cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Intraoperative Radiocolloid Injection on Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients with Breast Cancer

Preoperative injection of radiocolloid before a sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is painful for patients with breast cancer. Injection after anesthesia eliminates this discomfort but allows less time for radiocolloid migration. Our goal was to validate the efficacy of intraoperative injection. In this retrospective study of prospectively collected data, patients underwent periareolar dermal injection of technetium sulfur colloid. Patients in the preoperative injection (PO) group were injected by radiologists in the breast imaging center. Patients in the intraoperative injection (IO) group were injected by surgeons after induction of anesthesia. Consecutive cases were evaluated for radioactive “hotspots,” time elapsed before incision, number of SLNs removed, number of positive SLNs, and percentage of positive biopsies. Two hundred fourteen breasts were evaluated (PO = 102; IO = 112). The mean time from injection to incision was significantly shorter by 107 minutes for the IO group. There were no differences in the percentage of positive biopsies (PO: 20.6%; IO: 19.6%; P = 0.863), the number of SLNs removed (PO: 3.3; IO: 3.0; P = 0.091), or the number of positive SLNs (PO: 1.4; IO: 1.4; P = 0.657). There are no significant differences in the principal results of SLN biopsy between PO and IO injection methods. Dermal radiocolloid injection after induction of anesthesia seems to be an oncologically sound procedure and may be a preferable technique.
Estimating the distribution of snow water equivalent using remotely sensed snow cover data and a spatially distributed snowmelt model: A multi-resolution, multi-sensor comparison

Abstract Time series of fractional snow covered area (SCA) estimates from Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data were combined with a spatially distributed snowmelt model to reconstruct snow water equivalent (SWE) in the Rio Grande headwaters (3419 km 2 ). In this reconstruction approach, modeled snowmelt over each pixel is integrated during the period of satellite-observed snow cover to estimate SWE. Due to underestimates in snow cover detection, maximum basin-wide mean SWE using MODIS and AVHRR were, respectively, 45% and 68% lower than SWE estimates obtained using ETM+ data. The mean absolute error (MAE) of SWE estimated at 100-m resolution using ETM+ data was 23% relative to observed SWE from intensive field campaigns. Model performance deteriorated when MODIS (MAE = 50%) and AVHRR (MAE = 89%) SCA data were used. Relative to differences in the SCA products, model output was less sensitive to spatial resolution (MAE = 39% and 73% for ETM+ and MODIS simulations run at 1 km resolution, respectively), indicating that SWE reconstructions at the scale of MODIS acquisitions may be tractable provided the SCA product is improved. When considering tradeoffs between spatial and temporal resolution of different sensors, our results indicate that higher spatial resolution products such as ETM+ remain more accurate despite the lower frequency of acquisition. This motivates continued efforts to improve MODIS snow cover products.
A RECONSIDERATION OF THE ‘GREAT RATIOS’ OF ECONOMICS

Autocorrelations are found in the disturbance terms of regressions employed by L. R. Klein and R. F. Kosobud in a global model of growth employing five celebrated ratios of economics. This paper summarizes the Klein-Kosobud conclusions, modifies them by removing the autocorrelations, and extends the model to include more recent years. The modified conclusions hold even with the added observations.
The removal of adventitious viruses and virus-infected cells using a cellular adsorbent: A feasibility study

The Removal of Adventitious Viruses and Virus-Infected Cells Using a Cellular Adsorbent: A Feasibility Study
Platelet Aggregation in Feline Cardiomyopathy

Platelet aggregation in response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was evaluated in 16 healthy cats and in 10 cats with cardiomyopathy. The minimum threshold concentration of ADP required to induce irreversible (2nd-phase) aggregation was determined in each cat. The minimum ADP concentration needed for 2nd-phase aggregation in platelets from healthy cats ranged from 1 microM to 100 microM ADP, with 56% (9/16) requiring 100 microM ADP. Of the remaining seven normal cats, three had platelets responding irreversibly to 10 microM ADP, and four had platelets responding to 1 microM ADP. In cats with cardiomyopathy, the threshold concentrations ranged from 0.01 microM ADP to 10 microM ADP. Two cats had platelets responding irreversibly to 0.01 microM ADP, whereas another cat had a threshold response at 0.1 microM ADP. Platelets from the remaining seven cats with cardiomyopathy exhibited 2nd-phase aggregation in response to 1 microM ADP (five cats) or 10 microM ADP (two cats). Platelet counts ranged from 210,000/mm3 to 630,000/mm3 in healthy cats and from 218,000/mm3 to 624,000/mm3 in cats with cardiomyopathy. There was no apparent correlation between the platelet count and the magnitude of the threshold aggregation response, as measured by lag phase and slope of the aggregation curves. The results indicate that some cats with cardiomyopathy have platelets that are hyperaggregable to ADP in vitro.
Hypoxia inducible factor-1: a novel target for cancer therapy.

Hypoxia develops in the majority of solid tumors due to the inability of the existing vascular system to supply the growing tumor mass with adequate amounts of oxygen. A large body of clinical evidence suggests that intratumoral hypoxia correlates with the elevated aggressive behavior of cancer cell
Perceptions of women's power as a function of position within an organization.

Abstract In the present study the authors investigated how people perceive women as a function of position within an organization. Introductory psychology students (N = 456) were given 1 of 6 vignettes depicting people in various occupations, along with an adjective checklist adapted from the Bem Sex Role Inventory (S. L. Bem, 1974). The students indicated on a Likert-type scale the adjectives they believed described the character in the paragraph they received. They were also given a power style scale by T R. Hinkin and C. A. Schriesheim (1989) and were asked to rate the vignette characters' ability to use each different style (e.g., reward, expertise, referent, legitimate, coercive). The students rated women in high positions as more masculine than men and women in low positions and as masculine as men in high positions. There was little difference in power styles as a function of either the sex or the position level of the vignette character.
Low Incidence of Arrhythmias in the Right Ventricular Infundibulum Sparing Approach to Tetralogy of Fallot Repair

To improve outcomes, including arrhythmia incidence, for patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), the authors’ institution adopted an approach that minimizes or avoids transmural incision of the right ventricular outflow tract. When pulmonary blood flow is insufficient during the neonatal period, placement of an aortopulmonary artery shunt is preferred, followed by complete repair later in infancy. This study reviewed the perioperative and mid-term arrhythmia outcomes at the authors’ institution using this approach. Patients who underwent TOF repair from 1995 to 2008 were included in the study. Patient demographics and surgical history were collected. The primary end points of the study included documented perioperative arrhythmias and arrhythmias at the 10-year follow-up assessment. Of the 298 patients who underwent TOF repair, 50 (17 %) had undergone prior placement of a systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt. The median age at repair was 9.7 months (interquartile range, 6.3–16.2 months). Clinically significant perioperative arrhythmias were found in 12 patients (4 %) including 6 junctional tachycardias, 4 atrial tachycardias, and 1 temporary complete heart block. No patients were receiving antiarrhythmic medications more than 24 months after surgery. Of the 298 patients, 86 (29 %) had a follow-up period of 10 years or longer (median, 12.2 years). No patients experienced new arrhythmias, received antiarrhythmic therapy, experienced post-discharge ventricular tachycardia, had atrioventricular block, or required a pacemaker or defibrillator. The right ventricular infundibulum sparing approach is associated with an extremely low incidence of perioperative and midterm arrhythmias. The perioperative and mid-term outcomes compare favorably with existing data from programs favoring neonatal repair. Long-term follow-up evaluation is essential to determine whether this strategy can effectively alter late pathophysiology and minimize late-term arrhythmias and associated mortality.
Integrated land-use systems: Assessment of promising agroforest and alternative land-use practices to enhance carbon conservation and sequestration

Degraded or sub-standard soils and marginal lands occupy a significant proportion of boreal, temperate and tropical biomes. Management of these lands with a wide range of existing, site-specific, integrated, agroforest systems represents a significant global opportunity to reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Establishment of extensive agricultural, agroforest, and alternative land-use systems on marginal or degraded lands could sequester 0.82–2.2 Pg carbon (C) per year, globally, over a 50-year time-frame. Moreover, slowing soil degradation by alternative grassland management and by impeding desertification could conserve up to 0.5–1.5 Pg C annually. A global analysis of biologic and economic data from 94 nations representing diverse climatic and edaphic conditions reveals a range of integrated land-use systems which could be used to establish and manage vegetation on marginal or degraded lands. Promising land-use systems and practices identified to conserve and temporarily store C include agroforestry systems, fuelwood and fiber plantations, bioreserves, intercropping systems, and shelterbelts/windbreaks. For example, successful establishment of low-intensity agroforestry systems can store up to 70 Mg C/ha in boreal, temperate and tropical ecoregions. The mean initial cost of soil rehabilitation and revegetation ranges from $500–3,000/ha for the 94 nations surveyed. Natural regeneration of woody vegetation or agro-afforestation establishment costs were less than $1000/ha in temperate and tropical regions. The costs of C sequestration in soil and vegetation systems range from $1-69/Mg C, which compares favorably with other options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Although agroforestry system projects were recently established to conserve and sequester C in Guatemala and Malaysia, constraints to wide-spread implementation include social conditions (demographic factors, land tenure issues, market conditions, lack of infrastructure), economic obstacles (difficulty of demonstrating benefits of alternative systems, capital requirements, lack of financial incentives) and, ecologic considerations (limited knowledge of impacts and sustainability of some systems).
Purification and characterization of a latent precursor of a double-stranded RNA dependent protein kinase from reticulocyte lysates.

Abstract Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) activates a cyclic 3′: 5′-AMP independent protein kinase (dsI) in reticulocyte lysates which inhibits protein synthesis by phosphorylating the 38, 000 dalton (38K) subunit of the initiation factor eIF-2 (eIF-2α). A latent precursor form of dsI (latent dsI) has been partially purified (1000–2000 fold) from lysates. Activation of dsI at all stages in the purification of latent dsI requires ATP and low levels of dsRNA (1–20 ng/ml), and is accompanied by the phosphorylation of a broad 67,000 dalton (67K) band. However, as purification proceeds the 67K band is resolved into two phosphorylated polypeptides of 68,500 and 67,000 daltons ( 68.5K 67K ). Although latent dsI and activated dsI have distinctly different chromatographic properties, both forms have similar molecular weights (∼120,000) and similar sedimentation coefficients (∼3.8S) in glycerol gradients. The data support the view that one or both components of the 68.5K 67K doublet are associated with the dsRNA-dependent protein kinase activity.
Modeling of dielectric charging in RF MEMS capacitive switches

A unified, macroscopic, one-dimensional model is presented for the quantitative description of the process of dielectric charging in RF MEMS capacitive switches. The model provides for the direct incorporation of various physical factors known to impact dielectric charging, such as surface roughness, material inhomogeneity, and electric field-dependent conduction in the dielectric. The values of the various parameters used in the model are extracted from experimental data. The proposed model serves as a generalization of various earlier models reported in the literature for the quantitative description of dielectric charging. Its formulation is such that it can be incorporated in a straightforward manner in coupled electro-mechanical modeling schemes for the computer-aided analysis of RF MEMS capacitive switches. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 3188–3192, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).DOI 10.1002/mop.22903
Prenatal diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta type II by real-time ultrasound

By comparing fetal femur length to biparietal diameter a fetus at risk for osteogenesis imperfecta type II was diagnosed in the early second trimester of pregnancy. Real-time ultrasound is a reliable non-invasive technique for the prenatal diagnosis of fetal dwarfism syndromes.
Solid-State Interactions at the Core-Coat Interface: Physicochemical Characterization of Enteric-Coated Omeprazole Pellets Without a Protective Sub-Coat

Conventionally, scanning electron or transmission microscopy, Raman and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, terahertz, florescence, and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging have been used to characterize functional coating structure. This study highlights the use of fluorescence microscopy to investigate the physicochemical stability and coating integrity of the commercially available enteric-coated omeprazole pellets containing a basic excipient and prepared by extrusion and spheronization or drug layering on the nonpareil seed, immediately followed by enteric coating (i.e., absence of protective sub-coat). The nature of coating interface and the likely development of an in situ interfacial layer after the application of enteric coating solution was examined using HPLC, NMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and fluorescent imaging methods. Likewise for the characterization of the solid pellet structure via fluorescence microscopy, a new approach based on fracturing technique (to avoid surface contamination) rather than microtome sectioning was used and validated. Analytical data showed that the pellets containing omeprazole remained chemically stable (>99.5% recovered). Control of the microenvironmental pH by the addition of alkalinizing excipient within a core formulation or as part of drug layering on top of nonpareil seed appears to efficiently neutralize the acidic effect of enteric coating dispersion. Fluorescence images further illustrate the absence of any discernable in situ layer formation at the coat-core interface.
Twentieth Century Migration to Baja California

This study examines state migration patterns to Baja California for most of the twentieth century. Methods of analysis include computerized mapping and regression. Findings indicate that, in spite of very rapid population growth in Baja California, the geographic distribution for origin states of migration to Baja remained consistent over eighty years of censuses from 1900 to 1980. Furthermore, there is strong consistency in the determinants of migration over the eighty years. There is ample indication that the intervening distance/obstacles hypothesis is a major factor in explaining migration patterns in Mexico, especially to the border region. Also, an economic opportunity model of migration explains at least part of the two major, contrasting migration patterns that have historically occurred in Mexico during this century, one to the Federal District and the other to the U.S. borderlands area, especially Baja California (for a contrasting view, see Davis 1981). This article examines the concepts of intervening distance/obstacles as opposed to economic opportunities influences upon migration (Fukurai et al. 1987a, Greenwood et al. 1981, King 1978, Lowly 1966, Rogers 1968, Whetten and Burnight 1956, Zipf 1946).
Epilepsy and driving: Potential impact of transient impaired consciousness

Driving is an important part of everyday life for most adults, and restrictions on driving can place a significant burden on individuals diagnosed with epilepsy. Although sensorimotor deficits during seizures may impair driving, decreased level of consciousness often has a more global effect on patients' ability to respond appropriately to the environment. Better understanding of the mechanisms underlying alteration of consciousness in epilepsy is important for decision-making by people with epilepsy, their physicians, and regulators in regard to the question of fitness to drive. Retrospective cohort and cross-sectional studies based on surveys or crash records can provide valuable information about driving in epilepsy. However, prospective objective testing of ictal driving ability during different types of seizures is needed to more fully understand the role of impaired consciousness and other deficits in disrupting driving. Driving simulators adapted for use in the epilepsy video-EEG monitoring unit may be well suited to provide both ictal and interictal data in patients with epilepsy. Objective information about impaired driving in specific types of epilepsy and seizures can provide better informed recommendations regarding fitness to drive, potentially improving the quality of life of people living with epilepsy.
Alteration of convulsive threshold and conditioned avoidance response in mice fed diets containing contraceptive steroids.

ABSTRACTFemale CD1 mice given the contraceptive steroids mestranol and norethynodrel (1:10) in the diet (0.0033%) for 4 months had a growth reduction of 20% when compared with mice fed a normal diet, and had lower convulsive thresholds when tested with the vitamin B6 antagonists 2, 4-dimethyl-5-methyl-hydroxypyrimidine and thiosemicarbazide. In conditioned avoidance response (CAR) tests, mice fed the steroid-containing diets showed a decreased acquisition performance during all six sessions; however, mice fed the same diet supplemented with vitamin B6 (0.04%) performed as well during the last three sessions of the CAR tests as mice fed the normal diet.
Promotion based on teaching efforts requires ongoing documentation of scholarly teaching activities.

In 1990, Boyer (1) published a seminal work entitled Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. In 1997, Glassick et al (2) expanded on Boyer’s work in their publication Scholarship Assessed: Evaluation of the Professoriate. Using these two publications as a springboard, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Council of Academic Societies Task Force on Scholarship recently published a series of essays on scholarship (3). These essays define Boyer’s four areas of scholarship—the scholarship of discovery, the scholarship of integration, the scholarship of application, and the scholarship of teaching—as they relate to medical education. Clinical care is critical for the financial viability of academic medical centers, as approximately 40%–50% of their revenue is derived from this work (4). To support their academic missions, academic medical centers have hired clinician-educators to teach and provide clinical care. These clinician-educators often do not advance in academic rank, however, because excellence in clinical care and teaching alone is not considered adequate justification for advancement. Scholarship as it applies to the work of clinician-educators must be defined. In addition, institutional promotion guidelines must be restructured, and an organizational infrastructure must be created to support scholars in education. We used Boyer’s definition of the scholarship of teaching and the criteria of Glassick et al for judging scholarly work to create a model for documenting, recognizing, and rewarding the scholarship of teaching in radiology.
Effects of food restriction and sucrose intake on synaptic delivery of AMPA receptors in nucleus accumbens

Insertion and removal of AMPA receptors from the synaptic membrane underlie dynamic tuning of synaptic transmission and enduring changes in synaptic strength. Preclinical addiction research suggests that AMPA receptor trafficking plays an important role in nucleus accumbens (NAc) neuroplasticity underlying the compulsive and persistent quality of drug-seeking. Considering the parallels between drug addiction and compulsive eating, plus the supranormal reward properties of sucrose, and the role of dieting as a risk factor in development of binge pathology, the present study used a biochemical subcellular fractionation approach to determine whether brief intake of a 10% sucrose solution increases synaptic delivery of AMPA receptors in NAc of chronically food-restricted (FR) relative to ad libitum fed (AL) rats. FR, alone, produced a small but significant increase in synaptic expression of AMPA receptors. This may contribute to NAc integrative mechanisms that mediate the enhanced behavioral responsiveness of FR subjects to phasic reward stimuli, including food and drugs. Brief intake of sucrose increased GluR1 in the PSD, regardless of dietary condition, though the net effect was greater in FR than AL subjects. A marked increase in GluR2 was also observed, but only in FR rats. This set of results suggests that in FR subjects, sucrose may have primarily increased delivery of GluR1/GluR2 heteromers to the PSD, while in AL subjects sucrose increased delivery of GluR2-lacking channels. The functional consequences of these possible differences in subunit composition of trafficked AMPA receptors between diet groups remain to be determined. Nevertheless, the present set of results suggest a promising new avenue to pursue in the effort to understand synaptic plasticity involved in adaptive and pathological food-directed behavior and the mechanistic basis of severe dieting as a risk factor for the latter.
Coexistence of two types on a single resource in discrete time

Armstrong and McGehee (1980) have shown that two species modeled in continuous time can coexist on a single resource provided that one species oscillates autonomously. This paper demonstrates the parallel result in discrete time. I consider a deterministic model of two asexual types in a single patch competing for a single resource, and show that such systems generically produce oscillatory coexistence or bistability if one of the types displays periodic or chaotic behavior in isolation. The conditions for coexistence or bistability are derived in terms of the convexity of the functions describing fitness as a function of resource availability. I also analyze whether or not a stable type, a type with a stable equilibrium population size when considered in isolation, can invade a periodic orbit of an unstable type, and show that the same convexity condition distinguishes these two cases. The widely considered exponential or Ricker model for population dynamics lies on the boundary between the two cases and is highly degenerate in this context.
Lanthanide probes in biological systems: characterization of luminescence excitation spectra of terbium complexes with proteins.

Abstract Upon irradiation in the ultraviolet region aromatic chromophores may transfer energy to a nearby Tb 3+ , which in turn emits a green phosphorescence. This paper reports the characterization of the ultraviolet excitation spectra of aromatic chromophores capable of transferring energy to Tb 3+ by monitoring of the green Tb 3+ emission in the 540-550 nm region. Results are included for complexes containing phenyl, hydroxyphenyl, indole. and catechol chromophores. Characteristic excitation spectra are presented for the aromatic chromophores occurring as side chains in proteins. Though it is preferable to compare entire excitation spectra, the ratio of intensities at 292 to 276 nm, R , is suggested as a useful diagnostic criterion. Numerical R values are indicative of the following aromatic side chains as the energy donor to Tb 3+ : R R = 0.5 to 1.0, tryptophan; and R > 1.8. ionized tyrosine. Tlie phenylalanyl chromophore displays a definitive excitation spectrum at shorter wavelengths. For ovotransferrin R = 0.9 and comparison of the full excitation spectra suggests that it contains comparable contributions from both ionized tyrosine and tryptophan side chains. Some difficulties in obtaining reliable excitation spectra are described. An analysis of inner-filtering of incident light reveals that for an absorbance less than 0.8 the excitation spectrum is broadened and flattened compared to the absorption spectrum. At maximum absorbances greater than 0.8 false maxima may appear to both sides of a real maximum. Two spurious maxima in an excitation spectrum were generated in a Tb 3+ complex and compared to the correct excitation spectrum of the same complex obtained at lower absorbance.
Plasmodium yoelii: The thymus-dependent lymphocyte in mice immunodepressed by malaria

Abstract Euthymic mice, athymic nude mice, and mice treated with antithymocyte serum were infected with Plasmodium yoelii and immunized 10 days postinfection with pneumococcal polysaccharide (SSSIII). As a control, uninfected mice were also immunized with SSSIII. Splenic plaque-forming cells as well as serum antibody titers to SSSIII were measured 5 days after immunization. In infected euthymic mice, both plaque-forming cells (PFC) and serum antibody were severely depressed. In contrast, plaque-forming cells and serum antibody were approximately normal in infected nude mice and in infected mice treated with antithymocyte serum. Splenic adherent cells from infected euthymic mice failed to function as accessory cells in the in vitro antibody response to a second antigen, the sheep erythrocyte. Moreover, they lacked suppressor activity when cultured with spleen cells from uninfected mice. In contrast, adherent spleen cells from infected mice treated with antithymocyte serum displayed accessory cell function.
The interaction of calmodulin with the C-terminal M5 peptide of myosin light chain kinase.

Abstract The interaction with calmodulin of the 17-residue C-terminal fragment M5 of myosin light chain kinase has been studied by several physical techniques. Circular dichroism measurements suggest that M5 exists within the complex primarily as an α-helix. Fluorescence intensity measurements of the single tryptophan of M5 (Trp-4) indicate that it is in a relatively nonpolar environment and is shielded from solvent. Dynamic measurements of fluorescence anisotropy decay indicate that Trp-4 changes from a freely rotating fluorophore to one which is largely immobilized upon complex formation. Static fluorescence measurements show that 2,6-TNS is displaced from its binding site on calmodulin by M5. The binding of M5 also partially inhibits the proteolytic scission by trypsin of the bond between residues 77 and 78.
Cloning and characterization of a novel form of mouse fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) mRNA, FGF-1.G: differential expression of FGF-1 and FGF-1.G mRNAs during embryonic development and in postnatal tissues.

Abstract The fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) gene is characterized by the presence of different untranslated exons in its 5′ end that direct the expression of alternatively spliced mRNA variants (1.A, 1.B and 1.C) that encode for FGF-1. We have previously isolated a new mouse FGF-1 upstream untranslated exon, which we termed −1G. Here we report on the cloning and characterization of the FGF-1 mRNA isoform arising from −1G. This newly identified FGF-1 mRNA species (FGF-1.G), whose transcription start site maps 295 bp upstream from the splice donor site, is predominantly expressed in young liver and kidney, where it comprises 40.2% and 30.7%, respectively, of the total FGF-1 mRNA. While the FGF-1 mRNA comprising all of the FGF-1 transcripts was present in distinct tissues at embryonic days E12.5 and E15.5, the FGF-1.G mRNA was not detected during murine embryogenesis; therefore the role of FGF-1 in embryonic development must be attributed to FGF-1 mRNAs arising from upstream untranslated exons other than −1G. On the other hand, the parallel decrease of both FGF-1 and FGF-1.G mRNA levels we observed in the aging mouse kidney and liver suggests a role of FGF-1.G in normal cellular maintenance and survival.
Using Student Expectations and Perceived Needs to Rethink pedagogy and Curriculum: A Case Study.

Because the mission of language departments in large research universities was traditionally the training of graduate students in literary analysis, less attention was devoted to the teaching of lower level language courses. Recently, however, revitalizing language programs has become a major concern for many departments. This study discusses a case of such revitalization at a major metropolitan university. The paper presents results of a pilot study aimed at assessing students' needs and redefining the goals and objectives of a traditional French language program.
Prolonged intermittent footschock stress decreases Met and Leu enkephalin levels in brain with concomitant decreases in pain threshold

The influence of a 21 day intermittent footshock regimen upon enkephalin levels in brain and adrenals was examined in the rat. Changes in pain sensitivity as well as analgesic and hyperthermic responsiveness to morphine (7.5 mg/kg) were also monitored. Following the stress regimen, Met and Leu enkephalin levels were decreased by 40 to 50% in brain, but were unchanged in adrenals. Post-stress pain thresholds were markedly decreased in stressed animals while the analgesic properties of morphine were enhanced. Core body temperature of stressed animals was significantly raised, but the hyperthermic response to morphine was unchanged.
When Parents Model Violence: The Relationship Between Witnessing Weapon Use as a Child and Later Use as an Adult

Studies have demonstrated that witnessing inter-parental violence as a child is related to a number of negative outcomes, including violent and aggressive behavior as an adult (Fantuzzo, DePaola, Lambert, & Martino, 1991; Graham-Bermann & Levendosky, 1998; Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980). Some investigators have purported that observational learning is responsible for this perpetuation of violent behavior in families (Grych & Fincham, 1990; Holtzworth-Munroe & Stuart, 1994). However, existing data is far from conclusive. This short study was designed to address some of the discrepancies. The researchers chose to examine a specific occurrence, weapon use, due to the severity of the behavior. A main intent of this study was to raise questions about the extensive use of weapons in violent families. Participants were 362 male domestic violence offenders court-ordered to undergo assessment of the likelihood of recidivism. Selected items from the Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979) were used to assess childhood witnessing and adult engagement in a target violent behavior. A chi-square was performed to examine the relationship between childhood witnessing of a parent's threat or use of a weapon in a domestic violence incident and adulthood threat or use of a weapon against an intimate partner. The relationship was significant. Men who reported witnessing threat or use of a weapon in parental violence were more likely than not to have threatened to use or have actually used a weapon against an intimate partner. Findings also indicate that most men who committed weapon offenses did not report witnessing such in childhood. This raises interesting questions about other factors that may relate to weapon use.
Implication of Breeding Programs on Potato Quality

The effect of potato breeding on the tendency of tubers to bruise or discolor as well as the phenolic content of tubers was examined. A new cultivar, Lemhi Russet, was compared with two well established varieties, Katahdin and Russet Burbank. In addition, two new nematode-resistant cultivars, Hampton and Islander, were compared with a nematode-susceptible variety, Katahdin. Lemhi was found to discolor more and was higher in phenols than either Katahdin or Russet Burbank. The nematode-resistant varieties, Hampton and Islander, discolored less and were lower in phenols than Katahdin, a nematodesusceptible variety.
A Revised Standard Weight (WS) Equation for Spotted Bass

Abstract Weight-length data were compiled from 139 populations of spotted bass Micropterus punctulatus (N = 26,289 fish) from 16 states within the geographic range of the species. The regression-line-percentile technique was applied to these data to develop a new 75th-percentile standard weight (Ws ) equation. The revised Ws . equation is log10 Ws = –5.392 + 3.215 log10TL, where Ws is the standard weight in grams and TL is the total length in millimeters and is valid for fish 100–640 mm. The English-unit equivalent is log10 Ws = –3.533 + 3.215 log10TL, where Ws . is the standard weight in pounds and TL is in inches and is valid for fish 4–25 in. We found the current Ws equation to be length biased, but no such bias was apparent in the new equation.
Sentencing Disparity Among Upper and Lower Class Health Care Professionals Convicted of Misconduct

A longstanding debate in criminology and criminal justice has focused on whether white-collar offenders are sentenced more leniently than other types of offenders. This study uses a sample of appro...
Psychological Adjustment of Mothers of Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease: The Role of Stress, Coping Methods, and Family Functioning

Assessed the psychological adjustment of 78 mothers of children and adolescents (7-17 years of age) with sickle cell disease. Support was provided for a transactional stress and coping model in delineating the processes associated with maternal adjustment. In particular, poor maternal adjustment was associated with use of palliative coping methods and high levels of stress related to daily hassles. Variables of the model accounted for 55% of the variance in maternal psychological distress.
Ethnographies of Archaeological Practice: Cultural Encounters, Material Transformations

Ethnographies of Archaeological Practice: Cultural Encounters, Material Transformations. Matt Edgeworth, ed. Lanham: AltaMira Press, 2006. 195 pages.
Reviews of Moby-Dick

Mr. Potter analyzes reviews of Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" to determine how the "American public" received the novel.
Periplasmic expression of a Saccharophagus cellodextrinase enables E. coli to ferment cellodextrin

Metabolic engineering has been successful in generating highly efficient Escherichia coli catalysts for production of biofuels and other useful products. However, most of these engineered biocatalysts are only effective when glucose is used as the starting substrate. Strategies to overcome this limitation in the past almost exclusively relied on extracellular secretion or surface display of a β-glucosidase. We show here, for the first time, a periplasmic expression of a Sacchrophagus degradans cellodextrinase (Ced3A) as a successful strategy to enable E. coli to use cellodextrin. The engineered strain was able to grow with cellodextrin as sole carbon source. Additionally, we show that penetration of cellodextrin into periplasmic space was enhanced by using a mutant with leaky outer membrane. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the catalyst can efficiently ferment cellodextrin to lactic acid with about 80 % yield. The ability of a biocatalyst to use cellodextrin should make it useful in consolidated bioprocessing of cellulose.
Complications with forehead flaps in nasal reconstruction.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To determine what characteristics and comorbidities are associated with a higher rate of complications in patients undergoing nasal reconstruction with a forehead flap. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: Chart review was completed on all patients undergoing nasal reconstruction with forehead flap from 1995 to 2008. Three pre-existing comorbidities were tracked: diabetes, smoking, and vascular disease. Major complications (flap necrosis, nasal obstruction, alar notching) and minor adverse outcomes (partial nasal obstruction, epidermolysis, and alar asymmetry) were recorded. Results: Two hundred five patients with a median age of 66 years had forehead flap reconstruction between October 1995 and July 2008. Sixty-two patients (30.2%) had full-thickness defects. Forty-eight patients (23.4%) were smokers, 17 (8.3%) were diabetics, and 90 (43.9%) fell into our category of vascular disease. Thirty-three (16.1%) developed a major complication at some point in their postoperative course, with 11 (5.4%) having some degree of flap necrosis, 10 (4.9%) nasal obstruction, and 20 (9.8%) alar notching. Full-thickness defects were significantly associated with higher incidences of any major complication, and had higher odds of flap necrosis and alar notching. Smokers had higher odds of developing flap necrosis. Neither the presence of diabetes, increased age, nor vascular disease was significantly associated with higher rates of major complications. Conclusions: Smokers with full-thickness defects are shown to be at greater odds for developing a postoperative complication.
Hierarchical extraction of critical area for shorts in very large ICs

This paper describes an algorithm for efficiently extracting critical area in large VLSI circuits. The algorithm, implemented to handle shorts between electrical nets, takes advantage of the available hierarchy in the layout description in order to speed-up computation and minimize memory usage. The developed software-CREST-was tested for a spectrum of actual IC designs and was found very efficient as compared to existing techniques.
Modified Stages of Acquisition of Gateway Drug Use: A Primary Prevention Application of the Stages of Change Model.

The purpose of the study was to identify the stages of acquisition of gateway drugs in fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. The Stages of Acquisition model is a primary prevention application of the Stages of Change model. The subjects in the study were 811 students from seventeen elementary schools in Arkansas and Missouri. The instrument elicited information regarding the stages of acquisition and individual self-reported drug use. The data were analyzed using frequency, distribution, discriminant analysis, and correlation analyses. Stage placement was confirmed using a series of drug use measures. Results confirmed the existence of discrete stages of acquisition. Results supported the concept of gateway drugs in that subjects indicated they had progressed further through the stages of acquisition of alcohol use than through the stages of acquisition of cigarettes use, smokeless tobacco use, or marijuana use.
An Interactive PC-Based Procedure for Reliability Assessment Incorporating Expert Opinion and Survival Data

Abstract In this article I present a new approach for the analysis of life-length data that can be described by a Weibull distribution. The novel feature of my approach pertains to the incorporation of informed judgment or expert opinion into the analysis, using a personal computer in an interactive and user-friendly manner. This approach also provides for incorporating the analyst's opinions on the expertise of the experts. Many of the analyses result in graphical displays, making the development attractive to users not comfortable with analytical expressions.
The Myth of Coexistence: Why Transgenic Crops Are Not Compatible With Agroecologically Based Systems of Production

The coexistence of genetically modified (GM) crops and non-GM crops is a myth because the movement of transgenes beyond their intended destinations is a certainty, and this leads to genetic contamination of organic farms and other systems. It is unlikely that transgenes can be retracted once they have escaped, thus the damage to the purity of non-GM seeds is permanent. The dominant GM crops have the potential to reduce biodiversity further by increasing agricultural intensification. There are also potential risks to biodiversity arising from gene flow and toxicity to nontarget organisms from herbicide-resistant (HT) and insect-resistant (Bt) crops. Unless whole regions are declared GM agriculture free, the development of distinct systems of agriculture (GM and non-GM) will be impossible as GM agriculture emerges at the expense of all other forms of production.
Social Isolation and Health, with an Emphasis on Underlying Mechanisms

Social isolation is a potent but little understood risk factor for mor- bidity and mortality, and its negative consequences are most profound among the el- derly, the poor, and minorities, some of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. pop- ulation.A steadily increasing number of people are living alone and are therefore more likely to experience social isolation.We discuss four mechanisms—attractiveness, health behavior, stress, and repair and maintenance—by which perceived social isolation might affect health. Our studies show that neither attractiveness nor health behaviors differ as a function of social isolation, but stress and repair and maintenance do seem to be fac- tors.While socially isolated young adults did not report more frequent everyday stress- ors, they rated everyday events as more intensely stressful. They were also more likely to report passively coping with stressors, and to show greater vascular resistance, a mechanism of blood pressure control previously associated with passive coping and a risk factor for hypertension. Finally, they exhibited less efficacious repair and mainte- nance of physiological functioning, including slower wound healing and poorer sleep efficiency.These mechanisms have implications for designing appropriate interventions. We advocate a national health care plan that promotes preventive medicine, recognizes the significance of stress-related disorders, and supports the maintenance of social con- nections across the life span.
Modeling the Invasion of Holly (Ilex aquifolium): Spatial Relationships and Spread Trajectories

In this study, we investigated the environmental factors associated with the establishment of invasive English holly (Ilex aquifolium) and the spatiotemporal trajectories of its potential spread. We collected georeferenced presence and absence and demographic data of holly between 2011 and 2014 in Saint Edward State Park, Washington. We analyzed them through a spatially explicit framework that combines multiple logistic regression, cellular automata, and bivariate quadratic modeling. Results showed that the presence of holly is influenced by the proximity to evergreen coniferous vegetation and forest edge, distance to streams, forest structure, and slope direction. Our study confirmed that local environmental conditions, species characteristics, and vegetative and dispersal mechanisms play a significant role in determining the rate and success of holly establishment across the different phases of invasion. Invasive species management plans should consider both species characteristics and their habitat and...
DESCRIPTION OF A SECOND SPECIES OF SUBGENUS GUTTA WRASE & SCHMIDT, 2006 FROM CHINA (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE)

Pterostichus (Gutta) kongshuhensis, sp. n. (type locality: China, Yunnan Province, Baoshan Prefecture, Tengchong County, 2.8 km ENE village Kongshuhe), is described. The new species is morphologically closest to P. (Gutta) gaoligongensis Wrase & Schmidt, 2006.
Estimates of the Productivity of Management Practices in Local Agribusiness Firms

In this study, the level of income and profit of a sample of firms was correlated with indices of management practices and of environment. The indices were included in a production function and a reduced form equation. Management indices were constructed for areas of management defined as personnel and member relations, retail credit, inventory and wholesale merchandising, and strategic planning and sales management. Environmental indices were constructed for personal characteristics of the manager, competition and the board of directors. The indices made a significant contribution to the explanation of both total income and return on fixed investment. The results suggest that it is feasible to construct measures of management behavior and to associate these measures with firm profitability.
A Legal Victory for Insurance Exchanges

A federal judge has rejected a challenge to the new health insurance exchanges that could have crippled the Affordable Care Act by denying tax subsidies to the 73% of Americans who are expected to purchase their health insurance through a federally run exchange.
Further Studies on the Substitutional Behavior of 1,2-Mo2Br2(CH2SiMe3)4. Alkyl, Amide, Phosphide, Alkoxide, and Thiolate for Bromide Exchange and Isomerizations of 1,1- and 1,2-Mo2X2(CH2SiMe3)4 Compounds†

Reactions involving 1,2-Mo2Br2(CH2SiMe3)4 and each of LiNMe2 and HNMe2 in hexane at −50 °C proceed to give 1,1‘-Mo2(NMe2)BrR4, where R = CH2SiMe3, as the first product of Br for amide exchange at t...
Three-Dimensional Parallel Edge-Based Finite Element Modeling of Electromagnetic Data with Field Redatuming

This paper presents a parallelized version of the edge-based finite element method with a novel post-processing approach for numerical modeling of an electromagnetic field in complex media. The method uses an unstructured tetrahedral mesh which can reduce the number of degrees of freedom significantly. The linear system of finite element equations is solved using parallel direct solvers which are robust for ill-conditioned systems and efficient for multiple source electromagnetic (EM) modeling. We also introduce a novel approach to compute the scalar components of the electric field from the tangential components along each edge based on field redatuming. The method can produce a more accurate result as compared to conventional approach. We have applied the developed algorithm to compute the EM response for a typical 3D anisotropic geoelectrical model of the off-shore HC reservoir with complex seafloor bathymetry. The numerical study demonstrates that the modeling algorithm is capable of simulating the complex topography and bathymetry that is commonly encountered in controlled source electromagnetic problems.