cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The physician-administrator partnership at Mayo Clinic.

One hundred years ago, Dr Will and Dr Charlie Mayo were seeing their medical practice grow at a rate that required business practices to match. Mr William Graham, an elder brother of Edith Mayo (Mrs Charlie) and the brother of one of the original partners, Dr Christopher Graham, was asked by Dr Will to make some sense out of the partnership’s books. The year was 1901, and it was rumored that the finances of the partnership were in disarray. Mr Graham, a semiretired businessman in Rochester, was then in his late 50s. From then on, Mr Graham continued to come to the business office almost daily until his death at age 93 in 1940. In 1908, Dr Will decided the clinic had reached a state of organization that required more sophisticated business management. He was impressed by a 19-year-old man who had recently moved to Rochester from Winona to work at the First National Bank of Rochester. He hired young Harry Harwick, and the two of them formed the first physician-administrator partnership, a model that has served this institution well for more than 90 years. In 1910, Harry Harwick married William Graham’s daughter, Margaret. Their son, J. William Harwick, joined the section of administration after graduating from Dartmouth in 1935, and their daughter, Margaret, married a young internist on the Mayo staff, Dr Wallace E. Herrell. Bill Harwick became secretary of the Board of Governors in 1953, the year Harry Harwick retired after 44 years as Mayo’s first chief administrative officer. Bill Harwick served the Board of Governors as secretary until he retired in 1976 as well as a brief stint as chief administrative officer from 1972 to 1976 after the retirement of Mr Slade Schuster. Dr Wallace and Margaret Harwick Herrell’s son, John, joined the administrative department in 1968 after a 3-year banking career in Chicago, following his graduation from the Harvard Business School. He was named chief adminJOHN H. HERRELL
Pilot plant production of sulphur dioxide-treated mesquite wood. II. Digestibility and feedlot performance by lambs

Abstract The effects of sulphur dioxide (SO2) treatment of ground mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) on apparent digestibility, nitrogen retention and animal growth were studied in 3 experiments with growing lambs. In Experiment 1, a complete diet was given in which ground mesquite (GM), either untreated or SO2 treated, comprised 0, 10 or 20% of the total diet. Apparent organic matter digestibility (OMD) was lower (P
Low-concentration mechanical biosensor based on a photonic crystal nanowire array

The challenge for new biosensors is to achieve detection of biomolecules at low concentrations, which is useful for early-stage disease detection. Nanomechanical biosensors are promising in medical diagnostic applications. For nanomechanical biosensing at low concentrations, a sufficient resonator device surface area is necessary for molecules to bind to. Here we present a low-concentration (500 aM sensitivity) DNA sensor, which uses a novel nanomechanical resonator with ordered vertical nanowire arrays on top of a Si/SiO2 bilayer thin membrane. The high sensitivity is achieved by the strongly enhanced total surface area-to-volume ratio of the resonator (108 m−1) and the state-of-the-art mass-per-area resolution (1.8×10−12 kg m−2). Moreover, the nanowire array forms a photonic crystal that shows strong light trapping and absorption over broad-band optical wavelengths, enabling high-efficiency broad-band opto-thermo-mechanical remote device actuation and biosensing on a chip. This method represents a mass-based platform technology that can sense molecules at low concentrations. Nanomechanical resonators are attractive as ultra-low concentration sensors of biomolecules, as their small scale allows for sensitive mass detection. Here, using a nanowire array as part of a photonic crystal, such a device is presented for light trapping, absorption and low-concentration sensing.
Human monocyte/neutrophil elastase inhibitor (MNEI) is regulated by PU.1/Spi-1, Sp1, and NF-kappaB

Human monocyte/neutrophil elastase inhibitor (MNEI) is a specific inhibitor of the neutrophil azurophil granule proteases including elastase. To understand the physiological mechanisms that regulate expression of MNEI, we dissected a 1.0 kb region upstream of exon 1. On transient transfection, promoter activity of MNEI-luciferase constructs was highest in U937 myeloid cells, followed by K562 hematopoietic cells, followed by HeLa cervical carcinoma cells, indicating that the MNEI promoter is most active in myeloid cells and is also active in non-myeloid cells. Three transcription factor binding elements, which confer the majority of activity, are located within the first 180 base pairs of the promoter, one of which, located at -128, was active in U937 and K562 cells but inactive in non-myeloid HeLa cells. The three proximal elements were identified by transient transfection, mutation, gel shift and competition assays as Sp1 at -170, PU.1/Spi-1 at -128, and Sp1 at -66. The trans-acting factors that bind and control these elements were detected, and their identity confirmed by antibody supershift assays. Further upstream at -821, an additional regulatory element was identified controlled by NF-kappaB, which supports the highest levels of MNEI transcriptional activity. In U937 cells, reporter gene expression by the MNEI-luciferase construct that included the NF-kappaB element was two- to three-fold greater than the construct without the element. In addition, treatment of myeloid cells with lipopolysaccharide, a complex glycolipid of gram-negative bacteria, activated NF-kappaB to bind the -821 element, together suggesting that enhancement of expression of the anti-inflammatory MNEI gene is linked to innate immune responses to bacterial infection.
Deoxyadenosine- and cyclic AMP-induced cell cycle arrest and cytotoxicity

We compared deoxyadenosine (AdR)- and cyclic AMP (cAMP)-induced cell cycle arrest and cytotoxicity in wild type and mutant S49 cells to determine whether they resulted from the same or different mechanisms. Cyclic AMP and deoxyadenosine are synergistic rather than additive in cytotoxicity assays, suggesting different mechanisms of toxicity. Although cyclic AMP causes cell death after 72 h, in concentrations sufficient to result in cell cycle arrest it is reversible with virtually no cytotoxicity for at least 24 h, whereas AdR-induced cell cycle arrest is lethal and irreversible. AdR-induced G1 cell cycle arrest results in diminished ribonucleotide reductase activity but the kinetics of this inhibition differ from cyclic AMP-induced cell cycle arrest. Cyclic AMP arrest and cytotoxicity depend on cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity, whereas AdR toxicity does not differ between cell lines with or without PKA activity. Furthermore, deoxycytidine prevents AdR cell cycle arrest and cytotoxicity but has no effect on cyclic AMP G1 arrest. Finally, comparison of cytofluorographic patterns of G1-arrested cells suggests that the AdR block is later in G1 than cyclic AMP-induced cell cycle arrest. In summary, these data show that while the mechanisms of cell cycle arrest and cytotoxicity of cyclic AMP and deoxyadenosine are uncertain, they do appear to involve different pathways.
Comparative Effectiveness of the Standard Surber Sampler and a Hydraulic Modification for Estimating Bottom Fauna Populations

FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, aquatic biologists have been using the Surber [10] square-foot bottom sampler to obtain qualitative and quantitative measurements of stream bottom fauna. This sampler consists of two brass frames, each 1 foot square, hinged together so that they form a right angle when extended. One frame then fits over the square foot of streambed to be sampled, and the other is provided with a net into which organisms drift as they are dislodged from the streambed. The net generally is constructed from 23-mesh silk or nylon bolting cloth. In practice, the biologist hand stirs the bottom material within the square-foot area to a depth of a few inches. The dislodged organisms then drift into the collecting net. A major disadvantage of this procedure is the time required to obtain a thorough scrubbing of the substrate. A lesser disadvantage, that of the numbing effect on hands and arms after long periods of exposure to cold water, can be partially overcome by full-arm-length rubber gauntlets. Fishery biologists have used hydraulic units for the past several years to sample salmon eggs and preemergent fry in streambed gravels [7]. These samplers consist of a portable centrifugal pump (usually mounted on a packboard or a small raft), a water_ intake hose, and an outlet or exhaust hose, terminating in a 3-foot length of pipe. A jet of mixed air and water, regulated in force by the pump throttle, is controlled by aiming the pipe into the sample area. This water force loosens and stirs up gravel and the associated fish and invertebrate life, which wash down into a collecting net immediately below the sample area. At times, numerous aquatic insects and other bottom organisms have been observed in these egg and fry samples.
Paper pushers or paper money? Empirical assessment of fiscal and monetary models of exchange rate determination

Abstract This paper documents the evidence in support of fiscal and monetary models of exchange rates for the Canadian dollar, Deutschemark, Yen, and Pound over the 1974–1993 period. Cointegrating relationships between the real exchange rate and (i) fiscal impulses, and (ii) productivity and government spending, are estimated. Both Keynesian and neoclassical fixed-factors fiscal models are found to have little substantion in the data. When these fiscal model are converted to nominal form, they are found to have approximately the same predictive power as monetary models, in-sample. While no model consistently and significantly outperformed a random walk, the fiscal models do appear to outperform monetary models in out-of-sample forecasting exercises. However, the improvement in forecast performance is seldon statistically significant.
Teacher Labor Markets in Developing Countries

Summary Emiliana Vegas surveys strategies used by the world’s developing countries to fill their classrooms with qualified teachers. With their low quality of education and wide gaps in student outcomes, schools in developing countries strongly resemble hard-to-staff urban U.S. schools. Their experience with reform may thus provide insights for U.S. policymakers. Severe budget constraints and a lack of teacher training capacity have pushed developing nations to try a wide variety of reforms, including using part-time or assistant teachers, experimenting with pay incentives, and using school-based management. The strategy of hiring teachers with less than full credentials has had mixed results. One successful program in India hired young women who lacked teaching certificates to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills to children whose skills were seriously lagging. After two years, student learning increased, with the highest gains among the least able students. As in the United States, says Vegas, teaching quality and student achievement in the developing world are sensitive to teacher compensation. As average teacher salaries in Chile more than doubled over the past decade, higher-quality students entered teacher education programs. And when Brazil increased educational funding and distributed resources more equitably, school enrollment increased and the gap in student test scores narrowed. Experiments with performance-based pay have had mixed results. In Bolivia a bonus for teaching in rural areas failed to produce higher-quality teachers. And in Mexico a system to reward teachers for improved student outcomes failed to change teacher performance. But Vegas explains that the design of teacher incentives is critical. Effective incentive schemes must be tightly coupled with desired behaviors and generous enough to give teachers a reason to make the extra effort. School-based management reforms give decisionmaking authority to the schools. Such reforms in Central America have reduced teacher absenteeism, increased teacher work hours, increased homework assignments, and improved parent-teacher relationships. These changes, says Vegas, are especially promising in schools where educational quality is low.
The Low Back Cumulative Trauma Index Development of a Low Back Disorder Exposure Assessment Tool Based on Fatigue Failure Theory

Recent evidence strongly suggests that force and repetition interact in a consistent manner to affect the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), likely due to an underlying fatigue failure process in affected tissues. However, no MSD tools to date have been based on fatigue failure theory. The present proposal describes a basis for incorporating fatigue failure theory in a new low back exposure assessment tool: the Low Back Cumulative Trauma Index (LBCTI), and provides an illustration of the effectiveness of such an approach using an existing database on low back disorder (LBD) risk. The LBCTI demonstrated a dose-response relationship to LBD risk.
More Complex Complexity: Exploring the Nature of Computational Irreducibility across Physical, Biological, and Human Social Systems

The predictability of many complex systems is limited by computational irreducibility, but we argue that the nature of computational irreducibility varies across physical, biological and human social systems. We suggest that the computational irreducibility of biological and social systems is distinguished from physical systems by functional contingency, biological evolution, and individual variation. In physical systems, computationally irreducibility is driven by the interactions, sometimes nonlinear, of many different system components (e.g., particles, atoms, planets). Biological systems can also be computationally irreducible because of nonlinear interactions of a large number of system components (e.g., gene networks, cells, individuals). Biological systems additionally create the probability space into which the system moves: Biological evolution creates new biological attributes, stores this accumulated information in an organism’s genetic code, allows for individual genetic and phenotypic variation among interacting agents, and selects for the functionality of these biological attributes in a contextually dependent manner. Human social systems are biological systems that include these same processes, but whose computational irreducibility arises as well from sentience, i.e., the conscious perception of the adjacent possible, that drives social evolution of culture, governance, and technology. Human social systems create their own adjacent possible through the creativity of sentience, and accumulate and store this information culturally, as reflected in the emergence and evolution of, for example, technology. The changing nature of computational irreducibility results in a loss of predictability as one moves from physical to biological to human social systems, but also creates a rich and enchanting range of dynamics.
Chemometric Methods in Process Analysis

Chemometrics may be loosely defined as the development and application of mathematical and statistical techniques to aid in the analysis of chemical data. The goal of chemometrics is to guide the chemist in the optimum extraction of chemically relevant information from a series of complex chemically oriented observations. To this end, this article addresses a wide array of chemometric tools that are applicable to industrial process analysis. The three main sections present statistical and mathematical tools in the context of univariate, multivariate, and multiway analyses. Each of the three sections discusses the benefits and limitations of qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, and process monitoring with the class of data in question. Additional sections address the appropriate pretreatment of collected data to aid in efficient analysis and validation of the derived chemometric models. In these sections methods for background correction and instrument standardization are discussed.
Modeling and evaluation of decision-making dynamics in sequential two-alternative forced choice tasks

The focus of the work in this paper is the evaluation of a model of human decision making relative to experimental data. In sequential two-alternative forced choice decision tasks, a human subject is presented with two alternative choices at every time step, and the human gets a reward (presented as a number on the screen) after a choice is made. The goal for the human is to obtain the maximal reward. This type of experiment is carried out by cognitive scientists and psychologists in order to study human behaviors in decision making. In this work, we present a simple idealized model for human decision-making with several extensions, and we discuss evaluation of the model using experimental data from human subjects.
AGGRESSION AS A REINFORCER: OPERANT BEHAVIOR IN THE MOUSE‐KILLING RAT1

Two experiments examined mouse killing as a reinforcer of key pressing by rats that killed mice. In Experiment I, mouse-killing rats performed the key-pressing response when each press was reinforced with presentation of a mouse. Offered a choice between a key that yielded presentation of mice and one that did not, the rats preferred the key that yielded mice. When the contingency was reversed, the rats preferred the other key and continued to kill mice. In Experiment II, mouse-killing rats that did not kill rat pups performed a key-pressing response reinforced with presentation of mice on a variable-interval schedule. In tests for responding reinforced on that schedule with presentation of normal mice, anesthetized mice, dead mice, or rat pups, these rats that killed mice but not rat pups exhibited a decline in response rate when rat pups were the reinforcer. Altering the condition of the mice did not significantly affect performance.
Ena/VASP Proteins Have an Anti-Capping Independent Function in Filopodia Formation

Filopodia have been implicated in a number of diverse cellular processes including growth-cone path finding, wound healing, and metastasis. The Ena/VASP family of proteins has emerged as key to filopodia formation but the exact mechanism for how they function has yet to be fully elucidated. Using cell spreading as a model system in combination with small interfering RNA depletion of Capping Protein, we determined that Ena/VASP proteins have a role beyond anticapping activity in filopodia formation. Analysis of mutant Ena/VASP proteins demonstrated that the entire EVH2 domain was the minimal domain required for filopodia formation. Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching data indicate that Ena/VASP proteins rapidly exchange at the leading edge of lamellipodia, whereas virtually no exchange occurred at filopodial tips. Mutation of the G-actin-binding motif (GAB) partially compromised stabilization of Ena/VASP at filopodia tips. These observations led us to propose a model where the EVH2 domain of Ena/VASP induces and maintains clustering of the barbed ends of actin filaments, which putatively corresponds to a transition from lamellipodial to filopodial localization. Furthermore, the EVH1 domain, together with the GAB motif in the EVH2 domain, helps to maintain Ena/VASP at the growing barbed ends.
SF-36 includes less Parkinson Disease (PD)-targeted content but is more responsive to change than two PD-targeted health-related quality of life measures

Objective To compare validity including responsiveness, and internal consistency reliability and scaling assumptions of a generic (SF-36) and Parkinson Disease (PD)-targeted (PDQ-39; PDQUALIF) health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures.
Age-associated changes in immune and inflammatory responses: impact of vitamin E intervention

Aging is associated with dysregulated immune and inflammatory responses. Declining T cell function is the most significant and best-char- acterized feature of immunosenescence. Intrinsic changes within T cells and extrinsic factors con- tribute to the age-associated decline in T cell func- tion. T cell defect seen in aging involves multiple stages from early receptor activation events to clonal expansion. Among extrinsic factors, in- creased production of T cell-suppressive factor PGE2 by macrophages (M) is most recognized. Vitamin E reverses an age-associated defect in T cells, particularly naive T cells. This effect of vita- min E is also reflected in a reduced rate of upper respiratory tract infection in the elderly and en- hanced clearance of influenza infection in a rodent model. The T cell-enhancing effect of vitamin E is accomplished via its direct effect on T cells and indirectly by inhibiting PGE2 production in M. Up-regulated inflammation with aging has attracted increasing attention as a result of its implications in the pathogenesis of diseases. Increased PGE2 pro- duction in old M is a result of increased cycloox- ygenase 2 (COX-2) expression, leading to higher COX enzyme activity, which in turn, is associated with the ceramide-induced up-regulation of NF- B. Similar to M, adipocytes from old mice have a higher expression of COX-2 as well as inflamma- tory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-, which might also be related to elevated levels of ceramide and NF-B activation. This review will discuss the above age-related immune and inflammatory changes and the effect of vitamin E as nutritional intervention with a focus on the work conducted in our laboratory. J. Leukoc. Biol. 84: 900-914; 2008.
Determination of turbulence dissipation by Eulerian variance analysis

Using a ‘variance function’ to specify the variance retained by a time series smoothed via running means, it is shown that the rate of turbulence dissipation can be computed from an Eulerian wind record supplied by a single, 3-cup anemometer through the relation ϵ = (A) [( -)/(Tk2/3 - Tj2/3)]3/2 Here A ≈ 3.3 derives from the Kolmogoroff law, Ū is the mean flow, and the numerator of the bracketed term represents the additional reduction in variance effected by increasing the averaging interval from Tj to Tk. Preliminary verifications of the relation are presented, and an experimental programme designed to use the method is outlined.
From Pi to Pie: Moral Narratives of Noneconomic Migration and Starting Over in the Postindustrial Midwest

Research introduced here examines the impact of social and structural transitions during the past three decades on middle-class working families in the United States. Through the telling narrative of an especially iconic case of urban-to-rural migration and career change, this article explores the meaning of relocation away from metropolitan areas and corporate careers to growing ex-urban, small-town communities. The author interprets this life-style migration as a manner of personally negotiating tension between experience of material demands in pursuit of a livelihood within the flexible New Economy and prevailing cultural conventions for the good life that shape the moral narratives that define individual character. Drawing on two years of ethnographic research involving interview and observation of recent migrants to Northern Michigan, this article contributes to our understanding of noneconomic migration and its part in the changing moral meanings of work in postindustrial America.
Identifying constraints on the higher-order structure of RNA: continued development and application of comparative sequence analysis methods

Comparative sequence analysis addresses the problem of RNA folding and RNA structural diversity, and is responsible for determining the folding of many RNA molecules, including 5S, 16S, and 23S rRNAs, tRNA, RNAse P RNA, and Group I and II introns. Initially this method was utilized to fold these sequences into their secondary structures. More recently, this method has revealed numerous tertiary correlations, elucidating novel RNA structural motifs, several of which have been experimentally tested and verified, substantiating the general application of this approach. As successful as the comparative methods have been in elucidating higher-order structure, it is clear that additional structure constraints remain to be found. Deciphering such constraints requires more sensitive and rigorous protocols, in addition to RNA sequence datasets that contain additional phylogenetic diversity and an overall increase in the number of sequences. Various RNA databases, including the tRNA and rRNA sequence datasets, continue to grow in number as well as diversity. Described herein is the development of more rigorous comparative analysis protocols. Our initial development and applications on different RNA datasets have been very encouraging. Such analyses on tRNA, 16S and 23S rRNA are substantiating previously proposed associations and are now beginning to reveal additional constraints on these molecules. A subset of these involve several positions that correlate simultaneously with one another, implying units larger than a basepair can be under a phylogenetic constraint.
A model for ion-bombardment induced erosion enhancement with target temperature in liquid lithium

Sputtering does not vary strongly with target temperature for most solid materials. Sputtering yield measurements of liquid lithium self-sputtering for energies of 200–1000 eV at oblique incidence, however, show an enhancement near an order of magnitude as the temperature of the liquid lithium target is increased from near its melting point at 473 K up to about 690 K (1.5Tm) after accounting for thermal evaporation. A new model that couples both the near-surface cascade of the hot liquid metal and the effect of multiple interaction mechanisms on the binding of the emitted particle explains this anomalous erosion enhancement with target temperature. The model, has been validated using a new hybrid computational tool named MD-TRIM (molecular dynamics in transport of ions in matter), at 473 K and 653 K and compared to experimental data. MD-TRIM consists of molecular dynamics and binary collision approximation (BCA) codes, TRIM (transport of ions in matter). The MD-TRIM code was designed to aid in understanding erosion enhancement mechanisms of lithium self-bombardment sputtering at low bombarding energies with a rise in target temperature. MD calculations alone do not show the sputtering enhancement with temperature rise due to an inadequate surface potential model. 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Increased prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in premenopausal women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Objective: Limited data exist concerning the presence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in premenopausal women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to investigate the prevalence of PCOS in overweight and obese premenopausal women with NAFLD. Design: Prospective, observational, and cross-sectional study. Methods: We studied 110 apparently healthy, overweight, and obese (BMI: 25.1–49.1 kg/m 2 ) premenopausal women (age: 18–45 years) reporting no or minimal alcohol consumption for NAFLD with abdominal ultrasonography after excluding causes of secondary liver disease and for PCOS (Rotterdam criteria) with clinical examination, biochemical evaluation, and pelvic ultrasonography. Insulin resistance (IR) was assessed by homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), and free androgen index was calculated. Results: NAFLD was detected in 71/110 women (64.5%). Women with NAFLD compared to women without NAFLD were more commonly diagnosed with PCOS (43.7% vs 23.1%, respectively, PZ0.04), metabolic syndrome (30.2% vs 5.3%, respectively, PZ0.003), and abnormal lipid profile (81.1% vs 51.3%, PZ0.002). All women with abnormal glucose metabolism had NAFLD (PZ0.01). Although PCOS was associated with NAFLD (OR 2.6, 95% CI: 1.1–6.2, PZ0.04), in a multivariate analysis higher HOMA-IR values (OR 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1–4.4, PZ0.02) and triglyceride levels (OR 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.02, PZ0.04) independently predicted NAFLD, after adjusting for age, BMI, and waist-to-hip ratio. Conclusions: These findings indicate an increased prevalence of PCOS in overweight and obese premenopausal women with NAFLD, although it is not supported that the syndrome is primarily involved in NAFLD. Evaluation for PCOS may be considered in these women.
Emerging drugs for uveitis

Introduction: Uveitis is a challenging disease covering both infectious and noninfectious conditions. The current treatment strategies are hampered by the paucity of randomized controlled trials and trials comparing the efficacy of different agents. Areas covered: This review describes the current and future treatments of uveitis. A literature search was performed in PUBMED from 1965 to 2010 on drugs treating ocular inflammation with emphasis placed on more recent, larger studies. Readers should gain a basic understanding of current treatment strategies beginning with corticosteroids and transitioning to steroid sparing agents. Steroid sparing agents include antimetabolites such as methotrexate, azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil; calcineurin inhibitors which include cyclosporine, tacrolimus; alkylating agents which include cyclophosphamide and chlorambucil; and biologics which include the TNF-α inhibitors infliximab, adalimumab and etanercept and daclizumab, IFN-α2a and rituximab. Expert opinion: New...
Localized mesothelioma tumour arising synchronously with a primary contralateral lung cancer

Mesothelioma is a malignant growth of mesothelial cells found in the serosal membrane of pleural, peritoneal and pericardial surfaces as a result of prolonged exposure to asbestos. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) typically presents itself in a diffuse pattern of growth over the pleura of the lung or in more rare cases as a localized focus (LMPM). We present the first reported case of a synchronous LMPM and non-small adenocarcinoma of the lung treated by sequential resections.
On the order of knowledge sources in blackboard systems

Depending on the nature of the specific blackboard system, the specific order in which knowledge sources are chosen can have a major impact on the quality of initial solutions developed. A priori ordering of the knowledge sources is discussed, with the objective of achieving better initial solutions. Analytical results are developed to establish partial orderings of the knowledge sources and rules within the knowledge sources for economic-base systems (i.e., systems where there are costs or revenues associated with the outcomes in the rules). >
Influence of Blanching or Brining Treatments on the Formation of Chlorophyllides, Pheophytins, and Pheophorbides in Green Plant Tissuea

SUMMARY Green vegetable tissue was analyzed for chlorophyll and chlorophyll derivatives before and after subjecting the tissue to differential blanching treatments representative of those used in commercial food processing, and to a brining treatment. The plant material studied was okra, snapbeans, turnip greens, and pickling cucumbers. Blanching at 180°F promoted the rapid formation of chlorophyllides and pheophorbides in certain tissue in addition to pheophytins, which were formed in all blanching studies.
Form, Function, Food and Feeding in Stellate Echinoderms*

The stellate echinoderms (crinoids, ophiuroids, asteroids) have arms that are involved in feeding. Arms are extensions from the central body and affect the form of the organism. The arms of crinoids, ophiuroids and asteroids differ in structure and have different characteristics. Crinoids are pentaradiate and primitively pentabrachiate, with an internal skeletal support that permits up and down movements. Although branching of the arms occurs, the basic structure remains unchanged. This, along with the mouth on the upper surface, i.e. directed away from the substrate, means that the food of crinoids has always been microplankton. The mouth of ophiuroids is directed towards the substrate. The internal skeletal support of their arms permits both up and down and lateral movements. Like crinoids, most ophiuroids are pentaradiate and pentabrachiate, with supernumerary arms being limited in number. Branching of ophiuroid arms occurs only in some euryalids. Ophiuroid arms also have spines, which do not occur in the arms of crinoids. With these characteristics, food of ophiuroids includes not only microplankton but also nekton, benthic particles and small prey. The major distinction of asteroids from crinoids and ophiuroids is that skeletal support of asteroid arms is external. Like ophiuroids, the mouth is directed toward the substrate. Unlike crinoids and ophiuroids, digestion in asteroids involves direct contact between the stomach and the prey and is extraoral in most asteroid taxa. Expansion of the oral surface increases the area over which the stomach can be extended and increases the capacity for feeding. This has occurred in two ways in stellate echinoderms: extension of the interradii in five-armed species and connection of the proximal parts of the rays in multiarmed species. Asteroid arms are not branched. Modified spines (pedicellariae) are used for feeding. The array of food is more extensive in asteroids because of these features including surface prey, particles, multiple small prey, macroprey and nekton. The form of the arm of each stellate group has constraints and potentials that determine food and feeding.
Mechanical Analysis of Single Myocyte Contraction in a 3D Viscoelastic Gel

Objective: Under congenital or acquired pathological conditions, excessive mechanical stress in myocardium leads to arrhythmias and heart failure, yet mechano-chemo-transduction (MCT) mechanisms are poorly understood at the single cell level during heart disease development. We recently developed a novel Cell-in-Gel system, embedding isolated live myocytes in a constraining hydrogel, to study MCT mechanisms under various mechanical scenarios.Methods: A mechanical model is used to calculate time-varying displacement, strain, and stress fields present during ongoing Cell-in-Gel experiments. Our previous 3D analytical solution of a single contracting myocyte embedded in an infinite elastic matrix (based on the Eshelby Inclusion problem) is extended to include the effects of Gel (matrix) viscosity. The model is calibrated by viscoelastic characterization of the Gel of various cross-linker densities using a dynamic rotary rheometer.Results: The analytical model enables quick parametric studies to establish trends with Gel stiffness and viscosity. As previously found for a purely elastic matrix, the stress state within the cell is multi-axial and uniform, yet cell surface tractions are quite non-uniform, and a typical cardiomyocyte in a gel of similar stiffness can contract only 20% of its load-free fractional shortening. The presence of Gel viscosity, however, adds a time lag between strains and stresses in both the cell and Gel and causes an increase in energy and mechanical power requirements for cell contraction.Conclusions: The mechanical model provides a baseline prediction (without up-regulation of Ca2+ transients) of the response of the myocyte during contraction in-gel. With preload or afterload, Cell-in-Gel data show stronger fractional shortening than predicted, so the model effectively quantifies this contractility enhancement (related to the Anrep effect). Thus, our analysis method can be used to quantitatively inform ongoing MCT studies that link mechanical stress to cardiac function and remodeling.
Charlatans on the Move: How Predatory Lenders Fleece Military Personnel

Until recently little was known about the effects of predatory lending on military personnel, but a bevy of recent studies by consumer groups has confirmed the disproportionate presence of these lenders around military installations and communities. This article explores the prevalence of predatory lending to military personnel, the tactics lenders employ to attract them, the impact on military readiness, and the mechanisms that can stave off this credible threat. It also discusses the ethical implications for public administration and the need to educate citizens in financial literacy while preserving military readiness and national security.
EFFECTS OF LOCATION, APPEARANCE, AND MONETARY VALUE ON ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR

Several studies have suggested that more altruism is found in smaller American communities, when the value of the money is increased and when the victim is neatly dressed. A female confederate, dressed either neatly or casually, dropped either a quarter or a dollar while approaching an unsuspecting subject (N = 40 men and 40 women, 18 to 65 yr. of age), a student on campus or person on a street. Time for the subject to pick up the money and return it to the dropper was recorded. Location significantly affected altruistic behavior; the money was returned faster on campus than on the city street. A dollar was returned to the owner faster than a quarter.
DR-07TARGETING EGFR-VIII WITH DICHLOROACETATE IN TEMOZOLOMIDE RESISTANT GLIOBLASTOMA MODELS

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene amplification and its subsequent over-expression is the most frequent genetic alteration associated with glioblastoma (GBM) approximating 40%. EGFR amplification is accompanied by a gene rearrangement that overexpresses the receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) characterized by an in-frame deletion of 801 bp of coding sequence from exons 2-7. Our in vitro preliminary studies conducted using U373 cell lines stably expressing EGFRvIII (U373vIII) conferred increased proliferation and invasiveness when compared to control. Temozolomide (TMZ) resistance in this context is a well-known concept, where high initial response is met with eventual failure and tumor propagation. We thus generated an aggressive TMZ resistance model for U373vIII cells (U373vIII-TMZ-R) by continual exposure to 150uM TMZ for 6 months. After the initial phase of cell death in the majority and prolonged lag in replication, the eventual surviving U373vIII-TMZ-R colonies showed identical morphology and proliferation potential of the parent U373vIII. This resulted in a cell line mimicking the actual growth potential of recurrent GBM. We have previously shown that dichloroacetic acid (DCA) reduces EGFR expression in GBMs. Since EGFRvIII expression displays an aggressive phenotype yet remains tumor specific, we hypothesize studying DCA alone or in combination with dasatinib, an inhibitor of EGFR subcellular translocation, in U373vIII and U373vIII-TMZ-R cell lines. By more accurately depicting the status of GBM at the time of recurrence after standard of care chemotherapy treatment, the investigation of DCA will augment and possibly redefine our current understanding of resistance mechanisms and establish novel methods of circumventing this pervasive phenomena.
Effects of Ultralow Oxygen and Vacuum Treatments on Bed Bug (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) Survival.

Control of bed bugs is problematic, balancing among efficacy, safety, and cost. In this study, ultralow oxygen (ULO) and vacuum treatments were tested on bed bugs to develop a safer, effective, and environmentally friendly solution to kill bed bugs on infested items. ULO treatments were established by flushing sealed enclosures with nitrogen. All life stages of bed bugs were found to be susceptible to ULO and vacuum treatments, and efficacy of the treatments increased with reduced oxygen levels, increased treatment time, and temperature. In the ULO treatments, 100% mortality of bed bug nymphs and adults and >98% mortality of bed bug eggs were achieved in the 8-h treatment under 0.1% O2 atmosphere at 30°C. Different levels of vacuum that yielded different oxygen levels were tested on all life stages of bed bugs. The susceptibility of different stages to vacuum treatments increased from nymphs to adults to eggs. Complete control of all life stages was achieved in 12 h under −982 mbar (−29.0 inHg) vacuum at 30°C. This study demonstrated that bed bugs were very susceptible to low oxygen stresses and ULO and vacuum treatments have potential to be used as effective and safe treatments to decontaminate bed bug-infested removable objects.
The Word is Nigh

The Hebrew prophets were not preoccupied with a mystical reality abstracted from everyday experience. For them, the moral law was a living presence here on earth, entrusted to human stewardship. They often spoke God's words, but they directed their rhetorical fire towards worldly human conduct. "Far from dealing in abstractions floating above the concrete details of daily life, all of them were always plunging down and dirty into the world around them." A review of Norman Podhoretz, The Prophets: Who They Were, What They Are (Free Press, 2002).
Research of influential factors on elimination half life of vancomycin in children with severe pneumonia

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influential factors on elimination half life of vancomycin in children with severe pneumonia.METHODS The serum vancomycin concentrations at two time points on elimination phase after intravenous drip in each one of 29 children with severe pneumonia were determined,and which were used to calculate the elimination half lives of vancomycin(t1/2beta).The correlation between vancomycin t1/2beta and sex,age,body height,body weight and biochemical indexes of patients was analyzed with multiple linear regression method by SPSS(13.0) software.RESULTS Vancomycin t1/2beta was positive correlated with serum creatinine concentration(CRE) and AST(P0.05),but no significant correlation was noted between t1/2beta and other statistical data.The regression equation was t1/2beta=0.360CRE+0.043AST-6.316(r=0.851,P0.000).CONCLUSION The elimination rate of vancomycin in children with severe pneumonia was closely correlated with liver and kidney functions,so it's necessary to monitor the serum vancomycin concentration and draw up individualized therapy according the body condition of every patient.
Effects of Erect Panicle Gene on Source,Sink,Translocation and Its Related Traits of Rice

Using near-isogenic lines and their parents as materials,the effects of erect panicle gene on source,sink,transportation and its related traits were studied.The results indicated that the yield of varieties with erect panicle gene were significantly higher than that of varieties without erect panicle gene.Compared with that of varieties without erect panicle gene,the varieties with erect panicle gene had bigger sink,higher dry matter productivity and fluent transportation system,as well as higher translocation and exportation rate of its stem and sheath.Besides of erecting panicle,erect gene had the functions that had the panicle shorten and the leaves erect,thereby the rice population environment was improved and the yield was higher.
Early nutritional origins of hypertension: a hypothesis still lacking support.

PURPOSE It has been hypothesized that limitations in 'a baby's nourishment before birth', as reflected in reductions in birthweight and other newborn anthropometric measurements, are associated with subsequent elevations in blood pressure. We assess this hypothesis in light of four causal criteria commonly used by epidemiologists: specificity, consistency, strength and biological coherence. We also examine aspects of the methodology used in studies of this hypothesis. METHODOLOGIC PROBLEMS Two major data sources for testing the hypothesis in Hertfordshire and Preston are flawed by very high attrition. The practice of testing this hypothesis by controlling for adult weight in the analysis overstates the benefit that might accrue from interventions to increase birthweight. CAUSAL CRITERIA Studies used to support the hypothesis examine a wide variety of exposures and outcomes, without prespecification of which associations are expected. The inverse relationship of birthweight to blood pressure is found inconsistently and, when present, is not strong. Potential confounding variables, especially social class, have not generally been taken into account. Evidence from human nutrition studies, especially of famine exposure and pregnancy nutrition supplementation, are not supportive of the proposition that in industrialized countries variations in the birthweight of the population closely reflect pregnancy nutrition. CONCLUSION When examined critically, the evidence thus far provided does not support the hypothesis that prenatal nutrition is a major determinant of adult blood pressure.
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine increases excitability in the dentate gyrus: role of 5HT2A receptor-induced PGE2 signaling

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a widely abused psychostimulant, which causes release of serotonin in various forebrain regions. Recently, we reported that MDMA increases extracellular glutamate concentrations in the dentate gyrus, via activation of 5HT2A receptors. We examined the role of prostaglandin signaling in mediating the effects of 5HT2A receptor activation on the increases in extracellular glutamate and the subsequent long-term loss of parvalbumin interneurons in the dentate gyrus caused by MDMA. Administration of MDMA into the dentate gyrus of rats increased PGE2 concentrations which was prevented by coadministration of MDL100907, a 5HT2A receptor antagonist. MDMA-induced increases in extracellular glutamate were inhibited by local administration of SC-51089, an inhibitor of the EP1 prostaglandin receptor. Systemic administration of SC-51089 during injections of MDMA prevented the decreases in parvalbumin interneurons observed 10 days later. The loss of parvalbumin immunoreactivity after MDMA exposure coincided with a decrease in paired-pulse inhibition and afterdischarge threshold in the dentate gyrus. These changes were prevented by inhibition of EP1 and 5HT2A receptors during MDMA. Additional experiments revealed an increased susceptibility to kainic acid-induced seizures in MDMA-treated rats, which could be prevented with SC51089 treatments during MDMA exposure. Overall, these findings suggest that 5HT2A receptors mediate MDMA-induced PGE2 signaling and subsequent increases in glutamate. This signaling mediates parvalbumin cell losses as well as physiologic changes in the dentate gyrus, suggesting that the lack of the inhibition provided by these neurons increases the excitability within the dentate gyrus of MDMA-treated rats. We hypothesized that the widely abused psychostimulant MDMA causes a loss of parvalbumin (PV) cells and increases excitability in the dentate gyrus. MDMA increases serotonin (5HT) release and activates 5HT2A receptors. The increased activation of 5HT2A receptors promotes the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and subsequent activation of EP1 receptors in the dentate gyrus. EP1 receptor activation leads to eventual excitotoxicity and loss of PV interneurons resulting in reduced inhibition and lowered seizure threshold resulting in increased seizure susceptibility.