cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of lung fibroblast proliferation and protein synthesis by bronchiolar lavage in experimental silicosis.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a single, intratracheal instillation of 30 mg Min-U-Sil silica in sterile saline and were sacrificed 3, 7, or 14 days following instillation. Control animals were instilled with sterile saline only. Silica instillation produced an inflammatory reaction followed by histological changes characteristic of lung fibrosis. Thickened alveolar septa associated with inflammatory cells transforming into large multifocal fibrotic nodules were detected in silica-exposed animals. Increased numbers of bronchoalveolar cells (principally macrophages), elevated levels of protein (principally serum albumin), and lysozyme, proteolytic (trypsin-like), and myeloperoxidase activities were detected in lavage fluids obtained from animals instilled with silica. These factors (except for lysozyme activity) were elevated above control levels from 3 to 7 days postinstillation and declined to near control levels by Day 14. The rate of DNA, collagen, and noncollagen protein synthesis was significantly elevated in lung tissue minces from silica-treated rats 3 and 7 days after instillation. Elevated levels of total protein, and lung collagen in particular, were observed 9 weeks after insult. Lavage fluid from silica-instilled rats stimulates DNA synthesis in cultures of proliferating and quiescent rat lung fibroblasts. Lavage fluid from silica-in-stilled rats also stimulates lung fibroblasts to increase collagen and noncollagen protein synthesis.
A contribution to the search of general mathematical principles in biology

A somewhat different approach to the principle of biotopological mapping, discussed in previous publications, is given. The organism is considered as a set of properties, each of which is in its turn a set of numerous subproperties which are logically included in the corresponding properties. Topology is introduced by an appropriate definition of neighborhoods, and four postulates are stated which concern the mapping of the spaces corresponding to higher organisms on those of lower ones. A number of conclusions are drawn from the postulates. Some of them correspond to well-known facts. For example, in man and some higher organisms appropriate emotional stimuli should produce gastrointestinal or cardiovascular disturbances; or some microorganisms should produce substances harmful to other microorganisms (antibiotics). Some other conclusions are still awaiting verification. One of them is, for example, that there must exist unicellular organisms which produce antibodies to appropriate antigens.
Relationship Commitment, Perceived Equity, and Sexual Enjoyment Among Young Adults in the United States

Very little is known about how enjoyment of sexual behavior is linked to the relationship context of the behavior among young adults in the United States. To examine this association, multivariate logistic and ordered logistic regression analyses were conducted using data from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, collected when the participants were 18 to 26 years old (N = 2,970). Analyses explored the associations between four measures of sexual enjoyment and three measures of relationship context. Perceived equity was associated with sexual enjoyment, but the pattern of associations differed by gender. Perceiving oneself to be underbenefited was associated with less enjoyment for all four measures of sexual enjoyment among women, but for only one measure among men. Perceiving oneself to be overbenefited was associated with less enjoyment for three of the sexual enjoyment measures among men, but for only two among women. Most of these associations were no longer significant when subjective relationship commitment was added to the models. Among both young adult men and women, subjective relationship commitment was associated with all four measures of sexual enjoyment. In contrast, formal relationship status was not consistently associated with any of the sexual enjoyment measures. Young adults perceiving that they are in more-committed relationships enjoy their partnered sexual acts more, on average, than those in less-committed relationships. Anticipation of higher sexual enjoyment could be used by public health campaigns to motivate young adults to engage in fewer, more-committed sexual partnerships.
Cycles in Ocean Productivity, Trends in Habitat Quality, and the Restoration of Salmon Runs in Oregon

Abstract Conservation management is always a political, as well as a biological, problem. Oregon's coastal natural coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations have drawn political attention because abundances are at critically low levels. One of the underlying problems is a long-term trend of habitat degradation. In addition, decadal-scale cycles in ocean survival of coho salmon may lead to cycles in abundance that are independent of freshwater habitat trends. Programs to restore coho salmon populations through stream restoration will take decades to produce long-lasting results. When population abundance varies widely over time, a rise in abundance following the initiation of recovery measures can be taken as an indication of success even when the increase in numbers was independent of the actions taken. Support for recovery efforts must be sustained through the cycle of higher abundance. The true measure of success for such projects is the continued survival of the population through subsequent episo...
Aggregate growth and breakup in particulate suspension flow through a micro-nozzle

A computational study is reported on the growth of aggregates in flow of a particulate suspension through a micro-nozzle. The study employs a soft-sphere discrete element method (DEM) with van der Waals adhesion force between the particles in two-dimensional, incompressible channel flow. A new computational approach for particle transport in complex domains is developed which uses a background Cartesian grid for efficient flow field interpolation at the particle locations, together with a level-set method to represent the nozzle boundaries in the particle computation. Three mechanisms for the growth or breakup of particulate aggregates in the micro-nozzle are examined: (1) enhanced particle collision due to lateral compression as fluid elements pass through the nozzle, (2) stretching of aggregates due to axial stretching of fluid elements, and (3) collision and intermittent adhesion of particles to the nozzle wall. The first of these mechanisms leads to aggregate growth, and the second to aggregate breakup. The wall collision and adhesion mechanism can enhance either aggregate growth or breakup, but it is found in most cases to be a primary agent in the breakup of incident aggregates as part of the aggregate attaches to the nozzle wall and is torn from the remainder of the aggregate due to the high shear near the walls. Simplified models for these processes are developed and used to interpret the trends observed in the DEM simulations. The effects of particle adhesion parameter, particle size and density, particle concentration, and nozzle geometry are examined. It is found that passage of a particulate suspension through a nozzle can lead to either a substantial decrease in aggregate size or a modest increase under different conditions, depending in part on the size of the incident aggregates.
Fabric analysis by ambient mass spectrometry for explosives and drugs

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is applied to the rapid, in-situ, direct qualitative and quantitative analysis of mixtures of explosives and drugs from a variety of fabrics, including cotton, silk, denim, polyester, rayon, spandex, leather and their blends. The compounds analyzed were explosives: trinitrohexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and the drugs of abuse: heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Limits of detection are in the picogram range. DESI analyses were performed without sample preparation and carried out in the presence of common interfering chemical matrices, such as insect repellant, urine, and topical lotions. Spatial and depth profiling was investigated to examine the depth of penetration and lateral resolution. DESI was also used to examine cotton transfer swabs used for travel security sample collection in the screening process. High throughput quantitative analysis of fabric surfaces for targeted analytes is also reported.
On the use of space-time finite elements in the solution of elasto-dynamic fracture problems

The use of a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation for the solution of dynamic fracture problems in linear elastic media with and without cohesive zones is explored. The results are compared with closed-form as well as numerical solutions available from the literature. The effectiveness of the space-time finite element method in the study of dynamic fracture problems is demonstrated, especially in those cases in which dynamic fracture occurs along with time discontinuous loading.
The effect of MDMA ("Ecstasy") and its optical isomers on schedule-controlled responding in mice.

Abstract Eleven mice were trained to respond under an FR 20 schedule of reinforcement and, after learning the schedule, were administered doses of saline and the following phenylisopropylamines: (±)-MDMA, S(+)-MDMA, R(−)-MDMA and (+)-amphetamine. Each of the phenylisopropylamines decreased rates of operant responding in a dose-dependent manner. S(+)-MDMA (ED50=3.1 mg/kg) was nearly equipotent with racemic MDMA and four times more potent than R(−)-MDMA (ED50=4.1 and 11.6 mg/kg, respectively), but less potent than (+)-amphetamine (ED50=0.74 mg/kg). The present study constitutes the first enantiometric behavioral-potency comparison for the optical isomers of MDMA.
Short-term modulation of endogenous bursting rhythms by monosynaptic inhibition in Aplysia neurons: effects of contingent stimulation.

Abstract A presynaptic neuron fires a high-frequency train of spikes that produces longlasting synaptic inhibition that modulates the bursting rhythm in a small population of endogenous bursting neurons in the left upper quadrant of the isolated abdominal ganglion of Aplysia . Single inputs decrease or increase the duration of the burst cycle as a function of the precise phase of the input (the phase response curve). Two phases of the burst cycle were used to analyze the effects of repeated contingent (phase-locked) stimulation. One contingency involved synaptic input early in the burst cycle that inhibited spikes and decreased the duration, whereas the other contingency involved input late in the cycle that increased the duration. Under both contingencies of stimulation, buildup and short-term persistence were found, however these cumulative effects were not dependent upon the phase of the burst cycle. The locus of the short-term plasticity that underlies the buildup and persistence in the pacemaker properties of the postsynaptic cell rather than in the synapse. The plastic change appears to involve a nonspecific postinhibitory rebound that follows a single input and builds up with repetition. These results support the suggestion that endogenous rhythms of pacemaker cells can undergo plastic changes and can therefore serve as a means of short-term information storage in the nervous system. However, this neuronal circuit does not have the specificity required to mediate operant conditioning.
Comparison between the similarity coefficient method and machine-component group analysis in group technology applications

Abstract This paper compares the widely used approaches to the machine cell formation, i.e., the machine-component group analysis and the similarity coefficient method.
Blood–Brain Barrier KCa3.1 Channels Evidence for a Role in Brain Na Uptake and Edema in Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose—KCa3.1, a calcium-activated potassium channel, regulates ion and fluid secretion in the lung and gastrointestinal tract. It is also expressed on vascular endothelium where it participates in blood pressure regulation. However, the expression and physiological role of KCa3.1 in blood–brain barrier (BBB) endothelium has not been investigated. BBB endothelial cells transport Na+ and Cl− from the blood into the brain transcellularly through the co-operation of multiple cotransporters, exchangers, pumps, and channels. In the early stages of cerebral ischemia, when the BBB is intact, edema formation occurs by processes involving increased BBB transcellular Na+ transport. This study evaluated whether KCa3.1 is expressed on and participates in BBB ion transport. Methods—The expression of KCa3.1 on cultured cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, isolated microvessels, and brain sections was evaluated by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Activity of KCa3.1 on cerebral microvascular en...
PROXIMATE COMPOSITION, RESPIRATION RATE AND FUNGI GROWTH OF DRY BEANS

Field and storage fungi have been associated with problems encountered in processed dry bean products. Representative sampling and analytical techniques have provided comprehensive information on environmental conditions, proximate composition and fungi growth of dry beans harvested in 1974 and 1975. Environmental conditions of bean storage vary dramatically with facilities, climates and composition of harvested dry beans. Mean proximate composition of dry beans was: 11.02% moisture, 2.20% soluble nitrogen, 3.26% total nitrogen, 0.92% fat, 3.77% ash and 63.91% carbohydrate. Respiration rates ranged from 20.93 μM/g/hr 02 uptake for immature beans (67% moisture) to less than 0.03 μM/g/hr 02 uptake for harvested dry beans (14% moisture). Fungi were prominent on dry beans. Surface disinfection of mature dry beans, followed by embedding in Potato Dextrose Agar containing 10% salt was selective for storage fungi. Fungi were observed to invade the seed coat of dry beans, depending on environmental conditions.
de Sitter vacua, renormalization, and locality

We analyze the renormalization properties of quantum field theories in de Sitter space and show that at most two of the maximally invariant vacuum states of free fields lead to consistent perturbation expansions. One is the Euclidean vacuum. The other is consistent with an interpretation as an antipodal orbifold of de Sitter space. We provide a Hamiltonian quantization in which this vacuum is viewed as living on the future half of global de Sitter space with boundary conditions on fields at the origin of time. We argue that the perturbation series in this case has divergences at the origin which render the future evolution of the system indeterminate, without a better understanding of high energy physics.
Rapid 500-mb Cyclogenesis and Anticyclogenesis

The process of intensification of 500-mb cyclones and anticyclones as represented in NMC's 500-mb analyses is investigated, using a sample of records for 500-mb cyclones and anticyclones drawn from the cool season of September 1983 through May 1984 to determine the statistically large intensification rates and thus to establish criteria for rapid intensification. From the catalog of all rapidly intensifying 500-mb cyclones and anticyclones defined by these criteria, seasonal and geographical frequency distributions of cyclogenesis and anticyclogenesis is constructed. It is shown that, for the data sample used in this analysis, the operational forecast models tend to underpredict rapid developments of 500-mb cyclones and anticyclones.
Phase Transition in Dependent Percolation

In this paper we discuss two different models of dependent percolation on the graph ℤ2. These models can be thought of as percolation in a random environment. They were inspired by the work of McCoy and Wu [7,8] on the Ising model in a random environment as well as other models of particle systems in a random environment [9, 5, 6, 3]. We show that both models of dependent percolation exhibit phase transitions. This proves a version of stability for percolation on ℤ2 and proves a conjecture of Jonasson, Mossel and Peres [4], who proved a similar result on ℤ3.
Estradiol receptors in articular chondrocytes.

Abstract Recent experimental studies suggest a role for estrogens in chondrocyte metabolism and the development and treatment of osteoarthritis. Type I cytoplasmic estradiol receptors were found in articular chondrocytes. The presence of these receptors supports a possible mechanism for previous observations on estrogen suppressive effects on cartilage proteoglycan synthesis and offers a basis for further study on the role of estrogens in the physiology of cartilage and in the pathogenesis and treatment of osteoarthritis.
Flunitrazepam and nordiazepam slowly released from silastic capsules induce physical dependence in rat.

The rates of in vitro release of flunitrazepam (FN), nordiazepam (ND) and diazepam (DZ) from silastic capsules were compared and found to be in the following order: DZ > FN > ND. Rats that were implanted subcutaneously with capsules filled with FN or ND for 5 to 7 weeks before administering flumazenil (FLU) (40 mg/kg, i.v.) showed precipitated abstinence as measured by the Precipitated Abstinence Score (PAS) which included a rapid onset of clonic and tonic-clonic convulsions. Rats implanted with DZ also demonstrated significant PAS and seizures. Implantation of similar doses of DZ, FN and ND resulted in different plasma levels of parent benzodiazepines and their metabolites that corresponded with their in vitro release: DZ > FN > ND. These data indicate that, as for DZ, the capsule implantation is an effective method of producing physical dependence on FN and ND in the rat.
Immunochemistry of antigens from aerobically and anaerobically grown Staphylococcus aureus

Immunochemical analyses of the major cell-wall antigens (teichoic acid, mucopeptide, and protein A) demonstrated quantitative but not qualitative differences between these antigens prepared from aerobically and anaerobically grownStaphylococcus aureus 7167. The reduced rate of oxygen uptake observed in anaerobically grownS. aureus 7167, indicating a repressed electron transport system and a reduction in the number of proteins (enzymes) associated with this system, was interpreted as evidence for the significant reduction in the number of protein antigens observed in immunochemical analyses of cell homogenate and intracellular antigen fractions prepared from anaerobically grown cells. Immunoelectrophoretic analyses indicated that a quantitatively greater amount of polysaccharide capsular material was obtained from anaerobically grownS. aureus 7167, and a relationship betweenin vivo pathogenicity and anaerobiosis was proposed.
Duplication of the scapula

Only three cases of scapular duplication have been described in English in the literature. We report a case of a child with duplication of the right scapula, operated on at our center with good results.
Interaction of copper(II) and manganese(II) with hemoglobin

Abstract Copper(II) oxidizes deoxyhemoglobin faster than oxyhemoglobin, and the reaction may be written: Cu(II)Hb(I)Hb + , where Hb is deoxyhemoglobin and Hb + is methemoglobin. We have combined spectrophotometric, proton NMR, and phosphorus NMR to show that the interaction between Cu(II) and human adult hemoglobin is very significant. Mn(II) also binds to hemoglobin; however Cu(II) and Mn(II) occupy different sites in the protein so that there is no competition between the metal ions for the same sites.
Voxel-level reproducibility assessment of modality independent elastography in a pre-clinical murine model

Changes in tissue mechanical properties, measured non-invasively by elastography methods, have been shown to be an important diagnostic tool, particularly for cancer. Tissue elasticity information, tracked over the course of therapy, may be an important prognostic indicator of tumor response to treatment. While many elastography techniques exist, this work reports on the use of a novel form of elastography that uses image texture to reconstruct elastic property distributions in tissue (i.e., a modality independent elastography (MIE) method) within the context of a pre-clinical breast cancer system.1,2 The elasticity results have previously shown good correlation with independent mechanical testing.1 Furthermore, MIE has been successfully utilized to localize and characterize lesions in both phantom experiments and simulation experiments with clinical data.2,3 However, the reproducibility of this method has not been characterized in previous work. The goal of this study is to evaluate voxel-level reproducibility of MIE in a pre-clinical model of breast cancer. Bland-Altman analysis of co-registered repeat MIE scans in this preliminary study showed a reproducibility index of 24.7% (scaled to a percent of maximum stiffness) at the voxel level. As opposed to many reports in the magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) literature that speak to reproducibility measures of the bulk organ, these results establish MIE reproducibility at the voxel level; i.e., the reproducibility of locally-defined mechanical property measurements throughout the tumor volume.
Family Councils in Nursing Facilities: Strategies for Effective Participation

This article provides an overview of the role of family councils. The contributions of the three groups that play a significant role in the development and support of family councils, relatives and friends of the facility's residents, facility administration and staff, and local advocacy organizations, are discussed. The role of the staff advisor, generally the facility social worker, is a major key to a successful council. Barriers that impede family council success are identified, and strategies that improve effectiveness are presented. Family councils play an important part in improving the quality of lives of long-term care residents.
Subretinal Neovascular Membrane and Disciform Scar in Behçet's Disease

A 33-year-old woman with a three-year history of aphthous ulceration of the mouth, vaginal ulceration, and erythema nodosum, also had a subretinal neovascular membrane in the left eye. She showed antibodies to guinea pig lip epithelium by indirect immunofluorescence. Thus, Behcet's disease must also be considered in the differential diagnosis of subretinal neovascular membrane in young patients, especially when antibodies to oral mucosa can be shown.
Food Purchase Diversity Across U.S. Markets

Growth in the number of food products and brands carried by grocery stores implies a preference for diversity. We examine the factors that affect the variety of food purchases across U.S. markets. Three measures of variety, based on market-level sales of both grocery categories and RTE cereal brands, are regressed on various population and market characteristics. We find that markets with a high proportion of low-income individuals exhibit less variety both in terms of grocery categories and breakfast cereal brands. We also find that racial diversity and average store size are important factors in explaining diversity of grocery purchases across markets, but are less important in explaining the variety of cereal brand purchases. [EconLit citations: D120, L660.] © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Analysis of the relationship between food expenditures and income dates at least to Engel. It is well known that as income increases, the proportion of the budget devoted to food decreases. Once basic needs are met, income growth allows consumers to add items to their purchase set that might otherwise be considered discretionary, or even luxuries. Thus, the variety of products purchased is expected to increase as consumer budgets expand. In examining aggregate expenditures across countries in various stages of development, Theil and Finke (1983) have documented a positive relationship between the variety of items purchased and the level of income. A similar phenomenon applies to subsets of goods, and certainly to food. Food expenditures increase with income, but in a developed economy, increased food expenditures are unlikely to reflect a greater quantity of each food item, for this would imply a proportionate increase in eating. Rather, the mix of items purchased will change as consumers are able to add more varied, higher quality goods, appealing to preferences rather than just to basic needs. In a study based on Stigler’s (1945) famous diet problem, Silberberg (1985) tested this hypothesis. Using survey data, he calculated average nutrition levels achieved by income groups, then calculated the minimum expenditures required to achieve these levels. He found that the difference between actual and minimum expenditures increased with income, and concluded that increasing food expenditures with higher income are to please tastes rather to meet nutritional needs. Jackson (1984) demonstrated that this result holds
The calculation of neuronal signal-to-noise ratios using sine-wave estimation of the system kernel

Abstract This paper outlines how to define neuronal signal-to-noise ratios when neurons are driven by sinusoidal oscillation over time. We show how traditional sinusoidal vector strength can be converted into a well-behaved estimate of signal-to-noise ratio. The technique hinges on conversion between distributions via their density and inverse density functions.
Photocatalytic activity of CdS and Ag2S quantum dots deposited on poly(amidoamine) functionalized carbon nanotubes

Two novel ternary nanocatalysts, f-MWCNTs-CdS and f-MWCNTs-Ag2S were successfully constructed by covalent grafting of fourth generation (G4) hyperbranched, crosslinked poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) to carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH) and subsequent deposition of CdS or Ag2S quantum dots (QDs). The structural transformation, surface potential, and morphology of functionalized MWCNTs (f-MWCNTs) and nanocatalysts were characterized by UV–vis spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the effective anchoring of QDs on f-MWCNTs. The catalytic activity of nanocatalysts was evaluated by photodegradation of methyl orange under illumination of UV light. The coupling of MWCNTs, PAMAM and CdS or Ag2S QDs significantly enhanced the catalytic efficiency of nanocatalysts. The rate constants for degradation of methyl orange in presence of nanocatalysts were calculated using the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. Overall, the excellence in photodegradation was accomplished by hybridizing f-MWCNTs with CdS or Ag2S QDs.
Equity judgments in hypothetical, four-person partnerships

Abstract Subjects' ratings of the fairness of a set of suggested allocations in hypothetical, four-person partnerships demonstrated that an ordinal relationship between inputs and outcomes is not a sufficient definition of equity. Subjects' suggestions for fair distributions of outcomes failed to conform to G. W. Walster's ( Representative Research in Social Psychology , 1975 , 6 , 65–67) increasing-profits and profit-sign criteria, and were better fit by R. J. Harris' ( Journal of Experimental Social Psychology , 1976 , 12 , 194–209) linear formula than by any other formula thus far proposed.
Integrative analysis of methylation and gene expression data in TCGA

An integrative analysis of methylation and gene expression is performed using TCGA data for 997 samples from multiple cancer types. We use conditional mutual information to examine each gene separately, identify 798 genes whose expression are repressed by their methylation, and derive gene-specific thresholds to dichotomize their methylation data. For each methylation controlled gene, we evaluate its conditional correlation with other genes, and infer which other genes are its regulators or targets. The resulting set of regulator genes is much larger than that of target genes, and the set of regulator genes is highly enriched by transcription factors.
The development of the cognitive behavior survey to assess medical student learning

This article describes the development of the Cognitive Behavior Survey (CBS), whose purpose is to examine the cognitive behavior of medical students during the preclinical years. The CBS performs three functions. It generates descriptive data on learning behavior, learning experience, and epistemological beliefs. It measures the role of memorization, conceptualization, and reflection in student learning. Finally, it serves an exploratory function by measuring the degree to which students view learning as a positive experience. A variety of measures was used to establish the validity and reliability of the scales. Cronbach's alphas for the four scales respectively are .82, .79, .76, and .91.
A Kinect-based system for automatic recording of some pigeon behaviors

Contact switches and touch screens are the state of the art for recording pigeons’ pecking behavior. Recording other behavior, however, requires a different sensor for each behavior, and some behaviors cannot easily be recorded. We present a flexible and inexpensive image-based approach to detecting and counting pigeon behaviors that is based on the Kinect sensor from Microsoft. Although the system is as easy to set up and use as the standard approaches, it is more flexible because it can record behaviors in addition to key pecking. In this article, we show how both the fast, fine motion of key pecking and the gross body activity of feeding can be measured. Five pigeons were trained to peck at a lighted contact switch, a pigeon key, to obtain food reward. The timing of the pecks and the food reward signals were recorded in a log file using standard equipment. The Kinect-based system, called BehaviorWatch, also measured the pecking and feeding behavior and generated a different log file. For key pecking, BehaviorWatch had an average sensitivity of 95 % and a precision of 91 %, which were very similar to the pecking measurements from the standard equipment. For detecting feeding activity, BehaviorWatch had a sensitivity of 95 % and a precision of 97 %. These results allow us to demonstrate that an advantage of the Kinect-based approach is that it can also be reliably used to measure activity other than key pecking.
The functional architecture of human empathy

Empathy accounts for the naturally occurring subjective experience of similarity between the feelings expressed by self and others without loosing sight of whose feelings belong to whom. Empathy involves not only the affective experience of the other person’s actual or inferred emotional state but also some minimal recognition and understanding of another’s emotional state. In light of multiple levels of analysis ranging from developmental psychology, social psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and clinical neuropsychology, this article proposes a model of empathy that involves parallel and distributed processing in a number of dissociable computational mechanisms. Shared neural representations, self-awareness, mental flexibility, and emotion regulation constitute the basic macrocomponents of empathy, which are underpinned by specific neural systems. This functional model may be used to make specific predictions about the various empathy deficits that can be encountered in different forms of social and neu...
Does Gingival Recession Require Surgical Treatment

Gingival recession represents a clinical condition in adults frequently encountered in the general dental practice. Clinicians often face dilemmas of whether or not to treat such a condition surgically. An initial condensed literature search was performed using a combination of gingival recession and surgery controlled terms and keywords. An analysis of the search results highlights the limited understanding of the factors that guide the treatment of gingival recession. Understanding the cause, prognosis, and treatment of gingival recession continues to offer many unanswered questions and challenges in periodontics as we strive to provide the best care possible for our patients.
Global Register Partitioning

Modern computers have taken advantage of the instruction-level parallelism (ILP) available in programs with advances in both architecture and compiler design. Unfortunately, large amounts of ILP hardware and aggressive instruction scheduling techniques put great demands on a machine's register resources. With increasing ILP, it becomes difficult to maintain a single monolithic register bank and a high clock rate. To provide support for large amounts of ILP while retaining a high clock rate, registers can be partitioned among several different register banks. Each bank is directly accessible by only a subset of the functional units with explicit inter-bank copies required to move data between banks. Therefore, a compiler must deal not only with achieving maximal parallelism via aggressive scheduling, but also with data placement to limit inter-bank copies. Our approach to code generation for ILP architectures with partitioned register resources provides flexibility by representing machine dependent features as node and edge weights and by remaining independent of scheduling and register allocation methods. Experimentation with our framework has shown a degradation in execution performance of 10% on average when compared to an unrealizable monolithic-register-bank architecture with the same level of ILP.
Automated model acquisition from range images with view planning

We present an incremental system that builds accurate CAD models of objects from multiple range images. Using a hybrid of surface mesh and volumetric representations, the system creates a "water-tight" 3D model at each step of the modeling process, allowing reasonable models to be built from a small number of views. We also present a method that can be used to plan the next view and reduce the number of scans needed to recover the object. Results are presented for the creation of 3D models of a computer game controller, a hip joint prosthesis, and a mechanical strut.
Resource-Minimized Channel Assignment for Multi-Transceiver Cognitive Radio Networks

The advancement of cognitive radio (CR) has uncovered new dynamics in multi-hop, wireless networking. Given the increased agility of a transceiver's frequency assignment, the network topology can be optimized to address end-to-end networking goals. We propose a channel assignment scheme for cognitive radio networks (CRNs) that balances the need for topology adaptation focusing on flow rate maximization and the need for a stable baseline topology that supports network connectivity. We focus on CRNs in which nodes are equipped with multiple radios or transceivers, each of which can be assigned to a channel. First, our approach assigns channels independently of traffic, to achieve basic network connectivity and support light loads such as control traffic, and second, it dynamically assigns channels to the remaining transceivers in response to traffic demand. In this paper, we focus on the traffic-independent (TI) channel assignment with the goal of dedicating as few transceivers as possible to achieving baseline connectivity. By conserving transceivers in the TI assignment, the network is more able to adapt to any traffic demands in a subsequent traffic-driven (TD) assignment. We formulate the problem as a two-stage mixed integer linear program (MILP), with a TI stage and a TD stage. We propose a centralized greedy approach to TI assignment which performs nearly identically to the optimum obtained from the two-stage MILP in terms of the number of transceivers assigned and flow rate in the evaluated scenarios. Subsequently, we propose a distributed greedy TI approach that performs within 9% of the optimum in terms of the number of transceivers assigned and within 1.5% of the optimum in terms of flow rate.
Relationship of total motile sperm count and percentage motile sperm to successful pregnancy rates following intrauterine insemination.

Purpose: This study sought (i) to investigate the relationship between postwash total motile sperm count and postwash percentage motile sperm in predicting successful intrauterine insemination and (ii) to determine the minimal postwash total motile sperm count required to achieve pregnancy with intrauterine insemination. Methods: Five hundred four women, who underwent 1636 intrauterine insemination cycles with their partner's sperm for infertility treatment from 1993 through 1995, were included in this retrospective study. All patient charts were reviewed for age, infertility etiology, ovarian stimulation regimens, semen characteristics, and treatment outcome. To determine the relationship between total motile sperm count and intrauterine insemination outcome, patients were grouped as (1) less than 0.5 million, (2) 0.5 to 1 million, (3) 1 to 5 million, (4) greater than 5 million, and (5) greater than 20 million. Results: Similar live birth rates (per cycle) were seen among the postwash total motile sperm count groups: group 1, 3.5%; group 2, 2.4%; group 3, 7.0%; group 4, 6.9%; and group 5, 7.0% (P = 0.37). However, regardless of the postwash total motile sperm count, the postwash motility predicted intrauterine insemination success at a cutoff value of 40%. Conclusions: The percentage of postwash sperm motility, and not the postwash total motile sperm count, can predict successful intrauterine insemination outcome. Such information can be useful in counseling patients regarding their chance of success with intrauterine insemination and in determining when alternate methods of assisted reproduction may be a better approach.
An history of orchid hybridization, seed germination and tissue culture

Orchids were probably hand-pollinated for the first time in 1797–1799 by the German botanist, J. K. Wachter. The earliest description of orchid seedlings (Orchis morio and Bletia verecunda), was by the British botanist, R. A. Salisbury, in a paper delivered in 1802 and published in 1804. Germination of an orchid (Prescottia plantaginea) in a horticultural establishment was initially reported from the Horticultural Society garden at Chiswick, U.K. in 1822 or 1832. However, the first detailed and substantiated report on the subject was published by D. Moore, Director of the Glasnevin Botanical Garden in Ireland in 1849. This lead to the first orchid hybrid which was produced by J. Dominy of Messrs Veitch & Sons of Exeter, U.K. in 1856. Fifty years later the French botanist Noel Bernard discovered the role of mycorrhiza in orchid seed germination. Methods for asymbiotic germination of orchid seeds were formulated by the American plant physiologist L. Knudson. The first attempt to propagate an orchid (Phalaenopsis) by tissue culture methods was made by G. Rotor at Cornell University. Shoot tip culture methods for orchids, developed by G. Morel in France in 1960, utilized techniques used for Tropaeolum and Lupinus by E. A. Ball in the U.S.A. as early as 1946.
Effects of Developmental Methylmercury Exposure on Nervous System Function in Monkeys

Following the tragic outbreaks of methylmercury poisoning in Japan and later in Iraq, substantial effort was devoted to characterizing the neurotoxic effects of methylmercury exposure in animal models, with particular emphasis on developmental exposure. Early studies in rodents demonstrated motor deficits as a result of prenatal exposure, although the pattern of cerebral palsy and severe sensory impairment characteristic of high dose in utero exposure in humans was not observed. In contrast, adult neonatal or in utero exposure to methylmercury in monkeys replicated the pattern of sensory and motor impairment produced in humans. A substantial body of research has used the monkey as a model of methylmercury-induced developmental neurotoxicity. The emphasis on the monkey as a model for human neurotoxicity produced by methylmercury may be the result of several factors in addition to the obvious limitations of the rodent model in replicating the pattern of gross neurological damage produced by methylmercury in humans.
M-space: Is it a constraint on conservation reasoning ability?

Abstract Eighty-two children (ages 4.4 to 6.5 years) were administered a Backward Digit Span test to measure M-space and four conservation tasks (number, substance, continuous quantity, and weight). Based upon a neo-Piagetian theory of intellectual development proposed by Pascual-Leone (unpublished dissertation, 1969) two hypotheses were tested. (1) A significant relation should exist between a child's M-space and his ability to conserve; (2) children should not conserve when the number of “figurative schemes” required to solve the task exceeds their M-space. Significant partial correlations were found between M-space and number and between M-space and continuous quantity (age held constant). However, M-space did not correlate significantly with substance or weight. As predicted, none of 11 children with M-spaces of e + 1 demonstrated conservation. Contrary to theoretical predictions, a substantial number of children with M-spaces of e + 2 conserved all four quantities. It is argued that it may be possible to retain the idea of M-space as a constraint on reasoning ability if theoretical statements regarding the number of required figurative schemes are modified.
Naive CD8+ T cells from ART respond to primary vaccination against autologous HIV-1 antigen

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) decreases HIV-1 viremia and AIDS-associated mortality. Despite this, HIV infected patients are unable to clear virus during treatment interruption due to insufficient cytotoxic T cell (CTL) activity against the autologous reservoir. It is unclear if naive T cells from patients on ART can respond to immunotherapies that induce CTL specific for their own, unique virus. Unfortunately, late-evolving virus and the ART reservoir contain escape epitope variants that confer a lack of CTL control. We hypothesize that a dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy during ART can induce CTL capable of eliminating the autologous reservoir, despite their failure to do so during natural infection.
Polymerization of olefins through heterogeneous catalysis. VII. Particle ignition and extinction phenomena

The possibility of multiple steady states for a polymer particle is examined for propylene and ethylene, liquid and gas phase polymerizations. It is shown that multiple steady states should not occur in conventional diluent slurry polymerizations, but are always a possibility for gas phase and bulk propylene slurry reactions. Simulations to determine particle temperatures as a function of particle diameter show that polymer melting is predicted immediately upon catalyst injection for many cases in a gas phase reactor and for some cases in bulk polymerization. The practical implications of this result are discussed.
EMPATHY: MIRROR NEURONS, PAULINE THEOLOGY, AND THE MEANING OF CARE

(2008). EMPATHY: MIRROR NEURONS, PAULINE THEOLOGY, AND THE MEANING OF CARE. Journal of Pastoral Theology: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 25-43.
New Directions in the Preparation of Educational Leaders

Over the past two decades the educational reform movement has taken centre stage at local, state, and national levels. The intense reform activity and scrutiny of all dimensions of education are products of broader social, economic, and political problems currently being played out in schools. In general, reform initiatives have focused on such areas as the integrity and quality of school curricula, the preparation and performance of classroom teachers, school governance and control structures, finance and equity issues, and school leadership.
Practical applications of injury surveillance: a brief 25-year history of the Connecticut Injury Prevention Center.

Background: The mission of the Connecticut Injury Prevention Center (CIPC), jointly housed in Connecticut Children9s Medical Center and Hartford Hospital, is to reduce unintentional injury and violence among Connecticut residents, with a special focus on translating research into injury prevention programmes and policy. The CIPC engages in four core activities: research, education and training, community outreach programmes and public policy. As surveillance is an essential element of injury prevention, the CIPC has developed a robust statewide fatal and non-fatal injury surveillance system that has guided our prior work and continues to inform our current projects. Objective: The purpose of this article is to review the projects, programmes, and collaborative relationships that have made the CIPC successful in reducing unintentional injury and violence in Connecticut throughout the course of its 25 years history. Design, setting, participants: Retrospective review of the application of injury surveillance. Results/Conclusions: We believe that the application of our surveillance system can serve as a model for others who wish to engage in collaborative, community-based, data-driven injury prevention programmes in their own communities.
Spatial Distribution of Black Bear Incident Reports in Michigan

Interactions between humans and carnivores have existed for centuries due to competition for food and space. American black bears are increasing in abundance and populations are expanding geographically in many portions of its range, including areas that are also increasing in human density, often resulting in associated increases in human-bear conflict (hereafter, bear incidents). We used public reports of bear incidents in Michigan, USA, from 2003–2011 to assess the relative contributions of ecological and anthropogenic variables in explaining the spatial distribution of bear incidents and estimated the potential risk of bear incidents. We used weighted Normalized Difference Vegetation Index mean as an index of primary productivity, region (i.e., Upper Peninsula or Lower Peninsula), primary and secondary road densities, and percentage land cover type within 6.5-km2 circular buffers around bear incidents and random points. We developed 22 a priori models and used generalized linear models and Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) to rank models. The global model was the best compromise between model complexity and model fit (w = 0.99), with a ΔAIC 8.99 units from the second best performing model. We found that as deciduous forest cover increased, the probability of bear incident occurrence increased. Among the measured anthropogenic variables, cultivated crops and primary roads were the most important in our AIC-best model and were both positively related to the probability of bear incident occurrence. The spatial distribution of relative bear incident risk varied markedly throughout Michigan. Forest cover fragmented with agriculture and other anthropogenic activities presents an environment that likely facilitates bear incidents. Our map can help wildlife managers identify areas of bear incident occurrence, which in turn can be used to help develop strategies aimed at reducing incidents. Researchers and wildlife managers can use similar mapping techniques to assess locations of specific conflict types or to address human impacts on endangered species.
Women’s Retrospective Experiences of Bereavement Predicting Unresolved Attachment

This study’s goal was to gain a better understanding of why some women become unresolved with regard to loss and others do not. Sixty women were administered (a) the adult attachment interview to assess their childhood relationship with their parents and experience of and response to loss and (b) a grief interview that was coded for circumstances surrounding bereavement experiences: relationship to the deceased, cause of death, suddenness, developmental timing, and emotional support. Women were less likely to be unresolved if they had a secure/autonomous attachment classification. The cause of death, regardless of its inherent suddenness, did not increase the risk of being unresolved. Women were more likely to be unresolved only if they perceived their losses as sudden. No other risk factors were significantly related to being unresolved. Findings from this study have important implications for developing effective intervention programs to help adults cope with losses of important people.