cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differences in vaping topography in relation to adherence to exclusive electronic cigarette use in veterans.

Background Understanding vaping patterns of electronic cigarette (EC) use is important to understand the real-life exposure to EC vapor. Long term information on vaping topography in relation to tobacco cigarette (TC) smoking cessation success has not been explored. Methods Observational non-blinded study where active TC smokers were asked to replace TC with EC over 4 weeks (replacement phase, RP) followed by exclusive EC use for an additional 12 weeks (maintenance phase, MP). TC use and EC compliance was monitored weekly. Subjects were classified as success or failure whether or not they completed the protocol. Vaping information was stored and downloaded directly from the EC device and averaged per calendar day for analysis. Results From 25 subjects that followed the protocol, sixteen succeeded in completing the RP and 8 the MP (32%). No significant differences in baseline characteristics were noted between subjects in the success and failure groups including markers of nicotine addiction, plasma cotinine levels or smoking history. Success subjects showed significantly longer puff duration (seconds per vape) and total overall vapor exposure (number of vapes x average vape duration or vape-seconds) in both study phases. Furthermore, subjects in the success group continued to increase the number of vapes, device voltage and wattage significantly as they transitioned into the MP. After an initial drop, subjects in the success group were able to regain plasma cotinine levels comparable to their TC use while subjects in the failure group could not. Cotinine levels significantly correlated with the average number of daily vapes and vapes-seconds, but not with other vaping parameters. Conclusion The topography of smokers who adhere to exclusive EC use reflects a progressive and dynamic device adaptation over weeks to maintain baseline cotinine levels. The higher inhaled volume over time should be considered when addressing the potential toxic effects of EC and the variable EC adherence when addressing public health policies regarding their use.
LH receptors in the ovine corpus luteum during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy.

Luteinizing hormone (LH) appears to be the endocrine factor responsible for the stimulation of progesterone secretion in ovine luteal tissue (1,2,3). The action of LH is mediated, presumably, via binding to a hormone-specific membrane associated receptor (4) and a subsequent increase in synthesis of cAMP and steroidogenesis (5). However, the precise details of the mechanisms whereby LH regulates progesterone secretion are not known. Current concepts suggest that the primary factor regulating the quantity of progesterone secreted from the corpus luteum is the number of luteal receptors for LH which are occupied by this gonadotropic hormone. In sheep, serum concentrations of LH are at their lowest levels during the mid-luteal phase of the estrous cycle when progesterone secretion is maximal (6,7). Therefore, the total number of luteal receptors for LH or the affinity of the receptor for LH must increase during the mid-luteal phase of the cycle if the number of LH receptors occupied by endogenous hormone is to increase. Similarly, since progesterone secretion remains high during early pregnancy, even though serum levels of LH remain low, it seems likely that the total number of receptors occupied by LH will remain high during this reproductive state.
Anti-Casein Antibodies in the Serum of Patients with Al Amyloidosis

The casein model ie, the induction of amyloidosis in mice by repeated injection of casein, has commonly been used to study the pathogenesis of amyloidosis, and it has been presumed to be comparable to secondary (AA) amyloidosis in man. The mouse immune response to casein has been extensively investigated: low levels of anti-casein antibodies have been detected in the serum of mice injected with casein. Such low immune response has been attributed to oral tolerization by the substantial amount of casein present in normal mouse chow diet. An experimental system equivalent to primary (AL) amyloid disease in man has not been demonstrated, and the possible role of dietary casein in this disease has not been thoroughly investigated. We report the results of an investigation of serum anti-casein antibodies in patients with amyloidosis. 35 patients with AL amyloidosis, 39 with plasma cell dyscrasias apparently not associated with amyloidosis and 10 normal individuals were screened for anti-casein antibodies by an ELISA method. Low levels of anti-casein antibodies were found in 80% of patients with amyloidosis, significantly (p <0.001) higher than in patients with plasma cell dyscrasias (38%) or normal individuals (30%). The possible significance of these anti-casein antibodies present in low concentrations in a high percentage of patients with AL amyloidosis is discussed.
Rolling Stock: Locomotives and Rail Cars

A snapshot of the rolling stock manufacturing industry, both in the U.S. and in selected foreign countries. Includes multiple tables on the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, and Russia.
The effects of pressure and flow on hemolysis caused by Bio-Medicus centrifugal pumps and roller pumps. Guidelines for choosing a blood pump.

Two Bio-Medicus BP-50 centrifugal pumps and two roller pumps were tested simultaneously with porcine blood at 21° ± 1° C in four in vitro circuits to determine the effect of four combinations of flow and pressure conditions on blood damage. Flows of 300 ml/min (¼-inch inner-diameter tubing in the roller pump) and 1775 ml/min (½-inch inner-diameter tubing in the roller pump) and pressure differences across the pump (∆P = outlet pressure – inlet pressure) of 215 mm Hg (n = 6) and 345 mm Hg (n = 5) were examined. The index of hemolysis (milligrams plasma hemoglobin per 100 L blood pumped) for the BP-50 pump was higher at a flow of 300 ml/min than at a flow of 1775 ml/min (p J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1993;106:997-1007)
Cyclic AMP signaling in Dictyostelium promotes the translocation of the copine family of calcium-binding proteins to the plasma membrane

Copines are calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding proteins found in many eukaryotic organisms and are thought to be involved in signaling pathways that regulate a wide variety of cellular processes. Copines are characterized by having two C2 domains at the N-terminus accompanied by an A domain at the C-terminus. Six copine genes have been identified in the Dictyostelium genome, cpnA – cpnF. Independent cell lines expressing CpnA, CpnB, CpnC, CpnE, or CpnF tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were created as tools to study copine protein membrane-binding and localization. In general, the GFP-tagged copine proteins appeared to localize to the cytoplasm in live cells. GFP-tagged CpnB, CpnC, and CpnF were also found in the nucleus. When cells were fixed or when live cells were treated with calcium ionophore, the GFP-tagged copine proteins were found associated with the plasma membrane and vesicular organelles. When starved Dictyostelium cells were stimulated with cAMP, which causes a transitory increase in calcium concentration, all of the copines translocated to the plasma membrane, but with varying magnitudes and on and off times, suggesting each of the copines has distinct calcium-sensitivities and/or membrane-binding properties. In vitro membrane binding assays showed that all of the GFP-tagged copines pelleted with cellular membranes in the presence of calcium; yet, each copine displayed distinct calcium-independent membrane-binding in the absence of calcium. A lipid overlay assay with purified GFP-tagged copine proteins was used to screen for specific phospholipid-binding targets. Similar to other proteins that contain C2 domains, GFP-tagged copines bound to a variety of acidic phospholipids. CpnA, CpnB, and CpnE bound strongly to PS, PI(4)P, and PI(4,5)P2, while CpnC and CpnF bound strongly to PI(4)P. Our studies show that the Dictyostelium copines are soluble cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins that have the ability to bind intracellular membranes. Moreover, copines display different membrane-binding properties suggesting they play distinct roles in the cell. The transient translocation of copines to the plasma membrane in response to cAMP suggests copines may play a specific role in chemotaxis signaling.
Active-Passive Dynamic Consensus Filters With Reduced Information Exchange and Time-Varying Agent Roles

Active-passive dynamic consensus filters consist of agents subject to local observations of a process (i.e., active agents) and agents without any observations (i.e., passive agents). The key feature of these filters is that they enable the states of all agents to converge to the average of the observations only sensed by the active agents. Two sweeping generalizations can be made about existing active-passive dynamic consensus filters: 1) they utilize integral action-based distributed control algorithms such that each agent is required to continuously exchange both its current state and integral state information with its neighbors; and 2) they assume that the roles of active and passive agents are fixed ; hence, these roles do not change with respect to time. The contribution of this paper is to introduce and analyze a new class of active-passive dynamic consensus filters using results from graph theory and systems science. Specifically, the proposed filters only require agents to exchange their current state information with neighbors in a simple and isotropic manner to reduce the overall information exchange cost of the network. In addition, we allow the roles of active and passive agents to be time-varying for making these filters suitable for a wide range of multiagent systems applications. We show that the proposed active-passive dynamic consensus filters enable the states of all agents to converge to an user-adjustable neighborhood of the average of the observations sensed by a time-varying set of active agents. We also generalize our results using event-triggered control theory such that agents schedule information exchange dependent on errors exceeding user-defined thresholds ( not continuously). This generalization allows agents to further reduce the overall cost of interagent information exchange and to determine when to broadcast their information to their neighbors thus eliminating the need to synchronize their states. Four illustrative numerical examples and one experimental study are also presented to demonstrate our theoretical findings.
Development and evaluation of an immersive virtual reality system for medical imaging of the ear

Immersive, stereoscopic displays may be instrumental to better interpreting 3-dimensional (3D) data. Further- more, the advent of commodity-level virtual reality (VR) hardware has made this technology accessible for meaningful applications, such as medical education. Accordingly, in the current work we present a commodity- level, immersive simulation for interacting with human ear anatomy. In the simulation, users may interact simultaneously with high resolution computed tomography (CT) scans and their corresponding, 3D anatomical structures. The simulation includes: (1) a commodity level, immersive virtual environment presented by the Oculus CV1, (2) segmented 3D models of head and ear structures generated from a CT dataset, (3) the ability to freely manipulate 2D and 3D data synchronously, and (4) a user-interface which allows for free exploration and manipulation of data using the Oculus touch controllers. The system was demonstrated to 10 otolaryngolo- gists for evaluation. Physicians were asked to supply feedback via both questionnaire and discussion in order to determine the efficacy of the current system as well as the most pertinent applications for future research.
Reconstructing $d$-manifold subcomplexes of cubes from their $(\lfloor d/2 \rfloor + 1)$-skeletons

In 1984, Dancis proved that any $d$-dimensional simplicial manifold is determined by its $(\lfloor d/2 \rfloor + 1)$-skeleton. This paper adapts his proof to the setting of cubical complexes that can be embedded into a cube of arbitrary dimension. Under some additional conditions (for example, if the cubical manifold is a sphere), the result can be tightened to the $\lceil d/2 \rceil$-skeleton when $d \geq 3$.
Abstract 869: Molecular characterization of a pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) mouse model harboring the H3.3 G34R mutation

Pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) accounts for 8-12% of central nervous system tumors and has a 90% mortality rate. Consequently, novel therapies are needed to advance treatment options and improve survival rates. A means to do this is through designing a mouse model that accurately mirrors pHGG in humans to further study this type of pHGG and design treatment options. We focused on the analysis of pHGG harboring mutations on histone H3.3 at glycine 34 (H3.3 G34R) in combination with ATRX and TP53 mutations. We generated a mouse model for pHGG using the sleeping-beauty transposase system and the delivery of plasmids into the sub-ventricular zone of neonatal mice. This results in the transposon-mediated integration of the genetic lesions into the brain cells, thereby allowing the generation of tumors with the desired molecular alterations. Two groups of mice have been developed; the control group (WT H3.3 group) bears tumors generated with the NRASV12 overexpression and two shRNA that target the Tp53 and Atrx genes. The H3.3 G34R group of mice harbors tumors generated with NRASV12 expression, sh-TP53, sh-ATRX, and H3.3 G34R expression. RNA-sequencing was carried out to analyze the transcriptome signature associated with the H3.3 G34R tumor phenotype. Several genes related to the activation of the immune response were differentially upregulated in the H3.3 G34R tumors, such as Ciita, CD74, and Irfl, amongst others. Some of these deregulated genes were validated by immunohistochemistry. Understanding the tumor transcriptome and characterizing the tumor’s immune microenvironment are crucial for the development of gene and immune therapies designed to target H3.3 G34R pHGG. Citation Format: Matthew J. Whalen, Maria B. Garcia-Fabiani, Felipe J. Nunez, Pedro R. Lowenstein, Maria G. Castro. Molecular characterization of a pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) mouse model harboring the H3.3 G34R mutation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 869.
Herbal formula MaZiRenWan (Hemp Seed Pill) for constipation: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Abstract Background There is growing interest in using herbal supplements to treat constipation; however, little evidence exists for their use. Purpose This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of herbal formula MaZiRenWan (Hemp Seed Pill, HSP) in patients with functional or non-functional constipation. Study Design Systematic review and meta-analysis Methods PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang were searched through April 20, 2020 for randomized trials of HSP versus placebo or medications for all types of constipation. The primary outcomes were complete response rate, complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM), patient-reported satisfactory treatment rate (prSTR), and adverse events (AEs). Clinical data were analyzed using a random-effects model, and the quality of evidence was evaluated with the GRADE system. Results This review includes 1681 constipation patients from 17 moderate-to-high risk of bias trials that were conducted in east Asia. Two high-quality trials showed that HSP compared with placebo significantly increased weekly CSBM (mean difference, 0.95; 95% CI: 0.56, 1.35) and had a higher complete response rate (risk ratio [RR], 1.43; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.71) in patients with functional constipation. Low-quality evidence showed significant improvement in prSTR in HSP compared with conventional medications (RR, 1.79; 95% CI: 1.42, 2.25). Additionally, HSP use did not increase AEs compared with no HSP (p = 0.99). Conclusions This study found that HSP was effective among Asian patients with functional constipation. Rigorous trials need to be conducted in clinical populations outside of east Asia and in those with non-functional constipation to increase the generalizability of the evidence.
Outokumpu and the Rights of 'Non-Signatories'

The fraught question of the rights and liabilities of "non-signatories" in arbitration continues to exercise courts and commentators. The Supreme Court, as part of its endless fascination with the arbitral process, recently made its own contribution in the Outokumpu case. Outokumpu seemed to raise a wide variety of issues---the signature requirement of the New York Convention, the rights of third parties under the Convention, the relevance of "equitable estoppel," and the applicable law that governs that issue. In a dispiritingly unadventuresome opinion, a unanimous Court decided few of these---yet what the Court gives us is clearly in line with current jurisprudence and with the ALI's recent Restatement project on international commercial arbitration, This short piece was written as a contribution to a festschrift in honor of Professor George Bermann---who, in addition to his extensive body of work, has been the guiding force behind the Restatement and so instrumental in bringing it to fruition.
Searching State Spaces

The goal of an agent in artificial intelligence is (often) to reach a particular class of states (e.g., a winning state in chess), or to reach a state with high “desirability” based on specific criteria defined by the application at hand.
Suprasternal Access for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Approximately 5% of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are not candidates for transfemoral (TF) access and existing alternative access strategies are imperfect. Suprasternal access is an alternative access technique where the innominate artery is cannulated from a small incision above the sternal notch. This technique provides excellent visualization of the innominate artery and the transcatheter valve can be aligned coaxially with the native aortic valve with minimal catheter angulation. Clinical outcomes with suprasternal TAVR have proven comparable to traditional TF TAVR, yet there are no head-to-head studies comparing different alternative access platforms against suprasternal access. Herein, we provide a visual review of the surgical technique and procedural steps, followed by a brief discussion of pre-procedural planning and the existing clinical data regarding this alternative access strategy.
Can peer-to-peer accommodations act as lodging a stepping-stone for mega-events?

Abstract As cities bid for large-scale conventions, they are frequently thwarted by not having sufficient lodging capacity. At the same time, adding new hotels can have negative long-term effects on the city's lodging industry. Drawing on choice theory, this study postulates that one viable solution may be peer-to-peer accommodations, especially during the recovery stage of the post-COVID-19 environment. In this work, researchers conducted a two-part survey of 1212 participants. Results indicate that there were both business and leisure participants whose first choice was a P2P accommodation (20% business: 35% leisure). Between hotel and P2P accommodation travelers, though, there was a significant difference. For those who indicated that a peer-to-peer accommodation was their first choice, location, number of reviews, and star rating were ranked as the most important aspects of an accommodation. The relative importance of the variables differed by type of accommodation (e.g., shared room, etc.).
Calorespirometric studies of in vitro-grown carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L. var. ‘Improved White Sim’) shoot tips

This study characterizes a potential model system for the use of calorespirometry to make rapid and non-destructive estimations of in vitro responses of carnation. Determinations of steady-state heat production rates, long-term heat rate stability, base trap limitations, effects of wounding and the predictions of dry mass accumulation using calorespirometric measurements were undertaken. Carnation shoot tips grown in vitro provide stable and adequately large heat production rates that vary linearly depending on dry mass. Wounding of tissues had inconsistent effects on RCO2, but greatly increased q. Linear relationships were found between dry mass and both q and RCO2.
The Beginning Years

So passed his wonderful student days. My father had worked hard, the doctoral exam was done cum laude, and on 24 January 1875 he was conferred his doctor’s degree in mathematics and physics based on his thesis, ‘Investigation of the Vibration of a Membrane’. For the first time, father had to deal with the issue of what he wanted to become. His father had already decided that his son, my father, should become a teacher. But my father wanted nothing to do with that. ‘Teacher at a school?’ Although his father was very angry at this rejection, my father felt that that was neither his calling nor what suited him. The teaching profession was something that the Kapteyns had ingrained in us children since birth, but it was time that the younger Kapteyn realized that he would now have to find his own way through life.
Chapter 25. Prospects for Gene Therapy

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of gene therapy. The first example of directed genetic change to be discovered was transformation. Pneumococci of one capsular specificity were stably transformed into those of a second specificity by a principle extracted from the latter. The subsequent discovery that this transforming principle is DNA was the first demonstration that DNA is genetic material. Although much has been learned about the process in bacteria, the reports of transformation in mammalian cells have not been reproducible. One major obstacle is that mammalian cells contain deoxyribonucleases that degrade foreign DNA. This obstacle is circumvented by DNA viruses, which have a protective outer coat. This coat has been dissociated from the DNA of polyoma virus and used to enclose foreign (mouse) DNA to protect the latter during its delivery to human cells. Isolation of gene-specific DNA has been accomplished in bacteria. If the messenger RNA for a specific protein can be isolated even in small amounts, it could be used as a template for synthesis of the homologous DNA, with reverse transcriptase as the catalytic agent. If the messenger RNA were not available, knowledge of the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide chain and consideration of the genetic code might be employed to construct the appropriate artificial gene.
Altering beta-cell phospholipid composition affects diabetic beta-cell dysfunction (796.15)

Liberation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or arachidonic acid (AA) from membrane phospholipids is the first step in eicosanoid biosynthesis. Previously, we showed that production of the AA-derived ...
Pro-producer regulation and accounting for assets: The case of electric utilities☆

Abstract This paper's thesis is that rate-of-return regulation of the electric utility industry was a pro-producer regulatory policy, and that supra-competitive returns were earned by regulated utilities even while their accounting rate-of-returns met the ‘fair’ return constraint established by law. It is argued that this was accomplished by using the accounting system to revalue upward the asset bases of regulated utilities. The empirical results support this hypothesis in that utilities regulated by state commissions had abnormally high book values for their assets compared with unregulated utilities in 1917 and 1922.
Superconducting RF Cryomodule Demagnetization

This note presents measurements that support the proposition that it is feasible to demagnetize a fully assembled superconducting RF cryomodule.
Evaluation of a brief intervention to reduce the negative consequences of drug misuse among adult emergency department patients.

Abstract Objectives Determine if a brief intervention (BI) reduces the negative consequences of drug use/misuse among adult emergency department (ED) patients, and identify patients more likely to benefit from the BI. Methods This randomized, controlled trial enrolled 1026 18–64 year-old ED patients whose drug misuse indicated a needed for a BI. Differences in total Inventory of Drug Use Consequences (InDUC) scores between the treatment (BI) and control arms (no BI) were assessed every 90 days over a one-year period. Regression models were constructed to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with greater reductions in total InDUC scores. Results Although total InDUC scores decreased for both the treatment and control arms, there were no differences in scores between the treatment and the control arms at baseline at each follow-up. In the regression analyses, participants who were not using drugs or received drug treatment in the past 90 days generally had lower InDUC scores at each follow-up. Conclusions Although negative consequences decreased in both study arms over time, receiving a BI did not lead to a greater reduction in the negative consequences of drug misuse than not receiving a BI. Of importance in the design of future ED drug misuse interventions, participants who were successful in stopping their drug misuse or receiving drug treatment did show fewer negative consequences of drug use/misuse.
Integrin-binding peptides containing RGD produce coronary arteriolar dilation via cyclooxygenase activation.

Integrin binding by Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing peptides has been shown to alter vascular tone in a variety of blood vessels and has been implicated as a mechanism of vasoregulation during tissue ...
Treatment of cervicitis during pregnancy

Abstract 1. 1. Cervicitis and its attendant leucorrhea are a real problem in pregnancy, because of the greater discomfort and because of the traditional fear of premature labor if any therapeutic measure, even a douche is used. 2. 2. The absence of evidence in the literature suggests that the dangers of treating the gravid cervix are exaggerated. 3. 3. In the experiment reported, the actual cautery was used to cure the nongonorrheal cervicitis of 48 women between the twentieth and thirtieth weeks of pregnancy. The results, both subjectively and objectively, were good. 4. 4. There was no premature induction of labor, and comparison with 140 controls revealed no significant change in the length of labor, the incidence of operative delivery, or the morbidity. Since the cauterizations were done on the diseased cervix and the control cases were relatively healthy, these data seem to be favorable for the treated cases. 5. 5. While the actual cautery is not to be recommended routinely or to untrained individuals, it appears that cervicitis during pregnancy may be treated successfully and safely.
Semantics, Culture, and Cognition: Human Concepts in Culture-Specific Configurations

Semantics, Culture, and Cognition: Human Concepts in Culture-Specific Configurations. Anna Wierzbicka. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. 487 pp.
An expert system for determining government relocation allowances

Abstract We describe an expert system whose rule base is a formalization of the subset of the federal travel regulations on relocation allowances. Its purpose is to help government employees making a permanent change of station to identify the reimbursable expenses associated with that change of station. We discuss the structure of the regulations, the implications of this structure for the rule base and inference engine, and the components of the user interface.
1H, 13C and 15N assignments of the holo-acyl carrier protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) are a group of highly conserved and abundant proteins in bacteria. ACPs play a central role as the acyl group carriers in bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis, providing building blocks for membrane biogenesis and the production of secondary metabolites. In the versatile human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, three ACP homologs have been identified. One homolog, AcpP, exhibits the strongest sequence homology to the canonical Escherichia coli ACP. Here we report the 1H, 13C and 15N assignments of the holo-AcpP of P. aeruginosa.
Surgical Results in Ocular Trauma Involving the Posterior Segment

Of 106 eyes with trauma involving the posterior segment, 12 could not be repaired, 74 were treated with vitrectomy, and 20 without vitrectomy. Fifty-five eyes (52%) achieved functional success (defined as a final visual acuity of 6/30 [20/100] or better or as a postoperative improvement in visual acuity from light perception or worse to 6/240 [5/200] or better), 16 (15%) attained anatomic success (attached retinas and generally clear media) but were functional failures, and 35 (33%) were both anatomic and functional failures. The prognosis was better in cases with intraocular foreign bodies and worse in cases with retinal detachments, marked vitreous hemorrhage, and large scleral lacerations. Traumatic involvement of the lens did not appear to affect the prognosis. Prophylactic scleral buckling appeared to lessen the incidence of postoperative retinal detachment. The eyes that underwent vitrectomy within 14 days of the injury had a better final visual outcome than those that underwent later vitrectomy.
Parenting predictors of relational aggression among Puerto Rican and European American school-age children

Abstract The relationship between parenting and physical aggression is well established. However, less consideration has been given to parenting and relational aggression. The present study investigated four aspects of maternal parenting – overreactivity, laxness, positive affect and negative affect – and their relationships to relational aggression, in a sample of ethnically and socioeconomically diverse families. In the overall sample, positive maternal affect predicted less relational aggression, and negative maternal affect predicted more relational aggression. Laxness was associated with relational aggression in girls. For European American participants, negative affect, overreactivity, and laxness predicted relational aggression, whereas these relationships did not hold for Puerto Rican families. When parenting predictors were considered together, negative affect emerged as the most consistent predictor of relational aggression. Results suggest the need for more research on predictors of relational aggression, and for continued consideration of gender and ethnicity.
Consciousness and the social mind

Phenomenal consciousness and social cognition are interlocking capacities, but the relations between them have yet to be systematically investigated. In this paper, I begin to develop a theoretical and empirical framework for such an investigation. I begin by describing the phenomenon known as social pain: the affect associated with the perception of actual or potential damage to one's interpersonal relations. I then adduce a related phenomenon known as affective contagion: the tendency for emotions, moods, and other affective states to spread from person to person in social contexts. Experimental studies of these two phenomena suggest that affective consciousness depends on perception of the social world in much the same way that it depends on perception of the body - in short, that consciousness is 'socially embodied'. In the second part of the paper I argue that the distinctive sociality of our species, especially its moral dimension, rests heavily on our ability to represent the conscious states of others. In closing, I put these ideas together and show how they point to a circular causal-mechanistic nexus between consciousness and social mindedness.
Role of estrogen in the restoration of LH release following stimulation of partially deafferented hypothalamus in rat.

Abstract Stimulation of LH release following electrochemical stimulation (EC) of median eminence-arcuate region (ME-ARC) during various stages of 5-day estrous cycle of rat has been studied. On day 2 post-ovulation (diestrus II), when the vaginal smear consisted of leucocytes, elevations in plasma LH as a result of ME-ARC stimulation were minimal. With the change in vaginal smear to nucleated epithelial cells on day 3 (proestrus I) and cornified cells on day 4 (proestrus II) post-ovulation EC stimulation induced significantly higher elevations in plasma LH than those obtained following stimulation on diestrus II. To determine whether neural links between medial preoptic area and ME-ARC are essential during the period in which the marked changes in sensitivity of ME-ARC to EC stimulation occur, the anterior hypothalamus was partially deafferented (AAD) in rats at various stages of the estrous cycle. Plasma LH levels following EC stimulation of ME-ARC at 18.00 h of proestrus I were assessed in these AHD rats. LH levels were found to be correlated with cell types present in the vaginal smear at the time of EC stimulation. Nucleated epithelial cells were present at the time of stimulation in rats deafferented at 09.00 h of proestrus I or 18.00 h of diestrus II and in 5/9 rats at 08.00 h of diestrus II similar to the control rats in which sham AHD was performed at 09.00 h of fiestrus II or of proestrus I. Elevations in plasma LH after stimulation in these rats were comparable to those observed in sham AHD control rats. Quite different results were obtained when AHD was performed at 17.00 h of diestrus I or at 08.00 h of fiestrus II (4/9 rats). Vaginal smear consisted of leucocytes; and slight elevations of plasma LH after stimulation of ME-ARC were detected. However, administration of estradiol benzoate (5 μg/rat) 12 h after AHD at diestrus I not only induced cornification of vagina but also restored the plasma LH values to those obtained following stimulation of ME-ARC of intact or sham AHD control rats. These results indicate that maximal LH release following ME-ARC stimulation of deafferented rats requires estrogen priming.
Self-administration of D-Ala2-Met-enkephalinamide at hypothalamic self-stimulation sites.

The relationship between the action of enkephalin and the reinforcing action of electrical stimulation in the posterior lateral hypothalamus of the rat was studied with the self-administration approach. Adult male albino rats implanted with a combination cannula and stimulation electrode in hypothalamus were presented for the reinforcing effects of electrical stimulation. Only subjects that self-stimulated at moderate to high rates were given self-administration tests. The chamber for the self-administration tests was fitted with one lever at each end of a rectangular plexiglass ☐. In a session, one lever was ‘active’, the other not. The active lever, if depressed, yielded 20 nl of CSF (artificial cerebrospinal fluid), or CSF in which one of the test substances was dissolved. Each subject was tested repeatedly for the reinforcing effects first of a control solution (CSF), then ofd-Ala2-Met-enkephalin (DALA), a long-acting synthetic analogue of enkephalin, then of morphine, and then of opiods mixed with naltrexone or naloxone. Following these tests, the subjects were once again given self-stimulation tests to ascertain the functional integrity of the ‘reward’ system after the repeated self-administration tests. The results demonstrate that when the test solution was DALA instead of CSF the subjects pressed the active lever at a higher rate than for CSF, and they exhausted the supply more rapidly than for CSF. The rate on the active lever was also significantly higher than on the inactive lever. DALA at 1 and 5 μg/μl concentrations proved more reinforcing than at 0.1 μg/μl. Naltrexone did not block the reinforcing effect of DALA, whereas naloxone blocked DALA-induced reinforcement. These data extend the report of ventricular methionine-enkephalin positive reinforcement to DALA injected directly into the lateral hypothalamus.
Pulsed melting of silicon (111) and (100) surfaces simulated by molecular dynamics.

The pulsed heating of Si (100) and (111) surfaces has been simulated by molecular dynamics. The (111) crystal-melt interface propagates by layer-by-layer growth whereas the (100) interface grows in a continuous fashion. The equilibrium crystal-melt interface is sharp for the (111) orientation and broad for the (100) orientation. These simulations are the first use of nonpairwise potentials to study interfaces between condensed phases, and the results support models of interfaces which heretofore had to be deduced from indirect experimental information.
Nurses’ Work Environment Perceptions When Employed in States With and Without Mandatory Staffing Ratios and/or Mandatory Staffing Plans:

Multiple stakeholders have sought regulatory and nonregulatory strategies to address nursing workforce and patient safety concerns. This study examines differences in nurses’ work environment perce...
Composite likelihood-based inferences on genetic data from dependent loci

The structure of dependence between neighboring genetic loci is intractable under some models that treat each locus as a single data-point. Composite likelihood-based methods present a simple approach under such models by treating the data as if they are independent. A maximum composite likelihood estimator (MCLE) is not easy to find numerically, as in most cases we do not have a way of knowing if a maximum is global. We study the local maxima of the composite likelihood (ECLE, the efficient composite likelihood estimators), which is straightforward to compute. We establish desirable properties of the ECLE and provide an estimator of the variance of MCLE and ECLE. We also modify two proper likelihood-based tests to be used with composite likelihood. We modify our methods to make them applicable to datasets where some loci are excluded.
Growth and characterization of C-N thin films

Abstract Our preliminary studies showed that carbon nitride in amorphous and crystalline forms can be synthesized using reactive magnetron sputtering with substrates held at ambient temperatures. The films were evaluated by a wide range of diagnostic techniques (Auger spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and tribo-testing). The most important finding is that we can deposit smooth, continuous C-N films on a variety of substrates. Unlike previous work, we were able to incorporate significant amounts of nitrogen into these films (N:C ratio exceeding 0.4 in the bulk). More importantly, IR studies show that nitrogen exists not merely as gaseous species but is chemically bonded to carbon in the film. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed clearly the coexistence of amorphous and crystalline C-N phases. When deposited on polycrystalline zirconium substrates, these films appear to be very adherent and wear resistant under lubricated sliding conditions. In dry sliding against 52100 steels, carbon nitride gives friction coefficients as low as 0.16, comparable with that of diamond.
An Empirical Investigation of Teacher Clarity

ABSTRACT In an attempt to investigate and define the "clarity of presentation" complex of teacher behaviors and to relate them to a number of presage and context variables, four instruments consisting of selected low inference behaviors were administered to four groups of ninth-grade students for rating the behaviors of their most clear and least clear teachers. The resulting data sets were factor analyzed.to a principal aids, varimax rotated solutiou with resultant factors somewhat consistent across forms and highly consistent across clarity levels for each form. The data suggests that teacher clarity consists of a general dimension involving explaining concepts in an understandable manner, at an appropriate pace, involving use of examples and illustrations in presenting material. Practical implications appear in several areas: (1) junior high school teacherg who wish to be judged as clear teachers should use clarifying techniques in their teaching methods; (2) teacher educators who wish to train clear teachers should stress the practice and frequent use of understandable presentations, appropriate pace, and use of examples; (3) researchers might well find similar success in identifying and defining other high inference constructs (e.g., teacher variability, enthusiasm, task-oriented behavior, etc.) by using similar methods. (MB)
Comment on "Phase transitions in antiferromagnetic superlattices"

Using a mean-field approach, Carrico and Camley [Phys. Rev. B 45, 13 117 (1992)] have determined the magnetic behavior expected for superlattices consisting of uniaxial antiferromagnets. They state that the resulting phase transitions in a real system cannot be observed by standard, bulk measurements of the magnetization. In fact, the predictions of their model can be explicitly tested using neutron-diffraction techniques, which have already been applied toward the study of antiferromagnetic NiO/CoO and ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$/NiO superlattices.
Corneal endothelium five years after transplantation

We asked the recipients of 500 consecutive corneal transplants to return for examination and endothelial photography at two months and at one, three, and five years postoperatively. Thirty-six regrafts and 70 fellow eyes of bilateral cases were excluded, leaving 394 eyes for analysis. We also recorded episodes of graft rejection and failure. In 129 grafts in patients who returned at each postoperative interval and had no rejection episodes, the mean endothelial cell density continued to decrease 7.8% per year from three years to five years after keratoplasty, compared with approximately 0.5% per year in unoperated-on normal corneas. The mean cell loss compared with the preoperative examination was 58.9% five years after keratoplasty. The percentage of hexagonal cells did not return to preoperative levels by five years after keratoplasty, suggesting that the endothelium continued to be unstable. The mean corneal thickness increased significantly with time. The Kaplan-Meier rates of rejection episodes and failure were 19% and 17%, respectively, five years after keratoplasty. Eyes with posterior chamber lens implants lost more endothelial cells by five years after keratoplasty than did eyes with open-looped anterior chamber lens implants. Low endothelial cell densities were statistically significantly associated with increased corneal thickness and with an increased risk of subsequent failure. The central endothelial cells of successful corneal transplants five years after keratoplasty form an unstable monolayer with continued accelerated loss of cells and abnormal cellular morphologic features. This process results in fewer endothelial cells remaining on the central graft with an associated increase in stromal swelling and graft failure.
Predicting the longitudinal course associated with aggressive-rejected, aggressive (nonrejected), and rejected (nonaggressive) status.

A 2-year follow-up was undertaken of boys identified in grade school as aggressive-rejected, aggressive (nonrejected), rejected (nonaggressiye) or nonproblematic comparison. When the social outcomes of boys in each group were compared, aggressive-rejected children exhibited more conduct problems and social rejection at Time 2 than boys in the other aggressive or rejected groups. Behavior observations, teacher ratings, peer ratings, and open-ended peer interviews collected at Time 1 were used to test three predictive models that might account for the greater developmental risk of aggress-rejected boys. Multiple regression analyses suggested that a broad array of conduct problems, low levels of positive interaction skills, and high levels of peer dislike and ostracism each made unique contributions 10 to the stability of social adjustment problems of boys in the sample. Within group analyses of change suggested that prediction models varied for boys in the three risk groups. The implications of findings are discussed for developmental models of social risk and for intervention design.
The nature of the solar wind interaction with CO2/CO-dominated comets

The varying overall nature of the solar wind interaction with the ionospheres of CO and CO2-dominated comets is investigated and compared with previous results for H2O-dominated comets. It is shown that as a comet approaches the sun, it may exhibit one of two types of ionospheric transitions. (In rare circumstances, the cometary ionosphere may display a third type of transition in addition to one of the first two). For both transitions, the ionosphere turns from being hard (in other words, the ionosphere is not susceptible to compression under sudden solar wind pressure increases) to soft. However, for one type of transition, the bow shock changes from being weak (M≈2) to being strong (M≈10), whereas for the other type of transition, the bow shock remains weak. The heliocentric distance at which these transitions may occur is found to be a function of the cometary nuclear radius, the latent heat of sublimation of the surface volatiles, the surface bolometric albedo and the following ionospheric properties: the optical depth, the average ionization time scale and the amount of heat addition. Two important consequences of the strong shocks are the large solar wind velocity modulation of the energization of electrons at the bow-shock and the relatively quick formation of cometary plasma tails.
An Investigation of Moral Suasion and Vertical Equity Arguments on Intended Taxpayer Noncompliance

A statewide telephone survey was used to obtain data on self-reports of hypothetical prize income. One-third of the subjects were read a moral argument, one-third were read information on the level of taxes paid by the “wealthy,” and one-third of the subjects were treated as the control group. Both the moral and the wealthy-pay arguments increased compliance for some of the subjects. There was no apparent backlash effect from the moral argument as suggested by Tittle and Rowe (1973). The wealthy-pay strategy was effective for taxpayers with tax balances due rather than for those receiving tax refunds. The study also provides evidence on how college education moderates the effects of tax balances due as well as evidence on how a moral argument can negate the noncompliance effects of tax balances due.
Protein Conformations Can Be Probed in Top-Down HDX MS Experiments Utilizing Electron Transfer Dissociation of Protein Ions Without Hydrogen Scrambling

Electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) is evaluated as a technique to provide local information on higher order structure and dynamics of a whole protein molecule. Isotopic labeling of highly flexible segments of a model 18 kDa protein is carried out in solution under mildly denaturing conditions by means of hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX), followed by transfer of intact protein ions to the gas phase by means of electrospray ionization, and mass-selection of a precursor ion for subsequent reactions with fluoranthene radical anions. The ETD process gives rise to abundant fragment ions, whose deuterium content can be measured as a function of duration of the HDX reaction in solution. No backbone protection is detected for all protein segments spanning the 25-residue long N-terminal part of the protein, which is known to lack structure in solution. At the same time, noticeable protection is evident for segments representing the structured regions of the protein. The results of this work suggest that ETD of intact protein ions is not accompanied by detectable hydrogen scrambling and can be used in tandem with HDX to probe protein conformation in solution.