cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Broad CTL response is required to clear latent HIV-1 due to dominance of escape mutations

Despite antiretroviral therapy (ART), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 persists in a stable latent reservoir, primarily in resting memory CD4(+) T cells. This reservoir presents a major barrier to the cure of HIV-1 infection. To purge the reservoir, pharmacological reactivation of latent HIV-1 has been proposed and tested both in vitro and in vivo. A key remaining question is whether virus-specific immune mechanisms, including cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), can clear infected cells in ART-treated patients after latency is reversed. Here we show that there is a striking all or none pattern for CTL escape mutations in HIV-1 Gag epitopes. Unless ART is started early, the vast majority (>98%) of latent viruses carry CTL escape mutations that render infected cells insensitive to CTLs directed at common epitopes. To solve this problem, we identified CTLs that could recognize epitopes from latent HIV-1 that were unmutated in every chronically infected patient tested. Upon stimulation, these CTLs eliminated target cells infected with autologous virus derived from the latent reservoir, both in vitro and in patient-derived humanized mice. The predominance of CTL-resistant viruses in the latent reservoir poses a major challenge to viral eradication. Our results demonstrate that chronically infected patients retain a broad-spectrum viral-specific CTL response and that appropriate boosting of this response may be required for the elimination of the latent reservoir.
Long-Term Educational Consequences of Secondary School Vouchers: Evidence from Administrative Records in Colombia

Colombia's PACES program provided over 125,000 poor children with vouchers that covered the cost of private secondary school. The vouchers were renewable annually conditional on adequate academic progress. Since many vouchers were assigned by lottery, program effects can reliably be assessed by comparing lottery winners and losers. Estimates using administrative records suggest the PACES program increases secondary school completion rates by 15 to 20 percent. Correcting for the greater percentage of lottery winners taking college admissions tests, the program increased test scores by two-tenths of a standard deviation in the distribution of potential test scores. (JEL: I21, J12, I28)
An in vitro system derived from Friend erythroleukemia cells to study messenger RNA stability

A system consisting of 40–80S messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNP) from stationary Friend erythroleukemia (FEL) cells was used to investigate the stability of mRNA in vitro . The majority of mRNP mRNAs were found to be stable when incubated for periods of up to ninety minutes at 37 degrees. Nonetheless, many mRNAs are greatly reduced in abundance, including ones for eucaryotic elongation factor Tu (eEF-Tu) and the 73–78 kDa polypeptide commonly found in association with the poly(A) tails of mRNA. A divalent cation dependent ribonuclease (probably an endoribonuclease) could be washed off mRNP by treatment of the particles with 0.5M NaCl. The mRNAs contained in the resultant salt washed mRNPs, including eEF-Tu, were stable when incubated in vitro .
Behavior disorders and mental retardation: Associations with age, sex, and level of functioning in an outpatient clinic sample.

A survey of 130 mentally retarded children and adults referred to an outpatient mental health clinic is reported. Three categories of behavior problems accounted for a majority of the referrals: schizoid-unresponsive and psychotic disorders, conduct disorder, and anxious-depressed withdrawal disorder. The distribution of referrals among the three categories was examined as a function of level of intellectual functioning, age, and client sex. Comparisons are made with previous surveys of mentally retarded and of nonretarded clinic populations. The implications of the survey results for planning mental health services with mentally retarded individuals are discussed.
The Role of Logistics Leverage in Marketing Strategy

ABSTRACT In today's environment-where changes in price, promotion, and product often are quickly imitated-the way to sustain competitive advantage may lie in changes to ancillary services, such as logistics. By leveraging excellent and superior logistics services, intricately linked with marketing strategy, firms can potentially create and maintain competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to begin the theoretical development process by understanding the implications of logistics leverage on marketing strategy. Two sources of antecedent justification, application of extant literature and observation of the phenomenon through case studies, are employed to develop the theoretical model. Conclusions, with implications for managers and suggestions for futue research, areal soprovided.
On Time and Deepening in Psychoanalysis

The metaphor of depth has most often been used in analytic thinking to denote extension in space or time. Depth, and its companion term deepening, may also be used to describe quality rather than distance; something is deep when it is serious or important. The deepening of analysis is linked to temporality but not in a linear way. Analysis deepens as it sets in motion a series of changes in the experience of time: The past comes alive and is worked through. Past and present come into a new relation with one another. The analytic frame and the rhythm of the exchange between patient and analyst also bring to life past experiences and fantasies to do with time. Both patient and analyst must enter a fluid time-state in order for deepening to occur. Clinical examples illustrate these dimensions of temporal experience and the way they emerge in the deepening analytic process.
Fate of Explosive Contaminants in Plantsa

A great deal of interest has been generated recently in the determination of explosives and explosives by-products in exotic matrices including composts, bioslurries, and plants. The methods traditionally utilized for the analysis of organic and inorganic contaminants in these types of environmental samples are not adequate owing to the unique properties of the material being studied. The methods used to detect the nitramines and their degradation products in a variety of environmental samples requires matrix-specific sample preparation, separation by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, and ultra-violet detection. Knowledge of the concentration of the contaminants and the molecular state of their degradation products is helpful in assessing the environmental risks associated with the contaminants as well as the design of remediation technologies. Data that are obtained using analytical methods not designed for the specific matrix encountered may lead to incorrect quantitation. Examples of remediation technologies that necessitate the analysis of other than standard matrices for explosives include composting, aerobic and anaerobic microbial degradation, and plant-assisted degradation. The toxicity and mobility of explosives in the food chain are also of interest, and analytical techniques for studying explosives in plant and animal tissues that provide valid information regarding trace levels in these matrices are also required. The report will address three important points in connection with the problem. The extraction of the contaminants from the matrix requires a different set of extraction techniques than those utilized for standard water and soil extractions. These exotic matrices contain much higher organic content than soil or water and, as a result, are prone to interference from biological molecules.
Corticosterone Modulates Auditory Gating in Mouse

Previous studies suggest that circulating glucocorticoids may influence the encoding and processing of sensory stimuli. The current study investigated this hypothesis by measuring the generation (amplitude), gating (recovery cycle), and sensitivity (intensity function) of auditory evoked responses in C57BL/6 mice treated with chronic corticosterone (0, 1, 5, 15, or 30 mg/kg/day for 14 days). We found that low-dose corticosterone (5 but not 1 mg/kg/day) enhanced the amplitude and improved gating of evoked potentials without affecting the intensity function. In comparison, higher doses (15 and 30 mg/kg/day) decreased the amplitude and impaired gating of evoked potentials, also without altering the stimulus intensity function. At all doses, lower amplitudes of evoked potentials were significantly correlated with higher circulating corticosterone levels. These data highlight the need to consider serum glucocorticoid levels when assessing human disease states associated with aberrations of information processing such as schizophrenia and depression.
A modern concept of the emphysemas based on correlations of structure and function.

Abstract In this review of current concepts regarding the emphysemas, the basic alterations in pulmonary structure and their functional consequences are related to the clinical manifestations, largely on the basis of studies of inflated lungs, which permit orderly description and quantification of the emphysemas. These improvements in methods have led to agreement that emphysema should be defined by structural changes rather than by symptoms of obstruction to expiratory air flow. Because of their fundamental importance in studies of pulmonary structure, the methods for preparing inflated specimens of lung are briefly reviewed: fume fixation and drying, formalin steam fixation, fixation by intrabronchial liquid formalin with hydrostatic pressure maintained, and quick freezing in situ with examination in the frozen state. Topographic studies of the distribution and severity of lesions at the level of the eye or dissecting microscope are accomplished most readily on fume-fixed dried specimens. However, the histologic detail in such preparations is poor because of difficulty in preparing the sections and the poor quality of the staining reaction. Fixation by intrabronchial formalin provides excellent histologic detail but the gross topography is less clear. Examination in the frozen state has great value for certain specific purposes but is impractical for large scale studies.
Aerosol iron and aluminum solubility in the northwest Pacific Ocean: Results from the 2002 IOC cruise

Dust aerosol samples were collected across the western North Pacific Ocean during May–June 2002. Samples were analyzed for soluble aerosol Fe(II), Fe(II) + Fe(III), and Al as well as major cations and anions. The aerosol samples were leached using a 10 second exposure to either filtered surface seawater or ultrapure deionized water yielding a measure of the “instantaneous” soluble fraction. A variety of analytical methods were employed, including 57Fe isotope dilution high-resolution ICP-MS, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence, graphite furnace AAS, ion chromatography, and the FeLume chemiluminescent technique. Fe was found to be more soluble in ultrapure deionized water leaches, especially during periods of higher dust concentrations. Fe solubility averaged 9 ± 8% in ultrapure water leaches and 6 ± 5% in seawater leaches. Significant correlations were found between both soluble aerosol FeT and soluble Fe(II) concentrations and aerosol acidity; however, the percentages of soluble aerosol FeT and Fe(II) did not correlate with aerosol acidity We also did not observe significant correlations between total and soluble aerosol Fe concentrations and the concentrations of either particulate Fe or dissolved Fe in surface waters.
Identification of the woman at risk for breast cancer: problem solved?

The clinical availability of antiestrogens to reduce breast cancer incidence has focused increased attention on the ability to identify women at increased risk for breast cancer development. Multiple risk factors, which can be grouped under the headings of genetic and familial factors, hormonal factors, benign breast disease, and environmental factors have been described. However, of these risk factors, only genetic mutations and atypical hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in situ, and ductal carcinoma in situ have a relative risk of four or more. Many of the other risk factors, although associated with statistically significant increases in risk in large populations, are of little practical significance for the individual woman. Lack of knowledge of the interactions among various positive and negative risk factors also complicates the evaluation of risk. In addition, the impact of some risk factors may not be constant over time, and the majority of data on risk come from studies of white women, and little is known about the impact of ethnic diversity on these factors. Finally, there is no consensus about what level of increase in risk is necessary for a women to be labeled “high risk.” It is important to recognize that only 50% of breast cancers occur in women with identifiable risk factors other than age. Thus, an improved ability to define risk status is needed if prevention studies directed at high-risk women are to have a major impact on breast cancer incidence and mortality.
Accumulation and loss of cholesterol esters in monkey arterial smooth muscle cells exposed to normal and hyperlipemic serum lipoproteins

Abstract The effects of high, low and very low density lipoprotein fractions from normal or hyperlipemic rhesus monkey serum on the accumulation or removal of cholesterol esters from rhesus monkey smooth muscle cells in tissue culture were determined. Serum or serum lipoproteins were labeled with [ l4 C] free cholesterol and adjusted to the same free cholesterol level in the incubation medium. Of the two normal lipoproteins examined, the LDL fraction caused more esterification than the HDL. Cells incubated in hyperlipemic serum showed a 2-fold stimulation in esterification as compared to cells in normal serum. This was contributed by hyperlipemic VLDL and LDL and led to a concomitant increase in cellular cholesterol ester content. Both hyperlipemic LDL and HDL stimulated esterification when compared to their normal counterparts. Cholesterol ester removal was examined by incubating the serum or lipoprotein fractions with cells enriched in cholesterol ester through a prior exposure to hyperlipemic serum. The cells incubated in normal or hyperlipemic HDL or lipoprotein-deficient serum had the lowest cholesterol ester content. Thus, the lipoprotein fractions which caused the lowest levels of cholesterol esterification were also the most efficient in the removal of cellular cholesterol esters.
An underwater target detection system for electro-optical imagery data

The problem of detecting underwater targets from Electro-optical (EO) images is considered in this paper. A block-based log-likelihood ratio test has been developed for detection and segmentation of underwater mine-like objects in the EO images captured with a CCD-based image sensor. The main focus of this research is to develop a robust detection algorithm that can be used to detect low contrast and partial underwater objects from the EO imagery with low false alarm rate. The detection method involves identifying frames of interest (FOI) containing the potential targets. Once the FOI have been identified, regions of interest (ROI) within the FOI are segmented from the background. Performance of the detection method is tested in terms of probability of detection, false alarm rate, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for FOI in the selected data runs. The algorithm shows promising results in target detection and generation of good silhouettes for subsequent classification.
In pursuit of protein folding.

Johnson Research Foundation, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University ofPennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104–6059Exploring the “Anfinsen trail,” the pathway by which unstructured proteins spontaneouslyfold to their native functional form, has become a central goal of the protein chemists. Inorder to understand a biochemical pathway, one wants to isolate and describe theintermediate structures that lead from precursor to product. Unfortunately the intermediateforms that define protein folding pathways cannot be isolated or studied by the usualmethodologies, however powerful, because folding intermediates are by definition unstable.Nevertheless, two reports in this issue, one by Miranker et al. on page 896, the other byJennings and Wright on page 892, are able to present fairly detailed structural informationon some kinetic folding intermediates in lysozyme and myoglobin, even though theseephemera only exist for less than 1 s during the folding process (1, 2). A related researcharticle by Mayo and Baldwin on page 873 describes some characteristics of equilibriumunfolding intermediates in ribonuclease A that exist transiently at infinitesimal levels inequilibrium with the native state (3).The folding experiments depend on a recently developed method (4) to obtain kinetic andstructural information on partially folded protein forms that fly by on a millisecond timescale. The intermediates were labeled in-flight in a structurally sensitive way, in essence bywriting on them with a brief pulse of chemical spray paint at any given point of time duringfolding. The painting technology (see figure) relies on the naturally occurring exchange ofhydrogens between water and the peptide group NH hydrogens distributed uniformlythroughout every protein molecule (5).The protein in D
A Bactericidal Spectrum of Some Common Organisms

The reactions of fourteen selected microorganisms to critical germicidal concentrations of twelve chemical compounds are presented. The use of a greater variety of commonly occurring bacteria as an adjunct to conventional germicidal testing methods is briefly discussed.
Optimal Strategy for the Vardi Casino with Interest Payments

A gambler starts with fortune f< 1 and plays in a Vardi casino with infinitely many tables indexed by their odds, r ≥ 0. In addition, all tables return the same expected winnings per dollar, c< 0, and a discount factor is applied after each round. We determine the optimal probability of reaching fortune 1, as well as an optimal strategy that is different from bold play for fortunes larger than a critical value depending exclusively on c and 1 + a, the discount factor. The general result is computed explicitly for some relevant special cases. The question of whether bold play is an optimal strategy is discussed for various choices of the parameters.
Ophthalmoplegia Associated with AIDS

Abstract A 34-year-old man with AIDS was admitted to the hospital with a one-week history of cough, chest pain, and fever. Radiography revealed a cavitating left upper lobe lesion. Two weeks later he developed a headache associated with a contrast enhancing lesion in the right parietal lobe. The patient had a progressive downhill course, developing atrioventricular block and hypernatremia. Neuro-ophthalmologically, there was a mild facial droop, “hand motions” vision with presumed bilateral cytomegalic inclusion retinitis, and signs of a mesencephalic syndrome, including lid retraction. Discussions center on the differential diagnosis of the central nervous system disease and the obligative recommendations the neuro-ophthalmologist must be willing to make.
The Massachusetts Blood Pressure Study, Part 1 Elevated Levels of Sodium in Drinking Water and Blood Pressure Levels in Children

Continuing epidemiologic studies at the University of Massachusetts have examined the hypothesis that elevated levels of sodium (Na) in drinking water contribute to elevations of blood pressure (BP). Comparing tenth graders from a town with 107 mg Na/L in the drinking water to those from a town with 8 mg Na/ L revealed statistically significant and medically important higher BP distributions among the high Na town students relative to their low Na town peers for both systolic and diastolic BP in both boys and girls. The differences were upheld when potentially confounding factors, including dietary Na intake and other water factors occurring differentially in the two water supplies, were controlled in the analysis. A replication study among third graders in the same communities showed similar results.
Trauma-induced malformed antler development in male white-tailed deer

Though normal antlers are branched and bilaterally symmetrical, male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sometimes develop malformed antlers because of various reasons. As management for antler quality has grown more popular in recent years, there has been concern that spike-on-one-side (SOOS) antler configuration has a genetic cause. We hypothesized that the majority of SOOS antlers are the artifact of injuries to the antlerogenic periosteum region. We collected 71 SOOS specimens over 2 hunting seasons (2010–2011 and 2011–2012) in Alabama, USA, and identified probable cause for malformed antler development. We confidently assigned cause to 62% of specimens, and frequency of skull and/or pedicle trauma increased with age classes (yearling, 2.5-yr-old, and ≥3.5-yr-old M). It was difficult to determine the reason that yearling males developed SOOS antler traits (30%), but ease of prescription increased with male age (76% for ≥3.5-yr-old M). Based on the physiology of skull and/or pedicle versus skeletal injuries, we recommended different culling strategies for yearling versus adult male white-tailed deer according to management objectives. © 2013 The Wildlife Society. © The Wildlife Society, 2013
An analysis of normalization methods for Drosophila RNAi genomic screens and development of a robust validation scheme

Genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screening allows investigation of the role of individual genes in a process of choice. Most RNAi screens identify a large number of genes with a continuous gradient in the assessed phenotype. Screeners must decide whether to examine genes with the most robust phenotype or the full gradient of genes that cause an effect and how to identify candidate genes. The authors have used RNAi in Drosophila cells to examine viability in a 384-well plate format and compare 2 screens, untreated control and treatment. They compare multiple normalization methods, which take advantage of different features within the data, including quantile normalization, background subtraction, scaling, cellHTS2 (Boutros et al. 2006), and interquartile range measurement. Considering the false-positive potential that arises from RNAi technology, a robust validation method was designed for the purpose of gene selection for future investigations. In a retrospective analysis, the authors describe the use of validation data to evaluate each normalization method. Although no method worked ideally, a combination of 2 methods, background subtraction followed by quantile normalization and cellHTS2, at different thresholds, captures the most dependable and diverse candidate genes. Thresholds are suggested depending on whether a few candidate genes are desired or a more extensive systems-level analysis is sought. The normalization approaches and experimental design to perform validation experiments are likely to apply to those high-throughput screening systems attempting to identify genes for systems-level analysis.
Monitoring Physiological Parameters in Mice during Anesthesia

Researchers perform a large number of procedures on mice that requires anesthesia. It is important to realize that anesthesia is not a simple thing. It has profound effects on an animal's physiology because of the generalized central nervous system effects as well as specific effects on all other body systems. Most anesthetics not only induce unconsciousness but they also are respiratory, myocardial and circulatory depressants in a dose dependent manner. Physiologic functions such as body temperature, respiration and cardiovascular function must be monitored. The project will consist in built a monitoring system for mice, capable to monitor three of the physiological parameters used as criteria to assess depth of anesthesia: Heart rate, respiration rate and body temperature. The system will measure different parameters with transducers adapted to fit the physiological and anatomical characteristics of mice. An application written in LABVIEW will process and display the information as curves and numerical values in the monitor of the computer.
Initial Immunochemical Characterization of MX35 Ovarian Cancer Antigen

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) MX35 reacts with approximately 90% of ovarian epithelial cancers and has been studied in localization and biodistribution trials in ovarian cancer patients. This study shows that mAb MX35 recognizes a cell surface antigen of about 95,000 D on OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cells. The antigen could be immunoprecipitated from lysates of cells metabolically labeled with [3H]glucosamine and it bound to concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin lectins, showing that it is a glycoprotein. MX35 antigen can also be detected in detergent lysates of OVCAR-3 cells by Western blotting. Using this technique the MX35 epitope(s) was shown to be heat stable but susceptible to reduction by 2-mercaptoethanol. Protease digestion of the antigen resulted in smaller fragments (42-52 kDa) that still reacted with antibody. We conclude that MX35 antigen is a 95 kDa glycoprotein, stabilized by disulfide bonds, with a large protease-resistant region that carries the MX35 epitopes.
Superconductor—semiconductor hybrid devices, circuits and systems

Abstract This Paper reviews some ways of forming superconductor—semiconductor hybrids for operation at a suggested temperature of 45 K, which is about one-half of the critical temperature of the YBa2Cu3O7-δ family of superconductors. Semiconductor devices work better at 45 K than at room temperature and devices made with the new superconductors also should be at a good operating point. Hybridizations at the levels of devices, circuits and systems are discussed.
Adverse drug reaction profile of nanoparticle versus conventional formulation of paclitaxel: An observational study.

Objectives : Conventional polyethoxylated castor oil (PCO)-based paclitaxel is associated with major adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Nanoxel, a nanoparticle-based formulation, may improve its tolerability by removing the need for PCO vehicle, and also permit its use in a higher dose. We conducted intensive monitoring of the ADR profile of Nanoxel in comparison with conventional paclitaxel in a public tertiary care set-up. Materials and Methods : ADR data were collected from 10 patients receiving Nanoxel and 10 age-matched controls receiving conventional paclitaxel in this longitudinal observational study, conducted in a medical oncology ward over 18 months. Severity was graded as per US National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Results : The groups had comparable demography at baseline. The median disease duration and per cycle median dose of paclitaxel were greater in the Nanoxel arm. Total 119 ADRs were noted with Nanoxel and 123 with conventional paclitaxel. Of these, 25 (21.0%, 95% CI 13.69-28.33%) in the Nanoxel and 20 (16.2%, 95% CI 9.74-22.78%) in paclitaxel group were of grade 3/4 severity. Common events included myalgia, nausea, anemia, paresthesia, alopecia, diarrhea, and vomiting with Nanoxel, and paresthesia, anemia, myalgia, anorexia, alopecia, vomiting, diarrhea, stomatitis, and nausea with paclitaxel. Of the less common events ( Conclusions : Despite its ADR profile being statistically comparable to conventional paclitaxel, this observational study suggests that Nanoxel tolerability could be better, considering that a significantly higher dose was employed. This hypothesis needs confirmation through an interventional study.
New insights into microRNAs in skin wound healing

Chronic wounds are a major burden to overall healthcare cost and patient morbidity. Chronic wounds affect a large portion of the US, and billions of healthcare dollars are spent in their treatment and management. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding double-stranded RNAs that post-transcriptionally downregulate the expression of protein-coding genes. Studies have identified miRNAs involved in all three phases of wound healing including inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Some miRNAs have been demonstrated in vitro with primary keratinocyte wound healing model and in vivo with mouse wound healing model through regulation of miRNA expression to affect the wound healing process. This review updates the current miRNAs involved in wound healing and discusses the future therapeutic implications and research directions.
Steel Satchel Connections

A type of connection, termed satchel connection, is used in some parts of the world where there is a shortage of highly skilled steel workers. This connection is formed by placing beam profiles on both sides of the columns and attaching them to the column flanges by top and seat angles. In addition to bending and shear, the connection is under significant torsion. Furthermore the angle legs welded to the beams are restrained in terms of their axial deformation, making the connection much suffer in bending than simple seat angles. Depending on the relative stiffness of the angles, the beam profiles, and the strength of the welds, the connection stiffness may range from very stiff to quite flexible. Since a large number of these connections are used in some earthquake regions, accurate assessment of their stiffness is critical for checking drift limits and the force distribution in the members.
Marking discourse topic in biblical Hebrew : part two

Linguists have argued that for a text to be coherent it has to have a common topic, usually referred to as discourse topic (DT). It has been observed that languages make use of linguistic devices to mark the DT of a text, or a shift from a current one thereof. In this (two part) paper, I show that biblical Hebrew makes use of its verbal aspect system to introduce a new DT or mark a shift from an old one. In particular, one of the qatal and yiqtol forms' functions is shown to be marking DTs in the narrative and the modal material, respectively. To introduce a DT of a list, biblical Hebrew uses a nominal clause.
Nonfarm Employment Information for Rural People

The objectives of this study embrace somewhat more than those of pure allocative efficiency. A primary objective is to examine possibilities of creating better opportunities for rural people to obtain a higher level of living through farm and nonfarm work and thus to share more fully in the fruits of economic progress. But real opportunities are those which migrants, who create possibilities for resource recombination on farms, are able to accept in full knowledge of their ultimate total consequences. Misrepresentation and coercion as means of reallocating rural labor are ruled out by assumption. In terms of economic concepts, the objective of supplying more perfect employment information is to bring the supply curves of rural labor in farm and nonfarm uses into closer correspondence, to narrow the real wage gap between urban and farm alternatives.'
But Does It Work?: The Influence of Presumed Goal Attainment Effectiveness on Willingness to Use Legalistic and Restorative Responses to Offensive Behavior

Although victim-offender conferences (VOCs) ostensibly enable victims to pursue justice goals not achieved through conventional trials, not all victims wish to participate in them. The purpose of this study was to examine how victims’ presumptions regarding the effectiveness of VOCs and trials in accomplishing justice goals influence their willingness to participate in a VOC and their preference for a case to be managed solely by the courts. Study results indicated that participants believed VOCs and trials to be effective at accomplishing different goals and that such influenced how they wanted cases to be managed. This influence was moderated by desires for particular justice goals. These findings have implications for restorative justice researchers and practitioners interested in victims’ motivations to participate in a VOC.
The Zimbabwean Diasporas' Narratives and Notions of Return

This paper will present the feelings, perceptions, thoughts and attitudes of Zimbabweans in South Africa, United States and the United Kingdom towards the idea of returning to Zimbabwe. It was thought that the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in February 2009 would stem the tide of emigration and in turn set in motion a reverse migration, leading to the return of many who had left. The GNU was hailed as the panacea that was going to solve all Zimbabwe problems and a stepping stone in the country reversal of fortunes where the skilled personnel would heed calls to return back home. Quite to the contrary, emigration has not abated although there were signs that the economy was improving. The July 2013 elections saw Mugabe ZANU PF retaining its grip on power. The Mugabe regime has called on the Diaspora to return back to Zimbabwe and help with the reconstruction of the country. The research revolves around the following questions: 1) Do you see yourself returning to settle in Zimbabwe permanently? 2). How is the current political and economic situation in Zimbabwe a factor in making decisions to return to Zimbabwe? 3) Have you settled permanently in your host country and how does your current immigration status influence your perception of going back to Zimbabwe? 5) Do you have any projects that you have started in Zimbabwe and how do you see yourself helping rebuild Zimbabwe even if you do not go back in the near future?
Influence of common bile duct cannula size on maximal secretory rate of taurocholate in the rat

The common bile duct of male Sprague-Dawley rats was cannulated with either PE 10 or PE 50 tubing. Maximal secretory rate of taurocholate averaged 389±67 (SD) and 657±115 nmoles·min−1·g liver−1 in the PE 10 and PE 50 group, respectively (p<0.005). Maximal bile secretory pressure was significantly higher in the PE 10 group (240±28 vs 174±8 mm H20; p<0.005). When the maximal secretory rate was exceeded, bile flow decreased in both groups but this was accompanied with a decrease in maximal bile secretory pressure in the PE 10 group only. Maximal secretory rate of bile salts is markedly influenced by experimental technique. Use of small caliber common bile duct cannulae leads to partial obstruction and decreases the apparent maximal secretory rate for taurocholate.
Moda da Bahia: An Analysis of Contemporary Vendor Dress in Salvador

AbstractThis article discusses the history related to the “traditional” Baianan dress worn by women in contemporary tourist areas of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Examining fugitive slave advertisements, travel diaries and images from the nineteenth century, it becomes clear that the dress of twenty-first century vendors in tourist areas of Salvador maintains a close visual and personal connection to the dress of female slaves. Goffman’s theory of personal front and Sansi’s theories on cultural appropriation in Afro-Brazilian traditions serve as the framework to assess characteristics of the twenty-first-century dress of acaraje vendors and shop girls in Salvador that are based on nineteenth-century female slave clothing, addressing components of cultural authentication in terms of a shift from slave imagery to one of pride in heritage and African culture (and commercial gain).
The Jefferson Scale of Empathy

On the basis of the belief that empathy-measuring instruments which were developed for the general population did not embrace the essence of empathy in the context of health professions education and patient care, we developed a new instrument to specifically measure empathy in that context. This chapter describes the steps taken in the development and psychometric analyses of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). The evidence is presented in support of the JSE’s validity (face, content, construct, criterion-related, convergent, and discriminant validities) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in support of internal consistency and test–retest reliability in support of score stability). The significant relationships observed between JSE scores, clinical competence, and patient outcomes can boost the confidence of researchers who are searching for a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring empathy in the context of health professions education and patient care. The general findings on the JSE’s measurement properties in samples of students and practitioners in a variety of health professions disciplines and in different cultures suggest that the instrument can serve as a sound measure of empathy among medical students (S-Version), students in the other health professions (HPS-Version), and practitioners in the health professions including physicians (HP-Version). Further research is needed to investigate the relationship between scores on the JSE and outcomes such as accuracy of diagnosis, patient compliance, reduced risk of malpractice claims, and patient outcomes in different settings and cultures. Furthermore, large-scale research is needed with national samples to develop national norm tables and cutoff scores for the JSE to identify low and high scorers in different populations of health professions students and practitioners.
Memoirs: On the Blood-Vascular System of the Earthworm Pheretima, and the Course of the Circulation in Earthworms

1. The typical arrangement of the blood-system in Pheretima occurs in the region of the body behind the fourteenth segment, the first fourteen segments forming the cephalized region. The main longitudinal trunks are the same as in Lumbricus, except that the lateral neurals are absent as in Allolobophora. The dorsal vessel receives two pairs of dorso-intestinals and one pair of commissurals in each segment behind the cephalized region. 2. The intestinal blood-plexus is both an external and an internal one, and three regions can easily be distinguished. The first is internal, and extends from the fourteenth to the twenty-sixth segment; the second is both external and internal, is co existent with the typhlosole, and extends over the larger part of the gut; and the third is only external, and is confined to the rectal or post-typhlosolar part of the gut (last twenty-three to twenty-six segments) 3. The commissural vessel of Pheretima is a compound vessel, and represents both the ‘dorso-sous-nervien’ of Lumbricus and the intestino-tegumentary of Megascolex. The capillaries of the integument are not like those of Lumbricus but like those of Moniligaster, and there is a close ‘parallelism’ between an ‘artery’ and a ‘vein’ in the body-wall, in which the two pass into each other through a number of capillary loops. 4. There are four pairs of ‘hearts’ which connect the dorsal with the ventral vessel, and five pairs which supply blood directly to the various organs in the cephalized region. There are two pairs of non-contractile ‘anterior loops’ connecting the lateral oesophageals with the supra-intestinals, these loops being the counterpart of the connexions of the lateral oesophageals with the dorsal and the parietal in the tenth and twelfth segments respectively of Lumbricus. The subneural Tessel is absent in the first fourteen segments, and is continuous with the lateral oesophageals of the anterior region. 5. As regards the course of circulation of the blood, the chief fact is that the dorsal vessel is wholly ‘venous’ behind the ‘hearts’ and wholly ‘arterial’ in the region of the ‘hearts’ and in front (the whole of the cephalized region). The examination of valves and experiments by cutting and pinching the blood-vessels in Pheretima confirm the results of Johnstone for Lumbricus as regards the course of blood in dorsointestinals and commissurals and make Bourne9s theory untenable. The ventral vessel is the arterial trunk throughout, while the venous function of the dorsal and subneural behind is taken up by the lateral oesophageals in the cephalized region. The thin-walled and non-contractile ‘loops’ of the tenth and eleventh segments must be distinguished from the thick walled and contractile ‘hearts’ of the other cephalized segments, the ‘loops’ being the channels for conveying blood from the lateral oesophageals to the supra-intestinals.
Rearing Generations: Lakota Grandparents’ Commitment to Family and Community

Disproportionately, American Indian grandparents assume the responsibility of raising their grandchildren. Few studies have examined the experiences of American Indian grandparents living on reservations. Utilizing Indigenous Methodologies and exploratory, in-depth interviews with 25 Lakota elders living on the reservation. This study explored the realities of raising grandchildren including: reasons they began caring for their grandchildren, challenges they face, and they reveal the care and concern for the broader community's grandchildren within the cultural and social context of the reservation.
An American Perspective of Ethical Misconduct in ODLS: Who's to Blame?

Open and distance learning systems (ODLS) brought about immeasurable advancement in the delivery of education. Albeit all the benefits ODLS offers, there are some issues that need to be addressed. One of the most prevalent issues is the problem of persistent academic dishonesty. Much research effort has been devoted to explain why students commit acts of dishonesty, but there is limited research done on why faculty members do not take on a stronger position against it. This chapter offers cases of ODLS misconducts at an American University, the process that faculty members took to document academic dishonesty, the appeals process used by students, and the consequences of dishonesty. This chapter provides insights from faculty faced with dishonesty. It also addresses what administrators should do to support their faculty in curbing dishonesty in their institutions.
A method of cloud storage algorthom for crop images information

With the development of high resolution images technique, large scale data intensive computing and computing-intensity is highly demanded. However, isolated storage and dispersive management cannot meet exponentially increasing demand for storage and management of crop images. On the basis of the crop images grasped by our independent developed agricultural intelligent search engine, a kind of extraction technique will be studied to extract the special feature behind scattered image data and to build up a cloud platform for the crop images information. Fast and accurate searching for crop images and its highly efficient management under cloud computation environment are achieved through map-reduce parallel mechanism.
Reflections of Nursing Students Involved in a Simulated “Very Bad Day”

Abstract This article describes a simulated activity in which nursing students participate in a 2-hr delegation and priority setting experience. Overwhelmingly, the students felt that that this was a "very bad day". They noted that they had no idea that so many things can happen during a shift, and they realized that it was very important for them to develop an organizational plan and method to manage their time.
Deletion of all cysteines in tachyplesin I abolishes hemolytic activity and retains antimicrobial activity and lipopolysaccharide selective binding

Tachyplesin I is a cyclic beta-sheet antimicrobial peptide isolated from the hemocytes of Tachypleus tridentatus. The four cysteine residues in tachyplesin I play a structural role in imparting amphipathicity to the peptide which has been shown to be essential for its activity. We investigated the role of amphipathicity using an analogue of tachyplesin I (TP-I), CDT (KWFRVYRGIYRRR-NH(2)), in which all four cysteines were deleted. Like TP-I, CDT shows antimicrobial activity and disrupts Escherichia coli outer membrane and model membranes mimicking bacterial inner membranes at micromolar concentrations. The CDT peptide does not cause hemolysis up to 200 microg/mL while TP-I showed about 10% hemolysis at 100 microg/mL and about 25% hemolysis at 150 microg/mL. Peptide-into-lipid titrations under isothermal conditions reveal that the interaction of CDT with lipid membranes is an enthalpy-driven process. Binding assays performed using fluorometry demonstrate that the peptide CDT binds and inserts into only negatively charged membranes. The peptide-induced thermotropic phase transition of MLVs formed of DMPC and the DMPC/DMPG (7:3) mixture suggests specific lipid-peptide interactions. The circular dichroism study shows that the peptide exists as an unordered structure in an aqueous buffer and adopts a more ordered beta-structure upon binding to negatively charged membrane. The NMR data suggest that CDT binding to negatively charged bilayers induces a change in the lipid headgroup conformation with the lipid headgroup moving out of the bilayer surface toward the water phase, and therefore, a barrel stave mechanism of membrane disruption is unlikely as the peptide is located near the headgroup region of lipids. The lamellar phase (31)P chemical shift spectra observed at various concentrations of the peptide in bilayers suggest that the peptide may function neither via fragmentation of bilayers nor by promoting nonlamellar structures. NMR and fluorescence data suggest that the presence of cholesterol inhibits the peptide binding to the bilayers. These properties help to explain that cysteine residues may not contribute to antimicrobial activity and that the loss of hemolytic activity is due to lack of hydrophobicity and amphipathicity.
Roll-to-roll continuous carbon nanotube sheets with high electrical conductivity

Large scale manufacturing of electrically conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets with production capability, low cost, and long-term electrical performance stability is still a challenge. A new method to fabricate highly conductive continuous buckypaper (CBP) with roll-to-roll production capability and relatively low cost is reported. The electrical conductivity of CBP can be improved to 7.6 × 104 S m−1 by using an oxidant chemical (i.e. HNO3 and I2) doping method. To compensate for the conductivity degradation caused by the instability of the oxidant chemical doping, a polymer layer of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was coated on the chemically doped CBP. The fabricated highly conductive CBP showed stable electrical performance in air for more than a month. This CBP material with high electrical conductivity, relatively low cost, and roll-to-roll manufacturing capability could enable a wide range of engineering applications including flexible conductors, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, and electrodes in energy devices.
Schooling Across the Globe: What We Have Learned from 60 Years of Mathematics and Science International Assessments

Schooling matters. The authors' professional pursuits for over twenty-five years have been focused on measuring one key aspect of schooling: the curriculum - what students are expected to study and what they spend their time studying. This documents their conviction that schools and schooling play a vital and defining role in what students know and are able to do with respect to mathematics and science. This research examines seventeen international studies of mathematics and science to provide a nuanced comparative education study. Whilst including multiple measures of students' family and home backgrounds, these studies measure the substance of the curriculum students study which has been shown to have a strong relationship with student performance. Such studies have demonstrated the interrelatedness of student background and curriculum. Student background influences their opportunities to learn and their achievements, yet their schooling can have even greater significance.
Neurodegeneration in Neural Trauma, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Neurodegeneration is a complex, progressive, and multifaceted process that results in neural cell dysfunction and death in brain and spinal cord. Adult brain and spinal cord contain terminally differentiated postmitotic neurons with downregulated cell division controlling mechanisms (silencing of cyclin-dependent kinases) and upregulated anti-apoptotic mechanisms such as neurotrophic factor signaling, antioxidant enzymes, protein chaperones, anti-apoptotic proteins, and ionostatic systems (Nguyen et al., 2002).