cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Know When to Hold 'Em, and Know When to Fold 'Em: The Success of Frequent Hedge Fund Activists

Using a sample of 272 hedge fund activist events from 1994 to 2005, we show that targets of high frequency hedge funds – those that target 10 or more firms during the sample period –experience better long-term stock and operating performance than targets of lower frequency hedge funds or a matched sample. This outperformance persists up to three years after activism. These high frequency activist funds target smaller firms with poor prior stock and operating performance, and achieve success through a two-pronged approach. For 60% of targets, they simply buy the stock, wait for it to appreciate, and then sell at an opportune time. For the remaining 40% of targets, they are rather aggressive and consistent in their approaches; often they gain board representation through a proxy fight/threat or a standstill agreement. They also frequently encourage and get changes in corporate governance and/or the sale of the target firm. In addition, high frequency activists are extraordinarily skilled at avoiding target firms that have eventual bad outcomes: their targets rarely liquidate or file bankruptcy post-activism. Finally, high-frequency activist funds have a well-defined exit strategy and quickly exit target firms that are unlikely to improve, while less frequent activist funds do not. Our results provide compelling evidence of skill among a subset of hedge fund managers.
Streamlet: Textbook Streamlined Blockchains

In the past five years or so, numerous blockchain projects have made tremendous progress towards improving permissioned consensus protocols (partly due to their promised applications in Proof-of-Stake cryptocurrencies). Although a significant leap has silently taken place in our understanding of consensus protocols, it is rather difficult to navigate this body of work, and knowledge of the new techniques appears scattered.In this paper, we describe an extremely simple and natural paradigm called Streamlet for constructing consensus protocols. Our protocols are inspired by the core techniques that have been uncovered in the past five years of work; but to the best of our knowledge our embodiment is simpler than ever before and we accomplish this by taking a "streamlining" idea to its full potential. We hope that our textbook constructions will help to decipher the past five years of work on consensus partly driven by the cryptocurrency community --- in particular, how remarkably simple the new generation of consensus protocols has become in comparison with classical mainstream approaches such as PBFT and Paxos.
Theories of Psychotherapeutic Change

There are two broadly defined conceptualizations of change processes within current psychodynamic thinking. The first, which emphasizes insight into unconscious processes, is more traditional and is derived directly from Freud’s earliest work in psychoanalysis (see Freud, 1894, 1898). The second view of change is considered to be more radical within the psychoanalytic world and is a result of the work of such revisionists as Alexander and French (1946), who stressed that new experience within therapy is central to changes in behavior, symptoms, character, and intrapsychic processes and structures.
Enrichment of Collagen Fragments Using Dimeric Collagen Hybridizing Peptide for Urinary Collagenomics

Collagen remodeling in normal and pathologic conditions releases numerous collagen fragments into biological fluids. Although a few collagen fragments have been tested as biomarkers for disease indication, most occur at trace levels, making them nearly impossible to detect even with modern analytical tools. Here we report a new way to enrich collagen fragments that allows complete peptidomic analysis of collagen fragments in urine. Enrichment is made possible by dimeric collagen hybridizing peptides (CHPs) that bind collagen fragments originating from the triple helical regions of all collagen types with minimal sequence bias. LC-MS/MS analysis of enriched mouse urine revealed an average of 383 collagenous peptide fragments per sample (compared to 34 for unenriched sample), which could be mapped to all types of mouse collagens in the SwissProt database including FACITs and MACITs. Hierarchical clustering of a selected panel of the detected fragments separated osteopenic mice from healthy mice. The results demonstrate dimeric CHP's ability to enrich collagen fragments from biological fluid and its potential to aid peptidomics-based disease detection and biomarker discovery.
Reconsidering the role of sex hormones in psychopathy development: Estrogen and psychopathy among male justice-involved youth.

Prominent theory suggests that factor one psychopathic traits may develop from increased input from hormones in the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis (HPG; i.e., testosterone) and decreased input from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA; i.e., cortisol). Although there are extensive findings connecting low cortisol to psychopathy, less support has emerged for high levels of testosterone. This study examined whether incorporating the HPG hormone, estradiol, into this model would reveal relationships in line with theory: high levels of estradiol and testosterone in combination with low levels of cortisol would inform psychopathic traits. Baseline and reactive hormone levels were measured and compared to Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV) interviews among 66 male justice-involved youth (M age = 15.73) in a Southeastern juvenile detention center. The primary findings of this study were relationships between interacting HPA and HPG axis hormones with facet one and facet two psychopathic traits. Specifically, psychopathy total scores, interpersonal traits, and affective traits related to estradiol and testosterone reactivity, in that psychopathy scores were more likely with decreases in hormone reactivity (i.e., change in hormone level) following a stressor. Moreover, affective traits related to reactivity in all three hormones. These findings support inclusion of estradiol in neurobiological models of psychopathy and consideration of the individual components of psychopathy. This study adds to the growing body of research supporting interactions between variations in functioning of the HPA and HPG axes in relation to psychopathy.
Kidney Recovery From Acute Kidney Injury After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Patients with the recovery of kidney function after an episode of acute kidney injury (AKI) have better outcomes compared to those without recovery. The current systematic review is conducted to assess the rates of kidney function recovery among patients with AKI or severe AKI requiring kidney replacement therapy (KRT) within 100 days after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Methods The Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were systemically searched from database inceptions through August 2019 to identify studies reporting the rates of recovery from AKI after HSCT. The random-effects and generic inverse variance methods of DerSimonian-Laird were used to combine the effect estimates obtained from individual studies. Results A total of 458 patients from eight cohort studies with AKI after HSCT were identified. Overall, the pooled estimated rates of AKI recovery among patients with AKI and severe AKI requiring KRT within 100 days were 58% (95%CI: 37%-78%) and 10% (95%CI: 2%-4%), respectively. Among patients with AKI recovery, the pooled estimated rates of complete and partial AKI recovery were 60% (95%CI: 39%-78%) and 29% (95%CI: 10%-61%), respectively. There was no clear correlation between study year and the rate of AKI recovery (p=0.26). Conclusion The rate of recovery from AKI after HSCT depends on the severity of AKI. While recovery is common, complete recovery is reported in about two-thirds of all AKI patients. The rate of recovery among those with AKI requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) is substantially lower.
Catalytic Hybrid Electrocatalytic/Biocatalytic Cascades for Carbon Dioxide Reduction and Valorization

Carbon dioxide, as a greenhouse gas, has a critical impact on global climate change. Hence, reducing its emissions and/or transforming it into value-added chemicals is of paramount importance to so...
Why and How Robots Should Say ‘No’

Language-enabled robots with moral reasoning capabilities will inevitably face situations in which they have to respond to human commands that might violate normative principles and could cause harm to humans. We believe that it is critical for robots to be able to reject such commands. We thus address the two key challenges of when and how to reject norm-violating directives. First, we present research in both engineering language-enabled robots that can engage in rudimentary rejection dialogues, as well as related HRI research into the effectiveness of robot protest. Second, we argue that how rejections are phrased is important and review the factors that should guide natural language formulations of command rejections. Finally, we conclude by identifying relevant open questions that will further inform the design of future language-capable and morally competent robots.
EeLISA: Combating Global Warming Through the Rapid Analysis of Eelgrass Wasting Disease

Global warming is the greatest threat facing our planet, and is causing environmental disturbance at an unprecedented scale. We are strongly positioned to leverage the advancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) which provide humanity, for the first time in history, an analysis and decision making tool at massive scale. Strong evidence supports that global warming is contributing to marine ecosystem decline, including eelgrass habitat. Eelgrass is affected by an opportunistic marine pathogen and infections are likely exacerbated by rising ocean temperatures. The necessary disease analysis required to inform conservation priorities is incredibly laborious, and acts as a significant bottleneck for research. To this end, we developed EeLISA (Eelgrass Lesion Image Segmentation Application). EeLISA enables ecologist experts to train a segmentation module to perform this crucial analysis at human level accuracy, while minimizing their labeling time and integrating into their existing workflow. EeLISA has been deployed for over 16 months, and has facilitated the preparation of four manuscripts including a critical eelgrass study ranging from Southern California to Alaska. These studies, utilizing EeLISA, have led to scientific insight and discovery in marine disease ecology.
Development of the Person-Centered Contraceptive Counseling scale (PCCC), a short form of the Interpersonal Quality of Family Planning care scale.

Abstract Objective Person-centeredness is a critical component of quality in family planning. We previously validated an 11-item Interpersonal Quality of Family Planning (IQFP) scale. We sought to create a parsimonious version of the scale in preparation for testing its appropriateness as a patient-reported outcome performance measure. Study design To explore clarity and importance of each of the 11 items, we conducted English and Spanish cognitive interviews with patients who received contraceptive counseling (n = 33) at 3 publicly funded California clinics. We triangulated these results with psychometric analysis of previously collected IQFP data (n = 1097) to assess validity and reliability of selected item combinations. Results The 11-item IQFP scale was reduced to a 4-item scale (the Person-Centered Contraceptive Counseling scale, or PCCC) that includes items evaluating provider performance regarding respect for patients, information provision, and eliciting and honoring patient preferences for birth control. Interview participants deemed the items included in the 4-item PCCC important and clear in both English and Spanish versions of the instrument. The 4-item PCCC retained the 11-item IQFP's psychometric properties, including internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92 vs 0.97 for the PCCC and IQFP, respectively) and a consistent single factor analysis solution (factor loadings = 0.86–0.92 and 0.81–0.91). The 4-item PCCC additionally retained the construct and predictive validity of the IQFP. Conclusions The 4-item PCCC is a valid and reliable as a measure of person-centered contraceptive counseling that reflects patients’ perspectives on contraceptive counseling. Implications Person-centered measures such as the 4-item PCCC can help inform efforts to improve health care quality. Future work will investigate the validity and reliability of the 4-item PCCC as a performance measure to determine the appropriateness of its use in the quality improvement context.
Distributed Scaffolding: Scaffolding Students in Classroom Environments

This paper traces the origins of the scaffolding construct, placing it in its theoretical-historical context. The paper discusses the connection between Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and the notion of scaffolding, and explicates the differences between scaffolding and scaffolds. The paper then presents a discussion of the changes that the notion of scaffolding has undergone, especially when it comes to supporting students in classroom contexts. In classrooms where one teacher supports multiple students, scaffolding is distributed across various tools and social scaffolds. A discussion of the notion of distributed scaffolding is presented, to describe how students in classrooms may be supported by various tools and social scaffolds. The paper then introduces the kinds of distribution and interactions between tools and social scaffolds that need to be considered to support multiple students in classroom contexts. Finally, distributed scaffolding is discussed with reference to the key features of scaffolding, especially fading and transfer of responsibility.
Food enthusiasts: A behavioral typology

Abstract The gastronomy of food plays a central role in society at both utilitarian and hedonic levels. This has manifested through increased content on TV and online media through cooking shows, documentaries, and contests. This, in turn, has increased interest in the study of food enthusiasm for both theory and practice. This study aims to establish a phenomenological understanding of food enthusiasm and subsequently identify key behaviors to categorize customers effectively. The study synthesizes findings from interviews with professionals who interact with food enthusiasts to develop an inventory of questions, which are employed in a survey of US customers. It then derives dimensions of food enthusiasm using factor analysis, which are then modeled in a cluster analysis procedure to build distinctive groups of customers. Findings show distinctive groups whose behaviors vary significantly in explaining food enthusiasm. Theoretical and practical implications are subsequently discussed. Theoretical and practical implications are subsequently discussed.
Exploring the home healthcare workforce in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: Utilization and cost outcomes in US community dwelling older adults.

OBJECTIVE This study assessed home health care use associated with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD) in US community dwelling older adults, including workforce, intensity, and cost outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2010-2018) household and home care event files were used to identify adults ≥ 65 years with ADRD. Outcomes included home health care provider type, intensity of care use, and annual direct home care cost. All analyses applied person weights for national estimates. RESULTS Among the 20,443 eligible older adults, 4.2% (n = 843) reported ADRD. Among all professional and non-professional health care workers, nurse practitioners (NPs, 38.5%) and home health care aids (35.6%) were most used. Comparing ADRD vs non-ADRD: the annual per-person average number of days in home care was 110 vs. 64 (p<0.001) and home care costs accounted for 30.8% vs. 7.5% of total health care costs. After adjusting for participants' characteristics, those with ADRD were more likely to use home health care (OR = 4.32, 95% CI=3.29 - 5.68) and showed 229% (95% CI = 175% - 297%) higher associated costs than controls (p<0.001). CONCLUSION The study provides insight into the home care workforce. Of the professional workforce NPs were most often used and home care aides dominated the non-professional workforce. As expected, ADRD increased the likelihood and intensity of home health care utilization and associated direct home care costs significantly.
Core-shell and Egg-shell Zeolite Catalysts for Enhanced Hydrocarbon Processing

Abstract Developing structure-performance relationships with the underlying goal of optimizing known zeolite catalysts involves the manipulation of their physicochemical properties. Here, we systematically assessed the impact of mesoscopic gradients in acid site concentration, which has received little attention in the design of zeolite catalysts for hydrocarbon upgrading. A series of core-shell MEL-type zeolites were synthesized with catalytically active ZSM-11 cores and passivated silicalite-2 shells of varying thickness. Our findings revealed that ZSM-11@silicalite-2 particles with ultrathin shells (
Text clustering with NTSO (neural text self organizer)

Text clustering is the process of segmenting a particular collection of texts into subgroups including content-based similar ones. This study proposes a new neural network, called NTSO (neural text self organizer), which is suitable for text clustering. This neural network uses string vectors instead of numerical vectors as its input vectors and its weight vectors are different from those of other unsupervised neural networks such as Kohonen networks and ART (adaptive resonance theory), although it is similar to Kohonen networks at the architecture level and in its learning process. Intuitively, text is better represented by a string vector than by a numerical vector. The representation of texts into numerical vectors leads to two main problems: sparse distribution and huge dimensionality of the feature vectors. This study proposes an unsupervised neural network that uses string vectors for text clustering, to address these problems.
Predicting Molecular Evolutionary Trajectories in Principle and in Practice

The discrete, digital nature of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) defines a large but countable number of mutational trajectories between any two alleles. Even though some set of mutations jointly confer an improvement in an organism's reproductive success, it need not follow that all mutational trajectories to that allele are equivalent in the eyes of evolution by natural selection. To a good approximation, the key question is whether all mutations improve reproductive success in all combinations; if they do not, then some subset (even, possibly all) trajectories will be selectively inaccessible. Mutations that are only conditionally beneficial are said to exhibit sign epistasis, which several recent empirical studies demonstrate is pervasive. Biochemical and biophysical considerations of protein biology are beginning to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of sign epistasis and current theoretical attention is focused on its influence on selectively accessible trajectories in sexual population. Key concepts: Phenotypic change over evolutionary time must reflect underlying changes in genetic constitution of the population. Under reasonable assumptions, it is possible to enumerate all mutational trajectories a population might follow in the course of evolving from one genetic variant to another. Recent experimental work demonstrates that for several proteins, only a very small fraction of mutational trajectories are accessible to populations evolving under the action of natural selection. The identity of selectively accessible mutational trajectories reflects the underlying biochemistry and biophysics of the protein in question. Keywords: epistasis; fitness landscapes; molecular evolution; natural selection; population genetics; protein evolution
Using Computerized Provider Order Entry and Clinical Decision Support to Improve Referring Physicians' Implementation of Consultants' Medical Recommendations

Abstract Objectives Only half of consultants' medical recommendations are implemented. We created a tool that lets referring providers review and implement electronic recommendations made by consultants, with the hypothesis that facilitation with our tool could improve implementation. Measurements The tool was piloted among geriatrics consultants and hospitalists. Pre-post evaluation was done with control (before pilot; N = 20) and intervention (after pilot; N = 20) patients. Consultants wrote notes containing recommendations for all study patients, and entered electronic recommendations only for intervention patients. We analyzed all recommendations and surveyed hospitalists. Results A total of 249 recommendations were made for intervention patients versus 192 for controls (p Conclusion Consultant recommendations were implemented 30% more often when there was electronic facilitation of recommendations.
Effects of sea‐level rise on northern elephant seal breeding habitat at Point Reyes Peninsula, California

Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) historically experienced a significant population decrease to the brink of extinction owing to human exploitation, but have since recovered and recolonized former breeding/haul-out sites. Point Reyes Peninsula, California, is one location where population increase has resulted in colony expansion. Initial models identified suitable breeding haul-outs and suggested that human disturbance, geomorphology, mean wave height, and slope were important explanatory variables. Three sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios were run, which indicated that most current and potential haul-out sites would largely be inundated by 2050. Because the Point Reyes coast has limited suitable habitat for the seals to colonize, conservation measures may guide management responses to SLR. The resulting analyses can be used to better understand local-scale seal responses to SLR and contribute to effective management of pinnipeds within Point Reyes National Seashore and elsewhere. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reflection of a Year Long Model-Driven Business and UI Modeling Development Project

Model-driven software development enables users to specify an application at a high level --- a level that better matches problem domain. It also promises the users with better analysis and automation. Our work embarks on two collaborating domains --- business process and human interactions --- to build an application. Business modeling expresses business operations and flows then creates business flow implementation. Human interaction modeling expresses a UI design, its relationship with business data, logic, and flow, and can generate working UI. This double modeling approach automates the production of a working system with UI and business logic connected. This paper discusses the human aspects of this modeling approach after a year long of building a procurement outsourcing contract application using the approach --- the result of which was deployed in December 2008. The paper discusses in multiple areas the happy endings and some heartache. We end with insights on how a model-driven approach could do better for humans in the process.
MUSIC AND METAPHYSICS

In this article, I assume that musical works are abstract types, and I raise and address a new question concerning musical ontology that may take the types view at least a step further: When do musical works cease to exist? I then propound my view about musical works as types, which is somewhat like the Aristotelian Realist position concerning universals. Next, I address some objec- tions to that view. Finally, I provide some grounds for rejecting alternative views that see Western classical musical works before 1950 (the sorts of musical works the discussion here is restricted to) either as classes or else as kinds. Ontologically speaking, musical works clearly are abstract objects, instantiated by their many (more or less) correct and full performances. They are not to be identified with their scores, because they can exist without scores, as memories. And they exist unscored especially in the case of music in oral traditions, such as jazz or Indian classical music. Nor are musical works identical with their (more or less) correct and full performances, for they can exist prior to ever being performed, for example, in virtue of their scores existing, or as accurate memories in the composer's or someone else's mind. Moreover, while a given perfor- mance may be lackluster or have some such property, such properties need not apply to the musical work itself, thus individuating musical works from performances, following Leibniz's Law. In this article, I begin in section 1 by assuming musical works are abstract types, and I raise and address a new question concerning musical ontology that may take the types view at least a step further: When do musical works cease to exist? In section 2, I propound my view about musical works as types, which is somewhat like the Aristotelian Realist position concerning universals. Section 3 addresses some objections to that view. Finally, section 4 provides some grounds for rejecting alter- native views that see Western classical musical works before 1950 (the sorts of musical works the discussion here is restricted to) either as classes or else as kinds. Note the following qualifications before I proceed
Solving anisotropic transport equation on misaligned grids

Triangular 3rd order Lagrange elements have been implemented previously to study the numerical error associated with grid misalignment. It has previously been found that grid misalignment strongly affects numerical accuracy in the case of linear elements. The same conclusion was obtained by higher order finite difference. Here we observe that this is also true for higher order finite elements, up to 3rd order, when the solution has a steep gradient. Three types of meshes are considered. Type t1 has one element edge fully aligned with the strong transport direction; type t2 doesn’t have any alignment with that direction; type t0 is a combination of t1 and t2, i.e., partial alignment.
Gender Differences in Chemical Restraint Use in a Nursing Home

AbstractThe Nursing Home Reform Act (NHRA) sought to liberate residents from overuse of chemical restraints. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if the gender of residents in one nursing home was predictive of psychotropic drug prescribing over a six-year period as it corresponded to NHRA implementation. ANOVA and logistic regression analyses were utilized to identify trends in prescribing and predictor variables for psychotropic drug prescribing. While initial assessment of data from this nursing home appeared to support the conclusion that the aim of the NHRA had been achieved, closer assessment suggested that male residents were being medicated more than their female counterparts with similar physical, emotional, and cognitive concerns. Possible explanations for the results are discussed and include poorer health status of male residents, different mechanisms male residents use to cope with loss, and male residents' more problematic behavioral symptoms associated with dementia.After wide...
The effect of flexor digitorum profundus tendon shortening on jersey finger surgical repair: a cadaveric biomechanical study:

Delayed diagnosis of jersey finger injuries often results in retraction of the flexor digitorum profundus tendon. Current practice recommends limiting tendon advancement to 1 cm in delayed repairs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanical consequences of tendon shortening on the force required to form a fist. The flexor digitorum profundus muscle was isolated in ten cadaveric forearms and the force required to form a fist was recorded. Simulated jersey finger injuries to the ring finger were then created and repaired. The forces required to pull the fingertips to the palm after serial tendon advancements were measured. There was a near linear increase in the force required for making a fist with shortening up to 2.5 cm. The force required to make a fist should be taken into account when considering the limit of ‘safe’ tendon shortening in delayed repair of jersey finger injuries.
Stimulation of human placental lactogen release by arachidonic acid.

Arachidonic acid at concentrations between 20 and 300 µM stimulated human placental lactogen (hPL) release from placental explants in a dose-dependent manner ( R = 0.90, p p p 2 (0.11 unit/ml), which cleaves arachidonic acid from the 2-acyl position of phospholipids, stimulated hPL release by 2272.6 ± 219.6% ( p 2 affected the release of human chorionic gonadotropin, lactic dehydrogenase, or alkaline phosphatase, and arachidonic acid had no effect on the release of trichloroacetic acid-precipitable 35 S-labeled proteins. The fatty acid precursors of arachidonic acid—linoleic, γ-linolenic, and dihomo-γ-linolenic acids—also stimulated hPL release, but 11,14,17-icosatrienoic, oleic, and palmitic acids had no statistically significant effects. The cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors indomethacin (14 µM) and flufenamic acid (18 µM) had no effects on either the basal release of hPL or the stimulatory affect of arachidonic acid. In addition, the cyclo-oxygenase products prostaglandins E 1 , E 2 , and F 2α had no effects on hPL release. The lipoxygenase inhibitors 5,8,11,14-icosatetraynoic acid (82 µM) and BW755C (20 µM) had no effects on basal hPL release but potentiated the stimulatory effect of arachidonic acid. These results suggest that arachidonic acid may stimulate hPL release via a non-cyclo-oxygenase, non-lipoxygenase pathway.
Microbiological and Shelf-Life Properties of Ground Beef Containing Glandless Cottonseed Flour

Ground beef with or without 3% added glandless cottonseed flour (GCF) was over-wrapped with polyvinyl chloride film and displayed up to 6 days in a retail case. Aerobic plate counts were slightly higher (P 0.05) found at days 3 and 6. At day 6, a combination of Pseudomonas and heterofermentative Lactobacillus spp. made up a major part of the microflora of ground beef without GCF whereas heterofermentative Lactobacillus spp. constituted a dominant part of the microflora of ground beef with GCF. Discoloration and lipid oxidation in ground beef during display were markedly reduced by addition of 3% GCF.
The relationship between concentration of prostaglandin E and rates of cell replication

Abstract Prostaglandin (PGE) production in vitro was measured by radioimmunoassay and correlated with rates of cell proliferation of HEp-2, L and HeLa cells. Mean basal rates of PGE production (ng/10 6 cells/day) were inversely related to growth rates. Addition of dibutyryl cAMP (1 mM) to the media resulted in significant increases in PGE and inhibition of cell replication. Addition of PGE 1 to the media slowed growth by about 40%. Indomethacin at 10 −8 M inhibited PGE synthesis and resulted in significant stimulation of cell growth in all cell lines. Addition of PGE 1 to Indomethacin-containing media restored growth rates to those observed in the absence of Indomethacin. These observations demonstrate an inverse relationship between cell proliferation and PGE production during control and altered growth cycles.
The developmental sequence of tobacco withdrawal symptoms of wanting, craving and needing.

Abstract Objective The first case series on tobacco addiction suggested that withdrawal symptoms evolve through a clear developmental sequence both over the clinical course and during an episode of abstinence. The objective of the current study was to determine if this observation would be confirmed by a second case series. Methods The subjects were 25 adolescent and adult smokers. Subjects were provided with operational definitions of the withdrawal symptoms of wanting, craving and needing. Using nondirective techniques, detailed histories of subjects' experiences with these three symptoms during abstinence from tobacco were obtained in individual interviews. Results All 25 subjects identified the operational definitions of wanting and craving as symptoms they had experienced, and 21 subjects indicated that the definition of needing described a symptom they had experienced. All 25 subjects reported that wanting was the first symptom they had experienced; 24 of 25 subjects reported that craving was the second symptom experienced; and 20 of the 21 subjects that had experienced needing reported that this was the third symptom they had experienced. All subjects reported that during abstinence symptoms appeared in the order of wanting, craving and needing. Subjects reported that stress-induced urges to smoke are not relieved by smoking, do not follow a characteristic sequence, and do not have a latency. Conclusions Abstinence from tobacco provokes characteristic symptoms of wanting, craving and needing that are widely endorsed by smokers as symptoms they have experienced. These symptoms develop in a set sequence of wanting, craving and needing in all, or nearly all, smokers over their clinical course. These symptoms recur in the same sequence during acute episodes of abstinence. Smokers can distinguish between four symptoms: wanting, craving, needing and stress-induced urges to smoke, but these distinctions are not captured by generic ‘craving’ measures.
3D Multicolor Super-Resolution Imaging Offers Improved Accuracy in Neuron Tracing

The connectivity among neurons holds the key to understanding brain function. Mapping neural connectivity in brain circuits requires imaging techniques with high spatial resolution to facilitate neuron tracing and high molecular specificity to mark different cellular and molecular populations. Here, we tested a three-dimensional (3D), multicolor super-resolution imaging method, stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM), for tracing neural connectivity using cultured hippocampal neurons obtained from wild-type neonatal rat embryos as a model system. Using a membrane specific labeling approach that improves labeling density compared to cytoplasmic labeling, we imaged neural processes at 44 nm 2D and 116 nm 3D resolution as determined by considering both the localization precision of the fluorescent probes and the Nyquist criterion based on label density. Comparison with confocal images showed that, with the currently achieved resolution, we could distinguish and trace substantially more neuronal processes in the super-resolution images. The accuracy of tracing was further improved by using multicolor super-resolution imaging. The resolution obtained here was largely limited by the label density and not by the localization precision of the fluorescent probes. Therefore, higher image resolution, and thus higher tracing accuracy, can in principle be achieved by further improving the label density.
The dynamical evolution and origin of the Martian moons

The orbital evolution of Phobos and Deimos is considered from the standpoints of today's orbit, the semimajor axis, and eccentricity and inclination. The synchronous rotations of the moons are discussed, and attention is given to the origin (i.e., accretion and capture) of the moons.
Implementing an apparent-horizon finder in three dimensions.

Locating apparent horizons is not only important for a complete understanding of numerically generated spacetimes, but it may also be a crucial component of the technique for evolving black-hole spacetimes accurately. A scheme proposed by Libson, Mass\'o, Seidel, and Suen, based on expanding the location of the apparent horizon in terms of symmetric trace-free tensors, seems very promising for use with three-dimensional numerical data sets. In this paper, we generalize this scheme and perform a number of code tests to fully calibrate its behavior in black-hole spacetimes similar to those we expect to encounter in solving the binary black-hole coalescence problem. An important aspect of the generalization is that we can compute the symmetric trace-free tensor expansion to any order. This enables us to determine how far we must carry the expansion to achieve results of a desired accuracy. To accomplish this generalization, we describe a new and very convenient set of recurrence relations which apply to symmetric trace-free tensors.
Factors associated with utilization of care for oral lesions in HIV disease

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with utilization of care for oral lesions in people with HIV disease. Study Design. The data were derived from 1424 adults who participated in a series of up to 4 interviews as part of the AIDS Cost and Service Utilization Survey. Treatment for thrush, oral sores, and other conditions was evaluated through use of logistic regression, with generalized estimating equations being applied. Results. In all, 9.1% of those in the study sample reported being treated. After adjusting for CD4 cell count and other variables, regression analyses indicated that blacks (odds ratio [OR], 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-0.91) and Hispanics (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36-0.98) had significantly lower odds of reporting being treated. Respondents with more than a high school education (OR, 1.64; 95% CI,1.08-2.51), clinical trial participants (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.27-2.90), and those receiving counseling (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.60-3.09) were more likely to report being treated. Conclusions. Utilization of care for oral lesions is very low. Educational and racial differences exist among those respondents who received care for HIV-associated oral lesions. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1999;87:708-13)
Longitudinal genetic analysis of brain volumes in normal elderly male twins

This study investigated the role of genetic and environmental influences on individual differences in brain volumes measured at two time points in normal elderly males from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Twin Study. The MRI scans were conducted four years apart on 33 monozygotic and 33 dizygotic male twin pairs, aged 68 to 77 years when first scanned. Volumetric measures of total brain and total cerebrospinal fluid were significantly heritable at baseline (over 70%). For both volumes genetic influences at follow-up were entirely accounted for by genetic influences at baseline, suggesting that the same genetic factors influence variability in brain volume at each time of assessment. Variability in 4-year volume change was due to shared and individual-specific environmental influences. There was little evidence for heritable influences on change measures. These results suggest that variation in longitudinal change of some brain volume measures may have different underlying genetic and environmental architecture from variation in repeat cross-sectional measures, which could have implications for intervention strategies for age-related illness associated with brain morphology. The results of this study are discussed in the context of the small sample size and associated limitations of statistical power.
Current of injury predicts adequate active lead fixation in permanent pacemaker/defibrillation leads

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether current of injury can guide adequate placement of active-fixation pacing leads. Background Active-fixation leads cause injury to the myocardium at the time of fixation, manifested as a current of injury (COI) that may result in acute elevation of pacing thresholds. The relationship of COI to subsequent improvement in pacing thresholds is not clear. Methods Sixty-five patients undergoing active-fixation lead implantation were enrolled. Current of injury was characterized as the duration of the intracardiac electrogram (EGM) and the magnitude of ST-segment elevation. Pacing parameters were measured up to 10 min after fixation. Results A total of 96 active-fixation leads were studied, and 76 leads had a current of injury. From baseline to the time of fixation, the duration of the intracardiac EGM in ventricular leads increased from 150 ± 31 ms to 200 ± 25 ms (p Conclusions The development of a COI indicates that within 10 min of fixation, pacing threshold will return to an acceptable range even if the initial measurement is high. Conversely, without a COI, lead fixation is not adequate and the lead should be repositioned.
A simple method for the determination of vital capacity time relationships.

Summary A simple ruler-graph device has been described for use with single determinations of the vital capacity on a recording drum apparatus. This permits the rapid determination of the volume of air ejected during each second of the vital capacity tracing on a graphic record. The same record also affords an opportunity for analyzing the contour of the graph for evidence of trapping or change in mid-position. These time relationships enhance the value of the simple vital capacity determination. The relative efficacies of bronchodilator preparations in relieving the bronchospasm of the patient with bronchial asthma or pulmonary emphysema can be determined readily with this technique. This method was compared with the vitalometer. Both methods yield comparable values. The ruler-graph method, however, affords additional significant data, easily obtained by employing the apparatus which is generally in use in laboratories studying pulmonary function.
Lunar backscatter and neutralization of the solar wind: First observations of neutral atoms from the Moon

[1] The solar wind continuously flows out from the Sun, filling interplanetary space and impinging directly on the lunar regolith. While most solar wind ions are implanted into the lunar dust, a significant fraction is expected to scatter back and be emitted as energetic neutral atoms (ENAs). However, this population has never been observed, let alone characterized. Here we show the first observations of backscattered neutral atoms from the Moon and determine that the efficiency for this process, the lunar ENA albedo, is ∼10%. This indicates that the Moon emits ∼150 metric tons of hydrogen per year. Our observations are important for understanding the universal processes of backscattering and neutralization from complex surfaces, which occur wherever space plasmas interact with dust and other small bodies throughout our solar system as well as in exoplanetary systems throughout the galaxy and beyond.
Iron Regulates the Intracellular Degradation of Iron Regulatory Protein 2 by the Proteasome

Iron regulatory proteins (IRP1 and IRP2) are RNA-binding proteins that bind to specific structures, termed iron-responsive elements (IREs), that are located in the 5'- or 3'-untranslated regions of mRNAs that encode proteins involved in iron homeostasis. IRP1 and IRP2 RNA binding activities are regulated by iron; IRP1 and IRP2 bind IREs with high affinity in iron-depleted cells and with low affinity in iron-repleted cells. The decrease in IRP1 RNA binding activity occurs by a switch between apoprotein and 4Fe-4S forms, without changes in IRP1 levels, whereas the decrease in IRP2 RNA binding activity reflects a reduction in IRP2 levels. To determine the mechanism by which iron decreases IRP2 levels, we studied IRP2 regulation by iron in rat hepatoma and human HeLa cells. The iron-dependent decrease in IRP2 levels was not due to a decrease in the amount of IRP2 mRNA or to a decrease in the rate of IRP2 synthesis. Pulse-chase experiments demonstrated that iron resulted in a 3-fold increase in the degradation rate of IRP2. IRP2 degradation depends on protein synthesis, but not transcription, suggesting a requirement for a labile protein. IRP2 degradation is not prevented by lysosomal inhibitors or calpain II inhibitors, but is prevented by inhibitors that block proteasome function. These data suggest the involvement of the proteasome in iron-mediated IRP2 proteolysis.
Approach to menopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer.

Hot flashes represent one of the most bothersome complaints in breast cancer survivors. In the last two decades, studies investigated several agents and natural compounds to treat these symptoms. Hormones such as estrogens and progestins remain the most beneficial treatment. However, many physicians and patients are reluctant to use these therapies because of the controversy regarding the hormonal effects on tumor growth and progression. Unfortunately, most natural and nonconventional remedies that have been scientifically investigated appear disappointing. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and other agents that seem to work in similar ways have been investigated over the last few years in Phase II and III trials. Mature results from two prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trials reveal that selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors are well tolerated, reduce hot flashes by 50%–60%, and improve sleep and libido. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors should be considered as a first-line nonhormonal pharmacologic therapy for women with menopausal symptoms.
Molecular composites of ionic Kevlar/poly(4-vinylpyridine) via ion-dipole interactions

Abstract A molecular composite made of ionic Kevlar and poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PVP) was prepared and studied. TEM observations, as well as a qualitative study of transparency and mechanical strength, indicate that the prepared material is a homogeneous molecular composite. Upon heating, there seems to be no indication of phase separation. It is suggested that the driving force for good miscibility is ion-dipole interactions between ionic groups in ionic Kevlar and ionic dipoles in PVP.
Song types as fundamental units in vocal repertoires.

We investigated whether song types function as fundamental units of song variation in song sparrows,Melospiza melodia . As the size of a male song sparrow’s repertoire increases, so does the mean similarity of his song types, as measured by the sharing of minimal units of production (MUPs). It follows that if MUP similarity is important perceptually, then small repertoires (of dissimilar song types) may be functionally equivalent to large repertoires (of similar song types). We performed two experiments to test whether MUP similarity is important perceptually to male song sparrows. Both experiments used a habituation/recovery design, in which recovery in response at a switch in stimuli is used to gauge the subject’s perception of the similarity of the stimuli. The results of both experiments indicate that the level of perceived similarity between pairs of songs does not depend on their level of MUP similarity, within the range of MUP similarities found between song types. Songs with high enough MUP similarity to be judged as variants of the same song type are, however, perceived to be much more similar than are any two song types. The results are compatible with a categorical model of song type perception.
Intraneuronal α-fetoprotein and albumin are not synthesized locally in developing brain

Abstract α-Fetoprotein and albumin are found intraneuronally in developing mammalian brains. To investigate whether this results from local biosynthesis, the existence of the corresponding brain messenger RNAs and the ability of brain cultures to synthesize these proteins were studied in the mouse. The findings show that neither the proteins nor the mRNAs coding for them are made in sufficient quantities to account for the material detected immunologically, supporting an extracellular origin.