cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arts Education and Citizenship: A Pedagogical Framework

This article presents a guiding framework for K-12 arts education. The framework lists four goals for arts education and outlines six areas of teaching practices to support these goals. This framework is presented adjacent to specific political moments, executive orders, and movements from the 2017–2018 political landscape in the United States, which the author describes as challenging to arts education and the development of citizenship. A political landscape serves as a backdrop to the research presented and the framework components. The framework is supported by analysis that outlines aesthetic inquiry as cognition, and aesthetic education as supporting development of empathy and social justice oriented citizenship. The author considers aesthetic and arts education paramount to the development of social justice oriented citizenship, livable and productive lives, and a democratic society. This article provides a guiding framework for educators moving toward these goals.
Synthesis and Characterization of Amorphous Selenium Alloys Radiation Detectors

Synthesized amorphous selenium (a-Se) alloy materials have been characterized for room temperature highenergy nuclear radiation detectors and x-ray detection applications. The alloy composition has been optimized to ensure good charge transport properties and detector performance. The synthesis of a-Se (As, Cl) alloys has been carried out by thoroughly mixing zone-refined (ZR) Se (7N) with previously synthesized a- Se (As) and a-Se (Cl) master alloys (MS). The synthesized alloys have been characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), glow discharge mass spectroscopy (GDMS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that the a-Se (As) master alloy samples were in metastable monoclinic Se8 states, in which seven vibrational modes are identified at 40, 59, 77, 110, 133, 227 and 251 cm-1. However, a-Se (Cl) master alloy samples are in stable form of trigonal structure of Se8 ring, in which two modes at 142 and 234 cm-1 were found. Both Raman and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) exhibited that a small amount of tellurium (Te) existed in a-Se (As, Cl) master alloy samples. DSC measurements showed that a-Se (Cl) MS and a-Se (As) MS samples have one melting point, located at 219.6 oC, whereas a-Se-As (0.52%)-Cl and Se-As (10.2%)-Cl (60 ppm) possess melting points at 221 and 220.3 oC respectively. The a-Se alloy detectors have been fabricated and tested and the results showed dark resistivity (1012 – 1013 -cm) with good charge transport properties and cost-effective large-area scalability.
Predicting aggressive behavior in small renal tumors prior to treatment

With widespread utilization of cross sectional imaging, the incidence of renal tumors continues to increase and tumors ≤4 cm comprise 48–66% of new renal cell carcinoma (RCC) diagnoses (1). The increased detection of small incidental tumors and technological improvements in surgery may lead to overtreatment of co-morbid patients with slow growing tumors (2).
Mn2+ Emission in Mn-Doped Quantum Dots

Abstract This chapter will study emission processes in an Mn-doped quantum dot. Theoretical models for magnetophotoluminescence of an Mn2+-doped semiconductor core-shell colloidal quantum dot will be considered to explain the experiment results from a recent magnetophotoluminescence study of a strongly confined diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) in Mn2+-doped ZnSe/CdSe core-shell colloidal nanocrystals. The yellow emission characterized for Mn2+ that is associated with the d−d internal transition 4T1−6A1 was reported as not suppressed in an applied B//z magnetic field and unpolarized as usual and instead, an Mn photoluminescence (PL) circular polarization has been observed. The Mn2+ PL has been found to have a large split between σ+ and σ− components that depends on the applied field. This behavior, which has not been found in characteristics of the Mn2+ PL in bulks and other conventional DMS materials, is the result of the strong confinement of the nanocrystal and its properties. Our theory and calculations show that the reasons the yellow Mn2+ PL band in quantum dots is not suppressed under an applied magnetic field originates from the existence of the internal piezoelectric dipole moment as well as the Coulomb and exchange interaction of the impurity ions with the confined electrons inside the dots.
Mediastinal Disease with Acute Symptoms (Noncardiac)

This chapter has images of non-cardiac organs of the mediastinum showing foreign bodies, neoplasms and their complications and some congenital lesions.
The Effect of Different Intervention Approaches on Gross Motor Outcomes of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis.

Despite the rising interest in intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder, the extent to which interventions are effective on gross motor outcomes is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of different intervention approaches on gross motor outcomes among children with autism spectrum disorder using meta-analysis. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for quantitative analysis. Pre- and posttest means and SDs were extracted to calculate effect sizes. Potential moderator variables were chosen based on important intervention characteristics. The results suggest that interventions have a large effect on gross motor outcomes among children with autism spectrum disorder (δ = 0.99, SE = 0.19, p < .001, 95% confidence interval [0.62, 1.36]). The interventions that were 16 total hours or longer had a significantly larger effect than those less than 16 hr. In addition, the interventions in experimental settings had significantly larger effects than the interventions in practical settings. Future interventions should consider intensity, including not only the duration of the intervention but also the intensity in which specific intervention goals are targeted.
Language, Motor, and Cognitive Outcomes of Toddlers Who Were Born Preterm

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the language, motor, and cognitive abilities of children born preterm in four categories: (a) healthy preterm infants, (b) infants of diabetic mothers, (c) infants with respiratory distress syndrome, and (d) infants with chronic lung disease when the children were 30 months, uncorrected age. Comorbidity of language, motor, and cognitive skills was examined, along with predictor variables. Method A total of 148 children who were born preterm participated and were assessed using bivariate tests and logistic regression on standardized assessment scores. Results Controlling for the children's gestational age (GA), overall language ability was significantly lower in the infants of diabetic mothers group compared to the healthy preterm infant group, and expressive language skills were significantly lower for the chronic lung disease group than the respiratory distress syndrome group. The children with language delays on at least one measure were significantly more likely to have cognitive, motor, or both delays. Lower maternal education was a significant predictor for language and cognitive delays, and younger GA was a significant predictor for language, motor, and cognitive delays. Conclusion Assessment of the preterm infant from a biosystems approach allows the speech-language pathologist to take into consideration maternal education, diagnosis at preterm birth, and GA, which were found to impact the language, motor, and cognitive outcomes of children born preterm. Our findings further reinforce the concept of the whole child in that children born preterm who display language delays should be screened for co-occurring motor and/or cognitive delays.
Loss of RBBP4 results in defective inner cell mass, severe apoptosis, hyperacetylated histones and preimplantation lethality in mice

Retinoblastoma-binding protein 4 (RBBP4) (also known as chromatin-remodeling factor RBAP48) is an evolutionarily conserved protein that has been involved in various biological processes. Although a variety of functions have been attributed to RBBP4 in vitro, mammalian RBBP4 has not been studied in vivo. Here we report that RBBP4 is essential during early mouse embryo development. Although Rbbp4 mutant embryos exhibit normal morphology at E3.5 blastocyst stage, they cannot be recovered at E7.5 early post-gastrulation stage, suggesting an implantation failure. Outgrowth (OG) assays reveal that mutant blastocysts cannot hatch from the zona or can hatch but then arrest without further development. We find that while there is no change in proliferation or levels of reactive oxygen species, both apoptosis and histone acetylation are significantly increased in mutant blastocysts. Analysis of lineage specification reveals that while the trophoblast is properly specified, both epiblast and primitive endoderm lineages are compromised with severe reductions in cell number and/or specification. In summary, these findings demonstrate the essential role of RBBP4 during early mammalian embryogenesis.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Testosterone Therapy

Abstract Introduction There is persistent speculation that testosterone therapy (TTh) may induce worsening of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). As both the incidence of OSA and the use of TTh grow more prevalent, it is important to review the current evidence that supports or refutes this relationship. Objectives To review the current literature regarding the relationship between TTh and OSA. Methods A literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies. Search terms included “obstructive sleep apnea” and “testosterone replacement therapy.” Titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance. References from identified articles were searched and included, if appropriate. Results The association between TTh and OSA was initially described in a 1978 case report of an individual with worsened nighttime apneas during testosterone administration, a trend seen again in subsequent small case series. In the 1990s, a large retrospective analysis and the first randomized controlled trial on the subject revealed no increased incidence of OSA in individuals on TTh. A randomized controlled trial conducted in 2012 provided a possible explanation to the previously reported discrepancies, describing a time-limited effect, wherein measures of OSA were elevated at seven weeks but were not significantly different at 18 weeks after initiation of TTh. A recent cohort study demonstrated an incidence of OSA in individuals on TTh of 16.5% compared with 12.7% in controls. TTh is thought to affect OSA in several ways. Theories that the anabolic effects of testosterone may decrease airway patency or that testosterone alters sleep architecture have been largely disproven. More likely, testosterone plays a role in altering neural response pathways to hypoxemia. Conclusions TTh likely plays a small role in exacerbating or inducing changes in OSA that may be time limited in nature. Clinicians may choose to exercise caution in prescribing TTh to individuals suffering from severe OSA. Payne K, Lipshultz LI, Hotaling JM, et al. Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Testosterone Therapy. J Sex Med 2020;XX:XXX–XXX.
A Dynamic and Data-Driven Approach to the News Vendor Problem Under Cyclical Demand

We consider the problem of managing the inventory of perishable goods when the demand is cyclical with unknown distribution. While traditional inventory management under uncertainty assumes the precise knowledge of the underlying probabilities, such information is difficult to obtain for time-varying processes in many real-life applications, as the evolution over time of the deterministic seasonal trend interferes with the analysis of the stochastic part of the demand. To address this issue, we propose a dynamic and data-driven approach that builds directly upon the historical observations and addresses seasonality by creating and recombining clusters of past demand points. This allows the decision maker to place his order at each time period based only on the most relevant data. The algorithm we present requires the estimation of only one parameter, the demand periodicity; furthermore, system performance is protected against estimation errors through a cluster aggregation subroutine, which recombines clusters as needed. We present extensive numerical experiments to illustrate the approach. The key contribution of the chapter is to address a logistics challenge faced by many practitioners, namely, the lack of distributional information for nonstationary demand, by integrating historical data directly into the decision-making module through an algorithm devised specifically for cyclical processes.
Telemedicine in a Time of Crisis: The COVID-19 Experience

When a crisis such as that induced by COVID-19 pandemic creates impediments to the provision of in-person orthopedic care, telemedicine can be used as an alternative to provide many of these medical services. The creation and implementation of these services are challenging. This chapter reviews the experience of one orthopedic department during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the challenges encountered and the solutions implemented and provides the opportunity to reflect on some of the key insights and pearls obtained from the experience.
Frequency and Time Interval Meters

The sections in this article are 1 Frequency Meters 2 Time Interval Measurement 3 Ratio Measurement Mode 4 Reciprocal Counter 5 Input Conditioning Circuit 6 Digital Circuits of the Counters 7 Time Base Oscillators 8 Errors in Digital Frequency and Time Interval Meters 9 High-Frequency Meters 10 Transfer Oscillator 11 Frequency Translation 12 Low-Frequency Meters 13 Examples of Calibration of Frequency and Time Interval Meters Keywords: electronic counter; signal conditioning; time base; triggering; sensitivity; calibration; accuracy; types; application; stroboscopic methods; synchronizing; passive type; wavemeters; dipmeter; heterodyne frequency meters; transfer oscillators; period measurement of low frequency
Developmental Biology of Fern Gametophytes: Physiology of spore germination

Homosporous ferns produce an immense quantity of spores. Fern spores are relatively resistant to extremes of environmental conditions and persist in a viable, yet metabolically inactive state for long periods of time. Although no one can explain all that is going on in the spore during this period of enforced rest, the hiatus may well be valuable to the spore to plot a survival strategy and form the gametophyte when conditions are most propitious. While the spore is the first cell of the gametophytic phase, development of the gametophyte itself begins with the germination of the spore. It is therefore appropriate that attention is paid to the various factors that keep spores alive for prolonged periods and potentiate their germination. Accordingly, the present chapter is concerned with the physiological aspects of viability, dormancy, and germination of spores; the morphogenetic, metabolic, and biochemical changes during germination are treated in the next two chapters. Understanding of the physiological mechanisms of dormancy and germination of fern spores has benefited immeasurably in recent years from developments in the field of seed germination. However, references will be made in this chapter to the inescapable parallels that exist between seed germination and spore germination only when it is considered necessary to explain certain concepts further.
The Institutional Climate for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Education Faculty: What Is the Pivotal Frame of Reference?

Abstract This article presents data gathered from a national sample (n = 104) of lesbian, gay, and bisexual education faculty members and researchers. Here, the author examines three general dimensions through which these respondents judge their institutional climate-characterized as gay affirming, gay tolerant, gay neutral, gay intolerant, or gay hos-tile-and four unique factors that distinguish their assessment. Four questions are addressed: (1) How do sexual minority faculty in schools, colleges, and departments of education characterize their institutional climate? (2) What institutional dimension is most salient in these faculty members' assessment of this climate? (3) What are the factors that differentiate sexual minority faculty members' perceptions in this study? (4) Which of these factors, if any, significantly contribute to their assessment of institutional climate? Using multivariate analyses, the author identifies one pivotal frame of reference that accounts for most of the variance in respon...
Herd Behavior in the Insurance Market: A Survey

We conduct a survey to examine herd behavior in the insurance market. Following prior studies on consumers’ use of information sources in their purchase decision-making processes we develop hypotheses that explore the relationship between selection of information sources and herd behavior among potential insurance buyers in the market. Our results strongly support contentions that insurance buyers are significantly influenced in their choices by recommendations from different information sources and they do use these as herd cues to infer insurance product quality when making their own purchase decisions. In particular, our findings suggest that potential insurance buyers are more likely to be influenced by collective intelligence than by insurance experts.
GROWTH, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND LABOR MARKET POLICY

The role of passive labor market policy as a possible reason for the run up in relative unemployment rates in Europe in the 1980s has been extensively studied. More recently the focus have shifted to lagging growth rates in Europe. The Lisbon strategy reflects these concerns by calling for reforms that ease market access, promote flexible labor markets, and simplify taxes and market regulation. The principal purpose of this paper is to build a simple model in which the possible effects of payroll taxes and employment protection policies on both unemployment and growth can be studied. The model is constructed of “off the shelf” parts found in the literatures on equilibrium unemployment and endogenous growth of the Schumpeterian variety. The model identifies channels though which both taxes and employment protection mandates can adversely affect growth though innovation. (JEL: E24, O40, J64, O31)
Resistance Exercise for the Aging Adult: Clinical Implications and Prescription Guidelines

Sarcopenia and weakness are known to precipitate risk for disability, comorbidity, and diminished independence among aging adults. Resistance exercise has been proposed as a viable intervention to elicit muscular adaptation and improve function. However, the reported prevalence of resistance exercise participation among US adults aged >50 years is very low. This may be largely attributable to inconsistency in study results that fail to fully inform the clinical and public health community of its overall value. Therefore, the purpose of this commentary review is to report the findings of recently published meta-analyses that systematically examined the overall value of resistance exercise among healthy aging adults for strength and lean body mass outcomes. Evidence reveals that not only is resistance exercise very effective for eliciting strength gain and increases in lean body mass, but that there is a dose-response relationship such that volume and intensity are strongly associated with adaptations. These findings reflect and support the viability of progression in resistance exercise dosage to accommodate optimal muscular adaptive response. Progressive resistance exercise should thus be encouraged among healthy adults to minimize degenerative muscular function associated with aging.
DECOR: a distributed coordinated resource monitoring system

Network resources are often limited, so how to use them efficiently is an issue that arises in many important scenarios. Many recent proposals rely on a central controller to carefully orchestrate resources across multiple network locations. The central controller gathers network information and relative levels of usage of different resources and calculates optimized task allocation arrangements to maximize some global benefit. Examples of architectures that use this framework include coordinated sampling (cSamp [1]) and redundancy elimination (SmartRE [2]). However, a centralized solution creates practical problems as it is susceptible to overload, and the controller is a single point of failure. In this paper, we present a distributed solution called decor that achieves global optimization based on local information that closes to centralized approaches in terms of performance. In decor, the responsibility of resource monitoring and information gathering is spread among multiple nodes; thus, no single point is overloaded. Allocation of tasks is also done in a similar distributed fashion. decor can easily scale up to large networks, and the partial network failures do not affect DECOR's functioning in other parts of the network. decor can be applied to most of path-based applications. We describe in detail how to apply it to distributed SmartRE and implement it in the Click software router.
Molecular mechanisms modulating muscle mass

Skeletal muscle atrophy occurs in multiple clinical settings, including cancer, AIDS and sepsis, and is caused in part by an increase in the rate of ATP-dependent ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. The expression of two recently identified genes encoding ubiquitin-protein ligases, MAFbx/Atrogin-1 and MuRF1, has been shown to increase during muscle atrophy. Mouse knockout studies have demonstrated that MAFbx and MuRF1 are required for muscle atrophy, and thus might be targets for clinical intervention. A second strategy for blocking atrophy involves the stimulation of pathways leading to skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a protein growth factor that can induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy by activating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway. The pathways modulating hypertrophy and atrophy will be further discussed, to highlight potential targets for clinical intervention.
The molecular phylogeographic bridge between deep and shallow history in continental biotas

Abstract Recent studies have provided evidence that species diversity and distributions in continental biotas reflect a long history of responses (e.g. range shifts, speciation or adaptation) to habitat changes produced by geological activity over the past several million years (deep time) as well as glacial-interglacial cycles over the most recent hundreds of thousands of years (shallow time). Molecular sequences in extant taxa can be used to infer speciation and biogeographic history in deep time, as well as changes in population distributions produced by range shifts in shallow time, and thus provide a basis for constructing bridges between historical biogeographic, paleoecological and ecological biogeographic perspectives. References
Pharmacological Evaluation of 3,4-Dimethoxyphenylacetamide

Studies on the pharmacological activity of 3,4-dimethoxyphenylacetamide revealed that the compound produced definite signs of CNS depression. A hypocholesterolemic effect was also demonstrated, plus tendencies toward a reduction in plasma glucose levels.
The norms of citation behavior: Prolegomena to the footnote

The publications explosion has focused renewed attention on the lowly footnote. While we are all at least partially aware of the technical functions of the citation for both the writer and the reader of the scientific paper, little is known about the norms operating in actual practice. Even less is known about the operating norms with respect to the more sociological functions, including the acknowledgement of intellectual debts or the conferral of recognition upon the works of others. This paper reviews the state of our knowledge, raises questions, and proposes suggestions and hypotheses for studying the relationships between footnoting practices among scientists and the social system of science.
Visual Correlation Analysis of Numerical and Categorical Data on the Correlation Map

Correlation analysis can reveal the complex relationships that often exist among the variables in multivariate data. However, as the number of variables grows, it can be difficult to gain a good understanding of the correlation landscape and important intricate relationships might be missed. We previously introduced a technique that arranged the variables into a 2D layout, encoding their pairwise correlations. We then used this layout as a network for the interactive ordering of axes in parallel coordinate displays. Our current work expresses the layout as a correlation map and employs it for visual correlation analysis. In contrast to matrix displays where correlations are indicated at intersections of rows and columns, our map conveys correlations by spatial proximity which is more direct and more focused on the variables in play. We make the following new contributions, some unique to our map: (1) we devise mechanisms that handle both categorical and numerical variables within a unified framework, (2) we achieve scalability for large numbers of variables via a multi-scale semantic zooming approach, (3) we provide interactive techniques for exploring the impact of value bracketing on correlations, and (4) we visualize data relations within the sub-spaces spanned by correlated variables by projecting the data into a corresponding tessellation of the map.
AN UPDATE ON THE NIST RADON-IN-WATER STANDARD GENERATOR: ITS PERFORMANCE EFFICACY AND LONG-TERM STABILITY

A 226Ra-222Rn generator that could be used as a transfer standard for radon-in-water measurement calibrations was previously developed and described. The generator utilized a novel 222Rn emanation source that was comprised of a 226Ra solution encapsulated in polyethylene. The long-term performance of this standard generator has now been investigated and evaluated. The evaluation included exhaustive and more reliable measurement uncertainty analyses for the generator's performance and routine operation. Modifications to the original protocol for operation of the generator has also resulted in improved precision in the 222Rn activity concentration in a dispensed aliquant. The evaluation results indicate that the generator performance has remained stable, and that the calibration parameters are still well within their given uncertainty intervals for the originally determined canonical values. Over a period of approximately six years, experimentally determined values of the 222Rn emanation fraction, the most critical parameter, have remained constant and invariant of conditions within statistical variations of about 0.3% (corresponding to a relative standard deviation of the mean). All evaluation measurements were performed by 4π-αβ liquid scintillation spectrometry of gravimetrically determined aliquants dispensed from the generator.
Towards operationalising and measuring the Traffic Safety Culture construct.

The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of traffic safety culture (TSC) by identifying its constituent components. A review of existing safety culture literature was conducted. Next, 18 international experts participated in a Delphi Technique to rate candidate TSC components. Corresponding survey items were then developed and pretested. Our final survey instrument was mailed to a representative sample of 1700 US households. Their data were used to conduct a factor analysis that yielded a 15 factor structure. The factors that explained the most variance in TSC were support for increased government attention to traffic safety, strict monitoring and control of alcohol-impaired drivers, disapproval of speeding, and avoidance of aggressive driving. Other factors included local engagement, desire for government and private sector accountability, more information, school involvement, teen restrictions, willingness to invest and seatbelt use. This work represents a first attempt to operational...
The identification of binding constraints: A directional derivative heuristic approach

Abstract A heuristic procedure to identify binding constraints in linear programming (LP) problems is based upon an examination of the orientation of the constraining closed half spaces with respect to the orientation of the objective function. The constraints with the minimum difference will be classified as binding. An experiment to test the usefulness of this procedure in solving LP problems is also developed and discussed.
Wave-Block in Excitable Media Due to Regions of Depressed Excitability

We study propagation failure using the one-dimensional scalar bistable equation with a passive "gap" region. By applying comparison principles for this type of equation, the problem of finding conditions for block is reduced to finding conditions for the existence of steady state solutions. We present a geometrical method that allows one to easily compute the critical gap length above which a steady state solution, and thus block, first occurs. The method also helps to uncover the general bifurcation structure of the problem including the stability of the steady state solutions. In obtaining these results, we characterize the relationship between the properties of the system and propagation failure. The method can easily be extended to other gap dynamics. We use it to show that block associated with any local inhomogeneity must be associated with a limit point bifurcation.
The importance of individuals' repertoires of behaviors: The scientific appropriateness of studying multiple behaviors and general attitudes.

This paper addresses Blau's critique of our early research on behavioral aggregates; we review the theoretical and empirical work on multiple behaviors. We address the definition and measurement of behavioral aggregates, the issue of common method variance, and factors influencing behavior choices. Research from other behavioral areas that uses an approach similar to ours is reviewed as well as relevant research on withdrawal aggregates since 1991. We argue that a focus on general withdrawal constructs rather than individual behaviors will generate significant scientific and practical advantages. The study of constructs will likely provide a basis for generalizations across situations, populations, and time. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A structural investigation of a plasma sprayed Ni--Cr based alloy coating

A Ni-Cr based hardfacing alloy has been plasma sprayed in ambient and low pressure atmospheres onto mild steel substrates. These coatings exhibit excellent wear and corrosion resistance; however, the significance of microstructure on properties has not been reported. This study relates the structure of the sprayed coatings to the processing conditions. X-ray diffraction results indicate phase separation in air plasma sprayed deposits, while low pressure plasma sprayed deposits exhibit a single supersaturated solid solution. Annealing of the air plasma sprayed coating shows dissolution of the bcc chromium phase, confirming its metastable nature. These results were confirmed using Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) analysis, which further suggests a highly disordered structure, with partial oxidation of selected alloying elements, such as chromium. Transmission electron microscopy indicates a wide variety of microstructures in the air plasma sprayed deposit. In the case of low pressure sprayed deposit, the microstructures are homogeneous and uniform.
Use of Biocontrol Organisms and Compost Amendments for Improved Control of Soilborne Diseases and Increased Potato Production

Soilborne potato diseases are persistent problems in potato production and alternative management practices are needed. In this research, biocontrol agents (Bacillus subtilis GB03 and Rhizoctonia solani hypovirulent isolate Rhs1A1) and compost amendments (from different source material), were evaluated alone and in combination, for their potential to reduce soilborne diseases and increase tuber yield over three field seasons in Maine. Both biocontrol organisms reduced multiple soilborne diseases, stem and stolon canker by 20–38 %, black scurf by 30–58 %, and common scab by 10–34 % relative to the nontreated control treatment, and the combination treatment of both biocontrol organisms together provided nominally better control than individual treatments. However, biocontrol treatments had no direct effect on tuber yield. Compost amendments from different sources all increased total and marketable tuber yield substantially (11–37 % and 17–51 %, respectively) relative to nontreated controls. However, except for some reduction of Rhizoctonia canker, compost amendments did not reduce soilborne diseases (black scurf and commons scab) in any year, and resulted in increased levels of common scab in some years (20–45 % increase). The combination compost-biocontrol treatment, although did not perform significantly better than individual component treatments, still provided indications of combined beneficial effects from both component treatments. This research demonstrated the usefulness of these approaches and combinations as additional options for reduction of soilborne diseases and increased tuber yield and can be implemented for enhanced sustainability and productivity in potato production systems.
Molecular cytogenetics of human papillomavirus-negative cervical carcinoma cell lines

Cervical cancer is a malignancy closely associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). However, some cervical carcinomas occur in the absence of the virus. Two HPV-negative cervical carcinoma cell lines, C-33A and HT-3, were examined by G-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using several whole chromosome and satellite probes. Combined conventional banding and FISH analysis significantly enhanced identification of complex and cryptic chromosome rearrangements. Common to both cell lines were translocations of chromosome 1, involving a specific site on the short arm and partial or complete loss of the short arm of chromosome 9, as well as loss of chromosome 13. The C-33A line had a relatively simple chromosomal constitution, with chromosome 1 being involved in translocations with chromosomes 9, 18, and 21. Karyotype reconstruction of G-banded and painted chromosomes indicate a net loss of DNA as a result of unbalanced translocations, which occurred only at site 9p24 and loss of one copy of chromosomes 13 and 14. In contrast, HT-3 cells had complex rearrangements and deletions of chromosomes 1p, 3p, 9p, 10q/p, 11p/q, and 17p, all regions with known tumor suppressor genes. The deletions observed in these HPV-negative cervical carcinomas will be important in delineating regions of tumor suppressor genes.
Intact and injured endothelial cells differentially modulate postnatal murine forebrain neural stem cells

Neural stem cells (NSCs) persist in the forebrain subventricular zone (SVZ) within a niche containing endothelial cells. Evidence suggests that endothelial cells stimulate NSC expansion and neurogenesis. Experimental stroke increases neurogenesis and angiogenesis, but how endothelial cells influence stroke-induced neurogenesis is unknown. We hypothesized intact or oxygen-glucose deprived (OGD) endothelial cells secrete factors that enhance neurogenesis. We co-cultured mouse SVZ neurospheres (NS) with endothelial cells, or differentiated NS in endothelial cell-conditioned medium (ECCM). NS also were expanded in ECCM from OGD-exposed (OGD-ECCM) endothelial cells to assess injury effects. ECCM significantly increased NS production. NS co-cultured with endothelial cells or ECCM generated more immature-appearing neurons and oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes with radial glial-like/reactive morphology than controls. OGD-ECCM stimulated neuroblast migration and yielded neurons with longer processes and more branching. These data indicate that intact and injured endothelial cells exert differing effects on NSCs, and suggest targets for stimulating regeneration after brain insults.
Free fields and new cosets of current algebras

Abstract We introduce a new free field representation of current algebras by considering the affine compact and non-compact groups Gk = SU(N + M)k, SU(N, M)k and supergroups SU ( N M )k using cosets of the form G k ( SU (N) k + ηM × SU (M) ηk + ηN ) , where η = ± for group/supergroup respectively. The subgroup H = SU(N)×SU(M) does not include a U(1) factor. Because of the subgroup levels k + ηM, (k + N)η these cosets differ from GKO cosets of the type G k H k . We discuss simultaneously compact, non-compact and supergroup current algebras all in the same formalism. Borrowing ideas from induced representation theory of Lie groups we provide a basis in which we split the currents into “orbital” and “intrinsic spin” parts. The “orbital” part is constructed from NM canonical pairs of complex free fields (analogous to position and momentum) classified in G (H × U(1)) . These provide a new generalization of Wakimoto's SU (2) β-γ system. There is also a single free scalar field φ in a background charge which is associated with the remaining (twisted) U(1). The “intrinsic spin” part corresponds to currents in H = SU(N) × SU(M). The resulting expressions for the currents are simple and elegant and they are reminiscent of Wigner's construction of the Poincare group generators in terms of orbital and intrinsic spin variables. The Sugawara stress tensor splits into four commuting parts T G = T [ G H×U(1) ] + T U(1) + T H where the first two termse are constructed only from the free fields (β-γ), φ respectively, while TH = TSU(N) + TSU(M) is the Sugawara stress tensor for the “intrinsic spin” currents belonging to H. By iterating our G H method, the “intrinsic spin” part H may, in turn, be written in terms of new free fields, thus reducing the entire current algebra of G to a free field theory.
The Arthritis of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus suffered from an arthritic disorder that began on his First Voyage to the New World. The disease was progressive, punctuated by painful flares in the lower extremities, and, at times, seemed to be associated with fever and ocular symptoms. During his Fourth Voyage and final years of life, Columbus was immobilized by his rheumatologic condition. This article uses contemporary historical accounts of Columbus' illness to trace the clinical features of his disease. (Arch Intern Med. 1992;152:274-277)
Dopamine D2-receptor messenger RNA is differentially regulated by dopaminergic agents in rat anterior and neurointermediate pituitary.

Abstract Hypothalamic dopamine (DA), acting at DA D2-receptors (D2-R) on pituitary target cells, mediates peptide release and biosynthesis of rat pituitary anterior lobe (AL) prolactin, and neurointermediate lobe (NIL) pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). We were interested in determining if dopamine agonists and antagonists were capable of modifying D2-R gene expression in these pituitary cells. Utilizing the recently published sequence of the rat D2-R, we isolated a rat D2-R cDNA clone by polymerase chain reaction, and have synthesized RNA probes to quantitate levels of D2-R mRNA by solution hybridization/nuclease protection assay. We report here that 5-day administration of the DA antagonist haloperidol led to significant increase in both D2-R mRNA and POMC mRNA in the NIL; the DA agonist bromocriptine caused a significant decrease in NIL POMC mRNA with no parallel change in D2-R mRNA. In contrast, no significant changes in D2-R mRNA in AL were observed following treatment with either the DA agonist or antagonist. These data provide evidence for tissue-specific regulation of D2-R mRNA in response to dopaminergic manipulation.
Effects of vasopressin on fructose and glycogen metabolism in hepatocytes from fed and fasted rats.

Abstract Hepatocytes were isolated from fed and 24-hr-fasted rats and incubated with lactate plus pyruvate in the presence and absence of 30 m m glucose. The effects of fructose and/ or vasopressin (ADH) on the activities of glycogen synthase and phosphorylase were examined and correlated with their effects on glycogen content. Effects of glucose and vasopressin on the metabolism of [U-14C]fructose were also studied. ADH-stimulated net glycogenolysis in hepatocytes from fed rats was inhibited by each fructose concentration studied. In the presence of glucose, lactate, and pyruvate, low concentrations of fructose (up to 5 m m ) markedly increased hepatocyte glycogen content, but high concentrations (20–40 m m ) prevented net glycogen synthesis. In the presence or absence of glucose or of ADH, incubation of hepatocytes with 2 m m fructose generally caused either no change or a slight activation of both glycogen synthase and phosphorylase. About 80% of the radioactivity initially present as [U-14C]fructose was incorporated after 80 min into glucose and about 1% into glycogen in hepatocytes from both fed and fasted rats. Addition of glucose reduced the amount of radioactivity incorporated into glucose to 65%, and increased that into glycogen about fivefold. ADH had no effect on the percentage of radioactivity incorporated into glucose, CO2, or anionic metabolites, but it decreased the percentage of radioactivity incorporated into glycogen by about fivefold. Thus the only observed effect of ADH on [U-14C]fructose metabolism in hepatocytes from fed or fasted rats in the presence or absence of 30 m m glucose was to decrease deposition of radioactive glycogen, an effect consistent with the observed ADH-mediated inactivation of glycogen synthase and activation of phosphorylase.
Constrained optimal duct shapes for conjugate laminar forced convection

Abstract The complex variable boundary element method (CVBEM) is used to analyze conjugate heat transfer in solids with cooling passages of general, convex cross section. The method is well-suited to duct cross sections with high curvature and high aspect ratios because the whole-domain boundary integrals are path independent and analytic. The effects of channel boundary curvature on overall heat transfer are quantified for the first time. Shape-constrained optimal solutions involving fixed pressure drop and fixed pump work are presented. Increased channel boundary curvature is shown to decrease the optimal distance between parallel channels by increasing fin efficiency.
Knockdown of CDKN1C (p57kip2) and PHLDA2 Results in Developmental Changes in Bovine Pre-implantation Embryos

Imprinted genes have been implicated in early embryonic, placental, and neonatal development and alterations in expression levels of these genes can lead to growth abnormalities and embryonic lethality. However, little is known about the functions of bovine imprinted genes during the pre-implantation period. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the influence of altered expression of imprinted genes on developmental progress of embryos using small interfering RNA (siRNA). Expression levels of 18 imprinted genes (MAGEL2, UBE3A, IGF2R, NAP1L5, TSSC4, PEG3, NDN, CDKN1C, PHLDA2, MKRN3, USP29, NNAT, PEG10, RTL1, IGF2, H19, MIM1, and XIST) were compared between embryos reaching the blastocyst stage and growth-arrested embryos (degenerates) using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Ten genes were found to be differentially expressed between blastocysts and degenerates. The CDKN1C gene showed the highest upregulation in blastocysts whereas PHLDA2 was highly expressed in degenerates. To assess whether the observed differential gene expression was causative or resultant of embryo degeneration, these genes were selected for functional analysis using siRNA. Injection of siRNA specific to PHLDA2 into one-cell zygotes resulted in a substantial increase in blastocyst development, whereas injection of CDKN1C-specific siRNA resulted in a 45% reduction (P = 0.0006) in blastocyst development. RNA-Seq analysis of CDKN1C-siRNA-injected vs. non-injected embryos revealed 51 differentially expressed genes with functions in apoptosis, lipid metabolism, differentiation, and cell cycle regulation. Gene ontology analysis revealed nine pathways related to cell signaling, metabolism, and nucleic acid processing. Overall, our results show that proper expression levels of the imprinted genes CDKN1C and PHLDA2 are critical for embryo development, which suggests that these genes can be used as markers for normal blastocyst formation.
Investigation of a Mechanism for Leydig Cell Tumorigenesis by Linuron in Rats

In a previously conducted 2-year study, a concentration-dependent increase in Leydig cell adenomas was observed in Crl:CD BR(CD) rats fed diets containing the herbicide linuron. Linuron has been shown to be negative in a battery of six tests for genotoxicity; therefore, a nongenotoxic mechanism of tumorgenesis was investigated. Linuron is structurally related to the nonsteroidal antiandrogen, flutamide. Flutamide has also been shown to produce Leydig cell tumors within 1 year, presumably due to sustained hypersecretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) which occurs following disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis. To investigate whether linuron possesses antiandrogenic activity, sexually immature and mature CD rats were administered either 200 mg/kg linuron or 10 mg/kg flutamide (positive control) for 2 weeks. Accessory sex organs were weighed and serum hormone levels were measured to assess androgen status and alterations in the HPT axis. Serum from a multigeneration reproduction study with linuron was also analyzed for serum hormone levels. In addition, competitive receptor binding studies were conducted to evaluate the ability of linuron to bind to the androgen receptor. Linuron decreased accessory sex organ weights in sexually immature and mature linuron-treated rats. Increased serum estradiol and LH levels were observed in sexually mature linuron-treated rats. Serum estradiol and LH levels were also elevated in P1 and F1 male rats from the multigeneration reproduction study. These accessory sex organ and hormonal changes are consistent with those seen with the antiandrogen flutamide, the only exception being serum testosterone, which was elevated following exposure to flutamide but not to linuron. The inability of linuron to increase testosterone levels may reflect the lower potency of linuron as an antiandrogen compared with that of flutamide, which is a potent antiandrogen. Additionally, linuron competed with [3H]testosterone for binding to the androgen receptor. The IC50 data for competition to the androgen receptor suggest that linuron is approximately 3.5 times less potent than flutamide. These data are consistent with the effects seen with flutamide and demonstrate that linuron is a less potent antiandrogen than flutamide. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that linuron produces Leydig cell tumors via an antiandrogenic mechanism where sustained hypersecretion of LH appears to be responsible for the development of Leydig cell hyperplasia and adenomas.