cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Irrigation Method and Water Quality Effects on Corn Yield in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain

Deep well sodic sources of irrigation water are often more readily available than high quality shallow or surface sources for corn (Zea mays L.) grown in the U.S. Southeast. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of irrigation water quality and irrigation method on corn production in the Virginia-North Carolina coastal plain- Pioneer 3320 corn was grown in rotation with peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) on a Kenansville loamy sand (loamy, siliceous, thermic Arenic Hapludult) in Suffolk VA, in 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1988 (...)
THE MECHANISM FOR FROZEN AQUEOUS SOLUTION IRRADIATION OF PYRIMIDINES

Summary Upon freezing an aqueous solution, the formation of crystalline ice forces the solute molecules into solid aggregates. Therefore, identical photodimerimtion of pyrimidines occur in either frozen aqueous solutions or dry solid films. No photodimerization of pyrimidines was evidenced in a homogeneous glycerol glass. Upon freezing an aqueous solution containing solute and a small percentage of organic solvent, the solute molecules together with some organic solvent form ‘puddles’. Therefore, a photochemical reaction in this organic solvent was observed. Only those pyrimidines having an α,β-unsaturated keto group in their structure undergo photodimerization. The mechanism through which the cyclobutyl ring is formed most probably involves a diradical intermediate. The unstable thymine monohydrate crystal has the most favorable orientation for two thymine molecules to form dimer. Therefore, the photodimerization process for thymine is less favored in dry solid film than in frozen aqueous solution because the thymine monohydrate crystalline lattice collapses under low humidity.
Classical strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma. III. The free energy

We explore further the classical quark-gluon plasma using methods from classical liquids. The partition function of an ensemble of SU(N{sub c}) colored charge spheres is constructed. We analyze it using a cumulant expansion (low density) and a loop expansion (high temperature) after resumming the Debye screening effects. The pertinent free energies are derived in both limits and compared with recent molecular dynamics results.
The Identity of a Streptococcus Associated with Food Poisoning from Cheese

Summary An unidentified streptococcus which was reported some years ago as the cause of food poisoning from cheese in human beings, and which caused diarrhea in cats, was studied in detail and found to be Streptococcus fecalis . The organism is typical of Streptococcus fecalis in its physiological characteristics and belongs to the Lancefield serological group D.
Mortar deployment extensibility for the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator parachute

A pilot ballute deployment planned for use with the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator parachute is shown to be capable of producing canopy initial presentation and inflation conditions functionally equivalent to those encountered in a traditional mortar deployment. This equivalence is critically important as it allows the pilot deployed test results to be extended to a mortar deployment without necessitating the use of a large mortar. In this manner the as-tested parachute can be brought to TRL 6 making it suitable for use in future Mars landed missions. This equivalence is achieved through the use of a full-scale decelerator system with matching flow characteristics and vehicle relative velocities. Most notably, a solution was found that maintains at least some tension in the parachute rigging throughout the deployment process and releases the ballute prior to line stretch such that the parachute extraction from the deployment bag is unaided and proceeds in a manner nearly identical to that expected for a Mars mortar deployment. The pilot ballute is also shown to automatically compensate for the uncertainty in dynamic pressure inherent to the uncontrolled flight of the test vehicle. Hence, the test deployment problem reduces to designing for a minimum ballistic coefficient ratio between the vehicle and the ballute/pack system. The ensuing design is demonstrated to be robust to the expected LDSD deployment environment.
A test of terminal Mesozoic “catastrophe”

Terminal Mesozoic “catastrophe”-type extinction models that advocate synchronous marine and terrestrial extinctions spanning short time intervals (a few days up to a few millennia) have a common foundation: the simultaneous terminations of geological ranges of some taxa of marine CaCO3-producing microplankton (and possibly the dinosaurs) at the end of the Cretaceous. Gartner and McGuirk [1] propose a new catastrophe theory that at the end of the Cretaceous fresh-brackish water from the Arctic Ocean spread over the surface of the world's oceans, causing global cooling, aridity, and the extinctions. Like other catastrophe models, this one also fails to address the possibility of hiatus control of ranges at the end of the Cretaceous; a well documented, seemingly nearly universal hiatus of variable and unknown duration separates Cretaceous and Tertiary strata. Documented terminal Cretaceous marine regression (perhaps 10 times more rapid than a typical regression according to Cooper [8] would have caused terrestrial erosion and stripping away of the latest Cretaceous stratigraphic record, thus truncating geological ranges along a seemingly planar datum. The terminal Cretaceous marine CaCO3 dissolution event would have had the same effect on ranges of marine planktonic CaCO3-producing microplankton (the event was a shallow-water phenomenon). The simultaneous terminations of geological ranges is thus possibly the result of hiatus control, and the terminal Cretaceous “catastrophe” an illusion. Attempts to use Cretaceous-Tertiary transition floras to support global cooling at the time of the extinctions are not based on sound stratigraphic foundations; realistic paleobotanical-climatic inferences can only be based on the precise correlation of the Cretaceous-Tertiary contact in marine and terrestrial stratigraphic sections, and these correlations have not been made with sufficient precision to support catastrophe theory. The much used “across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary” glosses over ignorance of the true terminal Cretaceous scenario, lost forever in most places by the destruction of the terminal Cretaceous stratigraphic record. For now, stable isotope paleotemperature data from marine strata that can be dated radiometrically provide the most reliable estimates of the Cretaceous-Tertiary transition climate; Boersma et al. [5] indicate global warming of deep and shallow oceans “across” the contact (and not surficial cooling only as is required by the spillover model). Older much-cited climate inferences based on leaf physiognomy are suspect in light of Dolph and Dilcher's [23] work that shows little correlation between leaf physiognomy and climate.
Spectrally resolved fluorescence in the HNF (DNF) Ã2A′ - X̃2 A″ band system

Abstract Selectively detected fluorescence excitation spectra have been employed to find and assign Q-type subband heads in the HNF A 2 A′-X 2 A″ 2 1 0 3 1 0 and 2 2 0 3 1 0 bands, which are obscured because of the near equality of the ω′ 2 and ω′ 3 vibrational frequencies by the stronger 2 2 0 and 2 3 0 bands, respectively. A number of previously unobserved heads in the corresponding DNF band system are also reported. Dispersed fluorescence spectra were also taken for excitation of a variety of HNF and DNF A 2 A′ vibrational levels, and the energies of vibrational levels in their ground X 2 A″ electronic states were derived. These energies were fit to determine vibrational constants. The following values (in cm −1 ) were derived for the harmonic constants ω 0 1 ″, ω 0 2 and ω 0 3 ″: 3167 (6), 1455(2), 1036(7) for HNF and 2339(4), 1084(3), 1013(6) for DNF.
Radiation exposure to patients during ERCP is significantly higher with low-volume endoscopists

Background Patients are exposed to radiation during ERCP, and this may increase their lifetime risk of the development of cancer and other deleterious radiation effects. Objective To evaluate the association between the endoscopist's ERCP volume and the patient radiation dose during ERCP. Design Single-center, retrospective study. Setting Tertiary referral center. Patients and Interventions A total of 197 patients undergoing 331 ERCPs. Main Outcome Measurements Patient radiation exposure parameters including fluoroscopy time, total radiation dose, dose area product, and effective dose for all ERCPs performed at our academic medical center by 2 high-volume endoscopists (HVEs) (≥200 ERCPs/year) and 7 low-volume endoscopists (LVEs). Radiation exposure for each ERCP was adjusted against a validated procedure complexity scale and the Stanford Fluoroscopy Complexity Score, which was created based on the numbers of interventions that would mandate additional radiation exposure. Results ERCPs performed by LVEs were associated with a significantly higher median total radiation dose (98.30 mGy vs 74.13 mGy), dose area product (13.98 Gy-cm 2 vs 8.8 Gy-cm 2 ), and effective dose (3.63 mSv vs 2.28 mSv), despite lower median Stanford Fluoroscopy Complexity Scores (3.0 vs 6.0) compared with HVEs. No significant difference was noted in median fluoroscopy time (4.0 minutes vs 3.30 minutes) between LVEs and HVEs. Limitations Retrospective, single-center study at a tertiary referral center. Conclusion ERCPs performed by LVEs are associated with significantly higher radiation exposure to patients compared with those performed by HVEs despite the fact that procedures performed by HVEs are of greater complexity.
Effect of halomethanes on intracellular calcium distribution in hepatocytes.

Abstract Exposure of isolated rat hepatocytes to hepatotoxic halomethanes results in a 40–60% decrease in intracellular Ca 2+ content. The order of halomethane potency (CBrCl 3 CCl 4 CHCl 3 ) suggests that this effect requires halomethane metabolism by the hepatic mixed function oxidase system. Although the Ca 2+ sequestering ability of the endoplasmic reticulum is destroyed by CBrCl 3 and CCl 4 , it appears that much of the Ca 2+ lost from the cell is mitochondrial in origin. Paradoxically, saturating concentrations of CCl 4 cause a marked increase in cell Ca 2+ . CCl 4 also causes an acute increase in cytoplasmic free Ca 2+ (from about 60 nM to about 90 nM), but this effect does not appear to require CCl 4 metabolism and is probably a result of direct action of CCl 4 on the plasma membrane.
Nitrifier and denitrifier molecular operational taxonomic unit compositions from sites of a freshwater estuary of Chesapeake Bay

Temporal and spatial changes in the molecular operational taxonomic unit (OTU) compositions of bacteria harboring genes for nitrification and denitrification were assessed using denaturing gradient...
Comparison of Stone Comminution Produced by Two Different Reflector Configurations in an HM-3 Lithotripter

Clinical experience has demonstrated that the performance of the 2nd and 3rd generation shock wave lithotripters in terms of stone comminution has become inferior to the 1st generation Dornier HM-3 lithotripter. A primary change in the design of the newer generation lithotripters is the enlarged aperture of the shock source, leading to a higher peak pressure with a smaller focal area. To evaluate the effect of beam size on stone comminution in the same lithotripter, we developed a reflector insert for the HM-3 that can substantially increase the peak pressure while concomitantly tightening the beam size of the lithotripter field. Using a light spot hydrophone, we have characterized the acoustic fields produced by the two reflector configurations at 20 kV. The peak positive pressure and the −6dB beam size were found to be 87 MPa and 4 mm for the HM-3 with the reflector insert, which are significantly different than the corresponding values (51 MPa and 13 mm) for the original reflector. In contrast, the peak tensile pressure and the total acoustic energy of the lithotripter pulse were found to be similar (−12 MPa and 59 mJ with the reflector insert, −11 MPa and 52 mJ for the original reflector). Stone comminution was evaluated in four different holders in order to determine the effect of lateral spreading of residual fragments on lithotripsy outcome. After 250 shocks, the results of stone comminution in a mesh holder of D = 15 mm (63% vs. 61%) were similar. However, the corresponding values produced by the HM-3 with reflector insert in a finger cot of D = 15 mm (45%) and in a membrane holder of D = 30 mm (14%) were significantly lower than those produced by the original reflector (56% and 26%). Further, the efficiencies of stone comminution in both the mesh holder and the finger cot were much higher than that in the membrane holder. These results suggest that a wide beam size in the original HM-3 may increase stone comminution efficiency when the fragments are spread out to a large area during lithotripsy. In contrast, when the fragments are confined during lithotripsy the beam size may not influence significantly the treatment outcome.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Carbon-14 in Carboxyl Carbon of Fatty Acids formed by Platelets from Normal and Diabetic Subjects

WHEN platelets from diabetic patients are incubated with acetate carbon-14, a significantly smaller than normal percentage of fatty acid carbon-14 is found in myristic and palmitic acids. Formation of longer-chain fatty acids, particularly saturated and unsaturated 20-carbon fatty acids, is much less affected, resulting in an increased percentage of fatty acid carbon-14 in these fatty acids1–3. Platelets from comatose diabetics show the greatest abnormality1, while those from non-ketotic insulin-dependent diabetics2 and insulin-independent diabetics3 show less marked but similar changes.
The Effects of Epoetin Alfa on Transfusion Requirements in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Study

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of perioperative recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO, epoetin alfa) in stimulating hematopoiesis and reducing allogeneic blood transfusion requirements in major head and neck cancer surgery. Study Design Double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized, prospective clinical trial. Methods Fifty-eight patients undergoing surgical resection of head and neck tumors at the University of Iowa hospitals completed this study. Patients were required to have a pre-study hemoglobin ≥10.0 g/dL and ≤13.5 g/dL. Group 1 (29 patients) received three doses of 600 IU/kg epoetin alfa before surgery. Group 2 (29 patients) received a placebo. All patients received oral iron supplementation (150 mg FeSO4 twice per day). Results The epoetin alfa group demonstrated a significant increase in baseline to day-of-surgery mean hemoglobin (0.57 g/dL, P = .016), hematocrit (2.04%, P = .015), and reticulocyte count (95.3 × 103 cells/mm3, P = <.001), whereas there was no significant change in these hematologic variables in the placebo group. The percent of patients who avoided transfusion in the epoetin alfa group was 34.5% versus 17.2% in the placebo group. Patients requiring allogeneic blood transfusions received an average of 3.16 units in the epoetin alfa group and 4.12 units in the placebo group. Conclusion In this single institution study, we demonstrated a significant improvement in hematopoietic parameters and a trend toward decreased transfusion requirements using perioperative epoetin alfa in a head and neck cancer patient population. Further studies may delineate additional benefits in treating qualified patients with epoetin alfa during therapy for head and neck malignancies.
Users' Experiences with Qualitative Data Analysis Software: Neither Frankenstein's Monster Nor Muse

The use of qualitative data analysis software has been increasing in recent years. A number of qualitative researchers have raised questions concerning the effect of such software in the research p...
Interannual spatial variability of krill (Euphausia superba) influences seabird foraging behavior near Elephant Island, Antarctica

We investigate the influence of krill (principally Euphausia superba) patchiness on the foraging distributions of seabirds to understand how variation in krill influences patch dynamics between krill and birds. At sea-surveys were conducted near Elephant Island, Antarctica, for 3 yr (2004–2006) during the annual U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) program. Standardized strip-transect surveys were used to map seabirds, and a combination of acoustic and net surveys was used to map krill. We measured patch size of krill and seabirds and elucidated how krill patch dynamics influence foraging seabirds. The spatial association between krill and predators was influenced by the size and arrangement of krill patches. We found a negative relationship between abundance and patchiness of krill and predators, indicating that when krill is less abundant, its predators are less abundant and concentrated. We conclude that annual patch dynamics of krill strongly influences the local abundance and distribution of seabirds. Such information should be used to interpret potential interactions between seabirds and krill fisheries operating near Elephant Island.
Regeneration of ventral root axons into dorsal roots as shown by increased acetylcholinesterase activity.

Regeneration of ventral root axons of the lumbar seventh (L7) segment into the dorsal L7 roots on the opposite side of cat spinal cord was shown by changes in the levels of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and pseudocholinesterase (PsChE). Low levels of AChE and PsChE were found in control dorsal roots, but when regenerating ventral root fibers entered the dorsal roots, there was a doubling of AChE activity within 2 weeks. Growth appears to start some time after the first week; this is in accord with earlier evidence based on axoplasmic flow of isotope labeled protein in this experimental preparation. The level of AChE activity in the reinnervated dorsal roots increased continually for about 100 days before reaching a plateau at approximately 20 × control levels. The gradual increase and the plateau of AChE activity is in accord with a maturation of the ventral root fibers which had regenerated into the dorsal roots. PsChE in the dorsal roots changes in parallel with AChE in a ratio of 1:10, suggesting that PsChE may in part be localized in the regenerating axons.
INTRA‐INFLORESCENCE VARIABILITY IN POLLEN/OVULE RATIOS IN THE CLEISTOGAMOUS SPECIES LAMIUM AMPLEXICAULE (LABIATAE)

A comparative study was made of the various floral forms in the main shoot inflorescence of the cleistogamous species Lamium amplexicaule L. (Labiatae). This study revealed significant differences in pollen/ovule (PIO) ratios between successively produced flowers. The variation in P/0 ratio is due to a change in pollen count/flower and not in ovule number. The study included two plant populations, one grown\in November when only closed flowers are produced, and the other grown in April when open flower production occurs at the upper nodes. The intra-inflorescence variation in P/O ratio among the spring population showed a correlation between P/O ratio and breeding system. The cleistogamous flowers had low P/O ratios of about 200 while the chasmogamous flowers had higher P/O ratios of about 600. CLEISTOGAMOUS (CL) species that bear two floral forms are reported as having two breeding systems: (1) obligate autogamy for small, closed CL flowers, and (2) facultative or obligate xenogamy for larger, open chasmogamous (CH) flowers (Darwin, 1877; Henslow, 1877; Allard, 1944; Heslop-Harrison, 1965; Kannenberg and Allard, 1967; Long, 1971; Levin, 1972; Beattie, 1976; Rust, 1977; Schemske, 1978; Waller, 1979). The CL flowers typically have low pollen ovule ratios characteristic of autogamous species (Cruden, 1977). Some recent studies have used cleistogamous species as tools for measuring the relative energetic, time and material costs of self
The Dramatization of Determinism: A lexander of Aphrodisias' De Fato

'Determinism has many meanings, but there are, mainly and for the most part, four different kinds of problems connected with this notion', Aristotle might have said had he employed the concept of determinism. In his philosophical writings we can distinguish the following questions. (a) There is logical determinism, i.e. the necessity of the conclusions following from their premises (under this title I also want to subsume the problem of the Sea Battle)', (b) there is physical determinism, the necessity of the connection of cause and effect, (c) there is ethical determinism concerning the dependence of human action on internal ('character') and external conditions, and (d) there is teleological determinism, i.e. that everything has an end or serves some purpose. Aristotle does not always distinguish between these kinds of determinateness nor is he always consistent in his own position but it seems clear to me that he was aware of the determinist's dilemma.2 But since no radical deterministic theory comprising all these notions of determinism seems to have been proposed by any of the rival schools (pace Megaricorum) Aristotle did not have to maintain an all encompassing position. The need for a clarification of the Peripatetic position with respect to the problem of determinism and the concept of fate must have existed long before Alexander of Aphrodisias, the most important commentator on Aristotle's writings, produced the little treatise On Fate which he dedicated to the emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla (terminus ante quem 211 AD). As we know from other sources,3 there raged a never ending battle about the notion of fate among the schools, a battle in which the various opponents seem to have relied on the same kind of arguments, counterarguments and examples time and again. Alexander himself does not claim originality; he professes to give only an account of the A ristotelian position (cf. 164, 13; 212,5) which he compares with and defends against the more rigid determinism of a rival school. All commentators agree that the target of Alexander's criticism must be the Stoa. Opinions differ on the question why Alexander does not mention the Stoa or any of its members. The
THE BIG PICTURE: CONSERVATION RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR CONTEMPORARY COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS

Preservation of chromogenic color photographs at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, is currently focused on three areas: establishing protocols for exhibition, handling and storage; initiating a long-term examination of process stability of face-mounted chromogenic photographs; and developing a conservation-quality adhesive for polyetheneclad photographs, generally called resin-coated prints.
Extinction in rabbits under different levels of cutaneous afferent activity.

Abstract The nictitating membrane response of the rabbit was classically conditioned to tone, using a shock US, under a moderate level of cutaneous afferent activity (CAA). The CAA was controlled by mechanical, chemical and electrical means. In Experiment 1 the response in three groups of animals was extinguished under different levels of CAA. High levels were found to retard and low levels facilitate the disappearance of CRs during extinction. In Experiment 2 the possibility was investigated that one of the means used to raise CAA (e.g., the eyeband) might have produced a high spontaneous response rate. A 6% response level was observed but: (1) was of short duration; (2) was too small to account for group differences in the first experiment; and, (3) was not a significant factor in the statistical analysis of Experiment 1.
Differential expression of type I adrenal steroid receptors in immune tissues is associated with tissue-specific regulation of type II receptors by aldosterone

We examined the influence of the type I adrenal steroid receptor agonist, aldosterone, on type II adrenal steroid receptor binding in the rat spleen and thymus after adrenalectomy. In the spleen, adrenalectomy was associated with a significant up-regulation of type II receptors, which was blocked by the concurrent administration of aldosterone (1 microgram/h) via sc osmotic minipumps. Neither adrenalectomy nor aldosterone treatment altered type II receptor binding in the thymus. Despite high doses of aldosterone (10 micrograms/h), which resulted in supra-physiological blood concentrations of this hormone, there was no evidence of type II receptor decreases in spleen or thymus below receptor levels found in sham-adrenalectomized rats. The effect of aldosterone on type II receptor binding appeared to be mediated by the type I receptor, since there was no aldosterone effect on the thymus, which did not exhibit detectable levels of type I receptor binding. Moreover, there was no evidence that aldosterone comp...
Complicating military intervention's moral case

Any decision to use military force should be subjected to close moral scrutiny, but military interventions, by their very nature, invite it. Unlike military force used for strategic goals or other narrow reasons of state, an intervention explicitly appeals to broader moral claims such as the defense of human rights, an end to bloodshed, the defeat of aggression, and so on. Its justification stands or falls on the moral force of its cause. Interventions should, therefore, be especially open to moral examination, and since they rely so heavily on broad moral claims, our moral sanction should not be given lightly. Indeed, at least one type of military intervention relies on an underlying moral justification that is deeply flawed but rarely challenged.
Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma arising from a cervical bronchial cyst

Bronchogenic cysts with malignant change are rarely reported. We describe a case of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma arising from a cervical bronchial cyst in a patient presenting with a thyroid mass, cervical lymphadenopathy, and initial biopsy suggestive of papillary thyroid carcinoma. The clinical presentation, intraoperative findings, radiographic images, and pathology slides are presented. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma arising from a bronchial cyst in the cervical region.
The thermodynamic characterization of spontaneous electrochemical reactions

We consider whether the association of charged species of opposite parity in a chemical cell constitutes a spontaneous reaction. The initial distributions of the species are modeled as a steady-state phenomenon, characterized by a drift-diffusion system and two coupled constraints: (1) the electroneutrality of net system charge; and, (2) a coupled thermodynamic inequality constraint, reflecting the net decrease of the Gibbs' free energy in the closed system required for any spontaneous chemical reaction leading to uniform association of the species. A useful analytical technique of partial convexity allows the reformulation of thermodynamic compatibility. A control theory interpretation of the Dirichlet boundary conditions allows the selection of a trapping region for the range of the solution components which ensures that the reaction is spontaneous. A specific application is the production of hydrogen in an electrochemical cell. This is contained in a larger modeling context: reduction processes in electrochemistry. The final section describes extensions of the modeling in which an open mathematical problem and a pointer to the nonisothermal case are identified.
Identity as a Mediator of Institutional Integration Variables in the Prediction of Undergraduate Persistence Intentions

This investigation tested the hypothesis that the developmental variable identity mediates the effects of the institutional integration variables academic and social integration in the prediction of undergraduate students’ persistence intentions. Long-term (persistence in higher education: PHE) and short-term (persistence at the institution: PAI) persistence intentions served as the criterion variables. The hypothesis was tested for the overall sample (N = 182) in which separate block hierarchical analyses were conducted in predicting PHE and PAI. Results generally confirmed the hypothesis, consistent with Eriksonian theory, in that identity mediated the impact of academic integration in the prediction of PAI and was the only predictor to exert a significant effect on PHE. Results are discussed in the context of the importance of considering developmental variables such as identity to enhance models predicting undergraduate persistence.
Reduction of mass-dependent interferences in inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry by using flow-injection analysis

The use of flow-injection analysis to reduce mass-dependent interferences in inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry has been assessed. Results are presented which demonstrate nearly complete elimination of analyte-signal suppression under operating conditions where dispersion (D) is approximately 25. Furthermore, results obtained with flow-injection analysis exhibit greater precision, take less time, and suffer only a 40% reduction in sensitivity, compared to continuous-flow analysis.
Biochemical Systematics and Evolution of the Crayfish Genus Orconectes (Decapoda: Cambaridae)

Phylogenetic relationships among 30 species of the North American crayfish genus Orconectes were investigated by examining 56 presumptive enzyme-coding loci using the technique of horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. Specimens were obtained from each of the 10 recognized subgenera and represent 14 of the 15 species-groups. Specimens from 2 additional genera (2 species of Cambarus and 3 species of Procambarus) were also included as outgroups. The most striking result in this investigation is the clustering of the troglobitic species of the sub-genus O. (Orconectes) in a group by themselves. The allozyme data indicate that these cave species are very divergent (Nei's D ≥ 0.3577) from other members of the genus and appear more closely related to the outgroup species of Cambarus (mean D = 0.3522). This result suggests that O. (Orconectes) is a monophyletic lineage that deserves generic recognition, as previously proposed by Creaser (1962). In addition, no monophyletic lineages were found that support the other subgenera or ally their species groups, a result consistent with recent DNA sequence data. However, a bootstrap analysis of these data suggests that the allozyme phylogeny is poorly resolved among the other subgenera of Orconectes. This indicates, perhaps, that the limits of the allozyme technique to distinguish phylogenetic relationships at the subgeneric level were reached (i.e., insufficient levels of variation were detected). The distribution of alleles at some loci, however, might provide insight into the evolutionary history and past dispersal patterns of these crayfish species. These data lend support to the thesis of Fitzpatrick (1987) that some ancestral orconectid stocks established themselves west of the Mississippi River where they eventually diverged from the stocks found to the east on the Cumberland Plateau. Unique alleles found only in species of the Ozark Highlands suggest also that this area played a pivotal role in the evolution and diversification of ancestral crayfish stocks.
Leptin "gates" thermogenic action of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in the hindbrain.

Abstract Leptin, acting as a measure of metabolic fuel availability, exerts a powerful permissive influence on neurogenic thermogenesis. During starvation and an absence of leptin, animals cannot produce thermogenic reactions to cold stress. However, thermogenesis is rescued by restoring leptin. We have previously observed (Hermann, G.E., Barnes, M.J., Rogers, R.C., 2006. Leptin and thyrotropin-releasing hormone: cooperative action in the hindbrain to activate brown adipose thermogenesis. Brain Res. 1117, 118–124.) a highly cooperative interaction between leptin and thyrotropin-releasing hormone [TRH] to activate hindbrain generated thermogenic responses. Specifically, exposure to both leptin and TRH elicited a 3.5 °C increase in brown adipose tissue [BAT] thermogenesis, while leptin alone did not evoke any change, and TRH alone caused only ∼ 1 °C increase. The present study shows that the leptin–TRH synergy in controlling brown adipose [BAT] thermogenesis is order-specific and dependent on the feeding status of the animal. That is, fourth ventricular [4V] application of leptin to the food-deprived animal, before TRH injection, yields a substantial increase in BAT; while the reverse order yields a significantly smaller effect. If the animal were fed within minutes of anesthesia, then exogenous leptin was not necessary for TRH to yield a large increase in BAT temperature. The leptin–TRH synergy was uncoupled by pretreatment with the phosphoinositol–tris phosphate kinase [PI3K] inhibitor, wortmannin and the Src-SH2 antagonist, PP2. The TRH transduction mechanism utilizes phospholipase C [PLC] potently regulated by the SH2 site. Previous work in culture systems suggests that the product of PI3K activity [PIP3] potently upregulates PLC by activating the SH2 domain of the PLC complex. Perhaps leptin “gates” the thermogenic action of TRH in the hindbrain by invoking this same mechanism.
Berkeley and Idealism

1. What is it according to Berkeley for bodies to exist in the mind? Maybe no simple or single answer to this question fits everything that he says about it in the Principles and Dialogues, but I think he gives or suggests an answer in Principles section 49 that he may have to give or be willing to accept across the board. The trouble is that this answer comes with a fairly high price. Berkeley first explains his position in the opening sections of Part I of the Principles. In s. 1 he says that things like apples, stones, trees and books-later on he calls them bodies, and I'll call them that in this paper-are collections of ideas; and he says in s. 2 that the mind perceives these ideas, and that to be perceived by the mind is to exist in the mind. Now this is already more than we need for the result that bodies exist in the mind. Either the first or last part of the explanation leads to this result by itself. But the first part, viz. the claim that bodies are collections of ideas, is itself a conundrum that badly needs explaining. Of course it is a claim we have to deal with, and we'll look at it below. But to be told right off the bat that bodies exist in the mind because they are collections of ideas is like being told that numbers or nuances grow on trees because they are apples. If bodies are collections of ideas then no doubt they exist in the mind, given that ideas are what we naturally take them to be. But how on earth can bodies be collections of ideas? Or equivalently, according to Berkeley, how can ideas be the qualities of bodies, as he says or implies in s. 1 that they are? It seems nonsensical to equate the one sort of thing with the other. In comparison, the last part of the explanation, viz. the claim that to be perceived by the mind is to exist in the mind, seems to make for plain sailing. It is also the part that Berkeley repeats in later passages when he is challenged about bodies being in the mind, in Principles s. 49 and in a couple of places in the third dialogue (in Berkeley's Philosophical Writings, ed. by Armstrong, Collier, pp. 199-200 and 212). In any case we can easily make sense of this claim and even in a way accept it. If to exist in the mind is just to be perceived by the mind or by the person whose mind it is, then almost everyone will agree that bodies often exist in the mind in this special sense and are none the worse for it; they seem for the most part to be unaffected by it. If to exist in the mind is also to be perceivable by the mind, as Berkeley suggests in s. 3,
Measuring antibiotic use in a long-term care facility.

Abstract Background: In the long-term care facility setting, there is little information about correlation of antibiotic use with care delivered or with the occurrence of fever or use of Foley catheters. The objectives of this study were to compare various measures of quantitating antibiotic use and to correlate these measures with febrile morbidity and Foley catheter use in a hospital-based, long-term care facility. Methods: This was a prospective study in which the number of residents with fever (rectal temperature of 100.5° F or greater) or a Foley catheter was documented daily. Antibiotic use was measured in several ways: incidence (courses per 100 resident care days), proportion of resident care days that were antibiotic days, the number of antibiotic courses per month, and the number of residents treated per month. Results: Between January and December 1989, 111 (71%) of 156 residents were prescribed 263 antibiotic courses. Incidence of antibiotic use was 0.61 courses per 100 resident care days. On average only about 5% of resident care days per month were associated with antibiotic use, whereas an average of 18 residents per month received antibiotic therapy. Trimethoprim/sulfa and ciprofloxacin together accounted for 55% of the courses prescribed. No significant correlations were found between any antibiotic use measure and febrile days or Foley catheter days each month. Conclusions: In the long-term care facility setting, monitoring the number of residents treated with antibiotics per month is a more practical and useful measure of use than measurement of resident care days on antibiotics per month.
A QoS routing algorithm with "domain" link-state information maintenance

In recent years, various QoS routing algorithms have been proposed to meet the QoS requirement of today's multimedia applications. These algorithms can be divided into two categories: source routing and distributed routing. In this paper, we propose a novel QoS routing algorithm, which is an integration of source routing and distributed routing. We introduce the concept of "domain" which is a set of neighboring nodes and links. Each node has its own "domain" and has the accurate link-state information within its "domain". When a QoS request probe arrives at a node will use the link-state information within its "domain" to calculate where the probe should be forwarded to and the probe forwarding path. By doing so, the message overhead induced by probe forwarding can be reduced significantly but the overhead induced by link-state information update may increase dramatically. However, if the size of the "domain" is chosen properly according to the network topology, our algorithm can reduce the message overhead while maintaining high request admission ratio.
Gene expression profiling: opening the black box of plant ecosystem responses to global change.

The use of genomic techniques to address ecological questions is emerging as the field of genomic ecology. Experimentation under environmentally realistic conditions to investigate the molecular response of plants to meaningful changes in growth conditions and ecological interactions is the defining feature of genomic ecology. Because the impact of global change factors on plant performance are mediated by direct effects at the molecular, biochemical, and physiological scales, gene expression analysis promises important advances in understanding factors that have previously been consigned to the ‘black box’ of unknown mechanism. Various tools and approaches are available for assessing gene expression in model and nonmodel species as part of global change biology studies. Each approach has its own unique advantages and constraints. A first generation of genomic ecology studies in managed ecosystems and mesocosms have provided a testbed for the approach and have begun to reveal how the experimental design and data analysis of gene expression studies can be tailored for use in an ecological context.
The fission yeast genes pyp1+ and pyp2+ encode protein tyrosine phosphatases that negatively regulate mitosis.

Abstract We have used degenerate oligonucleotide probes based on sequences conserved among known protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) to identify two Schizosaccharomyces pombe genes encoding PTPases. We previously described the cloning of pyp1+ (S. Ottilie, J. Chernoff, G. Hannig, C. S. Hoffman, and R. L. Erikson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:3455-3459, 1991), and here we describe a second gene, called pyp2+. The C terminus of each protein contains sequences conserved in the apparent catalytic domains of all known PTPases. Disruption of pyp2+ results in viable cells, as was the case for pyp1+, whereas disruption of pyp2+ and pyp1+ results in synthetic lethality. Overexpression of either pyp1+ or pyp2+ in wild-type strains leads to a delay in mitosis but is suppressed by a wee1-50 mutation at 35 degrees C or a cdc2-1w mutation. A pyp1 disruption suppresses the temperature-sensitive lethality of a cdc25-22 mutation. Our data suggest that pyp1+ and pyp2+ act as negative regulators of mitosis upstream of the wee1+/mik1+ pathway.
Causal analysis of Speech Recognition failure in adverse environments

A common approach to measuring the impact of noise and the effectiveness of noise mitigation (NM) algorithms for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems is to compare the word error rates (WERs). However, the WER measure does not give much insight into how an NM algorithm affects phoneme-level acoustic characteristics. Such insight can help in tuning the NM parameters and may also lead to reduced research time because the impact of an NM algorithm on ASR can first be investigated on smaller corpora. In this paper, two measures, phoneme error rate (PER) and phoneme confidence score (PCS), are investigated to assess the impact of NM algorithms on the ASR performance. Experimental results using the TIMIT corpus show that both PER and PCS can help identify where the degradation from noise occurs as well as give a useful indication of how an NM algorithm may impact ASR performance. A diagnostic method based on these two measures is also proposed to assess the NM impact on ASR and help improve the NM algorithm performance.
Weight changes in women with metastatic breast cancer treated with megestrol acetate: a comparison of standard versus high-dose therapy.

One hundred seventy-two patients with advanced breast cancer were randomized to receive 160 or 800 mg megestrol acetate per day. Patients were monitored monthly for weight, blood pressure, performance status, edema, measurement of clinically evident lesions, and toxicities. Pretreatment characteristics were similar in both arms. Weight gain was the most commonly seen side effect, with 52% of patients gaining in excess of 10 lb and 28% gaining more than 20 lb. Median weight gain for standard-dose treatment was 5 lb compared with 18 lb for high-dose treatment. There was no dose modification for excessive weight gain in any of the patients receiving the standard dose but doses were modified in 15% of those receiving high-dose megestrol acetate. Weight gains for both groups were analyzed at 30, 90, and 180 days after study entry. Treatment arm, age, prior therapy, response to prior endocrine therapy, race, performance status, dominant disease site, and number of disease sites were included in the analysis. At 30 days, patients taking high-dose megestrol acetate had a mean weight gain of 2.5 lb whereas patients taking the standard dose had stable weights. Factors predictive of weight gain were younger age (P = .0012) and fewer disease sites (P = .017). At 90 and 180 days, patients taking high-dose megestrol acetate had consistently gained more weight than those taking the standard dose (9.0 and 16.0 lb v 2.5 and 9.0 lb, respectively). Significant covariables were treatment arm (P = .0006) and younger age (P = .0211). Probability of gaining 20 lb was dependent only on treatment dose (P = .0002), and median time to a 20-lb weight gain was 217 days. Increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures were seen in both groups, but the differences were not significant. Megestrol acetate is associated with weight gain in women with advanced breast cancer, and the amount of weight gained correlates directly with dose of megestrol acetate, length of treatment, and age of patient.
Hydrothermal synthesis and structures of the new open-framework uranyl silicates Rb4(UO2)2(Si8O20)(USH-2Rb), Rb2(UO2)(Si2O6)·H2O (USH-4Rb) and A2(UO2)(Si2O6)·0.5H2O (USH-5A; A = Rb, Cs)

Four new open-framework alkali metal uranyl silicates, Rb4(UO2)2(Si8O20) (USH-2Rb), Rb2(UO2)(Si2O6)·H2O (USH-4Rb), and A2(UO2)(Si2O6)·0.5H2O (USH-5A; A = Rb, Cs), have been prepared hydrothermally at 245 °C. The structures of USH-2, -4, and -5 contain UO6 tetragonal bipyramidal units connected by double chains, 4-membered rings, and single chains of SiO4 tetrahedra, respectively. The compounds have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis and infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis.
Optimal scheduling of finite-state machines

The paper describes an algorithm for solving scheduling problems which contain multiple, interlocking cycles, such as scheduling constraints in state transition graphs. This algorithm is based on previous work on toroidal compaction but introduces three significant improvements: it allows the designer to use upper bound or equality constraints; it does not require an initial feasible solution; and it can handle multiple loops and conditional branches in the constraint system. Experimental results demonstrate the algorithm's effectiveness. >
Education in medical billing benefits both neurology trainees and academic departments

The objective of residency training is to produce physicians who can function independently within their chosen subspecialty and practice environment. Skills in the business of medicine, such as clinical billing, are widely applicable in academic and private practices but are not commonly addressed during formal medical education. Residency and fellowship training include limited exposure to medical billing, but our academic department9s performance of these skills was inadequate: in 56% of trainee-generated outpatient notes, documentation was insufficient to sustain the chosen billing level. We developed a curriculum to improve the accuracy of documentation and coding and introduced practice changes to address our largest sources of error. In parallel, we developed tools that increased the speed and efficiency of documentation. Over 15 months, we progressively eliminated note devaluation, increased the mean level billed by trainees to nearly match that of attending physicians, and increased outpatient revenue by $34,313/trainee/year. Our experience suggests that inclusion of billing education topics into the formal medical curriculum benefits both academic medical centers and trainees.
Effect of Concentration on Sorption of Dissolved Organics by PVC, PTFE, and Stainless Steel Well Casings

This report examines sorption of low ppb levels of organic solutions by polytetra- fluoroethylene (PTFE), rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and stainless steel 304 and 316 well casings. Nineteen organics were selected, including several munitions and chlorinated solvents. Compounds were selected to offer a range of physical properties, such as solubility in water, octanol/water partition coefficient, and molecular structure. When these results were compared with the results from a similar study conducted at ppm levels, the rate and extent of sorption by PTFE and PVC were the same as seen previously for almost all analytes. There were no losses of any compounds associated with stainless steel. At these low levels (ppm and ppb), the rate of diffusion within the polymer (PVC and PTFE) is independent of concentration. Only with PTFE are the rates rapid enough to be of concern when monitoring for some contaminants in ground water. Tetrachloroethylene was the compound PTFE sorbed the most rapidly. The study showed that PVC well casings are suitable for monitoring low levels (ppm and ppb) of organics.