cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract C068: Toward precision medicine for platinums

Over half of all cancer patients will receive a platinum drug during their treatment. Recent interest in our labs involve exploiting the high affinity of a discrete class of platinum-based anticancer agents, polynuclear platinum complexes (PPCs), for sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs). sGAGs are increasingly seen as potential biomarkers and molecular targets in many forms of cancer. sGAG expression levels were quantified in patient derived xenograft (PDX) and cellular models of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and ovarian cancer. PPCs, but not carboplatin, show increased levels of tumor uptake and efficacy in models expressing high levels of sGAGs. sGAGs may provide a viable target for PPCs, producing a significant advantage over clinical platinum agents in this setting. Citation Format: Jennifer E Koblinski, Erica J Peterson, James D. Hampton, J Chuck Harrell, Nicholas P Farrell. Toward precision medicine for platinums [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C068. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-C068
Theology before Church Polity: A Fourteenth-Century Guide for Mendicant Preachers on the Good Shepherd

The recurrent shepherding motif in the Bible gained even greater prominence from Jesus’s reference to himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10 and in related texts like the Lost Sheep of Luke 15 and...
Optimized Transactional Data Structure Approach to Concurrency Control for In-Memory Databases

The optimistic concurrency control (OCC) utilized by in-memory databases performs writes on thread-local copies and makes the writes visible upon passing validation. However, high contention workloads suffer from failure of the validation step due to non-semantic memory access conflicts, leading to frequent transaction aborts. In this work, we improve the commit rate of in-memory databases by replacing OCC and the underlying indexing of key-value entries in the Silo database with a lock-free transactional dictionary. To further optimize the transactional commit rate, we present transactional merging, a technique that relaxes the semantic conflict resolution of transactional data structures by merging conflicting operations to reduce aborts. Transactional merging guarantees strict serializability through a strategy that recovers the correct abstract state given that a transaction attempting to merge operations aborts. The experimental evaluation demonstrates that the lock-free transactional dictionary with transactional merging achieves an average speedup of 175% over OCC and the Masstree indexing used in the Silo database for write-dominated workloads on a non-uniform memory access system.
Dependent Co-evolution: Kropotkin’s Theory of Mutual Aid and Its Appropriation by Chinese Buddhists

The encounter between Buddhism and science has long been recognized as one of the key events in the formulation of Buddhist modernisms. Yet only recently has this begun to be explored in its historic specificity. This paper examines Republican-era Chinese Buddhist engagement with the theory of evolution at the peak of its cultural influence in the 1920s and 1930s. It argues that while Buddhists largely accepted biological evolution, Darwinist theories of survival of the fittest were rejected. Instead, they embraced the alternative theory of Peter Kropotkin, who saw mutual aid as the driving force of evolution. This theory was not only less offensive to Buddhist sensibilities, but also amenable to a rhetorical strategy of subsumption in which Kropotkin was presented as anticipated and fulfilled by Buddhist doctrine. This tactic allowed Buddhists to portray their religion as modern, scientific, and progressive while avoiding what were seen as the pernicious corollaries of Darwinism. Effectively, Buddhists who employed this tactic attempted to annex Kroptokin’s discursive space, taking advantage of the internal variegation of modernity in order to constitute it as part of a modern discourse and superscribe that discourse with their own concerns.
Trait sensation seeking is associated with heightened beta-band oscillatory dynamics over left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during reward expectancy.

Abstract Background Sensation Seeking, the proclivity toward novel and stimulating experiences, is associated with greater left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) activity during uncertain reward expectancy. Here, we examined relationships between sensation seeking and vlPFC oscillatory dynamics using electroencephalography (EEG). Methods In 26 adolescents/young adults (16 female; 22.3 ± 1.7yrs), EEG was measured during uncertain reward expectancy. Event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) from 15-80 Hz (beta/gamma bands) were compared as a function of uncertain reward expected value and assessed for relationships with feedback-related negativity (FRN) response to outcome feedback and response tendency measures of risk for BD. Results Event-related synchronization (ERS) between 15-25 Hz (beta) over left vlPFC was sensitive to the expected value of uncertain reward (rho=0.46; p = 0.048), and correlated with sensation seeking (r = 0.49, p Limitations It is unknown whether results may extrapolate to clinical populations, given the healthy sample used here. Further, although we have confidence that the beta-band signal we measure in this study arises from left prefrontal cortex, we largely infer a left vlPFC source. Conclusions These findings highlight the role of left vlPFC in evaluation of immediate rewards. We now provide a link between reward expectancy-related left vlPFC activity and the well-characterized FRN, with a known role in attentive processing. These findings can guide treatment development for mania/hypomania at-risk individuals, including transcranial alternating current stimulation.
Comparison of ISO work of breathing and NIOSH breathing resistance measurements for air-purifying respirators.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s methods and requirements for air-purifying respirator breathing resistance in 42 CFR Part 84 do not include work of breathing. The Intern...
Hydration of High-Alumina Calcium Aluminate Cements with Carbonate and Sulfate Additives

This study investigated the influence of limestone (LS) and calcium sulfate (C$) mineral additives on the hydration kinetics of high-α-Al2O3 calcium aluminate cement (CAC) utilizing experimental techniques and thermodynamic simulations. Increasing the replacement level of limestone or calcium sulfate increased the cumulative heat of the hydration reaction. The limestone exhibited limited acceleratory effects to the CAC hydration kinetics due to the coarseness of the powder. The coarse particle size distribution limited any heterogenous nucleation that would have occurred with a finer particle size as well as the intrinsic insolubility kinetically limits the formation of monocarboaluminate phases. Conversely, the cumulative heat release increased as the limestone content increased; however, this was not due to any enhanced reactivity provided by the limestone. Instead, this increase in the cumulative heat is due to a combination of the LS and the increase in the amount of water available to react with CAC via the dilution effect. In comparison, the increase in the C$ replacement level accelerated the heat flow rate of CAC with the C$ particles acting as a favorable surface for heterogenous nucleation of the hydrates during the initial stages of the hydration reaction. Increasing the C$ replacement level does not form more ettringite and does not translate in an increase in the compressive strength. After the 72-h hydration period, C$ remains in the microstructure, showing that the complete dissolution of C$ is not responsible for the monotonic increase in heat flow rate. It is expected that the amount of hydrates or residual unreacted particles cannot compensate for the decrease in strength caused by the reduction of α-Al2O3 present in the CAC.
The influence of organic load and free chlorine on Salmonella cross-contamination of tomatoes in a model flume system

The process of washing tomatoes in dump (flume) tanks has been identified as a potential source of cross-contamination. This study's objective was to assess the potential for Salmonella enterica cross-contamination at various inoculation levels at the presence of 0 and 25 mg/L free chlorine (HOCl) and organic matter. Uninoculated tomatoes were introduced into a laboratory-based model flume containing tomatoes inoculated with a cocktail of five rifampicin-resistant Salmonella enterica serovars at 104, 106, or 108 CFU/tomato in water containing 0 or 25 mg/L HOCl and 0 or 300 mg/L chemical oxygen demand (COD). Uninoculated tomatoes were removed from the water at after 5, 30, 60, 120 s and were placed in bags containing tryptic soy broth supplemented with rifampicin and 0.1% sodium thiosulfate. Following incubation, enrichments were plated on tryptic soy agar supplemented with rifampicin and xylose lysine deoxycholate agar to determine the presence of Salmonella. HOCl and pH were measured before and after each trial. The HOCl in water containing 300 mg/L COD significantly (P≤0.05) declined by the end of each 120 s trial, most likely due to the increased demand for the oxidant. Higher inoculum levels and lower HOCl concentrations were (P≤0.05) significant factors that contributed to increased cross-contamination seen in this study. When HOCl levels were at 25 mg/L, no Salmonella was recovered on non-inoculated tomatoes under all conditions when inoculum levels were at 104 CFU/tomato. When the inoculum was increased to 106 and 108 CFU/tomato, cross-contamination was observed, independent of COD levels. The results from this study show that the currently required sanitizer level (e.g., 100 or 150 mg/L) for flume water may be higher than necessary and warrants re-evaluation.
Further Studies on Diphyllobothrium cordiceps in Yellowstone Lake

The California gull Larus californicus, has been reported as a host for Diphyllobothrium cordiceps from cutthroat trout, Salmo clarki, (Post, 1971) . A comparison of development and of morphological forms of D. cordiceps in young gulls and hamsters which had previously been proven to be susceptible to infection was considered desirable. Previous experimental exposures of cutthroat trout and grayling, Thymallus arcticus, to plerocercoids naturally infected from cutthroat trout had given mixed results with transfer of plerocercoids from cutthroat to cutthroat but not from cutthroat to grayling (Kingston et al., 1980) though grayling have been cited as a natural host for the tapeworm (Post, 1971). Work in 1980 was directed towards the elucidation of these aspects of the life cycle of D. cordiceps.
Bayesian D -Optimal Design Issues for Binomial Generalized Linear Model Screening Designs

Bayesian D-optimal designs have become computationally feasible to construct for simple prior distributions. Some parameter values give rise to models that have little utility to the practitioner for effect screening. For some generalized linear models such as the binomial, inclusion of such models can cause the optimal design to spread out toward the boundary of the design space. This can reduce the D-efficiency of the design over much of the parameter space and result in the Bayesian D-optimal criterion’s divergence from the concerns of a practitioner designing a screening experiment.
The Response AC/A Ratio Before and After the Onset of Myopia

Purpose To investigate the ratio of accommodative convergence per diopter of accommodative response (AC/A ratio) before, during, and after myopia onset. Methods Subjects were 698 children aged 6 to 14 years who became myopic and 430 emmetropic children participating in the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Ethnicity and Refractive Error. Refractive error was measured using cycloplegic autorefraction, near work by parent survey, and the AC/A ratio by simultaneously monitoring convergence and accommodative response. The response AC/A ratios of children who became myopic were compared with age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched model estimates for emmetropic children from 5 years before through 5 years after the onset of myopia. Results The response AC/A ratio was not significantly different between the two groups 5 years before onset, then increased monotonically in children who became myopic until reaching a plateau at myopia onset of about 7 Δ/D compared to about 4 Δ/D for children who remained emmetropic (differences between groups significant at P < 0.01 from 4 years before onset through 5 years after onset). A higher AC/A ratio was associated with greater accommodative lag but not with the rate of myopia progression regardless of the level of near work. Conclusions An increasing AC/A ratio is an early sign of becoming myopic, is related to greater accommodative lag, but does not affect the rate of myopia progression. The association with accommodative lag suggests that the AC/A ratio increase is from greater neural effort needed per diopter of accommodation rather than change in the accommodative convergence crosslink gain relationship.
Abstract 63: Driving brain tumorigenesis: Generation of a mutant IDH1 mouse model of progressive glioma

Despite decades worth of research, glioblastoma remains one of the most lethal cancers. The identification of IDH1 as a major cancer gene in glioblastoma provides a great opportunity for improving our understanding, diagnostics and treatment of this disease. Recent studies from our laboratory characterized the genetic landscape of gliomas and have shown the cooperation between IDH1 mutations and other oncogenic alterations including TP53 mutations. Normally, IDH1 functions in the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate, however, the mutant form confers neomorphic enzymatic activity by producing D-2-hydroxyglutarate, an oncometabolite responsible for aberrant methylation in IDH1-mutated tumors. To determine the role of mutant IDH1 in vivo, we generated a conditional knockin mouse model that produces D-2-hydroxyglutarate. This genetically faithful system is biologically and clinically relevant and will promote the understanding of mutant IDH1-mediated tumorigenesis while offering a route for therapeutic targeting. We observed that broad expression of mutant IDH1 throughout the brain leads to hydrocephalus in 80% of animals. To obviate these deleterious effects, we restricted expression of mutant IDH1 to the neural stem cell population. Animals were sacrificed after one year, at which time we observed mild hydrocephalus in several animals. Recapitulating the genetics of human tumors, we sought to determine the synergistic effects between mutant IDH1 and deletion of P53. We observed development of low- and high-grade gliomas in approximately 14% of animals. Tumors developed in both P53 deleted animals as well as in mutant IDH1/P53 deleted animals, with mutant IDH1 expressed in tumors of the latter cohort. Differences in latency, penetrance, differentiation, and epigenetic modifications are being assessed. Additionally, we are determining the cell fate of IDH1-mutant cells over time to assess the biological effects of the mutation on the behavior and differentiation of neural stem cells. Lastly, to decrease the latency and increase the penetrance of tumor formation, an orthotopic intracranial injection model is being generated to allow for visualization of tumor formation and development, as well as investigation of therapeutic modalities. Understanding the biological effects of the most common mutations found in gliomas will bring us strides closer to determining mechanisms and therapeutic targets for IDH1-mutated cancers. Citation Format: Christopher J. Pirozzi, Catherine Y. Wang, Austin B. Carpenter, Huishan Zhu, Paula K. Greer, Roger E. McLendon, Darell D. Bigner, Yiping He, Hai Yan. Driving brain tumorigenesis: Generation of a mutant IDH1 mouse model of progressive glioma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 63. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-63
Mobile Payment in Emerging Markets

Mobile payments have been a key driver of socio-economic development in emerging markets. Factors such as advancements in technology, socioeconomic conditions, and the high penetration rate of mobile devices are driving m-payment development in certain emerging markets. Yet other factors are hindering further development. This department is part of a special issue on IT in Emerging Economies.
Pathways of mammalian protein degradation

Publisher Summary Protein degradation in mammalian cells is essential for regulating a variety of cellular processes including the cell cycle and for protecting the cell during times of stress or invasion by pathogens. Proteinases have been localized to virtually every cellular compartment of eukaryotic cells. Selective limited proteolysis mediated by endopeptidases is essential for processing pre- and pro-proteins to their mature forms, modulating signal transduction pathways, regulating cell death, and presenting antigens. These endopeptidases include the family of calpains and caspases. On the other hand, complete proteolysis is mediated by both exopeptidases and endopeptidases resulting in the degradation of proteins to dipeptides and amino acids. This process may be selective or nonselective. Selective degradation is necessary for regulating the cell cycle and for removing damaged or nonessential proteins, while nonselective degradation provides amino acids that are used to maintain protein synthesis. Protein degradation also provides the cell a defense mechanism against environmental stresses and intracellular pathogens. Complete proteolysis is performed by proteinases assembled within the proteasome complex or compartmentalized within the lysosome. Protein degradation in some neoplastic cells is suppressed resulting in rapid growth while protein degradation in some disease states is enhanced resulting in cell death. Protein degradation is a carefully regulated process that is vital for cell survival.
Creating Nursing's New Academic Spaces: Making Dreams Come True.

After a description of the approval process for new construction, this article examines the design–bid–build delivery method because it is the most traditional, by defining and exploring each of the major construction phases: programming, cost estimates, preliminary design, schematic design, design development, construction drawings, bidding/negotiation, construction and, finally, move-in, and occupancy. Viewpoints of key players are examined to understand how the nursing dean in partnership with the architect shepherd nursing's dream into reality. Using a recent building project as an exemplar, Dr. Bavier shares her work as dean, and Mr. Bavier, as an architect specializing in education facilities, shares his planning and design experiences on several academic facilities. The outcome is information and guidance for deans to use their collaboration with the architect and other team members to assure a custom-tailored nursing education facility.
Degradation of Pyridine by Micrococcus luteus Isolated from Soil

An organism capable of growth on pyridine was isolated from soil by enrichment culture techniques and identified as Micrococcus luteus. The organism oxidized pyridine for energy and released N contained in the pyridine ring as ammonium. The organism could not grow on mono- or disubstituted pyridinecarboxylic acids or hydroxy-, chloro-, amino-, or methylpyridines. Cell extracts of M. luteus could not degrade pyridine, 2-, 3-, or 4-hydroxypyridines or 2,3-dihydroxypyridine, regardless of added cofactors or cell particulate fraction. The organism had a NAD-linked succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase which was induced by pyridine. Cell extracts of M. luteus had constitutive amidase activity, and washed cells degraded formate and formamide without a lag. These data are consistent with a previously reported pathway for pyridine metabolism by species of Bacillus, Brevibacterium, and Corynebacterium. Cells of M. luteus were permeable to pyridinecarboxylic acids, monohydroxypyridines, 2,3-dihydroxypyridine, and monoamino- and methylpyridines. The results provide new evidence that the metabolism of pyridine by microorganisms does not require initial hydroxylation of the ring and that permeability barriers do not account for the extremely limited range of substrate isomers used by pyridine degraders.
Linkage analysis of schizophrenia in African-American families

While many studies have sought a window into the genetics of schizophrenia, few have focused on African-American families. An exception is the Project among African-Americans to Explore Risks for Schizophrenia (PAARTNERS), which seeks to identify novel and known risk variation for schizophrenia by genetic analyses of African-American families. We report a linkage study of diagnostic status in 217 African-American families using the Illumina Linkage Panel. Due to assumed incomplete and time-dependent penetrance, we performed linkage analysis using two different treatments of diagnosis: (1) treating both affected and unaffected individuals as informative for linkage (using the program SIBPAL) and (2) treating only affected individuals as informative (using the program MERLIN). We also explore three definitions of affected status: narrowly defined schizophrenia; one broadened to include schizoaffective disorder; and another including all diagnoses indicating psychosis. Several regions show a decrease in the evidence for linkage as the definition broadens 8q22.1 (rs911, 99.26 cM; SIBPAL p-value [p] goes from 0.006 to 0.02), 16q24.3 (rs1006547, 130.48 cM; p from 0.00095 to 0.0085), and 20q13.2 (rs1022689, 81.73 cM; p from 0.00015 to 0.032). One region shows a substantial increase in evidence for linkage, 11p15.2 (rs722317, 24.27 cM; p from 0.0022 to 0.0000003); MERLIN results support the significance of the SIBPAL results (p=0.00001). Our linkage results overlap two broad, previously-reported linkage regions: 8p23.3-p12 found in studies sampling largely families of European ancestry; and 11p11.2-q22.3 reported by a study of African-American families. These results should prove quite useful for uncovering loci affecting risk for schizophrenia.
Enteric bacteria as a possible cause of hemolytic antibody-forming cells in normal mouse spleens.

Summary1. The Jerne hemolytic plaque assay method readily detects antigenic cross-reactivity between sheep, goat, and calf erythrocytes. 2. Naturally occurring plaque-forming cells against sheep erythrocytes are more frequent in spleens of conventional colony mice than of specific-pathogen-free mice of the same genotype. 3. Vaccines prepared from each of 5 isolates of E. coli and A. aerogenes from the gastrointestinal tracts of conventional colony mice significantly increased the number of sheep erythrocyte hemolytic plaque-forming cells in the spleens of SPF mice. 4. It is postulated that the naturally occurring hemolytic antibody-forming cells found in the lymphoid tissues are probably caused by cross-reactivity between erythrocyte and bacterial antigens.
Emigration and the State, 1803–1842: the Nineteenth-Century Revolution in Government reconsidered*

Some years ago in this journal, Oliver MacDonagh suggested a general framework for the study of administrative growth and change in nineteenthcentury Britain.' The chief significance of this work is that it views the transformation of executive government as 'a genuine historical process'. In the peculiar circumstances of the nineteenth century, he argues, administration was ' creative and self-generating' in the sense that its functional and structural elaboration operated 'beyond the control or comprehension of anyone in particular'. To this extent, administrative development is depicted as having remained remarkably free from the influence of 'external forces', while breeding and feeding off its own internal momentum.2 In order to make his generalizations more concrete, MacDonagh offers a 'model' of the evolution of the nineteenth-century state. A legislative-cumadministrative process, five stages are described. The first had its origins in the public exposure of a social evil, such exposure almost invariably being 'exogenous' and 'rarely the fruit of the practice of administration or regular inquiry'. Some sort of prohibitory legislation would quickly follow, the result of both a humanitarian public outcry and men's 'instinctive reaction' to legislate evils out of existence. The second stage began when further demands forced the government to appoint special officers to enforce the statute which alone had been ineffective, a step which truly 'brought the process into life'. The culmination of the third stage was reached when the government procured fresh legislation and established a centralized supervisory body, both developments arising as a matter of' obvious necessity' from the 'practical day-to-day difficulties' of the field officers' activities. The fourth stage saw greater realization of the need for continuing executive powers. This 'substitution of a dynamic for a static concept of administration' passed into the fifth stage
The biology of meningiomas

Meningiomas, long neglected as a subject for biological studies, are now being examined more widely as their potential for clinical recurrence and malignancy has been recognized. Most laboratory studies have focused on descriptive analyses of the content of various molecules in ex vivo specimens removed at surgery. Perturbative experiments using cultured cells are possible, but they are complicated by senescence of the cells. The respective importance of the sex steroids (estrogen, progesterone, and androgens), classical growth factors, angiogenic factors, and proteolytic enzymes in the biological behavior of meningiomas is now apparent and is coming under more detailed scrutiny. As general theories of neoplasia crystallize in other systems, the ability of meningiomas to proliferate, invade, and provoke neovascularization will be better understood.
Serum neopterin level predicts HIV-related mortality but not progression to AIDS or development of neurological disease in gay men and parenteral drug users.

Objective : To investigate the ability of elevated serum neopterin levels to predict independently mortality, progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and development of neurological disease. Design : Cross-sectional and longitudinal study of gay and/or bisexual men and parenteral drug users. Setting and Patients : Patients included human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative and -positive gay and/or bisexual men and parenteral drug-using men and women who volunteered for an outpatient study of the natural history of HIV infection. Results : Serum neopterin levels were significantly elevated in HIV-positive patients (mean, 18.0 nmol/L ; SD, 19.2 nmol/L), compared with those in HIV-negative patients (mean, 7.5 nmol/L ; SD, 5.5 nmol/L) (P<.001). No differences in the serum neopterin levels could be detected between gay men and parenteral drug users. In HIV-positive patients, women had a higher serum neopterin level than did men (P=.03). The elevated serum neopterin levels were associated with an advanced clinical stage of HIV infection. After adjusting for the CD4 lymphocyte count and other potential confounders, the serum neopterin level was a significant independent predictor of mortality. The elevated serum neopterin levels did not predict progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or development of clinically significant neurological disease. Conclusion : An elevated serum neopterin level predicts mortality, but it does not predict progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or development of neurological disease among HIV-infected individuals.
Metastable dynamics above the glass transition.

The element of metastability is incorporated in the fluctuating nonlinear hydrodynamic description of the mode coupling theory (MCT) of the liquid-glass transition. This is achieved through the introduction of the defect density variable $n$ into the set of slow variables with the mass density $\rho$ and the momentum density ${\bf g}$. As a first approximation, we consider the case where motions associated with $n$ are much slower than those associated with $\rho$. Self-consistently, assuming one is near a critical surface in the MCT sense, we find that the observed slowing down of the dynamics corresponds to a certain limit of a very shallow metastable well and a weak coupling between $\rho$ and $n$. The metastability parameters as well as the exponents describing the observed sequence of time relaxations are given as smooth functions of the temperature without any evidence for a special temperature. We then investigate the case where the defect dynamics is included. We find that the slowing down of the dynamics corresponds to the system arranging itself such that the kinetic coefficient $\gamma_v$ governing the diffusion of the defects approaches from above a small temperature-dependent value $\gamma^c_v$.
Scaffolded reaching experiences encourage grasping activity in infants at high risk for autism.

Recent findings suggest impaired motor skill development during infancy in children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether infants at high familial risk for ASD would benefit from early interventions targeting the motor domain. The current study investigated this issue by providing 3-month-old infants at high familial risk for ASD with training experiences aimed at facilitating independent reaching. A group of 17 high-risk (HR) infants received 2 weeks of scaffolded reaching experiences using “sticky mittens,” and was compared to 72 low-risk (LR) infants experiencing the same or alternative training procedures. Results indicate that HR infants – just like LR infants – show an increase in grasping activity following “sticky mittens” training. In contrast to LR infants, evidence that motor training encouraged a preference for faces in HR infants was inconclusive.
Epitaxial growth of Cu(100) and Pt(100) thin films on perovskite substrates

Pulsed laser deposition has been used to grow epitaxially oriented thin films of Cu and Pt on (100)-oriented SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 substrates. X-ray diffraction results illustrated that purely epitaxial Cu(100) films could be obtained at temperatures as low as 100 °C on SrTiO3 and 300 °C on LaAlO3. In contrast, epitaxial (100)-oriented Pt films were attained on LaAlO3(100) only when deposited at 600 °C. Atomic force microscopy images showed that films deposited at higher temperatures consisted of 3D islands and that flat, layered films were obtained at the lowest deposition temperatures. Importantly, Cu films deposited at 100 °C on SrTiO3(100) were both purely (100)-oriented and morphologically flat. Pt and Cu films displaying both epitaxial growth and smooth surfaces could be obtained on LaAlO3(100) only by using a three-step deposition process. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy demonstrated an atomically sharp Cu/SrTiO3 interface. The crystalline and morphological features of Cu and Pt films are interpreted in terms of the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of these metals.
Macroscopic evidence of strong cation–π interactions in a synthetic polymer system

Evidence of strong cation–π interactions is presented via macroscopic direct adhesion between synthetic polymers.
Distributed Collection Development on the Colorado Statewide Network

This article addresses the evolution of content development on the Access Colorado Library and Information Network (ACLIN). It traces the history of that evolution from ACLIN's initial role as a means of accessing library catalogs, to a grant-funded demonstration using the World Wide Web as a mechanism for publishing information, to the current collection development process that was recently tested through a pilot project. The focus is this latest process and what was learned from the pilot with regard to using a distributed approach to collection development on a statewide network.
Versuch einer pharmakodynamischen Analyse der Bluttransfusion und der Hämatherapie

Durch eine sorgfaltige Analyse des Blutes und seiner Bestandteile gelangen wir zu einem besseren Verstandnis der Vorgange bei der Bluttransfusion und der therapeutischen Einverleibung von Blut auf parenteralem Wege im allgemeinen. Die oberflachenaktiven Substanzen, besonders jene, welche die Oberflachenspannung erniedrigen, spielen nach einer vorhergegangenen Erhohung der Oberflachenspannung eine wesentliche Rolle. Ihre Wirkung wird unterstutzt durch die hydrophilen Elemente des Blutes. Am Beispiele der Kalium-Lezithinwirkung in Gegenwart des eisenhaltigen Hamoglobins und der locker adsorbierten Kohlensaure des transfundierten Blutes last sich die Beeinflussung der Gewebsatmung (Oxydationswirkung) und Wirkung auf den Herzmuskel im Beginne des Blutkorperzerfalls erlautern. Die Begunstigung der Dispersion des Blutplasmas und der Gewebszellen (Gewebstugor) fuhren unmittelbar zu einer Erhohung der Adsorption — einer besseren Ernahrung. Im weiteren Verlauf kommt es zu einer Begunstigung der Hamatopoiese und der Oxydationen. Durch den langsameren Zerfall der an Zahl wesentlich geringern Leukocyten (Kern) werden Reduktionswirkungen ausgelost, die zu einem lebhaften Wechselspiel des Oxydations-Reduktionsprozesses, d. h. einer Belebung der Zellatmung fuhren. Eine Uberdosierung ist durch das physiologische Gleichgewicht und die Gegenwart antagonistischer Elemente (Calcium, Cholesterin) nicht moglich.
The glucocorticoid receptor heterocomplex gene STIP1 is associated with improved lung function in asthmatic subjects treated with inhaled corticosteroids.

Background Corticosteroids exert their anti-inflammatory action by binding and activating the intracellular glucocorticoid receptor heterocomplex. Objective We sought to evaluate the genes HSPCB , HSPCA , STIP1 , HSPA8 , DNAJB1 , PTGES3 , FKBP5 , and FKBP4 on corticosteroid response. Methods White asthmatic subjects (n = 382) randomized to once-daily flunisolide or conventional inhaled corticosteroid therapy were genotyped. Outcome measures were baseline FEV 1 , percent predicted FEV 1 , and percent change in FEV 1 after corticosteroid treatment. Multivariable analyses adjusted for age, sex, and height were performed, fitting the most appropriate genetic model based on the quantitative mean derived from ANOVA models to determine whether there was an independent effect of polymorphisms on change in FEV 1 independent of baseline level. Results Positive recessive model correlations for STIP1 single nucleotide polymorphisms were observed for baseline FEV 1 (rs4980524, P = .009; rs6591838, P = .0045; rs2236647, P = .002; and rs2236648; P = .013), baseline percent predicted FEV 1 (rs4980524, P = .002; rs6591838, P = .017; rs2236647, P = .003; and rs2236648, P = .008), and percent change in FEV 1 at 4 weeks (rs4980524, P = .044; rs6591838, P = .016; and rs2236647, P = .01) and 8 weeks (rs4980524, P = .044; rs6591838, P = .016; and rs2236647; P = .01) or therapy. Haplotypic associations were observed for baseline FEV 1 and percent change in FEV 1 at 4 weeks of therapy ( P = .05 and P = .01, respectively). Significant trends toward association were observed for baseline percent predicted FEV 1 and percent change in FEV 1 at 8 weeks of therapy. Positive correlations between haplotypes and percent change in FEV 1 were also observed. Conclusions STIP1 genetic variations might play a role in regulating corticosteroid response in asthmatic subjects with reduced lung function. Replication in a second asthmatic population is required to confirm these observations.
Arctic biogeography: The paradox of the marine benthic fauna and flora.

The marine benthic fauna and flora that inhabit the shallow arctic sublittoral zone comprise a relatively young marine assemblage characterized by species of either Pacific or Atlantic affinity and notably few endemics. The young character of nearshore arctic communities, as well as their biogeographical composition, is largely a product of the Pleistocene glaciation. However, analysis of more recent collections and comparison between the origins of the benthic fauna and flora present some interesting paradoxes to biogeographers. One enigma is the low frequency of algal species with Pacific affinities in the Arctic, especially in the Chukchi, Beaufort and East Siberian Seas of the Eastern Arctic, which receive direct inputs of northward-flowing Pacific waters. In contrast, animal species with Pacific affinities are found throughout the nearshore regions of the Arctic, reaching their highest frequency in the marginal seas between the New Siberian Islands and the Canadian Archipelago. Organization of published and unpublished data, additional field collections, and the use of cladistics and molecular DNA techniques by systematists are a high priority for future research in reconstructing the evolution of the arctic biotic assemblage.
An in-vitro test system for electrochemical sensors

A computer system has been developed to automate the in-vivo evaluation of amperometric electrochemical sensors in unanesthetized, tethered rabbits. Subcutaneous glucose, oxygen and temperature are monitored. Continuous, simultaneous monitoring of eight animals for several weeks is possible. Data collection rates are adjustable up to once every five minutes. Blood sample withdrawal and intravenous injection are carried out manually through a remote access port with computer prompting. Blood chemistry results are entered via keyboard and merged with the database from the sensor outputs. This multiple, parallel testing with minimal personnel intervention has made in-vivo statistical analysis of experimental electrochemical sensors feasible. >
Priority theory and utility theory

Abstract The first axiom of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) states that the pairwise comparison judgements are reciprocal. Here we explore the relationships between the reciprocal property and preference relations with and without the axiom of transitivity and point out some important distinctions between utility theory and the AHP.
Improved visualization of non-transmural scar using slice-selective inversion-recovery delayed contrast-enhanced MRI: a preliminary report.

Delayed contrast-enhanced MRI (ce-MRI) pulse sequence is a promising modality for the assessment of myocardial viability. However, conventional ce-MRI using a non-selective inversion recovery (IR) pulse can often yield poor edge definition or contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the non-transmural scar and blood (i.e. the blood and scar appear isointense). Subtraction and multicontrast ce-MRI methods can be used to improve the CNR between the non-transmural scar and blood, but they require two image acquisitions. The authors have developed a single-acquisition ce-MRI pulse sequence that utilizes a slice-selective IR pulse to generate bright-blood contrast using inflow effects for an improved edge definition between the non-transmural scar and blood. Six patients with myocardial infarction were imaged at 1.5 T using both non-selective and slice-selective IR ce-MRI acquisitions with identical imaging parameters. The CNR between the non-transmural scar and normal myocardium was not different between the two acquisitions. The CNR between the blood and non-transmural scar (16.9 ± 12.3 versus 3.2 ± 7.9; p < 0.001) was significantly higher for the slice-selective IR acquisition than for the non-selective IR acquisition. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using a slice-selective IR pulse to improve the visualization of a non-transmural scar in ce-MRI, without increasing the acquisition time. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Elevated temperature mechanical properties of Be12Nb

Abstract Bend strength, compression strength and fracture toughness of single-phase, vacuum hot pressed Be 12 Nb have been assessed at temperatures from ambient to 1200°C. Hot hardness and indentation creep behavior was also determined for both vacuum hot pressed and hot isostatically pressed Be 12 Nb over this same temperature range. Bend strength and fracture toughness increased with test temperature for the vacuum hot pressed Be 12 Nb. Bend strength increased to a maximum of 220 MPa at 1000°C, while K IC increased from 2.5 MPa m 0.5 at 20°C to 4.5 MPa m 0.5 at 1100°C. Significant plastic deformation in bending was observed only above 1100°C. These results are consistent with a tensile ductile-to-brittle-transition (DBTT) of about 1100°C, with the bend strength at temperatures below 1100°C limited by the low fracture toughness. Tests in uniaxial compression revealed that yielding occured in the vacuum hot pressed material at temperatures above 700°C. High yield strengths (up to 1880 MPa) were measured at intermediate temperatures with a DBTT in compression between 700 and 800°C. Microhardness data indicated a DBTT of about 850°C for both the vacuum hot pressed and hot isostatically pressed Be 12 Nb. Vickers microhardness values for the hot isostatically pressed material were significantly greater at low temperatures, but hot isostatic pressing and vacuum hot pressing heats are comparable at temperatures greater than 800°C. Indentation creep results indicated activation energies for dislocation creep of 290 and 220 kJ mol −1 with power law creep stress exponents of 4.3 and 6.6 for the hot isostically pressed and vacuum hot pressed beryllides respectively. This data is discussed using newly acquired information about dislocation slip in this alloy.
Urinary cadmium, impaired fasting glucose, and diabetes in the NHANES III

OBJECTIVE —Increasing rates of type 2 diabetes worldwide suggest that diabetes may be caused by environmental toxins. Cadmium is a widespread environmental pollutant that accumulates in the pancreas and exerts diabetogenic effects in animals. To test the hypothesis that exposure to cadmium is associated with impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes, we examined the associations between urinary cadmium and the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (prediabetes) and diabetes in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —We analyzed data on 8,722 adults ≥40 years of age from the NHANES III (1988–1994), a cross-sectional health survey of a nationally representative sample of the noninstitutionalized civilian U.S. population. We studied urinary levels of cadmium (adjusted for urine creatinine) in relation to the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose and diabetes, using the criteria of the American Diabetes Association. RESULTS —After adjustment for age, ethnicity, sex, and BMI, the odds of impaired fasting glucose and diabetes increased dose-dependently with elevations in urinary cadmium from 0–0.99 to 1.00–1.99 and ≥2 μg/g creatinine (impaired fasting glucose, odds ratio [OR] 1.48, 95% CI 1.21–1.82 and OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.42–2.95; diabetes, OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.06–1.45 and OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.07–1.97). CONCLUSIONS —In this large cross-sectional study, urinary cadmium levels are significantly and dose-dependently associated with both impaired fasting glucose and diabetes. These findings, which require confirmation in prospective studies, suggest that cadmium may cause prediabetes and diabetes in humans.
Optical coherence tomography and Raman spectroscopy of the ex-vivo retina

Imaging the structure and correlating it with the biochemical content of the retina holds promise for fundamental research and for clinical applications. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is commonly used to image the 3D structure of the retina and while the added functionality of biochemical analysis afforded by Raman scattering could provide critical molecular signatures for clinicians and researchers, there are many technical challenges to combine these imaging modalities. We describe an OCT microscope for ex-vivo imaging combined with Raman spectroscopy capable of collecting morphological and molecular information about a sample simultaneously. We present our first results and discuss the challenges to further development of this dual-mode instrument and limitations for future in-vivo retinal imaging.
Çatalhöyük: the leopard changes its spots. A summary of recent work

This paper summarises and interprets data from the Neolithic site ot Catalhoyuk East collected between 2000 and 2008, while at the same time integrating data from earlier and more recent excavation seasons. The paper focuses on evidence for change during the occupation of the site, arguing for an increase in the size and density of occupation into the middle levels associated with symbolic and ritual elaboration within an aggressively egalitarian community. The middle ‘classic’ levels at Catalhoyuk were associated with increased workload, physical stresses and illness. The pressures were relieved in the upper levels after 6500 BC by shifts to greater mobility, increased economic independence of houses and dispersal of population. This shift in the upper levels may be of relevance to the spread of farming populations into northwestern Anatolia and Europe.
Propagation of a Laboratory Ringed Turtle Dove Colony

Abstract A system for propagation of a laboratory ringed turtle dove (Streptopelia risoria) colony is described. The propagation system has advantages of allowing breeding of a number of doves in a small area and being cost-efficient. In addition, laboratory experimentation may be conducted in the propagation cages.
Doppler-resolved spectroscopy as an assignment tool in the spectrum of singlet methylene

New spectra of methylene, CH 2 , in the near-infrared have been obtained following 308 nm photolysis of ketene, CH 2 CO. Nascent photofragment Doppler spectra and thermalization kinetics vary systematically with the energy of the absorbing level, providing additional information to support or refute spectroscopic assignments made on the basis of the frequency measurements and combination differences. New assignments in the 10800 cm - 1 region extend to higher rotational levels than before and provide new spectroscopic term values for some CH 2 a 1 A 1 state levels. The number and intensity distribution of unassigned lines in the spectrum is consistent with the expected transitions from vibrationally excited and high rotational levels of the a 1 A 1 state and transitions due to 1 3 CH 2 in natural abundance, and does not require a significant contribution from additional transitions arising from triplet-state perturbations.
Stretching Leadership: A Distributed Perspective for School Counselor Leaders

Leadership is a central role of the school counselor. However, this role is often intimidating to school counselors and school counseling students when viewed as a solitary undertaking. In contrast to the view that leadership is an individual responsibility, the distributed leadership perspective offers a counterview in which school leadership is stretched over multiple leaders. The application of the distributed leadership perspective to school counseling practice might serve to alleviate school counselor apprehension regarding leadership, while contributing to an understanding of "how" this leadership occurs, as well as how it might be improved.