cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of oral carbohydrate consumption prior to cesarean delivery on preoperative well-being: a randomized interventional study

Oral carbohydrate consumption before surgery improves insulin sensitivity, cardiac output and well-being, and shortens hospital stays without adverse effects. No work has compared higher-dose carbohydrate beverages made for preoperative consumption to common, commercial oral rehydration solutions with lower carbohydrate concentrations. We recruited low-risk women undergoing scheduled cesarean deliveries with planned spinal anesthesia. Participants were randomized to one of three groups: those who consumed Clearfast® beverage, those who consumed Gatorade Thirst Quencher® beverage, or fasting control. Participants in the two beverage groups received 710 mL of the appropriate beverage the night before surgery and 355 mL 2 h before surgery. Participants in the control group fasted after midnight the night before surgery. Two hours before surgery, we recorded baseline patient well-being using visual analogue scales, followed by beverage consumption for subjects in the beverage groups. One hour later, we repeated the same assessment. Additional recorded measures included cord blood glucose level, intraoperative variables, breastfeeding success, and a quality of recovery assessment administered 1 day after surgery. Forty-seven patients were recruited: 15 received Clearfast®, 17 received Gatorade Thirst Quencher®, and 15 patients fasted after midnight. Group differences in change in patient well-being using visual analog scales were analyzed using linear regression. Both beverage-consuming groups showed significant improvements in patient well-being using visual analog scales while fasted patients showed no change. Either a common oral rehydration beverage or a higher-dose carbohydrate beverage consumed preoperatively resulted in superior well-being compared to fasting. No differences in other outcomes were noted. This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with clinical trial registration number: NCT02684513.
A bleb initiation model for chemotaxis suggests a role for myosin II clusters and cortex rupture

Blebs, pressure driven protrusions of the plasma membrane, facilitate the movement of cells such as the soil amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and other eukaryotes such as white blood cells and cancer cells. Blebs initiate or nucleate when proteins connecting the membrane to the cortex detach, either as a result of a rupture of the cortex or as a direct consequence of a build up in hydrostatic pressure. While linker detachment resulting from excess hydrostatic pressure is well understood, the mechanism by which cells rupture their cortex in locations of bleb formation is not so clear. Consequently, existing predictive models of bleb site selection do not account for it. To resolve this, we propose a model for bleb initiation which combines the geometric forces on the cell cortex/membrane complex with the underlying activity of actin binding proteins. In our model gaps, resulting from a rupture of the cortex, form at locations of high membrane energy where an accumulation of myosin II helps to weaken the cortex. We validate this model in part through a membrane energy functional which combines stresses on the cell boundary from membrane tension, curvature, membrane-cortex linker tension with hydrostatic pressure. Application of this functional to microscopy images of chemotaxing Dictyostelium discoideum cells identifies bleb nucleation sites at the highest energy locations 96.7% of the time. Sensitivity analysis of the model components points to membrane tension and hydrostatic pressure, all of which are regulated by myosin II, as critical to model predictability. Furthermore, microscopy reveals discrete clusters of myosin II along the leading edge of the cell, with blebs emerging from 80% of these sites. Together, our findings suggest a critical role for myosin II in bleb initiation through the formation of gaps and provides a predictive mathematical model for quantitative studies of blebbing.
Test suite design for ontology concept recognition systems

Systems that locate mentions of concepts from ontologies in free text are known as ontology concept recognition systems. This paper describes an approach to the evaluation of the workings of ontology concept recognition systems through use of a structured test suite and presents a publicly available test suite for this purpose. It is built using the principles of descriptive linguistic field work and of software testing. More broadly, we also seek to investigate what general principles might inform the construction of such test suites. The test suite was found to be effective in identifying performance errors in an ontology concept recognition system. The system could not recognize 2.1% of all canonical forms and no non-canonical forms at all. Regarding the question of general principles of test suite construction, we compared this test suite to a named entity recognition test suite constructor. We found that they had twenty features in total and that seven were shared between the two models, suggesting that there is a core of feature types that may be applicable to test suite construction for any similar type of application.
A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice: by Caty Borum Chattoo and Lauren Feldman, Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2020, 296 pp., ISBN No. 9780520299771.

Comedy and humor studies is a field that has exploded in popularity and relevance in recent years, keeping pace with the increasing centrality of comedic material in contemporary popular culture, p...
Area patterning of the mammalian neocortex

Abstract This chapter weighs the role of such intrinsic cues to development of the neocortical area map, together with extrinsic cues from thalamocortical afferents. A spectacular advance in biology has been to uncover principles and molecular mechanisms that underlie embryonic patterning of the vertebrate and invertebrate body plans. These principles have been applied to understanding morphogenesis of structures as diverse as the fly wing and the vertebrate spinal cord. In the embryonic vertebrate spinal cord, progenitor cells respond to different levels of a signaling molecule, or morphogen, by expressing different transcription factors (TFs). Neighboring TFs regulate one another's gene expression to establish distinct progenitor domains that generate different neuron subtypes.
Stopping Resistance Drift in Phase Change Memory Cells

Phase change memory (PCM) is a high speed, high endurance, high density non-volatile memory technology that utilizes chalcogenide materials such as Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) that can be electrically cycled between highly resistive amorphous and low resistance crystalline phases. The resistance of the amorphous phase of PCM cells increase (drift) in time following a power law [1] , which increases the memory window in time but limits in the implementation of multi-bit-per-cell PCM. There has been a number of theories explaining the origin of drift [1] – [4] , mostly attributing it to structural relaxation, a thermally activated rearrangement of atoms in the amorphous structure [2] . Most of the studies on resistance drift are based on experiments at or above room temperature, where multiple processes may be occurring simultaneously. In this work, we melt-quenched amorphized GST line cells with widths ~120-140 nm, lengths ~390-500 nm, and thickness ~50nm ( Fig. 1 ) and monitored the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics using a parameter analyzer ( Fig. 2 ) in 85 K to 350 K range. We extracted the drift co-efficient from the slope of the resistance vs. time plots (using low-voltage measurements) and observed resistance drift in the 125 K -300 K temperature range ( Fig. 3 ). We found an approximately linear increase in drift coefficient as a function of temperature from ~ 0.07 at 125 K to ~ 0.11 at 200 K and approximately constant drift coefficients in the 200 K to 300 K range ( Fig. 3 inset). These results suggest that structural relaxations alone cannot account for resistance drift, additional mechanisms are contributing to this phenomenon [5] , [6] .
Role of macrophages in the immunopathogenesis of visna-maedi of sheep.

Publisher Summary Visna and maedi are chronic progressive diseases with prolonged incubation and clinical courses of months to years. These characteristics give rise to the name slow diseases. The lesions are characterized by active, chronic infiltration, and proliferation of mononuclear inflammatory cells in the brain and lung in addition to necrosis of parenchymal cells. The disease complex is caused by a persistent infection with an exogenous retro virus. These infections have been identified in sheep populations in most parts of the world and are associated with sporadic outbreaks of disease. The pneumonic form of the disease, maedi is much more prevalent than the encephalitic form, visna. In fact, visna tends to occur as a complication of maedi. The method of replication of the virus in vivo sets the stage for slow disease, and 3 aspects can be enumerated: (1) in all cases, co-cultivation of buffy coat cells with sheep fibroblasts results in syncytial cytopathic effect (CPE) of the fibroblasts and production of budding virions at the cell surfaces. In short, all infected animals are viremic; (2) explantation of diseased tissues results in similar syncytial fohation and virus production by fibroblasts growing out from the explants; and (3) cell-free suspensions of diseased tissues do not always cause CPE when inoculated in normal sheep fibroblasts.
Linkage to specialty care in the hepatitis C care cascade

Quality gaps exist in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) care process from diagnosis to cure. To better understand current gaps and to identify targets for quality improvement, we constructed an HCV care cascade in a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) with an emphasis on the specialty referral process. We performed a retrospective study of HCV-infected patients in a PCMH using electronic health record (EPIC) data. Patients with a first positive HCV RNA between 2012 and 2019 were included. With an adaptation to analyze linkage to specialty care, we created an HCV care cascade that included the following: (1) a positive HCV RNA, (2) referral to a specialty provider, (3) a scheduled specialty appointment, (4) attendance at a specialty visit, (5) prescription for HCV therapy, and (6) evidence of sustained virological response (SVR). Patient and referring clinician characteristics were analyzed at each step of the care pathway, and the proportion of patients completing each step was calculated. Of the 256 HCV RNA-positive patients, 229 (89.5%) received a specialty referral; 215 (84.0%) had an appointment scheduled; 178 (69.5%) attended the specialty appointment; 116 (45.3%) were prescribed antiviral therapy; and 87 (34.1%) had documented SVR during the study period. Of the 178 patients attending a specialty visit, 62 (34.8%) did not receive a prescription, and the barrier most often noted was the desire for further workup (40.3%). Gaps occur at all stages of the HCV care continuum, with drop-offs in care occurring both before and after linkage to specialty care.
The collapse of genetic incompatibilities in a hybridizing population

Abstract Genetic incompatibility has long been considered to be a hallmark of speciation due to its role in reproductive isolation. Previous analyses of the stability of epistatic incompatibility show that it is subject to collapse upon hybridization. In the present work, we derive explicitly the distribution of the lifespan of two-locus incompatibilities, and show that genetic drift, along with recombination, is critical in determining the time scale of collapse. The first class of incompatibilities, where derived alleles separated in parental populations act antagonistically in hybrids, survive longer in smaller populations when incompatible alleles are (co)dominant and tightly linked, but collapse more quickly when they are recessive. The second class of incompatibilities, where fitness is reduced by disrupting co-evolved elements in gene regulation systems, collapse on a time scale proportional to the exponential of effective recombination rate. Overall, our result suggests that the effects of genetic drift and recombination on incompatibility’s lifespan depend strongly on the underlying mechanisms of incompatibilities. As the time scale of collapse is usually shorter than the time scale of establishing a new incompatibility, the observed level of genetic incompatibilities in a particular hybridizing population may be shaped more by the collapse than by their initial accumulation. Therefore, a joint theory of accumulation-erosion of incompatibilities is in need to fully understand the genetic process under speciation with hybridization.
Dispatch – United States: “Proposition 22: A Vote on Gig Worker Status in California”

Under California court decisions and then the California Legislature's 2019 AB5 bill, gig workers were poised to become employees under the law. But all that changed when in November 2020 the voters approved Proposition 22, which provides for a complicated set of new rules that gives gig workers some rights of employees, but not others, (like the right to bargain collectively). This "Dispatch" examines the events around the passage of Proposition 22 in more detail.
Advocacy and Social Justice Approaches With Immigrants and Refugees in Counsellor Education

In the current world, working with immigrants and refugees presents unique clinical and case management challenges that may go beyond standard training offered in most counsellor education courses on diversity. This applied conceptual article examines some of the barriers to working with immigrants and refugees. It also discusses approaches to including a focus on immigrants and refugees in counsellor education programs and courses as well as suggestions for counsellors working with these members of the community. In addition, an advocacy and social justice mandate to provide exposure to and teaching about clinical work with these often overlooked members of society is presented.
Veterinary Feed Directive

In 1996, the Animal Drug Availability Act created a new category of products called veterinary feed directive (VFD) drugs. These are livestock antibacterial drugs (medically important) intended for use in or on animal feed. Any animal feed containing a VFD drug to be used in animals will be required to have a veterinarian issue an order, called a veterinary feed directive (VFD), providing for such use. The purpose of this rule is to limit the use of medically important antibiotics in livestock to those considered necessary for assuring animal health, and only for treatment, control and prevention of disease. The VFD is an authorization granted by a licensed veterinarian who is familiar with the client's operation and provides health, management, and treatment recommendations. This type of professional relationship is known as a veterinary-client-patient/producer relationship (VCPR). Medicated feed articles have a number of approved claims and uses; however, the use of VFD drugs does not permit any extra-label drug use. Whenever antibiotics are used, resistance by susceptible bacterial populations is likely to occur. However, our stewardship responsibility is to use all of these products in a judicious manner and to demonstrate a greater awareness and accountability in this arena.
12 Angry Men: A Revisionist View

12 Angry Men is the iconic jury film but this article contends that it should not be viewed as a tribute to the jury system. Quite the contrary, the jury in the film erred badly by acquitting the defendant, even though the probability that he killed his father approaches 100%. The circumstantial evidence against him was overwhelming. Even if all of the eye witness testimony is discredited, the circumstantial evidence is far more than enough to satisfy the reasonable doubt standard.
A DNA vaccine against tumor stromal antigen FAP boosts chemotherapy leading to tumor rejection

6174 The tumor stromal compartment is of key importance for tumorigenesis. It also offers an excellent target for cancer immunotherapy through its genetically stable fibroblasts, thereby avoiding the many disadvantages in targeting genetically unstable, frequently mutating tumor cells. We constructed a novel, oral DNA vaccine as a strategy for targeting the serine protease fibroblast activation protein (FAP), which is specifically overexpressed in over 90% of stromal fibroblasts associated with colon, breast and lung carcinoma. To assess the efficacy of our vaccine, we immunized Balb/c mice orally with attenuated Salmonella typhimurium carrying plasmid DNA encoding the complete murine FAP cDNA. After vaccination, we challenged the animals orthotopically with D2F2 breast or s.c. with CT26 colon carcinoma cells and demonstrated a significant decrease in tumor volume in the vaccinated animals. In a therapeutic setting we challenged Balb/c mice i.v. with D2F2 tumor cells and vaccinated three and ten days thereafter. As in the prophylactic setting, we observed a significant reduction of tumor load. To determine which effector cell population accounts for the antitumor response, we immunized mice, challenged i.v. with CT26 colon carcinoma cells, and depleted CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells or NK cells with the corresponding antibodies. We demonstrated that the anti-tumor effect relies mainly on CD8+ T cells, a finding that was confirmed by showing that CD8+ splenocytes from immunized mice specifically lyse FAP expressing cells. FAP was also reported to cleave gelatin and type I collagen, which has been shown to inversely correlate to intratumoral uptake of various compounds including chemotherapy. We hypothesized that the combination of the FAP vaccine with chemotherapy could lead to an increased anti-tumor effect due to an enhanced drug uptake in the tumor. To this end we first demonstrated by Western Blot, that the FAP vaccination leads to a decrease of FAP and collagen type I expression in the tumor tissue. Furthermore, the tumor uptake of different compounds such as Evans blue, fluorescein and 14C-5-Fluorouracil was significantly increased in vaccinated mice. We then immunized mice and challenged them orthotopically with D2F2 cells and injected Doxorubicin i.v. on day 5, 10 and 15 after the challenge. Vaccination and chemotherapy alone were able to suppress tumor growth. However, the combination therapy did not only further decrease the tumor load but also lead to tumor rejection in 50% of the animals. In another combinational approach, we first challenged Balb/c mice i.v. with D2F2 tumor cells, and once experimental metastasis had been established after 5d, treated them weekly with the FAP vaccine and Doxorubicin. We observed a significant increase in life span in the combinational group compared to the single treatment groups. This strategy opens a new venue for the combination of immuno- and chemotherapies.
Cognitive Science and Cognitive Development

Many of the most compelling reasons for a cognitive science approach to the study of the mind come from considerations of how cognition develops. This theme is illustrated through 10 questions: What is the initial state? Is there an adapted mind? Does development proceed from the concrete to the abstract? What is the nature of conceptual change? What is the difference between learning and development? What representational formats underlie developmental change? What is the role of implicit and explicit thought in cognitive development? What is the role of association and rules? Are there developmental universals? and What constitutes a cognitive domain? Possible answers to these questions are illustrated as most fruitfully emerging from the interdisciplinary perspective of cognitive science. Keywords: cognitive development; cognitive science; conceptual change; domain specificity; empiricism; learning; nativism; representations
Oriented inclusions of magnetite in clinopyroxene: Source of stable remanent magnetization in gabbros of the Messum Complex, Namibia

[1] Crystallographically oriented and highly elongate magnetite inclusions in clinopyroxene are the dominant source of highly stable remanent magnetization in gabbros of the Early Cretaceous Messum Complex, Namibia. Rock magnetic properties determined for individual pyroxene crystals indicate a high proportion of single-domain magnetite, consistent with the observed sizes and shape anisotropy of the magnetite inclusions. As in previous studies of similar inclusions, these are inferred to have formed by exsolution. Two arrays of inclusions are regularly present in the Messum clinopyroxenes, inclined at about 74°, consistent with formation at about 800°C deduced from optimization of phase boundary orientations. Virtual geomagnetic poles from these rocks are consistent with reference data, confirming that the magnetization is of thermoremanent origin. Bipolar magnetizations are recorded at one site as well in individual clinopyroxene crystals, suggesting that remanence acquisition upon initial cooling of the gabbro spanned a geomagnetic polarity reversal.
Vectors in the Line

Analytic geometry begins with the line. Every point on the line has a real number as its coordinate and every real number is the coordinate of exactly one point. A vector in the line is a directed line segment from the origin to a point with coordinate x. We denote this vector by a single capital letter X. The collection of all vectors in the line is denoted by ℝ1.
Prospects for methane production and nutrient recycling from lipid extracted residues and whole Nannochloropsis salina using anaerobic digestion

Abstract Sustainable mass production of algal biofuels requires a reduction in nutrient demand and efficient conversion into fuels of all biomass including lipid-extracted algal residues (LEA). This study evaluated methane production, nutrient recovery and recycling from untreated and enzymatically pretreated Nannochloropsis LEA using semi-continuous anaerobic digestion (AD). Additionally, this process was compared to methane generation from whole Nannochloropsis alga (WA) and thermally pretreated WA. The methane production from untreated LEA and WA reached up to 0.22 L and 0.24 L per gram of biomass volatile solids (VS), respectively, corresponding to only 36–38% of the theoretical potential. Additionally, observed VS reduction was only 40–50% confirming biomass recalcitrance to biodegradation. While enzymatic treatment hydrolyzed up to 65% of the LEA polysaccharides, the methane production increased by only 15%. Alternatively, WA thermal pretreatment at 150–170 °C enhanced methane production up to 40%. Overall, an integrated process of lipid conversion into biodiesel coupled with LEA conversion into methane generates nearly 40% more energy compared to methane production from WA, and about 100% more energy than from biodiesel alone. Additionally, the AD effluent contained up to 60–70% of the LEA phosphorus content, 30–50% of the nitrogen, sulfur, calcium and boron, 20% of the iron and cobalt, and 10% of manganese, zinc and copper, which can partially replace chemical fertilizers during algal cultivation. Consequently, supplementation of Nannochloropsis cultures with 5% AD effluent was optimal for a high algal growth rate. Therefore, coupling biodiesel and methane production provides significant energy advantages along with sustainability and economic benefits from nutrient recycling.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase membrane targeting. Evidence against involvement of a specific myristate receptor.

The endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (ec-NOS) is targeted to the particulate subcellular fraction by means of N-terminal myristoylation. However, the association of ecNOS with the particulate subcellular fraction appears to be dynamically regulated, in that agonist treatment of endothelial cells induces translocation of the enzyme from membrane to cytosol (Michel, T., Li, G., and Busconi, L. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 6252-6255). cDNA encoding wild-type and myristoylation-deficient mutant (myr-) ecNOS was transcribed and translated in vitro, and we found that the recombinant wild-type but not the myr- mutant protein undergoes myristoylation and is able to associate with biological membranes prepared from diverse cell sources. Treatment of these cell membranes with heat or with trypsin did not affect their ability subsequently to serve as acceptor membranes for the wild-type recombinant enzyme. The wild-type ecNOS, but not the myr- mutant, is able to form stable associations with phospholipid liposomes. We also explored the possibility that a polybasic domain within the ecNOS protein might serve as a secondary structural determinant for ecNOS membrane association and constructed truncation mutants that flank a polybasic domain present in the ecNOS. These truncation mutants, transcribed and translated in vitro or transfected into COS-7 cells, undergo myristoylation and are able to associate with biological membranes in a fashion indistinguishable from the wild type ecNOS. Taken together, these results indicate that ecNOS binding to biological membranes is dependent upon interactions of the N-terminal myristoyl moiety of ecNOS with lipid components of the membrane, and this association does not require a specific membrane protein functioning as a myristate receptor nor the presence of a polybasic domain within the ecNOS.
Intelligent Deployment of Forest Road Graders

Road grading is the most common maintenance activity performed on forest roads. Reducing grading cost could release resources for other maintenance needs, ideally resulting in a better maintained road system. A combinatorial optimization method, tabu search, is combined with two local search procedures to generate efficient grading routes. Determining the optimal grading route is modeled as an extension of the Mixed Rural Postman Problem (MRPP), adapted to include a daily operating time limit and different traversal/service times. The objective was to minimize total operating time, a proxy for grading cost. The heuristic was tested on both artificial and actual forest road networks, and computational results are presented. The heuristic demonstrates the ability to generate efficient and feasible grader routes.
Performance studies of a prototypical MEMS thermal actuator.

This paper presents the performance of a thermal actuator made from single crystal silicon. The thermal actuator, shaped like a chevron, has four beams on each side and a shuttle in the middle. The shuttle’s motion is caused by thermal expansion and bending of the beams. The power curve, temperature profiles, in-plane and out-ofplane displacements, frequency response, as well as load-displacement curves of this device were measured at various operating voltages at the ambient condition. Experimental setup and results are described.
Fuzzy controller synthesis with neural network process models

The general problem considered is the optimization of a fuzzy controller using a neural network model for the process in the optimization procedure. A fuzzy controller is synthesized for a simple nonlinear process. An algebraic feedforward neural network is used for modeling the process, and an optimization criterion based on set point error is selected. Initially, a subset of the fuzzy controller parameters is optimized using a genetic algorithm. Subsequently, the search is extended to other controller parameters, including the scaling factors used to map measured variables to the appropriate universe of discourse, and the slopes of piecewise linear membership functions. Significant improvement in control performance is observed relative to an unoptimized fuzzy controller. >
Interconnect modeling and design in high-speed VLSI/ULSI systems

A batch-oriented interconnect modeling system, IPDA (Interconnect Performance Design Assistant), developed for interconnect modeling and design in high-speed VLSI/ULSI systems, is presented. Intrachip communication is degraded by RC delay and crosstalk, and electromigration generates a serious reliability problem. Several approaches for alleviating these problems are quantitatively analyzed, and optimum approaches are recommended. In the interchip communication, reflection, crosstalk, and simultaneous switching noise, degrade the system performance. Approaches for solving these problems are introduced and analyzed for practical applications. >
Ceramic-based multisite microelectrode arrays for simultaneous measures of choline and acetylcholine in CNS.

Abstract A ceramic-based microelectrode array (MEA) with enzyme coatings for the accurate measurement of acetylcholine (ACh) in brain tissues is presented. Novel design features allow for self-referencing recordings for improved limits of detection and highly selective measurements of ACh and choline (Ch), simultaneously. Design and fabrication features also result in minimal tissue damage during implantation and improved enzyme coatings due to isolated recording sites. In these studies we have used a recombinant human acetylcholinesterase enzyme coating, which has better reproducibility than other commercially available enzymes. The precisely patterned recording site dimensions, low limit of detection (0.2 μM) and fast response time (∼1 s) allow for second-by-second measurements of ACh and Ch in brain tissues. An electropolymerized meta-phenylenediamine (mPD) layer was used to exclude interfering substances from being recorded at the platinum recording sites. Our studies support that the mPD layer was stable for over 24 h under in vitro and in vivo recording conditions. In addition, our work supports that the current configuration of the MEAs produces a robust design, which is suited for measures of ACh and Ch in rat brain.
Effects of temperature and moisture during incubation on carcass composition of hatchling snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina)

Flexible-shelled eggs of common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) were incubated on each of two substrates (vermiculite, sand) at each of three temperatures (26.0°C, 28.5°C, 31.0°C) and three moisture regimes (wet, intermediate, dry). Embryos developing in cool, wet environments mobilized the largest amounts of protein from their yolk and attained the largest size before hatching, whereas turtles developing in warm, dry environments mobilized the smallest quantities of protein and were the smallest in body size at hatching. Embryos on wet substrates mobilized more lipid from their yolk than did embryos on dry media, but ambient temperature had no demonstrable influence on patterns of lipid mobilization. The total reserve of neutral lipid available in residual yolk plus carcass to sustain neonates in the interval prior to the beginning of feeding was largest in hatchlings from dry environments and smallest in animals from wet environments, but was unaffected by temperature during incubation. Hydration of tissues in hatchlings was higher when incubation was in cool, moist conditions than when incubation was in warm, dry settings, thereby indicating that some of the effects of moisture and temperature on mobilization of nutrients by embryos may be mediated by differences in intracellular water. Patterns of response to temperature and moisture recorded for turtles emerging from eggs on sand were similar to those recorded for hatchlings on vermiculite, so no important conclusion would have been affected by incubating eggs on one medium instead of the other.
Dose-escalated radiation therapy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer: patient selection for androgen deprivation therapy using percentage of positive cores.

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials supported the use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with radiation therapy (RT) for intermediate-risk prostate cancer. However, the value of concurrent ADT was less certain with dose-escalated RT. Better methods of stratifying patients in this risk group may help select patients who are most likely to benefit. METHODS: A total of 238 men with intermediate-risk (prostate specific antigen [PSA] 10-20, Gleason 7, or stage T2b-c) adenocarcinoma of the prostate were treated with external beam RT between 1989 and 2006. Patients had Gleason≤6 (39%) or 7 (61%) tumors; median PSA was 10.5 ng/mL. A median of 37.5% of biopsy cores were positive from a median of 9 biopsy cores sampled. The median RT dose was 74 Gy to the prostate. A total of 112 patients (47%) received neoadjuvant and concurrent ADT (median, 4 months). Median follow-up period was 49 months. RESULTS: The freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF, nadir + 2 definition) was 93% at 3 years, 86% at 4 years, and 80% at 5 years. On univariate analysis, the only factor associated with FFBF was percentage of positive cores (PPC, P = .0340). The prognostic value of PPC≥50 was not evident in patients receiving ADT (FFBF at 4 years 90% vs 91%, P = .3015). For patients not receiving ADT, the impact of PPC≥50 (FFBF at 4 years 76% vs 93%, P = .0844) was more pronounced. On multivariate analysis, PPC (P = .0388) was significantly associated with FFBF, whereas Gleason sum, ADT, RT dose, PSA, and T-stage were not. CONCLUSIONS: After dose-escalated external beam RT, intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients with PPC≥50 had the highest risk for biochemical failure and may be most likely to derive a benefit from ADT. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
School shootings: Making sense of the senseless

School shootings have altered the patina of seclusion and safety that once characterized public and higher education. Callous and brutal, school shootings seem to make no sense. However, case comparisons and anecdotal reports are beginning to show patterns that provide clues for understanding both the individual factors motivating shooting events and the characteristics of schools where shootings have occurred. We describe these factors and characteristics as the bases for six prevention strategies: (a) strengthening school attachment, (b) reducing social aggression, (c) breaking down codes of silence, (d) establishing screening and intervention protocols for troubled and rejected students, (e) bolstering human and physical security, and (6) increasing communication within educational facilities and between educational facilities and local resources.
In Vitro Comparison of Nitrofurazone- and Silver Alloy-Coated Foley Catheters for Contact-Dependent and Diffusible Inhibition of Urinary Tract Infection-Associated Microorganisms

Two marketed antimicrobial-coated Foley catheters were compared for in vitro diffusible and contact-dependent inhibition of 11 urinary tract infection-associated microorganisms in an adherence-biofilm assay. Nitrofurazone-coated catheters significantly outperformed silver alloy-coated catheters for inhibitory activity, according to both inoculum broth and catheter sonicate counts, whether compared directly or against the corresponding control catheters. Although inhibition waned with catheter preincubation in saline, some organisms were inhibited even after a 48-h catheter preincubation, especially by the nitrofurazone-coated catheter.
Results of the Basin and Range Geoscientific Experiment (BARGE): A marine‐style seismic reflection survey across the eastern boundary of the central Basin and Range Province

Approximately 120 km of marine-style deep seismic reflection data were shot during a survey on the waters of Lake Mead in southeastern Nevada. The survey extends from near the abrupt eastern edge of the Basin and Range Province (BRP) to a point ~80 km into the extended domain. Data quality throughout the survey ranged from fair to poor; the recorded data include significant towing noise and occasionally problematic diffractions and sideswipe from canyon walls. The upper 2–4 s of the data shows well-defined reflections from sedimentary fill, but below that point, reflectivity is weak. Lower crustal reflectivity is generally absent under the eastern part of the survey, with a slight increase in reflectivity to the west. The reflection Moho appears as a series of weakly defined, discontinuous reflections, most of which occur at 10–11 s. A particularly interesting feature of the data set is the relative lack of reflectivity from the lower crust, which is a region of strong reflectivity on other seismic reflection data sets from the BRP.
Candidates for Asteroid Dust Trails

The contribution of different sources to the circumsolar dust cloud (known as the zodiacal cloud) can be deduced from diagnostic observations. We used the Spitzer Space Telescope to observe the diffuse thermal emission of the zodiacal cloud near the ecliptic. Several structures were identified in these observations, including previously known asteroid dust bands, which are thought to have been produced by recent asteroid collisions, and cometary trails. Interestingly, two of the detected dust trails, denoted t1 and t2 here, cannot be linked to any known comet. Trails t1 and t2 represent a much larger integrated brightness than all known cometary trails combined and may therefore be major contributors to the circumsolar dust cloud. We used our Spitzer observations to determine the orbits of these trails and were able to link them to two ("orphan" or type II) trails that were discovered by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) in 1983. The orbits of trails t1 and t2 that we determined by combining the Spitzer and IRAS data have semimajor axes, eccentricities, and inclinations like those of the main-belt asteroids. We therefore propose that trails t1 and t2 were produced by very recent (<~100 kyr old) collisional breakups of small, <~10 km diameter main-belt asteroids.
Asymptotic Theory of Nonlinear Landau Damping and Particle Trapping in Waves of Finite Amplitude

A fully nonlinear, time-asymptotic theory of nonlinear Landau damping and resonant particle trapping in finite-amplitude waves is presented. The virial theorem and the conservation of the parallel adiabatic invariant are used to determine the time-asymptotic distribution function. The effect of trapped particles on the nonlinear wave dynamics is highly nontrivial and forces a significant departure from the conventional models of finite-amplitude waves.
Milestone for cancer survivorship research and practice.

I am writing to alert readers and contributors that the Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice (JCS) is now indexed by and can be accessed in MEDLINE® PubMed. I also want to highlight that the journal’s mission is to disseminate research and other scholarly work that truly informs us as to the interdisciplinary understanding of challenges in the prevention and management of cancer survivorship. This is not a simple task and will require manuscripts from many of you who usually publish your work in other sources. We will link the online publication of the Journal with abstracting in PubMed within 24 to 48 h. This provides rapid global access to your work. Because of the contributions of authors and editorial board members we have made the cut for inclusion in this highly respected and widely used world-wide search system. Cancer survivors the world over will benefit from your efforts. Thank you.
Spatial and temporal segregation of spawning habitat by catostomids in the Savannah River, Georgia and South Carolina, U.S.A.

Spawning aggregations of five species of catostomids were observed on the two mid-channel gravel bars of the Savannah River, Georgia and South Carolina, in 2004 and 2005 to assess the degree of spatial and temporal overlap in the use of this habitat and determine the habitat preferences leading to segregation. Spawning catostomids showed a considerable amount of temporal overlap in their use of these mid-channel gravel bars. The observed temporal overlap was consistent between 2004 and 2005 and corresponded to temperatures at which species were present. The distribution of catostomids was not uniform at the upstream gravel bar. Carpsuckers Carpiodes sp., spotted sucker Minytrema melanops and robust redhorse Moxostoma robustum both demonstrated some spatial overlap with notchlip redhorse Moxostoma collapsum; however, their overall distributions were different from one another. Northern hogsucker Hypentelium nigricans was present across the gravel bars, apparently as an egg predator. Spawning catostomids segregated based on flow, depth, slope and substratum size. Whether due to limited habitat availability or changes in the timing of reproduction due to altered cues, temporal and spatial overlap occurs between spawning catostomids despite the apparent partitioning of available spawning habitat. It is unclear, however, if this overlap results in excessive mortality in the early life-history stages of these species. Results suggest spatial overlap among catostomid species was minimized due to species spawning in areas within a narrow range of conditions. Intraspecific interactions such as nest site superimposition or disturbance may be a concern.
Evidence that the bZIP domains of the Jun transcription factor bind to DNA as monomers prior to folding and homodimerization

The Jun oncoprotein belongs to the AP1 family of transcription factors that is collectively engaged in diverse cellular processes by virtue of their ability to bind to the promoters of a wide spectrum of genes in a DNA sequence-dependent manner. Here, using isothermal titration calorimetry, we report detailed thermodynamics of the binding of bZIP domain of Jun to synthetic dsDNA oligos containing the TRE and CRE consensus promoter elements. Our data suggest that binding of Jun to both sites occurs with indistinguishable affinities but with distinct thermodynamic signatures comprised of favorable enthalpic contributions accompanied by entropic penalty at physiological temperatures. Furthermore, anomalously large negative heat capacity changes observed provoke a model in which Jun loads onto DNA as unfolded monomers coupled with subsequent folding and homodimerization upon association. Taken together, our data provide novel insights into the energetics of a key protein–DNA interaction pertinent to cellular signaling and cancer. Our study underscores the notion that the folding and dimerization of transcription factors upon association with DNA may be a more general mechanism employed in protein–DNA interactions and that the conventional school of thought may need to be re-evaluated.
Morningcrest Health Library: A Clinic-Based Approach to Health Information Literacy Services

Recently, the Schusterman Library at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa opened a satellite library in the out-patient clinic on campus. This article describes how the new library came into being and the role it is expected to play in patient education and consumer health outreach.
Brillouin Scattering from Smectic Liquid Crystals

Brillouin-scattering results are reported for monodomain samples of $\ensuremath{\beta}$-methyl butyl $p$ [($p$-methoxy benzylidine)amino] cinnamate in both the smectic-$A$ and -$B$ phases. For both phases theoretical predictions are confirmed concerning the number and polarizations of the propagating hypersonic waves. We report quantitative measurements of various thermodynamic derivatives, including the coupling between density and smectic-layer spacing. We discuss preliminary evidence concerning one model of the smectic-$B$ phase.
The Fremonts and Emancipation in Missouri

(1993). The Fremonts and Emancipation in Missouri. The Historian: Vol. 56, No. 2, pp. 339-354.
A new solid subdivision scheme based on box splines

During the past twenty years, much research has been undertaken to study surface representations based on B-splines and box splines. In contrast, volumetric splines have received much less attention as an effective and powerful solid modeling tool. In this paper, we propose a novel solid subdivision scheme based on tri-variate box splines over tetrahedral tessellations in 3D. A new data structure is devised to facilitate the straightforward implementation of our simple, yet powerful solid subdivision scheme. The subdivision hierarchy can be easily constructed by calculating new vertex, edge, and cell points at each level as affine combinations of neighboring control points at the previous level. The masks for our new solid subdivision approach are uniquely obtained from tri-variate box splines, thereby ensuring high-order continuity. Because of rapid convergence rate, we acquire a high fidelity model after only a few levels of subdivision. Through the use of special rules over boundary cells, the B-rep of our subdivision solid reduces to a subdivision surface. To further demonstrate the modeling potential of our subdivision solid, we conduct several solid modeling experiments including free-form deformation. We hope to demonstrate that our box-spline subdivision solid (based on tetrahedral geometry) advances the current state-of-the-art in solid modeling in the following aspects: (1) unifying CSG, B-rep, and cell decomposition within a popular subdivision framework; (2) overcoming the shortfalls of tensor-product spline models; (3) generalizing both subdivision surfaces and free-form spline surfaces to a solid representation of arbitrary topology; and (4) taking advantage of triangle-driven, accelerated graphics hardware.
Is There a Decreased Risk of Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Mortality in Obese Patients Treated with Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background The current guidelines do not recommend increasing the dose of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) for ischemic stroke patients weighing >100 kg. Obese patients are therefore receiving an IV rt-PA dose Methods Data from all patients admitted to US hospitals between 2002 and 2009 who were treated with IV thrombolysis and who had a primary discharge diagnosis of stroke were included. The effect of obesity on rates of intracerebral hemorrhage and discharge outcomes was analyzed after adjusting for potential confounders using logistic regression analysis. Results Of the 81,579 patients with ischemic stroke treated with IV rt-PA, 5174 (6.3%) were categorized as obese. The intracerebral hemorrhage rates in obese and nonobese patients were significantly different (4.5% v 6.3%; P = .01). After adjusting for age, sex, presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, location/teaching status and All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Group severity scale, there was no difference in the rates of no to minimal disability between obese and nonobese patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8-1.2; P = .8). Obese patients had lower odds of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.6; 95% CI 0.5-0.8; P = .001) but also more likely to be discharged with moderate to severe disability (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.01-1.3; P = .03). Conclusions Obese patients receiving IV rt-PA treatment for acute ischemic stroke appear to have a higher survival rate most likely related to their decreased rates of intracerebral hemorrhage.
Might gene conversion be the mechanism of somatic hypermutation of mammalian immunoglobulin genes

Gene conversion has played a major role in molding eukaryotic genomes, and this same mechanism mediates targeted sequence diversification of a variety of genes in response to developmental or environmental stimuli. Here I review data indicating that gene conversion may also be the molecular mechanism of somatic hypermutation at the mammalian immunoglobulin loci.