cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“It’s too political”: The overt and covert silencing of critical Latino/a voices

The concept of school-sponsored silencing of students in K-12 contexts in the United States is well documented, particularly in relation to students of color. Discussions have addressed and called into question implicit and explicit administrative and pedagogical practices of silencing that curb critical reflection and thinking. The case explored here explores both overt and covert practices of silencing as lived by Latino/a high school students in rural Idaho. By directing attention to silencing in this context, I argue that it can be much more routinely and unknowingly used than we might imagine, and that it has the potential to severely stymie critical conversations of change and eventually disempower in subtle ways.
Emotion dysregulation and negative affect: Laboratory and EMA investigations in smokers.

Abstract Introduction Difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with addictive behaviors, including smoking. Difficulties in emotion regulation may underlie large, rapid changes in negative affect that can increase likelihood of relapse. We investigated the association between emotion regulation ability and negative affect in smokers assessed both in the laboratory and in the field using Ecological Momentary Assessment. Methods Adult community smokers (N = 44) carried a personal digital assistant (PDA) for two weeks and were instructed to complete assessments of negative affect multiple times per day. Participants were instructed that they could smoke as much or as little as they liked. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were completed at three lab visits. Results Participants with higher average DERS scores reported greater negative affect at lab visits. When a participant reported a DERS score at a lab visit higher than their individual average, they also reported higher negative affect at that lab visit. Participants with higher baseline DERS scores reported more labile negative affect during EMA than those with lower baseline DERS scores, and they also reported a higher maximum level of negative affect during EMA. Discussion and conclusions Overall, the findings suggest that changes in emotion regulation are associated with negative affect and that emotion regulation ability is related to both the intensity and lability of negative affect. A better understanding of momentary changes in emotion regulation and negative affect may lead to improved interventions for preventing substance use relapse.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma associated with Zalophus californianus papillomavirus 1 in a California sea lion.

Papillomaviruses (PVs) are found in many species and infect epithelial cells at both mucosal and cutaneous sites. PVs are generally species-specific and cause benign epithelial proliferations, often forming papillomas or plaques. Rarely, these infections can persist, allowing progression to in situ and invasive cancers. We describe herein a case of multiple cutaneous pigmented plaques from a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) that progressed to in situ and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The lesions were characterized by epithelial hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, and hypergranulosis that bordered more dysplastic areas, and, at one site, bordered an invasive SCC. Immunohistochemistry for papillomavirus antigen revealed strong nuclear immunoreactivity within keratinocytes in the hyperplastic epidermis. PCR was performed using degenerate and specific primers to detect papillomavirus DNA. Specific primers were used to amplify Zalophus californianus papillomavirus 1 (ZcPV-1), the only sea lion p...
Quality of health economic evaluations for the ACC/AHA stable ischemic heart disease practice guideline: A systematic review.

Background The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) recently published a rigorous framework to guide integration of economic data into clinical guidelines. We assessed the quality of economic evaluations in a major ACC/AHA clinical guidance report. Methods We systematically identified cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) of RCTs cited in the ACC/AHA 2012 Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients with Stable Ischemic Heart Disease. We extracted: (1) study identifiers; (2) parent RCT information; (3) economic analysis characteristics; and (4) study quality using the Quality of Health Economic Studies instrument (QHES). Results Quality scores were categorized as high (≥75 points) or low ( Conclusions Economic evaluations of RCTs in the 2012 ACC/AHA ischemic heart disease guideline largely had high QHES scores but methodological issues existed among “high-quality” studies. Because the ACC/AHA has generally been more systematic in its integration of scientific evidence compared to other professional societies, it is likely that most societies will need to proceed more cautiously in their integration of economic evidence.
Artificially Generated Data: Size Considerations

The size of a statistical test is the probability with which it wrongly rejects the null hypothesis. Thus, for data which is actually generated by a linear mechanism, a 5% nonlinearity test — a test whose size is .05 — will reject the null hypothesis of linearity 5% of the time.1 However, like most econometric procedures, the nonlinearity tests described above in Chapter 2 are only asymptotically justified. For a 5% test, this implies that the actual size of the test is known to approach .05 as the sample length becomes arbitrarily large, but it says little about the size of the test for any given, finite sample length.
On the regularity of CR mappings in higher codimension

We give a proof of the regularity of Holder CR homeomorphisms of strictly pseudo convex CR manifolds of higher codimension.
The Revolution of Everything

By way of several examples, this chapter presents the nature of the transformation/revolution due to the unprecedented advance of technology we are undergoing. The examples range from those that are transforming the inherent nature and structure of reality to those that are transforming our minds and bodies. Each illustrates a particular type of crisis caused by technology.
Factors Associated with Previable Delivery following Second Trimester Rupture of Membranes

Objective To identify factors associated with previable delivery in second trimester preterm rupture of membranes (PROM). Study Design We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study of women with pregnancies complicated by second trimester PROM (14.0–21.9 weeks' gestation) from 2000 to 2015 who elected expectant pregnancy management and achieved at least 24 hours latency. Maternal characteristics and clinical factors were compared among pregnancies that reached viability (≥ 23.0 weeks) and pregnancies delivered before viability ( Results Of 73 pregnancies complicated by second trimester PROM, 49 (67%) delivered before viability. Maternal race, history of preterm birth, and tobacco use were similar between women who delivered 1cm, Group B streptococcus carrier status, bacterial vaginosis, and chlamydial infection during pregnancy were similar between groups. Median time to delivery was significantly shorter in women who delivered Conclusion Previable delivery occurred in the majority of women with second trimester PROM. No maternal or clinical factors were associated with delivery prior to viability. Counseling women with second trimester PROM should include the inability to determine which pregnancies will reach viability.
Relationship between Telomere Maintenance and Liver Disease.

Previous studies have established a correlation between increasing chronological age and risk of cirrhosis. This pattern raised interest in the role of telomeres and the telomerase complex in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. This review aims to summarize and analyze the current understanding of telomere regulation in hepatocytes and lymphocytes and how this ultimately relates to the development of liver fibrosis. Notably, in chronic viral hepatitis, telomere shortening in hepatocytes and lymphocytes occurs in such a way that may promote further viral replication while also leading to liver damage. However, while telomere shortening occurs in both hepatocytes and lymphocytes and ultimately results in cellular death, the mechanisms of telomere loss appear to be initiated by independent processes. The understanding of telomere maintenance on a hepatic and immune system level in both viral and non-viral etiologies of cirrhosis may open doors to novel therapeutic strategies. (Gut Liver 2019;13:11-15)
Performance of an Automated Whole-House Spray Vaccination System,

SUMMARY Recent catastrophic disease events have highlighted the need for improved disease prevention measures. Improved biosecurity and vaccination programs can aid in reducing animal population and economic losses. Performance of a prototype automated whole-house spray vaccination system was evaluated over 3 flocks in a commercial breeder pullet house. Birds were spray vaccinated for infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) using the automated system in one house and with a typical backpack blower-based sprayer in another house for comparison. Results showed that the automated system improved both seroconversion and geometric mean titer (GMT) as compared to the backpack spray crew. Mean GMT for both IBV and NDV were more than doubled (2.4× and 8.6×, respectively); seroconversions were also significantly improved for IBV (69.4 vs. 39.8%) and NDV (69.6 vs. 17.6%). Adoption of an automated whole-house spray vaccination system may provide significantly improved protection for loose-housed poultry when compared to backpack sprayers while improving biosecurity through minimizing human-to-bird contact.
Phosphorylation Activity in the Alzheimer's Disease and Normal Brain is Modulated by Microtubule-Associated Protein, Tau in Vitro.

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease is the presence of abundant neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brains of affected individuals. Hyperphosphorylated tau is a major component of paired helical filaments (PHFs) in NFTs. Tau is a neuronal microtubule associated protein found primarily in axons. Normal tau promotes tubulin polymerization and stabilizes microtubule (MT) structures, whereas hyperphosphorylated tau reduces its affinity for MTs and destabilizes MT-structures. This results in the disruption of vital cellular processes (e.g. axonal transport) and leads to the degeneration of affected neurons. Processes leading to the hyperphosphorylation of tau and formation of neurofibrillary lesions in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) brains are not understood. Phosphorylation of a substrate molecule like tau depends upon the equilibrium between kinase and phosphatase activities and the availability of their substrate molecules in a given system. Therefore, to understand the relative roles of kinase and phosphatase activities, we studied the long-term kinetics of phosphorylation in AD and control brain extracts in the presence and absence of the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OA) using histone, casein and bacterially expressed tau as exogenous substrates. It was found that both kinase and phosphatase activities were higher in AD compared to control brains. Surprisingly, between 18 and 24 hours, there was a robust increase in phosphorylation of endogenous proteins in the brain extracts only when bacterially expressed tau was present in the phosphorylation reaction mixture. This pattern of phosphorylation activity was unaffected by OA. Significant difference in the phosphorylation of tau isoforms was also seen during this period. These data suggest that the expression and differential phosphorylation of certain tau isoforms may be responsible for the robust increase in phosphorylation and may play an important role in Alzheimer's pathology.
Transmission Eigenvalues and the Riemann Zeta Function in Scattering Theory for Automorphic Forms on Fuchsian Groups of Type I

We introduce the concept of transmission eigenvalues in scattering theory for automorphic forms on fundamental domains generated by discrete groups acting on the hyperbolic upper half complex plane. In particular, we consider Fuchsian groups of type I. Transmission eigenvalues are related to those eigen-parameters for which one can send an incident wave that produces no scattering. The notion of transmission eigenvalues, or non-scattering energies, is well studied in the Euclidean geometry, where in some cases these eigenvalues appear as zeros of the scattering matrix. As opposed to scattering poles, in hyperbolic geometry such a connection between zeros of the scattering matrix and non-scattering energies is not studied, and the goal of this paper is to do just this for particular arithmetic groups. For such groups, using existing deep results from analytic number theory, we reveal that the zeros of the scattering matrix, consequently non-scattering energies, are directly expressed in terms of the zeros of the Riemann zeta function. Weyl’s asymptotic laws are provided for the eigenvalues in those cases along with estimates on their location in the complex plane.
Tetramethylammonium Glycinate: A New Reagent for Improved Pyrrole Synthesis by [3+2] Cyclization

Abstract The novel reagent tetramethylammonium glycinate has been introduced as the most effective glycine derivative for the convenient synthesis of 4, 5, 6, 7-tetrahydroisoindoles (orpyrroles unsubstituted in the 2 and 5 positions) from 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds by [3+2] cyclization. The reaction has been shown to be catalyzed by 2,6-di(tert.buty1) pyridine reagents to triple the reported yield.
More options for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia: venetoclax in combination with low dose cytarabine

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is hematopoietic malignancy occurring in any age group, but with a peak in the older population. The median age at the time of diagnosis is 68 years, and the incidence is 12.2 cases in 100,000 in patients older than 65 years compared to 1.3 in patients younger than 65 years (1).
Social work and toddler overweight risk: Identifying modifiable child and parent factors across the socioeconomic gradient

ABSTRACTObjective: Childhood obesity is associated with long-term health consequences, yet little is known about the prevalence of child and parent risk factors of overweight across the socioeconom...
Pest-Inspector: An Insect Detection System by Learning Data Representations

In this paper, we have introduced a beetle detection system of cultivation field of Bangladesh, which will recognize both harmful and useful insects on the basis of the real-time image. Based on this estimating analysis, the system is going to predict upcoming status and production quantities of target crops land. Our system has established on two scenarios, learning & classification and recall process. In the learning process, we have categorized two types of insect data items: Useful and Harmful and subclassified various types of harmful beetle in order to acquaint them by the help of ANN (Artificial Neural Network) terminology. Then, we have stored those classified datasets into a database repository. In next phase, the detection system will segment/cluster all of the insects from real life images and synchronize them with our pre-categorized data storage apropos to figure some educational guesses of the situation of agriculture ground and the ratio of the number of crop yields. Here, Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) had applied as a detection tool to estimates image samples. Finally, a regression technique, SVR (Support Vector Regression) has exploits to predict the desirable outcomes. An effective outcome has been presenting by through experimental study.
Meeting the Needs of Postpartum Women With and Without a Recent Preterm Birth: Perceptions of Maternal Family Planning in Pediatrics

Women face distinct barriers to meeting their reproductive health needs postpartum, especially women who deliver preterm. Pediatric encounters present unique opportunities to address women’s family planning, particularly within 18 months of a prior pregnancy, when pregnancy has an elevated risk of an adverse outcome, such as preterm birth. To ensure maternal family planning initiatives are designed in a patient-centered manner, we explored perspectives on addressing reproductive health in a pediatric setting among women with and without a recent preterm delivery. We conducted semi-structured, qualitative interviews with 41 women (66% delivered preterm). Women who delivered at any gestational age were interviewed at a pediatric primary care clinic. We also interviewed women whose infants were either in a level II intensive care nursery or attending a high-risk infant follow-up clinic, all of whom had delivered preterm. Data were analyzed using team-based coding and theme analysis. While women’s preferred timing and setting for addressing peripartum contraception varied, they largely considered pediatric settings to be an acceptable place to discuss family planning. A few women felt family planning fell outside of the pediatric scope or distracted from the child focus. Women discussed various barriers to accessing family planning care postpartum, including circumstances unique to women who delivered preterm. Family planning interventions in pediatric settings were overall an acceptable approach to reducing barriers to care among our sample of women who predominantly delivered preterm. These exploratory findings justify further investigation to assess their generalizability and to develop maternal family planning interventions for pediatric settings.
Lower respiratory tract delivery, airway clearance, and preclinical efficacy of inhaled GM-CSF in a postinfluenza pneumococcal pneumonia model

Inhaled granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) shows promise as a therapeutic to treat viral and bacterial pneumonia, but no mouse model of inhaled GM-CSF has been described. We sought to 1) develop a mouse model of aerosolized recombinant mouse GM-CSF administration and 2) investigate the protection conferred by inhaled GM-CSF during influenza A virus (IAV) infection against secondary bacterial infection with pneumococcus. To assess lower respiratory tract delivery of aerosolized therapeutics, mice were exposed to aerosolized fluorescein (FITC)-labeled dextran noninvasively via an aerosolization tower or invasively using a rodent ventilator. The efficiency of delivery to the lower respiratory tracts of mice was 0.01% noninvasively compared with 0.3% invasively. The airway pharmacokinetics of inhaled GM-CSF fit a two-compartment model with a terminal phase half-life of 1.3 h. To test if lower respiratory tract levels were sufficient for biological effect, mice were infected intranasally with IAV, treated with aerosolized recombinant mouse GM-CSF, and then secondarily infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Inhaled GM-CSF conferred a significant survival benefit to mice against secondary challenge with S. pneumoniae (P < 0.05). Inhaled GM-CSF did not reduce airway or lung parenchymal bacterial growth but significantly reduced the incidence of S. pneumoniae bacteremia (P < 0.01). However, GM-CSF overexpression during influenza virus infection did not affect lung epithelial permeability to FITC-dextran ingress into the bloodstream. Therefore, the mechanism of protection conferred by inhaled GM-CSF appears to be locally mediated improved lung antibacterial resistance to systemic bacteremia during IAV infection.
Use of in situ Raman spectroelectrochemical technique to explore atmospheric corrosion in marine-relevant environments

Abstract Here, for the first time, we demonstrate the use of an in situ spectroelectrochemical Raman technique to explore simulated atmospheric corrosion scenarios with a variable boundary layer thickness ( δ ). The effects of solution flow rate on oxygen concentration and δ were explored. It was found solution regeneration is necessary to prevent oxygen depletion in the Raman cell. It was further shown that by increasing the solution flow rate, the effective δ decreases and allows for the investigation of atmospheric corrosion scenarios. Finally, the technique developed was utilized to explore the effect of precipitation on the cathodic behavior of SS304L in dilute MgCl2. During cathodic polarization, evidence supports previous observations that magnesium hydroxide species are kinetically favored over the thermodynamically predicted magnesium carbonate.
Homotopy limits in type theory

Working in homotopy type theory, we provide a systematic study of homotopy limits of diagrams over graphs, formalized in the Coq proof assistant. We discuss some of the challenges posed by this approach to the formalizing homotopy-theoretic material. We also compare our constructions with the more classical approach to homotopy limits via fibration categories.
Unpacking the worlds in our words: Critical discourse analysis and social work inquiry:

Critical discourse analysis is a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary field of inquiry that combines linguistic analysis and social theory to address the way power and dominance are enacted and repro...
A Least Bad Approach For Interpreting ESA Stealth Provisions

Scholars have come to recognize the existence of certain stealth-like provisions neatly tucked within the text of the federal Endangered Species Act ("ESA"). At the time of enactment, these provisions (if not invisible to Congress) appeared at most innocuous or insignificant. As originally written, section 7 of the ESA constitutes one such stealth provision. Inconspicuously titled "Interagency cooperation," the provision seemed little more than a humble procedural hoop to agency action. Judicial statutory interpretation, however, clarified that this seemingly docile procedural requirement in fact contained a formidable substantive mandate of the Act. A second stealth provision resides in section 8a of the ESA. Modestly titled "Convention implementation," the name suggests little more than administrative direction. However, closer inspection reveals that the provision potentially packs more than procedural minutia. With escalating species losses worldwide, there seems little doubt that future litigants will look to apply this provision in aid of biodiversity protection and species conservation. At such time, the federal courts will be forced to grapple, yet again, with the interpretive dilemma of an ESA stealth provision. This Article sets out an approach for how ESA stealth provisions might be interpreted to achieve principled outcomes in such situations.
Deformation and fracture characteristics of zirconium plate produced via ultrasonic additive manufacturing

The microstructural evolution, deformation modes, and fracture mechanisms of zirconium plate produced using ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) are presented. In addition to conventional tensile testing techniques, digital image correlation captured highly variable strain accumulation in specimens loaded perpendicular or parallel to the build height (Z). When tested in parallel to Z, delamination at prior foil/foil interfaces creates strain localization noticeable in strain rate maps, whereas specimens loaded perpendicular to Z illustrate conventional strain hardening until necking accelerates delamination. Although bond strengths are statistically and spatially variable, in situ electron backscattering diffraction tests illustrate the ability for grains near interfaces to accommodate strain with twinning and slip modes consistent with conventionally produced zirconium alloys. Finally, mixtures of ductile and delamination-induced fracture highlight the interface-driven failure modes of UAM zirconium plate in the as-built condition.
Race and Ethnicity and Cardiometabolic Risk Profile: Disparities Across Income and Health Insurance in a National Sample of US Adults.

Context Income and health insurance are important social determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and may explain much racial/ethnic variation in CVD burden. However, racial/ethnic disparities in cumulative cardiometabolic (CMB) risk profile by insurance type and income level have not been studied on a national scale. Objectives To test the hypothesis that racial/ethnic minorities experience greater CMB burden at each income level and insurance type than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Setting This study used nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Design Observational (cross-sectional). Participants In total, 134661 (weighted N = 197780611) adults, 18 years or older, from the 2013-2017 NHIS. Primary outcome CMB risk profile. Intervention/analysis Age-adjusted prevalence of optimal, average, and poor CMB risk profile-defined respectively as self-report of 0, 1-2, and 3 or more risk factors of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or hypercholesterolemia-was examined for NHW, non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB), and Hispanics. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression models were used to test the association between race and ethnicity and CMB profile overall and separately by household income level and insurance type. Results Overall, 15% of NHB and 11% of Hispanics experienced poor CMB risk profile, compared with 9% for NHW. In fully adjusted models, NHB and Hispanics, respectively had nearly 25%-90% and 10%-30% increased odds of poor CMB profile across insurance types and 45%-60% and 15%-30% increased odds of poor CMB profile across income levels, relative to NHW. The observed disparities were widest for the Medicare group (NHB: OR = 1.90; Hispanics: OR = 1.31) and highest-income level (NHB: OR = 1.62). Conclusions Racial/ethnic minorities experience poor CMB profile at each level of income and insurance. These findings point to the need for greater investigation of unmeasured determinants of minority cardiovascular (CV) health, including structural racism and implicit bias in CV care.
A note on generalized Genome Scan Meta-Analysis statistics.

Background Wise et al. introduced a rank-based statistical technique for meta-analysis of genome scans, the Genome Scan Meta-Analysis (GSMA) method. Levinson et al. recently described two generalizations of the GSMA statistic: (i) a weighted version of the GSMA statistic, so that different studies could be ascribed different weights for analysis; and (ii) an order statistic approach, reflecting the fact that a GSMA statistic can be computed for each chromosomal region or bin width across the various genome scan studies.
Twinning in cattle: III. Effects of twinning on dystocia, reproductive traits, calf survival, calf growth and cow productivity.

An evaluation of natural twinning in beef cattle revealed that cows birthing twins had shorter (P less than .01) gestation lengths, more (P less than .01) retained placentas, more (P less than .01) dystocia, more (P less than .01) days to estrus, lower (P less than .01) conception rates and more (P less than .01) days to pregnancy than cows birthing singles. Days to estrus, conception rate and days to pregnancy were not affected by number of calves reared (1 vs 2) in cows birthing twins. Survival at birth was greater (P less than .01) for single- than for twin-born calves, but twins and singles did not differ (P greater than .05) in postnatal survival. When dystocia was experienced, calf survival at birth was 95% vs 73% for singles vs twins compared with 99% vs 92% when no dystocia was experienced. Calves born twins were lighter (P less than .01) at birth, 100 d and 200 d, but twins and singles did not differ in postweaning gains. Total calf weights at 100 d per cow calving were 12% greater (P less than .01) in cows birthing twins vs singles when twin calves reared by foster dams were excluded. The potential increase in cow productivity for total calf weight at 100 d is 40% if calf survival rates of twins with dystocia relative to survival rates of twins without dystocia were comparable to survival rates of singles with and without dystocia, and if cows birthing twins were fed and managed to obtain conception rates equal to those of cows birthing singles. Identification of cows gestating twins to provide for their higher prepartum nutritive requirements and calving assistance at parturition is necessary to make twinning in cattle an economically viable technology.
Review of The Measure of All Things: The Seven-Year Odyssey and Hidden Error That Transformed the World by Ken Alder

The meter is a unit of French origin and its application in the United States in the past has been almost entirely limited to geodetic surveys. In 1866 the U.S. Congress legalized the use of the metric system by which the meter was defined as being equal to 3.280833 ft (or 39.37 in.) and 1 inch was equal to 2.540005 centimeters. These values are based on the length at 0°C of an International Prototype Meter bar consisting of 90% platinum and 10% iridium which is kept in Sevres, France, near Paris. (McCormac, 1983 p. 33)
Conserved action of β‐catenin during female fate determination in the red‐eared slider turtle

SUMMARY In reptiles such as the red-eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta, development of an ovary from the bipotential gonad requires a coordinated expansion of the cortical domain and regression of the medulla. While estrogen, which is necessary and sufficient for ovarian development in non-mammalian vertebrates, is thought to feminize both compartments, it remains unclear whether there is a signaling relationship between the two domains that coordinates their fates. We show that aromatase, the estrogen-synthesizing enzyme, is localized to the medulla of the differentiating turtle ovary and that differentiation of the medulla precedes and is independent of cortical expansion. Coordinated feminization of the two domains may therefore rely on an estrogenic signal from the differentiating medulla. In eutherian mammals, where estrogen is dispensable for early ovary development, the canonical Wnt signaling pathway is critical for female fate determination. Whether this function is conserved among vertebrates and how it is potentially integrated with estrogen signaling are uncertain. Using a novel in vitro turtle gonad culture system, we demonstrate that ectopic activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in presumptive male gonads induced a partial sex-reversal of the medulla, but inhibition of the pathway was not sufficient to sex-reverse differentiating ovaries. These patterns are similar to those previously observed in mice. Wnt signaling appears to function downstream of estrogen, as ectopic activation of the pathway rescued female development when estrogen synthesis was inhibited. Our findings therefore suggest that the ovary-promoting effects of the Wnt signaling pathway may be functionally conserved between mammals and reptiles.
Anatomy and Physiology of the Thyroid Gland

The thyroid gland and its main product, thyroid hormone, play a very important role in human physiology. As such, detailed knowledge of thyroid gland embryology, anatomy, and physiology is critical for any physician managing patients with thyroid disorders. The thyroid gland is shield-shaped organ located anteriorly to the trachea in the lower neck. A variety of conditions ranging from variations or errors in the development and migration of the gland during organogenesis to mutations that lead to thyroid dysfunction can have profound effects on the human homeostasis. New insides, such as thyroid cell clonality provide potentially important clues to thyroid carcinogenesis. Any surgeon performing thyroid surgery needs to have intimate knowledge of the anatomy of the thyroid gland and its surrounding structures as well as the large numbers of variations they might encounter. Thyroid hormone plays an important role in the function of practically all human organs and tissues. Its function is under an elaborate regulation the complexity of which we understand only partially. The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis provides the classical endocrine negative feedback regulation, although there is clear evidence today that each tissue may have its own unique regulatory system as well.
The role of materialism, religiosity, and demographics in subjective well‐being

In appealing to consumers, marketers need to know what the good life means across various consumer segments. The present study seeks to deepen the understanding of consumer subjective well-being (SWB) by exploring its relationship with selected secular and sacred values. SWB, defined as individuals' cognitive and affective assessments regarding their life satisfaction (Diener, 1984), is treated as the dependent variable in investigating how SWB is influenced by individual consumer materialistic attitudes (a secular value), religiosity (a sacred value), and demographics. Significant differences between high and low religiosity consumers regarding the role of income and materialistic attitudes in predicting SWB were found. Although income and some aspects of materialism are positively related to the SWB of low religiosity consumers, these variables are negatively related to the SWB of high religiosity consumers. This study implies that marketers might benefit from considering consumer religiosity as a segmentation and targeting direction in the design of materialistic positionings and communications. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Thermal–hydraulics analyses for 1/6 prismatic VHTR core and fuel element with and without bypass flow

Abstract Presented are the results of thermal–hydraulics analyses for a Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) 1/6 core and hexagonal fuel element, with and without helium-coolant bypass flow in interstitial gaps and in the control rod channels. Owing to the complexity and massive size of the VHTR, a full core analysis requires extensive and parallelized computation capabilities and a long time (weeks to months) to complete. These demanding requirements are mostly due to the 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the helium flow in the 10-m long coolant channels in the reactor core. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of coupling a 1-D helium flow in the channels together with a recently developed and validated convective heat transfer correlation, to a 3-D heat conduction in the graphite and fuel compacts in the core fuel elements. This simplified thermal–hydraulics analysis methodology for VHTR markedly reduces computation time and memory requirements, while maintaining accurate results. The helium bypass flow in interstitial gaps between fuel elements in the VHTR core provides additional cooling of the edge regions, but increases the temperature near the center of the prismatic fuel elements. Results also show that helium “bleed” flow through the control rod channels minimally affects the temperature distribution within the fuel elements. The heat generation in the corner burnable poison rods in the VHTR core fuel elements affects the temperature only in the close vicinity of the rods.
The use of scintigraphic imaging during liposome drug development

Liposomes, spherical lipid bilayers enclosing an aqueous space, have become an important class of drug carriers. This review describes the usefulness of scintigraphic imaging during the development of liposome-based drugs. This imaging modality is particularly helpful for tracking the distribution of liposomes in the body, monitoring the therapeutic responses following administration of liposome-based drugs, and investigating the physiological responses associated with liposome administration. Scintigraphy also can be used to monitor the therapeutic responses of patients given approved liposomal drugs. Several examples describing the potential of this imaging modality during both the preclinical formulation and clinical trial stages of liposomal drug development are included. Techniques for radiolabeling liposomes as well as methods for producing scintigraphic images are also described.
Convergent Validity of Four Innovativeness Scales.

Intercorrelations of four scales purporting to measure innovativeness indicate that they generally exhibit convergent validity in two samples of student subjects.
AN IN SITU PARTICLE COUNTER1

Knowledge of the microdistribution and of the microecology of plankton is an important aspect of biological oceanography. Work in this area has been hampered by observational inadequacies. Operational considerations are discussed and a specific technique is presented which offers an improved solution for some of the problems involved in this field of study. A device is described which can measure the number and sizes of individual particles such as zooplankton organisms in situ and record their spatial distribution as it is towed along transects through the sea.
On the Origin of [O II] Emission in Red-Sequence and Poststarburst Galaxies

We investigate the emission-line properties of galaxies with red rest-frame colors (compared to the g - r color bimodality) using spectra from SDSS DR4. Emission lines are detected in more than half of the red galaxies. We focus on the relationship between two emission lines commonly used as star formation rate indicators: Hα and [O II] λ3727. There is a strong bimodality in [O II]/Hα ratio in the SDSS sample that closely corresponds to the bimodality in rest-frame color. Nearly all of the line-emitting red galaxies have line ratios typical of various types of AGNs—most commonly LINERs, a small fraction of transition objects, and, more rarely, Seyferts. Only ~6% of red galaxies display star-forming line ratios. A straight line in the [O II]-Hα EW diagram separates LINER-like galaxies from other categories. Quiescent galaxies with no detectable emission lines and LINER-like galaxies combine to form a single, tight red sequence in color-magnitude-concentration space. [O II] EWs in LINER- and AGN-like galaxies can be as large as those in star-forming galaxies. Thus, unless objects with AGN/LINER-like line ratios are excluded, [O II] emission cannot be used directly as a proxy for star formation rate; this is a particular issue for red galaxies. Lack of [O II] emission is generally used to indicate a lack of star formation when poststarburst galaxies are selected at high redshift. Our results imply, however, that these samples have been cut on AGN properties, as well as star formation, and therefore may provide seriously incomplete sets of poststarburst galaxies. Furthermore, poststarburst galaxies identified in SDSS by requiring minimal Hα EW generally exhibit weak but nonzero line emission with ratios typical of AGNs; few of them show residual star formation. This suggests that most poststarburst galaxies may harbor AGNs/LINERs.
Mutational Analysis of Photosystem I Polypeptides ROLE OF PsaD AND THE LYSYL 106 RESIDUE IN THE REDUCTASE ACTIVITY OF PHOTOSYSTEM I

The ADC4 mutant of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was studied to determine the structural and functional consequences of the absence of PsaD in photosystem I. Isolated ADC4 membranes were shown to be deficient in ferredoxin-mediated NADP25 reduction, even though charge separation between P700 and FA/FB occurred with high efficiency. Unlike the wild type, FB became preferentially photoreduced when ADC4 membranes were illuminated at 15 K, and the EPR line shapes were relatively broad. Membrane fragments oriented in two dimensions on thin mylar films showed that the g tensor axes of FA- and FB- were identical in the ADC4 and wild type strains, implying that PsaC is oriented similarly on the reaction center. PsaC and the FA/FB iron-sulfur clusters are lost more readily from the ADC4 membranes after treatment with Triton X-100 or chaotropic agents, implying a stabilizing role for PsaD. The specific role of Lys106 of PsaD, which can be cross-linked to Glu93 of ferredoxin (Lelong et al.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 10034-10039), was probed by site-directed mutagenesis. Chemical cross-linking and protease treatment experiments did not reveal any drastic alterations in the conformation of the mutant PsaD proteins. The EPR spectra of FA and FB in membranes of the Lys106 mutants were similar to those of the wild type. Membranes of all Lys106 mutants showed wild type rates of flavodoxin reduction and flavodoxin-mediated NADP25 reduction, but had 10-54% decrease in the ferredoxin-mediated NADP25 reduction rates. This implies that Lys106 is a dispensable component of the docking site on the reducing side of photosystem I and an ionic interaction between Lys106 of PsaD and Glu93 of ferredoxin is not essential for electron transfer to ferredoxin. These results demonstrate that PsaD serves distinct roles in modulating the EPR spectral characteristics of FA and FB, in stabilizing PsaC on the reaction center, and in facilitating ferredoxin-mediated NADP25 photoreduction on the reducing side of photosystem I.
Infrared remote sensing of atmospheric composition over the polar region

For monitoring environmental changes, new passive infrared instruments have become available that allow change detection analyses at resolutions and scales that were impossible just a few years ago. Current instruments have been installed in Antarctica will help to better understand the photochemical transport process and accurately predict ozone depletion and climate changes. During the 2003 polar summer one spectrometer was installed at the McMurdo station and another at the South Pole station, for year-around atmospheric chemistry monitoring. These two instruments use the emission technique to deliver high resolution spectra, from which will derive vertical profiles of many atmospheric tracers involved in the ozone destruction process. The first setup uses one channel to acquire the atmospheric data throw two different angles, the second setup uses two simultaneous channels to acquire the data at the same sky angles. Both instruments integrate two black bodies at different temperatures to calibrate the sky data. The data generated will have multipurpose, first is to provide validation for the new generation of the satellite sensors, like the National Polar-orbiting Operation Environmntal Satellite System (NPOESS), second is to allow photochemical transport modelers to compare outputs with actual measurements, and third is to evaluate the trend of some column abundance measurements like HNO 3 , CH 4 , O 3 , CFCs, H 2 O... This paper will present description of the instrumentation, the measurement technique and the automated analysis.
Parent-offspring and sibling lipid and lipoprotein associations during and after sharing of household environments: The Princeton School District Family Study

Abstract The specific aim of this report was to determine whether, and to what degree, parent-offspring and sibling associations for lipids and lipoproteins outlast the period of shared household environment. Intrafamilial lipid-lipoprotein associations were assessed in two and three generation kindreds in the Cincinnati Lipid Research Clinic's Princeton School District Family Study. Intrafamilial lipid-lipoprotein associations were evaluated in parents and their pediatric (
Ultrafine TiO2 nanofibers for photocatalysis

We report a simple synthesis route for producing ultrafine porous TiO2 nanofibers (∼10 nm diameters) from electrospun rice-shaped TiO2 nanostructures. The rice-shaped TiO2 obtained by annealing the as-spun TiO2–PVAc composite nanofibers was treated with concentrated alkali (with KOH under hydrothermal conditions) followed by acid treatment and low temperature sintering. The alkali treatment produces the titanate (K2Ti3O7) which undergoes exchange of ions (protons) during the acid treatment resulting in H2Ti3O7. The heat treatment of the protonated titanate (H2Ti3O7) results in their conversion to ultrafine TiO2 (titanate-derived TiO2) nanofibers. The rice-shaped TiO2 and the titanate-derived TiO2 nanofibers were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, Raman and BET measurements and the latter has ∼2.5 times higher surface area than the former. The TiO2 nanofibers showed superior photocatalytic applications than the commercial P-25 TiO2 .
Competitive benchmarking of health care quality using the analytic hierarchy process: an example from Korean cancer Clinics

Abstract Faced with mounting competitive pressures and continued health care reforms, a growing number of health care providers have begun to realize that their future success rests on the ability to undertake a continuous improvement of health care quality. The process of continuous improvement of health care quality is facilitated by health care providers developing reliable quality measures through competitive benchmarking. In an effort to develop a meaningful set of guidelines for competitive benchmarking, and determine comparative measures of health care quality of medical clinics, this paper proposes an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) that can help medical clinics formulate viable service improvement strategies in the increasingly competitive health care industry. This paper also illustrates the usefulness of the proposed health care quality measures using the case of prominent Korean cancer clinics.
Cell and organelle shrinkage during preparation for scanning electron microscopy: effects of fixation, dehydration and critical point drying

SUMMARY The critical point drying method of preparing samples for scanning electron microscopy is associated with a variable amount of specimen shrinkage. We studied the causes of this phenomenon in isolated mouse hepatocyte nuclei and in human erythrocytes and found that the critical point drying process itself caused most of the shrinkage that we observed (a 25–30% reduction in diameter in both specimens). Glutaraldehyde fixation and ethanol dehydration caused only minimal size reduction, prior to critical point drying. Substitution of an inert (ethylene glycol-ethylene glycol monethyl ether) dehydration technique did not alter the final result. Previous studies in our laboratory using high resolution SEM and correlative transmission microscopy of isolated nuclei have demonstrated that the shrinkage represents a miniaturization of the organelles in which all structural components retain their usual relationships.
N=8 counterterms and E 7(7) current conservation

We examine conservation of the E7(7) Noether-Gaillard-Zumino current in the presence of N=8 supergravity counterterms using the momentum space helicity formalism, which significantly simplifies the calculations. The main result is that the 4-point counterterms at any loop order L are forbidden by the E7(7) current conservation identity. We also clarify the relation between linearized and full non-linear superinvariants as candidate counterterms. This enables us to show that all n-point counterterms at L = 7, 8 are forbidden since they provide a non-linear completions of the 4-point ones. This supports and exemplifies our general proof in arXiv:1103.4115 of perturbative UV finiteness of N=8 supergravity.
The double layer impedance at a rough electrode : a random walk method

Abstract The double layer impedance between a perfectly polarizable metallic electode and an electrolyte exhibits anomalous behavior as a function of frequency ω. This behavior is related to the surface roughness of the electrode. We introduce a random walk algorithm for calculating this frequency behavior as a power series in (1 − iω)−1. We apply this algorithm to the calculation of the impedance of a two dimensional slot and of fractal aggregates: in the first case the calculated impedance shows the expected ω− 1 2 constant phase angle (CPA) behavior. The impedance of the aggregates shows more complex behavior.