cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emotion differentiation predicts likelihood of initial lapse following substance use treatment

Abstract Background An estimated 40% to 70% of individuals treated for a substance use disorder relapse within one year following treatment ( Walitzer and Dearing, 2006 ). Relapse is often driven by the need to cope with intense negative affect (Koob, 2013). Emotion differentiation, defined as the ability to distinguish among various emotion states, has been linked to better behavioral control in the face of negative affect (Kashdan et al., 2015). The aim of the current study was to determine if higher levels of emotion differentiation are associated with the risk of experiencing an initial lapse following entry into residential substance use treatment. Methods A total of 213 substance users (69.5% male, 94.4% African American, M age = 43.01 ± 11.35 years) entering residential treatment were assessed on study variables at pre- and post-treatment, and at 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month post-treatment. Emotion differentiation was calculated using ratings on five negative affect items derived from the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988) at five assessment points. Results A Cox proportional-hazards regression model adjusting for age and negative affect intensity demonstrates that for every unit increase in emotion differentiation, there is a 27% reduction in the likelihood of initial lapse on any given day (OR = 0.73; 95% CIs [0.56, 0.95]). Conclusions The ability to differentiate among negative emotion states protects against initial lapse following treatment.
Refined Expected Value Decision Rules

Abstract We consider the difficult problem of choosing between alternatives where the payoffs for the alternatives are uncertain and modeled via discrete probability distributions. One popular approach for making a choice in this complex environment is to use the idea of expected value; we prefer alternatives with larger expected value. Here we suggest an approach for refining the calculation of the expected value to allow for the inclusion of a requirement that we prefer an alternative with payoff probability distribution P1 to an alternative with payoff probability distribution P2 by assuring that expected value of P1 is larger then the expected value of P2.
Patterns of Care at the End of Life for Children and Young Adults with Life-Threatening Complex Chronic Conditions.

Objective To characterize patterns of care at the end of life for children and young adults with life-threatening complex chronic conditions (LT-CCCs) and to compare them by LT-CCC type. Study design Cross-sectional survey of bereaved parents (n = 114; response rate of 54%) of children with noncancer, noncardiac LT-CCCs who received care at a quaternary care children's hospital and medical record abstraction. Results The majority of children with LT-CCCs died in the hospital (62.7%) with more than one-half (53.3%) dying in the intensive care unit. Those with static encephalopathy (AOR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04-0.98), congenital and chromosomal disorders (AOR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.09-0.91), and pulmonary disorders (AOR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.01-0.77) were significantly less likely to die at home compared with those with progressive central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Almost 50% of patients died after withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining therapies, 17.5% died during active resuscitation, and 36% died while receiving comfort care only. The mode of death varied widely across LT-CCCs, with no patients with pulmonary disorders dying receiving comfort care only compared with 66.7% of those with CNS progressive disorders. A majority of patients had palliative care involvement (79.3%); however, in multivariable analyses, there was distinct variation in receipt of palliative care across LT-CCCs, with patients having CNS static encephalopathy (AOR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01-0.68) and pulmonary disorders (AOR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01-.09) significantly less likely to have palliative care involvement than those with CNS progressive disorders. Conclusions Significant differences in patterns of care at the end of life exist depending on LT-CCC type. Attention to these patterns is important to ensure equal access to palliative care and targeted improvements in end-of-life care for these populations.
History and Development of Migration Challenges

The movement of people from one place to the other is a phenomenon that has existed for probably almost as long as humanity. Thus, migration marks one persistent dynamic in human history. The reasons for people to decide to migrate can originate from various sources and events. Some of them include war, persecution, and discrimination to name the forceful ones; but also family reunification, better job opportunities and improved lifestyle. The motive for migration also determines whether a person accounts for a “regular” migrant or a refugee. In 2017, more refugees and migrants were on the move. Around the world, over 65 million people (equivalent to the population of Britain) are forcibly displaced. “That includes 22.5m who qualify more narrowly as refugees compared with 16m in 2007. Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon and Iran each host over 1m refugees. But international reaction depends mostly on events in richer countries, notably the numbers of people seeking asylum. In 2012 there were 943,000 registered asylum-seekers globally, the number rose to 3.2m in 2015, before dipping to 2.8m in 2016.” (Roberts, 2017, p. 81). The United Nations stated that 250 million people—roughly the population of Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most-populous country—are migrants and the think-tank OECD said that 5 million people migrated permanently to rich countries in 2016, with an average annual rise in recent years of 7% (Roberts, 2017, p. 81).
Free-running circadian period in adolescents and adults.

Sleep timing shifts later during adolescence (second decade). This trend reverses at ~20 years and continues to shift earlier into adulthood. The current analysis examined the hypothesis that a longer free-running circadian period during late adolescence (14-17 years) compared with adulthood (30-45 years) accounts for sleep timing differences. Sex and ancestry were also examined because previous reports find that women and those with African-American ancestry have shorter free-running periods. Circadian period was measured using an ultradian dark-light protocol (2 hr dark/sleep, 2 hr dim room light [~20 lux]/wake) over 3.4 days. Dim light melatonin onsets were measured before and after the ultradian protocol, from which the circadian period was derived. In contrast to our hypothesis, we found that free-running circadian period was similar in adolescents and adults. African-American adults had shorter free-running circadian periods compared with adults of other ancestries. This ancestry difference was not seen in the adolescent group. Finally, we observed a non-significant trend for shorter free-running circadian periods in females compared with males. These data suggest that age-related changes in circadian period after late adolescence do not account for sleep timing differences. These data provide further support for ancestry-related differences in period, particularly in adults. Whether the large difference in circadian period between African-American and other ancestries emerges later in development should be explored.
Human Stem Cell Approaches to Understanding and Treating Alzheimer’s Disease

This chapter describes how human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC) technologies might be used to study Alzheimer’s disease. I argue that significant mechanistic and therapeutic insights may emerge regarding familial Alzheimer’s disease and also sporadic Alzheimer’s disease by using hIPSC methods. Uniting stem cell, bioengineering, and genetic/genomic technologies may provide a uniquely powerful platform for understanding and treating this terrible human disease.
The Allo Bile Acids

Twelve years ago at the First NATO Advanced Study Institute on the Biliary System Professor Haslewood (1965) reported that a new bile acid, allocholic acid, was rather widely distributed in lower animals and a few mammals, including man. My colleague. Dr. Karavolas, described the identification of allocholic acid as a metabolite of choiestanol in the bile fistula rat (Karavolas and Elliott, 1965). The interest evidenced in allo bile acids at that meeting has flourished in several laboratories in an effort to ascertain the importance of these recently identified derivatives.
Photosynthesis and Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Tall Fescue

Measuring the photosynthetic rate of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) at low temperatures is difficult because dew or frost on the leaves often prevents the use of a CO2 analyzer. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements may make it possible to estimate photosynthetic potential when it is impossible to make photosynthetic measurements. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters used were Fo, minimum fluorescence yield, and Fm, the maximum fluorescence yield. Fv, the variable fluorescence, is the difference between Fm and Fo. The efficiency of energy conversion in photosystem II is estimated from the ratio Fv/Fm.
Pediatric Imaging in Global Health Radiology

The practice of pediatric radiology involves the imaging of infants, children, and adolescents. In addition to common disease processes that affect children in the developed and developing world alike, there are a myriad of disease processes that are specific to children of the developing world. Diseases such as amebiasis, echinococcosis, and neurocysticercosis are seen frequently in the developing world; one should have a high index of suspicion of these diagnoses when evaluating imaging of patients from endemic regions. There are many elements that imaging can aid with in diagnosing these complicated disease processes; however, many challenges remain for the implementation of efficient and safe use of pediatric imaging in the developing world.
Or of the [Blog]

This paper, a contribution to a symposium on blogs and the law, examines the legal and constitutional status of blogs. Specifically, it offers three ways of looking at the relationship between blogs and the Press Clause - and, not incidentally, of looking at the Press Clause itself. First, drawing on recent historical work, I suggest that we might view the Press Clause through either the free press or open press models that historically have applied to that provision. Viewing the Press Clause through the open press model makes a home for blogs in the Press Clause, but dilutes the content of the rights that might be available, for blogs or anyone else, under the Press Clause. Second, I suggest that we might view the Press Clause from a functional perspective, protecting those activities that are at the heart of what we consider to be the social value of journalism. This approach does manage to give some content to the press right, and to extend it to journalists working in the old and new media alike; but it fails to fully capture the qualities that we value in either the established press or the blogosphere. Finally, I argue that we might view the Press Clause specifically, and the First Amendment generally, in institutional terms, identifying those speech institutions that contribute in unique and important ways to public discourse and granting them considerable autonomy to act according to the norms and practices that define and give value to each First Amendment institution. Under this approach, both the established news media and the blogosphere may find substantial protection under the Press Clause, although the content of the rights available to each institution will be different, based on the distinct nature of each institution. I argue that this approach, although in some ways it may appear to be the most radical of the three visions of the Press Clause I offer, is both normatively attractive and closer to current First Amendment doctrine than one might assume. Ultimately, although my conclusions differ significantly from his, I suggest that there may yet be life in the arguments made by Justice Stewart in his famous article on the Press Clause.
Understanding the Stability of Nanoscale Catalysts in PEM Fuel Cells by Identical Location TEM

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are promising energy conversion devices due to their high energy density, low operating temperature, high efficiency, and ultimate cleanness—no carbon dioxide emission. Yet, a critical factor which significantly influences the performance of PEMFC is the stability of platinum group metal catalysts, which consists of Pt or Pt-alloy nanoparticles (2–5 nm in diameter) supported on the surface of carbon particles (40–100 nm in diameter) during fuel cell cycling. In fact, the Pt or Pt-alloy catalysts typically dissolve and/or grow in size with the number of cycles. In order to reveal the degradation mechanisms of these nanocatalysts, we have developed an experimental setup which replicates on a TEM grid the effect of voltage cycling on the cathode of an MEA. Using this approach, it is possible to track the behavior of a single nanoparticle at different stages of voltage cycling at the nano/atomic scale. Through these direct observations, we demonstrated that due to carbon corrosion the defects appear at the carbon/nanoparticle interface, which in turn result in particle migration and consequently coalescence. We also revealed the mass transfer mechanisms during the coalescence of nanoparticles. In addition, we revisited the commonly held view on the mechanism of particle dissolution and deposition. Thus, during the later stages of cycling, when the concentration of dissoluble Pt reaches a critical amount, single atoms and atomic clusters appear on the carbon support, which consequently move toward other particles and re-deposit on their surface. Furthermore, we investigated the atomic surface evolution of Pt-Ni nanoparticles under the effect of voltage through advanced spectroscopy technique such as EDS.
RadioBio and Other Recent U.S. Bioelectromagnetics Research Programs [Health Matters]

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) issued a request for proposal (RFP) in spring 2017 by announcing its new research initiative: "RadioBio: What Role Does Electromagnetic Signaling Have in Biological Systems?" [1], [2].
Vegetation connectivity increases ant activity and potential for ant-provided biocontrol services in a tropical agroforest

Author(s): Jimenez-Soto, Esteli; Morris, Jonathan R; Letourneau, Deborah K; Philpott, Stacy M
Micro-extrusion-based additive manufacturing with liquid metals and alloys: Flow and deposition driven by oxide skin mechanics

Abstract Micro-extrusion-based additive manufacturing ( μ EAM) for metals and alloys carries the potential to enable multi-material manufacturing of micro- and meso-scale products with high resolution and microstructural control. However, realizing μ EAM with metals and alloys has been elusive despite the method’s success with plastics and ceramics, due to the substantially different thermofluidic properties of metals. This paper presents a comprehensive study of flow and deposition mechanisms of μ EAM with liquid metal alloy eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn), focusing on the influence of the elastic solid skin of gallium oxides encapsulating the extruded filaments. To this end, effect of the nozzle–oxide skin adhesion on the extrusion process and the three-dimensional surface stresses evolving on the oxide skin are experimentally studied. It is shown that the reduced adhesion between the nozzle and the oxide skin substantially improves the process repeatability. The stress analysis showed that the oxide skin experiences axial, circumferential and shear stresses during the process. Continuous filamentary extrusion is achieved within a circumferential stress range that varies as a function of nozzle diameter and printing angle, dictated by the dispensing pressure. During filamentary extrusion, the oxide skin continuously yields axially while experiencing shear depending on the printing angle. The filament diameter is shown to be a function of the shear strain and the nozzle diameter. Finally, effect of dispensing pressure history on the filament diameter and the stresses were studied, demonstrating that decreasing dispensing pressure during the printing process leads to reduction in filament diameter whereas increasing pressure does not increase the filament diameter. These findings will inform the process and equipment design for EAM for liquid phase metals, impacting several applications including microelectronics, biomedical devices and energy storage.
Deformation-Based Droplet Separation in Microfluidics

Deformation-based particle/droplet separation is important in many industrial and medical applications. The roles of different physical parameters of particles/droplets such as viscosity, velocity,...
Gastric Outlet Obstruction Secondary to Pyloric Thickening in an Adolescent Male

Gastric outlet obstruction secondary to pyloric thickening in adolescents is an extremely rare finding. The condition is caused by a number of benign or malignant etiologies that cause an impedimen...
Shot-Noise Seeded Microbunching Instability: Second-Order Correction to the Gain Function

We determine the second-order correction to the gain function of the microbunching instability in single-pass systems of interest for the next generation of light sources. The calculation applies to the case where the instability is seeded by shot noise. We examine an analytically treatable model of beam dynamics where collective forces are active only in non-dispersive sections of the linac. We find that the second order term can augment the linear gain significantly while affecting the spectrum of the overall gain only marginally. The weight of the second-order correction relative to the linear gain is found to scale quadratically with respect to R56. The qualitative behavior predicted by the model is consistent with exact numerical solutions of the Vlasov equations for realistic lattices.
Structure and electronic properties of CaAl12−xFexO19 hibonites

Abstract Dilution of iron in the AM12O19 has shown promising coupling of magnetic and electric properties in the hexaferrites. We have prepared samples of low iron content in the isostructural hibonite, CaAl12−xFexO19, to investigate the structural effects of larger iron substitution into the aluminum sites and the resultant properties. We found a solid solution exists for CaAl12−xFexO19 where x ≤ 5.5. Iron distributes into all sites with the tetrahedral M3 and octahedral M5 sites displaying nominally larger preference at higher Fe content. Paramagnetic behavior was observed for x ​= ​1–3, while x ​= ​4–5.5 displayed a broad ferromagnetic-like transition with increasing Curie temperature. Differences in field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetic susceptibility measurements and low magnetic moment indicate the presence of a frustrated antiferromagnetic structure as the source of the ferromagnetic-like behavior. Increasing Fe content also increases the dielectric constant up to 21 ​at room temperature with high dielectric loss.
Application of deep learning to understand resilience to Alzheimer's disease pathology

People who have Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change (ADNC) typically associated with dementia but not the associated cognitive decline can be considered to be "resilient" to the effects of ADNC. We have previously reported lower neocortical levels of hyperphosphorylated tau (pTau) and less limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC) in the resilient participants compared to those with dementia and similar ADNC as determined by current NIA-AA recommendations using traditional semi-quantitative assessments of amyloid β and pathological tau burden. To better understand differences between AD-dementia and resilient participants, we developed and applied a deep learning approach to analyze the neuropathology of 14 brain donors from the Adult Changes in Thought study, including seven stringently defined resilient participants and seven age-matched AD-dementia controls. We created two novel, fully automated deep learning algorithms to quantify the level of phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43) and pTau in whole slide imaging. The models performed better than traditional techniques for quantifying pTDP-43 and pTau. The second model was able to segment lesions staining for pTau into neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and tau neurites (neuronal processes positive for pTau). Both groups had similar quantities of pTau localizing to neurites, but the pTau burden associated with NFTs in the resilient group was significantly lower compared to the group with dementia. These results validate use of deep learning approaches to quantify clinically relevant microscopic characteristics from neuropathology workups. These results also suggest that the burden of NFTs is more strongly associated with cognitive impairment than the more diffuse neuritic tau commonly seen with tangle pathology and suggest that additional factors may underlie resilience mechanisms defined by traditional means.
Potential Therapeutic Targets for Cisplatin-Induced Kidney Injury: Lessons from Other Models of AKI and Fibrosis.

The effectiveness of cisplatin, a mainstay in treatment of many solid organ cancers, is hindered by dose-limiting nephrotoxicity. Cisplatin causes acute kidney injury (AKI) in 30% of patients. Patients who do not develop AKI by clinical standards during the course of treatment are still at risk for long-term decline in kidney function and the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The connection between AKI and CKD has become increasingly studied, with renal fibrosis being a hallmark of CKD development. To prevent both the short- and long-term effects of cisplatin, researchers must use models that reflect both types of pathology. Although a lot is known about cisplatin-induced AKI, very little is known about the mechanisms by which repeated low levels of cisplatin lead to fibrosis development. In this review, strategies used in various rodent models to prevent kidney injury, its progression to fibrosis, or both are examined to gain mechanistic insights and identify potential therapeutic targets for cisplatin-induced kidney pathologies. Reviewing the results from these models highlights the diverse and highly complex role of cell death, cell senescence, endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and immune cell activation in acute and chronic kidney injuries. Use of several models of kidney injury is needed for development of agents that will prevent all aspects of cisplatin-induced kidney injury.
Relaxation of turbulent pipe flow downstream of a square bar roughness element

The relaxation of turbulent pipe flow downstream of a single square bar roughness element is studied at distances up to .
Molecular cloning of the lymphocyte activation marker Blast-1.

Abstract Blast-1 is an early activation-associated glycoprotein expressed on the surface of human lymphocytes. Here we report the isolation and analysis of a cDNA encoding Blast-1. The translated sequence of the Blast-1 cDNA contains a hydrophobic putative signal peptide and a hydrophobic carboxyl terminus devoid of charged residues. The sequence also contains five N-linked glycosylation sites, the utilization of which was confirmed by the shift in relative mol. wt of Blast-1 upon digestion with N-glycosidase F. The translated sequence reveals that Blast-1 is related to members of the immunoglobulin superfamily, especially to CD4 and MHC class II molecules. The homology to these proteins is greatest in their amino termini where they demonstrate 30-32% identity. This region of Blast-1 also demonstrated 25% identity to a V kappa sequence. Considering conservative amino acid substitutions this homology to CD4, MHC class II and V kappa becomes 60, 49 and 48%, respectively.
Flows in Networks

In this chapter, you will see how the simplex method simplifies when it is applied to a class of optimization problems that are known as “network flow models.” You will also see that if a network flow model has “integer-valued data,” the simplex method finds an optimal solution that is integer-valued.
Status of the radioactive ion beam injector at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) is a first generation radioactive ion beam (RIB) facility. Project construction commenced in FY'93 with the initial emphasis placed on conversion of a heavily shielded room from an experiment area to an area suitable for housing the RIB Injector. The RIB Injector is the central component of the RIB project. The Injector consists of two connected high voltage platforms which are operate at -300 kilovolts and which are separated by a shield wall. One platform houses controls, instrumentation, and power supplies. The second platform houses an ISOLDE type target/ion source (TIS) which will be bombarded with light-ion beams from the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron (ORIC). Additionally, this platform houses the first stage mass separator system which is designed for 1 part in 1000 mass resolution, electrostatic quadrupole lenses for beam transport, and a cesium charge exchange cell for conversion of positive ions to negative ions for injection into the Tandem Accelerator. This paper details the design and beam development aspects of the RIB Injector.
From Detecting Errors to Automatically Correcting Them

Faced with the problem of annotation errors in part-of-speech (POS) annotated corpora, we develop a method for automatically correcting such errors. Building on top of a successful error detection method, we first try correcting a corpus using two off-the-shelf POS taggers, based on the idea that they enforce consistency; with this, we find some improvement. After some discussion of the tagging process, we alter the tagging model to better account for problematic tagging distinctions. This modification results in significantly improved performance, reducing the error rate of the corpus.
Receptivity of Boundary Layers to Acoustic and Vortical Free-Stream Disturbances

The receptivity mechanisms by which free-stream disturbances generate instability waves in laminar boundary layers are discussed. Free-stream disturbances have wavelengths which are generally much longer than those of instability waves. Hence, the transfer of energy from the free-stream disturbance to the instability wave requires a wavelength conversion mechanism. Recent analyses using asymptotic methods have shown that the wavelength conversion takes place in regions of the boundary layer where the mean flow adjusts on a short streamwise length scale. This paper reviews recent progress in the theoretical understanding of these phenomena and suggests directions for future research in this area.
Influence of Route of Administration on Immediate and Extended Protection in Rats Immunized with Escherichia coli Heat-Labile Enterotoxin

The effect of route of administration, dosage, and number of boosts employed during immunization with the polymyxin-release form of Escherichia coli heat-labile (LT) enterotoxin on the degree and duration of protection afforded was evaluated in rats which were challenged by the ligated loop technique. Increasing the boosting dosage by fivefold from 50 to 250 μg resulted in a marked increase in protection against challenge with toxin in rats immunized either just by the parenteral route (i.p./i.p.) or by a parenteral prime, followed by peroral boosts (i.p./p.o.) in rats pretreated with cimetidine to ablate gastric secretions; such was not the case, however, even with a 50-fold increase in dosage in rats immunized just by the peroral route (p.o./p.o.). Four weekly peroral boosts were required to achieve the strongest degree of protection. Increasing the boosting dosage also increased the degree of protection against challenge with viable LT+/ST− and LT+/ST+ strains (ST indicates heat-stable enterotoxin) in rats immunized by the i.p./p.o., but not by the i.p./i.p., route; no protection was evident against an LT−/ST+ strain. Protection was lost within 3 weeks after immunization in rats immunized by the i.p./i.p. route. In contrast, protection was extended over the 3-month observation period in those immunized by the i.p./p.o. route; the degree of protection was enhanced in rats which received an additional boost at 2 months. These observations establish the fact that immunization with LT is similar to that with cholera toxin in that arousal of the local immune intestinal response by means of peroral immunization provides maximal extended protection.
Sphingolipid Long-Chain Base Synthesis in Plants (Characterization of Serine Palmitoyltransferase Activity in Squash Fruit Microsomes)

The activity of serine palmitoyltransferase (palmitoyl-coenzyme A [CoA]:L-serine [Ser]-C-palmitoyltransferase [decarboxylating], EC 2.3.1.50), the enzyme catalyzing the first step in the synthesis of the long-chain base required for sphingolipid assembly, has been characterized in a plant system. Enzyme activity in a microsomal membrane fraction from summer squash fruit (Cucurbita pepo L. cv Early Prolific Straightneck) was assayed by monitoring the incorporation of L-[3H]Ser into the chloroform-soluble product, 3-ketosphinganine. Addition of NADPH to the assay system resulted in the conversion of 3-ketosphinganine to sphinganine. The apparent Km for Ser was approximately 1.8 mM. The enzyme exhibited a strong preference for palmitoyl-CoA, with optimal activity at a substrate concentration of 200 [mu]M. Pyridoxal 5[prime]-phosphate was required as a coenzyme. The pH optimum was 7.6, and the temperature optimum was 36 to 40[deg]C. Enzyme activity was greatest in the microsomal fraction obtained by differential centrifugation and was localized to the endoplasmic reticulum using marker enzymes. Two known mechanism-based inhibitors of the mammalian enzyme, L-cycloserine and [beta]-chloro-L-alanine, were effective inhibitors of enzyme activity in squash microsomes. Changes in enzyme activity with size (age) of squash fruit were observed. The results from this study suggest that the properties and catalytic mechanism of Ser palmitoyltransferase from squash are similar to those of the animal, fungal, and bacterial enzyme in most respects. The specific activity of the enzyme in squash microsomes ranged from 0.57 to 0.84 nmol min-1 mg-1 of protein, values 2- to 20-fold higher than those previously reported for preparations from animal tissues.
Comparison of in Vitro Germicide Test Methods

The results of four in vitro germicidal test methods are compared with the conventional 4-mm. loop method of test. The four variations described are subjected to three methods during the test period; i.e., stationary, slow rotation, and the customary initial swirl. Four selected test microorganisms and eight chemical compounds are employed in these studies. The “total swirl” method of test gives more critical killing end points, is more consistent, and more nearly measures complete germicidal effect than the 4-mm. loop method of test.
Length and Sequence Dependence of the Elasticity of Alpha Helices and Coiled-Coils

Fibrous proteins made by α-helices, one of the most elementary protein secondary structures, have various mechanical roles in a sub cellular environment. An α-helix is wound in a right-handed fashion due to hydrogen bonding between the C=O and the N-H atoms across every i and i+4th residues in the polypeptide chain. Previous approaches characterizing mechanical properties of α-helices treated them as homogenous and linear elastic rods. Stiffness is typically expressed in terms of persistence length lp (∼100nm from Kb∼3×10−28 Nm2, lp = Kb/kT: Kb, the bending stiffness, k the Boltzmann constant and T = 300 K, the temperature) [1–3]. In this study, we show that bending stiffness depends on the length of the filament, due to inherent non-bonded attractions. In particular, non-bonded attraction introduces a new length scale, critical buckling length, beyond which the filament can no longer remain linearly elastic. These results suggest that non-bonded attractions can significantly affect elastic properties of biofilament systems such as the cytoskeleton. Furthermore, we find that while elasticity of a single α-helix is largely independent of its amino acid sequence, α-helical coiled-coils have stronger sequence dependence, and in the case of tropomyosin molecule, we find regional variations in the flexibility which may have functional implications in its actin binding properties and muscle contraction.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Echocardiographic assessment of coronary blood flow velocity during controlled hypotensive anesthesia with nitroglycerin

Abstract Objective: To determine the effect of nitroglycerin on coronary blood flow velocity during controlled hypotensive anesthesia in humans. Design: Internally controlled prospective study. Setting: Single university hospital. Participants: Twenty American Society of Anesthesiologists class I and II patients undergoing general anesthesia for surgical resection of a malignancy. Interventions: General anesthesia was induced with thiopental, fentanyl, and succinylcholine and maintained with isoflurane and vecuronium. Transesophageal echocardiography was used to evaluate left ventricular wall motion and blood flow velocity in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Intravenous nitroglycerin was used to reduce systolic arterial pressure to 60 to 70 mmHg. Intravenous albumin 5% was administered to maintain pulmonary capillary wedge pressure >5 mmHg. Measurements and Main Results: The left anterior descending coronary artery was visualized clearly in 16 of 20 patients. At a mean nitroglycerin dose of 16 ± 14 μg/kg/min, peak diastolic left anterior descending flow velocity increased significantly from 32.5 ± 10.3 cm/sec to 44.7 ± 14.6 cm/sec (p = 0.0103). None of the patients developed any ST-segment changes. Conclusion: During nitroglycerin-induced hypotensive anesthesia, coronary blood flow as assessed by peak diastolic left anterior descending flow velocity is preserved or increased in most patients. Increases in left anterior descending flow velocity are predictably achieved only at nitroglycerin doses >5 μg/kg/min. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography is useful in monitoring coronary flow velocity responses to controlled hypotensive anesthesia. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
Civilization, economic change, and trends in interpersonal violence in western societies

This article moves forward on recent studies on historical trends in violence. Whereas many studies agree that levels of interpersonal violence have subsided since the late Middle Ages, some have found periods of strong increases within this general decline. Building on Norbert Elias’s civilizing thesis, this article proposes to incorporate a greater degree of attention to economic processes. Using illustrative evidence from Western Europe and the USA, this article demonstrates how within the overall decline of violence, cycles of increasing and decreasing violence can be tied to the development of both state formation and the growth of a world economic system.
Diesel exhaust particles exert acute effects on airway inflammation and function in murine allergen provocation models

Abstract Background Epidemiologic studies show that sudden surges in ambient particulate matter (PM) levels can trigger acute asthma exacerbations. Although diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) act as an adjuvant for allergic sensitization, this is a delayed response and does not explain acute PM effects on airway hyperreactivity (AHR). Objective Our aim was to determine the acute effects of DEPs on AHR using a mouse model. Methods Three protocols were developed, 2 of which require OVA sensitization, whereas the third was OVA independent. In the mild sensitization protocol BALB/c mice receive intraperitoneal OVA without alum and are then challenged with aerosolized OVA with or without DEPs. In the postchallenge model DEPs are delivered after OVA challenge to animals sensitized by intraperitoneal OVA plus alum. In the third protocol nebulizer DEPs were also delivered to IL-5—overexpressing mice that exhibit constitutive airway inflammation. Animals were subjected to whole-body plethysmography (WBP) and then killed for performance of bronchoalveolar lavage, histology, and serology. Results DEP delivery concomitant with OVA challenge or after the induction of airway inflammation with this allergen induced increased AHR in models 1 and 2, respectively. Although these animals showed DEP-induced inflammation and mucus production in the intermediary airways, there was no effect on OVA-specific IgE or T H 2 cytokine production. In the IL-5 transgenic mice it was possible to induce similar effects with DEPs in the absence of an allergen. Conclusion We demonstrate that DEPs induced AHR independent of their adjuvant effects, suggesting the use of these models to study the mechanism or mechanisms of acute asthma exacerbation by means of PM.
The Frequency and Determinants of Marital Disagreements in a Community Sample

Although information about marital disagreements is included in most scales of marital quality, disagreements have generally not been studied as outcomes of importance in their own right. This is unfortunate in light of recent research documenting that marital disagreements have a powerful effect on mental health over and above the effects of marital quality. In this report, we describe a prospective analysis of the frequency and determinants of marital disagreements aimed at taking a first step toward treating disagreements as important in their own right. The analysis is based on a two-wave community survey of married couples that obtained basic descriptive information about both the frequency of marital disagreements and a variety of social and personal characteristics that might be their determinants. Results show that nearly all respondents report having marital disagreements at least some of the time, with the vast majority reporting average frequencies between one and two disagreements per month. P...
Synthesis and Murzne P388 Antitumor Activity of Uridine Mustard: A Preliminary Report

Abstract 5′-[Bis (2—chloroethyl) amino]—5′-deoxy uridine (uri-dine mustard), compound 5, was synthesized and characterized by its 1H, 13 C, and two-dimensional homonuclear shift correlated (COSY) and two—dimensional heteronuclear correlated NMR spectra. In comparative murine studies, uridine mustard was substantially less leukopenic than the equitherapeutic dose of uracil mustard.
IMPACT OF ETHANOL STRESS ON COMPONENTS OF THE ALLANTOIC FLUID OF THE CHICKEN EMBRYO

Recent studies showed that the allantoic fluid of the chicken embryo is a depot for stress-released catecholamines and many free amino acids and related compounds, and that it is separated from plasma and the amniotic fluid by selective barriers. To gain further insights into the functions of the allantois and its barriers, we studied the impact of stress (intra-allantoic injection of 0.1 ml ethanol) on 39 free amino acids and related compounds of the allantoic fluid. Using an HPLC-fluorometric method, we found that the concentration of seven substances was significantly increased 20 min after injection of ethanol, and back to control levels within 40 minutes. Five of these compounds (asparagine, alanine, leucine, tyrosine, lysine) had previously been shown to occur in plasma at concentrations above those in the allantoic fluid. However, taurine and phosphoethanolamine increased in the allantoic fluid even though their concentrations in plasma tended to be lower than in allantoic fluid. These findings (1) reveal the existence of complex embryonic/extraembryonic autoregulations, and (2) raise the question of the regulatory mechanisms involved in the transfer of substances across the allantoic barrier(s).
Initial kinetic characterization of the multienzyme complex, cysteine synthetase

Abstract Cysteine synthetase from Salmonella typhimurium LT-2 displays a saturation curve for sulfide identical to that obtained with uncomplexed O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase, indicating substrate inhibition with a Km of 0.1 ± 0.017 m m and a K1 of 0.303 ± 0.194 m m . With both l -serine and acetyl CoA, however, cysteine synthetase exhibits two intermediary plateaus in the respective saturation curves. The time course of cysteine synthetase activity when the reaction is started by adding enzyme displays a pronounced lag phase. This lag is explained as being due to the buildup of a sufficient concentration of O-acetyl- l -serine to permit binding to O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. This conclusion is substantiated by the fact that plots of 1 τ against concentrations of both l -serine and acetyl CoA reflect the saturation curves for these substrates. In addition, the incubation of the complex with l -serine and acetyl CoA results in the accumulation of the intermediate products of the reaction sequence, CoA and O-acetyl- l -serine. Dissociation of the multienzyme complex under these conditions was ruled out by Sephadex G-200 chromatography of the complex after incubation with assay levels of the substrates of the reaction. Aggregation of cysteine synthetase was detected using disc gel electrophoresis and confirms earlier reports [Kredich, N. M., and Tomkins, G. M. (1966) J. Biol. Chem.241, 4955–4965]. Aggregation of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase was also detected using the same technique.
A lower bound for the length of nonuniform transmission line matching sections

Abstract A lower bound for the length of a nonuniform transmission line section needed to match a given load impedance to a given real input impedance is derived. The bound depends not only on the load and input impedances, but also on the maximum and minimum permissible values of characteristic impedance within the nonuniform line. Several specific cases are presented to illustrate the tightness of the bounds.
Obese children have higher arterial elasticity without a difference in endothelial function: the role of body composition.

The childhood obesity epidemic is expected to increase cardiovascular disease risk, but the impact of obesity on vascular function in children is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of obesity and maturation on vascular function in normal weight (BMI: 25–75 percentile) and obese (BMI: ≥95 percentile) children ages 8–18 years old. Large and small artery elasticity (LAEI and SAEI, respectively), measured by diastolic radial pulsewave contour analysis, and reactive hyperemia index (RHI), measured by peripheral arterial tonometry, were obtained, along with anthropometric and biochemical outcomes, in 61 normal weight and 62 obese children. SAEI and LAEI increased with age and were 30% and 18% higher, respectively, in obese children (P < 0.01). In contrast, reactive hyperemia increased with age in the normal weight group but did not differ between groups. Multivariate modeling was used to select variables that explained differences in vascular outcomes. The best model for LAEI in normal weight children was height alone (r2 = 0.49), whereas for obese children the best model included height + fat mass (r2 = 0.40). For SAEI, there were no significant models for normal weight children, but for obese children the best model included lean mass + fat mass (r2 = 0.36). Obese children had greater lean and fat mass, and more advanced Tanner stages than their normal weight peers. The increased elasticity observed in obese children appears to reflect accelerated growth and maturation without affecting vascular reactivity measured by reactive hyperemia. Longitudinal follow up will be essential in determining effects on future vascular disease risk.
Making cooperative learning work

(1999). Making cooperative learning work. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 38, Building Community Through Cooperative Learning, pp. 67-73.
Effect of Alkaline Media on the Growth of Embryonic Chick Tibiotarsi in Organ Culture

SINCE blood has a pH of about 7.4, media used for organ and tissue culture are usually adjusted to this hydrogen ion concentration. However, when the chemically defined medium BGJb1 was first formulated, sodium bicarbonate was added in excess (3.5 g/l.), with the result that the medium had a pH of 7.68 when equilibrated with 5 per cent carbon dioxide in air. Mouse fallopian tubes continued to function2 and embryonic long bones developed1 under these alkaline conditions. Paff3 studied the effect of hydrogen ion concentration on embryonic chick femora cultivated on plasma clots in the presence of both air and 5 per cent carbon dioxide in air. The pH of the media under these conditions was 7.8–8.0 and 7.0–7.3 respectively. After cultivation for 14 days, the femora grown at the lower pH contained more bone and had a higher calcium content. However, the conditions required for mineralization may be quite different from those needed for cell division and cellular hypertrophy in the cartilaginous rudiment. We have, therefore, investigated the influence of hydrogen ion concentration on the growth of cartilaginous tibiotarsi of the embryonic chick. This was done by varying the bicarbonate concentration of the medium while maintaining a constant atmosphere of 5 per cent carbon dioxide in air.
Flexible Applications of the Coping Cat Program for Anxious Youth.

The current article offers suggestions for ways to adapt empirically supported treatments (ESTs). A specific manualized EST (Coping Cat; Kendall & Hedtke, 2006a) is used to illustrate the concept of “flexibility within fidelity” (Kendall & Beidas, 2007; Kendall, Gosch, Furr, & Sood, 2008). Flexibility within fidelity stresses the importance of using ESTs while considering and taking into account individual client presentations. In this discussion, recommendations are offered for the use of the Coping Cat with younger youth, adolescents, and youth with secondary comorbidities (i.e., social skills deficits, inattentive symptoms, and depressive symptoms).
The significance of biparental care in the brown bullhead, Ictalurus nebulosus

Parental care in the brown bullhead is characterized by variation in the participation of each sex. Most broods are attended by both sexes, but some are attended by a male alone, or rarely, a female alone. Two care-givers were more successful than one alone in fostering offspring survival. However, there was no significant difference between two care-givers and one alone in the proportion of time that broods were unattended. Potential brood predators were chased less frequently by one adult alone than by adults aided by their mate. This difference may be unimportant since two adults simultaneously attended their brood only 19% of the time. Males alone attended their broods a significantly greater proportion of time than did either males or females aided by their mates. This difference suggests that males alone sustain a greater cost of care-giving (starvation and therefore reduced future reproduction) than do males aided by their mates. Thus, males alone may more often leave broods (and not return) than males that are aided in care-giving. The differential success observed may be due to a difference in the likelihood that the male (the principal care-giver) leaves the brood permanently, rather than differences in the quality of care one or two adults provide. I suggest that two care-givers are more successful than one because the net benefits of care-giving exceed the net benefits of leaving for males when aided by their mates.