cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pitt Creates New IC4CR Center to Utilize AHP in Resolving International Conflicts

The current failure to resolve conflicts worldwide highlights the need for a different approach to conflict resolution. A proposal by University of Pittsburgh professors Luis Vargas and Jerry Zoffer to create a new International Center for Conflict Resolution (IC4CR) was funded by University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and will be housed in the Katz Graduate School of Business. The mission of IC4CR is to provide decision makers with an in-depth understanding of the negotiating positions of all parties and recommend implementation guidelines, based on preferences and priorities, to facilitate resolution of otherwise intractable conflicts.
Prosodic Characteristics of Semi-Spontaneous Speech

The present article analyses the idea of semi-spontaneous speech, comparing it to spontaneous and prepared types of speech; studies and describes the prosodic characteristics of semi-spontaneous speech, implemented in the genre of interview; studies the role of speaker’s level of preparedness to the communication act in respect of prosodic speech behaviour and differentiates proportion of the preparedness in spontaneous, prepared and semi-spontaneous speech; distinguishes a specific genre of mass media discourse – “star interview”, its structure and differential features, designating the role and functions of the interviewer in “speaker – interviewer – target mass audience” link. The studied material involves audio recordings of interviews with three popular British musicians: Phil Collins, Sting and George Michael. Separate monological statements taken from interviews were analyzed with a particular focus on prosodic characteristic, taking into consideration the matters under discussion, the speaker’s wish to elaborate upon a theme or shunt the conversation on another topic. Auditorial and acoustic analyses covered the research of such prosodic parameters as: the nature of the intonational scale, terminal tone and pausation peculiarities in the speakers’ speech. The central focus of the present research is on differentiation elements that characterize semi-spontaneous speech. The article describes essential aspects that have influence over the main prosodic characteristics of oral speech: experience in public speaking, individual characteristics of the speaker, physical and mental state, awareness of the topic discussed, desire to cover particular issues.
Evaluation of Tung et al.: Mir-17∼92 Confers Differential Vulnerability of Motor Neuron Subtypes to ALS-Associated Degeneration.

An example of the peer review process for "Mir-17∼92 Confers Differential Vulnerability of Motor Neuron Subtypes to ALS-Associated Degeneration" (Tung et al., 2019) is presented here.
Self-Heating in 40 nm SOI MOSFETs on High Resistivity, Trap-Rich Substrates

Closely spaced n-channel MOSFETs have been used to compare the self-heating in nominally identical devices fabricated on conventional and high resistivity, trap-rich silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. One of the MOSFETs operates above threshold and in saturation to heat the active silicon, while the other is biased into the sub-threshold regime and operates as a local thermometer. The trap-rich layer in the high resistivity substrates consists of a highly defected, poly-Si layer just below the buried oxide. Grain boundaries in the poly-Si lead to increased phonon scattering compared to single crystal silicon, with a corresponding decrease in thermal conductivity. Despite the reduced thermal conductivity there appears to be no difference in the self-heating between the MOSFETs on the high resistivity, trap-rich substrates compared to those on the conventional low resistivity substrates.
Repetitive Sequences: Impacts and Uses in the Spirodela Genome

Repetitive DNA, consisting of small and large satellite repeats and transposable elements, comprises over 50% of most plant genomes. The Lemnaceae family demonstrates a ~12-fold difference in genome size and relatively similar number of genes, indicating a wide variability in repeat content. The best studied genome of the family Spirodela polyrhiza had a normal total satellite DNA content, yet a surprisingly high 50% of those were dinucleotide microsatellite repeats. The telomeres and 119 bp centromere repeats were typical, although ribosomal repeats appear scarce. Genomic studies showed a small number of 24nt heterochromatic siRNAs accompanied by the lowest rate of DNA methylation seen in any plant sequenced at 9% and low rates of heterochromatin formation. Despite this low level of regulation, the transposable elements are unexpectedly rare and old. In fact, they even show high rates of DNA methylation and high rates of inactivation through illegitimate recombination. This suggests that the scarce 24nt siRNAs are surprisingly effective and an intriguing topic of further research.
Site-Specific Antibody–Drug Conjugates in Triple Variable Domain Fab Format

The interest in replacing the conventional immunoglobulin G (IgG) format of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) with alternative antibody and antibody-like scaffolds reflects a need to expand their therapeutic utility and potency while retaining their exquisite specificity, affinity, and low intrinsic toxicity. For example, in the therapy of solid malignancies, the limited tumor tissue penetration and distribution of ADCs in IgG format mitigates a uniform distribution of the cytotoxic payload. Here, we report triple variable domain Fab (TVD–Fab) as a new format that affords the site-specific and stable generation of monovalent ADCs without the Fc domain and a drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) of 2. TVD–Fabs harbor three variable fragment (Fv) domains: one for tumor targeting and two for the fast, efficient, precise, and stable conjugation of two cargos via uniquely reactive lysine residues. The biochemical and in vitro cytotoxicity properties of a HER2-targeting TVD–Fab before and after conjugation to a tubulin inhibitor were validated. In vivo, the TVD–Fab antibody carrier revealed a circulatory half-life of 13.3 ± 2.5 h and deeper tumor tissue distribution compared to our previously reported dual variable domain (DVD)–IgG1 format. Taken together, the TVD–Fab format merits further investigations as an antibody carrier of site-specific ADCs targeting solid malignancies.
Eleanor Roosevelt and the Nature: Bridging Conservationism with Environmentalism

The Roosevelt name is oftentimes associated with the (legal) protection of nature: Theodore famously championed conservationism and was the mastermind behind the establishment of the National Parks, a decision that still constitutes one of his major and longest-lasting legacies in the field of public policy. Franklin notoriously put the preservation of the environment at the center of many New Deal measures, believing that the key to prevent natural disasters and support human development, in both rural and urban areas, at the same time was to safeguard the country’s most precious natural resources. But Eleanor too cherished nature in her own ways. In particular, she contributed to transforming the deep-rooted American tradition of conservationism into a modern quest for environmental sustainability. Environmental protection, in her eyes, was a matter of transnational concern, which had to be addressed with both national and international instruments. The preservation of the environment was to her, in the end, a test for modern democracies, which had to prove their ability to establish a fair and sustainable relation between the development and growth of their societies and the maintenance of their environments. As this chapter shows, three were the main features of Eleanor Roosevelt’s environmentalism: first, she exalted the beauty of the nature, often in motherly tones; second, she promoted environmental grassroots activism, for the purpose of spreading ecological awareness mostly through education; and third, she championed both national and international legislation aimed at supporting environmental policies.
Capacity of flexible loads for grid support: statistical characterization for long term planning

Flexible loads are a valuable resource for the power grid of the future to help with balancing demand and generation. A balancing authority (BA) needs to know how much flexibility a load has, meaning what type of power deviation (from the baseline demand) signals are feasible for the load. In this work we present a characterization of capacity for a flexible load in terms of the power spectral density of the power deviation. We then show how this characterization can be used for resource allocation for the grid by determining what portion of the grid's needs can be met by a collection of such loads. The key difference with prior work on flexibility characterization is that ours is posed in terms of the statistical properties grid's net load and load's demand deviation, not on specific instances of these signals. The proposed characterization can thus be used for long term planning.
Multi-Ligament Knee Injuries in Elite Athletes: return to play rates, timing, and complications:

Objectives:Historically, combined ligament injuries of the knee have been considered career ending for elite athletes. The objective of this paper was to provide a reference when counseling athlete...
Abstract P043: Correlation Between Blood Pressure And Left Ventricular Metabolism In HIV Individuals With And Without Cocaine Use As Assessed By FDG-PET/CT

Objectives: Elevated blood pressure from cocaine can increase left ventricular (LV) metabolic activity, leading to structural changes such as hypertrophy. We aimed to assess the association between...
Pragmatic justice in juvenile sentencing: agreeing what to do but not why

The work of the juvenile justice system is marked by profound moral ambiguity and practical uncertainty, yet that work is also thoroughly bureaucratized. Rules and routines circumscribe the work’s ambiguity and uncertainty. So what does it mean to do justice under such conditions? Drawing on field notes from the observation of 33 different sentencing meetings in one state’s juvenile justice system, this article presents a grounded view of this problem, focusing on seemingly contradictory routine and creativity observed in the sentencing meetings. To explain this apparent contradiction, this article offers an original theoretical contribution, tying together a pragmatist theory of action, research from the practice theory tradition in organizational studies, as well as research on ritual, to develop an account of the ways in which structured actions allow people to navigate ambiguity and uncertainty. The article then examines one particularly difficult case that causes the organizational routine to break down. This breakdown forces the juvenile justice professionals to get creative with their bureaucratically available options. While they deviate from the typical organizational routine, they return to established ritual of the sentencing process. The article concludes with an initial attempt to develop a broader pragmatist account of ritual, focusing on the ways in which ritualized action make concrete our abstract and often contradictory ideals.
Accounting for the Effects of Dislocation Climb Mediated Flow in Mg Alloy ZK10 Sheet

Tensile samples of an Mg alloy ZK10 sheet were tested at a range of temperatures and strain rates designed to rather evenly probe a range of Zener Hollomon parameter values, from ln(Z) ≈ 15 (10–4 s−1 and 623 K) up to ln(Z) ≈ 50 (10–3 s−1 and 300 K). In contrast with more commonly examined Mg alloy AZ31B sheet material, ZK10 sheet material shows modest strain anisotropy (r-value) at low temperatures for both 45° (r45 ≈ 1.2) and TD (rTD ≈ 1.4) sample orientations, despite showing evidence of significant prismatic slip of dislocations, which often leads to high r-values at low temperatures. These low r-values become even lower (r45 ≈ 0.84 and rTD ≈ 0.89) at high temperatures. These behaviors are hypothesized to occur due to a distinct initial texture and deformation mechanism activity, which includes a modest level of tensile twinning and slip at both room and elevated temperature. A version of the viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) code, which accounts for the kinematics of dislocation climb, is used to simulate the behavior of a textured Mg alloy ZK10 sheet reveals that both the glide of pyramidal dislocations and the climb of basal dislocations are required to describe the behavior at elevated temperatures.
Temporal integration of inductive cues on the way to gastrulation.

Markers for the endoderm and mesoderm germ layers are commonly expressed together in the early embryo, potentially reflecting cells’ ability to explore potential fates before fully committing. It remains unclear when commitment to a single-germ layer is reached and how it is impacted by external signals. Here, we address this important question in Drosophila, a convenient model system in which mesodermal and endodermal fates are associated with distinct cellular movements during gastrulation. Systematically applying endoderm-inducing extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signals to the ventral medial embryo—which normally only receives a mesoderm-inducing cue—reveals a critical time window during which mesodermal cell movements and gene expression are suppressed by proendoderm signaling. We identify the ERK target gene huckebein (hkb) as the main cause of the ventral furrow suppression and use computational modeling to show that Hkb repression of the mesoderm-associated gene snail is sufficient to account for a broad range of transcriptional and morphogenetic effects. Our approach, pairing precise signaling perturbations with observation of transcriptional dynamics and cell movements, provides a general framework for dissecting the complexities of combinatorial tissue patterning.
Piezoelectric-Based Respiratory Monitoring: Towards Self-Powered Implantables for the Airways

Wearable and implantable technology for respiratory monitoring has created the potential for continuous collection of respiratory parameters for healthcare and other applications. However, battery life, form factor, and user burden impose practical constraints that affect user acceptance and therefore clinical utility. This work introduces a wireless self-powered sensing system for airway monitoring that uses an array of piezoelectric cantilevers that functions as both the respiratory flow sensor and the energy harvester that powers the system. The cantilevers are excited by airflow in the airway, and the harvested energy from the cantilevers is stored in a capacitor. Once a threshold energy is available in the capacitor, a load switch closes and enables a low frequency oscillator that functions as a data-less transmitter. The signal coming from the sensing system is received by an external software-defined radio (SDR), and the rate at which this signal is received is mapped to the respiratory conditions in the airway. A benchtop testing system that incorporates a lung simulator, a data acquisition system, and a hot wire anemometer was created to validate the sensor. Results show that the signal reception rate is affected by the breathing rate and volume, demonstrating the potential for a self-powered, miniaturized, passive implantable device for continuous respiratory health monitoring.
Intraoperative Neuromonitoring During Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

OBJECTIVE To review the evidence for the use of electromyography (EMG), motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), and somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEPs) intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) strategies during lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF), as well as discuss the limitations associated with each technique. METHODS A comprehensive review of the literature and compilation of findings relating to clinical studies investigating the efficacy of EMG, MEP, SSEP, or combined IONM strategies during LLIF. RESULTS The evidence for the use of EMG is mixed with some studies demonstrating the efficacy of EMG in preventing postoperative neurologic injuries and other studies demonstrating a high rate of postoperative neurologic deficits with EMG monitoring. Multimodal IONM strategies utilizing MEPs or saphenous SSEPs to monitor the lumbar plexus may be promising strategies based on results from a limited number of studies. CONCLUSION The use of traditional EMG during LLIF remains without consensus. There is a growing body of evidence utilizing multimodal IONM with MEPs or saphenous SSEPs demonstrating a possible decrease in postoperative neurologic injuries after LLIF. Future prospective studies, with clear definitions of neurologic injury, that evaluate different multimodal IONM strategies are needed to better assess the efficacy of IONM during LLIF.
How Does Threat Modulate the Motivational Effects of Reward on Attention

Abstract. Studies on attentional bias have overwhelmingly focused on the priority of different stimuli and have rarely manipulated the state of the observer. Recently, the threat of unpredictable s...
Photothermal transitions of magnetoexcitons in G a A s / A l x Ga 1 − x As quantum wells

By monitoring changes in excitonic photoluminescence (PL) that are induced by terahertz (THz) radiation, we observe resonant THz absorption by magnetoexcitons in ${\mathrm{G}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{A}\mathrm{s}/\mathrm{A}\mathrm{l}}_{x}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{As}$ quantum wells. Changes in the PL spectrum are explored as a function of temperature and magnetic field, providing insight into the mechanisms which allow THz absorption to modulate PL. The strongest PL-quenching occurs at the heavy hole $1\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{s}{2p}^{+}$ resonance where heavy hole excitons are photothermally converted into light hole excitons.
CEO Interviews on CNBC

We investigate whether media attention systematically affects stock prices through the trading of individual investors by exploiting the substantial discrepancy between perceived and actual information content of 6,937 CEO interviews on CNBC. The average cumulative abnormal stock return over the [-2, 0] trading day window is 1.62%, yet prices exhibit strong reversion of 1.08% over the following ten trading days. The magnitude of price response is positively correlated with the viewership as well as the language tone of the CEO. We find that individual investors are net buyers on the interview days, and that they keep on buying if the interview was both carried out by attractive anchorwoman and was watched by more male viewers. The price reversal is attributable to abnormal short-selling volume on interview day. Moreover, we find that the price run-up before the interviews is largely driven by individual investors that are excited even at the pre-announcement of the interview. We also find evidence of asymmetric attention cascade coming from CNBC interview upon the tone of media coverage of the firm, tilted towards the negative. JEL classifications: G14, G12.
Second-site suppressor mutations at glycine 218 and histidine 245 in the alpha subunit of F1F0 ATP synthase in Escherichia coli.

Abstract The alpha-like subunits of F1F0 ATP synthases share primary structural homology in two segments near their carboxyl termini. However, the amino acids at the functionally important positions occupied by alpha Gly-218 and alpha His-245 in Escherichia coli vary depending upon organism and organelle. The alpha G218-->D,H245-G and alpha G218-->K,H245-->G double mutations were constructed in the E. coli uncB(alpha) gene to model the chloroplast ATPase IV subunit and alkaliphilic bacterial alpha subunit, respectively. Strains carrying each of the single mutations, alpha G218-->D, alpha G218-->K, and alpha H245-->G, had marked reductions in F1F0 ATP synthase function. The alpha G218-->K mutation was alone sufficient to virtually eliminate enzyme function. Membranes prepared from the alpha G218-->D mutant exhibited increased levels of ATP hydrolysis activity without a corresponding increase in active proton transport, suggesting a mechanistic uncoupling of catalytic activity and proton translocation. However, much of the lost F1F0 ATP synthase activity was restored in the alpha G218-->D,H245-->G and alpha G218-->K,H245-->G double mutant strains demonstrating that these mutations act as mutual intragenic second-site suppressors. The evidence is consistent with a close spatial interaction between alpha Gly-218 and alpha His-245.
PEG 400, a hydrophilic molecular probe for measuring intestinal permeability.

Abstract There is a widely held misconception that lowmolecular-weight polyethylene glycols are "highly lipophilic" permeability probes and therefore are transported across lipid cell membranes. The relative lipophilicity of polyethylene glycols 400 and 600 were examined by determining their partition coefficients (Kd) in water and organic solvents of increasing relative polarity. The Kd of polyethylene glycol 414 between hexane and water was 0.000015, indicating that there are only 1.5 parts of polyethylene glycol 414 in hexane for 100,000 parts of polyethylene glycol 414 in water. When the Kd was determined in organic solvents with increasing relative polarity or "water character," there was a linear increase in Kd. The relative urinary recovery of individual molecular weight fractions of polyethylene glycol 400 in normal volunteers was analyzed. After oral ingestion, there was a progressive decrease in relative urinary recovery of increasing molecular weight fractions of polyethylene glycol 400 suggesting that increase in the molecular size limited polyethylene glycol intestinal permeability. There was excellent correlation between the relative urinary recovery and the hydrophilicity of the intravenously administered polyethylene glycol 400 fractions. It is concluded that polyethylene glycols 400 and 600 are strongly hydrophilic. Since partitioning of polyethylene glycol into lipid phase is negligible in lipid/water mixtures, they are unlikely to be transported via lipid pathways. The intestinal permeability of polyethylene glycols are governed by their molecular size, and once in circulation their urinary excretion appears to be governed in part by their plasma or water solubility.
Fractures in access to and assessment of trauma systems

Abstract Background Trauma is a major public health problem and organized systems of trauma care have been shown to substantially reduce trauma-related mortality. Currently California and many other states have incompletely developed systems of trauma care delivery. This study was undertaken to determine how frequently patients incurring serious trauma in California receive treatment at a trauma center. Study design Hospital discharge records for 360,743 acute trauma patients for 1995 to 1997 were analyzed. Abbreviated Injury Scale scores were calculated from discharge diagnosis codes. Severity of trauma and the need for trauma center treatment was defined by eight Abbreviated Injury Scale criteria combined with patient age and type of injury. Results According to study criteria, 67,718 patients needed trauma center care and 56% were treated at a trauma center. Among patients less than 55 years of age, 62% were treated at a trauma center compared with 40% of those aged 55 years or more (p Conclusions Only 56% of seriously injured patients in California were treated at trauma centers, despite most of the injuries occurring in the catchment areas of designated trauma care systems. Substantial undertriage of serious trauma patients to trauma centers appears to be occurring, especially in older persons and in persons with brain injuries. Efforts to understand why undertriage is occurring so frequently are hampered by fragmentation of the systems of care, inadequate data management systems, and lack of trauma care performance reporting by non–trauma center hospitals.
Life and death by P53

p53 is a multifunctional protein which plays a role in modulating gene transcription, policing cell cycle checkpoints, activating apoptosis, controlling DNA replication and repair, maintaining genomic stability and responding to genetic insults. Mutation of the p53 gene confers the single greatest known selective advantage favoring cancer formation. Point mutations result not only in the loss of tumor suppressor functions, but also in the gain of tumor promotion functions. These dual circumstances may be unique to p53 and, in part, could explain the relatively powerful force behind this selection pressure. General mechanisms of gain of function by mutated p53 may include alteration in transcriptional modulation and newly acquired targets for transcriptional regulation and protein binding. Despite the direct significance of p53 mutations, loss of the remaining wild-type allele is usually required for the formation of tumors in the natural setting. Novel applications of the basic scientific knowledge of p53 could lead to an improvement in cancer treatment, hopefully in the not so distant future.
Design of a new small-animal SPECT system based on rectangular pinhole aperture

We have studied the impact of using rectangular-aperture pinholes in a multi-pinhole, stationary system for cardiac imaging of mice. The system will utilize the standard NaI(TI) detectors on a clinical SPECT system. There are at least two advantages to using rectangular apertures: (1) the fields of view (FOV) in the axial and transverse directions become separable since they are determined by the walls of the aperture insert, which can have independent acceptance angles; and (2) the tiling of projections onto the detector is more efficient for the same solid angle (i.e., allows more pinholes) than traditional, circular apertures since the circular-aperture projections have a packing fraction of less than π/4. The system design places these rectangular apertures, which will be cast using a Pt/Ir alloy that is denser and harder than gold, into a tungsten-polymer tube that will be cast from a mold that is 3D printed in plastic. This fabrication technique will provide flexibility in the placement and orientation of the pinhole inserts yet will be less expensive to manufacture than traditional machining. The system sensitivity depends on the resolution and FOV; we plan to limit the FOV to a region that accommodates a mouse heart with some margin. We have tested the reconstruction of simulated data, with both point phantoms and the MOBY™ phantom, using an MLEM algorithm and found both good resolution and fidelity throughout the targeted FOV, with good angular sampling. The system can achieve an estimated best system resolution of 0.4 mm with high magnification - before resolution recovery by system modeling during reconstruction - but this operating point would yield low sensitivity. Comparisons with commercial and research systems indicate improved sensitivity at the same resolution.
Screening of glycosylation patterns in serum using natural glycoprotein microarrays and multi-lectin fluorescence detection.

Protein glycosylation has been implicated in key biological processes including immunological recognition, cellular adhesion, protein folding, and signaling as well as disease progression. Although several methods are available to assess glycosylation of protein structures, none of them is able to screen complex biological samples at a global as well as an individual scale. A novel strategy presented here uses an all-liquid phase enrichment and prefractionation methodology coupled to glycoprotein microarray technology using a multiple lectin-based, biotin−streptavidin detection scheme. Selective detection of glycan structures was made possible by employing multiple lectins to screen glycoprotein standards as well as serum samples from normal subjects or patients with chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer. Interestingly, in some instances, a greater degree of glycosylation was seen in proteins that were underexpressed based on the reversed-phase chromatogram alone. Studies with standard proteins establ...
Advances in nonlinear optical microscopy for visualizing dynamic tissue properties in culture.

Optical microscopy encompasses high-resolution imaging techniques that can be used to non-destructively investigate and characterize living biological systems and engineered tissue constructs in culture. In particular, nonlinear optical microscopy (NLOM) is well suited for the visualization and quantification of processes involved in cell–extracellular matrix interactions in vivo. Current NLOM technology enables concomitant molecular imaging and visualization of microstructural organization that could provide a direct link between signal transduction and biological effect at microscopic length scales that culminate into tissue macroscopic properties and function. This review highlights the fundamentals of nonlinear optical interactions between light and tissue and presents a direction for future technology development to better complement quantitative, high-throughput assays of the modern life sciences.
The Turtle and the Shark

The Turtle and the Shark, one of the most popular Samoan legends, tells the story of a man and a woman who are to be separated by the king, Malietoafaiga. To avoid separation, they fled to another island. However, fearing their act of disobedience would bring dishonor on their families, they willingly gave up their lives at the cliffs of Vaitogi. The gods had mercy on them and transformed them into a turtle and a shark to live together, forever.
Prenatal sonographic features of trisomy 1q

We describe the sonographic features of trisomy 1q in 2 affected fetuses and identify 17 other published reports of this entity in the literature. Four of 5 (80%) diagnoses made at or = 6 mm or cystic hygroma colli (n = 5 [36%]), urinary anomalies (n = 5 [36%]), digit malformations (n = 5 [36%]), and abnormal amniotic fluid volume (n = 6 [40%]). Findings in trisomy 1q may be influenced by coexisting chromosomal deletions or mosaicism. Sonographic features generally reflect the location and size of the 1q duplication.
The New American Bible

Cooper takes issue with the "new" "American" Bible that was published in the early 1950s.Â He finds a lack of rhythm in the new prose translation and compares it with earlier English translations.
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: alterations in ventricular activation induced by changes in serum potassium.

Electrocardiographic observations obtained in a 45-year-old woman with chronic renal disease and intermittent Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome are presented. Modest changes in serum potassium during hemodialysis were associated with marked changes in standard electrocardiographic records. When the patient was normokalemia, a classic type A Wolff-Parkinson-White electrocardiogram was noted. However, when the potassium level exceeded 5.7 mEq/liter, the delta vector disappeared and the QRS had a normal morphology. It is suggested that acute alterations in serum potassium may prove a means of establishing normal AV conduction in patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Selective failure of long-term survival of isolated photoreceptors from both homozygous and heterozygous rd (retinal degeneration) mice.

Abstract Retinas from homozygous rdle rdle and heterozygous rdle/++ C57BL 6J mice were dissected and dissociated on postnatal day 2, when they are still essentially indistinguishable. The resulting cell suspensions were seeded on highly adhesive substrata, to which the cells attach as individual units, and grown in vitro for 2 weeks in serum-free, chemically defined media. The behavior of neurons and photoreceptors in vitro was investigated with several techniques; essentially no differences were found between rdle rdle and rdle/++ cells. Three distinctive cell types could be recognized in cultures of both genotypes towards the end of the first week in vitro: process-free cells, multipolar neurons and rod photoreceptors. There were similarities between rdle rdle and rdle/++ cultures in the number and morphology of photoreceptor cells, to include the presence of a cilium and a short neurite terminating in a spherule-like body. Moreover, in cultures of both genotypes, only photoreceptors showed opsin immunoreactivity and the antigen recognized by the rod-specific monoclonal antibody RET-P1. Biochemical and autoradiographic studies demonstrated that rdle rdle and rdle/++ cells also showed similar uptakes of the putative amino acid neurotransmitters glutamate and aspartate (associated with most of the photoreceptors and only some neurons), and γ-aminobutyric acid (associated with neurons but absent in photoreceptors). Thus, according to several parameters, the properties shown by photoreceptor cells were similar in rdle rdle and rdle/++ cultures during the first week in vitro. Massive photoreceptor cell death was observed in both genotypes during the second week in vitro, coinciding with the time when photoreceptor degeneration occurs in vivo in rd rd , but not in rd/+ retinas. Photoreceptor death in culture appeared to be specific, since approx. 80% of the non-photoreceptor neurons survived normally during the period when photoreceptor degeneration took place. Several reports from the literature suggest that the period around postnatal days 8–10 represents a critical stage for rd rd photoreceptors, since they survive until this time but degenerate thereafter. Genetically normal photoreceptors apparently undergo a comparable crisis during maintenance in primary culture, suggesting the involvement of cell-cell contacts and/or retina-derived environmental signals in the survival or rod visual cells.
Development and Application of a Database of Food Ingredient Fraud and Economically Motivated Adulteration from 1980 to 2010

: Food ingredient fraud and economically motivated adulteration are emerging risks, but a comprehensive compilation of information about known problematic ingredients and detection methods does not currently exist. The objectives of this research were to collect such information from publicly available articles in scholarly journals and general media, organize into a database, and review and analyze the data to identify trends. The results summarized are a database that will be published in the US Pharmacopeial Convention's Food Chemicals Codex, 8th edition, and includes 1305 records, including 1000 records with analytical methods collected from 677 references. Olive oil, milk, honey, and saffron were the most common targets for adulteration reported in scholarly journals, and potentially harmful issues identified include spices diluted with lead chromate and lead tetraoxide, substitution of Chinese star anise with toxic Japanese star anise, and melamine adulteration of high protein content foods. High-performance liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy were the most common analytical detection procedures, and chemometrics data analysis was used in a large number of reports. Future expansion of this database will include additional publically available articles published before 1980 and in other languages, as well as data outside the public domain. The authors recommend in-depth analyses of individual incidents. Practical Application: This report describes the development and application of a database of food ingredient fraud issues from publicly available references. The database provides baseline information and data useful to governments, agencies, and individual companies assessing the risks of specific products produced in specific regions as well as products distributed and sold in other regions. In addition, the report describes current analytical technologies for detecting food fraud and identifies trends and developments.
Experimental test of the effects of fluctuating incubation temperatures on hatchling phenotype.

In the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) and red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta), the temperature that eggs are exposed to during incubation determines the sex of the developing embryo. Constant temperature incubation experiments have shown that for each of these species there is a pivotal temperature that produces a 1:1 sex ratio; higher temperatures bias sex ratios toward females, and lower temperatures toward males. Few studies have examined how fluctuating temperatures, as would be experienced in natural nests, affect hatchling phenotype. Models predict that under fluctuating temperatures sex determination depends on the proportion of development that occurs above or below the pivotal temperature. We tested the effect of fluctuating versus constant temperature incubation regimes on sex ratios and other hatchling traits for both painted and red-eared slider turtles. Eggs were divided into two treatments with half of the eggs from each species incubated at a constant intermediate temperature, 28.5°C, and half incubated under temperatures that fluctuated 3°C above and below 28.5°C. We converted the fluctuating temperature data into a constant temperature equivalent (CTE) so that we could directly compare constant and fluctuating incubation regimes. The CTE for the fluctuating regime for both species was higher than the constant temperature, which would predict an increase in the production of females. The fluctuating regime did produce a higher proportion of females, but also resulted in increased developmental time and increased hatchling mass, indicating that fluctuating temperatures produce complex effects on hatchling phenotype. J. Exp. Zool. 307A:274–280, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Accelerated stability model for predicting shelf-life

Second- and higher-order degradation reactions sometimes cannot be approximated with linear or exponential relationships and need to be appropriately modeled. Events above the COULTER HmX Analyzer white blood cell (WBC) counting threshold were recorded for the HmX PAK reagent system stored at five elevated temperatures. An accelerated stability model for a second-degree polynomial degradation pattern was used. The shelf-life of the reagent, along with 95% lower bound confidence intervals, is predicted using the same pattern of degradation as well as the Arrhenius approximation. Experiments indicated that the degradation of the HmX PAK reagent occurred in two phases, the lag phase and the degradation phase, in all tested temperatures. The phase durations are temperature-dependent, and the Arrhenius approximation is appropriate (P=0.639). The degradation of the reagent during the lag phase was experimentally undetectable. Changes of the reagent were nonsignificant for a predicted period of 164 days at 25 degrees C. The rate of degradation increased significantly later on during the degradation phase. The lower bound of the 95% confidence interval of this prediction indicated that it would take at least 326 days before the HmX PAK reagent would have any performance issue related to aging at storage temperature.
Individual egg and chick recognition by adult royal terns (Sterna maxima maxima)

Egg-switching choice experiments involving forty-two adult royal terns in eight choice situations at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina, revealed that incubating adults consistently recognized their own single egg when placed in a wrong but adjacent nest. Individual egg colour and marking differences probably play the major role, but features of nest site (and/or of adjacent adults) were also shown to play a significant role in recognition and settling. Only two chick-switching experiments were done, with four chicks. Three of the returning adults failed to recognize their own chicks until the latter vocalized; the fourth recognized its silent chick and called it away from the nest site. The adaptive value of individual recognition of eggs and chicks is considered for this group (Thalasseus) of densely nesting, creche-forming terns.
BLANCAN LAGOMORPHS AND RODENTS OF THE DEER PARK ASSEMBLAGES, MEADE COUNTY, KANSAS

A new collection of lagomorphs and rodents from the Deer Park B local fauna (l.f.) of Meade County, Kansas is described and compared with other small mammal assemblages of the Meade Basin, including the underlying Deer Park A l.f. Deer Park A was correctly assigned by Hibbard to the Blancan, bridging the gap between earlier Blancan faunas such as Fox Canyon and the late Blancan Sanders l.f. Recent fieldwork indicates that the Deer Park quarries may lie in the Rexroad Formation, rather than in the Ballard Formation as previously assumed. The geology and extinct mammalian contingent at Deer Park suggest that the lower horizon of Deer Park A was an active spring that gradually turned into a marshy environment during Deer Park B time. The rodents of Deer Park B are indicative of an open prairie ecosystem that might have been somewhat more arid than that of southwestern Kansas today.
Differences in motivational dimensions across gambling frequency, game choice and medium of play in the United Kingdom

Motivations to gamble in the United Kingdom were examined in relation to gambling preferences and behaviour (gambling frequency, game choice, medium of play). A factor analysis delineated six motivational dimensions for gambling as a leisure activity: socialization through learning, escape, peripheral activity, fun/challenge, socialization through competition, and to win money. The motivational dimensions differed significantly for various gambling frequencies and across choice of games, though not across different media of play. More frequent gamblers chose to gamble for escape and/or fun/challenge purposes, while less frequent gamblers chose to gamble for socialization through learning and peripheral activities. Certain gambling motivations significantly affected decisions to play lottery, roulette, poker, betting and slots, but motivations were not significantly different from each other for bingo, blackjack, fixed-odds betting terminals and football pools. The research extends current knowledge of mot...
Invasion Zebra of the Mussels: A Mock Trial Activity

In this activity, students learn about the important topic of invasive species, specifically Zebra Mussels. Students role-play different characters in a real-life situation: the trial of the Zebra Mussel for unlawful disruption of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Students will also learn about jurisprudential inquiry by examining the trial process. This activity will reinforce important knowledge and skills underscored in the Life Science and Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Standards in the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council 1996).
Variant apolipoprotein AI as a major constituent of a human hereditary amyloid.

Amyloid fibrils were isolated from spleen and liver of a patient who died with Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy Type III (Iowa). The major protein constituent of the fibrils was found to be the amino terminal portion (residues 1–83) of apolipoprotein AI with an arginine for glycine substitution at position 26. This is the first report of an apolipoprotein as a major amyloid constituent in a form of autosomal dominant hereditary amyloidosis in humans.
A quantitative study of satellite cells in regenerated soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles

Satellite cells quantitated in the rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles following a complete regeneration returned to “normal” percentages of myofiber nuclei in both muscles 3 months after injury. Following cross-transplantation, the percentage of satellite cell nuclei in the EDL regenerated in the soleus bed was indistinguishable from the percentage in the soleus. Likewise, the soleus muscle regenerated in the EDL bed had a satellite cell percentage characteristic of the EDL. These results suggest that (1) the proportion of satellite cells is reestablished in a regenerated muscle and (2) the innervating nerve determines the proportion of satellite cell nuclei in a muscle.
Survival analysis with temporal covariate effects

SUMMARY We propose a natural generalization of the Cox regression model, in which the regression coefficients have direct interpretations as temporal covariate effects on the survival function. Under the conditionally independent censoring mechanism, we develop a smoothing free estimation procedure with a set of martingale-based equations. Our estimator is shown to be uniformly consistent and to converge weakly to a Gaussian process. A simple resampling method is proposed for approximating the limiting distribution of the estimated coefficients. Second-stage inferences with time-varying coefficients are developed accordingly. Simulations and a real example illustrate the practical utility of the proposed method. Finally, we extend this proposal of temporal covariate effects to the general class of linear transformation models and also establish a connection with the additive hazards model.
Limitations in the use of oral hypoglycemic agents in juvenile patients with diabetes

The effects of using oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of juvenile onset diabetes were observed in 16 patients. Eight courses of tolbutamide, twelve courses of phenformin, and four courses of tolbutamide plus phenformin were administered. The drugs were discontinued in 3 patients because of symptomatic acidosis, in 4 because of elevated ketone body levels, in 5 because of persistent acetonuria, and in 4 because of a variety of effects. Weight loss or failure to gain weight was a frequent problem and abdominal pain was also observed. Only 3 patients achieved satisfactory control for a significant period of time.
The distribution and elimination of 2,5,2',5'-[14C]tetrachlorobiphenyl in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri).

The distribution and persistence of 2,5,2′,5′-[14C]tetrachlorobiphenyl were studied for 140 days in rainbow trout which were exposed to [14C]TCB for 36 hr and transferred to hatchery raceways. The distribution of 14C was determined immediately following the exposure and at 1, 2, 7, 15, 28, and 56 days later. Carcass, muscle, skin, lower gastrointestinal tract, and fat contained most of the 14C and a total of 88% of the radioactivity was located in these tissues. During the first 14 days, 14C in adipose tissue, carcass, and eyes increased, possibly at the expense of other tissues. The disappearance of 14C from most tissnes studied appeared to be a biphasic process. Approximately 30% of the compound was eliminated after 2 weeks, but only a 6% loss was observed in the following 126 days. The initial rapid loss of the [14C]TCB had a half-life of 1.55 days. Subsequent, slower elimination had a half-life of 2.66 years. The bile and blood initially contained relatively high concentrations of 14C, but disappearance from these sites was rapid and nearly complete.
Driven by distraction: An integrative review of social facilitation theory and research

Abstract Social facilitation refers to the enhancement of an organism's dominant responses by the simple physical presence of species-mates, independent of any informational or interactional influences the others may exert. This phenomenon represents the consequences of the most elementary transition from a nonsocial to a social environment, and is one of the first research areas in experimental social psychology. The present analysis examines the status of three different explanations for socially facilitated behavior. Substantial weaknesses exist in the propositions that the presence of others elicits a reflexive alertness or preparedness response (Mere Presence) and that the presence of others increases drive through classically conditioned anticipations of positive and negative outcomes (Learned Drive). A third proposition argues for increased drive due to response conflict involving incompatible tendencies to attend to others and to ongoing task requirements (Distraction/Conflict). The basic assumptions of the Distraction/Conflict hypothesis are found to have considerable empirical support, and a wide variety of apparently anamolous results are integrated into the attentional conflict framework. Finally, a synthesis of the three approaches is proposed wherein slightly modified versions of the Mere Presence and Learned Drive theories serve to specify two common antecedents for the arousal of attentional conflict (the Attentional Processes model). Connections between the Attentional Processes model and past and future research are explored.