cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social reward and social punishment sensitivity in relation to dietary restraint and binge/purge symptoms

Disordered eating symptoms are associated with disrupted sensitivity to reward and punishment, broadly assessed. However, it is unknown how eating pathology is related to sensitivity to social reward and social punishment specifically. Drawing on Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, the current study utilized a multi-method design to test whether disordered eating symptoms, specifically dietary restraint (DR) and binge/purge (BP), were similarly or uniquely related to sensitivity to social punishment and social reward. Female university students (N = 110, M = 18.66, SD = 0.89) completed self-report measures and a novel behavioral task measuring willingness to work for or to avoid social feedback. DR and BP symptoms were related to increased self-reported and behavioral sensitivity to social punishment, yet only when symptoms were tested in isolation. DR was associated with increased sensitivity to social reward across self-report and behavioral paradigms. BP symptoms were uniquely and positively related to self-reported sensitivity to social reward, but decreased behavioral sensitivity to social reward. Findings suggest that sensitivity to punishment may be a common factor related to DR and BP, whereas sensitivity to social reward may be a key factor differentiating disordered eating symptoms.
The Suitability of an Inhibitory Learning Approach in Exposure When Habituation Fails: A Clinical Application to Misophonia

Abstract Recent findings have led to a reconceptualization of the mechanisms that account for the efficacy of exposure-based treatments. Termed the “inhibitory learning model,” this approach emphasizes new learning when confronted with previously avoided stimuli rather than merely the cessation of fear or aversive emotional responding. In this paper, we propose the applicability of the inhibitory learning model for conditions and contexts in which simple exposure does not produce habituation. We illustrate this application from an in-progress randomized controlled treatment trial for adults with misophonia. Misophonia is a condition marked by strong aversive reactions to specific sounds. It is a difficult to treat and understudied syndrome. All participants in the trial received exposure, either before or after a stress management module of treatment. Exposure treatment emphasized altered expectancies for the target sounds as well as deliberate practice in hearing sounds on the individually developed hierarchy. Inhibitory learning strategies were employed to increase treatment adherence and commitment, shape patient behavior during exposures, manufacture negative prediction errors, increase perceived control over reactions, and promote learning that generalized to functional improvements. The findings are discussed in the context of future applications of the inhibitory learning model for psychopathology associated with avoidance.
A novel Cu(II) tetranuclear complex, chemical properties and catalysis of hydrolysis of phosphate esters

Abstract A new CuII tetranuclear complex of the Schiff base ligand 2,6-bis((E)-((2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)imino)methyl)-4-(tert-butyl)phenol has been synthesized and the crystal structure of the complex has been determined by x-ray crystallography. The complex crystallizes as a dimer with outer bridging phenoxide groups and inner μ3-bridging chloride groups. The CuII complex was studied electrochemically by cyclic voltammetry and its composition determined by CHN elemental analysis. It was determined experimentally that the complex was catalytically active in the hydrolysis of 4-nitophenylphosphate, increasing the rate of hydrolysis by one order of magnitude at pH 7.5. UV–visible spectroscopy was employed to track the progress of hydrolysis by monitoring the release of 4-nitrophenolate ions at 415 nm.
Isolation of the REC1 gene controlling recombination in Ustilago maydis

Previous studies on the rec1 mutant of Ustilago maydis revealed a complex phenotype. The mutant was found to be defective in DNA repair, recombination, growth, mutagenesis, and meiosis. We cloned the REC1 gene by complementing the phenotype of the mutant using a genomic DNA library made in a replicating vector and provided proof of identity by one-step gene disruption of the wild-type (wt) REC1 locus with a mutant allele constructed in vitro. The transcript of the REC1 gene was identified as a damage-inducible 1.7-kb RNA. After UV irradiation, the level of the transcript was observed to rise ten- to 15-fold. In the rec1 mutant, the basal level of the 1.7-kb transcript was tenfold lower than in wt. In addition, a second transcript of 1.1 kb was noted in rec1-1 cells in response to DNA damage.
Fault-tolerant Compass Codes

We study a class of gauge fixings of the Bacon-Shor code at the circuit level, which includes a subfamily of generalized surface codes. We show that for these codes, fault tolerance can be achieved by direct measurements of the stabilizers. By simulating our fault-tolerant scheme under biased noise, we show the possibility of optimizing the performance of the surface code by stretching the bulk stabilizer geometry. To decode the syndrome efficiently and accurately, we generalize the union-find decoder to biased noise models. Our decoder obtains a $0.83%$ threshold value for the surface code in quadratic time complexity.
Synergistic cytotoxicity, apoptosis and protein-linked DNA breakage by etoposide and camptothecin in human U87 glioma cells : dependence on tyrosine phosphorylation

In this study, simultaneous administration of certain inhibitors of topoisomerase I and topoisomerase II produced synergistic cytotoxicity in a series of human glioma cell lines. Camptothecin (CPT) and etoposide (VP-16) produced combination indices (CI) <1.0 in all glioma cell lines tested, including those that were relatively resistant to the two topoisomerase inhibitors individually. In contrast, CPT and VP-16 produced additive cytotoxicity in HT-29 and SW-620 colon carcinoma cell lines. To explore the molecular basis for synergy in glioma cells, we focused on one glioma cell line (U87) in which even sub-cytotoxic doses of CPT potentiated the action of VP-16. Except for genistein (a topo II agent with tyrosine kinase inhibitory function), all topo II inhibitors tested (doxorubicin, ellipticine, and m-AMSA) were synergistic with CPT. While CPT and VP-16 produced cytotoxicity and protein-linked DNA breaks (PLDB) that were supra-additive in U87 glioma cells, CPT and genistein produced additive results. Pretreatment of U87 cells with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor tyrphostin-A23 or the tyrosine phosphatase activator O-phospho-L-tyrosine (OPLT) reduced combination PLDB from synergistic to additive levels, but had no effect on the formation of PLDB induced by either CPT or VP-16 alone. CPT and VP-16 also produced a synergistic accumulation of sub-G0 (apoptotic) cells which was blocked by tyrphostin-A23. No significant increase in topoisomerase protein levels could be detected in response to combination treatment. Thus, synergistic effects between topoisomerase I and topoisomerase II inhibitors in U87 glioma cells may depend upon phosphorylation of cellular proteins other than the topoisomerases themselves.
Personal Observations of Using Peer Coaching to Improve the Administrative Internship.

The administrative internship is an important component of leadership preparation programs. In the present study, conducted in 1991–92 at Valdosta State College, Georgia, program graduates had rate...
Treatment of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome in three infants by percutaneous selective digital subtraction angiography combined with transarterial hardened embolization

Objective To develop a new treament strategy for Kasabach-Merritt syndrome.Methods Three infants who were diagnosed with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome and suffered from thrombocytopenia as well as bleeding and clotting disorders were treated with percutaneous selective digital subtraction angiography combined with transarterial hardened embolization under general anesthesia.Sclerosing agents included bleomycin A5 (4.0 mg),iodized oil (1.5 ml),dexamethasone (2.5 mg) and iopamidol (3 ml).Polyvinyl alcohol mixed with iopamidol (at a volume fraction of 0.5) served as the embolic material.Results All the three patients were successfully treated by the minimally invasive surgery.The amount of blood platelet returned to normal within 24 hours after the operation.On the fourth day,all the patients were discharged from hospital with the restoration of coagulation function.Revisits at one month and three months after the operation showed that hemangiomas markedly shrank and even subsided,and blood platelet count was maintained within normal range.Conclusions Percutaneous selective digital subtraction angiography combined with transarterial hardened embolization can result in a recovery of blood platelet count and shrinkage of hemangioma,and may serve as a minimally invasive treatment option for Kasabach-Merritt syndrome.
Hope and Hopefulness

This paper proposes a new framework for thinking about hope, with certain unexpected consequences. Specifically, I argue that a shift in focus from locutions like “x hopes that” and “x is hoping that” to “x is hopeful that” and “x has hope that” can improve our understanding of hope. This approach, which emphasizes hopefulness as the central concept, turns out to be more revealing and fruitful in tackling some of the issues that philosophers have raised about hope, such as the question of how hope can be distinguished from despair or how people can have differing strengths in hope. It also allows us to see that many current accounts of hope, far from being rivals, are actually compatible with one another.
Chronic respiratory disease among nonsmokers in Hagerstown, Maryland: II. Problems in the estimation of pulmonary function values in epidemiological surveys

Abstract Prediction equations for the FEV 1.0 and PEFR in a population of white male nonsmokers are presented. Data are also presented to demonstrate the superiority, for epidemiological purposes, of the maximum pulmonary function value in a series of trials over the mean of the sequence. Statistically significant and sizable instrument and interviewer effects were found, and a technique for taking these effects into account is presented. Analysis of published data suggested that the relationship of pulmonary function values to weight, chest expansion and diameter, and hand grip strength should be reinvestigated. Factors influencing the variability of an individual's pulmonary function values are discussed. The importance of these questions to the design and analysis of longitudinal studies of pulmonary function values is emphasized.
Keystone Pipeline Rupture Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board coordinated with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Board to investigate the November 16, 2017, rupture of Keystone Mainline number 1 crude oil pipeline operated by TransCanada Oil Pipeline Operations, Incorporated. The rupture resulted from a fatigue crack that initiated from near-surface cracks associated with sliding contact damage at the top of the pipe and propagated to failure within 7.4 years of pipeline operation. The surface damage was characterized by photography, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, metallography, and dimensional analyses, and findings indicated the damage was produced by contact with a steel component likely from a vehicle used during the original construction after the pipeline was positioned in the trench.
The potential effect of metabolic alkalosis on insulin sensitivity in an adolescent with new‐onset type 1 diabetes

Metabolic alkalosis induced by ingestion of alkaline water may enhance insulin sensitivity in type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Knowledge Enhanced Masked Language Model for Stance Detection

Detecting stance on Twitter is especially challenging because of the short length of each tweet, the continuous coinage of new terminology and hashtags, and the deviation of sentence structure from standard prose. Fine-tuned language models using large-scale in-domain data have been shown to be the new state-of-the-art for many NLP tasks, including stance detection. In this paper, we propose a novel BERT-based fine-tuning method that enhances the masked language model for stance detection. Instead of random token masking, we propose using a weighted log-odds-ratio to identify words with high stance distinguishability and then model an attention mechanism that focuses on these words. We show that our proposed approach outperforms the state of the art for stance detection on Twitter data about the 2020 US Presidential election.
Impact of psychosocial factors on the receipt of guideline concordant care in adolescent and young adults with localized Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma.

e18658Background: Adolescent and young adults (AYAs) experience poorer outcomes, including lower survival improvements, compared to younger and older patients. As higher compliance with National Co...
Poetics of a Possible God — Faith or Philosophy?

The question of how faith relates to philosophy is an enduring controversy. Aut fides aut ratio? was an age-old query. One view was that philosophical thinking about Being was a mere ‘handmaiden’ to theology, and could at best serve to provide rational explanations and proofs of God. Another, particularly strong in the late middle ages, was that there were in fact ‘two truths’ at issue here: one pertaining to the worldly realm of ontology and science, the other to the heavenly sphere of religious belief. As the adage went: quasi sint duae contrariae veritates.
Child and Marriage Culture, Women’s Influence Outside the Home, Sex and STI Education, and Homosexual Rights

Despite the modern political debate on homosexual rights, little research has been conducted on the international scale on the topic. This research uses regression to examine the factors that impact homosexual rights on a global scale, focusing on childbearing, childrearing, and marriage culture (CCMC), women’s influence outside the home (WIOH), and Sex and Sexually Transmitted Illnesses (STI) Education (SSE). Data was drawn from a wide range of sources, most frequently from the World Bank, the UN, and governmental reports. Of the three independent variables, CCMC and STI are statistically significant with weak to moderate R-square values. The data shows that homosexual rights increase as CCMC decreases and as WIOH increases. This suggests that the more traditional a marriage culture a country has, the less homosexual rights it will afford its citizens. The more a country’s women act outside of the home—that is, in the workforce and political system—the more homosexual rights will be protected.
Assays for Membrane Complement Receptors

Leukocytes express several types of receptors for activated products of the complement (C) system. This unit describes assays for a subset of these receptors: those specific for fixed fragments of C3 (CR1, CR2, CR3, and CR4). Although the assays have been designed for tests of human C receptors, they can often be carried out with rodent (e.g., mouse, rat, or guinea pig) cells by substitution of rodent-specific reagents. Two basic protocols are presented for rosette assay of CR1, CR2, CR3, and CR4 on adherent and nonadherent cells. Isolated leukocytes may be tested for rosette formation in suspension or adherent to a surface. Nonadherent cells such as lymphocytes, NK cells, or cells from an undifferentiated leukocyte cell line must be tested in suspension. The unit also contains three support protocols for formation and quantitation of sheep erythrocyte-C3 complexes for use in the two basic protocols.
The Dynamics of the PUMA Manipulator

Symbolic equations defining the effective joint inertias and gravity loading torques for the Unimate PUMA manipulator are derived. These equations define the inertias to within 10% and the gravity torques to within 1%. The equations are very simple and are suitable for on-line computation. They also give insight into the general control problem.
Separation of DNA restriction fragments by polymer-solution capillary zone electrophoresis: Influence of polymer concentration and ion-pairing reagents

Abstract To achieve sensitive and fast separations of the DNA fragments, polymer-solution capillary zone electrophoresis (PS-CZE) is examined. A systematic study of the influence of the linear polymer concentration on the separation of restriction fragments indicates that the larger DNA fragrments are resolved with greater efficiency by using a lower concentration of the polymer, while the smaller ones are better resolved with a higher polymer concentration, when added to the buffer. A specific concentration of the polymer provides a certain limit of dynamic “porosity” (sieving), which is appropriate for a given range of the DNA fragments. Several ion-pairing reagents are examined here to improve resolutions of both small and large DNA fragments in PS-CZE. These reagents cause no interactions between the ammonium cations (reagent) and the silanol groups (capillary surface). However, they interact with the linear polymer, perhaps by hydrophobic functions, and change its physical properties, such as dynamic viscosity and sieving ability. Enhanced retention (interactions) of the DNA fragments is observed by increasing the ion-pairing contents in the polymer solution. The increased peak retention strongly suggests presence of interactions between the reagent and the DNA fragments. Different ion-pairing reagents produce different degrees of peak retentions. The interactions results from relatively greater hydrophobic interactions and smaller ionic interactions between the reagent and the polynucleotides. The study of ethidium bromide (EdBr) additon in PS-CZE indicates that a small concentration of EdBr reduces peak widths and decreases retention of all the fragments, but has little influence on the electroosmotic flow. However, a larger EdBr concentration results in broader peak widths and causes little change in their retention. Ion-pairing and intercalating reagents interact with the DNA fragments by different mechanisms. An anion-pairing agent appears to interact predominantly by hydrophobic interactions with the purine and pyrimidine bases, while EdBr intercalates with G:C base pairs and alter the chain length. Satisfactory separations of both larger and smaller fragments can be achieved by adding an appropriate ion-pairing reagent along with the linear polymer to the buffer. Critical concentrations of the linear polymer and the ion-pairing reagent must be determined in order to achieve satisfactory separations for a given range (size) of the DNA fragments.
Isotope exchange studies on liver alcohol dehydrogenase with cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone as reactants.

Abstract Isotope exchange studies at chemical equilibrium with cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone as reactants show that horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase has a partly random kinetic mechanism, in which the pathway involving nucleotides as first substrate and last product predominates. The exchange studies show clearly, however, that the nucleotides can dissociate from the central complexes at finite rates. Measurement of the apparent Michaelis constants for exchange as a function of the other reactant concentrations is suggested as a sensitive test for randomness in kinetic mechanisms of this type.
A Lattice Boltzmann Approach to Acoustic-Wave Propagation

It is difficult for simplified or approximated numerical modeling methods to accurately simulate complex wave phenomena. I present a lattice Boltzmann-based method for accurately modeling acoustic-wave propagation in strongly heterogeneous media. Rather than solving a partial-differential wave equation in a continuous medium, the lattice Boltzmann-based method directly simulates the physical processes of wave propagation: transportation, reflection, transmission, and collision of quasi-particles carrying pressure on a discrete lattice. It can accurately handle sharp interfaces at any locations along lattice links, and total reflections from free surfaces or empty bubbles, which are particularly difficult for classical finite-difference wave-equation methods to handle. The lattice Boltzmann-based method provides an accurate numerical modeling tool for simulating complex wave phenomena in strongly heterogeneous media containing complex geometrical shapes of sharp interfaces.
General equivalent circuit of a multi-winding co-axial winding transformer

This paper addresses the general equivalent circuit of a multi-winding coaxial winding transformer (MCWT). Unlike conventional winding transformers with more than three windings, the high frequency equivalent circuit of an MCWT can always be reduced to a T-type circuit model. This is due to the physical construction of the transformer and the high frequency skin effect which causes the current within the windings to be unevenly distributed. The uneven current distribution results a very weak leakage coupling between each of the secondary windings. Therefore, each secondary winding can be treated as an independent coil which results in a minimum number of inductance branches in the equivalent circuit representation. The leakage coupling between secondary windings mainly comes from the end lead leakage flux which can be reduced significantly by making the end leads short. Finite element analysis and experimental confirmation of the proposed equivalent circuit are given based on a ten-winding MCWT. The MCWT could have a large number of applications in industry and research fields.
Explicit analytical solutions for one‐dimensional steady state flow in layered, heterogeneous unsaturated soils under random boundary conditions

[1] In this study, we directly derive first-order analytical solutions to the pressure head moments (mean and variance) for one-dimensional steady state unsaturated flow in randomly heterogeneous layered soil columns under various random boundary conditions. We assume that the constitutive relation between the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and the pressure head follows an exponential model, and treat the saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks as a random function and the pore size distribution parameter α as a random constant. Unlike the solution given in Lu and Zhang (2004) in which Kirchhoff transformation was used and the solution to pressure head variance was presented as a function of (cross-)covariances related to the intermediate, Kirchhoff-transformed variable, the solution to the pressure head variance presented in this paper is an explicit function of the input variabilities. In addition, we also give analytical solutions to the statistics of the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and the effective water content. These first-order analytical solutions are compared with those from Monte Carlo simulations. We also investigated the effect of uncertain boundary conditions, the relative contribution of input variabilities to the head variance, and the possible errors introduced by treating the correlated α field as a random constant in the analytical solutions. The results indicate that the uncertain constant head at the bottom of a deep soil column may not have a significant effect on predicting flow statistics in the upper portion of the column. Furthermore, it is found that treating α as a random constant is justified when the correlation length of α is relatively large as compared to the layer thickness.
Borderline Personality Disorder and Military Sexual Trauma: Analysis of Previous Traumatization and Current Psychiatric Presentation

Military sexual trauma (MST) increases vulnerability for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sexual trauma is also associated with increased risk for developing borderline personality disorder (BPD). Research has also documented a significant link between PTSD and BPD; however, there is a paucity of information examining this relationship among veterans with MST-related PTSD. In particular, we sought to examine whether comorbid BPD-PTSD compared with veterans with PTSD and no BPD resulted in increased PTSD and depression symptomatology. We also examined psychiatric, previous sexual trauma, and demographic factors to determine what-if any-factors were associated with comorbid BPD diagnosis. Using data from a recently conducted randomized clinical trial, we examined electronic medical records of the local Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Data from 90 veterans with MST-related PTSD were obtained. More than 22% ( n = 20) of the sample had a historical diagnosis of BPD. Participants were administered measures to assess psychiatric symptomatology (PTSD and depression), trauma-related negative cognitions (NCs), and previous sexual traumatization (e.g., childhood and civilian sexual exposure). An analysis of variance was conducted, which found that veterans with comorbid MST-related PTSD and BPD had significantly greater PTSD criterion B (avoidance) symptoms, depressive symptomatology, and NC scores than participants without comorbid BPD. In addition, a binary stepwise logistic regression found that veterans' BPD was also positively associated with NCs about self and the world; however, self-blame, depression, PTSD, sociodemographic variables (e.g., gender, age), and previous sexual traumatizations were not significant predictors. Implications are discussed with regard to clinical care and future research directions.
Development of a patient measure of satisfaction with the dentist: The Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale.

Although patient satisfaction has been studied in the traditional medical context, patient satisfaction with the dentist has received only minor attention. This paper reports the development of a 10-item Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale. This scale was designed to assess patient satisfaction with the dentist in the context of a specific visit. It provides three subscales-Information-Communication, Understanding-Acceptance, and Technical Competence-as well as an overall measure of satisfaction. Satisfactory internal consistency was obtained for all scale measures, and one assessment of construct validity is reported. Potential clinical and research applications are discussed.
Nature of the oxomolybdenum-thiolate π-bond: Implications for Mo-S bonding in sulfite oxidase and xanthine oxidase

The electronic structure of cis,trans-(L-N2S2)MoO(X) (where L-N2S2 = N,N‘-dimethyl-N,N‘-bis(2-mercaptophenyl)ethylenediamine and X = Cl, SCH2C6H5, SC6H4−OCH3, or SC6H4CF3) has been probed by electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and resonance Raman spectroscopies to determine the nature of oxomolybdenum−thiolate bonding in complexes possessing three equatorial sulfur ligands. One of the phenyl mercaptide sulfur donors of the tetradentate L-N2S2 chelating ligand, denoted S180, coordinates to molybdenum in the equatorial plane such that the O⋮Mo−S180−Cphenyl dihedral angle is ∼180°, resulting in a highly covalent π-bonding interaction between an S180 p orbital and the molybdenum dxy orbital. This highly covalent bonding scheme is the origin of an intense low-energy S → Mo dxy bonding-to-antibonding LMCT transition (Emax ∼16 000 cm-1, e ∼ 4000 M-1 cm-1). Spectroscopically calibrated bonding calculations performed at the DFT level of theory reveal that S180 contributes ∼22% to the HOMO, which is...
Functional diversity of the rhodanese homology domain: the Escherichia coli ybbB gene encodes a selenophosphate-dependent tRNA 2-selenouridine synthase.

Escherichia coli has eight genes predicted to encode sulfurtransferases having the active site consensus sequence Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Gly. One of these genes, ybbB, is frequently found within bacterial operons that contain selD, the selenophosphate synthetase gene, suggesting a role in selenium metabolism. We show that ybbB is required in vivo for the specific substitution of selenium for sulfur in 2-thiouridine residues in E. coli tRNA. This modified tRNA nucleoside, 5-methylaminomethyl-2-selenouridine (mnm5se2U), is located at the wobble position of the anticodons of tRNALys, tRNAGlu, and tRNA1Gln. Nucleoside analysis of tRNAs from wild-type and ybbB mutant strains revealed that production of mnm5se2U is lost in the ybbB mutant but that 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine, the mnm5se2U precursor, is unaffected by deletion of ybbB. Thus, ybbB is not required for the initial sulfurtransferase reaction but rather encodes a 2-selenouridine synthase that replaces a sulfur atom in 2-thiouridine in tRNA with selenium. Purified 2-selenouridine synthase containing a C-terminal His6 tag exhibited spectral properties consistent with tRNA bound to the enzyme. In vitro mnm5se2U synthesis is shown to be dependent on 2-selenouridine synthase, SePO3, and tRNA. Finally, we demonstrate that the conserved Cys97 (but not Cys96) in the rhodanese sequence motif Cys96-Cys97-Xaa-Xaa-Gly is required for 2-selenouridine synthase in vivo activity. These data are consistent with the ybbB gene encoding a tRNA 2-selenouridine synthase and identifies a new role for the rhodanese homology domain in enzymes.
Visualizing graphs in three dimensions

It has been known for some time that larger graphs can be interpreted if laid out in 3D and displayed with stereo and/or motion depth cues to support spatial perception. However, prior studies were carried out using displays that provided a level of detail far short of what the human visual system is capable of resolving. Therefore, we undertook a graph comprehension study using a very high resolution stereoscopic display. In our first experiment, we examined the effect of stereoscopic display, kinetic depth, and using 3D tubes versus lines to display the links. The results showed a much greater benefit for 3D viewing than previous studies. For example, with both motion and stereoscopic depth cues, unskilled observers could see paths between nodes in 333 node graphs with less than a 10p error rate. Skilled observers could see up to a 1000-node graph with less than a 10p error rate. This represented an order of magnitude increase over 2D display. In our second experiment, we varied both nodes and links to understand the constraints on the number of links and the size of graph that can be reliably traced. We found the difference between number of links and number of nodes to best account for error rates and suggest that this is evidence for a “perceptual phase transition.” These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for information display.
Effect of Oral Contraceptive Therapy On Gingival Inflammation in Humans

The relationship between gingival inflammation and type of oral contraceptive used or duration of use was investigated in 168 women between the age of 18-35. To qualify for the study patients had to have professional prophylaxis within the past year but not within the past month. An Oral Debris Index and Gingival Inflammatory Index was obtained during a clinical examination of four line angles for each patient following which the patients provided a history of their oral contraceptive use other drug use and current systemic diseases or conditions they may have. The clinical data were analyzed according to 1) current use of oral contraceptives; 2) brand of oral contraceptives used; and 3) duration of use. It was found that oral contraceptive users as a group (93 patients) had a significantly higher Gingival Inflammatory Index and a significantly lower Oral Debris Index. When this group was divided according to brand use users of Norinyl 1/50 and Ovral had a significantly lower Oral Debris Index than nonusers and users of Ovulen Ovral and Norinyl 1/80 had significantly higher Gingival Inflammatory Index. No differences were found based on different hormonal composition however or on duration of use. The higher gingival inflammatory indices in oral contraceptive users are in agreement with previous findings and may be due to elevated levels of progesterone. The lower Oral Debris Index in users may be caused by variability in oral hygiene among subjects or by an increased production of gingival fluid which may affect the disclosing solution. Further research is needed to determine the effect of long-term oral contraceptive use on various periodontal diseases.
One-hour post-glucola results and pre-pregnancy body mass index are associated with the need for insulin therapy in women with gestational diabetes.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of 1-h post-glucola (PG) screening results and the need for insulin therapy in women with gestational diabetes (GDM).Methods. The study group was comprised of women with GDM treated at a single institution during calendar years 2000–2004. Women with singleton, term (≥37 weeks gestation), liveborn fetuses were included. The association of 1-h PG results and other perinatal risk factors to the need for subsequent insulin therapy was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models.Results. Of the 1451 women were included in the analysis, 18.1% required insulin treatment. The mean 1-h PG result was 170.0 ± 26.1 mg/dl (range 140–414 mg/dl). We determined that a 1-h PG ≥ 190 mg/dl (p < 0.0001), an obese body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.0001), an overweight BMI (p = 0.0019), prior GDM (p = 0.0019), and prior macrosomia (p = 0.0210) were each highly associated with the need for subsequent insulin therapy during the pregnancy.Conclusions. A 1...
Induction of IL-10+CD4+CD25+ T cells by grass pollen immunotherapy.

Abstract Background: Immunotherapy involves the modulation of allergen-specific T-cell responses, either T H 2-to-T H 1 immune deviation or, in bee venom-treated patients, induction of IL-10 production by CD4 + CD25 + T cells. IL-10-producing CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells have emerged as potential mediators of immune tolerance in numerous murine models of immunopathology. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of IL-10 production and CD4 + CD25 + T cells in the response to grass pollen immunotherapy. Methods: PBMCs were isolated from patients after 1 year of grass pollen immunotherapy and from matched untreated atopic and healthy control subjects. After 6 days of in vitro stimulation with Phleum pratense , production of IL-10, IL-5, IL-4, and IFN-γ and proliferation and numbers of CD4 + CD25 + T cells were measured. T cells were then stimulated for a further 5 hours with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin and assessed for intracellular IL-10 by means of flow cytometry. Results: Patients undergoing immunotherapy produced significantly more IL-10 than atopic control subjects (patients undergoing immunotherapy, 116 ± 21 pg/mL [n = 11]; atopic patients, 30 ± 5 pg/mL [n = 11]; P + CD25 + cells identified after allergen stimulation was also greater in the immunotherapy group. The numbers of CD4 + CD25 + T cells correlated positively with activation as measured by proliferation in both of the control groups but not in the immunotherapy group. Moreover, only T cells from patients undergoing immunotherapy were positive for intracellular IL-10, and these were almost exclusively CD4 + CD25 + cells. Conclusion: Grass pollen immunotherapy results in a population of circulating T cells that express the IL-10 + CD4 + CD25 + phenotype in response to allergen restimulation. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;111:1255-61.)
Utilization of adrenal gland cholesterol for synthesis of cortisol by the intact normal and the ACTH-treated guinea pig

Guinea pigs were fed a diet containing cholesterol-4-C14 for several weeks in order to establish isotopic equilibrium with respect to (a) labeled cholesterol in the adrenal glands and other tissues and (b) labeled cortisol in the urine. In the guinea pig, about 60% of adrenal gland cholesterol was derived from plasma. In this respect the guinea pig differs from the rat, in which practically all adrenal gland cholesterol is derived from plasma. Only 13% of testicular cholesterol was derived from plasma. Evidence compatible with the view that adrenal gland cholesterol is the principal precursor of urinary cortisol in the guinea pig is presented. ACTH treatments that increased the daily excretion of cortisol in urine about threefold failed to alter the values for (a) the ratio of the specific activitiy of adrenal cholesterol to that of blood cholesterol and (b) the ratio of the specific activity of urinary cortisol to that of adrenal cholesterol. These findings are consistent with the view that ACTH administration does not induce a new pathway of synthesis of urinary cortisol but, rather, speeds up an existing pathway from adrenal gland cholesterol.
Exploiting traces in static program analysis: better model checking through $${{\tt printf}}$$s

From operating systems and web browsers to spacecraft, many software systems maintain a log of events that provides a partial history of execution, supporting post-mortem (or post-reboot) analysis. Unfortunately, bandwidth, storage limitations, and privacy concerns limit the information content of logs, making it difficult to fully reconstruct execution from these traces. This paper presents a technique for modifying a program such that it can produce exactly those executions consistent with a given (partial) trace of events, enabling efficient analysis of the reduced program. Our method requires no additional history variables to track log events, and it can slice away code that does not execute in a given trace. We describe initial experiences with implementing our ideas by extending the CBMC bounded model checker for C programs. Applying our technique to a small, 400-line file system written in C, we get more than three orders of magnitude improvement in running time over a naive approach based on adding history variables, along with fifty- to eighty-fold reductions in the sizes of the SAT problems solved.
FDT 2.0: Improving scalability of the fuzzy decision tree induction tool - integrating database storage

Effective machine-learning handles large datasets efficiently. One key feature of handling large data is the use of databases such as MySQL. The freeware fuzzy decision tree induction tool, FDT, is a scalable supervised-classification software tool implementing fuzzy decision trees. It is based on an optimized fuzzy ID3 (FID3) algorithm. FDT 2.0 improves upon FDT 1.0 by bridging the gap between data science and data engineering: it combines a robust decisioning tool with data retention for future decisions, so that the tool does not need to be recalibrated from scratch every time a new decision is required. In this paper we briefly review the analytical capabilities of the freeware FDT tool and its major features and functionalities; examples of large biological datasets from HIV, microRNAs and sRNAs are included. This work shows how to integrate fuzzy decision algorithms with modern database technology. In addition, we show that integrating the fuzzy decision tree induction tool with database storage allows for optimal user satisfaction in today's Data Analytics world.
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES: RIVER OTTER LATRINES AND NUTRIENT DYNAMICS OF TERRESTRIAL VEGETATION

River otters (Lutra canadensis Schreber) inhabiting coastal environments scent-mark specific locations along the coast, known as latrine sites. In this study, we used stable isotope techniques to investigate the effects of this scent-marking behavior on terrestrial vegetation at the terrestrial–marine interface. Our analysis of stable isotope ratios of fur and feces indicated that river otters fed mainly on intertidal and subtidal fish. Eight different species of plants, growing in latrine sites of river otters, had significantly higher values of δ15N compared with the same plant species growing on nonlatrine sites. Elevated N concentrations occurred only in grasses and mosses growing in latrine sites. Our results indicate that, through their scent-marking behavior, coastal river otters transfer marine-derived nitrogen into the beach-fringe forest and thus fertilize the terrestrial vegetation in the terrestrial–marine interface.
Archaeological aspects of insect use

Insects are present in most archaeological contexts as a result of both natural and cultural processes. Insect data can be used to address a number of issues, including environmental reconstruction, forensics, identification of domesticates, taphonomy, and diet. This paper focuses on the archaeology of insect use in antiquity: their collection, processing, and storage and the archaeological manifestations of those activities. Consideration also is given to the incorporation of insect data into settlement/subsistence models.
Large metal ions in a relatively small fullerene cage: The structure of Gd3N@C2(22010)-C78 departs from the isolated pentagon rule

An isomerically pure sample of Gd3N@C78 has been extracted from the carbon soot formed in the electric-arc generation of fullerenes using hollow graphite rods packed with Gd2O3 and graphite powder under an atmosphere of helium and dinitrogen. Purification has been achieved by chromatographic methods and the product has been characterized by mass spectrometry, UV/vis absorption spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Although a number of endohedral fullerenes have been found to utilize the D3h(5)-C78 cage, comparison of the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of the previously characterized Sc3N@D3h(5)-C78 with those of Gd3N@C78 reveals significant differences that indicate that these two endohedrals do not possess the same cage structure. A single crystal X-ray diffraction study indicates that the fullerene cage does not follow the isolated pentagon rule (IPR) but has two equivalent sites where two pentagons abut. The endohedral has been identified as Gd3N@C2(22010)-C78. Two of the gadolinium atoms...
Optimum Impulsive Orbital Transfers Between Coplanar Orbits

Exact algebraic solutions are presented to four major problems in optimizing impulsive coplanar orbital transfers. I t is shown tha t the absolute opt imum two-impulse transfer from a circular or apsidal terminal to an outer elliptical orbit is the Hohmann transfer to the outer apogee, whereas the optimum transfer from an elliptical orbit to an outer circular or apsidal terminal is the Hohmann transfer from the perigee of the inner orbit. The min imum impulse transfer between two arbitrary nonintersecting elliptical orbits is found to be the Hohmann transfer connecting the inner perigee and the outer apogee. Finally, it is shown tha t when considering intersecting circular and elliptical orbits, two-impulse transfers can be made from any terminal on the elliptical orbit more economically than the one-impulse transfer. The opt imum of these two-impulse transfers is found to be the Hohmann transfer connecting the circular orbit and the apogee of the elliptical orbit. Algebraic equations are given for the components of the impulses of the opt imum transfer from any terminal on the elliptical orbit to the intersecting circular orbit. In all the cases of nonintersecting orbits, it is found tha t there is a Hohmann transfer tha t provides an upper bound for the impulse requirement for transfers between the orbits, regardless of the terminals selected for the transfer.
Neuromuscular fatigue of elbow flexor muscles of dominant and non-dominant arms in healthy humans

The purpose of this study was to assess differences in fatigue-related changes in variables related to structures within the neuromuscular system, between the dominant and non-dominant elbow flexor muscles of right-handed individuals. Two experimental sessions were performed on the right arm and one on the left arm. For each session, maximum voluntary torque, level of voluntary activation, M-wave amplitude, twitch/train or twitch/doublet torque ratio and EMG median frequency were obtained before and up to 20 min after a sustained maximum isometric fatigue task. Our main results were: 1) reproducible fatigue-induced changes in all variables of interest between the two sessions performed with the right arm, 2) significantly greater failure in voluntary activation and neuromuscular propagation with sustained activity for the non-dominant compared with dominant side, and 3) no effect of dominance on MVC torque, endurance time, and fatigue-induced changes in EMG median frequency and elicited torques. These results suggest that the preferential use of elbow flexor muscles with the dominant arm leads to more fatigue resistance in certain structures/mechanisms of the neuromuscular system, but not in others.
Nonfermentative gram-negative bacilli of nosocomial interest

Current bacteriologic technics have made possible more specific delineation of gram-negative bacilli isolated from clinical material. As a result, a heterogeneous collection of organisms, poorly described in the past, have been grouped together operationally in the laboratory, based on their nonfermentative character. These organisms include Bacillus bronchiseptica, Pseudomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas species (other than aeruginosa or maltophilia), Alcaligenes species, M. polymorpha and H. vaginicola. These nonfermentative gram-negative bacilli accounted for 4.4 per cent of the isolates of gram-negative bacilli in a large general hospital. They are generally "saprophytic" in nature and are much more frequently isolated as "incidental" organisms than as the primary cause of infection; they are generally hospital acquired; they are most commonly isolated from patients with serious underlying disease who have had prior antibiotic therapy, tracheostomy or endotracheal intubation, genitourinary instrumentation. Although each organism was cultured from a variety of sites, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Ps. maltophilia were isolated predominantly from sputum whereas other Pseudomonas species and M. polymorpha were isolated most commonly from urine. H. vaginicola and Alcaligenes species were isolated from all sites and were associated in particular with "nonsignificant" bacteremia. The reservoirs of these organisms and their methods of spread remain largely unknown. The striking frequency with which respirator equipment was associated with the isolation of these organisms from the sputum suggests that such equipment may be one reservoir.
Management of Chronic Heart Failure: Biomarkers, Monitors, and Disease Management Programs

Abstract Background The management of patients with heart failure has been evolving given the complex nature of the disease and the increasing number of patients. Findings Biomarkers, and in particular the natriuretic peptides, have been studied to assist with diagnosis, chronic management, and prognosis in patients with heart failure. Several new biomarkers are emerging and may be used individually or in combination with the natriuretic peptides. The use of cardiac monitoring devices and disease management programs is being established to assist in the care of patients with chronic heart failure. Interventions using phone calls, telemedicine devices, intracardiac pressure monitors, and implantable cardioverter defibrillators have been investigated. Conclusions The combination of biomarkers, monitoring devices, and disease management programs shows promise for improving care in this challenging patient population.
Non-linear, non-planar and non-periodic vibrations of a string

Abstract We study the vibrations of a string subject to planar harmonic excitation, both experimentally and theoretically. We observe multiple periodic motions, planar and non-planar (whirling), as well as quasi-periodic whirling and irregularly precessing oscillations when the forcing frequency is near that of a transverse normal mode. A two-degree-of-freedom model is derived, and it is shown that these motions can be partially understood in terms of the completely integrable Hamiltonian system obtained when damping and forcing tend to zero in that model.