cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Symptoms of wellness: Happiness and eudaimonia from a self-determination theory perspective

Questions concerning the nature of happiness and wellness are age-old, as are the ways in which people strive to achieve them. Two traditions dominate theorizing about pathways to happiness and the good life. The hedonic tradition focuses on happiness as a desired subjective outcome, with interest in variables predicting it. The eudaimonic tradition focuses on characteristics associated with living well, defined in terms of realization of human potentials, and views happiness as one by-product of such living. Research within Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has links with each of these traditions. First, SDT explicitly distinguishes wellness from happiness, seeing the latter as a symptom of the former. Second, SDT research provides insights concerning how awareness, self-regulation, and a focus on intrinsic values, all attributes associated with eudaimonia, are associated with both wellness and positive hedonic outcomes, whereas some seemingly hedonistic lifestyles such as materialism can fail to yield even hedonic rewards. Most importantly, SDT highlights how social and environmental factors that support the satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness facilitate happiness and wellness, providing practical, evidence-supported directions for human betterment.
Sonographic Findings of Midgut Malrotation With Volvulus: A Case of Upper Intestinal Obstruction in a Neonate:

Midgut malrotation is a congenital condition resulting from incomplete normal intestinal rotation after physiologic gut herniation. While it can remain asymptomatic over an entire lifetime, midgut ...
A new algorithm for use in computer identification.

On 9 May 1987, a Soviet-made IL-62M Polish Airliner, LOT Flight 5055, crashed. exploded, and burned, killing the crew and 183 passengers. A forensic science team from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, comprised of 6 dental officers, 3 forensic pathologists, and 3 medical photographers, worked in concert with the Polish forensic science team. The small number of antemortem records and the extreme fragmentation of the remains presented a new scenario for computer use. Typically, the Computer-Assisted Postmortem Identification (CAPMI) software is used to compare remains against an antemortem database. Results are listed by the number of tooth-to-tooth matches based on restorative or other characteristics or both. The Polish disaster confounded this approach to some degree, however, and suggested a reconsideration of the theory on which the sort is made, that is, that the cases with maximum number of matches to preexisting dental records would be the most likely identification (ID) match. A hypothesis was constructed that, if searches were accomplished for fragments with a minimum number of mismatches, the correct matches would appear higher in the rank order. Six antemortem records (that had all dental information) were sorted against one hundred and twelve postmortem fragmented records. The resulting report was reordered so that records were listed by minimum number of mismatches. There was significant improvement in rank placement for all of the records. Thus it was accepted that in the situation of highly fragmented remains a different sorting based on the number of mismatches is indicated. Programming changes to make this option available have been implemented in the new version of CAPMI.
Nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-kB) regulates platelet activating factor (PAF) signaling in fetal ovine pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells (PVSMC)

NF-kB a family of transcription factors regulates cell growth in mammalian cells. PAF binds to its GPCR (PAFr) to phosphorylate and induce nuclear translocation of NF-kB p65 leading to PVSMC prolif...
Dynamic Updating of Cumulative Damage Models for Reliability and Maintenance Based upon Service Information

The purpose of this paper is to show that the time transformation (tt.) technique employed in B-models provides a useful method for updating the accuracy of models of cumulative damage (CD) based upon service information. An accurate model of CD can provide a useful tool (reference model) for the management (control) of a fleet of physical units subject to CD under cost and reliability constraints.
Dependence of small-scale energetics on large scales in turbulent flows

In a turbulent flow, small- and large-scale fluid motions are coupled. In this work, we investigate the small-scale response to large-scale fluctuations in turbulent flows and discuss the implications on large eddy simulation (LES) wall modelling. The interscale interaction in wall-bounded flows was previously parameterized in the predictive inner–outer (PIO) model, where the amplitude of the small scales responds linearly to the large-scale fluctuations. While this assumed linearity is valid in the viscous sublayer, it is an insufficient approximation of the true interscale interaction in wall-normal distances within the buffer layer and above. Within these regions, a piecewise linear response function (piecewise with respect to large-scale fluctuations being positive or negative) appears to be more appropriate. In addition to proposing a new response function, we relate the amplitude modulation process to the Townsend attached eddy hypothesis. This connection allows us to make theoretical predictions on the model parameters within the PIO model. We use these parameters to apply the PIO model to wall-modelled LES. Further, we present empirical evidence of amplitude modulation in isotropic turbulence. The evidence suggests that the existence of nonlinear interscale interactions in the form of amplitude modulation does not rely on the presence of a non-penetrating boundary, but on the presence of a range of viscosity-dominated scales and a range of inertial-dominated scales.
The evolution of alliance portfolio orientation: a niche theory perspective

Managers often use their alliance portfolios to learn. Learning generally involves balancing exploration and exploitation. However, within the alliance portfolio context, literature suggests that balancing exploration and exploitation alliances is problematic, and a focus in either exploration or exploitation alliances is more beneficial for learning. However, it is not clear which conditions favour one approach over the other, and how these conditions may change over time. Drawing from niche theory, I offer an evolutionary approach which suggests that, with respect to a focus on exploration or exploitation alliances, the correct choice depends on the environment. I propose two types of alliance portfolio orientations - generalist, where the firm develops general-alliance capabilities and engages in exploration and specialist, where the firm develops domain-specific capabilities and engages in exploitation. I compare the two orientations' strategic implications and theorise how and why an alliance portfolio orientation evolves over time.
Maternal Emotional and Physiological Reactivity: Implications for Parenting and the Parenting–Adolescent Relationship

Parent physiology and emotion may play an important role in parenting and parent-child relationship quality, yet little research has examined these associations in parents of adolescents. This study employed a naturalistic laboratory-based approach to observe maternal reactivity (mothers' cardiovascular and negative emotional responses) during a parent-adolescent interaction task (PAIT) and associations with parenting behavior and parent-adolescent relationship quality. We also examined possible indirect effect of maternal reactivity on parent-adolescent relationship quality through parenting variables. Mothers (n = 196) of 12-14 year olds completed the PAIT, a 10-minute laboratory task in which mothers and adolescents discussed a family conflict topic. Mother-rated negative emotional experience, mother heart rate (HR), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) responses to PAIT were collected. Additionally, observed maladaptive and positive parenting during PAIT and reported parent adolescent relationship quality were collected. We found that mothers' heightened negative emotional experience in PAIT was associated with heightened observed and reported maladaptive parenting and lower parent-adolescent relationship quality (p<.001). Additionally, blunted HR reactivity was related to higher positive parenting in PAIT(p<.05). Lastly, we found an indirect effect of HR on parent adolescent relationship through positive parenting and an indirect effect of maternal negative emotional experience on parent-adolescent relationship quality through maladaptive and positive parenting. In sum, high emotional reactivity and blunted HR predicted poorer parenting, and directly and indirectly affected parent-adolescent relationship quality. Parent reactivity may be important to consider in interventions.
Abstract MP07: The Association of Optimism, Chronic Kidney Disease and Rapid Kidney Function Decline Among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study

Background: The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and incidence of end-stage renal disease are greater among African Americans than other racial and ethnic groups. A number of studies have att...
Differences in Swan-Ganz Hemodynamics from Catheterization Lab Insertion to the Cardiac Care Unit: A Prospective Study

Purpose Invasive hemodynamic monitoring with Swan-Ganz catheters (SGC) provides clinical information that can help guide heart failure management and inform decisions regarding advanced heart failure therapies. However, measurements in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) can potentially be affected by anxiety, stress, and colder temperatures. To address the magnitude of this effect, we investigated the magnitude of variation in hemodynamics between the CCL and the cardiac care unit (CCU). Methods We prospectively enrolled patients who underwent SGC placement in the CCL and then were moved to the cardiac care unit (CCU) for continuous hemodynamic monitoring. Hemodynamic measurements obtained in CCL were compared to on arrival to the CCU before the initiation of additional medical interventions. Results Data was obtained from 53 patients with heart failure [58.8 ± 13 years; 17% female; LVEF 20% ± 12%] who had leave-in SGCs placed since April 2018. Compared to the CCU, patients in the CCL were found to have higher biventricular filling pressures, systemic vascular resistance (p pulmonary vascular resistance (p Conclusion Invasive hemodynamic measurements obtained from patients with heart failure in the CCL are significantly worse than those obtained hours later in the CCU environment. In patients that have unfavorable hemodynamics in the CCL, there may be utility in reassessing parameters in an inpatient setting to optimize patient management.
An IoT-based Drug Delivery System for Refractory Epilepsy

Epilepsy affects approximately 1% of the worlds population and is medically refractory in a large fraction of these patients necessitating innovative solutions for seizure control. Here, we describe a unified drug delivery system within the IoT framework which provides drug injection upon seizure detection for seizure control. An electromagnetically actuated valveless micropump, with a diaphragm composed of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), was used for drug delivery. A prototype of the solution was implemented using Simulink® and ThingSpeak™. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed system reduces power consumption considerably (10–30%) while maintaining high accuracy.
Insider Threat Detection using an Artificial Immune system Algorithm

Insider threats result from legitimate users abusing their privileges, causing tremendous damage or losses. Malicious insiders can be the main threats to an organization. This paper presents an anomaly detection system for detecting insider threat activities in an organization using an ensemble that consists of negative selection algorithms (NSA). The proposed system classifies a selected user activity into either of two classes: "normal" or "malicious." The effectiveness of our proposed detection system is evaluated using case studies from the computer emergency response team (CERT) synthetic insider threat dataset. Our results show that the proposed method is very effective in detecting insider threats.
Longitudinal Changes in the Genital Hiatus Preceding the Development of Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

We aimed to explore relationships between changes in genital hiatus (GH) and development of pelvic organ prolapse using data from the Mothers' Outcomes After Delivery (MOAD) Study, a Baltimore, Maryland, cohort study of parous women who underwent annual assessments during 2008-2018. Prolapse was defined as any vaginal segment protrusion beyond the hymen or reported prolapse surgery. For each case, 5 controls (matched on birth type and interval from first delivery to study enrollment) were selected using incidence sampling methods. We used a mixed model whose fixed effects described the initial size and slope of the GH as a function of prolapse status (case vs. control) and with nested (women within matched sets) random effects. Among 1,198 women followed for 1.0-7.3 years, 153 (13%) developed prolapse; 754 controls were matched to those women, yielding 3,664 visits for analysis. GH was 20% larger among the cases at enrollment (3.16 cm in cases vs. 2.62 cm in controls; P < 0.001), and the mean rate of increase in the size of the GH was more than 3 times greater (0.56 cm per 5-year period vs. 0.15 cm per 5-year period in controls; P < 0.001). Thus, to identify women at highest risk for developing prolapse, health-care providers could evaluate not simply the size of the GH but also changes in the GH over time.
Are future selves treated like others? Comparing determinants and levels of intrapersonal and interpersonal allocations

Abstract People often make tradeoffs between current and future benefits. Some research frameworks suggest that people treat the future self as if it were another person, subordinating future needs to current ones just as they might subordinate others' needs to their own. Although people make similar choices for future selves and others in some contexts, it remains unclear whether these behaviors are governed by the same decision policies. So, we identify and compare the unique influence of four relevant factors (need, deservingness, liking, and similarity) on monetary decisions in both the interpersonal and intrapersonal domains. Do people treat the future self and others similarly? Yes and no. Yes, because the influence of these factors on allocations is similar for both types of targets. No, because monetary allocations to the future self are consistently higher than allocations to others. Although the future self is treated like others in some ways, important differences remain that are not fully captured by this analogy.
Social Sensing in Disaster City Digital Twin: Integrated Textual–Visual–Geo Framework for Situational Awareness during Built Environment Disruptions

AbstractThis paper proposed and tested an integrated textual–visual–geo framework to enhance social sensing techniques in smart city digital twins in the context of disasters. Effective and efficie...
Recent advances in high speed diffuse optical imaging in biomedicine

Diffuse optical imaging (DOI) is a label-free, safe, inexpensive, and quantitative imaging modality that provides metabolic and molecular contrast in tissue using visible or near-infrared light. DOI modalities can image up to several centimeters deep in tissue, providing access to a wide range of human tissues and organ sites. DOI technologies have benefitted from several decades of academic research, which has provided a variety of platforms that prioritize imaging depth, resolution, field-of-view, spectral content, and other application-specific criteria. Until recently, however, acquisition and processing speeds have represented a stubborn barrier to further clinical exploration and implementation. Over the last several years, advances in high-speed data acquisition enabled by high-speed digital electronics, newly available sources and detectors, and innovative new scanning methods have led to major improvements in DOI rates. These advances are now being coupled with new data processing algorithms that utilize deep learning and other computationally efficient methods to provide rapid or real-time feedback in the clinic. Together, these improvements have the potential to help advance DOI technologies to the point where major impacts can be made in clinical care. Here, we review recent advances in acquisition and processing speed for several important DOI modalities.
Mechanistic understanding of granule growth behavior in bi-component wet granulation processes with wettability differentials

Abstract Two case studies were studied in a high shear wet granulator using a hydrophobic API and a hydrophilic excipient An increase in granule growth was observed with an increase in percentage composition of the hydrophobic API Regime map analyses and granule characterization tests were performed confirming that in addition to wettability differences, granule deformability was a dominating factor in the type of growth mechanisms exhibited. In this study, a more physics-based approach was pursued to investigate the effect of wettability differences in bi-component granule systems on critical quality attributes such as granule size distribution (GSD) and content uniformity across size fractions. Two bi-component formulations: 1) ibuprofen-USP and microcrystalline cellulose (Case-I) and; 2) APAP and microcrystalline cellulose (Case-II), were systematically selected and only their net hydrophobicity was varied as a consequence of change in percentage composition. Both case studies resulted in a similar increase in mean granule size and GSD as a function of increased net hydrophobicity; however, they exhibited key differences in terms of content uniformity across size fractions. Case-I produced content uniform granules, while Case-II produced content non-uniform granules, with the increase in percentage composition of ibuprofen and acetaminophen respectively. This difference in component distribution was studied using growth regime maps and granule image analyses. Results showed that with the change in percentage composition (or increasing the amount of the hydrophobic material), the granule growth mechanism shifted between capillary-force-dominated layering mechanism and viscous-force-dominated aggregation mechanism. It was concluded that, uniform distribution of materials observed in Case-I granules was due to strong viscous-force-dominated aggregation mechanism; whereas, non-uniform distribution of materials observed in Case-II granules was due to much weaker capillary force dominated layering mechanism. This work seeks to improve the theoretical understanding of granule growth behavior in a bi-component wet granulation systems with components of differing wettabilities or hydrophobicities.
The Role of Acculturation in the Relation Between Intimate Partner Violence and Substance Misuse Among IPV-victimized Hispanic Women in the Community.

Hispanic women in the United States are disproportionately affected by intimate partner violence (IPV). One correlate of IPV among Hispanic women with important public health implications is substa...
Leveling the Field: Gender Inequity in Academia during COVID-19

This article explores the differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the productivity of male and female academics and whether the ongoing health crisis will exacerbate further the existing gender gap in academia in both the short and long terms. We present early evidence of the pandemic's disproportionate effect on women's research productivity using online survey data supplemented by interview data with regional and international female political scientists. The interviews and survey findings reveal gender disparities in perceived research productivity and service workloads during the pandemic. The results also shed initial light on the pandemic's impact on the research productivity of academics who are parents, especially among women. © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Political Science Association.
Toxicokinetic/Toxicodynamic Interaction Studies in Rats between the Drugs of Abuse γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid and Ketamine and Treatment Strategies for Overdose

γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is widely abused alone and in combination with other club drugs such as ketamine. GHB exhibits nonlinear toxicokinetics, characterized by saturable metabolism, saturable absorption and saturable renal reabsorption mediated by monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). In this research, we characterized the effects of ketamine on GHB toxicokinetics/toxicodynamics (TK/TD) and evaluated the use of MCT inhibition and specific receptor antagonism as potential treatment strategies for GHB overdose in the presence of ketamine. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered GHB 600 mg/kg i.v. alone or with ketamine (6 mg/kg i.v. bolus plus 1 mg/kg/min i.v. infusion). Plasma and urine samples were collected and respiratory parameters (breathing frequency, tidal and minute volume) continuously monitored using whole-body plethysmography. Ketamine co-administration resulted in a significant decrease in GHB total and metabolic clearance, with renal clearance remaining unchanged. Ketamine prevented the compensatory increase in tidal volume produced by GHB, and this resulted in a significant decline in minute volume when compared to GHB alone. Sleep time and lethality were also increased after ketamine co-administration when compared to GHB. L-lactate and AR-C155858 (potent MCT inhibitor) treatment resulted in an increase in GHB renal and total clearance and improvement in respiratory depression. AR-C155858 administration also resulted in a significant decrease in GHB brain/plasma ratio. SCH50911 (GABAB receptor antagonist), but not naloxone, improved GHB-induced respiratory depression in the presence of ketamine. In conclusion, ketamine ingestion with GHB can result in significant TK/TD interactions. MCT inhibition and GABAB receptor antagonism can serve as potential treatment strategies for GHB overdose when it is co-ingested with ketamine.
Accelerating the BPMax Algorithm for RNA-RNA Interaction

RNA-RNA interactions (RRI) play an important role in various biological processes such as gene transcription, and are known to play a critical role in diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, necessitating efficient computational tools. To date, RRI programs like BPMax were developed and optimized by hand, and this is prone to human error, and costly to develop and maintain. Its high complexity (Θ(N3M3) in time and Θ(N2M2) in space) make it both essential and a challenge to parallelize it. In this paper, we present a parallelization of BPMax on a single shared memory CPU platform. From a mathematical specification of the dynamic programming algorithm, we generate highly optimized code that achieves over 100× speedup over the baseline program employing a standard "diagonal-by-diagonal" execution order. We achieve 76 GFLOPS, which is about a fifth of our platform’s peak theoretical single-precision performance for max-plus computation. The main kernel in the algorithm whose complexity is Θ(N3M3) attains 117 GFPLOS. We do this with a polyhedral code generation tool, ALPHAZ, that takes user-specified mapping directives and automatically generates optimized C code that enhances parallelism and locality. ALPHAZ allows the user to explore various schedules, memory-maps, and parallelization approaches, as well as tiling of the most dominant part of the computation.
A simple da?: Affirming responses to polar questions in Russian conversation

Abstract This article examines affirming answers to polar ( yes/no ) questions in Russian, that is, responses that confirm or agree with the propositional content of the question. Drawing on a corpus of telephone conversations and using the methodology of Conversation Analysis, I analyze question-answer sequences that are initiated by polar interrogatives whose focal action is to seek information or confirmation of a particular state of affairs. In Russian, a simple affirmation can be accomplished via either a response token ( da ‘yes’ or net ‘ no’) or a repetition of the question's focal element (“echo repeat”). The article first examines responses that simply affirm the informational content of the question. Then, I analyze three ways in which affirmative responses may resist the question: by conveying an incongruent evaluative stance, an incongruent epistemic stance, or by disattending its action implications. This article sheds light on the organization of questioning and answering in Russian conversation and advances our understanding of agreement as a social action more generally.
Effects of dialyzable leukocyte extracts (DLE) with transfer factor activity on leukocyte migration in vitro: IV. Two distinct effects of DLE on leukocyte migration can be produced by prostaglandins

Abstract Dialyzable leukocyte extracts (DLE) prepared from peripheral blood leukocytes obtained from normal human donors have several effects on the migration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). Previously, we proposed that one or more of these effects might be mediated at least in part by prostaglandins (PG). In the present study we present results which indicate that an antigen-independent enhancement of PMN migration (ELM) induced by a still unidentified component in DLE may be caused by de novo synthesis of PG. This ELM was abolished by preincubation of PMN with noncytotoxic concentrations of indomethacin, mefenamic acid, ibuprofen, or eicosatetraynoic acid, and in agreement with other studies, we found that PGEs or PGFs could enhance random PMN migration. We also found that an antigen-dependent ELM can be produced by PGA. The levels of PGA and of PGE and F in crude DLE preparations were determined by radioimmunoassay and found to be within the range of concentrations required for the in vitro effects noted. The two effects produced by PGA and PGE or F might tend to suppress or otherwise modify antigen-dependent LMI activity in vivo , especially at local inflammatory foci produced by injection of DLE when used for immunotherapy. Future studies seem warranted to determine whether PG levels should be altered in DLE for more effective immunotherapy, and to further investigate the effects of PG or related metabolites on LMI and associated aspects of cell-mediated immunity.
Solving Integer and Disjunctive Programs by Lift and Project

We extend the theoretical foundations of the branch-and-cut method using lift-and-project cuts for a broader class of disjunctive con- straints, and also present a new, substantially improved disjunctive cut generator. Employed together with an efficient commercial MIP solver, our code is a robust, general purpose method for solving mixed integer programs. We present extensive computational experience with the most difficult problems in the MIPLIB library.
A permutation genetic algorithm for variable ordering in learning Bayesian networks from data

Greedy score-based algorithms for learning the structure of Bayesian networks may produce very different models depending on the order in which variables are scored, These models often vary significantly in quality when applied to inference, Unfortunately, finding the optimal ordering of inputs entails search through the permutation space of variables, Furthermore, in real-world applications of structure learning, the gold standard network is typically unknown, In this paper, we first present a genetic algorithm (GA) that uses a well-known greedy algorithm for structure learning (K2) and approximate inference by importance sampling as primitives in searching this permutation space, We then develop a flexible fitness measure based upon inferential loss given a specification of evidence, Finally, we evaluate this GA wrapper using the well-known networks Asia and ALARM and show that it is competitive with exhaustive enumeration in finding good orderings for K2, resulting in structures with low inferential loss under importance sampling.
An Introduction to Modules

The aims of this chapter are to look at the facilities provided in Fortran provided by modules, in particular: the use of a module to aid in the consistent definition of precision throughout a program and sub-programs; the use of modules for global data; the use of modules for derived data types; the use of modules for explicit procedure interfaces; the use of modules to package procedures; a complete numerical example solving systems of linear equations using Gaussian elimination.
Cognitive training programs for childhood cancer patients and survivors: A critical review and future directions

A robust literature has developed documenting neurocognitive late effects in survivors of leukemia and central nervous system (CNS) tumors, the most frequent cancer diagnoses of childhood. Patterns of late effects include deficits in attention and concentration, working memory, processing speed, and executive function, as well as other domains. As childhood cancer survivors are living longer, ameliorating deficits both in broad and specific neurocognitive domains has been increasingly recognized as an endeavor of paramount importance. Interventions to improve cognitive functioning were first applied to the field of pediatric oncology in the 1990s, based on strategies used effectively with adults who had sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Compilation and modification of these techniques has led to the development of structured cognitive training programs, with the effectiveness and feasibility of such interventions currently an active area of research. Consequently, the purpose of this critical review is to: (1) review cognitive training programs intended to remediate or prevent neurocognitive deficits in pediatric cancer patients and survivors, (2) critically analyze training program strengths and weaknesses to inform practice, and (3) provide recommendations for future directions of clinical care and research.
Fiber optic techniques for microwaves

The recent progress in fiber optic components and technology has resulted in revived interest in applying fiber optics to microwave functions. This paper presents some of the current capabilities and limitations of fiber optics (primarily for wideband systems) as divided into four areas: sources, receivers, transmission, and signal processing (including beamforming, filtering, switching, variable delay, and microwave circuit control). Generating microwave signals on an optical carrier can be accomplished by direct or external modulation or by optical heterodyning.
Effects of Chirality on Toxicity

Chirality is a prominent feature of the living world, and also occurs in man-made chemicals, especially pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. The significance of chirality has long been recognized in relation to the biological activity of natural compounds and synthetic drugs. At a molecular level, chirality is ubiquitous in the building blocks of proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids and steroids. Thus, stereoselectivity can be expected in the interactions of chiral chemicals with biological molecules. It is not uncommon in racemic mixtures of chiral drugs or agrochemicals to have only one of its two (or more) enantiomers responsible for most or all of the desired activity. The other enantiomer(s) are all too often assumed to be inactive of little or no important activity. The last 30 years has seen a significant increase in published work highlighting the important relationship between molecular geometry and bioactivity, particularly for chiral pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. However, a sizable number of chiral drugs and agrochemicals are still available as racemates with relatively little or no information with regard to the toxicological properties of the individual enantiomers. The persistent reluctance to acknowledge the risks associated with the chirality of a chemical is no longer justified. Chiral technology has developed to a point where we are allowed several options in enantiomer resolution and preparation techniques, which in turn offer new avenues for human and environmental toxicologists to explore the stereochemical properties of these ubiquitous agents. This chapter discusses some of the toxicological complexities that could result from chirality, in the hope of highlighting the importance of enantioselective considerations in both mammalian and ecotoxicology. Keywords: chiral; chirality; enantiomers; enantioselectivity; stereoisomers; stereoselectivity; racemate; racemic mixtures
Calcium-containing crystals in alfalfa: their fate in cattle.

Abstract The fate of crystals in the parenchymatous sheaths around vascular bundles in alfalfa leaves was followed through the bovine digestive tract by scanning electron microscopy. The bundle and sheath pass from the rumen largely intact. Most crystals are released from the bundle sheath postruminally. In feces, some crystals appear partially eroded and others are intact. By energy-dispersive x-ray analysis calcium is the primary crystal cation. Intact crystals isolated from alfalfa leaves by low-temperature ashing and from bovine feces by washing and differential specific gravity were subjected to Raman microprobe analysis. Most crystals were calcium oxalate, a few were potassium oxalate, and some contained both compounds. From 20 to 33% of calcium in alfalfa is in the form of oxalate and apparently unavailable to ruminants. Carbonate is probably in partially eroded crystals from feces. Data presented account for the poorer utilization by cattle of calcium from alfalfa that that from inorganic sources.
Carbon cycling across the southern margin of Laurentia during the Late Ordovician

Abstract The Guttenberg Isotope Carbon Excursion (GICE), a positive carbon isotope excursion that occurs near the base of the Katian Stage, is thought to be a global event possibly related to Late Ordovician cooling. Documenting how much regional and global variability exists in carbon isotopic trends prior to and during the GICE is a critical aspect in understanding the implications of the excursion for interpreting changes in the global carbon cycle, paleoclimate, and chemostratigraphic correlation during the Ordovician. To investigate carbon isotopic trends along the southern margin of the Laurentian carbonate platform during the Late Ordovician, we measured bulk carbonate δ 13 C carb and δ 18 O carb as well as organic carbon δ 13 C org values from four locations in Alabama. These sections are excellent study sites because they are well exposed, contain the regionally well-correlated Deicke and Millbrig K-bentonites, and are in a region where δ 13 C trends have not been studied. Carbonate δ 13 C carb results from one section (i.e. Fort Payne) in northeastern Alabama record a 1.5‰ positive excursion above the Millbrig K-bentonite. We interpret the 1.5‰ positive excursion as a primary feature and identify it as the GICE. The characteristic GICE excursion is absent in the other study sections and we attribute this absence to the presence of unconformities (either non-depositional or erosional) in these sections. We find neither evidence for sea level control on δ 13 C trends nor conclusive evidence for δ 13 C DIC gradients along the southeast margin of Laurentia's epeiric sea. Combined with the proximity to the Iapetus Ocean, these results suggest that carbon isotopic trends in Alabama are a reliable proxy for open ocean conditions. Therefore, despite the absence of GICE excursion in all but one of our study sections, increasing δ 13 C values in Alabama prior to the GICE provides evidence for a steady 13 C enrichment of the global surficial carbon reservoir consistent with a drawdown of atmospheric CO 2 during the early Late Ordovician
Using Forecast Temporal Variability to Evaluate Model Behavior

AbstractThe statistics of model temporal variability ought to be the same as those of the filtered version of reality that the model is designed to represent. Here, simple diagnostics are introduced to quantify temporal variability on different time scales and are then applied to NCEP and CMC global ensemble forecasting systems. These diagnostics enable comparison of temporal variability in forecasts with temporal variability in the initial states from which the forecasts are produced. They also allow for an examination of how day-to-day variability in the forecast model changes as forecast integration time increases. Because the error in subsequent analyses will differ, it is shown that forecast temporal variability should lie between corresponding analysis variability and analysis variability minus 2 times the analysis error variance. This expectation is not always met and possible causes are discussed. The day-to-day variability in NCEP forecasts steadily decreases at a slow rate as forecast time incre...
Low Vitamin D Levels in Children with Fractures: a Comparative Cohort Study

Background The currently accepted ranges for “normal” serum vitamin D have recently been challenged in adults on the basis that healthy bone metabolism requires higher levels of vitamin D than previously thought.
Rotavirus in South Africa: From discovery to vaccine introduction

Rotavirus was frst detected by electron microscopy in young children with diarrhoea in South Africa in 1976, and 25 years later rotavirus vaccine was introduced into the routine childhood immunisation schedule in the country. Prof Barry Schoub played a role in both these events and in many milestones along that journey, from discovery to introduction. Several seminal fndings were identifed by Schoub et al in the early years after rotavirus identifcation in South Africa, including the antigenic relatedness of rotavirus strains, and several important epidemiological and clinical fndings. This laid the foundation for the role that South Africa has played in pioneering rotavirus research work in, and for, Africa. Early efforts at establishing a regional network for rotavirus epidemiology and surveillance studies have expanded into a continent-wide network using standardised protocols with reporting to the World Health Organization. In addition, clinical studies conducted in South Africa paved the way for the ...
Auditors' Judgment Performance under Stress: A Test of the Predicted Relationship by Three Theoretical Models

Three competing theories of stress and judgment performance, namely, working memory capacity theory (Eysenck [1979]), cue utilization theory (Easterbrook [1959]), and coping behavior theory (Folkman [1984]) were compared for their efficacy in explaining the form of stress-induced performance changes in auditors' judgment. Two studies were conducted to test the goodness of fit of the three predicted stress-judgment relationships.The first study was a five-phase field research that included the development of an Audit Mental Stress Scale and the usage of a complex audit judgment case. The results indicated that the cue utilization theory had a higher explanatory power than the other two competing theories. In accordance with this theory, auditors' judgment performance improved as stress increased from a low to moderate level with optimal performance efficiency occurring at a moderate level of stress, and thereafter a decrement in judgment performance at an excessive level of stress. In other words, there wa...
A Path Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence, Depression, and the Quality of Life Among Thai Women

Paper Presentation Objective To examine rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the effects of IPV on depression and the quality of life in Thai women. Design Cross‐sectional, correlational study. Setting A university hospital in Thailand. Sample Two hundred and eighty‐four Thai adult female patients age 18 years or older. Methods The study protocol was approved by two pertinent institutions. Trained registered nurses (RNs) collected data at different in‐patient and out‐patient OB/GYN units at a university hospital in Thailand using a structured questionnaire packet. Likert‐type scale, well‐established questionnaires were used, including the Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory (α = .90); Severity of Violence Against Women Scale (α = .91); Thai Depression Inventory (α = .88); and World Health Organization Quality of Life–BREF (α = .87). The data were collected in a private room without family presence. Results The mean age of the sample was 36 years ( SD = 9.1). Out of 284 Thai women in this study, 90% reported emotional violence, 61% physical violence, and 25% sexual violence. Using a path analysis, results showed that the model fit the data quite well (chi‐squared = 1.26, p = .261; Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = .99; Non‐Normative Fit Index [NFI] = .99; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .03). Physical violence (path coefficient = .224, p p p Conclusion/Implications for Nursing Practice Because of resulting high IPV rates, nurses in Thailand and elsewhere should conduct routine screening for IPV among Thai women who attend OB/GYN units. If IPV is identified, depression and the quality of life of the women should be assessed. Early care and treatment for IPV victims should be initiated.
Qoheleth and Theology

This article analyzes the presuppositions of those who would in effect construe the book of Ecclesiastes as a biblical failure and the author as not really sharing biblical faith. A positive exposition of Qoheleth's theology is offered along the following lines: his view on fearing God, and on the activity and work of God.
On some controversial issues in effective field approaches to the problem of the overall elastic properties

Abstract Several versions of the effective field method of finding the overall elastic properties of matrix composites are examined and compared. We focus on difficulties and uncertainties encountered by these methods, in particular in cases of anisotropic multiphase composites. It is demonstrated that the schemes are best formulated in terms of the compliance/stiffness contributions tensors: such formulation exposes roots of various inconsistencies, and clarifies relations between different versions of the method. Particular attention is paid to Maxwell’s scheme which is shown to represent yet another version of the effective field method. The discussion can be extended to physical properties other than the elastic ones.
Ice Water Path-Optical Depth Relationships for Cirrus and Deep Stratiform Ice Cloud Layers.

Abstract Particle size distribution (PSD) and particle shape information collected during Lagrangian spiral descents and balloon ascents through 13 midlatitude and 6 tropical ice clouds are analyzed to investigate the relationship between cloud optical depth in visible wavelengths (τυ) and the ice water path (IWP). Although this sample size is small, it is far larger than the number of samples used in earlier studies and has the added benefit that it contains data from the top to the bottom of cloud layers, averaging 3 km in geometrical thickness. Furthermore, the observed particle shape and habit information are used directly in the investigation, rather than assuming that the habits are one of a number of pristine types. These observations apply to midlatitude clouds in the temperature range from −65° to −20°C, with τυ between 0.5 and 7, and estimated radar reflectivities primarily in the range from −20 to 5 dBZe (at a frequency of 35 GHz), with some observations extending down to −45 dBZe. The tropical...
Structure of Human J-type Co-chaperone HscB Reveals a Tetracysteine Metal-binding Domain

Iron-sulfur proteins play indispensable roles in a broad range of biochemical processes. The biogenesis of iron-sulfur proteins is a complex process that has become a subject of extensive research. The final step of iron-sulfur protein assembly involves transfer of an iron-sulfur cluster from a cluster-donor to a cluster-acceptor protein. This process is facilitated by a specialized chaperone system, which consists of a molecular chaperone from the Hsc70 family and a co-chaperone of the J-domain family. The 3.0 A crystal structure of a human mitochondrial J-type co-chaperone HscB revealed an L-shaped protein that resembles Escherichia coli HscB. The important difference between the two homologs is the presence of an auxiliary metal-binding domain at the N terminus of human HscB that coordinates a metal via the tetracysteine consensus motif CWXCX(9-13)FCXXCXXXQ. The domain is found in HscB homologs from animals and plants as well as in magnetotactic bacteria. The metal-binding site of the domain is structurally similar to that of rubredoxin and several zinc finger proteins containing rubredoxin-like knuckles. The normal mode analysis of HscB revealed that this L-shaped protein preferentially undergoes a scissors-like motion that correlates well with the conformational changes of human HscB observed in the crystals.
Positive Selection as a Developmental Progression Initiated by αβTCR Signals that Fix TCR Specificity prior to Lineage Commitment

Abstract During positive selection, immature thymocytes commit to either the CD4 + or CD8 + T cell lineage ("commitment") and convert from short-lived thymocytes into long-lived T cells ("rescue"). By formal precursor-progeny analysis, we now identify what is likely to be the initial positive selection step signaled by αβTCR, which we have termed "induction". During induction, RAG mRNA expression is downregulated, but lineage commitment does not occur. Rather, lineage commitment (which depends upon the MHC class specificity of the αβTCR) only occurs after downregulation of RAG expression and the consequent fixation of αβTCR specificity. We propose that positive selection can be viewed as a sequence of increasingly selective developmental steps (induction→commitment→rescue) that are signaled by αβTCR engagements of intrathymic ligands.
Characterization and dioxygen reactivity of a new series of coordinatively unsaturated thiolate-ligated manganese(II) complexes.

The synthesis, structural, and spectroscopic characterization of four new coordinatively unsaturated mononuclear thiolate-ligated manganese(II) complexes ([MnII(SMe2N4(6-Me-DPEN))](BF4) (1), [MnII(SMe2N4(6-Me-DPPN))](BPh4)·MeCN (3), [MnII(SMe2N4(2-QuinoPN))](PF6)·MeCN·Et2O (4), and [MnII(SMe2N4(6-H-DPEN)(MeOH)](BPh4) (5)) is described, along with their magnetic, redox, and reactivity properties. These complexes are structurally related to recently reported [MnII(SMe2N4(2-QuinoEN))](PF6) (2) (Coggins, M. K.; Kovacs, J. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2011, 133, 12470). Dioxygen addition to complexes 1–5 is shown to result in the formation of five new rare examples of Mn(III) dimers containing a single, unsupported oxo bridge: [MnIII(SMe2N4(6-Me-DPEN)]2-(μ-O)(BF4)2·2MeOH (6), [MnIII(SMe2N4(QuinoEN)]2-(μ-O)(PF6)2·Et2O (7), [MnIII(SMe2N4(6-Me-DPPN)]2-(μ-O)(BPh4)2 (8), [MnIII(SMe2N4(QuinoPN)]2-(μ-O)(BPh4)2 (9), and [MnIII(SMe2N4(6-H-DPEN)]2-(μ-O)(PF6)2·2MeCN (10). Labeling studies show that the oxo atom is derived from 18...
Magnetic resonance imaging of prostate cancer

Over the past 10 years, dramatic developments in hardware and software have made magnetic resonance imaging a very powerful diagnostic tool for imaging body organs. In this review, the technique as it applies to prostate imaging is discussed, and the literature is reviewed to provide an overview of the current status of prostate magnetic resonance imaging as a tool for diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer.