cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of genotype (open-pollinated vs hybrid) and environment on preharvest aflatoxin contamination of maize grown in southeastern united states

Currently popular maize hybrids were compared with open-pollinated varieties grown in die Southeast prior to 1940 for susceptibility to preharvest aflatoxin contamination. Parallel planting were made of 4 hybrids and 8 varieties at 8 locations, most located in the Southeast, in both 1979 and 1980. The test ears, dried immediately after picking, were examined for insect damage (1980 only) and the ground, shelled kernels analyzed for aflatoxins. Aflatoxin incidence and levels were positively related to location and crop year, but not to genotype, except for one variety that was significantly more susceptible to aflatoxin contamination than the others. There was no correlation of aflatoxin occurrence with either drought stress or maximal temperature during the period between flowering and harvest, but insect damage did correlate to some extent with the severity of contamination in 1980 both in relation to genotype and to location, except for the one location (Florence, SC) at which the most severe contamination was encountered. The severity of contamination at this location could not be explained by any of the known or hypothetical factors that have been developed.
Histidine-rich glycoprotein plus zinc to neutralize heparin

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) binds heparin and neutralizes its anticoagulant effect. Because zinc greatly enhances this interaction, it is possible that the combination of HRG and zinc could be used as an antidote for heparin. We have determined the plasma concentrations of HRG and zinc necessary to neutralize clinically relevant concentrations of heparin. Using a thrombin-time assay, we found that HRG plus zinc can neutralize 0.2 to 4.5 units/mL heparin, although the maximal effect requires an HRG plasma concentration about six times normal and a zinc concentration about 10 times normal. In a system using purified proteins and a thrombin-specific chromogenic substrate, we found that both the concentration of HRG and the molar ratio of HRG to zinc are important in determining the potency of the anti-heparin activity. Whether HRG and zinc can be administered as an antidote for heparin will depend on whether the requisite doses can be achieved without toxicity.
Penetrating ocular injuries in previously injured blind eyes: should we consider primary enucleation?

We read with great interest the paper by Kilmartin et al 1 in which the authors noted that most of the newly diagnosed cases of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) in their prospective study occurred in eyes that had sustained multiple injuries, either via trauma or intraocular surgery, and that enucleation following the onset of SO in these eyes was not related to a better visual outcome in the fellow eye. We have recently encountered two cases of ocular trauma in which, with the aforementioned two points in mind, we found it reasonable to consider and offer primary enucleation in an attempt to decrease the risk of SO. The first case was a 46 year old man who had suffered a previous penetrating injury to his left eye as a child and now presented with …
Cardiac safety of the electroconvulsive therapy–paliperidone combination: a preliminary study

Both electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and paliperidone (PLP) can induce, though infrequently, severe cardiac side-effects. Thus far, no studies are available on the cardiac safety of their co-administration. We report on the cardiac safety of the ECT-PLP combination in nine female inpatients who underwent this treatment modality. In a total of 83 ECT patient sessions, the ECT-PLP combination was well tolerated. No patient exhibited any noticeable prolongation of QTc interval and no adverse cardiac events, in particular arrhythmias, were noted.
Wideband, Phase Coded Millimeter Wave Instrumentation Radar

A wideband, biphase coded, cw millimeter wave instrumentation radar has been constructed to obtain both unresolved and resolved radar cross section data of tactical vehicles and naval vessels. The radar operates at 95.6GHz with a selectable pseudo-noise code waveform which allows a variable range resolution and range ambiguity. The radar azimuth-elevation scanner is controlled by a microprocessor. Various scan patterns (e.g., raster) are stored in erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM). A "sliding code" signal correlation is used to obtain processing gain as well as bandwidth compression in order to simplify signal recording and digitizing. Radar performance is also described.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Geometric Formula for Current-Algebra Commutation Relations

A purely algebraic formalism is introduced in order to describe the relation between current algebras and Lagrangian field theory. It is then applied to the description in differential-geometric terms of the equal-time commutation relations for currents defined by Lagrangians derived from Riemannian metrics on internal-symmetry spaces.
Flood-Induced Displacement and Civil Conflict

Summary Large, catastrophic floods intensify environmental scarcity and can lead to mass displacement from affected areas. The sudden and mass influx of migrants could increase the risk of social tensions in receiving areas. In this paper, we analyze the impact of the displacement induced by large floods on civil conflict using historical data for 126 countries during 1985–2009. Our results suggest that while the displacement caused by large floods did not ignite new conflicts, it fueled existing conflicts. This effect was larger in developing countries and it receded with time, vanishing five years following the flood.
Relativistic Doppler-shift effects.

The lack of knowledge of relativistic distribution functions for interacting particles introduces uncertainty into the cosmological interpretation of Doppler shifts, particularly for systems such as quasars. Here we define an average Doppler shift, reducible to the nonrelativistic form in the appropriate limit. However, even for the relativistic ideal situation (J\"uttner distribution), second-order effects yield shift corrections after averaging. Such effects should be of interest for nuclear x-ray and \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray lines.
A note on the analysis of oblique ionograms

Abstract A previously reported method of analysis of oblique ionograms is reformulated to enable an exact ray-calculation analysis of the oblique ionograms using only the assumptions of spherically symmetric ionosphere concentric with the Earth and neglect of the Earth's magnetic field.
Parental Attitudes toward Child Rearing and the Psychological Differentiation of Adolescents

Abstract Thirty-eight male and female undergraduates completed the Hidden Figures Test and the Modified This I Believe Test. Their mothers filled out the Short Form of the Parental Attitude Research Instrument. The hypothesis was tested that authoritarian parental attitudes would be related to simpler cognitive style. Contrary to the hypothesis, homes in which the parents held high respect (deification), but which also were an open environment for cognitive stimulation, tended to have the most differentiated offspring.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies, Perceptual Biases, and Accuracy at the Individual and Group Levels

We examined ability grouping as a moderator of self-fulfilling prophecies in two ways. First, we examined ability group moderation for individual students with data from 1701 students and 97 teachers from sixth-grade math classes. Second, we examined ability group moderation at the class level with data from 108 sixth-grade math classes. Across both sets of analyses, results showed that: (1) teacher perceptions predicted student achievement primarily because those perceptions were accurate; (2) teacher perceptions biased marks for students in heterogenous classes (consistent with perceptual bias); and (3) self-fulfilling prophecies were strongest when students were grouped within classes. We also found that teacher perceptions mediated the relationship between within-class ability grouping and student achievement. Implications for understanding accuracy, the power of self-fulfilling prophecies, and group level perceptions are discussed.
Computational modelling and analysis of the hydrodynamics of a highly deformable fish pectoral fin

Numerical simulations are used to investigate the flow associated with a bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) pectoral fin during steady forward motion. The simulations are intended to match the experiments of Lauder et al. (Bioinsp. Biomim., vol. 1, 2006, p. S25), and the results obtained from the simulations complement the experimental analysis. The focus of the current paper is on the quantitative characterization of the propulsive performance of the pectoral fin, which undergoes significant deformation during its stroke. This includes a detailed analysis of the thrust production mechanisms as well as their connection to the vortex dynamics and other flow features. The simulations indicate that the fish fin produces high propulsive performance by employing a complex fin gait driven by active and passive fin deformation. By connecting the vortex dynamics and fin kinematics with the surface distribution of the force on the fin, it is found that during abduction, the fin moves such that the tip of the fin undergoes a complex, three-dimensional flapping motion that produces a strong and long-lasting, attached tip vortex. This tip vortex is associated with most of the thrust production during the abduction phase of the stroke. During the adduction phase, the fin motion is similar to a ‘paddling’ stroke. Comparisons are made with rigid flapping foils to provide insights into the remarkable performance of the fish fin and to interpret the force production from the viewpoint of functional morphology.
An Observational Study of Reading Instruction for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Public Schools.

An observational study of reading instruction, using the MS-CISSAR protocol, was conducted in general education classrooms, resource classrooms, and self-contained special education/deaf education ...
Sons learn songs from their social fathers in a cooperatively breeding bird

Song learning is hypothesized to allow social adaptation to a local song neighbourhood. Maintaining social associations is particularly important in cooperative breeders, yet vocal learning in such species has only been assessed in systems where social association was correlated with relatedness. Thus, benefits of vocal learning as a means of maintaining social associations could not be disentangled from benefits of kin recognition. We assessed genetic and cultural contributions to song in a species where social association was not strongly correlated with kinship: the cooperatively breeding, reproductively promiscuous splendid fairy-wren (Malurus splendens). We found that song characters of socially associated father–son pairs were more strongly correlated (and thus songs were more similar) than songs of father–son pairs with a genetic, but no social, association (i.e. cuckolding fathers). Song transmission was, therefore, vertical and cultural, with minimal signatures of kinship. Additionally, song characters were not correlated with several phenotypic indicators of male quality, supporting the idea that there may be a tradeoff between accurate copying of tutors and quality signalling via maximizing song performance, particularly when social and genetic relationships are decoupled. Our results lend support to the hypothesis that song learning facilitates the maintenance of social associations by permitting unrelated individuals to acquire similar signal phenotypes.
Efficient implementation of echo cancellers for ISDN applications

A computationally efficient echo tail canceller that is an adaptive version of an interpolated finite impulse response filter is proposed. The results obtained with this approach are compared to those obtained with an adaptive FIR direct-form echo canceller. It is shown that the proposed structure is very efficient in estimating the echo tail; it requires significantly fewer multipliers compared to the direct-form adaptive FIR. The proposed structure also maintains the low accuracy required by the direct-form adaptive FIR for the ISDN (integrated services digital network) 2B1Q receiver for most operations and requires only the basic FIR computations. >
Prevalence and Correlates of Nonrestorative Sleep Complaints

Background Nonrestorative sleep (NRS) has been little studied in the general population, even though this symptom has an important role in several medical conditions such as heart disease, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as various sleep disorders. Methods A total of 25 580 individuals (age range, 15-100 years) from the noninstitutionalized general population representative of 7 European countries (France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Finland) were interviewed by telephone using the Sleep-EVAL system. Nonrestorative sleep was analyzed in relationship to sociodemographic determinants, environmental factors, life habits, health, sleep-wake schedule, and psychological factors. Results The prevalence of NRS was 10.8% (95% confidence interval, 10.4%-11.2%) in the sample, was higher in women than in men (12.5% vs 9.0%; P Conclusions Nonrestorative sleep is a frequent symptom in the general population, but its prevalence largely varies between countries. It is often associated with mental disorders and characteristics of sleep deprivation (such as extra sleep time on weekends). Nonrestorative sleep affected more frequently the active classes of the population and caused greater daytime impairment than difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep.
Joint Routing and Medium Access Control for Lifetime Maximization of Distributed Wireless Sensor Networks

A joint routing and medium access control (MAC) algorithm is proposed for lifetime maximization of distributed wireless sensor networks. By adopting the flow contention graph model and the resulting MAC constraints, the problem can be formulated into a linear program (LP) with separable structure, which can be solved distributively using dual decomposition. However, the message passing overhead of such a solution is still high, since the information exchange must occur among the interfering links as well as the communicating links. In this work, the MAC layer constraints are relaxed in the form of a penalty function, which facilitates distributed optimization using only the collision statistic that each node can accumulate essentially at no extra cost. The resulting algorithm solves a convex optimization problem by a distributed primal-dual approach, where the network layer problem is solved in the dual domain, and the MAC layer problem is solved in the primal domain.
CAE in Automotive Engine Mount Development

The desire for more quiet and comfortable cars from consumers requires better engineering in the process of engine mount development. The fact that no physical vehicle exists at the time when the project launches, the design guidance relying on computer-aided engineering is essential. This paper discusses an engine mount development approach relying on computer-aided engineering with the assumption that the initial powertrain data, which include the powertrain mass, mass center, mass moment of inertia and engine power, are available. The mount placement strategy is discussed after the torque roll axis is introduced. To achieve the decoupled vibration modes for the mounting system, the computer simulated powertrain rigid body modal analysis is employed. As a result, the mount linear portion of the load-deflection curve is determined while the nonlinear portion is chosen by static analysis, whose constraint is the maximum powertrain roll angle under the condition of the maximum torque input. Also, the reaction forces in the three orthogonal directions are able to be estimated under the various loading conditions which reflect the vehicle driving conditions. Finally, finite element analysis is employed in the designs of the metallic and rubber components to meet the durability and performance requirements.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Enterprise modeling within an enterprise engineering framework

The role of abstraction, or modeling, is a major element in Enterprise Engineering. Enterprise engineering deals with the analysis, design, implementation and operation of an enterprise. The Enterprise Engineer addresses a fundamental question: "how to design and improve all elements associated with the total enterprise through the use of engineering and analysis methods and tools to more effectively achieve its goals and objectives". This paper describes a describes a multi-view reference architecture for modeling an enterprise. It presents a modeling scheme under development which supports the architecture and acts as a tool for Enterprise Engineering.
Role of Mitochondria in the Phenotypic Expression of Feed Efficiency

SUMMARY Recent investigations were conducted on mitochondria obtained from broilers with low and high feed efficiency (FE) within the same genetic line that were fed the same diet, thereby allowing relationships between mitochondrial function and the phenotypic expression of FE to be clearly established. In these studies, breast muscle, liver and duodenal mitochondria obtained from broilers with high FE exhibited a more tightly coupled respiratory chain along with lower electron leak and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production compared with broilers with low FE. Elevated electron leak in low FE was due to site-specific defects in electron transport at Complex I, III, or both of the respiratory chains in breast and leg muscles and at Complex I, II, or III (depending on energy substrate) in duodenal mitochondria. Increased ROS production was presumably responsible for increased protein oxidation in low FE muscle mitochondria. Of 14 respiratory chain proteins investigated in breast muscle, the expression of 4 (3 in Complex III and 1 in Complex IV) was higher in low FE mitochondria. Interestingly, low FE was associated with a general suppression in respiratory chain complex activities (I, II, III, and IV) in breast muscle and liver. Elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for lower ROS production and tighter coupling of the respiratory chain in high FE mitochondria will greatly facilitate our understanding of the cellular basis for the phenotypic expression of FE.
Evolution and cell physiology. 3. Using Dictyostelium discoideum to investigate mechanisms of epithelial polarity.

In Metazoa, a polarized epithelium forms a single-cell-layered barrier that separates the outside from the inside of the organism. In tubular epithelia, the apical side of the cell is constricted r...
The Role of Social-Cognitive Abilities in Preschoolers' Aggressive Behaviour.

This study investigated the relationship between preschool children's social-cognitive abilities (theory of mind and social information processing; SIP) and their observed physical and relational aggressive behaviour. Children with more advanced social-cognitive abilities engaged in fewer acts of physical aggression; however, much of the ability of the social-cognitive variables to predict physical aggression was shared with language ability. In addition, social-cognitive understanding moderated the connection between language ability and physical aggression. Exploratory examination of gender differences in patterns of association between physical aggression and the social cognitive understanding variables revealed that the relationships were only true for boys. Relational aggression was not associated with social cognitive ability for either boys or girls, but this is likely due to the low frequency of relationally aggressive behaviour observed in this sample.
Medical bioremediation of age-related diseases

Catabolic insufficiency in humans leads to the gradual accumulation of a number of pathogenic compounds associated with age-related diseases, including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and macular degeneration. Removal of these compounds is a widely researched therapeutic option, but the use of antibodies and endogenous human enzymes has failed to produce effective treatments, and may pose risks to cellular homeostasis. Another alternative is "medical bioremediation," the use of microbial enzymes to augment missing catabolic functions. The microbial genetic diversity in most natural environments provides a resource that can be mined for enzymes capable of degrading just about any energy-rich organic compound. This review discusses targets for biodegradation, the identification of candidate microbial enzymes, and enzyme-delivery methods.
Intraoperative Near-Infrared Imaging of Surgical Wounds after Tumor Resections Can Detect Residual Disease

Purpose: Surgical resection remains the most effective therapy for solid tumors worldwide. The most important prognostic indicator for cure following cancer surgery is a complete resection with no residual disease. However, intraoperative detection of retained cancer cells after surgery is challenging, and residual disease continues to be the most common cause of local failure. We hypothesized that visual enhancement of tumors using near-infrared imaging could potentially identify tumor deposits in the wound after resection. Experimental Design: A small animal model of surgery and retained disease was developed. Residual tumor deposits in the wound were targeted using an U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved imaging agent, indocyanine green, by the enhanced permeability and retention effect. A novel handheld spectrometer was used to optically visualize retained disease after surgery. Results: We found residual disease using near-infrared imaging during surgery that was not visible to the naked eye or micro-CT. Furthermore, examination of tumor nodules was remarkably precise in delineating margins from normal surrounding tissues. This approach was most successful for tumors with increased neovasculature. Conclusions: The results suggest that near-infrared examination of the surgical wound after curative resection can potentially enable the surgeon to locate residual disease. The data in this study is the basis of an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial in patients who undergo resection for lung and breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 18(20); 5741–51. ©2012 AACR .
Successful radiofrequency energy ablation of automatic junctional tachycardia preserving normal atrioventricular nodal conduction.

Automatic junctional tachycardia is frequently refractory to medical management and difficult to treat with nonpharmacoJogical methods. A 12-year-old female with symptomatic, refractory automatic junctional tachycardia is reported. Earliest atrial activation during supraventricular tachycardia was in the posterior portion of the intraatrial septum. The patient underwent electrophysiological study and successful radiofrequency current ahiation of the ectopic automatic focus within the atrioventricuiar junction. Normal atrioventricular junctional conduction was maintained, and at 7-month foJlow-up the patient has been free of tachycardia.
Comparison of Topical Anti-ischemic Agents in the Salvage of Failing Random-Pattern Skin Flaps in Rats

Objective To determine the efficacy of topical anti-ischemic drug therapy in the salvage of failing, random-pattern skin flaps. Design Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, therapeutic trial...
Authoritarian Legacies and Democracy in Latin America and Southern Europe

Authoritarian Legacies and Democracy in Latin America and Southern Europe. Edited by Katherine Hite and Paola Cesarini. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 2004. 360p. $60.00 cloth, $30.00 paper.In recent years, scholars have turned their attention to the role of antecedent authoritarian regimes to understand the many new democracies that have emerged around the world. This volume seeks to contribute to this discussion by introducing the concept of “authoritarian legacies” as a new analytic lens. The goal of the volume is specifically to show how a focus on authoritarian legacies offers fresh insights into the workings of contemporary democracies in Southern Europe and Latin America.
Transient Analysis of Wire Antennas using Higher Order Basis Functions

A higher order scheme that uses band limited interpolation functions (BLIF) as temporal basis functions with band limited extrapolation is used to analyze the transient properties of wire antennas. The classical method-of-moments (MoM) technique used to analyze the wire antenna rely on a reduced kernel approach to avoid the singularity associated with filamentary currents. Unfortunately, inaccuracies associated with the reduced kernel approach preclude the possibility of higher order convergence. This paper uses a Duffy-transform based technique to accurately integrate the wire kernel directly, assuming azimuthal invariance of the current
The role of tyloses in crown hydraulic failure of mature walnut trees afflicted by apoplexy disorder.

Summary In the Central Valley of California, mature walnut trees afflicted with apoplexy disorder exhibit rapid and complete crown defoliation within a few weeks of symptom initiation. Symptoms are typically found throughout the entire crown and are initially expressed as wilting and chlorosis followed by scorching of leaves. Since the cause of apoplexy disorder is unknown, we set out to elucidate the water relations physiology underlying this condition. Stem water potential (Ψs) of healthy, asymptomatic trees remained high throughout the 2007 growing season, while that of apoplexy-afflicted trees decreased significantly with the onset of symptoms for both healthy-appearing and symptomatic portions of these trees. Ψs sw ere signi ficantly reduced by at least 0.7 MPa in the lower, middle and upper portions of the symptomatic canopies compared with those from asymptomatic trees. Heat pulse velocities measured in the main trunk at three radial depths consistently decreased prior to the onset of symptoms and eventually reached zero with complete crown defoliation. Comparison of sap flow with predicted water use based on walnut evapotranspiration suggests that stomata of symptomatic trees were closing at higher evaporative demand prior to symptom formation. Specific hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of symptomatic stems was significantly lower than that of asymptomatic stems, and no detectable Ks could be measured on several of the symptomatic stem samples. However, shallow root Ks did not significantly differ between symptomatic and asymptomatic trees, suggesting that hydraulic failure was isolated to the crown of these grafted trees. Light and scanning electron microscopy of stem and trunk sapwood revealed extensive tylose development in vessels throughout the crown of symptomatic trees. Analysis of the formation of tyloses on multiple dates revealed rapid development of these vessel occlusions in conjunction with visual symptom formation and dramatic decreases in sap flow. In 2008, tylose development was associated with elevated ethylene production in the active sapwood of symptomatic trees. The cause of elevated ethylene associated with tylose production and symptom formation is yet to be determined.
Quantization of multiple sources using integer bit allocation

Asymptotically optimal bit allocation among a set of quantizers for a finite collection of sources was determined by Huang and Schultheiss (1963). Their solution, however, gives a real-valued bit allocation, whereas in practice, integer-valued bit allocations are needed. We compare the performance of the Huang-Schultheiss solution to that of an optimal integer-valued bit allocation. Specifically, we derive upper and lower bounds on the deviation of the mean squared error using optimal integer-valued bit allocation from the mean squared error using optimal real-valued bit allocation. One consequence shown is that optimal integer-valued bit allocations do not necessarily achieve the same performance as that predicted by Huang-Schultheiss, for asymptotically large transmission rates. We also prove that integer bit allocation vectors that minimize the Euclidean distance to the optimal real-valued bit allocation vector are optimal integer bit allocations.
Estimating extreme stream temperatures by the standard deviate method

Abstract It is now widely accepted that global climate warming is taking place on the earth. Among many other effects, a rise in air temperatures is expected to increase stream temperatures indefinitely. However, due to evaporative cooling, stream temperatures do not increase linearly with increasing air temperatures indefinitely. Within the anticipated bounds of climate warming, extreme stream temperatures may therefore not rise substantially. With this concept in mind, past extreme temperatures measured at 720 USGS stream gauging stations were analyzed by the standard deviate method. In this method the highest stream temperatures are expressed as the mean temperature of a measured partial maximum stream temperature series plus its standard deviation multiplied by a factor K E (standard deviate). Various K E -values were explored; values of K E larger than 8 were found physically unreasonable. It is concluded that the value of K E should be in the range from 7 to 8. A unit error in estimating K E translates into a typical stream temperature error of about 0.5 °C. Using a logistic model for the stream temperature/air temperature relationship, a one degree error in air temperature gives a typical error of 0.16 °C in stream temperature. With a projected error in the enveloping standard deviate dK E =1.0 (range 0.5–1.5) and an error in projected high air temperature d T a =2 °C (range 0–4 °C), the total projected stream temperature error is estimated as d T s =0.8 °C.
The Effects of Benthos on Physical Properties of Freshwater Sediments

In this chapter we review the effects of freshwater benthos on the physical (as opposed to chemical) properties of the bottom. Specifically, we will focus our discussion on the effects of macrobenthos (adult length >1 mm) on fine-grained bottoms (sediments that contain approximately 50% by weight silt—clay-sized particles) of lakes and slow-flowing rivers. There are three reasons for this approach. The first is that there is simply too little known about freshwater meio- and microbenthos to merit a review of their effects on sediment properties. More importantly, the macrobenthos are probably the most potent modifiers of sediment properties by virtue of their size relative to sediment grains, their population density, their ability to move through a relatively large volume of sediment, and their feeding and respiratory habits. Finally, we have restricted ourselves to fine-grained bottoms because these comprise the bulk of freshwater lake sediments and because the structure of this sediment is more easily altered than is that of sediments with larger grain size. Some information from slow-flowing river bottoms is included with lakes because their sediments and faunas are very much alike (Hynes, 1970).
Reimbursement model for pharmacist-directed medication therapy management

Abstract Objectives To describe the development of a practice model with sustainable reimbursement for medication therapy management (MTM) services provided by pharmacists for beneficiaries of self-insured health care plans. Practice description The Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center (AUPCC) is a free-standing clinic located within the school of pharmacy that provides preventive care and MTM services for a population of 11,600 employees and dependents that subscribe to the university's self-insured health plan. The goal of patient care is to increase use of cost-effective pharmacotherapy and improve the outcomes of medication use among the population. Main outcome measures Development and implementation of a practice model and reimbursement method that can be implemented in the employer setting for large self-insured employers and the community pharmacy practice setting. Results Since opening, AUPCC has developed into a model pharmaceutical care service that can be implemented in the workplace for other self-insured employers. AUPCC is also a model that can easily translate to the community pharmacy setting. In 2010, the model was adapted by Alabama for state employees. Conclusion Pharmacists can negotiate directly with decision makers within large companies that are self-insured to provide MTM services for the employee population. This is an area of sustainable growth within our profession.
Population Pharmacokinetics III: Design, Analysis, and Application of Population Pharmacokinetic Studies:

OBJECTIVETo present a framework within which population pharmacokinetic (PPK) studies should be designed and analyzed and discuss the application of developed PPK models.METHODSInformation on PPK was retrieved from a MEDLINE search (1979–December 2003) of the literature and a bibliographic evaluation of review articles and books. This information is used in conjunction with experience to explain the design and analysis of PPK studies. Also, examples are included to demonstrate the usefulness of PPK.SYNTHESISA great deal of thought must be given to the design and analysis of PPK studies (ie, development of PPK models). Models are of 2 primary types—descriptive and predictive—and the process applied to these models is necessarily different. An approach that ensures model applicability is presented.CONCLUSIONSPPK models have great utility, and the applications are many. They are very different from single-subject pharmacokinetic models and therefore require different approaches to model estimation.
Reactions of a stable monomeric gold(I) hydride complex.

Gold hydride complexes have been postulated as intermediates in a number of homogeneous goldcatalyzed reactions, but relatively little is known about these compounds. The simplest gold hydride, AuH, has been observed in the gas phase and trapped in an inert matrix, but has been extensively studied through theoretical calculations. Complexes with hydride bridges between gold and other metals are well known, but goldonly hydride-bridged complexes have been observed solely in the gas phase. The N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand IPr (IPr= 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) stabilizes a copper(I) hydride of low nuclearity, dimeric [{(IPr)CuH}2], synthesized from [(IPr)CuCl] in two steps. Since NHC ligands have been shown to effectively support many unusual gold species, we believed the same methodology could yield an analogous gold complex. Herein, we present the structure of a stable gold(I) hydride complex and some of its reactions. The reaction of the known compound [(IPr)AuCl] with sodium tert-butoxide generated [(IPr)AuOtBu] (1), the unsaturated analogue of [(SIPr)AuOtBu] (SIPr= 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene). Treatment of 1 in benzene or dichloromethane with trimethoxysilane yielded [(IPr)AuH] (2) after 1.5 h at room temperature (Scheme 1). A new singlet resonance in the H NMR spectrum, appearing at d= 5.11 ppm (C6D6) or d= 3.38 ppm (CD2Cl2), is assigned as the hydride resonance. This assignment was confirmed through the preparation of the corresponding deuteride complex by reaction of [(IPr)AuCl] with LiDBEt3 [Eq. (1)].
Reactivity, characterization of reaction products and immobilization of lead in water and sediments using quercetin pentaphosphate

Lead is currently ranked the number one heavy metal pollutant with a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.015 mg L(-1). The use of organic solvent-free methods to immobilize lead from the environment is attracting the attention of scientists and environmental engineers. This study reports the application of water soluble quercetin pentaphosphate (QPP), a derivative of quercetin, for the detection and immobilization of Pb(2+) from water and soil samples. The techniques employed include UV-visible, fluorescence, atomic absorption; inductively coupled plasma optical emission and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. Results indicated the formation of a QPP-Pb complex that inhibits the fluorescence intensity of the parent molecule. The fluorimetric limit of detection was found to be 3.46 × 10(-4) M. The QPP-Pb complex exhibited a corresponding stoichiometry with the predominant complex PX2. A Scatchard plot of y = -4 × 10(6)x + 2916.3 was observed with a negative slope giving an equilibrium constant of 4 × 10(6) M(-1) and 5.4 × 10(5) M(-1) in acidic and alkaline conditions respectively. Results show 90.4% and 91.5% lead(ii) immobilization from BRS and BU soil samples respectively. On the other hand, 91% lead immobilization efficiency from a water sample was achieved at room temperature and is in compliance with the MCL level of 15 ppm at ∼3.82% error margin. This approach does not require the use of organic solvents or the disposal of large amounts of sludge. Once complexed with lead, QPP may not release phosphate to cause any secondary pollution.
Impaired skeletal muscle vasodilation during exercise in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Abstract Background Exercise intolerance is a hallmark symptom of heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which may be related to an impaired ability to appropriately increase blood flow to the exercising muscle. Methods We evaluated leg blood flow (LBF, ultrasound Doppler), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP, photoplethysmography) during dynamic, single leg knee-extensor (KE) exercise in HFpEF patients ( n =21; 68±2yrs) and healthy controls ( n =20; 71±2yrs). Results HFpEF patients exhibited a marked attrition during KE exercise, with only 60% able to complete the exercise protocol. In participants who completed all exercise intensities (0–5–10–15W; HFpEF, n =13; Controls, n =16), LBF was not different at 0W and 5W, but was 15–25% lower in HFpEF compared to controls at 10W and 15W ( P P Conclusions These data reveal a marked reduction in LBF and LVC in HFpEF patients during exercise that cannot be attributed to a disease-related alteration in central hemodynamics, suggesting that impaired vasodilation in the exercising skeletal muscle vasculature may play a key role in the exercise intolerance associated with this patient population.
Tracking and Reducing Uncertainty in Dataflow Analysis-Based Dynamic Parallel Monitoring

Dataflow analysis-based dynamic parallel monitoring(DADPM) is a recent approach for identifying bugsin parallel software as it executes, based on the key insightof explicitly modeling a sliding window of uncertainty acrossparallel threads. While this makes the approach practical andscalable, it also introduces the possibility of false positives inthe analysis. In this paper, we improve upon the DADPMframework through two observations. First, by explicitlytracking new "uncertain" states in the metadata lattice, wecan distinguish potential false positives from true positives. Second, as the analysis tool runs dynamically, it can use theexistence (or absence) of observed uncertain states to adjustthe tradeoff between precision and performance on-the-fly. Forexample, we demonstrate how the epoch size parameter canbe adjusted dynamically in response to uncertainty in orderto achieve better performance and precision than when thetool is statically configured. This paper shows how to adapt acanonical dataflow analysis problem (reaching definitions) anda popular security monitoring tool (TAINTCHECK) to our newuncertainty-tracking framework, and provides new provableguarantees that reported true errors are now precise.
The Chemistry of Carbon Black in Rubber Reinforcement

Abstract 1. The removal of chemisorbed oxygen from channel black and furnace black, without alteration of the underlying carbon surface, results in only minor effects in reinforcement potential regardless of the curative system employed, whether polar or free radical. 2. When the underlying carbon surface is changed by heat treatment to a state of lower energy, a significant decrease in the reinforcing ability of the carbon black results. 3. Different types of oxygen functional groups added to the carbon surface produce similar effects upon rubber properties. 4. These effects are limited to retardation of cure rate in sulfur curing systems. Only small effects of any kind are produced in the natural rubber-peroxide system. 5. The net conclusion to be drawn is that combined oxygen on the carbon surface plays a relatively minor role in the chemical effect of carbon black upon reinforcement; the nature of the carbon surface itself is of primary importance.
Crafting the State-Civilization Vladimir Putin’s Turn to Distinct Values

Since the Soviet disintegration, Russians have engaged in discussions of what constitutes their system of distinct values. Today the language of a “distinct civilization” is widely employed by top officials. This paper seeks to understand this discourse of distinctiveness as shaped by both history and politics. It studies the ideological shift by employing analysis of speeches by major officials and meaningful historical parallels. Like earlier historically significant concepts of value distinctiveness, Vladimir Putin’s civilizational discourse has resulted from a combination of external pressures and domestic vulnerability stimulating the rise of a distinct political coalition.
Analysis on the Push for Telecom Services

At present, the telecom development is under the service driving mode, and the system analysis on service developing forces is the precondition for grasping the macro-development trend of telecom service. The emergence and development of service evolution is jointly droved by three factors, namely, the needs of users, technical environment and market competition, and they will jointly function on the carrier-based telecom operation environment. This article gives a primary analysis and discussion on them.
The social status of the African diabetic.

It would be premature to say too much on the results of this limited survey, since Harare Hospital is an urban hospital with a preponderance of townsmen, yet there can be no doubt that they indicate that diabetes mellitus cannot be said to be an urban disease, or indeed that it is the circumstance of urbanization which has led to an increase in the incidence of diabetes.
Pterin-Dependent Mono-oxidation for the Microbial Synthesis of a Modified Monoterpene Indole Alkaloid.

Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) have important therapeutic value, including as anticancer and antimalarial agents. Because of their chemical complexity, therapeutic MIAs, or advanced intermediates thereof, are often isolated from the native plants. The microbial synthesis of MIAs would allow for the rapid and scalable production of complex MIAs and MIA analogues for therapeutic use. Here, we produce the modified MIA hydroxystrictosidine from glucose and the monoterpene secologanin via a pterin-dependent mono-oxidation strategy. Specifically, we engineered the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the high-level synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin to mono-oxidize tryptophan to 5-hydroxytryptophan, which, after decarboxylation to serotonin, is coupled to exogenously fed secologanin to produce 10-hydroxystrictosidine in an eight-enzyme pathway. We selected hydroxystrictosidine as our synthetic target because hydroxylation at the 10′ position of the alkaloid core strictosidine provides a chemical handle for the...
Regulation of Brain Stearoyl CoA Desaturase mRNA Expression During Myelination

Myelin is a unique membrane system found only in nervous tissue1–7. Myelin is highly enriched in lipids (75% lipids, 25% protein)1,7. The lipid content of myelin is composed almost entirely of structural lipids, i.e., phospholipids (45%), galactolipids (35%) and cholesterol (30%)7. Although myelin is composed mainly of lipid, little attention has been focused on the regulation of genes encoding lipogenic enzymes, transport proteins or receptors during the neonatal myelinating period 6. A better understanding of the regulation of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis in myelination is important for several reasons.
U.S. Exit Strategies and Zero Interest Rates

Abstract The wholesale interbank market (where banks trade with each other) reduces the risk for banks making forward commitments to lend at retail–to households and firms, including exporters and importers. The collapse of the U.S. housing bubble in 2007–08 impaired bank balance sheets so that banks became reluctant to lend to each other from counterparty risk. Retail bank credit fell sharply, thus worsening the crisis. By 2009, the U.S. government had responded by recapitalizing large commercial banks and by flooding the system with liquidity so as to drive short-term interest rates close to zero. Although counterparty risk is now in abeyance, forcing short-term interest rates at zero is a serious mistake. Wholesale interbank lending is still inhibited so that retail bank credit is unlikely to recover–and continues to fall in 2009.
NEO-PI-R Data from 36 Cultures

This chapter presents reanalyses of data originally reported in McCrae (2001) in an enlarged sample of cultures. Analyses of age and gender differences, the generalizability of culture profiles across gender and age groups, and culture-level factor structure and correlates are replicated after the addition of 30 new subsamples from 10 cultures. Cross-cultural variations in the standard deviations of NEO-PI-R scales are also examined. Standardized factor- and facet-level means are provided for use by other researchers.
A Critical Appraisal of Vascularized Bone Grafting for Scaphoid Nonunion.

Background Vascularized bone grafting (VBG) has the potential to yield reliable results in scaphoid nonunion; however, results across studies have been highly variable. This study critically evaluates surgical techniques, fracture location, and patient selection in relation to radiographic, clinical, and patient-centered outcomes after VBG for scaphoid nonunion. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the literature for the use of VBG in scaphoid nonunion. Physical examination, radiographic, and patient-centered outcomes were assessed. Four substratifications were performed: the location of scaphoid nonunion, pedicled versus free technique, Kirschner wire (K-wire) versus screw fixation, and VBG done as a primary versus revision procedure. Results A total of 41 publications were included in final analysis. VBG had an 84.7% union rate at 13 weeks after surgery. On an average, 89% of patients returned to preinjury activity levels by 18 weeks after surgery and 91% of patients reported satisfaction with the procedure. Proximal pole nonunions demonstrated similar union rates but lower functionality scores compared with nonunions across all regions of the scaphoid. Pedicled techniques demonstrated slightly improved range of motion compared with free technique. K-wire versus screw fixation demonstrated significantly higher union rates and faster union times. There were no differences in outcomes for VBG done as a primary versus revision procedure. Conclusion VBG serves as a viable option for the treatment of scaphoid nonunion, with consistent union rates in addition to significantly improved postoperative patient functionality. The fixation of these vascularized bone grafts with K-wires versus screw fixation may result in superior radiologic outcomes. Level of Evidence Therapeutic, Level III, systematic review.