cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Consistency of Assessment of Student Performance during Simulated Experiences

Abstract Assessment of student practicum performance is a complex process, fraught with difficulties. The challenges associated with assessment of performance are multifactorial. The authors contend that these challenges have three main foci: the difficulty in determining which behaviors are necessary and sufficient to demonstrate competence, the potential subjectivity of evaluators, and the possible alteration of student performance based on the expectations of individual faculty members. An innovative strategy was implemented to improve consistency among nurse educators during simulated clinical experiences. This article describes the development of an orientation process for users of a simulation evaluation instrument, the C-SEI©. Furthermore, this orientation process may provide a framework for nurse educators to improve consistency of evaluation in any realm of student performance.
The rectal glands of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae) hermaphrodites and their role in symbiont transmission

Differential interference contrast, transmission electron and epifluorescence microscopy techniques were employed to examine the ultrastructure of the rectal glands in Heterorhabditis bacteriophora hermaphrodites, with special attention to the location of Photorhabdus bacteria symbionts within these structures. Three rectal glands were clearly visualized in all examined specimens, with two glands positioned sub-ventrally and another gland located dorsally. The dorsal rectal gland in all examined specimens is larger than the subventral ones. Our observations indicate that Photorhabdus bacteria do not colonize the rectal glands of H. bacteriophora hermaphrodites, but rather are present in the most posterior-intestinal cells.
The Interferon-γ-induced GTPase, mGBP-2, Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α) Induction of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) by Inhibiting NF-κB and Rac Protein

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is important in numerous normal and pathological processes, including the angiogenic switch during tumor development and tumor metastasis. Whereas TNF-α and other cytokines up-regulate MMP-9 expression, interferons (IFNs) inhibit MMP-9 expression. We found that IFN-γ treatment or forced expression of the IFN-induced GTPase, mGBP-2, inhibit TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, by inhibiting MMP-9 transcription. The NF-κB transcription factor is required for full induction of MMP-9 by TNF-α. Both IFN-γ and mGBP-2 inhibit the transcription of a NF-κB-dependent reporter construct, suggesting that mGBP-2 inhibits MMP-9 induction via inhibition of NF-κB-mediated transcription. Interestingly, mGBP-2 does not inhibit TNF-α-induced degradation of IκBα or p65/RelA translocation into the nucleus. However, mGBP-2 inhibits p65 binding to a κB oligonucleotide probe in gel shift assays and to the MMP-9 promoter in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. In addition, TNF-α activation of NF-κB in NIH 3T3 cells is dependent on Rac activation, as evidenced by the inhibition of TNF-α induction of NF-κB-mediated transcription by a dominant inhibitory form of Rac1. A role for Rac in the inhibitory action of mGBP-2 on NF-κB is further shown by the findings that mGBP-2 inhibits TNF-α activation of endogenous Rac and constitutively activate Rac can restore NF-κB transcription in the presence of mGBP-2. This is a novel mechanism by which IFNs can inhibit the cytokine induction of MMP-9 expression.
Reading twisted text: implications for the role of saccades.

Abstract These experiments investigated how the quality of saccadic skill limits the acquisition of visual information during a reading task. Subjects read text in which the spatial pattern of saccades was varied by reversing the order of words in a line, the order of letters in a word, or both. Some of these transformations drastically altered the customary visual appearance of words. To distinguish visual from oculomotor influences on reading, letters, in some conditions, were rotated 180 deg to produce text in which the customary visual appearance of words was destroyed while the order of words and letters remained unchanged. We found that the directional pattern of saccades had relatively modest effects on reading speed under the instruction to read accurately. The size of saccades had large effects on reading speed. Text in which familiar patterns of letters were destroyed, either by changing letter-order or letter-orientation, was read by sequences of small (
Compliance With National Nutrition Recommendations Among Breast Cancer Survivors in "Stepping Stone"

Introduction. Compared with White breast cancer survivors, African American survivors are more likely to be overweight and obese. Differences in weight status may be attributed to differences in di...
Probing Global Aging Changes to Photoreceptors

Global changes with age in the density of photoreceptors were investigated by using novel software to compute the thickness of the outer nuclear layer seen with Optical Coherence Tomography.
A Proposed Standard for Binary Floating-Point Arithmetic

Offered here for public comment, this proposed standard facilitates transportation of numerically oriented programs and encourages development of high-quality numerical software.
Structural characterization of a novel diglycosyl diacylglyceride glycolipid from Rhizobium trifolii ANU843.

Abstract A novel glycolipid was isolated by chloroform-methanol extraction of Rhizobium trifolii ANU843 cells. Compositional analysis, methylation studies, 1 H NMR and spectroscopies led to the identification of a diglycosyl diacylglyceride: 1,2-di- O -acyl-3- O -[α- d -glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)- O -α- d -mannopyranosyl]glycerol. Iso-hexadecanoic and anteiso-heptadecanoic acids were the predominant fatty acids esterifying the glyceryl moiety, but a microheterogeneity in fatty acid composition was found, resulting in at least five distinct molecular species of the glycolipid. Although widespread in plants, animals and Gram-positive bacteria, glycosyl glycerides have been seldom reported in Gram-negative bacteria and this work is the first evidence of their occurrence in the bacterial family Rhizobiaceae .
On the strain-induced growth of neighboring voids

The purpose of this communication is to report preliminary experimental results which describe the strain-induced growth of a pair of spherical cavities, spaced about one cavity diameter apart, and embedded in material (titanium) subjected to far-field uniaxial tension. Ultrasonic imaging is used to monitor cavity dimensions during the incremental straining of the specimens, and data are presented for both longitudinal and transverse cavity growth for extensional strains up to [approximately] 0.5. As will be evident, the data indicate a significant degree of void interaction even in this uniaxial tension case.
Voltage Gradients in Solar Array Cavities as Possible Beeakdown Sites in Spacecraft-Charging-Induced Discharges

A possible explanation for environmentally-induced discharges on geosynchronous satellites exists in the electric fields formed in the cavities between solar cells - the small gaps formed by the cover slides, solar cells, metallic interconnects and insulating substrate. When exposed to a substorm environment, the cover slides become less negatively charged than the spacecraft ground. Hence, it is possible for metallic surfaces (usually silver mesh) to be at a negative potential in a cavity that has a "positive" surface above it. If the resultant electric field becomes large enough, then the interconnect could emit electrons (probably by field emission) which could be accelerated to space by the positive voltage on the covers. An experimental study was conducted using a small solar array segment in which the interconnect potential was controlled by a power supply while the cover slides were irradiated by monoenergetic electrons. It was found that discharges could be triggered when the interconnect potential became at least 500 volts negative with respect to the cover slides. Analytical modeling of satellites exposed to substorm environments indicates that such gradients are possible. Therefore, it appears that this trigger mechanism for discharges is possible. Details of the experiment and modeling study are presented.
Strategies for Pro-poor Growth: Pro-poor, Pro-growth or Both?

What is pro-poor growth, and is it a useful concept for African development policy? This paper examines the debate between proponents of growth and poverty reduction, highlighting the diversity of regional and country experiences in promoting development with these two objectives. The author concludes that the most effective development policies will be those that advocate a shared growth strategy, using public policy to create growth, while also promoting the engagement of the poor to ensure that they are active participants in, and beneficiaries of growth. Natural resource revenue management, agricultural exports, and regional integration are highlighted as three of the most promising areas for promoting such growth strategies. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
Xenopus nanos1 is required to prevent endoderm gene expression and apoptosis in primordial germ cells

Nanos is expressed in multipotent cells, stem cells and primordial germ cells (PGCs) of organisms as diverse as jellyfish and humans. It functions together with Pumilio to translationally repress targeted mRNAs. Here we show by loss-of-function experiments that Xenopus Nanos1 is required to preserve PGC fate. Morpholino knockdown of maternal Nanos1 resulted in a striking decrease in PGCs and a loss of germ cells from the gonads. Lineage tracing and TUNEL staining reveal that Nanos1-deficient PGCs fail to migrate out of the endoderm. They appear to undergo apoptosis rather than convert to normal endoderm. Whereas normal PGCs do not become transcriptionally active until neurula, Nanos1-depleted PGCs prematurely exhibit a hyperphosphorylated RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain at the midblastula transition. Furthermore, they inappropriately express somatic genes characteristic of endoderm regulated by maternal VegT, including Xsox17α, Bix4, Mixer, GATA4 and Edd. We further demonstrate that Pumilio specifically binds VegT RNA in vitro and represses, along with Nanos1, VegT translation within PGCs. Repressed VegT RNA in wild-type PGCs is significantly less stable than VegT in Nanos1-depleted PGCs. Our data indicate that maternal VegT RNA is an authentic target of Nanos1/Pumilio translational repression. We propose that Nanos1 functions to translationally repress RNAs that normally specify endoderm and promote apoptosis, thus preserving the germline.
The Effect of Toe-Clipping Turkey Poults on Market Grade, Final Weight and Percent Condemnation

Abstract A higher percentage of turkeys graded A when they were toe-clipped. In a controlled experiment, toe-clipped turkey toms had 2.1% more grade A than turkeys with normal toes. Records from three processing plants for 1969 and 1970 showed toe-clipped turkey toms varied from 1.2–5% more in percentage grade A than toms that were not toe-clipped. The toe-clipped hens varied from 0–3.2% in improvement in percentage grade A over hens with normal toes. An increase in mortality was observed in the controlled experiment during the first week in those turkeys that had been toe-clipped. These birds were started on wire floors partly covered with paper. There was little influence of toe-clipping on the final body weight of either the hens or the toms in the controlled experiment or in the commercial data from processing plants. One plant did show a significant reduction in body weight of toe-clipped toms compared with normal-toed toms received in the plant for both the 1969 and 1970 processing years. Toe-clipping did not influence the percentage of turkey carcasses condemned in any of the categories studied.
Cluster structure determination using Gaussian density distribution global minimization methods

Classical particle density distributions, approximated by floating Gaussians, are used to efficiently sample different structures in order to locate the global minimum on the multidimensional potential surface of van der Waals and water clusters. The Gaussian density annealing (GDA) approach of Ma and Straub [J. Chem. Phys. 101, 533 (1994)] provides a set of equations of motion for Gaussian widths and centers. These equations are used to anneal the system from high temperature, with large Gaussian widths describing the particle density distribution, to low temperature. In order to ensure a quasiequilibrium throughout this process, certain constraints are imposed during the annealing. The results of structure optimization of van der Waals clusters using different variants of the GDA are compared. These applications demonstrate the advantage and efficiency of our method, a variation of the GDA algorithm, which anneals on consecutive levels of lower temperature. Extensions of the approach for atomic systems to include rigorous bond constraints in molecular clusters are also presented. Water cluster structures are investigated and compared with other theoretical calculations. Our findings suggest that the nature of the underlying free energy surface may diminish the efficacy of the GDA, and related methods, in locating global minima for clusters.
A short form of the Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence-revised

Abstract Data from the standardization sample of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R) were used to develop a table that gives Full Scale IQs for a four-subtest abbreviated form of the scale. The short-form is composed of the Comprehension and Arithmetic subsets from the Verbal scale and the Picture Completion and Block Design subtests from the Performance scale. Reliability and validity coefficients and standard error of estimates for the abbreviated WPPSI-R IQs are reported, and guidelines for appropriate use of this scale are also discussed.
Deterioration Of Superpolished Metal Mirrors By Blue Haze

Superpolished mirrors lose their low-scatter finish in industrial atmospheres because of a corrosion process. This degradation is investigated by exposing mirrors in controlled gaseous environments, monitoring changes with scatter measurements, and microscopically and elementally analyzing the surface films. Blue haze results when nickel from the mirror combines with airborne pollutants and water to form an amorphous salt which can coat the nickel and etch it. Preventive techniques to keep the metal clean and free of water films are also discussed.
The acquisitions librarian as informed consumer: “Mad as hell, and not going to take it any more!”

Communication faite a la Conference de Charleston de 1987 sur la necessite pour les bibliothecaires responsables de l'acquisiton de s'informer sur l'industrie de l'edition, par exemple sur les stocks restants ou les tirages limites, pour influencer les pratiques financieres des editeurs
Integration of the human lymphocyte into immunotoxicological investigations.

Abstract The xenobiotics acetoxydimethylnitrosamine (ACDMN), acrolein (ACR), and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) are potent immunosuppressive agents of the in vitro primary humoral response of murine splenocytes. The focus of these studies was to determine if human lymphocytes could be modulated by direct exposure to these xenobiotics and therefore be used as an in vitro model system for immunotoxicological investigations. In these studies, we compared the profile of activity of these xenobiotics on cultured murine splenocytes (SPLC) and human tonsillar lymphocytes (HTL). With SPLC, we measured the anti-sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) IgM response with the standard direct plaque assay, pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced proliferation and the total IgM response to PWM with the reverse plaque assay (RPA). With HTL, we measured PWM-induced proliferation and the total Ig(M + A + G) response to PWM with the RPA. ACDMN inhibited the murine SPLC anti-SRBC antibody response, PWM-induced proliferation and IgM antibody-forming cell (AFC) responses at concentrations between 0.1 and 10 μ m . In HTL, ACDMN inhibited PWM-induced proliferation and the Ig(M + A + G) AFC response over a comparable concentration range. ACR had little activity at concentrations of 10 μ m or less. However, ACR at a concentration of 100 μ m completely suppressed all the responses of either SPLC or HTL. This concentration was also associated with a marked decrease in cell viability. In contrast, TCDD had a different profile of activity. TCDD inhibited the murine SPLC anti-SRBC IgM response at 3.0 and 30 n m . However, TCDD had no effect on either PWM-induced proliferation or antibody production in either murine SPLC or HTL. TCDD did cause a significant reduction in the background proliferation (i.e., no PWM) of both murine SPLC and HTL at all doses tested. These studies suggest that HTL can provide a comparable profile of activity as murine SPLC and can therefore be utilized for evaluating the direct immunotoxic potential of certain xenobiotics.
Polarizability interaction in molecules and double-well tunneling

Directional superpositions of the rotational states of linear molecules can be created by interaction of the polarizability with the strong electric field of an intense laser beam. The polarizability interaction, proportional to cos2θ (with θ the angle between the molecular axis and the direction of the electric field), is a double-well potential, with end-for-end symmetry. The energy levels thus exhibit tunnel-effect splittings. We present an exact treatment, derived by transcription to an oblate spheroidal wave equation. We also develop an accurate semiclassical approximation, in which the action integral and period are evaluated using an effective potential that corresponds to one-dimensional motion. The results pertain both to rotational spectroscopy of nonpolar molecules and to alignment and trapping experiments with either nonpolar or polar molecules.
Understanding the biology of high-latitude trees in a greenhouse world

Biosphere and atmosphere form a complex system in which climate influences ecosystems, which then provide various feedbacks to affect climate. As we try to assess the place of plants in this system, an ever-increasing number of paleobotanical studies are focusing on the interactions between forest ecosystems and climate through geologic time. The phenomenon of forest growth at very high latitudes (>70° latitude) during periods of greenhouse climate is especially receiving attention, as it may provide a proxy for boreal forest growth during future climate warming (e.g., Taggart and Cross, 2009; Swann et al., 2010). Detailed studies of fossil trees from polar regions, particularly those based on anatomically preserved specimens (petrified or permineralized), provide information on their biological and ecological characteristics. These characteristics in turn help us understand how trees of different taxonomic affinities adapted to life at high latitudes in the past and what could be the response of today's forests to a warmer climate. The occurrence in Antarctica of coal seams, permineralized trunks, and compression- impressions of large leaves was reported by the first expeditions to the continent near the end of the 19th century, and the climatic implications of these fossils were already a subject of discussion at that time. In a report on fossils collected by the Captain Robert Scott's Discovery Expedition (1901–1904), the paleobotanist E.A. Newell Arber (1907, p. 48) noted that their existence supported the idea that “the climate of the Antarctic, as of the Arctic regions, has been much more genial at more than one period in the past than at the present day.” Since that time, the discovery and study of new specimens have provided evidence of forest growth in the Arctic and Antarctic regions during the Permian, Triassic, …
Caregiver traumatization adversely impacts young children's mental representations on the MacArthur Story Stem Battery

Abstract The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of maternal exposure to family violence, maltreatment, and related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on young children's mental representations of self and caregivers. Participant mothers (n = 24) and children (n = 25) were recruited from a referred sample when they were 4 – 7 years old. Maternal report and child story stem narratives were used. Mothers' experience of domestic violence and severity of violence-related PTSD symptoms robustly predicted more dysregulated aggression, attentional bias to danger and distress, as well as more avoidance of and withdrawal from conflicts presented in the children's story stems. Less narrative coherence was also noted. Traumatized mothers experience and symptoms prior to their child's turning 4 years old adversely affected their child's mental representations from ages 4 – 7 years.
The Optometrist's Rise to Power in the Health Care Market, or "it's Optometric Physician, to You"

Optometry and ophthalmology have often clashed over scope-of-practice issues. Optometry has won many of these battles and has significantly increased its professional power. While many researchers have analyzed methods of professional empowerment, even in eye care, this study specifically investigates how rhetorical strategies in a field’s professional texts might influence that empowerment. Optometry mobilized itself and elevated its professional status in part through a successful rhetorical campaign beginning in the 1960s. A rhetorical analysis of optometric texts from the 1960s and 1970s reveals (1) the regular use of agonistic, martial rhetoric and (2) not only more serious content but also more serious rhetoric, serving to upgrade the field’s scientific credibility. Through this rhetorical strategy, viewed through Burke’s ideas about rhetoric’s role in identity and division, optometrists constructed an image of medicine as an antagonistic other and used it to unify their members and convince politic...
The Morphologic Profile of HPV-Related Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma: Implications for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Clinical Management

Much recent attention has highlighted a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) related to the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is characterized by an epidemiologic, demographic, and clinical profile that deviates from the profile of conventional non-HPV-related HNSCC. Lost in the dash to develop and implement diagnostic assays to detect the presence of HPV in HNSCCs is the unpretentious observation that these HPV-HNSCCs are also distinctive with respect to their microscopic appearance, and that an awareness of these characteristic morphologic features can facilitate the diagnosis of HPV-related HNSCC (HPV-HNSCC). This review will delineate the microscopic appearance of HPV-HNSCC, spotlight ways in which the misinterpretation of these microscopic features can lead to diagnostic confusion, and provide recommendations for appropriate terminology when diagnosing HPV-HNSCC.
Geologic evolution of the Gulf of Maine region

Abstract In this study we reconstruct the evolution of the northern New England passive margin whose development has been influenced by Pleistocene glaciations. The morphology of the northern New England shelf is rather unique consisting of a inner lowland, the Gulf of Maine, with an average depth of 150 m and an area of 90,700 km2 and Georges Bank, a high whose crest is less than 40 m deep and has an area of 27,000 km2. The bank's northern slope, facing the Gulf of Maine, has a maximum relief of 377 m. On the seaward side of Georges Bank is the 2000 m high continental slope deeply cut by canyons. Two channels, Northeast and Great South Channels, east and west of Georges Bank, provide passageways from the Gulf of Maine to the open sea. This morphology was acquired by a combination of Tertiary fluvial erosion, Pleistocene glacial erosion/deposition and Pleistocene/Holocene marine processes. Fluvial/glacial erosion in the Gulf of Maine was so extensive as to expose basement, thus making it possible to map the various terranes making up this foundation. These terranes include the pre-Carboniferous Avalon and Meguma units, a Carboniferous–Permian rift basin formed by the oblique continental collision during the closure of the Paleozoic proto-Atlantic and a Late Triassic–Early Jurassic rift system created during the opening of the present Atlantic. Basement in the Gulf of Maine remained above sea level from the opening of the Atlantic 190 Ma (Early Jurassic) to the Eocene 55 Ma. That the Gulf of Maine remained a high for so long may have been due to igneous activity along the northwest-trending Boston–Ottawa Lineation extending from the vicinity of the St. Lawrence River, Canada to Gulf of Maine from Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous. The northwest-trending New England Seamounts south of Georges Bank may represent a seaward extension of this lineation. On Georges Bank, rising hundreds of meters above the Gulf of Maine, the basement exposed in the gulf is mantled by sediments thousands of meters thick. Included in these sediments are Early Jurassic- to earliest Cretaceous reefs along the continental slope and carbonates north of the reefs grading landward into continental sediments, Cretaceous–Cenozoic continental/marine terrigenous sediments and Pleistocene glacial deposits. The continental slope on the seaward flank of Georges Bank has a complex history of early to mid Mesozoic carbonate accretion, mid to late Mesozoic and Cenozoic calcareous/terrigenous sediments and canyon erosion, burial and exhumation going back to Early Cretaceous.
The Relation Between Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Police Officers

Mindfulness-based treatments have been identified as potentially effective for reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms; however, the validity of research has been questioned, especially among first responders, due to ill-defined aspects of mindfulness. This study investigated the relationship between various dimensions of mindfulness (utilizing the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills; KIMS) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (utilizing the Impact of Event Scale-Revised; IES-R) among active-duty police officers (N = 183). Multiple regression analyses showed that greater IES-R avoidance and intrusion subscale scores were predicted by lower KIMS accepting without judgment subscale scores. Greater IES-R hyperarousal subscale scores were predicted by lower KIMS accepting without judgment and describing subscale scores. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Auditory belt and parabelt projections to the prefrontal cortex in the Rhesus monkey

Recent anatomical and electrophysiological studies have expanded our knowledge of the auditory cortical system in primates and have described its organization as a series of concentric circles with a central or primary auditory core, surrounded by a lateral and medial belt of secondary auditory cortex with a tertiary parabelt cortex just lateral to this belt. Because recent studies have shown that rostral and caudal belt and parabelt cortices have distinct patterns of connections and acoustic responsivity, we hypothesized that these divergent auditory regions might have distinct targets in the frontal lobe. We, therefore, placed discrete injections of wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase or fluorescent retrograde tracers into the prefrontal cortex of macaque monkeys and analyzed the anterograde and retrograde labeling in the aforementioned auditory areas. Injections that included rostral and orbital prefrontal areas (10, 46 rostral, 12) labeled the rostral belt and parabelt most heavily, whereas injections including the caudal principal sulcus (area 46), periarcuate cortex (area 8a), and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (area12vl) labeled the caudal belt and parabelt. Projections originating in the parabelt cortex were denser than those arising from the lateral or medial belt cortices in most cases. In addition, the anterior third of the superior temporal gyrus and the dorsal bank of the superior temporal sulcus were also labeled after prefrontal injections, confirming previous studies. The present topographical results suggest that acoustic information diverges into separate streams that target distinct rostral and caudal domains of the prefrontal cortex, which may serve different acoustic functions. J. Comp. Neurol. 403:141–157, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Degradable Cross-Linked Nanoassemblies as Drug Carriers for Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor 17-N-Allylamino-17-demethoxy-geldanamycin

Cross-linked nanoassemblies (CNAs) with a degradable core were prepared for sustained release of 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), a potent inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). The particle size of CNAs ranged between 100 and 250 nm, which changed depending on the cross-linking yields and drug entrapment method. CNAs with a 1% cross-linking yield entrapped 17-AAG in aqueous solutions, yet degraded in 3 hrs. CNAs entrapped 5.2 weight% of 17-AAG as the cross-linking yield increased to 10%, retaining more than 80% of particles for 24 hrs. CNAs with drugs entrapped after the cross-linking reactions were 100 nm and remained stable in both pH 7.4 and 5.0, corresponding to the physiological, tumoral, and intracellular environments. Drug was completely released from CNAs in 48 hrs, which would potentially maximize drug delivery and release efficiency within tumor tissues. Drug release patterns were not negatively affected by changing the cross-linking yields of CNAs. CNAs entrapping 17-AAG suppressed the growth of human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells as equally effective as free drugs. The results demonstrated that CNAs would be a promising formulation that can be used in aqueous solutions for controlled delivery and release of 17-AAG.
Detection of pulmonary nodules by multislice computed tomography: improved detection rate with reduced slice thickness

The purpose of this study was to find out if the use of 1.25-mm collimated thin-slice technique helps to detect more small pulmonary lung nodules than the use of 5 mm. A total of 100 patient examinations that allowed a reconstruction of 1.25-mm slice thickness in addition to the standard of 5-mm slices were included in a prospective study. Acquisition technique included four rows of 1-mm slices. Two sets of contiguous images were reconstructed and compared with 1.25- and 5-mm slice thickness, respectively. Two radiologists performed a film-based analysis of the images. The size and the confidence of the seen nodules were reported. We did not perform a histological verification, according to the normal clinical procedure, although it would be optimal regarding research. Statistical analysis was performed by using longitudinal analysis described by Brunner and Langer. In addition, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value were calculated for each reader using the 1.25-mm sections as the gold standard. As an index for concordance the kappa value was used. A value of p<0.05 was regarded as significant. In 37 patients pulmonary nodules were detected. Twenty-four patients showed more than one nodule; among these, 7 patients had disseminated disease and were excluded from the study. Pulmonary nodules larger than 10 mm in size were equally well depicted with both modalities, whereas lesions smaller than 5 mm in size were significantly better depicted with 1.25 mm (p<0.05). Using 1.25 mm as the gold standard, sensitivity for 5-mm reconstruction interval was 88 and 86% for observers A and B, respectively. No false-positive results were reported for 5-mm sections. Interobserver agreement for nodule detection determined for 1.25-mm reconstruction intervals showed a k value of 0.753, indicating a good agreement, and 0.562 for 5-mm reconstruction intervals, indicating a moderate agreement. Brunner and Langer analysis showed significant differences for slice thickness and no significant difference between the observers. Reduced slice thickness demonstrated an improvement of small nodule detection, confidence levels, and interobserver agreement. Application of thin-slice multidetector-row CT may raise the sensitivity for lung nodule detection, although the higher detection rate of smaller nodules has to be evaluated from a clinical perspective and remains problematic about how the detection of small nodules will effect patient outcome.
Illuminating the mechanism of the circadian clock in plants

Plants have long been an amenable biological system for the study of circadian rhythms, with a wide range of plant activities exhibiting 24 h rhythmicity. Plants provide an unparalleled system for the study of the interactions between light signals and the circadian clock. Current studies, using bioluminescent reporters of gene expression and of Ca 2+ levels in plants, are revealing the mechanism of the circadian clock. As the intracellular signaling pathways for both photic and circadian clock regulation are revealed, plant systems are now in the forefront of circadian studies.
Bilateral Vision Loss Secondary to Pachymeningitis in a Patient with IgG4-Related Disease

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized fibroinflammatory condition associated with disease in nearly every organ, including the meninges. A proportion of idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis cases may involve a component of meningeal IgG4-RD. We present a patient with severe bilateral vision loss found to have thickening of the dura mater on MRI, and subsequently diagnosed with IgG4-RD after dural biopsy.
Solution-based II-VI core/shell nanowire heterostructures.

We demonstrate the solution-phase synthesis of CdS/CdSe, CdSe/CdS, and CdSe/ZnTe core/shell nanowires (NWs). On the basis of bulk band offsets, type-I and type-II heterostructures are made, contributing to the further development of low-dimensional heteroassemblies using solution-phase chemistry. Core/shell wires are prepared by slowly introducing shell precursors into a solution of premade core NWs dispersed in a noncoordinating solvent at moderate temperatures (215−250 °C). Resulting heterostructures are characterized through low- and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. From these experiments, initial shell growth appears to occur through either Stranski−Krastanov or Volmer−Weber island growth. However, beyond a critical shell thickness, nucleation of randomly oriented nanocrystals results in a polycrystalline coat. In cases where overcoating has been achieved, corresponding elemental analyses show spatially varying ...
Progress in effective field theory approach to the binary inspiral problem

In this article I review the progress made in understanding the binary in spiral problem using Effective Field Theory technology.
Derivatization in aqueous solution, isolation and separation of tetrahydro-β-carbolines and their precursors by liquid chromatography

Abstract Derivatization of indole ethylamines and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carbolines in aqueous solution with methyl chloroformate has been used to facilitate the isolation of these compounds. The initial derivatization eliminated the potential for the artifactual formation of these compounds via the condensation of the indole ethylamine with an aldehyde or α-keto acid during the work-up procedure. The derivatized compounds possessed improved chromatographic properties which allowed for their facile separation by reversed-phase liquid chromatography and their fluorescent detection at the nanogram level.
Structural processes of Ni8Ta formation

Abstract Electrical resistance measurements and electron microscopy techniques have been employed to show that the vacancy concentration assumes a crucial role in the nucleation of the ordered Ni 8 Ta phase in quenched NiTa binary alloys. The domains of Ni 8 Ta nucleate in an apparent homogeneous fashion in a disordered alloy that has been aged after rapid quenching from the solution temperature, but this nucleation process is inhibited near vacancy sinks as indicated by the denuded bands adjacent to the grain boundaries. Plastic deformation of disordered alloys introduces a high density of dislocation sinks leading to the annihilation of excess vacancies and hence to the retardation of domain growth during ordering. Although the rapid uniform precipitation of Ni 8 Ta is inhibited by a lack of vacancies, the heterogeneous nucleation of the Ni 8 Ta domains can occur in the cellular dislocation network which is the result of plastic deformation.
A simple model for surface stress and low-level flow in the tropical atmosphere driven by prescribed heating

A simple model is developed for time-mean, large-scale flow in the tropical boundary layer forced by vertical velocity at the top of the boundary layer. The model is formulated as an integral over the boundary layer and is closed by assuming the stress to be proportional to the boundary layer mass transport. Since vertical velocity is closely related to diabatic heating in the tropics, the model can also be forced by latent heating as measured by precipitation. In this case, the model can be made equivalent to the widely used Matsuno–Gill model by adding a Newtonian cooling term. This term can be shown to have little effect on the zonally asymmetric component of the flow and, in its absence, the boundary layer flow is decoupled from the flow at upper levels. It is suggested that the success of the Gill model for low-level flow is due to this effective decoupling. The model is quite successful at simulating GCM results for both the total climatology and El NiTo anomalies. A second model, which takes into account some effects of vertical structure in the boundary layer, is also presented. The zonally symmetric component of the flow is shown to be poorly reproduced in these models.
Enzyme Induction by Corticosteroids in Embryonic Cells: Steroid Structure and Inductive Effect

Glutamine synthetase in the developing retina of the chick embryo can be induced to increase by certain corticosteroids. The inductive effectiveness of various natural corticosteroids has been examined in organ cultures of embryonic retina and correlated with specific groupings on the steroid molecules.
Effects of Frying Procedures and Compositional Factors on the Temperature Profile of Bacon

The effects of frying procedures (preheated vs cold skillet) and compositional factors (adipose vs lean) on the final temperatures attained in fried bacon were investigated as a prelude to studying the kinetics of N-nitrosopyrrolidine formation in bacon. With a preheated skillet set at 171°C, the final temperature reached in whole bacon samples at the end of the 6 min frying time was 164 ± 3°C. Bacon samples, initially placed in a cold skillet preset to heat to 171°C, attained temperatures of 127 ± 5°C and 165 ± 6°C at the end of 6 and 8 min frying periods, respectively. It was observed that the lean bacon strips rarely exceeded 145°C while the adipose approached 165°C when separated adipose and lean components from whole bacon samples were fried for 6 min in a preheated (171°C) skillet.
Management of Urinary Tract Infections in the Era of Increasing Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance of urinary pathogens is increasing. Most urinary tract infections (UTIs) should still be treated empirically. However, patients with recurrence or other risk factors for resistance may benefit from urine culture. Patients with recurrent UTI often resort to antibiotic prevention, a risky proposition in terms of resistance. Non-antimicrobial preventative methods should be considered first. If preventative antibiotics must be used, postcoital patient-initiated protocols are effective and reduce overall antibiotic exposure compared with continuous prophylaxis. Consider referring patients for urologic evaluation when at risk for complicated UTIs or when recurrence continues despite conservative interventions.
The Na,K-ATPase hypothesis for manic-depression. I. General considerations

An hypothesis is presented to explain and integrate experimental and clinical observations on manic-depressive (bipolar or biphasic) psychosis. The model is based on alterations in the activity of the sodium, potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase (Na, K-ATPase) pump. A reduction in the activity of the Na,K-ATPase can be responsible for both phases of the disorder.
Theophylline effects on cellular response in protein-energy malnourished neonatal rat brain.

Theophylline Effects on Cellular Response in Protein-Energy Malnourished Neonatal Rat Brain
Mouthguards reduce orofacial injury during sport activities, but may not reduce concussion.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Mouthguards in sport activities: history, physical properties and injury prevention effectiveness. Knapik JJ, Stephen W, Marshall SW, Lee RB, Darakjy SS, Jones SB, et al. Sports Med 2007;37(2):117-44. Reviewer Ana Karina Mascarenhas, BDS, MPH, DrPH Purpose/Question To assess the effectiveness of mouthguards in preventing orofacial injuries and concussion Source of Funding Authors report no funding supported this review Type of Study/Design Systematic review with meta-analysis of data Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Grade B: Inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence
Variability of Antarctic bottom water flow into the North Atlantic

Abstract The flow of Antarctic bottom water from the Brazil Basin in the South Atlantic into the Guiana Basin in the western North Atlantic has been measured by current meters for 44 months. Flow is confined by a relatively flat 4500-m-deep passage between 1°S and 4°N with complex sidewall shape. At the southern end is a 300-km-wide zonal channel straddling the equator between 32°W and 38°W with approximately a 500-m-deep layer of bottom water. The deep Antarctic bottom water current into the North Atlantic is confined to a region south of the equator and the direction is westward. Previous measurements of this deep current over 600 days in duration (J. Phys. Oceanogr. 27 (1997) 1903) indicated both a small warming trend and a decreasing volume flux. New data presented in this paper of 1388 days duration show no evidence for continuation of such trends. The average temperature and yearly averaged velocities are about the same as earlier at revisited locations. The long-term drift of the deep Antarctic bottom water temperature is about −0.002 °C/year and drift of the westward velocity is about 0.0015 m/s/year. The greatest variability is found near the top of the deep Antarctic bottom water at the northern edge of the current. The spectrum of the new 44-month data reveals a distinct yearly peak. We conclude that there has been no change in Antarctic bottom water flux into the North Atlantic during the past decade.
Waking up to the new era of hypercompetition

From microchips to corn chips, software to soft drinks, and packaged goods to package delivery services, executives have watched the intensity and type of competition in their industries shift during the last few years. Industries have changed from slow moving, stable oligopolies to environments, characterized by intense and rapid competitive moves, in which competitors strike quickly with unexpected, unconventional means of competing. They now confront “hypercompetitors” who continuously generate new competitive advantages that destroy, make obsolete, or neutralize the industry leader’s advantages, leaving the industry in disequilibrium and disarray. The problem of hypercompetitive markets has spread to the airline, pharmaceutical, financial services, health care, consumer electronics, telecommunications, broadcasting, auditing, automotive, and computer industries, among many others. As Jack Welch, chief executive officer of General Electric, said in 1992 in describing future competitive practices, “It’s going to be brutal.” 1 The new realities of this era shock even the most seasoned executives. For decades firms sought to sustain a competitive advantage, seen as the “holy grail” of strategy, but they find this impossible in hypercompetitive environments. The frequent rise of rapid imitators and leapfrog strategies has devastated long-time players. In the past, firms would often try to increase profitability by legally restraining the level of competition in an industry. They avoided price wars, segmented the market to avoid head-to-head competition, and tried to keep
Perceptual Anti-Individualism and Skepticism

In “Perceptual Entitlement, Reliabilism, and Scepticism,” Frank Barel explores some important and under-discussed questions regarding the relation between Tyler Burge’s views on perceptual entitlement, on the one hand, and the problem of skepticism, on the other. In this note, I would like to comment on a couple of aspects of Barel’s article. First, I have my own take, different from Barel’s, on the question of whether we can sketch an a priori anti-skeptical argument proceeding from perceptual anti-individualism. Second, I discuss the question whether Barel’s “Rationalistic” anti-skeptical argument is successful.
Early results from the Army Research Laboratory ultrawide-bandwidth foliage penetration SAR

The U.S. Army is interested in demonstrating a capability of detecting and discriminating tactical targets concealed in foliage. To investigate foliage and ground penetration phenomena, a fully polarimetric laboratory Synthetic Aperture Radar system has been built on a rooftop rail. The system uses impulse technology covering a bandwidth of 40 MHz to 1 GHz. The first image from the system showed the -3 db beamwidths to be 5 inches in range and 11 inches in cross-range measured to an 8-ft triangular plate corner reflector. This paper will briefly describe the measurement system and present images made of canonical targets in winter foliage.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Chemical analysis of bis(5‐amidino‐2‐benzimidazolyl) methane in the arthritic rat knee using microdialysis and microcolumn liquid chromatography

Microcolumn liquid chromatography and microdialysis were coupled together to study the distribution of an IV administered drug into the knee joint of a rat with acute arthritis. Dialysate from microdialysis probes located directly within the intraarticular region and in the surrounding muscle was delivered at a flow rate of 0.25 μL min−1 directly into a microcolumn LC system. A 0.5-mm i.d. microcolumn and fluorescence detector were utilized. An in vitro model was developed to estimate the drug concentration in the dialysate. Differences in drug distribution between the intra and extraarticular knee regions were detected, and the potential utility of this technique in the pharmacokinetic evaluation of site-specific drugs was demonstrated.