cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Turning a Superhydrophilic Surface Weakly Hydrophilic: Topological Wetting States

For water droplets placed on a rough or structured surface, two distinct wetting states commonly observed are either the Wenzel state (droplets wet the surface without showing air pockets beneath the droplets) or the Cassie state (droplets reside on top of the structure with air pockets trapped beneath the droplets). Herein, we show molecular dynamics (MD) simulation evidence of a previously unreported wetting behavior, i.e., the rise of multiple Wenzel states on the structured surfaces whose flat-surface counterparts are superhydrophilic (i.e., complete wetting surfaces with the hallmark of zero contact angle for water droplets). Specifically, our MD simulations show that on the structured surfaces with topology of closed-loop nanowalls/nanochannels, the water droplet can exhibit multiple Wenzel wetting states with the apparent contact angles >0°. We name these distinct multiple Wenzel states as "topological wetting states" because their existence can be attributed to the topology of the closed-loop nanowalls/nanochannels. Regardless of the shape of the closed loops, such topological wetting states can always arise due to the topological invariant (i.e., all closed loops entail the same topological genus value). This unusual wetting behavior is contrary to the conventional view (and to the prediction of the Wenzel equation), namely, a rough hydrophilic surface should have stronger hydrophilicity than its flat-surface counterpart.
Overexpression of the Aspergillus fumigatus Small GTPase, RsrA, Promotes Polarity Establishment during Germination

Cell polarization comprises highly controlled processes and occurs in most eukaryotic organisms. In yeast, the processes of budding, mating and filamentation require coordinated mechanisms leading to polarized growth. Filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus fumigatus, are an extreme example of cell polarization, essential for both vegetative and pathogenic growth. A major regulator of polarized growth in yeast is the small GTPase Rsr1, which is essential for bud-site selection. Here, we show that deletion of the putative A. fumigatus ortholog, rsrA, causes only a modest reduction of growth rate and delay in germ tube emergence. In contrast, overexpression of rsrA results in a morphogenesis defect, characterized by a significant delay in polarity establishment followed by the establishment of multiple growth axes. This aberrant phenotype is reversed when rsrA expression levels are decreased, suggesting that correct regulation of RsrA activity is crucial for accurate patterning of polarity establishment. Despite this finding, deletion or overexpression of rsrA resulted in no changes of A. fumigatus virulence attributes in a mouse model of invasive aspergillosis. Additional mutational analyses revealed that RsrA cooperates genetically with the small GTPase, RasA, to support A. fumigatus viability.
Abnormal singing can identify patients with right hemisphere cortical strokes at risk for impaired prosody.

ABSTRACT Despite lacking aphasia seen with left hemisphere (LH) infarcts involving the middle cerebral artery territory, right hemisphere (RH) strokes can result in significant difficulties in affective prosody. These impairments may be more difficult to identify but lead to significant communication problems.We determine if evaluation of singing can accurately identify stroke patients with cortical RH infarcts at risk for prosodic impairment who may benefit from rehabilitation.A prospective cohort of 36 patients evaluated with acute ischemic stroke was recruited. Participants underwent an experimental battery evaluating their singing, prosody comprehension, and prosody production. Singing samples were rated by 2 independent reviewers as subjectively "normal" or "abnormal," and analyzed for properties of the fundamental frequency. Relationships between infarct location, singing, and prosody performance were evaluated using t tests and chi-squared analysis.Eighty percent of participants with LH cortical strokes were unable to successfully complete any of the tasks due to severe aphasia. For the remainder, singing ratings corresponded to stroke location for 68% of patients. RH cortical strokes demonstrated a lower mean fundamental frequency while singing than those with subcortical infarcts (176.8 vs 130.4, P = 0.02). They also made more errors on tasks of prosody comprehension (28.6 vs 16.0, P < 0.001) and production (40.4 vs 18.4, P < 0.001).Patients with RH cortical infarcts are more likely to exhibit impaired prosody comprehension and production and demonstrate the poor variation of tone when singing compared to patients with subcortical infarcts. A simple singing screen is able to successfully identify patients with cortical lesions and potential prosodic deficits.
CES Makes a Comeback in 2022

CES is the world's largest consumer electronics exhibition. For decades, it has been the place where various iconic technologies have made their debut. CES 2021 transitioned from a physical to a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported cases of COVID-19 continue to decline in the United States, the Consumer Technology Association has announced that CES 2022 will be a hybrid (virtual + physical) event marking its return to Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Exchange and Resource Theories

Conceptual frameworks are often organized around a metaphor (Gergen et al., 1980). When the metaphor is powerful and embraced by the culture, the framework is easily understood and readily adapted to explain a wide range of phenomenon. During the 1960s, the social exchange framework was formally advanced in the work of sociologists George Homans (1961) and Peter Blau (1964a) and the work of social psychologists John Thibaut and Harold Kelley (1959). Each of these perspectives make use of an economic metaphor. They view social relationships as extended “markets” in which each individual acts out of self-interest with the goal of maximizing profits. Thibaut and Kelley assert, for example, that “… every individual voluntarily enters and stays in any relationship only as long as it is adequately satisfactory in terms of his rewards and costs” (1959, p. 37). Likewise, Homans asserts that “… the open secret of human exchange is to give the other man behavior that is more valuable to him than it is costly to you and to get from him behavior that is more valuable to you than it is costly to him” (1961, p. 62).
Adaptation of decode-forward two-way relaying to fading links: A rate and power analysis

In this paper, we analyze a full-duplex composite decode-and-forward scheme for the two-way relay channel in a Rayleigh fading environment. Designed from a link-state perspective, this scheme combines both block Markov and independent coding, and yields relay power savings in some link-state regimes. For a given distance configuration of nodes, we analytically determine the probability of each link-state regime in Rayleigh fading, which always spans the relay power saving regimes. As such, relay power savings are realizable for almost any distance configuration. Further, we evaluate the throughput when only long-term channel state information (CSI) is available instead of perfect CSI, which still shows substantial gain over not using the relay. Numerical results illustrate significant relay power savings for most distance configurations and highlight an inherent tradeoff between achievable rate and power savings at the relay.
Diversity and Merit Selection: The Impact of Judicial Nominating Commissions on the Gender Demographics of Florida’s Appellate Judges

In this study, we examine whether diversity in the membership of Florida’s appellate Judicial Nominating Commissions influences the types of nominees forwarded to the governor for appointment, under the Merit System. We theorize that a broad set of factors will influence who the JNC nominates, including party affiliation, attorney status, gender stratification of the JNC membership and judicial incumbency of the potential nominee. Using data that cover the period from 1991 to 2003, we suggest that JNCs that are relatively more composed of political minorities will be comparably more likely to forward nominees who are also political minorities, in order to increase the descriptive representation of the state’s appellate tribunals. We find that the gender demographics of the JNC and the judicial incumbency of nominees are systematically related to the characteristics of those persons forwarded to the governor for selection. While partisanship factors were positively related to the proportion of women nominees sent forward, such factors did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance in this study.
The Seduction of Unreason: The Intellectual Romance with Fascism from Nietzsche to Postmodernism

This essay reviews in detail The Seduction of Unreason, The Intellectual Romance with Fascism: From Nietzsche to Postmodernism by Richard Wolin (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004).
Ancient Life on Mars and Earth

In the modern epoch, the question of life on Mars dates from the pioneering observations of the great Italian astronomer Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (1835–1910) who recorded the presence of linear features on Mars’ surface that were thereafter interpreted by Percival Lowell (1855–1916) — an influential if somewhat eccentric American astronomer — as artificial canals, aqueducts built by an advanced civilization to link the planet’s icy water-rich poles to its arid equatorial deserts. By 1924, belief in “life on Mars” had become so widespread, so notably pervasive, that in August of that year — when the orbits of Earth and Mars were especially close — governments worldwide urged their citizens to turn off their home radios so that supersenstitive receivers could listen during an hour-long period for signals from beings on the Red Planet. Though this attempt, of course, came to naught, and though even to the present day there remains no firm evidence of any type of life on Mars — past or present, primitive or advanced — the question of life on the Red Planet has lingered on, lying dormant for years at a time only to rise again in the public mind as it did most recently in August 1996, spurred by NASA’s now famous report of possible evidence of “ancient Martian microbes.”. Though the report first looked promising, it has since failed to meet the test. The late Carl Sagan phrased it well: “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” and, plainly put, there is still no clearcut evidence, no “smoking gun,” to back this extraordinary claim. But it would be wrong to think that the matter is closed, for in truth the question of life on Mars simply remains unanswered — no more, no less — a status captured by another telling Saganism: “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence!”
A unified model for the radio and optical images and spectra of nova V1974 CYG 1992

A model for nova shells which is a combination of wind model and spherically symmetric, Hubble flow shell model, fits the light curve, image, and nebular line shape data for Nova V1974 Cyg 1992. The results show that after outburst the shell is ejected by a wind-like outflow with a linear velocity gradient, and that after 180 d this outflow stops. The shape of the elliptical inner boundary at this time determines the subsequent emission measure structure seen in images, light curves, and nebular line profiles.
Nucleation and Growth of α′‐SiAlON on α‐Si3N4

Morphology, composition, and growth defects of [alpha][prime]-SiAlON have been studied in a fine-grained material with an overall composition Y[sub 0.33]Si[sub 10]Al[sub 2]O[sub 1]N[sub 15] prepared from [alpha]-Si[sub 3]N[sub 4], AlN, Al[sub 2]O[sub 3], and Y[sub 2]O[sub 3] powders. TEM analysis has shown that fully grown [alpha][prime]-SiAlON grains always contain an [alpha]-Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] core, implicating heterogeneous nucleation operating in the present system. The growth mode is epitaxial, despite the composition and lattice parameter difference between [alpha]-Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] and [alpha][prime]-SiAlON. Lacking a special growth habit, the growth typically proceeds from more than one site on the seed crystals, and the different growth fronts impinge on each other to give an equiaxed appearance of [alpha][prime]-SiAlON. Misfit dislocations on the [alpha]/[alpha][prime] interface are identified as [0001] type (b = 5.62 [angstrom]) and 1/3 [1[bar 2]10] type (b = 7.75 [angstrom]). These nucleation and growth characteristics dictate that microstructural control of [alpha][prime]-SiAlON must rest on the size distribution of the starting [alpha]-Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] powder.
Growth of the Rubber Industry of Great Britain and the United States

Little more than a century ago India rubber was a curiosity. Today, it is vital to our existence. The purpose here is to examine the basic factors that have influenced the growth of the rubber industry in the United States and the United Kingdom. The method chosen is to review the industry's position before and after the introduction of the automobile, say at 1900 and 1950. Much of what is to be said might be compressed into current economic terminology. Neither disrespect for this procedure nor the inapplicability of many of its concepts to economic history has prevented this course from being adopted.
Simulating energy transfer in collections of quantum dots

In recent years, quantum dots have shown promise as novel semiconductors in a wide array of consumer applications, particularly in areas that require a high degree of control in their optical properties. Modeling the collective response of such many-dot systems due to externally-tuned electromagnetic pulses necessarily requires methodologies that accurately capture both electromagnetic interactions between dots as well as their effects on the time-evolution of each dot.
Synthesis and evaluation of porous azo-linked polymers for carbon dioxide capture and separation

A series of new azo-linked polymers (ALPs) was synthesized via copper(I)-catalyzed oxidative homocoupling of 2D and 3D aniline-like monomers. ALPs have moderate surface areas (SABET = 412–801 m2 g−1), narrow pore sizes (<1 nm), and high physiochemical stability. The potential applications of ALPs for selective CO2 capture from flue gas and landfill gas at ambient temperature were studied. ALPs exhibit high isosteric heats of adsorption for CO2 (28.6–32.5 kJ mol−1) and high CO2 uptake capacities of up to 2.94 mmol g−1 at 298 K and 1 bar. Ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) selectivity studies revealed that ALPs have good CO2/N2 (56) and CO2/CH4 (8) selectivities at 298 K. The correlation between the performance of ALPs in selective CO2 capture and their properties such as surface area, pore size, and heat of adsorption was investigated. Moreover, the CO2 separation ability of ALPs from flue gas and landfill gas under pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) and vacuum-swing adsorption (VSA) processes was evaluated. The results show that ALPs have promising working capacity, regenerability, and sorbent selection parameter values for CO2 separation by VSA and PSA processes.
Morphological image analysis for studying Alzheimer's disease

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the presence of a brain lesion known as a senile plaque (SP), which appears as a circular cluster of small objects when viewed through the microscope. To quantitatively study their number and distribution, the author has developed an image analysis system that will automatically detect and count these lesions. The morphological operation of closing can group a cluster of small objects into a singular one, and thus allow detection of the SP. Since the optimal structuring element size for grouping the SP is different in each image, the Bayesian decision-making method is used to dynamically determine the size. A study comparing computer and human detection of SP was performed by evaluating 50 images from five different patients. The results of this comparison demonstrate that the computer counts correlate well with the neuropathologists counts (correlation coefficient=0.81). >
The influence of culture and gender on sexual self-schemas and satisfaction in romantic relationships

Recently, scholars have become interested in the impact of culture on people's attitudes, emotions, and behavior. In this study, it was predicted that culture and gender would have an impact on people's sexual self-schemas – especially, women's self-schemas. It was also predicted that couples that verified one another's sexual self-schemas would be more satisfied than those couples that did not. Contrary to the predictions, race did not prove to be a good predictor of either women's or men's sexual self-schemas. However, self-construal was a significant predictor of women's sexual self-schemas. Again, contrary to prediction, whether or not couples verified one another's sexual self-schemas did not appear to be an important predictor of either sexual or general relationship satisfaction. Some unexpected findings were found, however. Women who perceived their partners to be passionate and men who perceived their partners to be romantic were more sexually and generally satisfied in their relationships than w...
Temperature dependence of Hc3⧸Hc2 in pure type-II superconductors☆

Abstract Numerical solutions of the gap equation for surface superconductivity in pure materials with specular reflection are given for T ⪅ 0.9 T c . The results show a smooth monotonic decrease of H c 3 ⧸ H c 2 as T rises. The shape of the gap parameter has also been determined.
Quantitative dip bounds for the two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform

An analysis of the discrete wavelet transform of dipping segments with a signal of given frequency band leads to a quantitative explanation of the known division of the 2D wavelet transform into horizontal, vertical and diagonal emphasis panels. The results must be understood in a `fuzzy' sense: since wavelet mirror filters overlap, the results stated can be slightly violated with violation tending to increase with shortness of the wavelet chosen.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nuclear structure and the search for induced energy release from isomers

Metastable nuclear isomers are central to the study of nuclear structure and their energy storage capability has suggested a variety of applications. The feasibility of applications depends sensitively on the efficiency of any process that can deplete an isomer upon demand. This work surveys how the state-of-the-art in nuclear level and transition data impacts the search for induced energy release from isomers using recent advances in experimental techniques.
Continuously proliferating allospecific T cells, lifespan and antigen receptors.

Allospecific mouse T cells derived from one-way mixed lymphocyte cultures after 19 months in tissue culture still require allogeneic stimulation for their proliferation. If injected into normal or immunodeficient mice these cells do not form tumors. After proliferation over long time periods or after extensive expansion these T cells tend to lose their cytotoxic activity which cannot be reconstituted by addition of cells from active cultures of a different specificity. Accordingly, the specificity of the cytotoxic and proliferative response was investigated. The cytotoxic activity appears to be specific for the H-2 SD antigens, while the proliferative response and also the activation of cytotoxicity in resting cultures is only triggered by lymphocyte activating determinants (LAD) coded either inside or outside the H-2 region. The receptors for LAD on these allospecific T cells appear to be clonally distributed. This finding comes from the observation that old and therefore highly selected lines only react to some LAD while younger ones react to many others as well. A search for immunoglobulin on these functional and antigen-specific thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells) was performed using surface radioiodination, immunoprecipitation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis combined with autoradiography. Using various antisera no or very little immunoglobulin molecules were found on these T cells. The small amount of immunoglobulin was attributed to a contamination of allogeneic spleen cells used to stimulate the T killer cells.
Recreational Drugs of Abuse

The use of recreational drugs of abuse continues to expand without limitations to national boundaries, social status, race, or education. Beyond the prevalence of illicit drug use and dependence, their contribution to the global burden of disease and death are large and troubling. All medical providers should be aware of the evolving drugs of abuse and their medical and social consequences. In addition to heroin and stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine, new designer stimulants called "bath salts" and cannabinoids called "spice," along with the abuse of prescription drugs and volatile substances, are now widely recognized problems in many societies. The wide variety and continuingly expanding clinical manifestations of toxicity of recreational drugs of abuse is not widely appreciated by clinicians. This edition attempts to summarize six major classes of drugs of abuse and their clinical effects with special emphasis on their immunological and respiratory effects.
High-silica (>60%) lunar glasses in an Apollo 14 soil sample: Evidence for silicic lunar volcanism?

Abstract The major element compositions of 93 low specific gravity ( 60%) glass particles, from a sample of lunar fines (14259,20) were determined by electron microprobe analyses. The size, shape, abundance, mineralogy and major element composition of most (>60%) of the high-silica glasses is consistent with their being fragments of interstitial glass from mare basalts. However, one group of 30 glasses with between 72% and 78% SiO 2 and an average of ∼2.6% FeO can be distinguished from other high-silica glasses both chemically and petrographically. Glass particles with this composition do not contain crystalline inclusions and are fairly homogeneous not only within a single particle, but also from particle to particle. The chemistry and petrology of these glasses suggest that they are not fragments of interstitial glass or shock-melted particles from a “granitic” source rock. Rather, the homogeneity and lack of crystalline inclusions suggest that this group of high-silica glasses was the product of lunar acidic volcanism.
Magneto-Milliwave Isotherapy

The method of medical treatment of many diseases on principle of aequalia aequalibus curentur changed from eastern to western therapy, at the same time the biochemical and biophysical izotherapy are distinguished. In the first case the preparations (autonozods) made from different substances of patient's organism, for example, from his own blood and others are used. In the second case the prepared electromagnetic radiation from a bioobject is put in the patient's organism. The spectral structure of this electromagnetic radiation determines the character of metabolism in the patient's organism and it's source is the patient's organism, so the oscillation model of therapy realizes.
Carbide formation in Nb and Ta implanted by carbon ions at room temperature

Abstract Niobium and tantalum single crystals with 〈111〉 orientation were implanted with 200 keV C + ions at room temperature to fluences of 7.6 × 10 17 and 1.5 × 10 18 carbon ions per cm 2 , respectively, which gave a calculated maximum carbon concentration of ∼ 46 and 52 at.% in each material. The depth profiles of carbon were analyzed with Auger spectroscopy, and the phase formations were investigated with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Face-centered-cubic nonstoichiometric NbC and TaC were formed in the implanted Nb and Ta, respectively; no Nb 2 C or Ta 2 C was formed. Based on the observed crystallographic relations between the fcc carbides and the bcc host lattices, and on the morphologies of the carbides, it is suggested that the fcc carbides are formed by a diffusionless martensitic transformation.
Stimulus dimensionality and temporal repetition

Two experiments involving temporal repetition of tachistoscopically presented visual stnnuh are reported. Experiment I employed an alphabet of four straight lines presented one, two, or four times. Experiment II employed three stimulus sets, such that the stimuli varied in size, brightness, or both, with the forms being presented either once or four times. The Ss made four-choice identification responses. Results indicate that multidomensionality is not a necessary condition for better Identification performance with multiple observations, and that this differential in favor of multiple observations persists after many, many experimental sessions.
Guest Editorial Introduction: Special Issue on Immigration and Education

One does not have to look far to see that immigration has once again found its way into the national spotlight. Many of the issues are not new. Media sources continually tell us that immigrants are...
The Role of Nerve Allografts and Conduits for Nerve Injuries

Nerve repair after transection has variable and unpredictable outcomes. In addition to advancements in microvascular surgical techniques, nerve allografts and conduits are available options in peripheral nerve reconstruction. When tensionless nerve repair is not feasible, or in chronic injuries, autografts have been traditionally used. As substitute to autografts, decellularized allografts and conduits have become available. These conduits can reduce donor site morbidity, functional loss at the donor area in cases where autografts are used, and immune reaction from transplants or unprocessed allografts. The development of new biomaterials for use in conduits, as well as use of cytokines, growth factors, and other luminal fillers, may help in the treatment of acute and chronic nerve injuries. The indications and properties of nerve conduits and allografts are detailed in this article.
Are There Enhanced MBP Autoantibodies in Autism

Autoantibodies to central nervous system antigens, such as myelin basic protein (MBP), may play a role in autism. We measured autoantibody titers to MBP in children with autism, both classic onset and regressive onset forms, controls (healthy age- and gender-matched) and individuals with Tourette syndrome via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We found a significant difference in autoantibody titers to MBP, not accounted for by age or medication, between Tourette and classic autism (both significantly lower) when compared to regressive autism, but not when compared to controls. Autoantibody responses against MBP are unlikely to play a pathogenic role in autism.
Color research and its application to the design of instructional materials

This paper is divided into three major sections: Color as Seen—Physiological; Color as Seen—Psychological; and Color and Learning. The first section deals with color adaptations and the effects of color on acuity and relates these to the design of instructional materials. The second section covers color meanings and preferences, as well as color harmony and the relationships of these factors to the design of instructional materials. The third section provides an overview of research on color and learning. It includes the effects of color on attention, search tasks, other objective and non-objective measures of learning, and the use of color for cathode ray tube (CRT) displays. Although the measurable effects of color may be slight, colored materials are preferred and they are used almost universally. Therefore, designers of instructional materials need to use color wisely by paying attention to the physiological and psychological effects of color and the effect of color on learning.
Correspondence of yeast UAA suppressors to cloned tRNAUCASer genes

Abstract We have analyzed the genes encoding tRNAUCASer of yeast. By hybridization analysis we have established that only three genes encode tRNAUCASer, all of which have been cloned. The DNA sequences of the coding regions of all the three genes are identical, although considerable sequence divergence exists at the 3′ and 5′ flanking regions. The suppressor locus to which each of the three cloned tRNAUCASer genes corresponds was determined by integrative transformation of yeast. A leu2− sup+ yeast strain was transformed to Leu+ with plasmids which carried the LEU2 gene of yeast and one of the DNA fragments containing a tRNAUCASer gene. Integration of the plasmid at the homologous transfer RNA locus on the chromosome introduced the LEU2 marker at the site, which could then be followed in standard genetic crosses. By this method, we have shown that the three cloned fragments correspond to the serine-inserting nonsense suppressors SUP16, SUP17 and SUP19. Finally, the SUP16 allele was recovered directly from yeast by integrating a pBR322-LEU2-sup16+ hybrid plasmid at the SUP16 locus. Appropriate digestion of genomic DNA isolated from the transformed strain permitted recovery of either the wild-type allele or the SUP16 allele on plasmids that were otherwise identical to the original transforming plasmid. This method is generally applicable to the recovery of any mutant allele of yeast for which one has DNA containing the corresponding wildtype gene.
ASPHYXIA AND FORMULA FEEDING INCREASE TYPE-II PHOSPHOLIPASE A 2 ENZYME ACTIVITY AND mRNA LEVELS IN THE INTESTINE OF NEWBORN RATS. • 797

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) regulates the production of platelet-activating factor (PAF), a phospholipid inflammatory mediator which may be important in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We have developed a newborn rat model of NEC induced by asphyxia (A) and formula feedings (F). In this model, the clinical signs and intestinal lesions are similar to those of human NEC. This experiment measured intestinal PLA2 enzyme activity and PLA2 gene transcription in the rat model of NEC. Intestinal PLA2 enzyme activity from 14 formula-fed and asphyxiated(F,A) and 13 non-asphyxiated, mother-fed control rat pups was assayed by measuring the conversion of a radiolabeled phosphatidylethanolamine substrate to free arachidonic acid. The mean PLA2 enzyme activity for the stressed animals compared to the control pups was 90.6 ± 10.6 vs 58.7± 7.7 pmol/gm protein/hr (p=0.02). Intestinal PLA2-II mRNA was quantified by competitive RT-PCR using a 401bp cRNA of rat PLA2-II(gift of Dr. W. Hsueh). Following the competitive RT-PCR amplification, reaction products were separated by electrophoresis and transcript and competitor cDNA bands quantified by phosphorimaging. Intestinal samples were studied from 5 starved (S), 6 formula-fed (F) and 14 formula-fed and asphyxiated (F,A) newborn rats. Mean PLA2 transcript levels (pg PLA2 transcript per ug total RNA) were similar between the starved and formula-fed groups (0.366 ± 0.259 vs 0.260 ± 0.052) but increased more than 5-fold in the formula-fed rat pups subjected to asphyxia(0.260 ± 0.052 vs 1.399 ± 0.427). These data suggest that in the newborn rat model of NEC these stresses increase PLA2 enzyme synthesis at the level of gene transcription and that the increased PLA2 enzyme activity may represent an increase in PLA2 -II gene activity. The increased PLA2 enzyme activity following exposure to risk factors for human NEC further supports the role of PAF in the pathogenesis of NEC. Supported by NIH grant HD 00999 and a grant from The March of Dimes.
Evidence in Aristotle's rhetoric

Early in Book I Aristotle divides all proofs into two types, ατeχνōι πίσeις and eντeχνōι πίσeις. This paper defends the position that ατeχνōι πίσeις may best be translated as “evidence,” and points to possible explanations of why this translation has not been made. Two passages from Chapter 15 of Book I, which reflect upon the relationship between the two types of proofs, are discussed. It is concluded that the position of ατeχνōι πίσeις in Aristotle's Rhetoric is not intended to de‐emphasize the position of evidence or to confine its use to forensic speaking.
Selective recognition of oligomeric HIV-1 primary isolate envelope glycoproteins by potently neutralizing ligands requires efficient precursor cleavage

A critical component of an effective HIV vaccine will be the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies. Comprising the HIV spike, the exterior envelope glycoprotein gp120 and the transmembrane glycoprotein gp41 mediate receptor binding, viral entry, and are the targets for neutralizing antibodies. The gp120 and gp41 glycoproteins are derived from the gp160 precursor glycoprotein and following gp160 glycosylation, oligomerization and cleavage in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi, remain as non-covalently associated trimers of heterodimers. Previously, using cell-surface envelope glycoproteins derived from infection of a laboratory-adapted HIV-1 strain, a correlation had been established between the binding of gp120-directed antibodies to the viral glycoprotein and the ability of the antibodies to neutralize laboratory-adapted isolates. However, this has been more difficult to demonstrate for glycoproteins derived from primary patient isolates. Here, using a FACS-based method, we report that only gp120-directed neutralizing antibodies and the neutralizing ligand soluble CD4 efficiently bind to glycoproteins derived from the JR-FL primary isolate provided that the gp160 precursor protein is efficiently cleaved. Precursor cleavage was demonstrated by cell-surface biotinylation and Western blotting. In stark contrast, both non-neutralizing and neutralizing antibodies bind non-cleaved envelope glycoproteins from JR-FL and YU2 isolates. These data imply that significant changes in Env spike structure are dependent upon precursor gp160 cleavage and are consistent with a restricted-binding-to-Env model of neutralization. The data also have implications in regards to the use and design of non-cleaved envelope glycoprotein trimeric immunogens as a means to selectively and preferentially present neutralizing epitopes to the host immune system.
System hierarchies with continuous linkage mappings

The concept of S-continuous mappings from general systems into general systems is posed, which is a unified concept of those concerning continuities of mappings from different systems analysis models into the models. The existence of the Cartesian product of any set of systems and of the inverse limits of @a-type hierarchies of systems with S-continuous linkage mappings is proved. The new mappings, called diagonal mappings and product mappings of S-continuous mappings are shown to be S-continuous. The general controllability of Cartesian products and inverse limits are studied. Many open questions are posed.
Self-control: A behavioristic excursion into the lion's den

The concept of ‘self-control,” until recently embedded in intrapsychic personality theories and banished from strict behavioral accounts of human activity, is considered from the perspective of a closed-loop learning paradigm. In considering self-regulatory and self-control behavior, an attempt is made (1) to extricate these concepts from the realm of philosophical debate on the image of man, (2) to point to their growing relevance in the context of rapidly changing environments, (3) to provide behavioral definitions and a tentative and testable process model, and (4) to outline their clinical (therapeutic) implications. The current conceptualization emphasizes (a) the contractual elements in self-control, (b) the critical importance of insuring the link between intentions (often of a verbal variety) and behavioral execution, and (c) the interdependence of external and internal controlling variables. In a larger context, the paper seeks to show how man's “selfreflectiveness” can be incorporated within an empirically based behavior theory. Suggestions for research are presented.
Concomitant Respiratory Viral Infections in Children with Kawasaki Disease

The role of respiratory viruses in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD) remains controversial. In this study we showed that 8.8 % of KD patients had documented respiratory viral infections. Patients with concomitant viral infections had a higher frequency of coronary artery dilatations and were significantly more often diagnosed with incomplete KD. The presence of a concomitant viral infection should not exclude the diagnosis of KD.
Factors Controlling the Fracture Resistance of Brittle Cellular Materials

Des travaux precedents sur les solides cellulaires fragiles ont indique que la tenacite peut etre independante de la taille des alveoles. Maiti et al. ont propose deux approches theoriques pour prevoir la tenacite de ces materiaux. On etudie experimentalement ces deux approches et on identifie les parametres gouvernant le comportement mecanique. On a oxyde des echantillons de carbone vitreux reticule pour introduire des defauts de surface dans les entretoises. On a mesure la tenacite et la resistance a la compression avant et apres oxydation. L'analyse fractographique de la surface de rupture des entretoises a permis de conclure que la resistance des entretoises controle la resistance et la tenacite du materiau cellulaire
Practical Strategies for Effective Lectures

Lecturing is an essential teaching skill for scientists and health care professionals in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. However, few medical or scientific educators have received training in contemporary techniques or technology for large audience presentation. Interactive lecturing outperforms traditional, passive-style lecturing in educational outcomes, and is being increasingly incorporated into large group presentations. Evidence-based techniques range from the very simple, such as inserting pauses for audience discussion, to more technologically advanced approaches such as electronic audience response systems. Alternative software platforms such as Prezi can overcome some of the visual limits that the ubiquitous PowerPoint imposes on complex scientific narratives, and newer technology formats can help foster the interactive learning environment. Regardless of the technology, adherence to good principles of instructional design, multimedia learning, visualization of quantitative data, and informational public speaking can improve any lecture. The storyline must be clear, logical, and simplified compared with how it might be prepared for scientific publication. Succinct outline and summary slides can provide a roadmap for the audience. Changes of pace, and summaries or other cognitive breaks inserted every 15-20 minutes can renew attention. Graphics that emphasize clear, digestible data graphs or images over tables, and simple, focused tables over text slides, are more readily absorbed. Text slides should minimize words, using simple fonts in colors that contrast to a plain background. Adherence to these well-established principles and addition of some new approaches and technologies will yield an engaging lecture worth attending.
Effects of Coronary Blood Flow and Perfusion Pressure on Left Ventricular Contractility in Dogs

The effects of changes in coronary blood flow and coronary artery pressure on left ventricular (LV) contractility were determined in 18 animals. Dogs on cardiopulmonary bypass provided isovolumetric LV contractions during controlled perfusion of the coronary circulation. Coronary venous efflux, myocardial oxygen consumption, peak LV pressure, LV dp/dt, and the force-velocity relations of the LV were determined at normal and at "supernormal" levels of flow and pressure. Coronary vasodilatation was obtained with nitroglycerine, permitting independent variation of flow and pressure. Augmenting flow by increasing pressure increased LV contractility, as reflected by increases in peak LV pressure, dp/dt max, peak wall tension, and maximal measured contractile element velocity. Increased contractility appeared to be primarily due to increased flow, rather than to pressure, as an increase in flow without an increase in pressure produced similar changes, and decreases in pressure at constant flow did not change maximal measured contractile element velocity or dp/dt max, although some decrease in peak LV pressure and wall tension did occur. These data suggest that coronary flow is an independent determinant of the contractile state of myocardium, and that an increase in flow in excess of that required to supply metabolic demands augments myocardial contractility.
Branched-chain amino acid carbon and nitrogen arteriovenous concentration differences across the ovine fetal hindlimb.

ABSTRACT: During fasting, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are thought to be major sources of nitrogen for myocyte synthesis of alanine (Ala) and glutamine (Gin), as well as possible sources of carbon skeleton for Gin synthesis. To study the relationships between Ala, Gin, and BCAA, we utilized the chronic fetal lamb preparation and measured arteriovenous concentration differences of Ala, Gin, BCAA, and branched-chain α-keto acids across the fetal hindlimb. Studies were performed when the ewe was fed and repeated after 1 and 5 days of complete maternal fasting. Ala and Gin are released from fetal hindquarters during fasting (arteriovenous –9.6 ± 5 and –8.8 ± 4.1 μmol/liter), while arteriovenous differences for BCAA simultaneously increase by 65% as compared to the fed state. During fasting, total nitrogen exiting fetal hindlimb as Ala and Gin equals nitrogen entering as BCAA. Branched-chain α-keto acids are released from fetal hindquarters during the fed state as well as after 1 day of fasting; at 5 days of fasting only keto-isovalerate had a net negative arteriovenous difference. In all cases, the release was much smaller than the entry of the corresponding amino acid, as determined by simultaneously measured arteriovenous concentration differences. These results indicate: 1) Ala and Gin are released from fetal hindlimb, as in postnatal animals, during fasting, shuttling nitrogen and carbon to liver and/or other tissues. 2) There is negligible movement of BCAA carbon as the branched-chain α-keto acids from hindlimb to other tissues in the fetus. 3) BCAA carbon taken up is utilized within the hindquarters. It may be used for tissue synthesis, as an energy source, or possibly for Gin synthesis.
Jumping Improves Hip and Lumbar Spine Bone Mass in Prepubescent Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Physical activity during childhood is advocated as one strategy for enhancing peak bone mass (bone mineral content [BMC]) as a means to reduce osteoporosis-related fractures. Thus, we investigated the effects of high-intensity jumping on hip and lumbar spine bone mass in children. Eighty-nine prepubescent children between the ages of 5.9 and 9.8 years were randomized into a jumping (n = 25 boys and n = 20 girls) or control group (n = 26 boys and n = 18 girls). Both groups participated in the 7-month exercise intervention during the school day three times per week. The jumping group performed 100, two-footed jumps off 61-cm boxes each session, while the control group performed nonimpact stretching exercises. BMC (g), bone area (BA; cm2), and bone mineral density (BMD; g/cm2) of the left proximal femoral neck and lumbar spine (L1-L4) were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; Hologic QDR/4500-A). Peak ground reaction forces were calculated across 100, two-footed jumps from a 61-cm box. In addition, anthropometric characteristics (height, weight, and body fat), physical activity, and dietary calcium intake were assessed. At baseline there were no differences between groups for anthropometric characteristics, dietary calcium intake, or bone variables. After 7 months, jumpers and controls had similar increases in height, weight, and body fat. Using repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA; covariates, initial age and bone values, and changes in height and weight) for BMC, the primary outcome variable, jumpers had significantly greater 7-month changes at the femoral neck and lumbar spine than controls (4.5% and 3.1%, respectively). In repeated measures ANCOVA of secondary outcomes (BMD and BA), BMD at the lumbar spine was significantly greater in jumpers than in controls (2.0%) and approached statistical significance at the femoral neck (1.4%; p = 0.085). For BA, jumpers had significantly greater increases at the femoral neck area than controls (2.9%) but were not different at the spine. Our data indicate that jumping at ground reaction forces of eight times body weight is a safe, effective, and simple method of improving bone mass at the hip and spine in children. This program could be easily incorporated into physical education classes.
The CGHA Asthma Management Program and Its Effect Upon Pediatric Asthma Admission Rates

Asthma is the most common reason for admission to the hospital for children nationally. This hospitalization rate is stable despite availability of appropriate outpatient treatments. Our Cincinnati Group Health Associates (CGHA) asthma management program has evolved since 1989. We have measured our pediatric population along with asthma admissions since 1993. Our admission pattern is compared to the community in general and to our managed care population in particular. Our urban center's admission pattern is also studied. Our CGHA pediatric asthma admissions have been declining steadily over the 1993-2000 period by 60%. This decrease is in contrast to national trends in this time period. Comparison to total admissions from 1993 through 2000 still shows a 50% decline whether 0-18 years or 0-5 years is studied. Our urban pediatric center also had a fall in pediatric asthma admission rates of 80% in this time frame; all of these results are statistically significant. Our major managed care network also showe...
Expression of the Candidate A-T Gene ATDC Is Not Detectable in a Human Cell Line with a Normal Response to Ionizing Radiation

Nucleotide sequence analysis of a candidate gene for A-T group D (ATDC) demonstrated that it is related to a group of proteins that contain both zinc finger and leucine zipper motifs. The presence of a leucine zipper suggested that this protein might form homodimers, and this was confirmed by means of the two-hybrid system in yeast. The activity of some proteins that form homodimers can be effectively eliminated by overexpression of inactive forms of the protein that bind to the wild-type protein to create a dominant negative phenotype. An ATDC cDNA containing a 37 amino acid deletion in the zinc finger region (ATDCΔ) was therefore transfected into colorectal carcinoma human tumour cells (RKO) to determine whether its expression would produce a response to radiation similar to that seen in A-T cells. RKO cells have been shown to have normal radiosensitivity and cell cycle regulation and, therefore, seemed ideal for this study. Despite the fact that the A-T gene has been found to be important in the radiat...
Has Asian export performance been unique

Abstract It is often argued that technological spillovers or other externalities associated with exports or trade are sector-specific, yet trade and growth linkages are typically examined at the level of macroeconomic aggregates. This paper extends the analysis another level of specificity, analyzing the commodity composition of trade. This paper addresses three interrelated sets of questions. First, have Asian countries exhibited unusually high exports in particular industries? Has their commodity composition of exports been unusually concentrated? Second, has specialization in particular sectors emerged unusually rapidly the case of Asian countries? Third, can export similarity across Asian countries be explained by economic fundamentals?
Inhibition of glutethimide absorption.

Three dogs with Thiry-Vella fistulas were perfused with 0.6–1.2 g of glutethimide at pH 6 and pH 9 in an attempt to devise a more effective means of removing glutethimide from the body. The higher pH increased the hydrolysis of glutethimide to 4-ethyl-4-phenyl glutaramic acid (EPG), a non-absorbable hydrolysate. However, even when allowances were made for this effect, decreased absorption was apparent. No significant functional or histological changes were noted in the intestine perfused with the higher pH solutions. These results suggest that intestinal perfusion or gastric lavage with a high pH solution would be an alternative means to treat glutethimide overdose.