cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soybean Response to Dicamba in Irrigation Water Under Controlled Environmental Conditions

While much research has focused on crop damage following foliar exposure to auxin herbicides, reports documenting the risk posed by exposure via root uptake of irrigation water are lacking. Herbicide residues circulated in tailwater recovery systems may pose threats of cross-crop impacts to nonresistant cultivars with known sensitivity to auxins. An auxin-susceptible soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar was grown in a controlled growth chamber environment and exposed to dicamba dissolved in irrigation water applied to the soil surface, simulating furrow irrigation. Five herbicide treatment concentrations, ranging from 0.05 to 5.0 mg L-1 and encompassing estimated field doses of 3.1 to 310g ha-1, were applied to the soil of potted soybean plants at V3/V4 or R1 growth stages. Plant injury (0% to 100%), dry mass, height, number of pods, and number of pod-bearing nodes were measured. Kruskal-Wallis and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine treatment differences and examine dose effects. Yield losses were projected using (1) 14 d after treatment plant injury assessments based on injury–yield relationships described for foliar exposures and (2) pod counts. Dicamba concentration was the main significant factor affecting all growth response metrics, and growth stage was a significant explanatory variable only for the height response metric. A nonlinear response to dicamba dose was observed, with the threshold response dose required to affect 50% of plants being three times greater for 40% crop injury compared with 20% injury. Yield projections derived from plant response to root uptake compared with foliar exposure indicate that soybean may express both magnitude of injury and specific symptomology differently when exposure occurs via root uptake. Drift exposure–based models may be incompatible to predict soybean yield loss when injury results from irrigation. Data are needed to develop correlations for predicting yield losses based on field-scale exposure to dicamba in irrigation water, as well as assessment of real-world concentrations of herbicide residues in tailwater recovery systems.
Port site recurrence, an unintended consequence of laparoscopic resection of ovarian cancer. A case report.

Abstract Background Cancer surgery has as its goal complete clearance and absolute containment of the malignant disease as it is being resected. Any aspect of the procedure which allows the escapes of malignant cells may result in disease recurrence. Methods The patient presented to an emergency room with left-sided abdominal pain. Pelvic sonogram suggested the diagnosis of a ruptured left ovarian cyst. A uterine biopsy showed high grade serous carcinoma. Definitive treatment of the primary ovarian cancer was en bloc laparoscopic resection of her uterus, Fallopian tube and ovaries. Results CT showed port site recurrence in both right and left upper abdominal trochar sites. The right-sided port site recurrence was through the fascia just lateral to the right rectus muscle and was small. A much larger port site metastases was present at the right trochar site that was through the left rectus muscle. Conclusion The incidence of midline and lateral port site recurrence after laparoscopy for diagnosis or resection of ovarian cancer has not been determined. Limitation of trochar sites to the midline may reduce the extent of abdominal wall disease spread.
Pseudogout Diagnosed By Point-of-care Ultrasound

A 71-year-old male presented to the emergency department (ED) for worsening right knee pain for the prior 3-4 weeks. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) of the right knee showed a pseudo-double contour sign. Subsequent ultrasound-guided arthrocentesis of the knee joint was performed, and fluid studies showed the presence of calcium pyrophosphate crystals, which was consistent with pseudogout. Ultrasound for detection of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in pseudogout and chondrocalcinosis has sensitivity of 86.7% and specificity of 96.4% making POCUS a valuable tool for diagnosing crystalline-induced arthropathy in the ED.
Relationships among rheological, sensory, and wear behaviors of cheeses.

Studying rheological and sensory behaviors of cheese provides structural and texture-related information that could be useful for a better understanding of the complex wear behaviors of cheese and their relationships with cheese industrial and oral processing behaviors. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the relationships of rheological and sensory properties with cheese wear. Rheological tests including large amplitude oscillatory shear, strain sweeps at different temperatures (5, 15, and 25°C), and large-strain compression at room temperature (22 ± 2°C) were conducted for cheeses with varying fat contents (40, 50, 52, and 54% fat-in-dry-matter aged for different periods (15, 30, 45, and 60 d). Descriptive sensory analysis was used to evaluate cheese sensory texture attributes. Overall, fat content, testing temperature, and aging time had significant impact on cheese viscoelastic parameters. Higher temperature, aging time, and fat content led to lower rigidity and greater extent of nonlinear viscoelastic behaviors in the cheeses. Mass loss showed negative correlations with critical strain (γc ), critical stress (σc ), complex modulus (G* ), and fracture stress, but had positive correlations with phase angle (δ) and fracture strain. Sensory data showed that texture attributes were affected by cheese fat content and aging time and had significant correlations with mass loss at high normal force and sliding speed. This study showed that rheology and sensory data can be used to provide fundamental information on the wear behaviors of cheese and other soft materials.
Abstract PO-010: Kidney angiomyolipomas are defined by a unique transcriptomic profile and H3K27ac chromatin state

Background: Kidney angiomyolipomas (AML) are benign mesenchymal tumors that are commonly seen in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), a rare genetic neurocutaneous disorder, but also occur sporadically. Kidney AML are due to either TSC1 or TSC2 biallelic loss, whereas other somatic genetic events are rare and do not contribute to tumor development. We hypothesized that the chromatin state and master transcription factors are also drivers of kidney angiomyolipoma growth, alongside mTORC1 hyperactivation. Material and Methods: We performed whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing on 28 kidney AML, and ChIP-seq for H3K27ac (a histone modification that marks open chromatin and regulates high transcription of nearby genes) on 25 kidney AML, a human kidney AML derived TSC2 null cell line (621-101), and a pigmented melanoma cell line (SK-MEL30). ChIP-Seq for MITF (Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor) was also carried out on three kidney AML tumors and SK-MEL30 cells. Functional studies were performed to assess the oncogenic role of MITF in vitro and in vivo. Results: Differential expression analyses of kidney AML compared to both The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) tumors and GTEx normal tissues revealed 347 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 18 transcription factors (TFs; FDR/adjusted p-value =3 sections per tumor) compared to adjacent normal tissue. Knock out of MITF-A by CRISPR/Cas9 showed reduction in cell growth (82%, p Citation Format: Krinio Giannikou, Clemens K. Probst, Mahsa Zarei, Xintao Qiu, Melissa Duarte, Nikolas Kesten, Zachary Hebert, Raga Vadhi, Alba Font-Tello, Paloma Cejas, Charles H. Yoon, Chin-Lee Wu, Myles Brown, Elizabeth P. Henske, Henry Long, David J. Kwiatkowski. Kidney angiomyolipomas are defined by a unique transcriptomic profile and H3K27ac chromatin state [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Special Virtual Conference on Epigenetics and Metabolism; October 15-16, 2020; 2020 Oct 15-16. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(23 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-010.
The Ins and Outs of Clinical Trials

Success as a clinical trials investigator requires medical expertise in the disease being studied, expertise in regulations surrounding human research, and meticulous compliance with study protocols and procedures. Knowledge of the disease being investigated empowers the investigator to ask questions that address unmet needs for that specific disease. The investigator must be familiar with the regulations surrounding human research in order to know whether he or she is in compliance with those requirements. The investigator must be ethical, unbiased, organized, and focused on details. A successful clinical trial results from team effort, and the principal investigator must me a motivating leader. Results of clinical trials are valid only if the subjects are appropriately selected to comply with inclusion criteria, the protocol is followed strictly, and the data is analyzed using relevant statistical methods. This chapter focuses upon these facets of becoming a successful clinical trials investigator.
Streaming films and online learning during Covid-19 and onward

As Electronic Resources librarian at Queensborough Community College (CUNY,) I observed while it is a travesty that we have had to avoid in-person classes due to the pandemic, the overall online le...
Scoring Protein Sequence Alignments Using Deep Learning

Background: A high-quality sequence alignment (SA) is the most important input feature for accurate protein structure prediction. For a protein sequence, there are many methods to generate a SA. However, when given a choice of more than one SA for a protein sequence, there are no methods to predict which SA may lead to more accurate models without actually building the models. In this work, we describe a method to predict the quality of a protein9s SA. Methods: We created our own dataset by generating a variety of SAs for a set of 1,351 representative proteins and investigated various deep learning architectures to predict the local distance difference test (lDDT) scores of distance maps predicted with SAs as the input. These lDDT scores serve as indicators of the quality of the SAs. Results: Using two independent test datasets consisting of CASP13 and CASP14 targets, we show that our method is effective for scoring and ranking SAs when a pool of SAs is available for a protein sequence. With an example, we further discuss that SA selection using our method can lead to improved structure prediction.
Two-channel 3D range geometry compression with primitive depth modification

Abstract Modern computing and imaging technologies have allowed for many recent advances to be made in the field of 3D range imaging: range data can now be acquired at speeds much faster than real-time, with sub-millimeter precision. However, these benefits come at the cost of an increased quantity of data being generated by 3D range imaging systems, potentially limiting the number of applications that can take advantage of this technology. One common approach to the compression of 3D range data is to encode it within the three color channels of a traditional 24-bit RGB image. This paper presents a novel method for the modification and compression of 3D range data such that the original depth information can be stored within, and recovered from, only two channels of a traditional 2D RGB image. Storage within a traditional image format allows for further compression to be realized via lossless or lossy image compression techniques. For example, when JPEG 80 is used to store the encoded output image, this method achieves an 18.2% reduction in file size when compared to a similar three-channel, image-base compression method, with only a corresponding 0.17% reduction in global reconstruction accuracy.
Effect of gap detection threshold and localisation acuity on spatial release from masking in older adults.

OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this experiment was to measure the temporal and spatial processing capabilities of older individuals and use statistical models to identify the individual contributions of these temporal and spatial processing capabilities to spatial release from masking (SRM). DESIGN Repeated measures. STUDY SAMPLE Twenty-five older listeners with varying degrees of hearing loss participated in this experiment. SRM using the coordinate response measure, gap detection thresholds and localisation acuity for 1/3-octave-wide Gaussian noise bands centred at 500 and 4000 Hz were measured for all the listeners. RESULTS Older listeners had better speech recognition thresholds when target and maskers were spatially separated as compared to when they were co-located. In addition, hearing loss and localisation acuity at 500 Hz were significant predictors in a multiple regression model predicting SRM. However, gap detection thresholds did not significantly contribute to the multiple regression model predicting SRM. CONCLUSION Based on our data, we conclude that SRM at 30° spatial separation between the target and symmetric maskers is driven by the ability of the individuals to use interaural time difference cues.
The effects of social media on the body satisfaction of adolescent and young adult females

This study examined how social media impacts the body satisfaction of adolescent and young adult females through the variables of age, time spent on social media, social comparison behaviors, and appearance-related attitudes. The study utilized a sample of females between the ages of 14 to 25 with varying educational backgrounds. This study contributes to increased knowledge about the effects of social media on the body satisfaction of young women which can impact self-esteem, self-perceptions, and overall mental and physical health. As a component of this study, age was broken into two groups, thereby creating a younger (14-18) and older (19-25) group. This allowed the researchers to also make comparisons between the two age groups on variables related to time spent on social media and body satisfaction.
MEG Imaged Pathways of Stuttering

Knowledge of the underlying mechanism of stuttering may be useful for finding the best individual treatment for this persistent disorder. Stuttering is a disruption in speech production, characterized by repetitions, blocks, and/or prolongations. MEG neuroimaging techniques provide an excellent tool for establishing and evaluating reliable protocols to detect the underlying mechanisms of stuttering which in the future will help clinicians assess responses to treatments. Detection of neuronal network abnormalities in the default mode network of patients who stutter can also provide further brain regions for evaluation of pre and post treatment. This chapter reviews the use of MEG in past and present studies of stuttering. Areas for future research and refinement of MEG protocols for stuttering are also presented.
Who's Suing Who? A Commentary on Investment Bankers and the Misappropriation Theory

Insider trading has permeated the investment banking industry, moving beyond the traditional insider trading context. The new environment consists of outsiders, investment bankers, and their employees, who breach their client’s confidences when they misappropriate nonpublic information for personal financial gain. Addressing the concerns of the corporate client whose confidences have been betrayed by its investment banker, this commentary looks to the underlying question: whether that client has a private cause of action for securities fraud under the SEC’s rule 10b-5 for any damages sustained. To establish a factual predicate for the analysis, this article utilizes a recent complaint filed in federal court. It then sets forth various preliminary observations that amplify the factual predicate. Several of the obstacles presented by the limitations on the scope of rule 10b-5 and the prerequisites for a private cause of action are considered. The article concludes that legislative reform is vital to provide private litigants with effective recourse under the federal securities laws for damages based on misappropriation of nonpublic information.
Tobacco and media exposure in poor neighbourhoods: Implications for the incidence of smoking among community residents

Weeks MO. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2011; 17: 534–538 Tobacco and media exposure in poor neighbourhoods: Implications for the incidence of smoking among community residents It is an accepted truth that tobacco, as well as second-hand smoke, causes lung and other cancers. This health policy fact sheet examines the need and implications for tobacco control legislation in the United States. Major stakeholders and special interest groups influence whether or not further tobacco control legislation can be passed and who it affects. This paper will review not only the ethical implications, such as the ethical theory, ethical principles and ethical rules of conduct that support tobacco control legislation, but also its legal and economic implications as well as media influences. This paper concludes with the authors' assessment that the United States is in fact in need of more tobacco control legislation.
Variable region primary structures of a high affinity anti-fluorescein immunoglobulin M cryoglobulin exhibiting oxazolone cross-reactivity.

Previous studies of murine IgM hybridoma protein 18-2-3, derived from an (NZB/NZW)F1 mouse following hyperimmunization with fluorescein (Fl)-conjugated keyhole limpet hemocyanin, demonstrated a high affinity for Fl (Ka = 2.9 × 1010 M−1) and cryoprecipitation that was abrogated upon Fl binding to the antibody-combining site. V region sequences of 18-2-3 were determined by Edman degradation and nucleotide sequence analysis. The VH region of 18-2-3 was encoded by a gene VHI(B) of the Q52 VH family with 96% homology to anti-oxazolone antibody NQ7.5.3 but utilized a larger D region (DQ52 plus N region). The Vκregion of 18-2-3 was encoded by a gene V κ IV with an amino acid sequence 97% homologous to that of anti-oxazolone antibody NQ11.1.18. Although monoclonal anti-Fl antibodies 18-2-3 and 4-4-20 possessed similar binding affinities and quenched bound fluorescein to the same extent (Qmax
Effect of interannual climate variability on carbon storage in Amazonian ecosystems

The Amazon Basin contains almost one-half of the world's undisturbed tropical evergreen forest as well as large areas of tropical savanna1,2. The forests account for about 10 per cent of the world's terrestrial primary productivity and for a similar fraction of the carbon stored in land ecosystems2,3, and short-term field measurements4 suggest that these ecosystems are globally important carbon sinks. But tropical land ecosystems have experienced substantial interannual climate variability owing to frequent El Nino episodes in recent decades5. Of particular importance to climate change policy is how such climate variations, coupled with increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration, affect terrestrial carbon storage6,7,8. Previous model analyses have demonstrated the importance of temperature in controlling carbon storage9,10. Here we use a transient process-based biogeochemical model of terrestrial ecosystems3,11 to investigate interannual variations of carbon storage in undisturbed Amazonian ecosystems in response to climate variability and increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration during the period 1980 to 1994. In El Nino years, which bring hot, dry weather to much of the Amazon region, the ecosystems act as a source of carbon to the atmosphere (up to 0.2 petagrams of carbon in 1987 and 1992). In other years, these ecosystems act as a carbon sink (up to 0.7 Pg C in 1981 and 1993). These fluxes are large; they compare to a 0.3 Pg C per year source to the atmosphere associated with deforestation inthe Amazon Basin in the early 1990s12. Soil moisture, which is affected by both precipitation and temperature, and which affects both plant and soil processes, appears to be an important control on carbon storage.
Formation of the blue pigment indigoidine by phytopathogenic erwinia.

Most cultures belonging to the “Erwinia chrysanthemi group” of soft-rot bacteria form traces of a blue, extracellular, water-insoluble pigment. This pigment is generally not found in cultures of the other members of the genus Erwinia. The blue substance has been isolated and purified from three members of the E. chrysanthemi group; it has been identified as indigoidine, 5,5′-diamino-4,4′-dihydroxy-3,3′-diazadiphenoquinone-(2,2′).
Blind Signatures for Untraceable Payments

Automation of the way we pay for goods and services is already underway, as can be seen by the variety and growth of electronic banking services available to consumers. The ultimate structure of the new electronic payments system may have a substantial impact on personal privacy as well as on the nature and extent of criminal use of payments. Ideally a new payments system should address both of these seemingly conflicting sets of concerns.
Survival of Salmonella montevideo on Wheat Stored at Constant Relative Humidity.

Eleven samples of Ottawa variety hard red winter wheat were inoculated with a standardized suspension of Salmonella montevideo. The contaminated wheat samples were placed in constant relative humidity (RH) chambers held at 25 C. Relative humidities were 7, 11, 22, 33, 43, 53, 62, 75, 84, 92, and 98%. Constant RH at 25 C was maintained with different saturated salt solutions in the sealed chambers. Periodic counts of viable S. montevideo cells per gram of wheat were made over a 28-week sampling period. Viable counts of S. montevideo on wheat held at 7, 11, and 22% RH decreased from an initial 106 cells/g of wheat to a final count of 104 cells/g in each sample. Samples stored at 33, 43, 53, and 62% RH decreased from 106 viable cells/g to 3.6 × 103, 103, 102, and 20 viable cells/g, respectively. No viable S. montevideo cells were detected in the samples held at 75, 84, 92, and 98% RH after 22, 16, 26, and 16 weeks, respectively.
Training Mental Health Professionals in Child Sexual Abuse: Curricular Guidelines

Given the incidence of child sexual abuse in the United States, mental health professionals need training to detect, assess, and treat victims and should possess a clear understanding of the process of victimization. However, many mental health professionals who work with children and families have not been exposed to any training in child sexual abuse during their formal education. This article will examine the need for such training, suggest critical components of child sexual abuse training, and describe various methods of training (e.g., in person, Web-based, and community resources).
Impact of cuticle on calculations of the CO2 concentration inside leaves

Water vapor over-estimates the CO 2 entering leaves during photosynthesis because the cuticle and epidermis transmit more water vapor than CO 2 . Direct measurements of internal CO 2 concentrations may be preferred. The CO2 concentration inside leaves (c i) is typically calculated from the relationship between water vapor diffusing out while CO2 diffuses in. Diffusion through the cuticle/epidermis is usually not considered. This study was undertaken to determine how much the calculations would be affected by including cuticle properties. Previous studies indicate that measurable amounts of CO2 and water vapor move through the cuticle, although much less CO2 than water vapor. The present experiments were conducted with sunflower (Helianthus annuus L) leaves in a gas exchange apparatus designed to directly measure c i, while simultaneously calculating c i. Results showed that, in normal air, calculated c i were always higher than directly measured ones, especially when abscisic acid was fed to the leaves to close the stomata and cause gas exchange to be dominated by the cuticle. The effect was attributed mostly to the reliance on the gas phase for the calculations without taking cuticle properties into account. Because cuticle properties are usually unknown and vary with the turgor of the leaf, which can stretch the waxes, it is difficult to include cuticle properties in the calculation. It was concluded that direct measurement of c i may be preferable to the calculations.
Strategic control in reengineering the complex organization

Reengineering a whole organization, rather than only a function or subelement, is an extraordinarily complex undertaking. The human and organizational complexities exceed those arising from technological innovations. The top-level strategic redesign is made first and the subsequent redesign of lower-level processes must support that new top-level design. The reality of time-based competition necessitates a simultaneous reengineering of the various elements of the organization. That simultaneity further increases the complexity of the reengineering. Control by enumeration becomes impossible and if attempted may defeat the reengineering effort. This paper presents methods for coping with the complexity and maintaining strategic control while empowering those change agents unleashed by the reengineering effort. A case study of an application is presented. A basis for strategic control and communication of strategies and authorized constraints to those redesigning the lowerlevel processes is established.
Photosynthetic Parameters as Indicators of Ecosystem Health

Thirty-three limnological variables, including the photosynthesis parameters Pmax and Alpha, were monitored for 2 years in the nearshore and offshore of Lake Ontario. In the nearshore, Pmax and Alpha varied seasonally and were higher during the summer and early autumn and lowest in the winter and spring of 1986–87. No seasonable variability of the photosynthetic parameters were observed in the offshore and nearshore in 1987–88. Pmax varied during the winter, a period of decreased biological activity and ostensibly less variability. Multiple regression analysis suggested that over 25% of the variability in Pmax was predicted by temperature. The large number of variables, that are either correlated or have been experimentally determined to affect Pmax and Alpha and the similarity of the photosynthetic parameters within the various Great Lakes of differing trophic status, suggests that the use of the photosynthetic parameters as indicators of “ecosystem health” is at best weak.
Geophysical signatures of oceanic core complexes

Author Posting. © The Authors, 2009. This article is posted here by permission of John Wiley & Sons for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Journal International 178 (2009): 593-613, doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2009.04184.x.
A human autoimmune protein associated with U1 RNA contains a region of homology that is cross-reactive with retroviral p30gag antigen

cDNA encoding a 70 kd protein (70K) associated with U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) was cloned from a human brain-stem library using autoantibodies from patients with connective tissue disease. The cDNA-derived amino acid sequence contains 23 residues homologous to a region of murine leukemia virus group-specific antigen p30gag. The homology residues in an antigenic portion of the 70K protein and is defined by a core consensus sequence, ETPEEREERRR, that occurs as a tandem repeat in p30gag of most mammalian type C retroviruses. Anti-p30gag antibodies recognized a recombinant 70K-LacZ fusion protein as well as U1 snRNPs. Using synthetic peptides as competitors, we demonstrated that the region of homology encompasses the site of immunological cross-reactivity. Thus autoantibodies against U1 snRNPs were elicited by immunization with p30gag. On the basis of these findings, we suggest a role for retroviruses in the initiation of autoimmunity.
The causality implicit in traits

Abstract Are personality trait concepts merely descriptive of behaviors or do they describe causes? Social psychologists have differing views. Thus we looked at lexical decision response times (RTs) in a list context paradigm, which presents prime–target pairs embedded in lists of different contexts. In lists of associated pairs, traits did not affect RTs to related behaviors. But in lists of causally related pairs, traits primed RTs to behavioral words. Causality was never mentioned, and RTs were short enough to suggest automatic processing. This is consistent with other research on priming thematic relations. It also indicates that traits are implicit causes rather than mere descriptions of behavior, at least among Western participants. This challenges some current formulations in the social psychology of impression formation.
The Misunderstood Caregiver? A Qualitative Study of the Male Caregiver of Alzheimer's Disease Victims

In-depth interviews with 15 male caregivers from diverse backgrounds caring for their wives with Alzheimer's disease revealed the following common themes: commitment, social isolation, the loss of companionship, control, sense of accomplishment, a problem-solving approach, burden lessening with years of caregiving, and limited expectations of children. A generated typology of male caregivers included four types: the worker, the labor of love, the sense of duty, and at the crossroads.
Web space reconstruction with a M-V flap

An operative technique for the construction of a supple and broad commissure in syndactyly and web contracture release is introduced. The technique is based on a M-V flap framework. Sixty-three flaps were done in 33 patients who were followed-up for an average of 19 months. Excellent results were obtained in 90% of the cases. There were no neurologic or vascular complications in any of these cases. The versatility of this method has allowed its use in the majority of our cases that necessitated web release or web space reconstruction.
An extension of Dial's algorithm utilizing a model of tripmakers' perceptions

Abstract Dial has developed a probabilistic multipath traffic assignment algorithm which is very efficient. However, the assignment of trips to paths is based on a logit model which has some undesirable properties. The purpose of this paper is to extend Dial's algorithm by utilizing a simple model of tripmakers' perceptions and behavior. An important advantage these models have is that they can be calibrated through the study of tripmakers' behavior on a limited set of trips rather than through the study of origin and destination patterns and link flows on a large network. Three traffic assignment models are presented which are computationally equivalent to Dial's model and which can be implemented by making minor changes in his algorithm. One of the new models, based on path likelihoods, contains Dial's model as a special case. The assumptions required about tripmakers' perceptions to obtain this special case seem unreasonable and this explains some of the undesirable properties of Dial's model. In its general form, the new model eliminates some of these undesirable properties. However, like Dial's model, it generally allocates a disproportionate number of trips to portions of a road network in which there is a large number of choices of minor variations in route. The other two models, based on arrival likelihoods and turn likelihoods, both overcome this shortcoming. These two models have different interpretations in terms of tripmaker behavior. The model based on turn likelihoods is the most intuitive and contains Gunnarsson's multipath traffic assignment model as a special case.
Dynamic radiographic imaging following total laryngectomy

Cinepharyngoesophograms of the pharynx were obtained in 51 patients after total laryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma. The radiological findings were correlated with operative reports and follow-up findings in 47 patients. Postoperative anatomic changes were well-demonstrated radiographically. A spectrum of radiographic findings were observed and included narrowing at the superior surgical closure site in 52% and pseudodiverticula in 47% of all patients. Cricopharyngeal prominence was observed in 15%, fistulae in 10%, and pharyngeal pouches in 6% of all cases. Increased retropharyngeal soft tissue thickness was not found to be indicative of tumor recurrence. We conclude that cineradiography is a useful method for demonstrating both functional and structural changes following laryngectomy for carcinoma.
Age-dependent alterations in the physicochemical properties of rat liver microsomes

Aging results in a significant decline in liver drug metabolism which is largely attributable to changes in the microsomal mixed function oxidase system. For example, the mixed function oxidase system in the livers of senescent rats is characterized by: (1) a reduced cytochrome P-450 content; (2) a decline in the specific activity of NADPH-cytochrome c (P-450) reductase; and (3) a slower rate of ethylmorphine N-demethylation in comparison to young adult animals. Since several factors intrinsic to the microsomes may influence the efficacy of the mixed function oxidase system, e.g. the phospholipid and cholesterol contents, the saturation index of the fatty acids and the fluidity of the membranes, we conducted a physicochemical analysis of liver microsomes isolated from young adult (3-4 months), mature (12-16 months) and senescent (25-27 months) male Fischer rats. Although the microsomal cholesterol content did not change appreciably between maturity and senescence, there was a marked decline in the total phospholipid content. This resulted in a significant increase in the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio, 0.49 to 0.65 between 16 and 27 months of age. The age-related changes in the total phospholipid content were largely reflected in each of the major fractions, i.e. phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine + phosphatidylserine. Small increases in the relative percentages of highly unsaturated fatty acid species were offset by similar decreases in the more frequent and more saturated species as a function of increased age. As a result, the net change in the fatty acid saturation index was probably minimal. However, the increase in the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio most likely contributes to the significant decline in the order parameter of microsomes isolated from old rats which, in turn, may impair the functional capacity of the hepatic mixed function oxidase system.
Goal conflict, distress, and pain in women with fibromyalgia: A daily diary study

Abstract Objectives A chronic illness such as fibromyalgia can interfere with daily activities and goals by limiting available resources, including time and energy. This leads to competition between goals, known as goal conflict. The purpose of this study was to determine if goal conflict increases symptoms in women with fibromyalgia and whether symptoms lead to perceptions of goal conflict. Methods Women with fibromyalgia ( N =27) recorded their pain, emotional distress, and fatigue each morning and evening for five consecutive days. Each evening, they listed that day's goals, rating goals on their level of conflict. Goal conflict was also rated by independent raters, and a difference score reflected goal conflict discrepancy. Results On days with higher goal conflict, pain increased more from morning to evening ( γ =1.71, 95% confidence interval=0.32–3.09, P γ =0.075, 95% confidence interval=0.035–0.116, P P Conclusions Goal pursuit may deplete psychological and physical resources in this vulnerable population, resulting in higher pain. Conversely, emotional distress may affect perception of goal conflict, resulting in less ambitious goal pursuit. Understanding the dynamic relationship between goal conflict and fibromyalgia symptoms may lead to more effective management of limited resources and pursuit of daily goals with fibromyalgia.
Molecular Manipulation of Microstructures: Biomaterials, Ceramics, and Semiconductors

Organic molecules can alter inorganic microstructures, offering a very powerful tool for the design of novel materials. In biological systems, this tool is often used to create microstructures in which the organic manipulators are a minority component. Three groups of materials-biomaterials, ceramics, and semiconductors-have been selected to illustrate this concept as used by nature and by synthetic laboratories exploring its potential in materials technology. In some of nature's biomaterials, macromolecules such as proteins, glycoproteins, and polysaccharides are used to control nucleation and growth of mineral phases and thus manipulate microstructure and physical properties. This concept has been used synthetically to generate apatite-based materials that can function as artificial bone in humans. Synthetic polymers and surfactants can also drastically change the morphology of ceramic particles, impart new functional properties, and provide new processing methods for the formation of useful objects. Interesting opportunities also exist in creating semiconducting materials in which molecular manipulators connect quantum dots or template cavities, which change their electronic properties and functionality.
Naltrexone is not detected in preweaning rats following transplacental exposure: Implications for growth modulation

Extracts of brain and heart from rats at birth and postnatal days 2 and 10 were evaluated for naltrexone following maternal injection of 50 mg/kg opioid antagonist throughout gestation. Samples were prepared by ultrafiltration, lyophilized, reconstituted in mobile phase, and separated by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Qualitative analysis revealed the presence of naltrexone in tissues from neonates, but not in rats of 2 and 10 days, that were transplacentally exposed to drug. These results confirm earlier reports showing that naltrexone, maternally administered, passes through the placenta and enters the fetus. Moreover, the data suggest that the somatic and neurobiological acceleration observed in offspring exposed to naltrexone during gestation is not due to opioid receptor blockade during the postnatal period.
Morphology of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate granules

Electron microscopy and methods of polymer physics were used to investigate the texture of bacterial storage granules, namely, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. The first level of native granule morphology is 100 to 150 A fibrils, involving extended polymeric chains. Fibrils are believed to represent a unique morphology which develops because of the simultaneous synthesis and crystallization which occurs during some stage of formation. It is assumed that fibrillar aggregates are important in the internal organization of the granule, based on differences both in response to temperature and in small-angle scattering of native poly-β-hydroxybutyrate granules compared to single-crystal poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. The fibrils can re-organize into 50 A thick ribbons when in aqueous acetone, and are further transformed into single-crystal lamellae with folded chains. Polymer synthesis and crystallization are discussed and a model is presented to explain how these events might occur on the surface of the polymerizing enzyme.
Fibrin regulates neutrophil migration in response to interleukin 8, leukotriene B4, tumor necrosis factor, and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine

We have examined the capacity of four different chemoattractants/cytokines to promote directed migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) through three-dimensional gels composed of extracellular matrix proteins. About 20% of PMN migrated through fibrin gels and plasma clots in response to a gradient of interleukin 8 (IL-8) or leukotriene B4 (LTB4). In contrast, < 0.3% of PMN migrated through fibrin gels in response to a gradient of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) or formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). All four chemoattractants stimulated PMN to migrate through gels composed of collagen IV or of basement membrane proteins (Matrigel), or through filters to which fibronectin or fibrinogen had been adsorbed. PMN stimulated with TNF or FMLP adhered and formed zones of close apposition to fibrin, as measured by the exclusion of a 10-kD rhodamine-polyethylene glycol probe from the contact zones between PMN and the underlying fibrin gel. By this measure, IL-8- or LTB4-treated PMN adhered loosely to fibrin, since 10 kD rhodamine-polyethylene glycol permeated into the contact zones between these cells and the underlying fibrin gel. PMN stimulated with FMLP and IL-8, or FMLP and LTB4, exhibited very little migration through fibrin gels, and three times as many of these cells excluded 10 kD rhodamine-polyethylene glycol from their zones of contact with fibrin as PMN stimulated with IL-8 or LTB4 alone. These results show that PMN chemotaxis is regulated by both the nature of the chemoattractant and the composition of the extracellular matrix; they suggest that certain combinations of chemoattractants and matrix proteins may limit leukocyte movements and promote their localization in specific tissues in vivo.
Super HIPS: improved high impact polystyrene with two sources of rubber particles

Significant improvements in impact strength were achieved in polystyrene blends that combined conventional HIPS particles in combination with particles produced by compositional quenching. A commercial HIPS was solvated and blended with additional polystyrene, rubber and diblock copolymer, and the mixture was flash devolatilized to give the end-product. Impact strengths of injection and compression molded samples and tensile properties are reported. It is known that the best impact modified polystyrene obtained by compositional quenching, here called aHIPS, has smaller and lower modulus rubber particles than conventional HIPS, and has more than twice the impact strength of conventional HIPS. The novel blends of HIPS and aHIPS reported here exhibit synergism, the impact strength of the blend being higher than expected as a linear average of the component properties. The rubber phase volume including occlusion was held at 23%. An interior optimum in rubber efficiency (i.e. Izod impact per unit weight of rubber) was observed when 75% of the phase volume was derived from HIPS while an interior minimum was observed when 25% of the phase volume was derived from HIPS. The elongation at break and tensile impact strength exhibited a form of negative synergism, indicating that conventional HIPS is superior in low speed tests and aHIPS is better in high speed tests such as Izod.
Phosphatases in concert with kinases set the gain for signal transduction through the T cell receptor

The 'tunable activation thresholds' model for signal transduction through the T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 signaling complex proposes that rapid cycles of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are integral to regulating the frequency of protein-protein interaction, thus having considerable influence over the activation of downstream signaling pathways. Co-temporal activation of kinases and phosphatases could serve to modulate the ongoing signaling response, depending on the relative balance of their opposing enzymatic activities. Although recent reports have addressed the mechanisms by which specific kinase/phosphatase pairs contribute to the initiation and termination of signaling, we sought a more global understanding of the ability of the kinase/phosphatase balance to regulate, or "tune", the very proximal steps of TCR signaling in primary human T cells. Herein, we provide biochemical evidence that phosphotyrosine induction via the TCR is subject to fine-tuning based on the overall activity of kinases and phosphatases relative to one another, leading to cycles of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, with implications for developing the next generation of immunotherapeutic agents.
Broadband Watt-Level Mid-Infrared Fiber-Coupled Variable Optical Attenuator

Direct intensity modulation of laser systems in the mid-infrared is marred by instabilities in power output, emission wavelength, and mode profile. In particular, emission characteristics of current implementations of quantum cascade lasers are especially susceptible to modulations in the driving current. We present a broadband mid-infrared variable optical attenuator with large dynamic range and sub-millisecond response time. The modulator has demonstrated 52 dB dynamic range (limited by the detector noise) and frequency response, and has been tested at various wavelength covering 3.5-4.8 μm. The system is composed of a piezoelectric controlled tilt-mirror that images the laser beam into a mid-infrared transmitting optical fiber. The use of broadband anti-reflection optics in the system maintains a high throughput of . Power handling of the system has been confirmed up to 4 W (limited by the laser output power).
Molecular cloning and endometrial expression of porcine high density lipoprotein receptor SR-BI during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy.

Abstract During rapid development of the fetus, levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) are elevated in pregnant women. The receptor for HDL, scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI), mediates selective cholesteryl ester uptake and is highly expressed in the human placenta. Because of the rapid growth of uterus during early pregnancy and differences in placentation between swine and humans, we hypothesized that SR-BI may be expressed in porcine endometrium to take up HDL cholesterol. The objectives of this study were to obtain the full coding region for porcine SR-BI, determine endometrial expression of SR-BI mRNA during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy, and map the gene. By iterative screening of a porcine expressed sequence tag library, we obtained the full coding region of SR-BI. Endometrial expression of SR-BI in White composite gilts (n=3–4 each) was determined by Northern blotting on Days 10, 13, and 15 cyclic gilts and Days 10, 13, 15, 20, 30, and 40 pregnant gilts. In cyclic gilts, endometrial expression of SR-BI did not change between Days 10 and 13, but increased (P
Urinary excretion of interstitial-cell stimulating hormone by normal males and females of various ages.

ICSH activity in the urine of normal males and females of various ages has been determined semi-quantitatively by means of an assay which depends upon the repair of ventral prostatic atrophy in the hypophysectomizod immature male rat. The testicular weights of the animals were also recorded as an index of FSH activity. The findings were as follows: (a) In 12 pre-pubertal children, urinary ICSH activity was barely detectable in 3 instances, (b) In 5 adult females, ICSH activity was detectable in mid-cycle, and in 3 of the 5 subjects it was detectable during the follicular and luteal phases as well. There was no appreciable difference between the excretion rates of ICSH during the follicular and luteal phases. However, during mid-cycle a twofold to fourfold increase in ICSH activity occurred, (c) In 17 adult males, ICSH activity was detectable in 16 instances. The excretion of ICSH in hospital patients appeared to be lower than in healthy volunteers. Although the results were variable, it appeared that male...
Reply to Dr McAdam's letter: pulmonary interstitial emphysema, antenatal magnesium sulfate and mortality in the extremely low birth weight infants

Reply to Dr McAdam's letter: pulmonary interstitial emphysema, antenatal magnesium sulfate and mortality in the extremely low birth weight infants
LOSS-ON-IGNITION AS AN ESTIMATE OF ORGANIC MATTER AND ORGANIC CARBON IN NON-CALCAREOUS SOILS

Summary Examination of data on North Wales soils shows that a good correlation exists between loss-on-ignition and organic C values, determined by Tinsley's method. Ignition for half an hour at 850° C, and for 16 hours at 375 ±5° C have both been employed. The latter has advantages over the former procedure. Regression lines and prediction limits for organic C from loss-on-ignition are given from the data obtained. Although these regressions are not necessarily expected to be generally applicable, examination of some published data suggests that closely similar expressions may be. The method, because of its simplicity, can be usefully applied in a wide range of survey, analytical and ecological studies, in spite of the known sources of error.
The acute oral toxicity of 369 pesticidal, pharmaceutical and other chemicals to wild birds.

Abstract The acute po toxicity of 369 chemicals was determined for 1 or more species of wild birds, always including either red-winged blackbirds or starlings. Of these, 180 chemicals were toxic to 1 or more species at 100 mg/kg or less. Statistical comparison of redwing, starling and rat data indicated that redwings were more sensitive to chemicals than starlings, and both were more sensitive than rats.