cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing the Interpersonal-Behavior model to explain intentions to use patient-delivered partner therapy.

Background Patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) is an evidence-based method of partner treatment, but further research was needed to understand theoretical underpinnings of potential PDPT use. Purpose We sought to develop and test a theoretical framework to understand PDPT intentions. Methods A Midwestern sample of sexually transmitted infection clinic patients were recruited to participate in a three-phase study incorporating semi-structured interviews (n = 20, total), cognitive interviews (n = 5), and surveys (n = 197; Mage = 31.3, 61% male, 91% Black or African-American). Thematic analysis was conducted to identify major themes, which guided development and testing of a theoretical framework on PDPT intentions using structural equation modeling. Results We identified themes of information (knowledge); motivation (individual and partner protection beliefs, partner and provider motivation-to-comply); social support (sexual health and general); and behavioral skills (partner notification, medication delivery, and communication skills self-efficacy) in thematic analysis. The developed Interpersonal-Behavior model demonstrated good model fit in structural equation modeling [χ2(36) = 95.56, p<0.01; RMSEA = 0.09 (0.07–0.11, 90%C.I.); CFI = 0.94; SRMR = 0.05]. Information was associated with motivation (β = 0.37, p<0.001) and social support (β = 0.23, p = 0.002). Motivation was associated with social support (β = 0.64, p<0.001) and behavioral skills (β = 0.40, p<0.001), and social support was associated with behavioral skills (β = 0.23, p = 0.025). Behavioral skills were associated with higher PDPT intentions (β = 0.31, p<0.001), partially mediated the association of motivation with intentions (βdirect = 0.53, p<0.001; βindirect = 0.12, 95%CI: 0.03–0.30), and fully mediated the association of social support with intentions (βindirect = 0.07, 95%CI: 0.00–0.21). Conclusions The Interpersonal-Behavior model seems appropriate for PDPT intentions but should be tested longitudinally with PDPT outcomes and other interpersonal health behaviors.
Towards Time-Scale Matched Composites: System-Level Modeling of Organic and Metallic Phase-Change Material Composites Using a Two-Temperature Model

This work presents a two-temperature model (TTM) designed to understand the thermal response of time-scale matched, phase-change PureTemp29-gallium composites. Since explicit, subscale thermal modeling of the aforementioned composites is computationally expensive, a system-level alternative capable of accurately capturing the full range of dynamic responses of PureTemp29 and gallium – the TTM – is discussed. In the TTM, each element is designed to simultaneously track temperatures of gallium and PureTemp29. The derived parameters – K, the coupling coefficient which depends on subscale composite structure and material, and k eff , the effective thermal conductivity – are tuned using a fitting algorithm, resulting in the convergence of the TTM’s thermal response to that of the explicit model. The derived parameters are found to be boundary-condition independent, i.e., varying the heat-flux has negligible impact on K and k eff . From large-scale parametric sweeps and stepwise regression, two empirical correlations between the derived parameters and four subscale material parameters are developed. These correlations will be refined to develop a full material model for time-scale matched phase-change composites.
Sperm mitochondrial DNA biomarkers and couple fecundity.

STUDY QUESTION Do sperm mitochondrial DNA measures predict probability of pregnancy among couples in the general population? SUMMARY ANSWER Those with high sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) had as much as 50% lower odds of cycle-specific pregnancy, and 18% lower probability of pregnancy within 12 months. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Semen parameters have been found to poorly predict reproductive success yet are the most prevalent diagnostic tool for male infertility. Increased sperm mtDNAcn and mitochondrial DNA deletions (mtDNAdel) have been associated with decreased semen quality and lower odds of fertilization in men seeking fertility treatment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A population-based prospective cohort study of couples discontinuing contraception to become pregnant recruited from 16 US counties from 2005 to 2009 followed for up to 16 months. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Sperm mtDNAcn and mtDNAdel from 384 semen samples were assessed via triplex probe-based quantitative PCR. Probability of pregnancy within 1 year was compared by mitochondrial DNA, and discrete-time proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the relations with time-to-pregnancy (TTP) with adjustment for covariates. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Higher sperm mtDNAcn was associated with lower pregnancy probability within 12 months and longer TTP. In unadjusted comparisons by quartile (Q), those in Q4 had a pregnancy probability of 63.5% (95% CI: 53.1% to 73.1%) compared to 82.3% (95% CI: 73.2% to 89.9%) for Q1 (P = 0.002). Similar results were observed in survival analyses adjusting for covariates to estimate fecundability odds ratios (FORs) comparing mtDNAcn in quartiles. Relative to those in Q1 of mtDNAcn, FORs (95% CI) were for Q2 of 0.78 (0.52 to 1.16), Q3 of 0.65 (0.44 to 0.96) and Q4 of 0.55 (0.37 to 0.81), and this trend of decreasing fecundability with increasing mtDNAcn quartile was statistically significant (FOR per log mtDNAcn = 0.37; P < 0.001). Sperm mtDNAdel was not associated with TTP. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This prospective cohort study consisted primarily of Caucasian men and women and thus large diverse cohorts are necessary to confirm the associations between sperm mtDNAcn and couple pregnancy success in other races/ethnicities. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our results demonstrate that sperm mtDNAcn has utility as a biomarker of male reproductive health and probability of pregnancy success in the general population. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was funded in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health (R01-ES028298; PI: J.R.P.) and the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (Contracts N01-HD-3-3355, N01-HD-3-3356 and N01-HD-3-3358). The authors declare no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
Integration of Virtual Simulation Into a Web-Based Nursing Dosage Calculation Course.

ABSTRACT This article describes an innovative approach to student learning using virtual simulation in a web-based dosage calculation nursing course. This new technology was implemented in a baccalaureate generic nursing program. The project was designed to improve student test scores and increase self-confidence. Using this technology allowed students to practice their skills and receive feedback in real time. Feedback from students was mostly favorable. Higher performing students found it repetitive; lower performing students showed improvement in their scores.
The sword and the scales : the United States and international courts and tribunals

1. International courts and tribunals and the rule of law John B. Bellinger, III 2. American public opinion on international courts and tribunals Steven Kull and Clay Ramsay 3. Arbitration and avoidance of war: the nineteenth century American vision Mary Ellen O'Connell 4. The United States and the International Court of Justice: coping with antinomies Sean D. Murphy 5. The U.S. Supreme Court and the International Court of Justice: what does 'respectful consideration' mean? Melissa A. Waters 6. U.S. attitudes toward international criminal courts and tribunals John P. Cerone 7. The United States and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Elizabeth A. H. Abi-Mershed 8. From paradox to subsidiarity: the United States and human rights treaty bodies Tara J. Melish 9. The U.S. and international claims and compensation bodies John R. Crook 10. Does the U.S. support international tribunals? The case of the multilateral trade system Jeffrey L. Dunoff 11. The United States and dispute settlement under the North American Free Trade Agreement: ambivalence, frustration and occasional defiance David A. Gantz 12. Dispute settlement under NAFTA Chapter 11: a response to the critics in the United States Susan L. Karamanian 13. The United States and international courts: getting the cost-benefit analysis right Cesare P. R. Romano.
Persistent Disparities in Adult Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

The use of large databases has provided advancements in the understanding of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in the field of adult hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT). Disparities exist on individual, institutional, and systemic levels for both allogeneic and autologous HCT. We reviewed the most recent publications that utilized large databases to elucidate disparities in HCT and placed them into historical context of the other major studies in the field. Two emerging themes were identified. These themes are persistent inequalities in both allogeneic HCT and autologous HCT for myeloma and the importance of improving homogeneity of care in HCT. Minimization of inequalities can be achieved only with an understanding of the persistent barriers that exist in the field.
Cholinomimetic treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the cholinomimetic treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The demographic and economic factors, coupled with the expanding biological knowledge of the disease, have promoted a major focus on developing effective treatments for AD. At present, at least 10 cholinesterase inhibitors and 7 cholinergic agonists are under development. First generation cholinesterase inhibitors, such as tacrine, may be characterized by short duration of action and lack of specificity. Second generation agents will correct one of these issues, while third generation agents will have high specificity for acetylcholinesterase and a long duration of activity. Nevertheless, it seems clear that only small improvements in cognition will be obtained using these agents in view of the widespread pathology and involvement of multiple neurotransmitter systems in the brains of patients with AD. In addition, true clinical efficacy of these agents has not yet been firmly established. The large tacrine trials demonstrated improvements on cognitive scales and a very small improvement in global functioning, improvement in activities of daily living (ADL) adequately demonstrated. The attempts to measure the cost effectiveness of these agents and their potential role in health care utilization have not been carried out. Undoubtedly, safer cholinesterase inhibitors and cholinergic agonists will be developed, but attention to overall clinical efficacy including ADL and the cost should be addressed in future trials of these agents.
Oil and Ring Effects on Piston-Ring Assembly Friction by the Instantaneous IMEP Method

This paper describes the friction characteristics of a 1.8 Litre J-car piston and ring assembly as influenced by oil rings of conventional design, but of varying tensions. In addition, the piston-ring assembly friction characteristics are reported for a set of oil viscosities ranging from 2 to 20 cSt with and without a molybdenum friction modifier. Multigrade oil results are shown also. Finally comparisons are presented between changes in friction measured by the Instantaneous IMEP Method and those measured by the dynamometer for the engine as a whole.
What Makes a Blog a Blog? Exploring User Conceptualizations of an Old "New" Online Medium.

What is a blog? While this may seem like a basic question, it is the subject of dispute among researchers, and hardly settled among users of the medium. We return to this fundamental inquiry by asking 89 blog reading college students how they conceptualize the term and what purpose blogs serve for them. Our findings suggest that perceptions of blogs are varied and ambiguous, and definitions largely fail to distinguish blogs from other online media. We discuss what this means for the study of blogs and other “new” media and argue that more constructionist approaches are necessary to develop ecologically valid theories of media perceptions and use.
Suppression of the intracellular growth of Shigella flexneri in cell cultures by interferon preparations and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid.

A strain of Shigella flexneri type 2a was found to multiply intracellularly in cultures of the diploid human cell strain FS-1 and in secondary rabbit kidney cells. When inoculated cultures were stained and observed under the light microscope, it appeared that the cytoplasm of infected cells became gradually filled with bacteria. Various preparations of human and rabbit interferon were found to suppress the intracellular bacterial growth in homologous cells. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I·poly C) had a similar inhibitory effect. Rabbit interferon preparations did not cause a significant suppression in human cells. Suppression of the bacterial growth could be demonstrated in two ways: (i) by showing that treatment with either homologous interferon or poly I·poly C reduced the proportion of infected cells determined by counting the total number of cells and the number of cells with 10 or more bacteria in several microscopic fields selected at random, or (ii) by showing that a suppression in 3 H-uridine incorporation by bacteria occurs in infected cultures treated with actinomycin D after incubation with interferon or poly I·poly C. (Uridine incorporation by the bacterium is insensitive to actinomycin D.) Treatment of cells with actinomycin D before incubation with interferon prevented the development of cellular resistance to bacterial infection. Interferon preparations did not have an inhibitory effect on the extracellular growth of S. flexneri in a broth culture. These findings show that the range of activity of the interferon system apparently extends to intracellularly growing bacteria. Images
In utero gene therapy.

Gene therapy holds the promise of therapies for genetic diseases, cancer, heart disease, and more. However, the promise and associated expectations, so far, greatly exceed reality. As we try to move theoretical and laboratory bench technologies to the bedside, Mother Nature confronts us with ever-
KCNE4 can co‐associate with the IKs (KCNQ1–KCNE1) channel complex

Voltage-gated potassium (K(V)) channels can form heteromultimeric complexes with a variety of accessory subunits, including KCNE proteins. Heterologous expression studies have demonstrated diverse functional effects of KCNE subunits on several K(V) channels, including KCNQ1 (K(V)7.1) that, together with KCNE1, generates the slow-delayed rectifier current (I(Ks)) important for cardiac repolarization. In particular, KCNE4 exerts a strong inhibitory effect on KCNQ1 and other K(V) channels, raising the possibility that this accessory subunit is an important potassium current modulator. A polyclonal KCNE4 antibody was developed to determine the human tissue expression pattern and to investigate the biochemical associations of this protein with KCNQ1. We found that KCNE4 is widely and variably expressed in several human tissues, with greatest abundance in brain, liver and testis. In heterologous expression experiments, immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblotting was used to establish that KCNE4 directly associates with KCNQ1, and can co-associate together with KCNE1 in the same KCNQ1 complex to form a 'triple subunit' complex (KCNE1-KCNQ1-KCNE4). We also used cell surface biotinylation to demonstrate that KCNE4 does not impair plasma membrane expression of either KCNQ1 or the triple subunit complex, indicating that biophysical mechanisms probably underlie the inhibitory effects of KCNE4. The observation that multiple KCNE proteins can co-associate with and modulate KCNQ1 channels to produce biochemically diverse channel complexes has important implications for understanding K(V) channel regulation in human physiology.
The Donor Kidney Biopsy and Its Implications in Predicting Graft Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Despite a growing organ shortage in the United States, many deceased donor kidneys removed for transplantation are discarded. Kidney biopsy findings often play a role in these discards, although it is not clear whether biopsies reliably inform acceptance decisions. Therefore, we carried out a systematic review of the medical literature on the utility of both procurement and implantation biopsies for predicting posttransplant outcomes. Between January 1, 1994 and July 1, 2014, 47 studies were published in the English language literature that examined the association between pretransplant donor biopsy findings from 50 or more donors (with more than half being from deceased donors) and either posttransplant graft failure, delayed graft function, or graft function. In general, study quality was poor. All were retrospective or did not indicate if they were prospective. Results were heterogeneous, with authors as often as not concluding that biopsy results did not predict posttransplant outcomes. The percent glomerular sclerosis was most often examined, and failed to predict graft failure in 7 of 14 studies. Of 15 semiquantitative scoring systems proposed, none consistently predicted posttransplant outcomes across studies. Routine use of biopsies to help determine whether or not to transplant a kidney should be reexamined.
para-Hydrogen conversion and hydrogen-deuterium equilibration catalyzed by diamagnetic iridium, platinum, and ruthenium complexes in nonaqueous solution (1)

Abstract Homogeneous solutions of several tertiary phosphine complexes of Ir, Pt, Ru, and Rh have been tested for their catalytic activity for (1) para-hydrogen conversion, p − H2 ⇄ o − H2, and (2) hydrogen-deuterium equilibration, H2 + D2 → 2 HD. The experiments were carried out in toluene under 1 atm of hydrogen and between 25 and 65°C. The following results were obtained. (1) para-H2 conversion: (a) active complexes: trans-[Ir(A)(CO)(Ph3P)2] (A = Cl, Br, or I), [Pt(Ph3P)4], {Pt(Ph3P)n}, [Pt(O2)(Ph3P)2], [Pt(Cl)2(Bu3P)2], and [Ru(Cl)2(Ph3P)3]; (b) inactive complexes: [Pt(PC2P)2], [Pt(PCCP)2], and [Fe(DPGH)2(py)2]. (2) H2-D2 equilibration: (a) active complexes: trans-[Ir(A)(CO)(Ph3P)2], {Pt(Ph3P)n}, and [Pt(O2)(Ph3P)2]; (b) inactive complexes [Pt(Ph3P)4], [Pt(Cl)2(Bu3P)2], and trans-[Rh(Cl)(CO)(Ph3P)2]. The H2-D2 catalysis by the iridium complexes was accompanied by an exchange between D2 and some bound hydrogens in the reaction system. It is proposed that the para-H2 conversion proceeds via a chemical mechanism through a dihydrido intermediate M(H)2. The H2-D2 equilibration is tentatively proposed to involve a tetra-(hydrido-deuterio) species, M(H, D)4, representing a labile intermediate or an activated complex. Alternate mechanisms for the H2-D2 equilibrium are considered, and their relative merits are discussed.
SELECTIVE INHIBITION OF BLUE‐GREEN ALGAL GROWTH BY ETHIONINE AND OTHER AMINO ACID ANALOG1,2

SUMMARY Some metabolic analogs, including azaguanine, azathymine, azauracil, caffeine, 4-azaleucine, dl-ethionine, and dl-p-fluorophenylanlanine, were examined for their ability to repress the multiplication of algae from natural aquatic sources grown in defined or semidefined media. dl-ethionine, dl-p-fluorophenylalanine, and 4-azaleucine, in that order, inhibited the multiplication of blue-green but not other algal groups. The purine and pyrimidine analogs were not inhibitory. In chemically defined axenic media, dl-ethionine was about 100 times more inhibitory to the blue-green algae Synechococcus cedrorum and Anabaena cylindrica than to the eucaryotic algae Ochromonas danica and Euglena gracilis. The ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis was at least 100-fold more resistant to ethionine than the algae. The unusual sensitivity of blue-green algae to ethionine and other amino acid analogs represents an exceptional phylelic character and may be useful in the control of these algae when they become a nuisance. Amino acid analogs such as ethionine may also serve to remove blue-green algae from cultures one may desire to render axenic.
Successional trajectories of a grazed salt desert shrubland

Successional trajectories through the statistical space of ordinations were used to examine response to grazing in salt desert shrub communities of western Utah, USA. Relative cover data were periodically collected over a 53 year period from grazing exclosures and pastures grazed with light or heavy stocking rates in fall or spring (4 grazing treatments). Two-way indicator species analysis was used to select the 98 most similar plots (24 m2) from among 358 plots in 1935. Foliar cover of 23 species on those 98 plots was followed at irregular intervals over 53 years, resulting in 709 plot-time samples. Successional trajectories were developed for each grazing treatment with ordinations from detrended correspondence analysis. Grazing season had a more pronounced influence on floristic trajectories than did grazing intensity. These ordinations suggest grazing season was an important factor regulating response to grazing and identify annual March-April grazing as an important cause of retrogression in the salt desert shrub ecosystem.
Head Start: Making “quality” a national priority

The recurrent debate in the Federal budget and appropriations processes will continue to make financing of early childhood education programs problematic. Should money be allocated to broaden access or to improve upon program quality? As a competitor for scarce resources, Head Start represents a case in point. An analysis of issues surrounding its funding has implications forall early childhood programs.
Abstract 1026: A non-apoptotic function for Mcl-1 as an activator of canonical Wnt signaling in keratinocytes

Mcl-1 is an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member whose rapid down-regulation is required for UV apoptosis. We recently showed that not only is Mcl-1 a major human keratinocyte (KC) survival protein, but it is required for proper KC differentiation in organotypic culture, implicating a non-apoptotic function for Mcl-1 involved in regulating epidermal morphogenesis. To further explore the function of Mcl-1 in vivo, we generated and analyzed transgenic mice expressing human Mcl-1 under control of the keratin 5 (K5) promoter. K5-Mcl-1 transgenic mice had >2-fold increase in epidermal thickness (p 3 H-thymidine incorporation (3.4- and 2.9-fold respectively), indicating that the mitogenic activity of Mcl-1 resides in its N-terminal region. Since β-catenin signaling is activated in cutaneous SCC and involved in stem cell maintenance, this non-apoptotic function of Mcl-1 represents a novel and potentially oncogenic activity in addition to its well characterized anti-apoptotic function. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1026.
System Considerations for Managerial Auditing of Governmental Units

The design of accounting systems for government tends to neglect the needs of managerial audit and evaluation of performance. Against the background of local government practice in the USA, the case is outlined for the design of operational and decision‐making information support systems which take fuller account of requirements conducive to improved performance, the interests of a well‐informed electorate and more effective audit and evaluation.
The Local Heat-Transfer Coefficient Around a Heated Horizontal Cylinder in an Intense Sound Field

Abstract : Idenifiers: Thermoacoustic streaming. The local heat-transfer coefficient around the circumference of a heated horizontal cylinder, both in the presence and absence of a strong stationary sound field, was studied. Superposition of intense sound upon the free-convection temperature-velocity field about a heated horizontal cylinder increases the heat-transfer coefficient both on the under and upper portions of the cylinder's surface. In the presence of a sound field for which SPL = 146 db (re 0.0002 microbar) and f = 1500 cps, the maximum measured increases in the local heat-transfer coefficient on the under and upper portions of a 3/4-inch diameter cylinder--relative to the free convection case at the same temperature potential-were approximately 250 and 1200 per cent, respectively. A comparison of these results with earlier flow-visualization studies indicates that the relatively large percentage increase in the heat-transfer coefficient on the upper portion of the cylinder is caused by the oscillating vortex flow which is characteristic of thermoacoustic streaming. (Author)
Perspectives on early communication of drug risks to the public.

The way in which important, emerging information about the safety of marketed drugs is communicated to the public and health-care professionals has changed remarkably over the past 5 years. In an environment of instant and global electronic communication, and in response to the challenge of meeting the public's expectations of transparency and accountability, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has implemented new communication tools, including early communications about ongoing safety reviews, and new policies that describe what and when we communicate. In 2009, the FDA will complete a major overhaul of its website, one of its principal vehicles for communication. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2009); 85, 3, 335–339 doi:10.1038/clpt.2008.272
Pierre Bourdieu and North American Political Sociology: Why He Doesn’t Fit In But Should

Pierre Bourdieu is often read as a theorist, a sociologist of culture or education, an anthropologist, but not as a political sociologist. This is particularly the case in the US though generally true in the UK and Europe as well. Yet arguably he was also a political sociologist. Bourdieu was centrally concerned with politics and saw his work as an expression of political struggle. It is striking, however, that few in American political sociology, and even fewer in political science, consider Bourdieu to be relevant to the study of politics. The purpose of this paper is to suggest some reasons for why this is the case.
Motions of Flare Ribbons and Loops in Various Magnetic Configurations

Kopp–Pneuman-type magnetic configurations, which include a vertical current sheet, with various background fields are investigated. Dissipation of the current sheet as a result of magnetic reconnection produces bright flare ribbons on the solar disk and a growing flare loop system in the corona. In principle, the growth of flare loop system is governed by a reconnection process only, and the behavior of flare ribbons is also controlled by the background field. The flare ribbons may appear either separate or attached to one another at the onset of the flare depending on the background field distribution on the boundary surface. We calculate the decrease in height that magnetic field lines undergo after they have reconnected to form closed loops. Following previous practice, we refer to this decrease as field line shrinkage. Unlike the motions of flare ribbons, the shrinkage of flare loops depends weakly on the background field. Individual loops always shrink fastest at the moment it is produced by reconnection and just starts to leave the current sheet. The earlier the loop forms, the more and faster it shrinks. The relevant observations are explained on the basis of our calculations, and the aspects of the explanation that need improvement are also discussed.
Sequential injection/electrochemical immunoassay for quantifying the pesticide metabolite 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol

Abstract An automated and sensitive sequential injection electrochemical immunoassay was developed to monitor a potential insecticide biomarker, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol. The current method involved a sequential injection analysis (SIA) system equipped with a thin-layer electrochemical flow cell and permanent magnet, which was used to fix 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) antibody coated magnetic beads (TCP-Ab-MBs) in the reaction zone. After competitive immunoreactions among TCP-Ab-MBs, TCP analyte, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled TCP, a 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine dihydrochloride and hydrogen peroxide (TMB-H 2 O 2 ) substrate solution was injected to produce an electroactive enzymatic product. The activity of HRP tracers was monitored by a square wave voltammetric scanning electroactive enzymatic product in the thin-layer flow cell. The voltammetric characteristics of the substrate and the enzymatic product were investigated under batch conditions, and the parameters of the immunoassay were optimized in the SIA system. Under the optimal conditions, the system was used to measure as low as 6 ng L −1 (ppt) TCP, which is around 50-fold lower than the value indicated by the manufacturer of the TCP RaPID Assay ® kit (0.25 μg/L, colorimetric detection). The performance of the developed immunoassay system was successfully evaluated on tap water and river water samples spiked with TCP. This technique could be readily used for detecting other environmental contaminants by developing specific antibodies against contaminants and is expected to open new opportunities for environmental and biological monitoring.
The effects of stimulus movement on discrimination learning by rhesus monkeys

Two experiments were conducted with test-sophisticated adult rhesus monkeys to determine effects of differentiating and nondifferentiating movement cues on two-choice discrimination learning. In Experiment 1, 12 monkeys were given initial learning problems followed by intradimensional shift problems with movement- and color-differentiated stimulus cues. Results indicated that original learning progressed most rapidly with movement cues, but that subsequent task-shift performance was comparable for movement- and color-cue problems. There was no evidence that learning with either cue dimension transferred to subsequent problems involving the other cue dimension. In Experiment 2, 14 monkeys were given a series of two-choice discrimination problems in which discriminanda differed in color only. Problems were presented under two conditions: (1) both discriminanda moved synchronously during the choice period or (2) both discriminanda remained stationary. Results indicated that the monkeys learned more rapidly when discriminanda were moving rather than stationary. It was concluded that motion is a dimension of comparable saliency to color, although the psychophysical properties need further clarification. It was hypothesized that stimulus movement enhances discrimination learning through facilitation of the appropriate allocation of attention.
Phosphorylation of the Hinge Domain of the Nuclear Hormone Receptor LRH-1 Stimulates Transactivation

The nuclear receptor LRH-1 (NR5A2) functions to regulate expression of a number of genes associated with bile acid homeostasis and other liver functions, but mechanisms that modulate its activity remain unclear. We have found that mitogenic stimuli, including treatment with phorbol myristate (PMA), increase LRH-1 transactivation. This response maps to the hinge and ligand binding domains of LRH-1 and is blocked by the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126. LRH-1 is a phosphoprotein and hinge domain serine residues at 238 and 243 are required for effective phosphorylation, both in vitro and in cells. Preventing phosphorylation of these residues by mutating both to alanine decreases PMA-dependent LRH-1 transactivation and mimicking phosphorylation by mutation to positively charged aspartate residues increases basal transactivation. Although serine phosphorylation of the hinge of SF-1 (NR5A1), the closest relative of LRH-1, confers a similar response, the specific targets differ in the two closely related orphan receptors. These results define a novel pathway for the modulation of LRH-1 transactivation and identify specific LRH-1 residues as downstream targets of mitogenic stimuli. This pathway may contribute to recently described proliferative functions of LRH-1.
Redesigning the dilator tip, what’s the point?

Purpose Progressive dilatation of tracts is used for insertion of catheters over guidewires overcoming the resistance of soft tissues. Current dilator tips have a conical design. The purpose of our study is to evaluate different tip shapes ease of insertion compared with the conical shape. Materials and Methods In-vitro study using 14 FR dilators with conical, biconvex, triangular and diamond tip designs, a 19 gauge thin wall Seldinger needle, a 0’035” 3 mm J-tip guidewire, shaped transparent Perma-Gel Ballistic gel blocks (mimicking tissue) and an ad-hoc designed scale to measure the force needed for dilator insertion into the gel. Simulation of actual use of the dilators, an initial through and through penetration of the simulated tissue was made with the needle allowing a guide wire to be placed. After threading each dilator on the guide wire, progressive force was applied to the dilator until penetration in the gel was achieved. A total of 20 trials were carried out for each dilator. The applied force to advance the dilator into the gel was recorded and compared. Results Mean value insertion forces for each tip shapes were: conical 381.44 ± 9.1 grams (3.74 ± 0.09 Newtons); biconvex 350.51 ± 18.08 (3.43 ± 0.18 Newtons); triangular 359.21 ± 15.21 grams (3.52 ± 0.15 Newtons); diamond 353.52 ± 11.87 grams (3.46 ± 0.12 Newtons). The biconvex, triangular, and diamond tips had statically significant insertion forces to penetrate the gel as compared with the conical tip (p = Conclusion Our in vitro data suggests that there are measurable differences in the applied force necessary for tissue penetration of different dilator tip designs. These findings may assist in new dilators/catheters tip design to ease soft tissue insertion.
α‐Helix to random coil transitions of two‐chain coiled coils: Experiments on the thermal denaturation of isolated segments of αα‐tropomyosin

Circular dichroism (CD) experiments in the backbone (200–240 nm) region are reported for four isolated, excised two-chain, coiled-coil segments whose chains comprise, respectively, residues 11–127, 142–281, 1–189, and 190–284 of the rabbit αα-tropomyosin (Tm) sequence. The uv and CD spectra for the noncross-linked segments are very similar to those for parent Tm. At 3°C, all have a helix content of 90% or more; moreover, all thermal denaturation curves depend on concentration, as required by mass action, and are completely reversible. At comparable concentrations, solutions show values of T1/2 (the temperature at which the helix content is 50%) following the order of 11Tm127 ∼ 1Tm189 > 142Tm281 > 190Tm284. The thermal unfolding data for 11Tm127, 190Tm284, and 142Tm281 fall on apparently monophasic curves (single inflection point). However, curves for 1Tm189 show a heretofore unknown low temperature transition in which the helix content drops from ∼ 90% at 2°C to ∼ 73% at 20°C, indicating that this segment has one or more weak sections totaling approximately 50 residues per chain. Since thermal denaturation curves for noncross-Iinked 11Tm127, 142Tm281, and Tm have no such low temperature transition, i.e., the helix content is not additive, the weak region probably comprises the bulk of the residues between 127 and 189 in 1Tm189, but is somehow stabilized in 142Tm281 and in parent Tm. This nonad-ditivity may be explainable by a combination of lopp entropy and local adjustments in packing of hydrophobes in the helix–helix interface. For Cl90-cross-linked 142Tm281, the uv and CD spectra and helix content are very similar to those for other coiled-coil species. In addition, the thermal unfolding curve shows a “pretransition” that is similar to but broader than that for cross-linked parent Tm and a “posttransition” that is almost identical to that for cross-linked parent Tm.
Feeding of naturally occurring toxic oysters,Crassostrea virginica, to chicks

Crassostrea virginica samples collected from Lemon and Sarasota Bay areas during the 1962–1963 fish-killing red tide outbreak in Florida were tested for ciguatera-like toxin by preparing a diethyl ether extract of the oyster and using white mice for toxicity analysis. Oyster samples that demonstrated elevated toxicity values in mice caused definite neurological symptoms, or death, or both, in 3 to 6 day-old white leghorn chicks when administered orally.
87Sr/86Sr ratios in basalts from islands in the Indian Ocean

Abstract 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of basalts from islands in the Indian Ocean (0.7040) are higher than those of basalts dredged from the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge (0.7034). The sources of the island basalts have apparently not been in equilibrium with the source of the ridge basalts for roughly 10 9 years. Both ridge and island basalts in the Indian Ocean are higher in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr than are rocks from similar settings in the eastern Pacific.
Tempo Preferences of Different Age Music Listeners.

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of four levels of tempo on the self-reported preferences of six different age-groups for traditional jazz music listening examples. The authors administered a listening test to 926 students in 45 classrooms from third grade through college level in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Test reliability was evaluated in terms of internal consistency, student behavior was observed during the test, and free-response feedback was solicited from the students at the end of the measurement procedure as an additional check on the validity of results. A Friedman analysis of variance disclosed a significant preference for increasingly faster tempi at every age level. These results confirm and extend those LeBlanc and McCrary obtained in a 1983 study that was limited to fifth- and sixth-grade students. Listener age exerted a strong influence on overall preference scores, which were highest with the youngest listeners (third grade), declined steadily to a low point at seventh ...
Evaluation of multi-queue buffered multistage interconnection networks under uniform and non-uniform traffic patterns

This paper presents a unified model for analysing multistage interconnection networks with multi-queue buffered strategies. Buffering strategies include SAFC (Statically Allocated Fully Connected), SAMQ (Statically Allocated Multi-Queue), DAMQ (Dynamically Allocated Multi-Queue), and DAFC (Dynamically Allocated Fully Connected) schemes. We develop a unified model to evaluate the performance of all these buffer allocation schemes under the uniform and non-uniform traffic patterns. The analytical model is validated through extensive simulations. Using the unified model, we conducted performance comparisons for the four buffer allocation schemes under both uniform and non-uniform traffic load. It is shown that the DAFC scheme has the best performance over all the four buffer allocation schemes under both uniform and non-uniform load.
Enteral access options and management in the patient with intestinal failure

Intestinal failure refers to a condition in which inadequate digestion and/or absorption of nutrients leads to malnutrition and/or dehydration. Enteral access is occasionally used in patients with intestinal failure either for the purpose of providing nutrition or decompressing the gut. As a consequence, it is important that clinicians caring for these highly complex patients be knowledgeable in enteral access options and experienced in the subsequent care of these tubes. In this review, enteral access options and the potential complications associated with their use will be reviewed. Importantly, this information is relevant to both the pediatric and adult patient with intestinal failure.
Analysis of an egyptian mummy resin by mass spectrometry.

Fast atom bombardment combined with mass spectrometry (FAB/MS), high resolution FAB/MS, FAB tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were used to determine the composition of the resinous material recovered from the wrappings of an Egyptian mummy believed to be from the Roman period (100–350 A.D.). FAB/MS and MS/MS studies identified several oxidation products of abietic acid as the principal resin components, indicating that one or more species of coniferous trees were used by the Egyptians as a source of the resin. GC/MS studies also identified several n-alkanes with carbon numbers from C19 to C33 in the sample. The relative amounts of these n-alkanes, along with characteristic trace metals, indicate that bitumen, an asphalt native to the region, was added to the resin. The presence of this ancient source of carbon in this sample explains the inconsistent date assigned to the mummy by carbon-14 analysis.
First Report of Phytophthora ramorum on Canyon Live Oak in California

During August 2002, Phytophthora ramorum S. Werres & A.W.A.M. de Cock was isolated from branches <2.0 cm in diameter on a canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis) in Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, CA. The shrub was a cluster of stems <1 m in diameter and 1 m high. Similar cankers were observed on small branches of adjacent canyon live oaks and there was dieback of the branches distal to the lesions. Many tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica), and evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) were also infected by P. ramorum at this site. The isolate was identified as P. ramorum by its abundant chlamydospores and caducous, semi-papillate sporangia and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences identical to those of isolates of P. ramorum from Quercus spp., tanoak, and Rhododendron (1,3). To test for pathogenicity, two greenhouse trials (5 seedlings per trial plus controls) were conducted on 20- to 24-month-old canyon live oak seedlings. Coast live oak (Q....
Modeling effects of conservation grassland losses on amphibian habitat

Abstract Amphibians provide many ecosystem services valued by society. However, populations have declined globally with most declines linked to habitat change. Wetlands and surrounding terrestrial grasslands form habitat for amphibians in the North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). Wetland drainage and grassland conversion have destroyed or degraded much amphibian habitat in the PPR. However, conservation grasslands can provide alternate habitat. In the United States, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the largest program maintaining grasslands on agricultural lands. We used an ecosystem services model (InVEST) parameterized for the PPR to quantify amphibian habitat over a six-year period (2007–2012). We then quantified changes in availability of amphibian habitat under various land-cover scenarios representing incremental losses (10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of CRP grasslands from 2012 levels. The area of optimal amphibian habitat in the four PPR ecoregions modeled (i.e., Northern Glaciated Plains, Northwestern Glaciated Plains, Lake Agassiz Plain, Des Moines Lobe) declined by approximately 22%, from 3.8 million ha in 2007 to 2.9 million ha in 2012. These losses were driven by the conversion of CRP grasslands to croplands, primarily for corn and soybean production. Our modeling identified an additional 0.8 million ha (26%) of optimal amphibian habitat that would be lost if remaining CRP lands are returned to crop production. An economic climate favoring commodity production over conservation has resulted in substantial losses of amphibian habitat across the PPR that will likely continue into the future. Other regions of the world face similar challenges to maintaining amphibian habitats.
Membrane-trafficking sorting hubs: cooperation between PI4P and small GTPases at the trans-Golgi network

Cell polarity in eukaryotes requires constant sorting, packaging and transport of membrane-bound cargo within the cell. These processes occur in two sorting hubs: the recycling endosome for incoming material and the trans-Golgi network for outgoing material. Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate are enriched at the endocytic and exocytic sorting hubs, respectively, where they act together with small GTPases to recruit factors to segregate cargo and regulate carrier formation and transport. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of how these lipids and GTPases regulate membrane trafficking directly, emphasizing the recent discoveries of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate functions at the trans-Golgi network.
Anomalous Quasihydrostaticity and Enhanced Structural Stability of 3 nm Nanoceria

High-pressure ruby fluorescence spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction are used to investigate the differential stress development and structural stability of 3 nm ceria. Upon compression of nanoceria to ∼28.2 GPa, R1 and R2 lines of ruby remain consistent in shape and sharpness. X-ray diffraction displays no reasonable evidence of peak broadening to 28.6 GPa and phase transformation to 65.1 GPa. These observations suggest an anomalous quasihydrostatic state of compressed nanoceria and a highly enhanced structural stability. Although a pressure-driven oxygen release and subsequent vacancy-induced interface superfluid reasonably explains the generation of extended quasihydrostaticity, a particle size dependent isotropic stress field and surface energy contribution to total energy explain a reversal of structural stability as compared to the size-induced reduction of transformation pressure in large scale nanoceria. These findings provide significant information not only for understanding the revers...
“One Nation, under God”: Tolerable Acknowledgement of Religion or Unconstitutional Cold War Propaganda Cloaked in American Civil Religion?

A recent poll conducted by Newsweek magazine showed that nearly 90 percent of Americans believe that the words "under God" should be included in the Pledge of Allegiance.1 What the poll did not show is the percentage of Americans who are aware of how long the reference to God has been in the Pledge of Allegiance, why it is included, or for that matter how long the Pledge itself has been around. As with many utterances in the public consciousness, widespread acceptance and routine recitation can produce a kind of obscurity that causes few people to "ask themselves what they are saying, why they are saying it, and in what sense they live by it."2 This paradox may explain why Justice William J. Brennan, a "stalwart"3 church-state separationist, once suggested that the reference to God in the Pledge was "protected from Establishment Clause scrutiny chiefly because [it has] lost through rote repetition any significant religious content."4 As the Supreme Court has now decided to test that proposition in Elk Grove
The affect of cadmium on sulfate assimilation enzymes in Brassica juncea

The expression of mRNA and enzyme activity for the sulfur assimilation enzymes ATP sulfurylase (AS) and APS reductase (AR) was measured over 24 h in Brassica juncea exposed to 50 mM CdSO4. AS mRNA increased : 3-fold only in roots and there was no change in enzyme activity. AR mRNA level was unaffected in leaves but enzyme activity declined by : 7-fold. In roots AR mRNA and enzyme increased asynchronously; mRNA increased : 5-fold after 6 h while enzyme activity increased :5-fold in 24 h. In plants exposed fo r3ht o Cd andthen transferred to Cd-free medium AR activity increased: 5-fold more rapidly than in plants that were continuously exposed. Feeding of cysteine or glutathione abolished the Cd-induced increases in mRNA and enzyme activity. In plants that were exposed to varying Cd doses up to 200 mM the level of AR mRNA increased linearly with the dose but the activity lagged behind the mRNA and was inhibited above 50 mM. These results indicate that the lag in enzyme expression is likely due to an effect of Cd. However, not all heavy metals had the same effect. When treated with Zn, Pb, Cu, and Hg AR mRNA and enzyme activity increased synchronously. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.