cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trigger Site Deactivation Surgery for Headaches is Associated with Decreased Postoperative Medication Use.

Patients with chronic headaches suffer debilitating pain, which often leads to the use of numerous medications. Trigger site deactivation surgery has emerged as an effective treatment for select headache patients. This study aims to describe the preoperative and postoperative medication use among patients undergoing trigger site deactivation. Methods One-hundred sixty patients undergoing trigger site deactivation surgery between September 2012 and November 2017 were prospectively enrolled. Information on medication use, including type, dose, and frequency of use, was collected. Follow-up surveys were sent to all patients 12 months postoperatively. Results One-hundred twenty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. At the time of screening, 96% of patients described taking prescription medication for their headache pain. The type of medication varied among patients but included preventative in 55%, abortive in 52%, rescue in 54%, and antiemetic in 18%. Thirty-one percent of patients reported using opioid medication for their headache pain. At 12 months postoperatively, 68% of patients reported decreased prescription medication use. Patients reported a 67% decrease in the number of days they took medication. Twenty-three percent stopped medications altogether. Fifty percent of patients reported that their migraine medication helped them more compared with preoperatively. Conclusions Trigger site deactivation surgery has been associated with improvements in headache symptoms. We now show that it is also associated with a significant decrease in medication use.
Epidemiology, Treatments, and Vaccine Development for Antimicrobial-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Current Strategies and Future Directions

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the world after Chlamydia trachomatis. The pathogen has developed resistance to every antibiotic currently approved for treatment, and multidrug-resistant strains have been identified globally. The current treatment recommended by the World Health Organization is ceftriaxone and azithromycin dual therapy. However, resistance to azithromycin and ceftriaxone are increasing and treatment failures have been reported. As a result, there is a critical need to develop novel strategies for mitigating the spread of antimicrobial-resistant N. gonorrhoeae through improved diagnosis and treatment of resistant infections. Strategies that are currently being pursued include developing molecular assays to predict resistance, utilizing higher doses of ceftriaxone, repurposing older antibiotics, and developing newer agents. In addition, efforts to discover a vaccine for N. gonorrhoeae have been reignited in recent years with the cross-protectivity provided by the N. meningitidis vaccine, with several new strategies and targets. Despite the significant progress that has been made, there is still much work ahead to combat antimicrobial-resistant N. gonorrhoeae globally.
Temperature and energy dependences of ion-molecule reactions: Studies inspired by Diethard Böhme.

Diethard Bohme has had a long career covering many topics in ion-molecule reactivity. In this review, we describe the work done at the Air Force Research Laboratory (and its variously named preceding organizations) that was inspired by his studies. These fall into two main areas: nucleophilic displacement (SN 2) and metal cation chemistry. In SN 2 chemistry, we revisited many of the reactions Diethard pioneered and studied them in more detail. We found nonstatistical behavior, both competition and noncompetition between multiple channels. New channels were found as hydration occurred, with more solution-like behavior occurring as only a few ligands were added. Temperature-dependent studies revealed details that were not observable at room temperature. These and other highlights will be discussed. In metal cation reactions, Diethard's use of an inductively coupled ion source allowed him to systematically study the periodic table of elements with a number of simple neutrals. We have taken the most interesting of these and studied them in greater detail. In doing so, we were able to identify curve crossing rates, in a few instances information about product states, and the importance of multiple entrance channels.
SHARP: Shielding-Aware Robust Planning for Safe and Efficient Human-Robot Interaction.

Jointly achieving safety and efficiency in human-robot interaction (HRI) settings is a challenging problem, as the robot's planning objectives may be at odds with the human's own intent and expectations. Recent approaches ensure safe robot operation in uncertain environments through a supervisory control scheme, sometimes called "shielding", which overrides the robot's nominal plan with a safety fallback strategy when a safety-critical event is imminent. These reactive "last-resort" strategies (typically in the form of aggressive emergency maneuvers) focus on preserving safety without efficiency considerations; when the nominal planner is unaware of possible safety overrides, shielding can be activated more frequently than necessary, leading to degraded performance. In this work, we propose a new shielding-based planning approach that allows the robot to plan efficiently by explicitly accounting for possible future shielding events. Leveraging recent work on Bayesian human motion prediction, the resulting robot policy proactively balances nominal performance with the risk of high-cost emergency maneuvers triggered by low-probability human behaviors. We formalize Shielding-Aware Robust Planning (SHARP) as a stochastic optimal control problem and propose a computationally efficient framework for finding tractable approximate solutions at runtime. Our method outperforms the shielding-agnostic motion planning baseline (equipped with the same human intent inference scheme) on simulated driving examples with human trajectories taken from the recently released Waymo Open Motion Dataset.
Natural Language Metaphysics

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a serious account of the semantics of natural language. Linguistics, like any other field of inquiry, lives off of puzzles. Linguists, like other seekers after understanding, usually follow the maxim: Divide and conquer! The general framework for descriptions of natural language draws upon two traditions: that of generative theory as developed in the past several decades under the leadership of Noam Chomsky and others; that of model-theoretic semantics as inspired especially by Richard Montague. The chapter is concerned with asking about such a program or theory with respect to certain phenomena and puzzles that seem to go beyond pure semantics as usually conceived. It is possible and desirable to draw a sharp line between “constructional” (or “structural”) semantics and lexical semantics. There are two parts of the enterprise of doing the semantics of natural languages where metaphysical questions rear their—ugly or beautiful?—heads: in making decisions about the general structure and content of our models and their relation to the things in our syntaxes, and at points where it seems that we have to “go inside” the meanings of particular lexical items to state compositional rules of the semantics.
Technology Forecasting Using DEA in the Presence of Infeasibility

As a predictive application of data envelopment analysis (DEA), technology forecasting using DEA (TFDEA) measures the rate of frontier shift by which the arrival of future technologies can be estimated. However, it is well known that DEA and therefore TFDEA may suffer from the issue of infeasible super-efficiency especially under the condition of variable returns to scale. This study develops an extended TFDEA model based on the modified super-efficiency model proposed in the literature, which has the benefit of yielding radial super-efficiency scores equivalent to those obtained from the original super-efficiency model when feasibility is present. The previously published application of liquid crystal displays (LCD) is revisited to illustrate the use of the new model. The results show that the proposed approach makes a reasonable forecast for formerly infeasible targets as well as a consistent forecast for feasible targets.
Banished for Life: Deportation of Juvenile Offenders as Cruel and Unusual Punishment

This Article weaves together the reasoning of two distinct lines of Supreme Court decisions to argue that: (1) deportation is a punishment under the law; and (2) the mandatory deportation of those deported due to a juvenile conviction violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Although others have argued that deportation should be construed as cruel and unusual punishment, no one has examined the practice in relationship to the emerging doctrinal framework for assessing categorical claims of cruel and unusual punishment for juveniles. Accordingly, this Article lays the groundwork for future discussion of deportation as cruel and unusual punishment in light of the Supreme Court’s evolving jurisprudence in the area.
A morphogenetic approach to the origin and basic organization of the tetrapod limb

Two complementary approaches underlie the study of evolutionary morphology—one a direct result of the Darwinian revolution, the other with roots that can be traced back to pre-Darwinian times. The former focuses on the issue of diversity and the origin of adaptation. Morphological change is depicted as a chronological progression of various combinations of adaptations and preadaptations (e.g., Bock, 1977). To define a morphological adaptation one has to focus on the relationships between form and function, i.e., on the selective pressures that fuel evolutionary change. This approach is dominated by an attempt to characterize the organism-environment interrelationship via the concept of natural selection as the driving force for morphological diversification. Conversely, the second approach, adopted in this work, seeks the structural and morphogenetic unity within diverse forms irrespective of the functional or adaptive differences between them. Essentially typological, its method goes back to the ideas of the German Naturphilosophie and French transcendental schools of morphology (Russell, 1916), and it addresses the ordered diversity of forms from the perspective of internal organization.
Stocks, Bonds, the Sharpe Ratio, and the Investment Horizon

An investigation of the empirical relationship between the Sharpe ratio and the investment horizon for portfolios of small stocks, larger stocks, and bonds shows that the Sharpe ratio first increases and then decreases for each portfolio type as the investment horizon lengthens. Furthermore, the relative Sharpe ratio rankings of the portfolios change. Contrary to general belief, bonds outperform stocks, given sufficiently long holding periods. The Sharpe ratios computed by investment advisory services, such as Morningstar Mutual Funds, must be interpreted with care because the Sharpe ratio is dependent on the investment horizon.
Reexamination of the effective fine structure constant of graphene as measured in graphite

We present a refined and improved study of the influence of screening on the effective fine structure constant of graphene, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{*}$, as measured in graphite using inelastic x-ray scattering. This followup to our previous study [J. P. Reed et al., Science 330, 805 (2010)] was carried out with two times better energy resolution, five times better momentum resolution, and an improved experimental setup with lower background. We compare our results to random-phase approximation (RPA) calculations and evaluate the relative importance of interlayer hopping, excitonic corrections, and screening from high energy excitations involving the $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ bands. We find that the static, limiting value of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{*}$ falls in the range 0.25--0.35, which is higher than our previous result of 0.14, but still below the value expected from RPA. We show the reduced value is not a consequence of interlayer hopping effects, which were ignored in our previous analysis, but of a combination of excitonic effects in the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{*}$ particle-hole continuum, and background screening from the $\ensuremath{\sigma}$-bonded electrons. We find that $\ensuremath{\sigma}$-band screening is extremely strong at distances of less than a few nanometers, and should be highly effective at screening out short-distance, Hubbard-like interactions in graphene as well as other carbon allotropes.
Lidocaine and its Analogues Inhibit IL-5-Mediated Survival and Activation of Human Eosinophils

Eosinophils and cytokines active on eosinophils, especially IL-5, are believed to be critically involved in chronic allergic diseases. IL-5 activates eosinophils and enhances their survival in vitro by delaying apoptosis. In this study, we found that lidocaine and six analogues blunt responses of eosinophils to IL-5. Lidocaine and its derivatives inhibit IL-5-mediated eosinophil survival in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 = 110 microM for 30 pg/ml IL-5). At suboptimal lidocaine concentrations, the eosinophil survival response to IL-5 shifts and more IL-5 is required to maintain survival. The inhibitory effect requires at least 24-h exposure of eosinophils to lidocaine, and the protein kinase C activator, PMA, completely reverses the inhibition. A multiparameter flow-cytometric analysis shows that lidocaine hastens the apoptosis of eosinophils normally delayed by IL-5. Lidocaine does not affect IL-5R expression or IL-5-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Lidocaine also inhibits eosinophil survival mediated by IL-3 or granulocyte-macrophage CSF, although less potently than that mediated by IL-5. Furthermore, lidocaine inhibits eosinophil superoxide production stimulated by IL-5, granulocyte-macrophage CSF, or IL-3, but not that stimulated by platelet-activating factor, immobilized IgG, or PMA. Lidocaine and its derivatives show novel immunomodulatory properties and are able to blunt eosinophil responses to cytokines in addition to their local anesthetic or antiarrhythmic properties. Thus, lidocaine and its derivatives may represent a new class of therapeutic agents to treat patients with allergic diseases.
Epidemiology of temporomandibular joint disorders and related painful conditions

Epidemiology uncovers patterns of disease distribution in human populations and seeks determinants of those patterns. With recent emphasis on chronic pain as "a disease in itself", it is informative to compare how the distribution of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJD) compares with that of related pain conditions. Over two decades of National Health Interview Surveys (1989 to 2009), the prevalence of self-reported TMJD symptoms remained stable, affecting 5% of U.S. adults. In 2009, prevalence was greater in females than males, and increased with age to midlife before decreasing in older age. While racial- and ethnic-group differences were small, there was a pronounced income gradient, with greater prevalence at lower household income. Similar distributions according to gender, age and income occurred for headache and neck pain, although not for low back pain. There was also marked overlap of TMJD with those related pain conditions, irrespective of whether they occurred above or below the shoulders. Moreover, there was significant overlap of TMJD with non-painful medical conditions. In order to understand reasons for this overlap, prospective studies of TMJD incidence are needed to discover determinants of the disease. In the community-based OPPERA prospective cohort study, TMJD incidence was measured in 2,737 adults aged 18-44 years who had no significant history of TMJD when enrolled. During three years of follow-up, 19% of people per annum developed TMD symptoms and for a quarter of symptomatic episodes, pain intensity was severe. Examiner-verified, first-onset TMJD developed at an annual rate of 3.5% per annum, although the rate was approximately doubled in study participants who, at enrollment, reported related pain conditions. Likewise, TMJD incidence was strongly associated with a checklist of 20 non-specific health conditions reported at enrollment, ranging from depression to sleep apnea. Yet, by virtue of the study design, study participants had no TMJD at enrollment, meaning that the related pain conditions and other health conditions did not "overlap" concurrently with TMJD. Instead, they represent risk factors for development of TMJD. In fact, in multivariable analysis, related pain and other health conditions were among the strongest predictors of first-onset TMD. Furthermore, their effects on risk of developing TMJD were independent of conventional risk factors for TMJD.
Fibrinolytic activity of plaques and white matter in multiple sclerosis.

Recent work has implicated plasminogen activator released from macrophages as a possible mediator of the demyelinating process in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis (MS). We have studied the capacity of white matter and plaques from MS patients to break down fibrin clots, using a histochemical technique. Fibrinolytic activity was localized exclusively to areas around blood vessels and capillaries in both patients and controls. While there was marked variation between individuals, the unaffected white matter from MS patients was, on the average, not more active than that of controls, but plaques tended to show more numerous foci of lysis, often also more intense, than adjacent white matter; there was no correlation with disease activity or age of the plaques as determined by histological criteria. The localization and degree of fibrinolysis observed were not related to the presence of lymphocytic infiltrates, gliosis, or macrophages. However, the findings do not exclude an involvement of fibrinolytic enzymes (although originating from vascular endothelium rather than macrophages) in the genesis of the MS plaque, which commonly starts around a small vein
Effects of isoflurane on the expressed Cav2.2 currents in Xenopus oocytes depend on the activation of protein kinase C δ and its phosphorylation sites in the Cav2.2α1 subunits

Abstract The effects of isoflurane on the modulation of two neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels (Cav; Cav2.1 and 2.2) by protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes βII, e or δ and their combination were examined. Cav2.1α1 or Cav2.2α1 with β1b and α2δ subunits were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and the currents (IBa) were recorded by two-electrode voltage clamp. Isoflurane (0.70 mM) decreased both Cav2.1 and 2.2 currents by 20–35% and also caused translocation of PKCδ to the membrane. Compared to the wild type (WT), isoflurane caused greater inhibition of Cav2.2 currents in the absence of stimulatory PKC sites (Thr-422, Ser-1757, Ser-2108, Ser-2132) and in the presence of inhibitory PKC site (Ser-425). In contrast, isoflurane caused less inhibition of IBa in the oocytes expressing S425A, the inhibitory site mutant, compared to WT. PKCδ by itself did not modulate Cav2.2 currents, but potentiated these currents in the presence of isoflurane. PKCe increased Cav2.2 currents either alone or in combination with isoflurane. Cav2.1 currents were not modulated by phorbol-12-myristate, 13-acetate (PMA) or acetyl-β-methylcholine (MCh), activators of PKC. Yet the presence of isoflurane caused PMA (but not MCh) to enhance Cav2.1 currents. PKCβII and PKCe isozymes activated by PMA, did not alter Cav2.1 currents. However, in the presence of isoflurane, these two isozymes together potentiated Cav2.1 currents. The variable responses of Cav2.1 currents to PKCβII and PKCe and Cav2.2 currents to PKCδ in the presence of isoflurane may be due to increased affinity or accessibility of these isozymes to their Ser/Thr PKC sites of Cavα1 subunits.
Food Allergies: Update of Pathogenesis, Diagnoses, and Management

F ood allergies have been defined in human beings. Possible reactions include type I, type III, and type IV hypersensitivities. An oral allergy syndrome has also been described. Oral allergy syndrome is a form of contact allergy affecting the oropharynx that is associated with local IgE-mediated activation of mast cells. The term food allergy describes an immune-mediated process that may include any or all of the aforementioned reactions. Nonimmunologic adverse food reactions may also occur, such as food intolerance, which is an abnormal physiologic response to an ingested food item or food additive. Also, toxic reactions may occur because of the ingestion of bacterial or fungal toxins. Food intolerances probably account for most human adverse food reactions (eg, ‘‘jitters’’ from too much caffeine) [1]. Dogs may present with cutaneous clinical signs of food allergy. These may be attributable to immunologic or nonimmunologic causes. Because it is sometimes difficult to define the true pathogenesis, the term cutaneous adverse food reactions should be used [2]. The term food allergy is used when immune-mediated disease is discussed, regardless of the type of hypersensitivity reaction.
Molecular weight estimation using sodium dodecyl sulfate--pore gradient electrophoresis.

Abstract Pore gradient electrophoresis (PGE) in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) provides a means for high resolution fractionation of multicomponent protein systems and permits estimation of molecular weights for macromolecules ranging from 10 3 to 10 6 . We have evaluated the performance of several methods used to construct calibration curves for estimation of molecular weights using SDS-PGE. A linear relationship between the logarithm of molecular weight, log ( M r ), and the logarithm of the relative mobility, log ( R l ), can be obtained for a 30-fold range of molecular weights. However, this range of linearity depends on the choice of the concentration gradient, the degree of crosslinking of the gel, and on the nature of the underlying relationship between the retardation coefficient, K R , and the molecular weight. An empirical relationship, first introduced by Lambin et al. (1976, Anal. Biochem. 74 , 567) between log ( M r ) and the logarithm of the gel concentration at the position reached by the protein, log (% T ), provides better linearity over a wider molecular weight range than does the use of log ( R l ). We have compared these relatienships by experimental analysis of 10 standard proteins and by a theoretical analysis of an idealized model system. A computer program has been developed which provides appropriate statistical estimation of the molecular weight for an unknown protein, together with its standard error and 95% confidence limits. A new method has also been developed for analysis of nonlinear calibration curves in terms of molecular weight versus distance migrated, based on a theoretically justifiable, physical-chemical model. This model implies that either the relationship between log ( M r ) and log ( R l ) or the one between log ( M r ) and log (% T ) will become nonlinear as the range of molecular weight is extended. We suggest that the use of a nonlinear least-squares curve-fitting procedure provides an optimal method for molecular weight estimation when sufficient data are available. Based on these findings, a general strategy is presented for estimation of molecular weights by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Plagioclase flotation and lunar crust formation

Anorthitic plagioclase floats in liquids parental to the lunar highlands crust. The plagioclase enrichment that is characteristic of lunar highlands rocks can be the result of plagioclase flotation. Such rocks would form a gravitationally stable upper crust on their parental magma.
Differences in the effect of metabolic inhibition on action potentials and calcium currents in endocardial and epicardial cells.

BACKGROUNDIschemia-induced electrophysiological changes are more prominent in epicardial cells than in endocardial cells. Epicardial action potentials shorten more than endocardial action potentials during ischemia. Since the L-type Ca2+ current plays an important role in the maintenance of action potential duration, we hypothesized that the Ca2+ current is affected more in epicardial cells than in endocardial cells during ischemia.METHODS AND RESULTSTo test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of metabolic inhibition, a major component of ischemia, on action potentials and the Ca2+ current in single cells isolated from the endocardial and epicardial layers of the feline left ventricle. The membrane voltage and current were measured by using the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp technique. During control periods, action potentials recorded from epicardial myocytes had lower amplitude, a prominent notch between phases 1 and 2, and shorter action potential duration compared with those recorded from endo...
Comparison of self–report and clinician ratings of depression among outpatient adolescents

To determine whether adolescents' scores on clinician-ating and self–report scales for depression were comparable, a sample of 43 adolescent outpatients completed four objective, self–report questionnaires. Their scores on these measures were compared with each other and with clinicians' scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Correlations between the self-report questionnaires ranged from .52 to .88 (P ± .001); whereas their correlations with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression ranged from .56 to .66. While supportive of the convergent validity of these measures, our findings suggest that important differences exist between alternative measures of depression, and that scores derived from different scales may not be equivalent. Depression 3:139–145 (1995). © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Many-body theory of the nuclear quadrupole coupling in the boron atom

The linked-cluster many-body perturbation theory is utilized to obtain an accurate value of the electric field gradient for the lowest $^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}$ state of atomic boron. This diagrammatic method permits us to examine the relative importance of angular-polarization and dynamic correlation effects on the electric field gradient. Also, a detailed comparison with another many-body theory of contributions classified by Hartree-Fock labels is made. The resulting quadrupole shielding factor $R=0.0989\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0099$ yields a field gradient $q=0.27957\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.00276$ a.u. Finally, we obtain from the quadrupole coupling constants the nuclear quadrupole moments of $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ and $^{11}\mathrm{B}$ as (8.543\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.104)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ and (4.099\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.047)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ b, respectively.
The steadily propagating viscoplastic crack with elastic unloading

We analyze the crack-tip near field for a crack propagating under steady-state, quasi-static, antiplane strain conditions in a viscoplastic material. The constitutive model employed is a state variable model due to Robinson, which displays kinematic hardening characteristics, and which allows for the possibility of elastic unloading. Given a continuity assumption on the state variable components across the loading/unloading boundary, we find that the crack-tip near field is completely uninfluenced by conditions in the remote field. This conclusion is in agreement with earlier analyses in which the possibility of an elastic unloading zone was not admitted.
Risk factors for acute care transfer among traumatic brain injury patients

Abstract Objective: Acute inpatient traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation has seen a jump in complexity of medical patient care over the past several years, often necessitating transfer back to an acute care facility. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between selected clinical variables and transfer from inpatient rehabilitation to an acute care facility. Design: A retrospective review of cases from 1992 to 1994. Setting: A TBI unit in a freestanding rehabilitation hospital. Patients: Twenty-two patients were identified as having received acute care transfer. This group was compared with 78 patients, admitted in the same interval, who did not require acute care transfer. The variables evaluated included recent surgery, pneumonia, fracture, intracranial blood, tracheostomy use, percutaneous feeding tube use, deep venous thrombosis, focal neurological examination, following simple commands, serum sodium level of 11,000 cells/μL, and serum hemoglobin level of Analysis: Chi-square analysis was performed on the association between acute care transfer and the noted variables. Results: History of pneumonia ( p p p Conclusion: Physiatrists caring for the TBI patient may warrant more acute observation of individuals with these parameters to prevent the problems necessitating acute care transfer.
Metabolic response to starvation. I. Relative effects of pregnancy and sex steroid administration in the rat

Increased sensitivity to a fast with rapid onset of ketosis, hypoalaninemia, and hypoglycemia is characteristic of rat and human gestation. The present study examines the role of sex steroids in the development of these metabolic changes. Subgroups of female rate received 10 microgram of estradiol (E), 10 mg of progesterone (P), or the two in combination (E + P) s.c. daily for 5 days. Control rats (C) received sesame oil alone. Different groups were starved 12, 24 and 48 hr during days 4 and 5 or treatment. Plasma substrate and insulin responses were measured and compared to results of similar studies performed on rats in late gestation. Administration of E or P along had no significant effects on measured parameters as compared to control values. However, the combined E + P regimen resulted in significantly higher ketonemia, greater hypoalaninemia, and relatively higher triglyceride concentrations than in control groups during fasting. Plasma triglyceride, free fatty acid, and ketone concentrations in the pregnant group exceeded values of both the E + P and control animals. However, plasma free fatty acids in the E + P group were significantly lower as compared to control values during starvation. These data suggest that the combined effects of estradiol and progesterone enhance ketogenesis and hypoalaninemia independent of the fetal-placental unit during starvation in pregnancy. Since the ketogenic effect was associated with a relative suppression of plasma free fatty acids, this may be indicative of a direct action of these hormones on hepatic disposition of free fatty acids and/or the biosynthetic pathways for ketone body production.
Greater Engagement in and Responsibility for Learning: What Happens When Students Cross the Threshold of Student-Faculty Partnership.

The importance of student engagement in higher education is increasingly recognised. As a result, questions have arisen regarding how best to inspire and support students in taking greater interest in and more active responsibility for their learning. Student–faculty partnerships that position students as consultants in explorations of pedagogical practice inspire and support engagement and responsibility that carry over from those partnerships into students' classroom participation. However, such partnership constitutes for many students a ‘threshold concept’. Because partnering with faculty in analyses and revisions of teaching and learning both requires and inspires students to redefine their roles, responsibilities and sense of themselves, student–faculty partnership proves troublesome, transformative, discursive, irreversible and integrative. In a case study of one partnership programme at a liberal arts institution in the Northeastern USA, we discuss how crossing the threshold constituted by student...
The Mother-Child Relationship and Other Antecedents of Academic Performance: A Causal Analysis

Observational measures of mother-child interaction, home environment, demographic variables, and maternal attitudes were used in developing two causal models for classroom and achievement test performance for 86 Mexican American children. These models were tested by path analysis. Maternal attitudes stressing independence and achievement, and years of mother's education promoted the child's intellectual performance at 3 years of age, and also contributed to a mother-child interaction style thought to promote cognitive competence. Performance on an achievement test and in the classroom during the elementary school years was also positively influenced by maternal education and early intellectual stimulation of the child. In addition, performance in the classroom was less language bound and more influenced by maternal attitudes than was achievement test performance. These results are discussed in light of previous research and the relationship between maternal child rearing and various indices of cognitive d...
An omnibus test for heteroskedasticity

Abstract Tests for heteroskedasticity in the classical linear regression framework typically require the researcher to specify the form of variance heterogeneity. This paper proposes a simulation-based test with power to detect unspecified forms of heteroskedasticity.
Propionibacterium acnes resistance to antibiotics in acne patients

The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Propionibacterium acnes in seventy-five acne patients receiving long-term antibiotic therapy demonstrated the emergence of resistant strains. The mean MIC in thirty-three patients receiving long-term tetracycline was four to five times higher than that found in control groups of acne patients not receiving antibiotic therapy and controls free of acne. The average MIC for erythromycin was more than 100 times higher in those receiving long-term antibiotic therapy. In a second group of sixty-two patients, the clinical course and number of P. acnes were correlated with the presence of "resistant strains" defined as P. acnes with a tenfold increase in MIC to tetracycline or erythromycin. Patients with resistant strains had higher counts of P. acnes and clinically were not doing as well as those with sensitive strains.
Developing a Culture of Learning around the edTPA: One University's Journey.

In this article, we discuss how an interdisciplinary faculty team at a midsized public university created supports for the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), a high-stakes performance assessment for preservice candidates being adopted by many states. We provide a general description of our work in contending with the challenge of developing a culture of learning around edTPA and share how we have constructed a program that builds an “ethos” around the goals of edTPA, its vision of ambitious, and learner-supported teaching and situates this work within the larger values and ideas of our teacher-education program. The article includes a conceptual framework for how a teacher-education program can support candidates’ success on edTPA while maintaining a focus on ambitious teaching.
A spot test for nitrates

At a dilution of 1:200.000, and in the presence of excess sulfuric acid, as little as 0.2 μg nitrate ion forms a yellow color with chroniotropic acid. Interfering colors due to nitrites and oxidizing agents are eliminated by previous treatment of the test sample with sodium sulfite, sulfuric acid, and sulfamic acid.
Separation of Ribose-5-phosphate, Ribose-1-phosphate, Deoxyribose-1-phosphate by High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Spectrophotometric Determination Using 2-Cyanoacetamide

Abstract A simple procedure for separation of ribose-5-phosphate, deoxyribose-1-phosphate and ribose-1-phosphate is based on high performance liquid chromatography using reversed phase 4 × 300 mm “μ Bondapak/NH2” column. The column is equilibrated with 0.13 M borate buffer (pH 7.5) followed by gradient elution of ribose-5-phosphate, deoxyribose-1-phosphate and ribose-1-phosphate using water, 0.05 M borate buffer containing 0.1 M MgCl2 (pH 9.6) and 0.05 M sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer containing 0.1 M MgCl2 (pH 5.0) as eluants respectively. Eluates of borate complex “μ Bondapak/NH2” column are brought to pH 9.6 by the addition of 1 N KOH and enzymatically hydrolysed with alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) to release the free pentoses. The free pentoses are mixed with a reagent solution prepared from aqueous solution of 2% cyanoacetamide and 0.6 M borate buffer (pH 9.6), and the mixture is boiled for 10 minutes and the absorbance of the product is measured at 276 nm using a spectrophotometer.
The hydrogenolysis of cyclopropane on a platinum stepped single crystal at atmospheric pressure

An apparatus was constructed to study catalytic reactions on one or more platinum single crystals in situ both at 1 atm total pressure and in high vacuum (10/sup -4/ to 10/sup -8/ torr). The main feature of the design is a novel movable bellows-cup mechanism by which the catalyst can be encased in a small volume for the high pressure experiments. Using this apparatus, the cyclopropane hydrogenolysis was investigated at 1 atm on a platinum stepped single crystal (Pt(s)-(6(111) x (100))) having a total surface area of 0.76 cm/sup 2/. Intial specific reaction rates were reproducible to about 10%, and to within a factor of 2 were identical to published values for this reaction on highly dispersed supported platinum catalysts. 5 figures, 4 tables.
Residual phase noise and transmit/receive isolation in a submillimeter-wave FMCW radar

Detection sensitivity of a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar can be limited by transmitter noise leaking into the receiver. For submillimeter-wave radars relying on high harmonic frequency-multiplication factors N>>1, phase noise typically dominates this leakage because it is amplified by 20log(N). A feed-forward phase noise cancellation circuit can suppress the effect of this leakage. Here we investigate quantitatively how effective this cancellation can be, finding that it is limited by additive residual phase noise in the harmonic generation chain. These results drive the transmit/receive isolation requirement in submillimeter-wave radars.
Energy levels of the first spectrum of curium, Cm I

The curium spectrum emitted by electrodeless lamps was observed from 2400 to 11 500 A and the wavelengths of over 13 250 lines were accurately measured. Zeeman effect and spectrum-assignment plates were photographed from 2400 to 9000 A. From data obtained on the spectrum-assignment plates, over 6800 lines were assigned to Cm i and over 4050 lines were assigned to the Cm ii spectrum. The analysis of the Cm i spectrum has produced 335 odd levels and 348 even levels that combine to classify over 5025 Cm lines. Only the energy levels are presented here. The Lande g values of most levels have been obtained from the Zeeman effect data and isotope shifts were determined for many levels. These data were useful in the assignment of levels to electronic configurations of Cm i. The ground configuration of Cm i is [Rn]5f7 6d 7s2 and the lowest level of the [Rn]5f87s2 configuration is only 1214 cm−1 above the ground level.
The Effect of Methylated Vitamin B Complex on Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and Quality of Life in Adults with Depression

Depression, the most common type of mental illness, is the second leading cause of disability and is increasing among Americans. The effect of improved nutrition, particularly with dietary supplements, on depression may provide an alternative to standard medical treatment. Some studies have shown that certain nutrients (e.g., inositol and S-adenosyl methionine) are effective at improving depressed mood, although the results are not unequivocal. The current study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of a vitamin B complex nutritional supplement (Max Stress B) for improving depressive and anxiety symptoms according to the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI and BAI) in 60 adults diagnosed with major depression or other forms of depressive disorders. Secondary outcomes included quality of life according to the SF-36. Participants were assessed at baseline and 30- and 60-day followups. Max Stress B showed significant and more continuous improvements in depressive and anxiety symptoms, compared to placebo. Additionally, Max Stress B showed significant improvement on the mental health scale of the SF-36 compared to placebo. Thus, we showed modest utility of Max Stress B to improve mood symptoms and mental health quality of life in adults with depression.
Pathogenesis of permeability barrier abnormalities in the ichthyoses: inherited disorders of lipid metabolism

Many of the ichthyoses are associated with inherited disorders of lipid metabolism. These disorders have provided unique models to dissect physiologic processes in normal epidermis and the pathophysiology of more common scaling conditions. In most of these disorders, a permeability barrier abnormality "drives" pathophysiology through stimulation of epidermal hyperplasia. Among primary abnormalities of nonpolar lipid metabolism, triglyceride accumulation in neutral lipid storage disease as a result of a lipase mutation provokes a barrier abnormality via lamellar/nonlamellar phase separation within the extracellular matrix of the stratum corneum (SC). Similar mechanisms account for the barrier abnormalities (and subsequent ichthyosis) in inherited disorders of polar lipid metabolism. For example, in recessive X-linked ichthyosis (RXLI), cholesterol sulfate (CSO(4)) accumulation also produces a permeability barrier defect through lamellar/nonlamellar phase separation. However, in RXLI, the desquamation abnormality is in part attributable to the plurifunctional roles of CSO(4) as a regulator of both epidermal differentiation and corneodesmosome degradation. Phase separation also occurs in type II Gaucher disease (GD; from accumulation of glucosylceramides as a result of to beta-glucocerebrosidase deficiency). Finally, failure to assemble both lipids and desquamatory enzymes into nascent epidermal lamellar bodies (LBs) accounts for both the permeability barrier and desquamation abnormalities in Harlequin ichthyosis (HI). The barrier abnormality provokes the clinical phenotype in these disorders not only by stimulating epidermal proliferation, but also by inducing inflammation.
Application of heavy-light methods to B meson physics

Abstract The heavy-light method is applied to the study of the B meson spectrum, the pseudoscalar decay constant fB, the mixing (B) parameter, and exclusive semileptonic B meson decays. Preliminary results are discussed for fB and the B parameter at β = 5.7 and κ = 0.165 on a 123 × 24 lattice and at β = 5.9 and κ = 0.158 on a 163 × 32 lattice.
The effect of variable diffusion coefficients and velocity on the dispersion of pollutants

Abstract The dispersion of pollutants from either an infinite line source or point source is investigated under the condition of a diffusion coefficient as a function of the position downstream. A wind velocity profile and elevated sources are also considered. Results of variable diffusion coefficients compare favorably with existing experimental findings for pollutant dispersion, and the effect of the wind velocity profile is found to be of considerable importance.
Literacy, Education, and Identity among African-Americans: The Communal Nature of Learning

The acquisition of literacy and uses of knowledge are tied to the transitions that people make and to understanding life and work in communities. They are intertwined with the community members' sense of self; history, and hopes for educational achievement. This article focuses on the dualism of literacy and education as an individual possession and communally embedded commodity within many segments of the African-American community. The discussion is based on the premise that literacy should be seen as a continuous, ever-changing activity, transformed by critical life events, translated as a result of life-span transitions, and defined and shaped by cultural and community beliefs about the price of education and the expected rewards of learning.
Three dimensional predictions of grain scale plasticity and grain boundaries using crystal plasticity finite element models

Abstract In this work, we use crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) models of 2D and 3D polycrystalline microstructures to elucidate 3D topological effects on microstructural evolution during rolling deformation. The important capabilities of our CPFE framework are that it predicts not only texture evolution but also the evolution of intra-grain and inter-grain misorientations, grain shape and grain boundary character distribution. These abilities are possible because both grain structures and grain boundary surfaces are explicitly meshed. Both the 2D and 3D models predict heterogeneous deformation within the grains and across the polycrystal. They also predict similar evolution in grain shape and texture. However, we find that the inter-granular misorientations are higher, the intra-granular misorientations are lower, and the texture evolves faster in 3D compared to 2D, differences which increase with strain level. We attribute these growing differences to the fact that in the 3D microstructure, grains are allowed to reorient both in plane and out of plane to preferred orientations, unlike in 2D. Interestingly, we also find that in the 3D model, the frequency of Σ 3 boundaries increases with rolling strain up to the largest strain studied, 1.0. The important 3D effects revealed here can help studies that use CPFE models for understanding microstructural evolution, localization, and damage.
Growth, Condition, and Size Distribution of Paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, Juveniles Reared in Ponds at Three Densities

.— A study was conducted to determine the effect of increasing density on growth and size distribution of paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, juveniles reared in ponds. Feed-trained paddlefish of mean weight (±SE) 25.8 ± 1.1 g were randomly stocked into nine 0.02-ha ponds at 12,355, 18,533, and 24,710 paddlefish/ha, three replications per treatment. The fish were fed daily in excess of what they would eat for 97 d, beginning with a floating trout diet containing 45% protein and 16% lipid and then transferring to a floating catfish diet containing 32% protein and 4.5% lipid. Survival at harvest was not significantly different (P > 0.05) among treatments and averaged 90%. Mean final weights (±SD) for the low-, middle-, and high-density treatments were 205.2 ± 54.1, 174.8 ± 53.2, and 178.6 ± 51.4 g, respectively. Best-fit distributions centered on these means were lognormal. The low-density distribution was significantly different (P 0.05). Paddlefish weight at the minimum target length of 35 cm was estimated to be 100 g by regression analysis. The probability of paddlefish reaching or exceeding 100 g was 90% for the low-density treatment. For the two higher densities, probabilities were 79 and 78%, respectively. Mean Fulton’s condition factors (FCFs) (±SD) were 250 ± 19, 242 ± 4, and 256 ± 37 for the low-, middle-, and high-density treatments, respectively. The FCF for the middle-density treatment was significantly lower than for the low- and high-density treatments (P 0.05). CV, feed conversion ratio, and relative growth were not significantly different (P > 0.05) among treatments and averaged 0.43, 1.50, and 5.45, respectively. Monoculture of paddlefish juveniles in ponds results in a hierarchic size structure when density is at least greater than 12,355 paddlefish/ha. The effect is enhanced with increasing density but becomes asymptotic as density approaches 18,533 paddlefish/ha. Feeding in excess does not ameliorate the effect.