cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collagenase solutions induce in vitro ovulation in lobsters (Homarus americanus)

The effect of several hydrolytic enzymes on ovulation of lobster (Homarus americanus) oocytes was studied in vitro using strips of ovarian tissue. Only ovaries which were judged by candling and microscopic examination to be close to natural ovulation were used. Ovaries were removed and cut into small, flat strips (1 cm2) and placed in either seawater (SW) or SW containing an enzyme. The number of oocytes ovulated from these strips was determined periodically over a 3–6-hour period. Of the enzymes tested, only crude collagenase treatment produced ovulation. Highly purified collagenase was tested subsequently and found effective. Moreover, when cysteine, a collagenase inhibitor, was added to crude collagenase preparations, ovulation did not occur. These results (1) show that mature lobster ovaries will undergo in vitro ovulation in SW solutions containing collagenase, and (2) are the first demonstration that a hydrolytic enzyme may be directly involved in invertebrate ovulation. It is suggested that collagenase disrupts the thick basement membrane surrounding each follicle, thus initiating follicular rupture and subsequent extrusion of the oocyte. This technique provides a useful method for in vitro studies of lobster ovulation.
Gaps In Employer Coverage: Lack of Supply Or Lack of Demand?

Abstract: According to data from the May 1988 Current Population Survey, 18 percent of workers are in firms that do not offer health insurance- The question explored here is whether the absence of ...
The Startle Response to Acoustic Stimuli Near Startle Threshold: Effects of Stimulus Rise and Fall Time, Duration, and Intensity

The present study assessed the interaction of several stimulus parameters in the elicitation of the startle response in humans. Broadband noise stimuli with intensities of 80 and 85 dB(A) and durations of 30 and 50 ms were presented to four groups of 15 college undergraduates. Within subjects, stimulus rise and fall times of 2.5, 10, and 25 ms were presented in a 3 × 3 factorial design. Amplitude, probability, and latency of integrated EMG activity from orbicularis oculi (eyeblink) were assessed. As stimulus rise time increased, response amplitude and probability decreased, and response latency increased, for both durations and both intensities tested. A main effect of stimulus duration on response probability was found, with higher probability for 50-ms than for 30-ms stimuli. In conjunction with previous research which found no effect of stimulus rise time on startle responding with more intense stimuli, these results suggest that startle response elicitation is determined by an interaction of stimulus parameters, with manipulation of some parameters being more effective at certain levels of other parameters.
Antigenic Material: Persistence in Hypersensitive Cells

Radioactivity derived from injections of tritiated tetanus toxin was observed in lymphocytes and macrophages for as long as 9 months after injection into immunized mice. These labeled cells became highly vacuolated and attracted eosinophils and lymphocytes when the animals were reinjected with specific antigen.
Changes in blood flow and S-T segment during coronary arterial occlusion in denervated and nondenervated canine hearts.

Abstract Myocardial blood flow and S-T segment measurements were made before and during occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery in chronically denervated and sham-denervated canine hearts. At similar heart rates, blood pressures and levels of work, left ventricular endocardial and epicardial blood flow values, as measured by radiolabeled microspheres, were significantly lower in denervated hearts than in shamdenervated control hearts. These results suggest that long-term cardiac denervation lowers metabolic demands of the left ventricle as reflected by decreased blood flow to the denervated left ventricle. Under the same conditions, blood flow measured in the right ventricle of denervated and sham-denervated hearts did not show any significant differences. Thus, it is possible that under normal circumstances the neural input to the right ventricle may be less than that to the left ventricle and may play a lesser role in controlling right ventricular tissue metabolic demands. During occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, local epicardial and endocardial S-T segment elevation, measured by epicardial plaque and endocardial plunge electrodes, was less in denervated hearts than in sham-denervated hearts in areas of severely reduced blood flow (30 ml/min per 100 g or less). Also during occlusion the denervated hearts exhibited fewer arrhythmias than did the sham-denervated control hearts. The lower local S-T segment elevation found in the denervated hearts was not due to marked differences in blood flow between the areas sampled in the denervated and sham-denervated hearts. This decreased incidence of arrhythmia combined with less evidence of altered electrical activity suggests that denervation affords protection during coronary occlusion.
Requirement for integrins during Drosophila wing development

The position-specific (PS) integrins of Drosophila are highly homologous to vertebrate integrins, most of which are cell-surface receptors for extracellular matrix components. Integrins are heterodimers, each consisting of noncovalently associated alpha- and beta-subunits. As for the subfamilies of vertebrate integrins, the same beta-subunit is found in both Drosophila PS integrins, combined with a specific alpha-subunit to generate either a complete functional PS1 or PS2 integrin. Both alpha- and beta-subunits are large transmembrane proteins (relative molecular masses greater than 100,000). Either one or both of these two PS integrins are expressed in most fly tissues during development. A particularly intriguing pattern of expression is found in the mature wing imaginal disc, where the PS1 integrin is expressed primarily on the presumptive dorsal wing epithelium, and the PS2 integrin is found almost exclusively on the ventral epithelium. Immediately after pupariation, the central wing pouch evaginates, folding along its centre to appose the epithelia that will secret the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the adult wing blade. Here we report the results of a genetic analysis indicating that both of the PS integrins are required to maintain the close apposition of the dorsal and ventral wing epithelia during morphogenesis. Also, we conclude that the integrins are not necessary for the maintenance of the cell lineage restriction between the two presumptive wing surfaces in the developing imaginal disc.
Drill stem steels for use in geothermal environments

Steels which are used in drill stem for conventional drilling have been selected primarily to satisfy certain static strength requirements and cost considerations. As the environments in which drilling is performed become more severe (e.g., in geothermal fluids) additional considerations must be given to the design of alloys which are resistant to general corrosion, stress corrosion, and corrosion fatigue. General design considerations for steel alloys which should provide an enhanced resistance to geothermal drilling operations are presented. These considerations include discussion of the chemistry and metallurgical substructure, and how their variation affects the mechanical and corrosion properties of steel used for drill stem applications. A duplex ferritic-martensitic steel has an advantageous combination of compositional and microstructural features which should lead to improved chemical resistance (particularly to hydrogen sulfide) as well as provide a good combination of strength and toughness properties. This duplex steel is based on the iron-2.0 weight percent silicon-0.1 weight percent carbon system, and offers the potential of enhanced performance in geothermal drilling as well as low alloy cost.
Clinical phenotype of APOL1 nephropathy in young relatives of patients with end-stage renal disease

Two coding variants—G1 and G2—in the apolipoprotein L-1 (APOL1) gene are associated with increased incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the adult African American population. These variants associate with hypertension-attributed renal disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and HIV-associated nephropathy. We hypothesized that as a genetic disease, APOL1 nephropathy has a pediatric phenotype. We investigated the incidence of APOL1 variants in young African Americans with hypertension or FSGS and a family history of ESRD by conducting a case–control study of 93 pediatric and young adult African Americans with hypertension or FSGS to determine the association with APOL1 risk variants, G1, and G2 using custom-made TaqMan-based allelic discrimination assays. Forty of the 61 cases (66 %) with a family history of kidney disease had two APOL1 risk variants, significantly higher than the prevalence in controls and the general African American population (p < 0.001); 24 of 29 patients with hypertension-attributed kidney disease had two APOL1 risk variants, while none of nine hypertensive patients without kidney disease had more than one risk allele. Although it was a small study cohort, our findings strongly suggest for the first time that two APOL1 risk alleles in young hypertensive African Americans with a family history of ESRD are strongly associated with kidney disease.
Plasma uptake and in vivo metabolism of [Leu]enkephalin following its intraperitoneal administration to rats

Abstract To understand better how [Leu]enkephalin (LE) acts to modulate learning and memory in rats, the plasma uptake, disappearance, and metabolism of LE were investigated following its intraperitoneal administration. Concentrations of [3H]-LE and its radioactive metabolites were determined by thin layer chromatography in plasma samples withdrawn from rats at various times after injection of peptide. As measured in rats receiving an IP injection of a dose of LE (3 μg/kg) that impairs active avoidance conditioning, the LE was very rapidly metabolized, with greater than 95% of plasma [3H] in the form of metabolites by 1 min after injection. Despite this rapid metabolism, low but measurable quantities of intact LE were detectable in plasma at all sampling times. Consistent with a greater potency of D-Ala2-[D-Leu5]enkephalin (DADLE) than of LE in modulating avoidance conditioning, DADLE was less rapidly metabolized than was LE following its IP administration. The metabolism of DADLE and LE in vivo was more rapid than it was in plasma in vitro, suggesting a role for membrane bound enzymes in the metabolism of IP-administered enkephalins. The data demonstrate that, despite a rapid hydrolysis of LE in vivo, sufficient LE is present in plasma following IP administration of a behaviorally active dose to support a role of circulating intact LE in the modulation of avoidance conditioning.
Plasma membrane protein sorting in epithelial cells: do secretory pathways hold the key?

Abstract The Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell sorts newly synthesized apical and basolateral plasma membrane proteins intracellularly and then ships them directly to the correct plasma membrane domains, whereas the rat hepatocyte sorts apical and basolateral proteins after their arrival at the basolateral domain of the plasma membrane and then employs a transcytotic mechanism to deliver the apical proteins to the apical domain. This difference in plasma membrane protein sorting pathways may relate to the observation that the hepatocyte, unlike the MDCK cell, does not have an apically directed secretory pathway.
Inflammatory fibroid polyp of the small intestine: ultrastructural and immunohistochemical observations.

The ultrastructural and immunohistochemical features of a primary tumor of the ileum showing the classic histologic features of an inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP) of the gastrointestinal tract are presented. Ultrastructurally the proliferating cells showed a combination of fibroblastic and histio cytic features, with abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and active production of collagen in many of the cells and long, dendritic cytoplasmic projections with large cytoplasmic vacuoles containing remnants of phagocytosed cellular debris in others. Immunohistochemical studies showed strong cytoplasmic positivity in the proliferating cells with vi mentin antibodies and scattered positivity with muramidase. Additional findings include the ultra structural demonstration of oligocilia and occasional primitive intercellular junctions. The findings in this case suggest that IFP may represent a proliferation of primitive submucosal stromal cells exhibiting incomplete fibrohistiocytic differentiation.
Phenobarbital-induced drug metabolism in man

Abstract Phenobarbital and antipyrine half-lives were measured in 31 subjects. A high correlation ( r = 0.87) was found for the plasma elimination rates of the two drugs, suggesting the same or a similar route or a common regulatory control of their metabolism. The half-lives of phenobarbital and antipyrine also correlated highly with the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) inducibilities in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes of the same individuals. In the second part of the study, plasma antipyrine half-lives were measured in 22 subjects after a single oral dose of 18 mg/kg, and the AHH inducibilities were determined in their cultured lymphocytes. After 7 days on phenobarbital at aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase inducibilityadjusted doses ranging between 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg daily, the antipyrine half-lives were measured again and the percentage of decrease between the initial and second antipyrine half-lives was determined. Shortening of the plasma half-lives occurred in all subjects to various degrees, ranging between 13.3 and 30.6%. However, under our experimental conditions in which the dose of phenobarbital was adjusted to the individual rates of metabolism of the inducing agent, no relationship could be found between the initial antipyrine half-life and the percentage of shortening of its plasma half-life, such as had been reported by several authors.
Primum non nocere: how active management became modus operandi for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology does not endorse routine active management of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP)–affected pregnancies. In contrast, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports active management protocols for ICP. To investigate this controversy, we evaluated the evidence supporting ICP as a medical indication for early term delivery and the evolution of active management protocols for ICP. Sixteen articles published between 1986 and 2011 were identified. We created 2 groups based on whether obstetric care included active management. Group 1 comprised 6 uncontrolled reports without active management that were published between 1967 and 1983 that described high perinatal mortality rates that primarily were related to prematurity sequel. This group became the fundamental ‘core’ evidence for ICP-associated stillbirths and by extrapolation justification for active management. Group 2 was comprised of 10 reports in which the authors credited empirically adopted active management with the observed low stillbirth rates in ICP-affected pregnancies. Although the group 1 articles routinely are cited as evidence of ICP-associated stillbirth risk, the 1.2% stillbirth rate (4/331) in this group is similar to the background stillbirth rates of 1.1% (11/1000) and 0.6% (6/1000) in 1967 and 2011, respectively (P = .062 and P = .0614, respectively). Likewise, the stillbirth rates for articles in group 2 were similar to their respective national stillbirth rate. Nevertheless, group 2 articles have become the evidence-based support for active management. We found no evidence to support the practice of active management for ICP.
Ideology and the media: Local television coverage on the “fall of the Berlin wall” in the United States

This study explores the repetitive patterns of visual representations in contemporary U.S. local television news by looking at the coverage of the ‘fall of the Berlin Wall’ in November, 1989. Feature stories from three television stations in Minneapolis‐St. Paul are examined as typical examples from a local U.S. television station. The main research questions are: what aspects of the conflict between East and West Germany were included in the television coverage, and which were left out? How was the background to the event, both historical and ideological, presented in the reports? How was the Berlin Wall and the changes associated with its dismantling represented visually? The project has been informed by the analysis national news coverage in the United States and West Germany which provided a cross‐cultural dimension to the study.
House Signs and Collegiate Fun: Sex, Race, and Faith in a College Town

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Chaise LaDousa Year: 2011 Pages: 256 Publisher: Indiana University Press ISBN: 978-0-253-22326-5 (soft cover).
Disturbance attenuation in time-delay systems — A case study on engine air-fuel ratio control

In this paper we analyze relative performance of several approaches to disturbance attenuation for systems with time delay including the conventional Proportional-Integral controller, the Smith Predictor, and the Model Reduction controller. The paper proposes a measure of disturbance attenuation capability and computes it analytically for each of the controllers considered. The results are applied to the air-fuel ratio regulation in automotive engines. To meet strict emission regulations, gasoline engines must operate at stoichiometric air-fuel ratio over most of its operating range. A major component towards accomplishing this goal is the closed loop fuel controller. The feedback uses an exhaust-gas oxygen sensor which introduces a long transport delay. This paper discusses the air-fuel ratio regulation problem, explores options in control design for disturbance attenuation in system with time-delay, and shows simulation and experimental, in-vehicle validations.
Monocyte and macrophage differentiation: circulation inflammatory monocyte as biomarker for inflammatory diseases

Monocytes express various receptors, which monitor and sense environmental changes. Monocytes are highly plastic and heterogeneous, and change their functional phenotype in response to environmental stimulation. Evidence from murine and human studies has suggested that monocytosis can be an indicator of various inflammatory diseases. Monocytes can differentiate into inflammatory or anti-inflammatory subsets. Upon tissue damage or infection, monocytes are rapidly recruited to the tissue, where they can differentiate into tissue macrophages or dendritic cells. Given the rapid progress in monocyte research from broad spectrum of inflammatory diseases, there is a need to summarize our knowledge in monocyte heterogeneity and its impact in human disease. In this review, we describe the current understanding of heterogeneity of human and murine monocytes, the function of distinct subsets of monocytes, and a potential mechanism for monocyte differentiation. We emphasize that inflammatory monocyte subsets are valuable biomarkers for inflammatory diseases, including cardiovascular diseases.
Controlled release of perfumes from polymers. II. Incorporation and release of essential oils from glassy polymers

Release of essential oils from glassy hydrophilic copolymers of 2-hydroxy- ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) was studied in a range of releasing media at 307C. The release of carvone, limonene, and eugenol was investigated using swelling-controlled release systems based on these copolymers. By changing the crosslinking ratio of the copolymers it was possible to achieve zero- order release. The amount of essential oil release was correlated to the thermodynamic compatibility of the oil-polymer pair, as judged by the solubility parameter difference. q 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 509-513, 1997
Phosphorus and nitrogen limitation of phytoplankton growth in the freshwaters of North America : a review and critique of experimental enrichments

While phosphorus is generally considered to be the primary nutrient limiting algal growth in lakes, limitation of algal growth by nitrogen has been observed in freshwater. It is also commonly obser...
Roadway Departure and Impact Conditions

In-depth accident data were collected to investigate vehicle impact conditions (e.g., crash severity, impact speed, impact angle, and orientation) for crashes with roadside obstacles and features. Descriptive statistics of these variables are presented, including statistics for the data segregated by highway class, speed limit, and access control. Relationships between impact conditions and these segregating factors were explored. Statistical tests were applied to investigate the association between speed and angle, and univariate distributions were fitted for these two variables. Impact speed and impact angle are independent for most highway classes when segregated by highway class, and they have a relatively weak negative correlation. Both impact speed and angle data for all highway classes follow a normal distribution. Joint impact distributions were then determined using the bivariate normal distribution. The findings of this study are of significant importance to the establishment or reinforcement of...
Spectral sensitivity and visual pigment of the compound eye of the galatheid crab Pleuroncodes planipes

The compound eye of the galatheid crab Pleuroncodes planipes has been studied by means of visual pigment extractions and spectral sensitivity measurements under various conditions of adaptation. A photosensitive pigment with maximum absorption at 503 nm was identified. Its chromophore is retinal. The spectral sensitivity maximum is near 523 nm in the dark-adapted eye. Selective adaptation experiments suggest that the apical region of the eye has a homogeneous receptor population. The spectral sensitivity characteristics of P. planipes seem to be an adaptation to its mainly benthic life.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activity of Tryptophan Metabolites in Young Adult Mouse Colonocytes

The tryptophan microbiota metabolites indole-3-acetate, indole-3-aldehyde, indole, and tryptamine are aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands, and in this study we investigated their AhR agonist and antagonist activities in nontransformed young adult mouse colonocyte (YAMC) cells. Using Cyp1a1 mRNA as an Ah-responsive end point, we observed that the tryptophan metabolites were weak AhR agonists and partial antagonists in YAMC cells, and the pattern of activity was different from that previously observed in CaCo2 colon cancer cells. However, expansion of the end points to other Ah-responsive genes including the Cyp1b1, the AhR repressor (Ahrr), and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-inducible poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (TiParp) revealed a highly complex pattern of AhR agonist/antagonist activities that were both ligand- and gene-dependent. For example, the magnitude of induction of Cyp1b1 mRNA was similar for TCDD, tryptamine, and indole-3-acetate, whereas lower induction was observed for indole and indole-3-aldehyde was inactive. These results suggest that the tryptophan metabolites identified in microbiota are selective AhR modulators.
Hypothyroidism in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated With Sunitinib

Sunitinib is an inhibitor of the vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor receptors, and it has antitumor activity in metastatic renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. To further investigate the fatigue associated with sunitinib therapy, thyroid function tests were performed on patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who were receiving sunitinib. Seventy-three patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma were treated with sunitinib at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, and 66 of them had thyroid function test results available. Fifty-six (85%) of the 66 patients had one or more abnormality in their thyroid function test results, consistent with hypothyroidism, and 47 (84%) of the 56 patients with abnormal thyroid function tests had signs and/or symptoms possibly related to hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormone replacement was undertaken in 17 patients, and symptoms improved in nine of them. Thyroid function test abnormalities appear to be common in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib, and routine monitoring is warranted.
Medical Management of CML

Management strategies of patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have been revolutionized by the BCR-ABL-selective kinase inhibitor imatinib, which is substantially improving median survival. However, a proportion of patients suffer progressive disease on imatinib therapy. Importantly, patients who are particularly at risk for developing progressive disease can be identified with appropriate monitoring of disease burden. Many of these patients may benefit from alternative treatment strategies, including second-generation kinase inhibitors such as dasatinib. As a result of improvements in medical therapy, allogeneic stem cell transplantation is increasingly deferred despite its known curative potential. It is anticipated that outcomes with medical therapy will continue to improve with the availability of effective second- and third-generation kinase inhibitors, and the percentage of patients progressing to the advanced phase of the disease is projected to decline. The future of kinase inhibitor therapy for CML may involve combinations of ABL kinase inhibitors.
Adolescents as research subjects without permission of their parents or guardians: ethical considerations.

This paper is presented in five sections: I. The first is an overview of current ethical standards for all research involving children relating them to the recommendations of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects (hereafter called The National Commission). II. The second section reviews the exceptions from the general requirements of the regulations for children permitted for some research involving adolescents. This section demonstrates that current regulations may be interpreted to permit the conduct without parents or guardians permission of much more research involving adolescents than is currently being done. This point notwithstanding I recommend that such interpretations should not be implemented without first having the relevant policies reviewed by an authoritative agency such as The National Commission. III. This section explains why I consider this an appropriate time to reconsider national policies regarding research involving adolescents. Current policies reflect the attitude of the time in which they were written--that research is both dangerous to and exploitative of persons particularly those who are vulnerable. They do not reflect the recent changes in the publics perception that participation in research is often beneficial particularly for some vulnerable populations and their individual members. IV. This section is an appraisal of the Guidelines for Adolescent Participation in Research proposed by The Adolescent Scientific Committee of the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group. The availability of this document affords a valuable opportunity to evaluate a carefully thought out comprehensive proposal. V. The final section presents my recommendations for guidelines for the conduct of research involving mature minors without permission of their parents or guardians. (excerpt)
Including interaction in an automated modelling system

An approach for including interaction in an automatic building detection and description system is described. It uses intermediate results and computations of the automatic analysis to add or correct the 3-D description of a scene. The proposed method requires a minimum amount of easily obtainable information from the user. The number of interaction steps is less or equal to those of computer assisted manual systems with a final fitting step. The system is built on top of a monocular automatic building system developed at USC and has been tested on a number of examples with good results.
Comparison of remote visualization strategies for interactive exploration of large data sets

We compare three remote visualization strategies used for interactive exploration of large data sets: image-based rendering, parallel visualization servers, and subsampling. We review each strategy and provide details for an adaptive multiresolution subsampling technique that we have developed. To determine the problem regimes for which each approach is most cost effective, we develop performance models to analyze the costs of computation and communication associated with the common visualization task of isosurface generation. Using these models, we investigate a number of hardware system configurations and task complexity scenarios when parameters such as problem size, visualization demands, and network bandwidth change. For one particular strategy, subsampling, we further investigate the tradeoffs between multiresolution and uniform grid methods in terms of performance and approximation errors.
Do Perceptions of Discrepancy Between Self and Group Norms Contribute to Peer Harassment at School

This study examined the extent to which adolescents systematically perceive a discrepancy between private and group norms about the acceptability of bullying and examined the association between norm estimation and actual bystander behavior. Ninety-one 8th graders (42 male and 49 female) described their personal attitudes about bullies and victims as well as their perceptions of their classmates' attitudes. Teachers rated adolescents' participant roles during bullying episodes at school. Results provided support for the premise that teens systematically perceive their peers to hold less prosocial views (e.g., to be more tolerant of bullies, less empathic toward victims, and less inclined to believe they have a responsibility to protect victims) than they themselves do. This tendency to perceive oneself as “out of step” with the group (i.e., pluralistic ignorance) was particularly salient among girls. In addition, there was a significant association between perceived self–other discrepancy in attitudes tow...
Consciousness, Reduction, and Emergence

Consciousness is often seen as requiring a special kind of explanation. But the various aspects of self-awareness can presumably emerge when certain levels of complexity are reached in an organism: it is not necessary to assume additional mechanisms or hidden causes. Looking at the most fundamental level, that of elementary particle physics, three principles appear—the conformability of nature to herself, the applicability of the criterion of simplicity, and the utility of certain parts of mathematics in describing physical reality—which are in themselves emergent properties of the fundamental laws of physics. At successive levels, it is the availability of similar mathematical descriptions from related problems that makes the next step appear with simplicity and elegance. Thus, once the concept of emergence is properly established, a huge burden is lifted from the inquiring mind. The whole explanatory loop may be closed by looking at the ability of the human mind to figure out the laws of nature. All the other sciences emerge in principle from fundamental physics plus historical accidents, even though “reduction” is obviously inadequate as a strategy. While bridges or staircases are under construction connecting the various sciences, each science needs to be studied at its own level as well. Although the idea of “vital forces” in biology alien to physics and chemistry has largely disappeared, consciousness remains the last refuge of obscurantists. Finally, it is argued that appeals to the alleged weirdness of quantum mechanics are based on a misunderstanding and are unlikely to have any place in a discussion of consciousness.
Influencers On The Decision For Bariatric Surgery: A Pilot Study And Proposed Model

The costs associated with obesity in the United States are estimated to be $120 billion annually and an estimated 400,000 deaths. In addition, obesity has been shown to significantly diminish the quality of life through lower self-esteem, depression, and discomfort in social situations. Although the treatment for obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 40, through bariatric surgery is not new, the literature is lacking in explaining the decision to undergo the procedure. The research reported here employs a small sample as a pilot study to examine potential influences on the decision-making process. Scales from the existing literature, e.g., vanity, fear of success, are adapted for this research. The findings suggest that prospective patients seek an enhanced quality of life but criticism by loved ones does not significantly influence the decision. The results suggest several issues that should be examined in greater detail with a larger sample.
Stroke and CT Perfusion

Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 137,000 people a year. Time is critical during a stroke because prompt diagnosis and subsequent treatment can prevent the potential loss of brain function. Radiologic technologists who work in computed tomography (CT) must know how to perform CT perfusion and understand stroke diagnosis. This article provides information regarding strokes and CT perfusion techniques, including data acquisition, postprocessing, and interpretation.
Male Adolescent Inmates' Perceptions of Helping Persons

Much attention has recently been given to "informal" inmate peer groups and to their presumably overwhelming negative influence on institutionalized youth.1 One result has been an implicit or explicit de emphasis of the potential impact and im portance of staff personnel. The more formal aspects of rehabilitation programs, however, lean heavily on the work of a variety of professional and "nonprofes sional" staff members, including admin istrators, clinicians, child care workers or cottage parents, recreation leaders, work project supervisors, and others. Since the rehabilitative functions of most of these
Virtual Fit of Apparel on the Internet: Current Technology and Future Needs

The growth of online reatiling of apparel is limited by lack of information on clothing fit. The development of fit visualization and size selection technologies can help provide this information, and can contribute to making the online shopping experience an easy and fun experience for the consumer. Three technologies were studied in this pilot test; 1) My Virtual Model avatar creation and virtual try-on was studied for ease of use, appeal of the technology, and satisfaction with the avatar and styleimage, 2) H&M size selection technology was tested for effectiveness of the technology and consumer acceptance, and 3) three-dimensional body scan technology was studied as a source of a more realistic and dimensionally accurate avatar and the acceptance of this avatar by the consumer. Twenty women aged 20-23 with a self-identified pant size of 0-12 were recruited to be participants in the study. Participants used the My Virtual Model (MVM) website to create their avatar and view a virtual try-on of a style of H&M jeans. They also completed the size selection process for the jeans, and physically tried on the recommended size of the jeans. Finallyparticipants were scanned and they viewed their body scan along with the MVM avatar to judge which format they preferred. Most participants enjoyed the MVM avatar creation process and the H&M size selection process, and about 2/3 of them said that it was a useful tool for estimating and visualizing garment fit. However, only four of the 20 participants actually liked the fit of the jeans selected with the size selection technology, though manufacturing issues resulting in unreliable garment specifications may have contributed to fit problems. Most participants felt the garment in the suggested size had an error in at least one area with regard to fit. Participants were divided on their preference for the MVM avatar or the body scan, but most said that they would prefer a more realistic avatar. Overall these technologies can improve consumer confidence in purchasing, and ultimately boost sales and reduce returns.
We, the Family: Constitutional Rights and American Families

Since the 1970s, the Supreme Court of the United States has told a story of consistent and enduring constitutional protection for the privacy and self-determination of families and their members. Early cases, regardless of their own contexts and contemporaneous meanings, have been reworked to fit this tale. This essay challenges that story as mythical. Under examination, the cases that appear as central elements in the story woven by the Court more accurately reflect struggles between majority and minority religious or ethnic groups. The Court treated those struggles as problems of families, individuals, and the state, thereby obscuring deeper societal conflicts while creating an incoherent jurisprudence about families, a jurisprudence tugged and pushed by other concerns. Critical to the Court's story about families and the Constitution have been notions of family privacy and family rights, articulated as though they match rights of autonomous individuals. Yet, because families involve groups and relationships, the Court and advocates before it have produced divergent applications of rights rhetoric in the service of conflicting and inconsistent individual interests of men, women, and children. The Court's assertion of a tradition of constitutional protection for families, although producing inconsistent results, responded at a rhetorical level to concerns about the legitimacy of constitutional adjudication. The Court's story also reflects a century of grass-roots and political advocacy by and on behalf of women and children that adapted the language of rights to problems affecting families. Although reacting to group interests, needs, and demands, the Court ultimately embraced a language of rights that implemented a conception of individualism. "Family" in this essay does not mean some immutable or preordained social grouping.' The essay uses as a working definition the idea of families as social units
Crystallization of Keggin-Type Polyaluminum Species by Supramolecular Interactions with Disulfonate Anions

The hydrolysis of aluminum and formation of polynuclear species, such as the Keggin-type polycations, impacts the chemical and physical properties of the resulting aluminum oxide and hydroxide materials. Despite years of study, only a handful of Keggin-type species have been identified, hampering efforts toward a molecular-level understanding of the mechanisms of condensation. To improve the crystallization of Keggin-type polyaluminum cations, a supramolecular approach using 2,6-napthalene disulfonate (2,6-NDS) was proposed herein for the isolation of novel compounds. The present study describes the successful synthesis and structural characterization of three Keggin-type polyaluminum compounds, including (Na(Al(μ4-O4)Al12(μ-OH)24(H2O))12(2,6NDS)4(H2O)13.5 (δ-Al13), (Al2(μ4-O8)(Al28(μ2-OH)56(H2O)26)(2,6NDS)8Cl2(H2O)40 (Al30), and a new polycation, (Al2(μ4-O8)(Al24(μ2-OH)50(H2O)20)(2,6NDS)6(H2O)12.4 (Al26). Additional chemical characterization of the compounds, particularly 27Al-NMR, suggests that identify...
Insulation of large rotating machines in Latin America

The construction of a 42,000 KVA, 28 pole, 13.8 KV hydroelectric generator may be a commonplace occurrence in the factories of the large electrical manufacturers of North America. But it is far from an everyday event in a country such as Brazil. In fact, the machine of this rating now being built in G. E.'s new plant in Campinas should be considered an accomplishment of some magnitude for Americans, since it represents the first large vertical waterwheel generator ever built by an American company in Brazil.
Dioxinähnliche polychlorierte Biphenyle (PCB) in der Umwelt

Der derzeitige Kenntnisstand zu Quellen, Verbleib in der Umwelt, Exposition des Menschen und gesundheitlicher Bewertung von dioxinahnlichen polychlorierten Biphenylen (PCB) und nicht dioxinahnlichen PCB wird mit Fokus auf den deutschsprachigen Raum dargestellt und zusammengefasst. Grundlage fur den aktuellen Kenntnisstand sind die Vortrage und Diskussionsergebnisse eines zweitagigen bundesweiten Statuskolloquiums. Die Bedeutung der dioxinahnlichen PCB wird insbesondere in Relation zu den polychlorlerten Dibenzo-p-dioxinen (PCDD) und Dibenzofuranen (PCDF) betrachtet. Dazu dient in erster Linie ein Vergleich der Toxizitatsaquivalentkonzentrationen (TEQ) beider Stoffgruppen in den betrachteten Umweltmatrices. In vielen Umweltmedien sind die TEQ-Werte der dioxinahnlichen PCB ahnlich hoch wie die PCDD/PCDF-Gehalte, in den meisten Lebensmitteln tierischen Ursprungs sogar hoher. In den meisten Medien hat das nichtortho substituierte PCB 126 aufgrund seines hohen Toxizitatsaquivalenzfaktors von 0,1 den mit Abstand hochsten Beitrag zum PCB-TEQ. Fur die grosflachige Umweltbelastung mit PCB ist offensichtlich der atmospharische (Fern) Transport wesentlich. Fur den Eintritt der dioxinahnlichen, PCB in terrestrische Nahrungsketten ist der Transfer Atmosphare-Pflanze wahrscheinlich der entscheidende Schritt. Trotz des Ruckgangs der Umweltbelastung mit PCB und PCDD/PCDF uberschreitet ein erheblicher Teil der Bevolkerung in Deutschland und anderen europaischen Staaten gegenwartig noch die duldbare Aufnahme an, dioxinahnlichen Substanzen. Aber auch aufgrund einer aktuellen toxikologischen Neubewertung der nicht-dioxinahnlichen PCB muss die Verminderung der PCB-Exposition weiter betrieben werden.
The Stakeholder Approach Revisited

The purpose of this paper is to revisit the development of the stakeholder management approach developed in “Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach” published by Pitman Publishing in 1984. A brief history of the development of this approach is followed by a summary and an assessment of the main arguments. The approach has been used in a number of research streams which are outlined. The paper ends with some suggestions for promising lines of inquiry.
Need-based coordination for decentralized high-level robot control

We consider multiple robots operating in a shared workspace, each given a high-level task specification in the form of Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) formulas. The robots have no a priori knowledge about the tasks of the other robots and might run into conflicts during task execution. In this work, we develop algorithms that allow the robots to autonomously resolve conflicts and complete their tasks with correctness guarantees, when possible. In our approach, the robots autonomously detect conflicts and trigger coordination within the subgroup of robots in conflict. The need-based coordination initiates the execution of a global robot controller on each robot in the subgroup until the robots all reach their current goals. The subgroup of robots then return to their local controllers and continue their execution. Our approach captures both the advantage of decentralized robot control and that of centralized robot control. The transition between centralized and decentralized robot control is seamless with guarantees provided.
Draft Genome Sequences of Three Bacterial Isolates from Cultures of the Marine Diatom Thalassiosira rotula.

ABSTRACT Phytoplankton often both provision and depend on heterotrophic bacteria. In order to investigate these relationships further, we sequenced draft genomes of three bacterial isolates from cultures of the marine diatom Thalassiosira rotula to identify metabolic functions that may support interactions with T. rotula.
The Aesthetic Turn in Mental Health: Reflections on an Explorative Study into Practices in the Arts Therapies

The paper will draw on materials from arts therapies literature and comments from experts’ panels to discuss some specific characteristics of the arts therapies and to investigate the role of aesthetic engagement for resilience and mental well-being. The arts increasingly find their way as interventions in mental health domains. However, explorations into the specific mechanisms that underpin the therapeutic effect of arts-based activities are still scarce. Qualitative data were collected from a thematic literature review and expert comments on meaningful working procedures in arts therapies. Analysis of multiple data sources revealed core themes and core procedures that occur across arts therapy modalities. This paper presents a practice informed model of arts-based methods in mental health that may serve as a conceptual frame of reference for arts therapists and as study material on the applicability of arts therapy interventions for specific mental health settings.
A Reappraisal of Cytotoxic Lymphocytes in Human Tumor Immunology

Extensive work done at the Section of Clinical Tumor Virology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital, from 1968 to 1978 on the cytotoxicity of lymphocytes to cultured human tumor cells is reviewed. The early results and concepts are now reinterpreted in the light of newer knowledge generated worldwide in the past few years. This work is now leading to adoptive immunotherapy of human tumors by reinfusion of activated autologous tumor killer (ATK) lymphocytes expanded by co-administration of T cell growth factor (interleukin 2).
Efficient Solution of Elliptic Partial Differential Equations via Effective Combination of Mesh Quality Metrics, Preconditioners, and Sparse Linear Solvers

In this paper, we study the effect the choice of mesh quality metric, preconditioner, and sparse linear solver have on the numerical solution of elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs). We smoothe meshes on several geometric domains using various quality metrics and solve the associated elliptic PDEs using the finite element method. The resulting linear systems are solved using various combinations of preconditioners and sparse linear solvers. We use the inverse mean ratio and vertex condition number metrics in addition to interpolation-based, scale-variant and scale-invariant metrics. We employ the Jacobi, incomplete LU, and SSOR preconditioners and the conjugate gradient, minimum residual, generalized minimum residual, and bi-conjugate gradient stabilized solvers. We focus on determining the most efficient quality metric/preconditioner/linear solver combination for the numerical solution of various elliptic PDEs.
Cloning and Characterization of Two Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor–Like Genes TIL3 and TIL4: Evidence for a Multi-Gene Receptor Family in Humans

Remarkable structural and functional similarities exist between the Drosophila Toll/Cactus/Dorsal signaling pathway and the mammalian cytokine-mediated interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R)/I-kappaB/NF-kappaB activation cascade. In addition to a role regulating dorsal-ventral polarity in the developing Drosophila embryo, signaling through Drosophila Toll (dToll) activates the nonclonal, or innate, immune response in the adult fly. Recent evidence indicates that a human homologue of the dToll protein participates in the regulation of both innate and adaptive human immunity through the activation of NF-kappaB and the expression of the NF-kappaB-controlled genes IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8, thus affirming the evolutionary conservation of this host defense pathway. We report here the cloning of two novel human genes, TIL3 and TIL4 (Toll/IL-1R-like-3, -4) that exhibit homology to both the leucine-rich repeat extracellular domains and the IL-1R-like intracellular domains of human and Drosophila Toll. Northern analysis showed distinctly different tissue distribution patterns with TIL3 expressed predominantly in ovary, peripheral blood leukocytes, and prostate, and TIL4 expressed primarily in peripheral blood leukocytes and spleen. Chromosomal mapping by fluorescence in situ hybridization localized the TIL3 gene to chromosome 1q41-42 and TIL4 to chromosome 4q31.3-32. Functional studies showed that both TIL3 and TIL4 are able to activate NF-kappaB, though in a cell type-dependent fashion. Together with human Toll, TIL3 and TIL4 encode a family of genes with conserved structural and functional features involved in immune modulation.