cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: Covenantal Economics: The Biblical Case for a Local Economy

Piety is deepest practicality, for it properly relates use and enjoyment. And a world sacramentally received in joy is a world sanely used. There is an economics of use only; it moves toward the destruction of both use and joy. And there is an economics of joy; it moves toward the intelligence of use and the enhancement of joy. (Joseph Sittler) The stability, coherence, and longevity of human occupation require that the land should be divided among many owners and users. The central figure of agrarian thought has invariably been the small owner or small holder who maintains a significant measure of economic self-determination on a small acreage. The scale and independence of such holdings imply two things that agrarians see as desirable: intimate care in the use of the land, and political democracy resting upon the indispensable foundation of economic democracy. (Wendell Berry) THE VALUE OF A LOCAL ECONOMY Agrarians in every culture must reckon with the issue of land possession, usually as a vexed issue. The fact that land possession is a central (arguably the central) issue of the Hebrew Scriptures thus confirms their fundamentally agrarian character. And of course the issue remains vexed; the intensity of the conflict over possession of the land once called Canaan is probably greater today than it was in the Iron Age, and certainly more people and religious perspectives are involved.
The power and the promise of DNA methylation markers

The past few years have seen an explosion of interest in the epigenetics of cancer. This has been a consequence of both the exciting coalescence of the chromatin and DNA methylation fields, and the realization that DNA methylation changes are involved in human malignancies. The ubiquity of DNA methylation changes has opened the way to a host of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Recent advances attest to the great promise of DNA methylation markers as powerful future tools in the clinic.
Inactivation of foot-and-mouth disease virus by interaction of dye and visible light.

Abstract The inactivation of foot-and-mouth disease virus was studied by means of the interaction of neutral red, Toluidine Blue, and methylene blue with visible light. The virus, Type A, strain 1, CANEFA of Argentine origin, was grown in tissue culture and tested in the crude and clarified state. Virus and dye were mixed and incubated together at 4 C for 45 min in the dark, or were mixed and immediately exposed to the visible light source without prior incubation together. Mixtures of crude virus and dye, under any of the experimental conditions used, did not inactivate more than 1 to 2 logs of viral infectivity when held in the dark or when exposed to light during a period of 45 min. Complete inactivation of virus was achieved when clarified virus and dye were mixed and immediately exposed to the visible light source for 15 min. Prior incubation of clarified virus and dye permitted inactivation by methylene blue only, whereas no incubation prior to exposure resulted in three of the dyes contributing to inactivation. A concentration of 6 μg of neutral red, Toluidine Blue, methylene blue, and crystal violet was used per milliliter of virus suspension. Crystal violet was not a good viral inactivator under the conditions of the experimentation. Inactive virus induced the formation of neutralizing antibodies in adult chickens and mice. The antibody titer stimulated by the antigen treated with methylene blue and visible light was probably significant.
The Microstructural Evolution of Nanometer Ruthenium Films in Ru/C Multilayers With Thermal Treatments

The evolution of nanometer Ru films sandwiched between various C layer thickness with thermal treatments was studied by plan-view and cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy. Plan-view observation provides information on the Ru grain size, while cross- sectional studies allow examination of the multilayer morphology. After annealing at 800{degrees}C for 30 minutes, the grain size in the 2 and 4 nm Ru layers show little difference from each other, while that in the 1 nm Ru layers depends strongly on the thickness of the C layers in the multilayers. It increases with decreasing C layer thickness. Agglomeration of the Ru layers is observed in 1nm Ru/1nm C multilayers after annealing at 600{degrees}C for 30 minutes. The evolution of the microstructures and layered structure stability of the Ru/C system is compared to that of W/C and Ru/B{sub 4}C systems. 10 refs., 2 figs.
SUBCLINICAL INFECTION OF DOGS BY CANINE-ADAPTED MEASLES VIRUS EVIDENCED BY THEIR SUBSEQUENT IMMUNITY TO CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS

Moura, Roberto A. (Chas. Pfizer and Company, Inc., Terre Haute, Ind.) and Joel Warren. Subclinical infection of dogs by canine-adapted measles virus evidenced by their subsequent immunity to canine distemper virus. J. Bacteriol. 82:702-705. 1961.-Young dogs were inoculated with virulent measles virus which had been adapted to canine kidney or human amnion cell culture. None of the animals showed any clinical symptoms nor could virus be isolated from the blood, although measles-neutralizing and complement-fixing antibodies developed during convalescence. All dogs failed to develop antibody to canine distemper. However, when these and normal control animals were subsequently inoculated intracerebrally with virulent distemper virus, each of the controls succumbed to typical symptoms, whereas all of the measles-immune dogs survived. These results suggest that the cross-protection conferred by measles against canine distemper virus infection involves factors other than humoral antibody. The immunity persists for a considerable length of time.
Economic Costs of Achieving Current Conservation Goals in the Future as Climate Changes

Abstract: Conservation of biologically diverse regions has thus far been accomplished largely through the establishment and maintenance of protected areas. Climate change is expected to shift climate space of many species outside existing reserve boundaries. We used climate-envelope models to examine shifts in climate space of 11 species that are representative of the Mount Hamilton Project area (MHPA) (California, U.S.A.), which includes areas within Alameda, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, and San Benito counties and is in the state's Central Coast ecoregion. We used Marxan site-selection software to determine the minimum area required as climate changes to achieve a baseline conservation goal equal to 80% of existing climate space for all species in the MHPA through 2050 and 2100. Additionally, we assessed the costs associated with use of existing conservation strategies (land acquisition and management actions such as species translocation, monitoring, and captive breeding) necessary to meet current species-conservation goals as climate changes. Meeting conservation goals as climate changes through 2050 required an additional 256,000 ha (332%) of protected area, primarily to the south and west of the MHPA. Through 2050 the total cost of land acquisition and management was estimated at US$1.67–1.79 billion, or 139–149% of the cost of achieving the same conservation goals with no climate change. To maintain 80% of climate space through 2100 required nearly 380,000 additional hectares that would cost $2.46–2.62 billion, or 209–219% of the cost of achieving the same conservation goals with no climate change. Furthermore, maintaining 80% of existing climate space within California for 27% of the focal species was not possible by 2100 because climate space for these species did not exist in the state. The high costs of conserving species as the climate changes—that we found in an assessment of one conservation project—highlights the need for tools that will aid in iterative goal setting given the uncertainty of the effects of climate change and adaptive management that includes new conservation strategies and consideration of the long-term economic costs of conservation.
Applying Item Response Theory in Language Test Item Bank Building by SZABÓ, GÁBOR

The article reviews the book "Applying Item Response Theory in Language Test Item Bank Building," by Szabo Gabor.
Using ePortfolio to demonstrate competence in associate degree nursing students

Abstract Nurse educators are continually challenged to facilitate the integration of theory and practice to prepare competent graduate nurses. One method suitable to measure competence is the electronic portfolio (ePortfolio). Portfolios are a goal-driven, organized collection of items (artifacts) that demonstrate a learner's expansion of knowledge and skills over time. Learning portfolios are becoming accepted in associate degree nursing education as an efficient method of documenting and evaluating student learning and program outcomes.
Raymond Aron et l'Europe

In the Anglo-American world, Raymond Aron (1905–1983) is typically remembered for being a Cold War liberal and the most outspoken critic of the French Marxist intellectual scene of the 1950s and 19...
On the theoretical basis of the surface photovoltage technique

A complete theory for the constant-magnitude steady-state surface photovoltage (SPV) technique is developed. Emphasis is placed on the determination of the minority-carrier diffusion length. The theory is derived from the basic transport mechanisms in semiconductors with minimal assumptions. The recombination of electron-hole pairs in the surface depletion region is incorporated explicitly.
On interacting bridged-crack systems

Abstract The analysis of a material containing multiple interacting bridged cracks is the principal objective of this paper. The traction-consistency equations in terms of bridging tractions and pseudotractions are developed to enable the decomposition of a problem involving multiple bridged cracks into a number of sub-problems, each involving only a single crack. Bridging law equations are formulated so that the bridging tractions and pseudo-tractions appear as primary unknowns. The current approach is capable of handling multiple interacting crack systems with a general form of bridging laws, linear or nonlinear, isotropic or anisotropic. Both isotropic and anisotropic bridging laws are investigated. It has been observed that the bridging law for a crack can significantly modify the tip behavior of the crack itself, while its influence on neighboring cracks is relatively weak. The influence of bridging anisotropy on crack-tip stress fields is found to be significantly modulated by the loading condition. Bridging effects and interaction effects on stress amplification and retardation are also examined. For nonlinear bridging, a case of fiber pull-out in metal/ceramic laminates is studied to establish the critical ratio of fiber-to-matrix thickness that would avoid single-crack extensions and transfer the deformation, instead, to multiple cracking. For multiple cracking situations, the crack nucleation sites are also predicted.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Structural Characterization of Proline-Rich Proteins: Application to Salivary PRP-3

Proline-rich proteins (PRPs), including collagens, complement 1q, and salivary PRPs, are unusually difficult to sequence by mass spectrometry, due to the high efficiency of cleavage at the amide bond on the N-terminal of proline residues and the consequently low relative abundance of fragment arising from cleavages at other amide bonds. To fully characterize these proteins by mass spectrometry, specialized approaches to fragmentation are needed for the peptides with high proline content. Our work reported herein focused on the analysis of the set of peptides derived by tryptic cleavage of the salivary protein PRP-3. Two methods of fragmentation were compared: Collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron capture dissociation (ECD). The data obtained demonstrated that ECD spectra of peptides containing more than 30% proline residues are simpler and easier to interpret than are CID spectra of those peptides. Factors that limit the two methods of fragmentation include the complexity of information contained in the CID spectra and the low efficiency of ECD processes. A complementary approach using both decomposition methods provides more complete and interpretable sequence information and yielded >93% sequence coverage for the 11-kDa PRP-3 isolated from human saliva.
Neurogenic ST depression in stroke.

Background: Stroke is occasionally associated with ECG repolarization changes including ST depression. Recent evidence suggests a neurogenic contribution to these abnormalities in stroke patients. Animal studies implicate the insular cortex in cardiovascular control. We describe a patient with a left insular infarct and without cardiac or coronary artery disease, who developed ST depression indicating a neurogenic etiology. Case description: A 48 year-old female, with no risk factors for stroke, developed sudden expressive aphasia. MRI brain showed an infarct in the left insular cortex. Twenty-four hour Holter monitoring on the third day revealed transient ST depression more than 1.5 mm, which was not reproducible on subsequent monitoring. Transesophageal echo-cardiography (TEE) was normal. She had no cardiac symptoms and serial ECGs, cardiac enzymes (CKMB) and adenosine‐thallium scan were normal. To-date, there had been no cardiac events like congestive heart failure or myocardial ischemia. Conclusion: These findings suggest neurogenic ST depression is related to the left insular infarct in view of the normal adenosine‐thallium scan, non-reproducibility and evanescence of the ST segment changes and lack of associated cardiac symptoms. When neurogenic ST depression is combined with underlying coronary artery disease, it may adversely influence cardiac outcome after stroke. © 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Molecular Mechanisms Used by Tumors to Escape Immune Recognition: Immunogenetherapy and the Cell Biology of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I

In this article, we explore the hypothesis that tumor cells can escape recognition by CD8+ T cells via deficiencies in antigen processing and presentation. Aspects of the molecular and cellular biology of major histocompatibility complex class I are reviewed. Evidence for histology-specific molecular mechanisms in the antigen-processing and -presentation deficiencies observed in some human and murine tumors is presented. Mechanisms identified include down-regulation of antigen processing, loss of functional beta 2-microglobulin, and deletion of specific alpha-chain alleles. Finally, we discuss studies using an antigen-presentation-deficient mouse tumor as a model for the immunogenetherapy of an antigen-presentation deficiency.
Staging of prostate cancer

The clinical and pathologic staging of prostate cancer involves determination of the anatomic extent and burden of tumor based on the best available data. Two major classification schemes are currently used: the modified American system and the TNM system [primary tumor (T), regional lymph node (N), and metastases (M)]. Both systems stratify patients according to the method of tumor detection, separating nonpalpable "incidental" prostate cancers detected during transurethral resection for clinically benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and palpable cancers detected by digital rectal examination. These staging systems also recognize nonpalpable tumors detected by an elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level or an abnormal transrectal ultrasound image. Current staging is limited by a significant level of clinical understaging (up to 59%, in our experience) and overstaging (up to 5%) according to comparison with pathologic examination of resected specimens. Proposed improvements in staging include preoperative systematic sextant biopsies to assess tumor volume, volume-based prognostic index, and a multiple prognostic index. In this report, we evaluate the current aspects of clinical and pathologic staging of prostate cancer with emphasis on the early stages in which there is the greatest chance of cure.
When imagination is difficult: Metacognitive experiences at the fault lines of reality

Imagination and rational thought may be guided by identical principles, and Byrne's (2005) analysis expertly synthesizes a diverse literature on counterfactual thinking. Further attention should be paid to metacognitive experiences, like ease or difficulty of thought generation, which accompany the imaginative process. Only by considering metacognitive experiences along with the content of what people imagine can we fully understand imagination.
Geometric Performance Analysis of Periodic Behavior

A fundamental problem in designing parallel programs is the ability to exactly analyze program performance, given a specification of the process synchronization structure and the execution timings of all code segments. This paper derives, for two process programs that synchronize for mutual exclusion only, a representation of all possible periodic behaviors for all possible process starting times. The paper employs a novel analysis method, based on geometry, using timed progress graphs (TPGs). TPGs represent the progress of each process by an axis in a Cartesian graph; process synchronization by line segments; and each possible program execution by a directed, continuous path that does not cross a segment. The geometric problem is solved by an analytic method, rather than the method popular with many (untimed) progress graphs papers?computational geometry.
Issues in coal technologies for synthetic fuels development in the Midwestern U.S.A.

Abstract A two day meeting involving researchers, industrialists, and state policymakers on the subject of coal technologies and synfuels brought general agreement on: 1. (1) the lack of a cohesive energy policy regarding coal in the United States; 2. (2) the need for long-term constancy in the regulatory environment; 3. (3) the need for coal research and development; and 4. (4) the use of conflict resolution techniques to solve synfuel issues.
Interspecific and intraspecific horizontal transfer of Wolbachia in Drosophila

Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in Drosophila simulans is related to infection of the germ line by a rickettsial endosymbiont (genus Wolbachia). Wolbachia were transferred by microinjection of egg cytoplasm into uninfected eggs of both D. simulans and D. melanogaster to generate infected populations. Transinfected strains of D. melanogaster with lower densities of Wolbachia than the naturally infected D. simulans strain did not express high levels of CI. However, transinfected D. melanogaster egg cytoplasm, transferred back into D. simulans, generated infected populations that expressed CI at levels near those of the naturally infected strain. A transinfected D. melanogaster line selected for increased levels of CI expression also displayed increased symbiont densities. These data suggest that a threshold level of infection is required for normal expression of CI and that host factors help determine the density of the symbiont in the host.
A management skills audit for future managers

This paper reports on the development of an Inventory of Managing Skills designed to provide working MBA students with a current assessment of their managing skills. A canonical correlation matrix reporting interrelationships between the 20 scale dimensions in a pilot sample of 378 respondents is reported. The Inventory can be used for self-assessment by students and for other-assessment by the student’s superiors and peers.
Solid-state NMR studies ofcis-1,4-polyisoprene crosslinked with dicumyl peroxide in the presence of triallyl cyanurate

The network of dicumyl peroxide (DCP)/triallyl cyanurate (TAC) crosslinked cis-1,4-polyisoprene was studied by solid-state NMR techniques such as direct-polarization (DP), cross-polarization (CP), and proton T 2 experiments. Line broadening and cis/trans isomerization of mobile carbons were observed in the DP experiments. The information on rigid carbons of network structures was observed with the CP technique. Motional heterogeneity was examined by proton T 2 relaxation experiments. Decreases in long T 2 (T 2L ) values from the mobile non-network structures and short T 2 (T 2S ) values from the rigid network structures were observed with an increase in peroxide or coagent concentration. The percentage of T 2S in T 2 relaxation, which is related to network density, was observed to increase with peroxide and coagent addition.
Ileal Perforation Secondary to Histoplasmosis in AIDS

Our patient presented with abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever with evidence of oral thrush and pelvic inflammatory disease on exam. Radiographs demonstrated a small bowel obstruction with free air. An exploratory laparotomy demonstrated 2 perforations of the distal ileum. Pathologic exam revealed features consistent with histoplasmosis. We discuss gastrointestinal involvement of histoplasmosis in AIDS and its treatment.
The Distinctiveness Effect in Social Interaction: Creation of a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

The purpose of this study was to examine the consequences of the distinctiveness effect for social interaction, using traits about which participants had no previous information. The perceived distinctiveness of novel traits was manipulated, and bogus information about an individual’s distinctive and nondistinctive characteristics provided conflicting expectations about that individual. The prediction that individuals would be judged based on the information provided about their supposed distinctive traits was supported. In addition, observations made by independent raters demonstrated that these distinctiveness-based judgments about the individual initiated a self-fulfilling prophecy process. Unexpectedly, the distinctiveness effect in this experiment was found only among female participants.
An improved field-controlled polarization-transfer device and the operating features of the exploratory content addressable memory system

A new type of ferroelectric which exhibits a threshold switching field and a number of highly useful technical properties is simply distinguished from ordinary ferroelectrics as ferrielectrics. These new materials have been described in detail in various publications. The good industrial properties of the mixed bismuth oxide (MBO) ferrielectrics permitted the extension of work on fundamental research into applied research. The objective of this work was to demonstrate that capacitor elements comprised of MBO-type ferrielectrics exhibiting a threshold field as a dielectric represent an important improvement as compared to ordinary ferroelectric capacitors, and they can be utilized as logic and memory devices. Work was essentially devoted to the following application areas. 1) Improved field controlled polarization transfer devices (Transpolarizers ®) were developed. These transpolarizers utilize internally biased MBO-type ferrielectrics which made it possible to block and unblock the transpolarizer with opposite polarity pulses. Furthermore two-section transpolarizers requiring only ten volts for switching have been fabricated. Due to the improved switching features and low switching levels attained, these transpolarizers are compatible with transistor technology. 2) An exploratory content addressable memory system using these improved transpolarizers was developed and constructed, and its operating features are described.
Base Station Association Game in Multi-Cell Wireless Networks (Special Paper)

We consider a multi-cell wireless network with a large number of users. Each user selfishly chooses the Base Station (BS) that gives it the best throughput (utility), and each BS allocates its resource by some simple scheduling policy. First we consider two cases: (1) BS allocates the same time to its users; (2) BS allocates the same throughput to its users. It turns out that, combined with users' selfish behavior, case (1) results in a single Nash Equilibrium (NE), which achieves system-wide Proportional Fairness. On the other hand, case (2) results in many possible Nash Equilibria, some of which are very inefficient. Next, we extend (1) to the case where the users have general concave utility functions. It is shown that the if each BS performs intra- cell optimization, the total utility of all users is maximized at NE. This suggests that under our model, the task of joining the ";correct"; BS can be left to individual users, leading to a distributed solution.
Effect of the birefringent beat length on variability in passively modelocked fiber lasers

Birefringence leads to sensitivity of the power transfer to polarization controller settings in passively modelocked fiber lasers that use nonlinear polarization rotation for fast saturable absorption. Shorter beat lengths lead to easier modelocking.
Residents Teaching Medical Students: How Do They Compare With Attending Educators?

Purpose Educating medical students is a core mission of academic radiology departments. In some programs, residents participate in student teaching. The aim of this study was to retrospectively compare medical student evaluations of radiology resident lectures with lecture evaluations of radiology faculty members. Methods Numeric evaluations for lectures given by faculty members, fellows, and residents were collected over a 1-year period as part of routine course evaluations for a fourth-year medical student radiology elective. Faculty member, fellow, and resident lecture scores were compared, overall using analysis of variance and pairwise using Student's t test. A predefined low P -value threshold was used for the t tests to account for the multiple comparisons. To account for the inherent clustering of the data due to repeat lecturers, the data were reanalyzed on a "per lecturer" basis. Results Three hundred seven individual lecture scores were collected. There was no statistical difference between the lecture scores received by attending faculty members (mean, 9.10 on a scale of 10) and residents (mean, 8.99) ( P = .08). Fellows, however, scored statistically significantly lower (mean, 8.45) than attending faculty members and residents ( P Conclusions Lectures delivered by residents received similar evaluations as lectures delivered by faculty members. Given that teaching can be an educational experience for residents, involving radiology residents in medical student teaching may benefit students and residents alike.
Reliability and validity of an auditory working memory measure: data from elderly and right-hemisphere damaged adults

The use of non-standardized measures in research and clinical assessments creates difficulties with interpretation and generalization of results obtained. One example of a widely used non-standardized tool is the reading/listening span paradigm for assessment of working memory (WM). WM is an important construct because of its purported relationship to language comprehension and capacity theories of cognition. This paper investigates several facets of reliability and validity for an auditory working memory measure designed for older adults and individuals with right hemisphere brain damage (RHD). Results from 28 non-brain-damaged subjects (NBD) and 11 RHD subjects indicate that the measure is internally consistent and reliable over time. Construct validity evidence, which compares favourably with evidence from existing literature, suggests that for NBD subjects this tool differentiates WR I from simple short term memory. RHD subjects do not demonstrate the same pattern of validity results as the NBD group. Further evaluation with RHD patients is warranted, because clinically this tool may be useful as a measure of severity or a prognostic indicator of language comprehension abilities for this population.
Prostatic 25‐hydroxyvitamin D‐1α‐hydroxylase and its implication in prostate cancer

Evidence suggests that vitamin D may have a protective role for prostate cancer. 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D [1α,25(OH)2D] inhibits growth and induces differentiation of prostate cells. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D-1α-hydroxylase [1α-OHase], the enzyme that is responsible for the synthesis of 1α,25(OH)2D, is expressed in cultured prostate cells. We observed a marked decrease in 1α-OHase activity in prostate cancer cells, suggesting some defect of the 1α-OHase in these cells. To investigate whether the defect was due to dysregulation of the enzyme at the promoter level, a series of deletion constructs of the promoter was synthesized and incorporated upstream into the luciferase reporter gene. Two regions were identified with high basal activity in transfected normal prostate cell line (PZHPV-7), −1100 bp (AN2), and −394 bp (AN5) upstream of ATG start site of the 1α-OHase gene. When the reporter gene with either AN2 or AN5 was transfected into prostate cancer cell lines, we observed a lower basal promoter activity in PC-3 cells and DU145 cells than that found in PZHPV-7 cells for both constructs, and a loss of promoter activity in LNCaP cells. Thus, the results suggest that the defect in enzyme activity may result from the decreased promoter activity in prostate cancer cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 88: 315–322, 2003. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Development of a Tiered Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for Members of the Lactobacillus acidophilus Complex

Members of the Lactobacillus acidophilus complex are associated with functional foods and dietary supplements because of purported health benefits they impart to the consumer. Many characteristics of these microorganisms are reported to be strain specific. Therefore, proper strain typing is essential for safety assessment and product labeling, and also for monitoring strain integrity for industrial production purposes. Fifty-two strains of the L. acidophilus complex (L. acidophilus, L. amylovorus, L. crispatus, L. gallinarum, L. gasseri, and L. johnsonii) were genotyped using two established methods and compared to a novel multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the hsp60 gene with AluI and TaqI successfully clustered 51 of the 52 strains into the six species examined, but it lacked strain-level discrimination. Random amplified polymorphic DNA PCR (RAPD-PCR) targeting the M13 sequence resulted in highly discriminatory profiles but lacked reproducibility. In this study, an MLST scheme was developed using the conserved housekeeping genes fusA, gpmA, gyrA, gyrB, lepA, pyrG, and recA, which identified 40 sequence types that successfully clustered all of the strains into the six species. Analysis of the observed alleles suggests that nucleotide substitutions within five of the seven MLST loci have reached saturation, a finding that emphasizes the highly diverse nature of the L. acidophilus complex and our unconventional application of a typically intraspecies molecular typing tool. Our MLST results indicate that this method could be useful for characterization and strain discrimination of a multispecies complex, with the potential for taxonomic expansion to a broader collection of Lactobacillus species.
The Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Some Spirophthalidyl Benzoxazinones.

Condensation of N-substituted anthranilic acids (I) with symmetrical phthaloyl dichloride (II) yields the spiro-phthalidyl benzoxazinediones (III) which are considered as antimicrobial agents, in view of their similar structure to griseofulvin.
Genetic Deficiency of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Reduces Atherosclerosis and Lowers Plasma Lipid Peroxides in Apolipoprotein E–Knockout Mice

Background—Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is expressed by leukocytes and smooth muscle cells in atherosclerotic lesions. To test whether NO produced by iNOS deficiency affects atheroscleros...
Construct Validity of Animal-Assisted Therapy and Activities: How Important Is the Animal in AAT?

ABSTRACTAnimal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities involve a nonhuman animal as a key therapeutic agent in some kind of intervention that may range from highly specified, as in AAT, to more casual, as in AAA. In this review I address the question: How important is the animal in animal therapy? In other words, does the recent literature strongly support the notion that a live animal, as opposed to another novel stimulating component, is specifically necessary for therapeutic success. Two meta-analyses and 28 single empirical studies were reviewed in order to address this issue. I conclude that the effects of AAT and AAA are likely to be moderate and broad at best and that, although improving, the literature has not yet reached an experimentally rigorous enough level to provide a definitive robust conclusion about the effectiveness of these approaches, particularly with regard to the question of whether a live animal is necessary for a therapeutic effect.
A population-based study of incidence, risk factors, clinical spectrum, and outcomes of ischemic colitis.

Background & Aims Little is known about progression of ischemic colitis (IC) among unselected patients. We aimed to estimate the incidence, risk factors, and natural history of IC in a population-based cohort in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Methods We performed a retrospective population-based cohort and nested case-control study of IC. Each IC case was matched to 2 controls from the same population on the basis of sex, age, and closest registration number. Conditional logistic regression, the Kaplan–Meier method, and proportional hazards regression were used to assess comorbidities, estimate survival, and identify characteristics associated with survival, respectively. Results Four hundred forty-five county residents (median age, 71.6 years; 67% female) were diagnosed with IC from 1976 through 2009 and were matched with 890 controls. The age-adjusted and sex-adjusted incidence rates of IC nearly quadrupled from 6.1 cases/100,000 person-years in 1976–1980 to 22.9/100,000 in 2005–2009. The odds for IC were significantly higher among subjects with atherosclerotic diseases; odds ratios ranged from 2.6 for individuals with coronary disease to 7.9 for individuals with peripheral vascular disease. Of IC cases, 59% survived for 5 years (95% confidence interval, 54%–64%), compared with 90% of controls (95% confidence interval, 88%–92%). Age >40 years, male sex, right-sided colon involvement, concomitant small bowel involvement, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were all independently associated with mortality ( P Conclusions The incidence of IC increased during the past 3 decades in a population-based cohort in Minnesota. IC typically presents in older patients with multiple comorbidities and is associated with high in-hospital mortality (11.5%) and rates of surgery (17%).
A computer model for simulating ultrasonic scattering in biological tissues with high scatterer concentration

Abstract Scattering of ultrasonic waves by biological tissues at different scatterer concentrations is investigated using one- and two-dimensional computer simulation models. The backscattered power as a function of scatterer concentrations is calculated using two types of incident waves, a Gaussian shaped pulse and a continuous wave (CW). The simulation results are in good agreement with the Percus-Yevick packing theory within the scatterer concentrations, from 0% to 100% in one-dimensional (1D) space, and 0% to 46% in two-dimensional (2D) space. In all cases, the simulation results from a pulsed incident wave show a much smaller standard deviation (SD) than those from an incident CW. The simulation can serve as a useful tool to verify scattering theories, simulate different experimental conditions, and to investigate the interaction between the scatterer properties and the scattering of ultrasonic waves. More importantly, the 2D) simulation procedure serves as an initial step toward the final realization of a true three-dimensional (3D) simulation of ultrasonic scattering in biological tissues.
Nimodipine's functional benefits depend on lesion completeness in medial septal area.

Abstract The effects of a 4-day nimodipine treatment (70 μg/kg IP beginning on the day of surgery) given to rats with lesions directed at the medial septal area were monitored for 120 days. Body weight, water intake, open-field activity, rearing, hole-poking, and repetitive motor acts were periodically measured through 120 postsurgical days. Although no differences were found in water intake between any of the groups, the body weights of rats with any medial septal damage, whether treated with nimodipine or not, were lower than rats with control operations by postsurgery day 120. Rats with any medial septal damage, whether treated with nimodipine or not, had lower rearing frequencies, rearing durations, and holepoking frequencies than controls on all test days. However, rats with complete medial septal lesions treated with nimodipine exhibited movement in the open field and frequencies of stereotyped, species-typical acts similar to those of control rats by postsurgery day 60. This nimodipine effect was not observed in rats with partial lesions of the medial septal region. This study emphasizes that a brief administration of nimodipine shortly after brain damage can influence behavioral changes 40–60 days after surgery, but that this effect was not apparent in rats with only partial medial lesions.
Career Mobility of Elementary School Principals and Conflict with the Central Office.

Recent attention on the principal as instructional leader of the school has overshadowed the dual nature of the principal's role as a subordinate of the central office as well as superordinate of the school. An understanding of how principals respond to this dual role is useful in developing appropriate school improvement strategies. This study examines the diversity of principals' responses to one aspect of this dual role, the potential conflict between principal and central office. The investigation, involving a sample of 89 suburban elementary school principals, uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The study found that principals vary in their responses to this potential conflict depending on their career histories. Principals who have moved among several districts are more likely to have conflict with CO, while principals who have remained in the current district throughout their careers are less likely to have this conflict. Several features of career mobility are examined as possible explanations for the findings.
Optimal combination rules for adaptation and learning over networks

Adaptive networks, consisting of a collection of nodes with learning abilities, are well-suited to solve distributed inference problems and to model various types of self-organized behavior observed in nature. One important issue in designing adaptive networks is how to fuse the information collected from the neighbors, especially since the mean-square performance of the network depends on the choice of combination weights. We consider the problem of optimal selection of the combination weights and motivate one combination rule, along with an adaptive implementation. The rule is related to the inverse of the noise variances and is shown to be effective in simulations.
Benzene hydrogenation over supported and unsupported palladium: II. Reaction model

Abstract A modified Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) model has been proposed to describe benzene hydrogenation over both unsupported Pd and supported Pd catalysts. A general reaction sequence proposing sequential addition of H atoms to the benzene ring, with no a priori assumption of a rate-determining step, was used because computer analysis allowed the determination of selected rate and adsorption constants. To explain the observed kinetic behavior, it was necessary to include an auxiliary reaction—benzene dehydrogenation to various carbonaceous surface species—which inhibits the principal reaction. This model, which quantitatively includes hydrogen-deficient species that inhibit the hydrogenation reaction, satisfactorily explains all results that were obtained in this study and is also consistent with other reports in the literature related to isotopic exchange and deactivation reactions. To further evaluate this model, the values of the fitted parameters were analyzed with regard to their physical significance, and they were found to be consistent and within theoretical guidelines imposed by L-H kinetics.
Radiation damage, at high temperatures.

The successful development of nuclear power reactors that are economically competitive with other sources of energy has led us to believe that more economical reactors will be developed. But, in developing the next generation of reactors, a new set of problems must be overcome. One of the most important of these is that of the embrittlement of the structural materials at high temperatures as a result of the intense neutron fields in these advanced systems. The radiation-induced embrittlement at high temperatures is probably associated with helium produced in the materials due to (n,α) reactions with the metal, and in some alloys radiation-induced precipitation of compounds within the alloy may also play a role. We believe that the most serious longterm problem is the generation of helium. Our current understanding of the mechanism by which this radiation damage is produced has allowed us to effect some improvement in the behavior of conventionally produced structural alloys, through minor modifications of the normal working and annealing processes used in their manufacture. However, we may find that new alloys will have to be developed to withstand the service conditions in future nuclear power reactors.
Intraperitoneal blood missed on a FAST examination using portable ultrasound.

Bedside ultrasonography is rapidly gaining popularity in the evaluation of emergency patients. Several manufacturers have developed hand-held ultrasound machines that make the technology easy to transport and available in settings where such diagnostic tests were previously unobtainable. The miniaturization of equipment often means compromises and no studies exist comparing the high quality imaging capabilities of larger conventional ultrasound units to hand-held machines on actual patients. We present 3 cases in which intra-abdominal fluid stripes, important markers of intraperitoneal bleeding, were not visible with a popular hand-held unit, but were identified with a larger mobile ultrasound machine. These findings should caution emergency physicians to be aware of this limitation along with the many advantages of these new and popular hand-held ultrasound units.
How Item Banks and Their Application Can Influence Measurement Practice in Rehabilitation Medicine: A PROMIS Fatigue Item Bank Example

Abstract Lai J-S, Cella D, Choi S, Junghaenel DU, Christodoulou C, Gershon R, Stone A. How item banks and their application can influence measurement practice in rehabilitation medicine: a PROMIS fatigue item bank example. Objective To illustrate how measurement practices can be advanced by using as an example the fatigue item bank (FIB) and its applications (short forms and computerized adaptive testing [CAT]) that were developed through the National Institutes of Health Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Cooperative Group. Design Psychometric analysis of data collected by an Internet survey company using item response theory–related techniques. Setting A U.S. general population representative sample collected through the Internet. Participants Respondents used for dimensionality evaluation of the PROMIS FIB (N=603) and item calibrations (N=14,931). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Fatigue items (112) developed by the PROMIS fatigue domain working group, 13-item Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue, and 4-item Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Vitality scale. Results The PROMIS FIB version 1, which consists of 95 items, showed acceptable psychometric properties. CAT showed consistently better precision than short forms. However, all 3 short forms showed good precision for most participants in that more than 95% of the sample could be measured precisely with reliability greater than 0.9. Conclusions Measurement practice can be advanced by using a psychometrically sound measurement tool and its applications. This example shows that CAT and short forms derived from the PROMIS FIB can reliably estimate fatigue reported by the U.S. general population. Evaluation in clinical populations is warranted before the item bank can be used for clinical trials.
Nerve growth factor induced changes in the Golgi apparatus of PC-12 rat pheochromocytoma cells as studied by ligand endocytosis, cytochemical and morphometric methods.

Cells of the PC-12 rat pheochromocytoma cell line respond to nerve growth factor (NGF) by sprouting neurites and biochemically differentiating into sympathetic ganglion-like cells. NGF-stimulated (‘differentiated’) and unstimulated (‘undifferentiated’) cells were studied by cytochemical techniques for the localization of the enzymes acid phosphatase (ACPase) and thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase), and by a morphometric analysis of the distribution of endocytosed wheat-germ agglutinin labelled with horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP). Both cytochemical stains showed the enzymes to be distributed in lysosomes and certain cisternae of the Golgi apparatus in both NGF stimulated and unstimulated cells. ACPase was not confined to GERL (Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum-lysosome) as in certain other cells. The morphometric studies demonstrated that the reaction product of the internalized WGA-HRP occupied 4.7% of the cytoplasmic area in unstimulated cells and 4.5% in NGF-stimulated ones. Despite this similarity, the distribution of the WGA-HRP among the studied intracellular compartments in these two cell groups varied. In the NGF-stimulated cells 3.3% of the WGA-HRP reaction product was found in the innermost Golgi cisterna(e) while in unstimulated cells only 0.3% was seen in this compartment. Similarly, 4.3% of the WGA-HRP stain was found in small vesicles at the ‘trans’ aspect of the Golgi apparatus in stimulated cells, when only 0.3% of the stain occupied this compartment in ‘undifferentiated’ cells. The morphometric analysis also revealed that when the PC-12 cells were stimulated with NGF, the Golgi apparatus increased in area by approximately 70%. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that NGF induced differentiation of PC-12 cells is coupled with enhanced endocytosis of WGA and probably of its ‘receptor’ to the innermost Golgi cisterna(e) and the closely associated vesicles.
Responsible Management in Private Sector Nano Enterprises: Conversations with Lead Technologists and Managers

The aim was to learn about responsible management in private sector nano enterprises by telephone conversations with lead technologists and managers in companies in the US Midwest. The conversations took place between January and March of 2011. The marked increase starting in 2008 of prescriptive documents such as guidelines, codes of responsibility, and best practices in NanoEthicsBank offered an entry point for initiating the conversations. Had respondents noticed these documents and did they find them useful? Follow-up questions asked about the full life cycle of their products. The responses from 22 of the 25 organizations selected are categorized in 5 groups according to how they described their nano materials/business. A conception of responsible management in organizations is provided to underpin the analysis of the responses. This conception features virtues of concern, care, and foresight implied by a fundamental moral obligation. In the analysis, definitions from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) are used as a basis of comparison in assessing respondents’ claims. Two important gaps are identified. One gap is between actual practices and the prescriptive use of the conception of responsible management in organizations. The other gap is between the actual use of nano terminology and OECD definitions.