cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smoking, unemployment, female sex, obesity, and medication use yield worse outcomes in patellofemoral arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study was to identify effects of psychosocial and demographic factors on patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) outcomes. Patients who underwent PFA by a single surgeon between 2002 and 2013 (min. 2 year follow-up) were included. Knee Society scores (KSS), UCLA, and Tegner Scores were prospectively collected in a designated arthroplasty registry. Patient records were retrospectively reviewed and univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed to assess the effect of psychosocial factors and demographic variables including patient sex, BMI, smoking and medication use, psychiatric history, and employment status on improvement between pre- and post-operative scores. Seventy-four knees in 55 patients (88% female) with a mean age of 51.8 (SD 8.8) and mean follow-up of 46.5 (SD 26.9) months were included. Patients showed significant improvement in all functional outcomes (p < 0.001). Mean improvement in KSS-F scores and median improvement in Tegner scores was greater in males compared to females (37.8 vs 16.1, p = 0.007; 3.0 vs 2.0, p = 0.07, respectively). Smokers showed less improvement in KSS-P compared to non-smokers (17.2 vs 30.0, p = 0.028). Retired or employed patients had a greater mean improvement in KSS-F and median improvement in Tegner Scores compared to those were unemployed or on work disability (p = 0.022, p = 0.01). Patients who reported using opioids and/or anti-depressants pre-operatively showed less improvement in UCLA scores (p = 0.006). Obese patients showed less improvement in both KSS-F and Tegner score compared to non-obese patients (p = 0.009, p = 0.004). Psychosocial factors influence the degree of improvement following PFA. Although patients showed overall improvement compared to their baseline scores, obese patients, smokers, unemployed/work disabled, and pre-operative use of opioids and/or anti-depressants were risk factors for decreased improvement… The consideration of psychosocial variables are clinically important when assessing a patient’s candidacy for PFA and improve pre-operative patient selection and counselling. Level IV.
Modular Capacitive-Link-Based Three-Phase AC-AC Power Converter

Modular converters with stacked cells are widely used in high power applications, where the voltages and/or currents are beyond the voltage/current ratings of the commercially available switches. A common solution is to employ multilevel converters. However, most of the existing multilevel topologies are based on dc-link converters and require a large number of unreliable and bulky electrolytic capacitors with high capacitances. This paper proposes a three-phase ac-ac power cell topology formed by three identical and stackable modules. The modules are derived from a new class of reliable capacitive-link universal power converters and operate in discontinuous capacitor voltage mode. Moreover, each module in the proposed power cell topology provides galvanic isolation using high-frequency transformers and requires only two small film capacitors for transferring the power. This eliminates the need for electrolytic capacitors, which have high failure rates. Using capacitive-link-based modules to form the power cells enables scalable and modular design of the proposed converter for higher levels of voltage and current. The proposed ac-ac power cell topology is evaluated in this paper, and the simulation and preliminary experimental results verify its promising features.
Diversity for What?: The Paradox of University Diversity and the New Civic Rationale

This article examines the underlying logic behind what I call the new civic rationale for university diversity. I draw on a diverse literature to explore the varying ways in which diversity could be connected to democratic participation. I argue that the prevailing conception of diversity, what I call the contact thesis is inadequate preparation for democratic participation in a diverse society because it does not challenge the “underlying liberal architecture” that shapes both the practice and scholarship of college diversity. I make the case for emphasizing a participatory culture that favors multiple and intersectional identities over fixed identities, public work over understanding, and participatory democracy over pluralist democracy. The challenge for colleges and universities in the coming years is to design curriculum and pedagogy that emphasizes diversity as a fluid, adaptable and emerging phenomenon while simultaneously grounding it within fixed ethnic and cultural identities.
Criminal law as public ordering

Though ‘law and order’ is a familiar phrase, the precise meaning of order and its relation to law are issues that criminal law theorists have only recently begun to study closely. This article cont...
First report of Meloidogyne enterolobii infecting Japanese blue berry tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens) in Florida, USA.

In October 2019, samples of galled roots with rhizosphere soil were collected from declining Elaeocarpus decipiens in Hernando County, Florida. Extracted root-knot nematodes were identified by both molecular and morphological methods as Meloidogyne enterolobii. This is a first report of this regulated root-knot nematode on Elaeocarpus decipiens in Florida. In October 2019, samples of galled roots with rhizosphere soil were collected from declining Elaeocarpus decipiens in Hernando County, Florida. Extracted root-knot nematodes were identified by both molecular and morphological methods as Meloidogyne enterolobii. This is a first report of this regulated root-knot nematode on Elaeocarpus decipiens in Florida.
Utilization of an Orthopedic Hood as Personal Protective Equipment for Intubation of Coronavirus Patients: a Brief Technical Report

Background:The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has afflicted millions of people worldwide since its first case was reported in December 2019. Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been tailo...
Examining Responses to Women’s Same-Sex Performativity: Perceptions of Sexual Orientation and Implications for Bisexual Prejudice

Heterosexual women’s public same-sex performativity (SSP) is thought to have significant negative impacts for queer women (e.g., Hamilton, 2007). SSP may (mis)inform observers’ assumptions about wo...
Early COVID-19 Pandemic Modeling: Three Compartmental Model Case Studies From Texas, USA

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 and spread globally in early 2020. Initial reports suggested the associated disease, COVID-19, produced rapid epidemic growth and caused high mortality. As the virus sparked local epidemics in new communities, health systems and policy makers were forced to make decisions with limited information about the spread of the disease. We developed a compartmental model to project COVID-19 healthcare demands that combined information regarding SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics from international reports with local COVID-19 hospital census data to support response efforts in three metropolitan statistical areas in Texas, USA: Austin-Round Rock, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, and Beaumont-Port Arthur. Our model projects that strict stay-home orders and other social distancing measures could suppress the spread of the pandemic. Our capacity to provide rapid decision-support in response to emerging threats depends on access to data, validated modeling approaches, careful uncertainty quantification, and adequate computational resources.
Death and the neonate

Dominic Wilkinson suggests that one of Schubert’s songs has relevance for neonatologists today. In the song, Schubert suggests that death sometimes comes as a friend. Wilkinson ponders whether the song has a message for doctors and parents, who sometimes struggle to figure out whether death is an enemy or a friend to a dying baby. Wilkinson reflects on the case of baby ‘Hal’, who was born with serious cardiomyopathy. Hal’s parents and doctors disagree about whether to withdraw life-support. Through his recreations of their discussions, Wilkinson shows how hard it is to confront—and maybe even welcome—death for a child. While adults often frame their own decision to forego life-sustaining treatment with thoughts that they have lived a good life, death in childhood can seem unfair because it robs the child of their opportunity to live a good or completed life. Much as we try, we cannot really imagine what a critically ill neonate experiences or desires. We have very little insight into Hal’s interests or subjective experience. Without direct access to the child’s experience, it is impossible to know whether, like an adult, a child would choose to allow death to occur. We cannot verify the claim that the child’s death was good in the sense that it was good for them . Wilkinson proposes that a prolonged dying process …
Rethinking the Maturity of Artificial Intelligence in Safety-Critical Settings

Artificial intelligence, in the form of machine learning, has the potential to transform many safety-critical applications such as those in transportation and healthcare. However, despite significant investment and impressive demonstrations, such technologies have struggled to live up to their promises. To this end, this article illustrates that machine learning fundamentally lacks the ability to leverage top-down reasoning, a critical element in safety-critical systems. This is especially important in situations where uncertainty can grow very quickly, requiring adaption to unknowns. This fundamental lack of contextual reasoning, combined with a lack of understanding of what constitutes maturity in artificial intelligence-embedded systems, has significantly contributed to the failures of these systems. Demonstrations where safety-critical artificial intelligence-enabled systems function as if they were almost operational should not be a substitute for testing. Instead, companies and regulatory agencies need to work together to develop clear criteria and certification protocols before such technologies are made publicly available.
Eligibility for cervical cancer screening exit: Comparison of a national and safety net cohort.

Abstract Objective To determine eligibility for discontinuation of cervical cancer screening. Methods Women aged 64 with employer-sponsored insurance enrolled in a national database between 2016 and 2018, and those aged 64–66 receiving primary care at a safety net health center in 2019 were included. Patients were evaluated for screening exit eligibility by current guidelines: no evidence of cervical cancer or HIV-positive status and no evidence of cervical precancer in the past 25 years, and had evidence of either hysterectomy with removal of the cervix or evidence of fulfilling screening exit criteria, defined as two HPV screening tests or HPV plus Pap co-tests or three Pap tests within the past 10 years without evidence of an abnormal result. Results Of the 590,901 women in the national claims database, 131,059 (22.2%) were eligible to exit due to hysterectomy (1.6%) or negative screening (20.6%). Of the 1544 women from the safety net health center, 528 (34.2%) were eligible to exit due to hysterectomy (9.3%) or negative screening (24.9%). Most women did not have sufficient data available to fulfill exit criteria: 382,509 (64.7%) in the national database and 875 (56.7%) in the safety net hospital system. Even among women with 10 years of insurance claims data, only 41.5% qualified to discontinue screening. Conclusions Examining insurance claims in a national database and electronic medical records at a safety net institution led to remarkably similar findings: two thirds of women fail to qualify for screening exit. Additional steps to ensure eligibility prior to screening exit may be necessary to decrease preventable cervical cancers among women aged >65. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: N/A
A convergent molecular network underlying autism and congenital heart disease

Summary Patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, have an elevated incidence of congenital heart disease, but the extent to which these conditions share molecular mechanisms remains unknown. Here, we use network genetics to identify a convergent molecular network underlying autism and congenital heart disease. This network is impacted by damaging genetic variants from both disorders in multiple independent cohorts of patients, pinpointing 101 genes with shared genetic risk. Network analysis also implicates risk genes for each disorder separately, including 27 previously unidentified genes for autism and 46 for congenital heart disease. For 7 genes with shared risk, we create engineered disruptions in Xenopus tropicalis, confirming both heart and brain developmental abnormalities. The network includes a family of ion channels, such as the sodium transporter SCN2A, linking these functions to early heart and brain development. This study provides a road map for identifying risk genes and pathways involved in co-morbid conditions.
An Investigation of Student Web Activity in a “flipped” Introductory Physics Class

Abstract In the last few years, flipped teaching has become one of the most popular teaching trends being adopted. Yet, there is a lack of data on what students use and find useful while taking these classes. This paper focuses on the use of class web logs, student surveys and class records to analyze student use of the material developed as well as how this use correlates with course results. The course being investigated is taught once a year by the same professor. It is the second course in an introductory physics course sequence for life science majors. The flipped format was adopted gradually in the course starting the Spring 2009 semester. The analysis focuses on the last iteration. The current format of the course was partially driven by student input, and took several years to fully implement. In this case, lecture time is devoted to answer and discuss questions, work on practice problems, and, sometimes, to explore the topics students find interesting. Instead of lectures students complete online multimedia quizzes, embedding both short lecture type recording segments simulations and videos. The quiz format is meant to help students identify the topics they don’t understand. Homework is also completed online. It includes both traditional end of the chapter problems and simulation mediated questions. Students also complete pre-laboratory simulation mediated activities. The analysis focused on the analysis of each of the components the students complete online. That data was also correlated to the student performance in various class assignments.
Meaning, Medicine and the 'Placebo Effect'

Daniel Moerman presents an innovative and enlightening discussion of human reaction to the meaning of medical treatment. Traditionally, the effectiveness of medical treatments is attributed to specific elements, such as drugs or surgical procedures, but many things happen in medicine which simply cannot be accounted for in this way. The same drug can work differently when presented in different colours; drugs with widely advertised names can work better than the same drug without the name; inert drugs (placebos, dummies) often have dramatic effects on people (the 'placebo effect'); and effects can vary hugely among different European countries where the 'same' medical condition is understood differently, or has different meanings. This is true for surgery as well as for internal medicine. This lively 2002 book reviews and analyses these matters in lucid, straightforward prose, guiding the reader through a very complex body of literature, leaving nothing unexplained but avoiding any over-simplification.
Robert Boyle, the Conversion of the Jews, and Millennial Expectations

Apocalyptic and millennial expectations have tended to flourish during times of upheaval and stress, a fact illustrated by the conditions leading up to, and during, the Puritan Revolution in mid-seventeenth-century England. The Puritans, especially, saw themselves as clearing the way for Christ’s kingdom on earth; it has been estimated that some seventy-percent of the ministers supporting Parliament saw the conflict in millennial terms.1 Many royalists, too, saw the war in these terms although, apparently, millennial expectations were not quite so widespread on that side.2
Chapter 5 A Method for the Isolation of Mammalian Metaphase Chromosomes

Publisher Summary The nucleochromatin material is extracted from interphase cells; isolated metaphase chromosomes offer unique possibilities for studying the genetic material in a state perhaps more closely approximating than that of the genetic material in the living organism. The isolated metaphase chromosomes would preserve in separate and distinct structures not only the specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences corresponding to genetic linkage groups but also the association of the specific types of histone and ribonucleic acid (RNA) with specific chromosomes. A method is described for obtaining large numbers of metaphase chromosomes from several types of mammalian cells grown in vitro . The method offers several advantages in that the isolated chromosomes are morphologically intact and stable over extended periods of time; the isolation is performed at neutral pH and exploits the high specific gravity of the chromosomes, circumventing many of the difficulties encountered in attempting to remove cytoplasmic debris; the use of enzymes, acids, or organic solvents in the purification is avoided; contamination by nuclei and visible cytoplasmic debris is very slight; and the extraction may be easily completed in one day.
Planning executing sensing and replanning for information gathering

Current specialized planners for query processing are designed to work in local, reliable, and predictable environments. However, a number of problems arise in gathering information from large networks of distributed information. In this environment, the same information may reside in multiple places, actions can be executed in parallel to exploit distributed resources, new goals come into the system during execution, actions may fail due to problems with remote databases or networks, and sensing may need to be interleaved with planning in order to formulate efficient queries. We have developed a planner called Sage that, addresses the issues that arise in this environment. This system integrates previous work on planning, execution, replanning, and sensing and extends this work to support simultaneous and interleaved planning and execution. Sage has been applied to the problem of information gathering to provide a flexible and efficient system for integrating heterogeneous and distributed data.
Regulatory features of multicatalytic and 26S proteases

Summary It should be clear from the foregoing accounts that our understanding of MCP and 26S regulation is still rudimentary. Moreover, we have only recently identified about a dozen natural substrates of these two proteases. Those outside the field may view the situation with some dismay. Those who study the MCP and 26S enzymes are provided with rich opportunities to address fundamental questions of protein catabolism and metabolic regulation.
Synthetic Nitrogen Products

Nitrogen products are among the most important chemicals produced in the world today. The largest quantities are used as fertilizers, but nitrogen products also find very important uses in the manufacture of nylon and acrylic fibers, methacrylate and other plastics, foamed insulation and plastics, metal plating, gold mining, animal feed supplements, and herbicides.
“POESIA DE EXPORTAÇÃO”: A VIAGEM GEOGRÁFICA E ETNOGRÁFICA NA POESIA BRASILEIRA

The ethnographic and geographical voyage in the Western tradition is described as a source of poetry, formalized through mythology, performance, travel narratives, and unexpected encounters with peoples and cultures. In Brazilian literature, poetry has been found in the “Carta” of Pero Vaz de Caminha extending to Haroldo de Campos’ Finismundo, the last voyage of Ulysses. Why and for what purposes does the Brazilian poet travel? Here we examine cases of ethnographic and geographical poetry. Oswald de Andrade clips poems from the “Carta” and colonial chronicles. In 1924 Blaise Cendrars, who provides a prototype of travel poetry for modernism, arrives in Sao Paulo to practice travel poetry that extends through Oswald de Andrade’s Pau Brasil. In the Mediterranean, Murilo Mendes, Joao Cabral de Melo Neto, Ana Cristina Cesar, and Haroldo de Campos interpret physical geography poetically. The Sao Paulo concrete poets act through an international web of materials, structure, and reception. Contemporary poets such as Angelica Freitas exemplify the deglutition of virtual global voyages in a hybrid Brazilian poetics. Through ethnographic travel, poetry discovers both its origins and its wider meanings.
Plant virus serology.

Publisher Summary The accelerated development of serological studies on plant viruses during the past ten years can be followed easily by simply counting the number of viruses that have proved amenable to serological testing. This steady increase partly reflects the widening applicability and improvements of virus purification methods and seems to allow the generalization that eventually antisera will become available to all the mechanically transmissible plant viruses, whose nucleic acid is protected by a protein coat. This increasing popularity of serological studies seems also to have followed closely upon the development of immunodiffusion techniques that have greatly facilitated serological work. Most of the early immunological studies on plant viruses were performed by the laborious precipitin reaction in free liquid. Improvements in virus purification methods, the production of high-tittered antisera and their use in virus classification, the widening acceptance of serological criteria in virus nomenclature, and the use of plant viruses as models for the study of some of the unsolved riddles of immunochemistry. The most commonly used serological test in plant virology is without question the precipitin reaction. Gel precipitin tests are less laborious than those in free liquid, they require less antiserum, and provide more information on the homogeneity and purity of the reactants and on the size of and relationships among antigens. Two main groups of gel diffusion serological methods are usually distinguished: simple (or single) diffusion techniques where only one of the reactants, usually the antigen, is diffusing into a gel containing the other reactant, and double diffusion techniques where both reactants are diffusing into a gel initially free of them. Each group of techniques can be further divided into diffusion in one dimension and diffusion in two dimensions, depending on whether the reactions are carried out in tubes or in plates.
A study on the oxidation and carbon diffusion of TiC in alumina–titanium carbide ceramics using XPS and Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) coated and non-coated alumina–titanium carbide ceramics used in magnetic recording heads were annealed in air and nitrogen atmospheres from 200°C to 800°C. Micro-Raman spectroscopy found that carbon of TiC began to diffuse at 350–400°C in air, but above 400°C in N 2 . The lower onset temperature of carbon diffusion in air was due to titanium oxidation. The diffused carbon was amorphous at 350–600°C with mixed sp 2 and sp 3 bonds, and nano-crystalline graphite above 600°C. With increase in annealing temperature, the structure became more graphitic, and the degree of crystallization and crystal size increased. The structure changes with annealing temperature were revealed in Raman measurements by increased ratio of D-band to G-band intensities, shifting of G-band to higher frequencies and reduced relative width of the bands at half-height maximum. In a nitrogen environment, carbon still diffused from TiC to leave elemental Ti. Oxidation of titanium was also observed in air. At temperatures less than 600°C, titanium was oxidised to several states, however, at higher temperatures, only polycrystalline TiO 2 was observed. At 800°C, the products consisted of sub-micron needle-like TiO 2 . Al 2 O 3 –TiC ceramic composites with a 60 A of DLC coating on the surface effectively protected them from oxidation and carbon diffusion at temperatures below 500°C. DLC coating delayed the onset of carbon diffusion and TiC oxidation.
Stereoselective Synthesis of Acyclic Amino Alcohols via von Braun Ring Opening of Chiral Piperidines

Multisubstituted piperidines containing a phenyl group at C-2 can be opened regio- and stereoselectively with cyanogen bromide. The ring-opened products contain useful cyanamide and benzylic bromide functional groups. This methodology is useful for the stereoselective synthesis of uniquely substituted alkylamine derivatives containing multiple chiral centers and various functionality.
X‐ray diffraction of oriented amylose fibers. III. The structure of amylose–n‐butanol complexes

Complexes of amylose with n-butanol were prepared both as crystalline precipitates and as oriented fibers. These complexes were subjected to x-ray analysis, their unit cells were calculated, and the space group of P212121 was confirmed. n-Butanol complexes exist in both hydrated and anhydrous forms. There is no evidence for methanol, ethanol, or n-propanol structures similar to those shown by the n-butanol complex. The Complexes are unstable in the open air and revert to V-amylose hydrate on standing.
Implications of inferior ST-segment elevation accompanying anterior wall acute myocardial infarction for the angiographic morphology of the left anterior descending coronary artery morphology and site of occlusion

Inferior ST-segment elevation during anterior wall acute myocardial infarction (AMI) due to left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery occlusion is unusual and was not previously investigated. This study tested the hypothesis that inferior ST-segment elevation during anterior AMI predicts a specific angiographic morphology that satisfies 2 necessary conditions: (1) mass of ischemic anterior wall myocardium is relatively small, resulting in a weaker anterior injury current and less reciprocal inferior ST-segment depression; and (2) there is concomitant inferior wall transmural ischemia that further shifts the inferior ST segments upward. The study group consisted of 42 consecutive patients with anterior AMI undergoing angiography at 4.1 days (range 0 to 14). Coronary angiograms were examined for 3 features: (1) site of LAD artery occlusion (a distal obstruction implying a smaller mass of ischemic anterior wall myocardium), (2) LAD artery extension onto inferior wall of left ventricle (termed a "wrap around" vessel), and (3) collateral flow from LAD artery to inferior wall. The latter 2 features would be expected to contribute to inferior wall transmural ischemia. Acute inferior ST-segment elevation (sum of ST-segment deviation in leads II, III and aVF greater than or equal to 3.0 mm) was seen in 7 patients (16%). A greater number of LAD artery branches proximal to the site of occlusion was significantly correlated with less inferior ST-segment depression (r = 0.59, p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Morphodynamics, stratigraphy, and sediment transport patterns of the Kennebec River estuary, Maine, USA

Abstract Sediment transport and circulation patterns within the lower Kennebec River estuary, Maine (∼20 km) have been investigated over a two year and nine month period using fathometer profiles and side-scan sonograms in conjunction with flow measurements, fresh-water discharge data, and grain-size data. The geologic history of the estuary is inferred from high-resolution seismic profiles and bridge borings. Subbottom data corroborate a five-stage evolutionary history that has been determined for other areas of the west-central Maine coast. Scattered deposits of glacial till (diamict) and stratified drift overly a Precambrian to Paleozoic metasedimentary bedrock basement. The glacio-marine blue clay of the Presumpscot Formation unconformably overlies the diamict and drift and drapes the basement, where till is absent. The clay surface is an erosional unconformity formed during the last sea-level lowstand. During subsequent sea-level rise, a relatively coarse-grained estuarine fill was deposited within a flood-dominated, relatively large paleo-Kennebec River estuary. As the rates of sea-level rise slowed, the system shifted to an ebb-dominated estuary in which the estuarine fill underwent reworking and downstream net transport. Bathymetric data show a hierarchical arrangement of bedforms ranging in size and morphology from well-developed, ebb-oriented transverse bars to superimposed simple, straight-crested megaripples. The transverse bars were stable over the study period. The reworking and migration of the smaller forms are closely linked to seasonal variations in the relative contributions between tidal flow and fresh-water discharge. During the spring, large-magnitude discharge events augment ebb-tidal flows. The ebb-reinforced flows dominate the system and result in a net downstream transport of medium- to coarse-grained sand. Estuarine stratification plays an important role in sediment transport during non-spring months. From mid-summer to fall, salinity gradients enhance flood-tidal flows and result in minor quantities of upstream transport. In addition, bedrock bathymetric highs and abrupt changes in channel geometry may influence sediment transport within the estuary.
Fetal hemoglobin induction by histone deacetylase inhibitors involves generation of reactive oxygen species

Objective Several compounds, including butyrate and trichostatin A, have been shown to activate γ-gene expression via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. In eukaryotic cells, reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as signaling molecules to mediate phosphorylation of tyrosine kinases such as p38 MAPK to regulate gene expression. Therefore, we determined the role of the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in drug-mediated fetal hemoglobin (HbF) induction. Methods H 2 O 2 levels were measured using 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein-diacetate in K562 cells after drug treatments. To confirm a role for H 2 O 2 in HbF induction, studies were completed with the mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitor myxothiazole, which prevents ROS generation. The ability of myxothiazole to block γ-globin mRNA accumulation and HbF induction was measured in K562 cells and burst-forming unit-erythroid colonies respectively using quantitative real-time PCR and alkaline denaturation. Results Butyrate and trichostastin A stimulated p38 MAPK phosphorylation via a H 2 O 2 -dependent mechanism. Pretreatment with myxothiazole to inhibit ROS formation or SB203580 to impede p38 MAPK signaling attenuated γ-gene activation in K562 cells and HbF induction in erythroid progenitors. However, myxothiazole had no effect on the ability of hydroxyurea to induce HbF. Conclusion The findings presented herein support a ROS-p38 MAPK cell signaling mechanism for HbF induction by butyrate and trichostatin A.
Perception of the communicative performance of Americans and Chinese in intercultural dyads

Abstract This study explores basic processes of intercultural perception by testing the stereotyping hypothesis in intercultural relations against the individual judgment hypothesis. Videotapes of nine inter cultural (American/Chinese) hetero-sexual initial interactions were produced and interactants were rated by American subjects on six dimensions of communicative performance: linguistic skill. apprehension, dominance, helpfulness, attractiveness, and expertness. Results of the study support the individual judgment hypothesis. Implacations of the research for cross-cultural training are discussed.
International norms and distinctive policy choices in global AIDS funding: Comparative case studies of Norway and Belgium

In response to urgent call for international cooperation against HIV/AIDS, all members of Development Assistance Committee (DAC) converged in foreign aid policy decision for the health crisis within a relatively short period of time frame. However, there also existed variations among the DAC with respect to developing pattern of global AIDS funding. The research attempts to explore both convergence and divergence in the policy choices of global AIDS funding of DAC countries. When it comes to the convergence, it is the mechanism of norms teaching that encouraged the DAC to make financial contribution for the global fight against HIV/AIDS based on the sense of obligation and urgency. With regard to the distinctive pattern of the policy choices, it depends on the different norms stage each country was embedded in. The norms stage was distinctively constituted by each country’s different historical background, political institutions and public opinion. I examine the cases of Norway and Belgium both of which converged in the decision of the foreign aid yet varied in the policy choices of funding increase. Institutional harmonization and policy coherence took place in Norway in the stage of norms internalization, while Belgium launched transformation of institutional structure at the stage of norms acceptance.
Development of in vitro models to demonstrate the ability of PecSys®, an in situ nasal gelling technology, to reduce nasal run-off and drip

Many of the increasing number of intranasal products available for either local or systemic action can be considered sub-optimal, most notably where nasal drip or run-off give rise to discomfort/tolerability issues or reduced/variable efficacy. PecSys, an in situ gelling technology, contains low methoxy (LM) pectin which gels due to interaction with calcium ions present in nasal fluid. PecSys is designed to spray readily, only forming a gel on contact with the mucosal surface. The present study employed two in vitro models to confirm that gelling translates into a reduced potential for drip/run-off: (i) Using an inclined TLC plate treated with a simulated nasal electrolyte solution (SNES), mean drip length [±SD, n = 10] was consistently much shorter for PecSys (1.5 ± 0.4 cm) than non-gelling control (5.8 ± 1.6 cm); (ii) When PecSys was sprayed into a human nasal cavity cast model coated with a substrate containing a physiologically relevant concentration of calcium, PecSys solution was retained at the sit...
Intrauterine movement of the early conceptus in barren and postpartum mares.

Abstract The equine embryonic vesicle has been shown to be highly mobile prior to day 15, moving from one horn to the other many times per day. In Experiment 1, intrauterine mobility patterns of the vesicle were compared between barren and postpartum mares on days 12, 13, or 14, using an ultrasound instrument. Location of the vesicle (left horn, right horn, body) was determined every five minutes during six two-hour trials in each group. Averaged over all trials, the vesicle moved from one horn to the other 1.1 times per two-hour trial. There were no significant differences between barren and postpartum mares in the mean number of times the vesicle changed its location or in the amount of time the vesicle spent in the left versus right horn. In postpartum mares, the number of location changes and the time spent in a horn were not different between the formerly gravid horn and the nongravid horn. The reported frequent attachment of the vesicle to the formerly nongravid horn was not, therefore, attributable to a difference in the extent of mobility or the amount of time spent in the nongravid horn during the period of high intrauterine mobility. In Experiment 2, the rate of movement of the embryonic vesicle within the uterine body on days 12 through 14 was estimated to average 3.4 mm/min (range, 0–14 mm/min), based on fixed points of reference (cranial end of cervix, uterine cysts). Using time-lapse photography at one-minute intervals, a 14-day embryonic vesicle was monitored as it approached a cyst in the lumen of the uterine body. The vesicle encroached upon the cyst, forming an indentiation in the vesicle. It then moved over the top of the cyst to the other side and continued moving in the same direction.
Risk factors for positive minor salivary gland biopsy findings in Sjögren's syndrome and dry mouth patients.

Objective To investigate risk factors for positive minor salivary gland biopsy results in Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and dry mouth patients. Methods A total of 289 patients with dry mouth symptoms were evaluated. Potential risk factors for positive minor salivary gland biopsy results (>1 focus of lymphocytes) were studied in 2 phases. In phase 1, predictor variable candidates were identified for the test study (phase 2). Odds ratios were calculated for predictor variables. Results IgG, IgA, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and sex, identified as the best predictor variables from phase 1 data, were included in a logistic regression model using phase 2 data. Only IgG demonstrated association with biopsy results (χ2 = 20.4, P = 0.0001). An elevated IgG level (>1,482 mg/dl) had a high specificity (97% and 97%), high positive predictive value (PPV) (97% and 97%), but poor sensitivity (40% and 45%) in predicting positive biopsy results and SS, respectively. Conclusion Elevated serum IgG levels best predicted a positive biopsy result and SS with high PPV and specificities.
Ultrastructure of the central gray region (lamina X) in cat spinal cord

The central gray region (lamina X) of the lumbar spinal cord in cat was examined by electron microscopy. This region consisted of three morphological zones. Medially, the first zone was comprised of ependyma which surrounded the central canal. The ependyma in the cat spinal cord was similar to most vertebrate spinal ependyma. Secondly, a subependymal zone consisted of glial processes arranged parallel to the long axis of the spinal cord. This glial zone was widest lateral to the central canal and extended approximately 75 microns. The lateral edge of the glial zone intermingled with a neuropil zone, the third zone. The components of the neuropil zone consisted of dendrites, myelinated and unmyelinated axons, synaptic terminals, astrocytes and neurons. The dendrites and neurons generally were oriented parallel with the long axis of the spinal cord. Three synaptic terminal types were categorized according to vesicular morphology, i.e. small round vesicles, flattened vesicles and dense core vesicles. The central gray region has been implicated in nociception and has been shown to receive both primary afferent and supraspinal input. The results from this study are consistent with the central gray region being an area of multiple synaptic inputs which may form the morphological basis of nociceptive processing that ascends to brainstem nuclei.
Threshold effects and photoelectron spectra in model-system descriptions of photodetachment.

Near-threshold single-photon photodetachment processes are considered for simple model systems representing negative ions exposed to monochromatic radiation. The model systems considered feature an initial discrete state, the photoelectron continuum, and in some cases an excited or autodetaching discrete state. Population trapping through the formation of a bound dressed state and the photoelectron spectra are examined. Two photoelectron spectra are defined : a primary spectrum which results from decay while the laser interaction is on and a secondary spectrum which results from the destabilization of the bound dressed state if the interaction is turned off again. Careful attention is given to the passage of the poles of the Green's operator through the low-energy boundary of a continuum, and it is concluded that such poles move nonmonotonically through the boundary of an s-wave continuum, but monotonically through the boundary of a p-wave or higher-l-wave continuum. Two example systems, one featuring a single discrete state and an s-wave continuum and one featuring two discrete states and a p-wave continuum, are considered in detail.
A New Method of Determining Electronegativity from Other Atomic Properties

The relation, $x=0.31\left(\frac{n+1}{r}\right)+0.50,$ where $x$ represents the electronegativity of an atom according to Pauling's revised scale, $n$ the number of electrons in its incompletely filled (valence) shells, and $r$ its single bond covalent radius measured in Angstroms, has been found valid for all elements having $x$ values available for comparison, except for Ag, Au, and Cu. This equation is used to extend the electronegativity scale to include a total of fifty-two elements. A chart is constructed to demonstrate the systematic relation of the values to the periodic table. Beginning with the definition of the electronegativity of a neutral atom in a stable molecule as the potential at a distance $r$ (covalent radius) from its nucleus which is caused by the nuclear charge effective at that distance, a simple theoretical justification is offered for the existence of a linear relation between $x$ and $\frac{(n+1)}{r}$. This relation, like Mulliken's, provides an "absolute" scale of electronegativity values.
Computation of Kelvin chain retardation spectra of aging concrete

Abstract A method of computing the age-dependent spectra of a Kelvin chain model from given data on creep of concrete is presented, along with a full listing of a FORTRAN IV subroutine. The method is based on a Dirichlet series expansion of creep rate as a function of the duration of creep test at constant current time. The inverse retardation moduli are approximated as a Dirichlet series in concrete age and as a quintic polynomial in the logarithm of the retardation time. These approximations serve at the same time as a smoothing device. They also enable explicit expressions for creep functions. The retardation moduli are determined by the method of least-squares. Numerical examples demonstrate that the retardation spectra completely characterize concrete creep because the original creep function can be recovered from them with a negligible error. The retardation spectra provide a rate-type creep law, which is necessary for analyzing large structural systems.
Proactive and reactive focus on form and gestures in EFL classrooms in Japan

Abstract The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between proactive and reactive Focus on Form (FonF) and gestures. Two English classes in a public high school in Japan taught by a native speaker of English were observed and videotaped for 96 min and analyzed. Overall, 64 proactive FonF and 43 reactive FonF were provided. Among them, 36% of the proactive FonF and 14% of the reactive FonF were accompanied by gestures. The target feature of proactive FonF was exclusively lexicon whereas those for reactive FonF varied. For reactive FonF, gestures were used the most for grammatical errors and the least for pronunciation errors. In addition, explicit correction was the most likely to be provided with gestures whereas elicitation was the least. Overall, deictic was the most common gesture for both proactive and reactive FonF. Furthermore, it was found that a deictic gesture was often essential in the sense that it was used to supplement the meaning of the demonstrative pronoun, this , in proactive FonF. In contrast, when reactive FonF or proactive FonF without the demonstrative pronoun was provided, gestures tended not to carry any crucial meaning related to FonF by which they were accompanied, rendering the gestures subsidiary.
On Microscopic Hearing: Fairy Magic, Natural Science, and the Scherzo fantastique

In the 1820s, Mendelssohn was credited with the invention of a new kind of scherzo: a fleet, gossamer form associated with the Faustian and Shakespearian evocations of the Opus 20 Octet and the Midsummer Night's Dream Overture. In Germany, these pieces were linked to the aesthetics of the fantastic, a term also taken up by French critics, who assigned fairy scherzi on the Mendelssohnian model a new label— scherzo fantastique —applying it first to Berlioz's La Reine Mab . Later, composers including Antonio Bazzini, Franz Liszt, and Igor Stravinsky took up the rubric, generating a repertory of “fantastic” scherzi that stretched from the 1840s to the twentieth century. This article examines the genealogy of such works and the cultural forces that produced them, arguing that the characteristic soundworld of the scherzo fantastique emerged from a convergence of aesthetic and scientific impulses. Romantic fairies were the product of new approaches to entomology and microscopy, which collapsed the miniscule world under the microscope with the fantasized space of the elfin miniature, placing sylphs and sprites in the same category as insects. Mendelssohn and his imitators responded directly to this conflation, allowing entomological imitation to mingle with poetic invention in their elfin pieces, which hovered in a fantastic space between the “real” and imaginary. The result was not just a new scherzo type but a novel mode of listening and orchestrating and a shift in the definition of the “inspired” musician.
Stimulation of cortical acetylcholine release by orexin A.

The basal forebrain cholinergic system is a critical component of the neurobiological substrates underlying at- tentional function. Orexin neurons are important for arousal and maintenance of wakefulness and are found in the area of the hypothalamus previously shown to project to the basal forebrain. We used dual-probe in vivo microdialysis in rats to test the hypothesis that orexin A (OxA) increases cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release. Intrabasalis administration of OxA (0, 0.1, 10.0 M via reverse dialysis) dose-dependently increased ACh release within the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In a separate group of animals, local (intra-PFC) administration of OxA via reverse dialysis was found to have no significant effect on ACh release. In order to obtain anatomical corrob- oration of the basal forebrain as a site of orexin modulation of corticopetal cholinergic activity, we used immunohistochem- istry to examine the relationship between orexin fibers and cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain. We observed widespread distribution of orexin-immunoreactive fibers in cholinergic regions of the basal forebrain, particularly in more rostral areas where frequent instances of apparent ap- positional contact were observed between orexin fibers and choline acetyltransferase-positive cell bodies. Collectively, these data suggest that orexin projections to the basal fore- brain form an important link between hypothalamic arousal and forebrain attentional systems. © 2004 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Chromosomal organization of adrenergic receptor genes.

Abstract The adrenergic receptors (ARs) (subtypes alpha 1, alpha 2, beta 1, and beta 2) are a prototypic family of guanine nucleotide binding regulatory protein-coupled receptors that mediate the physiological effects of the hormone epinephrine and the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. We have previously assigned the genes for beta 2- and alpha 2-AR to human chromosomes 5 and 10, respectively. By Southern analysis of somatic cell hybrids and in situ chromosomal hybridization, we have now mapped the alpha 1-AR gene to chromosome 5q32----q34, the same position as beta 2-AR, and the beta 1-AR gene to chromosome 10q24----q26, the region where alpha 2-AR is located. In mouse, both alpha 2- and beta 1-AR genes were assigned to chromosome 19, and the alpha 1-AR locus was localized to chromosome 11. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis has shown that the alpha 1- and beta 2-AR genes in humans are within 300 kilobases (kb) and the distance between the alpha 2- and beta 1-AR genes is less than 225 kb. The proximity of these two pairs of AR genes and the sequence similarity that exists among all the ARs strongly suggest that they are evolutionarily related. Moreover, they likely arose from a common ancestral receptor gene and subsequently diverged through gene duplication and chromosomal duplication to perform their distinctive roles in mediating the physiological effects of catecholamines. The AR genes thus provide a paradigm for understanding the evolution of such structurally conserved yet functionally divergent families of receptor molecules.