cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Pursuit Of Symmetry In Wide-Angle Reflective Optical Designs

The design of wide-angle reflective optical systems has been to a large degree a pursuit of symmetry. Major systems developed in the 1970s can be broken down as modular design combinations of three classical systems--Schmidt, Schwarzschild, and Baker. These configurations are based on the following four constructional principles: 1) aperture stop and correction at the center of curvature of a spherical mirror, 2) confocality of two parabolic mirrors working at infinite conjugates, 3) concentric mirrors, 4) polar strip field coverage. Five notable wide-angle reflective systems developed in '70s are: 1) Two-Axis Baker, 2) Hughes WALRUS, 3) Honeywell Wide-Angle Conical Scanner, 4) Perkin-Elmer Ring Telescope, 5) Corrected Schwarzschild.
Thermal sensitivity of ingestion and digestion in larvae of a eurythermal chironomid

AbstractIn northern California rivers, rapid population growth of the chironomid Pseudochironomus richardsoni is associated with macroalgal blooms and with the warm temperatures and abundance of diatoms found in algal mats. Radioisotope techniques, including the dual-label method, were used to measure larval ingestion and digestion of diatoms in the laboratory. The epiphytic diatoms used in these studies had a low C:N ratio (6.4) and organic matter content (31%) compared to other potential food resources of larvae in nature. Mean individual ingestion rates increased 6-fold, from 0.0443 mg/d to 0.265 mg/d (dry mass), over a temperature range from 5° to 30°C. Ingestion increased most rapidly between 5° and 15°C but showed a weak relation to temperature from 15° to 30°C. In contrast to ingestion rate, absorption efficiency of larvae was independent of temperature over a 20°C range and averaged 32%. This result was surprising because absorption efficiency should decrease when gut passage time is reduced. Thes...
Intrinsic mutagenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: A quantitative structure activity study based upon molecular shape analysis

Abstract The mutagenic potencies of 30 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, (PAHs) were quantitatively related to the physicochemical properties of the parent structures. The goal of the work was to identify how much information regarding overall mutagenicity of PAHs reside in the unmetabolized structures. Quantitative structure activity relationships (QSARs) were established between measured mutagenic potency and two molecular properties: (1) ΔE, the difference in energy between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), and, (2) molecular shape, as measured by common overlap steric volumes between pairs of PAHs. Mutagenic potency can be predicted with an average error of about ±11% for these 30 PAHs. It appears that the physicochemical properties of a parent PAH dictate much of the mutagenic behavior ultimately realized through metabolic activation. Consequently, QSARs developed for the parent PAHs might serve as reliable empirical guides in ranking mutagenic potency.
Setting Program Standards for New York State's Periodic Medical Review

This article describes the methodology used to develop program standardsfor a new periodic medical review/independent professional review (PMR/IPR) in New York State nursing homes. The new program consists of two stages: a first, cursory stage for the purpose of identifying patients to be subjected to a more thorough process review in the second stage. Program standards consist of(1) norms for the percentage of patients failing Stage I before a second stage is undertaken in a nursing home and (2) norms for the percentage of patients failing the second stage before the home is subject to corrective action. The actual standards that were developed are also presented.
Nonlinear Modeling Using Neural Networks for Trading the Soybean Complex

Abstract Recently, there has been a spike in the prices and popularity of commodities. On a macroeconomic level, developing countries are increasing production; while on a microeconomic level, speculative traders are becoming more involved in the market. Agricultural products have a diverse array of factors that can affect the price (i.e. political, government, population, weather, supply and demand). Commodity prices can suffer from extreme volatility in the short term, changing as much as 50% in one year. This research uses the soybean crush spread as a model. The soybean complex adds an interesting component as the underlying soybean product can be crushed into soymeal and soy oil. All three products (soybeans, soymeal, and soy oil) currently have contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The crush margin represents the profit margin a processor will receive from crushing the soybeans into the underlying products (soymeal and soy oil). This research adds to the literature of agricultural price forecasting models, using artificial intelligence and nonlinear modeling. The performance of different neural network architectures and inputs to discover desirable returns for both speculative trading and hedging are investigated.
Determination of 16 phthalate metabolites in urine using automated sample preparation and on-line preconcentration/high -performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

We developed an on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) method, coupled with isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) and with automated sample preparation, to simultaneously quantify 16 phthalate metabolites in human urine. The method requires a silica-based monolithic column for the initial preconcentration of the phthalate metabolites from the urine and a silica-based conventional analytical column for the chromatographic separation of the analytes of interest. It uses small amounts of urine (100 μL), is sensitive (limits of detection range from 0.11 to 0.90 ng/mL), accurate (spiked recoveries are ∼100%), and precise (the inter- and intraday coefficients of variation are <10%). The method is not labor intensive, and, because pretreatment of the urine samples was performed automatically using an HPLC autosampler, involves minimal sample handling, thus minimizing exposure to hazardous chemicals. The method was validated on spiked, pooled urine samples and...
Membrane Potential Measured During Potassium‐Evoked Release of Noradrenaline from Rat Brain Neurons: Effects of Normorphine

: A single slice of rat pons that contained the locus ceruleus (LC) or two slices of cerebellum were loaded with [3H]noradrenaline; superfusion with high (35 or 60 mM) potassium solutions evoked a release of 3H. In the presence of normorphine, the release of 3H evoked by 35 mM potassium and 60 mM potassium was reduced. In some of those experiments in which the release of 3H from the LC slice was measured, an intracellular microelectrode was used to measure membrane potential. This showed that solutions of increased potassium concentration depolarized the neurons to a potential at which inward calcium currents flowed (calcium action potentials occurred). Normorphine hyperpolarized the neurons; during this hyperpolarization the depolarization caused by 35 mM potassium did not reach the threshold for significant calcium entry. The results suggest that the inhibition by normorphine of transmitter release evoked by solutions of raised potassium concentration could result in part from the membrane hyperpolarization caused by the normorphine.
The Time-Course of Constructing Knowledge-Based Inferences for Scientific Texts

Abstract Causal antecedent and causal consequence inferences were measured during the comprehension of short scientific texts. In Experiment 1, the tests were presented via a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) procedure in conjunction with a lexical decision task. Subjects supplied lexical decision judgements on inference words, unrelated words, and nonwords at 540 or 1040 ms after the RSVP presentation of each sentence. Causal antecedent but not causal consequence inferences were encoded by both delay intervals. In Experiment 2, the subjects controlled the presentation rate of all words except the sentence-final words. In this case, causal antecedents were encoded by the 1040 ms delay but not by the 540 ms delay. The results were consistent with prior empirical research conducted on narrative text: readers generated inferences that supply casual coherence, but there was no evidence that readers generated elaborative expectations.
The interactive role of distress tolerance and borderline personality disorder in suicide attempts among substance users in residential treatment

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to examine the interactive effect of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and distress tolerance (DT) on suicidal behavior across levels of intent to die (clear vs ambiguous) and medical severity. One hundred seventy-six adult patients in residential substance use disorder treatment were administered a series of structured interviews, behavioral assessments, and self-report questionnaires. A series of analyses of covariance and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test hypotheses using both categorical and dimensional measures of BPD and DT. Analyses supported hypotheses, indicating that patients with BPD who exhibit high DT are at the greatest risk for engaging in chronic and medically serious suicidal behavior. Although high DT is unlikely to be inherently problematic, results suggest that within the context of severe psychopathology (eg, co-occurring BPD–substance use disorder), the ability to withstand aversive internal states in pursuit of a goal (eg, one's own death) may enable individuals to persist in otherwise unsustainable behavior. In this sense, DT may function in a manner consistent with the acquired capability for suicide (a component of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior defined by a diminished fear of death and enhanced tolerance for pain that, in the presence of suicidal desire, enables individuals to enact lethal self-injury).
Linkage disequilibrium, haplotype and association studies of a chromosome 4 GABA receptor gene cluster: candidate gene variants for addictions

Strong genetic contributions to individual differences in vulnerability to addictions are well supported by classical genetic studies. Linkage and association genome scans for addiction vulnerability have provided converging evidence for several chromosomal regions which are likely to harbor allelic variants that contribute to such vulnerability. We and others have delineated a candidate addiction-associated chromosome 4p12 “rSA3” region based on convergent data from association genome scanning studies in polysubstance abusers [Uhl et al. (2001); Am J Hum Genet 69(6):1290–1300], linkage-based studies in alcoholism [Long et al. (1998); Am J Med Genet 81(3):216–221; Reich et al. (1998); Am J Med Genet 81(3):207–215] and association-based studies for alcoholism and association-based studies for individual differences in electroencephalographic (EEG) spectral power phenotypes [Porjesz et al. (2002); Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99(6):3729–3733; Edenberg et al. (2004); Am J Hum Genet 74(4):705–714]. The rSA3 region contains interesting candidate genes that encode the alpha 2, alpha 4, beta 1, and gamma 1 receptor subunits for the principal brain inhibitory neurotransmitter, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) [Covault et al. (2004); Am J Med Genet Part B 129B:104–109; Edenberg et al. (2004); Am J Hum Genet 74(4):705–714; Lappalainen et al. (2005); Alcohol Clin Exp Res 29(4):493–498]. We now report assessment of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes in this region in three samples of substance abusers and controls. These results delineate the haplotypes and patterns of linkage disequilibrium in this region, focus attention of the GABRA2 gene and identify modest associations between GABRA2 genotypes and addiction phenotypes. These results are consistent with modest roles for GABRA2 variants in addiction vulnerabilities. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Zirconium and hafnium in meteorites

The abundances of zirconium and hafnium have been determined in nine stony meteorites by a new, precise neutron-activation technique. The Zr/Hf abundance ratios for the chondrites vary in a rather narrow range, consistent with previously published observations from our group. Replicate analyses of new, carefully selected clean interior samples of the Cl chondrite Orgueil yield mean zirconium and hafnium abundances of 5.2 and 0.10 ppm, respectively. These abundances are lower than we reported earlier for two Cl chondrite samples which we now suspect may have suffered contamination. The new Cl zirconium and hafnium abundances are in closer agreement with predictions based on theories of nucleosynthesis than the earlier data.
Information Shocks and Precautionary Saving

Abstract Skinner's [1988. Risky income, life cycle consumption, and precautionary savings. Journal of Monetary Economics 22, 237–255] second-order approximation to the consumption function under CRRA utility is generalized to accommodate any structure of uninsurable income risk. To second order, a future income shock will induce precautionary saving in the present that depends on the variance of the expectation of the income shock at each intervening period. However, the expected rate of consumption growth depends only on the currently perceived variance of the expected present value of future income. In a finite-horizon model, precautionary saving produces a hump-shaped lifecycle profile of mean consumption primarily because the variance of future income decreases with age, but the lifecycle dynamics of total wealth also affect the shape of the profile. For a Markov income process with autocorrelations on the order of 0.9 or less, the second-order approximation performs surprisingly well for common parameter choices from the literature, but it does poorly as the autocorrelation approaches 1.
The Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis is Greater in Morbidly Obese Men Compared to Women

Background: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a form of liver injury that is common in morbidly obese subjects. It has been shown that gender differences exist in the spectrum of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The focus of this study was to further characterize these gender differences based on ATP III criteria used to diagnose the metabolic syndrome (MS). Methods: We retrospectively assessed NAFLD 58 men and 307 women who underwent gastric bypass, for the presence of NASH, MS, and positive predictors of NASH. Results: There was no statistical difference in age, gender, or the presence of diabetes. The prevalence of NASH in men and women was 60.3% and 30.9%, respectively (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic analysis showed an association of male gender with NASH (2.7; 95% CI, 1.3-5.6, P=0.006) as well as age, AST, and diabetes. MS was diagnosed in 91.4% and 76.2% of men and women (P=0.008), and men tended to have more criteria for MS compared to women. The only positive predictor of MS that was statistically significant between genders was high triglycerides (P=0.003). Controlling for BMI and excess body weight produced similar results. Conclusions: Gender differences do exist within NAFLD and MS, that may be associated with free fatty acid flow to the liver.
Effects of corn-based diet starch content and corn particle size on lactation performance, digestibility, and bacterial protein flow in dairy cows

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dietary starch content in corn-based diets and corn particle size on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, and bacterial protein flow in dairy cows using the omasal and reticular sampling technique. Eight ruminally cannulated lactating multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were fine (FG; mean particle size=552µm) and coarse (CG; 1,270µm) ground dry shelled corn in normal- (NS) and reduced- (RS) starch diets fed as total mixed rations. The NS and RS rations contained 27 and 18% starch (dry matter basis), respectively, and were formulated by partially replacing corn with soy hull pellets. Mean dry matter intake was unaffected by treatment (23.2kg/d). Cows fed NS diets produced 1.9kg/d more milk and 0.06kg/d more milk protein compared with cows fed RS diets. Cows fed NSFG and RSCG diets produced more fat-corrected milk than did cows fed NSCG and RSFG diets. Milk urea concentration was decreased for cows fed NS diets (12.4mg/dL) compared with RS diets (13.5mg/dL). Ruminal digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF; % of NDF intake) determined by the omasal sampling technique was increased in cows fed RS diets compared with NS diets (43.4 vs. 34.9%), and total-tract digestibility of NDF (% of NDF intake) was increased in cows fed RS diets compared with those fed NS diets (50.1 vs. 43.1%). Ruminal digestibility of starch (% of starch intake) determined by the omasal sampling technique was greater in cows fed NS diets compared with those fed RS diets (85.6 vs. 81.6%). Total-tract starch digestion was increased in cows fed RS diets compared with those fed NS diets (96.9 vs. 94.6%) and in cows fed FG diets compared with those fed CG diets (98.0 vs. 93.5%). Bacterial protein flow was unaffected by treatment. The omasal and reticular sampling techniques resulted in similar treatment effects for nutrient flow and digestibility, although nutrient flow was lower and nutrient digestibility was greater in cows when sampled by the omasal technique compared with the reticular technique. Cows fed FG diets had greater ruminal propionate, lower acetate:propionate ratio, and lower pH. Feeding NS diets increased milk and protein yields and feeding finely ground corn increased ruminal propionate concentration.
Improved semi-automated analysis of procainamide and N-acetyl procainamide utilizing a totally volatile mobile phase.

A semi-automated technique has been devised for the analysis of the antirhythmic drugs, procainamlde (PA) and N-acetyl procainamide (NAPA) from human serum. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separations were performed by means of an autoinjector system In combination with a #Bondapak C18 column. A mobile phase containing only volatile buffers (e.g., tristhylamlne-acetic acid or N-ethyl morphollne-acetic acid) at apparent pH 5.3 was necessitated to prevent the buildup of salt residues on the valves and fittings within the autolnjoctor and high pressure pump. For HPLC analysis of these drugs, the within-run precision, as estimated by coefficient of variation analysis, was less than 9%. Comparable precision was shown for day-to-day variation in analysis. No interference was noted from 20 other substances, metabolites or drugs that might be present in the sere extracts. This semi-automated procedure has been utilized successfully to quantltate over 200 patient sera on a batch or emergency basis.
Dynamic Regulation of Fluorescent Proteins from a Single Species of Coral

To gain a better understanding of the natural function of fluorescent proteins, we have undertaken quantitative analyses of these proteins in a single species of coral, Montastraea cavernosa, residing around Turneffe atoll, on the Belizean Barrier Reef. We identified at least 10 members of a fluorescent protein family in this species, which consist of 4 distinct spectral classes. As much as a 10-fold change in the overall expression of fluorescent proteins was observed from specimen to specimen, suggesting that fluorescent proteins are dynamically regulated in response to environmental or physiological conditions. We found that the expression of some proteins was inversely correlated with depth, and that groups of proteins were coordinately expressed. There was no relationship between the expression of fluorescent proteins and the natural coloration of the Montastraea cavernosa specimens in this study. These findings have implications for current hypotheses regarding the properties and natural function of fluorescent proteins.
Influence of Conservation of Native Vegetation on Land Values in Moree Plains Shire, NSW

The Native Vegetation Conservation Act was introduced on January 1st 1998 to protect native grassland and woodland in New South Wales. The Act has limited clearing of native vegetation and development to crops and pasture, has protected biodiversity, and may have enhanced soil and water conservation. But an analysis of variations in the prices paid for farm land in Moree Plains Shire, with the complementary hedonic and bargaining methods, shows how buyers, sellers, and the market as a whole, value the characteristics of the land. It shows that the Act has led to substantial losses in land values for the farmers. The Act has imposed higher costs on those who had kept most vegetation, and on those who most need to retain their options to clear and develop. Stewardship payments will alleviate the financial situation for some and property plans will provide long-term security for both farmer and vegetation. But the magnitudes of the losses suggest that introduction of individual policies like these must be preceded by a review of the whole strategy of vegetation protection in New South Wales. We must first decide how much to protect and how to allocate the losses in an equitable manner.
Pay It Forward

At our university about 40% of the full-time faculty members are 55 years of age or older, which led me to consider what a difference they could make in this world if, upon retirement, they used their knowledge, skills. and talents to bene­ fit others. Four dimensions that can serve to differentiate effective from ineffec­ tive educators and people were used as the framework to profile three individuals and the work they are doing to benefit others. These dimensions in­ clude building community, opportunity, and relationships, and developing peo­ ple as good citizens. For this discussion, I chose to profile individuals who are not being paid for the work they are doing to benefit others. At our university about 40% of the full-time faculty members are 55 years of age or older, which led me to consider what a difference they could make in this world if, upon retirement, they used their knowledge, skills, and tal­ ents to benefit others. I have spent my professional life teaching educators and studying the impact of educators' beliefs, values, and attitudes on their effectiveness. Mark Wasicsko (2007), in his research on educator disposi­ tions (Le., beliefs, values, and attitudes), drew upon the work of Arthur W. Combs to define four dimensions that can serve to differentiate effective from ineffective educators and, I believe, people. Persons strong in the per­ ceptions of self dimension are able to identify with and feel compassion for all persons, regardless of race, creed, or national origin. It's all about com­ munity. Persons strong in the perceptions of others dimension see others as able, which promotes positive growth and development. It's all about op­ portunity. Persons strong in the frame of reference dimension are con­ cerned with the welfare of people in contrast to things. It's all about relationships. Persons strong in the perceptions ofpurpose dimension view their work in the larger context, concerned with the development of people as good citizens. I believe I have found three people who exemplify the di­ mensions and can provide us with some concrete ways to make the world a better place. For this discussion, I chose to profile people who are not being paid for the work they are doing to benefit others. It's all about community. Mary Petersen is a former teacher with 17 years of experience at both public and private schools and a community col­ lege in the Omaha metropolitan area, where she taught English, Spanish, and American Government. Mary received her doctorate in education in 2005. Her dissertation study focused on culturally responsive teaching. With the know ledge and skills gained from teaching, travel to Mexico, and
Public Life and the Place of the Church: Reflections to Honour the Bishop of Oxford

MICHAEL BRIERLEY Ashgate Publishing Ltd, Aldershot, 2006, xv+236 pp (Hardback £50.00) ISBN: 978-0-7546-5300-4; (Paperback £15.99) ISBN 978-0-7546-5301-1
Assessment of the Need for Triglyceride Blank Measurements

Two methods of triglyceride blank measurement were critically investigated. For 38 samples a mean blank value of 7.2 mg/dl was obtained when the blanks were measured by replacing the saponifying reagent with 80% isopropanol. For the same samples, consistently higher blank values were obtained (mean = 18.3 mg/dl) when these were determined by the Kessler-Lederer method. It is suggested that, when true blank values are desired, the former method is to be preferred. Based on theoretical considerations, however, as well as on our experimental data on the effect of in vitro hydrolysis on triglyceride blank measurements, we recommend that in routine triglyceride measurements, blank determinations are not needed.
Wood chip-polyacrylamide medium for biocontrol bacteria decreases Verticillium dahliae infection on potato.

The lack of consistent success of biological control of soilborne plant pathogens may be due to the introduction of the organism into a foreign environment. We hypothesized that wood chip-polyacrylamide (PAM) cores surrounding host plant roots could alter the soil environment to favour growth of introduced biocontrol microorganisms, thereby reducing Verticillium dahliae infection of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) in a greenhouse. A 7cm diameter &#50 15cm deep hole (core) was drilled in the center of a 20 &#50 30cm deep pot (1.9 kg) containing soil infested with V. dahliae inoculum. Cores were then filled with wood chip-PAM-biocontrol organism mixtures. Soils that had Streptomyces lydicus inoculated into wood chip-PAM cores had lower levels of V. dahliae symptoms ( V vis ) and V. dahliae isolations ( V iso ) than all other treatments in three soils. V vis and V iso on plants growing in soils amended with S. lydicus or Pseudomona corrugata inoculated into the soil itself (without wood chip-PAM cores) did no...
Establishment of segment polarity in the ectoderm of the leech Helobdella.

The segmented ectoderm and mesoderm of the leech arise via a stereotyped cell lineage from embryonic stem cells called teloblasts. Each teloblast gives rise to a column of primary blast cell daughters, and the blast cells generate descendant clones that serve as the segmental repeats of their particular teloblast lineage. We have examined the mechanism by which the leech primary blast cell clones acquire segment polarity - i.e. a fixed sequence of positional values ordered along the anteroposterior axis of the segmental repeat. In the O and P teloblast lineages, the earliest divisions of the primary blast cell segregate anterior and posterior cell fates along the anteroposterior axis. Using a laser microbeam, we ablated single cells from both o and p blast cell clones at stages when the clone was two to four cells in length. The developmental fate of the remaining cells was characterized with rhodamine-dextran lineage tracer. Twelve different progeny cells were ablated, and in every case the ablation eliminated the normal descendants of the ablated cell while having little or no detectable effect on the developmental fate of the remaining cells. This included experiments in which we specifically ablated those blast cell progeny that are known to express the engrailed gene, or their lineal precursors. These findings confirm and extend a previous study by showing that the establishment of segment polarity in the leech ectoderm is largely independent of cell interactions conveyed along the anteroposterior axis. Both intercellular signaling and engrailed expression play an important role in the segment polarity specification of the Drosophila embryo, and our findings suggest that there may be little or no conservation of this developmental mechanism between those two organisms.
Population dynamics and body‐size selection in Daphnia

We examined the population dynamics and seasonal change in body size of a population of Daphnia galeata mendotae experiencing strong vertebrate predation. The intensity of food limitation was quantified seasonally by in situ food addition. We also collected live animals early and late in the summer for laboratory studies designed to estimate genetic variation and seasonal change in life-history traits for the population. The population was characterized by nearly equal short-term birth and death rates that were strongly correlated with population density, suggesting density dependence. The population generally exhibited very high birth and death rates and no significant response to experimental food addition. The one exception was June 1988, when the population achieved high densities and exhibited strong food limitation. Throughout both summers, minimal and average body sizes of adults decreased. Laboratory studies document substantial genetic variation for body size and other life-history traits among animals collected early in summer. By late summer, however, there was little genetic variation for these same traits. Furthermore, clones collected early in summer were genetically larger in body size at birth and maturity than clones collected in late summer. We interpret these results as indicating natural selection for body size.
Effects of drugs that modify brain monoamine concentrations on photoperiodically-induced testicular growth in coturnix quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

The monoamine oxidase inhibitor tranylcypromine (TCP) increases brain dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) levels and inhibits photoperiodically-induced testicular growth in quail. Blockade of catecholamine synthesis by n-methyl-tyrosine (MT) in TCP treated quail preferentially elevates 5-HT levels and does not interfere with TCP inhibition of the gonads, however, treatment with parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA) reduces 5-HT and DA and antagonizes the action of TCP. Treatment with PCPA alone causes further augmentation of testicular response to photostimulation and reduces 5-HT and DA levels in the brain, whereas 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) administration elevates central 5-HT stores and partially inhibits testicular development. The results are consistent with the view that 5-HT may have an inhibitory effect on the process of gonadal development; in addition, an inhibitory influence of DA may also be involved.
Job Literacy and Job Performance among Nurses at Varying Employment Levels.

This study examines the job performance and job literacy strategies employed by 27 nurses during 8 hours of observed job performance for each nurse. Analysis revealed differences among nurses in training, experienced nurses, and supervisory nurses. Other significant differences were found in the job literacy strategies employed by superior as compared to adequately performing nurses. Major differences tended to reside in higher level critical applications of information rather than in reading test scores, amount of time reading on the job, or observed strategies employed by nurses.
Education Outreach: Raising Awareness of Diabetes and Pharmacy Careers

Objectives: 1) To demonstrate that education outreach in public schools by students in pharmacy education programs is effective at increasing knowledge of important health topics; 2) To assess subject attitude towards pharmacy careers after education outreach. Study: A lecture was constructed providing participants with information about careers in pharmacy, diabetes, and information about health literacy. A multiple choice paper-based quiz covering the presented content both preceded and followed each delivery of the lecture. Increases in post-lecture scores of content-knowledge questions were seen in 10 of 11 questions, which indicated an overall increased knowledge from baseline. An additional question, which gauged student interest in pharmacy careers, showed a 10% increase in those who indicated they considered pharmacy as a career. Conclusions: The lectures, delivered by a student pharmacist, were effective in increasing awareness and knowledge of pharmacy as a career, diabetes as an important health issue, and health literacy as a problem pharmacists and other healthcare providers encounter on a daily basis.
Psychosocial and cultural correlates of depression among Hispanic men with HIV infection: a pilot study.

Accessible summary • Depression is a common mental health condition among people living with HIV infection. • About one third of the study's participants were depressed. • A history of substance abuse and child/adult violence was common among the participants. • Healthcare providers need awareness of the intersection of HIV, substance abuse, and violence among Hispanic men with HIV infection. Abstract Depression is a common mental health condition among persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Depression influences quality of life, social relationships and adherence to medication therapy. Little is known about depression among Hispanic men with HIV infection. The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the relationships of depression to other psychosocial factors (self-esteem, Hispanic stress, substance abuse and violence) and cultural factors (familism and Hispanic stress) among a sample of Hispanic men with HIV infection. Using a cross-sectional, descriptive research design a convenience sample of 46 Hispanic men with HIV infection was recruited and surveyed from the South Florida area of the USA. The majority of the participants (65%; n = 30) were depressed. In addition, the majority of participants reported high familism and self-esteem and low Hispanic stress. A history of substance abuse and childhood and adult violence were common. Significant relationships were noted between depression, and self-esteem, Hispanic stress, substance abuse, and adult physical violence. Healthcare providers need to be aware of the high rates of depression, substance abuse and violence that may occur among Hispanic men with HIV infection. More research is needed to further explore the relationship of these factors, as well as to determine the impact that these variables have on adherence to medication therapy among Hispanic men with HIV infection.
Selection for milk production from a lactation biology viewpoint.

The success of selection for increased milk production in dairy cows is apparent. Certainly, many herds now have average production levels that would have only been associated with the best producers in the herd 30 yr ago. There are, of course, many reasons for this success. Among these are improvements in genetic selection methods and associated use of artificial insemination, better fulfillment of nutritional needs and diet formulation, and careful attention to mastitis control and milking management. Development of new management tools (i.e., bovine somatotropin, improved crops, estrus detection devices, estrus synchronization, monitoring of individual animal performance, and disease prevention) should not be forgotten. Although many aspects of a dairy operation determine overall performance and profitability, the focus of this paper is the udder. Information indicates that both the structure and function of the bovine mammary gland have been directly impacted by long-term selection for increased milk production but improved functionality may have been more important. This review also considered studies that attempt to develop techniques and measurements for possible selection of genetically superior animals including measurement of circulating hormones and direct assay of mammary tissue function.
Circadian Rhythms in Infants

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe how circadian rhythms are generated. 2. Describe how lighting influences the circadian system. 3. Delineate the period during which the origin of circadian rhythms develops. 4. Describe the relationship between maternal circadian rhythms and the development of circadian rhythms in infants. 5. Characterize the potential sequelae of impaired fetal and early neonatal circadian rhythms related to sleep patterns. 6. Describe beneficial lighting patterns for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care nursery. Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated rhythms that have a period length of about 24 hours. Evidence gathered over the past decade indicates that the circadian timing system develops prenatally, with the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the anterior hypothalamus, the site of a circadian clock, present by mid-gestation in primates. Recent evidence also shows that the circadian system of primate infants is responsive to light at very early stages (as early as 25 to 28 weeks’ gestation in humans) and that low-intensity lighting can regulate the developing clock. After birth, circadian system outputs mature progressively, with rhythms in sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, and hormone production generally developing between 1 and 3 months of age. The importance of light in regulation of circadian rhythm in infants is highlighted by the early establishment of rest-activity patterns that are in phase with the 24-hour light-dark cycle in preterm infants exposed to low-intensity cycled lighting. With the continued elucidation of circadian system development and influences on human physiology and illness, it is anticipated that consideration of circadian biology will become an increasingly important component of neonatal care. ### The Circadian Timing System Notable examples of circadian rhythms include the sleep-wake cycle and daily rhythms in body temperature and hormone production. Circadian rhythms are also involved in the pathogenesis of illnesses, such as reactive airway disease (eg, asthma) and myocardial infarction. The system responsible …
Defect Evolution During Laser Annealing

Implementation of millisecond annealing requires the identification of the operating conditions for that technique which minimize the residual defects. In addition, possible combinations of low temperature annealing with millisecond annealing could result in minimal residual defects. The samples studied here were implanted with Ge+ pre-amorphization and boron dopant ions and were activated with a scanning laser annealing technique with maximum temperature dwell times of about one millisecond. The laser anneal conditions were varied, along with combinations of spike anneals. The annealed samples were analyzed by plan-view transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to measure the residual defect density and size. The effects of spike temperature, laser annealing temperature, and scan rate will be discussed.
A scenario based framework for robust network provisioning

Traditional approaches to network provisioning assume availability of the reliable estimates for the expected demands. This assumption, however, oversimplifies, many practical situations when some incomplete information on the expected demands is available, and proper utilization of this information may improve the network performance. In a case of traffic engineering the uncertainty in the expected demands may be a result of unexpected and sudden changes in the demand pattern when difficulty of determining the varying demand pattern and possible undesirable transient effects make continuous adjustment of the routing algorithm to varying demands difficult. Assuming that some incomplete information on the future demand is available, this paper proposes a framework for network provisioning by balancing risks of under and over provisioning of the network.
AP180-mediated trafficking of Vamp7B limits homotypic fusion of Dictyostelium contractile vacuoles.

Clathrin-coated vesicles play an established role in endocytosis from the plasma membrane, but they are also found on internal organelles. We examined the composition of clathrin-coated vesicles on...
Ketone ester effects on metabolism and transcription

Ketosis induced by starvation or feeding a ketogenic diet has widespread and often contradictory effects due to the simultaneous elevation of both ketone bodies and free fatty acids. The elevation of ketone bodies increases the energy of ATP hydrolysis by reducing the mitochondrial NAD couple and oxidizing the coenzyme Q couple, thus increasing the redox span between site I and site II. In contrast, metabolism of fatty acids leads to a reduction of both mitochondrial NAD and mitochondrial coenzyme Q causing a decrease in the ΔG of ATP hydrolysis. In contrast, feeding ketone body esters leads to pure ketosis, unaccompanied by elevation of free fatty acids, producing a physiological state not previously seen in nature. The effects of pure ketosis on transcription and upon certain neurodegenerative diseases make approach not only interesting, but of potential therapeutic value.
Max-Fill: A method to generate high quality delay tests

It was recently observed that the methods to generate scan based tests with low switching activity cause about 40% less activity than functional tests. Thus such tests may cause test escapes as they may not adequately stress the circuits under test. In this work we propose a method called Max-Fill to generate high quality partially-functional broadside delay tests. The generated tests are shown to cause switching activity close to the switching activity during functional operation. The method computes a set of reachable states in which states are likely to cause high switching activity. During test generation phase, these states are used as background states to fill the unspecified bits of test cubes. Additionally, the number of test patterns produced is less than that produced by low power test methods. Experimental results for ISCAS-89 circuits are given.
Ramsey theorems for product of finite sets with submeasures

We prove parametrized partition theorem on products of finite sets equipped with submeasures, improving the results of Di Prisco, Llopis, and Todorcevic.
Costs and benefits of US aviation noise land-use policies

Abstract Aircraft noise affects human health and welfare. One method US airports use to mitigate the impact of noise on nearby residents is through sound insulation and residential land acquisition projects. Costs of residential insulation and acquisition projects are taken from federal grant summaries while the benefits of noise reduction are calculated as the combined willingness-to-pay for abatement and direct and indirect costs of illness from hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke. We show that the average cost of sound insulation projects is $15,600 per person affected while that of land acquisition is $48,900 per person affected. We find that for only in 15% of projects do the benefits to residents from willingness-to-pay for reduction and reduced risk of mortality and morbidity exceed the costs of sound insulation for residences exposed to 65 dB Day Night Level (DNL) of noise. Our estimates suggest that noise insulation projects are more cost-effective than fleet wide mandatory aircraft retirement.
1997 Winston S. Howard Distinguished Lecture

Note: The following is a description of the article and not the actual abstract. State supreme courts increasingly are called upon to resolve vexingly complicated constitutional challenges to school finance systems. State courts' treatment of these challenges frequently implicates key political, economic, and educational issues. In particular, school finance litigation evidences important structural stresses, especially those relating to the political question doctrine. From an empirical perspective, such litigation frequently presupposes the efficacy of court decisions. Where school finance court decisions do not achieve what they set out to achieve, one important explanatory variable relates to issues moored in the political question doctrine.
Spiritual coping, psychosocial adjustment, and physical health in youth with chronic illness: a meta-analytic review.

ABSTRACTObjective: The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the strength of the relationships between religious/spiritual coping strategies and psychosocial adjustment and physical health in youth with chronic illness. Background: Faced with medical stressors and uncertainty about their illness, spiritual beliefs and behaviours are important for youth with chronic illness. Research suggests that some spiritual coping strategies are helpful (positive), while others are not (negative), and these dimensions of spiritual coping are important predictors of functioning among youth with chronic illness. Method: Fourteen studies, published between 1990 and 2015, met inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis and were analysed using both a fixed effects model and random effects model (REM). Results: Findings revealed significant, small to moderate associations between negative spiritual coping and more concurrent internalising problems (REM r = .34), lower quality of life (REM r = −.34), and p...
The pittsburgh experience with transplantation of the heart

At the University of Pittsburgh cardiac transplantation was performed 151 times in 145 patients since 1980. 96 (66%) patients were alive in 1985. The good results are based on a strict indication and a very carefully performed immunosuppression. Though the age limit of recipients was extended to 60 years and a shift towards sicker candidates has occured (40% of patients were in cardiogenic shock), the results have not been adversly affected. In 4 times a heterotopic cardiac transplantation was performed because of severe pulmonary resistance. In an additional 26 patients another organ has been transplanted with the heart, 21 of these were of heart and lungs, 9 of these 21 patients are alive. In 3 patients a liver was transplanted with the heart, one patient is alive. In spite of all success the availability of donors, the immunosuppression, and the matter of expenses still remain a complex of problems.
On the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra

(1967). On the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 74, No. 5, pp. 485-497.
Current status of foodborne illnesses in Chengdu Municipal in 2004-2006 and discussion of control strategy

Objective To explore the pattern of foodborne disease incidence so as to provide foundation for foodsafty administration.Methods Date and cases associated with food poisoning and five foodborne disease were collected and analyzed.Results Two types of foodborne diseases were predominated and accounted for 60.74% of total cases.Bacillary dysentery,Hepatitis A Virus was main foodborne infectious disease.Bacterial food poisoning was the main causes,accounting for 62.50%、66.42% of the total outbreaks and cases.Secondly Pathogenic factors are poisonous animal and plant contamination,accounting for 12.50%、21.43% of the total outbreaks.The food-poisoning divides into four parts:diningrooms、households、food service units and other unites,especially the family in rural village is the dangerous site for place of food-poisoning.The peak season of foodborne infectious disease was focused from June to Augest;The age of the patients was mainly concentrated on 0-5,10-15 and 30-34 years old.Conclusion Since the data in this report did not cover all foodborne diseases,The number reported was only part of the iceberg.Sanitary management of the dining room in middle and primary countryside schools should be improved.Strengthen the force of food poisoning prevention and control;Meanwhile,to amplify consumer 's consciousness of self-protection is also of extreme importance.Attention be paid on protection of students,children below 10 years old,and the peasant.Suggestion:Crystalize definition of foodborne illness;Establish Computer network for monitoring the foodborne illness.So as to control and early-alert the foodborne disease.