cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Disorders of Male Sexual Differentiation

There are many complex interactions that contribute to the events that characterize normal sexual differentiation in the male. Although many of the pertinent steps have not yet been defined, recent studies have provided some insights. A review of our current knowledge of these events will serve as a basis for further discussion of the abnormalities in sexual differentiation and their genetic basis.
Impact of Social Work Practice in Public Defense

Public defenders are increasingly welcoming social workers into their practice, but there is little understanding of the impact of social work services in this context. This study used propensity s...
Iron Fortification of Spiced Vinegar in the Philippines.

Despite existent fortification initiatives in the Philippines, approximately 50% of the population still suffers from iron deficiency anemia (IDA), mainly in rural areas. Fortification of staple foods has been proved successful in China and Vietnam. Coconut spiced vinegar (SV) is an inexpensive, widely available, and culturally acceptable condiment in Filipino households; however, no technical evidence exists on its potential as fortification vehicle. This study aimed to physicochemically characterize and evaluate the consumer acceptability of SV fortified with ferrous sulfate (FS), ferrous fumarate (FF), or sodium iron ethylenediaminetetraacetate (NaFeEDTA) at 0.2 mg Fe/mL. Iron fortificants were added directly to SV, vortexed, and stored for analysis. A nonfortified SV served as a control. Physicochemical analyses (pH, titratable acidity, color, turbidity, and iron recovery) were conducted from 0 to 6 months postfortification. Consumer acceptability (9-point hedonic scale: color, appearance, aroma, sourness, and overall acceptability) was conducted using 1-month fortified vinegar in 96 students and 27 women. Iron recovery of fortified samples was high and similar (>97%) after 3 days of fortification and remained >87% at 6 months postfortification. All samples had minimum acidity of 5.31% and pH between 3.12 and 3.3. Color difference against the control followed the next order: SV-NaFeEDTA 0.05). Overall, SV-NaFeEDTA had similar acceptability to the control, and was the most accepted fortified vinegar. SV-NaFeEDTA shows potential (in terms of physicochemical stability and consumer acceptability) to be used as an iron-delivery vehicle to address IDA.; Practical Application: The present study addresses the technical and organoleptic challenges of fortifying Filipino spiced vinegar with three iron sources. About 50% of the Filipino population (especially women and children) still suffers from iron deficiency, thus, more effective ways to deliver iron are needed. If successful, our study could pose as the base milestone for implementing mass iron fortification of spiced vinegar, given its frequent consumption and reach of all socioeconomic pockets of the Filipino population. Our aim is to improve the overall nutritional health of at-risk populations, and our study is one step closer to achieve this goal.; © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.
Entry and Exit Decisions with Switching Regime Excess Capacity

This paper examines how expected excess capacity fosters impediments to entry and incentives to exit. To examine this phenomenon, we apply the switching regime methods of Goldfeld and Quandt to a logit model using data from the U.S. aluminum industry over the period 1954 through 2010. The results show that both entry and exit decisions are statistically significantly affected by excess capacity. However, the correlation of entry and exit with capacity is more significant than with production. The evidence implies that excess capacity in the aluminum industry rises to be a substantial threat to entry only when the company produces ahead of demand growth. Excess capacity is also an impetus to exit during the later stage after primary aluminum production reverts to a declining trend.
The tensions between indigenous knowledge and western science

In their paper Ramos de Robles, Gariby-Chavez and Curiel-Ballesteros offer that indigenous traditional knowledge (IK) concerning edible wild plants in Mexico, part of the historic culture, is fading through successive generations. Furthermore, they argue that a return to this knowledge which proved valuable for many ancestors is desperately needed in modern times. I agree that this deficit is alarming and wish to add to the discourse by problematizing the tensions between IK and western science (WS). While attempts to consider IK in WS have been documented in the literature, especially with respect to environmental concerns, the fear is that IK will be subsumed under WS, and considered only to the degree that the former confirms the latter. I urge for the consideration of both ways of knowing if we are to advance on the problems and issues we have created.
The role of physical and psychological health problems in the drug use treatment process

Abstract The role of physical and psychological health is examined as a predictor of client engagement in prison-based drug treatment. A treatment process model was expanded to include physical and mental health issues. The sample included 6009 offenders in prison-based drug treatment, comprised of 67% male, 26% African American, 51% white, and 22% Hispanic; average age was 34.6. Half reported “some physical health concerns” and mentioned a variety of ailments. A fifth reported moderate stress on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and 15% reported PTSD based on the PTSD Check List (PCL). Structural equation modeling was used to model treatment engagement in terms of demographics, physical health concerns, psychological distress, HIV risky behaviors, self-esteem, decision making, and treatment motivation. Two random samples were created, with one used for estimation and the other for cross-validation. The findings suggested physical health and HIV risky behaviors have effects on client engagement through psychological functioning, and that psychological functioning has direct effects on treatment engagement.
Three-Dimensional Mirror Self-Symmetry of the Cotangent Bundle of the Full Flag Variety

Let $X$ be a holomorphic symplectic variety with a torus $\mathsf{T}$ action and a finite fixed point set of cardinality $k$. We assume that elliptic stable envelope exists for $X$. Let $A_{I,J}= \operatorname{Stab}(J)|_{I}$ be the $k\times k$ matrix of restrictions of the elliptic stable envelopes of $X$ to the fixed points. The entries of this matrix are theta-functions of two groups of variables: the Kahler parameters and equivariant parameters of $X$. We say that two such varieties $X$ and $X'$ are related by the 3d mirror symmetry if the fixed point sets of $X$ and $X'$ have the same cardinality and can be identified so that the restriction matrix of $X$ becomes equal to the restriction matrix of $X'$ after transposition and interchanging the equivariant and Kahler parameters of $X$, respectively, with the Kahler and equivariant parameters of $X'$. The first examples of pairs of 3d symmetric varieties were constructed in [Rimanyi R., Smirnov A., Varchenko A., Zhou Z., arXiv:1902.03677], where the cotangent bundle $T^*\operatorname{Gr}(k,n)$ to a Grassmannian is proved to be a 3d mirror to a Nakajima quiver variety of $A_{n-1}$-type. In this paper we prove that the cotangent bundle of the full flag variety is 3d mirror self-symmetric. That statement in particular leads to nontrivial theta-function identities.
WITHDRAWN: Effect of heat treatments on the morphology of pores in laser additive manufactured parts

Abstract The slit-shaped, lack-of-fusion pores (LFPs) persistent in the additively manufactured (AM) metals are detrimental to their fatigue resistance due to the associated stress concentrations at the edges. Post-build treatments, such as hot isostatic pressing (HIP), are routinely used to eliminate pores resulting in, however, inconsistent improvements in fatigue performance. This work critically examines the effectiveness of HIP to eliminate such pores in AM Ti-6Al-4V. In addition, conventional heat treatment (HT) is proposed as a candidate remedial process to alleviate the harmful effects of the LFPs. Specifically, the spheroidization effect of HT on the sharp edges of the LFPs are investigated.
Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications for Diet and Disease

The gut microbiome plays an important role in human health and influences the development of chronic diseases ranging from metabolic disease to gastrointestinal disorders and colorectal cancer. Of increasing prevalence in Western societies, these conditions carry a high burden of care. Dietary patterns and environmental factors have a profound effect on shaping gut microbiota in real time. Diverse populations of intestinal bacteria mediate their beneficial effects through the fermentation of dietary fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids, endogenous signals with important roles in lipid homeostasis and reducing inflammation. Recent progress shows that an individual’s starting microbial profile is a key determinant in predicting their response to intervention with live probiotics. The gut microbiota is complex and challenging to characterize. Enterotypes have been proposed using metrics such as alpha species diversity, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes phyla, and the relative abundance of beneficial genera (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia) versus facultative anaerobes (E. coli), pro-inflammatory Ruminococcus, or nonbacterial microbes. Microbiota composition and relative populations of bacterial species are linked to physiologic health along different axes. We review the role of diet quality, carbohydrate intake, fermentable FODMAPs, and prebiotic fiber in maintaining healthy gut flora. The implications are discussed for various conditions including obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, and cardiovascular disease.
Electronic vapor products, marijuana use, smoking, and asthma in US adolescents

In U.S. adolescents, use of an electronic vapor product was associated with lifetime asthma, and this association was stronger when an electronic vapor product was used together with marijuana, particularly in combination with cigarette smoking.
The Glu102 mutation disrupts higher-order oligomerization of the sigma 1 receptor.

Abstract The sigma 1 receptor (σ1R) is a unique endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein. Its ligands have been shown to possess therapeutic potential for neurological and substance use disorders among others. The E102Q mutation of σ1R has been found to elicit familial cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Despite reports of its downstream signaling consequences, the mechanistic details of the functional impact of E102Q at molecular level are not clear. Here, we investigate the molecular mechanism of the E102Q mutation with a spectrum of biochemical, biophysical, and pharmacological approaches. Our analysis of the interaction network of σ1R indicates that a set of residues near E102 is critical for the integrity of C-terminal ligand-binding domain. However, this integrity is not affected by the E102Q and E102A mutations, which is confirmed by the radioligand binding results. Instead, the E102 mutations disrupt the connection between the C-terminal domain and the N-terminal transmembrane helix (NT-helix). Results from bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and western blot assays demonstrate that these mutations destabilize higher-order σ1R oligomers, while our molecular dynamics simulations based on a σ1R crystal structure reveal a potential mechanism by which the mutations perturb the NT-helix dynamics. Thus, we propose that E102 is at a critical position in propagating the effects of ligand binding from the C-terminal domain to the NT-helix, while the latter may be involved in forming alternative oligomer interfaces, separate from the previously reported trimer interface. Together, these results provide the first account of the molecular mechanism of σ1R dysfunction caused by E102Q.
Framing Refugees: The Impact of Religious Frames on U.S. Partisans and Consumers of Cable News Media

Existing research posits that Muslims in the West tend to face more prejudice than other groups because they not only belong to ethnic outgroups but also religious and behavioral ones. Building on ...
Emerging research in plant photosynthesis

Photosynthesis involves capturing light energy and, most often, converting it to chemical energy stored as reduced carbon. It is the source of food, fuel, and fiber and there is a resurgent interest in basic research on photosynthesis. Plants make excellent use of visible light energy; leaves are ideally suited to optimize light use by having a large area per amount of material invested and also having leaf angles to optimize light utilization. It is thought that plants do not use green light but in fact they use green light better than blue light under some conditions. Leaves also have mechanisms to protect against excess light and how these work in a stochastic light environment is currently a very active area of current research. The speed at which photosynthesis can begin when leaves are first exposed to light and the speed of induction of protective mechanisms, as well as the speed at which protective mechanisms dissipate when light levels decline, have recently been explored. Research is also focused on reducing wasteful processes such as photorespiration, when oxygen instead of carbon dioxide is used. Some success has been reported in altering the path of carbon in photorespiration but on closer inspection there appears to be unforeseen effects contributing to the good news. The stoichiometry of interaction of light reactions with carbon metabolism is rigid and the time constants vary tremendously presenting large challenges to regulatory mechanisms. Regulatory mechanisms will be the topic of photosynthesis research for some time to come.
Canine orosomucoid (alpha-1 acid glycoprotein) variants and their influence on drug plasma protein binding.

Orosomucoid polymorphisms influence plasma drug binding in humans; however, canine variants and their effect on drug plasma protein binding have not yet been reported. In this study, the orosomucoid gene (ORM1) was sequenced in 100 dogs to identify the most common variant and its allele frequency determined in 1,464 dogs (from 64 breeds and mixed-breed dogs). Plasma protein binding extent of amitriptyline, indinavir, verapamil, and lidocaine were evaluated by equilibrium dialysis using plasma from ORM1 genotyped dogs (n = 12). Free and total drug plasma concentrations were quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. From the five polymorphisms identified in canine ORM1, two were nonsynonymous. The most common was c.70G>A (p.Ala24Thr) with an allele frequency of 11.2% (n = 1464). Variant allele frequencies varied by breed, reaching 74% in Shetland Sheepdogs (n = 21). Free drug fractions did not differ significantly (p > .05; Mann-Whitney U) between plasma collected from dogs with c.70AA (n = 4) and those with c.70GG (n = 8) genotypes. While c.70G>A did not affect the extent of plasma protein binding in our study, the potential biological and pharmacological implication of this newly discovered ORM1 variant in dogs should be further investigated.
Truth in many tongues: religious conversion and the languages of the early Spanish Empire: by Daniel I. Wasserman-Soler, University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2020, 227 pp. (ISBN 9780271085999)

In 1492, the Andalusian grammarian Antonio de Nebrija famously described the Castilian language as an essential tool for subduing peoples and fostering unity in both Iberia and abroad. The language...
α-synuclein aggregates induce c-Abl activation and dopaminergic neuronal loss by a feed-forward redox stress mechanism

Oxidative stress and α-synuclein aggregation both drive neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, and the protein kinase c-Abl provides a potential amplifying link between these pathogenic factors. Suppressing interactions between these factors may thus be a viable therapeutic approach for this disorder. To evaluate this possibility, pre-formed α-synuclein fibrils (PFFs) were used to induce α-synuclein aggregation in neuronal cultures. Exposure to PFFs induced oxidative stress and c-Abl activation in wild-type neurons. By contrast, α-synuclein - deficient neurons, which cannot form α-synuclein aggregates, failed to exhibit either oxidative stress or c-Abl activation. N-acetyl cysteine, a thiol repletion agent that supports neuronal glutathione metabolism, suppressed the PFF - induced redox stress and c-Abl activation in the wild-type neurons, and likewise suppressed α-synuclein aggregation. Parallel findings were observed in mouse brain: PFF-induced α-synuclein aggregation in the substantia nigra was associated with redox stress, c-Abl activation, and dopaminergic neuronal loss, along with microglial activation and motor impairment, all of which were attenuated with oral N-acetyl cysteine. Similar results were obtained using AAV-mediated α-synuclein overexpression as an alternative means of driving α-synuclein aggregation in vivo. These findings show that α-synuclein aggregates induce c-Abl activation by a redox stress mechanism. c-Abl activation in turn promotes α-synuclein aggregation, in a feed-forward interaction. The capacity of N-acetyl cysteine to interrupt this interaction adds mechanistic support its consideration as a therapeutic in Parkinson's disease.
“The self is embodied”: Reading queer and trans Africanfuturism in The Wormwood Trilogy

This essay examines the politics of embodiment in The Wormwood Trilogy in relation to queerness, transness, and decoloniality, and how the struggles for embodied self-determination are metaphorical...
Obstacles and Solutions

The case of Louis that closed Chapter 5 illustrates something that as practicing therapists you probably have already come to realize. That is, that there is more to know about working with children and their families than the nuts and bolts or the how-to’s. (In fact, if you are a practicing therapist, you were probably familiar with most of the basic how-to’s.) In this chapter we thus shift focus to the how-to when what you thought was going to work doesn’t. We shift focus because this is what most therapists face in daily practice. In working with children and their families, including children with anxiety and phobic disorders, it is not unusual that therapists know what to do, but what they want to do or need to do cannot be done. Treating children and their families is rarely smooth sailing because obstacles frequently arise, as they did with Louis.
Properties of a Reperfusible Model of Photochemically Induced Thrombotic Stroke in the Rat Middle Cerebral Artery Territory

Exploration of therapies for cerebrovascular accidents, or stroke, may be constrained by the use of animal models in which cerebral ischemia is induced by temporary or permanent mechanical occlusion of brain arteries in conjunction with common carotid artery occlusion. With such models, reproducible infarcts may be produced, but at the intentional cost of inhibition of natural processes which may be protective, such as activation of the collateral circulation. In order to more realistically simulate clinical stroke, we have developed a model of thrombotic stroke in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory of the rat. The occlusions are formed in situ in response to argon laser irradiation of the MCA following intravenous injection of a photosensitizing dye, either rose bengal (20 mg/kg, with irradiation at 514.5 nm) or flavin mononucleotide (FMN) (37 mg/kg, with irradiation at 457.9 nm). The resultant photochemical reaction generates thrombi with different structures and stabilities toward thrombolysis. With rose bengal, the occlusions appear white under an operating microscope, and consist exclusively of a tight meshwork of agglutinated platelets which are extremely resistant to lysis by tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Positive fluorescent antibody staining for Factor VIII and fibrinogen suggested that fibrin is not present, an impression confirmed by scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. Intraplatelet binding may be facilitated by thrombospondin-stabilized fibrinogen bridges among glycoprotein IIb-IIIa receptors. In contrast, occlusions mediated by FMN photochemistry appear reddish and are lysed by rt-PA. Fluorescent antibody staining for Factor VIII and fibrinogen is negative, while TEM reveals platelet thrombi intercalated with short strands of a material which may be fibrin in the process of formation.
Evaluation of Continuous and Filter-Based Methods for Measuring PM2.5 Mass Concentration

Real-time continuous PM2.5 mass measurements were made by a continuous ambient mass monitor (CAMM), a real-time total ambient mass sampler (RAMS), and a tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) in Houston during summer and in Seattle during winter. Hourly PM2.5 mass concentrations measured by the three samplers were compared with one another to evaluate the sampling performance for total ambient PM2.5 mass measurements. Reasonably good agreement was observed between pairs of the continuous mass samplers. The regression parameters were calculated between PM2.5 mass concentrations of the instruments. The mass difference of PM2.5 between the continuous adjusted RAMS and 30°C TEOM in Houston with relative humidity and temperature suggests that the loss of semivolatile ammonium nitrate contributed to the mass difference. The results also suggest that setting the TEOM at a lower temperature than the standard configuration still could lose semivolatile materials and thus would not be enough to measure tot...
Real-Time control of a remote virtual tutor using minimal pen-gestures

We present a distance tutoring system that allows a tutor to provide instruction via an animated avatar The system captures pen-gestures of real tutor, generates 3D behaviors automatically, and animates a virtual tutor on the remote side in near real-tim The uniqueness of the system comes from the pen-gesture interface We have done a study to test this interface The system can effectively recognize and animate different types of gestures Gesturing on the tablet and gesturing on the board were then compared The results show that users can easily adopt to tablet, and pen-gesture on the tablet naturally They were able to use pen-tablet interface effectively after a short instructional period.
Population Inversion of Atomic Carbon in Recombining Plasma Flow

Here we consider a vector system described by Eqs. (1) and (2), where x and g are n-vectors, f$ is an r-vector Brownian motion, and cr is an n x r matrix. The observation is described by Eq. (3), where y and h are m-vectqrs with m < n. As before, we wish to find an estimate es of xs based on the observation Os= {y,,0 < t < s} such that Eq. (5) holds for all functionals c = (c 1 ? . . . , cn)' of Os with probability one. The derivation of the estimator equations is analogous to that in the above scalar case. Hence, it will not be elaborated here. We will simply display the estimator equations in tjie following:
The effect of interconnect scaling and low-k dielectric on the thermal characteristics of the IC metal

The effect of interconnect scaling and low-k dielectric on the thermal characteristics of interconnect structures has been characterized for the first time under DC and pulsed current conditions. It is shown that under DC conditions the thermal impedance of metal lines increases by about 10% when low-k dielectric is used as the gap fill. The critical current density for the low-k structures under pulsed condition is shown to be about 10-30% lower than that of standard dielectric structures depending on metal and pulse widths.
Sufficient Conditions for Hurwitz and Schur Stability of Interval Matrices

We investigate the Hurwitz and Schur stability of interval matrices using Lyapunov's Second Method and interval analysis techniques. Previous results require a check of the definiteness of 2n(n?1)/2 corners of a certain interval matrix. The present results require a check of the definiteness of only 2n?1 corners.
The efflux of lysosomal cholesterol from cells

To gain insight into the transport of sterol from lysosomes to the plasma membrane, we studied the efflux of lysosomal free cholesterol from intact Fu5AH rat hepatoma cells to high density lipoprotein (HDL) and other extracellular acceptors that promote sterol desorption from the plasma membrane. The procedures involved pulsing cells at 15 degrees C with low density lipoprotein that had been reconstituted with [3H]cholesteryl oleate and then incubating the cells at 37 degrees C in the presence of a sterol acceptor, while monitoring both the hydrolysis of [3H]cholesteryl oleate in lysosomes and the efflux of the resulting [3H]free cholesterol to the acceptor. After warming cells to 37 degrees C, rapid hydrolysis of [3H]cholesteryl oleate began after 10-20 min, and the lysosomally generated [3H]free cholesterol became available for efflux after an additional delay of 40-50 min. The kinetics of hydrolysis and the delay between hydrolysis and efflux were unchanged over a wide range of HDL3 concentrations (10-1000 micrograms of protein/ml), and with acceptors that do not interact with HDL-specific cell surface binding sites (phospholipid vesicles, dimethyl suberimidate cross-linked HDL). In addition, the delivery of lysosomal cholesterol to the plasma membrane was unaffected when cellular cholesterol content was elevated 2.6-fold above the normal control level, or when the activity of cellular acyl-coenzyme A/cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) was stimulated with exogenous oleic acid. We conclude that in the Fu5AH cell, a maximum of 40-50 min is required for the transport of cholesterol from lysosomes to the plasma membrane and that this transport is not regulated in response to either specific extracellular acceptors or the content of sterol in cells. The lack of effect of increased ACAT activity implies that the pathway for this transport does not involve passage of sterol through the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the subcellular location of ACAT.
The Old Regime and the Haitian Revolution: Manumission was the Means

Manumission was the means formerly retained all over Europe to obviate [slave] rebellions. – Jean Bodin, Les six livres de la republique (1593) The dramatic rise of a free colored population in eighteenth-century Saint-Domingue is one of the more remarkable stories of early modern Atlantic history. From a figure of 500 (or 3.6 percent of the colony’s total population) in 1700, the gens de couleur population grew to 1,573 (3 percent) in 1715, about 5,500 (2.4 percent) in 1764, and no less than 27,548 (5.2 percent) on the eve of the French Revolution. More revealing are the figures for the growth of the free colored community relative to the size of the white population. The gens de couleur community was a mere 4.8 percent of the size of the white population in 1681, 12.3 percent in 1700, 33.5 percent in 1764, and 89.4 percent in 1789. (When the French Revolution broke out, the slave population of Saint-Domingue stood at 465,429 and the white population at 30,826.)It was not simply the growth in absolute and relative terms of the gens de couleur population that set Saint-Domingue apart, however, but also the concomitant rise in their economic and political power, particularly in the three decades between the end of the Seven Years’ War and the onset of the Revolution. Only Jamaica and Brazil compare in the extent to which they fostered a significant community of wealthy planters of African descent. The story told by these numbers and by the politicization of the gens de couleur in the pre-revolutionary period is a relatively familiar one, at least within the confines of Caribbean history. By contrast, the legal and administrative struggles that went on in the background of this long eighteenth-century story – the Old Regime battles over the regulation of manumission – are much less well known. Set against its colonial administrative backdrop, the narrative of the rise of the gens de couleur appears much less inevitable, and far more paradoxical, than it seems from our post-revolutionary point of view. The effect of the revolution was to make freedom the ideological norm and slavery the exception to the rule. From an eighteenth-century point of view, by contrast, freedom was the “problem” that needed to be explained, the truth that had not yet (at least in this corner of the Atlantic world) become self-evident.
Salivary Cortisol Mediates Effects of Poverty and Parenting on Executive Functions in Early Childhood

In a predominantly low-income population-based longitudinal sample of 1,292 children followed from birth, higher level of salivary cortisol assessed at ages 7, 15, and 24 months was uniquely associated with lower executive function ability and to a lesser extent IQ at age 3 years. Measures of positive and negative aspects of parenting and household risk were also uniquely related to both executive functions and IQ. The effect of positive parenting on executive functions was partially mediated through cortisol. Typical or resting level of cortisol was increased in African American relative to White participants. In combination with positive and negative parenting and household risk, cortisol mediated effects of income-to-need, maternal education, and African American ethnicity on child cognitive ability.
Virtual workspaces in the grid

Despite significant progress in the development of Grid infrastructure, the provisioning of a customized and controllable remote execution environment remains an open issue. This paper introduces the concept of a virtual workspace, a configurable execution environment that can be created and managed as a first-class entity to reflect client requirements. Such workspaces can be dynamically deployed on a variety of resources decoupling the notion of environment and resource. We show how virtual workspaces fit into the Grid architecture, present an example implementation using virtual machines, and discuss our initial experiences using this system in practice and with applications.
Glutathione peroxidase protects mice from viral-induced myocarditis

Glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX-1) is a selenium-dependent enzyme with antioxidant properties. Previous investigations determined that mice deficient in selenium developed myocarditis when infected with a benign strain of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3/0). To determine whether this effect was mediated by GPX-1, mice with a disrupted Gpx1 gene (Gpx1−/−) were infected with CVB3/0. Gpx1−/− mice developed myocarditis after CVB3/0 infection, whereas infected wild-type mice (Gpx1+/+) were resistant. Sequencing of viruses recovered from Gpx1−/−-infected mice demonstrated seven nucleotide changes in the viral genome, of which three occurred at the G residue, the most easily oxidized base. No changes were found in virus isolated from Gpx1+/+ mice. These results demonstrate that GPX-1 provides protection against viral-induced damage in vivo due to mutations in the viral genome of a benign virus.—Beck, M. A., Esworthy, R. S., Ho, Y.-S., Chu, F.-F. Glutathione peroxidase protects mice from viral-induced myocarditis. FASEB J. ...
Oligoclonal T Cell Expansion in the Skin of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

Fibrosis, microvascular fibroproliferative alterations, and autoantibody production are the main features of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and all of them can be explained by cytokine production by activated T cells. However, little is known about the role of T cells in the pathogenesis of SSc, and there is no information on the Ag(s) that elicits such activation. To determine whether T cells infiltrating the skin biopsies of patients with SSc are oligoclonal, beta-chain TCR transcripts from T cells infiltrating the skin of five patients with SSc of recent onset were amplified by either Vbeta-specific PCR or nonpalindromic adaptor PCR. The resulting PCR products were subsequently cloned and sequenced. High proportions of identical beta-chain TCR transcripts ranging from 43 to 90% of those sequenced were found in five patients, strongly suggesting the presence of oligoclonal T cells in these infiltrates. A dominant T cell clone was found to be clonally expanded in skin biopsies obtained from a single patient with SSc at three different times (0, 8, and 13 mo earlier) and from three different skin regions. beta-chain TCR transcripts from PBMC from normal donors (methodological control) were unique when compared with each other, typical for polyclonal populations of T cells. The finding of oligoclonal T cells infiltrating the skin of patients with SSc suggests that these T cells have undergone proliferation in situ in the skin and clonal expansion in response to as yet unidentified Ag(s). These results suggest that T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Increasing the number of rural physicians

Many rural communities are desperate to recruit and retain physicians. Although there are important shortages of family physicians and specialists in all areas of Canada, physicians in rural areas are far fewer in number and fulfill a wider range of roles. The loss of a single physician from a rural
Comparison of the acute impact of maximal arm and leg aerobic exercise on arterial stiffness

Acute aerobic exercise decreases arterial stiffness based on the intensity of the exercise and the arterial segment studied. Arm exercise may differentially affect arterial stiffness compared to leg exercise but this has not been studied. We hypothesized that maximal aerobic exercise would reduce local peripheral pulse wave velocity i.e. femoral-dorsalis pedis (LPWV) following leg exercise and carotid-radial (APWV) following arm exercise without any crossover effect. The main purpose of the study is to compare the effects of maximal arm versus leg aerobic exercise on peripheral and central arterial stiffness. Fifteen healthy participants (9 males and 6 females, 25 ± 5 years) performed maximal arm-ergometer and leg-ergometer exercise in a randomized, crossover design. Peripheral and central pulse wave velocities (PWV) were obtained using applanation tonometry before and 10 min after each maximal exercise bout. 2 × 2 repeated measures analysis of variance was used to detect differences between conditions. There was a significant interaction in the APWV between the two exercise modes. However, there was no condition or interaction effect on LPWV following maximal arm versus leg exercise. There was no significant difference in central PWV between conditions or with time. There was no change in MAP (75 ± 6-77 ± 3) after maximal arm exercise as compared to the maximal leg exercise (73 ± 6-80 ± 2). Arm exercise produced a more generalized effect on arterial stiffness than leg exercise. The prescription of upper limb exercise may be considered for purposes of eliciting post-exercise systemic changes in arterial stiffness.
Friction behavior of 52100 steel modified by ion implanted Ti

Abstract Friction measurements (low speed, dry sliding) were performed on 52100 steel implanted with Ti to fluences between 5 and 50 × 10 16 /cm 2 . Auger analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to identify the composition and microstructure of the implanted surfaces. At highest fluence, implanted disk/nonimplanted couples had a friction coefficient of μ k = 0.38, compared to μ k = 0.62 for nonimplanted couples; moreover, the implanted surface resisted scarring. The surface contained, in addition to Fe and Ti, an excess quantity of a carbide form of C(8 × 10 16 C/cm 2 ) which extended 150 nm into the surface with a diffusion-like profile. TEM detected only non-crystalline material in a thinned implanted foil, suggesting the surface layer was amorphous. At lower fluences, 16 × 10 16 and 5 × 10 16 Ti/cm 2 , the implanted steel displayed extremely high friction ( μ k = 0.9) before the surface wore through and the friction returned to its nonimplanted value. Excess carbon concentration were 2 × 10 16 C/cm 2 and 0.2 × 10 16 C/cm 2 . respectively. The near-surface Ti and C concentrations were nearly equal at the metal/metal oxide interface for higher fluence implants. A model for C gettering by exposed surface Ti is supported by these results.
Student Engagement in One-Shot Library Instruction

Abstract As technology has increased students' access to both high and low quality information, the need for effective information literacy instruction has become more apparent. However, many librarians still struggle to solidify their place, and their value, in the instructional landscape of their parent institution. This struggle persists while library instruction for students remains limited to one 50–75 min session (one-shot instruction). Indeed, the notion that information literacy can be taught in one session is preposterous for most librarians. Nevertheless, as this constraint persists, librarians must work to improve the results students achieve within the one-shot model. This research explores ways in which one-shot library instruction might be bolstered through the promotion of higher levels of student engagement. This research utilizes a pre and post-test analytical model to compare an experimental, learner-centered approach to library instruction, supplemented with clickers, to a more traditional pedagogical approach. Statistical analyses show that while both the experimental and control groups witnessed significant improvement from pre to post-test, there was no statistically significant difference between these two approaches. These findings elicit further, perhaps more troubling, questions regarding the level of engagement possible in one-shot library instruction.
Japan vs. Silicon Valley: Quality-Cost Trade-Off Philosophies

While Japanese manufacturing philosophies are said to be based on “quality is free” notions, it is commonly accepted that U.S. manufacturing centers on a “quality is costly” belief. This paper provides empirical data that test this conceptual division, seeking evidence about the quality tradeoff philosophies of U.S. and Japanese electronics manufacturing managers.
Myocardial contractile dysfunction in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome : role of a cytokine-inducible nitric oxide synthase in cardiac myocytes.

A major determinant of survival in patients with advanced viral or bacterial infection, or following severe trauma or burns complicated by multiple organ failure, is the combination of clinical signs termed the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). SIRS is characterized by hypotension, tachypnea, hypo- or hyperthermia and leukocytosis as well as other clinical signs and symptoms, including a depression in myocardial contractile function. Heart failure complicating systemic sepsis or other causes of SIRS is usually not accompanied by coronary artery ischemia due to hypotension, myocardial necrosis, or marked cardiac interstitial inflammatory infiltrates, and thus the cause of cardiac contractile dysfunction in this syndrome has remained unclear. However, recent evidence has implicated an endogenous nitric oxide (NO) signalling pathway within cardiac myocytes and other cellular constituents of cardiac muscle, including the microvascular endothelium, as a possible contributor to the pathogenesis of heart failure in this syndrome. Cardiac myocytes are now known to express both constitutive NO synthase (cNOS) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) activities. Activation of cNOS appears to modulate cardiac myocyte responsiveness to muscarinic cholinergic and beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Induction of iNOS by soluble inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, causes a marked depression in myocyte contractile responsiveness to beta-adrenergic agonists. Thus, inappropriate activation of cNOS or excessive or prolonged induction of iNOS in the myocardium may contribute to cardiac dysfunction complicating SIRS.
The role of natural and man-made ice-forming nuclei in the atmosphere

Abstract Water-soluble and insoluble, organic and inorganic, natural and man-made aerosol particles participate in vapor-liquid, vapor-solid (ice), and liquid-solid phase transitions in the atmosphere. Hydrosol particles (aerosol particles that have been transferred into water droplets) nucleate ice through freezing. A small without scavenging or being scavenged by another aerosol particle. It is also difficult to imagine that pure mineral particles can be lifted from soil surfaces. In view of this, an ice-nucleating site may be a much smaller particle attached to a larger clay particle. To this category belong, e.g., silver iodide-clay mixed particles. Limited studies indicate that decaying leaves and forest litter under the surface of soils are a potential source of biogenic ice-forming nuclei but that their contribution to the atmosphere is very limited. Research should be directed to study possible relations between cloud condensation nuclei and ice-forming nuclei derived from natural organic compounds (terpenes, leaf-derived nuclei, bacteria, etc.). A balance must be maintained between large cloud chambers, in which duplication of in-cloud processes is possible, and the special instrumentation which provides information about the modes of ice nucleation on aerosol particles. The two modes of instrumentation should supplement each other. The greatest difficulty in attempting to make a comparison between the number of ice-forming nuclei estimated in the laboratory and the number in a cloud is the lack of knowledge of the time-temperature-humidity history of the aerosol particles. In nature, the ability of an aerosol particle to nucleate ice may be destroyed or“poisoned“ in the presence of pollutants. An aerosol particle may, on the other hand, become an activated or warmer ice-forming nucleus, e.g.,after the sublimation of ice once formed on it. The temperature of ice nucleation is not a singular property of a particle; the warmest temperatures of ice nucleation of, e.g., particles of a certain soil 10cm in diameter are-15°C,-10°C, and-8°C for nucleation through freezing, condensation followed by freezing and contact, respectively (ref.26). The progress made in instrumentation permits studies of the modes of ice nucleation. Understanding the physical and chemical processes taking place in clouds makes estimates of the rates of ice particle formation more realistic (Young [ref.157]). The reader should examine two previous reviews written by Mossop (1963) and Montefinale . (1971) for a more complete list of references.
Enhanced second-order optical nonlinearities in extended thiophene containing compounds

The synthesis and first hyperpolarizabilities ((beta) ) of various donor-acceptor substituted thiophene containing compounds with extended conjugation are reported. Molecules incorporating the acceptor group, 3-phenyl-5-isoxazolone, that can gain aromaticity upon charge-separation had larger (beta) than analogous molecules containing a dicyanovinyl acceptor. For both acceptors insertion of a vinyl group between the thiophene bridge and methine carbon of the acceptor enhances the second-order hyperpolarizability but does not lead to a significant decrease in thermal stability. The molecules have been incorporated into poly(methyl methacrylate) and the electro-optic coefficients of these host-guest polymers measured.
Betrayal Trauma: Relationship to Physical Health, Psychological Distress, and a Written Disclosure Intervention

ABSTRACT In the current study we sought, first, to distinguish associations with health arising from types of trauma as indicated by betrayal trauma theory (Freyd, 1996, 2001), and, second, to investigate the impact of disclosing a trauma history in survey form and/or writing essays about betrayal traumas. We recruited 99 community adults reporting at least 12 months of chronic medical illness or pain, 80 of whom completed all four sessions of this six-month longitudinal intervention study. Participants were randomly assigned to write about betrayal traumas or neutral events, and they were randomly assigned to complete an extensive trauma survey or a long personality inventory, producing four groups of participants. All 99 participants were assessed at their initial visit for trauma history using the Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey (BBTS) and physical and mental symptoms. The BBTS assesses exposure to both traumas high in betrayal (such as abuse by a close other) and traumas low in betrayal but high in life-...
Circulating melatonin and the risk of breast and endometrial cancer in women

Several decades of observational data have accumulated to implicate a potential role for melatonin in cancer prevention. Experimental studies suggest that the antineoplastic action of melatonin arises through many different mechanisms, including melatonin’s antioxidant, antimitotic, and antiangiogenic activity, as well as its ability to modulate the immune system and alter fat metabolism. Melatonin interacts with membrane and nuclear receptors, and may be linked to the regulation of tumor growth. Of particular relevance to breast cancer risk, melatonin may also block the estrogen receptor ERα and impact the enzyme aromatase, which produces estradiol. A growing number of epidemiologic studies have evaluated the relationship between night shift work as well as how varying duration of sleep affects peak melatonin secretion at night. While the studies demonstrate lower nightly melatonin levels in night workers, the evidence for an association between sleep duration and melatonin production is less clear. Similarly, both case-control and prospective cohort studies have consistently linked night shift work with breast cancer risk and, more recently, endometrial cancer—another tumor highly sensitive to estrogens. While, to date, the evidence for an association between sleep duration and breast cancer risk is less convincing, overall, there is increasing support for a potentially important link between melatonin and breast cancer risk and perhaps the risk of other tumors. As evidence increases, modifiable factors that have been shown to affect melatonin production, such as night shift work, are likely to gain increasing recognition as potential public health hazards. Additional studies are needed to delineate further the potential of melatonin in cancer prevention.
Effect of BMY 21502 on acquisition of shape discrimination and memory retention in monkey

BMY 21502 is a novel pyrrolidinone nootropic with demonstrated ability to reverse electroconvulsively induced amnesia in rodents. We administered BMY 21502 intramuscularly to four monkeys (Macaca radiata) during testing using two separate paradigms. The first test involved the acquisition of a visual shape discrimination task where each monkey learned to select the correct lighted panel. In the second task, memory retention was tested by having the monkeys select and press the correct lighted panel using a delayed matching-to-sample procedure. A dose-response relationship was established for the acquisition of shape discrimination for each monkey. Two performance-enhancing doses in the visual discrimination task were then employed to test for effects on memory retention at different delay intervals in the delayed-matching-to-sample task. Results indicate that BMY 21502, when administered over a wide dose range, enhanced acquisition of shape discrimination in three of four monkeys when combined drug scores were compared to vehicle-only scores (p<0.02). However, BMY 21502 produced no significant improvement in memory retention at any of seven different delay intervals when low-dose and high-dose scores for the three responding monkeys were compared to vehicle-only scores.
Composite wiring of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures.

Abstract Composite wiring techniques using various configurations of Kirschner pins and stainless steel wire sutures have been applied to the treatment of 63 fractures of the long bones of the hand. The secure fixation achieved allowed active motion within 1 week of operation. Thirty-three metacarpal fractures achieved a final mean total active motion of 256 degrees (standard deviation 13.4) (normal total active motion −260 degrees). Twenty-one phalangeal fractures achieved a mean total active motion of 215 degrees (standard deviation, 46 degrees). There were no instances of infection, malunion, nonunion, loss of reduction, or tendon rupture in the 63 fractures that were treated.