cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Culture, morality and individual differences: comparability and incomparability across species

Major routes to identifying individual differences (in diverse species) include studies of behaviour patterns as represented in language and neurophysiology. But results from these approaches appear not to converge on some major dimensions. Identifying dimensions of human variation least applicable to non-human species may help to partition human-specific individual differences of recent evolutionary origin from those shared across species. Human culture includes learned, enforced social-norm systems that are symbolically reinforced and referenced in displays signalling adherence. At a key juncture in human evolution bullying aggression and deception-based cheating apparently became censured in the language of a moral community, enabling mutual observation coordinated in gossip, associated with external sanctions. That still-conserved cultural paradigm moralistically regulates selfish advantage-taking, with shared semantics and explicit rules. Ethics and moral codes remain critical and universal components of human culture and have a stronger imprint in language than most aspects of the currently popular Big-Five taxonomy, a model that sets out five major lines of individual-differences variation in human personality. In other species (e.g. chimpanzees), human observers might see apparent individual differences in morality-relevant traits, but not because the animals have human-analogue sanctioning systems. Removing the moral dimension of personality and other human-specific manifestations (e.g. religion) may aid in identifying those other bases of individual differences more ubiquitous across species.This article is part of the theme issue 'Diverse perspectives on diversity: multi-disciplinary approaches to taxonomies of individual differences'.
An efficient wikipedia-based approach for better understanding of natural language text related to user requirements

Requirements engineering is the initial step in the development of software. Eliciting and understanding requirements are crucial in that the quality of the resulting system is highly dependent on a clear understanding of the customers' needs. Customers frequently express requirements in natural language, and software engineers then transform these natural language requirements to a more formalized representation that is useful during the remaining steps of software development. This transformation process has the potential to introduce errors and misunderstandings in the requirements because of ambiguities and incompleteness found in the natural language requirements. A communication gap typically exists between customers and software developers who may not share the same technical expertise. Software developers typically have computer science backgrounds, while the software application areas and thus the expertise of the customers may be from different domains, including such domains as chemistry, aerospace, healthcare, and economics. This communication gap can lead to software failures that can have devastating consequences in many different domains, including the aerospace domain, in terms of time, money and mission-critical efforts. Numerous research efforts are found in the literature that describe how a large textual corpus such as Wikipedia can be useful for helping fill that communication gap between the customer and the developer when natural language requirements are used in the requirements engineering process [1][2][3]. Wikipedia is a large online information repository that has an interface that emulates a paper encyclopedia in its coverage of diverse topics. It provides a large number of real-world concepts organized in hierarchical semantic structures. The quantity of the information and the ability to search the information in Wikipedia make it a valuable resource for research related to requirements and natural language processing [4][5][6]; however, the quantity of information makes searching it time consuming. In this paper, we describe research to determine the most efficient approach to retrieve data from Wikipedia for use in improving the requirements engineering process. We refer to this step of retrieving the information of interest as knowledge acquisition. We present our analysis and compare time efficiency of the use of regular expressions and string search algorithms for decreasing the knowledge acquisition bottleneck caused by the high computational time needed to retrieve these data from Wikipedia.
Sleep and sex: what can go wrong? A review of the literature on sleep related disorders and abnormal sexual behaviors and experiences

Study Objectives: To formulate the first classification of sleep related disorders and abnormal sexual behaviors and experiences.
A novel technique to measure residual systematic segment piston errors of large aperture optical telescopes

An observational and modeling technique to look for possible systematic bias in the phasing of the segments of a large aperture optical telescope is presented. The technique uses on-sky images from adaptive optics (AO) science instruments in conjunction with detailed AO modeling to make predictions on possible periodic residual segment piston errors. The technique is demonstrated on the sky using the Keck II telescope to cancel two bright speckles seen in the NIRC2 science images by applying appropriate piston corrections to the telescope segments. Follow-up observations are planned for this summer to validate another model prediction, using this technique on low order aberrations to improve the image quality of AO science observations. The significance of the technique for AO observations with the existing and future extremely large segmented telescopes is discussed.
What are the goals of prenatal genetic testing

Abstract The landscape of genetic testing and screening has changed tremendously since the initial description of the molecular structure of DNA. Given this, it is critical that providers reflect on the goals of prenatal screening and diagnostic testing, and how these tests impact perinatal outcomes. The participants of this workshop were in agreement that the goal of prenatal genetic testing should be focused on improving outcomes for women and families. While prenatal testing has historically focused on the option for pregnancy termination, increasing numbers of prenatal and perinatal treatments are available. As more in utero therapies are developed, the detection of disorders that are amenable to, and would benefit from, prenatal or immediate neonatal targeted therapy will increasingly be a focus of prenatal testing. Prenatal genetic testing must also balance the ethical principles of autonomy and distributive justice. The workshop participants agreed that stakeholders such as medical professionals, professional societies, insurers, commercial laboratories, and the public should consider and come to agreement regarding the appropriate objectives for and use of these tests.
Assessing Research Collaboration through Co-authorship Network Analysis

This research was supported by the Research Communications Office as well as the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and the Cancer Research Informatics Shared Resources of the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, funded by the National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA177558). Dr. Eddens’ contribution was supported in part by a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health grant (#K12 DA035150) from the Office of Women’s Health Research, administered by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the College of Medicine, University of Kentucky. Dr. Vanderford is supported by the University of Kentucky’s Cancer Center Support Grant (NCI P30CA177558) and the Center for Cancer and Metabolism (NIGMS P20GM121327).
Echocardiographic diagnosis of atrial flutter in a neonate.

A pregnant female presented at 37 weeks of gestation in labor. The fetus was noted to be tachycardic on fetal monitor. Postnatally, the male neonate was still noted to be tachycardic with heart rates in the low 200 bpm range. EKG was consistent with tachycardia, but rhythm diagnosis was not definitively made. Echocardiogram with M-mode analysis clearly demonstrated 2:1 atrial to ventricular contraction pattern consistent with atrial flutter. The neonate was subsequently transferred to a tertiary pediatric hospital where the diagnosis of atrial flutter was confirmed.
Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Problem (GCSTOP): A Model for University/Community Partnerships

There were over 700 overdoses and 180 deaths from opioids in Guilford County, NC in 2017. The Guilford Solution to the Opioid Problem (GSTOP) project leverages funds allocated by the STOP-Act to design, implement, and evaluate a rapid response program intended to decrease mortality from opioid overdoses. The program engages citizens who overdose in harm reduction practices, distributes naloxone kits to high-risk users, conducts community health education, coordinates community resources through the CURE Triad collaborative, and builds relationships focused on ending opioid overdose. This presentation will review the development of the partnership between Guilford County Emergency Medical Services and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro that has resulted in the GSTOP demonstration project. The presentation included background on the opioid epidemic in Guilford County, the development of CURE Triad (a community coalition to address overdoses) and the implementation of GSTOP, the unique features of hosting such a program within a university, the evaluation design, and preliminary outcomes of the program.
Rarecase of biventricular thrombi complicating pulmonary embolism.

A 70-year-old man with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in remission, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and active smoking presented with a 2-week history of non-productive cough, progressive shortness of breath and right lower extremity swelling. On presentation, the patient was
Critical Review of Theory Use in Breastfeeding Interventions.

Background:Numerous efforts to promote breastfeeding resulted in a steady increase in the rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration. Increasing numbers of breastfeeding interventions are focus...
Hypo-vascular hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplantation: Morphological characteristics and implications on outcomes.

BACKGROUND The clinical importance of hypovascular liver lesions in cirrhotic patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT) has not been fully investigated. The objective of this study was to characterize the clinicopathologic features and management of these tumors and to assess their impact on post-LT outcomes. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of cirrhotic patients with lesions suspicious for hypovascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent LT at a single institution from 2011- 2017. RESULTS We identified 22 pre-LT patients with radiologic diagnosis of a lesion(s) suspicious for hypovascular HCC. There were 28 hypovascular lesions within the 22 patient cohort; 9 lesions (32%) converted to hypervascular HCC before LT and 19 lesions remained hypovascular at LT. 88% of hypovascular lesions were HCC on explant pathology. Compared to patients with hyper-vascular HCC lesions, hypovascular HCC lesions underwent less preoperative tumor ablation (58% vs 89%; P < .01). Hypovascular HCC were more likely to be well-differentiated (67% vs 11%; P < .01), but there were no differences in the microvascular invasion, tumor recurrence, or survival post-LT. CONCLUSIONS Hypovascular HCC has similar clinical outcomes and needs for transplantation as hypervascular HCC. The high prevalence of HCC within suspicious hypovascular lesions supports a similar monitoring and locoregional therapy strategy as for hypervascular HCC.
Trade Restrictiveness Index of Non-Tariff Barriers Under the CES Preference

The literature has suggested formulas for trade restrictiveness index of tariffs based on second-order approximation. This paper shows that in a special case of the constant-elasticity-of-substitut...
Cobalt(II) "Scorpionate" complexes as electronic ground state models for cobalt-substituted zinc enzymes: Structure investigation by magnetic circular dichroism.

Abstract Zinc centers in pseudo-tetrahedral geometry are widely found in biology, often with three histidine ligands from protein. The trispyrazolylborate “scorpionate” ligand is used as a model for this tris(histidine) motif, and spectroscopically active CoII is often used as a substitute for spectroscopically silent ZnII. In this work, four pseudo-tetrahedral scorpionate complexes with the formula (Tpt-Bu,Tn)CoL, where Tpt-Bu,Tn = hydrotris(3-tert-butyl, 5–2′-thienyl-pyrazol-1-yl)borate anion and L = Cl−, N3−, NCO−, or NCS−, were studied using variable-temperature, variable-field magnetic circular dichroism (VTVH MCD) spectroscopy. The major goal was to determine the axial and rhombic zero field splitting (ZFS) parameters (D and E, respectively) of these S = 3/2 systems and compare these ZFS parameters to those determined previously by high-frequency and -field electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR) spectroscopy on the same (L = Cl− and NCS−) or closely related complexes. Additionally, HFEPR studies were undertaken here on the complexes with L = N3−, NCO−. Crystal structures for these two complexes are also first reported here. The values of D determined by VTVH MCD were + 12.8 and + 3.6 cm−1 for the L = Cl− and NCS- complexes, respectively. These values are in close agreement with those for the same complexes as previously determined by HFEPR. The values of D determined by VTVH MCD were + 3.0 and + 6.6 cm−1 for the L = N3− and NCO- complexes, respectively. These values were not as close to those determined by HFEPR in the present study, which are 4.2 cm−1 ≤ |D| ≤ 5.6 cm−1 in Tpt-Bu,TnCoN3, and 8.3 cm−1 ≤ |D| ≤ 11.0 cm−1 in Tpt-Bu,TnCoNCO. The bands in MCD spectra of these complexes were assigned in C3v symmetry and a complete ligand-field analysis of the MCD data was made using the Angular Overlap Model (AOM), which is compared to previous results.
Length and Time Scales

The first and most important order of magnitude estimate concerns the rate of dissipation \(\epsilon \). This estimate is based on the definition of an eddy or coherent structure and two assumptions introduced in this chapter.
Culturally Appropriate Math Problem-Solving Instruction With English Language Learners

The purpose of this research study was to examine the effectiveness of culturally appropriate problem-solving instruction (CAPSI) incorporating elements from schema instruction, video modeling, and...
Practice facilitation to implement alcohol-related care in Veterans Health Administration liver clinics: a study protocol.

Alcohol-related care, including screening, brief intervention, and provision of/referral to medication or behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorder, could be delivered in liver clinics to better reach patients with chronic liver conditions. However, the provision of alcohol-related care in liver clinics is currently suboptimal. Practice facilitation is an evidence-based implementation strategy that may address barriers, harness facilitators, and optimize the implementation of alcohol-related care in liver clinic settings using a clinic-centered approach. We report the protocol of a study to test a practice facilitation intervention to implement alcohol-related care in four Veterans Health Administration liver clinics. This study will employ a Hybrid Type 3 effectiveness-implementation design, in which implementation outcomes are considered primary and clinical outcomes secondary. Intervention and evaluation design were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Qualitative data collected from clinical stakeholders and patients were used to tailor the intervention. The intervention involves a 6-month period of external practice facilitation, including regular meetings to identify clinic goals, challenges, and solutions; engagement of clinic champions; provision of training and development of educational materials for clinic staff and patients; and performance monitoring and feedback. Ongoing formative evaluation involves the collection of quantitative facilitator tracking data and qualitative data from meeting notes and patient interviews to describe intervention acceptability, feasibility, and adoption, and adjust implementation as needed. In the summative evaluation, implementation outcomes (clinic rates of screening, brief intervention, and treatment referral/receipt) and clinical outcomes (unhealthy alcohol use, liver health) will be assessed among patients in participating clinics using secondary electronic health record data and interrupted time series analysis. This will be the first study to our knowledge to test practice facilitation to implement alcohol-related care in liver clinic settings. Results from formative and summative evaluation will inform a framework for the successful implementation of effective alcohol-related care through practice facilitation in liver clinics, which may ultimately lead to better health outcomes for patients with chronic liver disease.
High-dispersion spectroscopic observations of Venus V.: The carbon dioxide band at 8689 Å

Average rotational temperature of Venus atmosphere above cloud tops from carbon dioxide band spectroscopy
Solar-Terrestrial Simulation in the STEREO Era: The January 24-25, 2007 Eruptions

The SECCHI instruments aboard the recently launched STEREO spacecraft enable for the first time the continuous tracking of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun to 1 AU. We analyze line-of-sight observations of the January 24-25, 2007 CMEs and fill the 20-hour gap in SECCHI coverage in January 25 by performing a numerical simulation using a three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) code, the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF). We show how the observations reflect the interaction of the two successive CMEs with each other and with the structured solar wind. We make detailed comparison between the observations and synthetic images from our model, including time-elongation maps for several position angles. Having numerical simulations to disentangle observational from physical effects, we are able to study the three-dimensional nature of the ejections and their evolution in the inner heliosphere. This study reflects the start of a new era where, on one hand, models of CME propagation and interaction can be fully tested by using heliospheric observations and, on the other hand, observations can be better interpreted by using global numerical models.
The wake flow downstream of a propeller-rudder system

Abstract We report wall-resolved, large-eddy simulations for the case of a propeller operating upstream of a hydrofoil, mimicking a rudder. Our primary objective is the identification of wake features that are unique to this coupled system, when compared to open-water cases, which are usually the focus of experiments and computations in the literature. We were able to achieve unprecedented levels of numerical resolution, which capture the dynamics of all energetic eddies in the flow by using a scalable, conservative, structured solver in cylindrical coordinates. The boundary conditions on the rotating propeller and hydrofoil were enforced via an immersed boundary formulation. The largest values of turbulent stresses in the wake of the hydrofoil are achieved outwards from the radial coordinate of the tip of the propeller blades. This is due to spanwise gradients across the hydrofoil (in the direction parallel to the span of the hydrofoil), producing a displacement of the pressure side legs of the tip vortices towards outer coordinates, where they experience shear with the wake of the hydrofoil. The evolution of turbulence is non-monotonic across the streamwise direction. This is a consequence of the growing shear resulting from the complex interactions involving the shear layers from the trailing edge, the tip vortices and the two branches of the hub vortex coming from the two sides of the hydrofoil. Such a shear is reinforced by the spanwise velocities developed by the two branches of the propeller wake across the hydrofoil. Compared to an isolated propeller, these phenomena enhance turbulence production. The present results highlight that a downstream hydrofoil, typical of surface ships, is able to significantly intensify the wake signature of a propeller.
Humeral Head Fracture Dislocation with Displacement into the Mediastinum: A Case Report.

CASE A 70-year-old woman pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle presented with multiple orthopaedic injuries including a humeral head fracture dislocation with a large segment of humeral head located in the mediastinum. Thoracic surgery personnel performed a minimally-invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic extraction of the humeral head, and the patient underwent subsequent reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. CONCLUSION Intramediastinal displacement of the humeral head is a rare, yet serious traumatic injury that necessitates early recognition and comanagement with cardiothoracic or thoracic surgery. Early thoracic intervention to extract the humeral head and replacement arthroplasty is an effective treatment modality.
Conjectures and Counterexamples

The search for necessary and sufficient conditions for the metrizability of topological spaces in one of the oldest and most productive problems of point set topology. Alexandroff and Urysohn [6] provided one solution as early as 1923 by imposing special conditions on a sequence of open conversing. Nearly ten years later R.L. Moore chose to begin his classic text on the Foundations of Point Set Theory [82] with an axiom structure which was a slight variation of the Alexandroff and Urysohn metrizability conditions. After Jones [56], we now call any space which satisfies Axion 0 and parts 1, 2, 3 of Axiom 1 of [82] a Moore space. Each metric space is a Moore space, but not conversely, so the search for a metrization theorem became that of determining precisely which Moore spaces are metrizable. The most famous conjecture was that each normal Moore space is metrizable.
External Advisors and Privatization in Transition Economies

This paper analyzes privatization and enterprise reform of three major countries in the transition region; Poland, Czechoslovakia (subsequently the Czech Republic), and the Soviet Union (subsequently Russia). For each, it discusses the prevailing ideologies of advisors prior to and during the transition process, the initial conditions faced by reformers and advisors, the policy frameworks that evolved, the results achieved, the mistakes made, and the opportunities missed. The ultimate conclusion is that while privatization could have and probably should have been done better, it nonetheless had to be done. The Czech Republic and Russia, and others in the region, are better off after the flawed privatizations they carried out than they would have been had they avoided or delayed divestiture. Poland, which did quite well at first in the absence of mass and rapid privatization, now finds itself burdened with a number of expensive and unproductive state firms. This paper shows how and why these outcomes came about, and what was the role of the external advisor community in the process.
Generalized in-plane circuit averaging

The authors present an unified approach to in-place circuit averaging that is applicable to resonant-type circuits as well as pulse-width-modulated (PWM) circuits. The approach allows the refinement of an averaged circuit model to obtain an arbitrary degree of accuracy. In the context of a particular circuit, an approximate averaged representation for each branch variable consists of a subset of the Fourier coefficients (index-k averages). The selection of this subset is determined by the dominant harmonic content of the circuit waveforms. For instance, in a series resonant DC-DC converter, the index-1 averages would be selected for the resonant tank variables, whereas the index-0 averages would be selected for the load side elements. In a PWM converter one would normally use the index-0 averages to obtain a low-frequency approximate model. These models can then be refined by including additional coefficients. This procedure is illustrated for a PWM up-down converter and for a DC-DC series resonant converter. >
An electronic slide rule

Many generations of engineers have used slide rules as effective problem solving tools. Computers have made slide rules obsolete. The paper introduces course design criteria that will help to construct a course that brings back the spirit of a slide rule in electronic form. This course is intended to replace the largely ineffective "problem solving by computers" courses that today are still based on the syntax of one large programming language such as C or Ada.
Chloroperoxidase I. ISOLATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE CRYSTALLINE GLYCOPROTEIN

Chloroperoxidase from Caldariomyces fumago has been isolated in crystalline form. The prosthetic group of chloroperoxidase is ferriprotoporphyrin IX. On the basis of the heme content, the minimal molecular weight of chloroperoxidase is 40,200. On the basis of hydrodynamic measurements, the molecular weight of chloroperoxidase is approximately 42,000. Therefore, in solution at neutral pH, chloroperoxidase behaves as a monomeric species. The spectral properties of the oxidized and reduced forms of the enzyme and also of the azide and cyanide complexes are reported. The amino acid composition of chloroperoxidase is reported. Chloroperoxidase is rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine and proline residues. These four amino acids constitute 45% of the total amino acid content. Chloroperoxidase is a glycoprotein. Approximately 25 to 30% of the molecule is carbohydrate. Chromatography of acid hydrolysates reveals that glucosamine and arabinose are major constituents.
Comparison of DNA binding and integration half-site selection by avian myeloblastosis virus integrase

Insertion of the linear retrovirus DNA genome into the host DNA by the virus-encoded integrase (IN) is essential for efficient replication. We devised an efficient virus-like DNA plasmid integration assay which mimics the standard oligonucleotide assay for integration. It permitted us to study, by electron microscopy and sequence analysis, insertion of a single long terminal repeat terminus (LTR half-site) of one plasmid into another linearized plasmid. The reaction was catalyzed by purified avian myeloblastosis virus IN in the presence of Mg2+. The recombinant molecules were easily visualized and quantitated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Agarose gel-purified recombinants could be genetically selected by transformation of ligated recombinants into Escherichia coli HB101 cells. Electron microscopy also permitted the identification and localization of IN-DNA complexes on the virus-like substrate in the absence of the joining reaction. Intramolecular and intermolecular DNA looping by IN was visualized. Although IN preferentially bound to AT-rich regions in the absence of the joining reaction, there was a bias towards GC-rich regions for the joining reaction. Alignment of 70 target site sequences 5' of the LTR half-site insertions with 68 target sites previously identified for the concerted insertion of both LTR termini (LTR full-site reaction) indicated similar GC inflection patterns with both insertional events. Comparison of the data suggested that IN recognized only half of the target sequences necessary for integration with the LTR half-site reaction.
Building Theories in Nuprl

This paper provides an account of how mathematical knowledge is represented, reasoned about, and used computationally in a mechanized constructive theorem proving environment. We accomplish this by presenting a particular theory developed in the Nuprl proof development system: finite set theory culminating in Ramsey's theorem. We believe that this development is interesting as a case study in the relationship between constructive mathematics and computer science. Moreover, the aspects we emphasize — the high-level development of definitions and lemmas, the use of tactics to automate reasoning, and the use of type theory as a programming logic — are not restricted in relevance to this particular theory, and indicate the promise of our approach for other branches of constructive mathematics.
Development of Thermoelectric Fibers for Miniature Thermoelectric Devices

Miniature thermoelectric (TE) devices may be used in a variety of applications such as power sources of small sensors, temperature regulation of precision electronics, etc. Reducing the size of TE elements may also enable design of novel devices with unique form factor and higher device efficiency. Current industrial practice of fabricating TE devices usually involves mechanical removal processes that not only lead to material loss but also limit the geometry of the TE elements. In this project, we explored a powder-processing method for the fabrication of TE fibers with large length-to-area ratio, which could be potentially used for miniature TE devices. Powders were milled from Bi2Te3-based bulk materials and then mixed with a thermoplastic resin dissolved in an organic solvent. Through an extrusion process, flexible, continuous fibers with sub-millimeter diameters were formed. The polymer phase was then removed by sintering. Sintered fibers exhibited similar Seebeck coefficients to the bulk materials. However, their electrical resistivity was much higher, which might be related to the residual porosity and grain boundary contamination. Prototype miniature uni-couples fabricated from these fibers showed a linear I–V behavior and could generate millivolt voltages and output power in the nano-watt range. Further development of these TE fibers requires improvement in their electrical conductivities, which needs a better understanding of the causes that lead to the low conductivity in the sintered fibers.
DETERMINATION OF NEUTRAL LIPIDS AND PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN THE CERCARIAE OF SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI BY HIGH PERFORMANCE THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY

ABSTRACT High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) was used to analyze neutral lipids and phospholipids in the cercariae of a Puerto Rican strain of Schistosoma mansoni. The cercariae were obtained following isolation of Biomphalaria glabrata snails (NMRI strain) experimentally infected with S. mansoni miracidia. Cercariae were pelleted to contain from 1000 to 10,000 organisms per 1.5 mL of artificial spring water and then extracted in chloroform–methanol (2 : 1). The lipid extract was analyzed by previously published silica gel HPTLC methods, using a petroleum ether–diethyl ether–acetic acid (80 : 20 : 1) mobile phase and detection with phosphomolybdic acid spray reagent for neutral lipids. Visual observations of the chromatograms showed that the most abundant neutral lipids in the cercariae were free fatty acids and free sterols along with two additional faster moving zones that did not match the methyl oleate and cholesteryl oleate standard zones. Quantification of the free fatty acid and free...
Preferential repair and strand-specific repair of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adducts in the HPRT gene of diploid human fibroblasts

Abstract If excision repair-proficient human cells are allowed time for repair before onset of S phase, the premutagenic lesions formed by (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy- 7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide, BPDE) are lost from the transcribed strand of the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene faster than from the nontranscribed strand. No change in strand distribution is seen with repair-deficient cells. These results suggest strand-specific repair of BPDE-induced DNA damage in human cells. To test this, we measured the initial number of BPDE adducts formed in each strand of the actively transcribed HPRT gene and the rate of repair, using UvrABC excinuclease in conjunction with Southern hybridization and strand-specific probes. We also measured the rate of loss of BPDE adducts from the inactive 754 locus. The frequencies of adducts formed by exposure to BPDE (1.0 or 1.2 microM) in either strand of a 20-kilobase fragment that lies entirely within the transcription unit of the HPRT gene were similar; the frequency in the 14-kilobase 754 fragment was approximately 20% lower. The rates of repair in the two strands of the HPRT fragment differed significantly. Within 7 hr after treatment with 1.2 microM BPDE, 53% of the adducts had been removed from the transcribed strand, but only 26% from the nontranscribed strand; after 20 hr, these values were 87% and 58%, respectively. In contrast, only approximately 14% of the BPDE adducts were lost from the 754 locus in 20 hr, a value even lower than the rate of loss from the overall genome (i.e., 38%). These results demonstrate strand-specific and preferential repair of BPDE adducts in human cells. They suggest that the heterogeneous repair of BPDE adducts in the human genome cannot be accounted for merely by the greatly increased rate of the repair specific to the transcribed strand of the active genes, and they point to a role for the chromatin structure.
Development of a large-item environmental sound test and the effects of short-term training with spectrally-degraded stimuli.

Objectives:Accurate identification of environmental sounds plays an important role in maintaining listeners’ awareness of their environment, and is a major concern for cochlear implant patients. Although research indicates that decreased spectral resolution has a negative effect on environmental sou
Enhancement of antifillet cracking performance for no-flow underfill by toughening method

Fillet cracking of no-flow underfill in a flip-chip device during a reliability test such as thermal shock or thermal cycling has been a serious reliability problem. The effect of toughening agents and modification of epoxy on fillet cracking of no-flow underfill was investigated. The best epoxy formulation and the appropriate loading level of toughening agent regarding the antifillet cracking performance were found. In the case where the epoxy was modified with polysiloxanes, the second-phase particle with a submicron particle size was formed and the size of the particle depended on the kind of toughening agent. The morphology was observed by a scanning electron microscopy and confirmed by a dynamic mechanical analyzer measurement. The physical properties such as the fracture toughness, flexual modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion, and adhesion were measured, and the liquid–liquid thermal shock (LLTS) test under −55 to 125°C was performed with different formulations. One of the formulations toughened by amine/epoxy-terminated polysiloxane, which has higher die shear strength, lower modulus, and higher toughness, passed 1000 cycles of the LLTS test. In order to obtain a high reliable no-flow underfill, the physical properties of the no-flow underfill should be well controlled and balanced. Finally, a correlation between physical properties of the no-flow underfill and the fillet cracking capability for those approaches was discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2439–2449, 2003
Suppression of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms in the rat by treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors

Abstract Purpose: Pathologic remodeling of the extracellular matrix is a critical mechanism in the development and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Although angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are known to alter vascular wall remodeling in other conditions, their effects on AAAs are unknown. In this study we assessed the effect of ACE inhibitors in a rodent model of aneurysm development. Methods: Male Wistar rats underwent transient aortic perfusion with porcine pancreatic elastase, followed by treatment with one of three ACE inhibitors (captopril [CP], lisinopril [LP], or enalapril [EP]), an angiotensin (AT) 1 receptor antagonist (losartan [LOS]), or water alone (9 rats in each group). Blood pressure and aortic diameter (AD) were measured before elastase perfusion and on day 14, with an AAA defined as an increase in AD (ΔAD) of more than 100%. The structural features of the aortic wall were examined by means of light microscopy. Results: Aneurysmal dilatation consistently developed within 14 days of elastase perfusion in untreated rats, coinciding with the development of a transmural inflammatory response and destruction of the elastic media (mean ΔAD, 223% ± 28%). All three ACE inhibitors prevented AAA development (mean ΔAD: CP, 67% ± 4%; LP, 18% ± 12%; and EP, 14% ± 3%; each P Conclusion: Treatment with ACE inhibitors suppresses the development of elastase-induced AAAs in the rat. Although this is associated with the preservation of medial elastin, the mechanisms underlying these effects appear to be distinct from hemodynamic alterations alone or events mediated solely by AT 1 receptors. Further studies are needed to elucidate how ACE inhibitors influence aortic wall matrix remodeling during aneurysmal degeneration. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:1057-64.)
Predicting story goodness performance from cognitive measures following traumatic brain injury.

Purpose This study examined the prediction of performance on measures of the Story Goodness Index (SGI; Le, Coelho, Mozeiko, & Grafman, 2011) from executive function (EF) and memory measures follow...
On implementing separate compilation in block-structured languages

Perhaps the single most important paradigm of modern programming language design is block structure. Block-structured languages are characterized by nested definitional units (ALGOL blocks, PASCAL procedures, Euclid modules) having rather specialized scoping rules. In particular, access to entities defined in containing units is allowed (although sometimes with restrictions) while access to entities defined within a unit from outside it is severely restricted or totally forbidden.This method of programming language structuring supports a top-down program development methodology: the body of a definition unit can be developed (or modified) without affecting other units (since its internal details are “hidden” from the outside). Such units (most notably procedures) become the natural units of program development and modification.
Variation in Lunar Neutron Dose Estimates

The radiation environment on the Moon includes albedo neutrons produced by primary particles interacting with the lunar surface. In this work, HZETRN2010 is used to calculate the albedo neutron contribution to effective dose as a function of shielding thickness for four different space radiation environments and to determine to what extent various factors affect such estimates. First, albedo neutron spectra computed with HZETRN2010 are compared to Monte Carlo results in various radiation environments. Next, the impact of lunar regolith composition on the albedo neutron spectrum is examined, and the variation on effective dose caused by neutron fluence-to-effective dose conversion coefficients is studied. A methodology for computing effective dose in detailed human phantoms using HZETRN2010 is also discussed and compared. Finally, the combined variation caused by environmental models, shielding materials, shielding thickness, regolith composition and conversion coefficients on the albedo neutron contributi...
Design modeling considerations in shape optimization of solids

Abstract Designing the geometry of a general three-dimensional solid component for use in the automotive industry is a complicated process in that many different disciplines are involved. The possible disciplines for an ideal integrated shape optimal design system may include design modeling techniques, geometric modeling, automatic mesh generation, finite element analysis, error analysis, adaptive mesh refinement, design sensitivity analysis, nonlinear programming and optimization techniques, as well as data base management. To include all disciplines in one program is very difficult, if not impossible. The challenge for an engineer is that he has to use up-to-date technologies to achieve the most impact on the design process. To take full advantage of the advancements in each discipline, a modular approach must be used. This paper proposes a modular shape optimization system which incorporates commercially available modeling and analysis programs such as PATRAN and NASTRAN. Emphasis is placed on the design modeling considerations. Two automotive-related problems are optimized using different design modeling techniques.
Selfish genetic elements, genetic conflict, and evolutionary innovation

Abstract Genomes are vulnerable to selfish genetic elements (SGEs), which enhance their own transmission relative to the rest of an individual's genome but are neutral or harmful to the individual as a whole. As a result, genetic conflict occurs between SGEs and other genetic elements in the genome. There is growing evidence that SGEs, and the resulting genetic conflict, are an important motor for evolutionary change and innovation. In this review, the kinds of SGEs and their evolutionary consequences are described, including how these elements shape basic biological features, such as genome structure and gene regulation, evolution of new genes, origin of new species, and mechanisms of sex determination and development. The dynamics of SGEs are also considered, including possible “evolutionary functions” of SGEs.
Who participates in a family study

Potential subject participation biases in a family study of outpatients with mood disorders and personality disorders (PDs) were explored at three levels: (1) differences between probands who granted permission to contact all relatives, those who gave permission to contact only a subset of relatives, and those who denied permission to contact any relatives; (2) differences between relatives whom the proband granted permission to contact and those whom the proband denied permission to contact; and (3) for the relatives who could be contacted, differences between those who agreed to participate and those who declined. Subjects included 156 outpatients with mood disorders and PDs and 611 of their first-degree relatives. Axis I and II disorders in probands and relatives were evaluated using structured diagnostic interviews. In addition, informant reports on relatives were obtained from family history (FH) interviews. Results indicated that probands who gave and who withheld consent to contact their relatives did not differ significantly on most variables. However, relatives whom we were not permitted to contact were significantly more likely to have drug abuse and PDs. Finally, of the relatives we were permitted to contact, there were few differences between those who participated in the study and those who refused to participate. These findings indicate that the greatest risk of sampling bias in family studies stems from probands' reluctance to grant access to relatives with drug abuse and PDs.
Rapid Response Team Simulated Training for Enhancing Patient Safety (STEPS)

Abstract Background Despite a concerted effort to improve patient safety within the acute care setting, patient injuries, unexpected deaths, and unplanned admissions to ICUs continue to occur. Rapid response teams (RRTs) have been developed to reduce the number of failure-to-rescue incidents in hospitalized patients by responding to a patient's deteriorating condition before an adverse event occurs. Nurses are instrumental in reducing the number of failure-to-rescue incidents through early recognition of clinical instability, prompt interventions, and activation of the RRT. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the Simulated Training for Enhancing Patient Safety (STEPS) as an intervention to improve nurses' RRT knowledge and clinical judgment. Method A 19-item pre-posttest within-subject design was used to determine the impact of the STEPS intervention on nurses' RRT knowledge and clinical judgment. The study also examined individual perception of the simulation experience (educational practice, simulation design, and satisfaction and self-confidence in learning) after the STEPS intervention. Participants were registered nurses employed in a progressive care unit at a Midwestern medical center. Results/Conclusions Eleven participants completed the pretest, the immediate posttest, and the posttest 3 months after the STEPS intervention. The 3-month posttest scores for the 11 participants showed 8 increased their scores, 2 decreased their scores, and 1 stayed the same. There was no significant statistical difference over time. Nurses agreed or strongly agreed that their simulation experience was a satisfying learning experience. Human patient simulation is an effective teaching method for nurses. Nurses were highly satisfied with their simulated learning experience and valued fidelity, collaboration, and constructive feedback. Further study is needed to measure learning outcomes in nursing for human patient simulation activities.
Right Ventricular Dysfunction following Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Absence of Pulmonary Hypertension in the Mouse

Background Cardiac remodelling after AMI is characterized by molecular and cellular mechanisms involving both the ischemic and non-ischemic myocardium. The extent of right ventricular (RV) dilatation and dysfunction and its relation to pulmonary hypertension (PH) following AMI are unknown. The aim of the current study was to evaluate changes in dimensions and function of the RV following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) involving the left ventricle (LV). Methods We assessed changes in RV dimensions and function 1 week following experimental AMI involving the LV free wall in 10 mice and assessed for LV and RV dimensions and function and for the presence and degree of PH. Results RV fractional area change and tricuspidal annular plane systolic excursion significantly declined by 33% (P = 0.021) and 28% (P = 0.001) respectively. Right ventricular systolic pressure measured invasively in the mouse was within the normal values and unchanged following AMI. Conclusion AMI involving the LV and sparing the RV induces a significant acute decline in RV systolic function in the absence of pulmonary hypertension in the mouse indicating that RV dysfunction developed independent of changes in RV afterload.
A Non-Lensed Fiber-Optic Resonance-Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization Probe:

We have developed a miniature fiber-optic probe with no focusing optics for in situ analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The probe uses an optical fiber to transmit a laser pulse to a vapor sample causing it to ionize adjacent to the fiber tip through a resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) process. The distal end of the optical fiber is contained co-axially within 2-mm-inner-diameter stainless steel tubing that serves as an electrode. The electrode is biased at a high positive potential to collect electrons. The current generated is shown to be proportional over about two orders of magnitude to the concentration of the species ionized. Visible wavelength REMPI spectroscopy is used to determine probe sensitivities of 20 ppb (benzene) and 43 ppb (toluene). Designing the probe without focusing optics specifies an achromatic ionization region constant in size and position as the laser wavelength is scanned, which simplifies data collection and reduction. Focusing achromatic systems are discussed and the potential signal improvement is estimated.