cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation in growth and evaluation of cross-protection in Listeria monocytogenes under salt and bile stress

AIMS Exposure of Listeria monocytogenes to osmotic stress can induce increased resistance to subsequent lethal exposure to cell envelope stressors, such as nisin and bile salts. We wanted to determine if similar cross-protection phenotypes could occur when L. monocytogenes strains were treated with osmotic stress and exposed to sublethal levels of the cell envelope stressor, bile. METHOD AND RESULTS Growth phenotypes were measured for six L. monocytogenes strains exposed to 6% NaCl, 0·3 and 1% bile in BHI. To evaluate cross-protection, cells were pre-exposed to 6% NaCl, followed by exposure to BHI+1% bile for 26 h and vice versa. Significant increases in λ (lag phase) and doubling time were observed under salt and bile stresses compared with BHI alone. Average λ and Nmax (maximum cell density) in 0·3 and 1% bile for all strains were significantly lower than that in 6% NaCl. Pre-exposure to 6% NaCl followed by exposure to 1% bile significantly increased λ (P < 0·05), whereas pre-exposure to 1% bile followed by exposure to 6% NaCl led to formation of filamentous cells, with no changes in cell density over 26 h. CONCLUSIONS Variation in growth characteristics was observed among strains exposed to bile. Exposure to osmotic stress did not lead to increased resistance to bile. Exposure to bile significantly impacted the ability of L. monocytogenes to adapt to grow under osmotic stress, where cells did not multiply but formed filamentous cells. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Pre-exposure to a cell envelope stress and subsequent exposure to an osmotic stress appears to pose a significant stress to L. monocytogenes cells.
Soft Tissue Reconstruction of the Distal Third of the Lower Extremity

Wounds of the distal third of the lower leg pose significant challenges for reconstructive surgeons. The paucity of local tissue limits local flap options, favoring the use of free tissue transfer. Additional factors, such as degree of local injury, vascular insult, and co-morbid conditions, often guide surgical decision-making. Regardless of the modality, reconstructive goals remain the same: achievement of stable wound coverage without impeding functionality.
Smart capsule for non-invasive sampling and studying of the gastrointestinal microbiome

Gut microbiota plays an important role in host physiology such as obesity, diabetes, and various neurological diseases. Thus, microbiome sampling is a fundamental approach towards better understanding of possible diseases. However, conventional sampling methods, such as endoscopies or colonoscopies, are invasive and cannot reach the entire small intestine. To address this need, a battery-less 3D-printed sampling capsule, which can collect microbiome samples throughout the entirety of the GI tract was designed. The capsule (9 mm × 15 mm) consists of a 3D printed acrylic housing, a fast-absorbing hydrogel, and a flexible PDMS membrane. Fluids containing samples of the microbial flora within the GI tract enter the device through a sampling aperture on the cap of the device. Once the microbiome enters the housing, the hydrogel absorbs the fluid and swells, effectively protecting the samples within its polymeric matrix, while also pushing on the flexible PDMS membrane to block the sampling aperture from further fluid exchange. The retrieved capsule can be readily disassembled due to the screw-cap design of the capsule and the hydrogel can be removed for further bacterial culture and analysis. As a proof of concept, the capsule's bacterial sampling efficiency and the ability to host microbial samples within the hydrogel in a sealed capsule were validated using a liquid culture containing Escherichia coli. The demonstrated technology provides a promising inexpensive tool for direct sampling and assessment of microbes throughout the GI tract and can enable new insights into the role of diet in mediating host–microbe interactions and metabolism.
The use of convalescent plasma therapy and remdesivir in the successful management of a critically ill obstetric patient with novel coronavirus 2019 infection: A case report.

Summary Remdesivir is a novel therapeutic with known activity against SARS CoV-2 and related coronaviruses. Remdesivir, as well as convalescent plasma therapy, are currently under investigation as potential therapies for patients with Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19). In this case report we summarize the use of convalescent plasma therapy and then remdesivir as a late addition in the treatment of a critically ill obstetric patient with COVID-19. The patient subsequently improved, was extubated 5 days after initiation of remdesivir, was transitioned to room air 24 h later, and discharged at the completion of remdesivir therapy.
Optimization Basics: A Machine Learning View

Many machine learning models are often cast as continuous optimization problems in multiple variables. The simplest example of such a problem is least-squares regression, which is also viewed as a fundamental problem in linear algebra. This is because solving a (consistent) system of equations is a special case of least-squares regression. In least-squares regression, one finds the best-fit solution to a system of equations that may or may not be consistent, and the loss corresponds to the aggregate squared error of the best fit. The special case of a consistent system of equations yields a loss value of 0. Least-squares regression has a special place in linear algebra, optimization, and machine learning, because it serves as a foundational problem in all three disciplines. Least-squares regression historically preceded the classification problem in machine learning, and the optimization models for classification were often motivated as modifications of the least-squares regression model. The main difference between least-squares regression and classification is that the predicted target variable is numerical in the former, whereas it is discrete (typically binary) in the latter. Therefore, the optimization model for linear regression needs to be “repaired” in order to make it usable for discrete target variables. This chapter will make a special effort to show how least-squares regression is so foundational to machine learning.
Formalizing Feedback: Introducing a Structured Approach in an Outpatient Resident Clinic.

Delivering feedback is an integral part of graduate medical education. This paper will present how feedback research informed the development of a new feedback model and discuss its implementation and evaluation by residents in an outpatient psychiatry clinic. After reviewing research, a new feedback model of self-determined goal setting with guided objectives and quarterly formal in-person feedback sessions was implemented with 10 psychiatry residents during their 12-month outpatient experience in postgraduate year (PGY)–3. Residents received a pre-intervention survey to assess existing opinions of feedback and goal setting and a post-intervention survey to evaluate experiences with the new feedback model. On the pre-intervention survey, 3 of 8 resident respondents indicated they had previously set goals, and only 4 of 8 predicted goal setting would be helpful, with average helpfulness rating of 3.62 (scale of 1 to 5). Cumulatively, 10 PGY-3 residents set 31 goals over the academic year. On the post-intervention survey, resident respondents rated the helpfulness of goal setting at 4.71 and quarterly, formal, in-person feedback meetings at 4.86. Success at reaching their self-determined goals was rated at 5 by all respondents. Utilizing self-determined goals and formal in-person feedback sessions seemed to provide the framework for an effective feedback model in an outpatient resident clinic. This pilot project suggests that introducing formal feedback models can have a positive impact on resident clinical and educational growth. The data support expanding the model to assess its generalizability with the goal of furthering development of evidence-based feedback models.
Effects of Occupational Stressors on Depressive Symptoms: Longitudinal Study Among Medical Services and Welfare Workers

This study aimed to examine the status of depression symptoms and occupational stress factors that triggered these symptoms among workers in medical and welfare industries. Web-based surveys were conducted in 2016 and 2019 among research company survey respondents regarding their work, life and health. This study extracted data for medical services and welfare workers who participated in both the initial survey in 2016 and the follow-up survey in 2019. First of all, 288 regular employees (221 men and 67 females of mean age 45.6 years, SD = 9.0) who worked in the medical services and welfare industries at the time of both surveys were identified. Of these, 115 presented with depressive symptoms by CES-D scale (39.9%), indicating a higher ratio compared to other occupations. Following this, for the 173 respondents who did not present with depressive symptoms in the initial survey but developed depressive symptoms during the three years following the initial survey, changes (favorable, improved, no change, deteriorated, unfavorable) in occupational stressors were analyzed using explanatory variables. As the results of logistic regression analysis, at the time of the follow-up survey, 32 respondents presented with symptoms of depression (18.5%), and environmental work stress (noise, lighting, temperature, ventilation, etc.) and interpersonal stress at work (unfavorable stress conditions at the time of both surveys) significantly affect the onset of these symptoms. Many medical services and welfare workers are required to suppress their own emotions as they go about their busy daily duties of caring for others, and this study suggests that they are working under highly stressful conditions. There is a strong sense that the workplace has reached an impasse, and a new approach is needed in a bid to revitalize the organization and create attractive company structures, as well as improve the physical working environment.
Resident Experience Associated with Lung Biopsy Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study of Diagnostic Radiology Residents. Does the Level of Training Matter?

Introduction. Efficient execution of image-guided percutaneous biopsy is a procedural competency milestone in radiology training. Despite the importance of achieving such mastery, literature on successful execution by residents is limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate resident performance as measured by nondiagnostic biopsy and major complication percentages, on CT-guided transthoracic core needle biopsies (TTNB) of lung and mediastinal lesions. Methods. A 12-year retrospective cohort study was conducted using charts from an academic hospital, 2006 - 2018, to evaluate TTNBs. Inclusion criteria were ≥ 18 years of age and ≥ 1 follow-up CT scan and chest x-ray. Bivariable associations by outcome(s) were evaluated. Results. Of 1,191 biopsies conducted, case distribution was 41%, 26%, 18%, and 15% for postgraduate years (PGY) 2 - 5, respectively. Results from biopsies were 139 (11.7%) nondiagnostic, 218 (18.3%) benign, and 834 (70.0%) malignant cases. Resident year by nondiagnostic outcome was not significant; p = 0.430. There were 148 major complications. Complication rate by PGY 2 - 5 was 13.0%, 13.3%, 12.9%, and 9.2%, respectively; differences were not significant, p = 0.488. Of the 139 nondiagnostic cases, 42 were re-biopsied during the study period with 81% re-classified as malignant; no repeat biopsy was observed for the remaining 97 nondiagnostic cases.Conclusion. Of 1,191 lung/mediastinal biopsies analyzed, nearly 12% were nondiagnostic and over 12% had major complications; neither associated with resident level of experience. Outcomes were not affected significantly by level of training. Residency programs may benefit from affording opportunities for newer PGY classes to participate in procedures. Nondiagnostic cases may benefit from timely, repeat biopsies.
Screening of central obesity among normal-weight children and adolescents in Shandong, China.

The prevalence of central obesity in total population has been reported in numerous studies. However, information on the prevalence of central obesity within normal category of body mass index (BMI) is scant. In the present study, we examined the profiles of central obesity among normal-weight children and adolescents. A total of 29 516 (14 226 boys and 15 290 girls) normal-weight children and adolescents (excluding underweight, overweight and obesity) aged 7-18 years were included in the final analysis. Central obesity was defined by the international age- and sex-specific cut-offs of waist circumference (WC) and threshold of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR≥0.5). All subjects were classified into four groups (Q1-Q4) according to the age- and sex-specific quartiles of BMI, those in the upper fourth (Q4) were defined as 'high-normal BMI', and those in the lower fourth (Q1) were defined as 'low-normal BMI'. The prevalence of central obesity as measured by WC was 9.90% (95% CI 9.41-10.39%) for boys and 8.11% (95% CI 7.68-8.54%) for girls; by WHtR was 2.97% (95% CI 2.69-3.25%) for boys and 2.44% (95% CI 2.20-2.68%) for girls. Subjects in the 'high-normal BMI' group had a much higher prevalence of central obesity than their counterparts in the 'low-normal BMI' group (P<0.01). Central obesity was also evident among normal-weight children and adolescents. Our findings suggest that the health risks of children with normal-weight central obesity may be missed when BMI is used alone as a measure, it is meaningful to include WC in the clinical practice and to include the simple message "Keep your waist to less than half your height".
Strong Climate Associations but No Temporal Trends in Nesting Phenology of Blanding's Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii)

Climate change has caused substantial shifts in the phenology for many species across a broad array of life-history events. Ectotherms are no exception; recent studies have discovered strong climate associations with nesting phenology for many turtle species. We studied phenology for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-endangered Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) across 16 yr in Wisconsin, USA to assess the potential for climate-associated shifts in this species. We hypothesized that, as with other freshwater turtles, Blanding's Turtle nesting phenology should be a function of climate. Furthermore, phenological shifts should be relatively consistent among nest sites within our study area given the scale of climate effects. Although nesting phenology did not advance significantly through time, nesting phenology was linked to March temperatures and was earlier in warmer years. Effects of March temperatures on nesting phenology were similar among nesting sites. Although no temporal trends in nesting phenology were evident, the strength and spatial uniformity of climate associations with nesting behavior documented by our study indicate that phenological shifts are likely, highlighting an additional form of climate vulnerability not previously recognized for this species.
Drug-Coated Devices for Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Drug-Coated Devices for Peripheral Arterial Disease Recent analyses provide reassurance about using paclitaxel-coated devices in patients with peripheral arterial disease, but the FDA believes that...
Motility Disorders: Medical Modalities

Disorders of esophageal motility are categorized based on high-resolution manometry with color pressure topography plots according to version 3.0 of the Chicago Classification. There are three defined tiers of dysmotility, including disorders of esophagogastric junction outflow, other major disorders of peristalsis, and minor disorders of peristalsis.
Technology Roadmap: Smartwatches

This chapter examines development of technology roadmapping for smartwatches such as the Fitbit, Apple Watch, LG Watch Sport, and Samsung Gear S3 Frontier.
Older immigrants perceived health after migration to the United States: Influence of age and level of acculturation.

OBJECTIVES To determine the age-related differences in the association between level of acculturation and perceptions about change in health status after migration in mid- to late-life immigrants. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Nationally representative cohort of legal U.S. immigrants. PARTICIPANTS Legal immigrants ≥50 years of age. MEASUREMENTS The outcome was perceived change in health status, determined by the survey question, "compared with your health right before you most recently came to the United States to live, would you say that your health is better now, about the same or worse?" The main predictor included age group (50-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years) and secondary variable of interest was level of acculturation. Analyses were adjusted for demographic characteristics, medical, and functional comorbidities. RESULTS Immigrants age ≥75 years were more likely to report worse health after migration [RRR 1.93, 95% CI (1.17, 3.17), p < 0.01] compared with immigrants of 50-64 years, but this difference was not statistically significant in the adjusted model. Acculturation level was associated with increased likelihood of reporting worse health status, [RRR 2.10, (1.02, 4.35), p < 0.05] for somewhat acculturated and [RRR 2.55, (1.10, 5.88), p < 0.05] for most acculturated, compared with participants who were not acculturated. CONCLUSION The oldest immigrant group (≥75 years) was more likely to report worse health after migration, but this association was no longer significant after accounting for acculturation level and other covariates. Future work should be undertaken to identify specific health needs across older immigrant age groups and identify acculturative stressors that negatively impact health.
Experimental evidence of vortex-induced vibrations at subcritical Reynolds numbers

Shedding of vortices can be observed in the wake of a fixed cylinder at Reynolds numbers larger than . We have observed subcritical VIV both when the Reynolds number stays constant over the entire lock-in range, and when the Reynolds number increases with increasing reduced velocity, while staying within the subcritical range.
Machine Learning-Based Prediction of MRI-Induced Power Absorption in the Tissue in Patients With Simplified Deep Brain Stimulation Lead Models

Interaction of an active electronic implant such as a deep brain stimulation (DBS) system and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiofrequency (RF) fields can induce excessive tissue heating, limiting MRI accessibility. Efforts to quantify RF heating mostly rely on electromagnetic (EM) simulations to assess individualized specific absorption rate (SAR), but such simulations require extensive computational resources. Here, we investigate if a predictive model using machine learning (ML) can predict the local SAR in the tissue around tips of implanted leads from the distribution of the tangential component of the MRI incident electric field, E tan. A dataset of 260 unique patient-derived and artificial DBS lead trajectories was constructed, and the 1 g-averaged SAR, 1 g SARmax, at the lead-tip during 1.5 T MRI was determined by EM simulations. E tan values along each lead's trajectory and the simulated SAR values were used to train and test the ML algorithm. The resulting predictions of the ML algorithm indicated that the distribution of E tan could effectively predict 1 g SARmax at the DBS lead-tip ( R = 0.82). Our results indicate that ML has the potential to provide a fast method for predicting MR-induced power absorption in the tissue around tips of implanted leads such as those in active electronic medical devices.
Shifting production/shifting consumption: A political ecology of health perceptions in Kumaon, India

Abstract Despite rapid economic growth, India has not seen the improvements in food and nutritional security that other developing countries have had. This “Asian enigma” has generated a wealth of economistic analyses seeking to explain the persistence of poor nutrition, yet few studies have looked at everyday experiences of changing food systems, and how this impacts nutritional practices as well as the processes of subject formation. In this paper, I draw on qualitative research conducted in Uttarakhand, North India and examine how state-led shifts in agricultural production have resulted in changing food consumption practices and diminished perceptions of health. Villagers link this decreased health to increased chemicals in home-produced food, greater dependence on the market for food purchases, and generational changes in dietary preferences. Despite villagers’ cognizance of the negative health effects of these practices, they largely view these byproducts of capitalistic development with an air of inevitability. Following Mansfield (2011) this paper contributes to the political ecology of health literature by employing the concept of food as a “vector of intercorporeality” (Stassart and Whatmore, 2003:449) and bringing this into conversation with a poststructuralist understanding of subjectivity. I argue that within shifting landscapes of agriculture production and food consumption, notions of diminished health are indicative of the complex and always incomplete processes of subject formation. I view shifting health perceptions as intimate bodily resistances to agricultural development, and conclude that within agricultural development programs a focus on bodily health and well-being is a fecund platform for further experimental research that seeks to imagine development differently.
The structure and function of nickel sites in metalloproteins

The known Ni enzymes now include ureases, hydrogenases, carbon monoxide dehydrogenases, acetyl coenzyme A synthases, methyl coenzyme M reductases and superoxide dismutases. These enzymes employ Ni in roles varying from Lewis acid sites to involvement in redox catalysis. In addition, mechanisms involving proteins that specifically bind Ni have evolved for the acquisition, transport, and incorporation of Ni. Various biophysical techniques have been used to elucidate aspects of the structure and function of the Ni sites in these enzymes and proteins. This pursuit has been greatly advanced since 1995 by the availability of crystal structures of Klebsiella aerogenese urease, various hydrogenases, and two states of methyl coenzyme M reductase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. The knowledge of the structure and function of the various Ni proteins and enzymes is briefly overviewed. Proposals for catalytic mechanisms based on these studies and on model chemistry are presented.
Law School as a Culture of Conversation: Re-imagining Legal Education as a Process of Conversion to the Demands of Authentic Conversation

Conventional wisdom holds that the principal task of a law school is to teach law students to think like lawyers. However, law school can be experienced as a form of narrow training that diminishes something central to the human person: the fundamental drive to question and to follow those questions wherever they lead. This Article will explore the ways in which the thought of two scholars, Bernard Lonergan and James Boyd White, can usefully inform our understanding of this crisis of meaning and value within the context of a conception of law as a social and cultural activity. First, this Article describes the distortions in legal education caused by the narrowing of mind and perspective that coincides with an understanding of the role of the lawyer as a technician manipulating the rules. Then this Article outlines Lonergan's understanding of the constitutive function of acts of meaning and White's analogous understanding of law as a meaning-making activity that is constitutive of character and community. Next, this Article argues that the law can be understood as a form of what Lonergan calls practical common sense. As a form of common sense knowing, the law is subject to the problems associated with general bias. Accordingly, the Article explores the manner in which the problem of general bias in the law might be addressed within an understanding of the law - and especially the law school - as a culture of argument and authentic conversation that promotes heightened fidelity to the unrestricted desire to know. Finally, this Article suggests that the commitments and traditions of the Society of Jesus give a law school which operates within the context of a Jesuit university unique motivations and opportunities to establish an environment that truly is a culture of authentic conversation that promotes openness to the central demand of authentic conversation: the demand to give oneself wholly to the unrestricted desire to know by letting one's questions take over and by following those questions wherever they lead.
Tripling the detection view of high-frequency linear-array-based photoacoustic computed tomography by using two planar acoustic reflectors

Background: Linear-array-based photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) suffers from a limited view. Circular scanning does increase the detection view angle but is time-consuming. Therefore, it is desirable to increase the detection view angle of linear-array-based PACT without sacrificing imaging speed. Methods: Two planar acoustic reflectors placed at 120 degrees to each other were added to a lineararray- based PACT system. Each reflector redirects originally undetectable photoacoustic waves back to the transducer array elements, and together they triple the original detection view angle of the PACT system. Results: Adding two reflectors increased the detection view angle from 80 to 240 degrees. As a comparison, a single-reflector PACT has a detection view angle of only 160 degrees. A leaf skeleton phantom with a rich vascular network was imaged with the double-reflector PACT, and most of its features were recovered. Conclusions: The two acoustic reflectors triple the detection view angle of a linear-array-based PACT without compromising the original imaging speed. This nearly full-view detection capability produces higher-quality images than single-reflector PACT or conventional PACT without reflectors.
Rodrigo's Roundelay: Hernandez V. Texas and the Interest-Convergence Dilemma

In this chronicle, Rodrigo meets with his mentor before a party and the two discuss celebratory jurisprudence. Their discussion focuses on Hernandez v. Texas as a milestone for Latino civil rights. After discussing the historical background against which the Supreme Court decided the case, they conclude that the groundbreaking decision arrived as a result of concerns, in high circles, over Latin American communism and people's movements and the risk of the same in the United States.
Dichotomy of antibody response to group A streptococcal antigens in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

of antibody titers to the protein antigens between the patient and control populations. The antibody levels for the polysaccharide antigens were significantly lower in patients with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome than in the normal control subjects. This difference in response to the two classes of antigens was also evident when the antibody titers were examined only in individuals with bacteriological and serological evidence for streptococcal infection. These findings provide further evidence for the presence of a specillc immunological defect related to responsiveness to the puly saccharirle class of antigens in patients with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
Functional stretch reflex (FSR)-a cortical reflex?

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an experimental study to discuss the role of reflexes during functional activity. The time from initiation of the task to the resulting electromyographic activity is measured to determine the tendon reflex latency, the functional stretch reflex latency, and the voluntary response time in human lower limbs. The tendon reflex time is measured as the shortest latency electromyographic event following impact on the muscle's tendon. Because the functional stretch reflex (FSR) is reported to be observable only in the presence of a small voluntary contraction, the voluntary response time is also measured in the presence of several steady, initial contraction levels. The spread in data is typical for all subjects studied. The mean value of all the trials at each initial contraction level shows a decreasing voluntary response time with increasing initial contraction level. This is generally true in all subjects, but the change in EMG latency at zero initial contraction with respect to 10 nm of initial torque is more prevalent in some people than in others.
Acquisition of anoikis resistance in human osteosarcoma cells does not alter sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents

Chemotherapy-induced cell death can involve the induction of apoptosis. Thus, aberrant function of the pathways involved might result in chemoresistance. Since cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix acts as a survival factor that homeostatically maintains normal tissue architecture, it was tested whether acquisition of resistance to deadhesion-induced apoptosis (anoikis) in human osteosarcoma would result in resistance to chemotherapy. Osteosarcoma cell lines (SAOS-2 and TE-85) obtained from ATCC and were maintained in complete Eagle's MEM medium. Suspension culture was established by placing cells in tissue culture wells coated with poly-HEMA. Cell cytotoxicity was determined using a live/dead cytotoxicity assay. Cell cycle/apoptosis analyses were performed using propidium iodide (PI) staining with subsequent FACS analysis. Apoptosis was also assayed by Annexin-FITC/PI staining. Etoposide, adriamycin, vinblastine, cisplatin and paclitaxel were able to induce apoptosis in human osteosarcoma cells SAOS-2 regardless of their anoikis resistance phenotype or the culture conditions (adhered vs. suspended). Moreover, suspended anoikis resistant TE-85 cells (TE-85ar) retained their sensitivity to chemotherapy as well. Acquisition of anoikis resistance in human osteosarcoma cells does not result in a generalized resistance to all apoptotic stimuli, including chemotherapy. Moreover, our results suggest that the pathways regulating anoikis resistance and chemotherapy resistance might involve the action of different mediators.
An Empirical Study of Operational Performance Parity Following Enterprise System Deployment

This paper presents an empirical investigation into whether the implementation of packaged Enterprise Systems (ES) leads to parity in operational performance. Performance change and parity in operational performance are investigated in three geographically defined operating regions of a single firm. Order lead time, the elapsed time between receipt of an order and shipment to a customer, is used as a measure of operational performance. A single ES installation was deployed across all regions of the subject firm’s operations. Findings illustrate parity as an immediate consequence of ES deployment. However, differences in rates of performance improvement following deployment eventually result in significant (albeit smaller than pre-deployment) performance differences. An additional consequence of deployment seems to be an increased synchronization of performance across the formerly independent regions.
The Technology of Evidence-Based Practice: Tools for Navigating the Health Sciences Literature.

Medical and health sciences libraries have incorporated the elements of evidence-based practice (EBP) into their reference services, instruction, and online resource development for years. EBP is d...
Mid-Infrared Four-Wave Mixing in Silicon Waveguides Using Telecom-Compatible Light Sources

We report four-wave mixing in silicon waveguides in the spectral region beyond 2 ?m using infrared signals derived from telecom-compatible fiber-optic sources. We measure a high value of the nonlinear parameter gamma = 103 /(Wm).
Early post-settlement mortality in a coral reef fish and its effect on local population size

The relative importance of recruitment and post-recruitment factors in controlling population fluctuations and determining population sizes in open marine systems is still poorly understood. To address this issue, I conducted an experiment investigating whether very early post-recruitment mortality of a coral reef fish, Thalassoma bifasciatum, is dependent on recruitment density. To quantify the extent to which local populations are likely to be controlled primarily by recruitment or by post-settlement density-dependent mortality, I also measured natural mortality rates and recruitment variation at sites around the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. I manipulated densities of 1–3-d post-settlement T. bifasciatum on large natural patch reefs in Tague Bay, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Manipulated recruits were followed for ∼30 d. The loss rate over the initial 24-h period following placement of recruits on the reef was positively related to the density at the beginning of that period. After this period, initial recruit density had no effects on mortality. Natural monthly mortality rates approximating the monthly mortality monitored during the experiment were measured for naturally recruited fish at sites around the island. Mortality was positively correlated with recruitment density. The effect was strong enough that across sites the relationship between recruit density and juvenile density the following month was not proportional; that is, juvenile density tended to reach an asymptote with increasing recruitment. The relationship between total recruitment per season at a site and adult abundance at the end of the season was similarly asymptotic, indicating the persistence of a density-dependent effect at the scale of the island. Mortality rates around the island were extremely variable and density independent at densities below ∼1 recruit/m2. Above that level, mortality rates were higher and tended to increase with further increases in recruitment density. Around St. Croix, three out of eight sites consistently received recruitment above this “threshold,” while five sites never experienced recruitment above that level during the study. Because spatial patterns of recruitment around St. Croix were consistent over time, some local populations may be controlled mainly by recruitment and density-independent mortality at all times, while others may be chronically affected by post-settlement density dependence. This study gives support to the idea that recruitment limitation and density dependence are not mutually exclusive. Rather, local populations must be characterized by the degree of recruitment, the resultant population density, and the subsequent degree of density-dependent regulation.
Gene Encoding a c-Type Cyclin in Mycosphaerella graminicola Is Involved in Aerial Mycelium Formation, Filamentous Growth, Hyphal Swelling, Melanin Biosynthesis, Stress Response, and Pathogenicity

Mycosphaerella graminicola is an important wheat pathogen causing Septoria tritici blotch. To date, an efficient strategy to control M. graminicola has not been developed. More significantly, we have a limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms of M. graminicola pathogenicity. In this study, we attempted to characterize an MCC1-encoding c-type cyclin, a gene homologous to FCC1 in Fusarium verticillioides. Four independent MCC1 knock-out mutants were generated via Agrobacterium tumefaciens–mediated transformation. All of the MCC1 mutants showed consistent multiple phenotypes. Significant reductions in radial growth on potato dextrose agar (PDA) were observed in all of the MCC1 mutants. In addition, MCC1 gene-deletion mutants produced less aerial mycelium on PDA, showed delayed filamentous growth, had unusual hyphal swellings, produced more melanin, showed an increase in their stress tolerance response, and were reduced significantly in pathogenicity. These results indicate that the MCC1 gene is invo...
Origin Stories: Same-Sex Sexuality and Christian Right Politics

In this paper, we examine dominant Christian conservative narratives of the origins of same-sex sexuality. Critics of the Christian right usually focus on a narrative of choice that Christian right organisations and activists use to explain the origins of same-sex sexuality. A choice narrative grounds a range of political positions and, in many contexts, effectively neutralises both claims of discrimination and public support for potential legal remedies. On the other hand, a narrative of development receives less attention from critics of the Christian right. Although it cannot be reduced to its political efficacy, the narrative of development has a political as well as therapeutic function. Indeed, this narrative circulates tacitly through a different set of public debates than those usually associated with the narrative of choice, including debates over programmes geared to eliminate antigay harassment in public schools. The two narratives create tensions within Christian conservative thought that can ...
Electroproduction of charged pions from light nuclei

Abstract Electroproduction of charged pi mesons from light nuclei to discrete final states is studied in a distorted wave impulse approximation. The Blomqvist and Laget pion photoproduction operator is extended to the case of electroproduction by including virtual photons. Gauge invariance is included in the theory by making the Feynman diagrams for the process individually gauge invariant. Conservation of the electroproduction current and isolation of the electron's kinematical aspects are done by introducing modified virtual photon polarization vectors. Cross section calculations for single nucleon electroproduction performed with the real photoproduction parameters of Blomqvist and Laget and standard forms of electromagnetic form factors agree with data. The single nucleon virtual photoproduction operator is used in a distorted wave impulse approximation to describe electroproduction from a nuclear target leading to a discrete final nuclear state. Nuclear transition densities which enter into elastic electron scattering and electroproduction processes are compared. It is found that because of the change of nuclear isospin, electroproduction provides information on a larger number of transition densities than inelastic electron scattering for a given target nucleus. Methods of integrating over the electron's kinematics are presented for single arm experiments, that is, where only the produced pion is detected. Single arm electroproduction cross sections are calculated for 10 B and 12 C targets. For the 10 B case, good agreement with data is found. For the 12 C electroproduction cross sections, no conclusions can be reached because the quality of present data is poor. It is found that in these experiments, contributions to the cross section from longitudinal virtual photon components are negligible because of small values of virtual photon invariant mass.
Vacuum expectation values of Higgs scalars in a SU(2) L ×SU(2) R ×U(1) gauge model

We determine the vacuum expectation values of the Higgs scalars within the framework of a six-quark SU(2)/sub L/ x SU(2)/sub R/ x U(1) gauge model after the imposition of discrete symmetries that are necessary in order to express the Cabibbo angle in terms of quark mass ratios and phases of the vacuum expectation values. We find both real and complex solutions for the vacuum expectation values depending on the relative values of the parameters in the Higgs potential.
Three contraceptive acceptance strategies

Three main classes of contraceptive acceptance strategy may be distinguished: “fixed duration T” (women counseled to accept T months after childbirth); “postamenorrheic” (accept directly after the first postpartum menses), and “mixed T” (accept T months after childbirth or after first menses, whichever occurs sooner). Any two strategies may be compared by means of a probability model simulating the first passage times from childbirth to next pregnancy of two cohorts of mothers identical in their fecundity and in the effectiveness and continuation with which contraception is practiced, but contrasting in their acceptance regimens. Of particular interest is the class of mixed-T strategies, which have not previously been analyzed. The efficiency of the mixed-T rule at least equals, and for most T-values exceeds that of the corresponding fiiedduration rule both in the short run (lower cumulative pregnancy rate during the first few months) and in the long run (greater mean interval to next conception). Conditions for the superiority of the mixed-T over the postamenorrheic are also given. Several results are illustrated with reference to a Bangladesh subpopulation.
NEW DEVELOPMENT IN TECHNIQUES FOR ANALYSING DIVERSIFIED COMPANIES IN TODAY'S GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Over the last decades, our global outlook has changed rapidly in many ways. What used to be no longer is: the fall of the Berlin wall, the disintegration of the U.S.S.R., and the emergence of common trade markets are just a few examples of big changes that are affecting our every day life. One big change in particular has turned our whole business community upside down: the globalisation of world markets.
Stochastic multiscale models for fracture analysis of functionally graded materials

Abstract This article presents three multiscale models, including sequential, invasive, and concurrent models, for fracture analysis of a crack in a two-phase, functionally graded composite. The models involve stochastic description of the particle volume fractions, particle locations, and constituent material properties; a two-scale algorithm including microscale and macroscale analyses for determining crack-driving forces; and two stochastic methods for fracture reliability analysis. The particle volume fractions, defined by a generic inhomogeneous random field, are related to the intensity function of an inhomogeneous Poisson field, which describes the statistically inhomogeneous microstructure of a functionally graded composite. Two stochastic methods, the dimensional decomposition method and direct Monte Carlo simulation, have been employed for obtaining the probabilistic characteristics of crack-driving forces and reliability analysis. Numerical results indicate that the sequential and invasive multiscale models are the most computationally inexpensive models available, but they may not produce acceptable probabilistic characteristics of stress-intensity factors or accurate probability of fracture initiation. The concurrent multiscale model is sufficiently accurate, gives probabilistic solutions very close to those generated from the microscale model, and can reduce the computational effort of the latter model by more than a factor of two. In addition, the concurrent multiscale model predicts crack trajectory as accurately as the microscale model.
Substituted γ-lactones. XXX†. Reactions of α-Keto-β-Subtituted-γ-butyrolactones with diamines

The condensation reaction between α-keto-β-aroyl (or acyl) -γ-butyrolactones, 4a-4e and o-phenylenediamine or 2, 3-diaminonaphthalene leads under retrograde aldol condensation involving loss of formaldehyde to formation of 3-substituted-3, 4-dihydro-2 (1H) quinoxalinones or benzo [g] quinoxalinones, 7a-7g, respectively as a new convenient synthesis of this type of heterocyclic systems. The reaction of type 4 compound with 4, 5-diaminopyromidine, 8, was found to proceed differently. 2-[(4-Amino-5-pyrimidinyl)amine]-4-oxo-3-(hydroxymethyl)-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid 9 was the only product formed when the reaction between 4a and 8 was run in ethanol. The same reaction in glacial acetic acid proceeds with loss of formaldehyde, to afford 7-phenacylidene-7,8-dihydro-6 (1H)-pteridione 10. The reaction between type 4 compounds and ethylenediamine or 1, 4-phenylenediamine leads to the formation of the bis-condensation products 13–15, respectively.
An evaluation of artificial substrates for sampling macrobenthos in reservoirs

Artificial substrates were compared with a Ponar grab for sampling benthic macroinvertebrates in Lake Anna, Louisa Co., Virginia. The objective was t0 find which technique was best for assessment 0f thermal effluent effects using the following criteria: 1) provide reliable data on density and composition 0f the macrobenthos with a reasonable number 0f replicates; 2) collect the most taxa; and, 3) require the least amount 0f time. Leaves, 3M Corporation's #200 conservation web, and limestone rocks were compared. Each material was tested separately in chicken wire baskets placed 0n the bottom at several depths. Three replicates of each type were retrieved monthly from each depth using SCUBA and cloth flour sacks and compared with grab samples taken from the same depths. Lesser amounts of these materials were tested separately in smaller plastic containers. All large artificial substrate samplers collected significantly more individuals (P = 0.05) and taxa than the Ponar grab. Small web and leaf samplers best met all three 0f the established criteria. The SCUBA system developed in the study is a fast and reliable sampling method.
Active recruitment increased enrollment in a hereditary cancer registry

Abstract Background and objective The Mid-Atlantic Cancer Genetics Network (MACGN) targets individuals from cancer risk assessment clinics for recruitment into a national hereditary cancer registry. We sought to determine whether different recruitment methods used in a high-risk breast and ovarian cancer clinic yielded differences into enrollment into MACGN. Methods Two methods of recruitment were compared over an 8-month period. A passive recruitment technique, used during the first 4 months of recruitment, involved distribution of a brochure. An active recruitment method, used during the second 4-month period, required a MACGN recruiter to approach patients and initiate a brief discussion of the registry. Results During the first 4-month period, 158 eight patients were seen in the clinic and 142 were seen in the second 4-month period. During passive recruitment, 20% of available patients were approached, compared with 63% during active recruitment. Active recruitment also resulted in fourfold increase over passive recruitment in enrollment (from 15.6% to 67.4%). Conclusion Allocating research staff specifically for recruitment and personal contact with potential participants is effective in achieving increased enrollment into a national hereditary cancer research registry.
Polarized IR microscopic imaging of articular cartilage.

The objective of this spectroscopic imaging study is to understand the anisotropic behavior of articular cartilage under polarized infrared radiation at 6.25 µm pixel resolution. Paraffin embedded canine humeral cartilage-bone blocks were used to obtain 6 µm thick tissue sections. Two wire grid polarizers were used to manipulate the polarization states of IR radiation by setting them for various polarizer/analyzer angles. The characteristics of the major chemical components (amide I, amide II, amide III and sugar) of articular cartilage were investigated using (a) a polarizer and (b) a combination of a polarizer and an analyzer. These results were compared to those obtained using only an analyzer. The infrared anisotropy (variation in infrared absorption as a function of polarization angles) of amide I, amide II and amide III bands correlates with the orientation of collagen fibrils along the tissue depth in different histological zones. An 'anisotropic flipping' region of amide profiles indicates the possibility of using Fourier transform infrared imaging (FTIRI) to determine the histological zones in cartilage. Cross-polarization experiment indicates the resolution of overlapping peaks of collagen triple helix and/or proteoglycan in articular cartilage.