cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inoculation of Stigma-Colonizing Microbes to Apple Stigmas Alters Microbiome Structure and Reduces the Occurrence of Fire Blight Disease

Flowers secrete nutrient-rich exudates that support the growth of an assemblage of microorganisms, including both beneficial and pathogenic members, most of which belong to the phylum Proteobacteri...
Climate change impacts on population growth across a species' range differ due to nonlinear responses of populations to climate and variation in rates of climate change

Impacts of climate change can differ substantially across species' geographic ranges, and impacts on a given population can be difficult to predict accurately. A commonly used approximation for the impacts of climate change on the population growth rate is the product of local changes in each climate variable (which may differ among populations) and the sensitivity (the derivative of the population growth rate with respect to that climate variable), summed across climate variables. However, this approximation may not be accurate for predicting changes in population growth rate across geographic ranges, because the sensitivities to climate variables or the rate of climate change may differ among populations. In addition, while this approximation assumes a linear response of population growth rate to climate, population growth rate is typically a nonlinear function of climate variables. Here, we use climate-driven integral projection models combined with projections of future climate to predict changes in population growth rate from 2008 to 2099 for an uncommon alpine plant species, Douglasia alaskana, in a rapidly warming location, southcentral Alaska USA. We dissect the causes of among-population variation in climate change impacts, including magnitude of climate change in each population and nonlinearities in population response to climate change. We show that much of the variation in climate change impacts across D. alaskana's range arises from nonlinearities in population response to climate. Our results highlight the critical role of nonlinear responses to climate change impacts, suggesting that current responses to increases in temperature or changes in precipitation may not continue indefinitely under continued changes in climate. Further, our results suggest the degree of nonlinearity in climate responses and the shape of responses (e.g., convex or concave) can differ substantially across populations, such that populations may differ dramatically in responses to future climate even when their current responses are quite similar.
Anticoagulation and Transfusion Management During Neonatal and Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Survey of Medical Directors in the United States.

Objectives To compare current practices within the United States of anticoagulation management and blood transfusion in neonatal and pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients with a 2013 international report. Design Cross-sectional survey distributed between August and December 2019. Setting Extracorporeal Life Support Organization-registered neonatal and pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation centers in the United States. Participants Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation medical directors. Interventions None. Measurements and main results Eighty-three medical directors at 108 centers responded. After removing four duplicate responses, 79 surveys were analyzed. Seventy-nine percent (n = 62) report a written extracorporeal membrane oxygenation protocol for both anticoagulation and blood product management. Ninety-four percent (n = 74) report unfractionated heparin as their primary anticoagulant; the remaining use the direct thrombin inhibitor, bivalirudin. Ninety percent (n = 71) report measuring antifactor Xa levels. Most centers report using a combination of assays to monitor heparin therapy, either antifactor Xa and activated partial thromboplastin time (54%) or more commonly antifactor Xa and activated clotting time (68%). Forty-one percent use viscoelastic tests to aid management. Goal monitoring levels and interventions generated by out of range values are variable. Fifty-one percent will replace antithrombin. Platelet transfusion thresholds vary by age and center with ranges from 50,000 to 100,000 cells/µL. Eighty-two percent of respondents are willing to participate in a randomized controlled trial comparing anticoagulation strategies for patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Conclusions Compared with the 2013 pediatric population, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation center anticoagulation and blood transfusion approaches continue to vary widely. Most report continued use of heparin as their primary anticoagulant and follow a combination of monitoring assays with the majority using the antifactor Xa assay in their practices, a significant shift from prior results. Antithrombin activity levels and viscoelastic tests are followed by a growing number of centers. Platelet transfusion thresholds continue to vary widely. Future research is needed to establish optimal anticoagulation and blood transfusion management.
Gender differences in the association of insomnia symptoms and coronary artery calcification in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Study objectives To quantify the gender-specific associations between insomnia symptoms and subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, which has strong predictive value for incident cardiovascular disease. Methods We analyzed data from 1,429 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Participants completed standardized questionnaires and underwent polysomnography (PSG) and 7-day actigraphy. Insomnia symptoms were defined as: self-reported trouble falling, staying or returning to sleep, early-morning awakenings, or hypnotic use, for ≥5 nights/week. MESA assessed CAC using computed tomography. We employed multivariable linear regression to model the probability of CAC >0 overall and to model the linear continuous effect among those with nonzero CAC. Results Our sample was a mean age of 68.1 ± 9.1 years, 53.9% female, and 36.2% white, 28.0% black, 24.2% Hispanic, and 11.5% Chinese-American. Insomnia symptoms were present in 49.7% of men and 47.2% of women. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, insomnia symptoms was associated with an 18% higher prevalence of CAC (PR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04, 1.33) among females, but no association was observed among males (PR 1.00, 95% CI 0.91, 1.08). There was no evidence that the association between insomnia symptoms and prevalence of CAC >0 differed by objective sleep duration status (by single-night PSG or multi-night actigraphy) in females or males. Conclusions We found that among women, insomnia symptoms were associated with an 18% higher prevalence of CAC compared to no insomnia. Insomnia symptoms were not associated with CAC prevalence in men. Additionally, there was no evidence that the association between insomnia symptoms and CAC score >0 differed by objective short sleep duration status.
An adult presentation of a childhood disease.

ABSTRACT Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common childhood disease that can cause more severe symptoms and complications in infected adults, including myocarditis, meningitis, and encephalitis. This article describes the presentation and management of an adult with hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Language considerations in refugee education: languages for opportunity, connection, and roots

Currently 26 million people live as refugees, 40% of whom are school-aged. As global policy shifts to include refugee children and young people in education systems in settings of exile, language-i...
Operator-Oriented Genetic Algorithm and its Application to the Sliding Block Puzzle Problem

Operator-Oriented Genetic Algorithm provides a way to tackle symbolic problem solving by GA. The application to Sliding Block Puzzle is discussed as an example.
The reactions of alkaline hydrogen peroxide with lignin model dimers

Guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether (I) was treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide under simulated technical bleaching conditions in the presence and absence of a peroxide stabilization reagent, Na5DTPA (sodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate) and with molecular oxygen under similar conditions. The reaction products were characterized and their yields determined using a combination of gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. In the reaction of I with peroxide, the principal reaction consisted of the displacement of the side chain (Dakin-like reaction) initiated by molecular oxygen and/or other peroxide decomposition products. The displaced side chain, α-0-(2-methoxyphenyl)glyceraldehyde, subsequently was dehydrated to α-guaiacoxyacrolein which was oxidized by peroxide to guaiacol and glycolic acid. α-Guaiacoxyacrolein also gave evidence of undergoing competing condensation reactions in the alkaline medium. The influence of Na5DTPA in controlling peroxide decomposition was evident after comparing the yields and types of products formed when I was reacted with peroxide in the presence and absence of this stabilizer. The findings are discussed in terms of their relationship to technical peroxide bleaching.
Mercury Accumulation in Foliage over Time in Two Northern Mixed-Hardwood Forests

Concentrations of mercury (Hg) in live foliage increased ten-fold from spring bud break (mean ± std. dev. from bothsites: 3.5±1.3 ng g-1) to autumn litterfall(36±8 ng g-1). Mercury in foliage did not behavesimilarly to eight other elements with known soil or aerosolsources (Aluminum (Al), Vanadium (V), Strontium (Sr), Rubidium(Rb), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Barium (Ba), and lead (Pb)),suggesting that Hg originated from a distinct pathway. Based onmeasured and modeled data, uptake of only 25% of the availableambient dry deposited Hg0 could explain all of the Hgmeasured in foliage throughout the growing season. Estimates ofgaseous elemental Hg (Hg0) uptake from soil water accountedfor 3–14%% of the Hg in litterfall. Mercury deposition toforested sites in the Lake Champlain and Lake Huron basins washighest in litterfall (40%), followed by total throughfall(33%), and precipitation (27%). The Hg flux in litterfall was15.8±1.9~μg m-2 yr-1 to the Lake ChamplainWatershed in 1995 and was 11.4±2.8~μg m-2 yr-1 to the Lake Huron Watershed in 1996. In comparison, the Hg fluxes in precipitation and total throughfall were 9.0±0.6 and 11.6±0.7~μg m-2 yr-1in the Lake Champlain Watershed (1995), and 8.7±0.5 and 10.5±1.0~μg m-2 yr-1 in the Lake Huron Watershed (1996).
A Recursive Identification Controller for Trajectory Tracking

A controller for robot trajectory tracking is developed. This controller uses on-line recursive identification techniques to track the model parameters which describe the plant. The identified model is then used to compute a feedforward signal such that the desired trajectory is followed. This paper derives the trajectory tracking accuracy for a general class of dynamic systems. It also derives an identification technique for systems with an asymmetrical dead-zone. Issues such as identifiability, forgetting factors, calibration, and numerical stability of the algorithms are investigated. An inertially decoupled direct drive manipulator is used as a test bed to evaluate the performance of the recursive identification controller.
When Industries Become More Productive, Do Firms?: Investigating Productivity Dynamics

This paper investigates two explanations for why industries might become more productive over time. The first explanation, termed the real productivity case,' is one in which firms become more productive and this leads to more productive industries. The second explanation, termed the rationalization case,' is one in which firm productivity is constant, but productive firms expand while less productive firms either shrink or exit. Each case has very different implications for factor markets, long term growth prospects, and public policy regarding productivity. Further, one can only distinguish between these two cases with plant- or firm-level data. We investigate the empirical relevance of the two cases using the Chilean manufacturing census. We find that the rationalization case explains much of the measured increase in industry productivity. When industry productivity fails, the rationalization case appears much less important. We also contribute to the applied econometric literature on productivity estimation as we show that the value-added production function is especially well-suited to a simple extension of recent methods developed by Oiley and Pakes.
Mutations in the l-Arabinose Operon of Escherichia coli B/r That Result in Hypersensitivity to Catabolite Repression

Two independent mutants resistant to l-arabinose inhibition only in the presence of d-glucose were isolated from an l-arabinose-sensitive strain containing the araD139 mutation. Preliminary mapping studies indicate that these mutations are closely linked to the araIOC region. Addition of d-glucose to growing cultures of these mutants results in a 95 to 98% repression of ara operon expression, as compared to a 50% repression of the parental control. Since cultures of both mutant and parental strains undergo a 50% repression of lac operon expression upon addition of glucose, the hypersensitivity to catabolite repression exhibited by these mutants is specific for the ara operon. Addition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate reverses the catabolite repression of the ara operon in both mutant and parent strains to 70 to 80% of the control. It is suggested that in these mutants the affinity of the ara operon initiator region for the cAMP-catabolite-activator protein complex may have been altered.
Geodesics: a tool for solving material properties inverse problems

Inverse problems in mechanics of solids and structures are gaining more importance. One of the reason behind that is the advances in digital image processing and computer vision technologies. Traditionally, the user would locate features on the object or attach grids to it. The deformation of those features (or grids) would give an indication of the displacements undergone by some points on the surface of the object due to the deforming forces. Knowledge of the deforming forces and the displacements is usually enough to approximate the material properties of the object. In this paper we suggest a method by which a featureless object can be interrogated for its material properties. No invasive procedures are necessary. The method uses geodesics of the deformed and undeformed surfaces to obtain the displacements due to known deforming forces. Finite element method is then used to deduce the material properties distribution of the object. The method is proven to work only for elastic deformations that would leave a deformed surface developable with respect to the undeformed one. >
Role of penicillin-binding proteins in bacterial cell morphogenesis

The penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) polymerize and modify peptidoglycan, the stress-bearing component of the bacterial cell wall. As part of this process, the PBPs help to create the morphology of the peptidoglycan exoskeleton together with cytoskeleton proteins that regulate septum formation and cell shape. Genetic and microscopic studies reveal clear morphological responsibilities for class A and class B PBPs and suggest that the mechanism of shape determination involves differential protein localization and interactions with specific cell components. In addition, the low molecular weight PBPs, by varying the substrates on which other PBPs act, alter peptidoglycan synthesis or turnover, with profound effects on morphology.
Dynamics of Photosystem II heterogeneity during photoinhibition: depletion of PS IIβ from non-appressed thylakoids during strong-irradiance exposure of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Thylakoid membranes of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were fractionated into appressed membranes and non-appressed vesicles. The latter had a Chl a/b ratio of 3.2 and contained 1.12 mmol PS II (mol Chl a+b)−1. The PS II centers in the non-appressed regions displayed the kinetic characteristics of PS IIβ centers. They were able to generate a stable charge-separation to QA, but they were unable to transfer electrons from Q−A to QB (QB-nonreducing centers). After a strong-irradiance treatment (SIT) of cells by exposure to 2000 μmol · m−2 · s−1 for 15 min, a portion of the PS IIα centers in the appressed membranes was damaged due to photoinhibition. PS IIβ centers were resistant to photoinhibitory damage; however, SIT caused a lowering of the PS II content in the non-appressed fraction to 0.60 mmol PS II (mol Chl a+b)−1. Concomitantly, there was a conversion of QB-nonreducing centers to a form able to reduce the plastoquinone pool (QB-reducing centers). Low-temperature during SIT inhibited both the depletion of PS IIβ from the non-appressed membrane region and the activation of QB-nonreducing centers. These results are consistent with a ‘PS II repair cycle’ which translocates PS II units from the stroma-exposed membranes into the appressed thylakoids during activation of PS IIβ from a QB-nonreducing to a QB-reducing form. Since the overall distribution of Chl-protein complexes between the stroma-exposed and appressed membrane regions was unaffected by SIT, it is suggested that damaged PS II units from the appressed membrane region are exchanged with PS IIβ from the stroma-exposed membranes.
Relationships among LH, FSH and prolactin secretion, storage and response to secretagogue and hypothalamic GnRH content in ovariectomized pony mares administered testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, progesterone, dexamethasone or follicular fluid.

Thirty-five ovariectomized pony mares were used to study the relationships among luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin (PRL) concentrations in blood (secretion), in pituitary (storage) and in blood after secretagogue administration, as well as the content of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in hypothalamic areas, under various conditions of steroidal and nonsteroidal treatment. Five mares each were treated daily for 21 d with vegetable shortening (controls), testosterone (T; 150 micrograms/kg of body weight, BW), dihydrotestosterone (DHT; 150 micrograms/kg BW), estradiol (E2; 35 micrograms/kg BW), progesterone (P4; 500 micrograms/kg BW), dexamethasone (DEX; 125 micrograms/kg BW) or charcoal-stripped equine follicular fluid (FF; 10 ml). Secretagogue injections (GnRH and thyrotropin releasing hormone, TRH, at 1 and 4 micrograms/kg of BW, respectively) were given one d prior to treatment and again after 15 d of treatment. Relative to controls, treatment with T, DHT and DEX reduced (P less than .05) LH secretion, storage and response to exogenous GnRH, whereas treatment with E2 increased (P less than .05) these same characteristics. Treatment with P4 reduced (P less than .05) only LH secretion. Treatment with T, DHT, E2 and DEX reduced (P less than .05) FSH secretion, whereas treatment with P4 increased (P less than .05) it and FF had no effect (P greater than .1). All treatments increased (P less than .05) FSH storage, whereas only treatment with T and DHT increased (P less than .05) the FSH response to exogenous GnRH. Other than a brief increase (P less than .05) in PRL secretion in mares treated with E2, secretion of PRL did not differ (P greater than .1) among groups. Only treatment with E2 increased (P less than .01) PRL storage, yet treatment with T or DHT (but not E2) increased (P less than .05) the PRL response to exogenous TRH. Content of GnRH in the body and pre-optic area of the hypothalamus was not affected (P greater than .1) by treatment, whereas treatment with T, E2 and DEX increased (P less than .1) GnRH content in the median eminence. For LH, secretion, storage and response to exogenous GnRH were all highly correlated (r greater than or equal to .77; P less than .01). For FSH, only storage and response to exogenous GnRH were related (r = .62; P less than .01). PRL characteristics were not significantly related to one another. Moreover, the amount of GnRH in the median eminence was not related (P greater than .1) to any LH or FSH characteristic.
A microstructure-based fatigue-crack-initiation model

This article presents results on the development of a microstructure-based fatigue-crack-initiation model which includes explicit crack-size and microstructure-scale parameters. The current status of microstructure-based fatigue-crack-initiation models is briefly reviewed first. Tanaka and Mura’s models for crack initiation at slipbands and inclusions are then extended to include crack size and relevant microstructural parameters in the response equations. The microstructure-based model for crack initiation at slipbands is applied to predicting the crack size at initiation, small-crack behavior, and notch fatigue in structural alloys. The calculated results are compared against the experimental data for steels and Al-, Ti-, and Ni-based alloys from the literature to assess the range of predictability and accuracy of the fatigue-crack-initiation model. The applicability of the proposed model for treating variability in fatigue-crack-initiation life due to variations in the microstructure is discussed.
Procoagulant property of platelet activating factor (PAF).

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is known to activate platelets and thus promote clot formation in most mammalian species including humans. In this communication, the ability of PAF to hasten the overall coagulation process by measuring the recalcification time (RT) is described. Assessment of the RTin vitro indicated that the RT was significantly reduced by PAF (p<0.001). This information adds a new dimension to the role of PAF in coagulation and also provides an exciting lead to the development of drugs for controlling the state of accelerated coagulation by pharmacologic means.
Phenomenology of Comorbid Autism Spectrum and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Among Children

The occurrence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is common (37% prevalence or higher) and results in additional distress and impairment. The phenomenology of OCD in youth with ASD is under-researched to date. This study compared the clinical characteristics of youth with comorbid ASD and OCD (ASD + OCD) with age and gender matched controls with OCD in 70 youth (7–13 years old). Youth with both syndromes did not present with more severe OCD symptoms. Obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and total number of obsessions and compulsions between the ASD + OCD group and the OCD group did not differ statistically. However, group differences in reports of specific OCD symptoms as well as patterns of comorbidity were identified. Attention deficit/hyperactivity symptoms, social phobia, and separation anxiety disorder were more common among youth with ASD + OCD. Better understanding of OCD/ASD co-morbidity may facilitate treatment development.
Using the California Q-sort Measure of Life History Strategy to Predict Sexual Behavioral Outcomes

The validity of the California Q-set measure of life history (LH) strategy was examined by conducting secondary analyses on longitudinal data that included the Q-sort measure of LH strategy at multiple ages (base year N = 106) and six measures of reproductive behavior. LH strategy Q-sort ratings showed stability from ages 14–23. Additionally, the ratings were found to be good prospective and age concurrent predictors of six reproductive behaviors. LH strategy as rated at age 14 was found to be a significant predictor of age of sexual debut, number of sexual partners, frequency of intercourse, number of abortions, age at birth of first child, and likelihood for having contracted venereal disease as measured up to age 32. Future research should test the further utility of the measure focusing on ways to reduce its cumbersomeness without reducing its ability to predict behavioral outcomes.
Optimal policy for a muti-product, multi-period, non-stationary, stochastic production and customization problem

Abstract This paper is concerned with a multi-product, multi-period, non-stationary, stochastic production and customization problem in which a firm wishes to satisfy multi-period stochastic demands for m products. The firm produces a generic product that can be customized into the m products. The lead time to produce the generic product is one period. The generic product can be customized into any of the m products immediately. Assume that the costs of production, customization, storage, and shortage are linear. Also assume that the unsatisfied demands for the m products at the firm in each period are lost. The objective of the firm is to find a production-customization policy that minimizes the expected cost over a planning horizon. We obtain the conditions that ensure that a myopic production-customization policy is optimal.
Information Theory and Climate Prediction

Abstract This paper introduces the use of information theory in characterizing climate predictability. Specifically, the concepts of entropy and transinformation are employed. Entropy measures the amount of uncertainty in our knowledge of the state of the climate system. Transinformation represents the information gained about an anomaly at any time t with knowledge of the size of the initial anomaly. It has many desirable properties that can be used as a measure of the predictability of the climate system. These concepts when applied to climate predictability are illustrated through a simple stochastic climate model (an energy balance model forced by noise). The transinformation is found to depict the degradation of information about an anomaly despite the fact that we have perfect knowledge of the initial state. Its usefulness, especially when generalized to other climate models, is discussed.
The origin and distribution of gas within rich clusters of galaxies - The evolution of cluster X-ray sources over cosmological time scales

We describe the evolution of X-ray properties of rich clusters as a function of redshift z for models in which the radiation is thermal bremsstrahlung from hot gas which has accumulared in the cluster either by infall of an intergalactic medium (IGM) or by mass injection from the member galaxies. The principal approximation in our time-dependent numerical simulations is the assumption that the cluster gravitation potential is static; within this context we find that the cluster atmosphere evolves to configurations which ate quasi-steady and in approximate hydrostatic equilibrium over Hubble time scales. Scaling laws are given which may be used to generalize the results to a wide variety of cluster and gas parameters.For models in which the gas is formed by infall of IGM, luminosities are approximately constant for z > or approx. = 1.3 if electron thermal conduction is suppressed, and rise with time otherwise. For mass injection models, large mass injection rates imply a slowly decreasing luminosity with time, since thermal instability in the central core tends to result in a steady inflow of material regulated by the radiative energy losses of the core; for lower mass injection rates, the luminosity rises with time.We consider how the modelsmore » (mass injection or infall, with or without conduction) may be distinguished, noting that emission line measurements presently favor injection mechanisms. We discussed the use of cluster X-ray sources in cosmological tests within the context of our results.« less
TV Commercials as Achievement Scripts for Women.

This study suggests that sex stereotypes implicitly enacted, but never explicitly articulated, in TV commercials may inhibit women's achievement aspirations. Men and women (N=180) viewed locally produced replicas of four current, sex-stereotyped commercials, or four replicas that were identical except that the sex roles were reversed, or (control) named their favorite TV programs. All subjects then wrote an essay imagining their lives “10 years from now.” The essays were coded for achievement and homemaking themes. Women who viewed traditional commercials deemphasized achievement in favor of homemaking, compared to men and compared to women who had seen reversed role commercials. The reversed role commercials eliminated the sex difference in net achievement focus. Control subjects were indistinguishable from their same-sex counterparts in the traditional condition. The results identified some social changes needed to make “equality of opportunity” a social reality for women as well as men.
Circadian tempo: A paradigm for genome stability?

Circadian clocks are molecular time-keeping systems that underlie daily biological rhythms in anticipation of the changing light and dark cycles. These clocks mediate daily rhythms in physiology and behavior that are thought to confer an adaptive advantage for organisms. It is hypothesized that cell cycle checkpoints are gated to an intrinsic circadian clock to protect DNA from diurnal exposure to mutagens (e.g.; UV radiation peaks with daylight and dissolved genotoxins that fluctuate with feeding periods). It is proposed that DNA replication arrest in response to genotoxic stress is a likely basis for the evolution of circadian-gated DNA replication. This protective mechanism is highly conserved and can be traced along the evolutionary time-line to the early prokaryotes, unicellular eukaryotes and viruses. Peak DNA repair capacity is normally synchronous to the crest of mutagenic stress as they oscillate with respect to time. Mutator phenotypes with increased vulnerability to genotoxic stress may therefore develop when the circadian pattern of cell cycle control, DNA repair or apoptotic response are phase-shifted relative to the rhythm of mutagenic stress. The accumulating mutations would lead to accelerated aging, genome instability and neoplasia. The proposed model delineates areas of research with potentially profound implications for carcinogenesis.
Comparison of immunoreactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin in term placentas from normal women and those with insulin-dependent and gestational diabetes

We measured prohormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (high-molecular-weight gonadotropin-releasing hormone), gonadotropin-releasing hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations in term placentas from normal women and those with insulin-dependent and gestational diabetes. The placental immunoreactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone levels were significantly higher in normal tissues than in tissues from insulin-dependent and gestational diabetes ( p r = 0.57, p
Pseudoprecocious puberty associated with isolated follicular cyst of the ovary.

Abstract In 1964, steiner and hadawi 1 reported three new cases and reviewed 13 others from the literature of single isolated follicular cysts of the ovary, with precocious puberty. All patients had elevated urinary estrogen levels with normal urinary gonadotropins. We report a 2-yr-old girl with pseudoprecocious puberty associated with an isolated follicular cyst of the ovary, in whom plasma gonadotropin levels were obtained before and after operation and 6 mo after.
Comparison of the Quick Drinking Screen and the Alcohol Timeline Followback with Outpatient Alcohol Abusers

Objective: A recent study comparing the Quick Drinking Screen (QDS) with the Timeline Followback (TLFB) found that in a nonclinical population of problem drinkers both measures produced reliable su...
Tumours induced by chicken sarcoma in monkeys conditioned with progesterone.

REPORTS of skin and organ transplantation, as well as of tumour induction and serial passage in laboratory animals, have casually mentioned that the duration of graft survival is enhanced by pregnancy1–3; more tumours can be induced in pregnant and adult female than in adult male rodents3. There are examples of experimental animals, unexpectedly found to be pregnant, which have been discarded from the experiment4 with this explanation. Furthermore, several workers have shown newborn mammals to be more susceptible to virus infection, and less resistant to skin or organ transplantation, than mature animals of the same species.
Course syllabi: Components and outcomes assessment

Course syllabi operate as basic structures of nursing curricula. They communicate and shape student and faculty respon- sibilities. Syllabi function to orient new faculty to the cultural norms of nursing programs, specify student learning outcomes, connect course outcomes to the program level, and provide evidence for accreditor organizations of curricular quality and achievement of standards. A committee on assessment and evaluation of a university’s nursing programs reviewed examples of syllabi and identified needed revisions. Members examined literature on syllabus construction and alignment with student learning outcomes along with faculty concerns about syllabi. Consequently, the nursing programs’ activities influenced a university’s review and standardization of syllabi in the context of nursing accreditation self-study and university regional accreditation standards.
Spectral density of piecewise linear first order systems excited by white noise

Abstract The Fokker-Planck equation is used to develop a general method for finding the spectral density and other properties of first order systems governed by stochastic differential equations of the form dx dt + f(x) = n(t), where f(x) is piecewise linear and n(t) is stationary Gaussian white noise. For such systems, it is shown how the Laplace transformed Fokker-Planck equation can be solved to obtain the transformed transition probability density. By manipulation of this equation and its adjoint, an expression is derived for the spectral density and moments in terms of the transformed transition density and its derivatives. The results in several special cases are presented.
Lasalocid Effects on Ruminal Degradation of Protein and Postruminal Supply of Amino Acids in Holstein Steers

Five ruminally and duodenally cannulated Holstein steers (305 kg) were used in a switchback experiment with three periods to evaluate two experimental treatments: a basal diet with or without 45 ppm of lasalocid. The basal diet contained approximately 43% rolled corn, 45% alfalfa hay, and 10% soybean meal (DM basis). Lasalocid did not affect feed intake or ruminal digestion of OM and NDF. Ruminal digestion of ADF tended to increase with supplemental lasalocid. Total tract digestion of OM, NDF, ADF, and N and intestinal flow of amino acids were not affected by lasalocid. Also, the ratio of microbial to nonmicrobial N fractions at the duodenum remained unchanged. Ruminal pH and concentrations of NH3, VFA, peptides, and amino acids were not affected by lasalocid. Ruminal protease activity decreased with supplemental lasalocid, but this decrease was not reflected in other variables, such as ruminal concentrations of peptides and amino acids. Ruminal deaminase activity remained unchanged. Thus, we concluded that dietary lasalocid did not alter ruminal protein degradation or postruminal flow of amino acids.
Tertiary Gleason Patterns and Biochemical Recurrence After Prostatectomy: Proposal for a Modified Gleason Scoring System

Purpose: We investigated the relationship between the tertiary Gleason component in radical prostatectomy specimens and biochemical recurrence in what is to our knowledge the largest single institution cohort to date.Materials and Methods: We evaluated data on 3,230 men who underwent radical prostatectomy at our institution from 2000 to 2005. Tertiary Gleason component was defined as Gleason grade pattern 4 or greater for Gleason score 6 and Gleason grade pattern 5 for Gleason score 7 or 8.Results: Biochemical recurrence curves for cancer with tertiary Gleason component were intermediate between those of cancer without a tertiary Gleason component in the same Gleason score category and cancer in the next higher Gleason score category. The only exception was that Gleason score 4 + 3 = 7 with a tertiary Gleason component behaved like Gleason score 8. The tertiary Gleason component independently predicted recurrence when factoring in radical prostatectomy Gleason score, radical prostatectomy stage and prosta...
Curative Approach for Stage IV Colorectal Cancer with Multiorgan Involvement: What Makes Sense and What Doesn’t?

In 2009, there were almost 150,000 cases of colorectal cancer in the United States. Surgical resection of isolated metastatic pulmonary and hepatic disease has demonstrated a 10-year overall survival rate approaching 30%. The data on definitive management in multiorgan disease are not clear and are limited because of small patient cohorts, the nonrandomized nature of studies, and suboptimal chemotherapeutic agents. Current trials demonstrate that long-term survival is feasible in carefully selected patients with multiorgan metastases, including hepatic and extrahepatic involvement. Following is a review of current literature supporting the potentially curative approach to synchronous and metachronous multiorgan metastatic colorectal cancer.
Information storage using a cluster of dipolar-coupled spins

Abstract The spin dynamics of a cluster of coupled spins with I =1/2 can be manipulated to store and process large amounts of information. This is possible because the dynamic response of such a system to a low-amplitude radio-frequency pulse results in a coherent long-living signal, and this kind of response can be used to imprint information on the spin cluster. By applying a programmable multi-frequency excitation with low amplitude in an NMR experiment, a large number of long-living signals can be generated simultaneously. Using this approach, the storage of a controllable parallel input of 215 bits in a system of 19 proton spins of a liquid crystal molecule is demonstrated experimentally.
Bortezomib-Mediated Inhibition of Steroid Receptor Coactivator-3 Degradation Leads to Activated Akt

Purpose: To assess the safety of administering bortezomib to patients undergoing a radical prostatectomy, to assess pathologic changes induced by bortezomib in prostate cancer specimen, and to verify alterations by the drug in proteasome protein targets. Experimental Design: Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor that has shown activity in vitro and in vivo in prostate cancer. We performed a neoadjuvant clinical trial of bortezomib in men with prostate cancer at high risk of recurrence. The primary endpoints were to evaluate safety and biological activity. Results: Bortezomib is generally safe in the preoperative setting. Antitumor activity was manifested by tumor cytopathic effect, drops in serum prostate-specific antigen in some patients, and increases in tumor apoptosis. This was associated with cytoplasmic entrapment of nuclear factor-κB. We found an unexpected increase in proliferation in treated tissues and in vitro . Bortezomib also increased SRC-3 levels and phosphorylated Akt, both in vitro and in treated prostate cancer tissues. Knockdown of SRC-3 blocked the increase in activated Akt in vitro . Combined treatment with bortezomib and the Akt inhibitor perifosine was more effective than either agent alone in vitro . Conclusion: These data suggest that combined therapies targeting the proteasome and the Akt pathway may have increased efficacy.
The role of particles on the biogeochemical cycling of domoic acid and its isomers in natural water matrices

Abstract The adsorption of dissolved domoic acid (DA) and its geometrical isomers was assessed in aqueous solutions containing various types of particles. In one series of experiments carried out in coastal seawater, detectable net adsorption of 100 nM DA occurred only onto natural seawater particles (unfiltered seawater) and 0.5 g L −1 chromatographic silica (18%) in 0.2 μm-filtered seawater. Some net adsorption ( −1 suspension of estuarine sediment and 0.5 g L −1 solution of humic acid in filtered seawater. No losses were seen in 0.5 g L −1 suspensions of illite, kaolinite, montmorillonite, and silica sand. Biological degradation accounted for small losses (8–10%) in filtered seawater without particles. A second series of experiments using organic-free, iso -DA D, E, and F) showed negligible adsorption (0–8%) onto a variety of particles in filtered seawater, suggesting that major ions in seawater neutralize electrostatic attractions between particles and DA isomers. These results suggest that DA and its isomers are relatively hydrophilic and not particle reactive. Our data suggest that photochemical and biological degradation of dissolved DA and its isomers appears to occur in bulk surface seawater and its transport to bottom sediments must be mainly biologically driven.
Effect of dust absorption on the electron avalanche process occurring within Martian dust storms

[1] Martian dust devils and storms are believed to generate and maintain large-scale E-fields which may be strong enough to create a weakly ionized plasma in the low pressure CO2 atmosphere. Previous studies of the electron development included a determination of the avalanching electron growth via electron impact ionization with CO2 at electron energy levels above 14 eV. Townsend's first coefficient defining the path length for impact ionization was calculated as a function of driving electric field. Such calculations demonstrated the growth of the electron avalanche but did not include any electron loss processes. Herein, we consider the effect of such a loss process: electron absorption by dust grains. The inclusion of electron-dust absorption has a moderating effect, controlling electron avalanche growth. A critical E-field to initiate the avalanche is derivable, with fields below ∼7 kV/m quenching the process but above 7 kV/m fully capable of stimulating electron growth in the storm.
Wearable networked sensing for human mobility and activity analytics: A systems study

This paper presents implementation details, system characterization, and the performance of a wearable sensor network that was designed for human activity analysis. Specific machine learning mechanisms are implemented for recognizing a target set of activities with both out-of-body and on-body processing arrangements. Impacts of energy consumption by the on-body sensors are analyzed in terms of activity detection accuracy for out-of-body processing. Impacts of limited processing abilities in the on-body scenario are also characterized in terms of detection accuracy, by varying the background processing load in the sensor units. Through a rigorous systems study, it is shown that an efficient human activity analytics system can be designed and operated even under energy and processing constraints of tiny on-body wearable sensors.
On the risk of organ loss.

Abstract A method for projecting surgical incidence rates to organ loss rates is described. When applied to surgical incidence derived from the Vermont health data system, major variations in organ loss rates are noted between geographically distinct communities served principally by different groups of physicians. The pattern of variation and contrasting observations from other regions suggest that differences in the incidence of surgery are related to varying medical opinion concerning the efficacy of specific therapeutic approaches.
Recent advances in epidemiology and prevention of gastrointestinal endoscopy related infections.

Purpose of review This article reviews recent publications relevant to endoscope reprocessing and the potential for transmission of infection during gastrointestinal endoscopy. Recent findings There have been a number of established reprocessing failures of gastrointestinal endoscopes at various healthcare facilities across the US resulting in patient notifications. These episodes have been associated with user errors and reprocessing equipment failures, highlighting the need for increased compliance with established guidelines. Surveillance cultures may be useful to monitor the outcome of reprocessing, although their use is controversial. New technology to allow point-of-use monitoring is promising. Biofilm accumulation may be an issue when reprocessing gastrointestinal endoscopes. Although peracetic acid has been promoted as superior to aldehyde-type liquid chemical germicides with regard to soil fixation, it may only be a modest improvement. Electrolyzed acid water is an emerging liquid chemical germicide that may be equivalent to currently accepted disinfectants. There appears to be no benefit to an additional reprocessing cycle before use for endoscopes that have been appropriately cleaned, disinfected, and stored. Summary With the recent media attention on gastrointestinal endoscope reprocessing failures, despite the absence of documented transmission of infection, increased compliance with existing guidelines and new initiatives to enhance endoscope reprocessing are increasingly important to maintain public confidence.
EMPLOYMENT AID FOR YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE: EXTENDING ONE-STOP CAREER CENTERS TO INCLUDE A DIVISION FOR FOSTER CARE YOUTH

Every year thousands of children are discharged from the foster care system and find themselves ill prepared for the responsibility of adulthood. Providing enhanced employment opportunities to both current and former foster care youth will allow them to become economically self-sufficient and therefore have an improved transition from foster care. This Note proposes that states incorporate a foster youth employment program in the one-stop career centers mandated by the Workforce Investment Act. Through this program, foster youth will be provided with the tools they need for success while maintaining control over their own future.
Teaching a Heuristic Approach to Information Retrieval.

Abstract To become life-long learners, students must acquire information retrieval skills for future as well as current information needs. This article describes how the Library Use Instruction Program at Northwest Missouri State University incorporates a heuristic model in which students continually evaluate and refine their information seeking practices while progressing through all levels of courses in diverse disciplines. Collegial partnerships with departmental faculty and ongoing instructional assessment are essential to the success of the program.
Larval dietary wheat germ oil influences age-specific protein expression in adults of the oriental fruit fly

Changes in essential dietary components alter global gene expression patterns in animals. We reported on a proteomics study designed to identify molecular markers of deficiencies in culture media developed for the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. In that study, we found significant changes in expression of 70 proteins in adults of larvae reared on media lacking wheat germ oil (WGO), compared to media supplemented with WGO. Of these, a gene encoding an insect chitin-binding protein was expressed at about 120-fold higher levels in adult males reared on media supplemented with WGO. We inferred it may be feasible to develop the gene as a molecular marker of dietary lipid deficiency. The work was focused, however, on analysis of 11 day old adults. We have no information on expression of the chitin-binding protein, nor on any other proteins at other adult ages. In this paper we address the idea that the whole animal proteome changes dynamically with age. We reared separate groups of fruit fly larvae on media with and without WGO supplementation and analyzed protein expression in adult males and females age 0, 4, 8 and 12 days old using 2D electrophoresis. Gel densitometry revealed significant increases (by >2-fold) and decreases (by >50%) in expression levels of 29 proteins in females and 10 in males. We identified these proteins by mass spectrometry on MALDI TOF/TOF and bioinformatic analyses of the protein sequences. Two proteins, peroxiredoxin (26-fold increase) and vitellogenin 1 (15-fold increase) increased in expression in day 8 females. The key finding is that most changes in protein expression occurred in day 8 females. We infer that the fruit fly proteome changes with adult age. The natural changes in proteome with adult age is a crucial aspect of developing these and other proteins into molecular markers of lipid deficiency in fruit flies and possibly other insect species.