cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interpersonal and affective features of psychopathy in children and adolescents: advancing a developmental perspective. Introduction to special section.

The interpersonal (e.g., manipulative, deceitful) and affective (e.g., callous, unemotional) features associated with adult psychopathy have been identified in children and adolescents. Although early research suggests that these features have clinical utility in identifying a particularly severe and recalcitrant form of antisocial behavior with unique developmental origins, several issues regarding these features need to be addressed. This special section is designed to address developmental questions regarding the interpersonal/affective features of psychopathy that have been posed by researchers in the field. Articles included in this special section focus on the structure and stability of the interpersonal/affective features of psychopathy from childhood to adolescence as well as the relation between these features and measures of psychopathy in adulthood. Articles also address the relation between the affective components of psychopathy and ADHD symptoms, emotional problems, and parenting practices i...
A prospective, randomized, controlled trial of high and low maintenance doses of magnesium sulfate for acute tocolysis.

Abstract Objective: This study was undertaken to compare a high-dose protocol for magnesium sulfate tocolytic therapy with a low-dose regimen with respect to time needed to achieve tocolysis. Study Design: Patients between 24 and 34 weeks' gestation with preterm labor were included. Patients with ruptured membranes or nonreassuring fetal assessments were excluded. Gravid women received a 4-g loading dose of magnesium sulfate and were prospectively randomly assigned to receive a maintenance dose of 2 or 5 g/h. Results: The median times to tocolysis were 120 minutes (semi-interquartile range, 30 minutes) in the low-dose group and 90 minutes (semi-interquartile range, 28 minutes) in the high-dose group ( P Conclusion: Patients treated with a higher maintenance dose of magnesium sulfate had a higher frequency of side effects; however, tocolysis was achieved more rapidly and they required shorter admissions to the labor and delivery unit without increased maternal or neonatal morbidity. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1477-82.)
The H3 antagonist, ciproxifan, alleviates the memory impairment but enhances the motor effects of MK-801 (dizocilpine) in rats

Antagonists of H(3)-type histamine receptors exhibit cognitive-enhancing properties in various memory paradigms as well as evidence of antipsychotic activity in normal animals. The present study determined if a prototypical H(3) antagonist, ciproxifan, could reverse the behavioral effects of MK-801, a drug used in animals to mimic the hypoglutamatergic state suspected to exist in schizophrenia. Four behaviors were chosen for study, locomotor activity, ataxia, prepulse inhibition (PPI), and delayed spatial alternation, since their modification by dizocilpine (MK-801) has been well characterized. Adult male Long-Evans rats were tested after receiving a subcutaneous injection of ciproxifan or vehicle followed 20 min later by a subcutaneous injection of MK-801 or vehicle. Three doses of MK-801 (0.05, 0.1, & 0.3 mg/kg) increased locomotor activity. Each dose of ciproxifan (1.0 & 3.0 mg/kg) enhanced the effect of the moderate dose of MK-801, but suppressed the effect of the high dose. Ciproxifan (3.0 mg/kg) enhanced the effects of MK-801 (0.1 & 0.3 mg/kg) on fine movements and ataxia. Deficits in PPI were observed after treatment with MK-801 (0.05 & 0.1 mg/kg), but ciproxifan did not alter these effects. Delayed spatial alternation was significantly impaired by MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) at a longer delay, and ciproxifan (3.0 mg/kg) alleviated this impairment. These results indicate that some H(3) antagonists can alleviate the impact of NMDA receptor hypofunction on some forms of memory, but may exacerbate its effect on other behaviors.
Comparative metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene and phenanthrene by brown bullhead liver microsomes

Abstract The metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), chrysene and phenanthrene by liver microsomes of brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) was investigated. Among the three PAHs, BaP was metabolized at the highest rate, chrysene at an intermediate rate and phenanthrene at the lowest rate. The liver microsomes from the control fish metabolized all three PAHs to their corresponding K-region dihydrodiols to a small extent. A greater proportion of diols with a bay-region double bond (proximate carcinogenic metabolites) than of bay-region diols was formed from the three PAHs, but the proportion of diols with a bay-region double bond varied with the hydrocarbon. Metabolically-formed BaP-7,8-diol, chrysene-1,2-diol and phenithrene 1,2-diol consisted predominantly of the R,R enantiomer. The data show that brown bullhead liver microsomes metabolize the three PAHs, which vary in molecular size and shape, with essentially similar regio- and stereoselectivity.
Comparing Gender Across Risk and Recidivism in Nonviolent Offenders

The purpose of this study was to examine whether gender differences exist in the rate, type, and general predictors of recidivism for nonviolent offenders. A total of 328 male and female Texas state jail offenders were matched on current offense, total number of arrests, age, and race. Contrary to previous findings, the results demonstrated no significant gender differences for recidivism rates, although significant gender differences were found for those who had reoffended with property and prostitution offenses. Similar to previous findings, age and total arrests were significant predictors for both male and female offenders. In the current sample, substance abuse was predictive for male offenders only. Although no gender differences were found across the recidivism predictors of static and criminogenic need, the protective factors of positive social support significantly predicted recidivism for female offenders and not male offenders. The current results add to the understanding of gender differences ...
Synthesis and characterization of polymers having-NH-SO-NH-group in the backbone

A new monomer 4 has been prepared from the reaction of p-phenylenediamine and excess of thionyl chloride. Reaction of 4 with benzidine in NMP or DMF at elevated temperature resulted a new polymer having -NH-SO-NH-functionality in the backbone. The monomer and the polymer have been characterized by elemental analyses and spectroscopic informations.
Determinants of exercise capacity in CKD patients treated with hemodialysis.

There are many ways to measure physical functioning. Oxygen uptake at peak exercise is considered to be the most objective or ‘gold-standard’ measure and is determined by the integrated functioning of multiple physiological systems. Renal failure can affect the functioning of several of these systems which results in low levels of peak oxygen uptake. This review examines the determinants of oxygen uptake as defined by the Fick Equation, and presents data from studies that have reported these physiological measures. It becomes clear that there are many factors that may limit peak oxygen uptake in these patients and any one mechanism may be difficult to identify.
Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP)-deficient T-cell ALL xenografts are sensitive to pralatrexate and 6-thioguanine alone and in combination.

To investigate the effectiveness of a combination of 6-thioguanine (6-TG) and pralatrexate (PDX) in methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP)-deficient T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-cell ALL). CCRF-CEM (MTAP−/−) and Molt4 (MTAP+/+) T-cell ALL cell lines were treated with 6-TG or PDX and evaluated for efficacy 72 h later. NOD/SCID gamma mice bearing CEM or Molt4 xenografts were treated with 6-TG and PDX alone or in combination to evaluate antitumor effects. CEM cells were more sensitive to 6-TG and PDX in vitro than Molt4. In vivo, CEM cells were very sensitive to PDX and 6-TG, whereas Molt4 cells were highly resistant to 6-TG. A well-tolerated combination of PDX and 6-TG achieved significant tumor regression in CEM xenografts. The loss of MTAP expression may be therapeutically exploited in T-cell ALL. The combination of 6-TG and PDX, with the inclusion of leucovorin rescue, allows for a safe and effective regimen in MTAP-deficient T-cell ALL.
Improving the health and health behaviors of women aging with physical disabilities: A peer-led health promotion program.

Objective To examine the efficacy of a health promotion program for women aging with physical disabilities. Method A sample of 137 middle-aged and older women with physical disabilities was randomly assigned to either an 8-week health promotion program or to a wait-list control group. Both groups completed questionnaires before, immediately after, and 3 months after the intervention. Results Relative to women in the control group, women in the health-promotion program demonstrated improvements in health behaviors, most of which were maintained at follow-up. The intervention group showed some improvements on measures of physical health, but there was little evidence of improvement in psychological health outcomes. Testing our theoretical model, self-efficacy was supported as a mediator of the effect of the intervention on health behaviors, and health behaviors combined with self-efficacy were supported as mediators of the effect of the intervention on physical health outcomes. Contrary to our hypotheses, our measures of social support and social connectedness were not affected by the intervention. Conclusions A brief, peer-led, group health promotion program resulted in improved scores on measures of self-efficacy, increased health behavior, and physical health. Self-efficacy, which was supported as a mediator in the effect of the intervention on behaviors and health outcomes, should remain an important focus of future interventions with this population.
Water Pretreatment and Alkaline Treatment for Extraction of Fibers from Sugar Cane Rind

Fiber bundles from the rind of sugar cane are extracted and characterized. Cane rind is separated from the pith using the Tilby process, and the separated rind is submitted to a high temperature water pretreatment followed by extraction with sodium hydroxide. Water pretreatment affects the amount of lignin removed from cane fiber bundles as well as the physical and mechanical properties of the fibers. Higher temperature pretreatment and longer treatment times produced finer, shorter fiber bundles with higher tenacity. The most severe treatments, however, reduced the bundles to ultimate fibers that are too short for textile uses. Extracted fibers were stiffer than other textile fibers but could be formed into nonwoven geotextile mats.
On clinical decision support

Recent interest in search tools for Clinical Decision Support (CDS) has dramatically increased. These tools help clinicians assess a medical situation by providing actionable information in the form of a select few highly relevant recent medical papers. Unlike traditional search, which is designed to deal with short queries, queries in CDS are long and narrative. We investigate the utility of applying pseudo-relevance feedback (PRF), a query expansion method that performs well in keyword-based medical literature search to CDS search. Using the optimum combination of PRF parameters we obtained statistically significant retrieval efficiency improvement in terms of nDCG, over the baseline.
Coupled estimates for the bulk and shear moduli of a two-dimensional isotropic elastic composite

Abstract We improve the classical Hashin-Shtrikman and Walpole estimates of the effective properties for an isotropic mixture assembled from two isotropic elastic materials. The planar elasticity problem is considered. Unlike the prior estimates which bound the bulk and shear moduli independently, our estimates are coupled and more restrictive. The set of the bulk modulus-shear modulus pairs turns out to be bounded in the plane of the values of these moduli by two straight lines (the Hashin-Shtrikman or Walpole bulk modulus estimates) and also by two fractional linear curves. To obtain the new estimates we use the translation method, which provides a general approach to both Hashin-Shtrikman (well-ordered materials) and Walpole (badly-ordered materials) cases; the method also provides the estimates for anisotropic mixtures.
Antecedents of Disability for Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Health Conditions

Data from community-dwelling older adults (65+) with two or more chronic health conditions who participated in a 30-month longitudinal panel survey (N = 898) are used to examine the factors that are associated with the presence and development of functional disabilities. Both logistic regression and discrete time hazard models are used to address the risk factors associated with the presence and development of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living disabilities. Results indicate that education, income, and age are consistent predictors of disability, and that arthritis and obesity have consistently stronger effects on disability than do other chronic conditions. A need for stronger conceptual models focusing on disability is discussed.
Nutrition and breast cancer.

International comparisons have provided striking correlations between fat consumption and risk of breast cancer, but these comparisons do not often consider variations in life style. Case-control studies carried out in several countries showed no real association between fat intake and breast cancer. There is some evidence that vitamin A or carotenoid intake may exert a protective effect. Alcohol intake, on the other hand, seems to be positively associated with breast cancer risk. Elevated body weight, body mass, stature, and frame size have been found to be associated as risk factors for breast cancer in women. Animal studies found that caloric restriction inhibits growth of spontaneous and induced mammary tumors, an observation that held up even when the calorie-restricted animals ingest more fat than the ad-libitum-fed controls. College women who exercise have a lower incidence of breast cancer than their more sedentary classmates. Exercise is another means of reducing caloric availability. Cancer 66:1321-1325, 1990.
Animation of Deformable Bodies with Quadratic Bézier Finite Elements

In this article, we investigate the use of quadratic finite elements for graphical animation of deformable bodies. We consider both integrating quadratic elements with conventional linear elements to achieve a computationally efficient adaptive-degree simulation framework as well as wholly quadratic elements for the simulation of nonlinear rest shapes. In both cases, we adopt the Bezier basis functions and employ a co-rotational linear strain formulation. As with linear elements, the co-rotational formulation allows us to precompute per-element stiffness matrices, resulting in substantial computational savings. We present several examples that demonstrate the advantages of quadratic elements in general and our adaptive-degree system in particular. Furthermore, we demonstrate, for the first time in computer graphics, animations of volumetric deformable bodies with nonlinear rest shapes.
Interface design based on standardized task models

Producing high-quality, comprehensible user intetices is a difficult, labor-intensive process that requires experience and judgment. In this paper, we describe an approach to assisting this process by using explicit models of the user’s task to drive the interface design process. The task model helps to ensure that the resulting interf%ce directly and transparently supports the user in performing his task. By crafting a library of standardized, reusable tasks and interface constructs, we believe it is possible to capture some of the design expertise and to amortize much of the labor required for building effective user interfaces.
Enhanced Condenser Tubes in a Nuclear Power Plant for Heat Rate Improvement

Analysis was performed to determine the performance and economic benefits of using enhanced condenser tubes in an existing nuclear plant. This work consisted of using measured heat transfer and friction performance of two enhanced tube geometries to calculate the resulting reduction of condenser saturation temperature. Using the known plant heat rate and heat rate correction factor, we calculated the increased plant generation capacity, relative to the plain tube condenser design. Detailed analysis was done for the Wieland NW-16 and the Wolverine Korodense-LPD tubes, which are estimated to cost about 23% more than plain tubes. Simple payback analysis of the Wieland NW-16 “new tube bundle” tube shows that the annual average heat rate is reduced 3.83% and the increased tube cost can be recovered in 0.036 years based on the increased generation capacity valued at $2000/kW. Tube-for-tube replacement provides a payback of 0.054 years. For the month of July, the heat rate (with new bundle) is reduced 3.83% and ...
Dynamical coupling in the differential equations approach to atom-diatom exchange reactions

The atomic exchange reaction A + BC → AB + C is investigated quantum mechanically employing a coupled differential equations approach. The relative motion in reactant and product channels is described in the common coordinate R 3 (the AC nuclear separation) and is developed in three-dimensional space. The total wave functions of the system are expressed as a superposition of valence bond electronic states of the initial (A, BC) and final (AB, C) configurations, with the coefficients describing the relative and internal (vibrational, rotational) nuclear motions. Choosing convenient trial functions with the appropriate boundary conditions and using the Kohn variational principle, a set of differential (rather than the usual integro-differential) equations is obtained for the relative motion wave functions in R 3. The potential matrix elements turn out to be dynamical in that they depend on the initial k 1 and final k 2 wave vectors. Two-state coupled channel calculations of the differential and integral cro...
Paradigms of Development and Their Power Dynamics: A Review

This research was supported by Japan’s Shipbuilding Industries Limited’s “Graduate Fellowship for Academic Distinction” program at York University. For thoughtful comments and suggestions, the author gratefully thanks Dr. Peter Vandergeest, Dr. Stuart Schoenfeld, and Dr. Hira Singh.
Regulation of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in germinating lettuce seeds: effect of substrate analogues and phenylpropanoid compounds

Summary The effect of various substrate analogues and some of the intermediates and endproducts of the phenylpropanoid pathway on the development of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in relation to the growth of the embryonic axes in germinating lettuce seeds was investigated. Externally supplied L-phenylalanine and its D-isomer did not affect extractable PAL activity at 50 and 100 μM concentrations, whereas at 500 μM L-phenylalanine, there was a slight but significant inhibition of PAL activity. In the presence of 500 μM D-phenylalanine a slight stimulation of PAL activity was observed. Two other substrate analogues, p-fluorophenylalanine and tryptophan, strongly inhibited both the growth of the radicle as well as the development of PAL activity, whereas tyrosine significantly stimulated both the radicle elongation and PAL activity. All the intermediates of the phenylpropanoid pathway used were inhibitory to growth and PAL activity, the order of effectiveness for inhibition being cinnamic acid > p-coumaric acid > ferulic acid > caffeic acid. Some of the end products of the phenylpropanoid pathway, viz., coumarin, quercetin and chlorogenic acid were also found to be very strong inhibitors both of radicle elongation and PAL activity. In all these treatments a strong correlation between PAL activity and radicle elongation was observed supporting the earlier observations that in germinating lettuce seeds any chemical or physical treatment that inhibits radicle elongation also inhibits PAL activity.
The Role Of Thermography In The Assessment Of The Thermal Integrity Of Federal Office Buildings

Results were presented from ground-based infrared thermographic studies performed by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) on eight federal office buildings. Infrared thermography was utilized to observe the thermal anomalies in those buildings, as part of a diagnostic program to evaluate the thermal integrity of building envelopes. Thermographic data were collected via complete exterior scannings and selected interior scannings at regions where thermal defects were identified or suspected during the outside inspections. Analysis from thermographic inspections with examples of defects found in some of these buildings are also included. The potential applications of the diagnostic procedures to both new and existing buildings are discussed.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Identification and Characterization of an Extramitochondrial Human 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA Lyase

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase-like protein (HMGCLL1) has been annotated in the Mammalian Genome Collection as a previously unidentified human HMG-CoA lyase (HMGCL). To test the validity of this annotation and evaluate the physiological role of the protein, plasmids were constructed for protein expression in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris. Protein expression in E. coli produced insoluble material. In contrast, active HMGCLL1 could be recovered upon expression in P. pastoris. Antibodies were prepared against a unique peptide sequence found in the N terminus of the protein. In immunodetection experiments, the antibodies discriminated between HMGCLL1 and mitochondrial HMGCL. Purified enzyme was characterized and demonstrated to cleave HMG-CoA to acetoacetate and acetyl-CoA with catalytic and affinity properties comparable with human mitochondrial HMGCL. The deduced HMGCLL1 sequence contains an N-terminal myristoylation motif; the putative modification site was eliminated by construction of a G2A HMGCLL1. Modification of both proteins was attempted using human N-myristoyltransferase and [3H]myristoyl-CoA. Wild-type protein was clearly modified, whereas G2A protein was not labeled. Myristoylation of HMGCLL1 affects its cellular localization. Upon transfection of appropriate expression plasmids into COS1 cells, immunofluorescence detection indicates that G2A HMGCLL1 exhibits a diffuse pattern, suggesting a cytosolic location. In contrast, wild-type HMGCLL1 exhibits a punctate as well as a perinuclear immunostaining pattern, indicating myristoylation dependent association with nonmitochondrial membrane compartments. In control experiments with the HMGCL expression plasmid, protein is localized in the mitochondria, as anticipated. The available results for COS1 cell expression, as well as endogenous expression in U87 cells, indicate that HMGCLL1 is an extramitochondrial hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA lyase.
Modal Analysis Using Implicit Boundary Finite Element Methods

Modal analysis is widely used for linear dynamic analysis of structures. The finite element method is used to numerically compute stiffness and mass matrices and the corresponding eigenvalue problem is solved to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of vibration. Implicit boundary method was developed to use equations of the boundary to apply boundary conditions and loads so that a background mesh can be used for analysis. A background mesh is easier to generate because the elements do not have to conform to the given geometry and therefore uniform regular shaped elements can be used. In this paper, we show that this approach is suitable for modal analysis and modal superposition techniques as well. Furthermore, the implicit boundary method also allows higher order elements that use B-spline approximations. Several test examples are studied for verification.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Large-Scale Power Combining and Mixed-Signal Linearizing Architectures for Watt-Class mmWave CMOS Power Amplifiers

Millimeter wave (mmWave) CMOS power amplifiers (PAs) have traditionally been limited in output power due to the low breakdown voltage of scaled CMOS technologies and poor quality of on-chip passives. Moreover, high data-rates and efficient spectrum utilization demand highly linear PAs with high efficiency under back-off. A novel linearizing architecture which simultaneously employs large-scale power combining, linearization through dynamic load modulation, and improved efficiency under back-off by supply-switching and load modulation is introduced. A quarter-wave combiner that exploits lumped spiral inductor equivalents of quarter-wave transmission lines with higher characteristic impedance enables one-step, low-loss, eight-way combining with a measured efficiency of 75% at 45 GHz. Eight-way combining of stacked SOI CMOS PAs results in a PA array with watt-class ( $>$ 27 dBm) saturated output power (3 $\times $ higher than prior art) and ultra-wideband operation (33–46 GHz) in 45 nm SOI CMOS. Another 45 nm SOI CMOS prototype, a three-bit digital to mmWave PA array, utilizing the proposed linearizing architecture achieves 23.3 dBm of saturated output power at 42.5 GHz, PAE –6dB /PAE peak = 67.7% as well as excellent linearity (DNL $ 0.5 LSB} and INL $ 1 LSB using end-point fit).
Determination of the active site of Sphingobium chlorophenolicum 2,6-dichlorohydroquinone dioxygenase (PcpA)

2,6-Dichlorohydroquinone 1,2-dioxygenase (PcpA) from Sphingobium chlorophenolicum ATCC 39723 is a member of a class of Fe(II)-containing hydroquinone dioxygenases that is involved in the mineralization of the pollutant pentachlorophenol. This enzyme has not been extensively characterized, despite its interesting ring-cleaving activity and use of Fe(II), which are reminiscent of the well-known extradiol catechol dioxygenases. On the basis of limited sequence homology to the extradiol catechol dioxygenases, the residues ligating the Fe(II) center were originally proposed to be H159, H227, and E276 (Xu et al. in Biochemistry 38:7659–7669, 1999). However, PcpA has higher sequence homology to a newly reported, crystallographically characterized zinc metalloenzyme that has a similar predicted fold. We generated a homology model of the structure of PcpA based upon the structure of this zinc metalloenzyme. The homology model predicts that the tertiary structure of PcpA differs significantly from that of the extradiol dioxygenases, and that the residues ligating the Fe(II) are H11, H227, and E276. This structural model was tested by mutating each of H11, H159, H227, and E276 to alanine. An additional residue that is predicted to lie near the active site and is conserved among PcpA, its closest homologues, and the extradiol dioxygenases, Y266, was mutated to phenylalanine. Of these mutants, only H159A retained significant activity, thus confirming the active-site location predicted by the homology-based structural model. The model provides an important basis for understanding the origin of the unique function of PcpA.
Significance for humans of biologically active factors in soybeans and other food legumes.

Among the many biologically active factors present in the soybean, only protease inhibitors (PI) have been shown to exert significant adverse effects on animals consuming diets containing soybean protein. Evidence is presented to suggest that (a) PI are only partially responsible for the poor nutritive value of inadequately processed soybeans, (b) low levels of PI are relatively harmless to animals, (c) human trypsin is only weakly inhibited by PI, and (d) the human pancreas is probably insensitive to the hypertrophic effects of PI. Parelleling the wide spread distribution of PI in the plant kingdom are the so called phytohemagglutinins or lectins. Unlike the lectin present in soybeans which appears to have only a marginal effect on the nutritional quality of the protein, the lectin of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is quite toxic. Moreover, the major storage protein of such beans is quite resistant to digestion unless denatured by heat, thus emphasizing the importance of adequate processing of those legumes when used in the human diet. Although goiter-inducing compounds are present in most cruciferous plants and cyanide-producing substances may be found in cassava and lima beans, traditional methods of preparation and present technology have served to minimize any harmful effects that may accompany the ingestion of these foods by man. Brief mention will also be made of two human diseases, lathyrism and favism, associated with the consumption ofLathyrus sativus andVicia faba, respectively, their causative agents and mechanism of action. Although there are numerous examples of so called toxic constituents in legumes, they nevertheless have provided a valuable source of protein to man over the centuries. This can be attributed, in part, to the fact that man has learned how to detoxify them by suitable preparative measures. The varied nature of our diet also minimizes the contribution of a toxicant from any one foodstuff. Nevertheless, there is the ever present possibility that the prolonged consumption of a particular legume that may be improperly processed could bring to the surface toxic effects that otherwise would not be apparent. As the shortage of protein becomes more acute, it is not unlikely that much of the population of the world will be faced, in the future, with a more limited selection of protein-foods, most of which will be of plant origin and, hence, potential carriers of toxic constituents. The food scientist should at least be cognizant of such a possibility and be prepared to apply his knowledge and skill to meeting this challenge.
Immunoendocrinology of preterm labor: the link between corticotropin-releasing hormone and inflammation.

Abstract Preterm labor is the final common pathway after several potential insults to the uterus or fetus. The preterm labor syndrome may be precipitated by several different pathophysiologic events, including intrauterine infection, uterine ischemia, uterine overdistention, hormonal disturbances, and other problems. Intrauterine infections (both clinically evident and subclinical) are associated with increased amniotic fluid concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, and gestational tissues and the fetus are potential sources of these cytokines. In addition to culture-proven intrauterine infection, there may be an “intrauterine inflammatory response syndrome” that could account for cases of preterm labor in which no infectious organism can be identified. Because the immunologic and endocrinologic systems regulate each other extensively, there is potential for corticotropin-releasing hormone to regulate inflammatory responses and vice versa. The cytokine interleukin 1 stimulates production of corticotropin-releasing hormone, and corticotropin-releasing hormone in turn regulates cytokine production by immune effector cells. Because maternal stress is associated with preterm birth, abnormalities in the regulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone and the production of inflammatory cytokines may be a mechanism that could form the pathophysiologic basis for this association. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:S251-6.)
The Evil Eye—An Ancient Superstition

This paper describes and discusses the ancient superstition of the Evil Eye. The author describes his own personal childhood introduction to the subject of the Evil Eye which years later instigated his scholarly inquiry. The history of this very geographically widespread folk belief is elaborated upon, along with common manifestations as they appear in a number of different countries and cultures. Some of the methods used to thwart the negative effects of the Evil Eye are enumerated. Relevant psychodynamics and common expressions of the Evil Eye superstition are elucidated upon.
Parity of the Second Pion Resonance

An ambiguity is pointed out in the interpretation of an expermient by Stein (Phys. Rev. Letters 2, 473(1959)) on the polarization of the recoil proton in photoproduction in the vicinity of the second resonancehgt he found that at 90 deg cm the polarization was quite large, in fact, the polarization seemed to increase to what appears to be a maximum at or near the second resonance. (W.D.M.)
Problems of bilingualism

Abstract Recent studies in the field of bilingualism are summarized with a view to generalizing their results in the form of statements that may help us to predict in some degree the behavior of bilingual speakers. The studies summarized include monographs on Pennsylvania-German, American-Portuguese, American Indians, and English loanwords in Norwegian. A discussion follows of the various terms and categories that may be useful in such study, e.g. linguistic pressure, substitution, importation, phonemic redistribution, reborrowing, loanwords, loanblends, loanshifts, and creations.
Electro-optical properties of PZN-PT single crystals

Summary form only given. In electro-optical devices, a crystal with a high electro-optical (E-O) coefficient is highly desirable, in order to reduce the half-wave voltage or the size of devices. It is found recently that Pb(Zn/sub 0.33/Nb/sub 0.67/)O/sub 3/-PbTiO/sub 3/ (PZN-PT) single crystals exhibit a large piezoelectric coefficients and a larger electric field induced strain. We report the results of a recent investigation of the E-O coefficient in PZN-PT over a broad composition range.
Wastewater renovation and reuse: virus removal by soil filtration

Secondary sewage effluent and renovated water from four wells at the Flushing Meadows Wastewater Renovation Project near Phoenix, Arizona, in operation since 1967, were assayed approximately every 2 months in 1974 for viruses during flooding periods. Viruses, regularly found in the secondary effluent, were not detected in any renovated water samples. Our results indicated that human viral pathogens do not move through soil into the groundwater, but are apparently absorbed and degraded by the soil and reduced in numbers by a factor of at least 10(4) (99.99 percent removal).
A Modeling Study of Stratospheric Waves over the Southern Andes and Drake Passage

AbstractLarge-amplitude stratospheric gravity waves over the southern Andes and Drake Passage, as observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on 8–9 August 2010, are modeled and studied using a deep (0–70 km) version of the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) model. The simulated tropospheric waves are generated by flow over the high central Andes ridge and the Patagonian peaks in the southern Andes. Some waves emanating from Patagonia propagate southeastward across Drake Passage into the stratosphere over a horizontal distance of more than 1000 km. The wave momentum flux is characterized by a tropospheric maximum over Patagonia that splits into two comparable maxima in the stratosphere: one located directly over the terrain and the other tilting southward with altitude.Using spatial ray-tracing techniques and flow conditions derived from the numerical simulation, the authors find that waves that originate from the high ridge in the Central Andes are absorbed by a critica...
Relocalization of cationic porphyrins during photodynamic therapy

When photodynamic therapy is directed against sub-cellular sites that include mitochondria, the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, lysosomes or the endoplasmic reticulum, there is generally an apoptotic response leading to cell death. We previously reported that the targeting of the plasma membrane by photosensitizing agents led to either a marked delay or inhibition of apoptosis, even if other sub-cellular sites were also targeted for photodamage. Preliminary studies indicated that this result was associated with photodamage to caspase-3, a major element of the ‘execution’ phase of apoptosis. We describe here a mechanism for apoptosis inhibition resulting from localization of photosensitizers from the membrane to the cytosol during irradiation, leading to selective photodamage of procaspases-9, and -3.
Modified atmosphere packaging alleviates chilling injury in cucumbers

Abstract Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) packaged in perforated or sealed 31.75 μm (1.25 mil) low density polyethylene (LDPE) bags were found to have less severe chilling injury than nonwrapped fruit in storage at 5 °C and 90–95% relative humidity. The onset of chilling injury was also delayed by the LDPE packaging compared to the nonpackaged control. The concentrations of CO2 increased to 3% while O2 levels decreased to 16% in the sealed bags. Fruit in the sealed bags had the least decay. The O2 and CO2 concentrations inside the perforated bags changed very little from the ambient atmosphere. However, there was a marked difference in the weight loss between nonwrapped cucumbers and fruit from perforated or sealed bags. The weight loss of nonwrapped fruit reached 9% in 18 days while perforated and sealed samples lost less than 1% during the same period. Chilling stress induced increases in putrescine levels in all treatments but the sealed fruit had the highest levels of putrescine. Sealed fruit and perforated fruit also had higher content of spermidine than non-wrapped fruit. These high levels of polyamines may have contributed to the increase of chilling tolerance in fruit from perforated and sealed packages.
Delivery of TAT/PTD-fused proteins/peptides to islets via pancreatic duct.

Delivering cytoprotective proteins/peptides into pancreata prior to islet isolation through protein transduction (PT) is a novel strategy to enhance the yield of viable transplantable islets. Previ...
Stereoscopic observations from meteorological satellites

Stereo cloud top height measurements, accurate to within + or - 500 m, have been performed using operational weather satellites. The stereo has been demonstrated using various combinations of GEO and LEO satellites, and the use of synthetic stereo was considered. Stereo can be done over most of the earth (60 deg S to 60 deg N) during the day; at higher latitudes and at night, stereo can be done using two LEOs if the proper coincidences occur. The usefulness of stereo cloud top height measurements has been demonstrated by many studies of convective storm cloud systems. Recommendations relating to short, medium, and long term planning regarding stereo observations from meteorological satellites are outlined.
Heterophile Antibodies in the Serum of Children with Nephrotic Syndrome

Serum of children with the nephrotic syndrome contained high titers of a (19s) IgM antibody against sheep, horse, guinea pig, rat, and rabbit red blood cells but not against cow red blood cells. There was high correlation between high titers of antisheep antibodies and active nephrotic syndrome in the children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome. The antibody differed from the Paul-Bunnell antibody found in patients with infectious mononucleosis and from the anti-Forssman, Hangautziu-Deicher antibody found in patients with horse serum sickness. Rabbit red blood cells completely absorbed the antibody, but horse or guinea pig red blood cells removed only the anti-Forssman activity.
Electromagnetic band-gap structures: classification, characterization, and applications

When periodic structures interact with electromagnetic waves amazing features result. In particular, characteristics such as frequency stop-bands, pass-bands and band-gaps could be identified. Surveying the literature, one observes that various terminology have been used depending on the domain of the applications. These applications are seen in filter designs, gratings, frequency selective surfaces (FSS), photonic crystals and band-gaps (PBG), etc. We classify them under the broad terminology of "electromagnetic band-gaps (EBG)". The focus of this paper is to present a powerful computational engine utilizing finite difference time domain (FDTD) technique integrated with the Prony method to analyze and understand the unique propagation characteristics of different classes of complex EBG structures such as, (a) FSS structures, (b) PBG crystals, (c) smart surfaces for communication antenna applications, (d) surfaces with perfectly magnetic conducting properties (PMC), (e) creation of materials with negative permittivity and negative permeability, (f) surfaces with reduced edge diffraction effects, and (g) the notion of equivalent media. The performance of two types of the EBG structures namely, single and multi-layered tripod FSS, and rectangular, triangular and woodpile PBG crystals is detailed. Some of the potential applications of these structures are highlighted.
On-the-Fly Clause Improvement

Most current propositional SAT solvers apply resolution at various stages to derive new clauses or simplify existing ones. The former happens during conflict analysis, while the latter is usually done during preprocessing. We show how subsumption of the operands by the resolvent can be inexpensively detected during resolution; we then show how this detection is used to improve three stages of the SAT solver: variable elimination, clause distillation, and conflict analysis. The "on-the-fly" subsumption check is easily integrated in a SAT solver. In particular, it is compatible with the strong conflict analysis and the generation of unsatisfiability proofs. Experiments show the effectiveness of this technique and illustrate an interesting synergy between preprocessing and the DPLL procedure.
A variable-order adaptive controller for a manipulator with a sliding flexible link

A digital adaptive controller is presented for a manipulator with two links, the second of which is a flexible beam that slides out of the first link (i.e., there is a prismatic joint). The simulation model of the manipulator is nonlinear with time-varying coefficients, but the adaptive controller is based on a linear autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) model of the input/output characteristics of the plant. Both the parameters and the order of this ARMA model vary adaptively. Because the control law is based explicitly on the ARMA model, the adaptive control algorithm is indirect. The most important feature of the adaptive controller is that its order can vary adaptively. This capability results from using a lattice filter for adaptive parameter estimation. The superiority of the variable-order adaptive controller to a fixed-order adaptive controller is demonstrated by numerical simulations in which the manipulator is represented by the nonlinear equations of motion for a finite-element model of the manipulator. >
Critical Error 2 Boring Your Audience

Perhaps the most stinging criticism for a presentation is that the talk is boring. Many talks are boring because the speaker projects bulleted list after bulleted list. Soon after the presentation begins, the audience becomes overwhelmed by the sheer number of details. Equally important, because the details are simply listed in a bulleted column, the audience has difficulty seeing connections among those details or appreciating their importance. The result is that the audience does not have an anchor to understand those details or a mnemonic to recall them. The speaker might have said much, but the audience retains little.
Magnetic Sensor Calibration and Residual Dipole Characterization for Application to Nanosatellites

In this paper, we describe the techniques used to calibrate the individual (non-integrated) magnetometers onboard the Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX) satellite and describe a technique to characterize the residual dipole of small satellites. Magnetometer calibration is a critical part of RAX’s magnetic-based attitude determination system. Our technique uses vector knowledge of the local magnetic field, a three-axis Helmholtz cage, and a leastsquares regression. Using this calibration, we can also quantify magnetometer uncertainty. The satellite residual dipole, in addition to affecting the onboard magnetic measurements, can be a dominant disturbance torque for nanosatellites. We present a method to characterize the residual dipole of nanosatellites that uses redundant external magnetic measurements, a least-squares minimization, and does not require large magnetically clean facilities. These techniques are used on RAX but can be extended to other fields of study involving magnetic measurements.
Changes in the Regulatory Base of the Budgetary Process in May 2013

In June 2013, in the regulatory base of the budgetary process the following developments took place: the administrative procedure for withdrawal of land plots allocated to state or municipal entities and state-run enterprises; the grounds have been expanded for provision of budget allocations out of the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation to federal executive authorities and executive authorities of constituent entities of the Russian Federation for partial reimbursement of expenditures related to financial support of measures aimed at liquidation of emergency situations.
A model for electrophoresis of polymers with impurities: Exact distribution for a steady state

Abstract A model for gel electrophoresis for polymers with impurities, based on the Duke-Rubinstein approach for the pure case, is introduced. It is also a generalization of a one-dimensional asymmetric exclusion process, to include “bond” impurities. Imposing periodic boundary conditions on the chain, exact solutions for the steady states can be found. For simplicity, we present the solution in the case of a single random walker (which is the hole for the asymmetric exclusion process and the “extron” for the polymer case) and a single impurity.
Beyond folklore: observations on fragmented traffic

Fragmented IP traffic is a poorly understood component of the overall mix of traffic on the Internet. Many assertions about the nature and extent of fragmented traffic are anecdotal rather than empirical. In this paper we examine the causes and attributes of measured fragment traffic, in particular, the effects of NFS, streaming media, networked video games, tunneled traffic, and the prevalence of packet fragmentation due to improperly configured machines. To understand the prevalence, causes, and effects of fragmented IP traffic, we have collected and analyzed seven multiday traces from four sources. These sources include a university commodity access link, two highly aggregated commercial exchange points, and a local NAP. Although there is no practical method of ascertaining whether any data provide a representative sample of all Internet traffic, we include data sources that cover several different types of WAN with traffic from commercial entities, educational and research institutions, and large government facilities. The dominant causes of fragmentation are streaming media and tunneled traffic. Although rumored to be the main impetus for IP packet fragmentation, NFS is not among the top ten causes.
A single-phase resonant snubber inverter with fixed timing control for a UPS

In a UPS, the output voltage of a single-phase inverter is filtered with an LC filter to provide a sinusoidal output voltage. Since this inverter has an inductive load like an inverter for a motor drive, topologies for ZVS inverters utilized for motor drives can also be applied in the UPS application. A single-phase resonant snubber inverter (RSI) for application in a UPS has been developed. Analysis of the RSI in a normalized state plane provided insight into the operation of this ZVS inverter. Based on this analysis, fixed timing control based on the direction of the current flowing through the inductor in the output filter was implemented to control the auxiliary switches in a prototype RSI. The direction of the inductor current was sensed using a secondary winding on the output filter inductor. Experimental results are provided for a 1 kW prototype RSI in a UPS.