cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strain energy spectral density and information content of materials deformation

Abstract A broader range of analytical tools can enhance understanding of the unusual mechanical properties of metamaterials and other advanced material systems. Here, we discuss a mechanics analogue of the Parseval's energy theorem that leads to a density of the strain energy in the reciprocal space. It reflects the ways for an elastic medium to translate static deformation patterns between two points in space. A normalized spectral density also provides an information entropy of deformation at those points. Both differential and discrete (numerical) entropies of the Shannon's type are discussed. Spectral entropy is a basic measure of information available in the material interior about surface loads, or a measure of disorder introduced into elastic medium by the deformation. An exact analytical entropy function is derived for an isotropic plane solid under Gauss-distributed and point loads. Approaches to numerical calculation of spectral entropy in computational solid mechanics are also discussed. Energy spectral density and spectral entropy of an elastic continuum is shown to translate, logically, in agreement with the Saint-Venant's principle. However, it also becomes clear that microstructured media may demonstrate anomalous pathways of evolution of the strain energy spectrum, enabling interesting transformation mechanics studies of engineered material systems.
Investigation of Nickel Oxide as Carrier-selective Interlayer for Silicon Solar Cell Contacts

Thin film crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells have been a potential candidate to reduce the capital expenditure associated with traditional silicon photovoltaic market. This paper presents the sputtered NiO$_{\mathbf {x}}$ to be a potential candidate as hole-selective layer for c-Si solar cell contacts. NiO$_{\mathbf {x}}$ has a very small valence band offset (VBO $) ( \sim 0.1$ eV) and a large conduction band offset (CBO) with Si $( \sim 2$ eV), which makes it a promising candidate for hole-selective interlayer materials to reduce the contact recombination. In this paper, the effect of annealing condition on the NiO$_{\mathbf {x}}$/Si interface quality is first evaluated by Hall resistivity measurement. Also, the transport of both majority and minority carriers due to NiO$_{\mathbf {x}}$/Si band alignment is investigated by transmission line measurement. Results in this paper show that the sputtered NiO$_{\mathbf {x}}$ can be an effective interlayer material for thin film c-Si solar cell contacts.
Service-Learning and Students With Severe Disabilities: Examining Participation and Curricular Goals.

Abstract The purpose of this case study was to examine how students with severe disabilities participated in service-learning at a food pantry and the curricular goals they addressed. Service-learn...
UNIT 3.11 Exonucleases

Reaction conditions for numerous exonucleases are detailed in this unit along with discussions of potential applications and preferred substrates. Single-stranded and double-stranded 5′ 3′ and 3′ 5′ exonucleases are included. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 96:3.11.1-3.11.7. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: DNases; ssDNA exonucleases; dsDNA exonucleases
Self-Esteem and School Belongingness: A Cross-Lagged Panel Study Among Urban Youth:

The present study explored the causal relationship between self-esteem and school belongingness among a sample of urban youth. Based on a longitudinal cross-lagged panel design, the results offered...
Seasonal Cycles of Along-Track Tropical Cyclone Maximum Intensity

AbstractThis study investigates relationships between observed tropical cyclone (TC) maximum intensities and potential intensity (PI) over the seasonal cycle. To directly compare observed and poten...
Transition to Self-Management among Adolescents with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Parent and Adolescent Perspectives.

Abstract Purpose Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among females. The foundation of PCOS self-management is engaging in healthy lifestyle habits, however, there is limited literature regarding adolescents' transition to PCOS self-management. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore parental and adolescent views of the transition to PCOS self-management. Design and methods A qualitative descriptive approach was used through focus groups (N = 4) with adolescents diagnosed with PCOS and their parents. Results A total of seven adolescents and eight parents participated in two focus groups each. The primary theme from the parent groups was Concerns for Transition to Self-Care with the subthemes of facilitation versus direction and recognition of personal habits. The primary theme identified from the adolescent groups was Taking Control with subthemes of managing symptoms, cognitive dissonance, support, and balance. Conclusions: Study findings provide insight into the experiences of adolescents with PCOS and their parents as they navigate both a family-level transition in health habits and anticipate the adolescent transition to self-management as an emerging adult. Practice implications Nurses and other health care providers can help facilitate transition to self-management among adolescents with PCOS by encouraging increased independence in health behavior decisions while they are still living at home. Middle and older adolescents who begin to take ownership of their physical activity, nutritional choices, and sleep hygiene will have a firm foundation on which to build as they transition into life beyond high school.
Shoulder Arthrodesis in the Management of Glenohumeral Pathologies

BackgroundIn an era of advanced shoulder stabilization procedures, arthroplasty implants and techniques, shoulder arthrodesis is considered an end-stage salvage procedure with negative connotations...
Affective Responses From Different Modalities of Resistance Exercise: Timing Matters!

Resistance exercise provides positive changes in affect that may increase adherence. Little is known about the temporal dynamics of affect or the relationship between training modality and affect. This experiment investigated the temporal dynamics of affect during resistance exercise and compared affective responses from machine and free weight exercises. Twenty-eight novice lifters (21 females) completed 2 workouts consisting of 4 machine or 4 free weight exercises for 3 sets of 9-11 repetitions at 80% 10 repetition-maximum. Feeling Scale was administered at baseline, during, 5- and 30-minutes post. During the workout, Feeling Scale was administered during the seventh repetition of the second set and after completion of the third set to provide an intra- and inter-set affective measurement. A Repeated Measures General Linear Model revealed a significant effect for time (p < 0.001) with affect more positive for all time points, 5- and 30-mins following exercise compared to baseline levels (p’s < .001). Additionally, affect was more positive at 5- compared to 30-mins post (p = 0.015) and higher for the inter-set measurement compared to the intra-set measurement (p = 0.001). The results suggest that affective valence becomes more positive during and following resistance exercise. This preliminary evidence suggests affective rebounding may occur after cessation of the set. Lastly, there appears to be no differences in the affective responses from machine and free weight exercises among novice lifters although this finding may be confounded by other factors such as differences in muscle group selection or total amount of volume performed.
Joseph G. Ponterotto in Interview with Claude-Hélène Mayer; September 21, 2018

North American psychobiographer, Joseph G. Ponterotto, is interviewed by fellow psychobiographer Claude-Helene Mayer. Ponterotto reflects on the history and current status of psychobiograpohy as a research enterprise. The value of psychobiography to the broader psychology field is highlighted, and some pioneering scholars in psychobiography are acknowledged.
Echocardiographic screening in children with very severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Abstract Objective (i) To determine the prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities in children with very severe OSA defined by an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 30 events/hour. (ii) To test the hypothesis that polysomnographic parameters predict echocardiographic variables in this population. Methods Children aged 1–17 years presenting with polysomnography demonstrating an AHI ≥30 and referred for pre-operative echocardiography performed within the 6 months prior to tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A), over a two-year period (January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018) were evaluated. The exclusion criteria were the presence of (i) unrepaired congenital cardiac disease, (ii) tracheostomy, (iii) poorly controlled asthma, or (iv) neuromuscular disorder. The prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities was determined for the study population. The impact of the severity of OSA on echocardiographic parameters was evaluated using Student's t-test. The relationships between polysomnographic variables and biventricular function as well as pulmonary hemodynamics were measured. A penalized regression model was used to identify the contributions of polysomnographic variables to each echocardiographic parameter by mitigating inter-variable relationships. P Results Eighty-nine children were screened, of whom 47 were included for analysis. The mean age was 68.8 months [95% confidence interval, 56.0 to 81.6]. Thirty-three (70.2%) were boys. Twenty (42.6%) were obese. All children had normal echocardiograms. The differences in echocardiographic variables between children grouped by the severity of OSA were not statistically significant (P: 0.18-0.98). Polysomnographic variables predicted only 4 out of 13 studied echocardiographic parameters. Conclusions Pre-operative echocardiography did not identify significant abnormalities in children with very severe OSA. Majority of the echocardiographic variables were not predicted by polysomnographic parameters. This study demonstrates the limited benefit associated with routine echocardiographic screening of children with very severe OSA solely based on polysomnographic indices.
Supporting Physical–Behavioral Health Integration Using Medicaid Managed Care Organizations

This paper describes key findings of two states that sought to integrate physical and behavioral health services by delivering them through one Medicaid managed care contract. The purpose was to explore how managed care organizations (MCOs) could improve physical and behavioral health integration. Promising practices include leveraging data accumulated by MCOs about beneficiaries to support providers and enhanced case management, encouraging MCOs to pay providers for care coordination and care collocation, and offering protections to providers and beneficiaries. Finally, in the absence of a shared vision among key stakeholders regarding how to best promote integrated care, a state can make progress by promoting stakeholder innovation.
Case 39: LMA in Elective Orthopedic Surgery

A 25-year-old man is scheduled for an intramedullary nailing for a femoral fracture. He is otherwise healthy. One week before, he had a motor vehicle accident. Initially, he was treated conservatively, in the hospital, by sustained traction with the left leg in a Thomas’s splint. But since a satisfactory reduction could not be secured by this method, surgery was recommended and accepted.
Modelling and Measuring Gains from Labour Market Desegregation in Northern Ireland

Over the past decades, Catholic-Protestant relations in Northern Ireland have gradually improved. Agglomeration theories would predict that the resulting workplace desegregation would increase productivity. This paper presents a model of the impact of labour force segregation on the agglomeration benefits of matching. The paper then provides the first thorough, micro-level estimate of employment desegregation in Northern Ireland since 2001. Finally, the calibrated model estimates the effect of desegregation on output, wages, and number of firms. The model estimates that each percentage point decrease in segregation would increase net output by 0.04 per cent to 0.29 per cent.
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Subcallosal Cingulate Connectivity Show Preferential Antidepressant Response in Major Depressive Disorder.

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder is associated with abnormal connectivity across emotion and reward circuits as well as other established circuits that may negatively impact treatment response. The goal of this study was to perform an exploratory reanalysis of archival data from a clinical trial to identify moderators of treatment outcome of sertraline over placebo. Methods EMBARC (Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response in Clinical Care) study participants completed magnetic resonance imaging before randomization to either sertraline or placebo for 8 weeks (n = 279). Seed-based functional connectivity was computed using 4 bilateral seeds (2 spheres defined bilaterally): amygdala, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), subcallosal cingulate cortex, and ventral striatum. Functional connectivity maps were generated, principal component analysis was performed, linear mixed effects models were used to determine moderators of treatment outcome, and post hoc analyses were used to determine level of connectivity (low and high, −1 and +1 SD from the mean) that was most sensitive to improved depression severity (baseline to week 8) based on treatment. Results Greater mean reduction in the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score by 8 weeks occurred with sertraline relative to placebo when connectivity in the DLPFC was low (3-way interaction test, p = .05). Conditional on low connectivity in the DLPFC and subcallosal cingulate cortex and high connectivity in the ventral striatum and amygdala, there was on average a 4.8-point greater reduction in the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score with sertraline relative to placebo (p = .003). Conclusions The level of functional connectivity seeded in both the DLPFC and the subcallosal cingulate cortex networks may play an important role in identifying a favorable response to sertraline over placebo.
Eruptions and related clinical course among 296 hospitalized adults with confirmed COVID-19.

Background Limited information exists on mucocutaneous disease and its relation to course of COVID-19. Objective To estimate prevalence of mucocutaneous findings, characterize morphologic patterns, and describe relationship to course in hospitalized adults with COVID-19. Methods Prospective cohort study at 2 tertiary hospitals (Northwell Health) between May 11, 2020 and June 15, 2020. Results Among 296 hospitalized adults with COVID-19, 35 (11.8%) had at least 1 disease-related eruption. Patterns included ulcer (13/35, 37.1%), purpura (9/35, 25.7%), necrosis (5/35, 14.3%), nonspecific erythema (4/35, 11.4%), morbilliform eruption (4/35, 11.4%), pernio-like lesions (4/35, 11.4%), and vesicles (1/35, 2.9%). Patterns also showed anatomic site specificity. A greater proportion of patients with mucocutaneous findings used mechanical ventilation (61% vs 30%), used vasopressors (77% vs 33%), initiated dialysis (31% vs 9%), had thrombosis (17% vs 11%), and had in-hospital mortality (34% vs 12%) compared with those without mucocutaneous findings. Patients with mucocutaneous disease were more likely to use mechanical ventilation (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-2.86); P Limitations Skin biopsies were not performed. Conclusions Distinct mucocutaneous patterns were identified in hospitalized adults with COVID-19. Mucocutaneous disease may be linked to more severe clinical course.
Climate change and microbes

Abstract The physical impacts of climate change have been widely addressed in scientific journals and the media. These include extreme weather events, sea level rise, ocean acidification, melting of ice sheets and glaciers, and many other responses to the continuing increase in the average global temperature. The media has also emphasized the impact of these events on climate migration, heat stress, and allergies. However, the conversation rarely addresses the impact of climate change on microbes and the ensuing impact on human health. Microbes can both accelerate and mitigate the drivers of climate change. Climate change can also exacerbate infectious diseases caused by microbes. This chapter provides some examples of how the varied physical impacts of climate change modulate the roles of microbes play in the health of humans, animals, and plants.
A Rare Case of Transformation of Endometrial Carcinoma Into Uterine Carcinosarcoma

Uterine carcinosarcoma (previously called malignant mixed Mullerian tumor) is a rare and aggressive cancer that is considered a high-risk variant of endometrial adenocarcinoma because of the resemblance in risk factors and clinical presentation with endometrial carcinoma. In the United States, the incidence of carcinosarcoma is approximately 1 to 4 per 100,000 women. The clinical features, diagnosis, staging, and treatment of uterine carcinosarcoma will be discussed in this topic review. To our knowledge, this is one of the few reported cases of endometrial carcinoma that has transformed into uterine carcinosarcoma. J Clin Gynecol Obstet. 2021;10(3):81-85 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jcgo677
Automatically Combining Conceptual Models Using Semantic and Structural Information

A conceptual model is a necessary precursor to a simulation model. It defines the problem space by listing relevant concepts and it identifies salient mechanisms by specifying which concepts are related. In this paper, we focus on conceptual models expressed as causal or ‘cognitive’ maps, in which concepts form nodes and their relationships are directed, weighted edges specifying causal strengths. When modeling complex social systems, participants may provide their perspectives through individual causal maps. To create a simulation model, these maps need to be aggregated into a coherent conceptual model. Two challenges arise: nodes may have different names although participants ascribed the same meanings (i.e., linguistic variability) and disagreements on causal strengths need to be reconciled. Although other fields have long proposed algorithms to aggregate knowledge bases (e.g., ontology matching), there is a paucity of solutions for causal maps. In this paper, we propose a solution for causal maps that leverages recent advances in graph matching. We demonstrate the feasibility and potential of our approach on a case study with $n=22$ maps.
World’s Oddest Toads: Xenopus Pregnancy Tests and Animal Commodities in “Capitalist Ruins”

In the 1930s it was discovered that the Xenopus toad was a useful instrument in urine pregnancy tests. An injection of a woman’s urine into a toad that resulted in the production of ova was proof o...
Comment on: “When does a central bank’s balance sheet require fiscal support?” by Marco Del Negro and Christopher A. Sims

Abstract A central bank is insolvent if its plans imply a Ponzi scheme on reserves so the price level becomes infinity. If the central bank enjoys fiscal support, in the form of a dividend rule that pays out net income every period, including when it is negative, it can never become insolvent independently of the fiscal authority. Otherwise, this note distinguishes between intertemporal insolvency, rule insolvency, and period insolvency. While period and rule solvency depend on analyzing dividend rules and sources of risk to net income, evaluating intertemporal solvency requires overcoming the difficult challenge of measuring the present value of seignorage.
Active learning for e-rulemaking: public comment categorization

We address the e-rulemaking problem of reducing the manual labor required to analyze public comment sets. In current and previous work, for example, text categorization techniques have been used to speed up the comment analysis phase of e-rulemaking --- by classifying sentences automatically, according to the rule-specific issues [2] or general topics that they address [7, 8]. Manually annotated data, however, is still required to train the supervised inductive learning algorithms that perform the categorization. This paper, therefore, investigates the application of active learning methods for public comment categorization: we develop two new, general-purpose, active learning techniques to selectively sample from the available training data for human labeling when building the sentence-level classifiers employed in public comment categorization. Using an e-rulemaking corpus developed for our purposes [2], we compare our methods to the well-known query by committee (QBC) active learning algorithm [5] and to a baseline that randomly selects instances for labeling in each round of active learning. We show that our methods statistically significantly exceed the performance of the random selection active learner and the query by committee (QBC) variation, requiring many fewer training examples to reach the same levels of accuracy on a held-out test set. This provides promising evidence that automated text categorization methods might be used effectively to support public comment analysis.
Self-determination and Majority–Minority Relations in Deeply Divided Societies: Towards a Comparative Analytical Framework

AbstractThe focus of this article is on the role played by self-determination as a legitimizing principle in the contemporary international system. More specifically, the interest of this article is in examining the concept of self-determination as potentially regulating—positively or negatively—the complex relations between majorities and minorities in deeply divided societies and especially political systems that are dominated by the identity politics of several opposing groups. There is a need to, first, clarify the basic concepts of this article and the way in which they are used. Of particular interest are the notions of self-determination, majority–minority relations, and deeply divided societies. Once this is done, the article will introduce an analytical framework, a way of systematically thinking about self-determination in the context of conflict within deeply divided societies, with the hope that such an analytical framework might effectively facilitate the study of the complex interrelationshi...
What Influences Online STDs and HIV/AIDS Information Seeking among Young People? Learning a Lesson from American Studies

Young people are found to be more sexually active and more likely to engage in sexually risky behavior than in the past. Soaring STDs and HIV/AIDS rates among young people have consequently raised their concerns about STDs and HIV/AIDS infection. Given the fact that seeking information on the Internet is interactive, anonymous and timely, young people who are Internet savvy and dependent may bypass traditional channels and turn to the Internet for STDs and HIV/AIDS information. This study, therefore, attempts to develop an integrated model for investigating factors influencing young people's STDs and HIV/AIDS information seeking on the Internet based on the fi9dings of studies conducted in American. The integrated model addresses the roles that the social context, personal factors (e.g., demographics, direct experience of a disease/illness, salience, beliefs, attitude toward a behavior, perceived sufficiency of information, and personality traits), and information-seeking motives related to Internet characteristics and online STDs and HIV/AIDS information may play in determining young people's online STDs and HIV/AIDS information seeking. Through the exploration of how factors influence health information seeking among young people in America, this study will help Taiwanese researchers understand online STDs and HIV/AIDS information among young people in Taiwan where online STDs and HIV/AIDS information seeking studies are still insufficient. It will also enhance Taiwanese education administrator', health educators', public health practitioners', and health communication researchers' understanding of STDs and HIV/AIDS information seeking on the Internet among young people, which sequentially reinforces their notions about how to design effective online STDs and HIV/AIDS intervention/education programs.
Second‐order multiple‐scattering theory associated with backscattering enhancement for a millimeter wavelength weather radar with a finite beam width

Effects of multiple scattering on reflectivity are studied for millimeter wavelength weather radars. A time-independent vector theory, including up to second-order scattering, is derived for a single layer of hydrometeors of a uniform density and a uniform diameter. In this theory, spherical waves with a Gaussian antenna pattern are used to calculate ladder and cross terms in the analytical scattering theory. The former terms represent the conventional multiple scattering, while the latter terms cause backscattering enhancement in both the copolarized and cross-polarized components. As the optical thickness of the hydrometeor layer increases, the differences from the conventional plane wave theory become more significant, and essentially, the reflectivity of multiple scattering depends on the ratio of mean free path to radar footprint radius. These results must be taken into account when analyzing radar reflectivity for use in remote sensing.
Informant: detecting sybils using incentives

We propose an economic approach to Sybil attack detection. In our Informant protocol, a detective offers a reward for Sybils to reveal themselves. The detective accepts from one identity a security deposit and the name of target peer; the deposit and a reward are given to the target. We prove the optimal strategy for the informant is to play the game if and only if she is Sybil with a low opportunity cost, and the target will cooperate if and only if she is identical to the informant. Informant uses a Dutch auction to find the minimum possible reward that will reveal a Sybil attacker. Because our approach is economic, it is not limited to a specific application and does not rely on a physical device or token.
Atomized Dielectric Spray-Based Electric Discharge Machining for Sustainable Manufacturing

A novel method of using atomized dielectric spray in micro-electric discharge machining (EDM) (spray-EDM) to reduce the consumption of dielectric is developed in this study. The atomized dielectric droplets form a moving dielectric film up on impinging the work surface that penetrates the interelectrode gap and acts as a single phase dielectric medium between the electrodes and also effectively removes the debris particles from the discharge zone. Single-discharge micro-EDM experiments are performed using three different dielectric supply methods, viz., conventional wet-EDM (electrodes submerged in dielectric medium), dry-EDM, and spray-EDM in order to compare the processes based on material removal, tool electrode wear, and flushing of debris from the interelectrode gap across a range of discharge energies. It is observed that spray-EDM produces higher material removal compared to the other two methods for all combinations of discharge parameters used in the study. The tool electrode wear using atomized dielectric is significantly better than dry-EDM and comparable to that observed in wet-EDM. The percentage of debris particles deposited within a distance of 100 μm from the center of EDM crater is also significantly reduced using the spray-EDM technique.
Analysis of aromatic compounds in gasoline with flow-switching comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

A comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) instrument has been created by coupling a flow-switching modulator and a standard gas chromatograph. The instrument was used to characterize the aromatic composition of gasoline. The high-resolution separation produced by flow-switching GC x GC allowed gasoline aromatics to be fully resolved from saturated components. The aromatic compounds were further separated into groups having the same carbon number. A standard gasoline sample was analyzed to evaluate the quantitative accuracy and precision of this technique. The data show that flow-switching GC x GC produces results that are comparable to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and thermal modulation GC x GC. The simple, low-cost, and robust nature of flow-switching GC x GC makes it an ideal technique for the routine analysis of aromatic compounds in gasoline.
The longitudinal effects of early identification and counseling of underachievers

Abstract This study examined the effects of early identification and psychological services on underachievement through a follow-up study conducted six years later. One hundred and seventeen fourth-grade underachievers had been identified through a regression equation and were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received psychological services during their fourth, fifth, and sixth grades from a team of university professors. Psychological services were primarily adult centered, focusing on the redirection of parents and teachers who were the primary influence on the lives of these underachievers. Follow-up studies of them at high school graduation indicated that differences between these groups reached at least the .05 level of significance for class rank, the ACT composite, the ITED composite and its subtests, and level of educational and vocational performance after high school graduation. Differences which were not statistically significant were found for pregraduation aspirations for the immediate future.
Equity in surgical leadership for women: more work to do.

Abstract Background Sex disparity in the Program Director role has not been studied. The goal of this study is to evaluate the percentage of women in Chair and Program Director positions. We hypothesize that there is a higher percentage of women in the Program Director role than Chair role. Methods An Internet search identified Chairs, Program Directors, Associate Program Directors, and Division Chiefs. Statistical analysis compared percentages of women in these roles at all institutions, academic/community programs, and regions. Results There is higher female representation in the Program Director position than Chair position ( P = .002) in General Surgery, Otolaryngology, and Orthopedics. More women are Associate Program Directors than Division Chiefs (23.6% vs 9.8%, P ≤ .001). Academic and community programs are no different. In the West, a greater percentage of women are Chairs as compared with the other regions ( P ≤ .002). Conclusions There are higher rates of women in Program Director position than Department Chair position. This discrepancy warrants further investigation.
Fatal parvoviral myocarditis: A case report and review of literature

Background Histologically documented cases of parvoviral myocarditis are exceedingly rare.
SU 3 and exchange degeneracy relations in vector-meson production

Experimental data on vector-meson (ρ0, ω, φ, K*0) production in meson-baryon collision are analyzed from a phenomenological point of view. The reactions considered include both the charge exchange (Y=0) and hypercharge exchange vector-meson production. A simple Regge-pole model with weak exchange degeneracy between a pair of natural parity (ϱ, A2) or (K*, K**), and a pair of unnatural parity, (π, B) or (K, KB). Regge poles is used in conjunction withSU3 symmetry to relate various observables of vector-meson production reactions. The relations so obtained are compared with the experimental data and reasonable agreement is found both in magnitude and shape.
Determination of hydrophobicity of albumins and other proteins using a near-infrared probe

Abstract Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is used to investigate the hydrophobicity of binding sites on mammalian serum albumins. The binding sites on albumins are probed using an NIR dye which showed significant changes in its NIR absorption spectra depending on the hydrophobicity of solvent in an earlier study. The notable differences observed in the NIR spectra of this dye indicate that the hydrophobicity of the microenvironment around the binding site may be determined using this probe. The absorption spectra of this NIR dye show two distinct maxima dependent upon the hydrophobicity of the environment. The intensity of these peaks was used for determining hydrophobicity. The hydrophobicity of the binding site was also evaluated by small additions of isopropyl alcohol to change the bulk solvent hydrophobicity. NIR measurements confirm that the microenvironment of the dye binding area is relatively hydrophobic. This NIR method is suitable for the determination of the hydrophobicity of soluble proteins.
The Effect of Low Temperature on Ascent of Sap in Trees.

Although the so-called cohesion theory is widely accepted as the most reasonable explanation of how water is lifted up to the leaves of tall trees, there are investigators who question or even reject it. Among the objections to the cohesion theory, Handley's experiments (5) have been cited repeatedly during recent years (e.g. 4, 8). In 1939 Handley published a paper describing experiments in which he chilled the stems of 4-foot-tall saplings of Acer Pseudo-Platanus L. and Fraxinus excelsior L. He reported that if the stem was chilled to between 0 and 20, the leaves wilted; if the temperature was raised again to slightly above 20, the leaves recovered, provided the low-temperature treatment had not lasted too long. This observation is rather remarkable since no known property of water changes drastically enough at a temperature above freezing so that the wilting could be explained in terms of a physical interference with water movement. Handley concluded therefore that metabolic forces are somehow involved in sap ascent. Handley's experiments are by no means the only ones in the literature dealing with the effect of temperature on the ascent of sap, but since instrumentation of the older experiments was rather crude when compared to modern standards, it is difficult to evaluate them today. It may suffice here to refer to Handley's own review of these older papers (5). During the summer of 1959 a study was begun on the effect of locally applied temperature on phloem transport (11). In the course of these experiments the question arose as to the temperature at which xylem sap freezes in the tree.
Intake of Zinc and Antioxidant Micronutrients and Early Age-Related Maculopathy Lesions

Background: Macular degeneration, the end stage of age-related maculopathy (ARM), is the leading cause of legal blindness worldwide, and few modifiable risk factors are known. The high concentration of carotenoids in the macula, plus evidence linking oxidative stress to ARM and carotenoids to antioxidation, generated the hypothesis that higher antioxidant intakes can prevent ARM. Results of observational and intervention studies have been inconsistent. Objective: To evaluate associations between intakes of zinc and antioxidant micronutrients and early ARM. Methods: Between 1993 and 1995, ARM was assessed in 398 Boston-area women aged 53–74 y using the Wisconsin Age-related Maculopathy System of grading retinal fundus photographs. The women were a subset of the Nurses' Health Study cohort. Micronutrient intake was assessed by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires administered four times between 1980 and the baseline eye examinations. Results: After multivariate adjustment for potential confounder...
Regulation of Telomere Length by Fatty Acid Elongase 3 in Yeast INVOLVEMENT OF INOSITOL PHOSPHATE METABOLISM AND Ku70/80 FUNCTION

In this study, we investigated the roles of very long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) synthesis by fatty acid elongase 3 (ELO3) in the regulation of telomere length and life span in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Loss of VLCFA synthesis via deletion of ELO3 reduced telomere length, and reconstitution of the expression of wild type ELO3, and not by its mutant with decreased catalytic activity, rescued telomere attrition. Further experiments revealed that alterations of phytoceramide seem to be dispensable for telomere shortening in response to loss of ELO3. Interestingly, telomere shortening in elo3Δ cells was almost completely prevented by deletion of IPK2 or KCS1, which are involved in the generation of inositol phosphates (IP4, IP5, and inositol pyrophosphates). Deletion of IPK1, which generates IP6, however, did not affect regulation of telomere length. Further data also suggested that elo3Δ cells exhibit accelerated chronologic aging, and reduced replicative life span compared with wild type cells, and deletion of KCS1 helped recover these biological defects. Importantly, to determine downstream mechanisms, epistasis experiments were performed, and data indicated that ELO3 and YKU70/80 share a common pathway for the regulation of telomere length. More specifically, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that the telomere binding and protective function of YKu80p in vivo was reduced in elo3Δ cells, whereas its non-homologues end-joining function was not altered. Deletion of KCS1 in elo3Δ cells recovered the telomere binding and protective function of Ku, consistent with the role of KCS1 mutation in the rescue of telomere length attrition. Thus, these findings provide initial evidence of a possible link between Elo3-dependent VLCFA synthesis, and IP metabolism by KCS1 and IPK2 in the regulation of telomeres, which play important physiological roles in the control of senescence and aging, via a mechanism involving alterations of the telomere-binding/protection function of Ku.
Narrative in interprofessional education and practice: implications for professional identity, provider–patient communication and teamwork

Health and social care professionals increasingly use narrative approaches to focus on the patient and to communicate with each other. Both effective interprofessional education (IPE) and practice (IPP) require recognizing the various values and voices of different professions, how they relate to the patient's life story, and how they interact with each other at the level of the healthcare team. This article analyzes and integrates the literature on narrative to explore: self-narrative as an expression of one's professional identity; the co-creation of the patient's narrative by the professional and the patient; and the interprofessional multi-vocal narrative discourse as co-constructed by members of the healthcare team. Using a narrative approach to thinking about professional identity, provider-patient communication, and interprofessional teamwork expands our thinking about both IPE and IPP by providing new insights into the nature of professional practice based on relationships to oneself, the patient, and others on the team. How professionals define themselves, gather and present information from the patient, and communicate as members of a clinical team all have important dimensions that can be revealed by a narrative approach. Implications and conclusions for the further development of the narrative approach in IPE and IPP are offered.
Surgical resident research productivity over 16 years.

Background General surgery training has changed over the past decade due to the 80-hour work week and increasing demands on the surgery faculty to generate clinical revenue with ever decreasing reimbursements. The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgery resident productivity over the years and the surgery resident's contribution to clinical and basic research literature. Method A PubMed literature search of all graduating chief residents ( n = 95) over a 16-y period from a single university-based general surgery program were evaluated. Number and types of publications (clinical paper versus basic science paper) were analyzed for each resident. A cohort of residents graduating from the years 1990 to 1996 ( n = 42) were deemed the early group and a cohort of residents graduating from the years 1999 to 2005 ( n = 41) were deemed the late group. Residents graduating in 1997 and 1998 were deemed the washout group. Results From 1990 to 2005, there were 95 graduates with 204 published articles. Resident research time ranged from 0 to 2 y, with most residents spending 1 y of research time. In the early group, residents averaged 2.0 ± 0.4 papers versus the late group where each resident published 2.6 ± 0.5 papers ( P = NS). In the early group, 24.4% of the papers were basic science in nature as opposed to the late group where 27.7% of the papers were with a basic science topic ( P = NS, χ 2 analysis). Conclusions Resident research productivity at a single university-based program with an elective research time does not appear to be deteriorating over time. A majority of research performed by residents is clinically oriented; however. basic science research does not appear to be decreasing. Careful scrutiny to resident research productivity is needed to ensure productive future academic surgeons.
Discovering JavaScript Object Notation

JSON is moving from being an underground secret, known and used by very few, to becoming the clear choice for mainstream data applications. The first Web extra is a video interview with Douglas Crockford on the creation of JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). The second Web extra is an audio podcast by Charles Severance, author of Computing Conversations.
The effect of controlled ascorbic acid depletion and supplementation on periodontal health.

To determine if systemic levels of vitamin C influence periodontal health, changes in plaque accumulation, gingival health and periodontal probing depth were measured in healthy subjects housed for 3 months in a nutrition suite that provided controlled periods of ascorbic acid depletion and supplementation. Eleven healthy, nonsmoking men, aged 19 to 28 years, ate a rotating 7-day diet adequate in all nutrients except ascorbic acid. This basal diet, which contained less than 5 mg/day ascorbic acid, was supplemented with 60 mg/day ascorbic acid for 2 weeks, 0 mg/day ascorbic acid for 4 weeks, 600 mg/day ascorbic acid for 3 weeks and 0 mg/day ascorbic acid for 4 weeks. Plasma, urine and leukocyte ascorbate levels, Plaque Index, Gingival Index, Bleeding Index and probing depths were monitored throughout the study. A uniform oral hygiene program was maintained in which oral hygiene instructions were reinforced biweekly. Ascorbate concentrations in body fluids and leukocytes responded rapidly to changes in asco...
Optical communications: Amplifying to perfection

The demonstration of a phase-sensitive optical amplifier with a noise figure of just 1.1 dB — three times lower than that of a conventional amplifier — could help significantly extend the reach of optical communications systems.
Development of K + -Conductance and Membrane Potentials in Unfertilized Sea Urchin Eggs after Exposure to NH 4 OH

THE fertilization of the sea urchin egg starts a sequence of changes in the cell membrane which can be measured as changes of membrane potential and membrane resistance1–3. The immediate consequence of contact of ovum and spermatozoon is an action potential, a depolarization and repolarization including a transient reversal of polarity. The overall sequence1,2 converts the anion-permeable membrane of the unfertilized egg (with a potential of about −10 mV, inside negative) to a rather typical K+ permeable membrane (about −60 mV, inside negative). The same results are obtained with parthenogenetic activation of the egg.
Counterturns initiated by decrease in rate of increase of concentration : Possible mechanism of chemotaxis by walking femaleIps paraconfusus bark beetles.

The position of beetles were marked at 1-sec intervals after they were released in still air 16–18 cm from point sources of pheromone. Characteristics of the tracks were quantified and compared to those that might be produced by counterturning schemakinesis, tropotaxis, klinotaxis, zigzagging, look-and-leap, or steepest-ascent schemakinesis mechanisms. The beetles' movements were highly irregular, but they turned almost continually and never fixed on a heading near 0° (=straight towards the source). Turn angle sizes increased slightly with absolute size of heading but had the opposite sign, thus compensating slightly for heading. Their distribution was centered about 0° and was unimodal. Heading decreased gradually as the source was neared, but the decrease became steeper within 1–5 cm of the source. Histograms showed that the maximum headings between occurrences when the beetle was headed directly towards the source (0°) were centered around 0° and most of them were less than 90°. However, maximum headings between 90° and 180° were not uncommon. Turn radius decreased as the source was neared. The counterturning mechanism was the most consistent with these observations. An analysis of rate of change of concentration with respect to heading and distance to the source further demonstrated that the counterturning mechanism could explain the form of the decrease in heading as the source was neared, if the major cue used to initiate counterturns was a decrease in the rate of increase of concentration. The tropotaxis could not recreate the form of the decrease, under any form of stimulus processing.
Risk assessment of 2,3,7,8-TCDD in paper consumer products

Abstract CPSC staff have assessed the cancer risks from exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in consumer products manufactured from bleached wood pulp, including disposable infant diapers, communications paper, paper towels, facial tissue, toilet tissue, and dinner napkins. Estimated cancer risks (i.e. individual lifetime excess cancer risks) range from 1×10−11 for facial tissue to 2×10−9 for paper towels (household cleaning) with a risk of 5×10−9 for all products combined.
Clinical use of the turbidimetric analysis of sperm motility: an update

Summary: The turbidimetric method of sperm motility analysis provides a quantitative measure of sperm motility. We have previously reported the methodology by which this method is utilized in routine sperm motility determinations in our Male Fertility Clinic. We have recently observed that the motility of sperm in dialyzed seminal plasma is over double the motility in Lopata's medium. This report provides quantitative evidence that the use of dialyzed seminal plasma in the turbidimetric analysis is significantly superior than the use of Lopata's medium. Zusammenfassung: Der aktuelle Stand des turbidimetrischen Verfahrens zur Bestimmung der Spermatozoenmotilitat im klinischen Gebrauch Die turbidimetrische Methode zur Analyse der Spermatozoenbe-weglichkeit liefert ein quantitatives Mas fur die Spermatozoenmotilitat. Wir haben bereits fruher uber die Methodologie berichtet, in welcher Weise dieses Verfahren zur Routinebestimmung der Spermatozoenmotilitat durch uns benutzt wird. Kurzlich haben wir beobachtet, das die Spermatozoenmotilitat im dialysierten Spermaplasma mehr als doppelt so hoch ist wie im Lopata-Medium. Der vorgelegte Bericht zeigt anhand quantitativer Auswertung, das der Gebrauch des dialysierten Spermaplasma bei der turbidimetrischen Analyse signifikant besser ist als der Gebrauch des Lopata-Mediums.
Prolonged Thrombin Inhibition Reduces Restenosis After Balloon Angioplasty in Porcine Coronary Arteries

Background—Arterial injury after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) triggers acute thrombus formation and thrombin generation. Hirudin, a potent and direct thrombin inhibitor, prevents thrombus formation after arterial injury. Two large clinical trials showed marked reduction in acute clinical events but no long-term benefits in reducing restenosis during short-term administration of thrombin inhibitors. Our hypothesis is that adequate, maintained thrombin inhibition, by inhibiting all the thrombin-dependent mechanisms, will reduce neointima formation after PTCA. Methods and Results—Thirty-six pigs received three different regimens of hirudin: bolus (1 mg/kg), short-term (bolus+0.7 mg/kg per day for 2 days), and long-term (bolus+0.7 mg/kg per day for 14 days). The results on neointima formation at 4 weeks after coronary angioplasty were compared with the control group (100 IU heparin/kg bolus). Hirudin was continuously administered for 2 weeks through an infusion pump. In vivo thrombin ...