cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis: An Objective Review from an American Perspective

Abstract The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), or unconventional medicine, may be challenging for health care providers in the United States. There are several definitions of CAM, and therapies that are considered alternative in one country may be conventional in other countries. Unconventional medical practices may be used instead of, or in addition to, conventional medical therapy. It may be difficult for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to obtain reliable MS-relevant CAM information, and there may be conflicts between the values of patients and those of health care providers. These issues may create problems in the clinical decision-making process. The relevance to MS of some commonly used CAM therapies is discussed: herbal medicine, vitamins and minerals, marijuana, and a histamine and caffeine transdermal gel patch. Current information about the efficacy and safety of CAM therapies is extremely variable. Some therapies appear promising, others are unsafe or ineffective, and near...
Passion, Submission and Motherhood: The Negotiation of Identity by Unmarried Innercity Chicanas*

This paper examines the negotiation of young unmarried women's sexual identities in the cultural context of an innercity Chicano community. Previous work often views the unmarried mother status as unproblematic, that is, as deviant or as equal to a married mother. Values are assumed to determine directly the evaluation of the status of unwed mother, and motherhood is viewed as an instrumental action. This analysis of premarital sex and motherhood suggests that motherhood plays an expressive role and that the evaluation of a young woman's sexual identity is not directly determined by her becoming premaritally pregnant and an unwed mother, but her identity is negotiated. In this negotiation process traditional values are blurred and changed. Here nonuse of birth control cannot be explained by lack of information or irrationality but must be understood as part of the process of developing a sexual identity within a particular cultural context. The relationship between behavior and identity is viewed as problematic and the construction and symbolization of this relationship in a public dialogue is the concern of this analysis.
An equational approach to secure multi-party computation

We present a novel framework for the description and analysis of secure computation protocols that is at the same time mathematically rigorous and notationally lightweight and concise. The distinguishing feature of the framework is that it allows to specify (and analyze) protocols in a manner that is largely independent of time, greatly simplifying the study of cryptographic protocols. At the notational level, protocols are described by systems of mathematical equations (over domains), and can be studied through simple algebraic manipulations like substitutions and variable elimination. We exemplify our framework by analyzing in detail two classic protocols: a protocol for secure broadcast, and a verifiable secret sharing protocol, the second of which illustrates the ability of our framework to deal with probabilistic systems, still in a purely equational way.
A prospective evaluation of a triple‐drug regimen containing cisplatin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (CVD) for metastatic melanoma

Based on the independent activity of cisplatin, vinblastine, and dimethyl-triazeno-imidazole-carboxamide (DTIC) (CVD), a combination of these agents was used in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. Vinblastine was used in a dose of 1.6 mg/m2/d for 5 days, DTIC was used in a dose of 800 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) on day 1, and cisplatin was used in a dose of 20 mg/m2/d for 4 days starting on day 2 of chemotherapy. The courses of chemotherapy were repeated at 3-week intervals. All patients were premedicated with antiemetics, and IV hydration was used before cisplatin. Fifty-two consecutive patients were registered and 50 were evaluable for response. Two patients achieved a complete response (CR) and 18 patients had a partial response (PR) for an overall response rate of 40% (95% confidence interval, 27% to 55%). The median duration of response was 9 months and the median survival time of the responders was 12 months. The overall median survival time of patients treated on this protocol was 9 months. The treatment was associated with significant toxicity consisting of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and partial hair loss. Additionally, neutropenia with a median nadir granulocyte count of 500/microliters was observed, and significant anemia required blood transfusions in a majority of the patients after three to four courses of chemotherapy. The dose-limiting toxicity was peripheral neuropathy which required discontinuation of cisplatin after six to eight courses of chemotherapy. We believe that this triple-drug regimen has significant activity that appears to be superior to the single-agent activity of these drugs, both in terms of increased response rate and duration of response.
The spectrum of cutaneous disease in multiple myeloma.

Abstract Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell dyscrasia characterized by a clonal proliferation of plasma cells that produces a monoclonal protein. There are dermatologic disorders that have been associated with MM, such as amyloidosis, cryoglobulinemia, POEMS syndrome, normolipemic plane xanthoma, and plasmacytoma. The high volume of patients with MM seen at our institution presents an opportunity to define more extensively the spectrum of cutaneous diseases seen in concert with MM. Design: We reviewed 2357 pathology reports of all patients with a diagnosis of MM to find those who had undergone a skin biopsy. Files were searched for bone-marrow diagnosis, and for type and number of transplants. Results: In all, 284 patients yielded 472 skin biopsy specimens (average 1.7/patient). Skin biopsy specimen diagnoses included neoplastic lesions, (111; 73 malignant, 38 benign), graft-versus-host disease (120), drug-related lesions (46), cutaneous eruption of lymphocyte recovery (3), thrombocytopenia-related lesions (9), normolipemic plane xanthoma (1), amyloidosis (1), Sweet's syndrome (7), panniculitis (1), papulosquamous lesions (18), bullous diseases (17), vasculitis (11), infectious lesions (41), granulomatous dermatitis (6), alopecia cicatrisata (1), nonspecific lesions (77), and unrelated lesions (2). Conclusions: Skin biopsy specimens from patients with MM less than 60 days from transplant most commonly show sequelae of the transplant such as graft-versus-host disease, Grover's disease (as a result of leukocytopenia and fever, waiting for engraftment), drug eruptions, chemotherapy effect, thrombocytopenic effect, cutaneous eruption of lymphocyte recovery, and Sweet's syndrome (possibly as a result of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor). Biopsy specimens taken more than 60 days from transplant most commonly show graft-versus-host disease, drug eruptions, and Sweet's syndrome but also show unrelated conditions such as neoplastic lesions, nevi, papulosquamous lesions, vasculitis, infections, and nonspecific changes. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2003;48:497-507.)
Ally provocateur: Why allies do not always behave

The primary purpose of many alliances is to deter attacks on members of the alliance by potentially antagonistic states. Yet some alliances can increase the probability of conflict that may be init...
On Political and Psychological Essentialisms

s a cultural anthropologist trained in political economy and ethnographic history, I was schooled to be wary not only of psychological and cognitive assessments of human behavior, but to treat them as analytic strategies that deftly circumvent questions of power and thus represent pernicious substitutes for political analysis. While ingrained fears die hard, people change and I am no exception. My work over the last decade on the making of colonial culture in the 19th-century Dutch East Indies has turned me increasingly to look both at state strategies designed to shape how people affectively distinguish themselves from others in the world, and thus at how attention to sentiment might help us rethink the "political" in political economy. Working on "an ethnography of the [Dutch] colonial archives" over the last few years, I have been struck by how important folk theories of mental and affective states were to French, Dutch, and British colonial policies. Practitioners of colonial rule were intensively concerned with those nonvisible moral sentiments and internal sensibilities that they took as reasonable criteria to define and secure who was European, who was eligible to be considered "white," and who was not (see Stoler 1996, in press a). My research focus on "mixed-blood" children, "poor whites" (on those interstitial populations poised on politically charged racial divides) repeatedly has pointed to how much the nonvisual and nonsomatic-cultural competencies, personality traits, and psychological dispositions-provided the crucial and changing criteria for racial membership. Thus Hirschfeld's attention to racial nonvisual essence dovetails, if obliquely, in many ways with my own.1 My engagement with his arguments are therefore complicated both by our sharp differences in approach and-as should become clear-by some of the common and counterintuitive observations about racial thinking we share. We both have worked for some time on subjects that touch on questions of children and race: he on the cognitive mapping of
Use of interactive graphics-based software for teaching chemical engineering principles

Abstract Examples of interactive software and graphics are presented which have been used in teaching chemical engineering principles at Princeton University, both to emphasize illustrate concepts covered in lectures and to augment problem sets. The interactive system consists of a central IBM 3033 computer and a number of Tektronix 4013 graphics terminals. All the current instructional software has been written in APL , and serve as either process simulators or computational aids. Three separate examples of such instructional software are presented and discussed in chemical reaction engineering (Wei-Prater kinetics: SLRP ),. process control (frequency response analysis: FREQSYN ), and staged operations (McCabe-Thiele analysis of complex distillation columns: MCTH ).
Piscivory by Lake Superior Lake Herring (Coregonus artedi) on Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) in Winter, 1993–1995

The stomach contents of 31 lake herring (Coregonus artedi), captured by anglers from western Lake Superior in the winters of 1993–1995, were examined to determine if predation on rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) was occurring as indicated by anglers. Twenty-six (84%) of the stomachs contained rainbow smelt, with an average of 7.0 rainbow smelt/stomach. This was the first documentation of piscivory by lake herring on rainbow smelt in the Great Lakes.
Considering sedimentary U uptake in external dose rate determinations for ESR and luminescent dating

Abstract At many archaeological sites, including Bau de l'Aubesier, La Quina, and La Chaise-de-Vouthon, artefacts, teeth, and bones occur in heterogeneous (“lumpy”) sedimentary deposits that include bone and tooth fragments. Due to uranium (U) uptake by the bones and teeth in the adjacent sediment, the external dose rate experienced by teeth, bones, or the sediment itself will have changed over time. Such changes must be considered when calculating dose-dependent ages, whether thermoluminescent (TL) age for burnt flint artefacts, optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) or radioluminescent (RL) ages for sediment, or electron spin resonance (ESR) ages for the teeth therein. U uptake (or loss) in the sedimentary bone and tooth fragments can be modelled in the same manner as U uptake (or loss) in the dated teeth. Compared to dose rates derived from single bulk sedimentary geochemical analyses, volumetrically averaged sedimentary dose rates at Bau de l'Aubesier show significant differences depending on the model adopted for the U uptake in order to calculate the dosimetric contribution from the sedimentary components that had absorbed U.
Apparent size of an atom in the scanning tunneling microscope as a function of bias.

In order to determine how the sample density of states is reflected in topographic images obtained in the scanning tunneling microscope, the apparent size of an adsorbed atom is studied as a function of bias voltage for several different atoms. This quantity is found to reflect state-density features that lie well above the Fermi level, but it shows a striking absence of any trace of $d$-state peaks below the Fermi level.
Thermal stability of manganese-stabilized stainless steels☆

Abstract Previous work on experimental high-manganese reduced-activation austenitic stainless steels demonstrated that they had improved tensile properties relative to type 316 stainless steel (316 SS) in both the annealed and 20% cold-worked conditions. Seven steels were tested, which included an Fe-20Mn-12Cr-0.25C (in wt%) base composition, and this composition with various combinations of Ti, W, V, P, and B. Tensile tests have now been completed on these steels after thermal aging to 5000 h at 600°C. Thermal stability varied with composition, but the alloys were as stable or more stable than 316 SS. After aging to 5000 h at 600°C, the strength of the annealed steels increased slightly, and the strength of the cold-worked steels decreased. In both conditions, a steel with a combination of all the alloying elements had the best strength after thermal aging. Despite having higher strength than 316 SS after aging, the ductility of the strongest alloy was still as good as that of 316 SS.
The Roles of Personality and Trait Emotional Intelligence in the Active- Empathic Listening Process: Evidence from Correlational and Regression Analyses

This study presents a multivariate individual difference model to address personality and stable trait associations with active-empathic listening. Participants (N = 394) completed a measure of active-empathic listening, as well measures of emotional intelligence and personality (EPQ). Results indicate moderate, positive associations between emotional intelligence and the AELS, and small, negative associations between psychoticism and the AELS. Regression analyses revealed that emotional intelligence is a predictor of each subscale of the AELS. The discussion section highlights how the current study adds to the growing body of literature on traits and behaviors associated with active-empathic listening. This research was conducted by Michelle E. Pence (M.A., University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2007), a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication Studies and research fellow at The Louisiana State University, and Andrea J. Vickery (M.A., The Louisiana State University, 2012), doctoral student in the...
Evaluation of a multicrystal gamma camera and rotating chair for tomographic studies of the heart

Abstract Background . This study evaluates the feasibility of performing tomographic studies with a multicrystal gamma camera combined with a rotating chair. Methods and Results . Tomographic acquisitions were performed with a cardiac phantom containing eight defects of different sizes. Defect size was determined from the fraction of counts in the short-axis slices that fell below a fixed threshold value. Image contrast was determined from the ratio of minimum/maximum counts. Images of an American College of Nuclear Physicians cardiac single-photon emission computed tomographic phantom were acquired and the results were compared with those obtained from 194 centers in the United States. For cardiac studies with 201 T1 and 99m Tc, threshold values of 65% to 70% gave the best correlation ( R 2 > 0.94) between true and measured defect sizes, although the slope of the regression line was less than 0.95 for both isotopes. Small inferior defects demonstrated poor image contrast, particularly for 99m Tc. Of the three defects in the American College of Nuclear Physicians phantom, the two largest were identified in the tomographic images. Conclusions . A multicrystal gamma camera system coupled with a rotating chair can be used for tomographic studies of the heart. Image quality is poorer than that seen on conventional single-photon emission computed tomographic systems, particularly for 99m Tc.
Surface segregation measurements during electron irradiation

Abstract The growth of Ni3Si surface films on Ni-12.7at%Si alloys has been measured during lMeV electron irradiation. Stereoscopic techniques were used to determine film thickness from dark field images formed from Ni3Si superlattice reflections. Parabolic growth kinetics are observed at lower temperatures. However, at higher temperatures, deviations from parabolic kinetics are observed after short irradiation times. Such deviations have not been observed in bulk specimens during bombardment with energetic ions and, therefore, may be due to foil thickness effects.
Sensitization by annular surrounds: dichoptic properties.

Abstract Westheimer (1965) has shown that the rod threshold for a very small test flash at the center of a 45′ disk of light can be lowered by the presence of an annulus of light on the surrounding region of the retina. In the present paper we continue the comparison of the monoptic and dichoptic properties of such spatial influences on the threshold. The annulus was presented either steadily, or transiently in a masking paradigm, in which the changes in the threshold were traced for times near the onset of the annulus. Under steady presentation conditions, dichoptic spatial interactions were found to be small or non-existent. Under transient conditions, dichoptic and monoptic effects were remarkably alike. These results are similar to those of Fiorentini, Bayly and Maffei (1972) , and are consistent with their conclusion that steady-state disk-annulus interactions and transient diskannulus interactions probably occur at more peripheral and more central physiological locations respectively. The limitations on this conclusion are also discussed.
A Simulation Program to Establish Optimum Crop Patterns on Irrigated Farms Based on Preseason Estimates of Water Supply

THIS paper describes a simulation program for a digital computer that is designed to establish an optimum crop pattern on irrigated farms. The program called PLAN is designed to make the most efficient use of the predicted water supply throughout the season in order to derive the highest net income. A basic part of the program is crop response to soil moisture conditions, which varies for individual crops over a season and among periods in the growth cycle. Schedules of adequate soil moisture conditions for crops and of reductions in yields that result from missing specified irrigation turns are input data for the program. The program uses three decision points: an irrigation organization allocates water to farms, and irrigators and farm managers make decisions as to which crops to water and in what order. The PLAN routine determines the optimum crop pattern to be grown on each farm based on the water supply of the individual farm and its seasonal availability. The results of four computer runs using three water supply situations are presented to illustrate the effects of the planning process on the acres of crops to be grown under different water supply expectations and on farm and area incomes. Table 1 contains estimates, based on evapotranspiration studies, of irri-
The Energy Expenditure of Sedentary Behavior: A Whole Room Calorimeter Study

It has recently been recommended that sedentary behavior be defined as sitting or reclining activities expending less than 1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs), which is distinct from the traditional viewpoint based on insufficient moderate-vigorous activity or formal exercise. This study was designed to determine the energy expenditure associated with common sedentary behaviors. Twenty-five African American adults (BMI 27.8 ± 5.5) participated in the metabolic chamber study. Participants entered the metabolic chamber in the morning and their basal metabolic rate was estimated. They were fed breakfast and then engaged in four different sedentary behaviors sequentially, lasting 30 minutes each. The activities included reclining, watching TV, reading, and typing on a computer. In the afternoon, the participants were fed lunch and then the activities were repeated. The results show that the energy expenditure values between the morning and afternoon sessions were not significantly different (p = .232). The mean energy expenditure of postprandial reclining (0.97 METs) was slightly, but significantly, lower than postprandial watching TV (p = .021) and typing (p<.001). There were no differences in energy cost (1.03-1.06 METs) between the seated (i.e., reading, typing, watching TV) sedentary activities. The energy expenditure of several common sedentary behaviors was approximately 1.0 METs in the postprandial state. The results support the conclusion that the average energy cost of common sedentary behaviors is narrowly banded around 1.0 METs in the postprandial state.
Nanomanufacturing metrology for cellulosic nanomaterials: an update

The development of the metrology and standards for advanced manufacturing of cellulosic nanomaterials (or basically, wood-based nanotechnology) is imperative to the success of this rising economic sector. Wood-based nanotechnology is a revolutionary technology that will create new jobs and strengthen America’s forest-based economy through industrial development and expansion. It allows this, previously perceived, low-tech industry to leap-frog directly into high-tech products and processes and thus improves its current economic slump. Recent global investments in nanotechnology programs have led to a deeper appreciation of the high performance nature of cellulose nanomaterials. Cellulose, manufactured to the smallest possible-size (~2 nm x ~100 nm), is a high-value material that enables products to be lighter and stronger; have less embodied energy; utilize no catalysts in the manufacturing, are biologically compatible and, come from a readily renewable resource. In addition to the potential for a dramatic impact on the national economy - estimated to be as much as $250 billion worldwide by 2020 - cellulose-based nanotechnology creates a pathway for expanded and new markets utilizing these renewable materials. The installed capacity associated with the US pulp and paper industry represents an opportunity, with investment, to rapidly move to large scale production of nano-based materials. However, effective imaging, characterization and fundamental measurement science for process control and characterization are lacking at the present time. This talk will discuss some of these needed measurements and potential solutions.
Tidally-induced residual currents in Long Island and Block Island Sounds

The tidally-induced residual currents in the Long Island Sound-Block Island Sound (LIS-BIS) tidal channel are investigated using a previously-developed analytic model. Known first order tidal properties of LIS-BIS are matched using three different models, chosen to isolate the effects of the factors potentially controlling the second order currents, either breadth, depth or eddy viscosity variations. The residual currents driven by these first order models agree to within roughly a factor of two, indicating that the model is not overly sensitive to these parameters. Tidally-induced currents on the order of observed currents in eastern LIS and BIS are predicted. The outstanding structural feature of the predicted residual currents is a region of strong surface flow divergence and bottom flow convergence centered at a sharp constriction in the channel. Eulerian and Lagrangian observations in eastern LIS and BIS are reviewed; indirect support for the theoretical results is found.
Application of a CFD-Based Erosion Prediction Procedure for Sudden Expansions

Pipe fittings used in the production of oil and gas can experience erosion damage from solid particles such as sand present in the produced fluid. The fittings disturb the flow, which often results in erosion. Certain geometries are more susceptible to erosion damage than others; for example, a sudden expansion can experience severe erosion under certain operating conditions. A sudden expansion can promote erosion for two reasons. First, a radial velocity develops downstream of the expansion. This velocity component drives particles toward the wall. Second, the sudden expansion causes a zone of elevated turbulent kinetic energy. The high level of turbulent kinetic energy results in large turbulent fluctuations, and these fluctuations can also force particles to the wall. A comprehensive model for predicting sand erosion has been developed by utilizing a commercially available computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. This procedure involves flow modeling, particle tracking, and applying erosion equations. Due to the low sand concentrations a one-way coupling is used between the fluid and the particles. The goal of this study is to use the procedure to calculate erosion in sudden expansions and determine if modifications to the existing procedure are necessary. Simulation results for sand in air flowing through sudden expansions with different diameter ratios (1.25 to 2.00) are compared with experimental data. Both the simulations and data show that the maximum erosion rate evaluated in thickness loss per mass of sand passing through the geometry decrease with increasing expansion ratio.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Hepatic tissue tolerance to thio-TEPA administered by the isolation-perfusion technique.

Summary An isolation technique is described which allows for perfusion of the intact canine liver with the minimum of leakage from the perfusion circuit into the general circulation. With this low leakage the maximum dosage of Thio-TEPA tolerated by the normal hepatic cells in dogs was 0.3 mg./kg.
Insect Diversity and Cladistic Constraints

The rapid decline in biological diversity mandates immediate attention to the need to inventory species diversity. This priority, however, is accompanied by a similarly great need for the continued expansion and application of theoretical advances in systematic biology. These provide hypotheses of evolutionary patterns of common ancestry that are necessary for studies of evolutionary mechanisms and interpretations of every source of comparative biological data. The constraints imposed on comparative entomological studies by cladistic theory are discussed, along with the incredible diversity of the insects. The latter is illustrated in a “speciescape” that contrasts species diversity of major taxa of living organisms. The current decline in insect systematics is discussed, and it is concluded that resources must be allocated for primary components of the systematic entomology agenda: species inventories, monographic and revisional taxonomy, and cladistic analyses.
Accessory cells control induction of CD4+ T cells with specific effector function.

The data are consistent with a model in wich distinct APC populations regulate not only the induction of the Th1 and Th2 subsets of CD4 + T cells but also suggest that APC subpopulations may regulate the expression of effector function exhibited by distinct members of these subsets
Water activated by atomic oxygen on Au(111) to oxidize CO at low temperatures

The Au(111) surface was populated with atomic oxygen [16O] followed by oxygen-labeled water [H218O] at surface temperatures as low as 77 K. When a CO beam was impinged on this surface, both [C16O16O] and [C16O18O] were produced. The results strongly suggest the direct involvement and promoting role of water in CO oxidation on oxygen covered Au(111) at low temperatures.
Persistent Inflammatory Pathways Associated with Early Onset Myocardial Infarction in a Medicated Multiethnic Hawaiian Cohort

In spite of current standard therapies to target the major pathomechanisms in myocardial infarction (MI), inflammatory gene expression patterns have been consistently revealed in MI patients. In a multiethnic cohort, we aimed to identify MI-associated pathomechanisms that may be unresponsive to medical treatment to improve diagnosis and therapy. Gene expression profiles in whole blood were analyzed in medicated Asian, African American and Caucasian patients living in Hawaii with a history of early MI and age, ethnicity, risk factor and medication-matched controls. PANTHER ontological and Ingenuity Pathway analysis and functional evaluation of the consistently differentially expressed genes identified coordinated up-regulation of genes for inflammation (LGALS3, PTX3, ZBTB32, BCL2L1), T-cell activation (IL12RB1, VAV3, JAG1, CAMP), immune imbalance (IL-8, IL2RA, CCR7, AHNAK), and active atherosclerosis (NR1H4, BIN1, GSTT1, MARCO) that persist in MI patients in spite of concerted treatment efforts to control vascular pathology. Furthermore, significant ethnic differences appear to exist within the active disease mechanisms that need to be further investigated to identify key targets for effective medical intervention.
Multiple-taper spectral analysis: a stand-alone C-subroutine

Abstract A simple set of subroutines in ANSI-C are presented for multiple taper spectrum estimation. The multitaper approach provides an optimal spectrum estimate by minimizing spectral leakage while reducing the variance of the estimate by averaging orthogonal eigenspectrum estimates. The orthogonal tapers are Slepian nπ prolate functions used as tapers on the windowed time series. Because the taper functions are orthogonal, combining them to achieve an average spectrum does not introduce spurious correlations as standard smoothed single-taper estimates do. Furthermore, estimates of the degrees of freedom and F-test values at each frequency provide diagnostics for determining levels of confidence in narrow band (single frequency) periodicities. The program provided is portable and has been tested on both Unix and Macintosh systems.
Single-Degree-of-Freedom Characterization of Multi-Phase Passive Control Systems

A Multi-phase Passive Control System (MPCS) combines two passive control devices in order to offset the individual weaknesses and enhance structural performance, allowing the structure to respond effectively to varying levels of loading. Previous work involving a nine-story frame demonstrated the effectiveness of MPCSs but the fundamental understanding of the system was lacking. In order to more clearly understand the behavior and identify important parameters and parameter interactions, a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) non-linear dynamic study was performed. The results offer significant insight towards developing structural systems adaptable to multi-objective performance-based design procedures that meet higher performance standards than for ductility-based design.
Some marine ecological phenomena: chemical basis and biomedical potential

Analysis of secondary metabolites derived from marine organisms has revealed a broad spectrum of novel molecular architecture. The function of these compounds in their natural habitat is linked to various aspects of species survival, and the compounds have also served as characteristic chemical markers through successive trophic levels. Fundamental questions concerning the locus of synthesis in complex and intricate assemblies of plants and animals and the pathways of biosynthesis are beginning to be answered. It is now apparent that the marine environment gives rise to some distinctive chemistry, which is generated along characteristic pathways. Some of the newly described compounds have already become valuable tools in biomedicine.
I Get Scared All the Time: Passivity and Disaffiliation in Children’s Personal Narratives

A corpus of children’s personal narratives was analyzed for themes of passivity and disaffiliation, the polar opposites of agency and communion, respectively. The subjects were 96 working class children between the ages of 4 and 9 years. In their personal narratives, children cited themes of passivity more than themes of disaffiliation, with weakness being the most frequently cited individual theme of passivity. With age, children increasingly described weakness in others. Correlations across the agency-passivity and communion-disaffiliation modalities revealed theoretically unpredicted, but empirically interpretable, results.
Phospholipase A2-catalysed modification of plasma low density lipoproteins caused reduction of hypercholesterolemic rabbit plasma cholesterolin vivo

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) hydrolyses certain phospholipids of low density lipoproteins. PLA2-treated LDL is known to be rapidly cleared from plasma. A prototype plasma filter containing immobilizedCrotalus atrox PLA2 on agarose beads was developed. After a 90 min treatment with the extracorporeal device, plasma cholesterol concentration in cholesterol-fed NZW rabbits decreased by 32%. The decrease was dependent on the enzymatic activity in the plasma filter. The decrease in plasma cholesterol of hypercholesterolemic rabbits that were treated with control reactors (agarose beads only) was 5%. White and red blood cell counts and platelets remained unchanged during the treatment. Plasma cholesterol reduction (25–40%) was also obtained following intravenous injection of active PLA2 to modify plasma lipoproteins. PLA2 infusion created a radical change in biliary composition. Bile phospholipid composition was 90–95% lysophosphatidylcholine as compared with more than 95% before injection of active PLA2. Phospholipid and bile salts total mass increased by 10%. While biliary secretion rate of protein increased by 10%, biliary secretion rate of cholesterol remained unchanged. This technique is specific for lipoproteins, does not require any fluid replacement of sorbent regeneration, and offers a potential new approach for lowering serum cholesterol and LDL levels.
Mechanism for electric field effects observed in YBa2Cu3O7-x films.

The chain oxygen dynamics of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$ have been investigated using a Monte Carlo simulation of the asymmetric next-nearest-neighbor Ising model for the oxygen atoms in the basal plane. The effect of an electric field is to change the basal plane coordination of Cu ions, resulting in a change in the carrier doping of the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes. The ratio of magnitudes of the changes in the doping under potentials of +10 V and -10 V is in good agreement in magnitude and sign with that observed in field effect experiments, as are also the time constants for the resistance changes.
An overview of facilitated stretching

This article offers a brief look at facilitated stretching, an active-assisted form of stretching based on proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. It describes the method, the rationale for its development and use, and gives detailed instructions for performing several stretches, both with a facilitator and alone.
Raman spectroscopy of an O2–Co(II)bleomycin–calf thymus DNA adduct: alternate polymer conformations

Abstract Bleomycin (Blm) is an antitumor agent which binds to specific sequences of DNA and as HO 2 –Fe(III)Blm causes single and double strand cleavage. In the present investigation, binding of O 2 –Co(II)Blm to a native DNA polymer, calf thymus DNA, was examined using conventional Raman spectroscopy. O 2 –Co(II)Blm is a model for O 2 –Fe(II)Blm, the direct precursor of HO 2 –Fe(III)Blm. Although the DNA polymer retained a predominant B-form structure, Raman spectral evidence was obtained for localized structural changes to A, C and Z-DNA forms. The presence of these alternate DNA forms within B-DNA implied the presence of B/A, B/C and B/Z junctions. The observed changes in DNA secondary structure were attributed to perturbation of structural water resulting from binding of O 2 –Co(II)Blm within the minor groove.
Shape evolution of an initially circular precipitate growing by diffusion in an applied stress field

Abstract The diffusional growth of a precipitate transforming under applied stress is analyzed to determine the shape evolution of the precipitate. The analysis is based on linearizing the precipitate shape about a circle. Because of applied stresses, a circle is a stable shape only when the shear moduli of the precipitate and the surrounding matrix are identical. Otherwise, one finds a non-circular base shape that depends on the applied stress and the elastic constants of both phases. For small precipitate sizes, the progression of growing base shapes are not self-similar, but define a path of fastest growing shapes. The base shapes become unstable at a critical radius and that depends on the elastic fields. In particular, the critical radius can be affected by elastic even when the shear moduli of the precipitate and matrix are equal.
Cytosine Methylation by the SuaI Restriction-Modification System: Implications for Genetic Fidelity in a Hyperthermophilic Archaeon

5-Methylcytosine in chromosomal DNA represents a potential source of frequent spontaneous mutation for hyperthermophiles. To determine the relevance of this threat for the archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, the mode of GGCC methylation by its restriction-modification system, SuaI, was investigated. Distinct isoschizomers of the SuaI endonuclease were used to probe the methylation state of GGCC in native S. acidocaldarius DNA. In addition, the methylation sensitivity of the SuaI endonuclease was determined with synthetic oligonucleotide substrates and modified natural DNAs. The results show that the SuaI system uses N4 methylation to block cleavage of its recognition site, thereby avoiding the creation of G · T mismatches by spontaneous deamination at extremely high temperature.
Development of the servant leadership assessment instrument

Purpose – Building upon Patterson's servant leadership theory, this study aims to present an instrument to measure the constructs of this working theory (identified as agapao love, humanity, altruism, vision, trust, service, and empowerment).Design/methodology/approach – Specifically, the seven component concepts, as defined by Patterson, were used to build items for a servant leadership instrument. This study used DeVellis' “Guidelines in Scale Development” to develop an instrument for Patterson's new theory of servant leadership. The participants for the study consisted of a stratified sample taken from the study response data base. The surveys were created, and administered, using an online survey using surveysuite.Findings – Three separate data collections were used for the development of this instrument reducing the 71‐item scale to 42 items yielding five factors: empowerment, love, humility, trust, and vision.Research limitations/implications – Recommend that future research include surveys at compa...
Study on a Comprehensive Method for Water Ecological Index Screening

The objective of this article is to apply an ecological indicator screening method, which is the Comprehensive Method for Water Ecological Index Screening (CMWEIS). CMWEIS is based on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Delphi Method (DM, a kind of expert investigation method). Not only the objective factors but also the subjective factors are considered. Using CMWEIS, the ecological indicators were sorted in the range of Liao River basin. 25 ecological indexes, 2 years’ observed data of the main stream of Liao River were considered. Ten specialists were invited to answer the designed questionnaires. After 5 times of screening, the score of each ecological index was provided and 11 indexes were selected. CMWEIS considered both the objective characters of the indicators and the subjective adjustment of the specialists. So the indexes selected by WEIDSM could reflect the ecological status well and truly. The model was programmed and all the statistical calculations were done by the computer. It could be expected that WEIDSM could give the sequence of ecological indicators quickly, so as to make ecological monitoring or evaluating more effectively.
Artificial Sequence-Specific DNA Binding Peptides: Branched-Chain Basic Regions

Branched-chain-basic-region peptides (“bcBR”) consisting of two bZIP basic regions connected through a C-terminal Nα,Ne-lysine linkage bind to DNA with high affinity and high specificity. bcBR with...
Distress and career satisfaction among 14 surgical specialties, comparing academic and private practice settings.

Objective(s):We compared distress parameters and career satisfaction from survey results of surgeons from 14 specialties practicing in an academic versus private practice environment.Methods:The 2008 American College of Surgeons survey evaluated demographic variables, practice characteristics, caree
Comparison of Production Costs and Resource Use for Organic and Conventional Production Systems

Comparison of Production Costs and Resource Use for Organic and Conventional Production Systems Karen Klonsky The USDA established the National Organic Program (NOP) to develop national standards for organically produced agricultural products and establish an organic certification program as required by the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) passed by Congress in 1990. Organic crop production excludes conventional pesticides, petroleum – based fertilizers, and sewage sludge based fertilizers with some notable exceptions. OFPA also required the establishment of the “National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances” for use in organic agriculture. The National List includes allowed synthetic substances and prohibited non-synthetic (natural) materials. The NOP crop standards require that soil fertility and crop nutrients be managed through tillage and cultivation practices, crop rotations and cover crops, supplemented with animal and crop waste materials, allowed mined substances, and synthetic materials allowed on the National List. Similarly, crop pests, weeds, and diseases are required to be controlled primarily through cultural practices such as tillage and cultivation, hand weeding, crop rotations, sanitation, and the introduction of predators or parasites. When these methods prove to be insufficient, growers may use approved natural or synthetic Karen Klonsky is a specialist in Cooperative Extension, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis and member, Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, University of California.
DNA joint dependence of pol X family polymerase action in nonhomologous end joining.

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) can be rejoined directly by the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway of repair. Nucleases and polymerases are required to promote accurate NHEJ when the terminal bases of the DSB are damaged. The same enzymes also participate in imprecise rejoining and joining of incompatible ends, important mutagenic events. Previous work has shown that the Pol X family polymerase Pol4 is required for some but not all NHEJ events that require gap filling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we systematically analyzed DSB end configurations and found that gaps on both strands and overhang polarity are the principal factors that determine whether a joint requires Pol4. DSBs with 3′-overhangs and a gap on each strand strongly depended on Pol4 for repair, DSBs with 5′-overhangs of the same sequence did not. Pol4 was not required when 3′-overhangs contained a gap on only one strand, however. Pol4 was equally required at 3′-overhangs of all lengths within the NHEJ-dependent range but was dispensable outside of this range, indicating that Pol4 is specific to NHEJ. Loss of Pol4 did not affect the rejoining of DSBs that utilized a recessed microhomology or DSBs bearing 5′-hydroxyls but no gap. Finally, mammalian Pol X polymerases were able to differentially complement a pol4 mutation depending on the joint structure, demonstrating that these polymerases can participate in yeast NHEJ but with distinct properties.
Antiplatelet therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease

Antiplatelet therapy has been successful in reducing mortality and morbidity in acute myocardial infarction. Recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of the role of platelets in cardiovascular thrombosis have enabled the development of new agents with the potential to further reduce mortality and morbidity. This article reviews the role of platelets in haemostasis and cardiovascular thrombosis, and discusses the benefits and limitations of current and investigational antiplatelet agents in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
COMPOSITION AND SYNTHESIS OF THE PECTIN AND PROTEIN COMPONENTS OF THE CELL WALL OF CLOSTERIUM ACEROSUM (CHLOROPHYTA)

Closterium acerosum Ehrenberg (Chlorophyta) possesses a trilayered cell wall consisting of an outer tri-laminate stratum, a fibrous middle layer, and a thick inner fibrous layer. The outermost layer has a series of external parallel ridges and valleys. At the bases of the valleys are the wall pores, the site of mucilage release. Pure fractions of cell walls were isolated and inclusive pectin and wall protein fractions were extracted and characterized. Two pectin-like fractions were isolated: a CDTA-extracted polymer consisting of 60.1% galacturonic acid and a Na2CO3-extracted fraction consisting of 39.9% galacturonic acid. Two major protein fractions, one with a molecular mass of 23.5 kDa and one with a molecular mass of 28.5 kDa, were isolated by preparative gel electrophoresis. The former was glycine-rich, whereas the latter contained both significant amounts of glycine and hydroxyproline. Antibodies were raised to both the pectin fractions and the 23.5-kDa wall protein fraction. Immunocytochemical labeling of whole cells and wall fragments using antibodies raised against CDTA and Na2CO3 extracts showed that these pectin-like components were found throughout the wall strata and were more concentrated at the polar tips, the site of new wall synthesis in growing semicells. Immunogold labeling showed that their production was focused on the trans-Golgi network of the Golgi apparatus. Immunolabeling with an antibody raised against the 23.5-kDa glycine-rich wall protein showed close association of the protein with the wall pores. Similarly, immunogold labeling revealed that the protein was processed throughout the entire Golgi body even when large mucilage-containing vesicles were being processed. The roles of the secretory apparatus and putative spitzenkorper-like regions of the cell are discussed.
Combination of Micellar Electrokinetic and High-Performance Liquid Chromatographies to Assess Age-Related Changes in the In Vitro Metabolism of Fischer 344 Rat Liver

The metabolism of doxorubicin, a widely used anticancer drug, is different in young adult and old cancer patients. In this study, we demonstrate that micellar electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection is highly suited to monitor the metabolism of doxorubicin in subcellular fractions isolated from young adult (11 months, 100% survival rate) and old (26 months, ~25% survival rate) Fischer 344 rat livers. The relative amounts of doxorubicin metabolized in both mitochondria-enriched and postmitochondria fractions of young adult were larger than the respective fractions of old rat liver. 7-Deoxydoxorubicinolone and 7-deoxydoxorubicinone were identified using internal standard addition and structural elucidation by high-performance liquid chromatography with combined laser-induced fluorescence and mass spectrometry detection. Although high-performance liquid chromatography with combined laser-induced fluorescence and mass spectrometry detection is more useful in the identification of compounds, micellar electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection has low-sample requirements, simplified sample processing procedures, short analysis times and low limit of detection. Therefore, the combination of these two techniques provides a powerful approach to investigate metabolism of fluorescent drugs in aging studies.