cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring individual legitimacy perceptions: Scale development and validation:

To fully understand legitimacy as a complex construct, it is necessary to capture both collective perceptions and individual judgments. Much of the empirical research on legitimacy has focused on m...
Enhancing Thermal Transport in Layered Nanomaterials

A comprehensive rational thermal material design paradigm requires the ability to reduce and enhance the thermal conductivities of nanomaterials. In contrast to the existing ability to reduce the thermal conductivity, methods that allow to enhance heat conduction are currently limited. Enhancing the nanoscale thermal conductivity could bring radical improvements in the performance of electronics, optoelectronics, and photovoltaic systems. Here, we show that enhanced thermal conductivities can be achieved in semiconductor nanostructures by rationally engineering phonon spectral coupling between materials. By embedding a germanium film between silicon layers, we show that its thermal conductivity can be increased by more than 100% at room temperature in contrast to a free standing thin-film. The injection of phonons from the cladding silicon layers creates the observed enhancement in thermal conductivity. We study the key factors underlying the phonon injection mechanism and find that the surface conditions and layer thicknesses play a determining role. The findings presented here will allow for the creation of nanomaterials with an increased thermal conductivity.
A Cognitive-Historical Approach to Meaning in Scientific Theories

The creation of concepts through which to comprehend, structure, and communicate about physical phenomena constitutes much of the scientific enterprise. Concepts play a central role in the construction and testing of the laws and principles of a theory. The introduction of new concepts and/or the alteration of existing ones is a crucial step in most changes of theory. And, in many scientific controversies what is at issue is disagreement over the interpretation of fundamental concepts. In short, articulating concepts is a central aspect of scientific research. Thus, our understanding of science is seriously deficient if we fail to examine the question of how scientific concepts emerge and are subsequently altered. Yet, such examinations have played little role in the philosophy of science. This is especially surprising in view of the fact that problems of conceptual change in science, in the form of the problems of ‘meaning variance’ and ‘incommensurability’, have dominated so much of post-positivistic philosophy of science. Most responses to these problems have centered on discussion of the alleged nature and necessities of language per se; the presumption being that the results of such analysis can simply be transferred to the scientific case. Thus, actual linguistic practices in science, and in particular the processes of concept formation and change, have gone largely unexamined. The result of this neglect has been that philosophical accounts of ‘meaning’ and ‘meaning-change’ for scientific theories and scientific practices concerning meaning continue to be at odds with one another.
Effects of Cocaine on the Respiratory Burst of Murine Macrophages

Cocaine is a central nervous stimulant with a major potential for abuse. It is used clinically as a local anesthetic and vasoconstrictor. The effects of cocaine on the immune system have not been studied in depth. In this study, we have investigated the effects of cocaine on the respiratory burst (RB) of murine macrophages (Mo). The RB was measured by determining the increase in chemiluminescence. Both peritoneal and alveolar Mo were isolated from cocaine-exposed mice and saline-exposed controls. Cocaine was administered by the intraperitoneal, intravenous, and intramuscular route. Both peritoneal and alveolar Mo from cocaine-exposed mice showed an increase in chemiluminescence when compared with Mo from matched controls. This effect was seen as early as one hour after cocaine exposure and lasted for up to 48 hours. Intraperitoneal injection of cocaine metabolites did not affect the RB. Macrophages exposed to cocaine in vitro failed to respond by an increase in RB. These findings indicate that cocaine induces the production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) and suggests possible changes in Mo functions.
Simon’s Error

In the previous pages I offered a vision of rationality and decision making based on bounded rationality and theories, models, and approaches that support its assumptions. All of these theories, and the original model of BR itself, explain how we have limits. Decision making, according to this perspective, is defined through the understanding of the limits that characterize our rational world. From this perspective, a map of all of our bounds is particularly helpful since it defines what limits (more than improves) our way of thinking.
Quantitatve Analysis Using Sputtered Neutrals in an Ion Microanalyser

Recently, a number of new approaches have been made to the problem of thin film analysis using the sputtered neutral flux. Following the early studies using electron impact ionization [1,2], and the plasma approach [3], refined by OESCHSNER [4], workers have returned to the electron impact approach [5] and have investigated the new technique of multiphoton ionization [6,7]. Common to all these approaches is the desire to optimize the efficiency of ionization and collection of the sputtered neutrals, and, to varying degrees, capabilities for concurrent sputtered ion analysis have received less emphasis. We have chosen instead to take an analyser optimized for sputtered ion detection--the Cameca IMS 3f--and to investigate the efficiency with which sputtered neutrals could be detected in this system without compromising the sputtered ion performance.
Does Preexisting Practice Modify How Video Games Recalibrate Physician Heuristics in Trauma Triage

Abstract Background A majority of severely injured patients fail to receive care at trauma centers (undertriage), in part, because of physician judgment. We previously developed two educational video games that reduced physicians' undertriage compared with control in two clinical trials. In this secondary analysis, we investigated heterogeneity of treatment effect of the interventions by assessing physicians' preexisting practice patterns in claims data. We hypothesized that physicians with high preexisting undertriage would benefit most from game-based training. Methods Using Medicare claims records from 2010 to 2015, we measured physicians' preexisting triage practices before their participation in one of two trials conducted in 2016 and 2017. We categorized physicians as having received game-based training versus control and noted their postintervention simulation triage performance in the trials. We used multivariable linear regression models to assess the heterogeneity of game-based training effect among physicians with high and low preexisting undertriage. Results Of the 394 eligible physicians from our trials, we identified 275 (70%) with claims for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries suffering severe injury between 2010 and 2015. On average, the physicians were 44 y old (SD 8.4) with 12 y (SD 8.2) of experience. We found significant interaction between preexisting practice and intervention efficacy (P = 0.04). Physicians with high undertriage before enrollment improved significantly with game-based training compared with the control (46% versus 63%, P Conclusions Using claims-based data, we found heterogeneity of treatment effect of interventions designed to recalibrate physician heuristics. Physicians with high preexisting undertriage benefited most from game-based training.
The Lawrence D. Dorr Surgical Techniques & Technologies Award: Aseptic Reoperations Within One Year of Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Markedly Increase the Risk of Later Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

Abstract Background Despite the success of primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs), some patients will require an aseptic reoperation within 1 year of the index THA. The goal of this study is to evaluate the risk of subsequent periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in patients undergoing an aseptic reoperation within 1 year of a primary THA. Methods A retrospective review utilizing our institutional joint registry identified 211 primary THAs requiring aseptic reoperation within 1 year following index arthroplasty. A control group of 15,357 primary THAs not requiring reoperation within 1 year was identified. Patients were divided into groups based on time from primary THA to reoperation: (1) within 90 days (n = 112 THAs; 40% for dislocation, 34% for periprosthetic fracture) or (2) 91-365 days (n = 99 THAs; 37% for dislocation, 29% for periprosthetic fracture). Mean follow-up was 7 years. Results Patients undergoing an aseptic reoperation within 90 days had a PJI rate of 4.8% at 2 years, while the 91-365 day group had a PJI rate of 3.2% at 2 years. The control group had a PJI rate of 0.2% at 2 years. Employing a multivariate analysis, reoperation within 90 days of index arthroplasty had an elevated risk of PJI (hazard ratio 8, P Conclusion Aseptic reoperations within 1 year following primary THA resulted in an 8- to 13-fold increased risk of subsequent PJI. The risk was similar whether the aseptic reoperation was early (within 90 days) or later (91-365 days). Level of Evidence Level III (Prognostic).
Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Function Restoration in Mice by Maize Diet Containing Enriched Flavan-4-Ols

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic intestinal inflammatory condition, awaits safe and effective preventive strategies. Naturally occurring flavonoid compounds are promising therapeutic candidates against IBD due to their great antioxidant potential and ability to reduce inflammation and improve immune signaling mediators in the gut. In this study, we utilized two maize near-isogenic lines flavan-4-ols-containing P1-rr (F+) and flavan-4-ols-lacking p1-ww (F-) to investigate the anti-inflammatory property of flavan-4-ols against carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)-induced low-grade colonic inflammation. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either 1% CMC (w/v) or water for a total of 15 weeks. After week six, mice on CMC treatment were divided into four groups. One group continued on the control diet. The second and third groups were supplemented with F+ at 15% or 25% (w/w). The fourth group received diet supplemented with F- at 15%. Here we report that mice consuming F+(15) and F+(25) alleviated CMC-induced increase in epididymal fat-pad, colon histology score, pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 expression and intestinal permeability compared to mice fed with control diet and F-(15). F+(15) and F+(25) significantly enhanced mucus thickness in CMC exposed mice (p < 0.05). These data collectively demonstrated the protective effect of flavan-4-ol against colonic inflammation by restoring intestinal barrier function and provide a rationale to breed for flavan-4-ols enriched cultivars for better dietary benefits.
Solitary Confinement in Midwestern States: Are Best Practices in Place?

The use of solitary confinement is one of the most pressing issues facing American Corrections. Due to the legal, financial, and moral costs and issues associated with solitary confinement, a great...
HEAR: Fog-Enabled Energy-Aware Online Human Eating Activity Recognition

Eating activity recognition (EAR) plays an important role in ensuring healthy eating habits. Recent advancements of the Internet of Things (IoT) have bolstered automated EAR through various wearable edge devices. State-of-the-art work uses some offline trained classifiers at the fog device to recognize eating activities. However, the eating habits of a person change quite frequently and vary from person to person. Therefore, the classifiers should be updated continuously with new data to adapt to these changes and be personalized over time through online learning. To the best of our knowledge, no state-of-the-art work has addressed this issue so far. In this article, we propose an online learning methodology called human eating activity recognition (HEAR) by introducing an online update phase. We also design an algorithm to be used in the online update phase that provides approximate true labels for the new data. Moreover, we also design a wearable neckband as the edge device to capture eating activity data ( Chewing, Swallowing, Talking, and Idle ) in a lab environment. Through a detailed experimental evaluation on 12 users, we show that an online learned neural network (OLNN) classifier using our HEAR methodology performs better than any state-of-the-art offline trained classifier. We also demonstrate that our OLNN classifier is energy efficient compared to the competitive offline trained classifiers.
Antibiotic-Laden Bone Cement Use and Revision Risk After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty in U.S. Veterans.

Background It is controversial whether the use of antibiotic-laden bone cement (ALBC) in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) affects periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) or revision rates. The impact of ALBC on outcomes of primary TKA have not been previously investigated in U.S. veterans, to our knowledge. The purposes of this study were to quantify utilization of ALBC among U.S. veterans undergoing primary TKA and to determine if ALBC usage is associated with differences in revision TKA rates. Methods Patients who had TKA with cement from 2007 to 2015 at U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals with at least 2 years of follow-up were retrospectively identified. Patients who received high-viscosity Palacos bone cement with or without gentamicin were selected as the final study cohort. Patient demographic and comorbidity data were collected. Revision TKA was the primary outcome. All-cause revisions and revisions for PJI were identified from both VHA and non-VHA hospitals. Unadjusted and adjusted regression analyses were performed to identify variables that were associated with increased revision rates. Results The study included 15,972 patients who had primary TKA with Palacos bone cement at VHA hospitals from 2007 to 2015. Plain bone cement was used for 4,741 patients and ALBC was used for 11,231 patients. Utilization of ALBC increased from 50.6% in 2007 to 69.4% in 2015. At a mean follow-up of 5 years, TKAs with ALBC had a lower all-cause revision rate than those with plain bone cement (5.3% versus 6.7%; p = 0.0009) and a lower rate of revision for PJI (1.9% versus 2.6%; p = 0.005). On multivariable regression, ALBC use was associated with a lower risk of all-cause revision compared with plain bone cement (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68 to 0.92; p = 0.0019). Seventy-one primary TKAs needed to be implanted with ALBC to avoid 1 revision TKA. Conclusions The utilization of ALBC for primary TKAs performed at VHA hospitals has increased over time and was associated with a lower all-cause revision rate and a lower rate of revision for PJI. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
On Track or Derailed? Race, Advanced Math, and the Transition to High School:

Recent scholarship has examined how accelerated math trajectories leading to calculus take shape during middle school. The focus of this study is on advanced math course taking during the critical ...
Filenail: Working with Incomplete Filesystem State

The use of filesystems has become a standard, with a purpose well beyond just storing and accessing application data. For instance, common system security and compliance operations, sush as software or package installation, system and application configurations or process management also leverage a filesystem. Over decades, various system management and security tools have been designed to access system state and to implement their respective functions through a file interface. However, we observe that these tools do not require access to all the files in the filesystem and in some cases they can even work with incomplete file contents. Motivated by these observations, we propose filenail (or Filesystem Thumbnail) a system that exercises an incomplete filesystem state marshalling and un-marshalling protocol. We discuss the use of filenail to implement an effective and optimal disaggregated solution to perform common system security tasks for container clouds. In general, depending on the use-case not all the files in the filesystem are equal and that incomplete filesystem state can be often enough. The results of this paper show filenail is very efficient in capturing and transferring filesystem state of systems and enables implementing disaggregated security solutions in the cloud.
3219 hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in Southeast Michigan: a retrospective case cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical characteristics of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Southeast Michigan. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Eight hospitals in Southeast Michigan. PARTICIPANTS: 3219 hospitalised patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 infection by nasopharyngeal PCR test from 13 March 2020 until 29 April 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Outcomes were discharge from the hospital or in-hospital death. Examined predictors included patient demographics, chronic diseases, home medications, mechanical ventilation, in-hospital medications and timeframe of hospital admission. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: During the study period, 3219 (90.4%) patients were discharged or died in the hospital. The median age was 65.2 (IQR 52.6-77.2) years, the median length of stay in the hospital was 6.0 (IQR 3.2-10.1) days, and 51% were female. Hypertension was the most common chronic disease, occurring in 2386 (74.1%) patients. Overall mortality rate was 16.0%. Blacks represented 52.3% of patients and had a mortality rate of 13.5%. Mortality was highest at 18.5% in the prepeak hospital COVID-19 volume, decreasing to 15.3% during the peak period and to 10.8% in the postpeak period. Multivariable regression showed increasing odds of in-hospital death associated with older age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.05, p<0.001) for every increase in 1 year of age and being male (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.81, p<0.001). Certain chronic diseases increased the odds of in-hospital mortality, especially chronic kidney disease. Administration of vitamin C, corticosteroids and therapeutic heparin in the hospital was associated with higher odds of death. CONCLUSION: In-hospital mortality was highest in early admissions and improved as our experience in treating patients with COVID-19 increased. Blacks were more likely to get admitted to the hospital and to receive mechanical ventilation, but less likely to die in the hospital than whites.
An Integrated Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection Session: Utilizing an Online Collaborative Platform in a Synchronous Classroom Setting.

Introduction Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health concern worldwide. It is important to provide high-quality instructional sessions to students about the pathogenesis and risk factors of...
Simulation of a 3D Bioprinted Human Vascular Segment

The ultimate goal of bioprinting is the production of living and functional tissue and organs for transplantation in a reasonable time scale. To achieve this goal, the best process would be organ printing. It enables creation of tissue with a high level of cell density; can solve the problem of vascularization in thick tissues; organ printing can be done in situ. Organ printing is a computer-aided 3D tissue engineering of living organs with layer-by-layer deposition of tissue spheroids compounded by pre-sorted cells and hydrogel with principles of self-assembly. This process can be divided in 3 technological steps: i) Development of the design files (blueprint) for the organs; ii) Actual printing; iii) Post processing or organ conditioning and accelerated tissue and organ maturation. This work presents an initial study about the post-processing concerning the maturation phase. It was adopted a clinical image of computer tomography (CT) of a human heart. A branch of this heart was selected and handled. This image was converted into a 3D virtual mesh able to be used in the simulations. Two conditions were considered: a 3D branch formed by spheres analogously to the tissue spheroids representing a fresh organ bioprinted and the second one taking into account the surface of the branches representing a more maturated structure. Some analysis were executed to verify the fusion process among the tissue spheroids when the spheres are under fusion to each other and the distance between them decreased at long the time. Velocity and pressure were analyzed through four selected sections in the vascular branch where there is fluid flow through the spheres that form threedimensionally the structure as a fresh organ bioprinted by a 3D bioprinter.
The Extending Access Index: Promoting Global Health

Many people around the world cannot access essential medicines for diseases like malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS. One way of addressing this problem is a Global Health Impact certification system where pharmaceutical companies are rated on the basis of their drugs’ impact on global health. The best companies, in a given year, will then be allowed to use a Global Health Impact label on all of their products – everything from lip balm to food supplements. Highly rated companies will have an incentive to use the label to garner a larger share of the market. If even a small percentage of consumers promote global health by purchasing Global Health Impact products, the incentive to use this label will be substantial. An associated Global Health Impact licensing campaign will also have a big impact. Pharmaceutical companies rely, to a large extent, on university research and development. So, if universities only allow companies that agree to use Global Health Impact practices to benefit from their technology, companies will have an incentive to abide by Global Health Impact standards. The Global Health Impact certification system gives companies a reason to produce medicines that will save millions of lives (like a new malaria or HIV vaccine). This paper presents a model rating system that can provide the basis for Global Health Impact certification. It explores some of the methodological choices underlying the construction of this index and explains how the model can be improved with further research.
Dissecting the Low Volatility Anomaly

We find the low volatility anomaly is present in all but the smallest of stocks. Portfolios can be formed on either total or idiosyncratic volatility to take advantage of this anomaly, but we show measures of idiosyncratic volatility are key. Standard risk-adjusted returns suggest that there is no low volatility anomaly from 1996 through 2011, but we find this result arises from model misspecification. Caution must be taken when analyzing high volatility stocks because their returns have a nonlinear relationship with momentum during market bubbles.
Clinical Progression of Breast Cancer Malignant Behavior: What to Expect and When to Expect it

PURPOSE: Seemingly localized breast cancer is a heterogeneous mix of truly localized cancers and cancers with occult metastases. Our purpose is to determine the parameters of metastatic proclivity for the different clinical presentations of operable breast cancer and to present quantitative prognostic information useful to both doctors and patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A series of regionally treated breast cancer patients was analyzed to determine the likelihood and time of the appearance of clinical metastases for different clinical subgroups. Patients operated on at the University of Chicago from 1927 to 1987 for clinically regionally localized breast cancer, who received no systemic therapy as a part of their initial treatment, were included. Overall survival and distant disease-free survival in this mature series are analyzed. RESULTS: Metastagenicity, the metastatic proclivity of a tumor, increases with both tumor size and nodal involvement. This is also true for virulence, which is the rate at whi...
The Significance of Customer Base in the New Economy: Satisfaction and Perceptions of Success among Small Suppliers and Small Nonsuppliers1: JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Outsourcing of operations from large businesses to small business suppliers has become a prominent feature of the new global economy. This paper compares the perceived success and work satisfaction...
Representation of photon limited data in emission tomography using origin ensembles

Representation and reconstruction of data obtained by emission tomography scanners are challenging due to high noise levels in the data. Typically, images obtained using tomographic measurements are represented using grids. In this work, we define images as sets of origins of events detected during tomographic measurements; we call these origin ensembles (OEs). A state in the ensemble is characterized by a vector of 3N parameters Y, where the parameters are the coordinates of origins of detected events in a three-dimensional space and N is the number of detected events. The 3N-dimensional probability density function (PDF) for that ensemble is derived, and we present an algorithm for OE image estimation from tomographic measurements. A displayable image (e.g. grid based image) is derived from the OE formulation by calculating ensemble expectations based on the PDF using the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. The approach was applied to computer-simulated 3D list-mode positron emission tomography data. The reconstruction errors for a 10 000 000 event acquisition for simulated ranged from 0.1 to 34.8%, depending on object size and sampling density. The method was also applied to experimental data and the results of the OE method were consistent with those obtained by a standard maximum-likelihood approach. The method is a new approach to representation and reconstruction of data obtained by photon-limited emission tomography measurements.
Catalyzed copolymerization of acrolein with furan and thiophene

Reaction catalysee par le fluoroborate de cuivre (II) et l'hydroquinone dans l'acetonitrile
A Reaction to "Moderating Possibly Irrelevant Multiple Mean Score Differences on a Test of Mathematical Reasoning.".

Stocking, Jirele, Lewis, and Swanson (1998) provide an intriguing application of automated test assembly (ATA) to the problem of reducing potential performance differentials among population subgroups. ATA offers test developers the advantage of using computers to help construct test forms that have consistent features and that exhibit desired statistical properties. That is, ATA uses optimization algorithms or heuristics to select items from a pool that meet some desired statistical requirements such as a targeted mean difficulty, a particular level of reliability, or a minimum amount of precision at various regions of the score scale. Additionally, the item selection software "machine" usually needs to match content specifications and other categorical or quantitative features deemed important by the test developers (see, e.g., van der Linden & Boekkooi-Timminga, 1989; Stocking, Swanson, & Pearlman, 1993). From a purely technical perspective, reducing impact by moderating differences in observed item proportion correct scores (i.e., p-values) is not complicated. It simply involves the introduction of additional statistical criteria or a new set of constraints to be considered as part of a particular ATA item selection optimization model. Stocking et al. (1998) demonstrate their ATA application via the weighted deviations model (Swanson & Stocking, 1993). They further provide some instruction about how to incorporate these types of constraints into the ATA problem, including alternatives for weighting those criteria in the item selection heuristic. There are, however, potential pitfalls inherent in creating an ATA machine to unconditionally eliminate or reduce impact. The machine understands neither the cause of the impact nor the purpose or policy behind the attempt to reduce it. Because of the importance of impact from an ethical and social perspective, it seems reasonable to point out some caveats for consideration by readers and to suggest other alternatives to the approach advocated by Stocking et al. (1998) that future research might wish to explore.
Parametric Nonlinear Regression with Endogenous Switching

Based on the insightful work of Olsen (1980) for the linear context, a generic and unifying framework is developed that affords a simple extension of the classical method of Heckman (1974, 1976, 1978, 1979) to a broad class of nonlinear regression models involving endogenous switching and its two most common incarnations, endogenous sample selection and endogenous treatment effects. The approach should be appealing to applied researchers for three reasons. First, econometric applications involving endogenous switching abound. Secondly, the approach requires neither linearity of the regression function nor full parametric specification of the model. It can, in fact, be applied under the minimal parametric assumptions—i.e., specification of only the conditional means of the outcome and switching variables. Finally, it is amenable to relatively straightforward estimation methods. Examples of applications of the method are discussed.
Ghar-i-Mordeh Gusfand (Cave of the Dead Sheep): A New Mousterian Locality in North Afghanistan

The Middle Paleolithic of Central Asia is little known and less understood. Several sites have been excavated in Soviet Central Asia, but few have been adequately presented. Recent excavations in north Afghanistan may throw new light on the problem because of the size of the rock shelter involved and its relative geologic dating.
Structural basis for the substrate specificity of the feruloyl esterase domain of the cellulosomal xylanase Z from Clostridium thermocellum.

Feruloyl esterases function in the cleavage of ferulic acid's bonds to arabinoxylan and pectin where the ferulic acid moieties cross-link the layers of polysaccharide chains within hemicellulose. This work presents the crystal structure of FAE_XynZ, the domain of Clostridium thermocellum's cellulosomal xylanase Z that displays feruloyl esterase activity. The structure was obtained via multiple isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering (MIRAS) using three heavy atom derivatives and refined against X-ray diffraction data of up to 1.75 A resolution. The R-value of the final model was 0.187 (Rfree = 0.21). FAE_XynZ displays an eight-stranded α/β-fold with the characteristic “catalytic triad” at the heart of the active site. To define the substrate specificity determinants of the enzyme, the crystal structures of FAE_XynZ and the inactive FAE_XynZ(S172A) mutant were determined in complexes with the feruloyl-arabinoxylans FAXX and FAX3, respectively. In the complex crystals, the ferulic acid moieties ar...
Electrochemical amide oxidations in the presence of monomethoxylated phenyl rings. An unexpected relationship between the chemoselectivity of the oxidation and the location of the methoxy substituent

Abstract The chemoselectivity of electrochemical amide oxidations in the presence of monomethoxylated phenyl rings was examined. Oxidation of (3-methoxyphenyl)acylpyrrolidine led to exclusive formation of the desired amide oxidation products, while oxidation of the 4-methoxyphenyl isomer led to exclusive formation of aromatic ring oxidation products.
The beck anxiety inventory: Psychometric properties in a community population

This study presents data on the norms and psychometric properties of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), using a sample of 225 community adult volunteers. Maximum-likelihood confirmatory factor analyses of previously published models of the BAI: a two-factor model and a five-factor model, showed that the fit of each model was unacceptable. Also, the fit of the single-factor model was poor. Exploratory principal-components analyses with varimax and oblique rotations suggested four BAI components within this sample. Satisfactory levels of reliability were established for the BAI subscales. Finally, the relations between the BAI total and subscale scores and a related measure of anxiety and with another self-report measure of psychological distress were examined.
Comparative DNA sequence analysis of mapped wheat ESTs reveals the complexity of genome relationships between rice and wheat

The use of DNA sequence-based comparative genomics for evolutionary studies and for transferring information from model species to related large-genome species has revolutionized molecular genetics and breeding strategies for improving those crops. Comparative sequence analysis methods can be used to cross-reference genes between species maps, enhance the resolution of comparative maps, study patterns of gene evolution, identify conserved regions of the genomes, and facilitate interspecies gene cloning. In this study, 5,780 Triticeae ESTs that have been physically mapped using wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) deletion lines and segregating populations were compared using NCBI BLASTN to the first draft of the public rice (Oryza sativa L.) genome sequence data from 3,280 ordered BAC/PAC clones. A rice genome view of the homoeologous wheat genome locations based on sequence analysis shows general similarity to the previously published comparative maps based on Southern analysis of RFLP. For most rice chromosomes there is a preponderance of wheat genes from one or two wheat chromosomes. The physical locations of non-conserved regions were not consistent across rice chromosomes. Some wheat ESTs with multiple wheat genome locations are associated with the non-conserved regions of similarity between rice and wheat. The inverse view, showing the relationship between the wheat deletion map and rice genomic sequence, revealed the breakdown of gene content and order at the resolution conferred by the physical chromosome deletions in the wheat genome. An average of 35% of the putative single copy genes that were mapped to the most conserved bins matched rice chromosomes other than the one that was most similar. This suggests that there has been an abundance of rearrangements, insertions, deletions, and duplications eroding the wheat-rice genome relationship that may complicate the use of rice as a model for cross-species transfer of information in non-conserved regions.
Chlorinated cooling waters in the marine environment: Development of effluent guidelines☆

Abstract The effects of free chlorine and chloramine on stage I lobster larvae and juvenile killifish were investigated in continuous flow bioassay units. In comparing mortality and changes in standard respiration rates during and after exposure to either chlorine form, significant respiratory stress was observed with exposure to sublethal levels. Sublethal responses to free and combined chlorine should be considered when establishing regulations for chlorine residuals in cooling waters.
Aortic stiffness: a new Doppler echocardiographic measure predictive of systolic blood pressure in children

Abstract Aortic stiffness, the maximal frequency shift in the descending aorta divided by the Doppler acceleration time, was studied in 384 eleven year old twin children. The extent to which this measurement provided a prediction of systolic blood pressure that was independent of body size, heart rate, cardiac contractility and left ventricular mass was investigated. Aortic stiffness, after adjustment for height and weight, correlated significantly with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.22, p This measure appears to be a more powerful predictor of systolic blood pressure than is left ventricular mass. Aortic stiffness is a highly reproducible Doppler variable that may explain in part the contribution of the aortic wall elastic properties to the level of systolic blood pressure in preadolescent children at rest.
Do Interictal Spikes Drive Epileptogenesis

Interictal spikes are periodic, very brief bursts of neuronal activity that are observed in the electroencephalogram of patients with chronic epilepsy. These spikes are useful diagnostically, but we do not know why they are so strongly associated with the spontaneous seizures that characterize chronic epilepsy. Interictal spikes appear before the first spontaneous seizures in animal models of acquired epilepsy, and spikes are sufficient to induce long-term changes in synaptic connections between neurons. Thus, spikes may guide the development of the neuronal circuits that initiate spontaneous seizures. If so, then attempts to prevent or cure epilepsy may best be directed at spikes rather than seizures.
The Role of the Phonological Loop in English Word Learning: A Comparison of Chinese ESL Learners and Native Speakers

Although the role of the phonological loop in word-retention is well documented, research in Chinese character retention suggests the involvement of non-phonological encoding. This study investigated whether the extent to which the phonological loop contributes to learning and remembering visually introduced words varies between college-level Chinese ESL learners (N = 20) and native speakers of English (N = 20). The groups performed a paired associative learning task under two conditions (control versus articulatory suppression) with two word types (regularly spelled versus irregularly spelled words) differing in degree of phonological accessibility. The results demonstrated that both groups’ recall declined when the phonological loop was made less available (with irregularly spelled words and in the articulatory suppression condition), but the decline was greater for the native group. These results suggest that word learning entails phonological encoding uniformly across learners, but the contribution of phonology varies among learners with diverse linguistic backgrounds.
Brachytherapy in Neovascular AMD

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has a complex pathophysiology, and although anti-VEGF therapy has been one of the most significant and successful advances, it is not effective for all patients with neovascular AMD. The potential role of radiation in the management of neovascular AMD has been suggested for several years. While previous work focused on the role of radiation alone, recent trials have evaluated the role of ionizing radiation as a synergistic treatment with anti-VEGF drugs, with endpoints being to reduce choroidal neovascular lesions faster, preserve visual acuity, and extend the treatment interval between injections. We review the current evidence available for the safety and efficacy of radiation in conjunction with anti-VEGF treatment for neovascular AMD delivered using three approaches—epimacular brachytherapy involving a pars plana vitrectomy (Vidion Neovista, Inc., Newark, CA, USA), episcleral brachytherapy without a pars plana vitrectomy (Salutaris Medical Devices, Tucson, AZ), and low-voltage stereotactic radiotherapy (IRay, Oraya Therapeutics, Inc., Newark, CA, USA).
Transgenic Expression of Glud1 (Glutamate Dehydrogenase 1) in Neurons: In Vivo Model of Enhanced Glutamate Release, Altered Synaptic Plasticity, and Selective Neuronal Vulnerability

The effects of lifelong, moderate excess release of glutamate (Glu) in the CNS have not been previously characterized. We created a transgenic (Tg) mouse model of lifelong excess synaptic Glu release in the CNS by introducing the gene for glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (Glud1) under the control of the neuron-specific enolase promoter. Glud1 is, potentially, an important enzyme in the pathway of Glu synthesis in nerve terminals. Increased levels of GLUD protein and activity in CNS neurons of hemizygous Tg mice were associated with increases in the in vivo release of Glu after neuronal depolarization in striatum and in the frequency and amplitude of miniature EPSCs in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Despite overexpression of Glud1 in all neurons of the CNS, the Tg mice suffered neuronal losses in select brain regions (e.g., the CA1 but not the CA3 region). In vulnerable regions, Tg mice had decreases in MAP2A labeling of dendrites and in synaptophysin labeling of presynaptic terminals; the decreases in neuronal numbers and dendrite and presynaptic terminal labeling increased with advancing age. In addition, the Tg mice exhibited decreases in long-term potentiation of synaptic activity and in spine density in dendrites of CA1 neurons. Behaviorally, the Tg mice were significantly more resistant than wild-type mice to induction and duration of anesthesia produced by anesthetics that suppress Glu neurotransmission. The Glud1 mouse might be a useful model for the effects of lifelong excess synaptic Glu release on CNS neurons and for age-associated neurodegenerative processes.
Quantitative trait locus analysis identifies Gabra3 as a regulator of behavioral despair in mice

The Tail Suspension Test (TST), which measures behavioral despair, is widely used as an animal model of human depressive disorders and antidepressant efficacy. In order to identify novel genes involved in the regulation of TST performance, we crossed an inbred strain exhibiting low immobility in the TST (RIIIS/J) with two high-immobility strains (C57BL/6J and NZB/BlNJ) to create two distinct F2 hybrid populations. All F2 offspring (n = 655) were genotyped at high density with a panel of SNP markers. Whole-genome interval mapping of the F2 populations identified statistically significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on mouse chromosomes (MMU) 4, 6, and X. Microarray analysis of hippocampal gene expression in the three parental strains was used to identify potential candidate genes within the MMUX QTLs identified in the NZB/BlNJ × RIIIS/J cross. Expression of Gabra3, which encodes the GABAA receptor α3 subunit, was robust in the hippocampus of B6 and RIIIS mice but absent from NZB hippocampal tissue. To verify the role of Gabra3 in regulating TST behavior in vivo, mice were treated with SB-205384, a positive modulator of the α3 subunit. SB-205384 significantly reduced TST immobility in B6 mice without affecting general activity, but it had no effect on behavior in NZB mice. This work suggests that GABRA3 regulates a behavioral endophenotype of depression and establishes this gene as a viable new target for the study and treatment of human depression.
Obstructive sleep apnea and maxillomandibular advancement: an assessment of airway changes using radiographic and nasopharyngoscopic examinations.

Purpose: The study aim was to evaluate the resultant changes in the upper airway after maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) for obstructive sleep apnea. Methods: Twelve patients were evaluated before and after MMA using fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy (NPG) with Muller maneuver. An inspiratory force meter was used to ensure the consistency of the inspiratory efforts between the 2 examinations. Preoperative and postoperative lateral cephalometric radiographs were also compared. Results: Decrease in the airway obstruction was shown by the lateral cephalometric radiograph as well as by fiberoptic NPG during passive respiration. Fiberoptic NPG with Muller maneuver also revealed a decrease in airway collapsibility. Although the retrodisplacement of the tongue base was improved, the improvement in lateral pharyngeal wall stability was the most striking. Conclusions: MMA achieved expansion of the upper airway. In addition, MMA decreased the collapsibility of the airway, especially the lateral pharyngeal walls. These findings may explain the highly successful outcomes of MMA for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. © 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 60:526-530, 2002
USE OF PRIMARY CARE BY EARLY DISCHARGE (ED) NEWBORNS 1604

We determined the effect of an early discharge program on the pattern of primary care visits (PCV) following discharge from the hospital.Methods: 997 study infants (Early discharge (ED) 9/1/93-5/1/94) and 1171 historical controls (C) (standard discharge 9/1/92-5/1/93) formed the original cohort. Both groups consisted of healthy newborns, (85% medicaid or selfpay) delivered vaginally with no transitional problems. For this analysis only infants who chose a public clinic for F/U were included (C=730, S=670). The early discharge program was characterized by liberal use of home visits and coordination of post hospital care. PCV was defined as a visit to the specific site identified by the mother at the time of discharge from the birth hospital. Computer and manual searches were done to determine rates of FPCV and age at visit to specific clinics. Primary care sites were divided into community based clinics (CBC) and a single hospital based clinic (HBC). Maternal variables included age, race, use of prenatal care, parity and gravidity. Infant variables included birth weight and gestational age. Bivariable (T test, chi-sq) and multivariable (Logistic regression) analyses were performed. Results: 73% of patients in the C and 79% in the ED group kept their PCV at the site indicated at discharge (n.s., Chi-sq). Infants in the ED program were likely to have a PC visit (OR=1.313, CI 1.13, 1.51). Women with substandard prenatal care (OR=0.467, CI 0.36, 0.61) and HBC users (OR=.523, CI 0.45, 0.60) were less likely to have a PC visit. Mothers of younger age and nonwhite race were less likely to make PC visits.Conclusion: Infants in the ED program were more likely to return to their stated site of primary care enhancing opportunities for health care planning and communications.
A new theory on the origin and the nature of viruses

The hypothetical model presented herein concerns the origin and nature of viruses. It advances the possibility of the appearance and existence of an organism lacking a cohesive morphological structure, that is: its subsystems are not in structural continuity. An attempt to delimit the concepts of life and organism and to integrate the viruses into this framework is made. Viruses are presented as organisms which pass in their ontogenetic cycle through two distinctive phenotypic phases: (1) the vegetative phase and (2) the phase of viral particle or nucleic acid. In the vegetative phase, considered herein to be the ontogenetically mature phase of viruses, their component molecules are dispersed within the host cell. In this phase the virus shows the major physiological properties of other organisms: metabolism, growth, and reproduction. Therefore, life is an effective presence. It is shown also, that in this phase so called "DNA viruses" have both nucleic acids: RNA as well as DNA. The virions are considered to be "spores" or reproductive forms of the virus, possessing life only as a potential property.
Manufacture of Mozzarella cheese from highly-concentrated skim milk microfiltration retentate depleted of whey proteins1

A cheese-making process was developed which utilizes concentration factor (CF) 8, pH 6.0 skim milk microfiltration (MF) retentate to produce low-moisture, part-skim (LMPS) Mozzarella cheese. The compositional and proteolytic effects of different levels of rennet concentration, coagulation temperature, and post-coagulation curd cutting time were evaluated, with rennet concentration having the strongest influence. A post-coagulation curd cutting time of 15-20 min was found to normalize the extent of K-casein hydrolysis during coagulation of concentrated MF retentate. Optimal cheese manufacturing parameters were determined to be 80-100 μL rennet kg -1 MF cheesemilk, coagulation temperature of 32-36 °C, and post-coagulation curd cutting time of 15 min. As compared with ultrafiltration (UF) retentate cheese manufacture, cheese made from MF retentates has potential for improved textural and functional qualities, along with recovery of highly functional whey proteins (WP) from permeate. L'objet de cette recherche est de developper une methode de fabrication de fromage de Mozzarella a partir de retentats de microfiltration de lait ecreme et de determiner les effets sur la composition et la proteolyse, de differentes concentrations en presure, temperatures de coagulation et temps de decoupage du caille apres coagulation. Les resultats montrent que les produits obtenus ont des qualites texturales et fonctionnelles ameliorees par rapport a la mozarella fabriquee a partir de lait ultrafiltre. Les proteines de lactoserum recuperees dans le permeats ont des proprietes technologiques importantes.