cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Origins of weak crossover: when dynamic semantics meets event semantics

Approaches to anaphora generally seek to explain the potential for a DP to covary with a pronoun in terms of a combination of factors, such as (i) the inherent semantics of the antecedent DP (i.e., whether it is indefinite, quantificational, referential), (ii) its scope properties, and (iii) its structural position. A case in point is Reinhart’s classic condition on bound anaphora, paraphrasable as A DP can antecede a pronoun pro only if the DP c-commands pro at S-structure, supplemented with some extra machinery to allow indefinites to covary with pronouns beyond their c-command domains. In the present paper, I explore a different take. I propose that anaphora is governed not by DPs and their properties; it is governed by predicates (i.e., in the unary case, objects of type ) and their properties. To use a metaphor from dynamic semantics: discourse referents can only be ‘activated’ by predicates, never by DPs (Dynamic Predication Principle). This conceptually simple assumption is shown to have far-reaching consequences. For one, it yields a new take on weak crossover, arguably worthy of consideration. Moreover, it leads to a further general “restatement of the anaphora question”, in Reinhart’s (Linguist Philos 6: 47–88, 1983) words.
Hide the Republicans, the Christians, and the Women: A Response to

Do conservatives suffer discrimination in academe? In "Politics and Professional Advancement Among College Faculty," Rothman, Lichter, and Nevitte argue that "conservatives and Republicans teach at lower quality schools than do liberals and Democrats." Using a survey of 1643 faculty members from 183 four-year colleges and universities, they conclude that their results are "consistent with the hypothesis that political conservatism confers a disadvantage in the competition for political advancement." In this response, we show that Rothman, Lichter, and Nevitte's work is plagued by theoretical and methodological problems that render their conclusions unsustainable by the available evidence. Furthermore, we offer an alternative hypothesis theoretically consistent with their findings. Unfortunately, we were unable to subject our alternative hypothesis to empirical assessment (or even to replicate the initial results of Rothman, Lichter and Nevitte) since they have refused to make their data available to the scientific community.
DUOC-01, a cord blood derived cell therapy product, ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a murine model for multiple sclerosis

Background & Aim We have developed an umbilical cord-blood derived, macrophage-like cell therapy, DUOC-01, to treat demyelinating conditions of the central nervous system. Previously, we showed that DUOC-01 accelerated remyelination, decreased gliosis, and reduced cellular infiltration in the brain of immune-incompetent mice exposed to the demyelinating agent, cuprizone. To further explore the mechanism of action and investigate whether DUOC-01 will be effective in other experimental models of demyelination, we tested DUOC-01 in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, an animal model used to study multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods, Results & Conclusion EAE was induced in C57BL/6 mice by immunizing with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOG35-55) in complete Freund's adjuvant. We have previously established in a phase I trial of intrathecally administered DUOC-01 cells in patients with leukodystrophies, that DUOC-01 is formulated in hydrocortisone (HC) for infusion in the clinic. Therefore, to mimic the practice in the clinic, DUOC-01 cells were incubated in Ringer's Lactate with 3mg/mL HC at a dilution of 1 × 106 cells/ml for 2 hours at room temperature prior to injection. DUOC-01 cells were then administered at a dose of 3 × 105cells/mouse into the cerebrospinal fluid by a single intra-cisterna magna injection at the point when mice started showing early disease symptoms of EAE. Clinical score was recorded for next several days. Compared to mice injected with Ringer's (n=9), mice injected with DUOC-01 (n=9) had decreased severity of the disease, as indicated by lower clinical scores based on severity of ascending paralysis. The spinal cords of mice in the cohorts were studied histopathologically and those with mice injected with DUOC-01 had reduced inflammation and lower cellular infiltration compared to spinal cords of mice injected with Ringer's. The overall number of CD45+ immune cells were less in spinal cords of mice treated with DUOC-01 cells compared to the Ringer's injected mice. Most strikingly, among the various cell types, the number of neutrophils present in the spinal cords from the DUOC-01 treated group was less than the Ringer's treated samples. Presently we are exploring the mechanism(s) through which DUOC-01 cells promote remyelination and decrease immune cell infiltration. In brief, our data suggest that DUOC-01 cell therapy product could be beneficial in treating MS and other diverse neurological conditions with demyelination.
Assessment of Online Sites Reliability, Accountability, Readability, Accessibility, and Translation for Intravitreal Injections.

Purpose Patients increasingly use the internet to access health-related information to better understand their treatments. This study compares the quality, accountability, readability, accessibility, and presence of translation between private and academic online source material available to the public regarding intravitreal injections (IVIs). Design Cross-sectional analysis. Participants Top 20 websites on a Google search for the terms eye injections, intravitreal injections, and anti-VEGF injections. Methods Websites were classified as private or academic. Quality and accountability were assessed using the internationally recognized DISCERN criteria and the Health on the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode). Readability was evaluated using an online tool that provides a consensus readability grade. The presence of and languages available for translation were recorded. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was a comparison of the DISCERN and HONcode quality and accountability scores between academic and private websites. Secondary outcome measures included evaluating readability, accessibility, and presence of translation (in particular, Spanish). Results Eleven academic and 9 private websites were included. The overall mean score using DISCERN criteria for the academic websites (3.11 ± 0.46) was significantly higher than that of private websites (2.23 ± 0.61; P Conclusions The overall quality and accountability of online content for academic sites was significantly higher compared with that of private websites. Translation was rarely provided, and the readability grade level was significantly higher for both groups than recommended. Improving the quality, accountability, readability, and accessibility and incorporating translation in websites can help to improve patients’ health literacy regarding IVIs, potentially leading to increased adherence to therapy plans and improved treatment outcomes.
Experimental Evolution of Human Rhinovirus Strains Adapting to Mouse Cells

Experimental evolution studies offer the possibility to examine whether closely related populations converge versus diverge in phenotype and genotype, when challenged to adapt under identical selection pressures. Human rhinoviruses (RV) are largely responsible for common cold illnesses, but little is known on whether different strains of these RNA viruses tend to evolve similarly when cultured on cells in laboratory tissue culture. Here we compared and contrasted evolution of two RV-A serotype strains (RV-1A, RV-1B) grown for ∼25 passages on mouse-derived LA-4 cells, expanding on a previous study concerning temperaturedependent innate immunity in mouse-adapted rhinovirus strains. Results showed faster adaptation of the population founded by RV-1B, consistent with classic theory predicting more rapid improvement in populations poorly adapted to their environment. Moreover, we observed increased molecular divergence between the two lineages as they adapted to mouse cells, demonstrated by selection targeting different viral capsid genes and different substitutions in affected viral replication genes, across the two populations. Our findings identify the genetic changes associated with human rhinovirus adaptation to a novel mouse host, which furthers the understanding of loci contributing to RV host jumps in mammals and efforts to develop mice as useful animal models for studying RV infection and pathogenicity.
The Political Lives of Deserts

Deserts, like any geographic setting, are not sites where geopolitical dramas simply unfold or “touch down”; rather, they actively constitute geopolitical orders. This article shows how taking dese...
Food Deserts and Risk for Rehospitalization in Heart Failure Patients

Introduction Rehospitalization represents a financial burden on the healthcare system, estimated to be 17.4 billion dollars amongst Medicare recipients in 2004. The leading diagnosis for thirty day readmissions is for patients with congestive heart failure. Living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood has been independently linked to increased rates of rehospitalization, with equivalent risk to having a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income areas, so called food deserts, has been linked to higher obesity rates, a risk factor for the development of congestive heart failure. While sodium restriction remains a recommendation in the ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of heart failure, data is inconsistent regarding the role of diet in symptomatic control. We hypothesized that distance to fresh produce and proximity to fast food may increase rate of admission for heart failure. Methods We created a dataset of all patients with an admission or discharge diagnosis of systolic heart failure from December 1st, 2010 to December 1st, 2015 at the University of Illinois Hospital. These patients were confirmed by chart review to have a left ventricular ejection fraction Results and Conclusions Patients were stratified by number of admissions, either having one or more than one admission. Patients with multiple admissions were found to have a grocery store closer to their home address (p=0.023) as well as more stores in a 5 mile radius (p=0.012) than patients with only one admission. Patients with multiple admissions were also found to have a significantly higher number of fast food restaurants in a 5 mile radius when compared to patients with only one admission (p=0.014). Availability of low sodium foods may be only a small factor in heart failure patient's dietary choices as patients with multiple admissions had more grocery stores within 5 miles and were closer to a grocery store. Patients with multiple admissions had significantly more fast food restaurants closer to their home, suggesting that taste preference, price and convenience play a significant factor in patient's dietary choices. It should also be mentioned that patients in all groups had more than twice the number of fast food restaurants near their home than grocery stores.
Magnetic sphincter augmentation with hiatal hernia repair: long term outcomes.

Magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) is a safe and effective treatment for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). MSA was initially indicated for patients with GERD and concomitant hiatal hernias 2 cm) on videoesophagram or endoscopy. Seventy-nine patients (53% female) with a median age of 65.56 (58.42–69.80) years were included. Median follow up was 2.98 (interquartile range 1.90–3.32) years. Median DeMeester scores decreased from 42.45 (29.12–60.73) to 9.10 (3.05–24.30) (p < 0.001). Severity of esophagitis (e.g. LA class C to class B) significantly improved (p < 0.01). Forty percent of patients with Barrett's esophagus experienced regression (p < 0.01). Median GERD-HRQL scores improved from 21 to 2. Five (6.3%) hiatal hernia recurrences occurred, and 1 required re-operation. Age, body mass index, size of the initial hiatal hernia, and sex had no significant effect on whether a patient developed a recurrence. Magnetic sphincter augmentation in conjunction with large hiatal hernia repairs for patients with GERD achieves excellent long-term radiographic and clinical results, and a low overall need for reoperation, without the need for mesh.
Adaptive hyperparameter updating for training restricted Boltzmann machines on quantum annealers.

Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs) have been proposed for developing neural networks for a variety of unsupervised machine learning applications such as image recognition, drug discovery, and materials design. The Boltzmann probability distribution is used as a model to identify network parameters by optimizing the likelihood of predicting an output given hidden states trained on available data. Training such networks often requires sampling over a large probability space that must be approximated during gradient based optimization. Quantum annealing has been proposed as a means to search this space more efficiently which has been experimentally investigated on D-Wave hardware. D-Wave implementation requires selection of an effective inverse temperature or hyperparameter ( $$\beta $$ ) within the Boltzmann distribution which can strongly influence optimization. Here, we show how this parameter can be estimated as a hyperparameter applied to D-Wave hardware during neural network training by maximizing the likelihood or minimizing the Shannon entropy. We find both methods improve training RBMs based upon D-Wave hardware experimental validation on an image recognition problem. Neural network image reconstruction errors are evaluated using Bayesian uncertainty analysis which illustrate more than an order magnitude lower image reconstruction error using the maximum likelihood over manually optimizing the hyperparameter. The maximum likelihood method is also shown to out-perform minimizing the Shannon entropy for image reconstruction.
Identifying the Influence of Zebra and Quagga Mussels on Sedimentary Phosphorus Dynamics in Western Lake Erie

Dreissenid mussels can alter nutrient cycling and algal productivity in many freshwater ecosystems. But their effects on sedimentary phosphorus dynamics remain largely undefined. Here, we report evidence that dreissenids affect the concentrations of five sedimentary phosphorus fractions and total phosphorus. During our study, zebra mussels were still common and coexisted with quagga mussels in many parts of the basin. The relative abundances varied across the basin, which we characterized as five west-to-east alternating zones where zebra mussels dominated zones I (coastal) and III, quagga mussels dominated zones II and IV, and few dreissenids were present in zone V. The phosphorus fractions exhibited variation concordant with and therefore potentially influenced by dreissenids. Concentrations of all fractions and TP were consistently greater in sediments where quagga mussels dominated than in sediments where zebra mussels dominated. The responses to the absence versus presence of dreissenids were mixed, with Res-P being significantly affected, NaCl-Pi and HCl-Pi being moderately affected, and NaOH-Pi being least affected. Although such dreissenid effects were somewhat altered by in-lake biogeochemical cycling and transfer, we found that elevated levels of NaCl-Pi in dreissenid-present sediments, especially in quagga-dominated sediments, could be linked to recent eutrophication and harmful algal blooms in the basin.
Evaluation of Health Disparities in Pregnant COVID-19 Patients: A Case Control Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionally affects Latino and Black populations, highlighting the socio-economic factors that contribute to health disparity in these communities. Limited data in pregnant patients has shown a disproportionate number of Latino women infected with COVID-19. The objective of this study is to further evaluate positive pregnant COVID-19 patients in our population and assess for potential socio-economic risk factors that increases the risk of contracting the virus. Methods: This was an IRB-exempt, case-controlled study. Retrospective and prospective chart review was conducted of all obstetrical patients admitted to our L&D from March 30th to April 30th – the peak of infection in New York. COVID positive patients were aged matched (+/– 3 years) to COVID negative patients and baseline demographics were compared amongst COVID positive and COVID negative patients. Univariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between each variable and COVID status. Results reported as odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. A result was considered statistically significant at the p Results: Subjects who were born internationally were 15 times more likely to be COVID positive compared to those born in the US (OR = 15.00, 95% CI: 4.94, 45.51, p Conclusions: The most protective factor against COVID-19 infection is social distancing and quarantining. Dense living situations and lack of remote employment opportunities contribute to the impact of COVID-19 on people of color. Our study continues to support the growing body of data that racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Predicting protein domain temperature adaptation across the prokaryote-eukaryote divide

Protein thermostability is important for fitness but difficult to measure across the proteome. Fortunately, protein thermostability is correlated with prokaryote optimal growth temperatures (OGTs), which can be predicted from genome features. Models that can predict temperature sensitivity across the prokaryote-eukaryote divide would help inform how eukaryotes adapt to elevated temperatures, such as those predicted by climate change models. In this study we test whether prediction models can cross the prokaryote-eukaryote divide to predict protein stability in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. We compare models built using a) the whole proteome, b) Pfam domains, and c) individual amino acid residues. Proteome-wide models accurately predict prokaryote optimal growth temperatures (r2 up to 0.93), while site-specific models demonstrate that nearly half of the proteome is associated with optimal growth temperature in both Archaea and Bacteria. Comparisons with the small number of eukaryotes with temperature sensitivity data suggest that site-specific models are the most transferable across the prokaryote-eukaryote divide. Using the site-specific models, we evaluated temperature sensitivity for 323,850 amino acid residues in 2,088 Pfam domain clusters in Archaea and Bacteria species separately. 59.0% of tested residues are significantly associated with OGT in Archaea and 75.2% of tested residues are significantly associated with OGT in Bacteria species at a 5% false discovery rate. These models make it possible to identify which Pfam domains and amino acid residues are involved in temperature adaptation and facilitate future research questions about how species will fare in the face of increasing environmental temperatures.
Associations between relationship quality and treatment-related stress among couples receiving methadone for opioid use disorder.

Abstract Background Social relationships may buffer or exacerbate stress among patients receiving methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Little is known, however, about how relationship quality is linked to treatment-related stress among couples in which both partners receive methadone. We considered the links between relationship quality and treatment-related stress among couples in methadone treatment for OUD. Methods Participants for this cross-sectional observational study included 60 heterosexual married or cohabiting couples aged 18 and older drawn from two opioid treatment programs in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Both partners completed a self-administered survey which assessed their sociodemographic information, relationship and treatment characteristics, and perceived treatment-related stress. We estimated actor-partner interdependence models to evaluate the links between each partner's perceptions of relationship quality (with their partner and their closest family member or friend) and treatment-related stress. Results When their partners reported a more positive partner relationship, women had lower treatment-related stress. When women reported a more positive relationship with their own closest family member or friend, both women and their partners had lower treatment-related stress. When men perceived a more positive relationship with their closest family member or friend, their partners reported greater treatment-related stress. Negative relationship quality was not significantly linked to treatment-related stress. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of considering how social relationship quality might impact the experiences of couples receiving methadone for OUD. In particular, women's close relationships may help to mitigate treatment-related stress.
Extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERK1/2) play an important role in migration, invasion and chemoresistance of human mesotheliomas

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 3589 Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a fatal cancer which has been associated historically with occupational exposure to asbestos. The prognosis of patients with MM is grim as median survival is less than a year from initial diagnosis, fibroblastoid MMs being more aggressive with a poorer prognosis than epitheloid MMs. Extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERK1/2) are deregulated in approximately one third of all human cancers, however, little is known regarding their role in MM. We used several pleural mesothelioma cell lines (MO, ME12, ME26 and ME27) from patients to assess the role of ERK1/2 in migration, invasion, and gene expression in the presence or absence of a specific MEK1/2 (an upstream kinase for ERK1/2) inhibitor U0126 (20 μM) or its inactive analog U0124 (20 μM). Here we show that cell migration and invasion were greatest in the fibroblastoid MM line (MO) and inhibited by U0126 but not U0124. Endogenous expression of several genes ( BCL2, ABCB1, BRCA1, BRCA2 and FOS ) (as assessed by a PCR Array template for 84 genes-Human Cancer Drug Resistance and Metabolism, from SuperArray) that were increased in MMs compared to a telomerase-immortalized, contact inhibited human mesothelial cell line (LP9/TERT-1), were inhibited by U0126 in both the MO and an epitheloid MM (ME26) cell line. Addition of Doxorubicin (LD50~25μM) caused loss of viability as well as ERK1/2 activation in all four MM cell lines. Use of U0126 inhibited Doxorubicin-induced ERK1/2 activation and cell viability, suggesting a prosurvival role for ERK1/2. Taken together these data demonstrate that ERK1/2 plays an important role in maintaining migration and invasion of MM cells and regulates endogenous expression of genes involved in cell death and drug resistance. Since treatment of MM cells with Doxorubicin caused activation of ERK1/2 as a prosurvival response, ERK1/2 could potentially be targeted in combination therapy of MM. This work is supported by PO1CA11407.
Being in on the Joke: Pedagogy, Race, Humor

Comedian Dave Chappelle has a parody of a 1950s sitcom where he plays a black milkman teasing his customers, a white family named the Niggars (“these are the Niggars that we like,” goes the opening song). While the milkman, Clifton, enjoys using their name and attaching common racial stereotypes to the family, he also breaks into the humor, “I’ll bet you get the finest table Niggars ever got in this restaurant,” with a painful, closing aside, “Oh lord, this racism is killing me inside.” Humor’s jolting combination of pleasure and critique, I argue, can jump-start social justice education from its occasional lurch into unproductive, if earnest, oversimplifications. While many of us may use humor on an ad hoc basis, I will show how contemporary antiracist performance art uses humor intentionally. This use of humor to intervene in social justice issues has a long tradition. From the “sly civility” of black etiquette to contemporary “humorous” engagement with racism, black cultural practices and philosophies provide a counterpoint to the traditional earnest classroom discussion, and show how humor’s metaand indirect pedagogies can communicate a critique of white dominance, chip away at white certainty, and build oppositional community that lives in and argues through contingency. I am most interested in the complex way that subversive humorous engagement disrupts the kind of reciprocal relationship critical pedagogy advocates, installing instead an engaged but nonreciprocal relationship. I see promise in using humor — simultaneously amusing and unsettling — to intervene in the usual resistances and earnestness in teacher and student contributions to social justice classrooms.
Budgeting and Reporting for Public-Private Partnerships

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can appeal to governments because they offer a new way of providing public services that is possibly more efficient than traditional public finance. But they can also appeal to governments because they allow new investments to be undertaken without any immediate increase in reported government spending or debt. This second motive for using PPPs rests largely on an illusion, because in the absence of efficiency gains (which are probably small relative to the total cost of the project), PPPs and publicly financed projects have a similar long-run effect on public finances. In some PPPs, the government defers payment, but ultimately must still pay the full cost of the project. In others, it concedes the right to collect user fees, and thus loses revenue it would have collected if the project had been financed traditionally.
Chemical abundances in the atmospheres of the giant planets and their satellites

The outer planets and their satellites offer several environments of interest to the general problem of the origin and evolution of life. The characteristics of these environments are reviewed with special emphasis on the structure and composition of planetary and satellite atmospheres. Long period comets may provide a unique opportunity for sampling the primitive organic material available at the time of solar system formation. Titan appears to offer a low temperature analogue of the chemically active reducing environment commonly postulated for the primitive Earth.
Theoretical performance analysis of maximum likelihood sequence estimation in intensity modulated short-haul fiber optic links

It is well known that the optimal receiver for channels with intersymbol interference (ISI) is the maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) receiver. The MLSE techniques achieve optimal performance by taking advantage of the deterministic correlations introduced by chromatic dispersion generated ISI and the known channel noise statistics. This paper provides a theoretical examination of MLSE based on the assumption that the performance of the optical links is dominated by the thermal noise in the detection and/or post detection circuitry. A noise-model assumption based on Gaussian distribution is chosen because the thermal noise limited operation tends to dominate in the short-haul and metropolitan networks containing no optical amplifiers.
Interactions of a Cobra Neurotoxin and Affinity Labels of the Acetylcholine Receptor in the Electroplax

The principal neurotoxin of Naja naja siamensis alters interactions with the reduced acetylcholine receptor in the electroplax of one inactivating and two activating affinity reagents. Prior application of this cobra toxin to the dithiothreitol-treated electroplax prevents the depolarization otherwise resulting from the reaction with the activating affinity reagents and blocks the reaction with the receptor of the inactivating affinity reagent. Subsequent application of the toxin reverses the depolarization following the reaction of one of the activating affinity reagents only. It has been previously found that reversibly acting competitive inhibitors such as d -tubocurarine reverse the depolarization following the reaction of either of these activating reagents; the depolarization recurs when the competitive inhibitor is removed by washing. It is inferred that the neurotoxin and all three affinity reagents have overlapping although not identical sites or modes of attachment to the receptor. All bind to the negative subsite of the acetylcholine-binding site but also have other subsites of attachment. d -Tubocurarine binds either to a site with a common subsite or to a wholly distinct but strongly interacting site. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank Drs. D. Cooper and E. Reich for their gift of purified toxin, and Mrs. C. Silaghy for her expert technical assistance.
GENERAL ASSESSMENTS AND THRESHOLDS FOR CHRONIC OFFENDING: AN ENRICHED PARADIGM FOR EXPLAINING CRIME

General assessments refer to individuals’ overall judgment of their standing on broad dimensions that have special relevance for the explanation of crime, such as their overall bond to society or their prospects for success. These assessments are partly a function of the independent variables that are commonly considered in contemporary crime theories and quantitative research. But these standard etiological variables are far from fully determinative of general assessments because individuals differ in how they interpret, weigh, and combine their standing along these variables. The social–psychological factors that affect the subjective judgments underlying general assessments have yet to be theorized in any comprehensive, systematic manner. Nevertheless, we hypothesize that the incorporation of general assessments in models of offending will greatly enhance their explanatory power because these assessments are the most proximate, comprehensive, and personally relevant causes of crime. Moreover, we anticipate that once these assessments reach certain threshold levels, such as the view that bonds to society are severed irreparably or success is beyond reach, they result in a nonlinear jump in the frequency, seriousness, and duration of offending (i.e., chronic offending). A consideration of general assessments and their associated thresholds should therefore substantially improve efforts to explain crime.
Food consumption by young children: A function of parental feeding goals and practices

Staggering health implications are associated with poor child diet. Given the importance of parents in impacting children's eating outcomes, the current study examined a theoretical framework in which both parental feeding goals and practices impact specific healthy and unhealthy child eating behaviors. Participants were 171 mothers of 3-6year old children who were diverse both socioeconomically and with regard to BMI. Mothers completed questionnaires via Mechanical Turk, an online workforce through Amazon.com. Structural Equation Modeling showed an adequate model fit in which Negative Feeding Practices (e.g., using food as a reward) mediated the relationship between Health-Related Feeding Goals (i.e., feeding children with health-oriented goals in mind) and Negative Eating Behaviors (e.g., consumption of candy and snacks). However, Negative Feeding Practices did not mediate the relationship between Health-Related Feeding Goals and Positive Eating Behaviors (i.e., fruits and vegetables). These findings suggest the important role of habitual food parenting practices in children's eating and have implications for parental health education programs.
Fabrication of Ge nanoclusters on Si with a buffer layer-assisted growth method

Abstract Size selectable Ge nanoclusters are formed on Si using a buffer layer-assisted growth method. A condensed inert gas layer of xenon, with low surface free energy, was used as a buffer to prevent direct interactions of deposited Ge atoms with Si substrates during Ge nanocluster growth. The scanning tunneling microscope studies indicate absence of a strained wetting layer between Ge nanoclusters. These nanoclusters are substantially smaller and denser than the Ge hut clusters that are formed with the normal Stranski–Krastanov growth mode. The morphology of the nanoclusters can be tuned over a wide range, which is very desirable for studying the three-dimensional confinement effect.
How accurate is the determination of blood in gastric juice? Comparison of peroxidase and porphyrin methods.

Background : Mucosal bleeding is frequently used as a measure of gastric mucosal integrity. We compared the orthotolidine method for quantifying haemoglobin in gastric juice with a method based on measurement of fluorescent porphyrins extracted from haem. We also investigated whether acid or pepsin had a deleterious effect on the results of either method. Methods : We compared the effects of pH (2 or 7), time (up to 180 min), haemoglobin concentration and the addition of pepsin (2.5, 5 or 7.5 kU/mL hog pepsin) on the accuracy of the two methods. Results : With the orthotolidine method there was a time-dependent decline in detectable haemoglobin concentration (P < 0.02) at pH 2 that was not seen at pH 7. The time- and pH-dependent decline in detectable haemoglobin was not seen using the porphyrin assay. Conclusion : The widely used orthotolidine method for determination of blood in gastric juice is less reliable than the porphyrin method as it is more likely to be influenced by acidic conditions in the stomach.
Effect of aldehyde lipid oxidation products on myoglobin.

The effects of aldehyde lipid oxidation products on myoglobin (Mb) were investigated at 37 degrees C and pH 7.2. Oxymyoglobin (OxyMb) oxidation increased in the presence of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) compared to controls (P hexanal > heptanal > octanal > nonanal = decanal = hexenal > heptenal = octenal > nonenal = decenal = 4-HNE (P < 0.05). Preincubation of MetMb with 4-HNE enhanced the subsequent ability of the heme protein to act as a prooxidant in both liposomes and microsomes when compared to controls (P < 0.05); the effect was reduced in microsomes containing elevated concentrations of alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.05). MetMb preincubation with mono-unsaturated aldehydes enhanced the catalytic activity of MetMb to a greater degree than saturated aldehydes (P < 0.05). These results suggest that aldehyde lipid oxidation products can alter Mb stability by increasing OxyMb oxidation, decreasing the ability of MetMb to be enzymatically reduced and enhancing the prooxidant activity of MetMb.
Origin of double melting peaks in drawn nylon 6 yarns

The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) melting curves of drawn nylon 6 were studied from the standpoint of reorganization of the crystals during the heating process. A new method was presented to obtain the DSC curve associated with the growth and melting of the original crystals, and that with the recrystallization and final melting process, separately. The results obtained show that, in the case of a heating rate of 10°C/min, the original crystals in the sample start perfecting themselves at temperatures far below their initial melting temperature and melt out below 222°C, recrystallization starts at about 210°C, and the newly emerged crystals melt out at 228°C. The superposition of two such constructed DSC curves reproduces the observed DSC curve well. Therefore, the double melting peaks of the sample are considered to be the result of superposition of three processes which occur successively during heating; perfection of the original crystals, melting of the perfected crystals concurrently with recrystallization, and melting of the recrystallized crystals.
Pollen retention following natural self pollination in peach, almond, and peach × almond hybrids

Retention of pollen grains following natural self-pollination was evaluated in 15 cultivars (cvs.) of almond, 4 peach and 2 nectarine cvs., and 37 interspecific peach × almond hybrids compared to 7 almond seedlings. The level of pollen retention was presumed to reflect and integrate the degree of homogamy, the amount of pollen produced by the flower, the extent of anther-stigma contact during anthesis, and the level of pollen germination. Pollen retention averaged 5 times greater in the peach and nectarine cvs. than in the almond cvs. The greater pollen retention, characteristic of the peach, was dominant in expression in the interspecific F1 hybrids over the lower levels of pollen retention, characteristic of the almond. Thus, gametophytic self-incompatibility is not the only trait supporting outcrossing in the almond. Our data are consistent with the concept of co-evolution of floral traits relating to different breeding strategies. The level of pollen retention could often be anticipated at anthesis on the basis of blossom phenotype. That is, stigma-anther contact was observed frequently in the blossoms of peach, nectarine, and the peach × almond F1 hybrids, but only infrequently in almond.
Evaluation of a Web-based introductory psychology course: I. Learning and satisfaction in on-line versus lecture courses

We offered introductory psychology on the World-Wide Web (WWW) and evaluated the on-line format relative to the traditional lecture-test format, using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. Multiple sections of the introductory course were offered each semester; on-line and lecture sections were taught by the same instructor, the same textbook was used, and the same in-class examinations were taken. For on-line sections, mastery quizzes, interactive individual exercises, and weekly laboratory meetings replaced lectures. Increased content knowledge was greater for the students in the Web sections, as was in-class examination performance. Use of the WWW and computers for academic purposes increased more in the on-line sections, and the on-line students showed a greater decrease in computer anxiety. The students in the on-line sections expressed appreciation for course components and the convenience of the course, but the lecture sections received higher ratings on course evaluations than did the on-line sections. Learning and course satisfaction were dissociated in the two course formats.
The anabolic influence of aminopyrine

Abstract Aminopyrine was anabolic when administered to 5 normal, young male subjects in usual therapeutic dosages, as indicated by diminished urinary nitrogen, creatine and inorganic phosphorus. The anabolic effect with the dosages of aminopyrine employed in this study was slightly less than but comparable in magnitude to that resulting from the intramuscular administration of 25 mg. daily of testosterone propionate. In 1 study the anticipated catabolic influence of intramuscular progesterone was partially offset by the simultaneous oral administration of aminopyrine. Although the effect of aminopyrine upon electrolyte metabolism was variable, a weak sodium retaining influence was suggested by the occurrence of sodium retention during treatment in 1 study and of moderate natriuresis in every instance after treatment was discontinued. Aminopyrine is a highly effective analgesic, antipyretic agent which has virtually been discarded from the therapeutic armamentarium because of the frequency of agranulocytosis associated with its administration. Renewed interest in aminopyrine or its congeners by clinical pharmacologists might be warranted on the basis of the anabolic property noted in this study.
TGF-β signaling in fibrosis

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a central mediator of fibrogenesis. TGF-β is upregulated and activated in fibrotic diseases and modulates fibroblast phenotype and function, inducing myofibroblast transdifferentiation while promoting matrix preservation. Studies in a wide range of experimental models have demonstrated the involvement of the canonical activin receptor-like kinase 5/Smad3 pathway in fibrosis. Smad-independent pathways may regulate Smad activation and, under certain conditions, may directly transduce fibrogenic signals. The profibrotic actions of TGF-β are mediated, at least in part, through induction of its downstream effector, connective tissue growth factor. In light of its essential role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis, TGF-β has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target. However, the pleiotropic and multifunctional effects of TGF-β and its role in tissue homeostasis, immunity and cell proliferation raise concerns regarding potential side effects that may be caused by TGF-β bloc...
Solving Nonconvex Problems of Multibody Dynamics with Joints, Contact, and Small Friction by Successive Convex Relaxation

Time-stepping methods using impulse-velocity approaches are guaranteed to have a solution for any friction coefficient, but they may have nonconvex solution sets. We present an example of a configuration with a nonconvex solution set for any nonzero value of the friction coefficient. We construct an iterative algorithm that solves convex subproblems and that is guaranteed, for sufficiently small friction coefficients, to retrieve, at a linear convergence rate, the velocity solution of the nonconvex linear complementarity problem whenever the frictionless configuration can be disassembled. In addition, we show that one step of the iterative algorithm provides an excellent approximation to the velocity solution of the original, possibly nonconvex, problem if the product between the friction coefficient and the slip velocity is small.
Spatial and Temporal Variability in Floodplain Backwater Sedimentation, Pool Ten, Upper Mississippi River

Sedimentation in Upper Mississippi River (UMR) aquatic habitats known as "backwaters" has been an issue of concern since the installation of navigation locks and dams in the late 1930s. The impounded river subjects previously protected aquatic habitat to increased durations of river flow and associated sedimentation. Four cores were extracted from isolated backwaters in Navigation Pool Ten near Bagley, Wisconsin, in summer 2001. Particle size, organic carbon, and carbonate analyses were used to determine sedimentation response to changes in flooding associated with the dams. UMR flooding heavily influences backwaters adjacent to the main channel, while backwaters more distant from the main channel have the potential to be influenced by small tributary streams. High spatial variability in sedimentation patterns of the Bagley Bottoms backwaters suggests the importance of relative site location when evaluating these habitats. In addition, recent large magnitude floods on the UMR seem to be a major source of ...
A Prospective Evaluation of the CD14 and CD18 Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Stroke

Background and Purpose — Genetic polymorphisms of the CD14 lipopolysaccharide receptor gene ( CD14 ) and the CD18 leukocyte adhesion molecule gene ( CD18 ) have recently been hypothesized to be risk factors for atherothrombosis. However, no prospective data on subsequent risk of stroke are available. The present investigation was conducted to examine the possible association between the CD14 C(−260)T and CD18 codon 441 gene polymorphisms and the incidence of stroke in a large, prospective, matched case-control sample from the Physicians’ Health Study. Methods — In the Physicians’ Health Study, 14 916 apparently healthy men were followed over a 12-year period for stroke. Using a nested case-control study design, 338 study participants who developed stroke (cases) and 338 age- and smoking-matched study participants who remained free of reported disease during follow-up (controls) were evaluated. Both polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction with subsequent and respective restriction fragment length polymorphism gel electrophoresis. Results — All observed genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The allele and genotype distributions of the polymorphisms tested were similar among cases and controls, such that the relative risk of future stroke was 0.87 for CD14 C(−260)T (95% CI=0.69 to 1.11; P =0.27) and 0.99 for CD18 codon 441 (95% CI=0.77 to 1.28; P =0.96) assuming an additive mode of inheritance. No evidence of association was observed assuming dominant or recessive model, and similar null results were observed in subgroup analysis restricted to thromboembolic events Conclusions — In this large, prospective study, we found little evidence that the two previously described polymorphisms in the CD14 and CD18 genes are associated with risks of future stroke.
Multiplication by Integer constants

Methods are given for finding a sequence of ‘add’, ‘subtract’ and ‘shift’ instructions to multiply the contents of a register by an integer constant. Each method generalizes the previous one and requires only a few intermediate or scratch registers. A variation of the last method is used in the PL.8 compiler and uses an unnoticeable amount of the overall compile time. Some statistics roughly indicating the effectiveness of the methods are presented.
Projections of the nucleus and tracts of the stria terminalis following lesions at the level of the anterior commissure.

Abstract The projections of the stria terminalis were traced with the Fink-Heimer stain following lesions at the level of the anterior commissure. The pre-commissural stria terminalis is amygdalofugal only, and projects to the nucleus of the anterior commissure, the medial preoptic area, the ventral portion of the capsule surrounding the ventromedial nucleus, and to the area closely adjacent to the periventricular nucleus by way of the medial corticohypothalamic tract. The postcommissural stria terminalis is both amygdalofugal and amygdalopetal. Its hypothalamic projection is to the lateral preoptic area and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and to the lateral hypothalamus by way of the lateral preoptic area. The amygdaloid projection is mainly to the basolateral nucleus, with fewer terminations to the basomedial nucleus and the area surrounding the central nucleus. The projections of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis are quite similar to the postcommissural stria, except for an additional projection to the magnocellular paraventricular and dorsal periventricular nuclei by way of the lateral filiform tract. The commissural stria terminalis projects contralaterally to cells within its fiber bundle and the posterior limb of the anterior commissure.
Do patients with ACS aged 90 years or older receive the same standard of care as younger patients

Do patients with ACS aged 90 years or older receive the same standard of care as younger patients?
Dipolar Alignment in an Electric Field: Effect of Lattice Arrangement†

Monte Carlo calculations were carried out to elucidate the dependence of dipolar alignment in a strong electric poling field on the choice of lattice. It has been found that the lattice that provides the best alignment for a prolate-shaped chromophore is an offset tetragonal lattice (same as face-centered tetragonal), whereas the lowest-energy lattice is a non-offset tetragonal (primitive tetragonal) lattice arrangement.