Carrying

Although research has examined various correlates of weapon and gun carrying at school and among adolescents, it has yet to consider the relationship between gun stores around schools and the carry...
A resurrection study reveals limited evolution of phenology in response to recent climate change across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower

Premise of the study As global climate change alters drought regimes, rapid evolution of traits that facilitate adaptation to drought can rescue populations in decline. The evolution of phenological advancement can allow plant populations to escape drought, but evolutionary responses in phenology can vary across a species' range due to differences in drought intensity and standing genetic variation. Methods Mimulus cardinalis, a perennial herb spanning a broad climatic gradient, recently experienced a period of record drought. Here, we used a resurrection study comparing flowering time and stem height at first flower of pre-drought ancestors and post-drought descendants from northern-edge, central, and southern-edge populations in a common environment to examine the evolution of drought escape across the latitudinal range. Key results Contrary to the hypothesis of the evolution of advanced phenology in response to recent drought, flowering time did not advance between ancestors and descendants in any population, though storage condition and maternal effects could have impacted these results. Stem height was positively correlated with flowering time, such that plants that flowered earlier were shorter at first flower. This correlation could constrain the evolution of earlier flowering time if selection favors flowering early at a large size. Conclusions These findings suggest that rapid evolution of phenology will not rescue these populations from recent climate change. Future work is needed to examine the potential for the evolution of alternative drought strategies and phenotypic plasticity to buffer M. cardinalis populations from changing climate.
College Students Mental Health Challenges: Concerns and Considerations in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Students’ mental health problems are a growing concern in higher education. In recent times, these concerns have doubled due to the significant socioeconomic, political, and technological changes i...
Flecainide-induced myalgias and weakness: a rare adverse reaction

Flecainide is a class 1C antiarrhythmic, which is known to cause several cardiac and non-cardiac adverse reactions. We report a case of a 62-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation who presented with generalised myalgias and intermittent chest heaviness after being started on flecainide. She had undergone her third cardiac ablation 1 week prior to presentation and was subsequently started on flecainide 150 mg two times per day. On physical examination, she had diminished reflexes and diffuse calf tenderness. Her blood tests demonstrated an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein, but otherwise normal infectious and autoimmune labs. Her ECG showed normal sinus rhythm. A Naranjo score of 7 suggested flecainide as a probable cause of her myalgias. The patient’s symptoms started to normalise within 24 hours of discontinuation of flecainide. Our case highlights that myalgias are a potential rare adverse effect that should be considered in patients prescribed flecainide.
What about the lonely? Bridging loneliness, pandemics, and I-O psychology

Issues at home are now issues at work (e.g., your child participating in a video conference call), and struggles at work now easily flow into home life (e.g., the lack of a commute to “cool off” from a rough day at work). Because the COVID-19 pandemic, and more directly remote work, has blurred the boundaries between home and work life, struggles and difficulties now seamlessly drift between the two domains, with loneliness and its associated negative outcomes being far from an exception (Beutel etal., 2017;Ozcelik & Barsade, 2018). Because of this disruption in cognitive processing, researchers should seek to investigate how pandemics influence individuals’ relational expectations for coworkers and colleagues. [...]research has yet to explore how loneliness influences work outcomes over time, or how loneliness experienced during a specific period of life might have long-term ramifications in the workplace.
Coronary Anatomy and Angiography

The purpose of coronary angiography is to accurately define coronary anatomy, and obtain optimal angiographic images of the main epicardial coronary arteries and their branches. It is important to limit radiation exposure to the patient and medical personnel while trying to obtain the essential number of images to define the anatomy, and minimize contrast use. Information obtained from coronary angiography is significant because it assists in the diagnosis and therapeutic intervention of coronary artery disease. Inadequate knowledge of coronary anatomy and angiographic views can lead to serious complications, inappropriate interventions, and wasteful healthcare expenditures.
Recollections of Hope Park Square, 1970–1973

I reminisce about the time and place the DReaM Group started: the Metamathematics Unit and its sister, the Department of Machine Intelligence and Perception, in Hope Park Square, Meadow Lane, Edinburgh, in the early 1970s. This is not meant as a scholarly history but just a personal recollection that tries to capture the spirit of the times.
Oxidative degradation of glucose adducts to protein. Formation of 3-(N epsilon-lysino)-lactic acid from model compounds and glycated proteins.

Abstract The chemistry of Maillard or browning reactions of glycated proteins is being studied in model systems in vitro in order to characterize potential reaction pathways and products in biological systems. In previous work with the Amadori rearrangement product N alpha-formyl-N epsilon-fructoselysine (fFL), an analog of glycated lysine residues in proteins, we showed that fFL was oxidatively cleaved between C-2 and C-3 of the carbohydrate chain to yield N epsilon-carboxymethyllysine (CML) and D-erythronic acid. We then detected CML in proteins glycated in vitro, as well as in human lens proteins and collagen in vivo (Ahmed, M. U., Thorpe, S. R., and Baynes, J. W. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 4889-4894). This work provided an explanation for the origin of CML in human urine and evidence for non-browning pathways of the Maillard reaction in vivo. In this report we describe the identification of a second set of products resulting from oxidative cleavage of fFL between C-3 and C-4 of the sugar chain, i.e. 3-(N epsilon-lysino)-lactic acid (LL) and D-glyceric acid. The formation of LL from fFL was increased at slightly acid pH, representing about 30% of the yield of CML at pH 6.4, compared with 4% at pH 7.4 in phosphate buffer. By gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, LL was detected in proteins glycated in vitro and then identified as a natural product in human lens proteins and urine. Our results indicate that oxidative degradation of Amadori adducts to proteins occurs in vivo, leading to formation and excretion of CML and LL. These non-browning pathways for reaction of Amadori compounds may be physiologically relevant mechanisms for averting potentially damaging consequences of the Maillard reaction.
The correlation of rotational isomers in polyethylene-like crystals†

The molecular dynamics technique to simulate the behavior of polyethylene crystals, described earlier, is used to study the creation and mobility of rotational isomers of a polyethylene-like chain in a crystal environment. Both a “gross defect” (formed by perturbation of the cartesian coordinates) and a “kinetic defect” (formed by placing a specific amount of kinetic energy that excites a pure local torsion) are added to the central chain of a polyethylene crystal. The initial dynamic instability quickly forms a more stable, but more or less static defect that, subsequently, moves somewhat along and between neighboring chains, and finally, gets quenched on a time scale of a few picoseconds. Increasing the temperature leads from a highly correlated state to a state where defects are created and quenched statistically (condis state). Increasing the energy input for defect generation leads to the creation of different static defects. The onset of conformational disorder is independent of the initial perturbation. There is a correspondence of the observed defects to the defects proposed for polyethylene based on molecular mechanics calculations, but lifetimes are relatively short.
Toy or useful technology? The challenges of diffusing telemedicine in three Boston hospitals

In response to increasing competition and cost pressures from managed-care practices, healthcare organizations are turning to information technology (IT) to increase efficiency of their operations and reach out to new patient markets. One promising IT application, telemedicine, enables remote delivery of medical services. Potentially, telemedicine could reduce costs and increase the quality and accessibility of medical services. However, the diffusion of telemedicine has remained low. We present case studies of telemedicine programs at three healthcare institutions in Boston, Massachusetts to better understand why telemedicine has not spread as quickly or as far as one would expect, given its promise. These case studies describe the environmental and organizational context of telemedicine applications, their champions, strategies and learning activities. Since the three cases represent varying levels of diffusion of telemedicine, they enable the reader to understand how and why some institutions, champions and approaches are more successful than others in diffusing a new technology like telemedicine.
Divided We Stand? Democracy as a Method of Processing Conflicts

Conflicts, liberty and peace do not coexist easily. Through most of history, civil peace was maintained by the threat of force. Contemporary ideologues of authoritarian regimes maintain that political conflicts inevitably result in violence, and the founders of modern representative institutions in the West have shared this view. Yet we now know that political institutions can cope with conflicts, that conflicts can be structured, regulated and contained, and that purely procedural rules can be effective in processing conflicts. Most importantly, we have come to realise that choosing governments through competitive elections is the only way to foster political freedom in divided societies. Competitive elections support social peace by enabling political forces to think in inter-temporal terms. In turn, civil peace is maintained between elections when when opposition groups expect to be reasonably successful within the halls of representative institutions.
DIRECT INJECTION DIESEL CAPABILITIES FOR PASSENGER CARS

Capabilities of DI diesel engines for passenger cars were evaluated in a research program. Three experimental DI diesel engines, a naturally aspirated 2.4L four cylinder engine and a naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.3L three cylinder engine, were designed, built and developed. Design parameters and calibrations were determined for optimized power and fuel economy at low emission levels. The effects of cylinder displacement and turbocharging were evaluated. Vehicle tests showed that the DI diesel engine provided an 11 to 13% improvement in fuel economy relative to the IDI diesel engine. The low mileage objectives assumed for the 1985 Federal emission standards were met at vehicle test weights up to 3125 lbs.
C. difficile Infection: Changing Epidemiology and Management Paradigms

The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been rising in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and within the community. Cases have been more severe with more complications, deaths, and higher healthcare-associated costs. With the emergence of a hypervirulent strain of C. difficile and the increasing prevalence of community-acquired CDI among healthy patients without traditional risk factors, the epidemiology of C. difficile has been evolving. This changing epidemiology requires a change in management. Taking into account new risk factors for CDI and growing subpopulations of affected individuals, diagnostic, treatment, and prevention approaches need to be adjusted.
Demographic Dynamics and Sustainability: Insights from an Integrated, Multi-country Simulation Model

We develop a simulation model to assess sustainable development on three levels: economic (by determining production, consumption, investment, direct foreign investment, technology transfer, and international trade), social (by calculating population change, migration flows, and welfare), and environmental (by computing the difference between pollution and remediation). The model follows “representative” countries that differ in their initial endowments (i.e., natural resource endowment, physical and human capital, technology, and population), and thus in their development levels and prospects. In a world with movement of goods, people, and capital, free substitution in production, flexible economic structures, and the ability to upgrade input factors via investment, we find that, rather than the physical capacity of the earth being responsible for unsustainable paths, the initial disparities in circumstances among countries and the complex of internal and international human interrelationships can lead to a “social non sustainability” or continued divergence of outcomes. In our model history matters (the exogenous history implied by different starting conditions as well as the endogenous history that evolves over the simulations) in the ultimate prospects of countries and how they respond to institutions (e.g., free trade). Many of the most important country-specific starting points relate to population: human capital and population size, structure, and rates of change.
COMMENTS on M.S. Elzas

Perhaps the most important contribution to model realism made by Elzas is his recognition, and accommodation for, the inescapable existence of the divergent interests that must be eventually resolved in a successful negotiation. The methodology he advocates seeks to rationalize the negotiation process by providing the parties with simulation models. Each party can use its own models to forecast the results of proposed policies and thereby estimate their value for the realization of its particular interests. Use of the models is to be structured by a pattern of negotiations between parties (horizontal games) and within parties (vertical games) in which attempts are made to bridge the gaps between policies acceptable to the parties.
The Kinetics of Disappearance of Labeled Leucine from the Free Leucine Pool and Rat Liver and Its Effect on the Apparent Turnover of Catalase and Other Hepatic Proteins

Abstract The specific radioactivity of free leucine has been measured in rat liver at various times after the injection of labeled leucine. The results of these measurements have served to calculate the effect of leucine reutilization on a previous measurement of the apparent turnover rate of catalase with labeled leucine as precursor. This effect was found to account entirely for the difference between the half-life of catalase observed in these experiments (3.5 days) and that determined with δ-aminolevulinate as precursor or by indirect methods (1.5 days). It is shown that in general, when the specific radioactivity of proteins is measured between 1 and 10 days after the injection of labeled leucine, all proteins with half-lives between 0.1 and 2 days will show apparent half-lives between 3 and 4 days. The limitations of using leucine for studies on protein turnover are discussed, and some suggestions are made for optimizing the design of such experiments.
Interstitial pneumonitis after low-dose methotrexate therapy in primary biliary cirrhosis

Abstract Interstitial pneumonitis is an uncommon complication of low-dose methotrexate therapy in patients with psoriasis but occurs in 3%–5% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We found a higher incidence of interstitial pneumonitis in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (14%) and describe its clinical manifestations, treatment, and possible etiology. Blood tests, arterial blood gas determinations, chest radiographs, bronchoscopy, tear production, autoantibody tests, and serum immunoglobulin levels were obtained in six women who developed interstitial pneumonitis while receiving methotrexate in a double-blind prospective trial of methotrexate vs. colchicine in 87 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Six of 43 patients (14%) who received methotrexate compared with no patients receiving colchicine developed interstitial pneumonitis 19–61 weeks after starting treatment. The pneumonitis was characterized by dyspnea, hypoxemia, and bilateral lung infiltrates, all of which responded within 24 hours to the administration of intravenous glucocorticoids. There was no correlation between the pneumonitis and pre-existing lung disease, the severity of the primary biliary cirrhosis, the titer of antimitochondrial antibody, or other diseases associated with primary biliary cirrhosis. Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis receiving low-dose methotrexate (15 mg/wk) are more susceptible to interstitial pneumonitis than patients with psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis. The pneumonitis appears to be a hypersensitivity reaction and responds rapidly to intravenous glucocorticoid therapy.
Fast food consumption in pregnancy and subsequent asthma symptoms in young children

Background Recent cross-sectional studies suggested children's current fast food consumption to be related to frequency of asthma and allergies. Maternal prenatal diet has been suspected to contribute to children's asthma and atopic disease risks. Objectives We hypothesized that maternal fast food intake during pregnancy increases offspring's risk for asthmatic symptoms. Methods We conducted a population-based study of 1201 mother/child pairs in Los Angeles, California. Detailed information about prenatal fast food intake and other dietary, lifestyle/environmental factors, and pregnancy was collected shortly after birth; further data were retrieved from birth certificates. Using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood core questions, asthma and rhinitis symptoms were assessed, and doctor's diagnoses were recorded in offspring 3.5 years after birth. Poisson regression with robust error variance using a log link function was used to estimate relative risks (RRs). Models were adjusted using covariates or propensity scores. Results Maternal prenatal fast food consumption related to increased relative risks of their children for severe, and current asthma symptoms (wheeze last 12 months combined with doctor's diagnosis) in a dose-dependent manner: ‘once a month’: RR: 0.99 (95% CI: 0.36, 2.75), ‘once a week’: 1.26 (0.47, 3.34); ‘3–4 days a week’: 2.17 (0.77, 6.12); and ‘every day’ 4.46 (1.36 14.6) compared to ‘never’, adjusting for potential confounders (p for trend = 0.0025). There was also suggestion of increased risks for rhinitis symptoms. Conclusions These findings suggest that in utero exposure to frequent fast food through maternal diet may be a risk factor for asthmatic symptoms in young children.
Biocompatible Hydrogels for Microarray Cell Printing and Encapsulation

Conventional drug screening processes are a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, but highly rewarding when they are successful. To identify promising lead compounds, millions of compounds are traditionally screened against therapeutic targets on human cells grown on the surface of 96-wells. These two-dimensional (2D) cell monolayers are physiologically irrelevant, thus, often providing false-positive or false-negative results, when compared to cells grown in three-dimensional (3D) structures such as hydrogel droplets. However, 3D cell culture systems are not easily amenable to high-throughput screening (HTS), thus inherently low throughput, and requiring relatively large volume for cell-based assays. In addition, it is difficult to control cellular microenvironments and hard to obtain reliable cell images due to focus position and transparency issues. To overcome these problems, miniaturized 3D cell cultures in hydrogels were developed via cell printing techniques where cell spots in hydrogels can be arrayed on the surface of glass slides or plastic chips by microarray spotters and cultured in growth media to form cells encapsulated 3D droplets for various cell-based assays. These approaches can dramatically reduce assay volume, provide accurate control over cellular microenvironments, and allow us to obtain clear 3D cell images for high-content imaging (HCI). In this review, several hydrogels that are compatible to microarray printing robots are discussed for miniaturized 3D cell cultures.
Phase‐Locked Loops, Applications

The sections in this article are 1 The Generic Phase-Locked Loop 2 Components 3 Acquisition 4 Noise Fundamentals 5 Applications of Phase-Locked Loops 6 Conclusions
Racing through life: maturation rate plasticity regulates overcompensation and increases persistence

Induced changes in the demographic traits of harvested populations produce ecological responses to mortality that are not generally predicted by traditional models. Strong plasticity in maturation rates—commonly observed among intensely harvested populations—varies the time between birth and reproduction of an individual, thereby affecting a population's growth rate. We developed a general model to explore how density-dependent maturation rates affect both population persistence and overcompensation, the situation in which population abundance increases in response to harvest. We find that plasticity in maturation rates generally dampens or eliminates overcompensation in populations. However stage-specific harvest strategies, rather than those that target a population evenly, could elicit or strengthen an overcompensatory response. Therefore, occurrence of overcompensation in a species may be context-dependent. Our results also demonstrate that faster maturation in response to harvest allows populations with low juvenile survival to persist under much greater harvest pressures and maintain higher levels of adult abundance than when maturation rates are not plastic. Strong compensatory responses in age at maturity can greatly amplify the harvest effort required to reduce or collapse populations with low survival rates. Accounting for this effect can be critical to invasive species control or eradication, as well as to the conservation of ecologically and/or economically important populations.
Risk Preferences and Asset Ownership: Integrating Prospect Theory and Transaction Cost Economics

We integrate prospect theory into the discussion of Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) to illustrate how risk aversion may affect integration decisions. In particular, we argue that risk aversion creates incentives to acquire assets in situations where neither opportunism nor transaction-specific investments are present, provided the assets in question can change in value unpredictably during their use. Our theory illustrates that risk aversion could connect opportunism, asset specificity, and uncertainty with integration decisions in the presence of incomplete contracts. Our theory complements and extends TCE by showing the role of risk aversion in integration decisions under bounded rationality and contract incompleteness. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trait aggression in two representative U.S. surveys: Testing the generalizability of college samples.

Aggression research often relies upon convenient samples with unknown generalizability to populations of interest, potentially threatening external validity. This article details the measurement properties of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire Short Form (BPAQ-SF) and its subscales in two nationally representative U.S. samples (N = 924) and a concurrent study with U.S. college students (N = 384). The results provide useful benchmarks for generalizing BPAQ-SF results from convenient samples to U.S. adults, including distributions, reliability, and factor structure. The results also confirm basic relationships between trait aggression and key social and demographic variables such as sex, age, and socioeconomic status while establishing convergent validity with violent political attitudes. RESULTS from the national studies closely align with those from the student sample, providing reasonable support for generalizing trait aggression elements to U.S. adults. Aggr. Behav. 9999:XX-XX, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en