cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HEALTH‐RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AND OTHER PSYCHOSES: RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PSYCHOSOCIAL AND PSYCHIATRIC FACTORS

Objective. Few multivariate studies relating psychosocial factors to symptoms of psychosis among older patients exist. We assessed environmental stressors, satisfaction with emotional support, coping responses and psychiatric symptoms, and sought to relate these factors to quality of well-being among older patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses. Method. Subjects were 70 psychosis patients with a mean age of 58. Predictors included measures of stressors (number of negative life events), satisfaction with emotional support, coping responses, positive and negative symptoms, depressive symptoms, social adjustment and a general quality of well-being (QWB) score. Results. A conceptual model was tested and modified using path analytic techniques. Preliminary analyses suggested that psychosocial environment (life events, coping and emotional support) was primarily a product of psychiatric symptoms. Therefore, psychiatric symptoms preceded psychosocial environment variables in the proposed model. Further results suggested that depression mediated all of the effects of psychotic symptoms on social maladjustment, but not all of their effects on well-being. Conclusions. In older patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses, health-related quality of well-being is influenced by symptoms of psychoses, psychosocial factors and social maladjustment. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phase distribution in bubbly two-phase flow in vertical ducts

Abstract The lateral phase distribution in bubbly flows in vertical ducts was analyzed using a three-dimensional two-fluid model. The constitutive relations of the model are based on analytic and experimental information on the behavior of a single bubble, and on the assumption of linear superposition of shear-induced and bubble-induced turbulence. The experiments chosen to test the model include available data for pipes and new data obtained in an isosceles triangular duct. While most of the data could be reproduced satisfactorily by the model, some could not. This is attributed to certain physical mechanisms that are still not well understood and therefore were not included in the constitutive relations.
Quantitative covariance NMR by regularization

The square root of a covariance spectrum, which offers high spectral resolution along both dimensions requiring only few t 1 increments, yields in good approximation the idealized 2D FT spectrum provided that the amount of magnetization exchanged between spins is relatively small. When this condition is violated, 2D FT and covariance peak volumes may differ. A regularization method is presented that produces a modified covariance spectrum with cross-peak volumes that closely match their 2D FT analogues. The method is demonstrated for TOCSY spectra with variable mixing times.
On the Feasibility of Secondary Atomization of Small Slurry Droplets Exposed to Intense Thermal Radiation

Abstract Feasibility of fragmentation of small slurry droplets in combustors caused by absorption of high-temperature thermal radiation is studied theoretically. The first model of explosive vaporization of the liquid assumes uniform radiant heating of the slurry droplet according to the computed absorption efficiency for black body radiation. The subsequent analysis of transient heat conduction inside the droplet provides estimates for threshold intensities of the radiation necessary for explosive evaporation at the hottest spot inside the droplet. The second model applies the extended effective medium theory together with Mie scattering theory in computations of absorption patterns of black body radiation inside the slurry droplet. The calculated absorption profiles are used subsequently in analysis of transient heat conduction and droplet swelling due to internal boiling. Explicit results of computations and predictions of secondary atomization are given for ultrafine coal-water slurry.
Evacuation of subretinal hemorrhage

Submacular hemorrhage may cause secondary retinal degeneration. Evacuation of a traumatic submacular hemorrhage in a young man (Case II) was carried out successfully using transbulbar endodiathermy. Final visual acuity was 20/20. A 74-year-old man (Case IV) suffered a big subretinal hemorrhage in his remaining good eye. That same day strong Argon laser coagulations were applied to the retina over the dark, brown hemorrhage with perforation of the retina and visible escape of blood into the vitreous. Four weeks after the treatment the subretinal hemorrhage showed patchy absorption and the visual acuity was 20/60. The visual acuity remained 20/60 and J3, 27 months after the treatment, and useful vision continued for another 15 months.
Validity and Reliability of a Shortened, Revised Version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of an existing instrument, the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES)(Taylor, Dawson & Fraser, 1995; Taylor, Fraser & Fisher, 1993, 1997), for providing insights into the classroom learning environments of beginning science teachers. In the first year of the study, the CLES was used with 290 upper elementary, middle, and high school science teachers and preservice teachers. As part of a larger study of the classroom environments and teaching practices of beginning science teachers, data also were gathered through classroom observations of and interviews with some of the participating teachers. Exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency reliability analysis, as well as examination of each item and of participants' questions and comments about them, led to a shortened, revised version of the CLES, named the CLES 2(20). The five original scales were retained, but the number of items in each scale was reduced from six to four. The single negatively worded item was eliminated. Some of the original items were rephrased. The revised CLES was then used in the second, third and fourth years of the study. Examples of feedback based on CLES data is provided to researchers to assist them in writing teacher profiles.
Angular resolution, confusion, and dynamic range constraints on the design of next-generation radio telescopes for centimeter wavelengths

The next generation of radio telescopes designed to work at centimeter wavelengths may have collecting areas of up to one million square meters, and in principal will be able to reach radio sources as weak as 100 nanojanskys in 12 hours or a few tens of nanojansky in a few hundred hours integration time. However, special care will be needed to achieve the high angular resolution needed to study individual sources and to reduce the effects of confusion and spurious responses below the thermal noise level. This will require array dimensions up to one thousand kilometers to achieve noise limited performance at 1.4 GHz (20 cm) and up to ten thousand kilometers at 300 MHz (1 meter). But, even then, the performance may be limited by the finite extent of the sources and the consequential blending of their images. A scenario is presented for the gradual implementation of a Square Kilometer Array with global dimensions to give submicrojansky sensitivity over a broad range of angular scales and surface brightness.
Remote sensing of volumetric storage changes in lakes

Three-dimensional remote sensing promises a giant leap forward for surface-water hydrology in much the same way that radar altimetry transformed physical oceanography. However, the complex geometries of small terrestrial water bodies introduce difficulties, particularly with respect to trade-offs between changing water depth and inundation area. We use in situ measurements of water-surface stage (ΔH/dt) and remotely-sensed area (A) to compute time varying storage changes (ΔS) in nine lakes of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, Canada. Despite their identical geomorphic setting, regression slopes between ΔH and A vary significantly between lakes, primarily from a predictable ‘area-effect’ but also small bathymetric variations between basins. On average, lateral contraction/expansion (versus stage adjustment) contributes as little as 7% (versus 93%) to as much as 76% (versus 24%) of overall storage change ΔS. We conclude that both surface-area and ΔH/dt, rather than just either alone, must be measured to confidently estimate ΔS from space. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Building a Bridge of Trust: Collaborative Assessment With a Person With Serious Mental Illness

Collaborative assessment utilizes psychological testing to help people make positive changes in their lives. Limited research has evaluated the utility of collaborative assessment for persons with serious mental illness. This case example uses the Personality Assessment Inventory to illustrate the usefulness of collaborative assessment with a person with serious mental illness. This approach informed not only diagnostic considerations but also revealed the client's current level of distress, contributed to enhanced therapeutic alliance, and directly pointed to psychiatric rehabilitation strategies.
A comparison of event rates in nulligravid and nulliparous women using the small Dalkon Shield for intrauterine contraception

Abstract The small Dalkon Shield provided intrauterine contraception for 344 nulliparous and 1353 nulligravid women during a two-year study period. In this prospective study, the pregnancy rates for nulligravid and nulliparous patients were 0.9 and 2.2 per hundred woman years, respectively. Significantly different event rates occurred with higher rates in the nulliparous women. The small Shield appeared to perform better in those patients who have not been pregnant.
Mapping maize genes: A series of research-based laboratory exercises†

Open-ended, inquiry-based multiweek laboratory exercises are the key elements to increasing students' understanding and retention of the major biological concepts. Including original research into undergraduate teaching laboratories has also been shown to motivate students and improve their learning. Here, we present a series of original laboratory exercises on fine mapping novel maize mutations producing interesting phenotypes. In this 4-week lab series, students get involved in the whole process of identifying novel genes controlling specific phenotypes, from phenotype characterization and choosing appropriate molecular markers to calculating the genetic distance between the mutation and the marker and finding possible candidate genes using a complete genome sequence. We chose to use maize mutant lines produced by TILLING project. These lines have been partially mapped to a chromosomal bin by a high-throughput bulk segregant analysis; however, the exact map positions for these mutations have never been determined. Mapping these novel maize mutations provides students with the opportunity to conduct original research as a part of their classroom experience and to contribute to the field of maize genetics. The laboratory series was well received by the students, and the assessment results demonstrated an improvement of student learning of gene mapping, molecular marker analysis, and positional cloning concepts. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education Vol. 39, No. 5, pp. 375–383, 2011
Body mass index and intercourse compliance

Objective To investigate the relationship between body mass index and intercourse compliance in the Reproductive Medicine Network's Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (RMN PPCOS) Trial. Design Post hoc data analysis of subjects in the RMN PPCOS Trial. Setting Academic medical centers. Intervention(s) None. Patient(s) Six hundred twenty-six infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with a mean age of 28.1 ± 4 years and mean body mass index (BMI) of 35.2 ± 8.7 kg/m 2 . Main Outcome Measure(s) Intercourse compliance and BMI. Result(s) Overall, body mass index was not associated with increased intercourse compliance. However, although patients with BMI ≥35 were less likely to ovulate than patients with BMI Conclusion(s) BMI was not associated with intercourse compliance or noncompliance. An elevated BMI in infertile women with PCOS is not associated with poor intercourse compliance.
One-step approximations for detecting regime changes in the state space model with application to the influenza data

Kim and Nelson [1999. State Space Models with Regime Switching. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA] and others extended the framework of state space models involving independent regime changes to the Markov dependent case. The cost of dealing with state space models with Markov switching is high in computational effort because of the number of the possible paths through the chain. Thus it is necessary to make some approximations in order to obtain a computationally feasible algorithm for estimation. The approximations depend on modified smoothing and filtering recursions that can be easily incorporated into an EM algorithm for maximum likelihood estimation. To investigate the accuracy of approximations, we develop a new method to obtain more exact solutions, and then compare the two methods. We apply both methods to a simulated series. The result shows that employing the approximation-based algorithm not only provides accurate results but also leads to a significant reduction in the computational costs. We also apply the methods to an influenza mortality series, in which we develop a model that is general enough to include most structural models useful in monitoring changes of regime. The model proposed has the flexibility to deal with a wide range of problems involving possible regime shifts in pattern that may be seen to occur in many biological, medical and epidemiological studies.
EXPERIENCE WITH INTERMITTENT HOME PERITONEAL DIALYSIS (IHPD)IN CHILDREN

Maintenance IHPD has been made possible in recent years by the development of automatic dialysis systems and permanent peritoneal catheter. We have used IHPD in our ESRD program because of geographic factors, technical difficulties encountered with hemodialysis due to Inappropriate size of the existing dlalyzers,and the lack of suitable vessels for an adequate vascular assess. Our experience involves 9 children maintained on chronic IHPD for 3-30 mos. Ages ranged from 6-13 years, 2 were anephric, 4 were oliguric, 3 had polyuria. Medical problems encountered included: growth failure, hypertension, anemia, renal osteodystrophy and peritonitis. Inadequate growth was a significant complication In 7/9 patients. Hypertension was adequately controlled In 7/8. The mean Interval between blood transfusions was 6.8 wks and progression of renal osteodystrophy was observed In 3/9 patients. Five patients had a total of 8 episodes of peritonitis during 101.5 dialysis-month, an incidence of I episode/12.6 patient-month,or 0.55% of all 1440 dialysis. Eight are alive, I died following a cadaveric kidney transplant and 3 remain on IHPD. Three underwent a successful live-related transplant, 5 patients underwent a cadaveric kidney transplant, 2 have good functioning grafts and 3 had irreversible acute rejection. Although no form of dialysis is optimal,IHPD can be as effective as hemodialysis and offers certain psychosocial and medical advantages.
Analysis of multi-exponential relaxation data with very short components using linear regularization.

Abstract Linear regularization is a common and robust technique for fitting multi-exponential relaxation decay data to obtain a distribution of relaxation times. The regularization algorithms employed by the Uniform-Penalty inversion (UPEN) and CONTIN computer programs have been compared using simulated transverse ( T 2 ) relaxation data derived from a typical bimodal distribution observed in cartilage tissue which contain a component shorter than t 0 , the time of the first decay sample. We examined the reliability of detecting sub- t 0 relaxation components and the accuracy of statistical estimates of T 2 distribution parameters. When the integrated area of the sub- t 0 component relative to that of the total distribution was greater than 0.25, our results indicated a signal-to-noise threshold of about 300 for detecting the presence of the sub- t 0 component with a probability of 0.9 or greater. This threshold was obtained using both the UPEN and CONTIN algorithms. In addition, when using the second-derivative-squared regularizer, UPEN solutions provided statistical estimates of T 2 distribution parameters which were substantially free of the biasing effect of the regularizer observed in analagous CONTIN solutions.
Mapping alternative discourse structures onto computer conferences

In this paper, we describe a constraint-based discussion board that we have developed. A number of discourse systems have sought to constrain the ways that learners converse by requiring them to classify the nature of the comments and replies to others' comments. Those systems imposed a single constraint system on learners. In our system, we enable users to adjust the structure and content of the system in order to support a variety of discourses, including argumentation, problem-solution, literary analysis, and any other kind of activity. We describe the rationale for the system and will demonstrate the results of two discussions during the conference.
Ehrlichiosis in children

Abstract Ehrlichia are obligate intracellular bacteria that belong to the family Rickettsiaceae. Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) are the 2 ehrlichial diseases that are of greatest health concern in the United States. The agents causing HME and HGE are zoonotic pathogens requiring a mammalian reservoir and an arthropod vector. Differences in the geographic distribution of their tick vectors account for the concentration of HME in the South and southeastern United States and HGE in the Northeast and northern Midwest. Both infections have been reported in coastal regions from Rhode Island to Florida. HME and HGE are flulike illnesses that usually are self-limited but may be fatal. Diagnosis is confirmed by identification of the microorganism on blood smear or polymerase chain reaction or by detection of anti-ehrlichial antibody. Doxycycline is the antibiotic of choice for treatment of ehrlichiosis. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Elliptic Curves and Modular Forms Converge South of the Taklamakan

I carry coughdrops with me in my bookbag, under notes, So I won’t interrupt her train of thought by sneezing, And try to copy every line she writes, as well as those Brief detours on heuristics, or her mild evaluations Of depth or usefulness or interest of conjectures, placed Unexpectedly like waterfalls down clefts in limestone, Or her infrequent, offhand explanations of the way She generalized a printed remark of Serre’s, from gammaZero-p (p prime, indexing groups of matrices) to any level.
Chemical answers to epigenetic crosstalk

Crosstalk between histone modifications plays an important role in transcriptional regulation. In a recent study, an elegant chemical synthesis approach has been used to study the intricate relationship between two modifications associated with active transcription.
Manifestations of relationship conceptualizations in conversation

A question fundamental to the study of interpersonal communication in close relationships is how the characteristics people associate with their relationships are evident in their conversation. We begin by explicating 3 key aspects of relationship conceptualizations: reliance on relational knowledge, interdependence, and mutual commitment. Then we advance hypotheses linking those relationship conceptualizations with features of people's content and relational messages. We report the results of a study in which 120 dating couples engaged in videotaped conversations. Findings offered modest support for our predictions regarding reliance on relational knowledge; results were less consistent with our hypotheses involving interdependence and mutual commitment. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for understanding how perceptions of relationships are apparent in conversation.
An Examination of Mortgage Debt Characteristics and Financial Risk among Multifamily Properties

Abstract Using the 1996 Property Owners and Managers Survey (POMS), the authors (1) examine the mortgage debt characteristics of multifamily properties; (2) estimate the size and potential for growth of the multifamily mortgage debt market; and (3) examine the financial characteristics of multifamily properties, each with particular attention to differences by property size. While the authors find that the POMS suffers from severe missing value problems, their analysis indicates large differences in the likelihood that a property has a mortgage, the interest rate conditional on having a mortgage, and indicators of financial distress among properties of different size. They also find that smaller properties, with large potential for growth in multifamily mortgage lending, have much higher concentrations of low- to moderate-income tenants but that larger properties provide the bulk of units that serve these renters.
Submicron deformation field measurements: Part 2. Improved digital image correlation

This is the second paper in a series of three devoted to the application of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to mechanics problems. In this paper, improvements to the digital image correlation method are outlined, a technique that compares digital images of a specimen surface before and after deformation to deduce its two-dimensional surface displacement field and strains. The necessity of using the framework of large deformation theory for accurately addressing rigid body rotations to reduce associated errors in the strain components is pointed out. In addition, the algorithm is extended to compute the three-dimensional surface displacement field from STM data; also, significant improvements are achieved in the rate as well as the robustness of the convergence. For (STM) topographs, the resolution yields 4.8 nm for the in-plane and 1.5 nm for the out-of-plane displacement components spanning an area of 10 μm×10μm.
A new approach to dose escalation in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Abstract Purpose: To describe the radiobiological rationale for dose-per-fraction escalation in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to devise a novel Phase I scheme to implement this strategy using advanced radiotherapy delivery technologies. Methods and Materials: The data from previous dose escalation trials in NSCLC are reanalyzed to establish a dose–response relationship in this disease. We also use data relating prolongation in treatment time to survival to compute the potential doubling time for lung tumors. On the basis of these results, and using a Bayesian model to determine the probability of pneumonitis as a function of mean normalized lung dose, a dose-per-fraction escalation strategy is developed. Results: Standard approaches to dose escalation using 2 Gy per fraction, five fractions per week, require doses in excess of 85 Gy to achieve 50% long-term control rate. This is partly because NSCLCs repopulate rapidly, with a 1.6% per day loss in survival from prolongation in overall treatment time beyond 6 weeks, and a cell doubling time of only 2.5 to 3.3 days. A dose-per-fraction escalation strategy, with a constant number of fractions, 25, and overall time, 5 weeks, is projected to produce tumor control rates predicted to be 10%–15% better than 2 Gy per fraction dose escalation, with equivalent late effects. This Phase I clinical study is divided into three parts. Step 1 examines the feasibility of the maximum breath-holding technique and junctioning of tomotherapy slices. Step 2 treats 10 patients with 30 fractions of 2 Gy over 6 weeks and then reduces duration to 5 weeks using fewer but larger fractions in 10 patients. Step 3 will consist of a dose-per-fraction escalation study on roughly 50 patients, maintaining 25 fractions in 5 weeks. Bayesian methodology (a modification of the Continual Reassessment Method) will be used in Step 3 to allow consistent and efficient escalation within five volume bins. Conclusions: A dose-per-fraction escalation approach in NSCLC should yield superior outcomes, compared to standard dose escalation approaches using a fixed dose per fraction, for a given level of pneumonitis and late toxicity. Highly conformal radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and helical tomotherapy with its adaptive capabilities, will be necessary to achieve significant dose-per-fraction escalation without unacceptable lung and esophageal morbidity.
Was the Afghan conflict a just war

An analysis of the “just war” theory poses questions about US action in Afghanistan Wars fought to redress grievous wrongs or put a stop to evil have been termed “just wars.” 1 2 The concept has its origins in classical and theological philosophy and was explicit in the Christian ethics of Saint Augustine.2 Just war theory describes narrow circumstances and tight constraints on the ends and means that are required to apply this term.3 Although Western law has slowly come to accept war as an inevitable instrument of national policy4 and turned its attention to setting standards for the conduct of war, important echoes of just war theory remain. A distinction was made at Nuremberg,5 and later embedded in articles 2 and 51 of the United Nations charter, between unacceptable aggressive war and acceptable wars of self defence. Contemporary arguments about particular wars still rely on the seven main principles of just war theory (box 1). Application of these principles to the conflict in Afghanistan does not settle the debate but it might help to structure the discussion. ![][1] Hugo Grotius and his theory of the just war In modern interpretations of just war theory there are two legitimate reasons for aggressive war: self defence against an aggressor and humanitarian intervention against a sovereign state in response to acts that shock the moral conscience of mankind. A military response to the massive attack on the United States on 11 September could arguably be justified in terms of self defence. A case could convincingly be made that a malevolent global network of terror was responsible and ready to attack again. Intervention in the sovereign affairs of Afghanistan to pursue al-Qaeda could also be seen as legitimate. A counter to this position would either have to dismiss the gravity … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Extremely nondegenerate two-photon absorption in direct-gap semiconductors [Invited]

Two-photon absorption (2PA) spectra with pairs of extremely nondegenerate photons are measured in several direct-gap semiconductors (GaAs, CdTe, ZnO, ZnS and ZnSe) using picosecond or femtosecond pulses. In ZnSe, using photons with a ratio of energies of ~12, we obtain a 270-fold enhancement of 2PA when comparing to the corresponding degenerate 2PA coefficient at the average photon energy (ηω1 + ηω2)/2. This corresponds to a pump photon energy of 8% of the bandgap. 2PA coefficients as large as 1 cm/MW are measured. Thus, by using two widely different wavelengths we are able to access the large 2PA observed previously only in narrow gap semiconductors. We also calculate the corresponding enhancement of nonlinear refraction, consisting of two-photon, AC-Stark and Raman contributions. The net effect is a smaller enhancement, but exhibits very large dispersion within the 2PA regime.
Case Studies in Efficacy: A Reading of the Shenxian ganyu zhuan 神仙感遇傳

This article examines narratives from Shenxian ganyu zhuan, or “Traditions of Responsive Encounters [with] Divine Transcendents,” a collection of tales relating meetings between Daoist transcendents and humans, compiled in the early tenth century by the court Daoist, Du Guangting 杜光庭 (850–933). In particular, the essay places the tales in their immediate historical context, namely, the political and social disorder that attended the end of the Tang. Transcendents in these stories appear less as elusive semi-deities than as active members of local society, who reward the pious and aid commoners in distress, as well as demonstrating their superior probity and practical competence vis-a-vis scholar-officials. These examples, the article argues, form part of Du's larger effort to secure state patronage for the Daoist church by illustrating Daoism’s vital place in a stable, moral order.
Increases in HDL-cholesterol and the HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio during prolonged endurance exercise.

Abstract The influence of prolonged, low-intensity exercise (45% VO2max) until exhaustion on plasma lipid levels, in particular high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and the time sequence associated with changes in these blood constituents was investigated in 10 trained subjects. The exercise consisted of walking on a motor-driven treadmill until exhaustion. Blood samples were drawn before, at 30 and 60 minutes after the beginning of exercise, at each hour thereafter until exhaustion, immediately before exhaustion, and after a 30-minute recovery period. At exhaustion the total cholesterol concentration was significantly elevated by 3% and rose another 3% during the recovery period. The HDL-C level was significantly elevated within two hours after the start of exercise and by exhaustion (about 4.5 hours of exercise) had risen to 52.5 ± 2.3 mg · dL−1, which represented a 10.8% increase above the pre-exercise concentration (47.4 ± 1.8 mg · dL−1). The HDL LDL cholesterol ratio followed a pattern similar to that described for HDL-C. Plasma free fatty acids (FFA) also increased linearly during the exercise period but were not significantly correlated with HDL-C during exercise (r = 0.14). These results suggest that prolonged, low-intensity exercise can acutely improve the lipid profile of humans.
Evidence for Chick Growth Inhibitors in Several Legume Seeds

Abstract THE presence of growth inhibitors in many legume seeds is well established. Recent studies at this laboratory showed that autoclaving peas improved their nutritional value for chicks and poults (Kienholz et al., 1959), showing that peas also contain a growth inhibitor. One purpose of the present study was to survey the chick growth inhibiting properties of several legume seeds not usually included in animal rations. Other means were also sought to overcome the growth depressing effect of raw peas. Several investigators have shown that chicks require a high level of zinc with certain diets. O’Dell and Savage (1957) and Supplee et al. (1958) observed that adding zinc to a diet containing isolated soybean protein improved chick growth. Adding zinc to a diet containing soybean oil meal, however, did not improve chick growth. Norris and Ziegler (1958) determined the zinc requirement of chicks fed purfied diets to be 15 or 33 …
Parkin Protein Deficiency Exacerbates Cardiac Injury and Reduces Survival following Myocardial Infarction

It is known that loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding Parkin lead to development of Parkinson disease. Recently, Parkin was found to play an important role in the removal of dysfunctional mitochondria via autophagy in neurons. Although Parkin is expressed in the heart, its functional role in this tissue is largely unexplored. In this study, we have investigated the role of Parkin in the myocardium under normal physiological conditions and in response to myocardial infarction. We found that Parkin-deficient (Parkin(-/-)) mice had normal cardiac function for up to 12 months of age as determined by echocardiographic analysis. Although ultrastructural analysis revealed that Parkin-deficient hearts had disorganized mitochondrial networks and significantly smaller mitochondria, mitochondrial function was unaffected. However, Parkin(-/-) mice were much more sensitive to myocardial infarction when compared with wild type mice. Parkin(-/-) mice had reduced survival and developed larger infarcts when compared with wild type mice after the infarction. Interestingly, Parkin protein levels and mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) were rapidly increased in the border zone of the infarct in wild type mice. In contrast, Parkin(-/-) myocytes had reduced mitophagy and accumulated swollen, dysfunctional mitochondria after the infarction. Overexpression of Parkin in isolated cardiac myocytes also protected against hypoxia-mediated cell death, whereas nonfunctional Parkinson disease-associated mutants ParkinR42P and ParkinG430D had no effect. Our results suggest that Parkin plays a critical role in adapting to stress in the myocardium by promoting removal of damaged mitochondria.
Permanently microbicidal materials coatings

Recently developed non-leaching, permanently microbicidal polymeric coatings are discussed. These coatings, comprising hydrophobic polycations either covalently attached or deposited (“painted”) onto surfaces of diverse materials, avidly kill human pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses (but not mammalian cells) on contact by disrupting their lipid membranes.
Retrovirus-associated Ovine Pulmonary Carcinoma (Sheep Pulmonary Adenomatosis) and Lymphoid Interstitial Pneumonia. I. Lesion Development and Age Susceptibility

To determine the lesion development of retrovirus-induced ovine pulmonary carcinoma (OPC), ten neonatal lambs were inoculated intratracheally with either 1) lung fluid preparations derived from a sheep with Type D retrovirus-associated OPC and concurrent ovine lentivirus (0vLV)-associated lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP) (n = 8); or 2) lung fluid from a sheep with only OvLV-LIP (n = 2). Seven of eight neonates that received Type D retrovirus-associated OPC/OvLV-LIP lung fluid developed both OPC and LIP lesions between 9 and 32 weeks after inoculation. Mild OPC lesions consisted of foci of type I1 alveolar epithelial cells lining alveoli surrounded by minimal alveolar macrophage infiltrates. More severe OPC lesions consisted of multifocal aggregates of cuboidal to columnar neoplastic cells forming acini or masses associated with abundant alveolar macrophage infiltrates. Lesions of LIP consisted of peribronchiolar and perivascular lymphoid hyper- plasia and heterogeneous interstitial leukocytic infiltrates. The two neonates that received OvLV-LIP lung fluid developed rapid and severe LIP, but not OPC lesions. Two lambs (inoculated as neonates with virus-free lung fluid) and three lambs (uninoculated contacts) served as controls and did not develop OPC. To investigate age susceptibility for development of OPC, 20 additional lambs within defined age groups (neonates, 2 weeks old, 5 weeks old, and 10 weeks old) received ultracentrifuged tumor homogenate. Neonatal to 5-week-old lambs inoculated with Type D retrovirus-associated OPC/OvLV-LIP tumor homogenate were equally likely to develop OPC, but lambs inoculated at 10 weeks of age were more refractory to tumor development. These results suggest that infection of sheep by the OPC retrovirus early in life enhances susceptibility to pulmonary neoplasia and defines methods to optimize experimental reproduction of this retrovirus-induced carcinoma. Ovine pulmonary carcinoma (OPC, sheep pulmo- nary adenomatosis) is a naturally occurring retrovirus- associated pulmonary neoplasm of mature ~heep.~~,~~ The disease coexists in sheep with ovine lentivirus- associated lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (OvLV- LIP) in many countries throughout the ~~rld~~,~~,~~ and has been confirmed in the United state^.^,^ The pro- longed incubation period of naturally occurring OPC has limited research of the pathogenesis of OPC.9J6 However, the time course of OPC development has
Non‐Fullerene Acceptor‐Based Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells: Engineering the Nanomorphology via Processing Additives

The performance of bulk heterojunction solar cells made from blends of a non-fullerene acceptor, N,N′-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2,6-bis(5″-hexyl-[2,2′;5′,2″]terthiophen-5yl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide (NDI-3TH), and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) donor is enhanced 10-fold by using a processing additive in conjunction with an electron-blocking and a hole-blocking buffer layers. The power conversion efficiency of P3HT:NDI-3TH solar cells improves from 0.14% to 1.5% by using a processing additive (1,8-diiodooctane) at an optimum concentration of 0.2 vol%, which is far below the 2-3 vol% optimum concentrations found in polymer/fullerene systems. TEM and AFM imaging show that the size and connectivity of the NDI-3TH domains in the phase-separated P3HT:NDI-3TH blends vary strongly with the concentration of the processing additive. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that processing additives can be effective in the optimization of the morphology and performance of bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells based on non-fullerene acceptors.
Induction of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 and formation of carcinogen-DNA adducts in normal human mammary epithelial cells treated with benzo[a]pyrene.

Abstract Inter-individual variation in formation of carcinogen–DNA adducts and induction of cytochrome P450 genes was measured in 23 cultured normal human mammary epithelial cell (NHMEC) strains established from reduction mammoplasty tissue. Semi-confluent cells were exposed to 4 μM benzo[a]pyrene (BP) for 12 h and BP–DNA adduct levels were measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay using antiserum elicited against DNA modified with r7, t8-dihydroxy-t-9, 10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE). BP–DNA adduct levels for 22 of 23 different cell strains ranged from non-detectable (three samples) to about 15 adducts/108 nucleotides. Increases in levels of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 were detected using both oligonucleotide arrays and reverse transcription/quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs). For CYP1A1 and CYP1B1, the oligonucleotide array data and RT-PCR data were highly correlated (r=0.73 and 0.70, respectively), suggesting that oligonucleotide arrays are a suitable gene discovery tool, and demonstrating that the complementary and efficient RT-PCR may be used to confirm microarray data for a specific gene in a large number of samples. As measured by RT-PCR, inter-individual variation in CYP1A1 induction was 100-fold, while the variation in CYP1B1 induction was almost 40-fold. On a per-person basis, CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 induction were well-correlated (r=0.88, P
“Shall I Compare Thee to a Dose of Donepezil?”: Cultural Arts Interventions in Dementia Care Research

The cultural arts have gained attention for their potential to generate social and behavioral changes in people with dementia. Although individual cultural arts intervention studies have reported positive outcomes, most are excluded from systematic reviews because of methodological weakness. We reviewed findings from 27 systematic and integrative reviews of pharmacologic, psychosocial, and cultural arts interventions to identify promising outcomes as well as limitations in current approaches. Although results point to the potential success of interventions tailored to individual interests, most focused on limited measurements of individual change. In moving forward, cultural arts intervention research must not be limited to the tools of the clinical trial model. Instead, researchers should carefully rethink what constitutes rigorous and effective research for interventions aimed at creating a meaningful personal experience for the participant rather than measurable change.
Staging rectourinary fistulas to guide surgical treatment.

Purpose: Surgical management for rectourinary fistulas remains a reconstructive challenge. There are few guidelines to direct the surgeon to the most successful and least morbid technique. We developed a rectourinary fistula staging system that allows selection of the most appropriate technique for the patient. We present the details of the staging system and surgical outcomes.Materials and Methods: From July 1999 to July 2005 we treated 14 male patients with rectourinary fistula. Mean patient age was 68 years (range 62 to 73). Etiology was rectal injury during open radical prostatectomy in 5 patients, laparoscopic prostatectomy in 1, radiation induced fistula for prostate cancer treatment (brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy) in 2, neoadjuvant external beam radiation therapy in 2, ischial decubitus ulcer in 3 with spinal cord injury, and cryotherapy and external beam radiation therapy in 1. Cases were staged as stage I—low (less than 4 cm from anal verge and nonirradiated), stage II—high (m...
Recent Advances in the Molecular Imaging of Programmed Cell Death: Part I—Pathophysiology and Radiotracers

In humans, apoptosis (programmed cell death) is the most common form of cell death after necrosis. Apoptosis is a series of genetically preprogrammed biochemical and morphologic energy-requiring events that, after a specific external or internal stimulus, results in the physiologic disappearance of a cell via its self-disintegration and packaging of its contents into membrane vesicles called apoptotic bodies. Apoptotic bodies can readily be ingested, with their nutrients and even organelles recycled by neighboring cells or phagocytes without local inflammation. In contrast, necrosis is characterized by the primary loss of plasma membrane integrity and the uncontrolled release of a cell’s contents, often causing local inflammation, tissue damage, and scarring. Alternate forms of cell death also exist, associated with specific molecular mechanisms involving enzymes, organelles, genes, external stimuli, or blockade of normal cell proliferation. In this review we will briefly outline the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis that can be imaged with radiotracers now under development.
Thirdhand tobacco smoke: a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen on surfaces in smokers' homes.

INTRODUCTION Thirdhand tobacco smoke consists of substances remaining on the surfaces or in the dust of areas where people have smoked. While previous studies have demonstrated the presence of nicotine and various other constituents of tobacco smoke on surfaces in smokers' homes, none has investigated the presence of tobacco-specific carcinogens. METHODS We used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to analyze surface dust samples from both the homes of smokers and nonsmokers for the powerful tobacco-specific lung carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). RESULTS We positively identified NNK on surfaces in 33 of 37 smokers' homes (700±788 pg/100cm(2) [range, not detected-3,500 pg/100cm(2)]), but only in 3 of 19 nonsmokers' homes (235±176 pg/100cm(2) in the homes where NNK was detected [range, not detected-435 pg/100cm(2)]). The differences in occurrence and levels of NNK in the homes of smokers and nonsmokers were significant (p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS The powerful tobacco-specific lung carcinogen NNK is present on surfaces in most homes occupied by smokers. Potential renters or buyers of apartments or homes should be notified if previous residents were smokers in order to avoid unnecessary exposure of their families to a potent lung carcinogen.
Binding of semiconductor quantum dots to cellular integrins

There is currently a major international effort aimed at integrating semiconductor nanostructures with biological structures. This paper reports the functionalization of cadmium sulfide quantum dots with peptides that facilitate the selective binding of these quantum-dot-peptide complexes to integrins in the membranes of cancer cells of the MDA-MB-435 cell line. In addition, this paper focuses on the roles that biological environments play in altering and determining the optical and vibrational properties of these nanostructures.
CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE FED CATTLE MARKET

The production process of transforming a 600–700 pound feeder steer into a slaughter animal typically requires four to six months. Conceptually, there should exist some relationship between the prices of feeder calves and slaughter cattle prices. In one view, since the feeder calf constitutes the costliest input in the production of the slaughter animal, the prices of fed cattle should be temporally connected to the cost of the feeder animals. This view suggests that feeder calf prices should lead slaughter prices by the length of the production process (Trierweiler and Hassler). In another view, the price of feeder calves is determined by the interaction of the supply of and derived demand for feeder cattle by feedlot operators. It is presumed that the derived demand for feeder cattle is related to feedlot operators' expectations of future fed cattle prices. If their expectations are strongly influenced by current fed cattle prices, then a relationship is suggested whereby slaughter and feeder prices vary concomitantly.
Interaction between innate immunity and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Innate immunity provides frontline antiviral protection and bridges adaptive immunity against virus infections. However, viruses can evade innate immune surveillance potentially causing chronic infections that may lead to pandemic diseases. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an example of an animal virus that has developed diverse mechanisms to evade porcine antiviral immune responses. Two decades after its discovery, PRRSV is still one of the most globally devastating viruses threatening the swine industry. In this review, we discuss the molecular and cellular composition of the mammalian innate antiviral immune system with emphasis on the porcine system. In particular, we focus on the interaction between PRRSV and porcine innate immunity at cellular and molecular levels. Strategies for targeting innate immune components and other host metabolic factors to induce ideal anti-PRRSV protection are also discussed.
George W. Housner (1910–2008)

George W. Housner, Carl F Braun Professor of Engineering, emeritus, died after a short illness on 10 November 2008, just a few weeks before his 98th birthday. He was in the retirement home in Pasadena where he had lived for several years. For all of us who knew George, this marked the end of an era. Few people have guided and nurtured a field the way George led earthquake engineering over a period of several decades. He had a profound effect on many people and will long be remembered. His impact was so pervasive that he earned the title "Father of Earthquake Engineering." This article records some of my thoughts about this remarkable man.
Will currency follow the flag

The 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath have triggered uncertainty about the future of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region have voiced support for a new global monetary regime. There are both economic and geopolitical motivations at the root of these challenges. Going forward, what will the future hold for the international monetary system? Crudely put, will currency follow the flag? This article addresses this question by considering the economic opportunity and geopolitical willingness of actors in the Pacific Rim to shift away from the current international monetary system ‐ with a special emphasis on China as the most powerful actor in the region. While the dollar has shifted from being a top currency to a negotiated one, neither the opportunity nor the willingness to shift away from the dollar is particularly strong. The current window of opportunity for actors in the region to coordinate a shift in the monetary system is small and constrained. The geopolitical willingness to subordinate monetary politics to security concerns is muted.