cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prescribed Burning to Restore Mixed‐Oak Communities in Southern Ohio: Effects on Breeding‐ Bird Populations

Fire is being experimentally reintroduced to the forests of southern Ohio to determine its effectiveness in restoring and maintaining mixed-oak (Quercus spp.) forest communities. We studied the effects of repeated burning (1-4 years of annual burning) and recovery (1 year after burning) on the breeding bird community. Burning resulted in incremental but temporary reductions in the availability of leaf litter, shrubs, and saplings, but it did not affect trees, snags, or understory vegetation cover. Of 30 bird species monitored, 4 were affected negatively and 2 were affected positively by burning. Population densities of Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus), Worm-eating Warblers (Helmitheros vermivorus), and Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia citrina) declined incrementally in response to repeated burning and did not recover within 1 year after burning, suggesting a lag time in response to the changes in habitat conditions. Densities of Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) fluctuated among years in the control units, but remained low in the burned units. Densities of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) and Eastern Wood-Pewees (Contopus virens) increased in response to burning, but these increases were apparent only after several years of repeated burning. In general, burning resulted in short-term reductions in the suitability of habitat for ground- and low-shrub-nesting birds, but it improved habitat for ground- and aerial-foraging birds. Overall, there were no changes in the composition of the breeding-bird community. Total breeding bird population levels were also unaffected by burning. Our results suggest that prescribed burning applied on a long-term basis or across large spatial scales is likely to have adverse effects on ground- and low-shrub-nesting bird species, but other changes in the composition of the breeding-bird community are likely to be minimal as long as the closed-canopy forest structure is maintained within the context of prescribed burning.
Igf2-H19, an Imprinted Tandem Yin-Yanggene and its Emerging Role in Development, Proliferation of Pluripotent Stem Cells, Senescence and Cancerogenesis.

Copyright: © 2012 Ratajczak MZ. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Among 3.0-3.5×104 genes in mammalian genome there are ~80 genes that are paternally imprinted and expressed from the maternal or paternal chromosome only. The most important among them is insulin-like growth factor-2 (Igf2)-H19 locus that encodes genes that govern embryogenesis, fetal growth, behavioral development, the totipotential state of the zygote, and pluripotency of developmentally early stem cells [1-4].
Functional interrelations between nucleus raphé dorsalis and nucleus raphé medianus: a dual probe microdialysis study of glutamate-stimulated serotonin release.

Dual-probe in vivo microdialysis was used to explore the relationships between the two midbrain raphe nuclei, raphe dorsalis (DRN) and raphe medianus (MRN). Infusion of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate (10 mM) into the dorsal raphe nucleus produced a large increase in the extracellular 5-HT (5-HText) in the dorsal raphe (1400% of control values) that was limited to the time of infusion. This was followed by a significant decrease in extracellular 5-HT below baseline levels that continued for the duration of the experiment (3 h). Extracellular 5-HT (5-HText) was also increased to 500% of control values in the median raphe nucleus following infusion of 10 mM glutamate (GLU) into the dorsal raphe nucleus. Infusion of the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist AP5 prior to and during infusion of GLU into the DRN resulted in a decrease in the response to GLU in the DRN and an antagonism of the increase of 5-HText in the MRN. Infusion of 10 mM GLU into the lateral midbrain tegmentum, an area of the brain just lateral to the DRN, also increased 5-HText in the probe in the lateral midbrain tegmentum (900% of control) but did not alter 5-HText in the MRN. When glutamate was infused into the MRN, 5-HText was also increased to 1400% of control in a time course similar to that seen with infusion of GLU into the DRN. Infusion of glutamate into the MRN, however, did not alter the 5-HText in the DRN. These data suggest a serotonergic innervation of the median raphe nucleus by the dorsal raphe nucleus. A reciprocal innervation from the median raphe to the dorsal raphe is not mediated by glutamate, does not appear to be serotonergic, and does not regulate extracellular serotonin in the dorsal raphe.
A study of retrograde cell degeneration in the lateral mammillary nucleus of the cat, with special reference to the role of axonal branching in the preservation of the cell

The significance of axonal branches in maintaining the integrity of the neuronal soma after axon section has been studied in the lateral mammillary nucleus (LMN) of the cat. Earlier studies with the Golgi and reduced silver methods have shown that the axons of most, if not all, of the cells of this nucleus which enter the principal mammillary tract (PMT) bifurcate with one branch entering the mammillo-thalamic tract (MThT) and the other the mammillo-tegmental tract (MTgT). Some of the fibers in the MThT may again bifurcate before ending bilaterally in the anterodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (AD). Unilateral destruction of the AD results in no detectable retrograde cell degeneration in the LMN. Lesions of the MThT (below the interanteromedial nucleus) cause a slight (∼ 15%) cell loss in the LMN, while isolated lesions of the MTgT have no detectable effect upon the cells of the nucleus. Combined lesions of the MThT and the MTgT cause severe retrograde degeneration in the LMN: approximately 60% of the cells disappear and many of the surviving neurons are frankly atrophic. Lesions of the PMT involving the parent axons of the cells in the LMN result in about the same degree of cell loss as combined lesions of the MThT and MTgT, but the persisting neurons are more severely shrunken and pyknotic. The implications of these findings for the organization of the connections of the LMN and for the interpretation of retrograde cell degeneration are discussed.
New isotopic clues to solar system formation

The presence of two new extinct nuclides Al-26 and Pd-107 with half lives of approximately one million years in the early solar system implies that there were nucleosynthetic activities involving a great many elements almost at the instant of solar system formation. Rate gas and oxygen isotopic abundance variations ('anomalies') relative to the 'cosmic' composition were observed in a variety of planetary objects, which indicates that isotopic heterogeneities caused by the incomplete mixing of distinct nucleosynthesis components permeate the entire solar system. These new results have major implications for cosmochronology, nucleosynthesis theory, star formation, planetary heating, and the genetic relationship between different planetary bodies
New CD44 splice variants associated with human breast cancers

Changes in the CD44 variant (CD44v) isoforms on the cell surface have been correlated with tumor metastasis. In this study we have examined the expression of CD44 variant isoforms in human breast carcinoma samples by a variety of techniques including immunohistochemistry, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and nucleotide sequencing. Using RT-PCR, we have determined that normal human breast tissue contains primarily the CD44 epithelial (CD44E) form and very little CD44 standard (CD44s) form. However, metastatic breast carcinomas appear to overexpress both the CD44E and CD44s forms and also display multiple new species of CD44 variant isoforms. Histocytochemical staining using anti-CD44 antibody (recognizing a common determinant of the CD44 class of glycoproteins) confirms that the CD44 molecules are overexpressed and preferentially located in metastatic breast cancer tissues. Nucleotide sequencing analyses indicate that at least four new CD44 variant isoforms (i.e., displaying unique splicing via the insertion or the deletion of exons 7, 10, 11, and 14) may be closely associated with human metastatic breast cancers. These newly described CD44 variant isoforms may be useful for monitoring the progression of human breast cancer metastasis.
Effect of moisture on sorghum midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) emergence.

Laboratory and field experiments revealed the importance of relative humidity (RH) and panicle-wetting (artificial or rainfall) on emergence of adult sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillell), from sorghum spikelets. In the laboratory, more midges emerged from spikelets maintained at high relative humidity (RH) (90%) than at 10% RH and 50% RH. In field trials, male emergence occurred at higher RH, lower temperature, and earlier in the day than female emergence. Artificially wetting panicles for 3 h or a heavy rainfall resulted in reduced adult emergence. Increased adult emergence occurred during periods of high RH before and after heavy rainfall.
MANURE PRODUCTION AND NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FROM HIGH-RISE LAYER HOUSES

Four commercial high-rise layer houses were monitored for a year to determine manure production and nutrient concentration characteristics. Each house contained 80,400 to 124,500 mature Hy-Line W-36 birds. The solid manure collected as it accumulated beneath the cages for a year prior to being hauled out. The objective of the research was to accurately characterize the manure production to facilitate better nutrient planning. Manure volume and bulk density were measured and samples were collected monthly and analyzed for moisture, Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonia, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and other chemical constituents. The measured manure production averaged 5.6 Mg (or 6.2 ton)·(1000 birds) –1 (year –1 on a dry basis. On a wet (as-is) basis the measured production was 9.52 Mg (or 10.5 ton)·(1000 birds) –1 (year –1 at 41% moisture. The measured manure N-P 2 O 5 -K 2 O contents were 18.5-41.0- 26.0 kg/Mg (37-82-52 lb/ton) on an “as-is” basis or 30.8-69.0-44.0 kg/Mg (62-138-88 lb/ton) on a dry basis. When manure production and nutrient concentrations were combined, measured nitrogen production was 52.8% less, phosphorus was 29.5% greater, and potassium was 27.8% greater, than the respective current Iowa estimates. The average calcium concentration for all four sites studied for the year was 10.0% (as-is basis). The manure handling system had a significant impact on manure characteristics. Scraper systems had a lower moisture content and a lower percentage of the nitrogen in ammonia form (29.8% moisture, NH 3 = 20% of TKN) than systems that dropped the manure into storage immediately (46.9% moisture, NH 3 = 30% TKN).
Lichtabsorptionsspektren der Cäsiumsalze von Carbanionen, II. Spektroskopische Effekte von Phenylsubstitutionen am Benzyl-Anion

Phenyl-Substitution in p-Stellung (2) ergibt eine geringere Auswirkung auf die Lichtabsorption des Benzyl-Anions (1) als die Phenyl-Substitution am Carbeniat-Zentrum (3). Dies deutet auf eine unterschiedliche Storung der Planaritat der π-Konjugationssysteme von 2 und 3 hin. — Beim Triphenylmethyl-Anion (4) sind alle drei Phenyl-Ringe trotz verdrillter Anordnung an der Lichtabsorption beteiligt, da ein charakteristisches zweibandiges Spektrum erhalten wird, das bei Ring-Verbruckung zu 5 oder 6 in das einbandige Spektrum der entsprechen-den Diphenylmethyl-Anionen ubergeht. Der frei drehbare Phenyl-Rest ist daher am chromophoren System nicht mehr beteiligt. Dies ist jedoch nicht bei 5-Ring-Verbruckung zu 7 der Fall, da gegenuber dem Fluorenyl-(9)-casium eine neue Absorptionsbande beobachtet wird. Der Vergleich mit dem Spektrum und Modell des geometrisch fixierten Tribenzazulenyl-casiums 8 ergibt fur die Verdrillung des 9-Phenyl-Substituenten bei 7 einen Winkel von ca. 25°.
Evaluation of a multi-frame blind deconvolution algorithm using Cramer-Rao bounds

Sample statistics from a maximum-likelihood based multi-frame blind-deconvolution (MFBD) algorithm are compared with Cramer-Rao bound results in order to evaluate the noise reduction performance of the MFBD algorithm.
Diversity of the Tcra-V3 gene family in BALB/c mice

Southern analysis of Eco RI-digested BALB/c liver DNA reveals four T-cell receptor Tcra-V3-hybridizing DNA fragments, which are of sizes 18.0, 12.0, 8.0, and 2.1 kilobases, respectively. These four Tcra-V3-hybridizing genomic DNA were isolated from a BALB/c genomic library. Restriction and Southern analysis of the genomic DNA clones showed that each of the Tcra-V3-hybridizing Eco RI DNA fragments harbors only a single Tcra-V3 gene. The DNA sequences of coding regions of the four Tcra-V3 family members were determined. These sequences show very limited divergence from one another. Comparisons of BALB/c Tcra-V3 sequences with published Tcra-V3 sequences expressed in different strains of mice reveal substantial allelic polymorphism. Sequence similarity searches retrieved homologous rat, cattle, and human genes. The scarcity of coding sequence divergence among members of the Tcra-V3 family and the more substantial allelic polymorphism may be general features of the T-cell receptor V-alpha chain-encoding gene families.
Solution-Processed Molecular Bis(Naphthalene Diimide) Derivatives with High Electron Mobility

Top-gate bottom-contact field-effect transistors based on solution-processed films of molecules in which two naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboxdiimide)s are bridged by thieno[3,2-b]thiophene, dithien...
NEW DRUGS IN PSYCHIATRY

The rapid development of new psychotropic compounds, often with multiple therapeutic actions, has heralded a new era in the treatment of nearly all psychiatric disorders. Little more than a decade ago, psychopharmacology was limited to a relatively small number of effective drugs, often with extensive side effects, narrow therapeutic indices, and complex dosage and monitoring regimens. The expansion of newer-generation antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stablizers, and related compounds has transformed psychopharmacotherapy in a number of fundamental respects. This article reviews key aspects of new drug treatments in psychiatry, with special emphasis on indications, toxicities, overdose phenomena, withdrawal states, and probable emergency department (ED) presentations of patients taking contemporary psychotropic drugs.
Density inhibition of motility in 3T3 fibroblasts and their SV40 transformants.

Abstract A dramatic decrease in cellular motility (measured by means of the augmented diffusion constant, D ∗ ) was observed with increasing cell area densities of 3T3 fibroblasts. This phenomenon was named density inhibition of motility, and a quantitative measure of this effect, the coefficient of density inhibition of motility, was proposed. Control experiments precluded depletion of a nutritional “locomotion factor(s)” as an explanation for the observed decrease in 3T3 motility. By contrast, SV40 transformants exhibited negligible density inhibition of motility. Data and arguments were presented in support of the hypothesis that the strong density inhibition of motility observed for 3T3 reflected a strong mutual adhesivity of these cells, and that the weak density inhibition of motility observed for SV3T3 reflected a correspondingly weak mutual adhesivity.
A sub-grid surface dynamics model for sub-filter surface tension induced interface dynamics

Abstract This paper presents a novel model for the sub-filter surface tension induced motion of interfaces separating immiscible fluids. A key feature of the proposed Sub-Grid Surface Dynamics (SGSD) model is to take the sub-filter interface dynamics fully into account by employing a dual-scale approach. Instead of modeling the sub-filter interface geometry, it is resolved on an auxiliary grid using the Refined Level Set Grid approach. The required sub-filter velocity field on the auxiliary grid is reconstructed solving a PDE in a narrow band surrounding the interface. With the fully resolved interface geometry available, the previously unclosed surface tension term in the filtered Navier–Stokes equations can be directly closed using explicit filtering. The novel model shows excellent results for different test cases, including sub-grid oscillations of drops, the sub-grid Rayleigh–Plateau instability, and the viscous capillary breakup of a ligament.
Continuity properties of the Drazin pseudoinverse

Abstract Let B D denote that Drazin inverse of the n × n complex matrix B . Define the core-rank of B as rank ( B i(B) ) where i (B) is the index of B . Let j = 1,2,…, and A j and A be square matrices such that A i converges to A with respect to some norm. The main result of this paper is that A j D converges to A D if and only if there exist a j 0 such that core-rank A j =core-rank A for j ⩾ j 0 .
Mandelate Racemase in Pieces: Effective Concentrations of Enzyme Functional Groups in the Transition State†

Mandelate racemase (EC 5.1.2.2) catalyzes the abstraction of a proton from a carbon atom adjacent to a carboxylate function, a reaction which is kinetically and thermodynamically unfavorable. Proton NMR spectroscopy and polarimetry were used to measure the rates of deuterium incorporation into the α-position of mandelate and the racemization of (R)-mandelate, after samples had been incubated at elevated temperatures. Using an Arrhenius plot, the value of the free energy of activation for racemization and deuterium exchange was calculated to be 34.6 (±0.9) kcal/mol under neutral conditions, at 25 °C. This result indicates that mandelate racemase produces a remarkable rate enhancement [(1.7 × 1015)-fold], and a level of transition state affinity (Ktx = 2 × 10-19 M), that surpasses the levels achieved by most enzymes. Methylamine, imidazole, and acetate catalyzed the nonenzymatic hydrogen−deuterium exchange reaction at 170 °C, and the values of the second-order rate constants are 2.8 (±0.2) × 10-5, 13.4 (±0....
Dual trace theory and the consolidation of long-term memory

Abstract Retention functions were determined for four S s for recognition memory of letters at 14 different delays from 3 sec to 5 min and two levels of storage load (1 and 6 letter lists), the retention interval being filled with backward counting. Memory strength retention functions were fit extremely well by assuming that two traces, short-term memory and long-term memory, are operative in this type of memory task. Only the short-term memory trace appears to be present during the first 8 or 10 sec of the retention interval, and this short-term trace decays exponentially with a time constant in the vicinity of 10 sec. Long-term memory is subject to a consolidation process which does not begin until about 10 sec after the study period and which is substantially complete at about 30 sec after the study period. Storage load has a very large effect on the degree of acquisition (learning) for both short and long-term traces, but storage load appears to have only a moderate effect or no effect on the decay rate of the short-term trace. There is some suggestion that the duration of the consolidation phase is shortened by an increase in storage load.
Overrepresentation of the proarrhythmic, sudden death predisposing sodium channel polymorphism S1103Y in a population-based cohort of African-American sudden infant death syndrome.

Background The S1103Y-SCN5A polymorphism has been implicated as a proarrhythmic, sudden death predisposing risk factor in African Americans, including one postmortem investigation of African-American infants with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Objective The purpose of this study was to assess whether the relatively African-American-specific common polymorphism S1103Y in the SCN5A -encoded cardiac sodium channel is overrepresented in SIDS among African Americans. Methods Seventy-one cases from a population-based cohort of unexplained infant deaths among African Americans (37 females and 34 males, average age 3 ± 2 months, age range birth to 11 months) were submitted to the Mayo Clinic Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory for postmortem genetic testing. Polymerase chain reaction and a restriction digest assay were performed to genotype this cohort for S1103Y. Results Targeted mutational analysis of exon 18 in SCN5A of the African-American SIDS cohort (n = 71) revealed the S1103Y polymorphism in 16 (22.5%) of 71 African-American cases of SIDS compared to 135 (11.6%) of 1,161 ostensibly healthy adult African Americans ( P = .01). Conclusion This study provides an independent assessment of the prevalence of S1103Y-SCN5A among African-American infants with sudden, unexpected, unexplained death prior to their first birthday. Further scrutiny and quantification of the risk apparently associated with S1103Y appear warranted.
Bridging Anaphase Defects and Clinical Diagnoses

Commentary to: Analysis of Anaphase Figures in Routine Histologic Sections Distinguishes Chromosomally Unstable from Chromosomally Stable Malignancies Elizabeth Montgomery, Robb E. Wilentz, Pedram Argani, Cyril Fisher, Ralph H. Hruban, Scott E Kern and Christoph Lengauer
Energy transfer of O(1D) atoms in collision with O(3P) atoms

Calculations are carried out of the elastic scattering and excitation exchange cross-sections in collisions of O(D-1) and O(P-3) atoms, which determine the degree of thermalization of the O(D-1) atoms produced by dissociative recombination in the thermosphere. The effective elastic scattering and excitation exchange cross-sections are calculated to be 1.55 x 10 to the -15th and 6.25 x 10 to the -16th sq cm, respectively, at a relative collision energy of 1.0 eV. The mutual diffusion coefficient between O(D-1) and O(P-3) atoms is also presented.
Demonstration of glycogen in the human liver by the electron microscope.

SummaryIn sections of human liver examined by the electron microscope, material is visible in the nuclei and cytoplasm, which, because of its resemblance in morphology and location to glycogen seen in stained sections examined in the light microscope and because of its removal by diastase, is presumed to be glycogen.
A potential implicit particle method for high-dimensional systems

This paper presents a particle method designed for high-dimensional state estimation. Instead of weighing ran- dom forecasts by their distance to given observations, the method samples an ensemble of particles around an opti- mal solution based on the observations (i.e., it is implicit). It differs from other implicit methods because it includes the state at the previous assimilation time as part of the optimal solution (i.e., it is a lag-1 smoother). This is accomplished through the use of a mixture model for the background dis- tribution of the previous state. In a high-dimensional, lin- ear, Gaussian example, the mixture-based implicit particle smoother does not collapse. Furthermore, using only a small number of particles, the implicit approach is able to detect transitions in two nonlinear, multi-dimensional generaliza- tions of a double-well. Adding a step that trains the sampled distribution to the target distribution prevents collapse during the transitions, which are strongly nonlinear events. To pro- duce similar estimates, other approaches require many more particles.
Recovering traceability links between source code and fixed bugs via patch analysis

Traceability links can be recovered using data mined from a revision control system, such as CVS, and an issue tracking system, such as Bugzilla. Existing approaches to recover links between a bug and the methods changed to fix the bug rely on the presence of the bug's identifier in a CVS log message. In this paper we present an approach that relies instead on the presence of a patch in the issue report for the bug. That is, rather than analyzing deltas retrieved from CVS to recover links, our approach analyzes patches retrieved from Bugzilla. We use BugTrace, the tool implementing our approach, to conduct a case study in which we compare the links recovered by our approach to links recovered by manual inspection. The results of the case study support the efficacy of our approach. After describing the limitations of our case study, we conclude by reviewing closely related work and suggesting possible future work.
Process optimization and modeling of trichlorophenol degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The biodegradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was studied in batch and continuous reactor systems. Experiments were conducted in shake flasks as well as in packed-bed reactors in which the fungus was immobilized. The degradation rates in the packed-bed reactors were found to be two orders of magnitude greater than those obtained in the shake flasks in which the fungus was just suspended. The degradation rate was found to be influenced by the concentrations of the carbon and nitrogen sources, pH, and fluid shear stress. Optimal ranges of these parameters to maximize biodegradation were determined. A mathematical model was developed in which the degradation process was assumed to consist of two sequential reaction steps, the first catalyzed by an extracellular enzyme system and the second requiring the presence of the mycelium. The deactivation of the extracellular enzyme system was also accounted for in the model. The Michaelis-Menten and the enzyme deactivation parameters were determined independently. Good agreement between the experimental data and the results produced by the regression was found.
Two-photon spectroscopy of the low lying Rydberg states of NO. I. The 3p and 3d complexes

The rotational structure and polarization dependence of two-photon spectra of aligned ensembles of open shell diatomics is investigated in terms of the spherical tensor components of the two-photon absorption operator. The formalism allows the straightforward incorporation of state interactions and perturbations. It is applied to the two-photon spectroscopy of NO, in particular to the excitation of the Rydberg states derived from the 3p and 3d complexes. All states investigated show a nearly quadratic power dependence indicating the saturation of the ionization step. Transitions dominated by a zeroth rank tensor component (e.g., C 2Π–X 2Π or H 2Σ, H′ 2Π–X 2Π) are insensitive to a possible angular momentum alignment in the ensemble. These transitions are ideally suited to determine degeneracy averaged observables, e.g., collision cross sections in a molecular beam scattering experiment or product velocity anisotropies in a single color photodissociation experiment. Rotational alignment data must be determi...
An introduction to latent class growth analysis and growth mixture modeling.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest among researchers in the use of latent class and growth mixture modeling techniques for applications in the social and psychological sciences, in part due to advances in and availability of computer software designed for this purpose (e.g., Mplus and SAS Proc Traj). Latent growth modeling approaches, such as latent class growth analysis (LCGA) and growth mixture modeling (GMM), have been increasingly recognized for their usefulness for identifying homogeneous subpopulations within the larger heterogeneous population and for the identification of meaningful groups or classes of individuals. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of LCGA and GMM, compare the different techniques of latent growth modeling, discuss current debates and issues, and provide readers with a practical guide for conducting LCGA and GMM using the Mplus software. Researchers in the fields of social and psychological sciences are often interested in modeling the longitudinal developmental trajectories of individuals, whether for the study of personality development or for better understanding how social behaviors unfold over time (whether it be days, months, or years). This usually requires an extensive dataset consisting of longitudinal, repeated measures of variables, sometimes including multiple cohorts, and analyzing this data using various longitudinal latent variable modeling techniques such as latent growth curve models (cf. MacCallum & Austin, 2000). The objective of these approaches is to capture information about interindividual differences in intraindividual change over time (Nesselroade, 1991). However, conventional growth modeling approaches assume that individuals come from a single population and that a single growth trajectory can adequately approximate an entire population. Also, it is assumed that covariates that affect the growth factors influence each individual in the same way. Yet, theoretical frameworks and existing studies often categorize individuals into distinct subpopulations (e.g., socioeconomic classes, age groups, at-risk populations). For example, in the field of alcohol research, theoretical literature suggests different classes
Transmission electron microscopy studies of dislocations in physical-vapour-transport-grown silicon carbide

Micropipes (the hollow cores of axial superscrew dislocations with Burgers vectors that are multiples of a crystal's c lattice parameter) in hexagonal silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor wafers wer...
Effect of Oxygen Therapy on Increasing Arterial Oxygen Tension in Hypoxemic Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease While Breathing Ambient Air

Recertification for long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) has been recommended for patients who are clinically unstable when home oxygen therapy is begun. Periods of observation for clinical stability have ranged from three weeks to three months in large multicenter clinical trials. There is concern, however, that an increase in arterial oxygen tension occurring after three months may be related to the beneficial effects of oxygen rather than to continued changes in clinical stability. In a review of 20 patients receiving transtracheal oxygen (TTO 2 ) therapy, it was found that four (20 percent) did not qualify for oxygen therapy at the end of six months because the PaO 2 breathing ambient air had increased to levels above 55 mm Hg. All patients were clinically stable at the time of insertion of the transtracheal catheter and all had been receiving nasal oxygen for at least seven months (mean, 25.8 months) before entering the study. A retrospective analysis of data published by Weitzenblum et al disclosed that four (25 percent) of 16 patients had a similar increase in PaO 2 when reexamined after one year of oxygen therapy. All of the patients had been studied at least one year before oxygen therapy was initiated and each had three consecutive arterial blood gas measurements done monthy to ensure clinical stability. The increase in PaO 2 to levels above 55 mm Hg observed in patients receiving TTO 2 therapy was associated with a reduction in alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient; however, arterial oxygen desaturation with walking persisted. The specific mechanisms for improvement in PaO 2 during oxygen therapy require further study. Any recommendation for recertification of LTOT must recognize that an increase in PaO, after three months may be due to the beneficial effects of the oxygen therapy and does not provide prima facie justification for termination of therapy.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation between red cell incompatible donor–recipient pairs

Transplantation between red cell-disparate donor and recipient is feasible with minimal increase in the risk of transplantation if consideration is given to the immunohematological consequences of the transplant. The risks of immediate and delayed hemolysis must be managed. Some recipients will experience a delay in the recovery of red blood cells.
ATTEMPTS TO INDUCE THE RAPID EYE MOVEMENT STAGE OF SLEEP IN MACACA MULATTA BY BRAIN STEM STIMULATION

Dural, orbital, and depth electrodes were chronically implanted in five monkeys, and 473 brain stem stimulations were given during 80 hr of EEG recording on 14 nights of sleep. Although occasional rapid eye movement sleep periods occurred soon after stimulations, no parameters or loci of stimulation consistently provoked REMPs, occurred. Statistical analyses did not demonstrate any precipitation of REMPs, and it is probable that only spontaneous REMPs occurred. When compared with previous reports, these findings emphasize the importance of statistical controls in neurophysiological studies of REMP origin.
A 12-bit integrated analog front-end for broadband wireline networks

An integrated transceiver for broadband wireline networks is presented. The transceiver includes a receive data path, a transmit data path, and auxiliary functions including serial port interface, clock and reference generation blocks, and voltage regulator control circuitry. The receive data path provides constant input impedance and is composed of two variable gain amplifier (VGA) blocks, a tuned analog 4-pole filter, a 12-b analog-to-digital converter (ADC) sampling at 32 MHz, and a digital high-pass filter. Filter tuning using switched-capacitor arrays occurs in the background, with no effect on signal reception. The transmit data path contains digital interpolation filters and a 12-b digital-to-analog converter (DAC) sampling at 128 MHz. The chip was implemented in double-poly triple-metal 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. Measured performance for both receive and transmit data paths meets target specifications with no noticeable crosstalk.
Pharmacological characterization of GABAB-mediated responses in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampal slice

It is generally accepted that the bicuculline-resistant responses to GABA are mediated through the activation of GABAB receptors that mediate a slow IPSP. However, a number of reported observations are difficult to reconcile with this model. Specifically, GABAB antagonists only partially block bicuculline-resistant GABA responses, and both 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and carbachol have been reported to block responses to the selective GABAB agonist baclofen, but not GABA itself. Thus, it has been argued that baclofen and GABA increase potassium conductance through separate receptor mechanisms. This suggestion is not easily reconcilable with the postulated physiological role of GABAB receptors in mediating the slow IPSP. We have addressed these discrepancies by using the new GABAB antagonists 2-hydroxy-saclofen (2-OH-SAC) and CGP 35348 in the presence of the GABA uptake inhibitor SKF 89976A. The weak antagonism of 2-OH-SAC against the bicuculline-resistant GABA response was improved when the GABA uptake was inhibited with SKF 89976A, allowing for the application of lower GABA concentrations. Under these circumstances, 2-OH-SAC and CGP 35348 strongly antagonized GABA and baclofen responses, but did not have any effect on outward currents evoked by 5-HT. The slow IPSP evoked in the presence of glutamate antagonists was reversibly inhibited by CGP 35348 (IC50 = 14 microM), without affecting the fast IPSP. Carbachol (0.3-20 microM) had no effect on outward currents evoked by either baclofen or GABA. 4-AP (5 microM to 1 mM), despite causing a large increase in cell excitability, did not change baclofen responses. Higher concentrations of 4-AP (5 mM) induced inward current, and reduced both baclofen and GABA outward currents to a similar extent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Burnout as a clinical entity—its importance in health care workers

Burnout, viewed as the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength as a result of prolonged stress or frustration, was added to the mental health lexicon in the 1970s, and has been detected in a wide variety of health care providers. A study of 600 American workers indicated that burnout resulted in lowered production, and increases in absenteeism, health care costs, and personnel turnover. Many employees are vulnerable, particularly as the American job scene changes through industrial downsizing, corporate buyouts and mergers, and lengthened work time. Burnout produces both physical and behavioural changes, in some instances leading to chemical abuse. The health professionals at risk include physicians, nurses, social workers, dentists, care providers in oncology and AIDS-patient care personnel, emergency service staff members, mental health workers, and speech and language pathologists, among others. Early identification of this emotional slippage is needed to prevent the depersonalization of the provider-patient relationship. Prevention and treatment are essentially parallel efforts, including greater job control by the individual worker, group meetings, better up-and-down communication, more recognition of individual worth, job redesign, flexible work hours, full orientation to job requirements, available employee assistance programmes, and adjuvant activity. Burnout is a health care professional's occupational disease which must be recognized early and treated.
Non-Financial Performance Measures as Coordination Devices

This paper investigates how non-financial performance measures (NPMs) can be used to encourage cooperation across divisions. The implementation of a project often requires joint efforts by multiple divisions. However, privately informed division managers sometimes find it in their self-interest to forgo profitable joint projects or to underinvest in relationship-specific assets that would increase the projects' profitability. By treating the implementation of a joint project (e.g., a major process improvement or new product development) as an NPM, we show that paying the division managers discrete bonuses tied to this NPM improves the efficiency of project implementation and upfront investments. We derive in detail how the optimal implementation bonus trades off distortions in ex-post implementation and ex-ante investments. In a dynamic version of the base model with learning-by-doing, we develop a fast-track theory of bonus payments: conditional on a project being implemented early on, the implementation bonus in subsequent periods will be higher than if the earlier project had not been implemented.
Arthritis and Sexuality

More than 120 kinds of arthritis exist. This article focuses on the more common types of musculoskeletal disorders, which are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis. Because of the pain, fatigue, and joint stiffness associated with arthritis, physical intimacy may be difficult. These symptoms can be ameliorated during sexual activity by good communication between the partners, timing medication, and experimenting with different positions. Clients may need to be taught to be creative and to be willing to experiment. Learning the relaxation response, in addition to fantasizing and guided imagery, can enhance the sexual experience for people who have arthritis.
A Comparative Analysis Of Audit Service Supply Using Desk And Working Paper Reviews

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) performs extensive reviews of audit working papers for selected Texas school district audits to evaluate the quality of audit services rendered by independent accountants. These reviews are referred to as Quality Control Reviews (QCRs). The TEA also conducts desk reviews of all audited financial statements issued by Texas independent school districts. During the desk review process, the TEA performs a limited check of the accuracy of financial statement amounts, completeness of financial disclosures, and existence of proper audit output. Prior research suggests that desk reviews and quality control reviews both measure audit quality (Colbert and O’Keefe 1995; Copley et al. 1994; Deis and Giroux 1992, 1996; Giroux et al. 1995; O’Keefe and Westort 1992; O’Keefe et al. 1994). The purpose of the paper is to determine if desk reviews capture the same audit quality information as quality control reviews. If so, regulators should focus resources on desk reviews since they are more timely and economical than QCRs. The results of the study, however, indicate that desk reviews and quality control reviews do not measure the same constructs. The findings suggest that desk reviews measure the industry specific knowledge of the auditor, which is only one aspect of audit quality. Moreover, it was observed that some audits passing the desk review were graded low in quality by the working paper review. This finding suggests that low audit quality may be more prevalent than generally suspected and that steps to improve audit quality and auditor credibility are warranted.
When Can What You Don’t Know Hurt You?

There seem to be Gettier cases that do not involve any false beliefs that the coherentist must say involve knowledge. In order to avoid this result the coherentist must attribute false assumptions to the subject, but that forces him to say that knowledge is lacking in certain cases involving misleading, unpossessed evidence. I will argue that the coherentist cannot escape this dilemma. That is because knowledge requires reliable, non-negligent belief formation where, in addition, the subject does not hold a true belief by sheer luck, and coherentism cannot adequately account for any of these conditions.
Inherent capacity for lipogenesis or dietary fat retention is not increased in obesity-prone rats

Obesity results from positive energy balance and, perhaps, abnormalities in lipid and glycogen metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences in lipogenesis, retention o...
Screening and Biomarkers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently the fifth most common tumor worldwide and is expected to continue to increase in incidence over the next couple of decades. The majority of patients with HCC have cirrhosis of the liver, with chronic hepatitis B and C as the major etiological agents. Despite advances in technology, the prognosis of patients with HCC has shown little improvement over time likely due to the fact that most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. HCC meets the criteria established by the Word Health Organization for performing surveillance in those at risk for developing this tumor, i.e., patients with cirrhosis of the liver. The objective of surveillance is to use a relatively simple and inexpensive test in a large number of individuals to determine if they are likely or unlikely to have cancer, with an overall goal of reducing morbidity and mortality from the cancer. Alpha-fetoprotein and liver ultrasound are the most widely utilized surveillance tests but their performance is not optimal. There is an urgent need for new surveillance tests. In this chapter we will review the criteria and the current and newer tests for the surveillance of HCC.
Infectivity of Trichinella spiralis from Frozen Pork

This research was carried out to determine the time/temperature exposure of Trichinella spiralis to freezing conditions necessary to destroy the infectivity of the trichinae. Experimentally infected pork was subjected to temperatures of -1 to -193°C for one sec to 182 d and the treated pork samples, which contained about 1000 larvae per gram of tissue, were subjected to rat bioassay to determine infectivity of the larvae. A linear regression equation, log10t = 5.98 + 0.40T where t = required inactivation time in hours and T = temperature in degrees Celsius, described the exposure necessary to destroy the trichinae. The correlation for that relationship was r = 0.942. The predicted thermal death times (+7 min) at -20, -15, and -10°C were 8 min, 64 min, and 4.0 d, respectively. The predicted upper confidence limits (99%) for the thermal death times (+7 min) for exposure at -20, -15, and - 10°C, were 48 min, 63 h, and 266 d, respectively. These data provide a continuum of definitive times and temperatures necessary to destroy T. spiralis by freezing and are of value to the meat industry and the regulatory agencies.
OPTOMETRIA, PODER JUDICIÁRIO E CONSTITUIÇÃO: O DESAFIO DA CONCRETIZAÇÃO DE DIREITOS FUNDAMENTAIS

O embate entre classes profissionais que tem imbricacao direta com a consecucao da saude publica nacional passa pela mao concretizadora do Poder Judiciario delimitando as areas de abrangencia da profissao, mas principalmente realizando direitos e garantias fundamentais constantes da Constituicao Federal, e que, ao fim e ao cabo, vem, antes de tudo, primar pela realizacao da dignidade do individuo no tocante as suas escolhas pessoais, como tambem na busca por justica social e uma vida melhor a cada cidadao.
Counties eliminating racial disparities in colorectal cancer mortality

BACKGROUND Although colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality rates are declining, racial-ethnic disparities in CRC mortality nationally are widening. Herein, the authors attempted to identify county-level variations in this pattern, and to characterize counties with improving disparity trends. METHODS The authors examined 20-year trends in US county-level black-white disparities in CRC age-adjusted mortality rates during the study period between 1989 and 2010. Using a mixed linear model, counties were grouped into mutually exclusive patterns of black-white racial disparity trends in age-adjusted CRC mortality across 20 three-year rolling average data points. County-level characteristics from census data and from the Area Health Resources File were normalized and entered into a principal component analysis. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to test the relation between these factors (clusters of related contextual variables) and the disparity trend pattern group for each county. RESULTS Counties were grouped into 4 disparity trend pattern groups: 1) persistent disparity (parallel black and white trend lines); 2) diverging (widening disparity); 3) sustained equality; and 4) converging (moving from disparate outcomes toward equality). The initial principal component analysis clustered the 82 independent variables into a smaller number of components, 6 of which explained 47% of the county-level variation in disparity trend patterns. CONCLUSIONS County-level variation in social determinants, health care workforce, and health systems all were found to contribute to variations in cancer mortality disparity trend patterns from 1990 through 2010. Counties sustaining equality over time or moving from disparities to equality in cancer mortality suggest that disparities are not inevitable, and provide hope that more communities can achieve optimal and equitable cancer outcomes for all. Cancer 2016;122:1735-48. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
An analysis of poets and novelists who completed suicide.

Thirteen famous writers who completed suicide during this Century were analyzed for common themes in their lives. Affective disorder and depression were found to be common. In addition, alcohol abuse was present in about a third of the writers. For six of them, the possibility of being unable to continue to write productively played a role in their depression and eventual suicide. Language: en
alpha-Ketoacids scavenge H2O2 in vitro and in vivo and reduce menadione-induced DNA injury and cytotoxicity

We demonstrate that alpha-ketoacids reduce and, in some instances, abrogate menadione-induced DNA damage and cytotoxicity in the human breast cancer cell line, MCF7. We confirm that alpha-ketoacids...
Speak up about subtle sexism in science

Female scientists face everyday, often-unintentional microaggression in the workplace, and it won't stop unless we talk about it, says Tricia Serio.
Controlled Three-Dimensional Hierarchical Structuring by Memory-Based, Sequential Wrinkling

This paper describes how a memory-based, sequential wrinkling process can transform flat polystyrene sheets into multiscale, three-dimensional hierarchical textures. Multiple cycles of plasma-mediated skin growth followed by directional strain relief of the substrate resulted in hierarchical architectures with characteristic generational (G) features. Independent control over wrinkle wavelength and wrinkle orientation for each G was achieved by tuning plasma treatment time and strain-relief direction for each cycle. Lotus-type superhydrophobicity was demonstrated on three-dimensional G1–G2–G3 hierarchical wrinkles as well as tunable superhydrophilicity on these same substrates after oxygen plasma. This materials system provides a general approach for nanomanufacturing based on bottom-up sequential wrinkling that will benefit a diverse range of applications and especially those that require large area (>cm2), multiscale, three-dimensional patterns.