cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maintenance of Mitochondrial Morphology in Cryptococcus neoformans Is Critical for Stress Resistance and Virulence.

ABSTRACT Mitochondria are essential organelles that act in pathways including ATP production, β-oxidation, and clearance of reactive oxygen species. They occur as a complex reticular network that constantly undergoes fusion and fission, mediated by dynamin-related proteins (DRPs). DRPs include Fzo1, which mediates fusion, and Dnm1, Mdv1, and Fis1, which mediate fission. Mitochondrial morphology has been implicated in virulence in multiple fungi, as with the association between virulence and increased mitochondrial fusion in Cryptococcus gattii. This relationship, however, has not been studied in Cryptococcus neoformans, a related opportunistic pathogen. C. neoformans is an environmental yeast that can adapt to the human host environment, overcome the innate immune system, and eventually disseminate and cause lethal meningoencephalitis. We used gene deletion of key DRPs to study their role in mitochondrial morphology and pathogenesis of this yeast. Interestingly, increasing mitochondrial fusion did not increase resistance to oxidative stress, unlike in model yeast. Blocking mitochondrial fusion, however, yielded increased susceptibility to oxidative and nitrosative stresses as well as complete avirulence. This lack of virulence was not mediated by any effects of altered mitochondrial function on two major virulence factors, capsule and melanin. Instead, it was due to decreased survival within macrophages, which in turn was a consequence of increased susceptibility to oxidative and nitrosative stress. Supporting this conclusion, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers rescued the ability of fusion mutants to survive intracellularly. These findings increase our understanding of cryptococcal biology and virulence and shed light on an important group of proteins and cellular processes in this pathogen. IMPORTANCEC. neoformans is a yeast that causes fatal brain infection in close to 200,000 people worldwide every year, mainly afflicting individuals with AIDS or others who are severely immunocompromised. One feature of this microbe that helps it cause disease is that it is able to withstand toxic molecules it encounters when host cells engulf it in their efforts to control the infection. Mitochondria are important organelles responsible for energy production and other key cellular processes. They typically exist in a complex network that changes morphology by fusing and dividing; these alterations also influence mitochondrial function. Using genetic approaches, we found that changes in mitochondrial morphology dramatically influence cryptococcal virulence. We showed that this occurs because the altered mitochondria are less able to eliminate the harmful molecules that host cells produce to kill invading microbes. These findings are important because they elucidate fundamental biology and virulence and may suggest avenues for therapy.
Epistemic dilemmas and rational indeterminacy

This paper is about epistemic dilemmas, i.e., cases in which one is doomed to have a doxastic attitude that is rationally impermissible no matter what. My aim is to develop and defend a position according to which there can be genuine rational indeterminacy; that is, it can be indeterminate which principles of rationality one should satisfy and thus indeterminate which doxastic attitudes one is permitted or required to have. I am going to argue that this view can resolve epistemic dilemmas in a systematic way while also enjoying some important advantages over its rivals.
A mechanistic analysis of the correlation between overall strength and indentation hardness in discontinuously reinforced aluminum

It is well established that the indentation hardness of metallic alloys shows a reasonable correlation with their yield strength or ultimate strength. Experiments illustrate that such a unique correlation is nonexistent for discontinuously reinforced metal matrix composites, even when the indentation size is much greater than the reinforcement size. For aluminum alloys reinforced with silicon carbide particles, the same composite yield strength and tensile strength with different reinforcement fractions do not lead to similar hardness, or vice versa. Finite element analyses are carried out to rationalize the experimental findings. The modeling utilizes a two-dimensional plane-strain formulation. Discrete particles are included in the material model, and the overall stress-strain response and the indentation response are numerically simulated. The results confirm the lack of unique correspondence between the composite hardness and strength. The alteration of local heterogeneity in the composite is found to affect the indentation response. Effects of the geometrical arrangement of particles and thermal residual stresses on the indentation response are also investigated numerically.
Estimating client QoE from measured network QoS

This research is done in the context of the SliceNet project [4] that aims to extend 5G infrastructure with cognitive management of cross-domain, cross-layer network slices [1], with emphasis on Quality of Experience (QoE) for vertical industries. The provisioning of network slices with proper QoE guarantees is seen as one of the key enablers of future 5G-enabled networks. The challenge is to assess the QoE experienced by the vertical application and its users without requiring the applications or the users to measure and report QoE related metrics back to the provider. To address this challenge, we propose a method for deriving application-level QoE from network-level Quality of Service (QoS) measurements, easily accessible by the provider. In particular, we describe a PoC where QoE, perceived by application users, is estimated from low level network monitoring data, by applying cognitive methods. Our main goal is enabling the cloud provider to support the desired E2E QoE-based Service Level Agreements (SLAs), e.g. by monitoring QoS metrics within the provider's domain to optimize resource allocation through provider's actuators. Additional benefit can be achieved by applying the same technique to troubleshoot issues in the provider's infrastructure. In this work, we employed classical statistical methods to assess the relationship between the application-level QoE and the network-level QoS.
Artificial Intelligence for the Measurement of the Aortic Valve Annulus.

Objective The authors aim to evaluate an automated echocardiography software as compared with computed tomography in measurement of the aortic valve annulus in patients with aortic stenosis. The authors hypothesize that aortic annular measurements by this software and computed tomography will show acceptable correlation. Design This study is an Institutional Review Board-approved, retrospective data collection of patients with aortic stenosis who underwent implantation of a transcatheter heart valve with intraprocedural transesophageal echocardiography, multidetector computed tomography, and use of the Siemens eSie Valves automated aortic valve software. Setting Intraprocedural in a single hospital institution. Participants The participants are 47 patients who underwent implantation of an Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve. Interventions The authors compared aortic valve annulus measurements by two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography, computed tomography, and the automated software. Measurements and Main Results Aortic annulus measurements by the software correlated more closely to the computed tomography measurements than two-dimensional measurements. Bland-Altman analysis showed qualitative comparability of measurements performed by the automated software to computed tomography (95% limits of agreement between –4.62 mm and 1.26 mm for area-derived and –4.51 mm and 1.45 mm for perimeter-derived methods). Similarly, there was significant linear correlation with automated software use (r = 0.84, p Conclusions Periprocedural aortic valve measurement by automated echocardiographic software correlates with computed tomography in patients with severe aortic stenosis. This technology is helpful and accurate, but has limitations.
Looking to our Past to Re-Envision our Future: A Co/Authoethnographic Study of Teacher Candidate Supervision across International Contexts

ABSTRACTThis self-study tells the story of two international teacher education doctoral students and one faculty member as they embarked upon a co/autoethnography as a way to collectively explore e...
Management Roles and Research Goals

The child with ADHD benefits from parental care and understanding, a teacher’s attention to special educational needs, the psychologist’s evaluation and behavior counseling, and a physician’s diagnostic skill and medical treatment. Each has an important role in the multimodal management of the problem (MTA, 1999) (see also Chap. 8).
Teaching Undergraduates about Change Management: A Critical Thinking Approach

This paper outlines the pedagogy of an innovative approach to teaching students about change management. Students learn about change management from a theoretical perspective using traditional methods like assigned readings, lecture, and discussion. Concurrently, students participate in interactive/experiential exercises where they experience resistance to change and the change process while becoming comfortable and gaining practice with new change management behaviors. The success of the course depends on active student engagement and student-centered learning. Students are asked to explore change in their own lives and are exposed to the change process individually. Exposure to the personal change process sets the foundation for learning about situational and large-scale organizational change. We propose a new model for teaching students about change management that simulates the change process that individuals and organizations experience.
Assessment of 3D printing using fused deposition modeling and selective laser sintering for a circular economy

Abstract Plastic today is commonplace. Products and parts made with plastic have short life cycles, ending up in landfills not long after manufacture. Finding new pathways for plastic waste has become a critical focus of sustainability efforts, especially within manufacturing. Thus, research in this field continues to grow in order to determine the feasibility of reclaiming post-consumer plastic for reuse. This paper evaluates the potential for a sustainable, circular pathway for end-of-life plastic material using 3D-printing techniques. To do this, the work investigates two prevalent industrial 3D-printing technologies: selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) of polymers. Material-flow and economic models are developed to outline how plastic parts at the end of their life cycle can be processed and reused. Prior works on fundamental material degradation are integrated into mathematical models of cost and operation. This enables mapping of how multiple reuse cycles affect two prevalent industrial polymers: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyamide 12 (PA 12). The mapping identifies there is significant opportunity for improving both SLS and FDM 3D-printing technologies when it comes to economic viability and sustainability. Comparison between reuse of FDM using ABS and SLS using PA 12 shows the former costs 82% less than the latter, while also producing 87% less waste than it. While the study established that available industrial 3D-printing technologies can help to reduce plastic waste within manufacturing, a fully circular economy demands materials with less thermal degradation than the primary industrial 3D-printing polymers.
Two Families of Constant Term Identities.

In this paper, we generalize the Gessel-Xin's Laurent series method and show it is related to the theory of tournaments. We also construct two sets of tournaments and each of them leads to a q-Dyson type constant term identities.
Performance of Canadian banks and oil price movements

Abstract We employ dynamic panel data models to examine the performance (profitability and asset quality) of a large sample of Canadian banks from 1996Q1 to 2018Q2. Profits, measured as return on assets (ROA), depend on bank factors (capital adequacy, loan loss provisions (LLP) and non-interest income), the slope of the yield curve, and several oil price measures. Our findings suggest that the persistence of profits is estimated to be around 0.40 and the direct impact of oil prices tends to be positive on profits. When oil interacts with non-interest income, there is a strong positive relationship. This can be interpreted as oil price increases leading to more banking transactions (derivatives, fees) and then higher profits. Our evidence also suggests that positive oil price changes increase the asset quality of Canadian banks by reducing the ratio of LLP.
HIFα regulates developmental myelination independent of autocrine Wnt signaling

Abstract The developing CNS is exposed to physiological hypoxia, under which hypoxia inducible factor alpha (HIFα) is stabilized and plays a crucial role in regulating neural development. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of HIFα in developmental myelination remain incompletely understood. Previous concept proposes that HIFα regulates CNS developmental myelination by activating the autocrine Wnt/β-catenin signaling in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). Here, by analyzing a battery of genetic mice of both sexes, we presented in vivo evidences supporting an alternative understanding of oligodendroglial HIFα-regulated developmental myelination. At the cellular level, we found that HIFα was required for developmental myelination by transiently controlling upstream OPC differentiation but not downstream oligodendrocyte maturation and that HIFα dysregulation in OPCs but not oligodendrocytes disturbed normal developmental myelination. We demonstrated that HIFα played a minor, if any, role in regulating canonical Wnt signaling in the oligodendroglial lineage or in the CNS. At the molecular level, blocking autocrine Wnt signaling did not affect HIFα-regulated OPC differentiation and myelination. We further identified HIFα-Sox9 regulatory axis as an underlying molecular mechanism in HIFα-regulated OPC differentiation. Our findings support a concept shift in our mechanistic understanding of HIFα-regulated CNS myelination from the previous Wnt-dependent view to a Wnt-independent one and unveil a previously unappreciated HIFα-Sox9 pathway in regulating OPC differentiation.
Rethinking Experiment Design As Algorithm Design

As experimentation in the behavioral and social sciences moves from brick-and-mortar laboratories to the web, new opportunities arise in the design of experiments. By taking advantage of the new medium, experimenters can write complex computationally mediated adaptive procedures for gathering data: algorithms. Here, we explore the consequences of adopting an algorithmic approach to experiment design. We review several experiment designs drawn from the fields of medicine, cognitive psychology, cultural evolution, psychophysics, computational design, game theory, and economics, describing their interpretation as algorithms. We then discuss software platforms for efficient execution of these algorithms with people. Finally, we consider how machine learning can optimize crowdsourced experiments and form the foundation of next-generation experiment design.
Multivariate pattern analysis and the search for neural representations

Multivariate pattern analysis, or MVPA, has become one of the most popular analytic methods in cognitive neuroscience. Since its inception, MVPA has been heralded as offering much more than regular univariate analyses, for—we are told—it not only can tell us which brain regions are engaged while processing particular stimuli, but also which patterns of neural activity represent the categories the stimuli are selected from. We disagree, and in the current paper we offer four conceptual challenges to the use of MVPA to make claims about neural representation. Our view is that the use of MVPA to make claims about neural representation is problematic.
Optical Radiation and Matter

Optical Radiation and Matter provides a deeper look at electricity and magnetism and the interaction of optical radiation with molecules and solid materials. It will complement any course on advanced electricity and magnetism, electro-optics, and radiation and matter.
A comparison between Chinese and American male and female college students’ critical thinking dispositions

This quantitative research study compared the critical thinking dispositions of 91 college students studying in a public university in South East Florida. Forty-one students identified as Chinese a...
Breast Cancer Risk Perceptions among Relatives of Women with Uninformative Negative BRCA1/2 Test Results: The Moderating Effect of the Amount of Shared Information

The most common result of BRCA1/2 mutation testing when performed in a family without a previously identified mutation is an uninformative negative test result. Women in these families may have an increased risk for breast cancer because of mutations in non-BRCA breast cancer predisposition genes, including moderate- or low-risk genes, or shared environmental factors. Genetic counselors often encourage counselees to share information with family members, however it is unclear how much information counselees share and the impact that shared information may have on accuracy of risk perception in family members. We evaluated 85 sisters and daughters of women who received uninformative negative BRCA1/2 results. We measured accuracy of risk perception using a latent variable model where accuracy was represented as the correlation between perceived risk (indicators = verbal and quantitative measures) and calculated risk (indicators = Claus and BRCAPRO). Participants who reported more information was shared with them by their sister or mother about her genetic counseling session had greater accuracy of risk perception (0.707, p = 0.000) than those who reported little information was shared (0.326, p = 0.003). However, counselees shared very little information; nearly 20 % of family members reported their sister or mother shared nothing with them about her genetic counseling. Family members were generally not aware of the existence of a genetic counseling summary letter. Our findings underscore the need for effective strategies that facilitate counselees to share information about their genetic counseling sessions. Such communication may help their relatives better understand their cancer risks and enhance risk appropriate cancer prevention.
Chemical composition of Gaura suffulta and Gaura longiflora flower volatiles

ABSTRACT Volatiles from the flowers of Gaura suffulta and Gaura longiflora were analyzed by GC/MS. Relative concentrations and identities of 21 compounds for G. suffulta and 25 compounds for G. longiflora were determined.
Differential regulation of testosterone vs. 5α-dihydrotestosterone by selective androgen response elements

There are two major physiological androgens, testosterone (T), and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which induce different responses in mammals. These androgens regulate the target gene transcription via binding to and activating the same androgen receptor (AR). The molecular mechanisms that differ between these two very close androgens through the same AR protein to target the distinct genomic responses remain unknown. Using yeast genetic selection, we identified two kinds of androgen response elements (ARE), which could respond differentially to T vs. DHT. These two AREs also show different T- vs. DHT-induced AR transactivation in mammalian Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in terms of copy number and comparisons with the classic mouse mammary tumor virus ARE. Together, our results suggest that the selective ARE sequence may play an important role in the differential T- vs. DHT-induced AR transactivation.
The Complexity of Equivariant Unification

Nominal logic is a first-order theory of names and binding based on a primitive operation of swapping rather than substitution. Urban, Pitts, and Gabbay have developed a nominal unification algorithm that unifies terms up to nominal equality. However, because of nominal logic’s equivariance principle, atomic formulas can be provably equivalent without being provably equal as terms, so resolution using nominal unification is sound but incomplete. For complete resolution, a more general form of unification called equivariant unification, or “unification up to a permutation” is required. Similarly, for rewrite rules expressed in nominal logic, a more general form of matching called equivariant matching is necessary.
A review of the literature on self advocacy components in transition programs for students with learning disabilities

Increasing numbers of persons with learning disabilities are enrolling in post-secondary education. However, there is evidence to suggest that many of these students experience difficulty staying in and completing post-secondary programs. One important indicator of success in post-secondary education for students with learning disabilities is competence in self-advocacy. In order for students with learning disabilities to become more successful in post-secondary settings, they need to be taught a variety of academic and self-advocacy skills. It is suggested in the literature, however, that despite their importance, self-advocacy skills are not directly taught in high school or at the post-secondary level. The purpose of this review is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the literature on programs for students with learning aisabilities, who are transitioning from secondary to post-secondary education, which purport: to include a self-advocacy component. An evaluation of self-advocacy components is presented determining to what extent they include the skills associated with self-advocacy. These skills are: (1) understanding one's own disability (strengths and weaknesses); (2) knowledge of individual rights under the law; (3) accommodations needed; and (4) effective communication skills. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
Interaction of Treponema denticola TD-4, GM-1, and MS25 with human gingival fibroblasts

The adherence of Treponema denticola GM-1, TD-4, and MS25 to human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) was studied to serve as an introduction to investigations into the interactions of these oral bacteria with human host cells. Under both aerobic (5% CO2) and anaerobic (85% N2 plus 10% H2 plus 5% CO2) environments, the interactions with the HGFs were such that strains GM-1 and MS25 were consistently more adherent than strain TD-4. Polyclonal antibodies to GM-1 inhibited GM-1 adherence by 70%, while MS25 and TD-4 showed differing degrees of cross-reactive inhibition, indicative of common but not identical epitopes on the surface of the three T. denticola strains. Pretreatment of the three strains with trypsin did not inhibit adherence; proteinase K did, however, inhibit this interaction by 80%. Trypsin pretreatment of the HGFs resulted in increases in adherence of 50 and 86% for GM-1 and MS25, respectively, while a decrease of 41% was noted for TD-4. Exposure of the T. denticola strains to sugars and lectin pretreatment of the HGFs implicated adherence mediation by mannose and galactose residues on the HGF surface. Periodate treatment of HGFs resulted in a 50% drop in adherence for GM-1 and MS25, but did not decrease that of TD-4. Addition of fetal bovine serum inhibited adherence of the three strains to differing degrees, with TD-4 being the most susceptible. Addition of purified fibronectin (100 micrograms/ml) resulted in greater than 50% inhibition in GM-1 and MS25 adherence, while a 25% increase occurred with TD-4. While strain differences were noted in some of the parameters studied, the results indicate two possibilities for T. denticola-HGF adherence: a lectinlike adhesin(s) on the T. denticola surface with affinity for galactose and mannose on the HGF surface, and a serum host factor(s) bridging T. denticola and HGFs.
Low-Energy Charged-Particle-Induced Fission

The excitation functions for the proton and deuteron induced fission of ${\mathrm{Th}}^{232}$ and ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$ have been determined in the energy range of 3-12 MeV. The excitation functions were measured using direct counting with $p$, $n$ junction counters, gross counting with a recoil catching technique, and radiochemical measurement of certain fission product nuclides. In addition, the ratio of the peak-to-valley values of the fission-fragment kinetic-energy spectrum were determined as a function of bombarding energy. Breaks in the ratio curve at certain bombarding energies are interpreted in terms of competition between fission and nucleon evaporation.
Theory of time-resolved photo-luminescence and carrier lifetime measurements in GaAs/GaInP heterostructures

Recently, interest in optical refrigeration of semiconductors, which is based on photo-luminescence up-conversion, has drawn extensive attention both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical descriptions often treat spatially homogeneous semiconductors, because of their conceptual simplicity. In typical experiments, however, semiconductors are usually heterostructures designed to reduce non-radiative recombination at the sample's surface. In particular, GaAs/GaInP structures have been used in experiments. In these structures, the GaAs layers are usually unintentionally p-doped, while the surface layers of GaInP are n-doped. Recent measurements of the non-radiative recombiation lifetime yielded values in the desirable inverse microsecond regime, and it is believed that the non-radiative recombination processes occur mainly at the heterostructure interfaces and its surfaces. For this reason, it is important to know the spatial density distribution of the excited carriers. Furthermore, photo-luminescence and carrier lifetime measurements are not spatially resolved, and therefore it is desirable to have a theory that can simulate lifetime measurements using the spatially varying density profile as an input. We have developed such a theory, using the simplifying assumption of quasi-thermal equilibrium (at each time during the photo-luminescence decay process). Using this theory, we are able to relate measurable (i.e. spatially averaged) lifetime measurements to the underlying non-radiative decay processes that, in our simulations, occur predominantly at the GaAs/GaInP interface. From this, we find that spatial inhomogeneities in the carrier density, which are most pronounced at low optical excitation powers, can have appreciable effects on the interpretation of the lifetime measurements.
Latent transforming growth factor-β: Structural features and mechanisms of activation

Latent transforming growth factor-β: Structural features and mechanisms of activation. Transforming growth factors-β are cytokines with a wide range of biological effects. They play a pathologic role in inflammatory and fibrosing diseases such as nephrosclerosis. TGFβs are secreted in a latent form due to noncovalent association with latency associated peptide (LAP), which is a homodimer formed from the propeptide region of TGF-β. LAP is disulfide linked to another protein, latent TGF-β binding protein (LTBP). LTBP has features in common with extracellular matrix proteins, and targets latent TGF-β to the matrix. Activation of latent TGF-β can be accomplished in vitro by denaturing treatments, plasmin digestion, ionizing radiation and interaction with thrombospondin. The mechanisms by which latent TGF-β is activated physiologically are not well understood. Results to date suggest an important role for proteases, particularly plasmin, although other mechanisms probably exist. A general model of activation is proposed in which latent TGF-β is released from the extracellular matrix by proteases, localized to cell surfaces, and activated by cell-associated plasmin.
Fracture and deformation of PZT

Abstract Subcritical crack propagation and time dependent deformation in the transducer ceramic, PZT, have been studied using the double torsion and stress relaxation techniques. Slow crack growth in PZT is sensitive to both chemical and electrical testing environments. Moisture and high ac or dc fields applied perpendicular to the crack plane enhance crack propagation in unpoled PZT. The stress relaxation data can be treated in terms of an analysis of thermally activated deformation. A dislocation model of the domain processes responsible for deformation is consistent with the experimental data.
Incidence of gastritis in gastric ulcer

In a series of 54 patients with benign gastric ulcer, an associated gastritis was found in 74 percent. The most common form of gastritis found was the superficial variety. This is at variance with published reports.
Endocrine effects on the cation-dependent ATPases of the gills of european eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) and efflux of Na.

Abstract Plasma [Na] of eels ( Anguilla anguilla L.) increases from mean values near 140 mmoles per liter in fresh water (FW) to regulated mean levels near 160 mmoles after transfer to sea water (SW). Mean values higher than regulated SW values, with high variance, are evident by the second day after transfer. Rate of efflux of Na increases rapidly to mean values significantly greater than those in FW on the first day after transfer. An improved method for extraction of the ATPases from the gills, which yields specific activities of the Na,K-activated enzyme as high as 20 times those formerly reported, is described. The increase in the activity of the Na,K-ATPase occurs later than the initial increases in plasma [Na] and in Na efflux; mean values significantly greater than those in FW are reached only 2–3 weeks after transfer to SW. Comparison of eels transferred to SW with others transferred to diluted SW or saline media containing the ions of SW shows that regulation of plasma [Na] occurs only in the presence of Na + in Concentrations near those of SW, and the activity of the Na,K-ATPase increases only in the presence of Na + and K + in SW concentrations. Activity of the fraction of ATPase not requiring Na + and K + (residual ATPase) was unchanged from FW values in all media except 1 3 SW:FW and the mixture of Na + and Mg 2+ chlorides. Injection of cortisol into intact animals had no effect on activity of Na,K-ATPase in animals in FW, but increased the activity of this enzyme in the gills of animals acclimated to SW. Activity of Na,K-ATPase and Na efflux did not increase, in animals hypophysectomized in FW, after their transfer to SW, but injection of cortisol resulted in increases in both parameters. Neither parameter was altered by hypophysectomy in SW. The activity of the residual ATPase increased after injection of cortisol and after hypophysectomy or sham-hypophysectomy in SW. Insulin injection into animals acclimated to SW had no effect on activity of ATPases of the gills, but was followed by an increase in total Na efflux and a decrease in the K-dependent fraction. Increase in the Na-dependent fraction accounted for the increase in total flux. The results are interpreted in terms of a systems diagram in which the effects of SW are attributed to direct effects of an increase in [Na + ] on the activity of the transport mechanisms of the gills, and to indirect effects of plasma [Na + ] on the activity of the Na,K-ATPase by way of the anterior pituitary and secretion of cortisol by the interrenal bodies.
An improved constant current source for micro-iontophoretic drug application studies ☆

Abstract A simple circuit is described for injecting current into micropipettes for electrophoresing and retaining chemical substances. Due to the high voltage output amplifier employed, it will deliver a high (500 nA) current through a very high resistance (200 MΩ) drug micropipette. Provision is made for injecting a balancing current equal in magnitude and opposite in polarity to the sum of the injection currents, for recording a signal proportional to output current and for controlling current injection with external devices.
Extending a facility training program to include a minority skills training program

The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) is a laboratory performing basic research in high-energy physics, operated by Stanford University under contract to the Atomic Energy Commission. The major computer system at SLAC is an IBM 360 Model 91 operating under the multiple-variable tasking option of IBM's operating system. The goal of the Computer Facility is to provide the best possible service for a wide range of users with diverse requirements. Because of the large size of the Computer Facility and the varied requirements of the users, a staff of 45 individuals, including 3 managers, 16 professionals, and 24 technicians and clerks is needed to support the operation. This paper is an exposition of how this facility has developed a training program for computer operations personnel with particular emphasis on the employment of unskilled individuals from a minority group.
Mushroom Use by College Students

This study investigated the extent of hallucinogenic mushroom use among 1507 college students and compared mushroom users to nonusers. The subjects, who completed an anonymous questionnaire, were students from California State University, Northridge, and the University of California, Los Angeles. The major finding was that among the respondents who reported use of hallucinogenic drugs (17%), over 85 percent had used hallucinogenic (psilocybin) mushrooms and over half had used mushrooms but no other hallucinogens. The data suggest a high level of experimental use compared to other hallucinogens. Survey research into hallucinogenic mushroom use should be extended, and mushroom use should be distinguished from use of other hallucinogens.
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome.

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is a respiratory consequence of morbid obesity that is characterized by alveolar hypoventilation during sleep and wakefulness. The disorder involves a complex interaction between impaired respiratory mechanics, ventilatory drive, and sleep-disordered breathing. Early diagnosis and treatment is important because delay in treatment is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Available treatment options include noninvasive positive airway pressure (PAP) therapies and weight loss. There is limited long-term data regarding the effectiveness of such therapies. This review outlines the current concepts of clinical presentation and diagnostic and management strategies to help identify and treat patients with obesity hypoventilation syndromes.
A modified dimethylglyoxime method for the determination of nickel in sea water

Abstract A colorimetric dimethylglyoxime (DMG) method for the determination of nickel in sea water was studied in detail, and improved through close control of experimental conditions. For a maximum precipitation of 90% of the nickel a minimum period of 7 days was necessary between treatment with sodium carbonate and filtration. A salt effect resulted from: ( 1 ) a gain in absorbance due to soluble ions not precipitated by sodium carbonate, which increased with increasing salt concentration, ( 2 ) an offsetting loss in absorbance due to incomplete precipitation of nickel. The transition 3d ions precipitated by sodium carbonate exerted no discernible effect on the absorbance. A procedure is recommended by which a relative standard deviation of 0.7% was achieved. Consistent recovery yields of 97% were obtained from samples of sea water spiked with nickel collected over a period of several months.
Developing an instructional unit on toxic shock syndrome for adolescent girls.

Nationwide surveillance for toxic shock syndrome (TSS) by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that as of October 19, 1981, 44 percent of the cases of TSS that developed in menstruating women occurred in the 10 to 19-year age group. Although the risk of developing TSS is small, as determined by the CDC, a fatality rate of 7.8 percent is of great concern, considering previously healthy teenage girls and young women are affected. Nursing literature has devoted relatively little attention to providing adolescent girls with information about TSS. This paper examines current research pertaining to (a) the pathogenesis and treatment of TSS, (b) tampon usage patterns among adolescents, (c) female adolescent development and identity formation, and (d) adolescent health information-seeking behaviors, and utilizes this information as a basis for developing a teaching-learning unit on TSS for adolescent girls.
Optimum design of straight thin-walled box section beams for crashworthiness analysis

This paper provides an optimum design for regular thin-walled box section beams on their cross-sectional profiles. The thin-walled box beams with optimized cross-sectional dimensions perform ideally during the crashworthiness analysis. In this paper, the response surface method (RSM) is utilized to formulate the complex design problem. During the optimum design, the specific energy absorption (SEA) is set as the design objective, and it is constrained by the maximum crushing force (P"m) and the cross-sectional dimensions. Detailed finite element (FE) models are created for such thin-walled box beams which are used for the design optimization. Finally, simplified FE models for these beams are also created for the same design process. Optimal design obtained with the simplified models is compared to the design achieved from the detailed models to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the simplified models.
Functional Optical Coherence Tomography Enables In Vivo Physiological Assessment of Retinal Rod and Cone Photoreceptors

Transient intrinsic optical signal (IOS) changes have been observed in retinal photoreceptors, suggesting a unique biomarker for eye disease detection. However, clinical deployment of IOS imaging is challenging due to unclear IOS sources and limited signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Here, by developing high spatiotemporal resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) and applying an adaptive algorithm for IOS processing, we were able to record robust IOSs from single-pass measurements. Transient IOSs, which might reflect an early stage of light phototransduction, are consistently observed in the photoreceptor outer segment almost immediately (<4 ms) after retinal stimulation. Comparative studies of dark- and light-adapted retinas have demonstrated the feasibility of functional OCT mapping of rod and cone photoreceptors, promising a new method for early disease detection and improved treatment of diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other eye diseases that can cause photoreceptor damage.
FATTY ACID DOUBLE BOND ORIENTATION ALTERS INTERACTION WITH L-CELL FIBROBLASTS

Relatively little is known of fatty acid specificity in cellular fatty acid uptake. In this study L-cells, a fibroblastic cell line with very low levels of endogenous cytosolic fatty acid binding protein, were used to examine the role of cis and trans unsaturation on fatty acid uptake. The fluorescent fatty acids, trans-parinaric acid and cis-parinaric acid, were used as analogs of straight-chain saturated, and kinked-chain unsaturated fatty acids, respectively, in order to evaluate the fatty acid specificity of the uptake system. Parinaric acid is poorly metabolizable; greater than 97% was unesterified while 3H-oleic acid was almost totally metabolized after 30 min uptake. Cis- and trans-parinaric acid uptake was saturable and dependent on the concentration of fatty acid. However, the initial rate and maximal amount of trans-parinaric acid taken up by the L-cells was greater than for cis-parinaric acid under the same conditions. The affinity of L-cell uptake for trans-parinaric acid (Km = 0.12 uM) was 35-fold higher than that for cis-parinaric acid (Km = 4.17 uM) . Based on competition studies with oleic and stearic acids, it was concluded that the cis- and trans-parinaric acid were taken up by the same L-cell fatty acid uptake system. The results suggest that the L-cell fatty acid uptake system has selectivity for straight chain rather than kinked chain unsaturated fatty acids.
Modeling intrinsic intelligibility variation: vowel-space size and structure

This paper describes a model of talker intelligibility in read sentences, based on a variety of vowel-space and prosodic predictors. Data are analysed using mixed-effects regression, including explicit modeling of random variation due to talker, listener, and sentence. Intelligibility is found to correlate with the overall area of the vowel space, the mean area of individual vowel phonemes, and the degree of crowding or encroachment between adjacent phonemes in F2xF1 space. The relationship between talker intelligibility and the prosodic predictors tested remains unclear. The model was tested using a new set of talkers and listeners from a different dialect region, using the same set of sentences. The model did not fully generalize to the second group of talkers and listeners; however, it is argued that differences between the two groups reflect properties of the talker samples rather than genuine dialectal differences.
Incidence of acute low-back injury among older workers in a cohort of material handlers.

Injuries to the low back are the most common cause for injury claims among material handlers. Previous studies have shown conflicting results about how age affects risk of low-back injury. This study describes the incidence of acute low-back injury by age, gender, length of employment, and lifting intensity measured by job classification in a cohort of material handlers. The cohort included all material handlers employed at a large home improvement retail chain in California from 1989 through 1994. The cohort accrued approximately 50,000 full time equivalents over the study period. A total of 2152 low-back injuries were reported during the study period. Compared to workers aged younger than 45, the crude rate ratio for workers aged 45 to 54 was 0.78, and for workers aged 55 and above was 0.84. However, this age difference was not apparent among length of employment strata or among jobs with low or medium lifting intensity. A higher proportion of workers over the age of 55 missed work time because of their...
Civilized Attire: Refashioning Tastes and Social Status in the Gabon Estuary, c. 1870–1914

Dress in Libreville, the capital of the French African colony of Gabon, reveals the complexities of cross-cultural interaction and cultural influences in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Mpongwe coastal ethnic community in the town, long linked to Atlantic commerce, adapted elements of European dress as part of a lifestyle of assimilation to French culture. Free people with access to missionary education and economic employment with Europeans adapted foreign dress. This cultural hybridity provoked dismay from some European and American observers who presented Mpongwe interest in western clothes as signs of their degeneration. Some Mpongwe rejected these criticisms by upholding assimilation as proof of their equality with Europeans. Mpongwe people also combined older fashion trends and ways of displaying foreign objects in ways that show the survival of older forms of status and wealth.
Online quality control with Raman spectroscopy in pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing

Quality testing for tablet composition and uniformity at the manufacturing stage is critical to the pharmaceutical industry. However, current off-line, destructive, wet chemistry analysis incurs significant costs and long test times. This paper introduces a methodology to form a population batch size for quality control sampling in tablet manufacturing for an alternative online testing technology, Raman spectroscopy. An approach is presented to determine the minimum testing batch size for quality control sampling based on the desirable confidence level, margin of error, testing rate, and production rate. Experiments with both traditional wet chemistry analysis and Raman spectroscopy are conducted. The results demonstrate that the quality of Raman spectroscopy is comparable to that of wet chemistry analysis. The proposed quality sampling methodology reduces the queue time by orders of magnitude for typical tablet batches of one to four million tablets awaiting test results following the tablet compaction process. Furthermore, it increases the tablet sample size, which subsequently raises the confidence level.
The Origins of Plains Mescalism

THE appearance in recent years-of several articles dealing with the ceremonial use of the mescal bean as a narcotic among various Plains groups indicates that there is a rising interest in this practice and in the problem of its origin. La Barre (1959) was the first to draw attention to this phenomenon in 1938, when he suggested that it may have been antecedent to the peyote cult. The matter was left there until Howard (1957) attempted to show that a "mescal bean cult," which apparently originated among the Pawnee or Wichita and preceded the peyote cult in the Plains area, was the source of many elements in Plains peyote ritualism. La Barre (1957, 1960) agreed with the precedence of the mescal bean, but rejected the influence of mescal bean ritual on the peyote cult, and suggested that the origins of both cults should be sought in southern Texas and northern Mexico, where the plants are indigenous. In support of La Barre's view, Campbell (1958) noted archeological occurrences of the mescal bean in southwestern Texas and drew attention to similarities between pictographs from that area and ritual paraphernalia used in the mescal bean ceremonies cited by Howard. The present papert will contribute new data on mescal bean usage among Indian groups south of the Plains and will critically re-examine previously presented data and conclusions. By the analysis and comparison of these data it is hoped to define the principal form of Plains mescalism2 more exactly and to demonstrate its relatively recent development as a synthesis of several independent complexes. An attempt is made herein, on the basis of the ethnographic and archeological evidence available, to reconstruct the ultimate origin of mescalism, as well as its subsequent diffusion and transformations. Finally, the relation of mescalism to peyotism will be considered and, it is hoped, clarified in the light of the new data.
A definition of systems thinking: A systems approach

Abstract This paper proposes a definition of systems thinking for use in a wide variety of disciplines, with particular emphasis on the development and assessment of systems thinking educational efforts. The definition was derived from a review of the systems thinking literature combined with the application of systems thinking to itself. Many different definitions of systems thinking can be found throughout the systems community, but key components of a singular definition can be distilled from the literature. This researcher considered these components both individually and holistically, then proposed a new definition of systems thinking that integrates these components as a system. The definition was tested for fidelity against a System Test and against three widely accepted system archetypes. Systems thinking is widely believed to be critical in handling the complexity facing the world in the coming decades; however, it still resides in the educational margins. In order for this important skill to receive mainstream educational attention, a complete definition is required. Such a definition has not yet been established. This research is an attempt to rectify this deficiency by providing such a definition.
Students' self-ratings of stress in medical school: a replication across 20 months

We replicated the essential results of a prior study on the capacity of the BAROMAS scales to reflect stress in medical school as perceived by students. As before, subjective stress was high at the start of medical school, and when facing the exams prerequisite to entry into clinical clerkships. On most measures, stress was lowest when the second year began (i.e. after having passed the first). Once again, most test-retest reliabilities (significant rs ranged from 0.24 to 0.66 for confidence ratings at 12- and 20-months after entry) were moderate.