cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lethal and Sublethal Effects of Conventional and Organic Insecticides on the Parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus, a Biological Control Agent for Halyomorpha halys

The egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus is a natural enemy of Halyomorpha halys, a polyphagous invasive pest in Europe and North and South America. Integration of chemical and biological control tactics could facilitate effective and sustainable integrated pest management programs. This study was conducted to assess i) the lethal effects of field rates, ii) the sublethal effects of maximum and half field rates, and iii) the lethal effects of different routes of exposure of three organic and two conventional insecticides against T. japonicus. Maximum field rates of spinosad and sulfoxaflor resulted in acute lethal toxicity to adult T. japonicus one week after residual contact exposure. Maximum and half field rates of pyrethrins, the mixture of azadirachtin and pyrethrins, and clothianidin caused sublethal effects to female wasps through residual contact exposure. Furthermore, all insecticides caused acute lethal effects one week after ingestion by unmated female wasps. Taken together, these results suggest that careful planning is necessary to ensure compatibility between biological and chemical control for H. halys. The insecticides evaluated in this study varied in toxicity to T. japonicus and should be used with caution to conserve this natural enemy for biological control of H. halys.
Tolerability of ongoing phase II study of concomitant radiation and docetaxel followed by docetaxel in prostate cancer patients with a persistent or rising PSA after radical prostatectomy

e16054 Background: Patients with a detectable PSA after radical prostatectomy (RRP) have persistent disease and inevitably succumb to disease as progression ensues. Radiation has been used in the s...
Uniformity, Repeatability, and Permanent Deformation Resistance of Slabs Produced with the Linear Asphalt Compactor

Regardless of what method of compaction is used in the laboratory, specimen consistency and repeatability are important to produce useful test data. Ideally performance properties of laboratory compacted specimens will be representative of field compacted specimens, though the ideal is not typical even in the present day. This paper is a thorough investigation into the consistency and performance of slabs produced by the Linear Asphalt Compactor (LAC); rectangular LAC slabs are 29 cm by 62 cm with thicknesses from 4 cm to 10 cm. The LAC uses a combination of vertically aligned steel plates and a hydraulically actuated steel roller to create a kneading effect for asphalt compaction. A total of 173 asphalt slabs were produced with the LAC from 43 mixtures originating from multiple research projects; 184 gyratory compacted specimens were also produced from some of the mixtures. Effects of mold temperature variability were investigated using thermocouples. Statistical analyses of slab air void data were conducted to examine within slab variability (uniformity) and between slab variability (repeatability). Permanent deformation characteristics of slab compacted specimens were compared to Superpave gyratory compacted specimens with the Asphalt Pavement Analyzer. Results showed that uniformity of slabs produced by the LAC were as good as or better than reported in literature for other slab compactors. Repeatability of the LAC slab compaction process was reasonable after some modifications were performed. Rutting resistance of LAC compacted mixture appeared to be similar to or less than Superpave gyratory compacted mixture. Overall, the evaluation presented in this paper supports consideration of the LAC for preparation of performance test specimens.
Case 3 The Lonely Road (Prostate Cancer)

Howard was referred for psychotherapy by his treating physician because he was severely depressed. Tears would well up in his eyes during examinations, and he was unable to speak without crying. The idea of seeing a psychotherapist bothered him because he saw it as a further recognition that he was losing control of his life. He eventually agreed to go into therapy, however, since it was becoming clearer to him that he could no longer cope on his own. And “on his own” was how he felt, despite the fact that he had a wife and a stepson.
Upstream regulatory elements of murine alpha 4-interferon gene confer inducibility and cell type-restricted expression.

Abstract We have identified and functionally characterized DNA sequences that are required for the inducible and cell-restricted expression of the murine alpha 4-interferon gene. Hybrid plasmids in which the alpha 4 promoter region or its 5' deletions were inserted upstream of the CAT gene were constructed, and the expression of these hybrid genes was studied in mouse L-cells both in permanent and transient assays with comparable results. Inducible expression was not affected by deletions up to -109; however, when the deletion was extended to -96, inducibility by Newcastle disease virus was abolished; however, this hybrid plasmid was expressed constitutively. Further deletion to -88 did not permit either constitutive or inducible expression. Insertion of the 35-base pair-long sequence (-109 to -75 base pairs) from the alpha 4 promoter region 5' of the minimal alpha 4 or human immunodeficiency virus promoter region, conferred inducibility to these two inactive promoters. The 5' deleted hybrids or plasmids containing the inducible element were induced only at low levels in transfected NIH/3T3 cells that do not express endogenous alpha 4 gene efficiently, indicating that the inducible region also determines the cell-specific expression. A tandem repeat of AGTGAA, which is present in the -109 to -88 region of alpha 4 in two copies, showed both basal levels of expression and inducibility in L-cells, while its analogue AATGAA was highly inducible but was not expressed constitutively. The inducibility of the synthetic hexamer repeats did not show cell type-restricted expression, suggesting that their response does not fully reflect the range of expression observed for the inducible region and the endogenous alpha genes.
FAMILIAL CARDIOMYOPATHY: HEART BLOCK AND STOKES-ADAMS ATTACKS TREATED BY PACEMAKER IMPLANTATION.

Abstract A case of familial cardiomyopathy is presented associated with Adams-Stokes attacks in a 33 year old patient. The family history disclosed sudden death of the patient's father and uncle in the third decade of life, as well as electrocardiographic abnormalities in her two older children; her 4 year old child was free of abnormality. This is the first patient with a cardiomyopathy in whorn a pacemaker has been implanted as a lifesaving measure.
From Perception to Practice: How Teacher-Student Interactions Affect African American Male Achievement.

For youth, schools are simultaneously sites of production, socialization, and development. At school, students learn about race, social values and norms, power, and positionality (Noguera, 2003, p. 443). This “hidden curricula” reinforces social inequities and influences how individual students experience the process of schooling as well as come to understand themselves. School processes that divide students along lines of difference communicate beliefs about those differences and marginalize separated groups. Nowhere is this more damaging than in the case of male African American students, where the intersections of race and gender place them at odds with their environment, resulting in academic underperformance and a disconnection. Although theories like Ogbu’s (1978) “oppositional culture” and Lewis’ (1998) “culture of poverty” make culturalist arguments for the disparate achievement of Black males, the current text will take a structuralist approach, arguing that schools are production sites for inequities that facilitate underachievement in African American males; consequently, teachers exist as agents of the structure who create and maintain a dominant culture through practices that are at odds with the academic productivity of young black males.
The Effects of Blending Hydrogen with Methane on Engine Operation, Efficiency, and Emissions

Hydrogen is considered one of the most promising future energy carriers and transportation fuels. Because of the lack of a hydrogen infrastructure and refueling stations, widespread introduction of vehicles powered by pure hydrogen is not likely in the near future. Blending hydrogen with methane could be one solution. Such blends take advantage of the unique combustion properties of hydrogen and, at the same time, reduce the demand for pure hydrogen. In this paper, the authors analyze the combustion properties of hydrogen/methane blends (5% and 20% methane [by volume] in hydrogen equal to 30% and 65% methane [by mass] in hydrogen) and compare them to those of pure hydrogen as a reference. The study confirms that only minor adjustments in spark timing and injection duration are necessary for an engine calibrated and tuned for operation on pure hydrogen to run on hydrogen/methane blends.
The fatty liver dystrophy (fld) mutation: A new mutant mouse with a developmental abnormality in triglyceride metabolism and associated tissue-specific defects in lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase activities

An autosomal recessive mutation, termed fatty liver dystrophy (fld), can be identified in neonatal mice by their enlarged and fatty liver (Sweet, H. O., Birkenmeier, E. H., and Davisson, M. T. (1988) Mouse News Letter 81, 69). We have examined the underlying metabolic abnormalities in fld/fld mice from postnatal days 3-40. Serum and hepatic triglyceride levels were elevated 5-fold in suckling fld/fld mice compared to their +/? littermates but abruptly resolved at the suckling/weaning transition. Blot hybridization analysis of liver and intestinal RNAs revealed a liver-specific increase in apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV and C-II mRNA concentrations (100- and 6-fold, respectively) that was limited to the suckling and early weaning stages in fld/fld mice. Resolution of these differences during the weaning period could not be delayed by prolonging suckling to the 20th postnatal day nor could the mutant phenotype be elicited in young adult animals with a high fat diet. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity was reduced 16-fold in the white adipose tissue of fld/fld mice until the onset of weaning. Heart activity was decreased less than 2-fold, but there were no deficits in brown adipose tissue or liver. Hepatic lipase (HL) mRNA levels and activity were significantly reduced in fld/fld livers and sera, respectively, during the suckling period. Mapping studies show the fld locus to be distinct from loci encoding LPL, HL, and apoA-IV, and those responsible for the combined lipase deficiencies in cld/cld and W/Wv mice. These data suggest that the fld mutation is associated with developmentally programmed tissue-specific defects in the neonatal expression of LPL and HL activities and provide evidence for a new regulatory locus which affects these lipase activities. This mutation could serve as a useful model for (i) analyzing the homeostatic mechanisms controlling lipid metabolism in newborn mice and (ii) understanding and treating certain inborn errors in human triglyceride metabolism.
Trapping cavitation bubbles with a self-focused laser beam

We demonstrate that laser-induced cavitation bubbles can be trapped in a self-focused laser beam. This counterintuitive phenomenon is in contrast to conventional optical tweezers effect
Influence of Social Acceptability and Attitudes in Restaurant Beef Consumption

ABSTRACT The competition for meeting consumer preferences for beef steak in the casual dining restaurant is increasing. In order to better understand these preferences researchers employed Sapp's expanded rational expectations intention model, a depiction of Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of reasoned action, to investigate consumers' intentions to consume beef steak in the casual dining restaurant. The expanded model added the social acceptability construct to Ajzen and Fishbein's rational expectations model. Social acceptability had significant causal path estimates for attitude, intention, and subjective norm. Additionally, researchers looked at possible gender differences in the social acceptability, attitude, and behavioral intention constructs. The path estimate between social acceptability and behavioral intention was significant for females but not for males. The attitude to behavioral intention causal path was the strongest path for both males and females; however, neither gender differed in the amou...
Acquired Etiologies of Lacrimal System Obstructions

The nasolacrimal drainage system is a unique physiologic system that is simple and elegant in design, yet is elaborate in the function of tear drainage, with the lacrimal pump and its anatomical construction. Epiphora may result when there is an excessive production of tears, hypersecretion, an inadequate evaporation and drainage, impairment of the lacrimal pump, stenosis or obstruction at any section of the lacrimal drainage system, or a consequence of any pathologic process that interferes with the physiology or continuity of the lacrimal drainage apparatus. Epiphora is determined by a balance between tear production and tear drainage and not by the absolute function or dysfunction or either. It can be isolated or may involve multiple levels, at any level of the lacrimal drainage system.
A New Method for Analysis of the Fluid Interaction with a Deformable Membrane

The lattice Boltzmann cellular automaton method has been successfully extended for analysis of fluid interactions with a deformable membrane or web. The hydrodynamic forces on the solid web are obtained through computation of the fluid flow stress at the moving boundary using the lattice Boltzmann method. Analysis of solid boundary deformation or vibration due to hydrodynamic force is based on Newtonian dynamics and a molecular dynamic type approach.
Eosinophil count, allergies, and rejection in pediatric heart transplant recipients

Background Allograft rejection and long-term immunosuppression remain significant challenges in pediatric heart transplantation. Pediatric recipients are known to have fewer rejection episodes and to develop more allergic conditions than adults. A T-helper 2 cell dominant phenotype, manifested clinically by allergies and an elevated eosinophil count, may be associated with immunologic quiescence in transplant recipients. This study assessed whether the longitudinal eosinophil count and an allergic phenotype were associated with freedom from rejection. Methods This single-center, longitudinal, observational study included 86 heart transplant patients monitored from 1994 to 2011. Post-transplant biannual complete blood counts, allergic conditions, and clinical characteristics related to rejection risk were examined. Results At least 1 episode of acute cellular rejection (ACR) occurred in 38 patients (44%), antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) occurred in 11 (13%), and 49 patients (57%) were diagnosed with an allergic condition. Patients with ACR or AMR had a lower eosinophil count compared with non-rejectors ( p = 0.011 and p = 0.022, respectively). In the multivariable regression analysis, the presence of panel reactive antibodies to human leukocyte antigen I ( p = 0.014) and the median eosinophil count ( p = 0.011) were the only independent covariates associated with AMR. Eosinophil count ( p = 0.010) and female sex ( p = 0.009) were independent risk factors for ACR. Allergic conditions or young age at transplant were not protective from rejection. Conclusions This study demonstrates a novel association between a high eosinophil count and freedom from rejection. Identifying a biomarker for low rejection risk may allow a reduction in immunosuppression. Further investigation into the role of the T-helper 2 cell phenotype and eosinophils in rejection quiescence is warranted.
Simulation of non-planar three-dimensional hydraulic fracture propagation

SUMMARY Hydraulic fracturing is the method of choice to enhance reservoir permeability and well efficiency for extraction of shale gas. Multi-stranded non-planar hydraulic fractures are often observed in stimulation sites. Non-planar fractures propagating from wellbores inclined from the direction of maximum horizontal stress have also been reported. The pressure required to propagate non-planar fractures is in general higher than in the case of planar fractures. Current computational methods for the simulation of hydraulic fractures generally assume single, symmetric, and planar crack geometries. In order to better understand hydraulic fracturing in complex-layered naturally fractured reservoirs, fully 3D models need to be developed. In this paper, we present simulations of 3D non-planar fracture propagation using an adaptive generalized FEM. This method greatly facilitates the discretization of complex 3D fractures, as finite element faces are not required to fit the crack surfaces. A solution strategy for fully automatic propagation of arbitrary 3D cracks is presented. The fracture surface on which pressure is applied is also automatically updated at each step. An efficient technique to numerically integrate boundary conditions on crack surfaces is also proposed and implemented. Strongly graded localized refinement and analytical asymptotic expansions are used as enrichment functions in the neighborhood of fracture fronts to increase the computational accuracy and efficiency of the method. Stress intensity factors with pressure on crack faces are extracted using the contour integral method. Various non-planar crack geometries are investigated to demonstrate the robustness and flexibility of the proposed simulation methodology. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Separating item from order information in short-term memory

Two experiments were conducted in order to separate experimentally the processing of item and order information. These experiments provided support for the notion that order and item errors are caused by two different processes. This support came in part from finding bowed serial-position curves when only order information had to be learned but not when only item information had to be learned. An additional goal of the present investigation was to determine the extent to which subjects are limited to phonemic coding in short-term memory. There was evidence that subjects employed phonemic coding in the present situations even though it was an inefficient strategy.
Selective Ethylene Oligomerization with Nickel Oxime Complexes

Two nickel-oxime complexes, Ni (2-pyridine aldoxime)2 dichloride (6) and Ni (methyl 2-pyridyl ketone oxime)2 dichloride (7), were prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Both complexes are six-coordinate and have 2-pyridylimines as ligand backbones, where the two nitrogen atoms from each of the oxime ligands coordinate to the metal, but the oxygen atom remains protonated and does not participate in bonding to the metal center. The complexes were found to be selective ethylene dimerization catalysts in the presence of cocatalyst such as methylaluminoxane (MAO) or diethyl aluminum chloride (DEAC). With DEAC, the productivity is considerably higher than with MAO. Under optimum conditions the productivity values are as high as 200 kg/mol catalyst/h/bar (for 6) to 335 kg/mol catalyst/h/bar (for 7). The selectivities toward dimerization under these conditions are 84% and 77%, respectively, with the terminal isomer 1-butene being the only (≥99.5%) C4 product.
Protoporphyrin IX Fluorescence Induced in Basal Cell Carcinoma by Oral δ-Aminolevulinic Acid*

Limited depth of penetration significantly limits photodynamic therapy of nodular basal cell carcinoma (BCC) using topical delta (5)-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). To demonstrate safety and efficacy of orally administered ALA in inducing endogenous protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) production in BCC, 13 patients with BCC ingested ALA in a dose-escalation protocol. All dose ranges (10, 20 or 40 mg/kg single doses) resulted in formation of PpIX in human skin and BCC, measurable by in vivo fluorescence spectrophotometry. The PpIX fluorescence peaked in tumors before normal adjacent skin from 1 to 3 h after ALA ingestion. Gross fluorescence imaging of ex vivo specimens revealed greater PpIX fluorescence in tumor than normal skin only at the 40 mg/kg dose. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed this finding by showing distinct, full-thickness PpIX fluorescence in all subtypes of BCC only after ALA given at 40 mg/kg. Side effects were dose dependent and self limited. Photosensitivity lasting less than 24 h and nausea coinciding with peak skin PpIX fluorescence occurred at 20 and 40 mg/kg doses. After 40 mg/kg ALA, serum hepatic enzyme levels rose to a maximum within 24 h, then resolved over 1-3 weeks. Transient bilirubinuria occurred in two patients.
Late Pleistocene History of Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas

The late Pleistocene history of Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas, is delineated by study of six piston cores, 6 to 10 m in length, from the axial region of this deep marine embayment. Quantitative biostratigraphic analysis of four of the cores indicates the history of the last glacial cycle. One of these cores contains an unconformity between late Pleistocene and middle Eocene sediments. Paleoecologic analysis of planktonic foraminiferal thanato-coenoses indicates paleotemperature fluctuations of 3° to 4°C between interglacial and glacial stages, and a trend toward lower paleosalinity from the interglacial to postglacial stages. Both the microfauna and sediments in Tongue of the Ocean reflect the influence of late Pleistocene paleoclimates. Sediment in Tongue of the Ocean is derived primarily from the adjacent Bahamian banks; the sediment history, therefore, has been controlled mainly by eustatic variations in sea level. A low stand of sea level during the glacial stage effectively shut down the shallow-water carbonate production on the banks and resulted in a lower rate of sediment influx. A lower rate of production of planktonic foraminiferal tests during the glacial stage also contributed to this reduced sedimentation rate. The sedimentary record of Tongue of the Ocean is just the opposite of that found on most deep continental margins where glacial stages produced higher rates of sedimentation than interglacial stages. Most of the sediment in Tongue of the Ocean was winnowed from the banks, probably mainly during storms, and was deposited as a pelagic “snow.” Turbidites may not be as important in the axial region as previously reported. The carbonate mineralogy of Tongue of the Ocean sediment reflects the mineralogic complexity of organisms on the adjacent banks and possibly diagenetic alteration of carbonate sediment on the sea floor.
Requirement of histone methyltransferase SMYD3 for estrogen receptor-mediated transcription.

SMYD3 is a SET domain-containing protein with histone methyltransferase activity on histone H3–K4. Recent studies showed that SMYD3 is frequently overexpressed in different types of cancer cells, but how SMYD3 regulates the development and progression of these malignancies remains unknown. Here, we report the previously unrecognized role of SMYD3 in estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated transcription via its histone methyltransferase activity. We demonstrate that SMYD3 functions as a coactivator of ERα and potentiates ERα activity in response to ligand. SMYD3 directly interacts with the ligand binding domain of ER and is recruited to the proximal promoter regions of ER target genes upon gene induction. Importantly, our chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses provide compelling evidence that SMYD3 is responsible for the accumulation of di- and trimethylation of H3–K4 at the induced ER target genes. Furthermore, RNA interference-directed down-regulation of SMYD3 reveals that SMYD3 is required for ER-regulated gene transcription in estrogen signaling pathway. Thus, our results identify SMYD3 as a new coactivator for ER-mediated transcription, providing a possible link between SMYD3 overexpression and breast cancer.
To Be or Not To Be: Community Supervision Déjà Vu

ABSTRACT Supervision is an undervalued part of the correctional services. Over the last three decades, innovations have focused on increasing the number of contacts between the offender and the supervision employee, to little avail. A new generation of innovations is occurring in the supervision field that is directed at changing the interaction between the offender and the supervision employee for the purpose of building a rapport that can lead to behavior change. The question is whether supervision, that is focused on the contextual factors such as the rapport between the offender and supervision employee, can be delivered. The historical context for this change in style of supervision is provided as well as description of several articles that are geared to new models for delivering supervision services. In other words, is organizational change possible in supervision agencies, and if so, how will this occur? Or will this generation of supervision be a repeat of history where the rhetoric sounded good ...
Recurrence of solar activity: Evidence for active longitudes

The autocorrelation coefficients of the daily Wolf sunspot numbers over a period of 128 years reveal a number of interesting features of the variability of solar activity. In addition to establishing periodicities for the solar rotation, the solar activity cycle, and perhaps the ‘Gleissberg Cycle’, they suggest that active longitudes do exist, but with much greater strength and persistence in some solar cycles than in others. There is evidence for a variation in the solar rotation period, as measured by sunspot number, of as much as two days between different solar cycles.
Barriers Limiting Clinician Recognition of Intimate Partner Violence

One in three ever-married women in Nova Scotia faces assault from an intimate partner in her lifetime, making woman abuse a major public health concern. The role of physicians and medical students in the health care system allows them to address this epidemic, yet a number of barriers diminish their ability to deal with domestic violence, also referred to as intimate partner violence (IPV). Using case-reports, personal correspondence, consensus statements, conference proceedings and clinician publications, this article uniquely presents a systematic review of most known barriers which clinicians face in dealing with intimate partner violence. This study examines personal factors, dissonance between clinician views of private versus public spheres, and structural constraints (such as remuneration and work schedules) as reasons mitigating limited clinician attention to intimate partner violence. Barriers related to medical education and traditional medical curricula, as well as problems facing reform of medical education are presented. Lastly, clinician misconceptions and misinformation and professional circumstances are examined as barriers to IPV recognition. This study shows that there are still numerous personal, educational and structural barriers limiting clinician ability, motivation and support to deal with one of the most prevalent health and social problems facing women. This paper concludes that greater attention needs to be focused within medical education, resident education, and continuing medical education on issues surrounding IPV. Whereas this study identifies numerous barriers facing the recognition of IPV, it remains an important corollary to identify the means to address the removal of such barriers. Increasing knowledge of these barriers is the first step in heightening awareness of this public health and medical problem.
Validation responsibility for Fiscal Impact Budgeting Simulation models

Abstract Fiscal Impact Budgeting Simulations (FIBS) are large-scale computer models which purport to forecast the service, revenue, and expenditure implications of governmental zoning, housing, population, transportation and taxing decisions. Validation of simulation models should be conducted relative to the precise experimental frame. The issues associated with extending public sector simulation validations beyond the reasonableness and completeness stage are explored. Four levels of validation (general overall model, historical, predictive, and structural) and the degree of responsibility (commercial model vendor or local government client) are detailed in an effort to clarify issues related to FIBS validation.
Shear-Layer Detection in Poststenotic Flow by Spectrum Analysis of Doppler Signals

Spectrum analysis of the Doppler signals was performed 0.5 tube diameters downstream from an axisymmetric constriction with an area reduction of 80 percent in steady flow at a jet Reynolds number of 2840. Both pulsed and continuous wave (CW) Doppler spectra showed significant reverse flow components in the separated flow. The pulsed Doppler spectra exhibited sudden changes when the sample volume crossed the shear layer between the center jet and the separated flow. A power spectrum equation was theoretically derived from continuity of flow to define the Doppler shift frequency for the shear layer velocity. The CW Doppler spectrum showed a minimum spectrum density at a frequency which equalled the shear layer Doppler shift frequency derived from the equation. The pulsed spectra exhibited the sudden changes at the same frequency as well.
NUTRIENT UPTAKE KINETICS IN PHYTOPLANKTON: A BASIS FOR NICHE SEPARATION1

SUMMARY Daily patterns of incorporation of carbon dioxide and inorganic phosphate were measured in phytoplankton from Lake George, New York, in January and February 1972. Rates of photosynthesis oscillated in phase for the entire assemblage and for individual cells of the diatoms Asterionella, Tabellaria, and Fragilaria. The photosynthetic capacity was maximal in the early afternoon. Daily patterns of phosphate uptake were also rhythmic. At ambient concentrations the assemblage takes up phosphate maximally in the morning while individual cells of the large diatom take it up maximally in the evening. A kinetic analysis of phosphate uptake indicated 2 velocities of uptake for cells of Tabellaria and Fragilaria: a hyperbolic function at small and an apparently linear relationship at relatively large concentrations. The large diatoms, in contrast to the total assemblage, functioned maximally at 2 separate times of the day: in the evening at ambient levels and in the morning at 0.4 μM and larger concentrations. Temporal stratification of the nutrient niche may be achieved by several uptake mechanisms in the algal cell that function at different times of the day or with a variable uptake velocity.
Physician Quality Reporting System.

SUMMARY: A brief review of the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is presented highlighting the program9s legislative history, eligibility requirements and incentive payment plan. Specifically, PQRS measures applicable to neuroradiology practice are discussed. Several steps are suggested for individual physicians or group practices to start participation in the program. Resources are also provided for further information on the program requirements and PQRS measures.
Evidence for higher reaction time variability for children with ADHD on a range of cognitive tasks including reward and event rate manipulations.

Objective: The purpose of the research study was to examine the manifestation of variability in reaction times (RT) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to examine whether RT variability presented differently across a variety of neuropsychological tasks, was present across the two most common ADHD subtypes, and whether it was affected by reward and event rate (ER) manipulations. Method: Children with ADHD-combined type (n = 51), ADHD-predominantly inattentive type (n = 53), and 47 controls completed five neuropsychological tasks (Choice Discrimination Task, Child Attentional Network Task, Go/No-Go task, Stop Signal Task, and N-back task), each allowing trial-by-trial assessment of RTs. Multiple indicators of RT variability including RT standard deviation, coefficient of variation and ex-Gaussian tau were used. Results: Children with ADHD demonstrated greater RT variability than controls across all five tasks as measured by the ex-Gaussian indicator tau. There were minimal differences in RT variability across the ADHD subtypes. Children with ADHD also had poorer task accuracy than controls across all tasks except the Choice Discrimination task. Although ER and reward manipulations did affect children's RT variability and task accuracy, these manipulations largely did not differentially affect children with ADHD compared to controls. RT variability and task accuracy were highly correlated across tasks. Removing variance attributable to RT variability from task accuracy did not appreciably affect between-groups differences in task accuracy. Conclusions: High RT variability is a ubiquitous and robust phenomenon in children with ADHD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Reactivity of Hg(II) with superoxide: evidence for the catalytic dismutation of superoxide by Hg(II).

Mercuric ion, a well-known nephrotoxin, promotes oxidative tissue damage to kidney cells. One principal toxic action of Hg(II) is the disruption of mitochondrial functions, although the exact significance of this effect with regard to Hg(II) toxicity is poorly understood. In studies of the effects of Hg(II) on superoxide (O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by rat kidney mitochondria, Hg(II) (1-6 microM), in the presence of antimycin A, caused a concentration-dependent increase (up to fivefold) in mitochondrial H2O2 production but an apparent decrease in mitochondrial O2- production. Hg(II) also inhibited O(2-)-dependent cytochrome c reduction (IC50 approximately 2-3 microM) when O2- was produced from xanthine oxidase. In contrast, Hg(I) did not react with O2- in either system, suggesting little involvement of Hg(I) in the apparent dismutation of O2- by Hg(II). Hg(II) also inhibited the reactions of KO2 (i.e., O2-) with hemin or horseradish peroxidase dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Finally, a combination of Hg(II) and KO2 in DMSO resulted in a stable UV absorbance spectrum [currently assigned Hg(II)-peroxide] distinct from either Hg(II) or KO2. These results suggest that Hg(II), despite possessing little redox activity, enhances the rate of O2- dismutation, leading to increased production of H2O2 by renal mitochondria. This property of Hg(II) may contribute to the oxidative tissue-damaging properties of mercury compounds.
Involvement of PDGF in Fibrosis and Scleroderma: Recent Insights from Animal Models and Potential Therapeutic Opportunities

Fibrosis is the principal characteristic of the autoimmune disease known as scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc). Studies published within the last three years suggest central involvement of platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) in SSc-associated fibrosis. PDGFs may also be involved in SSc-associated autoimmunity and vasculopathy. The PDGF signaling pathway is well understood and PDGF receptors are expressed on collagen-secreting fibroblasts and on mesenchymal stem and/or progenitor cells that may affect SSc in profound and unexpected ways. Although much work remains before we fully understand how PDGFs are involved in SSc, there is much interest in using PDGF inhibitors as a therapeutic approach to SSc.
Major 20th-century advancements in the management of rectal cancer

At the beginning of the century, rectal cancer was a deadly disease treated simply by perineal excision. With advances in pathologic staging, preoperative assessment, surgical technique, and CMT made in the last century, we have witnessed improved oncologic and functional results after treatment of rectal cancer. As we look to the future, the use of molecular markers may help identify patients with node-negative disease yet aggressive biology in need of adjuvant therapy. It is also anticipated that improvements in various imaging modalities may better select patients for local procedures or preoperative adjuvant therapy. Further-more, ongoing progress in our understanding of pelvic anatomy and neurophysiology should improve preservation of both genitourinary and sphincter function.
To Establish World Peace in Our Planet, We Should Vision the Inter-Planetary Peace for Our Children.

Il peut paraitre tres idealiste de penser a une paix “interplanetaire”, alors qu’il y a encore beaucoup de chemin a faire pour l’etablissement d’un monde de paix sur notre propre planete. Idealiste ou bien realiste? La seule option pour la survie de notre planete est de passer d’ideologies telles que “survie du plus apte” a celle de “survie de notre planete”, et peut-etre d’une vision d’un monde de paix, au fantasme d’une “paix interplanetaire” pour la generation future. Trois stades ont ete identifies pour le developpement des concepts de paix: 1) la paix negative, 2) la resolution non violente des conflits, 3) la paix positive ou vraie paix. L’etude montre que les enfants sont capables de preferer la diversite raciale et qu’a cet âge, ils n’ont pleinement developpe ni la capacite de resolution non violente des conflits, ni un comportement de totale violence pour les resoudre. Le potentiel de comprehension des concepts de paix chez les jeunes enfants constitue l’espoir de l’etablissement de la paix sur notre planete. Si las enfants peuvent nous aider a visualiser le reve d’une monde de paix comme la seule chance de notre survie, nous devrions pourvoir les aider, pour leur propre survie, a avoir la vision d’une paix interplanetaire.
Capillary electrophoresis determination of diatrizoic acid and its impurities in diatrizoate radiopaque solutions

A capillary electrophoresis method has been developed for the separation and determination of diatrizoic acid (DTZA) and its four mono- and diiodo degradation products (2-iodo,4-iodo, 2,4-diiodo, and 2,6-diiodo-3,5-diacetamidobenzoic acid) in radio-paque solution for injection (RSI). DTZA and its degradants were assayed in suitable dilutions without pretreatment. Optimum conditions included the use of low-pressure sample injection (6 s), sample and standard solutions with a molarity less than that of the separation buffer, and adjustment of the buffer molarity to obtain a current of 50 μA at a constant 15kV separation voltage. After each six runs or less, the inlet and outlet buffer were replaced with more buffer from the same batch. When the method was applied to a sample of SI levels of 5–10 mg/ml were found for each of the mono and diiodo impurities. The optimum method showed a precision (peak area measurement) in the range 1.7–7.2% RSD, depending on the concentration. A linear correlation coefficient of 0.997 was obtained over a DTZA concentration range of 5–60 mg/mL.
Tod Browning's Expressionist Bodies

Tod Browning had a difficult transition into sound cinema, which hurt his subsequent reputation as a director. His early sound films, from The Thirteenth Chair (1929) through Freaks 1 (1932) often ...
Steryl Glucoside and Acyl Steryl Glucoside Analysis of Arabidopsis Seeds by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Establishment of sensitive methods for the detection of cellular sterols and their derivatives is a critical step in developing comprehensive lipidomics technology. We demonstrate that electrospray ionization tandem (triple quadrupole) mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) is an efficient method for monitoring steryl glucosides (SGs) and acyl steryl glucosides (ASGs). Comparison of analysis of SGs and ASGs by ESI-MS/MS with analysis by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) shows that the two methods yield similar molar compositions. These data demonstrate that ESI-MS/MS response per molar amount of sterol conjugate is similar among various molecular species of SGs and ASGs. Application of ESI-MS/MS to seed samples from wild-type Arabidopsis and a mutant deficient in two UDP-glucose:sterol glucosyltransferases, UGT80A2 and UGT80B1, revealed new details on the composition of sitosteryl, campesteryl and stigmasteryl glucosides and ASGs. SGs were decreased by 86% in the ugt80A2,B1 double mutant, compared to wild-type, while ASGs were reduced 96%. The results indicate that these glucosyltransferases account for much of the accumulation of the sterol conjugates in wild-type Arabidopsis seeds.
Three-dimensional fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography using a hand-held probe based imaging system

Hand-held based optical imaging systems are a recent development towards diagnostic imaging of breast cancer. To date, all the hand-held based optical imagers are used to perform only surface mapping and target localization, but are not capable of demonstrating tomographic imaging. Herein, a novel hand-held probe based optical imager is developed towards three-dimensional (3-D) optical tomography studies. The unique features of this optical imager, which primarily consists of a hand-held probe and an intensified charge coupled device detector, are its ability to; (i) image large tissue areas ( 5 × 10 sq. cm ) in a single scan, (ii) perform simultaneous multiple point illumination and collection, thus reducing the overall imaging time; and (iii) adapt to varying tissue curvatures, from a flexible probe head design. Experimental studies are performed in the frequency domain on large slab phantoms ( ∼ 650 ml ) using fluorescence target(s) under perfect uptake (1:0) contrast ratios, and varying target depths ( 1 – 2 cm ) and X - Y locations. The effect of implementing simultaneous over sequential multiple point illumination towards 3-D tomography is experimentally demonstrated. The feasibility of 3-D optical tomography studies has been demonstrated for the first time using a hand-held based optical imager. Preliminary fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography studies are able to reconstruct 0.45 ml target(s) located at different target depths ( 1 – 2 cm ) . However, the depth recovery was limited as the actual target depth increased, since only reflectance measurements were acquired. Extensive tomography studies are currently carried out to determine the resolution and performance limits of the imager on flat and curved phantoms.
PROCEDURES TO INCREASE THE VALIDITY OF SUBJECTIVE PROBABILITY ESTIMATES

A decision making model is often very sensitive to the subjective probability estimates that are used. To reduce this sensitivity, it is necessary to utilize elicitation procedures that yield more valid estimates and increase the decision maker's confidence in the estimates. This paper discusses an experiment in which the subjects were asked to estimate the areas of various squares. Two procedures were evaluated. In one procedure, the subjects were told that estimates were distributed typically around the true value in accordance with the normal probability distribution. In the other, the subjects were asked to estimate the length as a component that could be used to calculate the area. The results indicate that the normal error model is a reasonable representation of the estimation procedure. Both procedures provided estimates with significant validity. There is also an indication that the procedures reduce bias and that both procedures result in more consistent estimates when the sizes of the squares are varied.
Mammalian metallothionein in toxicology, cancer, and cancer chemotherapy

The present paper centers on mammalian metallothionein 1 and 2 in relationship to cell and tissue injury beginning with its reaction with Cd²⁺ and then considering its role in the toxicology and chemotherapy of both metals and non-metal electrophiles and oxidants. Intertwined is a consideration of MTs role in tumor cell Zn²⁺ metabolism. The paper updates and expands on our recent review by Petering et al. (Met Ions Life Sci 5:353-398, 2009).
Aircraft Route Optimization for Formation Flight

We quantify the fuel and cost benefits of applying extended formation flight to commercial airline operations. Central to this study is the development of a bi-level, mixed-integer real formation flight optimization framework. The framework has two main components: 1) a continuous-domain aircraft mission performance optimization and 2) an integer optimization component that selects the best combination of optimized missions to form a formation flight schedule. The mission performance reflects the effects of rolled-up wakes, formation heterogeneity, and formation-induced compressibility. The results show that an airline can use formation flight to reduce fuel burn by 5.8% or direct operating cost by 2.0% in a long-haul international schedule. The savings increase to 7.7% in fuel or 2.6% in cost for a large-scale, transatlantic airline alliance schedule. These results include the effects of a conservative fuel reserve for formation flight. Sensitivity studies show that a modest reduction in the cruise Mach ...
Energy Requirement of Roosters as Influenced by Environmental Temperature, Dietary Energy and Age

Abstract Little information is available on the energy requirement of roosters. The voluntary energy intake is reported for roosters exposed to environmental temperatures of 23, 30 or 37° C. while fed one of three diets differing in energy level. There was a reduction in the energy intake as the environmental temperature increased. The data indicated that the energy requirement was reduced somewhat as the birds get older than 9–10 months of age.
Evaluating Educational Programs A Comparative Design

The major paradigm in educational evaluation employs a hypothetico-deductive approach in analyzing programs. It isfelt that a holistic-inductive approach, employing qualitative methods, may also be of use. Many have referred to this latter approach as an alternate research paradigm. More important, the use of both approaches in assessing educationalprograms may prove to be both effective and efficient. This article presents and describes a comparative design for the evaluation of educational programs. The design employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to gather information about the characteristics and consequences of a program. The dualtrack design provides separate results that may then be compared to produce a complete product of the evaluation effort. The application of this model to the evaluation of two programs is also presented and discussed.
Extension of the local curvature approximation to third order and improved tilt invariance

The second-order local curvature approximation (LCA2) is a theory of rough surface scattering that reproduces fundamental low and high frequency limits in a tilted frame of reference. Although the existing LCA2 model provides agreement with the first order small perturbation method up to the first order in surface tilt, results reported in this paper produce a new formulation of the model that achieves consistency with perturbation theory to first order in surface height and arbitrary order in surface tilt. In addition, extension of the modified LCA to third order is presented, and allows the theory to match the second-order small perturbation method to arbitrary order in surface tilt. Crucial to the development of the theory are a set of identities involving relationships among the small perturbation method (i.e. low frequency) and Kirchhoff approximation (i.e. high frequency) kernels; a set of new identities obtained in our derivations is also presented. Sample results involving 3D electromagnetic scatt...
A conditional model for incomplete covariates in parametric regression models

SUMMARY Incomplete covariate data arise in many data sets. When the missing covariates are categorical, a useful technique for obtaining parameter estimates is the EM algorithm by the method of weights proposed in Ibrahim (1990). This method requires the estimation of many nuisance parameters for the distribution of the covariates. Unfortunately, in data sets when the percentage of missing data is high, and the missing covariate patterns are highly non-monotone, the estimates of the nuisance parameters can lead to highly unstable estimates of the parameters of interest. We propose a conditional model for the covariate distribution that has several modelling advantages for the E-step and provides a reduction in the number of nuisance parameters, thus providing more stable estimates in finite samples. We present a clinical trials example with six covariates, five of which have some missing values.