cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Negative ξ-sectional Curvature

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce some special directions that belong to the contact subbundle of a contact metric manifold with negative sectional curvature for plane sections containing the characteristic vector field ξ or more generally when the operator h admits an eigenvalue greater than 1; these directions were introduced by the author in [1998]. We also discuss in this chapter some questions concerning Anosov and conformally Anosov flows. For simplicity we will often refer to the sectional curvature of plane sections containing the characteristic vector field ξ as ξ-sectional curvature.
Induction of Contrasuppressor Cells and Loss of Immune Privilege Produced by Corneal Nerve Ablation.

Purpose Severing of corneal nerves in preparation of corneal transplantation abolishes immune privilege of subsequent corneal transplants placed into either eye: a phenomenon termed sympathetic loss of immune privilege (SLIP). SLIP is due to the disabling of T regulatory cells (Tregs) by CD11c+ contrasuppressor (CS) cells. This study characterized the induction, function, and manipulation of CS cell activity and the effect of these cells on Tregs induced by anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID). Methods CS cells were induced using a 2.0-mm trephine to score the corneal epithelium. CD11c+ CS cells were evaluated by adoptive transfer and by their capacity to disable CD8+ ACAID Tregs in local adoptive transfer (LAT) of suppression assays. CD11c+ cells were deleted from the ocular surface by subconjunctival injection of clodronate-containing liposomes. Results CD11c+ CS cell were radiosenstive and long lived. As few as 1000 CS cells blocked the suppressive activity of previously generated CD8+ ACAID Tregs, indicating that CS cells act at the efferent arm of the immune response. Depletion of resident CD11c+ cells at the ocular surface prevented the generation of CS cells. Conclusions Corneal nerve injury that occurs during keratoplasty converts ocular surface CD11c+ cells into CS cells that block CD8+ Tregs, which are induced by introducing antigens into the anterior chamber (i.e., ACAID Tregs). Depletion of CD11c+ cells at the ocular surface prevents the generation of CS cells and may be a useful strategy for preventing SLIP and enhancing the survival of second corneal transplants.
Discharge to Inpatient Care Facility After Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Incidence, Predictors, and Postdischarge Outcomes

Background Despite a significant number of patients being discharged to inpatient care facilities after anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), the current literature remains limited regarding the predictors associated with a nonhome discharge and the impact of continued inpatient care in a facility on postdischarge outcomes. Methods The 2013–2016 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for ALIF (CPT-22558) and additional level fusions (CPT-22585). Discharge to inpatient care facilities included discharge to skilled care facilities and/or inpatient rehabilitation units. Results Independent predictors of an inpatient care facility discharge were age older than 45 years (P Conclusions With an increasing focus toward minimizing costs associated with postacute care, providers should understand the need of appropriate preoperative risk stratification and construction of care pathways aimed at a home discharge to reduce the occurrence and/or risk of experiencing postdischarge complications.
Automatic Screening to Detect ’At Risk’ Child Speech Samples using a Clinical Group Verification framework*

Pediatric speech sound disorders (SSD) encompass a wide range of speech production deficits that can interfere with children’s educational growth, social engagement and employment opportunities. Early detection of SSDs can facilitate timely intervention and minimize the potential for life-long adverse effects, but distinguishing between typical and atypical speech production in preschoolers is challenging due to developmental and individual variability in speech acquisition. In this study we apply Gaussian Mixture Models to speech samples from 3- to 6-year-old children, recorded by parents using an iOS app. Speech-language pathologists previously classified the samples as positive (’at risk’ speech, warranting a referral for a speech-language evaluation) or negative (’no risk’ speech). In a series of exploratory analyses, novel distance measures and group scoring techniques are developed which show good subject-level prediction accuracy. Our results provide evidence that it may be feasible to use Speech Processing and Speaker Verification techniques to model and screen speech samples from children for possible speech sound disorders.
Material Moments: Teacher and Student Use of Materials in Multilingual Writing Classroom Interactions

This qualitative study examines moments in the multilingual classroom when materials become prominent in whole-class interactions. Despite the critical impact that materials can have on classroom discourse and learning/teaching, research on actual usage of materials in second language (L2) classroom interactions has been scarce compared with the effort devoted to the development and assessment of L2 materials (Guerrettaz & Johnston, 2013). This study examines students? and instructors? use of materials in a multilingual writing classroom, focusing on the roles of textbooks, teacher-prepared worksheets, and a projection screen. The study illustrates the relationship between materials and miscommunication?specifically, how materials can contribute both to resolving miscommunication among students and their instructor and to creating miscommunication when students employ materials differently than intended by the instructor. This study employs the concepts of adaptation, improvisation, and attractor states from complexity theory (e.g., Larsen?Freeman, 2017) to analyze L2 classroom interactions. A sequential, multimodal analysis demonstrates that students and their instructor seem to be aware of materials as interactional resources and actively coordinate them with speech and nonverbal, embodied resources for meaning making. The findings improve our understanding of how L2 teachers and students can attend to materials and adapt such interactional resources for their own purposes.
Per Capita GDP, Health Expenditures, and the Income Elasticity of Demand for Health Care in Developing Nations

Using Word Bank’s World Development Indicators data for 130 developing countries and linear and logarithm regression models, this study tests the functional relationship between Per Capita GDP and Per Capita Health Expenditures. Results suggest that health care is neither a luxury nor a necessity for this entire set of countries. However, for nations with an annual per capita GDP less than 2,500 PPP constant 2000 US$, and for countries with GDP per capita over 7,000 PPP constant 2000 US$, medical care is a necessity. Health care is a luxury in developing nations with annual GDP per capita between 2,501 and 7,000 PPP constant 2000 US$.
Diet quality trends among adults with diabetes by socioeconomic status in the U.S.: 1999–2014

The diet quality of adults living in the United States has improved overtime. We aim to determine whether diet quality among adults with diabetes mellitus has changed over time, and to examine trends in socioeconomic disparities in diet quality. Repeated cross-sectional analysis of eight National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles (1999–2000 through 2013–2014). We included 5882 adult participants (age 20 or older) with diabetes mellitus (type 1 or 2) who completed 24-h dietary recalls. Diet quality was measured by the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI) score (range 0–100, higher scores indicate better diet quality). We tested whether there were differences in diet quality across education, income, and food security categories, and whether any differences changed over time, using weighted linear regression models accounting for the complex survey design and adjusted for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Twenty nine percent of US adults with diabetes had less than a high school diploma, 17% had income < 100% of federal poverty level, and 15% reported food insecurity. Average adjusted HEI score increased from 49.4 to 52.4 over the study period (p for trend = 0.003). We observed differences in HEI between high and low education (4.1, 95% CI 3.0–5.3), high and low income (3.7, 95%CI 2.4–5.0) and food secure relative to food insecure (2.1, 95% CI 0.8–3.3). These differences did not improve over time for education (p = 0.56), income (p = 0.65) or food security (p = 0.39) categories. Diet quality for adults with diabetes in the U.S. has improved overall; however, substantial disparities exist and have not improved. A concerted effort to improve diet quality in vulnerable groups may be needed.
EFFECTS OF ACUTE CHOLINE ADMINISTRATION ON PHARMACOLOGICALLY INDUCED ALTERATIONS IN CENTRAL CHOLINERGIC NEURONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a study to analyze the effects of acute choline administration on pharmacologically induced alterations in central cholinergic neurons. To investigate the role of exogenous choline in affecting central cholinergic mechanisms, the study investigated the interactions between acute choline administration and pharmacological agents on both the concentration of acetylcholine (ACh) and on the sodium-dependent high affinity choline uptake system in rat brain. The dopamine receptor blocking agent fluphenazine (Flu) decreased the concentration of ACh in the striatum from 77.8 to 67.8 nmoles/g, 45 min following the administration of 0.5 mg/kg. Pretreatment with choline 45 minutes prior to flu significantly prevented the flu-induced depletion, and the level of ACh following choline and flu was 73.5 nmoles/g. Flu alone increased choline uptake in the striatum from 73.9 to 88.4 pmoles/min/mg protein and choline pretreatment potentiated the flu effect on uptake to 96.9 pmoles/min/mg protein. The cholinomimetic oxotremorine increased the level of ACh in both the striatum and hippocampus 30 minutes after injection to 114% of controls and significantly decreased high affinity choline uptake in the hippocampus from 32.7 to 24.9 pmoles/min/mg protein.
The Use of Pitch Prediction in Speech Coding

Two major types of correlations are present in a speech signal. These are known as near-sample redundancies and distant-sample redundancies. Near-sample redundancies are those which are present among speech samples that are close together. Distant-sample redundancies are due to the inherent periodicity of voiced speech. Predictive speech coders make use of these correlations in the speech signal to enhance coding efficiency. In predictive speech coders, the cascade of two nonrecursive prediction error filters process the original speech signal. The formant filter removes near-sample redundancies. The pitch filter acts on distant-sample waveform similarities. The result is a residual signal with little sample to sample correlations. The parameters that are quantized and coded for transmission include the filter coefficients and the residual signal. From the coded parameters, the receiver decodes the speech by passing the quantized residual through a pitch synthesis filter and a formant synthesis filter. The filtering steps at the receiver can be viewed in the frequency domain as first inserting the fine pitch structure and then, shaping the spectral envelope to insert the formant structure. The formant and pitch filters are adaptive in that the analysis to determine the coefficients is carried out frame by frame. Also, the bits representing the quantized parameters are transmitted on a frame by frame basis. The bit rate of the coder is the total number of bits transmitted in one frame divided by the time duration of the analysis frame.
Understanding the Impact of Individual Users’ Rating Characteristics on the Predictive Accuracy of Recommender Systems

In this study, we investigate how individual users’ rating characteristics affect the user-level performance of recommendation algorithms. We measure users’ rating characteristics from three perspe...
Structural and magnetic properties of Co-V nanoparticles

We have investigated the structural and magnetic properties of Co1-xVx nanoparticles (NPs) with composition x = 0.25 (stoichiometric) and 0.29 (under-stoichiometric) prepared by the cluster-beam deposition (CBD) technique. Our data shows that the as-made Co1-xVx NPs are a mixture of the high-temperature phase (HTP) and the low-temperature phase (LTP) of Co3V and the particles are superparamagnetic at room temperature (RT) with blocking temperatures (TB) of 90 and 137 K for x = 0.25 and 0.29, respectively. This behavior contrasts with the bulk which are paramagnetic down to 4.2 K. When the Co75V25 NPs are annealed at 573 K, they undergo a phase separation into a mixture of phases and become ferromagnetic at room temperature with Curie temperature (Tc) of 515 K.We have investigated the structural and magnetic properties of Co1-xVx nanoparticles (NPs) with composition x = 0.25 (stoichiometric) and 0.29 (under-stoichiometric) prepared by the cluster-beam deposition (CBD) technique. Our data shows that the as-made Co1-xVx NPs are a mixture of the high-temperature phase (HTP) and the low-temperature phase (LTP) of Co3V and the particles are superparamagnetic at room temperature (RT) with blocking temperatures (TB) of 90 and 137 K for x = 0.25 and 0.29, respectively. This behavior contrasts with the bulk which are paramagnetic down to 4.2 K. When the Co75V25 NPs are annealed at 573 K, they undergo a phase separation into a mixture of phases and become ferromagnetic at room temperature with Curie temperature (Tc) of 515 K.
Controlling preferential growth of chromium - Nitrogen R-HiPIMS and R-DCMS films by substrate magnetic biasing

Abstract The effect of magnetic biasing on the structure of Cr-N coatings deposited on silicon substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering has been investigated. The magnetic biasing setup consisted of a permanent magnet placed close to the substrate holder to modify the plasma species dynamics and deposition flux. Three magnetic field configurations for reactive direct current magnetron sputtering (R-DCMS) and reactive High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (R-HiPIMS) were compared. Deposition parameters such as deposition time, gun power, substrate distance, temperature, gas pressure, and gas composition were constant through the six R-DCMS/HiPIMS-magnetic-field combinations. Processes were monitored through optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and closely compared to the voltage and current curves at the target/substrate. An excitation mechanism was proposed accounting for the enhanced ionization detected by OES and the implications in the film’s growth. The films’ stoichiometry, structure, thickness, morphology, and crystal texture were characterized and associated with the process parameters. The R-DCMS processes led to Cr-N solid solution films, while the enhanced reactivity of R-HiPIMS plasma species increased the N content and formed CrN. Overall, the R-DCMS deposited samples were thicker than the R-HiPIMS deposited samples, but the different magnetic field biasing setups allowed for specific control of films’ thickness, texture, and microstructure.
Developmental potency of gametic and embryonic genomes revealed by nuclear transfer.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on reproducible and easily performed nuclear transfer techniques that explore the role of the major components of fertilized eggs in mouse embryonic development. The essential contribution of both the male and female genome to mammalian development was shown using the nuclear transfer method and genetic analysis. Nuclear transfer allowed the dissection of the role of the functionally unique components of zygote, and also made possible the analysis of the ability of the blastomere nuclei to support normal development after transfer into the zygote. Paternal and maternal genomes are functionally different and complementary; thus, the presence of both is required for complete development. It is likely that functional differences exist for only small numbers of specific genes, while most of the male and female genome is comparable. These somewhat unexpected results further emphasize the need for identification and characterization of genes, which regulate early mammalian development.
Intelligence for an Age of Terror

1. Introduction 2. The changed target 3. The Cold War legacy 4. The imperative of change 5. The agenda ahead 6. The special challenge of analysis 7. Many customers, too many secrets 8. Covert action: forward to the past? 9. Rebuilding the social contract.
Democratic Reason: Why the Many are Smarter than the Few and Why it Matters

This paper presents an argument for democracy based on the idea of collective intelligence (connecting numbers and a key ingredient of the phenomenon of collective intelligence, i.e., cognitive diversity). It also suggests different ways, positive and normative, in which this argument should matter for political scientists (particularly democratic theorists and public opinion researchers).
Assuring quality of care for children with special needs in managed care organizations: Roles for pediatricians

Increasing numbers of children with special health care needs are enrolling in managed care programs. Although managed care may improve service coordination and use of primary care, it may also threaten health outcomes for these children by potentially decreasing access to the range of needed services, eroding progress in developing community-based service systems, and failing to assure quality of care. To date, few frameworks have been proposed to assess quality of care for this population of children in managed care organizations. In this article, we adapt the Institute of Medicine's definition of quality and identify six key components: content of service delivery systems, the nature of desired health outcomes, risks associated with service delivery, constraints of care, interpersonal dimensions, and attention to developmental issues. These components can be assessed at three levels: the individual, the health plan, and the community. Pediatricians and other child health professionals have critical roles to play in assuring that policies and practices within managed care organizations promote a high quality of care for this vulnerable population of children.
The Physical Aspect of a College Education

(1932). The Physical Aspect of a College Education. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 3, No. 8, pp. 3-62.
Coronal Magnetic Fields - a Mini Survey

Some recent progress in understanding the nature of the evolution of the global coronal magnetic field is reviewed. Particularly, the efforts of Hoeksema (1984) in defining the character of the evolving modes of the potential coronal field are compared with the currently-known evidence for evolution of coronal white light structures. Recent work in examining the soft x-ray intensity of coronal holes over a major portion of the solar cycle is noted, as are two new studies investigating the relation of coronal mass ejections to the ambient global coronal magnetic field.
Fully Sequential and Distributed Dynamic Algorithms for Minimum Spanning Trees

In this paper, we present a fully-dynamic distributed algorithm for maintaining a minimum spanning tree on general graphs with positive real edge weights. The goal of a dynamic MST algorithm is to update efficiently the minimum spanning tree after dynamic changes like edge weight changes, rather than having to recompute it from scatch each time. The first part of the paper surveys various algorithms available today both in sequential and distributed environments to solve static MST problem. We also present some of the efficient sequential algorithms for computing dynamic MST like the Frederickson’s algorithm and Eppstein’s sparsification technique. Lastly we present our new sequential and distributed algorithms for dynamic MST problem. To our knowledge, this is the first of the distributed algorithms for computing dynamic MSTs.
Contrasting effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia on ventilation and sympathetic activity in humans

We compared the effects of isocapnic hypoxia (IHO) and hyperoxic hypercapnia (HC) on sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) recorded from a peroneal nerve in 13 normal subjects. HC caused greater increases in blood pressure (BP), minute ventilation (VE), and SNA [53 +/- 14% (SE) during HC vs. 21 +/- 7% during IHO; P less than 0.05]. Even at equivalent levels of VE, HC still elicited greater SNA than IHO. However, apnea during HC caused a lesser (P less than 0.05) increase in SNA (91 +/- 26% compared with apnea on room air) than apnea during IHO (173 +/- 50%). Hypercapnic hypoxia resulted in a greater absolute increase in VE (23.6 +/- 2.8 l/min) than the additive increases due to HC alone plus IHO alone (18.0 +/- 1.8 l/min, P less than 0.05). SNA also increased synergistically by 108 +/- 23% with the combined stimulus compared with the additive effect of HC alone plus IHO alone (68 +/- 19%; P less than 0.05). We conclude that 1) HC causes greater increases in VE and SNA than does hypoxia; 2) for the same increase in VE, hypercapnia still causes a greater increase in SNA than hypoxia; however, during apnea, hypoxia causes a much greater increase in SNA than hypercapnia; 3) the inhibitory influence of ventilation on SNA is greater during hypoxia (i.e., predominantly peripheral chemoreceptor stimulation) than hypercapnia (i.e., predominantly central chemoreceptor stimulation); and 4) combined hypoxia and hypercapnia have a synergistic effect on SNA as well as on VE.
Aging and the effects of emotion on cognition: implications for psychological interventions for depression and anxiety

We review findings from laboratory research on age differences in the effects of emotion on cognition. Particular attention is given to sadness leading to mood congruent memory and to anxiety leading to selective attention bias to threat. While older adults in normal moods show the positivity effect as expected from socio-emotional selectivity theory, older adults whose mood has changed from baseline to sad or anxious show these mood-related cognitive biases. These mood-related biases are a foundational part of the theory underlying cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and so these laboratory findings suggest ways that CBT may work differently with older adults. Pilot work suggests that the presence or absence of these effects may also predict responsiveness to treatment using CBT.
Learning-disabled adolescents recoding skills following repeated communication failure

Communication effectiveness of 15 learning-disabled and 15 control adolescent boys was compared, employing a referential task entailing repeated communication failure. The task required one to four verbal descriptions of eight abstract drawings to a pseudoconfederate listener. Transcribed descriptions were presented to two groups of 10 judges for matching to the proper drawing. One group of judges was provided with each description as an independent item while the second group was presented descriptions as part of a sequential set. Both subject groups achieved higher effectiveness when the judges received the descriptions as ordered sets. The learning-disabled boys provided less effective messages than their nondisabled peers. Egocentricity in the learning-disabled adolescents' descriptions was identified.
The Supreme Court, the commerce clause, and natural resources

The Supreme Court's interpretation of the commerce clause controls the balance of power between state and federal governments in the United States. An understanding of the relationship between the different government levels is essential for resource managers concerned with resource and environmental issues. This study examines selected Supreme Court decisions between 1976 and 1988 to answer three questions raised by the commerce clause: (1) Is the regulated item an article of commerce? (2) Do state laws burden interstate commerce? (3) Is federal commerce regulation limited? The balance of power among the justices and the commerce clause theories affecting the federal role in resource management are also examined. Since ratification of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has continuously increased federal power, but states have power to act independently as long as contradictory federal laws do not exist and state law does not impermissively affect commerce. If Congress regulates an individual's use of resources, their power is unquestioned. Future Court decisions will not significantly reduce the federal role in resource management even if the Court's membership changes. Even the supporters of states' rights on the Court realize increased federal power is a necessary part of the country's evolution. The purpose of the commerce clause is to create a national economic unit with free location principles. The Court supports this purpose today and will in the future.
Device ensembles [ubiquitous computing]

The ubiquity of wireless local and personal area networks, an expanding array of intelligent handheld devices, and an increasingly mobile lifestyle are enabling new forms of ensemble computing. Looking across four system layers - link, network, data, and application - the authors survey the technologies, standards, and leading-edge research making device ensembles a reality.
An experimental analysis of decision channeling by restrictive information display

This study focuses on the effect of restrictive information display on decision performance. Specifically the study examines whether two-channeled and one non-channeled computerized information display systems result in significant differences in decision accuracy. The two-channeled information display systems are designed to encourage two general information processing patterns commonly observed in the experimental literature examining multi-alternative, multi-attribute choice decisions: information processing by alternative and information processing by attribute. An information display program was developed which used restrictive information display to operationalize the channeled versus non-channeled manipulation. Channeling was implemented either by displaying information only by alternative or by displaying information only by attribute. The task was an operations scheduling problem that subjects completed under three levels of time pressure. The results indicate statistically significant effects on decision accuracy for both the type of information display and time pressure manipulations. The highest decision accuracy was observed when information was displayed by alternative and when subjects were under highest levels of time pressure. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biocolonialism and the commodification of knowledge

(1998). Biocolonialism and the commodification of knowledge. Science as Culture: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 33-67.
DEPENDENCE OF DIFFUSION-INDUCED GRAIN BOUNDARY MIGRATION ON GRAIN BOUNDARY STRUCTURE

Analyse par microscopie electronique en transmission du comportement des joints de grains au cours de la diffusion du zinc dans le cuivre. La vitesse de migration est minimale lorsque les deux grains sont en position de coincidence. Lors de la migration, le joint emet des dislocations et laisse une sursaturation significative en lacunes. Ces resultats soulignent l'importance des defauts presents dans le joint sur la migration
Relative development of the hallux and pedal digit formulae in Cercopithecidae

Abstract This study demonstrates that there is great diversity in the foot of Old World monkeys which has implications for our understanding of quadrupedalism. By examining a large array of cercopithecid species and individuals, it is demonstrated that, contra previous workers, there is no difference between colobines and cercopithecines in the length of the hallux for species of comparable body size. As a consequence, the role of the hallux in quadrupedal behaviors should be of equal importance for species of both subfamilies. Furthermore, this work supports the conclusions of earlier workers that substrate use has an effect on the length of the hallux. The hallux is reduced in terrestrial forms relative to most arboreal cercopithecids, and enlarged in larger-bodied arboreal forms. The subfamily Colobinae is characterized by the paraxonic condition of the pedal digits with an especially short second digit. Most cercopithecines are characterized by the mesaxonic condition. In colobines, paraxony is combined with a reduced second digit and an unreduced hallux to produce a span that should allow colobines to grasp large diameter branches. The non-hallucial metatarsals in terrestrial cercopithecines are modified so that the metatarsal heads are similar in their distal projection. Thus, forces are distributed equally across the metatarsal heads.
Nutritionally related strategies for organic goat production

Abstract Organic goat production contributes to the alleviation of poverty of producers who rely on marginal land for their livelihoods, while meeting the increasing demand for organic products globally. Nutritional strategies that are naturally occurring, low cost and easy to apply can improve the productive performance of goats and render organic production profitable and successful. Adequate protein intake enhances immunity and improves both resistance and resilience of the host to endoparasites and diseases. Organic goat production relies on high forage systems, therefore, understanding plant biomass accumulation, eating behavior, seasonal fluctuation in nutrient supply, and environmental interaction can lead to a more sustainable organic production while maintaining diverse plant landscapes. Legumes are desirable for organic goat production because they contain high protein and are suitable for browsing. Secondary plant compounds at a concentration below level of toxicity can be leveraged for disease prevention, control and treatment, and fill the vacuum of chemotherapy in organic goat production. In combination with other naturally occurring materials, they have the potential to improve nutrient digestion and utilization in goats. Goats are versatile in harvesting plant materials and able to survive under adverse foraging conditions. Tolerance of goats toward the bitterness of secondary plant compounds can play an anthelmintic role and make goats more suitable for high-forage organic production systems than other ruminant species. Rapid fetal growth associated with the physical fill of forage limits feed intake during late pregnancy and therefore presents a challenge for nutritional balance in goats under high-forage organic production systems. Understanding regulation of feed intake and fiber digestion and utilization can lead to nutritional balance minimizing metabolic disorders associated with pregnancy, parturition and lactation. The use of bioactive plants, traditional herbal or ethnoveterinary medicine may present economical and sustainable alternative if greater understanding of the mechanism, interaction with other nutrients, and level of toxicity can be achieved. Chinese herbal medicine, many of them with antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic properties merit further studies and verifications and can be promising in organic goat production.
The determinants of home healthcare robots adoption: an empirical investigation.

Abstract Background Home healthcare robots promise to make clinical information available at the right place and time, thereby reducing error and increasing safety and quality. However, it has been frequently reported that more than 40% of previous information technology (IT) developments have failed or been abandoned due to the lack of understanding of the sociotechnical aspects of IT. Objective Previous home healthcare robots research has focused on technology development and clinical applications. There has been little discussion of associated social, technical and managerial issues that are arguably of equal importance for robot success. To fill this knowledge gap, this research aims to understand the determinants of home healthcare robots adoption from these aspects by applying technology acceptance theories. Methods We employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. The participants were recruited from home healthcare agencies located in the U.S. ( n =108), which included both patients and healthcare professionals. We collected data via a survey study to test a research model. Results The usage intention of home healthcare robots is a function of social influence, performance expectancy, trust, privacy concerns, ethical concerns and facilitating conditions. Among them, social influence is the strongest predictor. Monitoring vital signs and facilitating communication with family and medication reminders are the most preferable tasks and applications for robots. Conclusion Sociotechnical factors play a powerful role in explaining the adoption intention for home healthcare robots. The findings provide insights on how home healthcare service providers and robot designers may improve the success of robot technologies.
Role of the conserved aspartate and phenylalanine residues in prokaryotic and mitochondrial elongation factor Ts in guanine nucleotide exchange

The guanine nucleotide exchange reaction catalyzed by elongation factor Ts is proposed to arise from the intrusion of the side chains of D80 and F81 near the Mg2+ binding site in EF-Tu. D80A and F81A mutants of E. coli EF-Ts were 2–3-fold less active in promoting GDP exchange with E. coli EF-Tu while the D80AF81A mutant was nearly 10-fold less active. The D84 and F85 mutants of EF-Tsmt were 5–10-fold less active in stimulating the activity of EF-Tumt. The double mutation completely abolished the activity of EF-Tsmt.
Statistical approaches to pharmacodynamic modeling: motivations, methods, and misperceptions.

We have attempted to outline the fundamental statistical aspects of pharmacodynamic modeling. Unexpected yet substantial variability in effect in a group of similarly treated patients is the key motivation for pharmacodynamic investigations. Pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic factors may influence this variability. Residual variability in effect that persists after accounting for drug exposure indicates that further statistical modeling with pharmacodynamic factors is warranted. Factors that significantly predict interpatient variability in effect may then be employed to individualize the drug dose.
Ontogeny of kainate-induced gene expression in rat hippocampus.

: The ontogeny of kainate induction of AP-1 mRNAs, proteins, and DNA binding activities was examined in the rat hippocampus. In addition, kainate induction of preproenkephalin and preprodynorphin mRNAs was examined; these genes have been shown to be induced by kainate and have been suggested to be targets of AP-1 regulation in adult rat hippocampus. Despite producing seizures at postnatal day (P) 7, kainate failed to induce AP-1 or opiate gene expression and did not increase AP-1 DNA binding activity at this age. Basal levels of AP-1 and opiate mRNAs were low in P7 hippocampus. Basal levels of c-jun protein and AP-1 DNA binding activity were elevated in the P7 hippocampus, to values greater than induced levels in adult hippocampus. Furthermore, AP-1 DNA binding in P7 hippocampal nuclear extract was unaffected by antibodies against fos-related antigens, in contrast to hippocampal extracts from the older rats examined. At P14, induction of AP-1 and preproenkephalin (but not preprodynorphin) mRNAs was observed with kainate treatment, but the time course for inductions was delayed relative to kainate inductions in the adult hippocampus. At P21, responses to kainate were similar to the adult response. Unlike in adult hippocampus, seizure activity caused by kainate treatment does not increase the transcription factor and opioid peptide gene expression in the hippocampi of P7 rats.
Sierra Leone: The State that Came Back from the Dead

Understanding the linkage between state failure and terrorist‐free reconstruction has become a vitally urgent task. Although Sierra Leone is not out of danger, policy lessons can be learned from its unlikely transition from anarchy to tentative reconstruction.
Comparison of Duty Cycle Generator Algorithms for SPICE Simulation of SMPS

The paper presents and discusses an algorithm for average modeling of the PWM modulator in switch-mode power systems by general purpose electronic circuit simulators such as PSPICE. A comparison with previous theoretical models is conducted. To test the accuracy of the average PWM models comparison to cycle-by-cycle simulation was conducted. The proposed algorithm shows better accuracy than earlier counterparts.
News from the NIH: improving health and reducing premature mortality in people with serious mental illnesses.

Multiple institutes have joined NIMH in promoting research to support health and reduce premature mortality in people with SMI. Recent trans-NIH meetings, funding opportunity announcements, and resource development are stimulating this research field, which have the potential to significantly improve overall health and longevity of people with SMI.
Product Platform Design and Optimization: Status and Promise

In an effort to improve customization for today’s highly competitive global marketplace, many companies are utilizing product families to increase variety, shorten lead-times, and reduce costs. The key to a successful product family is the product platform from which it is derived either by adding, removing, or substituting one or more modules to the platform or by scaling the platform in one or more dimensions to target specific market niches. This nascent field of engineering design research has matured rapidly in the past decade, and this paper provides an extensive review of the research activity that has occurred during that time to facilitate product platform design and optimization. Techniques for identifying platform leveraging strategies within a product family are reviewed along with optimization-based approaches to help automate the design of a product platform and its corresponding family of products. Examples from both industry and academia are presented throughout the paper to highlight the benefits of platform-based product development, and the paper concludes with a discussion of promising research directions to help bridge the gap between planning and managing families of products and designing and manufacturing them.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
HoMuLV: A novel pathogenic ecotropic virus isolated from the European mouse, Mus hortulanus

Abstract We isolated a novel infectious murine leukemia virus (HoMuLV) from the wild mouse Mus hortulanus. HoMuLV has an ecotropic virus host range, but the viral DNA fails to hybridize to viral envelope segments specific for the known inbred and wild mouse ecotropic as well as nonecotropic MuLVs. Despite this difference in its env gene, HoMuLV appears to use the same ecotropic cell-surface receptor since it infects only hamster and mouse somatic cell hybrids which contain the Rec-1 ecotropic virus receptor on chromosome 5. Furthermore, HoMuLV does not infect mice carrying the Fv-4 r allele which is thought to prevent ecotropic virus infection through an interference mechanism. HoMuLV is NB-tropic and, unlike other infectious MuLVs, does not grow in cells derived from the wild mouse species. M. dunni. Five to ten months after neonatal inoculation with HoMuLV, 72% of female NIH Swiss mice (8/11) contracted lymphoma or erythroid leukemia, but 33% of the inoculated males (5/15) developed erythroid or myelogenous leukemia within 8–16 months. These data suggest that NIH Swiss males and females differ in their susceptibility to HoMuLV-induced disease. Furthermore, NIH Swiss mice were found to be more susceptible to HoMuLV-induced disease than NFS/N mice. Tumors contained infectious MCF virus, which is consistent with the hypothesis that MCF virus may mediate tumorigenesis by HoMuLV.
Regulation of P21cip1 Expression by Growth Factors and the Extracellular Matrix Reveals a Role for Transient ERK Activity in G1 Phase

We have examined the regulation of p21cip1 by soluble mitogens and cell anchorage as well as the relationship between the expression of p21cip1 and activation of the ERK subfamily of MAP kinases. We find that p21cip1 expression in G1 phase can be divided into two discrete phases: an initial induction that requires growth factors and the activation of ERK, and then a subsequent decline that is enhanced by cell anchorage in an ERK-independent manner. In contrast to the induction of cyclin D1, the induction of p21cip1 is mediated by transient ERK activity. Comparative studies with wild-type and p21cip1-null fibroblasts indicate that adhesion-dependent regulation of p21cip1 is important for proper control of cyclin E–cdk2 activity. These data lead to a model in which mitogens and anchorage act in a parallel fashion to regulate G1 phase expression of p21cip1. They also show that (a) growth factors and growth factor/extracellular matrix cooperation can have different roles in regulating G1 phase ERK activity and (b) both transient and sustained ERK signals have functionally significant roles in controlling cell cycle progression through G1 phase.
What the Seraphim Do in Line 396a of the Old English Advent: A Scribal Cover Uncovered

The focus of the following note is a hitherto unrecognized word in line 396a of the Old English Advent, formerly called Christ I, a word concealed in the first place by an erratic spelling on the part of the scribe of the manuscript and further obscured by a time-honored but faulty emendation. The simple transposition of a letter in what the scribe wrote reveals a word that, in contrast to the traditional emendation, sharpens the sense and satisfies the meter. Its correctness, moreover, is confirmed by the distinctive reading of Isaiah 6.2 in the Vulgate, a portion of Isaiah's celebrated vision that is central to the poet's elaborate description of the Seraphim in the surrounding lines. The emendation wear[dia]J for what has seemed the hopelessly nonsensical wear5 of the manuscript in line 396a of Advent was first suggested tentatively by Benjamin Thorpe in his pioneering edition of the poems of the Exeter Book,1 and has been adopted without question by all subsequent editors.2 It occurs in the midst of Lyric XI (lines 378-415), the next to last of the twelve extant lyrical
Mapping of the bone marrow sinus endothelium with lectins and glycosylated ferritins: identification of differentiated microdomains and their functional significance.

The distribution of lectin binding sites and sugar-recognizing systems (lectin-like substances) was studied on the luminal side of the bone marrow sinus endothelium in rats. Ferritin-conjugated lectins (Con A, PHA, RCA, WGA, UEA) and glycosylated ferritins (mannosyl, fucosyl, chitobiosyl) were used as probes. With the exception of UEA, all lectins bound to the endothelial surface. The binding was heavier on the plasmalemma proper of the nuclear region (PP-N) compared to that of the tapered region (PP-T). Lectin mapping also identified differentiated microdomains with less or no bindings. These domains related to the transport organelles in the endothelium: luminal vesicles (LV) and diaphragmmed fenestrae (DF). The relative density of binding for these four domains demonstrated the following spectrum PP-N > PP-T > LV > DF. The relation of this binding pattern to the transport function of marrow sinus endothelium for various cells and molecules has been discussed. Lectin mapping also identified heavily labeled microvilli and microprojections from the membrane. These organelles may have a function in recognizing cells and molecules for the transport. The absence of binding for UEA, also absent in liver endothelium, may differentiate sinus endothelia from other endothelia. This lectin is thought to be endothelium-specific in other systems. No binding was observed with glycosylated ferritins suggesting the absence of lectin-like substances on marrow sinus endothelium.
Regaining eukaryotic identity after cell division: relax, young cell.

The appearance of the eukaryotic building plan during evolution, involving the intracellular segregation of genetic material and protein synthesizing apparatus, can be considered as a phase transition (1), opening a whole new world for multicellular developments including organisms with refined neuronal systems. Instrumental to the eukaryotic building plan is the nuclear envelope (for review, see Hetzer et al. (2)), which separates nucleus from cytoplasm. It confines most macromolecules, particles, and cell organelles to their cognate compartment, nuclear contents, or cytoplasm.
DNA sequence analysis of mutations induced by melphalan in the CHO aprt locus

In previous work, we established that treatment with melphalan (L-phenylalanine mustard) produced a predominance of A.T-->T.A transversions in the Simian virus 40 (SV40)-based shuttle vector pZ189 during replication in human 293 cells. Mutations were induced with varying doses (4-12 microM) melphalan in the aprt gene of the hemizygous Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line D422 to determine whether a similar mutation spectrum would be observed in an endogenous gene. DNA sequence alterations were determined for 39 spontaneous and 41 melphalan-induced independent mutant clones. Other than a predominance of transversions in both systems, the spectrum of melphalan-induced aprt mutations bears little resemblance to the spectrum observed in the supF gene of the shuttle plasmid pZ189. In aprt, mutations at G.C base pairs (bp) predominated (29 of 41 base substitutions). Significantly enhanced mutagenesis was observed at 5' G-G-C 3' and 5' G-G-C-C 3' sites in the aprt gene. Almost half of the melphalan-induced base substitutions occurred at 5' G-N-C 3' sequences, which are believed to be potential interstrand crosslink sites.
Non-transferrin-bound iron in long-term transfusion in children with congenital anemias*

Non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI), a potentially toxic compound, is increased in the serum of patients with iron overload and fully saturated transferrin. We found markedly elevated NTBI levels in 16 children (including nine with sickle cell disease and five with β-thalassemia) with iron overload secondary to prolonged transfusion therapy. During iron chelation with subcutaneous desferrioxamine infusion, NTBI levels decreased to normal, but became elevated within 2 to 4 hours after discontinuation of desferrioxamine. NTBI causes hepatic and cardiac toxicity in experimental systems, but our patients lacked sufficient organ dysfunction for this association to be made. The use of continuous 24-hour chelation to maintain NTBI at low levels may prevent progressive iron toxicity in patients who first received chelation therapy at an older age or who already have evidence of cardiac damage.
Complete cDNA sequence for rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase

The cDNA for the nearly full-length rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase mRNA has been isolated and sequenced. The cDNA is rich in G and C nucleotides. This feature is especially striking at the 3rd position of codons, where 86% of the 843 amino acid codons terminate with G or C. Methionine, presumably the initiation residue, is found at position—1, suggesting that the removal of only a single methionine residue precedes the amino-terminal acetylation at serine. Eight differences between the deduced amino acid sequence and the previously determined protein sequence are discussed.