cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Community College Student Success Courses: The Student Perspective

This study explores student success courses from the student perspective to answer three questions: What topics do students find the most useful? What teaching methods do the students find most helpful? How can these courses be customized to better serve the students? The purpose of this study is to interview students from a number of community colleges, exploring these topics from the student perspective with the goal of orientation course enhancement. Although students reported the skills and information provided in these orientations classes to be useful, the usefulness of specific topics varied according to the precollege preparation of each student. The authors offer suggestions for creating specialized orientation programs and courses to fit the needs of the diverse community college population.
Observation on pp → 3π°, 2π°η° at rest

Abstract Annihilations have been observed of anti-protons stopped in liquid hydrogen yielding 3π° and 3π°η°, with a ratio 3π°: 2π°η° of 0.81 ± 0.08. The Dalitz plot of 2100 3π°-events exhibits structures somewhat similar to those observed in p n →2π − π + (at rest); viz: depopulation at the center, enhancement at small M2(2π°) and at about 2.35 (GeV/c2)2.
Scattering of Polarized Dirac Particles on Electrons

The cross section for electron-electron scattering in which the incident and target electrons have arbitrary spin orientations has been evaluated. For the special case in which the spin of the incident electron is polarized along the direction of motion, two different spin effects are obtained. The first of these effects is simply a dependence of the cross section on the relative spin orientation; the second effect corresponds to an up-down asymmetry in the cross section. Similar effects have been obtained for the scattering of polarized positrons on polarized electrons.The depolarization of electrons and muons in scattering on unpolarized electrons also has been considered. For electrons which lose an appreciable fraction of their initial energy in passing through matter, the depolarization is appreciable. If the fractional energy loss is small the depolarization is proportional to the fractional energy loss. For nonrelativistic muons the depolarization which occurs as they are brought to rest in matter is found to be negligible.
Differential display in the time of microarrays

A brief overview of major methods used for genome-wide expression profiling is presented. Special attention is devoted to ordered differential display, subtractive hybridization and DNA microarrays. Future prospects of comparative gene expression studies using combinations of differential display methods and microarray technology are outlined.
Cultural distance as a determinant of bilateral trade flows: do immigrants counter the effect of cultural differences?

We introduce ‘cultural distance’ as a measure of the degree to which shared norms and values in one country differ from those in another country, and employ a modified gravity specification to examine whether such cultural differences affect the volume of trade flows. Employing data for US state-level exports to the 75 trading partners for which measures of cultural distance can be constructed, we find that greater cultural differences between the United States and a trading partner reduces state-level exports to that country. This result holds for aggregate exports, cultural and noncultural products exports as well, but with significantly different magnitudes. Immigrants are found to exert a pro-export effect that partially offsets the trade-inhibiting effects of cultural distance.
Effects of shock on mirror reinforced behavior of better splendens

Mirror-reinforced operant behavior of male Siamese Fighting Fish was suppressed when shocks were presented immediately following the response (concurrent with mirror onset). Operant response rate increased when shock was presented at mirror-offset (30 sec following the operant) or when shocks were presented on a VI3 schedule noncontingent on the animal’s behavior. It was suggested that shock with mirror-offset and noncontingent shock increase the effectiveness of mirror reinforcement and the opportunity to engage in aggressive display, while shock with mirror onset punishes the operant.
Acantharians and marine barite

Formation of marine barite (BaSO4) concurrent with dissolution of acantharian celestite (Sr/Ba, SO4) was examined under laboratory conditions in this work. Acantharian cysts, composed of barium-enriched celestite (Ba/Sr mole fraction ∼0.003), were allowed to react for 21–158 days in small volumes of natural seawater (20 to 100 μl) sealed within Teflon tubes. In 17 trials, three experiments yielded single barite particles, and one experiment produced barite overgrowth on a siliceous particle. These observations are consistent with a barite formation pathway in which acantharian dissolution within microenvironments leads to BaSO4 supersaturation and subsequent barite formation. This work supports the significance of Acantharia as one potential source of strontium-rich barite particles that are ubiquitous in the oceanic water column.
Evaluation of overlap matrix elements by the transformation method (HEG)

Abstract A method is developed and tested for calculation of overlap matrix elements of the form 〈 g(x) ⋎ψ v 〉, where ψ v is a one-dimensional oscillator eigenfunction calculated using the transformation method. The HEG approximation is used to write these integrals in terms of g ( x j ), where x j is an eigenvalue of the x -matrix. The method is shown to be highly accurate for several test functions, g ( x ). Application of this method to the evaluation of overlap matrix elements in multi-coupled oscillator systems is discussed.
phiC31 integrase confers genomic integration and long-term transgene expression in rat retina.

Purpose Gene therapy has shown promise in animal models of retinal disease, with the most success achieved to date with viral vectors used for gene delivery. Viral vectors, however, have side effects and limitations and are difficult to manufacture. The present study was conducted in an attempt to develop a novel system for long-term gene transfer in rat retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), by using nonviral transfection methods for gene transfer and the integrase from the bacteriophage phiC31 to confer long-term gene expression by means of genomic integration. Methods Efficient nonviral delivery of plasmid DNA to rat RPE in vivo was achieved by using subretinal injection of plasmid DNA, followed by in situ electroporation. Gene delivery was evaluated by analyzing enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression in frozen sections. In subsequent experiments, a plasmid expressing luciferase, with or without a plasmid encoding the phiC31 integrase, was delivered to rat RPE. Luciferase expression was followed over time by using in vivo luciferase imaging. Results Subretinal injection followed by electroporation yielded abundant transgene expression in the rat RPE. Expression was strongest 48 hours after delivery. In the absence of phiC31 integrase, transgene expression declined to near-background levels within 3 to 4 weeks after treatment. By contrast, coinjection of the integrase plasmid led to long-term stable transgene expression throughout the 4.5-month test period. Eyes injected with phiC31 integrase showed approximately 85-fold higher long-term transgene expression in the retina than eyes without integrase. Conclusions Subretinal injection of DNA followed by electroporation affords abundant transfer of plasmid DNA in rat RPE. phiC31 integrase confers robust long-term transgene expression by mediating genomic integration of the transgene. These findings suggest that phiC31 integrase may be a simple and effective tool for nonviral long-term gene transfer in the eye.
Semilinear tower of Steiner systems

Abstract We use a sequence of discrete Steiner systems to, simultaneously, answer a question on the classification of infinite Jordan groups and generalize a remark of Cameron on the construction of Steiner systems with given symmetry properties. The question on classification is whether there is a concrete example of a Jordan group which preserves a limit of Steiner sytems.
Mass spectrometric analysis of catechol-histidine adducts from insect cuticle.

Adducts of catechols and histidine, which are produced by reactions of 1,2-quinones and p-quinone methides with histidyl residues in proteins incorporated into the insect exoskeleton, were characterized using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESMS), tandem electrospray mass spectrometry (ESMS-MS, collision-induced dissociation), and ion trap mass spectrometry (ITMS). Compounds examined included adducts obtained from acid hydrolysates of Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm) pupal cuticle exuviae and products obtained from model reactions under defined conditions. The ESMS and ITMS spectra of 6-(N-3')-histidyldopamine [6-(N-3')-His-DA, pi isomer] isolated from M. sexta cuticle were dominated by a [M + H]+ ion at m/z 308, rather than the expected m/z 307. High-resolution fast atom bombardment MS yielded an empirical formula of C14H18N3O5, which was consistent with this compound being 6-(N-1')-histidyl-2-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol [6-(N-1')-His-DOPET] instead of a DA adduct. Similar results were obtained when histidyl-catechol compounds linked at C-7 of the catechol were examined; the (N-1') isomer was confirmed as a DA adduct, and the (N-3') isomer identified as an (N-1')-DOPET derivative. Direct MS analysis of unfractionated cuticle hydrolysate revealed intense parent and product ions characteristic of 6- and 7-linked adducts of histidine and DOPET. Mass spectrometric analysis of model adducts synthesized by electrochemical oxidative coupling of N-acetyldopamine (NADA) quinone and N-acetylhistidine (NAcH) identified the point of attachment in the two isomers. A prominent product ion corresponding to loss of CO2 from [M + H]+ of 2-NAcH-NADA confirmed this as being the (N-3') isomer. Loss of (H2O + CO) from 6-NAcH-NADA suggested that this adduct was the (N-1') isomer. The results support the hypothesis that insect cuticle sclerotization involves the formation of C-N cross-links between histidine residues in cuticular proteins, and both ring and side-chain carbons of three catechols: NADA, N-beta-alanyldopamine, and DOPET.
Getting Physical: Subverting Gender through Self-Defense

This article presents ethnographic research on a women's self-defense course and proposes that socially available gender narratives of white femininity are potentially disempowering and victimizing...
Some observations on a patient with an ileostomy bearing on the diagnosis of “irritable colon”

The case which has been reported had always suffered from periodic attacks associated with systemic and gastro-intestinal symptoms. Later, he developed a chronic ulcerative colitis for which an ileostomy was performed. Following the operation he did not experience gastro-intestinal symptoms with these attacks although he could recognize that the small intestine was misbehaving. These observations suggest that the disturbance in some patients with a so-called “irritable colon” may reside in the small intestine.
Synthesis of cationic oxorhenium salen complexes via mu-oxo abstraction and their activity in catalytic reductions.

Cationic oxorhenium salen complexes are prepared by the abstraction of bridging oxo ligands with [Et3Si][B(C6F5)4] and [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4]. These complexes catalyze the reduction of 2-butanone with Et...
Dietary Compensation by Humans for Supplemental Energy Provided as Ethanol or Carbohydrate in Fluids

Dietary compensation for energy provided as ethanol is reportedly limited. Whether this is a function of the ethanol or other aspect of the medium in which it is ingested is not known. Eight male and eight female adults ingested 1.08 liters of beer (5.0% ethanol w/v, 1891kJ), light beer (2.9% ethanol w/v, 1197kJ), no-alcohol beer (0.1% ethanol w/v, 816kJ), cola (1749kJ) or carbonated water (0kJ) every 3-4 days with a midday meal. Diet records were kept the preceding day and day of beverage ingestion. Energy intake was significantly higher each day an energy-bearing beverage was consumed relative to its preceding day. A literature review revealed dietary compensation for modifications of energy intake via fluids is less precise than when solid foods are manipulated. These findings demonstrate dietary adjustment for energy derived from ethanol is imprecise, but also indicate energy from carbohydrate elicits little dietary response when ingested in a beverage.
Virtual director: automating a webcast

This paper presents a system designed to automate the production of webcasts, the Virtual Director. It automates simple tasks such as control of recording equipment, stream broadcasting, and camera control. It also automates content decisions, such as which camera view to broadcast. Directors can specify the content decisions using an automation specification language. The Virtual Director also uses a question monitor service to automatically identify questions and move the cameras to show the audience member asking the question. We discuss the implementation of the Virtual Director and present the results of its use in the production of a university seminar series.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Washington State

Objective: To determine whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased adverse obstetric or neonatal outcomes. Study design and setting: Washington State birth records and hospital discharge data between 1987 and 2001 identified a cohort of women with rheumatoid arthritis and a comparison group of women without rheumatoid arthritis. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were compared using general linear models for common outcomes, calculating approximate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. Results: There were 243 women with rheumatoid arthritis and 2559 controls. Infants of women with rheumatoid arthritis had increased risk of cesarean delivery (adjusted approximate relative risk, aRR=1.66, 95% CI (1.22, 2.26)), prematurity (aRR=1.78, 95% CI (1.21, 2.60)), and longer birth hospitalization (aRR=1.86, 95% CI (1.32, 2.60)) compared to those born to women without rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusions: We speculate that the increased risks for cesarean delivery, prematurity, and longer hospitalization at birth among infants born to women with rheumatoid arthritis may be due to the pathophysiologic changes associated with rheumatoid arthritis or medications used to treat the disease.
Challenges in any characterization of the radio refractivity structure of the marine boundary layer

It is a well-known property of the marine boundary layer (MBL) that refractive structure within this layer can significantly impact the propagation of radio frequency (RF) waves. This has implications for radio communications and radar system design in the UHF, SHF and EHF frequency bands (roughly 300 MHz to 100 GHz).
Menstrual Cycle Characteristics and History of Ovulatory Infertility in Relation to Breast Cancer Risk in a Large Cohort of US Women

Menstrual cycle characteristics and ovulatory infertility were evaluated in relation to breast cancer risk among 116,678 women in the Nurses' Health Study II, a prospective cohort study of female registered nurses who were aged 25-42 years and living in 14 US states at enrollment in 1989. During 396,299 person-years of follow-up between return of the baseline questionnaire and June 1993, 251 cases of breast cancer were identified in this cohort. The multivariate relative risk (RR) associated with age at menarche > 13 years compared with age 39 days or too irregular for estimation of a usual cycle length, 0.41 (0.18-0.94). The multivariate relative risk associated with a history of ovulatory infertility, compared with no such history, was 0.41 (95% CI 0.18-0.93). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that reduced exposure to ovulatory menstrual cycles provides a protective effect against breast cancer.
Endogenous growth in a life-cycle model: the role of population growth and taxation.

The building of a model is attempted treating human capital as a promoter of growth and determinant of life-cycle profile of earnings and labor supply by extending the simulation model of Auerbach and Kotlikoff (AK) that dealt with the economic impact of US fiscal policy changes. Sensitivity analysis of human capital technology indicates sensible rates of growth per capita of .1-1.9% capital-income ratio of 3.7-5.5% interest rates of 4.6-6.8% and a savings rate of 6.1-10.8% (high compared with the AK model). Distribution of time endowment over the life cycle of the individual is 30% at the start of adult life decreasing to zero by age 36. Work time increases from 20% to peak at the age of 36 declining thereafter. Leisure stays even early in life decreasing subsequently. Full retirement occurs 3 years before death but partial retirement takes place much earlier. Human capital technology generates early investment in training followed up by increased or decreased amount of work time. The exogenous rate of population growth and the endogenous rate of per capita income growth is in an inverse relationship. Increased population growth disturbs the equilibrium of capital intensity wages interest rate and optimum level of training for the individual. Consumption and income taxation have no effect on the return of human capital compared with physical capital. The rate of growth is higher when human capital is subsidized and physical capital income is taxed more. Evidence from developing countries also indicates that higher savings rates produce higher growth. Taxation that favors savings and capital accumulation reduces per capita growth via the tax burden on labor making investment in training human capital less attractive. Thus a taxation policy that favors human capital investment over physical capital investment over physical capital investment induces higher household investment in such training with a positive impact on long term per capita growth rate.
Randomized controlled trial of brief alcohol screening and intervention for college students for heavy-drinking mandated and volunteer undergraduates: 12-month outcomes.

This is the first randomized trial testing whether heavy drinking undergraduates mandated to the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) program following a campus alcohol violation would benefit as much as heavy drinking volunteers up to one year post-intervention using high-risk control groups to model disciplinary-related and naturalistic changes in drinking. Participants (61% male; 51% mandated; 84% Caucasian; Mage = 20.14 years) were screened for heavy drinking and randomized to BASICS (n = 115) or control (n = 110). Outcome measures collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention included the Daily Drinking Questionnaire and Rutgers Alcohol Problem Inventory. At 4 weeks post-intervention, intent-to-treat multilevel longitudinal models showed that regardless of referral group (mandated or volunteer) BASICS significantly decreased weekly drinking, typical drinks, and peak drinks relative to controls (ds = .41-.92). Decreases in alcohol problems were of large effect size (d = .87). At 12 months post-intervention, BASICS participants (regardless of referral group) reported significantly fewer alcohol problems (d = .56) compared to controls. Significant intervention gains for peak drinks and typical drinks were sustained in both referral groups relative to controls (ds = .42; .11). Referral group had no significant main effect and did not interact with intervention condition to predict outcomes. BASICS was associated with less drinking and fewer alcohol problems, even among heavier drinking mandated students up to one year post-intervention. Provision of BASICS-style programs within disciplinary settings may help reduce heavy drinking and alcohol problems among at-risk students.
Evaluating Scientific Content: Misinformation About Insects in a Popular Children's Movie

An evaluation of the scientific content in a popular children’s movie about bees provides an opportunity for discussion about the sources and consequences of scientific misconceptions.
Circumcision 6 “S” Comfort Care

Newborn Care Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program It is well documented that infants experience pain when undergoing circumcision. Infants' nerve pathways are developed enough to allow them to feel pain but not mature enough to interpret noxious stimuli and react. Pain scales help caregivers infer what the infant may be experiencing but most still feel the newborn has some degree of discomfort. Efforts have been made to minimize the pain felt during circumcision by using injected or topical lidocaine anesthetic and allowing the infant to suck sucrose on a pacifier or gloved finger during the procedure. The amount of wait time from injection to circumcision many times is at the discretion of the physician. The purpose of this project was to develop a means to decrease the discomfort of circumcision. A review of the literature revealed additional interventions nurses could do to improve the care given to infants during the procedure. Proposed Change It seems that combining several modalities of comfort, thus using the sensory saturation theory, is the best practice to address procedural pain in the term infant. Merging current care practices with a few additional measures found in the literature resulted in the Circumcision 6 "S" Comfort Care program. The six measures were each given a word that begins with the letter "s." A poster was displayed in the circumcision area as a visual reminder of the steps and the order of implementation for maximum benefit. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation The six "S" measures include the following: (1) Swaddle, facilitated tucking promotes body self-regulation and assists in modulating physical response, (2) Shade, the infant's cap is used to shade his/her eyes from bright light, (3) Sucrose produces analgesia through endogenous opioid and nonopioid pathways, (4) Sucking, synergistic effect with sucrose provides soothing, (5) Syringe, dorsal nerve penile block or ring block blunt behavioral and physiological pain response, and (6) Stop, a timer is set for 3 to 5 minutes wait time so all participants are aware of the elapsed time after a lidocaine injection. At the conclusion of the project, 58% of the circumcised infants displayed crying during the procedure, after, or both. This compares to 68% of the infants crying before initiating the program. The 30-minute postprocedure, mean Newborn Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) score went from 1.3 before the project to 0.85 after the project. Implications for Nursing Practice Now nurses who assist with circumcisions feel they play a pivotal role in consistently helping infants manage pain.
A Real-Valued Parallel Clonal Selection Algorithm and Its Application to the Design Optimization of Multi-Layered Frequency Selective Surfaces

A parallelized real-valued clonal selection algorithm (CLONALG) is successfully implemented in this paper utilizing message passing interface (MPI) to reduce the computational burden of a large clone pool. CLONALG is one of the many branches of Artificial Immune System (AIS) algorithms with unique inherent properties that make it a very efficient optimization techniques for multimodal problems such as the ones commonly encountered in computational electromagnetic design. As a demonstration of its effectiveness, a numerical study is carried out with known benchmark functions along with the optimization of multi-layered frequency selective surface (FSS) filters in the X-band. Our results show that the CLONALG can consistently outperform a standard GA implementation particularly in multi-modal optimization problems.
Teaching Sign Language to a Chimpanzee

Speciation often involves the evolution of incompatible gene interactions that cause sterility or lethality in hybrids between populations. These so-called hybrid incompatibilities occur between two or more functionally divergent loci. We show that the nucleoporin 160kDa (Nup160) gene of the fruitfly Drosophila simulans is incompatible with one or more factors on the D. melanogaster X chromosome, causing hybrid lethality. Nup160 encodes a nuclear pore complex protein and shows evidence of adaptive evolution. Furthermore, the protein encoded by Nup160 directly interacts with that of another hybrid lethality gene, Nup96, indicating that at least two lethal hybrid incompatibility genes have evolved as byproducts of divergent coevolution among interacting components of the Drosophila nuclear pore complex.
Demographic and infection characteristics of patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in a community hospital: Development of a bedside clinical score for risk assessment.

Background The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with the presence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections to develop a clinical prediction model that can be used at patient bedside to identify subjects likely infected with a CRE pathogen. Methods This case-control study included patients aged ≥18 years admitted to Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2013, with CRE infections (cases) or non-CRE infections (controls). Controls were matched to their corresponding resistant case (3:1) based on pathogen, place of likely acquisition, isolate source, year of admission, and level of care. A risk prediction model was developed using variables independently associated with CRE isolation. Sensitivities and specificities were obtained at various point cutoffs, and a determination of the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) was performed. Results A total of 164 subjects were included. Independent risk factors for CRE included recent antibiotic therapy, recent immunosuppression, and Charlson Comorbidity Index score ≥4. Adjusted odds ratios were 13.37 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.16-61.19), 6.69 (95% CI, 1.85-29.65), and 3.30 (95% CI, 1.34-8.40), respectively. Diagnostic performance of various score cutoffs for the model indicated a score ≥5 correlated with the highest accuracy (79%). The ROC AUC was 0.83. Conclusion The risk prediction model displayed good discrimination and was an excellent predictor of CRE infection.
Universal properties of the electromagnetic interactions of spin-one systems.

The dominance of helicity-conserving amplitudes in gauge theory is shown to imply universal ratios for the charge, magnetic, and quadrupole form factors of spin-one bound states: {ital G}{sub {ital C}}({ital Q}{sup 2}):{ital G}{sub {ital M}}({ital Q}{sup 2}):{ital G}{sub {ital Q}}({ital Q}{sup 2})=(1{minus}2/3{eta}):2:{minus}1. These ratios hold at large spacelike or timelike momentum transfer in the case of composite systems such as the {rho} or deuteron in QCD. They are also the ratios predicted for the electromagnetic couplings of the {ital W}{sup {plus minus}} for all {ital Q}{sup 2} in the standard model at the tree level. In the case of the deuteron, the leading-twist perturbative QCD predictions are valid at {ital Q}{sup 2}={vert bar}{ital q}{sup 2}1{much gt}{Lambda}{sub QCD}{ital M{ital d}}, but do not require the kinematical ratio {eta}={ital Q}{sup 2}/4{ital M}{sub {ital d}}{sup 2} to be large. These results provide new all-angle predictions for the leading power behavior of the tensor polarization {ital T}{sub 20}({ital Q}{sup 2},{theta}) and the invariant ratio {ital B}({ital Q}{sup 2})/{ital A}({ital Q}{sup 2}). We also use a generalization of the Drell-Hearn-Gerasimov sum rule to show that the magnetic and quadrupole moments of any composite spin-one system take on the canonical values {mu}={ital e}/{ital M} and {italmore » Q}={minus}{ital e}/{ital M}{sup 2} in the strong binding limit of the zero bound-state radius or infinite excitation energy. This allows new empirical constraints on the possible internal structure of the {ital Z}{sup 0} and {ital W}{sup {plus minus}} vector bosons. Simple gauge-invariant and -covariant models and null zone theory are used to illustrate these results. Complications that arise when the Breit frame is used for form-factor analyses are also pointed out.« less
Translingual visual speech synthesis

Audio-driven facial animation is an interesting and evolving technique for human-computer interaction. Based on an incoming audio stream, a face image is animated with full lip synchronization. This requires a speech recognition system in the language in which audio is provided to get the time alignment for the phonetic sequence of the audio signal. However, building a speech recognition system is data intensive and is a very tedious and time consuming task. We present a novel scheme to implement a language independent system for audio-driven facial animation given a speech recognition system for just one language, in our case, English. The method presented here can also be used for text to audio-visual speech synthesis.
Are Analogue Insulins Superior to Human Insulin in Clinical Practice

Insulin analogues were designed to provide more physiologic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties compared with human insulin. This article examines the literature over a 2-year period, focusing on studies directly comparing analogue and human insulin in controlled clinical trials and large observational studies documenting the introduction of, or change to, analogue insulin in clinical practice. Findings indicate that analogues provide objective benefits that include improved glycemic control, lower risk of hypoglycemia, lower glucose variability, and (for insulin detemir) reduced weight gain. Recent data with analogues also explore their safety and efficacy in special patient groups such as children and adolescents. These data complement increasing evidence that analogues offer improved acceptability and accessibility to people with diabetes.
Simultaneous mapping of membrane voltage and calcium in zebrafish heart in vivo reveals chamber-specific developmental transitions in ionic currents.

The cardiac action potential (AP) and the consequent cytosolic Ca2+ transient are key indicators of cardiac function. Natural developmental processes, as well as many drugs and pathologies change the waveform, propagation, or variability (between cells or over time) of these parameters. Here we apply a genetically encoded dual-function calcium and voltage reporter (CaViar) to study the development of the zebrafish heart in vivo between 1.5 and 4 days post fertilization (dpf). We developed a high-sensitivity spinning disk confocal microscope and associated software for simultaneous three-dimensional optical mapping of voltage and calcium. We produced a transgenic zebrafish line expressing CaViar under control of the heart-specific cmlc2 promoter, and applied ion channel blockers at a series of developmental stages to map the maturation of the action potential in vivo. Early in development, the AP initiated via a calcium current through L-type calcium channels. Between 90 – 102 hours post fertilization (hpf), the ventricular AP switched to a sodium-driven upswing, while the atrial AP remained calcium driven. In the adult zebrafish heart, a sodium current drives the AP in both the atrium and ventricle. Simultaneous voltage and calcium imaging with genetically encoded reporters provides a new approach for monitoring cardiac development, and the effects of drugs on cardiac function.
Cognitive Arithmetic and Problem Solving A Comparison of Children with Specific and General Mathematics Difficulties

This study examined problem-solving and number-fact skills in two subgroups of third-grade children with mathematics difficulties (MD): MD-specific (n = 12) and MD-general (n = 12). The MD-specific group had difficulties in mathematics but not in reading, and the MD-general group had difficulties in reading as well as in mathematics. A comparison group of nonimpaired children (n = 24) also was included. The findings showed that on both story and number-fact problems, the MD-specific group performed worse than the nonimpaired group in timed conditions but not in untimed conditions. The MD-general group, on the other hand, performed worse than the nonimpaired group, regardless of whether tasks were timed or not. An analysis of children's strategies in untimed conditions showed that both the MD-specific and the MD-general groups relied more on backup strategies than the nonimpaired group. However, children in the MD-specific group executed backup strategies more skillfully than children in the MD-general group, allowing them to achieve parity with children in the nonimpaired group when tasks were not timed. The findings suggest that children with specific MD have circumscribed deficits associated with fact retrieval, whereas children with general MD have more basic delays associated with problem conceptualization and execution of calculation procedures.
Red Cell Membrane Protein Changes Caused by Freezing and the Mechanism of Cryoprotection by Glycerol

Membranes isolated from frozen-thawed erythrocytes and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate have significantly decreased band six, which is the glycolytic enzyme, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The total membrane protein and sialic acid contents of these membranes are also significantly decreased. The red blood cell membrane protein abnormality is reproduced by suspending membranes in NaCl solutions of increasing molarity. Glycerol prevents the elution of band six in NaCl solutions less than 0.2 M and ameliorates it in solutions of higher ionic strength. When intact cells are suspended in hypertonic salt solution, there is no elution of band six, indicating that exposure of the inner surface of the membrane to toxic concentrations of solutes results in this elution. The data indicate that freezing with its associated hypertonicity induces a specific membrane change which is ameliorated by the addition of glycerol.
The Failure of Rat Hypothalamic Tissues to Take up Labeled Insulin in Vivo or to Respond to Insulin in Vitro

We have tested the hypothesis that insulin affects the metabolism of the hypothalamus by examining the uptake of labeled insulin by rat brain structures in vivo and the responsiveness of the metabolism of rat brain to the addition of insulin in vitro. The uptake of immunoprecipitable [125I]- iodoinsulin by ventral medial, lateral and far lateral segments of hypothalamus, median eminence, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex was compared to that of two insulin-sensitive tissues, pituitary and heart muscle. Of the brain tissues only median eminence, in the region of the primary plexus, displayed significant uptake over background. Heart muscle displayed an uptake of insulin 3 times greater than median eminence and 10 to 20 times greater than the brain tissues. The uptake, oxidation and formation of lipid from [14C]glucose in slices of anterior and posterior hypothalamus and cortical grey matter failed to respond to insulin in vitro while diaphragm muscle from the same rats responded to insulin under identical...
Defining surfaces for skewed, highly variable data

Skewness of environmental data is often caused by more than simply a handful of outliers in an otherwise normal distribution. Statistical procedures for such datasets must be sufficiently robust to deal with distributions that are strongly non-normal, containing both a large proportion of outliers and a skewed main body of data. In the field of water quality, skewness is commonly associated with large variation over short distances. Spatial analysis of such data generally requires either considerable effort at modeling or the use of robust procedures not strongly affected by skewness and local variability. Using a skewed dataset of 675 nitrate measurements in ground water, commonly used methods for defining a surface (least-squares regression and kriging) are compared to a more robust method (loess). Three choices are critical in defining a surface: (i) is the surface to be a central mean or median surface? (ii) is either a well-fitting transformation or a robust and scale-independent measure of center used? (iii) does local spatial autocorrelation assist in or detract from addressing objectives? Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Closing the gap between exposure and effects in monitoring studies

A major challenge to contaminant monitoring programs is the selection of an ap- propriate suite of measurements for assessing exposure and effects. Early monitoring pro- grams relied solely on residue analysis to detect the organochlorine compounds that were in use at that time. A shift to the use of more transient, less persistent chemicals required that a new set of tools be developed to determine if an organism had been exposed. This led to the development of cellular and biochemical assays that could indicate the presence of these types of chemicals in biota and the environment. However, it was recognized that measures of contaminant presence alone were insufficient to assess the health of biota. As a result, con- siderable research began to be directed toward development of diagnostic tools for measur- ing chemical effects in fish and wildlife. Today, contaminant monitoring programs follow a paradigm for study design that emphasizes not only the use of measures of exposure, but also measures of effect. Using data from our monitoring and research studies for hormonally active substances, we discuss a variety of metrics of exposure and effects and their application to specific chem- icals, and the current information gaps. We conclude that although several bioindicators of exposure and effect have been promoted and used, to date there continues to be a poor asso- ciation between cause and effect for endocrine active substances. In part, this is due to the limited number of diagnostic tools that are available and to a lack of basic toxicological in- formation concerning toxicokinetics and mechanisms of action of hormonally active chemi- cals in fish and wildlife species. In the foreseeable future, both tissue and environmental residue data, despite the many limitations, will continue to be an important component of monitoring programs for hormonally active chemicals as we continue to develop and validate more specific bioindicators of exposure and effects.
Satisfaction With Work-Life Benefits and Organizational Commitment/Job Involvement Is There a Connection?

Given that an employee’s personal responsibilities can have an effect on their work, one method increasingly used by government agencies to improve performance has been to offer programs that assis...
Discovery of Heterodera filipjevi in Washington and Comparative Virulence with H. avenae on Wheat

Abstract The cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae suppresses wheat production in the western United States. A second species of cereal cyst nematode, H. filipjevi, was identified in eastern Oregon during 2008. This paper reports the discovery of H. filipjevi–infested fields in eastern Washington, thereby extending the known distribution of H. filipjevi in the United States. The identity of H. filipjevi was determined and confirmed by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), sequencing, and cyst morphology. Soils that were collected from naturally infested fields in Washington were used to compare the virulence of H. avenae and H. filipjevi on six spring wheat cultivars under controlled-environment conditions. Noninfested soils from nearby fields were used as controls. Cultivars Ouyen and WB Rockland were resistant to H. avenae and susceptible to H. filipjevi. Cultivars Sonmez and SY Steelhead were resistant to H. filipjevi and susceptible to ...
Effect of Tendon Vibration on Hemiparetic Arm Stability in Unstable Workspaces

Sensory stimulation of wrist musculature can enhance stability in the proximal arm and may be a useful therapy aimed at improving arm control post-stroke. Specifically, our prior research indicates tendon vibration can enhance stability during point-to-point arm movements and in tracking tasks. The goal of the present study was to investigate the influence of forearm tendon vibration on endpoint stability, measured at the hand, immediately following forward arm movements in an unstable environment. Both proximal and distal workspaces were tested. Ten hemiparetic stroke subjects and 5 healthy controls made forward arm movements while grasping the handle of a two-joint robotic arm. At the end of each movement, the robot applied destabilizing forces. During some trials, 70 Hz vibration was applied to the forearm flexor muscle tendons. 70 Hz was used as the stimulus frequency as it lies within the range of optimal frequencies that activate the muscle spindles at the highest response rate. Endpoint position, velocity, muscle activity and grip force data were compared before, during and after vibration. Stability at the endpoint was quantified as the magnitude of oscillation about the target position, calculated from the power of the tangential velocity data. Prior to vibration, subjects produced unstable, oscillating hand movements about the target location due to the applied force field. Stability increased during vibration, as evidenced by decreased oscillation in hand tangential velocity.
Same-occupation spouses: preferences or search costs?

Married individuals match with spouses who share their occupation more frequently than should happen by chance if marriage markets are large frictionless search markets covering a particular geographic area. This suggests that either there is a preference for same-occupation matches or that search costs are lower within occupation. This paper uses 2008–2015 data from the American Community Survey to analyze same-occupation matching among a sample of recently married couples. Our empirical strategy compares the difference in wages between same-occupation husbands and different-occupation husbands across occupations with different percent male workers. Under a preference explanation, this difference should become less negative as the share of males in the occupation increases. Under a search cost explanation, this difference should become more negative as the share of males increases. Our results are consistent with the search cost explanation. Furthermore, using an occupation-specific index of workplace communication, we demonstrate that the results are most consistent with the search cost mechanism for occupations with a greater degree of workplace communication. Finally, we show that matching on field of degree for couples in which both spouses have a college degree is also consistent with the search cost explanation.
Sex hormones and the risk of keratinocyte cancers among women in the United States: A population‐based case‐control study

Men are at a higher risk of developing both squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) than women, but there is emerging evidence that women may be experiencing greater increases in the incidence rates of these malignancies than men. One possible explanation is the expanding use of sex steroids among women, although only a few studies have examined this hypothesis. As part of a population-based, case-control study of women in New Hampshire, USA, we sought to evaluate the risk of SCC, BCC, and early-onset BCC in relation to exogenous and endogenous sex hormones. We found that oral contraceptive (OC) use was associated with an increased risk of SCC (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1-1.8) and BCC (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.0-1.8), particularly high estrogen dose (>50 mg) OC use. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use also related to SCC, with an elevated OR largely for progestin use (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1-1.8). Additionally, both OC use and combination HRT use were associated with more aggressive BCC subtypes. In contrast, menstrual and reproductive history did not appear to influence keratinocyte cancer risk in our data. Our findings provide evidence that use of sex steroids may enhance risk of keratinocyte cancer.
Structural, organizational, and interpersonal factors influencing interprofessional collaboration on sexual assault response teams

Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) are multidisciplinary teams that coordinate multiple systems (e.g., medical, law enforcement, prosecutors, and rape crisis center advocates) to provide comprehensive care to victims and to collect high-quality forensic evidence to facilitate investigation and prosecution. Relatively little guidance is provided about effective teamwork strategies in resources on forming SARTs. Using in-depth surveys with the SART coordinators and telephone surveys (including close-ended and open-ended questions) with 79 professionals involved in three active, formal SARTs in one state, this study examined structural, organizational, and interpersonal factors that influence interprofessional collaboration on SART. Study findings indicate that perceived structural factors and interpersonal factors were significantly associated with SART members'/responders' perceptions of the quality of interprofessional collaboration on their SART. Findings suggest that individuals' perceptions of professionalization and power disparities between professions pose challenges to perceived interprofessional collaboration on SART. Compared with criminal justice and medical professionals, victim advocacy rated the level of collaboration on their SART significantly lower. The overall picture from the data was that SART professionals perceived mutual respect, trust, and commitment to collaboration to be pervasive on their SARTs, even though recognition of professional conflicts was also prevalent, suggesting that professionals understood that interpersonal conflict was distinct from professional conflict. Initial SART trainings should address the benefits of the team response, professional roles, and communication and conflict resolution skills, and ongoing training should provide professionals the opportunity to raise positive and negative examples of their collaborative efforts to explore existing tensions and constraints on the team for conflict resolution.
Selectivity of Insecticides to the Spined Soldier Bug (Heteroptera: Pentatornidae) and Its Lepidopterous Prey

This study determined toxicities of 13 insecticides representing three classes to a prey-predator complex consisting of spined soldier bug ( Podisus maculiventris (Say)) and its lepidopterous prey, velvetbean caterpillar ( Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hubner)), fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)), and corn earworm ( Heliothis zea (Boddie)). The stink bug was generally more susceptible to organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides but was more tolerant of pyrethroids such as permethrin, cypermethrin, and fenvalerate compared with its prey. The organophosphate tetrachlorvinphos had no apparent toxicity to the stink bug at concentrations ≤100 µg per insect but was very toxic to some of the prey. Reasons for the selective toxicities are suggested and discussed.