cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementing faculty evaluation of written sign-out.

Purpose: Recently the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education mandated decreased shift duration for intern physicians to no more than 16 hours. Such work-hour restrictions are likely to increase patient care hand-offs. It is well accepted that sign-out (i.e., hand-off) processes are error prone and lack standardization. Moreover, many residency programs do not evaluate sign-out. We designed and tested whether a sign-out evaluation process could be implemented to improve written sign-out. Method: Based on observed sign-out deficiencies at our institution we adapted a simple curriculum incorporating the SIGNOUT mnemonic, which we paired with weekly faculty member evaluation and feedback on sign-out using a structured sign-out evaluation tool. Later in the week, written sign-out was independently scored by 2-blinded senior resident reviewers who compared the inclusion of sign-out content, organization, and readability. Results: Compared to baseline data in 128 written sign-outs, the pairing of a...
Hepatocellular carcinoma: Current management and future trends

The hallmarks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are that it is identified clinically at an advanced stage and usually together with cirrhosis. Surgical resection has been considered the optimal treatment approach, but only a small proportion of patients qualify for surgery, and there is a high rate of recurrence. Approaches to prevent recurrence have included chemoembolization before and neoadjuvant therapy after surgery, neither of which has proven to be beneficial. Liver transplantation has been successful in treating limited-stage HCC, affecting cure of both the tumor and underlying cirrhosis. However, only a minority of patients with HCC qualify for transplantation. Recently, chemoembolization has been shown to prolong survival in selected patients who do not qualify for transplantation or resection. Other innovative, relatively noninvasive local ablative therapies have been introduced and have been shown to be effective in reducing tumor size but not in prolonging survival. Standard chemotherapy is poorly tolerated in patients who do not qualify for resection. Both doxorubicin and cisplatin are frequently used, but overall response rates are low, and neither seems to prolong survival. Prospective, randomized controlled trials using current therapies are needed to better define optimal management of this important tumor. Most needed, however, are new therapeutic agents that are effective against HCC, are noncytotoxic, and are tolerated by the typical patient with underlying cirrhosis. Newly emerging agents with promise include 90 Y microspheres, antiangiogenesis agents, inhibitors of growth factors and their receptors, and K vitamins.
Genetic diversity in Eastern U.S. soft winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.) based on RFLPs and coefficients of parentage

Genetic diversity in a set of 11 red and 11 white wheat lines from the Eastern U.S. soft wheat germplasm pool was measured using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay and coefficients of parentage (COP) analysis. On average, 78% of all bands revealed by three enzymes with 48 RFLP clones were monomorphic. Average pairwise genetic similarity (GS) was 0.97 when data from all enzymes were pooled. Probe Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) indexes ranged from 0 to 0.73 with a mean of 0.2. Fewer than 55% of the probes revealed any polymorphism. The frequency of polymorphism in the Eastern U.S. soft white winter (SWW) wheat gene pool was much lower than that observed in the Eastern U.S. soft red winter (SRW) wheat gene pool. SWW lines formed a single group on a dendrogram based on cluster analysis of RFLP-derived GS estimates, while SRW lines did not form a single group. COP values for all pairs of the Eastern U.S. soft wheat lines ranged from 0.02 to 0.9 with a mean of 0.21. SWW wheat lines traced to 53 ancestral lines and had an average COP of 0.51. The SRW wheat gene pool had more complex parentages (mean COP=0.15 and a total of 65 ancestral lines). COPs were correlated with RFLP-based GS for all line pairs (r=0.73, P<0.01). However, correlations between the two similarity measures were substantially lower when the SRW and SWW wheat gene pools were considered individually (r values of 0.23 and 0.28, respectively). The actual GS among unrelated lines in the U.S. Eastern soft wheat gene pool appears to be higher than that observed for unrelated landraces from Southwest Asia (0.96 vs. 0.905), suggesting that the ancestral landrace parents of this gene pool were themselves drawn from a base population where inbreeding, i.e., F, was greater than zero.
Analysis of aggressive behaviour in the bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus rafinesque: Effects of sex and size

Abstract Two experiments explored the effects of resident and intruder sex (experiment 1) and size (experiment 2) upon aggressive behaviour exhibited by sunfish during 30-min observation sessions. Bluegill sunfish ( Lepomis macrpchirus Rafinesque) in non-reproductive condition were subjects in both experiments. Residents occupied 95-litre aquaria for 7 days prior to the introduction of an intruder at the start of an observation session. This paradigm allows independent assessment of the effects of both resident-aggressor sex (or size) and intruder-aggressee sex (or size). The first experiment revealed that neither resident sex nor intruder sex exerted significant effects on resident aggressiveness. Experiment 2 showed that large residents exhibited more aggressive responses to both large and small intruders than did small residents. Implications of these findings for perceptual mechanisms underlying the release of bluegill aggression are discussed.
An Instrument for Rapid Powder Flow Measurement and Temporal Fractal Analysis

An instrument enabling the measurement, at a high sampling rate, of the mass of a powder flowing from a vibrating spatula has been constructed. Semiconductor strain gauges were used in the instrument as sensitive and rapid-response transducers facilitating mass measurement in these studies. Data collection and processing was performed automatically by computer. Computer software was developed for analysis of fractal dimension as a component of the instrument, to automate an established method for determination of the temporal fractal dimension of mass flow data. The rise time response of the instrument was an order of magnitude faster than instrumentation used previously [1]. Fractal dimensions determined using this instrument in a study of lactose powders on a vibrating spatula were approximately an order of magnitude larger than those reported previously.
Variation and in vitro splicing of group I introns in rRNA genes of Pneumocystis carinii

The sequences of the rRNA genes of Pneumocystis carinii from rat and human sources demonstrate three distinct genotypes based on the group I introns present in these genes. One rat isolate (Pc1) contains such introns in its 16S and 26S rRNA genes, while another rat isolate (Pc2) and a human isolate (Pc3) only contain an intron in the 26S rRNA gene. The four introns all catalyze their own excision from RNA transcripts, and this reaction is inhibited by the anti-pneumocystis drug pentamidine and its analogues. Although they differ in sequence, they are more similar to one another than to group I introns found in other eukaryotic microbes.
Frequency of esophageal stenosis after simultaneous modulated accelerated radiation therapy and chemotherapy for head and neck cancer

Abstract Background Chronic esophageal toxicity after radiotherapy alone for cancer of the head and neck (HNCa) is rare: 2.6% for strictures and 0.8% for stenosis after a 60-Gy dose. With combined modality therapy, stricture rates of 22% to 37% have been reported. We report the frequency of esophageal toxicity after simultaneous modulated accelerated radiation therapy (SMART) with chemotherapy for HNCa. Methods The records of the otolaryngology/head and neck surgery department of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, were screened for patients undergoing combined modality therapy using SMART for HNCa. Radiation Oncology records were reviewed for target and critical normal structure dosimetry, with detailed analysis of esophageal and supraglottic laryngeal dosimetry. Hospital and clinic records were reviewed for evidence of esophageal toxicity. Results From January 2003 to August 2005, 99 patients underwent definitive therapy for squamous cell HNCa using SMART and chemotherapy. Follow-up was documented in all cases. Median dose to sites of gross primary or nodal disease was 70.29 Gy, at 2.13 Gy per fraction. Median dose to the ipsilateral neck was 63.03 Gy at 1.91 Gy per fraction. Median dose to the contralateral neck in 97 patients treated was 57.75 Gy at 1.75 Gy per fraction. Thirteen (13%) patients developed esophageal strictures. Five (5%) patients had complete esophageal stenosis. Four (14%) of the 29 patients with either a hypopharyngeal primary or a N2c nodal disease developed complete stenosis. A statistically larger esophageal volume of esophagus reactivity ≥ 60 Gy (V60) was found in patients who developed stenosis/stricture when compared with a randomly selected population of N2a/b patients who did not develop those toxicities. Esophageal stenosis/stricture was also numerically more common in patients receiving taxane-based chemotherapy, developing in 23%, as opposed to 9% in patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Conclusion The risk of esophageal stenosis may increase with SMART and chemotherapy for HNCa. Potential mechanisms to reduce this include (a) contouring the esophagus as a dose-limiting structure; (b) early flexible examination posttreatment, with early intervention with dilation; (c) improved therapy for mucositis.
Molecular Basis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 1A: Gene Dosage as a Novel Mechanism for a Common Autosomal Dominant Condition

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) comprises a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of polyneuropathies. Two major types can be distinguished based on electrophysiologic phenotypes: CMT type 1 (CMT1) displays uniformly decreased nerve conduction velocity associated with a demyelinating hypertrophic neuropathy, and CMT type 2 (CMT2) displays normal or near-normal nerve conduction velocity associated with a neuronal defect. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) is the most common form, exhibiting autosomal dominant inheritance and linkage to chromosome 17p11.2p12. This review will focus on the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to CMT1A. DNA duplication of a 1.5-Mb region is associated with CMT1A in the majority of cases. A defined segmental DNA duplication that cosegregates with a disease in a dominant Mendelian pattern had been unprecedented. A candidate gene for CMT1A, PMP22, which maps within the duplication and encodes a myelin-speeific protein, was identified from studies on the trembler and tremblerJ mouse models for CMT. Point mutations in PMP22 have since been identified in cases of familial, non-duplication CMT1A. The genetic data presents two alternative molecular mechanisms involving the PMP22 gene that result in the same clinical and electrophysiologic phenotype of CMT1A. The impact of the underlying molecular mechanisms on the prospects for therapeutic development are discussed.
Ultrasound visualization of internal crystalline lens deformation using laser-induced microbubbles

The progressive loss of accommodation of the eye, called presbyopia, affects people with age and can result in a complete loss of accommodation by about age 55 years. It is generally accepted that presbyopia is due to an increase in stiffness of the lens. With increasing age, the stiffness of the crystalline lens nucleus increases faster than that of the cortex. During accommodation, the deformation of different parts of the crystalline lens is different and likely changes with age. However, a direct observation of crystalline lens deformation and strain distribution is difficult because although imaging methods such as OCT or Scheimpflug imaging can distinguish cortex and nucleus, they cannot determine their regional deformation. Here, patterns of laser-induced microbubbles were created in gelatin phantoms and different parts of excised animal crystalline lenses and their displacements in response to external deformation were tracked by ultrasound imaging. In the animal lenses, the deformation of the lens cortex was greater than that of nucleus and this regional difference is greater for a 27-month-old bovine lens than for a 6-month-old porcine lens. This approach enables visualization of localized, regional deformation of crystalline lenses and, if applied to lenses from animal species that undergo accommodation, may help to understand the mechanisms of accommodation and presbyopia, improve diagnostics, and, potentially, aid in the development of new methods of lens modifying presbyopia treatments.
Increase in the size of the amino acid pool is sufficient to activate translation of early trypsin mRNA in Aedes aegypti midgut.

Abstract Early trypsin is a female-specific protease present in the midgut of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti during the first 4–6 h after ingestion of a blood meal. Transcription of the early trypsin gene occurs after adult emergence under control of juvenile hormone, but the transcript remains untranslated before feeding. Early trypsin was in vitro translated using mRNA extracted from midguts of unfed and fed females, indicating that there are not structural features in the early trypsin mRNA that impede translation in vitro . Eight single protein meals exhibiting different molecular weights and amino acid composition, as well as ingestion of several amino acid mixtures of different complexity, had the ability to prompt early trypsin translation. In contrast, ingestion of saline, latex or midgut-filling sugars were unable to induce early trypsin mRNA translation. In addition intra-thoracic injection of an amino acid solution induced early trypsin translation, while injection of saline or albumin failed. In summary an increase in the size of the midgut amino acid pool by feeding or injection of an amino acid solution was sufficient to induce translation of early trypsin mRNA; 35 S-labeled amino acids, fed with a protein meal, were incorporated into newly synthesized early trypsin; the first phase of trypsin synthesis is likely induced by an initial rapid increase in the concentration of amino acids in the midgut cells after ingestion of a blood meal.
Vibrational deactivation studies of OH X 2Π(v= 1–5) by N2 and O2

The deactivation kinetics of vibrationally excited OH X 2Π (v = 1–5) were studied using a pulsed laser photolysis-pulsed laser induced fluorescence technique. Temporal profiles of OH (v) were obtained by exciting off-diagonal (Δv = −1,−3) transitions in the A–X band of OH and monitoring the diagonal, blue shifted fluorescence. Photolysis of O3 at 266 nm was used to produce O1D which reacted rapidly with H2, CH4 and H2O to produce OH (v). Deactivation rate coefficients for OH (v = 1–5) with O2 and N2 and for OH (v = 2,1) with O3 were obtained. The deactivation rate coefficients show an exponential dependence on vibrational level for both O2 and N2, however O2 is much more efficient.
Terminal effects of optogenetic stimulation on dopamine dynamics in rat striatum

In this study, the first in-depth analysis of optically induced dopamine release using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry on striatal slices from rat brain was performed. An adeno-associated virus that expresses Channelrhodopsin-2 was injected in the substantia nigra. Tissue was collected and sectioned into 400μm-thick coronal slices 4 weeks later. Blue laser light (473nm) was delivered through a fiber optic inserted into slice tissue. Experiments revealed some difference between maximal amplitudes measured from optically and electrically evoked dopamine effluxes. Specifically, there was an increase in the amplitude of dopamine release induced by electrical stimulation in comparison with light stimulations. However, we found that dopamine release is more sensitive to changes in the pulse width in the case of optical stimulation. Light-stimulated dopamine was increased as the stimulation pulse widened. There was no difference with repeated stimulations at five minute intervals between stimulation sources and dopamine signal was stable during recording sessions, while one minute intervals resulted in a decline in the amplitude from both sources. Optical stimulation can also produce an artifact that is distinguishable from dopamine by the cyclic voltammogram. These results confirm that optical stimulation of dopamine is a sound approach for future pharmacological studies in slices.
Substitutedcatecholato(1,2-diaminocyclohexane)-platinum(II) compounds

Preparation d'une serie de complexes avec un groupe aromatique labile pour: 1) maintenir la reactivite hydrolytique permettant l'activite anticancereuse; 2) fournir un groupe permettant la complexation a un polymere
Deviant Exploitation of Black Male Student Athletes on White Campuses

Considering exploitation—regardless of whether it takes place at the organizational level or individual level—as inherently deviant, this article examines different types of exploitations experienced by black male football and basketball student athletes (BSAs) on predominantly white campuses over the last five decades by utilizing a five-point hypothetical framework. The study findings are in agreement with those of prior studies conducted in this area by sports scholars and sociologists. Additionally, this study finds that the exploitation is embedded in social class differences as well as in racial ideology and discrimination.
Reversing the reinforcement contingencies of eating and keypecking behaviors

Four of five pigeons were conditioned to peck a key at a high, stable rate on a VI schedule and then given concurrent access to free food. It was found, in replication of Neuringer’s results, that the pigeons pecked a key for grain in the presence of free grain. When availability of the response key (high-probability response) was made contingent on eating free grain (a lower probability response), there was a progressive increase in free-food eating, confirming Premack’s reinforcement principle. For two additional birds, when availability of the key was made contingent onnot eating the free food (a type of DRO schedule), the frequency of free-food eating declined. Thus, availability of the key. depending on the contingency, reinforced both the eating and noneating of free food.
Dispersal of Yearling Pronghorns in Western South Dakota

Abstract We captured and radiocollared 57 pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) fawns in western South Dakota, USA, during May 2002–2003 and radiotracked them through 15 months of age, by which time all surviving individuals had established a permanent home range. We classified 56% (n = 19) of fawns as dispersers and 44% (n = 15) as residents. Eighty-four percent (n = 16) of dispersers departed natal home ranges in late October and occupied winter home ranges for 102–209 days before dispersing to permanent home ranges during April 2003 and 2004. Dispersal distances from natal ranges to permanent home ranges varied from 6.2–267.0 km. Winter home-range sizes for all individual pronghorns varied from 39.4–509.6 km2. Permanent home-range size for all individuals varied from 15.5–166.1 km2. Mean 95% permanent home-range size differed (P = 0.06) between residents (x = 97.3 ± 15.1 km2) and dispersers (x = 48.6 ± 16.0 km2), but was similar (P = 0.97) among sexes. Mean dispersal distance from natal to permanent home...
The relationship between lichen planus and hepatitis C in dermatology outpatients in Kerman, Iran.

Background Lichen planus (LP) is classified as a papulosquamous disease. It has been associated with liver disease, particularly hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, in several studies. Most of these reports, especially the larger series, were conducted in Europe and Japan. Objective We conducted a case–control study in Kerman, Iran to explore the association between LP and HCV. Methods The study included 66 patients with LP (as cases; mean age = 39.7 ± 15.8 years; 31 female, 35 male) and 140 volunteer blood donors (as controls; mean age = 29.5 ± 8.4 years; 43 females, 97 males). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the presence of anti-HCV antibodies in all subjects in both groups. To confirm positive diagnoses, a second generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA II) test was performed. Results Lichen planus lesions were most frequently located on the trunk and extremities, and the most common clinical type was generalized LP (48.5%). One of the patients with LP (1.5%) and three of the controls (2.1%) were HCV-Ab positive. No significant difference was observed in HCV-Ab positive between the two groups (OR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.1–6.9). Conclusion The findings indicate that an investigation for HCV infection should not necessarily be performed in all patients with LP. It is recommended that further studies should focus on larger groups in other regions of Iran to determine whether testing for HCV infection is necessary in patients with LP.
Reduced thermoregulatory null zone in postmenopausal women with hot flashes

Abstract Objective: Most menopausal hot flashes are preceded by small elevations in core body temperature. If the thermoneutral zone between the thresholds for sweating and shivering is reduced in women with symptoms, the triggering mechanism for hot flashes could be explained. Study Design: We studied 12 postmenopausal women with symptoms and 8 without symptoms. We measured body temperatures with a rectal probe, an ingested telemetry pill, and a weighted average of rectal and skin temperatures. Each woman underwent 3 experimental sessions: determination of the sweating threshold by body heating, determination of the shivering threshold by body cooling, and replication of the sweating threshold with exercise. Results: The women with symptoms had significantly smaller interthreshold zones than did the symptom-free women for all 3 measures of body temperature: rectal temperature, 0.0°C ± 0.06°C versus 0.4°C ± 0.18°C ( P P P –2 · min –1 ) than among the women without symptoms (0.03 ± 0.001 mg · cm –2 · min –1 , P Conclusions: Menopausal hot flashes in women with symptoms may be triggered by small elevations in body temperature acting within a reduced thermoneutral zone. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:66-70.)
Association of managed care market share and health expenditures for fee-for-service Medicare patients.

Context Managed care has the potential to transform fundamentally the structure and functioning of the entire health care system, including the care provided to patients who are not enrolled in managed care plans. Objective To determine whether increasing health maintenance organization (HMO) market share is associated with decreased expenditures for the care of patients covered by Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service plan, a group cared for well outside the boundaries of managed care. Design and Setting Data from the Health Care Financing Administration were used to compare expenditures for the care of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries for 802 market areas, representing the entire United States, for 1990 to 1994. These data were matched with data on system-wide (Medicare and non-Medicare) HMO market share in these areas.
Experimental and Theoretical Rotordynamic Characteristics of a Hybrid Journal Bearing

This paper describes an experimental and theoretical investigation of a four-pocket, oil-fed, orifice-compensated hydrostatic bearing including the hybrid effects of journal rotation. The test apparatus incorporates a double-spool-shaft spindle which permits independent control over the journal spin speed and the frequency of an adjustable-magnitude circular orbit, for both forward and backward whirling. This configuration yields data that enables determination of the full linear anisotropic rotordynamic model. The dynamic force measurements were made simultaneously with two independent systems, one with piezoelectric load cells and the other with strain gage load cells. Theoretical predictions are made for the same configuration and operating conditions as the test matrix using a finite-difference solver of Reynolds lubrication equation. The computational results agree well with test results, theoretical predictions of stiffness and damping coefficients are typically within thirty percent of the experimental results.
Renewable energy markets in China: An analysis of renewable energy markets in Guangdong, Jiangxi, Jilin, and Yunnan provinces, with updated information from Beijing

The People's Republic of China has undergone many changes over the past decade that have led to new growth and created opportunities for many industries, including the renewable energy industry. China has consistently had one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia. This report is a continuation of a market assessment done in 1997, which analyzed six provinces (Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shandong, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Zhejiang) in China. The information contained in this report comes mainly from interviews conducted with central and local government officials, state and local power bureau officials, and various company executives. The report provides valuable market information necessary for any company interested in entering China's renewable energy market. It also details the legal, competitive, sociocultural, technological, geographic, and economic environments of four provinces in China: Guangdong, Jiangxi, Jilin, and Yunnan. In addition, it outlines the major central government policies and contacts important to renewable energy development within China.
Interfacial coherency and hydrogen damage in plain carbon steel

Abstract A low-alloy medium carbon steel with a variety of microstructures was cathodically hydrogen charged and the preferred microstructural sites for hydrogen-induced damage examined. Microcracks or microvoids initiated by the charging treatments were found to nucleate at both the grain and the interphase boundaries. Severe surface blistering was always associated with molecular hydrogen recombination and gas precipitation at manganese sulfide inclusions. The combination of spheroidized cementite particles on the grain boundaries provided more favorable microvoid and/or microcrack nucleation sites than for either individual grain boundaries or carbide particles within the grain interiors. Subgrain boundaries in quenched-and-annealed samples were found to be much less favorable sites than the large-angle grain boundaries for microvoid and/or microcrack nucleation under the same charging conditions. A mixed spheroidized and lamellar cementite (pearlite) microstructure was produced to examine the role of carbide-ferrite interfacial coherency in susceptibility to hydrogen damage. The nucleation of microcracks and/or microvoids along the broad faces of the cementite plates was observed to occur much less frequently than at the cementite plate edges or the spheroidized cementite-ferrite interphase boundaries. The results of this research indicate that the tendency for hydrogen to interact with and cause irreversible damage at a grain or interphase boundary increases with decreasing interfacial coherency.
Ideological structure and foreign policy preferences

We seek to understand how ideological preferences in the domestic realm are linked to those in the foreign policy arena. We suggest that stances in both are arrayed along two dimensions: one anchored by self-regarding and other-regarding objectives, the other by preferences for either positive or negative incentives-based means of policy. Using public opinion data from the Pew and Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, we find that these dimensions separate conservatives from liberals on domestic issues as well as on foreign policy preferences. Moreover, international conditions shape the precise manner in which this ideological matrix shapes foreign policy preferences, and the effects of such conditions vary by ideology.
Diseases of Peanut Caused by Soilborne Pathogens in the Southwestern United States

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is susceptible to diseases caused by numerous soilborne pathogens. In the southwestern United States pathogens including Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr., Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn AG-4, Sclerotinia minor Jagger and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., and Verticillium dahliae Kleb. routinely affect peanut yield. This region has an arid climate and peanut development is generally later than in other peanut production areas, hence the time plants are exposed to pathogens is increased. These pathogens cause similar symptoms in the field; therefore, proper diagnosis is needed so that the appropriate management strategies can be implemented.
Individual Difference Predictors of the Experience of Emerging Adulthood

The current study examined the dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (EA) and specific self and social processes that influence the experience of this important transitional developmental period, with a...
Full-dimensional quantum state resolved predissociation dynamics of HCO2 prepared by photodetaching HCO2−

Abstract A full-dimensional quantum dynamics study of the photodetachment of HCO 2 − is reported using an exact wavepacket method. The calculated photodetachment spectrum identified several HCO 2 resonances observed in the experiment, but with quantitatively different intensities, indicating imperfection in the HCO 2 potential-energy surface. The narrow widths of the lowest resonances indicate slow tunneling-facilitated predissociation. The dissociation of these resonances yields CO 2 not only in its ground vibrational state, but also in excited ones, particularly at high energies. Both the symmetric stretching and bending modes, which are coupled via Fermi resonance, are found to be excited.
Complicity as infiltration: the (im)possibilities of research with/in NSF engineering grants in the age of neoliberal scientism

In this article, I use a Spivakian decolonizing perspective to take simplification to task in two ways—the simplification of methodology with/in grants and the simplification of critique that skirts the impossibility of noncomplicitous research and researchers. I posit that neoliberal scientism’s grants culture is colonizing research—narrowly defining what is and is not knowledge production and who are and are not researchers. I argue that qualitative research/ers might infiltrate grants culture and then work from within to make the messiness of science visible in a way that makes neoliberal scientism’s “(ab)-use” of science its own undoing (Spivak, 1999). In this sense, I reframe complicity as infiltration, but recognize that complicities are neither equal nor uniform across researchers, projects, or contexts.
The Behaviors that College Students Classify as Political Bias: Preliminary Findings and Implications.

The purpose of the current project is to determine how college students define po litical bias in the classroom. There have been a number of recently published books and reports about the existence of a liberal bias in academia (e.g., ACTA 2005, ACTA 2006, Berube 2006, Black 2004, Horowitz 2006, Horowitz 2008, and Shapiro 2004). Sociology is one of the disciplines that is most frequently cited as "producers" of bias in two of these studies (ACTA 2006, Horowitz 2006), as well as in two Web sites on which students can post accusations of bias (No Indoctrination, http:// noindoctrination. org/cgibin/viewlistings. cgi, and Students for Academic Freedom, http:// www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/ comp/default. asp).l Furthermore, sociolo gists may be accused of bias because stu dents often resist or object to the material presented in sociology classes, especially when faculty members discuss sex and gen der and/or race and ethnicity (see Andersen and Miller 1997, Chaisson 2004, Hartung 1990, Moore 1997, Neitz 1985, and Turkel 1986). For these reasons, sociologists should have a comprehensive understanding
Quality of life and physical performance in land- and water-based pulmonary rehabilitation.

Purpose Traditional land-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has been shown to provide improvement in physical performance and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The training effects of a water environment in pulmonary patients have only been briefly investigated. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare quality of life and physical performance in land- and water-based PR. Methods The study included participants of a land- or water-based PR program. Twenty land- and water-based participants with stable COPD disease were retrospectively matched within 20 mL of their forced expiratory ventilation in 1 second. A multivariate analysis of variance was performed on each group's 6-minute walk test distance; 6-repetition maximum strength tests for the knee, hip, and shoulder; and mental and physical health summary scores of the Medical Outcomes Short-form 36. Results Each group significantly improved in all outcome measurements, but there was no difference found in the improvements between the land- or water-based groups. Conclusion Clinicians can consider water-based PR exercise program as another treatment option, if available, for patients with COPD and expect similar benefits to traditional land-based PR programs including improved walk distances, strength, and perception of well-being.
Surface analysis of prosthetic wear debris

Total knee arthroplasty introduces foreign materials into the body that are intended to withstand significant biological and mechanical stresses while maintaining biocompatibility. Unfortunately many arthroplasty patients experience inflammation and pain, presumably due to wear debris that dislodges from the artificial joint over time. The failure mechanisms of prosthetic devices and the chemical inake-up of the associated wear debris are presently unclear. In this study, we use x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman microscopy to identify the chemical composition of the wear debris. Knee synovial fluid was aspirated from seven different prosthetics patients and centrifuged, resulting in small deposits of wear debris. Our analysis identifies oxidized titanium in five of the seven sets of samples, indicating femoral component wear and potentially back-side wear of the tibial base plates of the prosthetics. Furthermore, samples with large percentages of titanium also contain sodium, whereas the others contain chlorine. This may indicate differences in the chemical composition of synovial fluid under different inflammatory conditions.
Impaired regulatory volume decrease in freshly isolated cholangiocytes from cystic fibrosis mice. Implications for cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator effect on potassium conductance

Various K(+) and Cl(-) channels are important in cell volume regulation and biliary secretion, but the specific role of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in cholangiocyte cell volume regulation is not known. The goal of this research was to study regulatory volume decrease (RVD) in bile duct cell clusters (BDCCs) from normal and cystic fibrosis (CF) mouse livers. Mouse BDCCs without an enclosed lumen were prepared as described (Cho, W. K. (2002) Am. J. Physiol. 283, G1320-G1327). The isotonic solution consisted of HEPES buffer with 40% of the NaCl replaced with isomolar amounts of sucrose, whereas hypotonic solution was the same as isotonic solution without sucrose. The cell volume changes were indirectly assessed by measuring cross-sectional area (CSA) changes of the BDCCs using quantitative videomicroscopy. Exposure to hypotonic solutions increased relative CSAs of normal BDCCs to 1.20 +/- 0.01 (mean +/- S.E., n = 50) in 10 min, followed by RVD to 1.07 +/- 0.01 by 40 min. Hypotonic challenge in CF mouse BDCCs also increased relative CSA to 1.20 +/- 0.01 (n = 53) in 10 min but without significant recovery. Coadministration of the K(+)-selective ionophore valinomycin restored RVD in CF mouse BDCCs, suggesting that the impaired RVD was likely from a defect in K(+) conductance. Moreover, this valinomycin-induced RVD in CF mice was inhibited by 5-nitro-2'-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate, indicating that it is not from nonspecific effects. Neither cAMP nor calcium agonists could reverse the impaired RVD seen in CF cholangiocytes. Our conclusion is that CF mouse cholangiocytes have defective RVD from an impaired K(+) efflux pathway, which could not be reversed by cAMP nor calcium agonists.
Quinidine-like activity of atropine in rabbit atria

Abstract Direct effects of atropine and quinidine on contractile force, overdrive suppression, and effective refractory period were studied in rabbit atria. Left atrial contractile force at normal CaCl 2 concentration (2.2 mM) and the contractile force response to elevated CaCl 2 (5 mM) were unchanged over 30 min. Atropine exposure (1.7 × 10 −5 M) for 30 min significantly reduced contractile force at both normal and elevated CaCl 2 levels. Quinidine exposure (6.2 × 10 −6 M) for 30 min produced similar but statistically insignificant changes. At 4 h, control contractile force at 2.2 mM CaCl 2 decreased to the post-atropine level, but the response to 5 mM CaCl 2 was unchanged. The asystolic interval of right atria following overdrive (for 2 min at 3 rates) was increased after 30 min by 4% for controls, 14% after atropine (1.7 × 10 −5 M) and 45% after quinidine. The effective refractory period of left atria (evaluated by paired pulse stimulation) was unchanged after 30 min for controls, but increased by 20% after atropine and 45% after quinidine.
Gauss-laguerre dynamics:an efficient method of computing integrals in multiple comparisons

Computing with Gauss-Laguerre quadratures is a common practice when computing the distribution of the studentized version of many statistics used in normal theory multiple comparisons. We study the dynamics of the points associated with such quadrature and apply the results to the simple example of the studentized maximum modulus. Because most distributions used in multiple comparisons require relatively expensive numerical quadrature for evaluation of their non-studentized integrand, the efficiency of the suggested method is clear as it requires fewer integrand evaluations than the standard Gauss-Laguerre quadrature.
Transurethral alprostadil as therapy for patients who withdrew from or failed prior intracavernous injection therapy

Abstract Objectives. Patients experiencing erectile dysfunction who fail intracavernous injection (ICI) therapy are commonly believed to have exhausted pharmacologic options. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of transurethral alprostadil (MUSE) in patients experiencing erectile dysfunction who underwent prior ICI therapy (alprostadil, papaverine, phentolamine, or a combination of these). Methods. Of the 1511 patients enrolled in a multicenter trial of transurethral alprostadil, 452 (30%) reported prior ICI therapy and its effects. These patients tested up to four dose levels of transurethral alprostadil in the clinic, and those who achieved an erection satisfactory for intercourse were treated at home in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Results. Prior ICI therapy was reported to be “not effective” by 95 of 452 patients (21%), “sometimes effective” by 119 of 452 (26%), and “effective” by 238 of 452 (53%). In patients reporting ICI therapy as “not effective,” 58% achieved an erection sufficient for intercourse following transurethral alprostadil therapy in the clinic; 47% of these responsive patients reported successful sexual intercourse after transurethral alprostadil therapy during home treatment. For patients reporting ICI therapy as “sometimes effective” or “effective,” 68% achieved an erection sufficient for intercourse following transurethral alprostadil therapy in the clinic setting and 67% of these responsive patients reported successful intercourse following transurethral alprostadil therapy at home. Few adverse effects were encountered. The most common adverse effect was penile pain, which occurred with 7.8% of administrations. Conclusions. Transurethral alprostadil therapy is an effective therapeutic option for patients with erectile dysfunction and may even “rescue” some patients who have failed prior intracavernous injection therapy.
The Effect of Breeder Age and Egg Storage Time on Phosphorus Utilization by Broiler Progeny Fed a Phosphorus Deficiency Diet with 1α-OH Vitamin D3

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine that variation in broiler P utilization is due to breeder age and egg storage time. Experiment 1 was conducted with chicks hatched from eggs laid by Ross × Ross 308 breeders (27 vs. 61 wk old) and stored for 0 or 10 d. The age of breeders had significant effects (P
Picosecond fluorescence relaxation kinetics from all-trans retinal

Abstract The fluorescence relaxation kinetics from all-trans retinal in polar and non-polar solvents have been investigated as a function of temperature. An activation energy of ≈1 keal/mole has been measured. Our results, in conjunction with previous picosecond absorption measurements made by Hochstrasser et al., strongly suggest that initially excited molecules to Franck-Condon states relax to three singlet excited states.
Neural retinal and pigment epithelial cells in culture: patterns of differentiation and effects of prostaglandins and cyclic-AMP on pigmentation.

Abstract Cluck neural retinal cells are relatively undifferentiated in appearance for several weeks in culture. Cells with long, thin processes are subsequently observed as well as foci of small, pigmented cells and large semi-transparent masses of cells or other material. Retinal cells thus appear to be able to differentiate into several divergent cell types in vitro. Chick pigment epithelial (PE) cells rapidly differentiate in culture, forming microvilli, pigment granules and other specialized subcellular organelles. 5-Bromodeoxyuridine greatly inhibits cellular differentiation of cultured PE cells as assessed by decreased visible pigmentation and by colonial disorganization. In contrast, several prostaglandins and dibutyryl cyclic-AMP plus isobutylmethylxanthine increase pigmentation and induce a more mature type of cell morphology and colonial development. By electron microscopy, increased numbers of pigment granules are apparent as well as an increase in the length of microvilli. Prostaglandins also increase glutathione levels in the cells. Prostaglandins and cyclic-AMP thus promote the general state of differentiation of PE cells in culture.
A Vulnerability-Stress Framework for Evaluating Clinical Interventions in Schizophrenia

Symptom management and prevention of psychotic relapse are major treatment concerns in schizophrenia. Research shows a relationship between psychotic symptom levels and several intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental factors. These determinants are incorporated into an etiologic causal model of psychotic symptoms based on a vulnerability-stress framework. Then a multifaceted intervention model to influence symptom determinants is advanced, and examples of intervention elements are specified. Finally, a research agenda to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention model is described, and related methodologic issues are considered.
Effects of ingested soil on ration utilization by dairy cows

Abstract Six nonpregnant, nonlactating Holstein cows were fed 3.6kg concentrate, hay ad libitum, and 0, 450, or 900g red clay subsoil daily in two 3×3 Latin squares. Effects of added soil on apparent digestibility were increases of 20 and 19% for ether extract, decreases of 5 and 9% for dry matter and 2 and 6% for protein, and no effect for organic matter, crude fiber, nitrogen-free extract, and combustible energy. Apparent absorption of potassium was reduced 12 and 25% by increasing soil intake, but absorptions of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus were not altered. These results indicate that amounts of soil which are likely to be consumed under normal and sparse grazing would not have an important effect on utilization of most major dietary nutrients.
Binding specificity determines polarity of DNA unwinding by the Sgs1 protein of S. cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sgs1 protein is a member of the RecQ DNA helicase family which also includes the products of the human Bloom’s syndrome and Werner’s syndrome genes. We have studied the substrate specificity of a recombinant Sgs1 helicase (amino acid residues 400-1268 of the Sgs1 protein). Sgs1 shows a strong preference for binding branched DNA substrates, including duplex structures with a 3′ single-stranded overhang and DNA junctions with multiple branches. Duplex DNA with a 5′ rather than a 3′ single-stranded tail is not recognized or unwound by Sgs1. DNase I and hydroxyl radical footprinting of the Sgs1-DNA complex shows that the protein binds specifically to the junction of a double-stranded DNA and its 3′ overhang. Binding and unwinding of duplex DNA with a 3′ overhang are much reduced if the backbone polarity of the 3′ overhang is reversed in the junction region, but are unaffected if polarity reversal occurs four nucleotides away from the junction. These results indicate that the 3′ to 5′ polarity of unwinding by the recombinant Sgs1 protein is a direct consequence of the binding of the helicase to the single-stranded/double-stranded DNA junction and its recognition of the polarity of the single-stranded DNA at the junction. The recombinant Sgs1 also unwinds four-way junctions (synthetic Holliday junctions), a result that may be significant in terms of its role in suppressing DNA recombination in vivo.
Formaldehyde over North America and the North Atlantic during the summer 2004 INTEX campaign: Methods, observed distributions, and measurement-model comparisons

[1] A tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS) was operated on the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the summer INTEX-NA study to acquire ambient formaldehyde (CH2O) measurements over North America and the North Atlantic Ocean from ∼0.2 km to ∼12.5 km altitude spanning 17 science flights. Measurements of CH2O in the boundary layer and upper troposphere over the southeastern United States were anomalously low compared to studies in other years, and this was attributed to the record low temperatures over this region during the summer of 2004. Formaldehyde is primarily formed over the southeast from isoprene, and isoprene emissions are strongly temperature-dependent. Despite this effect, the median upper tropospheric (UT) CH2O mixing ratio of 159 pptv from the TDLAS over continental North America is about a factor of 4 times higher than the median UT value of 40 pptv observed over remote regions during TRACE-P. These observations together with the higher variability observed in this study all point to the fact that continental CH2O levels in the upper troposphere were significantly perturbed during the summer of 2004 relative to more typical background levels in the upper troposphere over more remote regions. The TDLAS measurements discussed in this paper are employed together with box model results in the companion paper by Fried et al. to further examine enhanced CH2O distributions in the upper troposphere due to convection. Measurements of CH2O on the DC-8 were also acquired by a coil enzyme fluorometric system and compared with measurements from the TDLAS system.
A Parametric Study on the Influence of Imperfections on Pipe Mechanical Response During Bending in Reel-Lay Installation Using Finite Element Method

Finite element modelling procedures were developed to examine the effect of pipe diameter, ovality, wall thickness, imperfection formulations, joint-to-joint material strength variation and radial weld offset on the pipe mechanical response through numerical simulation of the reeling process. This study examines the pipe deformation, stress concentration, and strain discontinuity developed during simulation of the pipe reeling process. The key parameters influencing the pipe mechanical response are identified and recommendations on future work provided.Copyright © 2014 by ASME