cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a community-based golf and exercise program for people with Parkinson's disease

Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) typically display symptoms of rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability that can limit participation in recreational activities. The purpose of this clinical report is to describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of a novel and innovative community-based golf and exercise program for individuals with PD. In response to community interest, the program was developed through a unique partnership that blended the expertise of physical therapists and golf professionals. The 6-week program consisted of golf instruction and task-specific exercises. Improvements were noted in seven of eight participants for golf performance (driving distance and club head speed) and quality of life (PD Questionnaire-39) outcome measures. This report describes the design and implementation of a golf and exercise program for people with PD based on community need, evidence, and clinical expertise. Considerations and recommendations for future programs are discussed, such as program length, staffing, volunteers, funding, location, and resources.
Reducing the need for animal testing while increasing efficiency in a pesticide regulatory setting: Lessons from the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs’ Hazard and Science Policy Council

As part of EPA's commitment to reducing animal testing, the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) created the Hazard and Science Policy Council (HASPOC). This group considers requests for waiving animal study requirements for human health risk assessments and makes recommendations based on a weight-of-the-evidence approach. Since its inception in 2012, the HASPOC has evaluated over one thousand requests to waive animal studies required by default for pesticide evaluation. Here, the number of studies waived, and the types of studies represented were analyzed to determine the impact of the HASPOC decisions in terms of animal and monetary savings. Overall, the waiving of studies by HASPOC resulted in over 200 thousand animals saved. There were also savings of over $300 million in study costs and over $6 million in study review costs as well as less time spent in study processing and review by EPA staff. Thus, the HASPOC has built significant efficiencies into the risk assessment process while continuing to protect human health.
Cardiovascular Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is rapidly evolving as an effective therapeutic strategy for patients suffering from various forms of cardiovascular disease. Since the conceptualization of gene therapy, the scientific and clinical community has learned a great deal from the successes and, unfortunately, failures of previous gene therapy clinical trials over the past decades. Cardiovascular gene therapy has benefitted from recent advancements in vector technology, design and vector delivery modalities. Nonviral and viral vectors including plasmids, retrovirus, lentivirus, adenovirus, and adeno-associated virus each have unique cellular transduction mechanisms and expression profiles. Due to the exclusive qualities of each vector, the selection and development of vectors for cardiovascular gene therapy is critically dependent on the specific cardiac pathology. In addition, how these vectors are delivered to the heart greatly affects myocardial transduction and clinical outcomes. It is necessary to employ the proper vector and delivery modality that can safely and efficiently transduce the myocardium with well-validated transgenes shown to protect against acute ischemia, arrhythmias, hypertrophy, or ventricular failure. Gene therapies targeting the β-adrenergic pathway, calcium regulatory mechanisms, angiogenesis, or the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis have shown promise both preclinically and in human clinical trials. The current state of the art of cardiovascular gene therapy as well as clinically significant molecular targets is reviewed as this promising strategy enters the clinical realm.
Secure Caching and Delivery for Combination Networks with Asymmetric Connectivity

We consider information theoretic security in a two-hop combination network where there are groups of end users with distinct degrees of connectivity served by a layer of relays. The model represents a network set up with users having access to asymmetric resources, here the number of relays that they are connected to, yet demand security guarantees uniformly. We study two security constraints separately and simultaneously: secure delivery where the information must be kept confidential from an external entity that wiretaps the delivery phase; and secure caching where each cache-aided end-user can retrieve the file it requests and cannot obtain any information on files it does not. The achievable schemes we construct are multi-stage where each stage completes requests by a class of users.
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Case Report and Literature Review.

The proverbial "zebras" in neurology are often times missed due to their low prevalence and incidence in the community. The number of misdiagnoses and improper therapeutic interventions that occur are further increased when patients with these rare diseases present with signs and symptoms of more common disorders. One such disease is sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), a prion disease that causes neuronal derangement and classically presents as a rapidly progressing dementia with extrapyramidal signs, ataxia, behavioural problems, and myoclonus in the advanced stage. It falls into the category of neurodegenerative disease, which also includes Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other Parkinson-related diseases. Though these diseases have overlapping symptomologies - such as cognitive impairment and neuromuscular dysfunction - they can be differentiated from one another based on the time course of the illness and the specific constellation of signs and symptoms. Our case report describes a patient who was found to have sCJD after months of treatment for Parkinson's disease and trigeminal neuralgia. Thus, we are highlighting the importance of recognizing rare diseases so that proper management can be initiated in a timely manner. Furthermore, we review the current literature on the diagnosis and management of sCJD.
Lung Immune Tone Regulation by the Gut-Lung Immune Axis: Short-chain Fatty Acid Receptors FFAR2 and FFAR3, and IL-1β Expression Profiling in Mouse and Human Lung

ABSTRACT Microbial metabolites produced by the gut microbiome, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), can influence both local intestinal and distant lung physiology and response to injury. However, how lung immune activity is regulated by SCFAs is unknown. We examined fresh human lung tissue and observed the presence of SCFAs with large inter-individual and even intra-lobe variability. In vitro, SCFAs were capable of modifying the metabolic programming in both resting and LPS-exposed alveolar macrophages (AM). Additionally, since we hypothesized that lung immune tone could be defined through priming of the inflammasome (aka signal 1), we interrogated naive mouse lungs for pro-IL-1β message and localized its presence within the alveolar space in situ, specifically in AM subsets, and in close proximity to alveolar type 2 epithelial (AT2) cells. We established that metabolically active gut microbiota, that produce SCFAs, can transmit LPS and SCFAs to the lung (potential sources of signal 1), and thereby could regulate lung immune tone and metabolic programming. To understand how murine lung cells sensed and upregulated IL-1β in response to gut-microbiome factors, we determined that in vitro, AM and AT2 cells expressed SCFA receptors, FFAR2, FFAR3, and IL-1β but with different expression patterns and LPS-inducibility. Finally, we observed that IL-1β, FFAR2 and FFAR3 were expressed both in isolated human AM and AT2 cells ex-vivo, but in fresh human lung sections in situ, only AM expressed IL-1β at rest and after LPS challenge. Together, this translational study using mouse and human lung tissue and cells supports an important role for the gut microbiome and SCFAs in regulating lung immune tone.
University-church partnerships: a mechanism to enhance relationship health.

Romantic relationship distress leads to decreased satisfaction and dissolution. While therapy is effective for helping distressed couples, it is often inaccessible due to cost, time, and childcare ...
Building Adolescent Self-efficacy and Resilience Through Social Action

Young people face an incredible array of challenges that may be exacerbated by living in a tense political climate under a conservative presidential administration. The development of self and collective-efficacy can be a protective factor against trauma, discrimination and other stressors. Those who work with adolescents—particularly adolescents who are members of racial and sexual minority groups—should support them in developing self-efficacy in order to build their resilience. School social workers are in a prime position to do so, given both their clinical expertise and familiarity with how systems of oppression operate. To increase their effectiveness in this task, school social workers can support self-efficacy in adolescents by utilizing aspects of positive youth development, connecting them with opportunities to self-advocate and make change around issues that impact their lives.
Introduction: Deceiving Democracy

Deceiving Democracy introduces the core themes of Dark Money and the Politics of School Privatization. The campaign to privatize public education rests on the undemocratic element of dark money but that is one part of an oligarchic effort to remove public schooling and other public goods from the control of the people. This campaign is funded by a handful of the richest people in the country, hiding behind upbeat sounding nonprofits and political committees. We’ll see how money flows along secret paths. Among the funders, partisanship doesn’t matter but wealth does. The faces on television advertisements and in brochures are of people of color but behind the scenes power lies with a white elite of corporate reformers. Unequal wealth equals unequal political power but everyday people have it within their ability to defeat this threat to democracy.
Learning Based Longitudinal Vehicle Platooning Threat Detection, Identification and Mitigation

The security of cyber-physical systems, such as vehicle platoons, is critical to ensuring their proper operation and acceptance to society. In platooning, vehicles follow one another according to an agreed-upon control law that determines vehicle separation. We show that a vehicle within a platoon and under the control of a malicious actor could cause collisions or decrease the efficiency of surrounding vehicles. This paper focuses on detecting, identifying, and mitigating so-called destabilizing attacks that could cause vehicle collisions. Our approach is decentralized and requires only local sensor information for each vehicle to identify the vehicle responsible for the attack and then deploy an appropriate mitigating controller that prevents collisions. We use a Deep Learning approach (Convolutional Neural Network) with various data preprocessing techniques to detect and identify the malicious vehicle. Results indicate that even with decent noise levels in range and relative speed data, we achieve accuracy up to 96.3\%. Also, once the adversarial vehicle is localized, we derive conditions for controller gains using the Routh Hurwitz criterion to mitigate the attack and ensure the stability of the platoon. Realistic simulator CARLA and MATLAB simulation results validate the effectiveness of our proposed approaches.
Evolution of Bilateral Mammary Arterial Grafting Program in Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Background Coronary revascularization with bilateral internal mammary arteries is associated with increased long-term survival, but underutilized due to sternal wound infection concerns. Dedicated bilateral mammary grafting programs are typically high-volume academic or private practices, rather than lower-volume federal institutions whose results are not captured in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. Our institution used only single internal mammary arterial grafting in the year prior to implementing a dedicated bilateral grafting program using skeletonized technique. We describe our experience transitioning to bilateral mammary grafting and its impact on sternal wound infection. Methods Retrospective cohort study at San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 200 patients undergoing first-time isolated, multi-vessel coronary artery bypass from August 2014 to October 2017. Sternal wound infection was defined broadly to include any patient receiving antibiotics for suspicion of sternal infection. Patients were followed for wound complications until 3 post-operative months. Results Of 200 total patients, 45.5% (n=91) were diabetic, 44% (n=88) had BMI >30, and 61.5% (n=123) underwent bilateral mammary grafting. Bilateral mammary grafting population had 2.4% (n=3/123) deep sternal wound infection with 1.6% (n=2/123) requiring sternal reconstruction while single mammary population had 1.3% (n=1/77, p=1.0). Bilateral mammary grafting population had 6.5% (n=8/123) superficial sternal wound infection compared to 5.2% (n=4/77, p=0.77) in single mammary grafting population. Conclusions Transitioning to high rates of bilateral mammary utilization was possible in a year with low rates of complications. Based on our experience, surgeons should consider adopting a skeletonized bilateral mammary grafting approach given potential long-term survival benefit.
Successful Treatment of Severe Oligozoospermia With Sperm Washing and Intrauterine Insemination

During the period January 1, 1991 through December 31, 1995, 258 patients, in whom motile sperm counts for insemination (postwash, processed) were 10.0 million motile sperm or less were seen in the andrology unit for sperm washing and intrauterine insemination (IUI). No significant female factors were noted on history; all female partners had patent Fallopian tubes and were ovulatory spontaneously or were treated by the referring gynecologist with clomiphene citrate, human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG), or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ovulation induction in both anovulatory or ovulatory women. Of the total of 258 patients, 15 achieved a pregnancy in 284 cycles of IUI in which the inseminating motile-count was < 1.0 million motile sperm, resulting in a monthly fecundity (f) of 5.3%. The mean (+/-SD) motile count for IUI in this group was 0.61 (+/-0.29) million sperm, with a range of 0.19-0.95 million motile sperm. The initial motile count was 2.97 (3.2) million sperm, with a range of 0.2-12.81 million sperm. With inseminating motile counts of 1.0-10.0 million motile sperm, there were 83 pregnancies after 467 cycles of IUI, resulting in a monthly f of 17.8%. The mean (+/-SD) motile count for IUI in this group was 4.9 (+/-2.7) million motile sperm with a range of 1.0-9.9 million motile sperm. The initial sperm count in this group was 10.9 million (+/-7.1), with a range of 1.1-23.7 million motile sperm. These data suggest that acceptable pregnancy rates can be achieved with IUI, even in severely oligozoospermic specimens. Intrauterine insemination is less invasive and less costly than other assisted reproductive techniques. These data are supportive of IUI prior to attempting other more invasive and potentially costly reproductive technologies.
Building Codes, Wind Contours, and House Prices

A hedonic pricing model estimates the effect on house prices of the stricter 2002 Florida Building Code for three geographical areas with varying degrees of risk exposure in the Jacksonville, Florida area. Results show that houses built under the new, stricter code sold for an average premium of 12.33% relative to houses built under the less-strict code. Results also show that new-code properties in the riskiest Windborne Debris Region sold for about 4.7% more than houses built under the older, less strict code. The interior zones show that houses built under the stricter code sold for greater premiums. The post-catastrophe variables show that the two consecutive seasons of devastating hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 had an effect on buyer behavior and generally increased the building code premium.
TRANSPORT ACROSS ENDOTHELIAL BARRIERS, MODELING OF

1. INTRODUCTIONMicrovascular bed is the primary location where waterand nutrients are exchanged between circulating bloodand body tissues. Capillaries are the smallest ramiﬁca-tions of the microvessels. Capillary walls consist mainly ofendothelial cells (Fig. 1). Under normal conditions, thecleft between endothelial cells (interendothelial cleft, Fig.1) is widely believed to be the principal pathway for waterand hydrophilic solutes (such as glucose, amino acids, vi-tamins, and hormones) transport across the capillary wall(1–5). Direct and indirect evidence indicates that junc-tional strands with discontinuous leakages (5–9) and ﬁbermatrix components exist (10–14) at the endothelial sur-face and in the wide portion of the intercellular cleft (Fig.2) (6). The transport of proteins or other macromoleculeswas thought to through vesicle shuttle mechanisms (15).In disease, large gaps would be formed in the microvesselendothelium to allow the passage of plasma proteins andcells such as blood cells and tumor cells. Microvascularpermeability is a quantitative measure of how permeablethemicrovessel wall istoallkinds ofsubstances,includingwater, solutes, and cells. Under healthy conditions, themicrovessel wall maintains a normal permeability to wa-ter and small solutes for the material exchange during ourbody metabolic processes. However, in disease, the integ-rity of the vessel wall structure can be destroyed andmuch largersolutes such asproteins and cells cantransferthrough the wall. It is the transvascular pathways at thevessel wall and their structural barriers that determineand regulate the microvascular permeability. Therefore,basic information about transvascular pathways is ﬁrstintroduced.2. TRANSVASCULAR PATHWAYSThe endothelial cells lining microvessel walls provide therate-limiting barrier to extravasation of plasma compo-nents of all sizes from electrolytes to proteins. So far, fourprimary pathways are observed in the microvessel wall byusing electron microscopy: intercellular clefts, transcellu-lar pores, vesicles, and fenestrae (Fig. 3). Microvessels ofdifferent types and in different tissues may have differentprimary transvascular pathways as well as under differ-ent physiological and pathological conditions (15).2.1. Interendothelial (Intercellular) CleftThe cleft between adjacent endothelial cells is widely be-lieved to be the principal pathway for water and hydro-philic solute transport through the microvessel wall undernormal physiological conditions. The interendothelial cleftis also suggested to be the pathway for the transport ofhigh-molecular-weight plasma proteins, leukocytes, andtumor cells across microvessel walls in disease. Direct andindirect evidence [summarized in Fu et al. and Weinbaumet al. (16,17)] indicates that tight junction strands withdiscontinuous leakages and ﬁber matrix components(glycocalyx layer) exist at the endothelial surface and
Effects of Mass Segregation in Rotating Clusters of Galaxies

Clusters of galaxies are expected to have some rotation due to tidal interactions in the expanding Universe. We calculate the dynamical friction force in rotating systems and evaluate the changes in the cluster density profile, central mass, rotation curve, and measured M/L with time. Our main conclusions can be summarized as follows: (1) Dynamical friction changes density profiles only marginally. There are always enough galaxies that remain in the outer parts of the cluster and, therefore, there is little prospect of seeing effects of mass segregation by measuring mean radii of galaxies of different magnitudes. (2) Because of the velocity anisotropy induced by rotation there appears a secondary peak in the density distribution as a result of the evolution. (3) Dynamical friction leads to an increase in the rotational velocity of the system and rotation curve becomes flatter as time goes on. (4) Mass-to-light ratio changes very slowly with time and dynamical friction cannot lead to appreciable changes in M/L of clusters unless the amount of mass (light) accumulated at the cluster exceeds observational constraints.
OUTCOME AND VALUE UNCERTAINTIES IN GLOBAL-CHANGE POLICY

Choices among environmental policies can be informed by analysis of the potential physical, biological, and social outcomes of alternative choices, and analysis of social preferences among these outcomes. Frequently, however, the consequences of alternative policies cannot be accurately predicted because of substantial ‘outcome uncertainties’ concerning physical, chemical, biological, and social processes linking policy choices to consequences. Similarly, assessments of social preferences among alternative outcomes are limited by ‘value uncertainties’ arising from limitations of moral principles, the absence of economic markets for many environmental attributes, and other factors. Outcome and value uncertainties relevant to global-change policy are described and their magnitudes are examined for two cases: stratospheric-ozone depletion and global climate change. Analysis of information available in the mid 1980s, when international ozone regulations were adopted, suggests that contemporary uncertainties surrounding CFC emissions and the atmospheric response were so large that plausible ozone depletion, absent regulation, ranged from negligible to catastrophic, a range that exceeded the plausible effect of the regulations considered. Analysis of climate change suggests that, important as outcome uncertainties are, uncertainties about values may be even more important for policy choice.
Physiology of Flowering: Flowering is hormonally controlled, but the nature of the hormone remains to be elucidated

The appearance of the first flower is an important event in the life cycle of a plant. After germination of the seed, the apical meristem initially produces only leaves. And then, abruptly, the bud produces, instead of more leaves, a new organ, a flower or an inflorescence. Although flowers, from a morphological point of view, are considered shoots with metamorphosized leaves, their structure and function are quite different from those of normal shoots and leaves. The function of the flowers is, of course, sexual reproduction and thus maintenance of the species.
Mechanism of Rac1-induced amplification in gastric mucosal phospholipase Cγ2 activation in response to Helicobacter pylori: modulatory effect of ghrelin

Membrane recruitment followed by targeted phosphorylation of specific Tyr and Ser residues and the interaction with Rac GTPases are the crucial parts of an elaborate mechanism of PLCγ2 activation essential for its role in linking the specific receptor responses to a variety of hormones and bacterial endotoxins with the intended intracellular targets. Here, we explored the involvement of Rac in mediation of PLCγ2 activation associated with gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori LPS and the hormone, ghrelin. We show that stimulation of gastric mucosal cells with the LPS leads to the membrane translocation of Rac1 as well as PLCγ2, while the effect of ghrelin is manifested by elevation in the membrane PLCγ2 activation and suppression in Rac1 translocation. However, blocking the LPS-induced Rac1 translocation, while detrimental to the PLCγ2 activation, has no effect on its membrane translocation. We reveal further that PLCγ2, localized in the membrane in association with Rac1 following the LPS stimulation, exhibits a marked increase in phosphorylation on Ser, while the modulatory effect of ghrelin, manifested by a drop in Rac1 translocation, is associated with a distinct decrease in PLCγ2 phosphorylation on Ser. Thus, the results suggest that H. pylori-elicited increase in gastric mucosal PLCγ2 phosphorylation on Ser serves as an essential platform for Rac1 colocalization and amplification in PLCγ2 activation.
Inactivation of the potassium conductance and related phenomena caused by quaternary ammonium ion injection in squid axons.

Several analogues of the tetraethylammonium (TEA+) ion were injected into the giant axon of the squid, and the resultant changes in time course and magnitude of the potassium current (IK) were studied. For all the analogues used, three of the ethyl side chains of TEA+ were left unchanged, while the fourth chain was either lengthened or shortened. Increasing the length of this chain increased binding to the blocking site in the channel by a factor of roughly two for each added CH2 group. The effect on the rate of entry into the blocking site was relatively slight. Thus the concentration for half-suppression of gK decreased by about the same factor of two for each added CH2. All the analogues caused anomalous or ingoing rectification. The longest chain analogue used, pentyltriethylammonium ion, caused rapid inactivation of gK, and this inactivation had properties quite similar to gNa inactivation. The anomalous rectification and the gK inactivation caused by these compounds have the same basic mechanism.
Dynamic control of the complement system by modulated expression of regulatory proteins

The complement system serves many biological functions, including the eradication of invasive pathogens and the removal of damaged cells and immune-complexes. Uncontrolled complement activation causes injury to host cells, however, so adequate regulation of the system is essential. Control of the complement system is maintained by a group of cell surface and circulating proteins referred to as complement regulatory proteins. The expression of the cell surface complement regulatory proteins varies from tissue to tissue. Furthermore, specific cell types can upregulate or downregulate the expression of these proteins in response to a variety of signals or insults. Altered regulation of the complement regulatory proteins can have important effects on local complement activation. In some circumstances this can be beneficial, such as in the setting of certain infections. In other circumstances, however, this can be a cause of complement-mediated injury of the tissue. A full understanding of the mechanisms by which the complement system is modulated at the local level can have important implications for how we diagnose and treat a wide range of inflammatory diseases.
What we need and don’t need intercultural rhetoric for: A retrospective and prospective look at an evolving research area

Abstract This article surveys the evolution of what is now known as intercultural rhetoric (IR) and considers how developments in IR research may be seen as both productive and problematic in varying ways for goals that may not always happily co-exist, namely theory construction (or deconstruction) and language/literacy classroom practice. The affordances, challenges, and possible constraints of continuing to empirically and conceptually develop an area labeled “intercultural rhetoric” in view of recent research are discussed.
Clinically significant change in pain intensity ratings in persons with spinal cord injury or amputation

Objective:To examine the clinical significance of changes in chronic pain in 2 disability groups: spinal cord injury and lower limb amputation.Methods:A reanalysis of 2 controlled clinical trials for pain in persons with disabilities. Eighty-two persons with spinal cord injuries and 34 persons with
Evaluating Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes through a Novel 3-Dimensional In Vitro System for Cartilage Tissue Engineering and Regeneration

OBJECTIVE To characterize and evaluate osteoarthritic (OA) chondrocytes, in comparison to normal chondrocytes, through a novel 3-dimensional (3-D) culture system, poly(ethylene-glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). The cytokine interleukin 1β (IL-1β) was also used to simulate an in vitro OA model. METHODS Normal and OA chondrocytes were cultured in monolayer and analyzed for changes in cartilage-specific gene expressions due to passage number. Then, cells were encapsulated in PEGDA to evaluate phenotype and matrix production capabilities through the in vitro culture system. Characterization was conducted with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), biochemical analyses, and histological staining. 3-D encapsulated chondrocytes (human and bovine) were also treated with IL-1β to characterize how the cytokine affects gene transcription and extracellular matrix (ECM) content. RESULTS In 2-dimensional monolayer, anabolic genes were down-regulated significantly in both normal and OA chondrocytes. In 3-D culture, OA chondrocytes demonstrated significantly higher expressions of catabolic genes when compared to normal cells. Differentiation medium resulted in significantly more matrix production than growth medium from OA chondrocytes, indicated through histological staining. In addition, normal chondrocytes responded more significantly to exogenous administration of IL-1β than OA chondrocytes. Temporary initial stimulation of IL-1β to OA chondrocytes resulted in comparable gene expressions to untreated cells after 3 weeks of in vitro culture. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate the use of OA chondrocytes in tissue engineering and their significance for potential future cartilage regeneration research through their matrix production capabilities and the use of a hydrogel culture system.
Discrete-Trial Bar-Pressing Performance as a Function of Length of Response Chain, Number of Reinforcements, and Percentage Reward

Eight groups of 8 hooded rats were assigned to a 2 × 2 × 2 design of 32 or 128 acquisition trials, 50% or 100% reward, and chains of 1 or 8 bar-presses. Starting speeds were examined, as were trials to an extinction criterion of 5 min. without completing a response chain. During acquisition, performance was an increasing function of the number of trials and percentage reward. For the 128-trial groups, at 1:1 reward 50% rewarded Ss responded significantly faster than 100% Ss; however, at 8:1 reward there was no significant difference due to percentage reward. The number of trials to extinction was an increasing function of the number of acquisition trials and a decreasing function of length of response chain. While all other groups reflected a rise in performance with an increase in number of acquisition trials, the 100%-8:1 groups showed no change in performance due to this variable.
Worldviews in Collision: Recent Literature on the Creation–Evolution Divide

Cet article traite de la litterature autour du conflit qui opposa aux environs de 2005 aux Etats-Unis, les partisans du dessein intelligent et les defenseurs de la theorie evolutionniste. L enjeu devant etre releve par les scientifiques publiant sur le conflit creation-evolution s avere important. En effet, la theorie du dessein intelligent est presentee comme une theorie scientifique, et qui plus est, ses defenseurs utilisent de nombreux moyens de communications pour convaincre la population. La litterature emanant des deux camps est ici analysee et les qualites scientifiques, argumentatives et pedagogiques des ouvrages finement evaluees.
Purifcation and properties of multiple forms of brain acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7).

—Approximately 70 per cent of the total AChE of bovine brain tissue was solubilized by repeated homogenization and centrifugation in 0.32 m sucrose containing EDTA. After ammonium sulphate fractionation, application of the enzyme preparation to an agarose affinity gel column effected a 700-fold purification. Subsequent molecular filtration separated three active forms of AChE with molecular weights of 130,000, 270,000 and 390,000 with an average specific activity of 575 mmol of acetylthiocholine hydrolysed/mg of protein/h. The complete procedure represented an approximate 23,000-fold purification of the enzyme from that in the original tissue homogenate. The three forms of AChE exhibited certain differences in properties, including apparent Km values, pH optima and sensitivity to inhibitory agents. Ancillary studies on less purified enzyme preparations by use of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing techniques also suggested that brain AChE exists in multiple forms.
A charged particle telescope for use in the measurement of the cosmic ray electron spectrum in the energy range 10 MeV-2 GeV

Low pressure gas Cerenkov detector and spectrometer coupled into charged particle telescope for cosmic ray electron spectrum measurements, discussing efficiency and instrument calibration
Micellar solubilization of nonaqueous phase liquid contaminants by nonionic surfactant mixtures: Effects of sorption, partitioning and mixing

Abstract Surfactant micellar solubilization is under investigation as a promising method for significantly increasing the efficiency of remediation of aquifers contaminated with nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). In this study, the influence of three parameters on the micellar solubilization of NAPLs by a mixture of ethoxylated dodecyl alcohol surfactants was investigated: Presence of model aquifer materials, extent of equilibrium partitioning of surfactant into the nonaqueous phase, and sample mixing regime. The micellar solubilization of two NAPLs, hexane, representative of nonbranched alkanes, and 1,2-dichlorobenzene, representative of polar and aromatic compounds, was studied. Batch experiments indicated that surfactant losses to sorption on organic-coated silica were relatively small for these experimental systems. Surfactant partitioning into hexane was not significant, but there was significant surfactant partitioning into the 1,2-DCB phase, resulting in a total surfactant dose required to achieve 1,2-DCB micellar solubilization greater than that predicted from the surfactant critical micelle concentration. Partitioning of surfactant into 1,2-DCB was selective, with the more hydrophobic surfactant molecules favoring the 1,2-DCB phase, resulting in an aqueous phase surfactant mixture with different solubilization properties than the original. Mixing conditions had a significant effect on the extent of solubilization of 1,2-DCB, attributed to the greater tendency of 1,2-DCB versus hexane to form emulsions. Results indicate that partitioning may be significant for certain nonionic surfactant/NAPL systems and should be investigated prior to remedial activities. Total surfactant concentration, aqueous to nonaqueous phase volume ratio, and surfactant formulation should be chosen to minimize losses to nonaqueous phases.
A study of 12 specifications of the library problem

The author studies twelve specifications for a seemingly simple database problem and demonstrates many approaches for classifying informally stated problem requirements. She compares the specifications according to how they address problems of the library example to illustrate the imprecision of natural-language specifications and how twelve different approaches to the same set of informal requirements reveal many of the same problems. The comparison suggests which issues should be addressed in refining an informal set of requirements and shows how these issues are resolved in different specification approaches. >
Self-assembly synthesis, tumor cell targeting, and photothermal capabilities of antibody-coated indocyanine green nanocapsules.

New colloidal materials that can generate heat upon irradiation are being explored for photothermal therapy as a minimally invasive approach to cancer treatment. The near-infrared dye indocyanine green (ICG) could serve as a basis for such a material, but its encapsulation and subsequent use are difficult to carry out. We report the three-step room-temperature synthesis of ∼120-nm capsules loaded with ICG within salt-cross-linked polyallylamine aggregates, and coated with antiepidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) antibodies for tumor cell targeting capability. We studied the synthesis conditions such as temperature and water dilution to control the capsule size and characterized the size distribution via dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy. We further studied the specificity of tumor cell targeting using three carcinoma cell lines with different levels of EGFR expression and investigated the photothermal effects of ICG containing nanocapsules on EGFR-rich tumor cells. Signific...
The Origins of an Iconographical Form of the Pilgrim Hsüan-tsang

(1986). The Origins of an Iconographical Form of the Pilgrim Hsuan-tsang. Tang Studies: Vol. 1986, No. 4, pp. 29-41.
Narrowing the Concept of Marketing

SUMMARY The misapplication of marketing to major American social institutions-education, religion, health care, the media, government and the legal system-has frequently undermined the fundamental purposes of those institutions, to the point that Laczniak and Michie's (1979a; 1979b) worst fears about marketing as a force for social disorder may have become a reality. Even more perplexing is a deeper question that marketers have yet to address adequately: Is the customer metaphor, which is so central to business and consumer marketing, fundamentally incompatible with the nature of a productive social institution?
Carbon and hydrogen analysis by semimicro combustion

A semimicro method for the determination of carbon and hydrogen in organic substances of varying character, consistency, and volatility is discussed. An ordinary analytical balance is used for the weighings. Determinations of high accuracy are made on samples containing 15–20 mg. of carbon in less than 90 minutes.
Dopamine levels of two classes of vesicles are differentially depleted by amphetamine.

Abstract Differential depletion of neurotransmitter by amphetamine in two classes of vesicles, termed large vesicles and small vesicles, has been studied with amperometry. Carbon fiber microelectrodes have been used to monitor and quantify exocytotic events. Current transients, corresponding to individual exocytotic events, have been obtained from the cell body of the dopamine-containing neuron of Planorbis corneus. The dopamine released from individual vesicles of these cells has been compared for cells treated with d -amphetamine vs. control cells. Our results show that amphetamine has differential effects on the release of dopamine from the two classes of vesicles. Thus, it is concluded that at low concentrations, amphetamine preferentially depletes the large vesicles with a minimal effect on the small vesicles. At high concentrations, amphetamine depletes small vesicles more strongly than large vesicles although amphetamine continues to deplete the large vesicles in a dose-dependent manner. Our data appear to indicate that the two classes of vesicles observed in the Planorbis dopamine neuron might have different mechanisms associated with transmitter depletion.
The photochemistry of neptunium in aqueous perchloric acid solutions

The photochemistry of neptunium ions in aqueous perchloric acid (0.1–4.0 N) has been investigated using 254 and 300 nm UV radiation. In the absence of other reagents, Np(IV) and (V) oxidized to Np(VI), in a stepwise fashion, with individual quantum efficiencies for each step that vary from 0.02 to 0.004. Decreasing acid concentration favors the Np(IV) → Np(V) reaction whereas it hinders the Np(V) → Np(VI) photo-oxidation. When ethanol, acetaldehyde and other mild reducing agents are added to neptunium-perchloric acid solutions which are then photolyzed, the Np species are reduced to Np(III) in a stepwise fashion with individual quantum efficiencies that vary from 0.07 to 0.006. The overall photoredox reactions of neptunium are subject to competing secondary product reactions that become significant as the photolysis products accumulate. Absorption spectrophotometry was used to monitor the changes in Np oxidation states and reference spectra of the various Np oxidation states are given for 1.0 N HClO4. The Np species have absorption bands in the 300–1320 nm region that obey Beer's law only when they were properly resolved.
Effects of Clinically Relevant MPL Mutations in the Transmembrane Domain Revealed at the Atomic Level through Computational Modeling

Background Mutations in the thrombopoietin receptor (MPL) may activate relevant pathways and lead to chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). The mechanisms of MPL activation remain elusive because of a lack of experimental structures. Modern computational biology techniques were utilized to explore the mechanisms of MPL protein activation due to various mutations. Results Transmembrane (TM) domain predictions, homology modeling, ab initio protein structure prediction, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to build structural dynamic models of wild-type and four clinically observed mutants of MPL. The simulation results suggest that S505 and W515 are important in keeping the TM domain in its correct position within the membrane. Mutations at either of these two positions cause movement of the TM domain, altering the conformation of the nearby intracellular domain in unexpected ways, and may cause the unwanted constitutive activation of MPL's kinase partner, JAK2. Conclusions Our findings represent the first full-scale molecular dynamics simulations of the wild-type and clinically observed mutants of the MPL protein, a critical element of the MPL-JAK2-STAT signaling pathway. In contrast to usual explanations for the activation mechanism that are based on the relative translational movement between rigid domains of MPL, our results suggest that mutations within the TM region could result in conformational changes including tilt and rotation (azimuthal) angles along the membrane axis. Such changes may significantly alter the conformation of the adjacent and intrinsically flexible intracellular domain. Hence, caution should be exercised when interpreting experimental evidence based on rigid models of cytokine receptors or similar systems.
Worth a Dozen Men: Women and Nursing in the Civil War South. By Libra R. Hilde. (Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press, 2012. Pp. vii, 317. $39.50.)

The author of this work expands an area of study on the American Civil War during the one‐hundred‐fiftieth‐year remembrance of the conflict that could have destroyed the young Republic or given it ...
A review of thickness swelling in particleboard.

This paper reviews the literature on thickness swelling of particleboard. Thickness swelling is directly affected by many process variables, but interactions between variables can change basic behavior. Durability depends on low swelling and a high resin content is the best way to control thickness swelling on the basis of past work. Various published studies on the effectiveness of special treatments for control of swelling have given conflicting results, but steam post-treatment seems the most promising for future development.
Radiation hydrodynamic simulation of a photoionised plasma experiment at the Z facility

New, high spectral resolution X-ray observations from astrophysical photoionised plasmas have been recorded in recent years by the Chandra and XMM-Newton orbiting telescopes. These observations provide a wealth of detailed information and have motivated new efforts at developing a detailed understanding of the atomic kinetics and radiation physics of photoionised plasmas. The Z facility at Sandia National Laboratories is a powerful source of X-rays that enables us to produce and study photoionised plasmas in the laboratory under well characterised conditions. We discuss a series of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations to help understand the X-ray environment, plasma hydrodynamics and atomic kinetics in experiments where a collapsing wire array at Z is used as an ionising source of radiation to create a photoionised plasma. The numerical simulations are used to investigate the role that the key experimental parameters have on the photoionised plasma characteristics.
Pion-Pion Interactions and Pion Production Branching Ratios at the Third Resonance

Branching rstios for incident pion kinetic energies from 810 to 1100 Mev are tabulsted. Pion-pion interactions and pion production branching ratios at the third resonance are discussed. (L.T.W.)
Derivation and validation of a practical risk score for prediction of mortality after open repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms in a US regional cohort and comparison to existing scoring systems

Objective Scoring systems for predicting mortality after repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (RAAAs) have not been developed or tested in a United States population and may not be accurate in the endovascular era. Using prospectively collected data from the Vascular Study Group of New England (VSGNE), we developed a practical risk score for in-hospital mortality after open repair of RAAAs and compared its performance to that of the Glasgow aneurysm score, Hardman index, Vancouver score, and Edinburg ruptured aneurysm score. Methods Univariate analysis followed by multivariable analysis of patient, prehospital, anatomic, and procedural characteristics identified significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Integer points were derived from the odds ratio (OR) for mortality based on each independent predictor in order to generate a VSGNE RAAA risk score, which was internally validated using bootstrapping methodology. Discrimination and calibration of all models were assessed by calculating the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (C-statistic) and applying the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Results From 2003 to 2009, 242 patients underwent open repair of RAAAs at 10 centers. In-hospital mortality was 38% (n = 91). Independent predictors of mortality included age >76 years (OR, 5.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.8-10.1), preoperative cardiac arrest (OR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.6-12), loss of consciousness (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2-6), and suprarenal aortic clamp (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-4.6). Patient stratification according to the VSGNE RAAA risk score (range, 0-6) accurately predicted mortality and identified those at low and high risk for death (8%, 25%, 37%, 60%, 80%, and 87% for scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5, respectively). Discrimination (C = .79) and calibration ( χ 2 = 1.96; P = .85) were excellent in the derivation and bootstrap samples and superior to that of existing scoring systems. The Glasgow aneurysm score, Hardman index, Vancouver score, and Edinburg ruptured aneurysm score correlated with mortality in the VSGNE cohort but failed to identify accurately patients with a risk of mortality >65%. Conclusions Existing scoring systems predict mortality after RAAA repair in this cohort but do not identify patients at highest risk. This parsimonious VSGNE RAAA risk score based on four variables readily assessed at the time of presentation allows accurate prediction of in-hospital mortality after open repair of RAAAs, including identification of those patients at highest risk for postoperative mortality.
Ablation of Bone Metastases

Metastatic disease is the most common neoplasm involving the skeletal system and can result in significant pain and morbidity. Although narcotic medications and external beam radiation therapy remain the standard of care, several image-guided ablation techniques have evolved to play a role in the management of painful bone metastases. This article reviews the percutaneous ablation techniques available for relieving bone pain in patients suffering from cancer.