cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementing two treatment approaches to childhood dysarthria

The paucity of evidence and detail in the literature regarding speech treatment for children with dysarthria due to cerebral palsy (CP) renders it difficult for researchers to replicate studies and make further inroads into this area in need of exploration. Furthermore, for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) wishing to follow treatments that the literature indicates have promise, little guidance is available on the details of the treatments that yielded the positive results. The present article details the implementation of two treatment approaches in speech treatment research for children with dysarthria: Speech Systems Intelligibility Treatment (SSIT) and the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment LOUD (LSVT LOUD). Specific strategies, primarily for treatment, but also for outcome measurement and acoustic analysis of dysarthric speech, are described. These techniques are provided for researchers and clinicians to consider implementing in order to advance speech treatment for this population. New data from research using these approaches are presented, including findings of acoustic vowel space changes following both speech treatments.
Electronic Energy Bands in Metals

The method of Wigner and Seitz is extended to the computation of the excited bands of electrons in a metal, with particular applications to sodium. Instead of using simply one $s$ wave function, as Wigner and Seitz do, a combination of eight separate functions is used, one $s$, three $p$, three $d$, and one $f$. Boundary conditions for an arbitrary electron momentum are satisfied at the midpoints of the lines connecting an atom with its eight nearest neighbors. The solution is carried out for an arbitrary direction of propagation in one of the principal planes. Energy levels and wave functions are determined as functions of internuclear distance, leading to the following qualitative results: At the observed distance of separation, energy levels are given with remarkable accuracy by the Fermi-Sommerfeld theory, the gaps fall approximately where they should as computed from de Broglie waves, and the wave functions act accurately like plane waves in the region between atoms, but fluctuate violently, like $s, p, \ensuremath{\cdots}$ functions, near the nuclei. Gaps in energy are precisely filled up, though in each definite direction of propagation there are gaps. As the internuclear distance increases, gaps in energy appear at definite points, the allowed regions shrinking to zero breadth about the atomic energy levels at infinite separation.
Interventions in the disturbances in the motor and sensory environment.

Abstract Treatment of peripheral nervous system (PNS) pathology presents intervention challenges to every therapist. Many of the current and future interventions will be directed at restoring the normal anatomy, function, and biomechanical properties of the PNS, restoring normal neural physiology and ultimately patient function and quality of life. Present interventions use mechanical (movement) or electrical procedures to affect various properties of the peripheral nerve. The purpose of this article was to apply basic science to clinical practice. The pathology and accompanying structural and biomechanical changes in the PNS will be presented in three specific areas commonly encountered in the clinic: nerve injury and laceration; compression neuropathies; and neuropathic pain and neural tension dysfunction. The intent is to address possible interventions exploring the clinical reasoning process that combines basic science and evidence-based best practice. The current lack of literature to support any one intervention requires a strong foundation and understanding of the PNSs’ structure and function to refine current and develop new intervention strategies. Current evidence will be presented and linked with future considerations for intervention and research. During this interlude of development and refinement, best practice will rely on sound clinical reasoning skills that incorporate basic science to achieve a successful outcome when treating these challenging patients.
Amorphous and nanocrystalline p–i–n Si and Si,Ge photodetectors for structurally integrated O2 sensors

Abstract Recent efforts to develop compact, field-deployable photoluminescence (PL)-based chemical and biological sensors have focused on structurally integrating an array of organic light emitting device (OLED) pixels, which serve as the excitation source, with a sensing film, and a thin-film photodetector (PD). To that end, VHF and ECR were used for fabricating and comparing amorphous and nanocrystalline p–i–n Si- and Si,Ge-based PDs for monitoring O 2 , which is preferably determined by monitoring the PL decay time, rather than the PL intensity, of the sensing film. This approach eliminates the need for frequent sensor calibration and, as pulsed OLED excitation is employed in this mode, the need for optical filters, which lead to bulkier sensors. Therefore, the development of the PDs also focused on increasing their speed, and understanding the factors affecting it, such as the device structure and boron diffusion during growth from the p+ to the i layer in p–i–n PDs. Incorporating a SiC buffer layer at the p+/i interface and a superstrate structure, where the p+ layer was grown last, increased the speed. The effects of Ge, p+ layer thickness, nanocrystallinity, defect states, and the illumination wavelength on the speed are also discussed.
Contemporary criticisms of role theory

Abstract This article examines contemporary criticisms of role theory that question its accuracy in depicting human behavior. Five criticisms are discussed. First, role theory reifies ideologies into concrete entities, rendering a sense of universality. Second, role theory places greater emphasis on social conformity than questioning social policies. Third, the socialization process, as depicted by role theory, lacks comprehensiveness. Fourth, human agency is not sufficiently addressed in role theory. Fifth, role theory promotes the notion of segmented rather than enfolded occupations. The above criticisms will be the foundation for addressing the question, Is there a place for role theory in occupational science?
Seasonal Variability on the West Florida Shelf

Abstract The seasonal variations of the West Florida Continental Shelf (WFS) circulation and sea level are described using observations of velocity from an array of moored acoustic Doppler current profilers and various ancillary data. With record lengths ranging from 3 years to over a decade, a robust seasonal cycle in velocity is found, which varies across the shelf in a dynamically sensible way. Over most of the inner shelf these seasonal variations are primarily in response to local forcing, through Ekman-geostrophic spin-up, as previously found for the synoptic scale variability. Thus the inner shelf circulation is predominantly upwelling favorable from fall to spring months (October–April) and downwelling favorable during summer months (June–September). Seaward from about the 50 m isobath, where baroclinicity becomes of increasing importance, the seasonal variations are less pronounced. Over the outer shelf and near the southwestern end of the WFS, the seasonal variations are obscured by the deep ocean influences of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current and its eddies. The seasonal variations in sea level are also robust. But unlike the velocity, these extend across the entire WFS and into the deep Gulf of Mexico. These seasonal sea level variations arise from two influences, one static, the other dynamic. The static influence projects onto the WFS by the static seasonal rise and fall of the Gulf of Mexico sea level due to heating and cooling (also occurring on the shelf). On climatological average, this ranges by about 0.12 m, with a minimum in February and a maximum in August and deriving primarily from the density variations over the upper 100 m of the water column. Such climatologically averaged variation due to temperature and salinity is also seen in satellite altimetry. An additional dynamic influence of about 0.06 m occurs over the inner shelf by the Ekman-geostrophic spin up to the seasonally varying winds. Together, the static and dynamic ocean responses result in a climatologically averaged coastal sea level variation at the central (vicinity of Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor) region of the WFS of about 0.18 m after adjustment for the inverted barometer effect, which adds about another 0.06 m for a total climatologically averaged annual sea level range of about 0.24 m.
Blunt cardiac injury

In summary, the incidence of BCI following blunt thoracic trauma patients has been reported between 20% and 76%, and no gold standard exists to diagnose BCI. Diagnostic tests should be limited to identify those patients who are at risk of developing cardiac complications as a result of BCI. Therapeutic interventions should be directed to treat the complications of BCI. Finally, the prognosis and outcome of BCI patients is encouraging
The Scar/WAVE complex is necessary for proper regulation of traction stresses during amoeboid motility

Cell migration requires a tightly regulated, spatiotemporal coordination of un- derlying biochemical pathways. Crucial to cell migration is SCAR/WAVE-mediated dendritic F-actin polymerization at the cell's leading edge. Our goal is to understand the role the SCAR/ WAVE complex plays in the mechanics of amoeboid migration. To this aim, we measured and compared the traction stresses exerted by Dictyostelium cells lacking the SCAR/WAVE com- plex proteins PIR121 (pirA − ) and SCAR (scrA − ) with those of wild-type cells while they were migrating on flat, elastic substrates. We found that, compared to wild type, both mutant strains exert traction stresses of different strengths that correlate with their F-actin levels. In agreement with previous studies, we found that wild-type cells migrate by repeating a motil- ity cycle in which the cell length and strain energy exerted by the cells on their substrate vary periodically. Our analysis also revealed that scrA − cells display an altered motility cycle with a longer period and a lower migration velocity, whereas pirA − cells migrate in a random manner without implementing a periodic cycle. We present detailed characterization of the traction- stress phenotypes of the various cell lines, providing new insights into the role of F-actin po- lymerization in regulating cell-substratum interactions and stresses required for motility.
Heterotic non-linear sigma models with anti-de Sitter target spaces

Abstract We calculate the beta function of non-linear sigma models with S D + 1 and AdS D + 1 target spaces in a 1 / D expansion up to order 1 / D 2 and to all orders in α ′ . This beta function encodes partial information about the spacetime effective action for the heterotic string to all orders in α ′ . We argue that a zero of the beta function, corresponding to a worldsheet CFT with AdS D + 1 target space, arises from competition between the one-loop and higher-loop terms, similarly to the bosonic and supersymmetric cases studied previously in [J.J. Friess, S.S. Gubser, Non-linear sigma models with anti-de Sitter target spaces, Nucl. Phys. B 750 (2006) 111–141]. Various critical exponents of the non-linear sigma model are calculated, and checks of the calculation are presented.
Rapid Short MRI Sequence Useful in Eliminating Stroke Mimics Among Acute Stroke Patients Considered for Intravenous Thrombolysis.

Background: Acute stroke teams are challenged by IV-tPA decision making in patients with acute neurological symptoms when the diagnosis is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the rapid Brain Attack Team (BAT) MRI in selecting patients for IV-tPA administration who present acutely to the emergency room with strokelike symptoms and an unclear diagnosis. Methods: Consecutive patients were identified who presented within 4.5 hours of onset of stroke-like symptoms and considered for treatment with IV-tPA. When the diagnosis was not clear, a 9-minute BAT MRI was obtained. Stroke risk factors and NIH stroke scale obtained on presentation were compared between patients in whom BAT MRI was obtained and those in whom BAT MRI was not obtained. Similarly, comparisons were made between patients in whom BAT MRI detected abnormalities and those in whom BAT MRI did not detect abnormalities. BAT MRIs were analyzed to determine if radiological findings impacted clinical management and discharge diagnosis. Results: In a 30-month period, 432 patients presenting with acute stroke-like symptoms were identified. Of these patients, 82 received BAT MRI. Patients receiving BAT MRI were younger, more likely to be smokers, and less likely to be selected for IV-tPA administration compared to those in whom a more definitive diagnosis of stroke precluded a BAT MRI. Of the 82 BAT MRIs, 25 were read as positive for acute ischemia. The patients with acute ischemia on BAT MRI were older, more likely to be males, have a history of hypercholesterolemia and atrial fibrillation, and more likely to be selected for IV-tPA administration compared to those with a negative BAT MRI. Of the 57 BAT MRIs read as negative for acute ischemia or hemorrhage, discharge diagnoses included TIA, MRI negative stroke, conversion/functional disorder, and multiple other illnesses. Conclusion: In patients with acute stroke-like symptoms, BAT MRI may be used to confirm acute ischemic stroke, exclude stroke mimics, and assess candidacy for IV-tPA.
Framing the ethical issues in new reproductive technologies.

The framework presented introduces a series of polarities for thinking about the new questions raised by new technologies. The first example is the question of long‐term responsibility for actions as opposed to the survival strategy of focusing on immediate outcome; second, equality as a value as over against comparative justice. Finally, the question of whether there can be limits to the desire for knowledge. If one can frame the limits of a problem and eliminate the spurious issues, an arena can then be provided for considered discussion.
The Latin American professoriate: Progress and prospects

The article describes the traditional image of the Latin American university professor and focuses on the effects that the movement toward a full-time professoriate and other changes have had on the recruitment patterns, morale and scholarly productivity of contemporary academics in Colombia and Argentina.
Ending Intimate Abuse: Practical Guidance and Survival Strategies. Albert R. Roberts & Beverly Schenkman Roberts

Ending Intimate Abuse: Practical Guidance and Survival Strategies. Albert R. Roberts and Beverly Schenkman Roberts. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005. 256 pp. ISBN 0-19-513547-4. $34.95 (cloth). The cycle of abuse in relationships is a phenomenon that has stymied clinicians and intrigued researchers for many years. In their new book, Ending Intimate Abuse: Practical Guidance and Survival Strategies, Albert R. Roberts and Beverly Schenkman Roberts review their qualitative, exploratory study of 501 victims of domestic violence. The book is written for the victims of domestic violence, their families, and clinicians who work with these individuals. The use of extensive case study examples allows the victims to talk directly to the reader, making this a very powerful and moving story of the experience of abuse in intimate relationships. The authors present a typology of victims of domestic violence through chapters focusing on each category. Women who "get out quickly" (p. 23) and end the abusive relationship after only a few incidents of violence (short-term abuse) are compared with those who continue to be abused for several years before they leave the relationship (intermediate abuse) and those who spend their entire lives being abused (intermittent long-term abuse and chronic abuse). They also devote an entire chapter to those who either lose their life or take their partner's life, describing cases that ended in lethal consequences. The chapters in the first part of the book are presented in similar fashion. Each category of victim is presented through definitions of the category, descriptions of similar backgrounds and critical developmental incidents, and the initial and most severe incidents of violence they experienced. The categories are then compared in terms of how victims in some categories are able to leave the relationship, albeit many years later for some, while victims in other categories do not leave the relationship and the violence escalates, at times to lethal levels. The second part of Ending Intimate Abuse expands the value of this book to victims and their families, as well as to the counselors who work with them. In this section, the authors include chapters on developing a safety plan for getting out of the cycle of violence, guidelines for counselors who are intervening in crisis situations, interacting with law enforcement and court agencies, and understanding the effects of drugs that facilitate sexual assault and strategies to avoid this type of assault. …
Pre-onset Detection and Intervention Research in Schizophrenia Psychoses: Current Estimates of Benefit and Risk

Early detection and intervention is offering a compelling new perspective on the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Relevant investigations include efforts to reduce the post-onset duration of untreated psychosis and efforts to identify and treat prodromally symptomatic high-risk patients in the pre-onset phase of the disorder. There appears to be consensus that the benefits outweigh the risks in studies aiming to treat first episode psychotic patients as soon as possible. In contrast, there is less consensus about pre-onset detection and intervention studies, the major concerns being the false positive rate of case identification, the evidence of benefit, the side effects of treatment, the potential harm from being informed that one is at risk for psychosis, the false negative rate of case identification, and the inclusion of adolescents. In this article, each of these issues is elaborated upon and discussed in terms of the existing evidence informing risk and benefit and in light of our own clinical experience conducting this research. It is concluded that we do not have enough data yet to justify pre-onset detection and intervention as standard practice, but we do have enough data concerning risk and benefit to justify pre-onset detection and intervention research.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis to Determine the Equivalent Strip Width for Cylindrical Wire for Mesh Reflector Antennas

Reflector antennas are used to realize large deployable antennas in many satellite and ground antenna systems. The utilization of a knitted wire mesh as the reflecting surface provides reduced wind effects, unfurlability and deployable capability. In the past, the mesh surface problem has been solved by using wire-grid modeling, strip-aperture modeling and periodic method of moments. In 1982, Butler showed that the equivalent strip width of an isolated single conducting wire is twice its diameter. This result was based on the equivalency of the total currents induced on the conducting cylinder and the narrow strip. This strip-wire equivalence has been used in all the strip aperture and wire grid formulations. This equivalence has not been verified in practice for mesh reflector structures where one may also consider the interaction among adjacent wires. The motivation of this work is to calculate the equivalent factor (beta) (beta = w (width of the strip) / d (diameter of the wire)) thus determining the equivalent strip width for a cylindrical wire with measurement and numerical analysis for mesh reflectors by considering the interaction among adjacent wires
The Anthropocene Mass Extinction: An Emerging Curriculum Theme for Science Educators

There have been five past great mass extinctions during the history of Earth. There is an ever-growing consensus within the scientific community that we have entered a sixth mass extinction. Human activities are associated directly or indirectly with nearly every aspect of this extinction. This article presents an overview of the five past great mass extinctions; an overview of the current Anthropocene mass extinction; past and present human activities associated with the current Anthropocene mass extinction; current and future rates of species extinction; and broad science-curriculum topics associated with the current Anthropocene mass extinction that can be used by science educators. These broad topics are organized around the major global, anthropogenic direct drivers of habitat modification, fragmentation, and destruction; overexploitation of species; the spread of invasive species and genes; pollution; and climate change.
Effects of GABA in the morphine-tolerant longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparation of the guinea pig

The effect of chronic treatment with morphine via pellet implantation on the sensitivity of the longitudinal smooth muscle-myenteric plexus of the guinea pig ileum to the contractile effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAA)-receptor agonists was assessed. GABA and muscimol elicited concentration-dependent contractions of the longitudinal smooth muscle which were due to the release of acetylcholine because the contractile effects were markedly attenuated by atropine (10 nM). The contractile action of GABA agonists does not involve an intermediate step mediated by nicotinic receptors because the concentration-response curves for GABA were unaffected by hexamethonium (1 mM). Bicuculline (10 microM) produced nearly equivalent rightward shifts of the concentration-response curves for both GABA and muscimol, indicating mediation of the contractile effects of these agents by GABAA receptors. Chronic exposure to morphine via pellet implantation did not alter the sensitivity of this preparation to either GABA or muscimol. This is in contrast to the development of supersensitivity of the longitudinal smooth muscle-myenteric plexus to other excitatory agonists (nicotine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and potassium), which accompanies the development of tolerance to opioids. GABA induces depolarization of myenteric neurons that is observed most prominently in AH neurons and rarely in S neurons. The stimulatory effects of nicotine and of GABA were inhibited by morphine (a predominantly mu opioid agonist) and by U50,488H (a predominantly kappa opioid agonist). The results are discussed within the context that supersensitivity to neuronal stimulants of the myenteric plexus in morphine-tolerant preparations is limited to substances which depolarize S neurons.
Establishing the effects of treatment for aphasia using single-subject-controlled experimental designs

Single-subject-controlled experimental research methods were advanced several decades ago as an alternative to group experimental research in basic experimental psychology (Sidman, 1960) and subseq...
ERISA: A Legal Shield for HMOs

This paper explores the issue of the preemption of state medical malpractice claims against Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Beginning with an analysis of the specific wording, relevant court cases, and historical significance of this act, it establishes the fact that Congress more than likely never foresaw its monumental effects on the legal liability of HMOs. Following this is a case study of the Texas Health Care Liability Act which successfully attempted to circumvent ERISA preemption by holding HMOs liable for practicing the ordinary standard of care. The result of this bill was that of creating accountability on the part of Texas HMOs while causing very few lawsuits to be filed, thereby increasing HMO premiums by a negligible amount. This example is then applied to controversial proposals being debated by Congress which would remove ERISA preemption of medical malpractice claims against HMOs nationally. While the opponents of such proposals claim that their enactment would cause a tremendous increase in the number of lawsuits filed against HMOs and thereby increase premiums significantly, this paper draws the conclusion from the Texas experiment that these claims are false and that any rise in premiums would be minute and wouldn't outweigh the benefit derived from the imposition of legal liability on the part of HMOs in the form of improved quality.
Increased Solubility, Liquid-Crystalline Phase, and Selective Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Polyelectrolyte Dispersions

The solubility of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) polyelectrolytes [K(THF)]nSWCNT in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was determined by a combination of centrifugation, UV–vis spectral properties, and solution extraction. The SWCNT formed a liquid crystal at a concentration above 3.8 mg/mL. Also, crown ether 18-crown-6 was found to increase the solubility of the SWCNT polyelectrolytes in DMSO. Raman spectroscopy and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence analyses were applied to study the functionalization of SWCNTs. Small-diameter SWCNTs were found to be preferentially functionalized when the SWCNT polyelectrolytes were dispersed in DMSO.
Diagnoses, intervention strategies, and rates of functional improvement in integrated behavioral health care patients.

Objective: Compared with more traditional mental health care, integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) offers greater access to services and earlier identification and intervention of behavioral and mental health difficulties. The current study examined demographic, diagnostic, and intervention factors that predict positive changes for IBHC patients. Method: Participants were 1,150 consecutive patients (mean age 30.10 years, 66.6% female, 60.1% Hispanic, 47.9% uninsured) seen for IBHC services at 2 primary care clinics over a 34-month period. Patients presented with depressive (23.2%), anxiety (18.6%), adjustment (11.3%), and childhood externalizing (7.6%) disorders, with 25.7% of patients receiving no diagnosis. Results: The most commonly delivered interventions included behavioral activation (26.1%), behavioral medicine-specific consultation (14.6%), relaxation training (10.3%), and parent-management training (8.5%). There was high concordance between diagnoses and evidence-based intervention selection. We used latent growth curve modeling to explore predictors of baseline global assessment of functioning (GAF) and improvements in GAF across sessions, utilizing data from a subset of 117 patients who attended at least 3 behavioral health visits. Hispanic ethnicity and being insured predicted higher baseline GAF, while patients with an anxiety disorder had lower baseline GAF than patients with other diagnoses. Controlling for primary diagnosis, patients receiving behavioral activation or exposure therapy improved at faster rates than patients receiving other interventions. Demographic variables did not relate to rates of improvement. Conclusion: Results suggest even brief IBHC interventions can be focused, targeting specific patient concerns with evidence-based treatment components. What is the public health significance of this article? This study suggests brief behavioral health interventions delivered in integrated primary care target specific patient concerns (rather than provide only generic support) and improve patient functioning, even across 2–3 sessions.
Effects of crystalline menthol on blood metabolites in Holstein steers and in vitro volatile fatty acid and gas production.

Fifty-two Holstein steers (573 ± 9.92 kg BW) were used to determine if oral administration of crystalline menthol would induce changes in endogenous secretions of IGF-1 and circulating concentrations of glucose, lactate, and plasma urea nitrogen (PUN). Steers were blocked by BW and assigned within block to treatment. Treatments consisted of 0, 0.003, 0.03, or 0.3% crystalline menthol (DM basis) added to the diet. Animals were housed in individual, partially covered pens equipped with feed bunks and automatic water fountains. On d 1 of the experiment, blood samples were obtained via jugular venipuncture at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h after feeding. Treatment administration commenced on d 2, and blood samples were again drawn at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h after feeding. This blood-sampling schedule was repeated on d 9, 16, 23, and 30. Plasma was analyzed for PUN, glucose, and lactate concentrations. Serum was used to analyze IGF-1 concentration. Body weights were measured on d 1, 9, 16, 23, and 30. To accompany the live animal phase, in vitro fermentations were performed using ruminal fluid cultures. Measurements included VFA concentrations and fermentative gas production for cultures containing crystalline menthol at 0, 0.003, 0.03, or 0.3% of substrate DM. Addition of menthol to the diet of steers resulted in a treatment × day interaction ( 0.21). In conclusion, menthol supplementation minimally affected blood parameters associated with growth or ruminal fermentative activity.
The status of Meripilus giganteus (Aphyllophorales, Polyporaceae) in North America.

The status of the species names Meripilus giganteus, Grifola lentifrondosa, and G. sumstinei is reviewed with regard to synonymy. Data from studies of nomenclatural types by light and scanning elec...
Oligomeric state of rhodopsin within rhodopsin– transducin complex probed with succinylated concanavalin a

Rhodopsin-a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-is abundantly expressed in the eye and stabilized by its covalently bound chromophore 11-cis-retinal. The signal of light is amplified and transmitted through the binding of heterotrimeric G protein transducin (G t ) to photoactivated rhodopsin following downstream pathways activation leading to light sensing in the brain. As demonstrated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), rhodopsin exists in the native membrane of the rod outer segment disks as dimers highly organized in tightly packed oligomers. However, functional importance of this organization is still debated. To clarify the role of the rhodopsin dimer in signaling activation and thus the binding of transducin, the complex between rhodopsin and transducin can be formed, purified, and probed with succinylated concanavalin A. This method can be potentially applied to other GPCRs to verify their oligomeric state.
Self-assembling extracellular matrix proteins as materials for the condensation of silica nanostructures

We describe a synthetic strategy to repurpose extracellular matrix protein binding domains to catalyse the condensation of silica nanostructures in water. By varying the amount of protein in solution, it is possible to control the production of amorphous silica towards a truly integrated bio-nanocomposite.
The Blood Vascular System of Nephtys (Annelida, Polychaeta)

The four longitudinal vessels of the circulatory system of Nephtys californiensis are dorsal, sub-intestinal, and neural, the latter being paired. There is a complete longitudinal circulation; the dorsal vessel communicates with the sub-intestinal by way of the proboscidial circulation and with the neural by way of the circum-oral vessels. In each middle and posterior segment segmental vessels from each of the longitudinal trunks carry blood to and from the parapodia and body-wall. The segmental circulation is completed by a circum-intestinal vessel connecting the dorsal and subintestinal vessels in each segment and an intersegmental branch connecting the dorsal and sub-intestinal segmental vessels. A trans-septal branch of the neural segmental vessel communicates with the sub-intestinal segmental vessel. This arrangement is modified in anterior segments which house the muscular, eversible pharynx, and no blood-vessels cross the coelom except by running through the body-wall. On anatomical grounds and by comparison with other polychaetes it seems likely that segmental is subordinate to longitudinal circulation. There are no endothelial capillaries such as have been described in some other polychaetes; instead there are numerous blindending vessels the walls of which are composed of the same three layers as other vessels and which are probably contractile. The dorsal vessel, where it is in contact with the ventral surface of the supra-oesophageal ganglion, forms a plexus in close association with a modified part of the brain capsule and a special axonal tract within the ganglion. It is thought that by way of this ‘cerebro-vascular complex’, hormones produced in the neurosecretory cells of the brain pass into the blood-stream.
CHAPTER 18 – Fc and Complement Receptors

This chapter discusses the vivo studies of mice deﬁcient in complement receptors (CRs) and Fc receptors (FcRs) that has greatly extended the understanding of B-cell regulation, and how ligands for these receptor systems can modulate responses to environmental and self-antigens. The Fc receptor system focuses on FcγRIIB, the inhibitory receptor expressed exclusively on both B cells and FDCs, for which substantial data is now available. The early components of complement, notably C1q, C4, and C3 and the complement receptors CR1 and CR2 are particularly relevant to the role of complement in afferent responses. A better understanding of how CRs and FcRs participate in the humoral response to environmental antigens will be useful not only in future vaccine research but in helping to dissect the events leading to dysregulation of self-reactive B cells and the development of autoimmune disorders such as SLE.
Validating the Effects of Brand Quality on Attitude and Purchase Intention in Service–Product Alliances

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to replicate the findings of previous research studying the effects of brand quality on consumer attitude and purchase intentions in service–product encounters. The main contribution of the current research is to improve the generalizability of the previous findings by basing the experimental inquiry on real-world brands. Drawing on information integration and categorization theories, a set of hypotheses are presented that predict both mediating and moderating relationships between the independent and dependent variables. Results from an experimental study confirm previous findings, demonstrating that the quality of a product brand in a service–product alliance has significant effects on the attitude toward the service brand. Such effects are moderated by the quality of the service brand. Alternatively, service brand attributes do not have the same effect on component product brands included in the performance of that service. Service and product quality exhibit the ...
SO(10) SUSY GUT in 5D

We consider a five dimensional supersymmetric SO(10) GUT compactified on an S1∕(Z2 × Z2 ′ ) orbifold where \(S^{1} \equiv \mathbb{R}^{1}/\mathcal{T}\) and \(\mathcal{T}\) is the action of translations by 4π R (see Sect. 14.2). The first orbifold, Z2, under which y → −y, breaks 5D N = 1 supersymmetry (4D N = 2) to 4D N = 1. The other orbifold, Z2 ′ , under which y → −y +π R, breaks SO(10) down to the PS gauge group SU(4) C × SU(2) L × SU(2) R . The fundamental domain of the y direction is the line segment y ∈ [0, π R]. SO(10) gauge symmetry is present everywhere except at the point y = π R, which only has Pati-Salam gauge symmetry. Hence, we call the two inequivalent fixed points the “SO(10)” (y = 0) and “Pati-Salam” branes (y = π R) where each fixed point is a three-brane (3+1 dimensional spacetime). The Higgs mechanism on the PS brane completes the breaking of the PS gauge symmetry to the SM gauge group.
Nishida Kitarō’s chiasmatic chorology: place of dialectic: dialectic of place

In order to write a book that captures the recurrent themes of a prolific writer like Nishida Kitarō, it seems inevitable that one will have to sacrifice either breadth or detail. Krummel’s book, h...
Dismantling the Cryptococcus coat: Response from D'Souza and Heitman

We fully concur! Genetics and molecular biology provide powerful approaches that have opened the door to the characterization of the components regulating capsule synthesis and function. That said, the cell biology and biochemical approaches that Dr Doering is pioneering in her elegant studies on capsule biosynthesis promise to shed much needed light on how the capsule is assembled. We applaud her efforts to wed genetics and molecular biology with cell biology and biochemistry, and we look forward to learning much from the studies she and her colleagues have embarked upon.
Pd-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation Reactions: Strategies To Increase Catalyst Lifetimes.

The palladium complex [(neocuproine)Pd(μ-OAc)]2[OTf]2 (1, neocuproine = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) is an effective catalyst precursor for the selective oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols, vicinal diols, polyols, and carbohydrates. Both air and benzoquinone can be used as terminal oxidants, but aerobic oxidations are accompanied by oxidative degradation of the neocuproine ligand, thus necessitating high Pd loadings. Several strategies to improve aerobic catalyst lifetimes were devised, guided by mechanistic studies of catalyst deactivation. These studies implicate a radical autoxidation mechanism initiated by H atom abstraction from the neocuproine ligand. Ligand modifications designed to retard H atom abstractions as well as the addition of sacrificial H atom donors increase catalyst lifetimes and lead to higher turnover numbers (TON) under aerobic conditions. Additional investigations revealed that the addition of benzylic hydroperoxides or styrene leads to significant increases in TON as...
Redirecting carbon to bioproduction via a growth arrest switch in a sucrose-secreting cyanobacterium

Abstract Cyanobacteria are microbes with high photosynthetic efficiencies, making them a promising target for the production of sustainable bioproducts directly from solar energy and carbon dioxide. The most common efforts to increase cyanobacterial bioproduction involve diverting cellular resources away from cellular biomass and towards a heterologous pathway, for example through nutrient starvation or knockout of genes in competing metabolic pathways. Here we show that an inducible cell growth arrest switch can be used to increase the partitioning of carbon to an engineered sucrose sink. Specifically, we show that overexpression of Regulator of Phycobilisome-Associated B (RpaB), an essential response regulator in Synechococccous elongatus PCC 7942, allows for inducible arrest of cell growth and is associated with a > 2-fold higher specific productivity of a heterologous sucrose secretion pathway. Finally, we show that sucrose export can partially relieve photosynthetic feedback inhibition imposed by the RpaB dependent growth arrest, allowing sucrose-secreting strains to maintain higher photosynthetic efficiencies. This work provides a novel conceptual framework for improving photosynthetic productivity and cyanobacterial bioproduction.
Needs Assessment in Education

After a brief introduction to the idea of needs assessment, definitions of terms and an overview of several models are provided and then the steps in one model are described. Categories of methods commonly used in assessing needs are presented along with the explanation that some may fit better earlier in the process and others more toward its end. The final section of the article contains examples of assessments that have been done in education and discussion of their utility for making decisions and forming policies to guide improvement.
Conditions of Confinement in American Prisons and Jails

Research on the consequences of incarceration for inmates and ex-inmates, their families, and their communities has proliferated in just the last 20 years. Yet little of this research has documente...
Beyond Zipf: An Agent-Based Understanding of City Size Distributions

George Kingsley Zipf observed in 1949 that the size distribution of cities within nations tends to follow a particular kind of power-law. This distribution is often described as the “rank size rule” or simply as the Zipf distribution. While Zipf convincingly documented this distribution, he was less successful in explaining its emergence. During the ensuing half century, various theories of city formation and development have emerged that have contributed real insights into the geography and economics of cities. For the most part, however, these theories have failed to predict the Zipf distribution of sizes. Another class of theories has been put forward to explain the distribution, but these have tended to rest on unrealistic assumptions, to lack explanatory power, or, at best, to lack the ability to explain the deviations from Zipf that can be observed in many nations. In this paper, we offer a simple agent-based model of city size evolution. This model offers substantial insight into the distribution of city sizes in various countries, while complementing previous work on the economic geography of cities and offering plausible economic interpretations and logic. The model can also account for several important categories of systematic deviation from Zipf that are observed in empirical data, and offers new insights about how such deviations arise.
Stairwell Evacuation from Buildings: What We Know We Don't Know

Occupant descent down stairwells during building evacuations is typically described by measurable engineering variables such as stairwell geometry, speed, density, and pre-evacuation delay. In turn, predictive models of building evacuation use these variables to predict the performance of egress systems for building design, emergency planning, or event reconstruction. This paper provides a summary of literature values for movement speeds and compares these to several new fire drill evacuations. Movement speeds in the current study are observed to be quite similar to the range of literature values. Perhaps most importantly though, the typical engineering parameters are seen to explain only a small fraction of the observed variance in occupant movement speeds. This suggests that traditional measures form an incomplete theory of people movement in stairs. Additional research to better understand the physiological and behavioral aspects of the evacuation process and the difference between fire drill evacuations and real fire emergencies are needed.
Genetic Manipulation of Fungi by DNA-Mediated Transformation

The ability to investigate the genetics of fungi has been extended substantially by DNA-mediated transformation. Prior to the availability of such transformation procedures, genetic manipulation of fungi was dependent almost exclusively upon completion of a sexual cycle and was based upon an analysis of recombination by way of meiotic products (Fincham et al. 1979; Bennett and Lasure 1991). Despite the varied and often extravagant sexual cycles exhibited by fungi in nature, rather few species are suited for laboratory experimentation that includes detailed genetic study. Completion of the life cycle may be time-consuming and the meiotic products may not be accessible or may not germinate synchronously and in sufficient numbers for analysis of recombination. In addition, genetic study may be limited in scope by incompatibility barriers or other isolating mechanisms both between and within species (Lemke 1973).
Self-Monitoring Interventions for At-Risk Middle School Students: The Importance of Considering Function

Self-monitoring is a popular, efficient, and effective intervention that is associated with improved academic and social behavior for students across age and ability levels. To date, this is the fi...
Book Review: Spirituals and the Birth of a Black Entertainment Industry by Sandra Jean Graham

Graham, Sandra Jean. Spirituals and the Birth of a Black Entertainment Industry . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2018. 330 pages. Even though Negro spirituals are one of the most popular black sacred music genres, they have not been extensively considered as a commoditized cultural product
Placental Production of Peptide, Steroid, and Lipid Hormones

Abstract The success of pregnancy depends on appropriate hormonal signaling between the fetal and maternal compartments. Maternal physiology must accommodate pregnancy to accept and sustain the immunologically foreign fetal allograft. The placenta is the principal source of hormones that control the physiology of pregnancy. It produces a plethora of bioactive factors that it secretes mainly into the maternal compartment. This chapter describes the principal hormones and other bioactive substances produced by the human placenta at various stages of gestation, and considers their function in the context of the endocrine control of human pregnancy, and especially the maternal adaptations necessary to provide the fetus with the resources needed for normal growth and development, ensure the appropriate timing of birth and prepare the mother to nurture the newborn.
A vision of the future for gastroparesis

Abstract There have been significant recent advances in understanding and treatment options for gastroparesis; however, many controversies exist and the field is rapidly changing. This chapter provides a balanced discussion as to where the field is heading and provides a glimpse of how we may view and treat gastroparesis in the future. Specifically, the rationale or mechanism, the current state of evidence, and what needs to be done to bring these diverse new approaches to clinical practice are discussed. The topics addressed are: new drugs targeting “traditional” receptors with 5-HT4 agonists, dopamine D2/3 antagonists, and NK1 antagonists; new drugs targeting “new” mechanisms, specifically ghrelin agonists; modulation of M2 macrophages; neurogenesis; new devices such as transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation in the neck and novel insights on gastric electrical stimulation; and new procedures, specifically gastric per oral endoscopic myotomy.
Long-term effects of group opening size and site preparation method on gap-cohort development in a temperate mixedwood forest

Abstract Management aimed at regenerating softwoods and hardwoods in the same stand (i.e., a mixedwood) has some appeal in the pine-hardwood forests of the southern United States. We revisited a group selection experiment installed in 1991 to evaluate the influence of gap size and site preparation treatments on a pine-hardwood stand in Louisiana, USA. Experimental treatments included a factorial combination of three group opening sizes (0.1, 0.25, 0.4 ha) and three methods of site preparation (chemical, mechanical, untreated) in the harvest gaps. Specifically, we tested two hypotheses: 1) regeneration of shade-intolerant tree species increased with gap size and the addition of site preparation and 2) if this site preparation decreased the regeneration of species that are more tolerant of shade and reliant on advance reproduction. In 2016, the density and basal area of the shade-intolerant loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) increased with increasing gap size (P
Decision making and informed consent in uterus transplant recipients: A mixed-methods study of the Dallas uterus transplant study (DUETS) participants.

Abstract Background Uterus transplantation (Utx) has achieved clinical success but little is known about motivations and experiences of UTx recipients. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 UTx recipients in addition to collecting quantitative demographic and clinical data. Closed-ended interview questions were treated as categorical variables. Thematic analysis was performed on qualitative data. Bivariate analysis tested associations between categorical variables. Results Themes that emerged included: the decision to pursue UTx is a process, primary motivations for UTx are specific to the experience of gestation, and alternative options did not offer the same value as UTx. There was no association between disease etiology, clinical status, or perception of UTx risk with information needs or donor preference. Conclusions Our findings suggest that UTx is a unique treatment option that some women with AUFI find preferable to adoption and surrogacy and, as such, should be discussed as a parenthood option with women diagnosed with AUFI.
Rehabilitation of Minor CSE Victims at Alternate Care Protective Homes

Globally, child trafficking continues to be an organised crime violating the human rights of children, resulting in their psychological, physical, sexual and economic abuse. Once rescued from comme...