cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The circumpolar health movement comes full circle.

OBJECTIVES Evaluate the course of the International Congress(es) on Circumpolar Health (ICCH) and the Circumpolar movement in the context of concomitant historical events. Make recommendations for future Circumpolar health research. STUDY DESIGN MEDLINE search and historical archive search of ICCH proceedings. METHODS Search of all PubMed resources from 1966 concerning the Circumpolar health movement. Two University of Alaska Anchorage archive collections were searched: the C. E. Albrecht and Frank Pauls Archive Collections. RESULTS Eleven sets of proceedings manuscripts and one set of proceedings abstracts were evaluated. There was a trend toward consistent use of existing journals with indexing in Index Medicus; shorter intervals between the Congress and proceedings manuscript publication; and increased online availability of either the table of contents or proceedings citations. Recent additions include online publication of full length manuscripts and two instances of full peer review evaluations of the proceedings manuscripts. These trends in proceedings publication are described within the course of significant events in the Circumpolar health movement. CONCLUSIONS There has been a trend toward more rapid dissemination of scientific content, more analytic documentation of epidemiologic study design, and a trend toward wider dissemination of scientific content through the Internet. Significant progress in each of those areas is still possible and desirable.
Generation and proteome profiling of PBMC-originated, iPSC-derived lentoid bodies

Here, we report proteome profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-originated, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived, lens-like organoids termed lentoid bodies at two differentiation time points. A small aliquot of the blood sample was ascertained to collect PBMCs that were reprogrammed to iPSCs. The PBMC-originated, iPSCs were differentiated to lentoid bodies employing the "fried egg" method. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed increased expression levels of lens-associated markers in lentoid bodies while transmission electron microscopy identified closely packed lens epithelial- and differentiating fiber-like cells in lentoid bodies. Total cellular protein was extracted from lentoid bodies at differentiation day 25 and mass spectrometry identified a total of 9,473 proteins. The low counts of crystallin proteins at differentiation day 25 prompted us to re-examine the proteome at differentiation day 35 as we reasoned that 10 additional days of differentiation will increase the crystallin count. However, we did not detect any substantial increase in crystallin protein counts at differentiation day 35. In conclusion, we report generation and proteome profiles of PBMC-originated, iPSC-derived lentoid bodies at multiple differentiation time points.
Proximal‐distal shift of the center of rotation in a total wrist arthroplasty is more than twice of the healthy wrist

Reproduction of healthy wrist biomechanics should minimize the abnormal joint forces that could potentially result in the failure of a total wrist arthroplasty (TWA). To date, the in vivo kinematics of TWA have not been measured and it is unknown if TWA preserves healthy wrist kinematics. Therefore, the purpose of this in vivo study was to determine the center of rotation (COR) for a current TWA design and to compare its location to the healthy wrist. The wrist COR for six patients with TWA and 10 healthy subjects were calculated using biplane videoradiography as the subjects performed various range-of-motion and functional tasks that included coupled wrist motions. An open-source registration software, Autoscoper, was used for model-based tracking and kinematics analysis. It was demonstrated that the COR was located near the centers of curvatures of the carpal component for the anatomical motions of flexion-extension and radial-ulnar deviation. When compared to healthy wrists, the COR of TWAs was located more distal in both pure radial deviation (P < .0001) and pure ulnar deviation (P = .07), while there was no difference in its location in pure flexion or extension (P = .99). Across all coupled motions, the TWA's COR shifted more than two times that of the healthy wrists in the proximal-distal direction (17.1 vs 7.2 mm). We postulate that the mismatch in the COR location and behavior may be associated with increased loading of the TWA components, leading to an increase in the risk of component and/or interface failure.
Flow substrate interactions in aggrading and degrading submarine channels

Connecting real time measurements of current-bed interactions to the temporal evolution of submarine channels can be extremely challenging in natural settings. We present a suite of physical experiments that offer insight into the spectrum of interactions between turbidity currents and their channels, from (i) detachment-limited erosion to (ii) transport-limited erosion to (iii) pure deposition. In all three cases channel sinuosity influenced patterns of erosion and deposition; the outsides of bends displayed the highest erosion rates in the first two cases, whereas the outsides of bends were associated with the highest deposition rates the third. We connect the evolution of these channels to the turbulence of the near-bed boundary layer. In the erosional experiments both channel beds roughened through time, developing erosional bedforms or trains of ripples. Reynolds estimates of boundary layer roughness indicate that, in both erosional cases, the near-bed boundary layer roughened from smooth or transitionally rough to rough, whereas the depositional channel appears to have remained consistently smooth. Our results suggest that, in the absence of any changes from upstream, erosion in submarine channels is a self-reinforcing mechanism whereby developing bed roughness increases turbulence at the boundary layer, thereby inhibiting deposition, promoting sediment entrainment and enhancing channel relief; deposition occurs in submarine channels when the boundary layer remains smooth, promoting aggradation and loss of channel relief.
Exploring the formation of treatment program director perceptions on entry-level social workers' substance use treatment capacities in New York.

This article examines how program directors of substance use treatment providers in New York state form their perceptions on the overall substance use treatment service delivery capacities of newly...
Correction to: Why is Poverty Lower in Rural America According to the Supplemental Poverty Measure? An Investigation of the Geographic Adjustment

In the original publication of this article, the article title has been mentioned incorrectly. The correct title provided in this correction.
Surface acoustic wave devices

Starting with an introduction to surface acoustic waves, their generation and detection using interdigital transducers (IDTs) on piezoelectric materials (e.g. LiNbO 3 and ZnO) will be reviewed. Then the application of surface acoustic waves in electronic devices will be presented. Moreover, recent studies, using the technique of attaching the material of investigation onto the sound path of the acoustic delay line between the IDTs is discussed.
Exploring critical reflection in a virtual learning community in teacher education

In this naturalistic study, we examined the reflective thinking of 39 pre-service teachers (PSTs) in an introductory curriculum, instruction, and technology course as they engaged in an online virt...
Mining for mouth metabolites.

Genome mining of Streptococcus mutans clinical samples led to the identification of a structurally unique polyketide/non-ribosomal peptide, mutanofactin-697, that promotes biofilm formation. This study highlights the unexplored functional potential of secondary metabolites and opens new avenues for inhibiting pathogenic processes.
Associations Between Health Literacy and End-of-Life Care Intensity Among Medicare Beneficiaries.

Background:Despite well-documented disparities in end-of-life (EOL) care, little is known about whether patients with low health literacy (LHL) received aggressive EOL care.Objective:This study exa...
$t\bar{t}t\bar{t}$ signatures through the lens of color-octet scalars

We reinterpret two recent LHC searches for events containing four top quarks ($t\bar{t}t\bar{t}$) in the context of supersymmetric models with Dirac gauginos and color-octet scalars (sgluons). We explore whether sgluon contributions to the four-top production cross section $\sigma(pp \to t\bar{t}t\bar{t})$ can accommodate an excess of four-top events recently reported by the ATLAS collaboration. We also study constraints on these models from an ATLAS search for new phenomena with jets and missing transverse energy ($E_{\text{T}}^{\text{miss}}$) sensitive to signals with four top quarks. We find that these two analyses provide complementary constraints, with the jets + $E_{\text{T}}^{\text{miss}}$ search exceeding the four-top cross section measurement in sensitivity for sgluons heavier than about 800 GeV. We ultimately find that either a scalar or a pseudoscalar sgluon can currently fit the ATLAS excess in a range of reasonable benchmark scenarios, though a pseudoscalar in minimal Dirac gaugino models is ruled out. We finally offer sensitivity projections for these analyses at the HL-LHC, mapping the $5\sigma$ discovery potential in sgluon parameter space and computing exclusion limits at 95% CL in scenarios where no excess is found.
Entropy Theory for Streamflow Forecasting

Streamflow forecasting is used in river training and management, river restoration, reservoir operation, power generation, irrigation, and navigation. In hydrology, streamflow forecasting is often done using time series analysis. Although monthly streamflow time series are stochastic, they exhibit seasonal and periodic patterns. Therefore, streamflow forecasting entails modeling two main aspects: seasonality and correlation structure. Spectral analysis can be employed to characterize patterns of streamflow variation and identify the periodicity of streamflow. That is, it permits to extract significant information for understanding the streamflow process and prediction thereof. For forecasting streamflow, spectral analysis has, however, not yet been widely applied. Streamflow spectra can be determined using entropy theory. There are three ways to employ entropy theory: (1) Burg entropy, (2) configurational entropy, and (3) relative entropy. In either way, the methodology involves determination of spectral density, determination of parameters, and extension of autocorrelation function. This paper reviews the methods of spectral analysis using the entropy theory and tests them using streamflow data.
Galago alleni (Allen’s bushbaby)

These karyotypes came from lymphocyte cultures and are the gifts of Dr. L.E.M. de Boer, Holland. The animals were collected in Nigeria; three females and one male were studied with similar findings.
Mutagenic Effects of Nucleic Acid Modification and Repair Assessed by in Vitro Transcription

Mutagenesis is defined as a heritable change which can occur through indirect as well as direct change in the genetic message. This paper, however, will focus on the direct effects of chemical modification of nucleic acids. Since man is the species we are most concerned about, the effect of modification on mammalian cells or whole animals will be stressed whenever possible.
Evaluation of Selected Borrelia burgdorferi lp54 Plasmid-Encoded Gene Products Expressed during Mammalian Infection as Antigens To Improve Serodiagnostic Testing for Early Lyme Disease

Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of Lyme disease is performed primarily by serologic assays and is accurate for detection beyond the acute stage of the infection. Serodiagnostic assays to detect the early stages of infection, however, are limited in their sensitivity, and improvement is warranted. We analyzed a series of Borrelia burgdorferi proteins known to be induced within feeding ticks and/or during mammalian infection for their utility as serodiagnostic markers against a comprehensive panel of Lyme disease patient serum samples. The antigens were assayed for IgM and IgG reactivity in line immunoblots and separately by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with a focus on reactivity against early Lyme disease with erythema migrans (EM), early disseminated Lyme neuroborreliosis, and early Lyme carditis patient serum samples. By IgM immunoblotting, we found that recombinant proteins BBA65, BBA70, and BBA73 reacted with early Lyme EM samples at levels comparable to those of the OspC antigen used in the current IgM blotting criteria. Additionally, these proteins reacted with serum samples from patients with early neuroborreliosis and early carditis, suggesting value in detecting early stages of this disease progression. We also found serological reactivity against recombinant proteins BBA69 and BBA73 with early-Lyme-disease samples using IgG immunoblotting and ELISA. Significantly, some samples that had been scored negative by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended 2-tiered testing algorithm demonstrated positive reactivity to one or more of the antigens by IgM/IgG immunoblot and ELISA. These results suggest that incorporating additional in vivo-expressed antigens into the current IgM/IgG immunoblotting tier in a recombinant protein platform assay may improve the performance of early-Lyme-disease serologic testing.
Sensitivity analysis of polarimetric O 2 A-band spectra for potential cloud retrievals using OCO-2/GOSAT measurements

Abstract. Clouds play a crucial role in Earth's radiative budget, yet their climate feedbacks are poorly understood. The advent of space-borne high resolution spectrometers probing the O2 A band, like GOSAT and OCO-2, could make it possible to simultaneously retrieve vertically resolved cloud parameters that play a vital role in Earth's radiative budget, thereby allowing a reduction of the corresponding uncertainty due to clouds. Such retrievals would also facilitate air mass bias reduction in corresponding measurements of CO2 columns. In this work, the hyperspectral, polarimetric response of the O2 A band to mainly three important cloud parameters, viz., optical thickness, top height and droplet size has been studied, revealing a different sensitivity to each for the varying atmospheric absorption strength within the A band. Cloud optical thickness finds greatest sensitivity in intensity measurements, the sensitivity of other Stokes parameters being limited to low cloud optical thicknesses. Cloud height had a negligible effect on intensity measurements at non-absorbing wavelengths but finds maximum sensitivity at an intermediate absorption strength, which increases with cloud height. The same is found to hold for cloud geometric thickness. The geometry-dependent sensitivity to droplet size is maximum at non-absorbing wavelengths and diminishes with increasing absorption strength. It has been shown that significantly more information on droplet size can be drawn from multi-angle measurements. We find that, in the absence of sunglint, the backscatter hemisphere (scattering angle larger than 90°) is richer in information on droplet size, especially in the glory and rainbow regions. It has been shown that I and Q generally have differing sensitivities to all cloud parameters. Thus, accurate measurements of two orthogonal components IP andIS (as in GOSAT) are expected to contain more information than measurements of only I, Ih or Iv (as in the case of OCO-2).
Weighing The World: The Quest to Measure the Earth – By Edwin Danson

In an age of easily available geographical positioning systems (GPS), it is perhaps difficult to think of a time when that information was not so accurate or so readily accessible. Edwin Danson tak...
Relevance of MDMA ("ecstasy")-induced neurotoxicity to long-lasting psychomotor stimulation in mice

Rationale Although many studies have focused on the mechanisms underlying MDMA-induced neurotoxicity, little is known about the subsequent long-term response to psychostimulants following exposure to a neurotoxic dose of MDMA.
CALIBRATION OF ALLOY STEEL BOLTS

The performance of alloy steel structural bolts when subjected to various conditions of installation and load was determined. The bolts investigated were ASTM A354 Grades BC and BD and ASTM A490. Variables included bolt diameter, grip length, thread length under nut, and thread lubrication. The problems investigated included the behavior of bolts loaded in tension by either direct axial force or by torque, the response of bolts installed by torquing to subsequent application of direct tension, the effect of reinstallation, differences between tests performed in a hydraulic load cell and field behavior of bolts, incremental versus continuous torquing, and the effect of thread lubrication. Conclusions and recommendations are made concerning alloy steel bolts used as structural fasteners.
Transplantation of Monodispersed Rat Thyroid Cells: Hormonal Effects on Follicular Unit Development and Morphology

SummaryWe have described an in vivo model system for the study of the growth and development of organized thyroid epithelial structures. These epithelial structures respond to various hormonal manipulations in a manner identical to that described for the thyroid gland in situ. The light and ultrastructural morphology of the follicular epithelial cells correlate well with that described for thyroid cells in intact glands exposed to similar hormonal manipulations. Therefore, we believe that follicular units which develop after transplantation of monodispersed thyroid cells serve as excellent models for the study of thyroid development and response in vivo. This model provides the further advantage of a quantitative approach for the investigation of epithelial cell growth and differentiation, of responses to environmental fluctuations, aspects of cell structure and function, and carcinogenesis.The authors wish to thank Joan M. Mitchen for her excellent technical assistance throughout the course of these stud...
Near-optimal heuristics for an assignment problem in mass storage

This paper deals with the assignment of items to an array based on access probabilities so that the expected access time is minimized. The only necessary condition for optimality known to date is that of pairwise majorization. This condition, however, is far from being sufficient. Procedures are developed (1) to enumerate all configurations that satisfy this condition and (2) to obtain tight lower bounds for the optimal solution. An algorithm based on stepwise minimization is proposed and is demonstrated to give near-optimal performance. Numerical results are presented to show that the heuristics yield an actual cost within 0.8 % of the optimal regardless of the underlying distribution and the array size. Furthermore, this algorithm only depends on the ranking of access frequencies and not on the exact values.
Effects of maternal methadone administration on ornithine decarboxylase in brain and heart of the offspring: relationships of enzyme activity to dose and to growth impairment in the rat.

Abstract Administration of 5 mg/kg of methadone daily to pregnant and nursing rats produced substantial retardation of body, brain and heart growth in the offspring; alterations in biochemical development also were present in the methadone-exposed pups, as evidenced by delays in the maturational declines of brain and heart ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. Lowering the dose of methadone to levels which did not affect growth or brain ODC, still resulted in pro-found abnormalities in the developmental pattern of heart ODC. These studies indicate that downward adjustment of maternal methadone dosage to a point where birthweights and body and organ growth rates are normal, does not eliminate all of the biochemical alterations associated with the perinatal opiate syndrome.
Electronic readout of the ATLAS Liquid Argon calorimeter: Calibration and performance

The Liquid Argon (LAr) calorimeter is a key detector component in the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The LAr calorimeter is designed to provide precision measurements of electrons, photons, jets and missing transverse energy. It consists of a set of sampling calorimeters kept in three separate cryostats with liquid argon as the active medium.
Cooperative Roles of CTLA-4 and Regulatory T Cells in Tolerance to an Islet Cell Antigen

Adoptive transfer of ovalbumin (OVA)-specific T cells from the DO.11 TCR transgenic mouse on a Rag−/− background into mice expressing OVA in pancreatic islet cells induces acute insulitis and diabetes only if endogenous lymphocytes, including regulatory T cells, are removed. When wild-type OVA-specific/Rag−/− T cells, which are all CD25−, are transferred into islet antigen–expressing mice, peripheral immunization with OVA in adjuvant is needed to induce diabetes. In contrast, naive CTLA-4−/−/Rag−/− OVA-specific T cells (also CD25−) develop into Th1 effectors and induce disease upon recognition of the self-antigen alone. These results suggest that CTLA-4 functions to increase the activation threshold of autoreactive T cells, because in its absence self-antigen is sufficient to trigger autoimmunity without peripheral immunization. Further, CTLA-4 and regulatory T cells act cooperatively to maintain tolerance, indicating that the function of CTLA-4 is independent of regulatory cells, and deficiency of both is required to induce pathologic immune responses against the islet self-antigen.
Planarization of Copper Thin Films by Electropolishing in Phosphoric Acid for ULSI Applications

Electropolishing of thin films poses additional challenges in comparison to hulk material polishing. The existence of a resistive anode/electrolyte boundary layer is crucial for achieving polishing. A finite amount of copper is required to he anodically dissolved to create the boundary layer of the appropriate thickness for effective electropolishing of a given hillock. This is a significant consideration in the application of electropolishing for planarization of thin films where the disparity in the topography is significant in proportion to the thickness of the film. Here electropolishing is shown to effectively remove the bulk of electrodeposited copper layers used in ultralarge scale integration (ULSI) metallization schemes without application of mechanical force and to planarize local topography. Efficient polishing can be achieved under galvanostatic conditions (i.e., constant current between the wafer and a counter electrode). Anodic transient studies indicated that the mechanism of formation of the boundary layer (in mass-transport controlled regime) is determined by the diffusive transport of an acceptor species to the anode/electrolyte Interface. Effects of changes in current density and rotational speed of wafer on the extent of planarization have heen determined. Under optimal galvanostatic and hydrodynamic conditions, the disparity in the topography over wide trenches adjacent to dense features decreased by 60%.
Surface crystallization of a fluoride glass

Growth of crystals on the surface of a Zr-Ba-La fluoride glass was observed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Small, dark crystal nucleated rapidly and grew to a size of about 10 microns; then they stopped growing, and wrinkled regions emerged, covering the entire crystal surface.
Synthesis of sulfatide by cultured rat Schwann cells.

Abstract: The 35S sulfolipids synthesized by purified cultures of rat Schwann cells, fibroblasts, and a rat cell line (RN2) were studied. Schwann cell 35S sulfolipids were almost entirely [35S]sulfatide, as shown by TLC in two different solvent systems with unlabeled authentic sulfatide run in the same track. RN2 and fibroblasts did not synthesize significant amounts of sulfatide, by the same criteria. Previous studies failed to detect any characteristic myelin components, including sulfatide, on Schwann cells after several days in culture (Brockes et al., 1980a; Mirsky et at., 1980). My results show that Schwann cells continue to synthesize some sulfatide in the absence of neurons.
Sensory irritation evoked by the thermal decomposition products of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)

A decrease in respiratory rate in mice during exposure to irritating airborne chemicals has been utilized as a response parameter to characterize the degree of upper respiratory tract irritation (sensory irritation) to the thermal decomposition products of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride). The plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) was placed in a low mass vertical furnace and thermally decomposed in an air atmosphere at a programmed heating rate of 20°C min−1. The thermogravimetric study of the plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) demonstrated that two distinct weight loss fractions occurred during the decomposition process. Groups of four male swiss-webster mice were exposed to the thermal decomposition products of the first weight loss fraction in the range 0.03–0.77 mg l−1 and to the second weight loss fraction in the range 0.03–0.38 mg l−1. Dose-response curves were plotted by utilizing the maximum percent decrease in respiratory rate during each exposure as the response parameter. Comparison of these curves to a dose-response curve for hydrogen chloride showed that both the first and second weight loss fraction of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) were more potent than hydrogen chloride in terms of sensory irritation. From these dose-response relationships qualitative and quantitative predictions of human responses to the thermal decomposition products of plasticized.
Fall prevention and safety communication training for foremen: Report of a pilot project designed to improve residential construction safety

Problem Falls from heights account for 64% of residential construction worker fatalities and 20% of missed work days. We hypothesized that worker safety would improve with foremen training in fall prevention and safety communication.
Design of limiting amplifier models for nonlinear amplify-and-forward distributed estimation

This paper describes the design of limiting amplifier models to be used in the implementation of non-linear amplify-and-forward distributed estimation systems. The use of nonlinear amplifiers in amplify-and-forward distributed estimation can yield significant gains in sensor power efficiency compared to the more conventional linear amplifiers. To ensure similar compression characteristics across all individual sensors and thus allow the receiver to perform estimation, predistortion is utilized to fit all amplifiers to a common shaping function similar to their inherent compression characteristics. When designing this shaping function, knowledge of the receiver noise and the accuracy of the amplifier predistortion is critical to estimating system performance. Analytical expressions for the asymptotic variance are derived for two non-linear amplifier models. The two models analyzed are the scaled hyperbolic tangent and the Cann model. It is found the Cann model with low sharpness can improve power added efficiency in a distributed estimation system. A set of Java-DSP functions is introduced to aid in teaching predistortion design tradeoffs.
The nature of electrochemical reactions between several zinc organodithiophosphate antiwear additives and cast iron surfaces

This printing supersedes the publication in the July, 1988 Tribology Transactions pages 382-390 in which Fig. 16 and Table 5 were omitted along with the Discussion and Closure. The electrochemical reactivities of four commercial zinc organodithiophosphate (ZDP) antiwear additives, each blended with a common mineral oil, were measured during thermal decomposition tests. The results imply that electrochemical reactions between the decomposition products of ZDP and the electrode surfaces produce surface coatings on cast iron electrodes. This observation suggests that electrochemical methods might be useful tools for understanding the mechanism by which ZDPs reduce wear. The electrochemical reactivity of the blends was proportional to the thickness of surface coatings formed on the electrodes at the end of the test, and inversely proportional to the ZDP's decomposition temperatures. The effects of oxygen, oleic acid concentration, and surface coating on the electrochemical reactivity were measured. Presented ...
Tomatoes, land and hearsay: Property and history in asante in the time of structural adjustment

Abstract After a decade of advocating market-based solutions to poverty and underdevelopment in sub-Saharan Africa, policy analysts have begun to reexamine the actual and potential role of African states and institutions in promoting sustainable development. While stressing the importance of flexibility, in policies and institutions, much of this debate rests on ahistorical approaches to understanding African institutions which portray them as inflexible and fragile, beleaguered by economic and political change rather than contributing to it. After reviewing some of the assumptions which inform recent debates, this essay argues for a more processual approach, which takes account of the negotiability and ambiguity of many institutional arrangements, drawing on a case study of recent changes in land rights and agricultural practices in a rural community in Ghana.
Nasal airway obstruction: allergy and otolaryngology perspectives

Background Diagnostic test preferences and management strategies for nasal airway obstruction (NAO) may vary depending on medical specialty. Objective To discern current attitudes and practices of different medical specialties regarding diagnostic and management strategies for patients with NAO. Methods Cross-sectional survey of all practicing otolaryngologists and medical allergists in Wisconsin and parts of northern Illinois (N = 268). Survey participants were asked to rank the tests they most commonly perform to differentiate causes of NAO and to rank the diagnostic tests they believed were most sensitive and specific (criterion standard) for NAO. The second portion of the survey provided 3 distinct patient scenarios, and participants were surveyed on their treatment plans. Results The survey response rate was approximately 50% for both specialties. Nasal endoscopy was the most common diagnostic test for otolaryngologists vs allergists (58% vs 2%, P P P Conclusion Differences were demonstrated in the diagnostic workup preferences and perceptions of the criterion standard for NAO between the 2 medical specialties. Specialty bias, practitioner comfort level, and patient selection likely accounted for differences in responses. However, patient management decisions, medical or surgical, seemed to be similar between the specialties.
Association between Val108/158 Met polymorphism of the COMT gene and schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder with a multifactorial polygenic inheritance with several genes conferring susceptibility at many genetic locations, each with a small effect. An attractive candidate gene for schizophrenia is the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, which is a modulator of dorsolateral prefrontal cortical function. A missense G to A mutation in this gene that results in a substitution of Methionine (Met) for Valine (Val) at codon 108/158 (Val(108/158) Met) has recently been identified in association to schizophrenia. We compared allele frequencies of the variant Val allele between 96 schizophrenia cases and 80 normal controls. We selected controls from a similar pool to cases in ethnicity and gender. The frequency of the Val allele was significantly higher in schizophrenia cases compared to controls (0.620 vs. 0.506; P = 0.043). Calculation of the population attributable risk suggests that the Val allele accounts for as much as 23% of schizophrenia in this population (range: 3-38%). These results provide support for a role of this variant in the etiopathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Immunologic approaches to breast cancer treatment

The need for less toxic adjuvant therapies and a better understanding of the processes by which the immune system can eradicate micrometastatic disease has generated significant interest in breast cancer immunotherapy. There are many potential approaches to stimulating an immune response against a tumor, each with relative advantages and disadvantages in regards to cost, immunogenicity, and clinical applicability in treating breast cancer. This article will review the mechanisms by which the immune system can recognize and eradicate neoplastic cells and the various methods of stimulating an anti-tumor immune response. Obstacles to the clinical effectiveness of immunotherapies in breast cancer are also discussed.
Changes in left ventricular internal diameter with increasing pericardial pressure

Changes in left ventricular internal diameter resulting from increasing intrapericardial pressure induced by increasing the pericardial fluid volume were studied in closed chest, anaesthetized dogs. Left ventricular internal diameters were measured by placing an ultrasonic dimension catheter in the left ventricle at the time of the experiments. With increasing pericardial pressure, significant increases occurred in heart rate and mean left atrial pressure. Left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameter progressively decreased as the pericardial pressure was elevated. After beta adrenergic blockade with propranolol (1 mg/kg), the decline in end-systolic diameter during pericardial tamponade was significantly reduced. These observations indicate the importance of the systolic reserve and the role of beta adrenergic receptors in the adaptation of the left ventricle to increases in pericardial tamponade.
A Social Relationship Response to a Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant: Network Theory and Community Change

Local community collective action has been identified as a key ingredient in community response to change. Network theorists suggest that the social network structure of a community impacts local capacity to adapt to change. This paper summarizes network theory and then draws upon a case study of a Western community where a proposed coal-fired power plant has created conflict over the environmental, aesthetic, economic, and quality-of-life implications of the proposed development. Within this context we examine empirically the influence of social network structure on positions taken by local leaders in supporting or opposing the proposed energy plant. The findings illustrate that perceptions of economic development and its impact on the environment as well as network structure influence the positions taken toward the proposed coal-fired plant in the community.
The specific heat of YBa2Cu3O7-δ: evidence for d-wave pairing

Abstract The specific-heat (C) of two polycrystalline samples of YBa2Cu3O7−δ is reported for 0.8 H −1/2 T≲6.5 T −1/2 K, an H1/2T term; for H−1/2T∼6.5 T−1/2 K, a crossover to a more complicated H and T dependence; for all H and T, agreement with a proposed scaling relation, CDOS/(H1/2T)=F(H−1/2T), where F is an undetermined scaling function and CDOS is the electron density of states (DOS) contribution to C.
Sports Counseling: Enhancing the Development of the High School Student‐Athlete

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the dilemmas faced by student-athletes. The purpose of this article is to identify the major developmental issues faced by students participating in interscholastic athletics and to suggest ways in which counselors can assist them in mastering age-appropriate developmental tasks.
Body-Image Perceptions among Urban Native American Youth

Objective: This study investigated body-image perceptions among Native American youth. Research Methods and Procedures: A modified and validated body-image measure for use with Native American youth was utilized in a cross-sectional assessment of 155 urban Native American youth attending an after-school program in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The youth (ages 5 to 18 years) expressed their perceptions of current and ideal body image, which allowed assessment of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Body sizes perceived as healthy or most likely to develop diabetes were also communicated. Heights and weights were measured, and body mass index was calculated. Results: When asked to identify their ideal body figure, younger children selected thinner figures than adolescents, and overweight youth chose ideal figures similar to those of normal-weight youth. The mean body dissatisfaction of the youth was ±0.99 and ±1.49 body figures for boys and girls, respectively. Examination of the direction of body dissatisfaction revealed that 41% of the boys and 61% of the girls expressed a desire to be thinner. Those expressing the greatest dissatisfaction were overweight girls (>95th percentile). On a scale from one to eight, the median of the body image viewed as the healthiest was 4.0, whereas that most likely to develop diabetes was 8.0. Discussion: These results suggest that urban Native American youth are dissatisfied with their body size and that most acknowledge the diabetes risk associated with overweight, which implies that they may be receptive to obesity prevention measures.
Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in Children with Psoriatic Disease

Adults with psoriasis have a greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but few studies have investigated the prevalence of MetS and other risk factors for CVD in children with psoriasis. In an assessor-blinded study, 20 children ages 9-17 years with a current or previously documented history of psoriasis involving 5% or more of their body surface area or psoriatic arthritis were compared with a cohort of age- and sex-matched controls with benign nevi, warts, or acne. MetS, our primary endpoint, was defined by the presence of abnormal values in at least three of the following measures: triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting blood glucose (FBG), waist circumference, and blood pressure. Secondary endpoints included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Thirty percent (6/20) of children with psoriasis met the criteria for MetS, compared with 5% (1/20) of the control group (p < 0.05). Subjects with psoriasis had higher mean FBG (91.1 mg/dL) than the control group (82.9 mg/dL) (p = 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in the other four components of MetS, BMI, BMI percentile, hs-CRP, TC, or LDL-C. The results of this trial demonstrate that children with psoriasis have higher rates of MetS than age- and sex-matched controls. It may therefore be important to evaluate children with psoriasis for components of MetS to prevent future CVD morbidity and mortality.
Core properties of dislocations in YCu and YAg B2 intermetallic compounds

Abstract In this study, the dissociation and core properties of dislocations with the Burgers vectors [111] and [100] in YCu and YAg B2 rare-earth intermetallic compounds were investigated by utilizing the generalized Peierls–Nabarro model. The results are compared with those seen for the common B2 intermetallic alloy NiAl. The results indicate that the dislocations with the Burgers vector [111] in the three intermetallics exhibit similar dissociation characteristics and the core sizes. On the other hand, owing to the lower stacking fault energy along the [100] direction in YAg and YCu, the dislocations with the Burgers vector [100] show a different dissociation in comparison to those seen in NiAl, indicating an easier activation of the [100] slip modes in YCu and YAg.
An Accurate, Low-Maintenance Psychrometer

Abstract A psychrometer was built which features a force-feed wicking system to prevent drying of the wick. A pump recirculates the water over an inner wet-bulb radiation shield. The water cools close to wet-bulb temperature, thereby reducing the radiation error on the wet bulb. The wet-bulb wick is fed by this precooled water which also reduces the conduction error of heat flow in the wick. The design also features quick assembly for easy servicing of the wick.
Effects of alcohol on blastocyst implantation and fecundity in the rat

The effects of alcohol on blastocyst implantation and fecundity were determined. Pregnant rats (insemination = day 1) received vehicle only (water), or alcohol (2 or 4 g/kg body weight) daily by feeding tube on days 1-4 and the time of implantation determined on day 5 or fecundity assessed on day 19. Implantation sites were rendered visible by the blue-reaction; fecundity was expressed as the ratio of live fetuses to total implantations. The time course of blastocyst implantation was advanced by alcohol (2 g/kg dose). At 1000 hr, 1.9 vs. 0.9 blastocysts had implanted in treated vs. controls. By 1200 hr, 66 vs. 17% of blastocysts had implanted and by 1500 hr 90 vs. 52% had implanted in the 2 g/kg dose group vs. controls. Blastocyst implantation was not consistently advanced by the 4 g/kg dose of alcohol. The total number of blastocysts ultimately implanting did not differ between groups (control: 7.0 +/- 0.9; 2 g: 7.3 +/- 0.9; 4 g: 7.1 +/- 0.5 sites/cornu at 1800 hr). Fecundity did not differ markedly between control and the 2 g/kg dose group (97 vs. 96%, respectively), but was reduced in the 4 g/kg dose group (58%). The results indicate that daily administration of alcohol (2 g/kg body weight) during the preimplantation period (days 1-4) advances the time course of blastocyst implantation without reducing fecundity.
A three-dimensional microfluidic approach to scaling up microencapsulation of cells

Current applications of the microencapsulation technique include the use of encapsulated islet cells to treat Type 1 diabetes, and encapsulated hepatocytes for providing temporary but adequate metabolic support to allow spontaneous liver regeneration, or as a bridge to liver transplantation for patients with chronic liver disease. Also, microcapsules can be used for controlled delivery of therapeutic drugs. The two most widely used devices for microencapsulation are the air-syringe pump droplet generator and the electrostatic bead generator, each of which is fitted with a single needle through which droplets of cells suspended in alginate solution are produced and cross-linked into microbeads. A major drawback in the design of these instruments is that they are incapable of producing sufficient numbers of microcapsules in a short-time period to permit mass production of encapsulated and viable cells for transplantation in large animals and humans. We present in this paper a microfluidic approach to scaling up cell and protein encapsulations. The microfluidic chip consists of a 3D air supply and multi-nozzle outlet for microcapsule generation. It has one alginate inlet and one compressed air intlet. The outlet has 8 nozzles, each having 380 micrometers inner diameter, which produce hydrogel microspheres ranging from 500 to 700 μm in diameter. These nozzles are concentrically surrounded by air nozzles with 2 mm inner diameter. There are two tubes connected at the top to allow the air to escape as the alginate solution fills up the chamber. A variable flow pump 115 V is used to pump alginate solution and Tygon® tubing is used to connect in-house air supply to the air channel and peristaltic/syringe pump to the alginate chamber. A pressure regulator is used to control the flow rate of air. We have encapsulated islets and proteins with this high throughput device, which is expected to improve product quality control in microencapsulation of cells, and hence the outcome of their transplantation.
Anti-liver-kidney microsome antibody is a marker for the rat hepatocyte endoplasmic reticulum

Human sera, containing anti-liver-kidney microsome antibody as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence, were obtained from a subgroup of young patients with autoimmune chronic hepatitis. The anti-liver-kidney microsome antibody-positive sera were used to study the localization of the liver-kidney microsome antigen in hepatocytes. Immunoblot analysis of microsomal subfractions, lysosomal membranes, plasma membranes, mitochondria and purified ribosomes obtained from rat liver demonstrated that this antibody recognizes a protein of 50 kD present only in endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Immunogold labeling of ultrathin frozen sections and immunoperoxidase staining of 11 to 15 μm cryostat sections were used to detect the liver-kidney microsome antigen in rat liver tissue. The anti-liver-kidney microsome antibody binds to antigenic domains on the cytoplasmic face of smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes of hepatocytes. No labeling was observed of the Golgi apparatus, peroxi-somes, mitochondria, lysosomes, nuclei or plasma membranes. Not only was the antigen recognized by the anti-liver-kidney microsome antibody specific for endoplasmic reticulum membranes, but it was also specific for the endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes only, since no labeling was observed in any organelle of Kupffer or endothelial cells. Therefore, the anti-liver-kidney microsome antibody can be considered as a marker for endoplasmic reticulum in rat hepatocytes.
Chemosensory signaling systems that control bacterial survival.

Recent studies have revealed that several Gram-negative species utilize variations of the well-known chemotaxis signaling cascade to switch lifestyles in order to survive environmental stress. The two survival strategies covered in this review are the development of dormant cyst cells and biofilm formation. Each of these structures involves exopolysaccharide-mediated cell–cell interactions, which result in multicellular communities that confer resistance to stress conditions such as desiccation and antibiotics. This review is centered on recent advances in the understanding of phosphate flow and novel output signals in chemosensory signaling pathways that are involved in cyst formation and biofilms.
Initial three-dimensional reconstructions of protein kinase C δ from two-dimensional crystals on lipid monolayers☆

Two-dimensional crystals of protein kinase C delta (PKCdelta) and of its regulatory domain (RDdelta) were grown on lipid monolayers and analyzed by electron microscopy at tilt angles varying from -50 degrees to +55 degrees. Although the crystals exhibit pseudo-3-fold symmetry, analysis of difference phase residuals indicates that there is only one way to align the crystals for merging so the data were processed in plane group P1. Three-dimensional reconstructions generated for several two-dimensional crystals each of PKCdelta and RDdelta show good agreement and are consistent with membrane attachment via a single C1 subdomain, a small surface contact by one or two loops from the C2 domain, and, in intact PKCdelta, a small appendage from the catalytic domain, probably V5. Two-dimensional crystallography with three-dimensional reconstruction should be suitable for examination of additional PKC isozymes and for analysis of the enzymes bound to substrates and other proteins.
Two-Tier Optimal-Cooperation Based Secure Distributed Spectrum Sensing for Wireless Cognitive Radio Networks

We study security issues that may pose a serious threat to the spectrum sensing for wireless cognitive radio networks. In particular, we focus on two of the main security threats: Incumbent Emulation (IE) attacks and Spectrum Sensing Data Falsification (SSDF) attacks. We develop a Distributed Spectrum Sensing (DSS) algorithm to defend against each of the two attacks in a two-tier cognitive radio network. For the IE attacks, we develop a user verification scheme, called localizationbased defense. For the SSDF attacks, we propose an optimal nonlinear cooperation scheme, which minimizes the interference to the primary emulation attack. To take the more realistic scenarios into account, we characterize the DSS algorithm as an M-ary Hypotheses problem, and formulate it as an optimization problem by introducing a deflection coefficient. The simulation results evaluate our proposed optimal nonlinear cooperation scheme and validate the significant cooperative gain achieved.