cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safe Sexting: The Advice and Support Adolescents Receive from Peers regarding Online Sexual Risks

The internet facilitates opportunities for adolescents to form relationships and explore their sexuality but seeking intimacy online has also become a stressor. As a result, adolescents often turn to the internet to seek support concerning issues related to sex because of its accessibility, interactivity, and anonymity. We analyzed 3,050 peer comments and 1,451 replies from adolescents (837 posts) who sought advice and/or support about online sexual experiences involving known others. We found peers mostly provided information and emotional support. They gave advice on how to handle negative online sexual experiences and mitigate their long-term repercussions, often based on their own negative experiences. They provided emotional support by letting teens know that they were not alone and should not blame themselves. A key implication of these findings is that these situations seemingly occurred regularly and youth were converging on a subset of norms about how to handle such situations in a way that supported one another. Yet, in some cases, they also resorted to victim-blaming or retaliating against those who broke these norms of "safe" sexting. Teens were grateful for emotional support and advice that helped them engage safely but were defensive when peers were critical of their relationships. Together, our findings suggest that youth are self-organizing to converge on guidelines and norms around safe sexting but have trouble framing their messages so that they are more readily accepted. In our paper, we contribute to the adolescent online safety literature by identifying youth-focused beliefs about safe sexting by analyzing the ways in which online peers give advice and support. We provide actionable recommendations for facilitating the exchange of positive advice and support via online peer-support platforms.
Fourier Transform Infrared Emission Spectroscopy of a New b3Π-a3Δ System of HfO

Abstract The emission spectrum of HfO has been investigated in the 400 nm to 5 μm spectral region with a Fourier transform spectrometer. The bands were excited in a hafnium hollow cathode lamp in the presence of neon and a trace of oxygen. In the 6900-8000 cm −1 region, four new sequences of bands were observed with the 0-0 Q heads at 7060 cm −1 , 7355.4 cm −1 , 7376.8 cm −1 , and 7929.5 cm −1 . These bands have been identified as the 3 Π 0 + - 3 Δ 1 , 3 Π 0 − - 3 Δ 1 , 3 Π 1 - 3 Δ 2 and 3 Π 2 - 3 Δ 3 subbands of the b 3 Π- a 3 Δ transition. The rotational analysis of the 0-0 and 1-1 bands of each subband has been performed and the equilibrium rotational constants for each spin component of the b 3 Π and a 3 Δ states have been obtained.
A Parallel Meta-Solver for the Multi-Objective Set Covering Problem

The multi-objective set covering problem (MOSCP) appears in many different real-world applications. We implemented a meta-solver in C++ that introduces shared-memory concurrency using OpenMP. It incorporates a commonly used Mixed Integer Problem (MIP) solver to find initial solutions with a linear programming (LP) solver that enumerates possible solutions over a tree of subproblems using a local branch approach. Adhering to a finite cutoff value, solutions are ordered as they are passed back up the tree to produce the set of Pareto fronts. In this paper, we present a serial version of the meta-solver with a novel search procedure that outperforms a previous implementation, and when parallelization techniques are applied, a 9-12x speedup is achieved with the possibility of further improvement for large problems.
Disintegration and release kinetics of dry compacted urea composites: A formulation and process design study

Abstract The hydrolysis of conventional urea fertilizer accounts for a 50 % loss in the field, which results in atmospheric and water stream contamination due to the volatilization of greenhouse and ozone scavenger gases, and nitrate leaching, respectively. Fertilizer granule structural design can be a potential solution to minimize the field losses. Nonetheless, quantitative analysis of urea dissolution as affected by formulation and process design remains underexplored. In this study, urea and a binder in powder form were mixed at a fixed binder-solid ratio of 5 % (w/w) and compacted at different loads using a punch-die set on a standard material testing system. The binders tested to produce the binary mixtures were hydroxypropyl methylcellulose grade E5- HPMC, high molecular weight hydroxypropyl cellulose- HPC, gluten from wheat, and a mixture of xanthan and konjac gums. The total porosity, apparent diffusion, and dynamic contact angle profiles of the compacts were measured at ambient conditions. The hydrophilicity of the formulations with gums, attributable to their lower contact angle when compared with control samples, helps explain the fast in-matrix mass transfer. Based on Weibull distribution model analysis, all the dissolution curves followed either sigmoidal or exponential shape profiles. Within the formulations evaluated in this study, the synergism between densification and higher hydration capacity of formulations with gums ensured binder mobility and gelation at the solid-liquid interface. The results indicate that gel formation reduced solvation and dissolution, resulting in a delay of nutrient release. These findings will aid in the optimization of controlled-release fertilizer formulations for field crops and help understand the effect of binder physicochemical characteristics on the microstructure of granular fertilizers.
Non-antipsychotic pharmacotherapy of psychogenic polydipsia: A systematic review.

Abstract Objective Polydipsia is defined at the intake of excessive fluid (>3 L daily). Psychogenic polydipsia (PPD) presents without an identifiable medical cause and is often seen in patients with diagnoses of schizophrenia, OCD, anxiety, alcohol use disorder, and other psychotic disorders. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the therapeutic effect of various non-antipsychotic medications on patients with a stable psychotic illness and concurrent PPD. Methods A systematic search was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, MEDLINE with Full Text, CINAHL complete, Cochrane database of systematic reviews, Cochrane methodology register, MasterFILE Premier, APA PsychArticles, APA PsychInfo, APA PsycBooks, APA PsycTests, TRIP, Nursing and Allied Health. The quality of each retained study was assessed using appropriate risk of bias tools based on study design. Results The initial search resulted in 1422 articles from which 22 articles were included for qualitative synthesis. Study designs ranged from case reports to double blind, placebo controlled randomized trials and was interpreted uniquely based on study design. Acetazolamide was effective in improving some PPD outcomes. Fluoxetine at high doses was effective in reducing fluid intake and polydipsia. Other medications included in this review performed equivocally for reduction of numerous parameters evaluating PPD. Conclusion No one drug appeared to be the most efficacious; however, some did show promise in specific populations. Those in need of pharmacotherapeutic options for PPD may consider one of the included agents to assist with co-morbid state. Further high-quality research is needed to provide better treatment guidance for PPD.
Tree-Ring Based Reconstructions of Paleo- Precipitation Regimes in the Eastern Yellowstone Region

There are few other regions where the influence of climate on basic ecosystem attributes has been as well documented as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Research has shown that elk, bison, and grizzly bear populations in the GYE are tightly linked to annual climate variation (Meagher 1976, Picton 1978). Authors have shown that the distribution of vegetation types in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks is influenced by the seasonality of precipitation (Despain 1987, 1990). Natural disturbances, especially fires and insect outbreaks, are also known to coincide with specific climate scenarios in this region (Knight 1987, Balling et al. 1992). Therefore, understanding how climate can vary over time is essential for the proper management of these areas (Luckman 1996). Modem instrumental records have contributed greatly to our understanding of the current GYE climate system. In particular, work by Mock (1996) and Bartlein et al. (1997) has demonstrated how local manifestations of large-scale circulation patterns produce distinct climates within the GYE. In addition, studies using modem climate records and General Circulation Models by Balling et al. (1992) and Bartlein et al. (1997) have identified trends toward increasing aridity in the GYE and the potential for these trends to continue well into the future. Late Pleistocene and Holocene (18-1 kya) climate in the GYE is known mainly from lakeÂ­sediment cores. Work by Whitlock (1993), Whitlock and Bartlein (1993), and Thompson et al. (1993) indicates that after deglaciation, increased solar radiation during summer months led to a highly seasonal climate regime. As levels of solar radiation changed through the Holocene, GYE climate became increasingly more like today until the modem regime became established around 1500-1600 AD (Whitlock 1993, Elias 1997). While existing modem and paleoecological studies reveal important aspects of the GYE climate system, there is a distinct lack of high-resolution data for most of the last millennium. Lake sediments only record climate variation at a resolution of hundreds to thousands of years, and instrumental records do not exist before the 1890s. Dendroclimatology, the study of climate using patterns of tree-ring growth (Fritts 1976) is particularly well suited to fill this gap in our knowledge of GYE climate. Tree-rings have been used successfully for climate reconstructions worldwide, offer records spanning decades to millennia, and can provide annual resolution. Therefore, we are developing a network of tree-ring sites in the western Absaroka Mountains and eastern Bighorn Basin to fill important spatial (areas east of Yellowstone NP) and temporal (high resolution for the past 700-1,000+year) gaps in our knowledge of GYE climate.
HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Self-Efficacy for Limiting Sexual Risk Behavior and Parental Monitoring.

The purpose of this study was to explore HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-efficacy for sexual risk behaviors, and parental monitoring in a sample of 140 7th and 9th grade adolescents studying in an urban high school in the United States. Further, the study examined differences in HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-efficacy and parental monitoring by grade and gender. This study also investigated the effectiveness of an HIV/AIDS peer education program, Teens for AIDS Prevention (TAP), on improving adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge. A quasi-experimental design was used to examine effects of the peer education program (TAP) on adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge. Pearson-product–moment correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationships among the variables. Independent t-tests were used to compare adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-efficacy, and parental monitoring scores by grade and gender. Paired t-tests were used to determine differences in pre-intervention and post-intervention HIV/AIDS knowledge. The results showed that HIV/AIDS knowledge improved significantly in both 7th and 9th grade students after the intervention. HIV/AIDS knowledge was associated with self-efficacy; however it was not associated with parental monitoring. There were no significant differences in HIV/AIDS knowledge and self-efficacy by gender. However, there was a significant difference in parental monitoring by gender. Pediatric nurses are well-positioned to develop and implement evidence-based programs for adolescents. It is essential that pediatric nurses, in conjunction with other professionals and parent groups, take the initiative in implementing peer education programs in schools and community centers to promote healthy behaviors among adolescents.
Franchising versus corporate ownership

Abstract This paper uses data on the prices charged at fast-food restaurants in the metropolitan Pittsburgh and Detroit areas to assess the effect of franchising on price dispersion within chains in fairly narrowly defined geographical areas. A review of reasons why firms may face more price dispersion under franchising guides the empirical analyses. Results indicate that 1) franchisors do not aim for fully uniform prices even on the corporate side of their chains, 2) the degree of price dispersion is highest for firms with both franchised and company-owned units, as predicted by models implying a systematic price differential between units operated under these different contracting mechanisms, and 3) price dispersion for fully franchised chains is greater than for fully corporate chains. These last two results, combined with evidence from court cases that franchisors sometimes try to control franchisee prices directly, suggest that franchisors indeed lose some amount of control over prices charged to customers when they use franchising as opposed to corporate ownership. Finally, I find a positive effect of the royalty rate on price dispersion. This suggests that double marginalization is behind at least some of the higher prices found in franchised units in the existing literature.
Intramolecular diels-alder reactions of silicon substituted dienes

Abstract Metallation of 3-vinyl-5-trimethylsilyl-1-pentene (16) with π-BuLi gives a Si substituted pentadienyl anion reagent for bisannelation of ortto-alkenyl benzaldehydes. Tricyclic olefin 23b produced by this method is a homo-allylsilane which undergoes protodesilylation to 4-vinyl-12-methoxy-18,19-bisnor-podocarpa-8,11,13-triene 24b. The addition of β-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl magnesium bromide (12) to 12-methoxy-18,19-bisnor-5β-podocarpa-8,11,13-triene-4-one 27 gave the corresponding alcohol 29. When 29 and related γ-hydroxy silanes are treated with acid, dehydration to allylsilane and protodesilylation to exocyclic vinyl compounds result. Alcohol 29 produces 24b in 93% yield. Compound 24b can be converted in several steps to podocarpic acid.
Photovoltaic concentrator array evaluation

ABSTRACT Photovoltaic (PV) concentrator arrays are tested at the Sandia PV test facility in order to characterize the performance of the array subsystems during baseline tests and to evaluate array performance during extended operation. Array testing is designed to evaluate the complete array system (modules, structure, drives, and tracking controls) following module development and qualification testing and preceding full field tests. The major baseline tests characterize array electrical and thermal efficiency, sensitivity to tracking errors, full day tracking accuracy and array power requirements.
Full-dimensional, ab initio potential energy surface for CH3OH → CH3+OH

An accurate, ab initio potential energy surface (PES) is reported for CH3OH including the bound region as well as the barrierless dissociation to CH3+OH. The surface is a linear least-squares fit to a total of 45,199 ab initio energies, most of which were computed using CCSD(T)-F12b/aug-cc-pVDZ theory and a small number using CASPT2/aug-cc-pVDZ theory. The latter set was done in the multi-reference region of the PES in order to obtain a realistic description of the OH–CH3 interaction in the near asymptotic region. The geometries and harmonic frequencies of the stationary points agree very well with direct CCSD(T)-F12b calculations. The three-fold barrier to internal rotation of CH3OH is also accurately described by the PES. The zero-point energies of methanol and CH3+OH are determined by Diffusion Monte Carlo calculations. The D0 dissociation energy is 90.1 kcal/mol, in very good agreement with the recent IUPAC evaluation [Ruscic et al., J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 34, 573 (2005)] result of 90.25 kcal/mol.
Data presentation and interpretation

This chapter addresses factors such as particle size, particle diameter, a single particle, an assembly of particles, particle shape, particle size distribution. It covers methods of presenting data together with data analysis and interpretation. For regular, compact particles such as cubes or regular tetrahedra, a single dimension can be used to define size. For irregular particles, the assigned size depends upon the method of measurement, hence the particle sizing technique should, whenever possible, duplicate the process one wishes to control. A system of unequally sized particles may be represented by a system of uniform particles having two and only two characteristics of the original distribution. Particle shape is a fundamental powder property affecting powder packing and thus bulk density, porosity, permeability, cohesion, flowability, caking behavior attrition, interaction with fluids, and and the covering power of pigments. The shape of individual particles can be characterized using Fourier grain analysis or morphological analysis. The method has been used to analyze beach sand silhouettes, to relate attrition rate in a milling operation to particle shape and it has been extended to measuring the shape mix in powders
Evasion of the Innate Immune Type I Interferon System by Monkeypox Virus

ABSTRACT The vaccinia virus (VACV) E3 protein has been shown to be important for blocking activation of the cellular innate immune system and allowing viral replication to occur unhindered. Mutation or deletion of E3L severely affects viral host range and pathogenesis. While the monkeypox virus (MPXV) genome encodes a homologue of the VACV E3 protein, encoded by the F3L gene, the MPXV gene is predicted to encode a protein with a truncation of 37 N-terminal amino acids. VACV with a genome encoding a similarly truncated E3L protein (VACV-E3LΔ37N) has been shown to be attenuated in mouse models, and infection with VACV-E3LΔ37N has been shown to lead to activation of the host antiviral protein kinase R pathway. In this report, we present data demonstrating that, despite containing a truncated E3 homologue, MPXV phenotypically resembles a wild-type (wt) VACV rather than VACV-E3LΔ37N. Thus, MPXV appears to contain a gene or genes that can suppress the phenotypes associated with an N-terminal truncation in E3. The suppression maps to sequences outside F3L, suggesting that the suppression is extragenic in nature. Thus, MPXV appears to have evolved mechanisms to minimize the effects of partial inactivation of its E3 homologue. IMPORTANCE Poxviruses have evolved to have many mechanisms to evade host antiviral innate immunity; these mechanisms may allow these viruses to cause disease. Within the family of poxviruses, variola virus (which causes smallpox) is the most pathogenic, while monkeypox virus is intermediate in pathogenicity between vaccinia virus and variola virus. Understanding the mechanisms of monkeypox virus innate immune evasion will help us to understand the evolution of poxvirus innate immune evasion capabilities, providing a better understanding of how poxviruses cause disease.
The int-1 proto-oncogene products are glycoproteins that appear to enter the secretory pathway.

Abstract The int-1 proto-oncogene encodes a primary product of 370 amino acids, is normally expressed in mid-gestational embryos and adult testis, and is activated by proviral insertions during mammary carcinogenesis. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies directed against int-1-specific synthetic peptides immunoprecipitate up to five forms of int-1 protein, ranging in size from 36,000 to 44,000 Mr, from cell lines that express cloned int-1 DNA introduced by transfection or infection with retroviral vectors. Pulse-chase labeling experiments and glycosidase digestions suggested that the smallest of the int-1 proteins is the primary translation product lacking its signal peptide and that it is modified to produce the larger species of sequential glycosylation. Subcellular fractionations demonstrated that all immunoprecipitable forms of int-1 are mainly associated with membranes. int-1 proteins in crude microsomal preparations are resistant to proteolysis and extractable at elevated pH, suggesting that they are sequestered within cytoplasmic vesicles in a manner consistent with the behavior of secretory products. However, we were unable to identify secreted int-1 products in extracellular fluids.
Large Signal GaAs MESFET Oscillator Design

Techniques for large signal GaAs MESFET oscillator design are described which do not require repeated large signal measurement. In the first technique, small signal S-parameter measurements are used with a computer program to compute the packaged and mounted device equivalent circuit. Large signal measurements are made to determine a mathematical relationship between only those parameters which vary under large signal conditions. These relationships are included in the computer program. Then, once the equivalent circuit has been computed from the small signal S-parameter measurements, those parameters varying under large signals are incrementally altered until large signal S parameters are obtained which correspond to maximum oscillator output power. These values are used to calculate embedding element values for six oscillator topologies. A coaxial cavity FET oscillator was built and tested using the large signal design theory, and it substantially verified the design technique. The second design technique is based on the fact that S/sub 21/ varied more than other S parameters under large signals. By making design calculations based on S/sub 21/ reduced to the point corresponding to maximum oscillator power, it was possible to get usable design information for an FET oscillator.
Lessons from Russian human resource management experience

Abstract Western companies face numerous challenges in launching successful ventures in Russia due, in large part, to residual problems from the Soviet centralized era. This article provides perspectives of specific barriers to effectiveness in the context of Russian human resource management (HRM). Observations are based on the five-year experiences of a group of United States and Russian academicians and practitioners. This group has provided intensive training programs in human resource management for 31 different Russian firms across the Russian Federation. Recommendations are offered which may help Western executives address the enormous challenge of changing Russian executives' mindsets which are at the core of HRM problems.
Fast and slow idioventricular rhythms in the canine heart: A study of their mechanism using antiarrhythmic drugs and electrophysiologic testing

Complete heart block in dogs was induced by injecting the His bundle with formalin. For the 1st few days after surgery, a fast idioventricular rhythm (cycle length 471 +/- 37 ms, mean +/- standard error of the mean) occurred either as the only ventricular rhythm or interspersed with a slow idioventricular rhythm (cycle length 1,307 +/- 17 ms). The response to cardiac pacing, lidocaine, ethmozin and verapamil in conscious dogs was studied 1 day and 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. The fast idioventricular rhythm could not be suppressed by overdrive pacing, and at times its rate actually increased after pacing. The basic length of the fast idioventricular rhythm was prolonged by ethmozin but not by verapamil or lidocaine. The recovery cycle length ( that is, that of the first beat after cessation of overdrive pacing) was prolonged by ethmozin and verapamil, but not lidocaine. The slow rhythm was suppressed by overdrive pacing and its rate was decreased by lidocaine, unaltered by ethmozin and increased by verapamil. The recovery cycle length of the slow rhythm also was prolonged by lidocaine, unaltered by ethmozin and decreased by verapamil. The results are consistent with the slow rhythm resulting from normal automaticity (that is, that which occurs at high levels of membrane potential and is overdrive-suppressed) and the fast rhythm resulting from an abnormal automatic mechanism (that which occurs at low membrane potentials and is not overdrive-suppressed). The results obtained with verapamil are consistent with drug-induced catecholamine release.
[125I]EXP985: a highly potent and specific nonpeptide radioligand antagonist for the AT1 angiotensin receptor.

Abstract [125I]EXP985 is the first nonpeptide radioligand with high specific activity for the AT1 angiotensin receptor. The biochemical and pharmacological profiles of this ligand were determined using either ligand-receptor binding techniques in rat adrenal cortical microsomes or cellular Ca2+ mobilization in rat smooth muscle cells. Specific binding with 0.1 nM [125I]EXP985 increased slowly with time reaching an equilibrium at 60 min of incubation (22°C). Scatchard analysis of the inhibition / binding data revealed a single class of binding sites having a Kd of 1.49 ± 0.06 nM and a Bmax of 3.6 ± 0.1 pmol/mg protein. These sites were saturable and the ligand-receptor complex dissociated with a t1/2 of 58 min. The binding was inhibited by Ang peptides with the following order of potency and IC50 (nM) : Ang II (3.7) > Ang III (69) > Ang I (3650), and by the nonpeptide AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan, with an IC50 of 3.2 nM, PD123177, an AT2 selective antagonist, showed minimal inhibitory effect. Specific binding of [125I]EXP985 was found on rat aortic smooth cells. Ang II-induced Ca2+ mobilization in these cells was blocked by EXP985 in a noncompetitive manner. These data show that [125I]EXP985 (or its unlabeled) is a potent and highly specific radioligand or noncompetitive antagonist which represents a novel tool to further our understanding of the biochemistry of AT1 receptors.
A historico-ethical perspective on engineering education: from use and convenience to policy engagement

In the United States, professional ethics has become a standard part of engineering education. Such educational practice has an intellectual history that invites critical reflection. This article constitutes one such reflection, oriented not so much toward historical knowledge or the production of more engineers as toward developing a critical appreciation of engineering from a broad historico-ethical perspective. The argument advances through three main sections. After an untitled introduction, one section provides a partial narrative overview of the historical emergence of and debates about codes of professional conduct in engineering ethics, highlighting the mid-twentieth-century articulation of engineers as having a paramount responsibility to protect public safety, health, and welfare. Another considers some of the ways engineering ethics so construed and associated codes have been introduced into engineering curricula through textbooks. A third section and conclusion consider contemporary discussion...
Rescued from Synonymy: A Redescription of Percina bimaculata Haldeman and a Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of Logperch Darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae)

Percina nebulosa and Percina bimaculata have been considered synonyms of P. caprodes for over 130 years. The taxonomic history of P. nebulosa is complicated by the fact that the name is preoccupied by Perca nebulosa Rafinesque. Percina bimaculata Haldeman is the available and appropriate name for this species, and the Chesapeake Logperch is the proposed common name. Recent phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA gene sequences support the hypothesis that P. bimaculata is a distinct species; however, a morphological comparison between P. bimaculata and other logperch darter species has never been published. An examination of morphological characters and a new molecular phylogeny of both mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequence data support the recognition of P. bimaculata as a distinct species most closely related to P. kathae and P. austroperca. Historically, P. bimaculata was distributed in the lower Susquehanna River Basin of Pennsylvania and Maryland and the middle to lower Potomac River Basin of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, USA. The species has not been recorded from the Potomac Basin since the 1930s and is currently found only in the lower Susquehanna River Basin. The restricted geographic distribution and extirpation from the Potomac Basin indicates that P. bimaculata is an imperiled species and may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The molecular phylogeny also indicates that populations recognized as P. caprodes sampled from the upper Mississippi River Basin in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota are not closely related to P. caprodes populations sampled from the Ohio, Tennessee, White and Hudson river drainages.
Cytological studies on the hypophysectomized rat adrenal cortex: the alterations of its fine structure following ACTH administration and on lowering the Na/K ratio.

THIS work was undertaken as a sequel to an earlier electron microscopic investigation of the adrenal cortex in the normal rat (Lever, in press). The salient findings of this earlier study are as follows: (a) Throughout the cortex a subendothelial space separates the plasma membrane of the parenchyma! and sinusoidal endothelial cells, (b) Cells light and dark in respect of electron opacity are found in all zones and may represent phases in a secretory cycle, (c) In light cells large numbers of thin-walled polyhedral sacs lie in juxtaposition to the mitochondria, some of which are vacuolated. (d) Dark cells are characterised by large numbers of mitochondria, of compact internal form, lying in a relatively opaque background substance, (e) An osmiophile substance is either elaborated by or accumulates within the mitochondria, and in all cortical zones, forms are discernible intermediate between mitochondria per se and densely osmiophile bodies which are probably lipid droplets. The histology of the hypophysec...
Human immunodeficiency virus-1 proviral gene disruption by targeted gene therapy: a hypothetical technique for the elimination of provirus from the infected cells

A hypothetical technique is proposed for the elimination of all the integrated human immunodeficiency virus-1 provirus from infected cells, based on the developing technology of selective gene excision through homologous recombination. In this technique, a recombinant retroviral packaging cell-line which would produce integrase-Rep78 chimeric protein would be constructed. Replication defective viral stocks would be made from this system which would have recombinant integrase-Rep78 protein packaged along with human immunodeficiency virus-1 long terminal repeat DNA. Since the Rep78 protein, which is a major regulatory protein of adeno-associated virus, has high affinity for human immunodeficiency virus-1 long terminal repeat, it would tether the newly synthesized human immunodeficiency virus-1 long terminal repeat (therapeutic DNA) to the human immunodeficiency virus-1 proviral site in the infected cell. This newly reverse transcribed human immunodeficiency virus-1 long terminal repeat would undergo homologous recombination with the provirus in the infected cells, facilitated by the nicking of the integrase part of the integrase-Rep78 recombinant protein. This selective gene knockout would be accomplished by the combined action of the chimeric integrase-Rep78 protein, where the Rep78 part would help docking of the therapeutic DNA to the proviral integration site and the integrase would provide nicking activity after homologous recombination, resulting in the replacement of human immunodeficiency virus-1 proviral genome with therapeutic DNA.
Two super-Tonks-Girardeau states of a trapped one-dimensional spinor Fermi gas

A harmonically trapped ultracold 1D spinor Fermi gas with a strongly attractive 1D even-wave interaction induced by a 3D Feshbach resonance is studied. It is shown that it has two different super Tonks-Girardeau (sTG) energy eigenstates which are metastable against collapse in spite of the strong attraction, due to their close connection with 1D hard sphere Bose gases which are highly excited gaslike states. One of these sTG states is a hybrid between an sTG gas with strong ({up_arrow}{down_arrow}) attractions and an ideal Fermi gas with no ({up_arrow}{up_arrow}) or ({down_arrow}{down_arrow}) interactions, the sTG component being an exact analog of the recently observed sTG state of a 1D ultracold Bose gas. It should be possible to create it experimentally by a sudden switch of the ({up_arrow}{down_arrow}) interaction from strongly repulsive to strongly attractive, as in the recent Innsbruck experiment on the bosonic sTG gas. The other is a trapped analog of a recently predicted sTG state which is an ultracold gas of strongly bound ({up_arrow}{down_arrow}) fermion dimers which behave as bosons with a strongly attractive boson-boson interaction leading to sTG behavior. It is proved that the probability of a transition from the ground state for strongly repulsive interaction to this dimermore » state under a sudden switch from strongly repulsive to strongly attractive interaction is <<1, contrary to a previous suggestion.« less
Apparent lack of CYP1A response to high PCB body burdens in fish from a chronically contaminated PCB site.

Abstract Chronic exposure to organic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can lead to the development of resistance to these chemicals, a condition associated with reduced response of CYP1A1, a pollutant-inducible biomarker. We measured CYP1A activity (ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase, EROD) and PCB concentrations in feral fish from the Town Branch/Mud River system (Logan County, KY), a stream historically contaminated with PCBs and partially remediated. As a first step in evaluating the possible development of resistant populations in this system, we measured CYP1A expression and PCB body burdens in resident fish from sites we previously characterized as containing biologically significant levels of CYP1A inducing compounds. Mean PCB concentrations in edible flesh ranged from 75.2 to 16.7 μg/g in fish collected from Town Branch remediated sites and were relatively low (1.23 μg/g) in Town Branch reference site fish. However, hepatic CYP1A activity was similar among individuals of most species collected from reference and contaminated/remediated sites. The absence of elevated CYP1A levels in resident fish species despite the presence of significant PCB body burdens may indicate these fish have developed reduced sensitivity to CYP1A induction, a condition associated with acquired resistance to toxicants.
Sodium homeostasis: Steady states without a set point

In a recent editorial printed in this Journal [1], it was proposed that total body sodium was regulated around a set point by a feedback-control system. The set point was postulated to be "…that amount of sodium chloride in the patient's body when he is in balance on a no-salt intake". We would like to present an alternative description of sodium homeostasis that we feel is more consistent with the available experimental data. Regulation of sodium in the body can be best described by a series of steady states determined by many factors, one of which is the intake of sodium.
Self-Images and Community Images of the Elementary School Principal:

The following reported research scrutinizes the role of the elemen tary principal in an unusual way. Based on responses to a role norm inventory the authors analyze the difference between the perceptions various groups have of the role of the elementary principal. The data also include the perceptions of the principals as to the views of each of the other groups. In addition to summarizing the basic findings the authors discuss some of the possible implications of the data. This article is a revision of a paper presented at the annual meeting of the NEA Department of the Elementary School Principals, March 22, 1966, Portland, Oregon.
The continuing problem of all-terrain vehicle injuries in children.

Abstract Background: After the introduction of the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in the United States in 1971, deaths and injuries in both adults and children rose dramatically. In 1988, the Consumer's Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and all manufacturers of ATVs signed legally binding "Consent Decrees," designed to decrease the number of ATV-related deaths and injuries, especially in children. Methods: This report reviews retrospectively the mechanism of injury as well as the injuries in 51 children caused by ATV crashes during a 5-year period after the signing of the decrees. Results: Data included age; sex; type of ATV (three or four wheel); position of the patient on the vehicle (driver or passenger); helmet usage; and mechanism of vehicular accident, including collision with a stationary or moving object, rollover, or fall from the vehicle. Mechanism data indicate loss of control of vehicle or fall from the vehicle as the most common cause of injury. Injury statistics included body regions and parts injured, injury severity score (ISS), and complications or disabilities resulting from injury. Mean ISS was 13.6 ± 9.7 (range, 1 to 50). Eighteen patients (35%) had ISSs greater than 15. Helmets were worn by only 30% of patients. There were two deaths, and two patients suffered permanent paralysis. Orthopedic injuries were the most common injury and were of adult type with 61% classified as open or comminuted. Conclusions: The magnitude and severity of these injuries argue that this recreational vehicle is exceedingly dangerous for children. The consent decrees have had little effect on reducing the injuries in children from ATVs and should be reevaluated.
Metal-based reactive nanomaterials

Recent developments in materials processing and characterization resulted in the discovery of a new type of reactive materials containing nanoscaled metal components. The well-known high oxidation energies of metallic fuels can now be released very rapidly because of the very high reactive interface areas in such metal-based reactive nanomaterials. Consequently, these materials are currently being examined for an entire range of applications in energetic formulations inappropriate for conventional, micron-sized metal fuels having relatively low reaction rates. New application areas, such as reactive structural materials, are also being explored. Research remains active in manufacturing and characterization of metal-based reactive nanomaterials including elemental metal nanopowders and various nanocomposite material systems. Because of the nanometer scale of the individual particles, or phase domains, and because of the very high enthalpy of reaction between components of the nanocomposite materials, the final phase compositions, morphology, and thermodynamic properties of the reactive nanocomposite materials may be different from those of their micron-scaled counterparts. Ignition mechanisms in such materials can be governed by heterogeneous reactions that are insignificant for materials with less developed reactive interface areas. New combustion regimes are being observed that are affected by very short ignition delays combined with very high metal combustion temperatures. Current progress in this rapidly growing research area is reviewed and some potential directions for the future research are discussed.
Rare earth oxides as carbon oxidation catalysts

Abstract The behavior of a number of rare earth oxides as catalysts for the oxidation of graphite in air has been investigated by the methods of thermal analysis. Of the oxides studied, only CeO2 showed significant activity in accelerating the gasification of graphite by oxygen between 500 and 1000°C. Cerium salts, which decompose to a finely dispersed oxide phase at low temperatures, e.g. Ce (III) nitrate and ammonium Ce (IV) nitrate, were found to be very active catalysts. The catalytic effect may be due to a redox process involving the cyclic conversion of the oxide from the Ce (IV) to the Ce (III) oxidation state, or the oxide particles may provide sites for the dissociative chemisorption of oxygen.
Sediment subduction versus accretion around the Pacific

Abstract Subducting oceanic plates are typically broken by normal faults as they bend downward into subduction zones, usually forming regular patterns of grabens. The faults strike parallel or subparallel to the trench axes and are most commonly 5–10 km in spacing and width. Rupture occurs initially near the outer topographic high and vertical displacement or graben depth increases as the plate descends, the 400 m or more at many trench axes. It is suggested that the grabens provide void spaces within the surface of the subducting plate, below the plane of subduction, into which the trench sediments are tectonically displaced and thus subducted. Around the Pacific, the only regions of apparent fore-arc sediment accretion are where the graben structures are missing or masked by thick sediment deposits. Even in these cases sediment subduction, by inclusion in subducting plate grabens or by other mechanisms, must be invoked to explain the relatively small fore-arc sediment volumes compared to calculated accretion volumes based on historical convergence. Where trench sediment volumes are small compared to the graben volumes the grabens may abrade the leading edge and underside of the overriding plate and subduct the eroded material. It is concluded that sediment subduction is dominant around the Circum-Pacific and that the bending-induced graben structures of the subducting plates are a major factor for sediment subduction and tectonic erosion.
Controls-structures integrated design optimization with shape variations

The shape design variables have been introduced into the set of design variables of the Controls-Structure Integrated (CSI) Design of space-structures. The importance of the shape variations in improving the design (obtained with only control and sizing variables) has been aptly illustrated. Two different types of design variables that describe the shape variations of the structure have been introduced. In the first case, the nodal coordinates have been considered as design variables. This has the inherent difficulty of having too many design variables. This not only is time consuming but also memory intensive and may not yield a manufacturable shape to the structure. The second approach has been introduced to overcome this difficulty. The structure is allowed to vary in a particular pre defined pattern. The coefficients of these patterns are considered as the shape design variables. The eigenvalue and eigenvector sensitivity equations with respect to these coefficient design variables have been developed and are used to approximate the eigenvalues and eigenvectors in a perturbed design.
A Case of Hepatic Hernia with Echocardiographic Findings Simulating Right Atrial Tumor

Abstract A patient with hepatic hernia was found to have echocardiographic findings resembling a right atrial tumor. Magnetic resonance imaging was useful in establishing a definitive diagnosis of hepatic hernia. Hepatic hernias should be ruled out when a right atrial tumor is suspected on the basis of transthoracic echocardiographic findings. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 1998;11:680-2.)
Effects of humic acid on broiler chickens

In view of the alleged effect of humic acid (HA) on growth plate arthrosis in humans, we sought to find if poultry tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is caused by HA that can occur as a ground water contaminant. In 2 separate trials, broiler chickens were fed different concentrations of HA added to their diet for 4 and 5 wk. The effects of these treatments were measured by general health indices such as growth, feed conversion ratio, relative organ weights, blood differential count, serum chemistry, TD index, and bone biomechanical strength. Humic acid treatment decreased BW but appeared to improve feed conversion ratio. There was no effect on TD index or bone biomechanical strength in HA-treated birds compared with controls. There was no toxic effect of HA that was evident by the absence of any dramatic change in relative organ weights or other telltale signs of serum clinical chemistry that would suggest liver, muscle, or kidney dysfunction. Red blood cell, white blood cell, monocyte, and hematocrit values were not affected, but there was a decrease in blood heterophil counts and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, which was significant in 4-wk HA-treated birds. Overall these results show that HA slows down growth, but it does not have any adverse health effects on chickens.
Expandable Temperature-Responsive Polymeric Nanotubes

Materials with the ability of dimensional changes on demand exhibit many potential applications ranging from adaptive composites that mimic biological functions under extreme conditions to microfluidics or neural implants to stimulate components of the nervous systems. These studies show the synthesis of temperature-induced reversibly expandable nanotubes that were prepared by polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAM) in the presence of biologically active 1,2-bis(tricosa-10,12-diynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DC8,9PC) diacetylenic phospholipids (PL). As a result, thermally responsive poly-NIPAM-phospholipid nanotubes (PNNTs) were prepared. Polymerization reactions occur within hydrophilic regions of PL bilayers, whereas PL hydrophobic zones facilitate transport and supply of the monomer for polymerization. The unique feature of PNNTs is that, above 37 °C, the outer diameter (OD) as well as the wall thickness (WT) shrink by 20 and 55%, respectively, whereas the inner diameter (ID) increases by...
Recurrent osteoblastoma of the mandible: Report of a case

Abstract Osteoblastoma is an uncommon bone tumor comprising only about 1% of all skeletal neoplasms. The tumor is most commonly found in the vertebral column and long bones. 1 The frequency of jaw involvement is uncertain, but is probably more common than the literature would indicate. A recent review by Weinberg and associates 2 noted 30 previously reported cases involving the jaws. Osteoblastomas are generally considered to be benign neoplasms and most cases respond well to curettage or local excision. However, reports of aggressive or malignant osteoblastomas suggest that this lesion cannot be invariably considered as benign. 3 In addition, differentiation of osteoblastoma from low grade osteosarcoma may be difficult, as illustrated in the case reported.
The pentose phosphate pathway in developing chick cornea.

Embryonic chick corneas at different stages of development were evaluated for activity of the pentose phosphate pathway. The appearance of activity was concurrent with the onset of corneal transperancy (stage 40). Highest values were found after complete transparency is achieved (stage 45 and after hatching). Phenazine methosulfate, an artificial electron acceptor, increased activity at all stages studied even before endogenous activity was measurable; however, no increase in glucose uptake was observed. Thus, the enzymes for the pathway are present at early stages (i.e., stage 38 and 40) although in latent form. The pathway probably functions in the developing cornea to generate NADPH rather than sugar moieties for macromolecular incorporation.
Specifically induced suppression of T cell and NK-like cytolytic activity by ingested soluble antigens.

Abstract The effect of feeding xenoserum (xs) on cytolytic cell activity induced by parenteral injection was examined in C3H/N mice. Spleen cells were cultured with xs and then assayed for cytolytic activity against a panel of 51 Cr-labeled YAC-1, AKR-A, or P815 target cells. Prior feeding resulted in significant suppression of responses stimulated by injection and culture. The induction of these responses was antigen specific for xs whereas the effector stage represented polyclonal activation of cytolytic cells. Some effector cells were lysed by either anti-Lyt 2 or anti-NK- 1.2 and complement and some were blocked by anti-Lyt 2 or anti-T200 in the cytotoxicity assay. Thus, both cytolytic T and NK-like cells were suppressed by antigen feeding. Activity of T H cell-derived factors which enhance cytolytic activity (“promoter” factor, interferon, and interleukin 2) also was diminished in culture supematants of cells from mice fed soluble antigens. The conclusion that polyclonal cytolytic responses induced by soluble antigen can be regulated by prior enteric stimulation is made.