cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oncology Nurses' Knowledge of Pharmacogenomics Before and After Implementation of an Education Module.

OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy of an interactive continuing education module in improving knowledge of pharmacogenomics in oncology nursing practice. SAMPLE A SETTING 434 inpatient and outpatient oncology nurses from a large teaching hospital in Florida and oncology nurses who practice in North Carolina. METHODS A VARIABLES An interactive continuing education module was created based on key information elicited from a focus group of inpatient and outpatient oncology nurses regarding their lack of knowledge on pharmacogenomics. A pre-/post-test design was implemented. Purposive sampling of oncology nurses was used. RESULTS The mean pretest score was 72.7 and the post-test score was 85.9. A statistically significant difference was found between these scores. No difference in scores were found between the oncology nurses employed at urban hospitals compared to nurses at community hospitals or outpatient settings. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Educational opportunities for pharmacogenomics should be threaded throughout nursing competencies. The continuing education module in the current article has been shown to significantly improve oncology nurses' knowledge of genomic and pharmacogenomic information.
Methods for Replicating Leaf Vibrations Induced by Insect Herbivores

Testing plant responses to natural sources of mechanical vibration requires methods that can precisely reproduce complex vibrational stimuli. Here we describe a method for conducting high-fidelity vibrational playbacks using consumer audio equipment and custom-written signal processing software.
Reduced Reward Responsiveness Predicts Change in Depressive Symptoms in Anxious Children and Adolescents Following Treatment.

Abstract Objectives: Reduced reward responsiveness, as measured by the event-related potential (ERP) component, the reward positivity (RewP), has been shown to play a role in the development of int...
Optically pumped vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers at 375 nm with air-gap/Al0.05Ga0.95N distributed Bragg reflectors

Optically pumped VCSELs with a 1λ thick optical cavity lasing at 375 nm have been demonstrated using a pulsed 248 nm KrF excimer laser source. To realize a high-reflectivity mirror on the bottom of the cavity, five-period airgap/ Al0.05Ga0.95N DBRs with a large refractive index contrast have been employed while the top mirror was formed by dielectric DBRs consisting of twelve pairs HfO2/SiO2. The lowest threshold incident power density measured at room temperature was estimated to be ~270 kW/cm2. The achieved optically pumped VCSEL demonstrates the possibility that the airgap/AlxGa1-xN DBRs can be used as a mirror for injection laser devices.
Assessing Possible Mechanisms of Micrometer-Scale Electron Transfer in Heme-Free Geobacter sulfurreducens Pili

The electrically conductive pili of Geobacter sulfurreducens are of both fundamental and practical interest. They facilitate extracellular and interspecies electron transfer (ET) and also provide an electrical interface between living and nonliving systems. We examine the possible mechanisms of G. sulfurreducens electron transfer in regimes ranging from incoherent to coherent transport. For plausible ET parameters, electron transfer in G. sulfurreducens bacterial nanowires mediated only by the protein is predicted to be dominated by incoherent hopping between phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr) residues that are 3 to 4 A apart, where Phe residues in the hopping pathways may create delocalized "islands." This mechanism could be accessible in the presence of strong oxidants that are capable of oxidizing Phe and Tyr residues. We also examine the physical requirements needed to sustain biological respiration via nanowires. We find that the hopping regimes with ET rates on the order of 108 s-1 between Phe islands and Tyr residues, and conductivities on the order of mS/cm, can support ET fluxes that are compatible with cellular respiration rates, although sustaining this delocalization in the heterogeneous protein environment may be challenging. Computed values of fully coherent electron fluxes through the pili are orders of magnitude too low to support microbial respiration. We suggest experimental probes of the transport mechanism based on mutant studies to examine the roles of aromatic amino acids and yet to be identified redox cofactors.
Balancing Professional Prototypes Increases the Valuation of Women in Male-Dominated Professions

We tackle the persistent problem of people from specific demographic groups (e.g., women) being undervalued in professional contexts in which traits associated with their group do not align with th...
A study of viscosity and thermal conductivity of vegetable oils as base cutting fluids for minimum quantity lubrication machining of difficult-to-cut metals

The properties of environmentally friendly, sustainable, and renewable cutting fluids are very important to effective machining of difficult-to-cut materials under minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). This paper presents the experimental investigation of viscosity and thermal conductivity of three vegetable oils for use as base cutting fluids: modified high oleic soybean oil (HOSO), refined low oleic soybean oil (LOSO), acculube LB2000 (LB2000) oil, and mineral oil–based emulsion cutting fluid (EC) as benchmark and at temperature from 25 to 70 °C. The results show that viscosity of all vegetable oils decreases exponentially with temperature, and are significantly higher than that of EC. HOSO shows an enhanced viscosity of 6.03% compared to LB2000, 25.69% compared to LOSO, and 4688.30% compared to EC at 30 °C temperature. Thermal conductivity of soybean oils and LB2000 is similar, decreases gradually from 0.192 to 0.179 W/mK, not significantly affected by temperature and very low compared to EC. EC increases from 0.698 to 1.857 W/mK between 25 and 50 °C and decreases from 1.857 to 0.762 W/mK between 50 and 70 °C. Critical temperature of EC is around 50 °C. Shear stress–shear rate plots of vegetable oils show linear relation typical of Newtonian fluids. The R-square of HOSO was greater than 0.99 at all investigated temperature and better than the observed values for LB2000, LOSO, and EC. HOSO with higher oleic fatty acid composition shows the most significant viscosity enhancement and oxidation stability, and is recommended as alternative to EC and based-cutting fluid for MQL machining.
El graduado y Relatos salvajes: dos miradas sociales

espanolDos peliculas, a cincuenta anos de distancia, pueden resumir el cambio de sociedad ocurrido. La primera es norteamericana, El Graduado; la segunda, argentina, Relatos Salvajes. En la primera, una sociedad opulenta quiere embarcar a sus jovenes en el sistema con normas claramente establecidas y estos se rebelan al modelo. En la segunda, una sociedad de consumo bajo el signo del neoliberalismo hace perder la relacion de solidaridad entre los ciudadanos, los enfrenta y los lleva a desconfiar del Estado. En esa situacion, deciden tomar en sus manos y resolver ellos mismos los problemas que no han buscado, pero que demandan solucion. EnglishTwo films in a 50 years lapse can summarize a great society change. The first, The Graduate, an American film, the second is Relatos Salvajes, an argentinian film. In the first film, a wealthy society wants to insert its young people in the system, with clearly established norms, and young people rebels against the model. In the second film, a consumer society, under the sign of neoliberalism, looses the solidarity relationships among citizens, confronts them and leads them to distrust the State. In this situation, citizens decide to take action on their hands to solve problems that they have not sought, and that demand a solution.
Pulsed Power Discharge Under a Highly Capacitive Load

This paper outlines the design and tradeoffs of a compact custom capacitive charging and discharging circuit. The system has a maximum charging voltage of 10 kV at 2 mA and utilizes an external capacitor which can be chosen by the user. To maintain the user's set voltage a microcontroller (MCU) in conjunction with feedback from voltage monitoring is used to make real-time voltage adjustments until the user triggers the discharge. The discharge sequence is initiated by the user via a tethered switch that isolates the user from the high voltage components and has an option to abort the discharge by bleeding the capacitor through an internal resistor. The discharge circuit is capable of handling current surges up to 5 kA and voltage spikes up to 15 kV. The design metrics are discussed, and recommendations are presented.
Reduced expression of a rhomboid protease, EhROM1, correlates with changes in the submembrane distribution and size of the Gal/GalNAc lectin subunits in the human protozoan parasite, Entamoeba histolytica

Entamoeba histolytica is a food- and waterborne parasite that causes amebic dysentery and amoebic liver abscesses. Adhesion is one of the most important virulence functions as it facilitates motility, colonization of host, destruction of host tissue, and uptake of nutrients by the parasite. The parasite cell surface adhesin, the Gal/GalNAc lectin, facilitates parasite-host interaction by binding to galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine residues on host components. It is composed of heavy (Hgl), intermediate (Igl), and light (Lgl) subunits. Igl is constitutively localized to lipid rafts (cholesterol-rich membrane domains), whereas Hgl and Lgl transiently associate with rafts. When all three subunits are localized to rafts, galactose-sensitive adhesion is enhanced. Thus, submembrane location may regulate the function of this adhesion. Rhomboid proteases are a conserved family of intramembrane proteases that also participate in the regulation of parasite-host interactions. In E. histolytica, one rhomboid protease, EhROM1, cleaves Hgl as a substrate, and knockdown of its expression inhibits parasite-host interactions. Since rhomboid proteases are found within membranes, it is not surprising that lipid composition regulates their activity and enzyme-substrate binding. Given the importance of the lipid environment for both rhomboid proteases and the Gal/GalNAc lectin, we sought to gain insight into the relationship between rhomboid proteases and submembrane location of the lectin in E. histolytica. We demonstrated that EhROM1, itself, is enriched in highly buoyant triton-insoluble membranes reminiscent of rafts. Reducing rhomboid protease activity, either pharmacologically or genetically, correlated with an enrichment of Hgl and Lgl in rafts. In a mutant cell line with reduced EhROM1 expression, there was also a significant augmentation of the level of all three Gal/GalNAc subunits on the cell surface and an increase in the molecular weight of Hgl and Lgl. Overall, the study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms governing parasite-host adhesion for this pathogen.
Monitoring in the Dental Office

SUMMARY Twenty-five years ago, as a response to the beginning of the monitoring equipment revolution, it was suggested that the best patient-monitoring device would be a tube of contact adhesive to affix the anesthetist's finger to the patient's peripheral pulse so that the two could not be readily separated.30 Although this concept is still valuable, the use of the microprocessor and the integration of thoughtful monitoring standards into our practices can only increase patient safety and improve outcome.
EXCEPTIONAL AND ACQUIRED WOUND-HEALING COMPLICATIONS

SUMMARY Wound healing classically follows an organized scheme of events. Each event is not a separate individual mechanism but is a continuum of processes. Multiple factors and mechanisms are involved. Any alteration of these mechanisms may lead to impaired wound healing. We have reviewed the salient effects that various agents have on wound healing. Further investigation into specific wound-healing defects caused by these agents should help us manipulate the woundhealing environment to augment proper wound healing.
Activating graphene’s optoelectronic response through interactions with fullerene and metallofullerene clusters

High-performance hybrid graphene photodetectors were prepared with fullerenes and metallofullerenes deposited on graphene using electrophoretic deposition technique. Fullerene C60 which acts as an electron acceptor, and metallofullerene Sc3N@C80 which act as an electron acceptor and electron donor respectively, were used to decorate the surface of the graphene. Raman spectroscopy analysis of C60 film after electrophoretic deposition and annealing reveals no change in bonding or chemical composition. Both Raman area map and AFM topography scans reveal a continuous film like deposition of C60 between electrodes during electrophoretic deposition. The charge transfer between graphene and fullerene/metallofullerene and consequent photocurrent generation contribute to a high photoresponsivity ℛ in our hybrid graphene detectors. The responsivity ℛ of the C60 - graphene and Sc3N@C80 – graphene hybrids were measured to be ~ 109 A/W, while the detectivity and external quantum efficiency were also exceptional, ~ 1015 Jones and ~ 109 %, respectively. The exceptional performance gains achieved with graphene–0D hybrid structures confirm the potential of endohedrals and metallofullerenes to dope graphene for high performance optoelectronic devices using a facile and scalable fabrication process.
Improvement after bariatric surgery in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a novel treatment target.

A 66-year-old man with a medical history significant for multiple pulmonary embolism and morbid obesity was evaluated for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Echocardiogram and right heart catheterisation were significant for severe pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, he was started on pulmonary hypertension medical therapy with riociguat and ambrisentan, in addition to anticoagulation. He experienced a dramatic clinical response to medical therapy. Despite haemodynamic improvement, the patient remained symptomatic with significant fatigue, exertional dyspnea and poor functional status as highlighted by a 6 min walk distance of only 128 m. Patient was referred for bariatric surgery with a gastric sleeve, after which he successfully lost 95 lbs in 6 months. Postoperative right heart catheterisation demonstrated normal pulmonary vascular resistance and cardiac output. His echocardiogram revealed normal right ventricular size and function. His 6 min walk distance also nearly quadrupled from 128 to 512 m, consistent with WHO Functional Class I.
Transition to Online Culinary and Beverage Labs: Determining Student Engagement and Satisfaction During COVID-19

Grounded in the Community of Inquiry framework in the online teaching context, the purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine the role of social (peer) presence in predicting hospitality students’ engagement and satisfaction in an online culinary or beverage lab. Findings included the indirect effect of social presence on satisfaction with the online lab through emotional cognitive engagement. Qualitative results revealed that while students did not have as many opportunities to engage with each other as they hoped for, the opportunities they did have were “meaningful”. Results also study revealed that instructors, rather than peers, became the proxy for social presence as the semester progressed. Theoretical implications demonstrate the importance of emotional and cognitive engagement as the underlying mechanisms linking social presence to online lab satisfaction. Practical implications offer guidance for hospitality instructors to build and enhance opportunities for student engagement and peer-to-peer interaction.
Development and dosimetric assessment of an automatic dental artifact classification tool to guide artifact management techniques in a fully automated treatment planning workflow.

Abstract Purpose We conducted our study to develop a tool capable of automatically detecting dental artifacts in a CT scan on a slice-by-slice basis and to assess the dosimetric impact of implementing the tool into the Radiation Planning Assistant (RPA), a web-based platform designed to fully automate the radiation therapy treatment planning process. Methods We developed an automatic dental artifact identification tool and assessed the dosimetric impact of its use in the RPA. Three users manually annotated 83,676 head-and-neck (HN) CT slices (549 patients). Majority-voting was applied to the individual annotations to determine the presence or absence of dental artifacts. The patients were divided into train, cross-validation, and test data sets (ratio: 3:1:1, respectively). A random subset of images without dental artifacts was used to balance classes (1:1) in the training data set. The Inception-V3 deep learning model was trained with the binary cross-entropy loss function. With use of this model, we automatically identified artifacts on 15 RPA HN plans on a slice-by-slice basis and investigated three dental artifact management methods applied before and after volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan optimization. The resulting dose distributions and target coverage were quantified. Results Per-slice accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 99 %, 91 %, and 99 %, respectively. The model identified all patients with artifacts. Small dosimetric differences in total plan dose were observed between the various density-override methods (±1 Gy). For the pre- and post-optimized plans, 90 % and 99 %, respectively, of dose comparisons resulted in normal structure dose differences of ±1 Gy. Differences in the volume of structures receiving 95 % of the prescribed dose (V95[%]) were ≤0.25 % for 100 % of plans. Conclusion The dosimetric impact of applying dental artifact management before and after artifact plan optimization was minor. Our results suggest that not accounting for dental artifacts in the current RPA workflow (where only post-optimization dental artifact management is possible) may result in minor dosimetric differences. If RPA users choose to override CT densities as a solution to managing dental artifacts, our results suggest segmenting the volume of the artifact and overriding its density to water is a safe option.
Adolescent Experiences of Violence Victimizations Among Minors Who Exchange Sex/Experience Minor Sex Trafficking:

This work investigates the associations between experiences of domestic minor sex trafficking and adolescent interpersonal violence victimizations, including intimate partner violence (IPV) and community violence. Abuse and violence in childhood are commonly proposed as risk factors for domestic minor sex trafficking. However, less is known about how interpersonal violence victimizations in adolescence connect to domestic minor sex trafficking experiences. The poly-victimization framework provides a means to understand domestic minor sex trafficking as a type of violence amid a web of additional interconnected violence victimizations. Efforts to better understand the interpersonal violence experienced by survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking are valuable in contextualizing trafficking experiences for adolescents. Data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a population-based sample of adolescents in the United States (n = 12,605) were used to examine experiences of domestic minor sex trafficking for minor respondents, as measured through questions about exchanging sex for money or drugs. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the associations between domestic minor sex trafficking and IPV or community violence, while controlling for demographic variables and adolescent risk behaviors. Minors who experience community violence had significantly greater odds of having exchanged sex (aOR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.32 -2.64). However, IPV was not significantly associated with minors' experiences of sex exchange (aOR: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.85 -1.54). Alcohol or drug use (aOR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.32 -2.65) and having run away (aOR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.53 -2.72) were also significantly associated with minor sex exchange. As experiences of domestic minor sex trafficking were significantly associated with community violence victimizations, prevention and intervention efforts targeting youth at high risk for or survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking should consider how community violence victimizations impact these adolescent populations, and programming/messaging should be adjusted to account for these additional violence victimizations.
Augmenting the Activity of Chlorhexidine for Decolonization of Candida auris from Porcine skin

Candida auris readily colonizes skin and efficiently spreads among patients in healthcare settings worldwide. Given the capacity of this drug-resistant fungal pathogen to cause invasive disease with high mortality, hospitals frequently employ chlorhexidine bathing to reduce skin colonization. Using an ex vivo skin model, we show only a mild reduction in C. auris following chlorhexidine application. This finding helps explain why chlorhexidine bathing may have failures clinically, despite potent in vitro activity. We further show that isopropanol augments the activity of chlorhexidine against C. auris on skin. Additionally, we find both tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil and lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) oil to further enhance the activity of chlorhexidine/isopropanol for decolonization. We link this antifungal activity to individual oil components and show how some of these components act synergistically with chlorhexidine/isopropanol. Together, the studies provide strategies to improve C. auris skin decolonization through the incorporation of commonly used topical compounds.
A Unified Theory of Party Competition: Policy-Seeking Motivations of Parties in Two-Party Elections: Empirical Analysis

Introduction While the theoretical results presented in Chapter 11 are suggestive, they rest upon simplified voting models that omit several factors that influence realworld voters' decisions. These include influences that vary across voters, such as party identification and sociodemographic characteristics, as well as voter-specific random disturbance terms that render voters' choices probabilistic from the candidates' perspectives. In this regard, simulations based upon election survey data offer a possible bridge between our theoretical results and empirical applications. Here we explore policy-seeking candidates' strategies, using survey data from the two-candidate 1988 American presidential election and from the second round of the 1988 French presidential election, which was also a two-candidate contest.We also report applications to the 1997 British general election, which featured a three-party contest. The 1988 U.S. and French presidential elections provide an appropriate testing ground for spatial models of policy-seeking candidates, since the presidents of both countries have broad constitutional powers to influence government policy (see Pierce 1995; Safran 1998). As in our theoretical analyses, we first explore these issues using the assumption that the candidates had full information. Then, in the next section, we extend our analysis to incomplete information scenarios, and we explore candidate strategies when uncertainty centers on the electoral effects of valence issues and, alternatively, when uncertainty revolves around positional issues. The Contexts of the 1988 American and French Presidential Elections Both the 1988 U.S. presidential election and the second round of the 1988 French presidential election pitted a candidate from a traditionally rightwing party against an opponent from a traditionally left-wing party.
Functional Setting for the Lagrangian Action

In order to apply the machinery of critical point theory to study the periodic solutions of Tonelli Lagrangian systems on a closed manifold M, one needs to find a nice functional setting for the Lagrangian action: a suitable free loop space on M with a manifold structure, over which the action is regular, say at least C1, and such that its sublevels satisfy some sort of compactness, such as the Palais-Smale condition.
Site Factors Affecting Growth of Slash Pine in the Texas Post Oak Belt

A study was conducted in the Post Oak Belt of East Texas to determine which site factors affected height growth of slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. ). Height-age pairs were developed from stem analysis data. Nonlinear regression was implemented to develop a generalized height-age model. After curves were developed, stepwise regression was used to determine impacts of environmental variables on height growth. Environmental factors correlated with height growth included A horizon depth and those related to moisture relations including seasonal precipitation, average daily temperature, and texture of the A horizon. South. J. Appl. For. 21(2):71-74. The Post Oak Belt of East Texas lies to the west of the natural range of southern pines (LBJ School of Public Affairs 1978). Although pine plantations have been established throughout he area, there are few evaluation data available. Thts ts especially true for slash pine (Pinus ellottii Engelm.). Hansen and Bilan (1989) quantified survival and growth of slash pine growing in the Post Oak Belt north of the Navasota Rtver They found the most critical factor in establishing pine plantations to be the initial survival of planted seedlings. After establishment, growth was comparable to those on sites •n the pine-mixed hardwood forests to the east. Site index curves developed by Hacker and Bilan (1991) indicated favorable height growth patterns for slash pine. There are no long-term data available indicating which environmental factors are most critical for successful height growth of slash ptne tn the Post Oak Belt. The objectives of this study were to develop a generalized height growth model for slash pine and to determine the site variables that may affect height growth.
High-performance liquid chromatography—thermospray mass spectrometry of ten sulfonamide antibiotics: Analysis in milk at the ppb level

Abstract Ten sulfonamide antibiotics including sulfanilamide (SNL), sulfamethazine (SMZ), sulfamethizole (SMTZ), sulfachloropyridazine and sulfaquinoxaline (SQX), were analyzed by thermospray (TSP) mass spectrometry on-line with a high-performance liquid chromatography—UV detection system. Except for the pairs SMZ—SMTZ and sulfadimethoxine—SQX, the standards were resolved in both the UV and TSP profiles. Co-eluting compounds could be differentiated in TSP by their different relative molecular masses. The [M + H] + ion was the base peak for all the standards except SNL, which showed an [M + NH 4 ] + ion. Collision-induced dissociation of the [M + H] + ions afforded daughter ion spectra characterized by common ions at m·z 92, 108 and 156, and ions derived from the amine substituent ([MH − 155] + ). TSP detection limits [signal-to-noise ratio ( S N ) > 3] were below 20 ng (scan mode), 2 ng (selected reaction monitoring, daughter ions from [M + H] + ) and 400 pg (selected ion monitoring). UV detection limits were ca. 2 ng ( S N > 5). Results obtained from the multi-residue analysis of spiked cow milk samples at the low ng ml level are presented.
The Solicitor General of the United States: The Tenth Justice or a Zealous Advocate?

The federal government loses hundreds of cases in the federal courts of appeals each year, but the Solicitor General will select only a handful of those cases-just fifteen or so in recent years-to petition the Supreme Court to review. Acting as the final “decider” on the overwhelming majority of federal appeals, the Solicitor General has a vast, and under-scrutinized, amount of discretion over the federal government’s legal agenda. This paper argues that the Solicitor General should behave more zealously in his advocacy at the petition stage, which will almost certainly require him to file more cert. petitions each year. By mimicking the decision making of the Supreme Court as he currently does, the Solicitor General is insufficiently attentive to his role as an advocate and has improperly appropriated a judicial function for himself within the executive branch. This paper also addresses concerns about the credibility of the Solicitor General and the scarce resources of his Office that may arise if he were to change his petitioning strategy. Ultimately, neither concern should inhibit the Solicitor General from being less restrictive in petitioning the Supreme Court.
Social Movement Engagement over the Long Haul: Understanding Activist Retention

This article offers a broad review of the scholarship of the ‘retention’ of social movement activists, examining it from the individual, social relational, and organizational levels of analysis. The following contribute to the likelihood that a participant sustains their engagement: accommodation of individual needs and motivations, a social network to reinforce attachment to activism, and a successful organization that promotes its members' empowerment. The conclusion considers the insights gained from the scholarship so that organizations might increase activist persistence and notes gaps that merit further study, particularly regarding the emerging effects of ‘internet communication technology’ (ICT).
Array noise analysis for high-density dynamic RAM design

The analytical modeling of the bit line noise analysis for different DRAM architectures has been developed. The analytical expressions provide insight into the charge redistribution when the word lines turn on. The topology for array noise extraction in SPICE circuit simulation is presented. The SPICE simulations show good agreement with analytical results. >
Mechanism of action of sparteine sulfate on myometrial activity in vitro.

Abstract The in vitro response of uterine muscle to sparteine sulfate was studied in 104 strips of human and 65 strips of rat uterine muscle. Sparteine sulfate influences the duration and frequency but not the maximum tension development of spontaneous activity in the rat myometrium. In all studies of electrically stimulated human and rat myometrium an increase of maximum tension was observed after sparteine sulfate stimulation. In the human no increase in sensitivity to sparteine sulfate was observed with advancing gestation. However, the gradual increase in sensitivity to Pitocin as pregnancy progresses has been observed by us as well as by several other investigators. The rat uterus, unlike the human uterus, exhibits an increased sensitivity to sparteine sulfate during advancing stages of pregnancy. A greater response is demonstrable during late pregnancy and is relatively refractile during early and midgestation. The response of muscle strips obtained from placental implantation sites to sparteine sulfate were less marked than uterine muscle strips from the opposite wall of the same uterus (nonplacental sites). Furthermore, the dose response range of human uterine muscle to increasing concentrations of sparteine sulfate was narrower than with Pitocin. Larger doses of sparteine sulfate produced myometrial contracture in normal Krebs' solution. Lower concentrations had a tendency to cause myometrial contracture on partially depolarized muscle. These studies suggest the major action of sparteine sulfate is directed at the cell membrane rather than directly on the contractile system of the uterine muscle cell.
Reflective Practice in an Online Literacy Course: Lessons Learned from Attempts to Fuse Reading and Science Instruction

One of several challenges to fusing reading and science instructionthrough the use of reflective practice arises from recent claims that it is questionable whetheranyone can “make” preservice teachers into reflective practitioners. This challenge has impli-cations for researchers and teacher educators in general, especially if one assumes that novicesare without sufficient resources for reflecting on their own experiences and interactions.Two frequently cited commissioned reviews of reading research conclude that skills-basedinstruction in graphic organizing, self-questioning, summarizing, and other similar genericreading strategies can improve adolescents’ comprehension of written texts. However, there isa growing consensus about the importance of domain-specific pedagogical knowledge, andpreservice teachers who view science instruction as largely concept oriented may not viewreading instruction as highly relevant. Little research has been directed toward understand-ing how preservice science teachers learn to integrate what they know about their subject mat-ter with the generic reading strategies they are taught in content literacy courses.
Effects of 28 days of two creatine nitrate based dietary supplements on bench press power in recreationally active males

Background Athletes use ergogenic aids in an attempt to increase training-adaptations, which serves to enhance their performance during competition. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied ergogenic aids. Although many studies have reported the efficacy and effectiveness of creatine monohydrate supplement manufacturers continually introduce newer forms of creatine into the marketplace. The newer forms of creatine purport to be more effective than creatine monohydrate alone. However, there is little evidence to support most manufacturers’ claims.
Tritium NMR in Biology

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Elucidation of Enzyme Stereochemistry 3 Protein–Ligand Interactions 4 Macromolecules Labeled With Tritium 5 Conclusion 6 Acknowledgements 7 Biographical Sketches Related Articles
13.4: Viewing‐AngleControllable Displays Using a BluePhase Liquid‐Crystal Cell

Controlling the viewing angle of an LCD by a bluephase liquid crystal BPLC cell is demonstrated. The BPLC layer can act like a tunable positive or negative Cplate depending on the dielectric anisotropy of the hostLC composite. This approach works equally well for all the wideview LCDs.
In vivo metabolism of the cardiovascular toxin, allylamine

Previous evidence from this laboratory demonstrated that allylamine, a known cardiovascular toxin, is metabolized in vitro to acrolein, which has been hypothesized to act as a distal toxin. In this study, 3-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid was isolated and identified by MS, NMR, and 2D-NMR spectroscopy as the sole urinary metabolite of allylamine metabolism in vivo. Parallel experiments showed reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion in several organs (most marked in aorta, blood, and lung), which is consistent with GSH conjugation of the proposed acrolein intermediate. These findings indicate that allylamine was metabolized in vivo to a highly reactive aldehyde which was converted to a mercapturic acid through a GSH conjugation pathway; the exact mechanisms of cellular damage remain unclear.
Brainstem afferents to the rostral (juxtafacial) nucleus paragigantocellularis: integration of exteroceptive and interoceptive sensory inputs in the ventral tegmentum.

Abstract The rostral pole of the nucleus paragigantocellularis (PGi), termed juxtafacial PGi, lies medially adjacent to the facial nucleus and lateral to the pyramidal tract and the nucleus gigantocellularis pars alpha in the caudal ventral pons. This narrow region of the ventral pontine reticular formation is an afferent to the nucleus locus coeruleus, and contains neurons which have been implicated in pain processing, cardiovascular regulation, respiratory control and arousal. Here, we studied brainstem afferents to the juxtafacial PGi using retrograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) or of a colloidal gold-protein complex. Anterograde transport of WGA-HRP, or ofPhaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L), was used to confirm and further detail innervation patterns in the juxtafacial PGi. Results revealed that the juxtafacial PGi receives inputs from a variety of nuclei involved in somatosensory, auditory and autonomic function. Retrograde labeling was prominent in the dorsal column nuclei, the inferior colliculus and the paralemniscal zone of the midbrain, as previously reported in other species. We also found afferents to the juxtafacial PGi that were not previously described, including the paramedian reticular formation and the paraolivary reticular formation. Afferents were also identified from the retrofacial PGi, the caudal medullary reticular formation and thev periaqueductal gray, structures implicated in autonomic and pain regulation. These results indicate that inputs to this subregion of the PGi is distinct from that to the more caudal parts of the PGi, and support the view that the juxtafacial PGi may function in the integration and coordination of polymodal (somatic and visceral) sensory events.
Supersymmetric dark matter sectors

We investigate the properties of a dark matter sector where supersymmetry is a good symmetry. In this context we find that the stability of the dark matter candidate is possible even when R-parity is broken in the visible sector. In order to illustrate the idea we investigate a simple scenario where the dark matter candidate is the lightest scalar field in the dark sector which annihilates mainly into two sfermions when these channels are available. We study the relic density constraints and the predictions for the dark matter detection experiments.
Electrographic study of thalamic impulses to the striatum and pallidum.

Abstract 1. 1. Electrographic studies show that multiple thalamic impulses reach the caudate nucleus and/or globus pallidus. These findings indicate a close relationship between the functional state of the thalamus and that of the striopallidum. 2. 2. Ablation of the frontal lobe or large lesions in the head of the caudate nucleus do not prevent the appearance of pallidal reactions on thalamic stimulation. 3. 3. Possible implications of these findings for the physiopathology of the basal ganglia are discussed.
Religion, Parental Choice, and School Vouchers in Urban Parochial Schools: The Case of Five Schools in Southern California

The purpose of this study is to investigate why parents choose parochial schools, whether parochial-school parents are likely to favor school vouchers, and what factors lie behind their support for vouchers. To this end, this study gives special attention to parents' personal religiosity. The sample of parents was taken from five large Protestant schools in the greater Los Angeles area. The results show that the parochial schools tend to serve families who are more financially secure and have higher educational status compared with families served by public schools. The parochial schools also mostly attract religious parents with strong doctrinal beliefs and regular religious practice. These parents seek out religious education due to their desire to provide their children with religious education, in addition to academic excellence and safe and drug-free schooling, and thus strongly expect the schools to give special emphasis to religious education. These parents tend to take neutral or, at best, moderat...
Voclosporin: A potentially promising therapeutic agent for noninfectious uveitis

Voclosporin is a novel calcineurin inhibitor that functions by binding cyclophilin, consequently inhibiting calcineurin activity and preventing the transcription of many genes involved in lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine release. Voclosporin has been shown to be effective in a variety of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and renal transplant rejection. Noninfectious uveitis is also an immune-mediated disease which, if left untreated, can cause severe loss of vision. Presently, corticosteroids are the mainstay of therapy in noninfectious uveitis. However, there are several metabolic and ophthalmic adverse effects associated with the long-term use of corticosteroids. Voclosporin has recently been shown in the LX-211 Uveitis Multicenter Investigation of a New Approach to Treatment (LUMINATE) clinical trial program to be effective in the treatment of noninfectious uveitis. With an acceptable side-effects profile, voclosporin is an exciting addition to the therapeutic options av...
Mg may protect waste under glass

Recent studies indicate that magnesium in seawater may help nuclear waste stored in silicate glass stay put. The preliminary results of work combining observations of the dissolution rate of ancient glass particles on land and in the oceans with laboratory experiments show that magnesium in seawater greatly retards the corrosion of silicate glasses similar in composition to those currently used to contain nuclear waste in Europe and proposed for use by the United States. In Europe, radioactive waste is mixed and melted with silicate components to form a liquid that is then poured into stainless steel containers and quenched to a glass. The containers are buried and surrounded with clay backfill. This method is being considered for the United States, where most high-level nuclear waste is stored in liquid form. Glass is thought to be a more reliable form of storage for the long periods of time, more than 20,000 years, that radionuclides must be isolated from the environment. Until recently, there was no direct evidence on how resistant to chemical and physical attack the glasses would really be on such a time scale.
Collisional moderation by foreign gases in the reaction of SiH3+ with C2H4☆

Abstract Collisional enhancement of the SiC 2 H 7 + intensity in the reaction of SiH 3 + ions of 2.6 eV laboratory kinetic energy with C 2 H 4 is due to moderation of the reactant-ion energy rather than removal of excess energy from the (SiC 2 H 7 + )* collision complex. The effectiveness of (CD 3 ) 4 Si, CH 4 , CO 2 , N 2 , D 2 and Ar as kinetic energy moderators was studied at a constant C 2 H 4 pressure of 2.5 × 10 −4 torr and at moderator pressures up to 5 × 10 −3 torr. The most important property determining moderator efficiency is molecular complexity, i.e. number of vibrational degrees of freedom. The moderator (CD 3 ) 4 Si is not efficient, despite its large number of vibrational degrees of freedom, because it undergoes a rapid reaction with SiH 3 + to produce (CD 3 ) 3 Si + ions.
Long-term effects of radiation therapy on cognitive and endocrine function in children with leukemia and brain tumors.

Background:As the number of long-term survivors of childhood cancer has grown, it has become increasingly clear that central nervous system therapy may have serious long-term effects on cognition and endocrine function. These complications have been studied most extensively in children with brain tu
Fancying the fancy

Sexual Selection. By Malte Andersson M.. Princeton University Press: 1994. Pp. 599. $65, £52.50 (hbk); $24.95, £19.95 (pbk).
Interocular transfer of a visually mediated conditioned food aversion in chicks

Young chicks with one eye occluded were subjected to a food aversion conditioning procedure in which an unfamiliar colored liquid (the conditioned stimulus) was paired with delayed LiCl-induced illness (the unconditioned stimulus). In a subsequent preference test, chicks displayed marked avoidance of the liquid whether tested with the trained or the untrained eye open, demonstrating substantial interocular transfer of the monocularly acquired visual food aversion after the single conditioning session and despite the long interstimulus interval. A possible role of the unconditioned stimulus in determining interocular transfer of avoidance habits in birds is discussed.
APPLYING CHAOS TO MANUFACTURING PROCESS OPTIMIZATION

We have applied the principles of chaos theory to optimizing the manufacturing process. A simulation system was created in which multiple parameters were modified to denote the effect of chaotic changes on the net profit derived. The companies that are successful in modeling their manufacturing systems in a simplistic manner can look forward to increased profit, better control and simpler manufacturing systems. Finding and selecting the correct set of parameters to subject to chaotic changes is time consuming. There are countless operating parameters that could be selected and the interaction of those parameters may have varying degrees of success on trying to optimize the manufacturing process. Certain parametric interactions may increase revenue, while other interactions may actually do the inverse.
Regional cerebral blood flow during word and nonword reading.

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using positron emission tomography (PET) during overt word and nonword reading tasks to determine structures involved in semantic processing. Ten young, healthy, right-handed subjects were scanned 12 times, twice in each of six specific conditions. Blood flow was measured by 15O-water using standard PET imaging technology. The rCBFs during different cognitive conditions were compared by using analysis of covariance (SPM94), which resulted in three-dimensional maps of those brain regions more active in one condition relative to another. When the subjects read aloud words with difficult or unusual grapheme-phoneme translations (i.e., third-order approximation to English or irregularly spelled real words), increases in activation were seen in the inferior frontal cortex. When subjects were reading aloud regular and irregular words (which had important semantic components relative to nonwords), activation of the fusiform gyrus was seen. These data are broadly consistent with brain regions generally associated with reading based on other neuropsychological paradigms, and they emphasize the multicomponent aspects of this complex cognitive process.
Performance comparisons of conventional and laboratory-scale alfalfa hay bales in isolated environments

Negative quality changes, including Maillard reaction damage, in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay frequently are associated with spontaneous heating resulting from packaging and storing forage at moisture levels in excess of 200 g kg −1 . Forage at three moisture levels (268, 229, and 185 g kg −1 ) was packaged in laboratory-scale bales at 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, and 2.0 times the density of parent, conventional bales and subsequently incubated in two different isolated environments such that all measured heat accumulation was the result of self-generated heat. Laboratory- scale hay packages generated measurable heat and exhibited quality changes when incubated (i) between straw bales stacked in an open-air pole shed and (ii) in insulated incubator boxes in a storeroom where the minimum ambient storage temperature was set at 25° C
Interlamellar Metal Complexes in Layer Silicates III Silver(I)—Arene Complexes in Smectites

The complexation of benzene and several methyl substituted benzenes with exchangeable silver(I) on the interlamellar surfaces of Ag(I)-montmorillonite has been studied using spectroscopic methods. There are no physically adsorbed molecules interacting with the internal silicate surfaces and the only chemisorbed species present are those which are coordinated through π electrons to the exchangeable Ag(I) ions. In each case the coordinated species are similar to the previously studied Cu(II)-montmorillonite Type I complexes where aromaticity is retained. Complete replacement of coordinated and other interlamellar water molecules was accomplished with relative ease. Stoichiometric determinations indicate a 2:1 benzene: Ag(I) complex. Similarities between the Cu(II) and Ag(I) complexes are discussed in relation to electronic configurations.