cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting detection of a bimodal sour-savory mixture and inter-individual umami taste perception

While basic taste interactions have been the subject of many research studies, there is one combination where data is limited in the literature: sour and umami. This combination is universal in culinary preparations and of key interest to the food industry. Therefore, the primary goal of the present study is to assess how increasing concentrations of acidity (citric acid) affect, if at all, the intensity of a constant concentration of umami (monosodium glutamate, MSG). The secondary goal is to investigate other possible factors in umami taste perception. Here, a crowdsourced cohort of 734 individuals (age range 8-81) tasted and rated the intensity of 50 mM MSG alone, and in combination with citric acid at varying concentrations (1.25 mM, 6.25 mM, 31.25 mM). Participants were also genotyped for the single nucleotide polymorphism rs34160967 in the T1R1 gene. The results show a significant decrease in the intensity perception of umami as sour concentration increases (low: p = 0.005, medium: p < 0.001, high: p < 0.001). Situational factors such as participant hunger level and time since last eating also have a significant effect on umami intensity perception. Neither the biological factors of sex, age, and ancestry appear to play a role in umami perception, nor does variation in gene TAS1R1 at rs34160967. These new data contribute to the growing field of taste and sensory interaction by giving evidence that sour suppresses umami taste perception in bi-model samples.
Non-Inferiority of Aspirin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis After Hip Arthroplasty in a Statewide Registry.

Abstract Background Uncertainty remains surrounding the use of aspirin as a sole chemoprophylactic agent to reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) and bleeding after primary total hip arthroplasty. Methods We performed a non-inferiority analysis of a retrospective cohort of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty from April 1, 2013 to December 31, 2018. Cases were retrieved from the Michigan Arthroplasty Registry Collaborative Quality Initiative database and performed by 355 surgeons at 61 hospitals throughout Michigan. Surgical setting ranged from small community hospitals to large academic and non-academic centers. The primary outcomes were post-operative venous thromboembolism event or death and bleeding event. Results Of the 59,747 patients included, 32,878 (55.03%) were female, and the mean age was 64.5. A total of 462 (0.77%) composite venous thromboembolism events occurred. There were 221 (0.71%) and 129 (0.80%) venous thromboembolism events in patients receiving aspirin only and anticoagulants only, respectively. Aspirin was non-inferior to anticoagulants for composite venous thromboembolism events (odds ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.79-1.26, P Conclusion Aspirin is not inferior to other anticoagulants as pharmacologic venous thromboembolism prophylaxis with regards to post-operative risk of venous thromboembolism or bleeding. Sole use of aspirin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after total hip arthroplasty should be considered in the appropriate patient.
Effect of Kidney Function on Relationships between Lifestyle Behaviors and Mortality or Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Pooled Cohort Analysis

Background Adherence to healthy behaviors reduces risks of cardiovascular disease and death in the general population. However, among people with kidney disease, a group at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, such benefits have not been established. Methods We pooled data from three cohort studies with a total of 27,271 participants. Kidney function was categorized on the basis of eGFR (≥60, 45 to Results All recommended lifestyle behaviors were significantly associated with lower risks of death, regardless of eGFR. Not smoking (versus current) and any moderate to vigorous physical activity (versus none) was significantly associated with reduced risks of major coronary and heart failure events, regardless of eGFR. Any (versus no) moderate or vigorous physical activity significantly associated with decreased risk of ischemic stroke events only among those with eGFR ≥60. Moderate to no daily alcohol intake (versus excessive) was significantly associated with an increased risk of major coronary events, regardless of eGFR. For heart failure events, a BMI of 18.5 to 30 associated with decreased risk, regardless of eGFR. Across all eGFR categories, the magnitude of risk reduction for death and all cardiovascular outcomes increased with greater numbers of recommended lifestyle behaviors. Conclusions Recommended lifestyle behaviors are associated with lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease events among individuals with or without reduced kidney function, supporting lifestyle behaviors as potentially modifiable risk factors for people with kidney disease.
Membrane signalosome: where biophysics meets systems biology

We opine on the recent advances in experiments and modeling of modular signaling complexes assembled on mammalian cell membranes (membrane signalosomes) in the context of several applications including intracellular trafficking, cell migration, and immune response. Characterizing the individual components of the membrane assemblies at the nanoscale, ranging from protein-lipid and protein-protein interactions, to membrane morphology, and the energetics of emergent assemblies at the subcellular to cellular scales pose significant challenges. Overcoming these challenges through the iterative coupling of multiscale modeling and experiment can be transformative in terms of addressing the gaps between structural biology and super-resolution microscopy, as it holds the key to the discovery of fundamental mechanisms behind the emergence of function in the membrane signalosome.
Why does communication need transnational queer studies

In this essay, I argue for the need to embrace transnationalism as an epistemological and methodological intervention in communication studies. Centering how non-Western racialized queer experience...
Implant Considerations for the CRT Device

Effective cardiac synchronization therapy (CRT) can improve survival and quality of life for heart failure patients. However, CRT implantation can be technically challenging due to difficulty accessing the coronary sinus, finding an appropriate vein branch, and achieving effective capture. The goal of this chapter is to describe CRT implantation techniques and how to overcome common challenges encountered.
Laparoscopic rectopexy

Abdominal rectopexy has been advocated as the treatment of choice for complete rectal prolapse. Recurrence rates are low raging from 0–12% and fecal continence has been documented to improve in 3–75% of patients. As most patients are elderly and not always fit enough to undergo abdominal procedure, various perineal approaches have been advocated. Depending on the type and extent of the operation, these procedures have a recurrence of up to 38%. Laparoscopic rectopexy represents the latest development in the evolution of surgical treatment of rectal prolapse. This technique aims to combine the good functional outcome of the open abdominal procedure with the low postoperative morbidity of minimal invasive surgery. We present a laparosocpic rectopexy on 72-year-old lady with a 10-year history of fecal incontinence and mucosal rectal prolapse.
Support gaps during the COVID-19 pandemic: Sex differences and effects on well-being

During times of stress, supportive communication can buffer individuals from experiencing negative outcomes. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially altered the interactions people rely on...
Synthetic prenylated peptides: studying prenyl protein-specific endoprotease and other aspects of protein prenylation.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the methodologies used for preparing synthetic prenylated peptides. These peptides are invaluable in studying the structures of prenylated proteins, the enzymes in the prenylated protein maturation pathway, and the binding of prenylated peptides to membranes. The methods discussed in the chapter are used to prenylate, site-selectively, any desired cysteine residue or residues in a peptide with multiple cysteines. The methylation of the C-terminal COOH group can be carried out without methylation of the side chains of aspartate and glutamate residues. Substituents can be introduced onto the N terminus of the peptides as well. The methods are also useful for preparing peptides that are radiolabeled to high specific activities. The use of such peptides to assay the prenylated protein-specific endoprotease (PPEP) is also described.
Microsomal sn-glycerol 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase activities from liver and other tissues: Evidence for a single enzyme catalyzing both reactions

In vitro characterizations of rat liver microsomal acyl-CoA:sn-glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.15) (glycerol-P acyltransferase) and acyl-CoA:dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.42) (DHAP acyltransferase) activities were performed in order to test the hypothesis that these two activities in liver microsomes may be dual functions of a single enzyme and to estimate the relative contributions of the glycerol-P and DHAP pathways for hepatic microsomal glycerolipid synthesis. The microsomal glycerol-P acyltransferase activity showed an apparent Km of 0.14 mm for glycerol-P with a V of 2.8 nmol/min/mg, while the DHAP acyltransferase activity showed an apparent Km of 0.3 mm for DHAP with a V of 0.62 nmol/min/mg. Glycerol-P was a competitive inhibitor (Ki = 0.12 mM) of the DHAP acyltransferase activity, and DHAP was a competitive inhibitor (Ki = 1.4 mM) of the glycerol-P acyltransferase activity. The two acyltransferase activities showed great similarities in their pH dependence, acyl-CoA chain length and concentration dependencies, thermolability, and patterns of inactivation by N-ethylmaleimide, trypsin, and detergents. Taken as a whole the data strongly suggest that liver microsomal glycerol-P and DHAP acyltransferase activities actually represent dual catalytic functions of a single microsomal enzyme. Similar kinetic and inhibition studies indicate that this finding is also valid for the two acyltransferase activities from intestinal mucosa, lung, kidney, and brain. Calculations based on the above kinetic constants and previously reported glycerol-P and DHAP pools in liver suggest that the in vivo ratio of glycerol-P to DHAP acylation in liver microsomes should be greater than 84:1.
Solid State Joining of Magnesium to Steel

Friction stir welding and ultrasonic welding techniques were applied to join automotive magnesium alloys to steel sheet. The effect of tooling and process parameters on the post-weld microstructure, texture and mechanical properties was investigated. Static and dynamic loading were utilized to investigate the joint strength of both cast and wrought magnesium alloys including their susceptibility and degradation under corrosive media. The conditions required to produce joint strengths in excess of 75% of the base metal strength were determined, and the effects of surface coatings, tooling and weld parameters on weld properties are presented.
The Formation of a 455 nm Complex during Cytochrome P-450-Dependent N-Hydroxyamphetamine Metabolism

The formation of an absorbance maximum at 455 nm during the hepatic microsomal oxidative metabolism of N-hydroxyamphetamine requires NADPH and oxygen and is not inhibited by exogenous catalase. This 455 nm complex, which is thought to be a complex of a metabolic intermediate formed during N-hydroxyamphetamine metabolism by cytochrome P-450, has an extinction coefficient of 65 mM-1 cm-1. It can be formed at a rate 8 nmoles/ mg of protein per minute, which is 10 times the rate of formation of a similar complex from norbenzphetamine, 20 times that from benzphetamine, and 40 times that from d-amphetamine and SKF 525-A. Prior treatment of rats with phenobarbital enhances the rate of complex formation, whereas 3-methylcholanthrene administration reduces the rate to less than that observed for untreated animals. Formation of the complex is inhibited by other substrates capable of undergoing mixed-function oxidation. The complex is stable in the pressence of dithionite, but is destroyed by ferricyanide oxidation and subsequent further reduction. The 455 nm absorbance maximum is converted to one at 423 nm upon conversion of cytochrome P-450 to P-420 by deoxycholate.
Temporal patterns of human cortical activity reflect tone sequence structure

Despite growing interest in temporal aspects of auditory neural processing1,2, little is known about large-scale timing patterns of brain activity during the perception of auditory sequences3. This is partly because it has not been possible to distinguish stimulus-related activity from other, endogenous brain signals recorded by electrical or magnetic sensors. Here we use amplitude modulation of unfamiliar, ∼1-minute-long tone sequences to label stimulus-related magnetoencephalographic neural activity in human subjects4,5,6,7,8,9. We show that temporal patterns of activity recorded over particular brain regions track the pitch contour of tone sequences, with the accuracy of tracking increasing as tone sequences become more predictable in structure. In contrast, temporal synchronization between recording locations, particularly between sites over the left posterior hemisphere and the rest of the brain, is greatest when sequences have melody-like statistical properties10,11, which may reflect the perceptual integration of local and global pitch patterns in melody-like sequences12. This method is particularly well suited to studying temporal neural correlates of complex auditory sequences (such as speech or music) which engage multiple brain areas as perception unfolds in time.
Determination of emerging contaminants in wastewater utilizing comprehensive two-dimensional gas-chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry

An analytical method for identification of emerging contaminants of concern, such as pesticides and organohalogens has been developed and utilized for true discovery-based analysis. In order to achieve the level of sensitivity and selectivity necessary for detecting compounds in complex samples, comprehensive gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) was utilized to analyze wastewater samples obtained from the Pennsylvania State University wastewater treatment facility (WWTF). Determination of emerging contaminants through a process of combining samples which represent "normal background" and comparing this to new samples was developed. Results show the presence of halogenated benzotriazoles in wastewater samples as well as soil samples from Pennsylvania State University agricultural fields. The trace levels of chlorinated benzotriazoles observed in the monitoring wells present on the property indicate likely environmental degradation of the chlorinated benzotriazoles. Preliminary investigation of environmental fate of the substituted benzotriazoles indicates their likely degradation into phenol; an Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority pollutant.
Central control of thermogenesis in mammals.

Thermogenesis, the production of heat energy, is an essential component of the homeostatic repertoire to maintain body temperature in mammals and birds during the challenge of low environmental temperature and plays a key role in elevating body temperature during the febrile response to infection. The primary sources of neurally regulated metabolic heat production are mitochondrial oxidation in brown adipose tissue, increases in heart rate and shivering in skeletal muscle. Thermogenesis is regulated in each of these tissues by parallel networks in the central nervous system, which respond to feedforward afferent signals from cutaneous and core body thermoreceptors and to feedback signals from brain thermosensitive neurons to activate the appropriate sympathetic and somatic efferents. This review summarizes the research leading to a model of the feedforward reflex pathway through which environmental cold stimulates thermogenesis and discusses the influence on this thermoregulatory network of the pyrogenic mediator, prostaglandin E2, to increase body temperature. The cold thermal afferent circuit from cutaneous thermal receptors ascends via second-order thermosensory neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord to activate neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus, which drive GABAergic interneurons in the preoptic area to inhibit warm-sensitive, inhibitory output neurons of the preoptic area. The resulting disinhibition of thermogenesis-promoting neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus and possibly of sympathetic and somatic premotor neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla, including the raphe pallidus, activates excitatory inputs to spinal sympathetic and somatic motor circuits to drive thermogenesis.
Managed care in reconstructive pelvic surgery and urogynecology

While demographic changes in future decades should expand the need for subspecialists in reconstructive pelvic surgery and urogynecology, managed care will probably limit access of patients to specialists in this field. Much of the evaluation and treatment for women with prolapse and incontinence will be provided by primary care providers.
Why governments run schools

Abstract This paper discusses problems of uncertainty and imperfect information that bear on organizational choices for schools. A model of choice under uncertainty illustrates the optimality of the equal opportunity provision of schooling in terms of inputs. The model shows why schools offer similar, diverse curricula as a means of allowing students to shed risk about ability and future employment. Elements of transactions cost economics are used to evaluate organizational choice for providing schooling. Problems of opportunism and regulatory costs are discussed in the cases of for-profit, non-profit, and publicly provided schools.
GnRH-MEDIATED DESENSITIZATION OF THE PITUITARY GONADOTROPE IS NOT CALCIUM DEPENDENT

In the present work we describe homologous desensitization of gonadotropin release from pituitary cells in response to short-term exposure to GnRH. Like the release process itself, desensitization requires receptor occupancy by an agonist. In contrast, however, inhibition of LH release by chelation of extracellular calcium or blockade of the calcium ion channel does not inhibit desensitization. Further, stimulation of gonadotropin release by ionophore A23187 (which mobilizes calcium without GnRH receptor occupancy) does not lead to desensitization. These findings indicate that the decrease in pituitary sensitivity to GnRH due to an initial exposure to the peptide can be uncoupled from LH release. The data provide the first evidence of a calciumindependent biological effect of the releasing hormone in cultured pituitary cells.
Piecewise Tendency Diagnosis of Dynamical Processes Governing the Development of an Upper-Tropospheric Mobile Trough

Abstract The intensification and evolution of midlatitude upper-tropospheric mobile troughs may be viewed in terms of the isentropic advection and deformation of the tropopause potential vorticity gradient. The potential vorticity viewpoint allows one to qualitatively assess observed events in the context of existing theories of mobile trough genesis, such as baroclinic instability or downstream development. In order to quantitatively determine the role of distinct dynamical process, the method of piecewise tendency diagnosis, or PTD, is developed. PTD is an extension of piecewise potential vorticity inversion applied to height tendencies, with the forcing terms in the quasigeostrophic height tendency equation partitioned into potential vorticity advection associated with distinct dynamical processes. A particular case of mobile trough genesis, which occurred during 1–4 December 1980 over North America is diagnosed using PTD. Although about 20% of the intensification of the trough was due to superposition...
Encoding visual stimuli with a population of Hodgkin-Huxley neurons.

In recent years the increasing availability of multi-electrode recordings has led to the application of neural decoding techniques to the recovery of complex stimuli such as natural scenes. A linear decoding algorithm was presented in [1] for the reconstruction of natural scenes with recognizable moving objects using recordings from a neural population of the cat’s Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN). Most of the current models of encoding in the early visual system (retina, LGN, V1) consist of a linear receptive field followed by a non-linear spike generation mechanism. In [2] we considered a neural circuit architecture consisting of receptive fields in cascade with an equal number of spiking neural circuits. The neural circuits investigated were integrate-and-fire neurons and ON-OFF neurons with random thresholds and feedback. We demonstrated for the first time a decoding algorithm for natural scenes and shown its dependence on the noise level.
"Reform" Social Darwinists and Measuring Levels of Living on American Farms, 1920-1926

The first measurements in the 1920s of living standards of American farmers were not outgrowths of mere curiosity. As implemented by a new breed of social scientist in the USDA's Bureau of Agricultural Economics, especially Ellis Kirkpatrick, they were instruments of social Darwinism: keep the "higher" or "cerebral" type of farmer down on the farm by paying him parity prices. IN the 1920s a large number of farm economists trained in quantitative techniques were hired by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics in the United States Department of Agriculture. Often their application of scientific and objective analysis unlocked solutions to age-old problems that had long baffled traditionalists. Yet paradoxically their research was governed as much by preconceived notions about American agriculture as was that of their less scientifically trained predecessors. The result was that farm economists in the Bureau regularly pursued research projects ostensibly scientific, but in fact designed to accomplish preconceived purposes based on unscientific assumptions-even prejudices-about American farm life. One assumption was derived from their university training in social Darwinism. Henry C. Taylor, Bureau Chief, and Charles Galpin, head of the Bureau's division of farm population and rural life studies, published several textbooks based on social Darwinism during their academic careers at the University of Wisconsin. Indeed, they evaluated various levels of farm living by the precepts of Herbert Spencer and William Graham Sumner. Contending that the "primitive muscular type" of human on the evolutionary scale was capable of utilizing only rudimentary agricultural techniques, they demonstrated that this sort of farmer lived on the least productive land and embraced a lower style of living. Inversely, the "modern cerebral" type lived on the best land, utilized the most modern farm techniques, employed current methods of farm management and economics, and sought continuously to advance his level of living. 1
Regulatory network features in Listeria monocytogenes—changing the way we talk

Our understanding of how pathogens shape their gene expression in response to environmental changes is ever growing. Advances in Bioinformatics have made it possible to model complex systems and integrate data form variable sources into one large regulatory network. In these analyses, regulatory networks are typically broken down into regulatory motifs such as feed-forward loops or auto-regulatory feedbacks, which serves to simplify the structure, while the functional implications of different regulatory motifs allow to make informed assumptions about the function of a specific regulatory pathway. Here we review the basic concepts of network features and use this language to break down the regulatory networks that govern the interactions between the main regulators of stress response, virulence and transmission in Listeria monocytogenes. We point out the advantage that taking a “systems approach” could have for our understanding of gene functions, the detection of distant regulatory inputs, interspecies comparisons, and co-expression.
Primary Care Patients’ Views, Attitudes, and Decision-Making Factors Regarding Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genome Testing: Results From a Qualitative Study

Background: Direct-to-consumer personal genome testing (PGT) is a relatively new service where thousands to millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms, or common genetic variants, are examined and variable risk estimates for diseases and conditions are given. Such genetic testing is available directly to the public and raises ethical, scientific, regulatory, and clinical issues. Limited empirical research exists about how primary care patients view PGT. The goal of this exploratory study was to assess the attitudes and views, decision-making factors, and ethical considerations of primary care patients about direct-to-consumer PGT. Methods: This qualitative study involved recruiting primary care patients from an urban academic medical center clinic and conducting four focus groups (n = 29). Participants were questioned about their views, attitudes, and decision-making considerations regarding direct-to-consumer PGT. Grounded theory methodology was used to analyze the data for categories that emerged from ...
Hospitalization before surgery increases risk for postoperative infections

Objectives Exposure to a health care facility before surgery may increase risk for postoperative infections. Our objectives were to (1) determine whether the prevalence of postoperative infections was higher among patients who were hospitalized before cardiac surgery, (2) identify risk factors for infection, and (3) evaluate in-hospital outcomes. Methods A total of 32,707 patients underwent cardiac surgery from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2011. Forty percent (13,107) were hospitalized before their surgery date or were transfers from other health care facilities, and 60% (19,600) were same-day admissions. The primary outcome consisted of a composite infection: pneumonia, sepsis, surgical site infection, and urinary tract infection. The secondary outcome was in-hospital death. The propensity method was used to compare infectious complications and mortality between groups. Results Overall infectious complications occurred in 2327 patients (7.1%). Overall composite and individual infections decreased over the study period (P for trend Conclusions Although the risk of infection decreased over time, the relationship between exposure to a health care facility before surgical intervention and higher infection risk remained substantial. Further investigation into processes of care surrounding infection control is necessary to reduce postoperative infections and associated morbidity.
In-Process Control of Cylindricity in Boring Operations

This paper presents a new on-line control scheme utilizing the Forecasting Compensatory Control (FCC) method for improving cylindricity in boring operations. The proposed control method was implemented through the development of a laser-based in-process cylindricity measurement, a digital microcomputer, and a piezoelectric actuator system. Through on-line cutting experiments, the improvement in cylindricity accuracy was found to be in excess of 60 percent.
Targeting management of fever, hyperglycemia, and swallowing improved outcomes in acute stroke

Source Citation Middleton S, McElduff P, Ward J, et al; QASC Trialists Group. Implementation of evidence-based treatment protocols to manage fever, hyperglycaemia, and swallowing dysfunction in acu...
Faith in Asia's Poor: Ten Paths to Rural Development. Biographies of Ramon Magsaysay Foundation Awardees . Edited by Mae Handy Esterline. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1990. xiii, 192 pp. $14.95 (paper).

This book offers the brief biographies of ten dedicated men, of seven nationalities, who have introduced imaginative, easily applicable technologies to people of rural South, Southeast and Northeast Asia. Their unifying philosophy is that sustained social and economic progress can be achieved only through self-help. Includes a man in India planting forests, an Indonesian engineer developing water and fuel resources, an American missionary evolving a system of slope farming in the Philippines, and a Bangladeshi professor of economics organizing a banking system for the poor and landless in his country. Offers insight into the role of micro-economic programs in overall national developmental planning, and illustrates the need to build upon traditional patterns and strengthen the concept of self-help.
On using correlated sampling to simulate small changes in system response by MCNP

Abstract Correlated sampling is a developed technique that enables MCNP to simulate small changes in system response with an acceptable uncertainty at reasonable number of particle histories. In this work the performance of correlated sampling is investigated. It is found that under certain conditions using the default output format of MCNP and the original practice of batch statistics developed for correlated sampling may overestimate the uncertainty of a response change. The cause of the overestimation is analyzed; correspondingly two suggestions are proposed for correlated sampling to ensure correct estimation of the uncertainty. The performance of improved correlated sampling is compared with that of un-correlated sampling computation to demonstrate the effect of correlated sampling. Results show that correlated sampling indeed is a robust technique for MCNP to simulate small changes in system response.
Relationships Among Selected Demographic Variables and Adolescent Psychosocial Well‐Being

This study investigated the relationships among self-esteem, social competence, stress, social support (family and peer), gender, and ethnicity among urban, rural, and suburban adolescents. The participants in this study were drawn from a nationally representative sample of adolescent youth. Analyses of data revealed that there were significant relationships between self-esteem, social competence, stress, and social support. Significant differences within gender were found between self-esteem, social competence, peer support, and stress. Also, there were significant ethnic differences in self-esteem and peer support. Regression analyses revealed that both family and peer support accounted for a significant degree of the variation on self-esteem and significant family and peer effects. No significant distinctions between geographic locations and the psychosocial variables were indicated.
Reading Comprehension Strategies for Adult Literacy Outcomes

Although research on improving child literacy is converging, no such body of research exists for adult literacy. Yet the need is no less significant. This study extends the knowledge garnered with younger populations by determining the reading comprehension strategies most important to adults' success on adult literacy outcome measures and aligning them with previously researched interventions. According to an analysis of key adult literacy outcome measures (i.e., competency-based, standardized tests of literacy commonly accepted as reasonable proxies for the global construct of adult literacy: Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System [CASAS], General Educational Development [GED], and National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP]), adults should benefit from strategies that teach looking for clues in or generating questions about a text. Additionally, adults need to learn how to summarize and draw inferences in order to address higher-level literacy demands. Adult learners also need a metacognitive strategy to self-regulate reading behavior (e.g., choose a strategy to use, evaluate its effectiveness, and abandon and choose another strategy if necessary.) Furthermore, when using a competency-based standardized test, adult learners need to be coincidentally taught test-taking skills to reduce the test-related task demands and produce a better index of a learner's reading comprehension skills.
Shaping Couzin-Like Torus Swarms through Coordinated Mediation

Human-swarm interaction methods often allow a human to influence a swarm through either leadership or predation. These methods of influence have two main limitations: (1) although leaders sustain influence over nominal agents for a long period of time, they tend to cause all collective structures to turn in to flocks (negating the benefit of other swarm formations) and (2) predators tend to cause collective structures to fragment. We introduce the use of mediators as a novel shared control method for human-swarm influence and use mediators to shape Couzin-like tori [1]. The mediator method uses special agents that operate from within the spatial center of a swarm. This approach allows a human operator to transform and move a dynamic torus formation while sustaining influence over the torus, avoiding fragmentation, and maintaining the torus' connectivity. The use of mediators allows a human to mold and adapt the torus' behavior and structure to a wide range of spatio-temporal tasks such as military protection and decontamination tasks.
Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees: Leadership Opportunities in Medication Safety for Medical Toxicologists

Few residencies or fellowships provide preparation for the many committee responsibilities facing clinicians in an academic or community hospital. This is unfortunate as these assignments are often rich with educational experiences for trainees and young faculty. Although committee work can be time consuming, some of these hospital committees can be very influential in critical decisions about hospital philosophy. Many of these committees are mandatory infrastructural requirements for hospital accreditation by the Joint Commission, and the medical center leadership can view participation favorably. One committee that integrates squarely into the specialty of medical toxicology is the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) committee, sometimes aptly named the Formulary Committee. Charged with determining the hospital formulary, decisions are made about the inclusion or exclusion of new pharmacotherapeutic and diagnostic agents for inpatients and outpatients. This committee is typically composed of a multidisciplinary team of pharmacy, physician, nursing, and hospital clinical and administrative leadership. As the tasks and responsibilities of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee evolve and increase, more opportunities are created for individual involvement [1, 2]. A survey of the ACMT membership in 2007 revealed that 46% of its medical toxicologists participated in their P&T committee and 14% were chair [ACMT Unpublished data]. In our experience, the unique and relevant perspective of a medical toxicologist has proven to be a welcome, mutually beneficial addition to this committee.
On the parameterization of the roughness length for the air-sea interface in free convection

The roughness length at the air-sea interface during free convection (z0fc) is mainly related to the convective velocity (w*) rather than the friction velocity (u*). The parameterization of z0fc with w*2/g as proposed by Abdella and D’Alessio in 2003 is evaluated. It is shown that their proposed formula is consistent with field measurements. In order to avoid self-correlation by using u*, a new parameterization of w* with wind speed (Uz) at height z and stability parameter (z/L, where L is the buoyancy length) is proposed. This new formula for w* is in agreement with an independent field result.
A MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR REALLOCATING COLLEGE RESOURCES

Community college administrators frequently need to deal with program enrollment shifts resulting from economic and demographic shifts. Reallocating resources between areas of the college to adjust to those enrollment shifts can become a difficult process if there isn't a careful monitoring of enrollment patterns and program costs. The authors describe their use of an enrollment and cost trends report that is published and distributed to the campus yearly. The report, with ten years of trend data on enrollments and credit hour costs, is utilized to provide a basis for planning, budgeting, and prioritizing personnel decisions. The authors contend that the public nature of the report is necessary to educate the campus to the importance of controlling program costs. The resulting campus awareness assists administrative efforts to reallocate funds within and between program areas and provide benchmarking comparisons. The usefulness of the data in legislative lobbying and fund raising also is described.
Nonlinear Optics of Nematic and Blue Phase Liquid Crystals

We present a critical reexamination of individual electronic and collective optical nonlinearities of nematic liquid crystals (NLC) in the context of all-optical transmission switching of femtoseconds – CW lasers, and report recent observations of similar optical nonlinearities in Blue-phase liquid crystals (BPLC) and their utilization in feasibility demonstrations of polarization-free nonlinear grating diffraction and transmission switching of CW as well as pulsed lasers.
Stress and Coping of Parents of Young Children Diagnosed With Bladder Exstrophy

Purpose: Previous studies have examined the psychological impact that living with bladder exstrophy has on patients. However, little is known about how parents of children diagnosed with this condition are affected. We examine how parents caring for children diagnosed with bladder exstrophy are impacted. An increased understanding of the stressors these parents face may lead to the development of appropriate parenting interventions, which may ultimately affect psychosocial and health outcomes in the child.Materials and Methods: All parents of children 10 years and younger treated for bladder exstrophy at our institution were selected from a centralized database. A total of 20 parents (65% of the eligible population) completed standardized questionnaires assessing pediatric specific parenting stress (Pediatric Inventory for Parents) and coping (Ways of Coping Questionnaire).Results: Parents identified several common stressors (eg worrying about the long-term impact of the illness, helping the child with hi...
Chlamydospore production in Candida albicans.

A review of the literature correlated with laboratory studies of the influence of carbon source, temperature, and pH on chlamydospore formation, substantiate the enzymatic hypothesis of morphogenesis inCandida albicans.
Intercalation of ferrocene into Cd2P2S6(CoCp2)0.8

Abstract We report the intercalation of ferrocene into Cd2P2S6(CoCp2)0.8. The Cd2P2S6 was first intercalated with cobaltocene, and then this intercalated material was reacted with ferrocene. Mass spectroscopy provides direct evidence for the presence of ferrocene in the Cd2P2S6 host lattice. ESR measurements suggest that after the insertion of ferrocene into Cd2P2S6(CoCp2)0.8, the concentration of neutral cobaltocene within Cd2P2S6 is significantly reduced. X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis provide additional characterization.
Requiem for second-order fluid approximations of traffic flow

Although the “first order” continuum theory of highway traffic proposed by Lighthill and Whitham (1955) and Richards (1956)—the LWR model—can predict some things rather well, it is also known to have some deficiencies. In an attempt to correct some of these, “higher order” theories have been proposed starting in the early 70s. Unfortunately, the usefulness of these improvements can be questioned. This note describes the logical flaws in the arguments that have been advanced to derive higher order continuum models, and shows that the proposed high order modifications lead to a fundamentally flawed model structure. The modifications can actually make things worse. As an illustration of this, it is shown that any continuum model of traffic flow that smooths out all discontinuities in density will predict negative flows and negative speeds (i.e., “wrong way travel”) under certain conditions. Such unreasonable predictions are made by all existing models formulated as a quasilinear system of partial differential equations in speed, density, and (sometimes) other variables but not by the LWR model. The note discusses the available empirical evidence and ends with a (hopefully positive) commentary on what can be accomplished with first-order models.
The impact of ordering provider specialty on appropriateness classification

There is limited published data comparing the appropriateness use criteria for SPECT MPI with the specialty of the ordering provider. The aim of this study was to examine if the specialty of the ordering provider affected either the ordering indication or the appropriateness of stress SPECT MPI. The ordering provider’s specialty was compared with the study indication and appropriateness rating. There were modest but significant differences in general indications by specialty. For example, the Emergency Department group ordered fewer studies in asymptomatic patients (3% compared to 14%-23% in the other four referral groups). In contrast, 43% of the studies ordered by Cardiovascular Division physicians and 39% of the studies ordered by the Registered Nurse group were on post-revascularization patients, compared to 23%-31% of those ordered by the other three groups. Overall appropriateness classification did not differ among the five specialty groups (P = 0.19). In a clinical practice where pre-operative testing using SPECT is infrequent, the rate of inappropriate studies was similar for all ordering providers. Quality improvement efforts in similar practices will likely require a broad educational focus on all ordering providers.
Early calcium dysregulation in Alzheimer’s disease: setting the stage for synaptic dysfunction

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible and progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure or clear understanding of the mechanisms involved in the disease process. Amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal loss, though characteristic of AD, are late stage markers whose impact on the most devastating aspect of AD, namely memory loss and cognitive deficits, are still unclear. Recent studies demonstrate that structural and functional breakdown of synapses may be the underlying factor in AD-linked cognitive decline. One common element that presents with several features of AD is disrupted neuronal calcium signaling. Increased intracellular calcium levels are functionally linked to presenilin mutations, ApoE4 expression, amyloid plaques, tau tangles and synaptic dysfunction. In this review, we discuss the role of AD-linked calcium signaling alterations in neurons and how this may be linked to synaptic dysfunctions at both early and late stages of the disease.
Infants’ developing understanding of the link between looker and object

Three studies investigated infants’ understanding that gaze involves a relation between a person and the object of his or her gaze. Infants were habituated to an event in which an actor turned and looked at one of two toys. Then, infants saw test events in which (1) the actor turned to the same side as during habituation to look at a different toy, or (2) the actor turned to the other side to look at the same toy as during habituation. The first of these involved a change in the relation between actor and object. The second involved a new physical motion on the part of the actor but no change in the relation between actor and object. Seven- and 9-month-old infants did not respond to the change in relation between actor and object, although infants at both ages followed the actor’s gaze to the toys. In contrast, 12-month-old infants responded to the change in the actor‐object relation. Control conditions verified that the paradigm was a sensitive index of the younger infants’ representations of action: 7- and 9-month-olds responded to a change in the actor‐object relation when the actor’s gaze was accompanied by a grasp. Taken together, these findings indicate that gaze-following does not initially go hand in hand with understanding the relation between a person who looks and the object of his or her gaze, and that infants begin to understand this relation between 9 and 12 months.
Fusimotor-free spindles in reinnervated muscles of neonatal rats treated with nerve growth factor.

Abstract Crushing the nerve to the medial gastrocnemius muscle in newborn rats and administering nerve growth factor afterwards results in a reinnervated muscle containing supernumerary muscle spindles. The structure and innervation of 88 spindles in the reinnervated muscles were reconstructed from serial thick and thin transverse sections at 30–35 days after the nerve crush, and compared to those of five control spindles. The spindles consisted of one to four small-diameter encapsulated fibers with features of nuclear chain intrafusal fibers, or infrequently a nuclear bag intrafusal fiber. Some of the spindles were located within a capsule that also contained an extrafusal fiber. Each spindle was innervated by an afferent with features of the primary afferent. The density of secondary afferents was lower in reinnervated muscles than in controls. Endplates were observed on extrafusal fibers in the experimental muscles, attesting to restoration of skeletomotor (α) innervation after the nerve crush. However, 78% of the experimental spindles were entirely devoid of efferent innervation. The remainder received either one or two fusimotor (γ) axons or a skeletofusimotor (β) axon, compared to the six to eight motor axons that innervated control spindles. The presence of supernumerary spindles composed of fibers that resemble normal intrafusal fibers in the absence of motor innervation suggests that afferents alone can induce the formation and subsequent differentiation of intrafusal fibers in nerve-crushed muscles of neonatal rats. In addition, the paucity of y innervation in nerve-crushed muscles suggests that immature y neurons are more susceptible than spindle afferents or α efferents to cell death after axotomy at birth.
Single particle FEL equations with overtones

Abstract We report a generalization of the usual single-particle equations for a linear polarized wiggler. Particle simulations show the presence of harmonics under conditions of low γ and high magnetic fields. These harmonics are introduced into the single particle equations by separate field components for each harmonic. The overtones are fed by the same phase space and all their effects on the particle motion are treated simulataneously. The coupling of the magnetic field differs from the usual Bessel function form because of the low electron energy and the high magnetic field. We also include longitudinal space charge fields. We compare the reduced equation results with a full 1D particle simulation. Finding good agreement, we conclude that harmonic generation has a significant impact on the waveform under these conditions.
Use of paraffin wax film in MALDI-TOF analysis of DNA.

Poor detection limits and strong salt effects are two of the main problems encountered in the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometric analysis of DNA. This work demonstrates that a probe tip with a paraffin wax film (Parafilm) surface improves the MALDI performance in DNA analysis compared to the commonly used metal surface. First, the use of Parafilm increases the detection sensitivity. It was found that the detection limit achieved with Parafilm was 5 times better than that obtained using stainless steel for a 85mer. More importantly, the Parafilm method could improve detection of larger DNA components in the presence of a large excess of a smaller DNA component or in a DNA mixture. This feature is important to analyses of PCR and sequencing products. Second, we found that the use of Parafilm increased the salt tolerance limits for the 17-, 41-, and 85mers studied in this work and that the salt effect was less sensitive to the DNA size. Third, this metho...