cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiological arousal and observed behaviour in parent–child interactions involving young children with Down syndrome

BACKGROUND Parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) play an important role in their child's development. Physiological measures, such as electrodermal activity (EDA), can shed light on parent-child relations beyond the behavioural level. The goals of the current study were to assess the feasibility of collecting EDA data in preschool age children with DS, examine the association between parent and child EDA during play-based interactions, and investigate the relation between parent and child EDA and observed parent behaviours. METHOD Two parents in 15 families participated in dyadic free play interactions with their child with DS (i.e., 15 mother-child and 15 father-child interactions). The children with DS (aged 24-61 months) and both of their parents wore multisensory wristbands measuring EDA. Parent behaviours were coded as requests for behavioural complies, requests for verbal complies, or comments. RESULTS Usable EDA data were collected for 13/15 children and 11/15 mothers during the mother-child interactions and 14/15 children and 12/15 fathers during the father-child interactions. Parent and child EDA variability was significantly positively related for father-child but not mother-child dyads. Maternal use of requests for behavioural complies was positively related to child EDA variability. CONCLUSIONS The collection of EDA data through wristbands worn by young children with DS during early parent-child interactions was feasible. Preliminary findings indicated that some aspects of parent and child physiology in DS may be related in different ways for mother-child and father-child dyads.
Theranostic Nanoparticles for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Pancreatic cancer is one of the low vascular permeable tumors with a high mortality rate. The five-year survival period is ~5%. The field of drug delivery is at its pace in developing unique drug delivery carriers to treat high mortality rate cancers such as pancreatic cancer. Theranostic nanoparticles are the new novel delivery carriers where the carrier is loaded with both diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The present review discusses various therapeutic and theranostic nanocarriers for pancreatic cancer.
Experimental and numerical investigation on the behavior of hybrid concrete beams reinforced with GFRP bars after exposure to elevated temperature

Abstract This study puts forward experimental and numerical investigations to understand the response and failure of hybrid concrete beams reinforced by Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars and exposed to elevated temperature. Seven GFRP reinforced hybrid concrete beam specimens were designed according to ACI440.1R-15 (ACI, 2015) and exposed to temperature values between 300 °C and 700 °C and subjected to monolithically increased static load up to failure. The effects of elevated temperature on load- displacement relationships and failure modes were evaluated and discussed. Experimental results have indicated that shear failure is the predominate failure mode of all tested beams. Results have also shown that the maximum reduction in the ultimate load capacity of the hybrid concrete GFRP reinforced concrete beam is about 53% when exposed to temperature value of 700 °C compared with the ultimate load capacity of the beam at ambient temperature. This paper also suggests and validates a numerical model to simulate the performance and failure of GFRP reinforced hybrid concrete beams under high temperature using the finite element software ABAQUS. The numerical model was firstly verified against the experimental test results and then used to investigate the effect of several important parameters on the performance and ultimate load of GFRP-RC beams under different elevated temperatures.
Review of The Supernatural Sublime: The Wondrous Ineffability of the Everyday in Films from Mexico and Spain

Raul Rodriguez-Hernandez and Claudia Schaefer, The Supernatural Sublime : The Wondrous Ineffability of the Everyday in Films from Mexico and Spain . Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2019. xii + 304 pp. ISBN 9781496214249, $55.00 (hbk)
The Role of On-Demand Delivery Platforms in Restaurants during Disruption: Evidence from the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has interrupted many industries, with restaurants being one of the hardest-hit businesses On-demand delivery platforms such as DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats have been a valuable option for consumers, but whether and to what extent these platforms benefit restaurants remain under-investigated This paper studies the impact of delivery platforms on restaurant demand and staffing Empirical analysis shows that restaurants that are on delivery platforms are less negatively affected by the pandemic: both consumer demand and restaurant staffing are higher than restaurants that are not on these platforms However, such positive platform effects are substantially heterogeneous across different types of restaurants: the demand enhancement effect for fast-food chains is four times larger than that of independent restaurants This disparity suggests that delivery platforms can widen the performance gap between national chains and independent restaurants, which may drive more independent restaurants to close Further, we find that changes in customers’ price sensitivity may explain why fast-food chains disproportionally benefit from delivery platforms While the use of delivery platforms increases during the pandemic, consumers on these platforms are more price sensitive as these platforms reduce geographic frictions and facilitate price comparisons Therefore, consumers on the platforms are more likely to choose the relatively low-priced fast-food chains over independent restaurants These findings deepen our understanding of the effects of delivery platforms on restaurants and have implications for restaurants and policy makers
Corrigendum: Near-Single-Cell Proteomics Profiling of the Proximal Tubular and Glomerulus of the Normal Human Kidney.

Author(s): Sigdel, Tara K; Piehowski, Paul D; Roy, Sudeshna; Liberto, Juliane; Hansen, Joshua R; Swensen, Adam C; Zhao, Rui; Zhu, Ying; Rashmi, Priyanka; Schroeder, Andrew; Damm, Izabella; Sur, Swastika; Luo, Jinghui; Yang, Yingbao; Qian, Wei-Jun; Sarwal, Minnie M | Abstract: [This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.00499.].
Improvements to the Stephens-MacCall approach for calculating CPUE from multispecies fisheries logbook data

Abstract Since its publication in 2004, the Stephens-MacCall method has been widely used as an objective approach to select a subset of fisher-reported trip catch and effort data relevant to a given analysis. This paper demonstrates the undesired effects of using a classification cutoff threshold as originally proposed and offers a weighting alternative which makes use of complete information in the dataset and fitted model. Simple spatiotemporal additions to the original model resulting in improved predictive performance are also presented. These modifications are illustrated with application to commercial red snapper reported in the U.S. South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Drug and Ligand Binding in BCL-2 Variants Through Molecular Dynamics

Abstract Venetoclax is a BH3 (Bcl-2 Homology 3) mimetic used to treat leukemia and lymphoma by inhibiting the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 protein thereby promoting apoptosis of cancerous cells. Acquired resistance to Venetoclax via specific variants in BCL-2 is a major problem for the successful treatment of cancer patients. Replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) simulations combined with machine learning were used to define the average structure of variants in aqueous solution to predict changes in drug and ligand binding in BCL-2 variants. The variant structures all show shifts in residue positions that occlude the binding groove, and these are the primary contributors to drug resistance. Correspondingly, we established a method that can predict the severity of a variant as measured by the inhibitory constant (Ki) of Venetoclax by measuring the structure deviations to the binding cleft. In addition, we also applied machine learning to the phi and psi angles of the amino acid backbone to the ensemble of conformations that demonstrated a generalizable method for drug resistant predictions of BCL-2 proteins that elucidates changes where detailed understanding of the structure-function relationship is less clear.
Advertising Homeownership through Cultural Capitalism: Neoliberal Making of New Shanghai Middle-Class Dream

Private homeownership has increasingly become a kind of new obsession and a symbol of upward mobility among the emerging middle class in post-Mao Chinese society. This essay studies the neoliberal making of the new Shanghai middle-class dream by exploring how this dream is invented and imagined through the pursuit of cosmopolitan citizenship, socio-spatial class distinction, and tiered lifestyles. It analyzes and problematizes the enduring charm of Shanghai as a global “city of magic” continues to attract those who aspire to eventually own a piece of property and display cultural capital of this highly unaffordable neoliberal city. Through a series of distinct case studies of recent real estate advertisement, interior design philosophy, and signature furniture stores and architecture magazines whose storytelling aesthetics are middle-class-inspired and focused, the essay critiques the way in which private homeownership is engineered, advertised, and made as one of the key prerequisites for the new Shanghainese (xin Shanghairen) to become middle class in the past two decades. It argues that the making of the new Shanghai middle-class dream is problematically preconditioned by a type of state-market promotion and advertisement of private homeownership and urban citizenship that ultimately synchronizes with the state-capitalist, neoliberal making of a moderately prosperous (xiaokang) society where class distinctions have revived to dominate the social, cultural, and economic discourses of a bourgeois Shanghai in the age of global capitalism.
Slash and Burn: A Swidden Critique of Sri Lankan Anthropology

Anthropologists are one of Sri Lanka’s minor export industries. In this polemic, the Sri Lankan social scientist Susantha Goonatilake, who disapproves of both anthropology and the Sri Lankans who practice it, takes aim at the two most prominent among them, Gananath Obeyesekere and Stanley Tambiah. For good measure he also throws in two non–Sri Lankans, Richard Gombrich and Bruce Kapferer. All four write about the religion of the Sinhalese, and it is their representations and interpretations of Sinhala religion that stir Goonatilake’s ire. This is a relentlessly angry and intemperate book whose slash-and-burn approach undermines its own argument. Goonatilake’s thesis is essentially that “the anthropology of the four authors is seriously flawed with respect to basic facts on the ground, the methodology used, and the conclusions arrived at” (p. xiii). His central theme is that these four authors engage in a colonial anthropology that fails to do justice to the complexity of Sri Lankan (read Sinhala Buddhist) civilization. These writings, he asserts, “‘are worse than anything colonial anthropology wrought, and in fact, worse than the colonial writings of the 19th and early 20th centuries on Sri Lanka” (p. xiii). He adds a strongly worded attack on Sri Lankan “institutions and individuals . . . [who act] as a social cognitive matrix that filters the local reality for the visiting anthropologists” (p. xiv). These critiques are liberally laced with strong doses of attacks ad hominem. Goonatilake deals with these writers book by book, giving no quarter to any argument, minor point, assertion, and statement that comes his way. He devotes four chapters to Obeyesekere and Gombrich, three to Kapferer, two to Tambiah, and three to what he calls the sociology of Sri Lankan anthropology. He raises some issues worthy of discussion, such as the pitfalls in gen-
Tailored interyarn friction in aramid fabrics through morphology control of surface grown ZnO nanowires

Para-aramid fibers, such as Kevlar, have been the most common material used for ballistic applications by providing a variety of energy absorption mechanisms to dissipate a projectile’s momentum. One important mechanism is interyarn friction, which can be controlled through surface treatment of the fibers. It was recently shown that the growth of ZnO nanowires on the surface of the fibers could increase the interyarn friction, producing 10.85 times higher peak load and 22.70 times higher energy absorption compared to neat fabrics. Here, it is demonstrated that variation of the morphology of the nanowires produces a drastic change in the pullout behavior with low aspect ratio nanowires producing the largest increase in pullout force. While weight of the modified fabrics increased only 20% compared to the bare ones, tensile test results show that the growth of ZnO nanowires enhances both tensile strength and elastic modulus of the fabrics by 13% and 10%, respectively. A comprehensive post-test micrograph analysis is performed to reveal possible enhancement mechanisms of modified aramid fabrics with different nanowire morphologies.
Chapter 8 Use of Antibodies in the Study of Na+, K+-ATPase Biosynthesis and Structure

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of antibodies in the study of Na + , K + -ATPase biosynthesis and structure. Two approaches that can be used to identify and characterize a low-level protein in a background mixture of proteins are discussed. Both methods depend upon the detection of a radiolabeled protein. The first method is the immunoprecipitation of a labeled antigen, and the second method is a solid phase assay of antigen-antibody complexes with labeled protein A. The immunoprecipitation approach has proved very useful in the study of the biosynthesis of Na + , K + -ATPase subunits in cells and tissues labeled in culture. The solid phase assay has proved useful in the identification of Na + , K + -ATPase proteolytic fragments and in characterizing unlabeled Na + , K + -ATPase from various tissues or subcellular membrane fractions. Both the protein A and blotting techniques have improved and simplified the studies of Na + , K + -ATPase structure and synthesis that depend on antibodies. The chapter also discusses applications of these techniques.
Preparation and specificity of antibodies directed toward the ribose methylated nucleotide, 2'-O-methylguanosine 5'-monophosphate.

Abstract Antibodies have been produced that recognize the ribose methylated nucleotide, 2′-O- methylguanosine 5′-monophosphate, pGm. Specificity was tested in a radioimmunoassay. Other ribose methylated nucleotides, deoxyguanosine, and guanosine 5′-monophosphate exhibited negligible cross-reactivity. Elements of antibody recognition, in descending order of importance, were the parent base, the methylated ribose moiety, and the phosphate group.
The probability integral for a bivariate generalization of the non-central t

An expression for the probability integral of a bivariate generalization of the non-central t distribution is derived. This expression is then used to construct tables for various combinations of parameter values
Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer: Ethnic and Socio‐Economic Aspects

Bisphosphonate therapy is an important adjunct to the treatment of patients with bone metastasis. Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a complication related to bisphosphonate therapy, is reported in up to 7% of patients with metastatic breast cancer. The objective of this study was to define the prevalence and to identify risk factors associated with development of ONJ in a predominantly low socio-economic population. Medical records of patients with a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer with bone metastasis seen between 2002 and 2007 were reviewed. All patients received a minimum of four infusions of zolendronic acid. Data on demographics, insurance status, tobacco use, concurrent therapy, body mass index, and number of zolendronic acid infusions were analyzed. Of the 110 patient analyzed, 10 developed ONJ (9%) with the mean number of zolendronic acid infusions in patients with ONJ of 22.9 ± 17. ONJ was seen more frequently in Caucasian than in African Americans patients (15% versus 2%; p = 0.019). ONJ was associated with older age at diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer (p = 0.02), tobacco use (p = 0.049), but was not associated with SES or duration of therapy. After adjusting for SES, Caucasian patients were 9.1 times more likely to have ONJ when compared with African American patients. (95% CI 1.03-81.7). Our results suggest an increase prevalence of ONJ in Caucasian breast cancer patients. However, as our study population is small, additional studies to confirm this finding are needed.
Visualization of Tissue Elasticity by Magnetic Resonance Elastography

A newly developed magnetic resonance imaging technique can directly visualize propagating acoustic strain waves in tissue-like materials [1, 2]. By estimating the local wavelength of the acoustic wave pattern, quantitative values of shear modulus can be calculated and images generated that depict tissue elasticity or stiffness. Since tumors are significantly stiffer than normal tissue (the basis of their detection by palpation), this technique may have potential for “palpation by imaging,” with possible application to the detection of tumors in breast, liver, kidney, and prostate. We describe the local wavelength estimation algorithm, study its properties, and show a variety of sample results.
Financial disclosure and speculative bubbles : an international comparison

The paper examines if a country's financial disclosure system affects the likelihood of speculative bubbles. We compare stock returns of eight countries that differ in the quality of their disclosure systems as ranked by Saudagaran and Biddle (1992). We examine the hypothesis that stock prices of firms in countries with a low level of financial disclosure are more prone to speculative bubbles. We employ the duration dependence model developed by McQueen and Thorley (1994) to test for the presence of bubbles. We found that returns in Japan, a country with a relatively low level of disclosure, shows evidence of a bubble.
Characterization of a current-mode bandgap circuit structure for high-precision reference applications

In this paper, the well-known equation, which explicitly shows the temperature behavior of the I/sub C/-V/sub BE/ characteristics of the transistor, is applied to analyze a specific bandgap reference circuit. The theoretical analysis clearly characterizes some important features of the circuit, such as the value of the bandgap output, the relationship of the inflection point and the circuit parameters, the curvature of the bandgap curve and so on. Spectre simulations show a good consistency of the analysis. Based on the analysis, a new approach for designing high-precision references is also proposed.
When is cloud condensation nuclei activity sensitive to particle characteristics at emission

[1] The cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity of an aerosol population depends on individual particles' size and composition. However, these properties are modified shortly after emission by condensation of semivolatile substances and coagulation with other particles. It is, therefore, unclear to what extent particle characteristics at emission affect CCN activity after aging by condensation and coagulation. We present a process-level analysis of particles emitted from a particular source, diesel engines, in which we isolate the separate effects of condensation and coagulation on the CCN activation of primary aerosol. We simulated aerosol dynamics in a polluted area with the Particle Monte Carlo model coupled to the Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry and evaluated three factors influencing particle CCN activity shortly after emission: (1) particle characteristics at the time of emission, (2) aging conditions near the emission source, and (3) the water vapor supersaturation at which CCN activity is evaluated. CCN concentrations were sensitive to particle properties at emission only under specific environmental conditions. Diesel emissions did not strongly influence local CCN concentrations at low cloud supersaturation thresholds (s 0.2%) and under conditions of rapid secondary aerosol formation, changes in CCN concentrations showed a greater sensitivity to particles' emission size than composition.
Analysis of performance and capacity of coherent DS-CDMA reverse link communications

The performance and achievable capacity of a coherent reverse channel of an IS-95-like DS-CDMA system previously described by Ling (see IEEE Proc. VTC'93, p.400-403, May 19993) are evaluated. A general analysis of the receiver performance that extends the previous results and provides insight into the system performance and design considerations is given. A similar analysis is then performed for evaluation of the pilot-channel-based coherent communication described by Brismark et al. (see IEEE Proc. VTC'94, Stockholm Sweden, June 1994). A comparison between these two schemes is given. It is also shown that the system capacity of the reference symbol-based coherent reverse channel can be further improved by adopting orthogonal signaling to reduce the intracell interference. Thus, it is possible to significantly increase the reverse channel capacity of an IS-95-like DS-CDMA system at a lower implementation complexity by employing such a coherent communication scheme.
Catalytic consequences of experimental evolution: catalysis by a ‘third-generation’ evolvant of the second beta-galactosidase of Escherichia coli, ebgabcde, and by ebgabcd, a ‘second-generation’ evolvant containing two supposedly ‘kinetically silent’ mutations

The kinetics of hydrolysis of a series of synthetic substrates by two experimentally evolved forms ('evolvants'), ebgabcd and ebgabcde, of the second beta-galactosidase of Escherichia coli have been measured. The ebgabcd enzyme differs from the wild-type (ebgo) enzyme by Asp92-->Asn (a) and Trp977-->Cys (b) changes in the large subunit, as well as two changes hitherto considered to have no kinetic effect, Ser979-->Gly in the large subunit (c) and Glu122-->Gly in the small subunit (d). The enzyme ebgabcde contains in addition a Glu93-->Lys change in the large subunit (e). Comparison of ebgabcd with ebgab [Elliott, K, Sinnott, Smith, Bommuswamy, Guo, Hall and Zhang (1992) Biochem. J. 282, 155-164] indicates that the c and d changes in fact accelerate the hydrolysis of the glycosyl-enzyme intermediate by a factor of 2.5, and also decrease the charge on the aglycone oxygen atom at the first transition state; the charge on the glycone, however, is unaltered [see K, Konstantinidis, Sinnott and Hall (1993) Biochem. J. 291, 15-17]. The e mutation causes a fall in the degalactosylation rate of about a factor of 3, and its occurrence only together with c and d mutations [Hall, Betts and Wootton (1989) Genetics 123, 635-648] suggests that degalactosylation of a hypothetical ebgabe enzyme would be so slow that the enzyme would have no biological advantage over the ancestral ebgab. The transfer products from galactosyl-ebgabcd and galactosyl-ebgabcde to high concentrations to glucose have been measured; the predominant product is allolactose, but significant quantities of lactose are also formed; however, at apparent kinetic saturation of the galactosyl-enzyme, hydrolysis rather than transfer is the preponderant pathway. A knowledge of the rates of enzyme-catalysed exchange of 18O from [1-18O]galactose to water permits the construction of the free-energy profiles for hydrolysis of lactose by begabcd and ebgabcde. As with the other evolvants, changes in the profile away from the rate-determining transition state are essentially random, and there is no correlation between the changes in the free energies of intermediates and of their flanking transition states. We consider the aggregate of our kinetic data on the ebg system to be telling experimental support for the theoretical objections of Pettersson [Pettersson (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 206, 289-295 and previous papers] to the Albery-Knowles theory of the evolution of enzyme kinetic activity.
Nectary structure and nectar in Sobralia and Elleanthus (Sobralieae: Orchidaceae)

With approximately 200 species, the tribe Sobralieae is a dominant and common Neotropical group of orchids, yet little is known of variation in floral morphology as it relates to their pollination. As currently circumscribed, the tribe includes four genera that differ considerably in flower size and morphology: Elleanthus, Epilyna, Sertifera, and Sobralia. Although nectar-foraging pollinators are known for some species, the relationships of pollination to deceit and to nectar production are all poorly understood. We examined pollination-related of nectaries and nectar characteristics (presence/absence, volume, and concentration) for major clades of Sobralieae. Some species produce abundant nectar, but many species offer no reward. When present, nectar is secreted by thickened calli at the lip base. The cells of the nectariferous calli contain starch, which is rapidly converted to sugar during a brief anthesis (often lasting only one day). Most Sobralia flowers are relatively large, bee-pollinated, with a gullet-shaped lip, false nectary, large pollinia, and offer no reward. Elleanthus flowers are relatively small with a legitimate nectar reward, and most species are hummingbird-pollinated. Hummingbird-pollinated Sobralieae flowers are relatively small, brightly colored in the perianth and/or the subtending bracts, somewhat tubular, with a lip that forms a cup around the callus for storing nectar, and pollinia that are dark and relatively small
Continuous-time discrete-order lattice filters

A recursive-least-squares (RLS) adaptive lattice algorithm for processing of continuous-time signals is presented. It has the same structure as the discrete-time RLS lattice, namely a cascade of two-input/two-output sections with a single delay-element per section. However, while the discrete-time scheme involves a fundamental unit of time (i.e., the sampling period of the signal), which determines both the duration of the delay and the rate of gain updating, our scheme involves a delay of arbitrary duration and continuously-varying gains. The rate of parameter updating in the continuous-time lattice configuration is essentially independent of the bandwidth and center frequency of the processed signal. Consequently, the gain-update module of the proposed algorithm can be implemented with slow devices (or with digital hardware), whereas the signal-path filter must match the frequency characteristics of the processed signal.
Effect of oxygen-derived free radicals and oxidants on the degradation in vitro of membrane phospholipids.

The abilities of chemically generated hydroxyl radical (OH), superoxide anion (O−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to degrade rat myocardial membrane phospholipids previously lableed with [1 -14C]arachidonic acid were studied. HO and H2O2 but not O2−−, caused the degradation of phospha-tidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). With OH' and H2O2, the loss of radiolable in PC was accompanied by an increase in the radiolabel of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), but not in that of free fatty acid (FFA). These results suggest the hydrolysis of l-oxygen ester bond of PC by HO' and that H2O2 and that HO' and H2O2, but not O−, are detrimental to the structure and function of membrane phospholipids. However, since μM amounts of HO' and mM amounts of H2O2 were necessary to affect the membrane phospholipids, it is likely that in the reprefused myocardium only HO', but not H2O2, may directly cause the breakdown of membrane phospholipids.
Effect of hormones on herpes simplex virus type-2-induced transformation.

GLUCOCORTICOID hormones enhance in vitro infections with murine leukaemia virus1 and mouse mammary tumour virus2. The yield of certain strains of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV–2) in certain cell types also increases in the presence of glucocorticoid hormones3. But in one limited study no significant differences were observed in the frequency of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix in mice treated with oestrogens and HSV–2 or oestrogen alone4. Because there is epidemiological evidence that HSV–2 may be oncogenic in humans5, and experimental evidence that inactivated HSV–2 can produce malignant transformation of hamster embryo fibroblast cells in vitro6,7, we have studied the effect of different hormones on HSV–2-induced transformation. We have used a rapid quantitative assay for transformation by HSV–2, using a thymidine kinase (TK) selection procedure described elsewhere (ref. 8 and unpublished work with N. Turner). These transformed cells have been shown to contain HSV-specific antigens as determined by indirect immunofluorescence, but do not yield infectious HSV. Our results indicate that 10−6M cortisol and 10−5 M oestradiol inhibit HSV–2-induced transformation, and that dexamethasone has very little effect on the incidence of transformation.
The post‐disaster negative health legacy: pregnancy outcomes in Louisiana after Hurricane Andrew

Disasters and displacement increasingly affect and challenge urban settings. How do pregnant women fare in the aftermath of a major disaster? This paper investigates the effect of pregnancies in disaster situations. The study tests a hypothesis that pregnant women residing in hurricane-prone areas suffer higher health risks. The setting is Louisiana in the Gulf Coast, United States, a state that continually experiences hurricane impacts. The time period for the analysis is three years following the landfall of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. We analysed low birth weight and preterm deliveries before and after landfall, as a whole and by race. Findings support an association between hazards and health of a community and indicate that pregnant women in the affected area, irrespective of race, are more likely to experience preterm deliveries compared to pre-event births. Results suggest there is a negative health legacy impact in Louisiana as a result of hurricane landfall.
From central pattern generator to sensory template in the evolution of birdsong

Central nervous networks, be they a part of the human brain or a group of neurons in a snail, may be designed to produce distinct patterns of movement. Central pattern generators can account for the development and production of normal vocal signals without auditory feedback in non-songbirds. Songbirds need auditory feedback to develop and maintain the normal song of their species. The prerequisite for the use of auditory feedback for the control of song is a set of acoustic criteria or a template to which voice must match. The template method perhaps evolved to free birds from fixed central pattern generators, resulting in the evolution of diverse and complex songs among oscine songbirds. The evolution of human speech may have followed a similar course.
Synthesis and in vitro profile of a novel series of catechol benzimidazoles. The discovery of potent, selective phosphodiesterase type IV inhibitors with greatly attenuated affinity for the [3H]rolipram binding site

Abstract The synthesis and biological properties of a novel series of potent and selective phosphodiesterase type IV (PDE IV) inhibitors are described. These catechol benzimidazoles were designed from rolipram and initial compounds reflected a similarly high affinity for the [ 3 H]rolipram b binding site (500 to 1000X greater affinity for the [ 3 H]rolipram binding site over the PDE IV inhibitory site). However, SAR studies on the 3-alkoxy position revealed that this [ 3 H]rolipram binding site affinity could be attenuated, while potentiating the PDE IV inhibitory activity. This resulted in the 2-indanyl analog 13 which is a potent, selective PDE IV inhibitor with a 15X differential in favor of PDE IV binding.
Classroom research: A decade of progress

The fruits of a decade of research on teaching are discussed in this article. The topics focussed on are time utilization, classroom management, teacher expectations and teacher effectiveness research. The difficulty of translating these findings into practice is discussed. It is argued that the complexities and uniqueness of each classroom make it impossible to follow a simple research‐into‐practice model. Research needs to become more integrative — studying teachers, students, and curriculum simultaneously — and the technology to change practice needs to be better developed.
Anal canal duplication in children: a new technique

Anal canal duplication (ACD) is a very rare abnormality. Because of the high rate of malignant changes in anal canal duplications complete removal of the ACD is recommended. In the current study, simple mucosectomy for management of cases of ACD has been discussed. There was no complication and patients had good cosmetic results with a normal sphincter control. This technique is simple, safe, takes less time and achieves good anatomic appearance and functional results.
Decreased ataxia and improved balance after vestibular rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of vestibular rehabilitation on gait ataxia and balance.SETTING: Tertiary care center.STUDY DESIGN: Subjects were patients with chronic vertigo due to peripheral vestibular impairments, referred for vestibular rehabilitation. They were assessed on the Timed Up and Go test, ataxia during a path integration test, computerized dynamic posturography, level of vertigo, independence in activities of daily living, and psychological locus of control. They were randomly assigned to three home program treatment groups.RESULTS: Ataxia decreased significantly, and posturography scores and time to perform Timed Up and Go improved significantly, for all subjects. Improvements were significantly related to scores on the ambulation subtest of the Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale, decreases in vertigo, and increases in locus of control.CONCLUSIONS: For many patients, a simple home program of vestibular habituation head movement exercises is related to reduced sympt...
Cyclic 3', 5'-AMP relay dictyostelium discoideum. V. Adaptation of the cAMP signaling response during cAMP stimulation

In dictyostelium discoideum, extracellular cAMP activates adenylate cyclase, which leads to an increase in intracellular cAMP and the rate of cAMP secretion. The signaling response to a constant cAMP stimulus is terminated after several minutes by an adaptation mechanism. The time- course of adaptation stimuli of 10(-6) or 10(-7) M cAMP was assessed. We used a perfusion technique to deliver defined cAMP stimuli to [(3)H]adenosine-labeled amoebae and monitored their secretion of [(3)H]cAMP. Amoebae were pretreated with 10(-6) or 10(-7) M cAMP to periods of 0.33-12 minutes, and then immediately given test stimuli of 10(-8) M to 2.5 x 10(-7) M cAMP. The response to a given test stimulus was progressively attenuated and finally extinguished as the duration of the pretreatment stimulus increased. During concentration of the test stimulus. The responses to test stimuli of 10(-8), 5 x 10(-8), 10(-7), or 2.5 x 10(-7) M cAMP were extinguished after approximately 1, 2.25,2.5, and 10 min, respectively. 1.5 min of stimulation with 10(-7) M cAMP was necessary to extinguish the response of a test stimulus of 10(-8) M cAMP. Our data suggest that adaptation begins within 20 s of stimulation, rises rapidly for approximately 2.5 min, and reaches a plateau after approximately 10 min. The absolute rate of rise was faster during pretreatment with 10(-6) than with 10(-7) M cAMP. These results support a working hypothesis in which the occupancy of surface cAMP receptors leads to changes in two opposing cellular processes, excitation and adaptation, that control the activity of D. discoideum adenylate cyclase.
Connections of the bullfrog striatum: afferent organization.

Afferents to the dorsal and ventral striatum of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) were revealed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) histochemistry. Anterograde tracing techniques (autoradiography and anterograde HRP transport) were then used to confirm the projections and to describe their terminal fields within the striatum. The major input arises from the ipsi-lateral lateral anterior and central thalamic nuclei, which receive tectal (Rubinson, ′68) and toral (Neary, ′74) input, respectively. These projections terminate in a dense, homogeneous field within the striatal neuropil adjacent to the cell plates of both striatal divisions. A second heavy input arises from the anterior entopeduncular nucleus bilaterally, with axons from the contralateral side crossing in the anterior commissure. This input terminates in both striatal divisions but is heaviest ventrally, Sparser inputs are present from the ipsilateral lateral and medial amygdalar nuclei, the preoptic area (mainly from the very caudal suprachiasmatic division), the posterior tuberculum, and the ipsilateral superficial isthmal reticular nucleus of the tegmentum. All these afferents, with the possible exception of the preoptic input, ascend to the striatum via the lateral forebrain bundle, and all innervate both striatal divisions. The preoptic input terminates within the cell plates, as well as subpially in a pattern similar to that described for tubercular input (Neary and Wilczynski, ′77). The tegmental input is very sparse and is most apparent superficially. Afferents from pallial telencephalic areas are not present, suggesting that although an-urans receive striatal input from the diencephalon and mesencephalon, they do not possess a homolog of the mammalian corticostriatal system. Further, the extremely heavy input from the middle dorsal thalamic zone suggests that a major function of the anuran striatum involves processing sensory information from the midbrain roof.
Abstract 2080: The role of ErbB2 in regulating survival in matrix-detached inflammatory breast cancer cells

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and highly invasive type of breast cancer, and patients diagnosed with IBC often face a very poor prognosis. IBC is characterized by the lack of primary tumor formation and the rapid accumulation of cancerous epithelial cells in the dermal lymphatic vessels. Given that normal epithelial cells require attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM) for survival, a comprehensive examination of the molecular mechanisms underlying IBC cell survival in the lymphatic vessels is of paramount importance to our understanding of IBC pathogenesis. Here we demonstrate that in contrast to normal mammary epithelial cells, IBC cells evade ECM-detachment-induced apoptosis (anoikis) and maintain ATP levels following ECM detachment. Exogenous ErbB2 overexpression leads to increased ATP production and soft agar growth in IBC cells that normally lack ErbB2 amplification. Additionally, ErbB2 knockdown in KPL-4 cells, an IBC cell line characterized by high levels of ErbB2, resulted in diminished ATP levels, decreased colony growth, and increased caspase activation following ECM detachment. Further studies reveal that the protection from anoikis in IBC cells is dependent on activation of the ERK-MAPK pathway, but does not depend on modulation of the levels of the pro-apoptotic factor Bim. These results demonstrate that ErbB2 is necessary and sufficient for IBC cell survival in the absence of ECM attachment. Understanding the molecular mechanism utilized by IBC cells to survive in matrix-detached conditions could lead to more specific and effective therapeutics to prevent IBC metastasis from occurring and to treat patients in which metastasis has already occurred. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2080. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2080
Microentrepreneurs and Mobiles: An Exploration of the Uses of Mobile Phones by Small Business Owners in Rwanda

Despite a worldwide boom in mobile phone ownership, studies of the social and economic implications of mobile telephone use in the developing world are rare. Approaching mobile phone usage from the individual level, the study uses Q methodology to ask 31 owners of urban micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Kigali, Rwanda to articulate what using the mobile means to them. The exercise identified four distinct perspectives on mobile use among the participants. One perspective sees it as a device for the pursuit of instrumental business goals. A second perspective uses mobiles to satisfy emotional or intrinsic needs. Two other perspectives mix instrumental and intrinsic elements, seeing mobiles as productivity enhancers, or as simply indispensable. Taken together, these distinct perspectives illustrate a range of intended uses and gratifications among MSE owners, and suggest numerous paths for future research. Q methodology is discussed in some detail so that researchers can consider its utility as a way to understand users of information and communication technologies.
When is a patient too well and when is a patient too sick for a liver transplant

1. Liver transplantation is currently offered as a therapeutic option for patients with a wide range of end-stage liver diseases. 2. Conventional wisdom suggests that patients who receive a liver transplant have a greater expected lifetime when compared to comparable candidates on the waiting list. 3. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scoring system is an excellent predictor of mortality on the waiting list and also predicts mortality after liver transplantation. 4. The combination of waiting list mortality risk and posttransplant mortality risk assessed by MELD and other factors can be used to estimate whether candidates are likely to derive a survival benefit from a liver transplant.
Epidemiology of bloodstream infection associated with parenteral nutrition.

Epidemiology: Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs) occur in 1.3% to 26.2 % of patients with central venous catheters used to administer parenteral nutrition (PN). Because of their nutritional components, PN solutions can support microbial growth. Contamination during preparation and handling is rare in hospitals and home-infusion pharmacies but may be difficult to control in a home setting. The risk of infection is increased in hospitalized patients because of malnutrition-associated immunosuppression, hyperglycemia exacerbated by dextrose infusion, microbial colonization/contamination of catheter hubs and the skin surrounding insertion site, and poor nursing care. During long-term catheter use for PN, an intraluminal biofilm, catheter-tip fibrin sheath or tail, or central venous thrombosis creates sites for microbial seeding and infection. Chronic conditions and psychosocial issues also increase the risk of infection. In hospitalized patients with BSIs, the most common organisms are coagulase-negative staphylococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus, Candida spp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In the longterm PN population, approximately 60% of CR-BSIs are caused by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. Treatment: The best plan of care for a suspected or known infected catheter in a hospitalized patient is to reinsert a new central line after 48 hours of antibiotic treatment and negative blood cultures. In patients who receive long-term PN, hospitalization increases the risk of a nosocomial infection because the catheter can be contaminated by staff. A patient with fungemia must always be admitted and catheter removed. With gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, the catheter may not need to be removed. In most patients receiving PN at home, removing a long-term venous-access device is challenging. Peripheral vein access or peripherally inserted central catheters are needed until a new permanent device can be inserted after negative blood cultures are obtained. Evaluation of remote site infection also is necessary. Strategies to reduce or prevent infection include catheter lock therapy, daily evaluation of continued need for PN, enteral rather than PN support, and avoiding overfeeding. More studies are needed to demonstrate conclusively the benefits of immunonutrition, such as the use of omega-3 or glutamine supplements to reduce CR-BSIs in patients receiving PN. (Am J Infect Control 2008;36:S173.e5-S173.e8.)
A framework for designing assistive technologies for teaching children with ASDs emotions

This paper presents a theory-driven serious game design framework for teaching emotions to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The framework is based on the integration of two theoretical models, Kolb's experiential learning model and Piaget's cognitive development model. Based on these theories, we extracted six essential elements (factors) for designing games (and other assistive technologies) to teach children with ASDs emotions: matching, recognizing, observing, understanding, generalizing and mimicking.
Complete Response to EPOCH in a Patient With HIV and Extracavitary Primary Effusion Lymphoma Involving the Colon: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Introduction Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare malignancy that accounts for 5% of HIV-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). It usually presents as a lymphomatous growth in liquid phase within various body cavities such as the pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal spaces. Although extracavitary tumors can occur in PEL, they do so rarely but may be histologically indistinguishable from PEL. PEL s also defined by the expression of Kaposi sarcoma–associated heresvirus (KSHV) (also known as human herpesvirus 8 [HHV8]) in
Electron paramagnetic resonance studies on the selenium-replaced derivatives of adrenodoxin: the presence of the one selenium-one sulfur compound.

Abstract We have replaced labile sulfur atoms of adrenodoxin with Se 80 , or Se 77 in the presence and absence of the labile sulfur source (Na 2 S). When the labile sulfur source was absent but the selenium source was present in the reaction mixture for the reconstitution from apoadrenodoxin, the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the Se 80 Se 80 and Se 77 Se 77 derivatives had g  = 2.051 and g⊥ = 1.975, and a distinct triplet of the g  -signal, respectively. When both labile sulfur and selenium sources were present, new spectral species were observed. In the case of the Se 80 S 32 derivative, the signal had g  = 2.038, g 2 = 1.973, and g 3 = 1.934, and in the case of Se 77 S 32 derivative, the g  -signal was split into a doublet. From these results, it is concluded that the compound with one sulfur and one selenium atom in the replacement of the two labile sulfur atoms of native adrenodoxin has a g  -value of 2.038, and its paramagnetic center is more rhombohedral than those of native adrenodoxin and the SeSe derivative.