cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Viribus Unitis: Drug Combinations as a Treatment Against COVID-19

The opportunities that may be provided by synergistic antiviral action of drugs for battling SARS-CoV2 are currently underestimated Modern Atechnologies realized as text, data, and knowledge mining and analytics tools provide the researchers with unprecedented opportunities for â€œsmartâ€ design of drug combinations with synergistic antiviral activities The goal of this study is to emphasize the combination therapy as a potential treatment against COVID-19 and to utilize the combination of modern machine learning and Atechnologies with our expertise to select the most promising drug combinations with further experimental validation To the best of our knowledge, we are the first who applied the combination of data, text, and knowledge mining and modeling towards identification of drug combinations against SARS-CoV2 As a result, we have identified 281 combinations of 38 drugs that may serve as potential treatment for COVID-19 Among them, we selected twenty binary combinations that were submitted to experimental testing and twenty treble drug combinations that will be submitted for experimental testing as soon as necessary infrastructure will be developed We hope that this study will promote the combination therapy as an efficient treatment for COVID-19
Rising and sinking intruders in dense granular flows

The force driving intruder particles to rise or sink in dense granular beds is shown to obey a general scaling law that is reminiscent of Archimedes' buoyancy, but with additional dependence on the intruder to bed particle size ratio. Predictions match observations of rise-sink behavior over a wide range of flow conditions in various numerical and experimental flow configurations.
Formation of Ni-O-H-S surface phases on cathodically charged Ni

Abstract We investigate the formation of surface phases on nickel (Ni) during cathodic charging in 1 M H2SO4 solution. Using complementary characterization techniques, we show that these phases are aggregated into filamentary structures with a thickness of ∼150 nm and ∼30 % sample surface coverage. The phases are rich in Ni, O, H, and S, but free of C. Their surface potential is cathodic with respect to the surrounding Ni by ∼70 mV. We propose that these phases may be products of a reaction between the aqueous electrolyte and a metastable nickel surface hydride, assumed to form during cathodic charging. These findings stand to advance understanding of the catalytic activity of Ni cathodes, H uptake and embrittlement in Ni, and the onset of localized corrosion during cathodic charging.
Thickness-Dependent Microstructure in Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel

Widespread industrial adoption of metal additive manufacturing (AM) requires an in-depth understanding of microstructural evolution during AM. In this study, the effect of process parameters and feature thickness on the microstructures of 316L stainless steel components fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) was examined. A standard benchmark geometry developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which contained walls of 0.5, 2.5 and 5.0 mm in thickness, was used. Optical microscopy, finite element analysis, scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction revealed dramatic microstructural differences in features of different thickness within the same component. The feature thickness influenced the cooling rate, which in turn impacted the melt pool size, solidification microstructure, grain morphology and density of geometrically necessary dislocations. The relationship between feature size and grain morphology was dependent on the energy input used during LPBF. Such behavior suggested that local manipulation of LPBF process parameters can be employed to achieve microstructural homogeneity within the as-printed stainless steel components.
Venous thromboembolism

Incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in children is rapidly rising. Frequent use of central venous lines (CVLs) in children with a variety of disease processes has contributed to increased incidence of VTE. In addition, increased detection of VTE has been possible due to the availability of sensitive imaging studies such as Color Duplex/Doppler ultrasound, lineogram and venogram. Heightened awareness of congenital prethrombotic disorders may help identify children at higher risk of thrombosis. Anticoagulation with heparin, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and oral anticoagulant such as warfarin are used for the treatment of VTE. Thrombolytic therapy may be indicated in some cases. Clinical presentation, management and pathogenesis including role of congenital prethrombotic disorders in pediatric VTE are discussed.
Making Change Together: The Multi-Pronged, Systems Theory Approach to Law and Organizing that Fueled a Housing Justice Movement for Three-Quarter House Tenants in New York City

The overlapping consequences of mass incarceration, a sweeping opioid epidemic, and an unprecedented homelessness crisis culminated in the birth of an exploitative underground industry of unlicensed, unregulated housing — known as “three-quarter housing” — in New York City. Three-quarter houses are generally small buildings that hold themselves out as transitional housing “programs” even though they are not licensed or regulated by any government agency. In the aftermath of a government effort to reduce reliance on homeless shelters, three-quarter houses emerged as a new benchmark for housing of last resort for people with histories of incarceration, substance use, homelessness, and/or personal crisis. For people on parole and those transitioning out of residential substance use programs, three-quarter houses were often the only housing option available to them. A desperate need for housing sowed the seeds for a relentless enterprise of exploitation fueled by Medicaid fraud and systematic illegal evictions. The article discusses how tenants, lawyers, and organizers used law and community organizing to attack that enterprise. The article provides a background of what three-quarter houses are, the social, economic, and political context that gave rise to them, and the web of legal and practical problems caused by the systems that allowed them to flourish despite overt profiteering and a routine disregard of fundamental tenant rights. The central focus of the article is how tenants, lawyers, and organizers adopted the flexibility of a multi-pronged, utilitarian approach to law and organizing to demand accountability and build a tenant-driven movement for reform. The article chronicles the trajectory of that law and organizing endeavor through the prism of Lucie E. White’s “three visions” of activist lawyering to analyze its challenges, triumphs, and shortcomings. Ultimately, the goal of the article is to historicize the little-known struggle of three-quarter house tenants in New York City, to offer that experience as a tool for community-based lawyering, and to posit that a collaborative, systems theory approach grounded in utility and versatility — rather than a particular “model” of law and organizing — should be the paradigm for fusing the work of lawyers, organizers and affected people into a movement for transformative change.
An analysis of elementary prospective teachers’ noticing of student pattern generalization strategies in mathematics

In this study, hypothetical samples of students’ work on a task involving pattern generalizations were used to examine the characteristics of the ways in which 154 elementary prospective teachers (PSTs) paid attention to students’ work in mathematics. The analysis included what the PSTs attended to, their interpretations, and their suggestions for supporting students’ further learning. While the findings showed that the PSTs noticed a wide range of aspects of mathematical learning, their analyses of students’ thinking and their ideas for supporting students’ learning lacked sophistication. Also, there was considerable divergence between the students’ thinking as evidenced in the hypothetical problem solutions and the PSTs’ suggested support. Based on these findings, we provide some suggestions for teacher education.
Information Society, Domains, and Culture

Although there is much impressive scholarship by computer historians, there is little that is broad enough to cover more than a single company or a single country, and many historical studies are much narrower than this. In this article, William Aspray briefly describes a useful conceptual tool for thinking historically about information: the information domain, which is an academic field of study that gives prominence in one way or another to some notion of information. The main point of this discussion of information domains is to suggest that the historians of computing should become more familiar with the literature on the history of libraries, archives, museums, conservation, and information science and see how they can learn from and integrate this knowledge into their own work.
Ketamine and Phencyclidine

Ketamine and phencyclidine are chemically related to each other and have psychotropic effects similar to other prototypical hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamide. Both drugs have been abused since the 1970s and have become popular again in the 2000s, especially among young adults who are active in the club scene. Appealing effects described by users include visual hallucinations and changes in body image. A definitive physiological withdrawal syndrome does not appear to develop after stopping use of ketamine or phencyclidine. Repeated use may result in long-term psychiatric consequences, such as anxiety, depression, or psychosis. The analgesic and dissociative effects may result in injury or even death in users, and emergency department visits by users of these drugs have increased significantly in recent years. Treatment of abuse and dependence is often difficult due to the young age of most users and concurrent polysubstance abuse. This chapter discusses management of the physiological and psychological consequences of use, as well as treatment of addiction.
Auditor Independence as a Unique Equilibrium Response

This paper demonstrates how strong auditor independence, as defined by Antle (1984), can be achieved through an indirect reporting mechanism. A stylized principal-agent model based on Antle (1982) is analyzed. In the model, an owner hires a manager and an auditor. In the optimal contracts for the manager and the auditor, an equilibrium is desired where both the manager and the auditor provide high levels of effort and report their findings truthfully. However, two alternative equilibria exist where the auditor and the manager coordinate their strategies and perform tasks undesirable from the owner's perspective.Indirect reporting mechanisms are then constructed and shown to implement the owner's preferred equilibrium. The owner provides both the manager and the auditor an additional reporting signal. Each of the two signals removes one of the two undesirable equilibria. Because, in an equilibrium, neither the manager nor the auditor uses the additional signal or cheats, the additional signals are costless...
[Comment on “IPCC Report cautiously warns of potentially dramatic climate change impacts”] U.S. Administration reviewing Climate Policy

In a news article in the February 27, 2001 issue [Showstack, 2001] Mike MacCracken, a scientist with the U.S. Global Change Research Program, was quoted as supporting the view that land-use change is an important issue with respect to climate change. However, MacCracken is also quoted as stating that, “But for the 21st century, the kinds of changes that are projected for atmospheric composition are going to swamp anything due to land cover change.”
Intensity inhomogeneity correction in clinical pediatric spinal cord MRI images

Intensity inhomogeneity correction is one of the challenges in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Correction of intensity inhomogeneity for spinal cord images is more difficult than brain images because of the small size of homogeneous regions such as gray and white matter structures in a spinal cord. In this paper we present a pixel based correction method called Improved Adaptive Gamma Correction Method (IAGCM). Several qualitative and quantitative evaluations were tested on spinal cord images on seven healthy and three subjects with spinal cord injury. Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR) and Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for different parameters of “p” were considered as quantitative evaluation. Qualitative evaluations were performed by scoring of images by an independent board certified neuroradiologist on images applied with pseudo color transformation. Overall the results showed improvement in the CNR of the corrected images. In conclusion, the proposed IAGCM method is a simple method to implement and performed well in improving the image quality of spinal cord images.
Subretinal space and vitreous cavity as immunologically privileged sites for retinal allografts.

PURPOSE: Because immune rejection is likely to be a major barrier to successful retinal transplantation, it is important to determine whether immune privilege for allogeneic retinal grafts is a feature of the subretinal space and vitreous cavity. METHODS: Newborn neural retinas of C57BL/6 mice were implanted into the subretinal space, vitreous cavity, or subconjunctival space of eyes of adult BALB/c (disparate from C57BL/6 at major and minor histocompatibility loci). At postimplantation day 12, the recipients were evaluated for donor-specific delayed hypersensitivity and examined clinically and histologically for evidence of rejection. RESULTS: Newborn neural retinal allografts in the subconjunctival space were destroyed by postimplantation day 12 and these recipients displayed intense donor-specific delayed hypersensitivity. By contrast, grafts in the subretinal space and vitreous cavity at postimplantation day 12 were found to be well differentiated and with no evidence of inflammation; these recipients failed to display donor-specific delayed hypersensitivity. Moreover, their spleens contained regulatory T cells that suppressed donor-specific delayed hypersensitivity in naive syngeneic recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Allogeneic newborn neural retinal grafts implanted in the subretinal space and vitreous cavity experience immune privilege and induce deviant immune responses resembling anterior chamber associated immune deviation.
Model Ditching Investigations of Three Airplanes Equipped with Hydro-Skis

"Model investigations were made to determine the ditching characteristics of three typical multiengine airplanes equipped with possible arrangements of hydro-ski ditching gear. The behavior of the models was determined from visual observations, acceleration records, and motion pictures of the landings. Data are presented in tabular form and sequence photographs" (p. 1).
A Conspectus of Research on Copper Metabolism and Requirements of Man

Research is reviewed to indicate the omnipresence of copper in nature and the many roles it plays, for good or ill, in the human body. Findings are reported on the nature of copper proteins in tissues, and the absorption, transport, and excretion of copper. Also considered are the role of copper in the human diet, excesses or deficiencies, and copper metabolism in prenatal and postnatal life. Diseases or abnormalities associated with copper are discussed, including Menkes' disease, Wilson's disease, hypocupremia, hypercupremia, and copper toxicity
A proposed system for structured programming

There have been significant successes in the construction, verification, and maintenance of programs over the past few years using the approach usually referred to as "structured programming". However, most applications of this technique have not tackled problems in which the search space for possible solutions is very large -that is, problems in which there is not only a very large number of possible representations for the data and operations, but where there is also tremendous variation in the resulting usefulness and efficiency of the representations.
Thermal stability of the microstructure of an aged Nb-Zr-C alloy

The effects of thermal aging with and without an applied stress on the microstructure of a Nb-Zr-C alloy containing 0.9 wt percent Zr and 0.06 wt percent C were studied. Chemical analysis, metallographic examination, energy dispersive x-ray spectra of the bulk material, and chemical and x-ray analyses of the phase-extracted residue were used to characterize the microstructure. The samples examined were from a creep strength study involving hot and cold working, and various combinations of exposure to temperatures ranging from 1350 to 1755 K with and without applied load for times as long as 34,000 plus hours. The results showed that the initial microstructure consisted primarily of orthorombic precipitates of Nb sub 2 C which were partially or completely transformed to face-centered cubic carbides of nb and Zr, (Zr, Nb)C, upon prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures. Furthermore, it was found that the microstructure of the alloy is extremely stable owing to the very finely distributed precipitates throughout its matrix and along the grain boundaries. The lattice parameters of the cubic carbides were determed to vary from 0.458 to 0.465 nm as the Zr/Nb ratio varied from 38/62 to 75/25.
Ultrastructure of chromatin. I. Negative staining of isolated fibers

The ultrastructure of chromatin fibers isolated from erythrocyte nuclei of Necturus maculosus and contrasted with a number of negative stains is described. Long (greater than 1000 nm) fibers are prepared under ionic conditions that promote fiber integrity, fixed with glutaraldehyde and negatively stained with aurothioglucose, ammonium molybdate, methylamine tungstate, sodium phosphotungstate, uranyl acetate and a uranyl acetate-sodium phosphotungstate sequence. All stains yield images of ‘30 nm’ chromatin fibers, but aurothioglucose gives the most consistent diameter measurements (33 nm, S.D. 3.5 nm), and provides the clearest images of individual nucleosomes. Regions of fiber showing structural order are seen with all stains. The most commonly observed is a regular pattern of oblique cross-striations consistent with the visualization of the ‘top’ or ‘bottom’ of a helical structure. There is a significant relationship between fiber diameter and the cross-striation angle, consistent with an extensible chromatin fiber. Examination of power spectra prepared from selected ordered regions confirms the visual impressions, and indicates a striation spacing ranging from 11 nm to 18 nm, and dependent on the stain type. Fibers allowed to unfold slightly in a buffer containing 50 mM monovalent ions show evidence of a two-stranded helix-like organization. These results are discussed in terms of current models for the structure of the chromatin fiber.
Ubiquitylation of the initiator caspase DREDD is required for innate immune signalling

Caspases have been extensively studied as critical initiators and executioners of cell death pathways. However, caspases also take part in non-apoptotic signalling events such as the regulation of innate immunity and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). How caspases are activated under these conditions and process a selective set of substrates to allow NF-κB signalling without killing the cell remains largely unknown. Here, we show that stimulation of the Drosophila pattern recognition protein PGRP-LCx induces DIAP2-dependent polyubiquitylation of the initiator caspase DREDD. Signal-dependent ubiquitylation of DREDD is required for full processing of IMD, NF-κB/Relish and expression of antimicrobial peptide genes in response to infection with Gram-negative bacteria. Our results identify a mechanism that positively controls NF-κB signalling via ubiquitin-mediated activation of DREDD. The direct involvement of ubiquitylation in caspase activation represents a novel mechanism for non-apoptotic caspase-mediated signalling.
CANMAT Guidelines commentary: where does the evidence come from, and how can we use it for our patients?

Swann AC. CANMAT Guidelines commentary: where does the evidence come from, and how can we use it for our patients? Bipolar Disord 2013: 15: 45–49. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Social Support and Developmental Psychopathology

WHAT IS SOCIAL SUPPORT? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? 2 THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 5 SOCIAL SUPPORT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING 9 Dimensions of Social Support and Psychological Well-Being 12 SOCIAL SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 14 Social Support and the Origins of Developmental Psychopathology 14 Social Support and the Maintenance of Developmental Psychopathology 17 Social Support and the Treatment of Psychopathology 18 THE CONTINGENCIES OF SOCIAL SUPPORT EFFORTS 21 Sources of Support and the Needs of Support Providers 21 Recipient Reactions to Assistance 23 Cultural and Contextual Considerations 24 Clarity of Goals 26 Implications 27 CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS 29 REFERENCES 31
Chelation Studies with 2,3‐Dihydroxybenzoic Acid in Patients with β‐Thalassaemia Major

Summary. 2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid was evaluated as a potentially useful, orally effective iron-chelating drug by performing iron balance studies in patients with β-thalassaemia major. The administration of this substance at 25 mg/kg/d to five patients for 8 d caused an average increase in iron excretion of 4.5 mg/d. When the drug was administered at 25 mg/kg q.i.d. to eight patients for 21 d, iron excretion increased to 6.5 mg/d. Chelation was highly specific for iron with changes in magnesium and calcium excretion being insignificant. The drug was well tolerated with side effects limited to gastrointestinal complaints which ameliorated when the drug was taken with food. These studies provide a rationale for further evaluation of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid in patients with iron overload.
Recombination within the apospory specific genomic region leads to the uncoupling of apomixis components in Cenchrus ciliaris.

Apomixis enables the clonal propagation of maternal genotypes through seed. If apomixis could be harnessed via genetic engineering or introgression, it would have a major economic impact for agricultural crops. In the grass species Pennisetum squamulatum and Cenchrus ciliaris (syn. P. ciliare), apomixis is controlled by a single dominant “locus”, the apospory-specific genomic region (ASGR). For P. squamulatum, 18 published sequenced characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers have been identified which always co-segregate with apospory. Six of these markers are conserved SCARs in the closely related species, C. ciliaris and co-segregate with the trait. A screen of progeny from a cross of sexual × apomictic C. ciliaris genotypes identified a plant, A8, retaining two of the six ASGR-linked SCAR markers. Additional and newly identified ASGR-linked markers were generated to help identify the extent of recombination within the ASGR. Based on analysis of missing markers, the A8 recombinant plant has lost a significant portion of the ASGR but continues to form aposporous embryo sacs. Seedlings produced from aposporous embryo sacs are 6× in ploidy level and hence the A8 recombinant does not express parthenogenesis. The recombinant A8 plant represents a step forward in reducing the complexity of the ASGR locus to determine the factor(s) required for aposporous embryo sac formation and documents the separation of expression of the two components of apomixis in C. ciliaris.
Association between alcohol consumption and both osteoporotic fracture and bone density.

Abstract Objective Alcoholism is a risk factor for osteoporotic fractures and low bone density, but the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on bone are unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the associations between alcohol consumption and osteoporotic fractures, bone density and bone density loss over time, bone response to estrogen replacement, and bone remodeling. Methods MEDLINE, Current Contents, PsychINFO, and Cochrane Libraries were searched for studies published before May 14, 2007. We assessed quality using the internal validity criteria of the US Preventive Services Task Force. Results We pooled effect sizes for 2 specific outcomes (hip fracture and bone density) and synthesized data qualitatively for 4 outcomes (non-hip fracture, bone density loss over time, bone response to estrogen replacement, and bone remodeling). Compared with abstainers, persons consuming from more than 0.5 to 1.0 drinks per day had lower hip fracture risk (relative risk=0.80 [95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.91]), and persons consuming more than 2 drinks per day had higher risk (relative risk=1.39 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.79]). A linear relationship existed between femoral neck bone density and alcohol consumption. Because studies often combined moderate and heavier drinkers in a single category, we could not assess relative associations between alcohol consumption and bone density in moderate compared with heavy drinkers. Conclusion Compared with abstainers and heavier drinkers, persons who consume 0.5 to 1.0 drink per day have a lower risk of hip fracture. Although available evidence suggests a favorable effect of alcohol consumption on bone density, a precise range of beneficial alcohol consumption cannot be determined.
Review of The History of the Theory of Structures — From Arch Analysis to Computational Mechanics by Karl-Eugen Kurrer

Since the publication of Timoshenko’s “History of Strength of Materials” in 1953, few books have attempted to provide a broader view on the beginnings and growth of structural engineering. Heyman’s efforts at exploring advances in civil engineering led to the publication of a historical standpoint on structural analysis Heyman 2004 . About the same time, Becchi et al. 2003 published their “Essays on the History of Mechanics.” Increasing interest in the history of structural engineering is evidenced by the organization of the first world conference on “Historical Perspectives on Structural Analysis” held in Madrid, Spain, in December 2005. The recently published book by Karl-Eugen Kurrer examining “The History of the Theory of Structures” provides a fascinating and remarkable journey through concepts, connections, and controversies in the mechanics and theory of structural analysis. An earlier edition of the book, published in 2002 in German, was titled Geschichte der Baustatik. Kurrer divides the history of structural analysis into four distinctive periods: the preparatory period 1575-1825 beginning with Galileo and Hooke, followed by the contributions of Leibniz and Euler, and culminating with Coulomb; the discipline-formation period 1825-1900 which is attributed to Navier, Culmann, Maxwell, Winkler, Mohr, Castigliano, Muller-Breslau, and Kirpichev; the consolidation period 1900-1950 where structural analysis experienced a critical expansion largely due to the growth of reinforced concrete construction and later the development of shell theory; and finally the integration period 1950-present spurred by the development and growth of the finite element method. Though the early period dates back only to the 16th century, Kurrer does not overlook the contribution of Archimedes to developments in statics through his understanding of the lever. The book is composed of twelve engaging chapters. Following the introduction, we are presented with eleven introductory essays on topics ranging from statics to influence lines, from the displacement method to the paradox of the plastic hinge method, and from insights into the construction of viaducts to developments in bridge building. Chapter 3 seeks to understand the role of mechanics in the origins of fundamental engineering science. The writer contends that a “discourse between philosophy and the history of science” is essential to gain this understanding. The final building block in the development of mechanics was undoubtedly laid by Isaac Newton with the publication of Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy wherein Kurrer asserts that mechanics was separated from natural sciences. The theory and evolution of engineering science is believed to bring together
Regulated expression of genes inserted at the human chromosomal beta-globin locus by homologous recombination

Abstract We have examined the effect of the site of integration on the expression of cloned genes introduced into cultured erythroid cells. Smithies et al. [Smithies, O., Gregg, R.G., Boggs, S.S., Koralewski, M.A. & Kucherlapati, R.S. (1985) Nature (London) 317, 230-234] reported the targeted integration of DNA into the human beta-globin locus on chromosome 11 in a mouse erythroleukemia-human cell hybrid. These hybrid cells can undergo erythroid differentiation leading to greatly increased mouse and human beta-globin synthesis. By transfection of these hybrid cells with a plasmid carrying a modified human beta-globin gene and a foreign gene composed of the coding sequence of the bacterial neomycin-resistance gene linked to simian virus 40 transcription signals (SVneo), cells were obtained in which the two genes are integrated at the beta-globin locus on human chromosome 11 or at random sites. When we examined the response of the integrated genes to cell differentiation, we found that the genes inserted at the beta-globin locus were induced during differentiation, whereas randomly positioned copies were not induced. Even the foreign SVneo gene was inducible when it had been integrated at the beta-globin locus. The results show that genes introduced at the beta-globin locus acquire some of the regulatory properties of globin genes during erythroid differentiation.
Crystallization of beryllium-boron metallic glasses

Abstract Prior studies of evaporation and sputter deposition show that the grain size of pure beryllium can be dramatically refined through the incorporation of metal impurities. Recently, the addition of boron at a concentration greater than 11% is shown promote glass formation in sputter deposited beryllium. Here, thermally induced crystallization of the beryllium–boron metallic glass is reported. The samples are characterized during an in situ annealing treatment with bright field imaging and electron diffraction using transmission electron microscopy. A nanocrystalline structure evolves from the annealed amorphous phase and the crystallization temperature is affected by the boron concentration.
An exploratory study of body-accessibility.

A body-accessibility questionnaire was submitted to 168 male and 140 female unmarried college students. The aim was to determine the extent to which college students permit their parents and closest friends of each sex to see and touch their bodies, and the extent to which they have seen and touched the bodies of these ‘target-persons’. The bodies of the Ss and of the target-persons were reportedly more visually than tactually accessible. The greatest range of tactual interchange occurred between the Ss and their closest friends of the opposite sex. Significant relationships were found between the measures of seeing another's body and being seen by that person, and between touching the other's body, and being touched by him. The male Ss touched fewer regions of their mothers' bodies than were touched by their mothers, and they were not touched by their mothers on as many regions as the females were. The females exchanged physical contact on more areas of the body with their fathers than did the males. There was also significant correlation among the measures of contact with each of the target-persons under consideration, suggesting that body-accessibility is a personality trait. Protestant and Catholic females reported being touched by their boy friends on more body regions than did Jewish females. Ss who rated themselves as plain or unattractive reported being touched on less of their body surface than did Ss who rated themselves as average or attractive in appearance. There was much variability in body-accessibility associated with region of the body, and both sexes showed similarity in the regions which were most, and which were least accessible to the touch of others.
Cathepsin B contributes to bile salt-induced apoptosis of rat hepatocytes.

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Bile salt-induced apoptosis is mediated by a trypsin- like nuclear protease. The aims of this study were to identify this protease and to elucidate its mechanistic role in bile salt-induced hepatocyte apoptosis. METHODS: Rats, isolated rat hepatocytes, and a rat hepatoma cell line stably transfected with a bile salt transporter (McNtcp.24) were used for this study. RESULTS: In the bile duct-ligated rat, a threefold increase in apoptosis and a fourfold increase in trypsin-like nuclear protease activity were observed. The nuclear protease activity was purified from bile duct-ligated rats and identified as cathepsin B. Specific, structurally dissimilar cathepsin B inhibitors blocked glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC)-induced apoptosis in cultured rat hepatocytes. Furthermore, stable transfection of McNtcp.24 cells with the complementary DNA for cathepsin B in the antisense orientation reduced cathepsin B activity and GCDC-induced apoptosis by >75%. Next, cathepsin B cellular localization during apoptosis was determined by immunoblot analysis of nuclear cell fractions, immunocytochemistry, and by determining the compartmentation of expressed cathepsin B fused to green fluorescent protein. All three approaches showed translocation of cathepsin B from the cytoplasm to the nucleus during GCDC-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that translocation of cathepsin B from the cytoplasm to the nucleus is a mechanism contributing to bile salt-induced apoptosis of hepatocytes. (Gastroenterology 1997 Nov;113(5):1714-26)
Mitochondrial Dysfunction and NAD+ Metabolism Alterations in the Pathophysiology of Acute Brain Injury

Mitochondrial dysfunction is commonly believed to be one of the major players in mechanisms of brain injury. For several decades, pathologic mitochondrial calcium overload and associated opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore were considered a detrimental factor causing mitochondrial damage and bioenergetics failure. Mitochondrial and cellular bioenergetic metabolism depends on the enzymatic reactions that require NAD+ or its reduced form NADH as cofactors. Recently, it was shown that NAD+ also has an important function as a substrate for several NAD+ glycohydrolases whose overactivation can contribute to cell death mechanisms. Furthermore, downstream metabolites of NAD+ catabolism can also adversely affect cell viability. In contrast to the negative effects of NAD+-catabolizing enzymes, enzymes that constitute the NAD+ biosynthesis pathway possess neuroprotective properties. In the first part of this review, we discuss the role of MPT in acute brain injury and its role in mitochondrial NAD+ metabolism. Next, we focus on individual NAD+ glycohydrolases, both cytosolic and mitochondrial, and their role in NAD+ catabolism and brain damage. Finally, we discuss the potential effects of downstream products of NAD+ degradation and associated enzymes as well as the role of NAD+ resynthesis enzymes as potential therapeutic targets.
SOI digital CMOS VLSI—a design perspective

This paper reviews the recent advances of SOI for digital CMOS VLSI applications with particular emphasis on the design issues and advantages resulting from the unique SOI device structure. The technology/device requirements and design issues/challenges for high-performance, general-purpose microprocessor applications are differentiated with respect to low-power portable applications. Particular emphases are placed on the impact of floating-body in partially-depleted devices on the circuit operation, stability, and functionality. Unique SOI design aspects such as parasitic bipolar effect and hysteretic V/sub T/ variation are addressed. Circuit techniques to improve the noise immunity and global design issues are discussed.
Allozyme variation in the cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus)

We examined allozyme variation at 40 presumptive gene loci in 1,904 cotton mice ( Pero-myscus gossypinus ) from 62 locations throughout the range of the species. This species was highly variable: 92.7 percent of loci were polymorphic, observed heterozygosity per population ranged from 0.023 to 0.123 and averaged 0.088, and number of alleles per polymorphic locus averaged 5.6. The least variable populations were from the western part of the range, and the most variable were from the southeastern part. Virtually every population contained unique or rare alleles. Distribution of allozyme variation generally reflected geographic proximity rather than existing subspecies boundaries, with major differences between western, northeastern, southeastern, and insular populations. The most divergent populations were from Georgia and Florida sea islands, but drift alone could not explain this observation, because the largest number of unique alleles per population also occurred in these populations.
A Ventral Surgical Approach to the Anterior Tuberal Hypothalamus of the Rat with Specific Emphasis on Recovery

A vertical surgical approach to the tuberal hypothalamus through the basisphenoid bone which takes into account the vasculature of this region is described. After tracheotomy the floor of the basisphenoid bone is exposed and the basisphenoid sinus is recognized by its bluish color. The posterior limit of the internal pterygoid process serves as the landmark for the basisphenoid foramen which lies at the site for initial drilling and production of hemostasis. The tuberal hypothalamus is exposed as the basisphenoid is drilled away in two stages. Immediate post-operative intensive care includes retaining an endotracheal cannula until the swallowing reflex returns, and fluid replacement and antibiotic treatment. A mortality rate of 30% is usually observed. This technique permits discrete manipulation of the anterior tuberal hypothalamus under visual observation with no trauma to other regions of the hypothalamus or brain (Endocrinology 90: 1128, 1972)
Origin of Round-body Structures in the Orgueil Meteorite

MICROBIOLOGICAL examinations of carbonaceous meteorites have been conducted by Oro and Tornabene1. They discovered bacterial contamination on two carbonaceous chondrites but were unable to detect bacterial affinity for a third meteorite—the Orgueil. We therefore have chosen to examine the Orgueil meteorite2 because of this reported lack of bacterial contamination. Reports of biological materials and life-like objects associated with the Orgueil meteorite, as presented by Nagy and Claus and their co-workers3,4, have, however, aroused speculation as to whether they could be indigenous. To be cautious, one can always entertain the possibility of terrestrial contamination or artefacts created during treatment of the meteorite. Because there is ample evidence for biogenic substances existing in the Orgueil meteorite5, evaluation of their origin would seem to be the next step to take. To investigate the problem of contamination, we have attempted ultra-thin sectioning of mineral pieces of the Orgueil meteorite. Nagy has advised us that any biological-like structures firmly embedded in the mineral matrix of the meteorite obviously could not be caused by contamination.
Temporary Vaccine Recommendations and Provider Compliance: A Survey of Pediatric Practices During the 2003–2004 Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Shortage

OBJECTIVE. Heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was in short supply from December 2003 to August 2004. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians made recommendations to providers to withhold third and fourth doses of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to ensure availability for those at highest risk. Previous studies of vaccine shortages have demonstrated that provider compliance with temporary recommendations is low. The objective of this study was to collect timely data about awareness and adherence to temporary recommenda- tions and current supply status of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in pediatric practices. METHODS. A 2-phase telephone survey of pediatric practices was conducted during a 10-week period during the 2003-2004 heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine shortage. Immunization nurses at randomly selected sites with physician-members of the American Academy of Pediatrics were asked a series of questions. RESULTS. In both study phases, 90% of participating practices were aware of the recommendations and reported adhering to the recommendations. In phase 1, practices with insufficient supply were more likely to implement recommendations than practices with sufficient supply. Participants identified health departments and Wyeth Vaccines as the most common sources of information. At least 65% of the practices in each phase reported use of tracking systems for children who missed doses. CONCLUSIONS. Most pediatric practices surveyed were aware of the shortage and were implementing the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine recommendations. Simplified recommendations and collaborative efforts to develop and widely dissem- inate interim recommendations may result in increased compliance by providers. Pediatrics 2008;122:e835-e840
Experimental System and Validation for Energy-Based Characterization

This paper presents the experimental system and experimental validation of an energy-based characterization for the identification of elastic constants. Unlike the standard uniaxial testing machine, which uses a contact strain sensor such as extensometer, the developed system uses a non-contact optic sensor as an advantage to measure and derive external work and strain measurements for characterizing the elastic constants. To investigate the validity of the energy-based characterization, a graphical user interface and the experimental system were developed for the tensile tests of aluminum open-hole specimens. During the validation, the means and variances of the characterization results were analyzed. The reliability of its recursive estimation was further investigated by the convergence of covariance at every new measurement. Results showed that the recursive estimation allows identification of elastic constants of a test coupon at every acquisition of sensor data in an online manner. The identification of all the constants during deformation thus demonstrated the overall validity and efficiency of the energy-based characterization.© 2011 ASME
Control of immune homeostasis by naturally arising regulatory CD4+ T cells

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (TR) cells are essential negative regulators of multiple immune functions. Their development and function are critically dependent on the forkhead transcription factor Foxp3. IL-2R-derived signals are also required for their maturation and/or proliferation. Expression of the TNF receptor family member GITR appears to define this naturally arising, thymically derived lineage more accurately than CD25. TR cells suppress virtually all forms of immune responsiveness investigated to date, including both adaptive and innate immunity. TR cells are capable of robust antigen-driven proliferation in vivo, and may participate in clonal expansion in response to infection, similar to all other adaptive immune lineages.
The Emerging Role of Sociological Consultation in the Field of Community Mental Health

One of the most innovative features of the community mental health movement is its expansion to include other than the traditional mental health personnel. It seems most appropriate now that the sociologist be among the new manpower resources put to use by the various agencies concerned with the community mental health movement. In this regard, it is necessary that both professionals and lay people working in mental health be made aware of what the sociologist can contribute to the mental health movement. Sociological services relative to the comprehensive community mental health centers, to other mental health agencies, and to lay and professional persons concerned with mental health are described. The emergence of this role will not be without problems, several of which are described here.
Societal Aging and Generational Dependency Relationships Problems of Measurement and Conceptualization

The purpose of this study was to assess the current controversy of support for our rapidly aging population over the next 60 years and the assumptions and measurements used in the discussions of "dependency ratios" that are central to the debate. The President's Commission on Pension Policy is critiqued, as is the possible social security change in receiving full benefits from 65 to 68 years of age. Labor force dependency ratios and society dependency ratios are projected to the year 2050 in order to demonstrate that demographic shifts do not represent any significant increase in the total proportion of groups outside of the "productive" components of the population. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Analysis of Higher Order Intermediates and Synapsis in the Bent-L Pathway of Bacteriophage λ Site-specific Recombination

Abstract The integrase protein of bacteriophage λ mediates recombination via four distinct pathways. The recent in vitro reconstitution of the efficient bidirectional reaction between two attLtenP′1 target sites now allows comparisons of this pathway, known as the bent-L pathway, with the inefficient bidirectional straight-L pathway and with the efficient but unidirectional pathways of integration and excision. To this end, a series of higher order intermediates of the bent-L pathway was characterized using gel mobility shift assays, two-dimensional gel analysis, and footprinting. The analysis spans the initial binding of proteins to individual DNA target sites, synapsis of two partner DNA targets, and strand exchange. This study identifies a presynaptic “checkpoint” of recombination. It shows that synapsis is a slow step in the recombination reaction, while subsequent strand exchange is comparatively fast. Synaptic complexes contain a preponderance of recombinant products, suggesting that an energetically favorable but somewhat subtle conformational change drives strand exchange. In addition, comparison of wild-type integrase with a catalytically defective mutant of integrase, IntF, showed that, in addition to the catalysis defect, this mutant has different DNA-binding properties than the wild-type protein.
Interpretation of distributed-feedback-laser spectrum using reflection properties of Bloch waves

We demonstrate that the phase and amplitude of the reflection coefficient for Bloch waves can be useful tools in understanding and predicting the spectral characteristics of distributed-feedback lasers. We further apply the Bloch wave formalism for engineering the asymmetry of the spectral response with respect to the gap through a judicious termination of the laser facets.
Government and democracy in Mexico's Federal District, 1997-2001: Cárdenas, the PRD and the curate's egg

This paper analyses the challenges facing the Partido de la Revolucion Democratica (PRD) administration when it became the first elected government of the Federal District in 1997. Through a daily review of press coverage between December 1997–December 2000, complemented by intensive interviewing during summer 1999, five areas of policy-making activity are analysed and evaluated. The policies entrained and their outcomes show significant advances in decentralization, devolution, and intergovernmental liaison, as well as modest improvements in environmental contamination and reduced crime, although they did not meet the high expectations generated during the Cardenas campaign for election. However, the fresh image and invigorated confidence that his replacement Rosario Robles brought to the PRD was key in the PRD’s success in the July 2nd 2000 DF elections won by Lopez Obrador. The new administration will have to confront a more plural government structure, including five of the sixteen delegaciones and an evenly divided Legislative Assembly. Lopez Obrador has a full six years in which to prove that a left-of-centre political party is capable of developing a ‘Third Way’ of governance in the DF.