cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Social Science Methods to Improve Lawyer-Client Communication

In striking contrast to any other service industry, lawyers generally do not use even the most rudimentary methods for finding out how their clients experience the services they provide and thus have no way of measuring "how the needle moves" even if they seek to improve client satisfaction. The failure of the legal profession to gather data about client satisfaction in a systematic way may be attributable to a widespread assumption among lawyers that clients care primarily about outcomes not process, an assumption inconsistent with growing evidence from social science research that the quality of lawyer-client communication is an extremely important determinant of client satisfaction. The Effective Lawyer-Client Communication (ELCC) project was initiated in 1998 and its long-term goal is to determine whether international and interdisciplinary collaboration on the issue of lawyer-client communication can actually change basic institutional practices and beliefs in the legal profession. Analogous experience in the health care field indicates that the critical first step is to develop a practical and cost-effective method to assess the effectiveness of lawyer-client communication that correlates that assessment with the degree of client satisfaction. We have selected the first meeting between lawyer and client for our pilot study. The initial interview is, of course, the one unit of service that is constant across all forms of legal service delivery. It is also one of the most critical units of service. Unlike many social science studies of lawyer-client communication, the purpose of this project is to actively intervene in the way lawyers communicate with their clients. We believe that such social science research can affect the behavior of lawyers if designed, implemented and explained in ways that lawyers themselves find relevant in terms of client satisfaction and more effective representation.
Advances in genetic basis of nitrogen use efficiency of rice

Nitrogen is one of the fundamental key element required for crop growth and development. Excessive use of N in crop production has become a major global concern as it is causing environmental degradation through soil–water and also atmosphere. Increasing N use efficiency (NUE) and a balance of crop yields to achieve food security is the need of current situation. It is also important that, judicious application of N along with developing N efficiency crops are to be targeted for reducing the global climate change impacts. Ample opportunities existing in the form of germplasm resources which are yet to be utilized, advancement of genetic tools such as QTLs, genes associated with N metabolism, proteomics, association mapping, microarray, miRNA, genetic transformation and transcriptomic strategies are yet to be fully implemented to decipher the secrets of natural efficiency of N in crop plants. Progress of N use efficient developed using some of the above tools in a multidisciplinary mode and the first set of improved N efficient rice lines are field tested so as to understand genetic basis of NUE.
Stress Biomarkers as an Objective Window on Experience

Studies of stress are difficult because stress is often not clearly defined and can be seen as a stimulus, a response, or something in-between. Stress is usually measured through self-reports – such as hassles scales, perceived stress questionnaires, and life events scales – but there are sex, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural differences in how individuals do this reporting, and individuals may not be consciously aware of whether or to what degree they are stressed. Biological markers can provide an objective measure of stress, providing a means to make visible the invisible nature of the stress experience. However, these markers differ in the duration over which stress is measured, and they may be influenced by other conditions, such as endocrine disorders. Also, some measures are only valuable in laboratory settings, limiting those that can be used to understand stress levels in people’s daily lives. Investigators must insure that the measures used in their studies do not actually cause stress, and thus noninvasive measures are required. Studies using stress biomarkers have shown that culture change and modernization generally lead to an increase in mean stress levels. These studies also show that the stress experience is quite varied, with subtleties in how individuals and populations experience stress. The general stress response evolved as an adaptation to conditions quite different from those found today, and in many cases the response has become maladaptive, with prolonged high levels of stress, conceptualized as an enhanced allostatic load, leading to increased risk for development of chronic diseases.
Air Quality Model-Based Methods for Estimating Human Exposures: A Review and Comparison

Determining estimates of human exposure is increasingly relying on the use of air quality models and satellite observations to provide spatially and temporally complete pollutant concentration fields. Air quality models, in particular, are attractive as they capture the emissions and meteorological linkages. Additionally they can provide source impact information and concentration fields for a range of species not currently provided from satellite-based observations (e.g., MODIS and MAIAC), and are not subject to cloud interference. Multiple methods based on air quality modeling (including using CMAQ and/or RLINE) with and without data fusion, have been developed and are being used in health studies as part of the EPA-funded Southeastern Center for Air Pollution and Epidemiology Clean Air Research Center. The methods include CMAQ-Data Fusion where concentrations fields are blended with observations to provide spatially and temporally complete pollutant concentrations fields of PM2.5, EC, CO, and NO2. To improve the spatial resolution, this method was extended to include RLINE fields for fine scale (250 m) exposure assessment. Another method was developed to estimate spatial exposure estimates of emissions source categories using CMAQ-derived source impacts for 16–32 sources, along with observations of individual PM species. Each of these approaches have individual strengths and weaknesses. The methods that use a data fusion approach to blend observations and air quality model fields are found to best capture the spatiotemporal trends in the observations, reducing the standard error in the exposure estimates. In the past, such methods were limited by the availability of air quality model fields over long periods, but such fields are becoming more routinely available from air quality forecasting activities.
Who Believes in a Male God? Ideological Beliefs and Gendered Conceptualizations of God

Recent studies have explored whether certain conceptualizations of God are associated with various attitudes and beliefs. In the current study, we examined the relationship between gendered God con...
Development of Fc-Fused Cocaine Hydrolase for Cocaine Addiction Treatment: Catalytic and Pharmacokinetic Properties

Cocaine abuse is a worldwide public health and social problem without a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medication. Accelerating cocaine metabolism that produces biologically inactive metabolites by administration of an efficient cocaine hydrolase (CocH) has been recognized as a promising strategy for cocaine abuse treatment. However, the therapeutic effects of CocH are limited by its short biological half-life (e.g., 8 h or shorter in rats). In this study, we designed and prepared a set of Fc-fusion proteins constructed by fusing Fc(M3) with CocH3 at the N-terminus of CocH3. A linker between the two protein domains was optimized to improve both the biological half-life and catalytic activity against cocaine. It has been concluded that Fc(M3)-G6S-CocH3 not only has fully retained the catalytic efficiency of CocH3 against cocaine but also has the longest biological half-life (e.g., ∼ 136 h in rats) among all of the long-acting CocHs identified so far. A single dose (0.2 mg/kg, IV) of Fc(M3)-G6S-CocH3 was able to significantly attenuate 15 mg/kg cocaine-induced hyperactivity for at least 11 days (268 h) after the Fc(M3)-G6S-CocH3 administration.
Participatory Assessment of 21st Century Proficiencies

The explosion of new social network technologies has highlighted the awkward relationship between new “Twenty-first century” media practices and existing educational systems. Traditional content standards, achievement tests, and accountability pressures threaten nascent efforts to foster equitable, transparent, and credible participation in these practices. The current push to design external tests and standards to assess these new practices may actually exacerbate this problem, due to the fundamentally social nature of these proficiencies. Large-scale standardization and testing of aggregated achievement of these proficiencies should be done cautiously and in isolation from classroom-based efforts to foster worthwhile participation. Likewise, within classrooms, more interpretive efforts are first needed to define social contexts that foster worthwhile social participation in these practices before individual proficiency is assessed. To foster both participation and proficiency while also meeting existing and future accountability goals, a design-based participatory assessment framework with multiple levels of increasingly formal outcomes is introduced.
General Orientation of Human Lymphocyte Subpopulations

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a general orientation of human lymphocyte subpopulations. Study of subpopulations of lymphocytes in man is now a highly developed field. Surface markers including receptors for complement components, receptors for several different immunoglobulins, differentiation antigens recognized by heteroantisera and monoclonal anti-bodies prepared by the hybridoma technologies, and also receptors for surface components of certain red blood cell antigens, and enzymes and lectins from a variety of sources have all been used to recognize and define lymphocyte subpopulations. The understanding of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies, the definition and analysis of lymphoreticular malignancies, the investigation of autoimmunities, and the understanding of the influences of persisting infections and modern chemotherapy and consequences of malignant diseases require the application of these techniques.
Aspectos diacrónicos de la fraseología: análisis comparado de dos construcciones con venga/vinga en castellano y catalán

In this paper, we analyze the chronological parallelism in the development of two phraseological units in Peninsular Spanish and Catalan that share the same semantic and pragmatic functions: venga/vinga (a) + infinitive and venga/vinga (de) + noun . In the semantic level, these constructions intensify an iterative action (before an infinitive) and nominal quantity (before a noun). Their pragmatic meaning encodes a negative assessment or complaint on the part of the speaker. The analysis of diachronic corpora explores the evolution of the Catalan constructions, and compares the findings with those in Author (2014, 2015) for the Spanish counterparts. The results of the analysis show that the Catalan constructions are reported in the corpus several decades earlier than in Spanish.
Safety Guaranteed Connected Cruise Control

In this paper, we design a connected cruise controller with safety guarantees. In particular, we utilize a control safety function in order to guarantee the safety of a given control law. We establish the notion of safety chart to graphically represent the safe combinations of control parameters. Moreover, we establish an intervention algorithm that maintains safety when parameters are chosen outside the safe parameter regime. The results are also demonstrated with the help of numerical simulations.
Developmental Dioxin Exposure Alters the Methylome of Adult Male Zebrafish Gonads

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a persistent environmental toxicant and endocrine disrupting compound with reproductive and developmental effects in humans and model organisms, including zebrafish. Our previous microarray and histological studies found defects in spermatogenesis and fertility of zebrafish in response to acute developmental TCDD exposure. These effects are apparent following exposure during reproductive development, modeling fetal basis of adult-onset disease. Some outcomes of these previous studies (reduced fertility, changes in sex ratio, transcriptomic alterations) are also transgenerational - persisting to unexposed generations - through the male germline. We hypothesized that DNA methylation could be a possible mechanism for these reproductive effects and performed whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), which identifies whole genome DNA methylation status at the base pair level, on testes of adult zebrafish exposed to TCDD (two separate hour-long exposures to 50 pg/mL TCDD at 3 and 7 weeks post fertilization). In response to TCDD exposure, multiple genes were differentially methylated; many of which are involved in reproductive processes or epigenetic modifications, suggesting a role of DNA methylation in later-life health outcomes. Additionally, several ¬differentially methylated genes corresponded with gene expression changes identified in TCDD-exposed zebrafish testes, indicating a potential link between DNA methylation and gene expression. Ingenuity pathway analysis of WGBS and microarray data revealed genes involved in reproductive processes and development, RNA regulation, the cell cycle, and cellular morphology and development. We conclude that site-specific changes in DNA methylation of adult zebrafish testes occur in response to acute developmental TCDD exposure.
Survival outcomes after whole brain radiotherapy for brain metastases in older adults with newly diagnosed metastatic small cell carcinoma: A national cancer database (NCDB) analysis.

Abstract Background Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy with a tendency to affect older adults and also metastasize to the brain. Older adults tolerate whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) poorly with marginal survival benefit. We utilized the national cancer database (NCDB) to evaluate the survival outcomes following WBRT in older adults with SCLC and brain metastases. Methods We identified 1615 patients ≥75 years old diagnosed with SCLC and brain metastases. Patients were categorized by type of therapy: chemotherapy + WBRT (n = 576), chemotherapy alone (n = 238), WBRT alone (n = 360) and no chemotherapy or WBRT (n = 441). Clinical and demographic characteristics were reported for each treatment cohort with a subsequent multivariable regression analysis for survival. Results Median patient age was 79 years. WBRT median dose was 30 Gy. At time of analysis, 1530 of the cohort had died, yielding a median OS of 2.9 months and 6 month survival of 31% for patients that received chemotherapy. For patients treated without chemotherapy, median OS with WBRT was 1.9 months compared to 1.2 months without (p 80, extracranial disease, male sex, and rural location as predictors of increased risk of death. Conclusion In older adult patients with SCLC brain metastasis, WBRT was associated with a modest increase in survival in patients not fit for chemotherapy, and there was no association with increased survival over chemotherapy alone.
Screening Links Transport and Recombination Mechanisms in Lead Halide Perovskites

Excitation-fluence-dependent charge carrier transport and decay dynamics in individual lead bromide perovskite microcrystals were studied using time-resolved pump–probe microscopy. Measurements sho...
Establishing a Toxics Mobility Inventory for Climate Change and Pollution

Abstract With a projected increase in extreme weather events through the duration of the 21st century, coastal communities will face a host of challenges. An underexamined component of future threa...
Vascularization of the Synovial Membrane in Hemophilic Synovitis.

Hemophilia is due to the deficiency of the activity of coagulation factor VIII or IX and results in bleeding. Hemarthrosis frequently leads to synovitis and arthropathy in adolescents and adults with severe disease. The molecular basis for this disorder is only recently being interrogated in detail ([Wen, Jabbar et al. 2002][1]; [Hakobyan, Kazarian et al. 2004][2]; [Valentino, Hakobyan et al. 2004][3]; [Hakobyan, Kazarian et al. 2005][4]). In addition to proliferation of synovial fibroblasts, vessels are prominent and likely play a fundamental role. We hypothesized that synovial hyperplasia was limited by the degree of tissue vascularization and a direct relationship between the expansions of these two tissues existed. To test this hypothesis, mouse knee joints were injured by blunt or surgical trauma to induce hemarthrosis or blood was directly injected into the joint capsule to induce synovitis then the knees isolated and the tissues examined by seven reviewers blinded to the experimental conditions for the extent of synovial and vessel hyperplasia ([Valentino and Hakobyan 2006][5], in press) and their individual scores averaged. The distribution of the scores for the 271 sections is given in the table. A direct relationship (r2=0.90, p<0.001) between synovial and vessel hyperplasia was present (figure). It is likely that the synovial membrane can expand up to a point (grade 1) but beyond this, vessel hyperplasia is necessary and that progressive hypertrophy of the synovial membrane is dependent upon the development of vessels to provide oxygen and nutrients. The production of vascular trophic factors by synovial fibroblast cells is under investigation. | Hyperplasia | | 1 | 2 | 3 | || | Synovial | 149 | 67 | 18 | 37 | | Vascular | 180 | 58 | 19 | 14 | Types and numbers of hyperplasia ![Figure][6] Figure [1]: #ref-5 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-4 [4]: #ref-2 [5]: #ref-3 [6]: pending:yes
Targeting Bacterial Genomes for Natural Product Discovery

Bacterial natural products (NPs) and their analogs constitute more than half of the new small molecule drugs developed over the past few decades. Despite this success, interest in natural products from major pharmaceutical companies has decreased even as genomics has uncovered the large number of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that encode for novel natural products. To date, there is still a lack of universal strategies and enabling technologies to discover natural products at scale and speed. This review highlights several of the opportunities provided by genome sequencing and bioinformatics, challenges associated with translating genomes into natural products, and examples of successful strain prioritization and BGC activation strategies that have been used in the genomic era for natural product discovery from cultivatable bacteria.
Long-term sustained response to fostamatinib in two patients with chronic refractory immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).

Care of patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who are refractory to available treatments can be quite challenging. Fostamatinib, an oral Syk inhibitor, is the newest FDA-approved agent for ITP. Phase 3 clinical trials demonstrated an overall response in 43% of patients treated with fostamatinib and use for two years has been reported. Herein, we report two patients with long histories of ITP without lasting responses to numerous first-, second- and third-line therapies with prolonged responses to ongoing fostamatinib. This shows that patients unresponsive to other agents may respond to fostamatinib and can have sustained benefit.
Dynamic computed tomographic assessment of the mitral annulus in patients with and without mitral prolapse.

Abstract Objectives To obtain 3D CT measurements of mitral annulus throughout cardiac cycle using prototype mitral modeling software, assess interobserver agreement, and compare among patients with mitral prolapse (MP) and control group. Background Pre-procedural imaging is critical for planning of transcatheter mitral valve (MV) replacement. However, there is limited data regarding reliable CT-based measurements to accurately characterize the dynamic geometry of the mitral annulus in patients with MV disease. Methods Patients with MP and control subjects without any MV disease who underwent ECG-gated cardiac CT were retrospectively identified. Multiphasic CT data was loaded into a prototype mitral modeling software. Multiple anatomical parameters in 3D space were recorded throughout the cardiac cycle (0–95%): annular circumference, planar-surface-area (PSA), anterior-posterior (A-P) distance, and anterolateral-posteromedial (AL-PM) distance. Comparisons were made among the two groups, with p Results A total of 100 subjects were included: 50 with MP and 50 control. Annular dimensions were significantly higher in the MP group than control group, with circumference (144 ± 11 vs. 117±8 mm), PSA (1533 ± 247 vs. 1005 ± 142 mm2), A-P distance (38 ± 4 vs. 32±2 mm), and AL-PM distance (47 ± 4 vs. 39±3 mm) (all p Conclusion A significant variation in the mitral annular measures between different cardiac phases and two groups was observed with excellent interobserver agreement.
Utilizing plasma modified SnO2 paper gas sensors to better understand gas-surface interactions at low temperatures

Developing low temperature, low cost metal oxide gas sensors remains a critical but elusive goal. Additionally, a better understanding of gas-metal oxide interactions during sensing is required to achieve this goal as well as improving the performance of these devices. Here, the authors describe a paper-based gas sensor (PGS) utilizing SnO2 nanoparticles to detect ethanol, CO, and benzene. Proof-of-concept sensor data indicate that the response was increased and viable operating temperature was lowered (≤50 °C) via plasma surface modification techniques using an Ar/O2 gas mixture at a range of applied rf powers and precursor pressures. Temperature dependent response also demonstrates that sensor selectivity can be tuned with plasma treatment parameters. Ethanol response and recovery behavior at operating temperatures ≤50 °C indicate that sensors demonstrate real-time response at relatively low temperatures. Additionally, although the resistance of the PGS does not fully recover postgas exposure, the signal stability and continued response to ethanol with subsequent exposures indicate that sensors could potentially be used multiple times. Optical emission spectroscopy identified species involved in plasma surface modification processes and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy elucidated how these changes in surface chemistry correlate to PGS performance. The combination of these techniques provides insight into the driving factors controlling the gas detection process. This approach to produce PGSs shows great promise for the fabrication of flexible, inexpensive devices capable of operating at much lower temperatures than current metal-oxide based sensors.
Insights on Small Molecule Binding to the Hv1 Proton Channel from Free Energy Calculations with Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Hv1 is a voltage-gated proton channel whose main function is to facilitate extrusion of protons from the cell. The development of effective channel blockers for Hv1 can lead to new therapeutics for the treatment of maladies related to Hv1 dysfunction. Although the mechanism of proton permeation in Hv1 remains to be elucidated, a series of small molecules have been discovered to inhibit Hv1. Here, we computed relative binding free energies of a prototypical Hv1 blocker on a model of human Hv1 in an open state. We used alchemical free energy perturbation techniques based on atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The results support our proposed open state model and shed light on the preferred tautomeric state of the channel blocker. This work lays the groundwork for future studies on adapting the blocker molecule for more effective inhibition of Hv1.
Measuring Phase Changes to Predict Halide Perovskite Solar Cell Degradation

Halide perovskite solar cell stability has understandably become the major topic of discussion with regard to commercialization. Efforts have succeeded in making materials and devices which pass standard silicon durability tests, but accurate prediction of lifetime using accelerated degradation tests requires deep understanding of degradation mechanisms. We track the kinetics of the perovskite to non-perovskite phase transition which is found in many of these materials using a prototypical cesium lead halide compounds. Further exploration of this phase transition should lead to better predictions of material and device stability.
A PRC1–RNF2 knockout punch for cancer

Shedding light on epigenetic mechanisms controlling anti-tumor immune responses, a new study shows that the tumor-intrinsic ring finger protein 2 (RNF2), the catalytic subunit of Polycomb repressor complex 1 (PRC1), acts as a negative regulator of a collaborative NK and CD4+ T cell anti-tumor immune response against breast cancer.
The Theoretical and Empirical Aspects of Science

Publisher Summary This chapter considers several significant theoretical and empirical aspects of science. The chapter describes a simplified version of science and the relationship between empirical and theoretical aspects of science, on the simplifying assumption that these two aspects refer only to single scientific theories. This interconnection between the empirical and theoretical aspects of a theory has several implications that may be of interest in the context of discussion. One of these implications points to the legitimacy of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical investigations, no matter what any verifiability theory of meaning may adduce against such legitimacy. Another implication shows the legitimacy of several unorthodox interpretations of quantum theory that disagree with the Copenhagen interpretation. The three components of a scientific theory (T), which make up its theoretical aspect can be designated as (a) the mathematical formalism of T, (b) the logical formalism of T, and (c) the metaphysical formalism of T.
Uniform Building Code—1988: Dynamic Method

In Chapter 8, we introduced the concept of response spectrum as a plot of the maximum response (spectral displacement, spectral velocity, or spectral acceleration) versus the natural frequency or natural period of a single degreeof-freedom system subjected to a specific excitation. In the present chapter, we will use seismic response spectra for earthquake resistant design of buildings modeled as discrete systems with concentrated masses at each level of the building.
Overview of Hepatotoxicity

This overview presents some of the salient features of liver biology and physiology that form the basis for a variety of experimental tools that are used for the study of chemical histopathology. Prevalence and risk of heptatoxicity are examined among a subset of chemicals from the EPA IRIS database. The goal is to provide an objective assessment of the magnitude of the problem of chemically-induced hepatotoxicity and contextual background against which the diversity of responses of the liver to toxicants and the analytical methods available for their study can be appreciated.
Analysis for aromatic compounds on paper and thin-layer chromatograms by spectrophotophosphorimetry

Abstract A technique is introduced in spectrophosphorimetric analysis by means of which spectra can be obtained directly on an adsorbent after chromatography. Spectra of the phosphorescent compound, its salts, its reduced or oxidized forms, or its derivatives can be obtained in all types of solvents. Examples of this simple technique are given ; detection limits range from 0.1 ng to mg amounts. A new system for the circular paper Chromatographic separation of aza heterocyclic hydrocarbons using aqueous formamide is described. Many of these heterocyclic compounds can be separated from each other as can the parent compounds from their alkyl derivatives. Air pollution mixtures separated by column and paper chromatography are analysed with the phosphorimetric technique. Spots obtained on the paper chromatograms are analyzed directly in the phosphorimeter. With these techniques benzo-(f) quinoline, benzo(h)quinoline, benz(a)acridine, benz(c)acridine, and hydrocarbons such as phenanthrene and benzo(e)pyrene are readily characterized.
Fast Asynchronous Streaming Handoff

In this paper, we present a new signaling protocol that enables real-time audio/video viewing to transfer from one device to another, extending Application Session Handoff (ASH) to streaming media. ASH is a novel system service that provides seamless and uninterrupted data access across heterogeneous devices in the mobile, asynchronous computing environment. We discuss our architecture in detail, provide a sample application and present experimental results that show handoff latencies on the order of 10-2 to 10-3 seconds.
The framingham Type A Scale: Cardiovascular and cognitive-behavioral responses to interpersonal challenge

Most of the primary measures of Type A behavior have been found to be associated with physiological reactivity to stressors, as well as coronary heart disease (CHD). While it does predict CHD, the Framingham Type A Scale (FTAS) has not been conclusively linked to physiological reactivity. Similarly, in contrast to other Type A measures, little is known concerning the cognitive behaviors associated with the FTAS in stressful situations. The present study was conducted to evaluate the cardiovascular and cognitive-behavioral responses to interpersonal challenge of Type A versus Type B subjects, as classified by the FTAS. Type A's evidenced increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity and a greater degree of negatively toned cognitive activity than did Type B's. The SBP findings are consistent with those obtained with other measures of Type A behavior, and with the hypothesis that neuroendocrine reactivity mediates the link between the behavior pattern and CHD. The somewhat unique cognitive-behavior findings, however, may reflect important psychological differences among the various Type A measures.
The effect of the ACOG guideline on vaginal births after cesarean.

In October 1988, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a physician practice guideline stating that a prior cesarean section is no longer a reason for performing a repeat C-section. Using a panel data set consisting of 55 Massachusetts hospitals over the years 1987 to 1991, this study examines if the ACOG guideline had any impact on the practice of vaginal births after cesarean (VBACs) at the typical hospital. The empirical results suggest that the ACOG guideline led to a permanent 5.6 percentage point increase in the VBAC rate, ceteris paribus. As a result, the study suggests that practice guidelines do sometimes work. The information dissemination role of the popular press may provide the reason why the AGOG guideline influenced the practice of VBACs.
Studies of intramolecular cyclizations of N-acyliminium ions derived from acyclic ketones: unanticipated stereochemical and structural results.

Intramolecular cyclizations of a series of (E)- and (Z)-olefinic acyclic ketone-derived N-acyliminium ions have been studied. It has been found that both the course of the reaction and the stereochemistry of the products are critically dependent upon the tether length and olefin geometry of the cyclization substrate.
The collisional and dynamical evolution of the main-belt and NEA size distributions

Abstract The size distribution of main belt of asteroids is determined primarily by collisional processes. Large asteroids break up and form smaller asteroids in a collisional cascade, with the outcome controlled by the strength–size relationship for asteroids. In addition to collisional processes, the non-collisional removal of asteroids from the main belt (and their insertion into the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population) is critical, and involves several effects: strong resonances increase the orbital eccentricity of asteroids and cause them to enter the inner planet region; chaotic diffusion by numerous weak resonances causes a slow leak of asteroids into the Mars- and Earth-crossing populations; and the Yarkovsky effect, a radiation force on asteroids, is the primary process that drives asteroids into these resonant escape routes. Yarkovsky drift is size-dependent and can modify the main-belt size distribution. The NEA size distribution is primarily determined by its source, the main-belt population, and by the size-dependent processes that deliver bodies from the main belt. All of these effects are simulated in a numerical collisional evolution model that incorporates removal by non-collisional processes. We test our model against a wide range of observational constraints, such as the observed main-belt and NEA size distributions, the number of asteroid families, the preserved basaltic crust of Vesta and its large south-pole impact basin, the cosmic ray exposure ages of meteorites, and the cratering records on asteroids. We find a strength–size relationship for main-belt asteroids and non-collisional removal rates from the main belt such that our model fits these constraints as best as possible within the parameter space we explore. Our results are consistent with other independent estimates of strength and removal rates.
D21S210: A highly polymorphic (GT)n marker closely linked to the β-amyloid protein precursor (APP) gene

We describe a highly polymorphic (GT)n repeat with 14 alleles that is closely linked to the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene on human chromosome 21. This marker, D21S210, will be useful for studies of linkage of disorders such as Alzheimer disease to the APP gene.
Hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Abstract Four patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and persistent unexplained hyperkalemia were studied. Testing with cosyntropin (0.25 mg intravenously) revealed normal baseline and stimulated cortisol levels and adequate aldosterone stimulation. The baseline aldosterone level was low for the degree of hyperkalemia. Renin/aldosterone stimulation testing was performed by intravenous injection of 80 mg of furosemide followed by four hours of upright posture. This study showed low baseline renin and aldosterone levels and inadequate renin and aldosterone stimulation. Three patients were subsequently treated with fludrocortisone (0. 1 to 0. 2 mg per day), with normalization of serum potassium levels. It is concluded that hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism is responsible for hyperkalemia in some patients with AIDS and that treatment with fludrocortisone is effective in these cases.
Developmental phenotype of a membrane only estrogen receptor alpha (MOER) mouse.

Estrogen receptors (ERs) α and β exist as nuclear, cytoplasmic, and membrane cellular pools in a wide variety of organs. The relative contributions of each ERα pool to in vivo phenotypes resulting from estrogen signaling have not been determined. To address this, we generated a transgenic mouse expressing only a functional E domain of ERα at the plasma membrane (MOER). Cells isolated from many organs showed membrane only localized E domain of ERα and no other receptor pools. Liver cells from MOER and wild type mice responded to 17-β-estradiol (E2) with comparable activation of ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, not seen in cells from ERαKO mice. Mating the MOER female mice with proven male wild type breeders produced no pregnancies because the uterus and vagina of the MOER female mice were extremely atrophic. Ovaries of MOER and homozygous Strasbourg ERαKO mice showed multiple hemorrhagic cysts and no corpus luteum, and the mammary gland development in both MOER and ERαKO mice was rudimentary. Despite elevated serum E2 levels, serum LH was not suppressed, and prolactin levels were low in MOER mice. MOER and Strasbourg female mice showed plentiful abdominal visceral and other depots of fat and increased body weight compared to wild type mice despite comparable food consumption. These results provide strong evidence that the normal development and adult functions of important organs in female mice requires nuclear ERα and is not rescued by membrane ERα domain expression alone.
The effects of the macrotetralide actin antibiotics on the electrical properties of phospholipid bilayer membranes

This paper, the last in a series of three, characterizes the electrical properties of phospholipid bilayer membranes exposed to aqueous solutions containing nonactin, monactin, dinactin, and trinactin and Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, and NH4+ ions. Not only are both the membrane resistance at zero current and the membrane potential at zero current found to depend on the aqueous concentrations of antibiotic and ions in the manner expected from the theory of the first paper, but also these measurements are demonstrated to be related to each other in the manner required by this theory for “neutral carriers”. To verify that these antibiotics indeed are free to move as carriers of cations, cholesterol was added to the lipid to increase the “viscosity” of the interior of the membrane. Cholesterol decreased by several orders of magnitude the ability of the macrotetralide antibiotics to lower the membrane resistance; nevertheless, the permeability ratios and conductance ratios remained exactly the same as in cholesterolfree membranes. These findings are expected for the “carrier” mechanism postulated in the first paper and serve to verify it. Lastly, the observed effects of nonactin, monactin, dinactin, and trinactin on bilayers are compared with those predicted in the preceding paper from the salt-extraction equilibrium constants measured there; and a close agreement is found. These results show that the theory of the first paper satisfactorily predicts the effects of the macrotetralide actin antibiotics on the electrical properties of phospholipid bilayer membranes, using only the thermodynamic constants measured in the second paper. It therefore seems reasonable to conclude that these antibiotics produce their characteristic effects on membranes by solubilizing cations therein as mobile positively charged complexes.
Evaluation of Eosinophilia in Hospitalized Preterm Infants

To characterize changes in eosinophil counts over time, and to draw comparisons across four gestational age groups with respect to the incidence of, and clinical conditions associated with eosinophilia over the first months of life in a single neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Weekly complete blood counts (CBCs) were collected from all NICU patients. Eosinophilia was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Changes in eosinophil counts were examined over time, the incidence of eosinophilia was determined by gestational age group, and clinical correlations sought. Eosinophil data from 1652 CBCs were analyzed from 332 infants. Eosinophilia occurred in 148 infants (45%) during their hospitalization. The prevalence, severity, and timing of eosinophilia varied by gestational age, infection, and red blood cell transfusions. The incidence and severity of eosinophilia increased with immaturity, and was temporally associated with infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, and packed red blood cell transfusion.
Andreev reflections at metal/superconductor point contacts: Measurement and analysis

We present point-contact Andreev reflection measurements of $X/\mathrm{N}\mathrm{b}$ contacts, where $X=\mathrm{Ni},$ Co, Fe, and Cu. Experimental conductance-voltage curves were analyzed with the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk theory [Phys. Rev. B 25, 4515 (1982)], extended to include the polarization P of the metal and proximity effects. For Ni, Co, and Fe the conductance-voltage curves can be well described by the model with P and Z as the fitting parameters, where Z is a dimensionless barrier strength included in the model to describe elastic scattering at a nonideal metal/superconductor interface. The polarization for Fe, Co, and Ni depends on the magnitude of Z. The value of the intrinsic P can be obtained by extrapolation to $Z=0$ (perfectly transparent interface). For Cu, the conductance-voltage curves show a dip at the position of the Nb superconducting gap, due to proximity effects, which reduce the effective gap value for the normal to supercurrent conversion at the Cu/Nb interface, while leaving the gap for quasiparticle transport essentially unchanged. In addition, an overall decrease of the gap is observed when the size of the point contact approaches the superconducting coherence length in Nb. We have included these effects in our model and obtained very good agreement between experimental data and model calculations.
A passive wireless sensor with reflective nonlinear transmission lines for capacitive signal transduction

A passive RFID transponder with reflective nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs) has been developed for capacitive sensor detection. By detecting the phase change in the harmonic signal generated by NLTLs, the capacitive sensor information can be monitored wirelessly. To show the feasibility and design procedure, two open-ended NLTLs with terminating capacitive sensors are implemented in IBM 0.13µm CMOS process. The NLTLs with Bragg cutoff frequency ƒ B = 10 GHz and 15 GHz achieve an average of 0.25°/fF and 0.61°/fF in the phase of the reflected harmonic signal, when the modeled sensor capacitance changes from 290 fF to 900 fF and from 117 fF to 362 fF, respectively.
Profiles of Religiosity and Their Association With Risk Behavior Among Emerging Adults in the United States

There exists significant variation in religious expression, and a growing body of research suggests the importance of examining this variation among emerging adults vis-a-vis involvement in antisocial and high-risk behaviors. Drawing from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH; N = 19,312) and the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; N = 2,721), latent profile analysis and multinomial regression are employed to examine the relationships between latent religiosity classes, antisocial behavior, substance use, and substance use disorders. Results revealed four-class solutions for both the NSDUH and NESARC samples. Emerging adults classified as “publicly and privately devoted” were substantially less likely to be involved in a broad array of risk behaviors and to meet criteria for substance use disorders. Findings suggest the protective effect of religiosity finds its most powerful expression primarily among the minority of emerging adults most profoundly committed to religious life Language: en
Illustrating the Impact of a Time-Varying Covariate With an Extended Kaplan-Meier Estimator

In clinical endpoint trials, the association between a baseline covariate and the risk of an endpoint is often measured by the hazard ratio as calculated by a Cox regression model, and illustrated by Kaplan-Meier curves comparing cohorts defined by levels of the covariate. The Cox regression model is easily extended to the case of time-varying covariates; however, there is no clear approach for similarly extending the standard Kaplan-Meier estimator. Various ad hoc procedures that have been used in the medical literature are seriously flawed. This article discusses an extended Kaplan-Meier estimator that can be used with time-varying covariates and illustrates this method using data from a long-term clinical trial.
Glucocorticoid hormone receptors in rat pancreas.

Abstract Although glucocorticoiods influence pancreatic function, it has not been established whether they act directly at the level of the pancreas, or indirectly by causing metabolic changes in other target tissues. As a step in elucidating the actions of glucocorticoids on the pancreas, a search was conducted for glucocorticoid hormone receptors in this tissue. Uptake and binding studies indicated that there were glucocorticoid hormone receptors in the high-speed cytosolic extract of rat pancreas. These receptors appear to be similar to other rat glucocorticoid receptors: they bind glucocorticoids rapidly in a reversible manner at 0°C, competitive binding analysis studies show that they have a preference for glucocorticoids and, like receptors, bind the synthetic steroids triamcinolone acetonide and dexamethasone with a higher affinity than corticosterone. Scatchard analysis demonstrated that there are 1.37 · 10−13 mol glucocorticoid-binding sites/mg cytosolic protein. This demonstration of a glucocorticoid hormone receptor in pancreatic cytosol suggests that some of the effects glucocorticoids exert on pancreatic function are a consequence of their direct actions on this target tissue.
Validation of an ocular microdialysis technique in rabbits with permanently implanted vitreous probes: systemic and intravitreal pharmacokinetics of fluorescein.

The purpose of this work is to validate a novel ocular microdialysis sampling technique in rabbits with permanently implanted vitreous probes. This objective is achieved by studying the vitreous pharmacokinetics of fluorescein following systemic and intravitreal administration. The rabbits were divided into two groups (groups I and II) based on whether or not they were allowed a recovery period following surgical implantation of probes. The integrity of the blood-retinal barrier was determined by the vitreal protein concentrations and the fluorescein permeability index. Vitreal protein concentrations returned to baseline 48 h after probe implantation and therefore experiments were conducted 72 h post-implantation of probes in rabbits where recovery period was allowed. The permeability indices for fluorescein after systemic administration in group I (without recovery period) and group II (with recovery period) indicated that the integrity of the blood-retinal barrier was maintained and were found out to be 0.55 ± 0.27 and 0.71 ± 0.38%, respectively, for the vitreous chamber. Following microdialysis probe implantation in the group II rabbits, the blood-retinal barrier integrity was not compromised. A novel microdialysis technique in rabbits with permanently implanted probes for studying the pharmacokinetics of posterior segment has been developed and characterized.
An extension of an accommodation and convergence model of emmetropization to include the effects of illumination intensity.

Abstract The Flitcroft (1998) emmetropization model incorporates a classical model of accommodation and convergence with blur-driven feedback control of eye growth. We have modified this model by incorporating the effects of illumination (with or without extensive near work) on accommodation, vergence, pupil diameter and emmetropization. In addition to replicating Flitcroft’s results, we show that (1) decreased illumination and (2) a low convergence accommodation/convergence (CAC) ratio exacerbate the progression of near-work-induced myopia. Our model further indicates that prescription of negative lenses, under these conditions, augments the advancement of myopia.
The synthesis of complexes of 2-, 3- and 4-cyanopyridine-N-oxide with copper(II) and iron(II) and (III)

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of 2-, 3-, and 4-cyanopyridine-N-oxide complexes of copper(II), iron(II) and iron(III) involving chloride, perchlorate, and fluoroborate anions are described.